Interlude: Keeping an eye on “Foals”?
Kasumi/Luna sighed as she once again checked up upon the idiotic family that was currently the bane of her and her Ranma’s existence. “Well let’s check on those ‘foals’ again.” Sighing she went over to the mirror in her bedroom and looked into while also casting a scrying spell. “Let’s see how the Saotome’s are doing.”
The Saotome’s
Genma and Nodoka where currently not pleased with how things had went. They were NOT in China like they were meant to be. They were in Antarctica, one of the coldest places in the world and currently arguing with a flight crew to take them back to Japan or at least America. “Husband, have you found us a way out of this cold?” Nodoka asked shivering. Genma cleared his throat. “Yes dear I did. Seems they’ll take us as far as Africa but that is it.” Nodoka sighed. Finally they’ll be back to finding Ranma. It was very unmanly of him to run away from his responsibilities. For Genma it was far different. Finally I’ll get that stupid boy to fulfill his purpose and I’ll be set for life!
Kasumi/Luna bristled at this. “Oh REALLY, I don’t think so Panda.” Snapping her fingers the plane they were to take filled up greatly with unseen spare luggage. After the plane was mostly filled the Pilot came over to the two Saotome’s. “I’m sorry you two but it we don’t have enough room to take you both. Either I can take one of you and have the other wait till tomorrow for another plane to come by or you can wait till that one flies in and go with them.” Both Saotome’s looked at each other with Genma gulping. “Husband I feel it be best that I go ahead and meet you in Africa. You may wait here for the plane.” Nodoka instructed. “But… Nodoka I’m not sure that’s such a good idea…” Genma started. “Are you questioning me Husband?” Nodoka said looking right at him. “N-no dear, I’ll wait.” Nodoka nodded at this and followed the pilot into the plane. “I’ll see you in two days husband.”
Kasumi sighed at this. Nodoka was far too old fashioned and fixated on what was manly and unmanly she had become blinded by what was also right and wrong. “I’ll need to have the police keep an eye out for her when she arrives.” Luna said as she then turned her attention to her sister Nabiki who she had sent to France.
Nabiki
Nabiki was not doing too well in France. Ever since she had arrived here she had been keep busy by finding not only quick ways to gain money but also find any and all leads on Ranma. Sighing in her small hotel room she looked over her notes and estimates yet again and sighed deeply. “We have got to find Ranma. If we don’t we’ll lose not only the stupid dojo dad doesn’t’ even run anymore but the entire house! What’s even worse is Genma’s eating habits. Serious I think he got his curse on purpose, stupid lazy panda.”
Kasumi giggled at this and nodded to the last. Genma was a bit of a lazy do for nothing panda. Even normal panda’s where more active than he was. Still there was the issue of the home and double checked over Nabiki’s estimates and gasped. “That’s… not possible.” The estimates she was currently looking over where far too low to be normal. “I better check on her fully.” Kasumi said getting a better look of the hotel and room, as well as her spending. For the past few weeks Nabiki had been spending might a lot more tightly than normal for her meals where cheap yet filling, and the shopping conservative yet fashionable. “This isn’t like Nabiki at all.” Snapping her fingers she created a cellphone out of the darkness and called the family bank to see how the budget was holding. “Yes, this is Kasumi Tendo I was just curious of our current bank account. Yes, I’ll hold.” Kasumi waited and then told the person on the other end the account number and waited more. “Yes, I’m still here. Yes, I’m sure I want to hear the amount.” Kasumi listened then gasped at what she had heard. “You sure it’s accurate?! Yes do check it again!” Kasumi grabbed from a desk a sheet of paper and a pen and waited. “Yes, I’m ready.” Kasumi wrote down the numbers and closed her eyes. “No, that will be all, thank you.”
She soon hung up the cell and looked to the image of Nabiki and the paper. There was only enough yen in the bank to cover one more month of property taxes then that was it. Thinking she quickly snapped her fingers again summoning Nabiki’s ledger and opened it up to look over the past spending as well as Nabiki’s… business. “Just as I thought, Nabiki’s only caring about herself.” She looked to her sister’s image and frowned at it. Nabiki’s ledger said there was far more spent on not the home but herself and her ill-gotten business deals had put her at a point she could travel from Japan to America and back again four times over. There were also entries on Ranma Items written into the ledger. She was not going to let her sister Nabiki off that easily. “Time you learn a lesson Nabiki, a hard one.” Snapping her fingers she raised the price of the rented hotel room to a hefty amount. Hopefully enough to have her either working in the hotel for some time or at least put her behind bars. Though she had at one time loved the Tendo Family when her adopted mother was alive she was not going to let the current spoiled rotten family it now was ruin her current life. Sighing she turned her attention to the next of the NWC and also the most dangerous at the time, Akane.
Akane
Akane growled at her current ride across the desert of Egypt. Currently she was cursing any and all kami above for sending her here. Probably for some kind of thought that it would match her so called hot temper. Well, it wasn’t funny and she hated it. “Move it you stupid camel!” The camel wouldn’t even budge from its currently lying down position. The camel had done everything to truly tick her off to the point she had used her mallet on the poor thing’s head and now it wasn’t even moving. “I SAID GET UP OR I’LL BASH YOU AGAIN!”
Kasumi quickly turned from the view and left this to be. “Akane’s temper has gotten to a near boiling point. I would rather she be a lot calmer than she is now but…if I do so…will she be calmer or…worse in the end?” Kasumi soon started pacing the room. How she wished Celestia was in the room with her. She just didn’t know how to handle Akane at this moment and with her anger as it was… She sighed. “I have no choice.” Snapping her fingers she broke the spell she had on her sister and even allowed a small band of scientist to pick her up and take her to the nearest airport however she decided it best to keep Akane on a leash, a leash named Nabiki. “Sigh. It’ll have to do for now. I just hope I did the right thing.”
Shaking her head she braced herself for the last of the Tendo Clan, Soun Tendo of the Tendo clan which she had sent to Timbuktu. Ever since her adopted mother had passed she had wanted to send the fool of a father of theirs there. For years since the kind hearted woman who was her mother while in her humanized state’s death Soun had become nothing more than a recluse and a horrid excuse of a father. He had allowed Akane to gain an uncontrolled temper and treated her like a spoiled brattish princess, which was far worse than Blueblood could ever be. He had pushed all the finances onto Nabiki who had to do many things close to Yakuza level to keep the house and herself filthy rich and even gone so far as use her own family for financial gain. Then there was her. Ever since the kind hearted woman’s death she had to become the caretaker of not just the house but the entire family. Not once did anyone lift a finger to help her. They just pushed everything onto her, the cleaning, the washing, the shopping, the parental counseling; all of it was hers and hers alone to do. And just what did Soun Tendo do? Sit on his lazy rear playing Go or Shoji while drinking and smoking highly expensive items. Sighing she looked to the man she once called, Father.
Soun Tendo
Soun was not having a good day, not at all. Not only had he run out of smokes he also ran out of his favored drink. He was sober, which he hated, and was not pleased with the sun or the sounds around him. They reminded him of days past, days he truly wanted to forget. Days of hard work, days of earning the so called honest Yen, the days of happy married life, all of these age old days that made him ill. He wanted to go back to having to do nothing but laze around with his old friend and leach off of the poor excuse for children he had. Leaning against a building he cursed Ranma for leaving. Had the boy just married his poor excuse of an heir he and Genma be living the good life. Sighing he thought it over, again. He hated thinking. It got him into trouble and it was trouble he did not want at this time.
Maybe Akane WAS a bad choice. The boy could have taught Akane the other half of the Anything Goes but he had to admit sadly that Akane’s temper and dislike of men was not going to help his cause. Maybe Nabiki would be a better choice; she was quite good with finances. He was NOT going to let Kasumi marry the boy, oh no, she was too precious to him. She was his and his alone. She made meals no restaurant cook could come close to. She cleaned the house and dojo so well it would shine, and she never would complain about well, anything. She was the perfect servant and if he needed he could push the secret of her not being a true Tendo under Ranma’s nose preventing the marriage. Smiling at his cunning he went off to try stealing some money again and move onto a new destination before the local police got wise. Sure he may be rusty and out of practice but it was good enough for him.
Kasumi couldn’t believe him! “Oh… that man is… is… ugh!” Kasumi paced once again, her cutie mark glowing in the dark room. Thinking it over she couldn’t come up with any way to dispute the man’s plan. If he succeeded… well… she didn’t know what could happen. “Sigh. For now I best just cause him trouble.” Snapping her fingers she made it so Soun would have a hard time gaining his ill-gotten money, food, and such. Shaking her head she closed the looking glass to rub her poor eyes of the tears that were starting to flow. Finally relaxed and tear free she moved onto the last of the NWC, two hopefully former members.
Smiling she finally turn to look in on Ukyo and Ryoga. Last she had looked upon them they both had issues that needed to be looked into more deeply. Back then she had casted a simple scrying spell on the two of them and found some interesting things. Ukyo's mind had been on the wedding she and the others had greatly destroyed some time ago and she had felt her sorrow and her wish to have Ranma forgive her yet knew that there was now no sense of love in her, as if something had taken it all from her but what she couldn't find at the time being. Yet after some time she had finally found out. It was her family and hoped and prayed that… it wasn’t as bad as her own former family. Then there was Ryoga who's mind had at the time made Luna/Kasumi flinch. Ryoga's mind was much better now than it was, now that the directional curse was now gone, but it was still trapped between Akane and Akiri and sadly neither was winning. She felt sorry for the two and decided to leave their tickets be, believing strongly that the two had some form of destiny containing her Ranma.
Ryoga & Ukyo
Ukyo and Ryoga talked adamantly with Cologne and Shampoo, Chinese Amazons and now honored allies with Ranma. “So, Ranma decided to finally leave the fool and the Tendo clan for good? I feared that Akane girl would do him in if they wed.” Cologne said in front of the group. “Shampoo no like kitchen destroyer; Shampoo fear for Ranma.” Shampoo said following behind Ryoga and Ukyo. Ukyo sadly wasn’t listening. Her mind and focus was currently on a recipe card that was just recently sent to her. Putting it away she turned back to the conversation. “Well who knows, I mean after that last wedding attempt I’m thinking Ranma did the right thing.” Ryoga said behind Cologne. “It seems someone’s gained some wisdom while we were away Shampoo, quite an amazing feat.” Cologne said smiling. “And what does that mean?” Ryoga asked annoyed. “I mean no offense Ryoga. All I am saying is that you are right about Ranma’s choice. I knew from the moment I met the girl that Ranma would not wed her but with the fools acting as council, guides, and bodyguards keeping the two focused on nothing but the pain and suffering they both gain being with each other. How could I act?” Cologne said wisely.
Ryoga simply nodded. “So… where is Ranma if he isn’t here?” Ukyo asked finally jumping into the conversation. “As you already know Ukyo, Ranma hasn’t been here since when you said he had left and even if he was here as his honored allies we are not to disclose his location even if we did know where he is. However…” Cologne started. “However when enemy is on way and friends warn, is good to help friends help ally.” Shampoo finished. “Very good Shampoo, you’re learning.” Cologne praised gaining a blush from Shampoo. “As she said, we can now aid you in helping our ally as long as you are doing the same.” Cologne stopped in her trek and turned to the small group. “You’ve both confined in me your reasons for finding Ranma and as Elder of the Amazon tribe I see it fit to aid you in your quest. However… this is as far as I may go. Hong Kong is half a mile from here you three so it’s off with you both.” Ukyo, Shampoo, and Ryoga looked to the aged elder. “Great Grandmother sure? Shampoo knows how Great Grandmother no like village.” Shampoo said worried. Both Ukyo and Ryoga were shocked by the news. Cologne sighed and nodded. “It’s true that when the two of us had gone to Tokyo that we’d return greatly changed but never had I thought in all my years that we’d come to find the outside world more inviting than our own village. Yet there is reason for me to not go with you Shampoo and one is that of the village.”
Shampoo stepped forward and looked her only parental figure in the eye. “There more?” Cologne simply nodded. “I did not wish you to know of this child but the village is now under civil war. There are those who feel allied to Ranma for what he had done on Mt. Phoenix however there are also those who wishes to use his strength and power as nothing more than a weapon to keep the other tribes in line. I wish to prevent such a war and to also keep Ranma safe.” Shampoo shook her head. “Great Grandmother come, we go to Ranma, village not home.” Cologne’s eyes widen then closed. “When did I become so old? Your right, the village no longer is our home.” Smiling she looked to the group with tears in her eyes. “Well what are we all waiting for? Let us go find Ranma and a new way of life!”
Kasumi smiled at this. Though not many members of the NWC liked Cologne she was still seen as one of Ranma’s mentors and teachers and was well respected. Also she liked Shampoo, strong willed and brash yet so bubbly and foal like. For now she would let them come to them with no tampering at all. It was soon to be sun rise and her time of magic soon to end. She took one last look with her magic upon one last set of people.
Fluttershy
Fluttershy was currently asleep in her warm cottage bed a stuffy in her arms which she gently and lovingly cuddled. “Mm Ranko…” was all that was heard from time to time. Yet… a certain well known white bunny was not pleased with his accommodations. He was outside, in the cold, on an uncomfortable layer of hay, inside an overly drafty bunny house. Sure he had gained the ire of his beloved owner once or twice but never this bad. Sure he had torn up some toy’s clothing because he didn’t like what it represented but she didn’t have to go and use a full powered Stare on him and banish him to the outside. It just some stupid toy’s clothes what did it matter to him?
Luna/Kasumi sighed. Seems she had a bit of an issue however… She did remember of some times where Ranma and his female half had been separated or been stuck in one form or the other. If they ever got back to Equestria what would happen to Ranma’s curse was always on her mind. As for the pet known as Angel Bunny, served him right for what he had done. Everyone knew how important these toys were to everyone. Their important piece of their current lives and was held as nearly sacred items. Sighing she turned her eye to her love Ranma.
Ranma
Ranma for all his worth just couldn’t sleep. Why was quite apparent as they were currently on his display table he had set up the moment he started his small Pony collection. On one side of the table was Pony Ranko with Fluttershy and on the other side was Pony Ranma with Pony Kasumi. This was the reason he currently couldn’t sleep. On one side he had his one true love Kasumi, waiting for a few more years before they could finally wed. Yet on the other side was a girl that liked his girl side and wasn’t overly obsessed with it like a certain Kendo-student whose mental stability was not be mentioned for the time being. Summer was a sweet if yet shy girl who was also quite friendly when you could talk to her. Kind of like Kasumi… which was a serious issue at the moment; he loved Kasumi dearly but these other feeling he had for Summer while in his cursed form was… well he wasn’t sure what it was for the moment but knew it was a serious problem. One… he felt he may need to explore if it came down to it.
“It’s… not cheating… it’s. Finding out how she really fells about that side of me.” He said silently to himself. Yet who was he kidding? Not him at that moment. It was obvious how Summer felt about his female side, those kisses during the Christmas Dance was very obvious. What was he to do?
Kasumi sighed and frowned on this. How was she going to go about this without break a dear friend’s heart? She wanted Ranma for herself, which was a bit greedy but she really did love Ranma, but she also cared deeply for her friend Fluttershy. And as the sun rose to meet the new day so did the end of her nightly powers. “How are the foals Luna?” Celestia asked entering the room sleepily. “They are well sister but… Now I’m confused as to what to do about Fluttershy and me.” Luna/Kasumi responded. Celestia walked over and hugged her dear sister. “We and Magic will find a way sister. Just give it time.” Luna could only nod as she worried over the currently forming love triangle.
To be continued