Muyami Academy
What if they ALL went to the same school?
Chapter four. More alternative history Ranma with multiple
crossovers and lame, filky songfics that have no relationship to the story!
We're finally there! I think!
Thanks to my prereaders, T.H. Tiger and Bombadil Goh, who've been
great for bouncing ideas off of. Thanks also to those who've written to me,
some with ideas or suggestions, especially Jed Hagen and Scott Pollert who
have been very helpful, feeding me ideas and a few good lines. ^_^
DISCLAIMER: Ranma 1/2 characters and stuff, and Inu-Yasha
characters and stuff, not to mention Ursei Yatsura characters and stuff,
copyright 1999 Rumiko Takehashi. Tenchi Muyou characters and stuff,
copyright 1999 Pioneer & AIC. Mamono Hunter Yohko characters and stuff
copyright 1999 AD Vision, NCS, Toho Company, LTD, Mad House, and I don't
know who else. Koko wa Greenwood characters copyright Yuki Nasu. Mint na
Bokura characters copyright Wataru Yoshizume. Alice In Wonderland written
by Lewis Carroll, perhaps copyright his estate, I don't really know, and
anyway, it only appears in this disclaimer.
Chapter Four
A Night On The Town
I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go
Walking with a duck-boy following behind
I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go
Walking with a duck-boy following behind
Checking to see if my invitation came
Going to a party where no one's still the same
Checking to see if my invitation came
Going to a party where no one's still the same
I was struck by bike tires
Walking down the street
I was hit by pig-boy last night in my sleep
It's a red head's party
Who could ask for more?
Everybody's coming,
Change your body at the door
Let the water change you, at the door
(to tune of: Dead Man's
Party, Oingo Boingo)
"School?" Ayeka asked.
"Yeah, that's right," her younger sister, Sasami, replied. The
young girl with the aqua-colored ponytails set her basket, full of clean
clothing and Ryo-Okhi, on the couch. "Tenchi-niichan is going away to
school tomorrow. Ryoko destroyed his old school, so he has to go to a
boarding school now. He won't be back until Summer break." She sighed, and
added, "Honestly, Ayeka, if you hadn't spent five days in your room you'd
know this already. Well, at least I got you to come out yesterday."
"Miyaaah!" Ryo-Okhi added.
Ayeka sighed, adjusting her decorative Juraian robes and brushing
back her long, intricately-styled purple hair. She'd had difficulty
adjusting to all of the changes in the last week. She, a Princess of the
planet Jurai, found herself stranded on a lost Juraian colony called Earth,
along with her hated enemy, the space pirate Ryoko. Yosho, her half-brother
and betrothed, had chased Ryoko to this place, but he was nowhere to be
found. The native humans who were their hosts claimed that he'd died nearly
seven hundred years ago, and that they were his descendants. She didn't
accept the former -- his ship Funaho still lived, after all -- but that
Tenchi was of Juraian blood she no longer doubted.
"I'm sorry, Sasami," she said. "I know this has been as hard on
you, but it's been hard on me as well. But... school? I've only just
started to get to know Lord Tenchi. How can he go away now?"
"It's what they do on Earth," Sasami said, as she began folding
clothes. Ryo-Ohki scrambled up the back of the couch and perched there to
watch. "Tenchi's got a lot to learn, and he can't learn all of it out here,
at his grandfather's shrine. Tenchi's grandfather is letting Ryoko go too!
I guess that even a space pirate can learn new things, huh?"
"What?" Ayeka shot up. "That dried up old mummy is going away with
my Lord Tenchi? Of all the nerve! She thinks that she can get Tenchi alone,
and then... and then...."
"And then... what?" Sasami asked.
Ayeka's face flushed red. "And then... well, who knows, Sasami.
It's just... Lord Tenchi has no idea what that monster woman is really
like."
Sasami's eyebrows went up. "Ayeka," she said, "why don't you go
too? Just ask grandfather about it!"
With a surprised look, Ayeka sat back down. "Me, attend a human
boarding school? Are you suggesting that I, a Princess of Jurai, should be
treated like a common student...."
"Well," Sasami said, "it was only an idea. We're probably going to
be here a long time, you know, and I just thought you'd like to learn about
this place...."
Ayeka stared out at the lake, frowning. "If I don't," she said,
"then Lord Tenchi will be at the mercy of that fossil woman! Oh, this is so
infuriating! I'd wish that we'd never come to this stupid planet, save that
I would not have met Lord Tenchi...."
She stared at the lake a moment longer, then nodded. "Very well,
Sasami. If I must, then I must. But will you be okay out here without me?"
"I'll be okay," Sasami said. "Besides, I'll come visit you!"
***
"Yohko! Pay attention!"
Yohko Mano glanced back just in time to dodge the punch thrown by
her grandmother. She returned a series of punches, and her grandmother
flipped back, clearing space between the two.
They were training in the back yard of the house her grandmother
had rented, set high on a hill overlooking Muyami Academy. The back yard
was carved out of the hillside, with a large rock wall ringing it on three
sides. The grass was thick and overgrown, the back wall was covered with
ivy, and someone had planted blackberries at one end of the yard, where
they now formed a massive, thorny, out-of-control brier patch.
Yohko had been knocked into it three times already, and had the
scars on her forearms to prove it. She carefully maneuvered so that her
back was to the ivy-covered back wall, placing the street within her field
of vision. Not only did she want to avoid the briar patch, but if a
handsome boy happened to walk by....
Her gaze drifted back to the road. "But the horoscope said...."
"Yohko!" her grandmother yelled.
"Well?" Yohko replied. "How can I meet anyone if I'm trapped back
here half of the time?"
"You won't need to worry if the next demon gets the better of you!"
Madoka Mano growled. She launched a series of punches and kicks, driving
her granddaughter back.
Barely managing to block the attacks, Yohko stumbled over a large
clump of grass. The next kick sent her tumbling backwards into the ivy --
and right through it. The stuff had been left alone for so long that it
extended nearly three feet beyond the wall.
"Not good enough!" her grandmother growled.
The vines enfolded Yohko. Her back rammed into something hard --
the stone wall, she assumed. Brittle vines scratched at her already-raw
arms. Dead leaves and spidery webs clung to her hair and clothing. Yohko
could easily imagine the spiders, beetles, centipedes and other
creepy-crawly insects that lived here, behind the ivy, and she scrambled
and clawed to get out, quickly.
Her hands shoved against the rocks at her back. She felt them give
way and tumble, but she didn't bother to look back. So what if the wall was
falling apart? All she wanted was to get out of the ivy, now!
But if she had glanced back, she would have noticed several things.
There was no wall where she'd landed. Instead, there was a stone
gateway, with worn, faded characters carved on the keystone at the top of
the arch. It framed a cave opening, which led back into the hillside. Set
before this opening was a small stone shrine -- the thing Yohko had landed
against, and the thing she'd just toppled over.
Shadows pooled around the shrine, thicker and blacker than the
night. They seemed to be moving, as a cat moves when awakening from a long
nap.
The eyes of Yohko's Demon Hunter ring flashed red in warning.
Unfortunately, it was sitting on the kitchen counter at the moment....
Yohko climbed out of the ivy and shook herself, brushing away the
leaves which still clung to her. She took up a defensive stance, and nodded
to her grandmother.
"I'm ready," she said.
***
"Now, Ranma," his mother said, "I don't want you fooling around at
school. Study hard, and make it clear to everyone that Akane is your
fiancée -- I don't want boys to bother her like they did at Furinkan, is
that understood?"
"Yes, mother," Ranma said. Akane, standing nearby, grimaced and
looked away.
"And did you remember your hot plate? You don't want to forget
that."
"I've got it, mother."
"And the tea kettle?"
"Yes, of course. Do you think I'd forget all that?"
"Boy," his father said, "I don't want to find out you've been
slacking in your training. Try to find someone to spar with, and make sure
you do it every morning!"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry," Ranma said.
Nabiki frowned, watching the whole exchange. What was taking so
long, anyway? They were going to miss their train....
A white cab idled in front of the Saotome house, the driver waiting
patiently to take them to the train station. Akane and Nabiki stood in
front of it, waiting for Genma and Nodoka to say their good-byes, while
Soun and Kasumi stood nearby. Nabiki hadn't seen the point of them
travelling so far out of their way just to pick Ranma up, but, as usual,
their parents had their reasons.
"Ranma, Akane, please stand over here," Genma said. "We want to get
a picture of you two together before you leave."
"Pop," Ranma said, "the meter's running!"
"Don't worry," Genma said, "Tendo-san's got it covered...."
"If you could just, please, hurry, Saotome-san," Soun added.
"Aw, man, we're gonna be late," Ranma complained. "If we miss the
train, we won't get there until nearly evening. I still need to grab my
suitcase...."
"Just one picture of the two of you," Nodoka insisted. "We're not
going to see you again for several months -- is this too much to ask? Now,
hurry, so you won't be late! Genma, dear, could you possibly grab Ranma's
suitcase? It's the blue one, in Ranma's room."
"I'll get it," Nabiki called out, hoping to avoid a group photo.
"You'll want to say your good-byes, I know," she added with a wink, and
dashed inside.
Up three steps and down the hallway she entered a bedroom on the
left. There, beside the bed, was a large blue suitcase. "Must be new
clothes," she speculated, noting the size. "I doubt Ranma carried so much
around China."
Nabiki grabbed the handle, then noticed a second suitcase in the
closet. This one was a light lavender with a floral pattern. She raised an
eyebrow.
On a whim, she hefted it. It didn't feel empty, so she placed it on
the bed and opened it, half-expecting what she found: dresses, blouses,
skirts, bras, panties -- a complete wardrobe for a young woman. Her eyes
went wide.
"Well, I guess they thought Ranma would be stuck as a girl. New
clothing, too. A pity none of it would fit me, but maybe Akane.... I wonder
what they're going to do with it all now?"
She glanced back down the hallway.
"Now," she said to herself, "wouldn't it be so very interesting if
Ranma somehow wound up with the wrong clothing?
"Of course," she added, "that wouldn't happen; the suitcases don't
even look alike. Unless the contents somehow got switched...."
Nabiki smiled wickedly, and opened the blue suitcase.
***
Yohko stared at her personal horoscope.
It was a small, plastic device, shaped like a cat's head -- a Hello
Kitty cat's head, to be precise. The head popped up, revealing a digital
display, where a new horoscope was revealed each day. Grandmother had
laughed when she purchased the toy, but Yohko took it very seriously. When
she held it, she felt a sensation run up her arm, as if the thing really
were possessed with magical power. Her Devil Hunter ring wasn't triggered
by it, but still...there was more to the device than met the eye, of that
she was certain. She was convinced that the fortunes it gave out were true.
She read the words again: a handsome man will contact you. What did
that mean? The phone hadn't rung. The doorbell was silent. Nobody had
walked by the window lately who was worth drooling over. How was she
supposed to meet this guy, anyway?
Yohko gazed out the window for the hundredth time. It stood to
reason that, three blocks from a high school, you would occasionally see a
handsome teacher or a cute student. But she might have been sitting at the
top of Mt. Everest, for all the boys she'd seen recently. Come to think of
it, there were probably some nice looking men climbing Everest right now.
Tomorrow school would begin, and there would be plenty of boys
around -- and plenty of girls for them to date. Yohko had hoped that
arriving early would give her some kind of advantage, a head start or a
jump on the competition, so to speak. But so far she'd struck out,
horoscope notwithstanding.
Her gaze settled on the mailbox at the end of the walkway, and she
snapped her fingers. Of course! The fortune might mean a letter from a
secret admirer!
Jumping up, she ran out the door, down the steps, and threw open
the mailbox.
Nothing. Yohko sighed and crossed her arms.
"The fortune is very clear," she muttered. "'A handsome man will
contact you.' But how? When? Is he just going to walk up to me on the
street and say...."
"Excuse me, miss, but can you tell me where Muyami Academy is?"
Yohko froze. Could it be? She turned about slowly, expectantly.
He was about her age, which was a start. He wasn't as tall as she
would like, but he had a broad, powerfully muscled chest, and thick black
hair that cascaded over a striped yellow bandana.
He wasn't sharply dressed -- just rough-woven clothing, black
pants, bound ankle to knee, and a yellow ochre shirt hanging loose and
belted at the waist. But Yohko hadn't been this close to a good-looking man
in days, so she wasn't in the mood to be picky. He carried a backpack and
an umbrella. A traveler, then, but no -- hadn't he mentioned something
about a school?
He laughed nervously, exposing a fang that Yohko decided was cute.
She stared at him with dreamy eyes. "I'm sorry... did you say something?"
"Muyami Academy? Do you know where it is?" The boy laughed, and
scratched his head. "Don't tell my I'm in Hokkaido again...."
"Muyami Academy?" Yohko repeated. The words finally sank through
her sea of bliss and settled into her brain. "Oh! Are you going there?"
"Well," the boy said, "I think I am... if I can find it, that
is...."
Yohko's heart soared. This strong, handsome boy was a student at
her school? What a golden opportunity! Yohko could finally see the light of
day -- a boyfriend at last! Someone who wasn't possessed or a demon or....
"If you don't know where it is, that's okay," the boy said, turning
to go.
"No!" Yohko exclaimed, grabbing his shirt. "It's just down the
hill, just... see that group of large buildings, about three blocks down?
With the courtyard in the center, and the large fountain, and the statue?"
"That's it?" the boy said, gazing down on the campus. "Amazing! I
can't believe I got so close on my own!
"Well, thank you very much, miss," he said, and started walking up
the hill.
Yohko watched him for a moment, stupefied, then called out, "Hey!
Are you trying to get to the school, or what?"
The boy looked back. "Of course I am. You mean this isn't the right
way?"
"Don't you see it? It's right there, three blocks down the hill!"
"Oh," the boy said, turning around. "Of course. How stupid of
me...."
He headed off in a new, and still wrong, direction. Yohko stared
for a moment, than ran after him.
"Hey! Let me show you the way!"
"Ah... if it's no bother...."
*The poor guy!* Yohko thought. *He must be nearly blind or
something, and too embarrassed to say anything. Not what I was looking for
in a boyfriend, perhaps, but, as they say, any port in a storm.*
"It's no problem at all!" Yohko said, wrapping her arm in his. *I'm
going there too, you know, and I have to find out how soon I can move into
the dorms. I want to get everything moved in as soon as possible, so I can
find my friends when they show up this evening. Say, are you going to be
busy? We'll be going to dinner, and if you want to come along...."
The boy laughed nervously as she led him down the hill. Behind
them, a shadow followed. It was not formed by the absence of light where an
object blocked the sun, but by the presence of something that absorbed
every last ray of light, reflecting nothing.
The eyes of Yohko's Demon Hunter ring flashed red in warning.
Neither Yohko nor the boy she was with noticed....
***
Ranma leaned against the train window and watched another suburb
roll by. The day had not started out well, and he had a sinking feeling
that things would only get worse. He watched the dark storm clouds
apprehensively, as the first drops of rain began to strike the window.
"This is just great," he muttered for the fiftieth time. "If we'd
caught the right train, then we'd already be there, and...."
Akane, seated opposite him, glanced up from the book she was
reading. "Ranma, give it a rest! We'll get there when we get there, and
there'll still be time to get registered and moved in. Now stop
complaining!"
Outside, it began to rain in earnest. Ranma cursed under his
breath.
"Akane," he asked, "did you bring an umbrella?"
"Hmmm? No, of course not. I didn't have room for things like that."
She glanced out the window, and frowned. "I take it you don't have one
either?"
Ranma shook his head.
"Speaking of which," Nabiki, seated next to Akane, asked, "how are
you going to register for school? Your mother pre-registered you as a girl,
correct? I assume that she would not suffer the embarrassment of telling
the school that she'd made a mistake about her own child's gender -- also
correct?"
Ranma nodded. "It's not a problem," he said, holding up a laminated
plastic identity card. "I've got proof of who I am, so I'll just get them
to fix everything right there. I mean, I'm obviously not a girl, right?"
"Not at this moment," Nabiki agreed, holding her hand out. Ranma
handed the card over, and Nabiki studied it carefully. "My, you sure got
this done quickly, didn't you?"
Ranma shrugged. "I don't know. Does it normally take a long time?"
"Anything involving the government takes time," Nabiki said. She
pulled a card from her own purse and compared it to Ranma's.
"What are you looking for?"
"Just checking to see that it's authentic," Nabiki said. "This is
your second one, right? Your mom had one made when you were a girl, right?"
Ranma nodded. "After all, we thought I'd be attending school as a
girl. But I left that one back home, in my room."
"Well," Nabiki said, as she leaned across to stuff the card into
Ranma's shirt pocket, "be careful with this, Ranma. It wouldn't do to lose
it."
Ranma nodded and slipped the card into his pocket.
"Ranma," Akane said, "about what your mother said...."
"Yeah?"
"As long as you keep turning into a girl, I don't know if it's wise
to say we're engaged. It could cause more trouble for us than it's worth."
Ranma frowned and stared back out the window. "Sure, Akane," he
said. "If that's what you want...."
***
The girl's dormitory was a three-story brick building named
Matsukata Hall. It was ringed with rose bushes, and had a wide stone
staircase leading to the front doors and the central or commons room. A
courtyard separated Matsukata Hall from an identical building called
Sakagawa Hall, which served as the boy's dormitory.
It was evening, and with storm clouds overhead, it was quickly growing
dark. Outside the girl's dorm, oblivious to the lightly falling rain, a
girl with dark skin and curly black hair tended the rose bushes, carefully
trimming dead leaves and branches.
A shadow, black as ink, moved across the base of the building, just
below the room windows. It slipped and slithered past the girl, and she
didn't seem to notice. It slid from window to window until it came to a
halt beneath one of them. There it seemed to hunker down, as if preparing
for a long wait.
Two floors straight up, Yohko looked about her room with
satisfaction. Her books and radio were set up on the desk, the bed was
made, with her favorite stuffed animals sitting on top, and all of her
clothing was stored away in the drawers and the closet. There were still
things at grandmother's that she wanted to bring to the dorms, but for now,
everything was set.
Her new roommate was in the top bunk, watching. Her name was Maria
Minamino, and she had very long, brown hair tied into two braids. She was
younger than Yohko, and liked to play basketball. Already, she'd revealed
to Yohko that her primary reason for transferring to Muyami Academy was
because of a boy that she'd met in a basketball tournament.
She seemed like a nice girl. Yohko liked her already.
"How does your hair stay up like that?" Maria asked. Like Yohko,
her long braids were looped, but unlike Yohko her looped braids did not
defy gravity.
Yohko laughed nervously. "Well, um... see my red hair ornaments?"
she said. "They're made of a magical stone called shimi-seki. They keep my
hair up, and help focus energy for me."
Maria looked at her doubtfully, then shrugged. "Magic?" she said.
"Well, I guess they work, so...."
Yohko stared out of the window, into the gray drizzle. "I wish I
knew when my friends are going to arrive," Yohko said. "Grandmother made
reservations for dinner at six, and it's four-thirty now. They still need
to register and get their room assignments. I thought they'd be here on the
afternoon train, but I guess I was wrong."
"Maybe they just missed it," Maria said. "Anyway, the next train
should be in soon."
"I hope so," Yohko said. "And where's Ryoga? I told him to come
over after he'd finished moving in, but that was hours ago. Do you think
he's so blind that he can't even find the girl's dorm?"
"That would be hard to believe," Maria agreed.
Yohko sighed. "He was really cute, too. I guess I shouldn't have
let him out of my sight."
Maria hopped down from her bed.
"Where does your grandmother live?" she asked. "Can you see it from
here?"
Yohko pointed to a house up on the hill. "Up there," she said. "The
old, two-story one with the steep roof."
Maria nodded. "That's pretty close. It must be nice to have at
least a part of your family near by. I had to leave everyone behind -- my
parents and my brother. It's hard. But I was in love, so... what else could
I do?"
"You're so lucky to have a boyfriend," Yohko said with a heavy
sigh. "All of mine get eaten by demons."
Maria blinked at this comment, then shrugged it off. "Well," she
said, "he's not really my boyfriend yet... but he will be!" She smiled and
placed a hand on Yohko's arm. "Don't give up, Yohko! I'm sure you'll find
the man who's right for you!"
"I hope you're right."
"Hmmm," Maria said, staring up the hill again. "You know, Yoshiaki
told me that there's an ancient graveyard on that hill. I don't want to
scare you, but... he said that it's haunted."
Yohko laughed. "Your almost-boyfriend said that? Don't worry,
Maria, those kind of legends are always false."
On the desktop, completely unnoticed, the eyes of Yohko's Demon
Hunter ring flashed red. Meanwhile, at the base of the wall outside the
window, a shadow waited, patiently....
***
The Office of Registration was a madhouse, with more than fifty
students and parents crowded into a room built to contain about eighteen.
Ranma fretted and waited in line, silently going over her cover story.
Finally, she reached the front of the line, and took a deep breath.
"Pre-registration papers and ID?" the woman asked.
"I know this is unusual," Ranma said, "but this really isn't my ID
card, but you see, I'm trying to register for my brother, who was in a
horrible martial arts training accident at a construction site -- something
about 'jackhammer fist', something pop wanted him to learn, he's always
trying to teach me dumb techniques and such.... so the paperwork might be a
little bit messed up, but I'm not really Ranma, just his younger sister...
um... Ranko... and if you could just fix everything so that when I get...
so that when my brother gets out of the hospital...."
Ranma was soaking wet from the walk up the hill from the train
station, but she'd cleverly altered her story to take this into account.
She smiled sweetly, knowing how charming she was as a girl, and knowing
that her clever cover story was fool-proof.
"Pre-registration papers and ID?" the woman repeated, in the same weary
monotone. Her eyes held a glazed look, as if she'd been doing this all day
-- which, in fact, she had.
Ranma handed the paperwork over. The woman made no comment as she
typed information into her computer and scanned several forms. She printed
out yet another form, which she handed to Ranma, along with the ID card.
"Sign here, please," she said.
"So everything's straightened out?" Ranma asked, as she signed the
form.
The woman seemed to nod -- or was it just a tick? Then she called
out, "Next! Pre-registration papers and ID?"
Ranma shoved her way out of the office and found Akane waiting for
her.
"Well, I'm glad that's over with," Akane said. "Nabiki got off
lucky, being already registered as a continuing student. Anyway, let's go
up to the dorms and see if she's got our assignments yet."
On their way from the train station, Nabiki had run into some
friends, and they'd volunteered to take Akane and Ranma's things up to the
dorms and get their room assignments squared away.
"Just a second," Ranma said. "I want to check my paperwork."
"Did you get it straightened out?" Akane asked.
"I think so," Ranma said. "I told her my story. Hmmm. The only
paperwork she gave back to me doesn't say much...."
Ranma was still reading when someone wrapped her up in a fierce
hug.
"You made it!" Yohko Mano exclaimed, spinning Ranma about. "Oh, you
had me so worried!"
Akane looked on with interest. Ranma disentangled herself and
introduced the two.
"Yohko, this is Akane Tendo, my fi... my friend. Akane, this is my
friend, Yohko Mano. She's the Devil Hunter."
"You told her that?" Yohko exclaimed.
"Well," Ranma said, "I didn't think it was a secret. After all,
Chi's been putting up posters and everything, right?"
"Well, sure, but...."
"Where is Chi, anyway?"
"She's not arriving until tomorrow," Yohko said. "Now, have you two
got your dorm assignments yet? Are you rooming together? Because, if you
aren't, then you and I could room together, Ranma! I've already got my
assignment, but I'm sure they'd let us switch around!"
"Ah..." Ranma said, at a loss for words.
Akane flashed Ranma a look that said, "You haven't told her?" Ranma
shrugged innocently, as if to say, "I haven't had an opportunity yet."
"My sister Nabiki is getting the rooms squared away," Akane said.
"We thought it'd be faster."
"That's great!" Yohko replied. "Grandmother's made reservations for
dinner in half an hour, so we don't have a lot of time. Akane, you're
invited, and your sister too." She paused. The dorms were further up the
hill, high above the rest of the campus. "You know, it's quite a hike up to
the dorms," Yohko said, "and I've been marching up and down this hill all
day. Why don't we phone your sister from down here?"
"If you can get a hold of her," Akane said.
"Shouldn't be a problem," Yohko replied. "Just follow me!"
***
Tenchi Masaki moved down the hall, weaving past people carrying
boxes into new dorm rooms or just holding conversations in the hallway. He
paused, eyes wide, to watch several boys wrestling a video game through the
doorway of one room, then a large boy, carrying a larger motorcycle, shoved
past.
"Man," Tenchi said, rolling his eyes, "my life has sure gotten
strange lately. First, a friend who changes gender, then demons and space
Princesses, and now I'm living in a dorm full of weirdoes."
A minute later he found the room he was looking for: 211. Standing
before it were two tall, exceptionally good-looking boys -- seniors, Tenchi
assumed. One had golden hair and violet eyes, and wore a buff-colored
sweater over his shirt, while the other has gray-blue hair and eyes, and
wore a similar sweater in blue.
"Ah, you must be Tenchi Masaki," the golden-haired boy said. "We
were wondering when you'd arrive; nearly everyone else is here. My name is
Mitsuru Ikeda, and I'm President of the dorm. This is my roommate, Shinobu
Tezuka, who is class President. Hmmm," Mitsuru examined the clipboard in
his hand. "I understand you're a last-minute transfer...."
"Yeah," Tenchi said, adjusting the strap on his duffel bag. "My
school kind of burned to the ground last week...."
"Ah," the older boy said. "I saw that on the news. Well, we've had
several people transfer at the last minute, including others from your
school. I'm afraid most of the dorm rooms are taken. Let's see. You seem
like a nice enough guy...."
"I see you like kendo," Shinobu said, looking over Mitsuru's
shoulder.
"Well..." Tenchi said, "my family style is unusual...."
"If you're thinking about the pompous kendoist," Mitsuru said,
"then don't. I've already placed him with Jinnai."
"Ah. Well, that's a good match, I suppose. Kind of hard on poor
Katsuhito, 'though."
"You're talking about someone who's declared you his sworn enemy,"
Mitsuru said.
Shinobu smiled. "Ah, yes, but he's ambitious, and I like that in a
person."
"Hmmm, how about Moroboshi? We don't have anyone rooming with him
yet."
Shinobu frowned. "The problem is finding someone who deserves to
room with him."
"Moroboshi?" Tenchi said. "The name sounds familiar...."
"You may have seen him on television last fall," Shinobu began. He
was interrupted by a terrified scream. A man rounded the corner and ran
down the hall, moving faster than anyone with his clear lack of
coordination should ever have been able to. Behind him flew a girl with
bright green hair and two small horns on her forehead.
She paused to hover, two feet off the ground.
"Darling no baka!" the girl screamed. "DIVINE RETRIBUTION!"
There was an ear-shattering ZAP! of electricity, which shot the
length of the hall, bending around the boys who were still working to get
the video game moved in, and hitting its intended target. The uncoordinated
runner screamed and collapsed to the floor.
Mitsuru Ikeda rubbed at his temples. "You know, even after I saw
her on television, I don't think I quite believed in aliens...."
"Oh, THAT Moroboshi," Tenchi said. He laughed and scratched the
back of his head. Visions of a girl with blue-green hair throwing red
energy bolts at him flashed through his mind. "Heh, the funny thing is, I
can almost relate to him...."
"Oh?" Shinobu said, "you have girl troubles too?"
"Heh... I guess you could say that. Ever since last week,
anyway...."
"But at least it's not the levitating, energy-throwing sort, I
hope," Shinobu said with a laugh.
"Tenchi!" a girl exclaimed. Moments later Ryoko wrapped herself
about Tenchi. Her feet never touched the ground, a fact that the two older
students did not miss.
Shinobu and Mitsuru blinked in mutual surprise. Shinobu recovered
first. "I see that your girlfriend floats too," he said with a smirk.
"She's not my girlfriend," Tenchi said, "and -- yes. Um, Ryoko,
meet Shinobu-sempai and Mitsuru-sempai."
"The pleasure's all mine," Shinobu said, extending his hand. "I
don't suppose you shoot bolts of electricity or something, as well?"
Ryoko relaxed her grip on Tenchi and settled to the ground. "...Or
something," she said, extending her own. Shinobu took her hand gently and
kissed it. Ryoko blinked in surprise.
"Miss," Mitsuru said, kissing her hand in turn.
"Well," Ryoko said, "aren't you two all nice and proper?"
"It's looking like a better match all the time," Shinobu said.
"Okay, I admit it," Mitsuru replied. "Moroboshi it is, then." He
handed a slip of paper to Tenchi. "Room 335, near the end of the hall."
"Tenchi," Ryoko said, as they headed for the stairs, "why can't I
room with you? They want to put me in another building...."
*Thank my ancestors,* Tenchi thought privately. Before he could
answer, he heard Ayeka's voice, carrying down the hall: "Ryoko! Let go of
my Lord Tenchi this instant!"
Tenchi sighed. Send Ryoko and Ayeka off to school with him? What
had his grandfather been thinking?
***
Her name was Belldandy. She was a gaijin woman, with pale skin,
deep blue eyes, and impossibly long, light brown hair. Nabiki had met her,
briefly, near the end of last quarter, but didn't recall her being a
student, just a friend of one of the boys in her class. Now, apparently,
she was President of the girl's dorm.
Nabiki didn't mind too much. Being President of anything school
related was never an ambition of hers, anyway, and Belldandy certainly
seemed like the kind of girl whom everyone would respect. She was honest,
straightforward, pleasant, caring, as sweet as a pocky stick -- in short,
enough like Nabiki's own older sister to turn her stomach -- whether from
homesickness, or sugar overdose, Nabiki wasn't quite sure. The girl had the
same "happy airhead" presence as Kasumi, too. They even sounded alike.
"Well," Belldandy said, "that gets your sister's and her friend's
rooms squared away. You really don't want to room with your sister, then?
I've roomed with both of my sisters, before, and while Skuld can be a
little immature, and Urd can be... well, Urd... they were never a burden to
me. If anything, it hurts to be away from them so much."
Nabiki smiled. It was an almost genuine smile, with little hint of
smirk, cynicism, or wry humor -- a smile that she normally saved for Kasumi
alone. "It's not that I don't love my sister," Nabiki said, "it's that our
interests don't mesh. Anyway, if I know my sister, she needs to get out and
make some new friends. Having a roommate who isn't her own sister will be a
good thing for her."
"I hope, for her sake, that you're right," Belldandy said.
The two threaded their way down the stairs to the first floor and
then down the hallway. Everywhere were students moving in, some with their
families in tow, either helping them move in or bidding them goodbye.
Everything seemed a bit busier than Nabiki remembered from her previous
year here.
"This place is crowded," Nabiki said. "The dorms must be pretty
full."
"They are," Belldandy said. "They're both completely full. The
school generally likes to take in every student they can, and this year
there were a lot of late applicants, including several people from that
school that burned down last week."
Nabiki nodded. "My cousin's one of them. I hope he managed to get
in. But then, if both dorms are completely full, then it would be
impossible for someone to transfer from one dorm to the other, right?"
Belldandy's brow furrowed. "Transfer from the girl's dorm to the
boy's dorm? What girl would want to do that?"
"Never mind," Nabiki replied. "It was just a hypothetical
question."
"Well," Belldandy said, "here's your room, then. I haven't seen
your roommate yet, but I'm told she's a Princess. If you need anything, or
have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! I'm right up the hall, you
know!"
Nabiki smiled again -- not a very genuine smile, this time, but
more of a "fine, fine, you can leave now, see you later" sort of smile.
Belldandy disappeared down the hallway, and Nabiki set her suitcases down
with a sigh.
*Poor Ranma,* she thought. *And here, I thought I was just playing
a joke on the poor gender-challenged guy....*
***
Half an hour later, Nabiki had just finished putting her stuff away
and straightening up the room to her satisfaction, when three people walked
in. She turned around, and was confronted by two girls with
abnormally-colored hair, and a boy she'd known her whole life.
"Nabiki?" Tenchi asked. The boy was balancing a stack of odd-shaped
boxes in his hands.
"Oh, Tenchi, there you are," Nabiki said. "I knew you were around
here somewhere. So -- who are your friends?"
As she spoke, Nabiki looked the two women over very carefully. The
one on the right had bright amber eyes and sea-green hair that stuck up in
all directions, like a spiky patch of sea grass. She had a slouch that
declared her disdain for the world, and a look so hardened and cynical that
Nabiki might be a preschool teacher by comparison. Nabiki instinctively
sensed that this was one very dangerous lady.
The girl on the left was dressed like some sort of new-age
priestess. Her purple hair was almost as long as Belldandy's, and was
combed and tied back in an unusual style. Although the girl smiled at
Nabiki, there was a certain haughtiness in that look -- the look of someone
who was superior to others in their own mind, but was willing to lower
themselves and rub elbows with the common folk. Nabiki had met people like
that before -- most notably, a rather rich boy with a kendo fetish at the
public school she used to attend.
They both appeared to be gaijin of some sort, although Nabiki
wouldn't care to bet on where either was from.
Tenchi set the boxes down. He seemed nervous, and Nabiki instantly
made the connection that these two were more than just friends -- but her
cousin had never had a girlfriend that she knew of. Even a week ago, she'd
caught him eyeing girl-Ranma with more than a casual interest, despite
knowing that Ranma was supposed to be a boy.
*Here is a mystery,* Nabiki thought. *Where did Tenchi get two
unusual love interests in only a week?*
"This," Tenchi said, pointing to the green-haired girl, "Is Ryoko.
And this," he said, indicating the purple-haired one, "is Princess Ayeka.
They've been staying at our house for the last week, and, well, since
they're stuck here, they both decided to attend school with me and learn a
little about our culture."
"Stuck here?" Nabiki repeated.
Ryoko nodded her head slightly at Nabiki, saying nothing. Ayeka,
however, inclined her head more deeply, and said, "It's very nice to meet
you, Miss Tendo. Am I to understand that you're Lord Tenchi's cousin?"
Nabiki nodded. "Second cousin, actually. And I've never thought of
him as a Lord...."
"He is a Prince of Jurai," Ayeka said, with obvious pride. "He is a
descendant of Yosho, who was my brother. I am a Princess of Jurai, and a
direct relative of Tenchi as well. I suppose we're indirectly related...."
Nabiki raised an eyebrow.
"I... see," she said. "So, you're my new roommate, then? Belldandy
mentioned a Princess...."
"Better you than me," Ryoko said with a smirk. This earned an
irritated look from Ayeka, and a weary look from Tenchi.
"It would appear to be the case," Ayeka said. "I must admit, I've
never shared a room with another person, much less a room so small, and
with a common woman... no offense meant, of course."
"Of course," Nabiki said, with half-lidded eyes. Oh, this quarter
was shaping up to be a barrel of laughs, all right.
After a moment of awkward silence, Ayeka moved further into the
room and began to look about. Tenchi moved the strange boxes further into
the room and set them in the corner. Nabiki sat down on the bed and watched
with interest.
"I don't think I've ever heard of Jurai," she said after a moment.
"Well, I suppose that's to be expected," Ayeka said, "this being
such a backwards planet and all. It's quite a few light years from here,
actually, further up the spiral arm."
"Ah," Nabiki said, with slightly raised eyebrows. She digested this
for a moment, noting that Tenchi didn't offer to contradict the statement.
"And you, Ryoko? Are you from Jurai as well?"
The green-haired girl snorted. "Hardly! I've been there, though.
It's not so great. Especially after I left...."
Ayeka screamed something unintelligible, followed by, "OF ALL THE
NERVE! IT'S TIME SOMEONE TAUGHT YOU A LESSON RIGHT NOW, YOU PSYCHOPATHIC
MURDERER!!"
Lightning flashed through the room, and instantly there were odd
pieces of wood forming several concentric rings about Ryoko. "Anytime,
anywhere, Princess!" Ryoko growled, as energy coursed over her body.
"STOP IT!!!!" Tenchi yelled, jumping between the two of them. "DO
YOU WANT TO DESTROY TWO SCHOOLS IN ONE WEEK? GIVE ME A BREAK! Besides," he
added, in a calmer tone, "I don't want everyone to know about you two...
it's hard enough to explain as is."
Reluctantly, the two girls calmed down, while still staring daggers
at each other.
"Ah, your school," Nabiki said. "I heard about it burning down. It
was all over the news."
"Yeah," Tenchi said with a laugh. "On the first day of school, too.
Imagine that."
"We were wondering about you, then we heard that you would be
coming here...."
"I know. Dad called Uncle Tendo -- your dad -- to find out about
the school, how much it cost and such."
"So... they didn't find out what caused it?"
"What, the fire? Well, ah..." Tenchi said, scratching the back of
his head nervously. "It might have been a meteor -- you know, like the one
that destroyed the Seito Bridge the same evening...."
"Seito bridge?" Ryoko asked. "Isn't that the one that we...."
"YES," Tenchi interrupted, "it IS the one we saw on the way here."
He laughed nervously.
"A meteor," Nabiki said in a flat tone. "Of course, that makes
perfect sense. The Seito bridge, too. You're life has become very
interesting in the last week, hasn't it, Tenchi?"
Tenchi laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess you could say that...."
Having arranged her desk to her liking, Ayeka returned to eye the
bunk bed dubiously. Clearly, she didn't favor the upper bunk, but Nabiki
had already claimed the lower one as her own. Nabiki was calculating
exactly how much she could extort from an intergalactic Princess for the
favor of swapping bunks, when Belldandy returned.
"Nabiki? There was a phone call for you a little while ago. I took
a message... I'm sorry, I've been so busy helping new people move in that I
completely forgot about it."
She handed Nabiki a short note. Nabiki studied it a moment, then
looked up.
"Well, Tenchi," she said, "my sister, Ranma, and Ranma's friend
Yohko have all gone to dinner with Yohko's grandmother. She said you and I
were invited as well, if we could get to the restaurant in time." She
glanced at Ryoko and Ayeka. "I assume it's okay if you two come along,
too."
"Sounds like fun," Ryoko said.
"If it's no trouble," Ayeka said. "Now, Nabiki, about the top
bunk...."
"We can negotiate later," Nabiki said.
"Negotiate? Surely you don't expect a Princess of Jurai to...."
"Yes, I'm afraid I do," Nabiki said curtly. "Now, if we don't
hurry, we'll miss the dinner completely. Are you coming, or not?"
***
"Wow," Ranma said, looking over the menu. It had been ages since
she'd been in a sushi restaurant, and, with Yohko's grandmother picking up
the tab, she wanted to try just about everything.
"Don't get too greedy," Akane said, as if reading her mind. She was
seated directly across from Ranma, next to Yohko's grandmother, with Yohko
on Ranma's right.
Akane smiled one of her sweet, beautiful smiles. "Say, Ranma, why
don't we share a sampler? That way we can both try a little of everything!"
"S-sure," Ranma said. Was it just her imagination, or was Akane
friendlier when Ranma was a girl?
The restaurant was small, just a few tables out front and a crowded
kitchen behind a small counter, and a tiny washroom/restroom crammed into
one corner. The four of them -- Ranma, Akane, Yohko, and grandmother Mano,
were the only ones present. An old man with graying hair took their orders,
then went back into the kitchen to prepare the meal. Nobody else seemed to
be about.
"Is your sister, Nabiki, going to show up, you think?" Yohko asked.
She watched the people passing by outside the window.
"Who knows," Akane said. "I left a message. She's probably running
into old friends and such. Although, I wouldn't expect her to pass up on a
free meal."
"Yohko," Ranma said, "since I don't have pop to train with, I was
wondering if you'd like to train with me?"
"How often?" Yohko asked.
"Every morning, of course," Ranma replied.
"Every morning?" Yohko replied. "Does this involve getting up extra
early?"
"I could train with you, Ranma," Akane said.
"Thanks, Akane, but I need someone who can challenge me a little."
"What? Are you saying I'm not good enough for you?"
"Well, duh," Ranma replied.
"Ranma, don't be rude!" Yohko said. "Akane's dad owns a dojo,
right? She can't be that bad -- why don't we all train together?"
"That's a wonderful idea!" Yohko's grandmother exclaimed. "In fact,
I could help train you three, if you like."
Yohko frowned at the offer, but Ranma perked up. "Could you teach
me that soulsword technique?" Ranma asked.
"Well," Madoka Mano said, "that's a Mamano Hunter technique... but
you might have the spirit to master it. Tell me, are you a virgin?"
"What?"
"Grandma!"
"It's an important question, Yohko. What I mean is, have you ever
had sex? Specifically, has a man ever penetrated you?"
Akane spewed bits of rice across the table in a violent fit of
coughing.
"N-NO!" Ranma exclaimed, bigsweating. "Never! Why would I...."
"Good! Because you may have the makings of a demon hunter! If you
do, then I promise to train you, just as I've trained Yohko."
"Really?" Ranma asked hopefully.
"Of course," she said. "We'd need to find you a talisman, or make
one, but...."
Ranma smiled. "Anything that would help me take on a demon would be
great."
"Say, have either of you been fitted for your school uniform yet?"
Yohko asked. "What do you think of it? The skirt's kind of short, but the
boys like that, you know...."
"Um..." Ranma said.
"We just got here," Akane said.
"Oh, that's right," Yohko replied. "How silly of me. Well, I can
show you where the place is; it's just a few blocks away. I've already had
mine done, since I've been here all week and had plenty of free time. Why
don't I take you two there tomorrow? I just know you're going to look great
in it, Ranma! After all, you're the prettiest girl I know, so I'm sure they
boys will be drooling all over you!"
Akane watched Ranma squirm. She sighed, and said, "Actually, Yohko,
I think Ranma has something to tell you...."
"Um, yeah," Ranma said. "That is, I've been meaning to tell you
this... it's not easy to say, but... I'm not exactly... that is, I'm really
kind of...." Ranma's voice trailed off, and she began to sweat. "Um," Ranma
began again, then jumped up. "Actually, if you'll excuse me, I need to use
the restroom. Now!"
***
The old man deftly sliced, rolled, and prepared the sushi as he'd
done thousands of times before. As he worked, he hummed an old folk tune
from his youth. Occasionally he flicked a scrap to the floor, where two
cats waited patiently to pounce on each morsel.
The door at the back of the kitchen, which led to the back alley,
creaked. The old man looked up, frowning. Now, why was the door open? He
distinctly remembered locking it, as he always did after using it.
His two cats suddenly began hissing. They arched their backs, then
disappeared under the counter.
The old man frowned. What was out there, that it frightened his two
pets so? Gripping his carving knife, he took several steps towards the
door....
The shadow arose so swiftly and silently that he didn't have time
to cry out. As it enveloped him, his knife clattered to the kitchen floor,
and then there was silence.
***
"I wonder what's taking the cook so long?" Akane said. "I'm
practically starving!"
"No kidding," Yohko said. "For that matter, what's taking Ranma so
long?"
Akane grimaced, then glanced out the window. "Oh, look! Here's
Nabiki and Tenchi, finally!"
Yohko nodded. "Hmm, I take it the one with the short hair is your
sister," she said, but who are those two other girls?"
"I have no idea," Akane said, studying the green-haired girl and
the purple-haired girl for clues. "They must be Nabiki's friends. They look
like foreigners, though, don't they?"
The front door opened, and Nabiki, Tenchi, and the two strange
girls entered. Moments later, the green-haired girl left her feet and
literally flew to the back of the restaurant, yelling something. Akane
caught the phrase "red-haired bimbo", followed by the loud smack of flesh
on flesh and a crash of wood splintering and glass shattering.
"Ryoko!" Tenchi called out, running to the back. The purple-haired
girl followed him, leaving Nabiki standing in the doorway, blinking.
"Ranma?" Akane called out, standing up. Just then, the lights went
out. Akane took two steps towards the bathroom, and stopped.
The eyes of Yohko's Demon Hunter ring flashed red. This time, in
the nearly dark room, Yohko couldn't help but notice.
Madoka Mano sucked in her breath. "Demon!" she breathed.
Something was coming over the counter, into the front room. Barely
visible in the dim light, it seemed large and amorphous, and appeared to
have too many limbs to be human.
"Ranma?" Akane asked, backing towards the door. "Tenchi? What's
going on?"
"It's a demon," Yohko whispered, stepping to Akane's side. "These
things happen around me. If I were you, I'd find some cover."
Yohko's grandmother grabbed Akane's arm and pulled her towards the
front door, where Nabiki still stood. "Let Yohko deal with this," Madoka
Mano said. "It's what I trained her for."
As they stepped out into the night, Akane heard Yohko begin to
talk, in something like a chant: "To those who walk the night, and would
ruin a school girl's dinner with her family and friends, I hold no
sympathy, nor grant any quarter. Know, then, that you face the one who
fights in the name of love and truth against the forces of evil...."
***
Ranma was just coming out of the bathroom when a strange girl
attacked her.
"You! Redheaded bimbo! Yeah, I mean you!" the girl yelled. She was
tall and had sea-green hair, and Ranma had never seen her before in her
life. Ranma dropped into a defensive crouch, although she figured to handle
any attack easily.
The girl threw a punch. Ranma blocked it... and was thrown through
the restroom door, ripping it off its hinges.
Ranma crashed into the sink with enough force to crack the
porcelain. A pipe broke, and a stream of hot water shot out, soaking her.
The change was nearly instantaneous.
The green-haired girl stepped into the bathroom and stared down at
a wet and obviously male Ranma, lying on the floor.
"My, my," she said, "we're just full of surprises, aren't we? So
this is the girl who tried to steal my Tenchi? What a joke!"
"I got no idea what you're talking about," Ranma said, testing his
heavily-bruised back carefully. It hurt like hell, but nothing seemed to be
broken.
"So which is it?" the girl continued. "Are you a girl or a guy?"
Ranma grimaced, and got to his feet. "Who wants to know?"
"You really don't remember, do you?" the girl said. "Well, perhaps
this will jog your memory."
Just then, the lights went out. In semi-darkness, the girl's eyes
flashed darkly red, and her body crackled with energy. Ranma had seen those
eyes before....
"It's you!" he exclaimed. "That ugly demon from the cave!"
"Who're you calling ugly?"
Ranma cracked his knuckles. He could hear people shouting in the
front room, and expected to see Yohko any minute. "I don't hit girls," he
said, "but if you're a demon...."
"Now we're getting somewhere," the other said. I've got a score to
settle with you, girl -- if you are a girl, and frankly I don't care either
way. You hurt me back in that cave, and proved you could kick a girl when
she's down, but now you've got me at full strength. Let's see what you've
got."
The girl smirked, and threw another hard punch.
Ranma blocked it -- she was very fast, but not too fast for him --
and, once again, the force of her punch was unlike anything he'd ever
encountered. He was slammed back into the hand dryer, which ripped away
from the wall and spun across the floor. Moments later, Ranma slumped to
the floor, too.
The girl grabbed Ranma by the shirt and hauled him to his feet.
Power surged through her... and suddenly, Ranma was a girl again.
The girl blinked. "How do you do that, anyway?" she asked.
"I got no idea," Ranma whispered hoarsely. The girl shrugged, and
tossed Ranma into the kitchen.
Ranma slammed into something sharp and painful, and then hit the
concrete floor. She knew, immediately, that her arm was broken, and that
she was hurt badly. She almost lost consciousness, and then, she thought
she heard the voice of Akane's cousin, Tenchi Masaki.
He sounded very angry.
"Ryoko! If you hurt Ranma, I'll never forgive you!"
"Stay out of this, Tenchi! This is between me and her.. him...
whatever!"
Ranma blinked. Akane's cousin was standing between her and the
green-haired girl. He wielded Yosho's sword, and it glowed like white fire.
There was another girl next to him, with long purple hair. Small pieces of
wood where floating in the air about her like some odd carpenter's mobile.
There was something red -- blood, Ranma realized -- dripping from the
nearby counter. It took her a moment to realize it was her own.
Darkness was closing in on Ranma. She struggled to keep her eyes
open, even as she wondered whether she were delirious and imagining things.
"Ryoko, you monster! You will not hurt this poor, innocent girl!"
the purple-haired girl declared. Energy seemed to crackle around her.
Something black, with many legs, came crashing over the counter
from the front room. Tenchi spun and lashed out at it with his sword....
As darkness washed over Ranma, she got one glimpse of Yohko leaping
over the counter, in her red silk dress, wielding her pure white soulsword.
She heard Yohko scream, "Get back! It's evil!" And then, everything went
black....
***
*to be continued*
Author's notes on timing of events: I can already hear people complaining
about my having compressed events into too little time in my story, so I
thought I'd provide a little timeline/argument of events for those who care
or are confused.
Ranma and Genma visit Jusenkyo about three weeks before the story begins.
They run off before the guide can explain things to them, so one assumes
that they never made it to the Joketzu amazon village. At least, the guide
didn't take them there.
Three weeks later, Ranma shows up at his mother's house (chapter one). For
the next week, Ranma lives with his mother as a girl, and befriends
neighbors Kagome (Inu-Yasha) and Yohko (Mamano Hunter Yohko). At the end of
this week, Ranma, Yohko, and Kagome fight a demon. Ranma and Kagome learn
that Yohko is a Devil Hunter; and Yohko and Ranma learn that Kagome is a
reincarnated priestess, who travels to the past and has a half-demon as a
companion -- well, associate, at least.
The next day, Kagome visits her grandfather and then returns to the past
with Inu-Yasha. The day after that, Ranma visits the Tendos for the first
time, and everyone travels out to the Masaki Shrine, where there is still
enough time for Ranma, Akane, and Tenchi (Tenchi Muyou) to awaken the demon
Ryoko before dinner. Don't ask me how they do all that in one day, they
just do. They started early, and traveled really fast. ^_^;
Tenchi leaves for home and school the next day. Ranma and Akane are to
attend Muyami Academy, which doesn't start class until a week later. They
return home, where Ranma learns that Yohko is leaving for school early to
help her grandmother move in to a house near the campus.
Chapter Four takes place a week after that. In the intervening time,
Tenchi's school has been burned to the ground, he's met Ryoko and Ayeka,
and he's survived the fight that destroyed both of their ships, Seito
Bridge, and relocated Tenchi's house. Ayeka's had enough time to reconcile
herself to being stranded on earth, and to admit that Tenchi is of Juraian
blood, and to become attracted to him.
Now, can all of that happen in a single week? I think so. In the OAV, it's
not clear how much time passes between the time Tenchi awakens Ryoko and
his first day back to school. We know that he awakens her during summer
vacation, and that she shows up to destroy his school on the first day of
class. In my story, things happen in the Spring (it's my understanding that
the new school year begins in the spring, before summer vacation) and only
1 or 2 days pass between the awakening of Ryoko and her showing up to
destroy Tenchi's school.
Once Ryoko shows up, everything in the second half of the first OAV and all
of the second OAV (apparently) happens in a single night. Ryoko destroys
the school, then later shows up in Tenchi's bed. Ayeka captures them, but
they make an escape in Ryo-Okhi. A battle ensues, they crash, both ships
are destroyed, the Seito bridge is destroyed, and Tenchi's house is
relocated.
The third OAV takes place a week later -- Sasami chides Ayeka for staying
in her room for a whole week. Within that one day, Ayeka realizes that
Tenchi really is descended from Yosho, and becomes attracted to him. Ryoko,
of course, has always been attracted to him -- she watched him grow up,
while she was trapped in the cave.
So, at best, I think I've only compressed the events between the awakening
of Ryoko and Ayeka's acceptance of and attraction to Tenchi by a day or
two. I can live with that.
Muyami Academy Chapter 5
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