Well Y2K decided to hit me early, hehe. Okay, really it was
just bad luck. My car died, and I've been stuck at my parent's
house since Christmas waiting on repairs. Lucky for me, I've had
new chapters of A Change Of Scene, Hearts Of Ice, Lines Of
Destiny and Girl Days (among other nifty things) to keep me
busy. I've also completed Chapter 9 (very rough mind you) of
Muyami Academy, which is off to my prereaders and can be
found on my web page at http://members.xoom.com/bellchan/
In the meantime, since I didn't want to clutter the FFML
with an annoying status report, I've cooked up one of my silly
spamfics to drop on everyone. Hope you enjoy it!
Jusenkyo Map 2000
Mark Allen Davis / Miko
Ranma stared at the computer screen and read the e-mail
displayed there for the tenth time. He felt like jumping about and
screaming at the top of his lungs, but something inside held him
back. He'd been burned far too often and now kept his hope
carefully caged, even when good fortune threatened to smash the
bars and let it soar free.
"I thought you might be interested," Nabiki said with a
characteristic half-smile. "It's not every day you get a letter from
the Jusenkyo Guides."
"I prayed that the flooding would eventually recede," Ranma
said, "but I didn't dare to hope...." He paused. "Nabiki, can you
print this map out? Please?"
Nabiki smiled sweetly. "Why, of course, Ranma! For a
1,000 yen fee...."
***
Mousse carefully set his glasses on the bridge of his nose,
and studied the map silently.
He glanced across the valley, filled with its many pools.
Haste and lack of forethought had always been his undoing, but
this time, he was going to get everything right. Once he was a
man again, and rid of the curse forever, he could concentrate
solely and completely on winning Shampoo's hand.
Briefly, he wondered again why she had run ahead without
him. Did she really not want to travel with him? Did she hate
him so much?
But then, he realized that she probably wanted to be whole
and cured, and waiting for him when he climbed out of the
nannichuan pool... yes, of course that was it. She really was
thinking of him, after all, he reasoned.
He wove his way between the pools, taking each step on the
marshy land in between with great care. He continued to study
the map. As he grew nearer and nearer to his goal, the excitement
inside him grew greater and greater, threatening to burst out like
an overripe grape.
His concentration was so great that at first he did not notice
the voices coming from up ahead. When he finally noticed, he
adjusted his glasses and stared in to the distance.
Two very familiar men were standing by one of the pools.
"Ranma? Ryoga?" he called out.
The two boys turned to greet him.
"Mousse!" Ranma said. "We were just about to jump." He
paused, then said, "After all these years, maybe it's best that we
all do it together."
Mousse nodded, and took his place beside his two fiercest
opponents. "On the count of three," Ranma said. "One, two...."
As the three leaped forward, they heard a familiar voice
carry across the valley.
"Aiya! Ranma! No jump in that one!"
***
"Oh! Very bad!" The fat man in the rumpled suit began to
sweat. "Daughter," he called out, "you e-mail maps already to
list of customer that fall in cursed spring?"
Plum walked into the room carrying a stack of folded
towels, which she set on the table. Her father was in the corner,
bent over his old computer, which he'd been fussing with since the
day it had arrived.
"Yes, Father," she said. "I sent each person on the list a
copy of our new, computerized map, giving them directions to
whichever pool they needed to cure their curse. Why? Is there
something wrong?"
"Oh, very bad," the old guide replied. He removed his cap
and rubbed the sweat from his brow. Oh, this very, very tragic
thing what happen here. We must please warn all customer of
very bad danger if they use map!"
Plum's face grew worried. She moved behind her father and
leaned over his shoulder, studying the computer screen. Her eyes
grew very wide.
"Father," she said, "this map is labeled wrong. That's not the
nannichuan" Her father nodded, and pulled up another map.
"Nor is that the Nyanichuan," Plum continued. "What's going on
Father? If all of the maps I sent out were like this, then everyone
is being directed to the wrong pool...."
Her father nodded sadly. "Is very, very tragic story," he
said. "Map program not Y2K compliant...."
***
At the Tendo house, there was a knock on the door. Kasumi
answered it.
"Oh, my!" she exclaimed, as the door slid open. "Is
something wrong? You don't need to knock to enter your own
house!"
The girl glared at Kasumi, but said nothing. She removed
her shoes and stepped into the hallway.
Then Kasumi blinked, and stared at the person coming up
the walkway. She placed her hand to her mouth, then glance
behind to see the first girl disappear into the living room.
"Good evening, Miss Kasumi," the second girl said. She
bowed, removed her shoes, and headed inside.
A third girl came through the gates, heading for the front
door. Behind her, a fourth girl appeared.
"Oh, my!" Kasumi exclaimed, stumbling back. "I feel a
little faint...."
From the back door that led to the dojo, a voice called out.
"Kasumi? Who's at the front door?"
Kasumi grabbed the small table nearby to steady herself.
"Akane," she called out, her voice weak, "I think you'd better
come see for yourself...."
Several moments later, the entire family was gathered in the
dining room, along with the four girls who had just arrived.
Soun's mouth was open in astonishment. Likewise, Akane stared
in dazed confusion. Even the normally unflappable Nabiki and
the normally oblivious Kasumi were having a hard time taking it
all in.
One of the four girls stepped forward. "Um," she said.
"This is Mousse, Shampoo, and Ryoga Hibiki." She indicated
the other three. "And I'm... um... Ranma Saotome.
"Sorry about this," she added, her voice dropping.
Many weird things had happened at the Tendo Dojo, but
seeing five identical Akanes in one room was an entirely new
experience.
"The Akanenichuan, I assume," Nabiki said. The others
nodded.
"Ranma," Akane said, "please tell me that your father
didn't...."
There was a knock on the door.
Ranma sighed. "Sorry Akane, but... I'm afraid he did."
FINI
Miko!
"When you really need them the most," he said, "million-to-once chances always crop up. Well-known fact." --Seargent Colon, "Guards, Guards!"
Terry Pratchett
Nausicaa@sprynet.com Belldandy@angelic.com
Anime rpg at http://come.to/akane/
Fan Fiction at http://listen.to/bell/
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