Chapter Eleven

Hinako’s first reaction to the sudden transformation – no, disappearance, although she couldn’t see anyone, and the female Ranma looked perfectly human to her eyes – was to utter a few words that she would have given detention to a student who had been stupid enough to say them in from of her. Since she wasn’t currently in control of the body, though, no one heard her. Luckily.

Ryouga exclaimed a few adjectives of her own, and her were audible, even if they did sound a bit strange coming out of the mouth of a small girl. He had no idea what to do otherwise, though; she could see what was going on perfectly well; the Ranma-chan-robot – Elrii – and the three forms of Akane were all visible to her suddenly. She had no idea why she hadn’t seen them before, though…

“Are you just going to stand there?”

Ryouga nearly fell over at the unexpected voice - *his* voice. “Okay, so tell me your wonderful plan and I’ll do something!”

Cei shook his head sadly. “Can’t do that, I’m afraid.”

Hinako ‘pushed’ urgently. Ryouga reluctantly turned control back to her. 

“Are you going to help her?”

Cei snorted. “I can’t. She needs energy to leave, and I don’t have enough of that to help her. What I /want/ is *that*.” 

Hinako suddenly found her hands empty as Cei snatched the watergun out of them. “But in that form I can get it for her!” He aimed it at himself and started to fire, only have it to snatched right back out of his hands. Cei stumbled from the sudden loss, still weakened.

“I don’t think so!” Hinako snapped at him, grabbing and holding him firmly in place by his collar. “What did you mean, you can get it for her in your robotic form?”

Cei was silent. 

Hinako procured a five-yen coin and shoved it in his face. “I can still steal chi like this, you know. What do you think would happen to you if I took all of it?”

Cei’s face grew panicked. “Okay, okay!” He slumped down, defeated. “The android forms have the ability to absorb chi and consciousness. It’s what keeps their power core working, and to help simulate the illusion of their supposed appearance. It also lets the soul of you people transfer back and forth between bodies. If I changed I could gather up enough energy for me to leave. The android body also contains the leaving mechanism… it’s only meant to receive, but it’s possible to hack into it to let one escape out into the real world, to a receiver – and Elrii has one waiting I’m sure.” He practically babbled the information, and then promptly looked horrified that he had let that much slip. 

The ‘push’ from Ryouga was so strong and unexpected that Hinako was shoved away almost involuntarily. “It can absorb chi? And soul as well?” Ryouga yelled excitedly as she fell to the ground; the change had been so abrupt that she had shrunk from the bottom up rather than the other way around like she had before. “Miss Hinako! The coin return! If that’s true, then I can return back to my own body!”

The following conversation, although actually rather brief, was an interesting sight to see. For each person to speak they had to first take control of the body; it was like watching a living, schizophrenic yo-yo. But the more they traded off, the closer they were dragged back together, until one hadn’t finished their sentence out loud before the other one started theirs. It made Cei’s head spin, and since the water gun was impossible to take, he backed away to look for other sources of water, keeping half an eye on what was going on as he did so. At least he was free… although weak, he was reminded when his legs suddenly buckled.

The discussion was suddenly cut off when Cei cried out suddenly. “Elrii!”

“Huh?” The current form was that of the adult Hinako. She looked over at the android, which she could see now for what it really was, in a hazy sort of way. She could also see Ranma – although something seemed to be wrong; he was slumped unmoving on the ground, far to pale even for his current state, and still fading. 

“Elrii!” Cei shouted again, waving his hands in the air. “You have enough energy now! Take me with you – oof!” He was suddenly knocked over when ‘Akane’ leaped and kicked him squarely in the chest. He was still conscious, although he almost wished he wasn’t, the pain was so great to him in his weakened state.

“No,” Elrii answered simply. “You deserve to stay here forever – do not think that I have forgotten how you betrayed me!” She showed no outward anger, but ‘Akane’s’ face was twisted up into an expression of enough pure fury that it sufficed for both of them.

“Please!” Cei begged, only to be kicked again.

Hinako’s mind whirled. “Well Ryouga, you wanted to do this – here’s your chance!” It wasn’t thought-out in the slightest, but rather instinct, followed by reflex. “Happo no-yen coin return!”

Suddenly all Ryouga could sense was light and wild motion as a beam of pure energy lashed out of the circle that Hinako had formed with her fingers. Light, motion; nothing but a pure rush of *being*… and… a target, a dark bull’s-eye approaching at incredible speed. Not the one he’d been expecting, though, but rather the one that could accept him. 

Elrii.

***

Rai watched, unnoticed, from behind a pair of tall cherry trees, not hidden so much as merely unseen; those whom she was observing were far too caught up in their little drama to pay her any attention as she assessed the situation and came up with a solution. It was simple enough, really; the hardest part would be taking care of it fast enough for Elrii not to interfere. Then she saw her opportunity, and strolled out rather casually to do her part. First, set it up so that stupid male Ryouga wasn’t killed in his suicidal jump…

***

Hinako was almost relived as she shrunk back down into her chibi form, a form that was now rightfully hers once more. When the relief faded, and she became aware of the world outside again, she felt a hand on her shoulder, pressing down firmly yet carefully, as if there was a deliberateness behind it. She craned her head up and around to look, and blinked one in confusion. 

“What are you doing here?”

Nabiki Tendo – or rather, Rai, although Hinako didn’t know that identity – didn’t open her eyes to answer. But she did softly smile, and bring her other hand up to press one finger against her lips. “Shh…” she murmured in a voice that wasn’t really a voice but more like the communications that she’d had with Ryouga before he had been relegated to her child body. She heard them clearly, though not through her ears, heard them cutting through all the noise and confusion that was going on around her.

“Shh…” Nabiki-Rai whispered once more, still smiling ever-so-slightly with a kind of amusement that Hinako didn’t understand. “Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show…”

Then Hinako’s senses were overwhelmed by the three bursts of rainbow light that somehow emanated from between her still-circled hands. 

***

~Mordain

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