One trait shared by most people associated with Ranma was their capacity for self-delusion. However, that capacity was taking a severe beating among the people that gathered to watch Ranma's adventure in the world he had been sent to. This stemmed from the fact that they were now getting a chance to see Ranma's candid thoughts and opinions. Most of them were not complimentary towards a majority of the people in the room. While it was depressing for the fiancées to see Ranma in his developing relationship with the two girls in the video, their beleaguered capacity for self-delusion stepped up to the challenge. The wheels of thought began to turn in their minds, producing new plans. Most of them starting with a common thread. 'When Ranma returns, he's going to be heartbroken about being taken from those two girls. I will just have to be there for him and he will see that I really do care. Then he will be mine!' While this thought only partially lifted their spirits, it did give them the strength to continue watching the videos as events unfolded. After all, good intel would be necessary if their campaign to capture the pigtailed martial artist was to be successful. (oO\O/Oo) "Yo, Kaji," Ranma called out as she walked down the wooded path toward the man tending a melon patch. "How's it goin'? Been skulkin' about in any restricted areas lately?" "Hello, Ranma," Kaji said smoothly. "Why no, I haven't. Have you?" "Don't need to," Ranma replied. "I don't have a JSDF contact I need to report to." The scruffy man stiffened slightly. "You should be more careful with what you say, Ranma," Kaji cautioned. "If I were a JSDF agent, I might be forced to do something unpleasant to you to maintain my cover." "Heh," Ranma scoffed. "Ain't like you could touch me anyway. If you were a JSDF agent, I would think you'd be more worried about just who else knows." "True," Kaji admitted. "Was there something that you needed?" "As a matter of fact, there is," Ranma smirked. "Misato would like to see ya. She sent me to get ya." "Then by all means, Beautiful, lead the way," Kaji drawled. Ranma would have bristled at the come-on had she not known what was in store for the jerk. As it was, she just grinned as she walked up the path, giving a little extra sway to her hips to keep the man distracted until his fate was sealed. (oO\O/Oo) Misato stood in the gym talking to Asuka about their plans later in the day when Ranma entered with her vict...er...guest in tow. Asuka's face brightened in an incandescent smile as Ranma walked up. "Variable-chan! Are you ready to go?" she asked, grabbing the other girl's hands excitedly. "That I am, Beautiful," Ranma grinned back. The two girls waved to Misato, Ranma shooting her a wink, and quickly left the gym. Kaji blinked at having been totally ignored by Asuka. Misato smirked. "Is it just me or did I just get completely cast aside?" Kaji asked in dismay. "What can I say? She traded the old MG for a Porsche; better looks, more style, much higher performance, and so much more reliable," Misato laughed. "I see," Kaji drawled with a smirk. "And if he's so much better then why haven't you joined his little harem, Misato?" "Who says I haven't?" Misato laughed at the bug-eyed expression on Kaji's face. "Besides, I get pounded on by Rei and Asuka enough during the friendly spars. I'm for sure not going to give them a reason to kick my ass for poaching. Which brings us to why I asked you here; I never did thank you for that little plan of yours for dealing with the 7th angel." "No need to thank me, Misato," Kaji said nervously as Misato cracked her knuckles. "Oh, but there is," Misato said sweetly. "You made us all look like a bunch of fools. A fourteen-year-old kid came up with a much better plan. So we're going to have a little spar so I can work out my frustrations." "This really isn't necessary, Misato," Kaji attempted. "I insist," Misato smirked wickedly. (oO\O/Oo) Asuka and Ranma listened at the door as the sounds of violence ensued. They snickered to each other at Kaji's girlish shrieks as Misato worked him over. "Wow, she's got a long list of offenses she needs to work off," Ranma remarked as Misato listed each offense after landing a blow. "That's not supposed to bend that waaaay!" they heard Kaji scream. "She's pretty mad," Asuka agreed. Ranma winced as they heard Kaji shriek, "No, please, not little Kaji-kuuuuun!" "I think Misato has things under control," Ranma observed. "We better go." "Yeah," Asuka nodded in agreement. (oO\O/Oo) "What's wrong, Variable-chan?" Asuka asked as they returned home from the carnival. "You didn't seem like you had much fun." "No, I had fun," Ranma, currently in female form, said, producing a smile for her to prove it. "It's just that...I guess I'm worried about Rei. I don't like her being alone with him. Not after the things she told us." "Yeah, I know what you mean," Asuka sighed. "But if she hadn't gone, the Commander would have known something was up. He might have tried to take her from us." "Yeah, but I still worry," Ranma said. "You're both very important to me." "You're important to us too," Asuka smiled. "Maybe I can help take your mind off being worried," Asuka said with a suggestive grin. "Okay," Ranma said with a smile. "Just let me get some hot water." As she turned to head to the kitchen, Asuka's hand fell on her shoulder and spun her around. Ranma suddenly found her breasts crushed against Asuka's and her lips being thoroughly kissed. Without letting up on the kiss, Asuka guided them over to the couch, pushing Ranma down onto it. Ranma moaned as Asuka's tongue entered her mouth, exploring and caressing. She kissed back passionately as her hands came up, kneading and caressing the muscles along the other redhead's spine. Asuka's hands began their own explorations, stroking and caressing Ranma's body. Ranma was beginning to feel very warm as her body began to react to Asuka's ministrations. Twenty minutes later, two very aroused girls lay panting and cuddling each other. Asuka, for all her talk with Misato, was slightly disturbed at how turned on she was by just making out and light petting with Ranma's female form. This had been an experiment for her to see if she could walk the walk as well as talk the talk. The answer was a resounding 'YES'. "God, I love you so much," Asuka breathed as she clutched the other redhead to her tightly with an almost desperate need. "I love you too, Asuka-chan," Ranma smiled, stroking the other girl's cheek tenderly. (oO\O/Oo) Rei got home feeling mentally exhausted. Spending time with Commander Ikari had become a grueling experience that she didn't enjoy at all. She was just glad to be home. Entering the living room she was greeted by the sight of a male Ranma sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch with Asuka straddling his lap and making every effort to suck his tonsils out. Smiling slightly, Rei walked over and knelt behind Asuka. Gently pulling the red hair to the side, the blue-haired girl leaned forward and began to trail light kisses along the redhead's neck. Asuka broke her kiss with Ranma and turned her head toward the newcomer. Rei capitalized by capturing her lips in a deep kiss. The redhead moaned and leaned back against Rei, bringing her hand up to the back of Rei's head. Had Asuka's thinking not been fogged by being so turned on from making out with Ranma, she might have been a little freaked that she was now making out with her co-girlfriend. As it was, it felt very nice and her growing care for Rei silenced any protests she might have come up with normally. "Welcome home, Rei-chan," Asuka said breathily after they broke the kiss. "Thank you," Rei said, hugging the redhead tightly from behind. Ranma sat up and sandwiched Asuka between them while engaging in his own tender kiss with Rei over Asuka's shoulder. "I'm glad you're back," Ranma said. "How was it?" "It was exhausting," Rei said. "But I do not believe that Commander Ikari suspects anything amiss." "Are you hungry?" Ranma asked. "Maybe in a while," Rei answered. "I would just like to snuggle for now." The teens rearranged themselves so that Rei was held between the other two and lay there enjoying the closeness of the moment. (oO\O/Oo) Toji Suzuhara sat at his desk in class deep in thought. Nearby, Hikari watched her boyfriend with a look of concern etched on her features. Toji had been unusually subdued ever since he had been called to the office earlier and had refused to tell her what was wrong when she attempted to ask between classes. Ranma also watched his friend in silent contemplation. He knew what was troubling Toji and he silently vowed to do everything he could to make sure the boy didn't suffer the same fate as before. (oO\O/Oo) "Toji?" Hikari asked softly as she approached the boy. "Please talk to me. Tell me what's wrong." Toji sighed, knowing that she wouldn't let it go until he told her. "They want me to pilot one of those Evas, Hikari," Toji said, causing Hikari to gasp. "They offered to have my sister moved to the NERV hospital if I agreed." Hikari was now extremely worried for her boyfriend. She had seen how Rei had come to class, practically mummified with bandages and she also knew how dangerous it was fighting these monsters that kept attacking. But she also knew what Toji's decision was likely to be, if for no other reason than his sister would be moved to safety and get the best care. "Toji," Hikari said, softly slipping her arm around him, "I want you to know, whatever your decision, I'll support you. I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt, but I'll understand if you feel like you have to do this for your sister and the rest of us." Toji just nodded and slipped his arm around her, giving her a little squeeze of thanks as the two stood quietly together. (oO\O/Oo) Misato stepped into the control room where the sync tests were taking place. "So how are they doing?" Misato asked Ritsuko. "It's amazing," Ritsuko said. "Ranma's sync ratio has increased into the upper 90 percent range, but even more amazing is Rei and Asuka's improvement. Asuka is right at 90 percent while Rei is only slightly behind at 87 percent. Their training with Ranma is really paying off." "Did you hear that, Variable-chan?" Asuka said challengingly. "I'm catching up to you!" "That's great, Asuka-chan," Ranma smirked. "The only question is will you catch up to me before Rei passes you? She is closing the gap. Looks like you'll have to work a little harder if you want to stay ahead of her." "WHAT!" Asuka screeched. "It'll never happen! I'll work twice as hard! I won't be in last place!" Misato snickered. "He sure knows how to motivate her, doesn't he?" Misato commented. (oO\O/Oo) "Pattern Orange, no AT field detected," Hyuga reported as Misato burst onto the command deck looking disheveled. "You're late," Ritsuko snapped. "I was held up. What do we have?" Misato said, ignoring Ritsuko's tone. "Unknown at this time," Ritsuko said. "The Evas have been deployed and are awaiting instructions." "Units 00 through 02, you are cleared to approach and engage," Misato said. "Understood," Rei acknowledged. "Roger," Ranma returned. "I've got the point," Asuka said. "Rei and I got your back," Ranma returned. "Just be careful, Asuka-chan, I got a bad feeling about this. Be ready for anything." "Roger, Variable-chan," Asuka said as the three Evas moved into position. Asuka hefted her prog spear and closed in on the black and white striped sphere that hung above the city. Once she closed the distance and got confirmation that Ranma and Rei were in position to support her, she drew back and let fly with the spear. Just as the spear was about to strike, the black and white globe vanished, leaving the spear to arc through empty space and lodge in a building on the opposite side. Suddenly, Asuka screamed. "What the hell?" Asuka shrieked. "I'm sinking! Ranma, help!" "Rei! Get to the top of a building and pull back out of the area!" Ranma ordered. "I'll get Asuka!" "Understood," Rei acknowledged. "Hang on, Asuka, I'm coming, Koi," Ranma shouted as he ran across rooftops towards her. "Ranma, hurry!" Asuka cried, sounding terrified. Upon reaching her, Ranma saw that Asuka's Eva was already sunk to her waist. He could only think of one plan. Jumping in just behind her, Ranma grabbed Asuka's Eva under the shoulders. Channeling all his energy, he heaved Unit 02 up out of the blackness and up to the top of a building. "Asuka, pull back to safety! Get clear!" Ranma said. "But what about you?" Asuka demanded. "If there's a way out of this, I'll find it, I promise," Ranma said as Unit 01 sunk into the blackness. "Go! Please." "Asuka, pull back. That's an order," Misato said grimly. Asuka reluctantly complied. Ranma gave a jaunty salute as the head of Unit 01 began to sink into the blackness like some prehistoric beast trapped in a tar pit. "Remember, I love you both," Ranma said and then the tip of Unit 01's horn disappeared and there was only static. "RANMA!" both girls cried. (oO\O/Oo) "The angel has stopped expanding at approximately 600 meters," Ritsuko briefed. "It's body is about 3 microns thick and it has an inverted AT field that produces a kind of Sea of Duroc. We believe the sphere is actually some sort of shadow." "What about Ranma?" Misato asked. "We reeled in the umbilical and found it had been severed somehow," Ritsuko explained. "If he doesn't thrash around blindly and goes into life support mode, he has about 15 hours before his power runs out." "Dammit, find a way to get him back, Ritsuko!" Misato ordered angrily. "Misato, I care about him as much as you do. Believe me, we are working as hard as we can to come up with something," Ritsuko said. "I know, I'm sorry, Ritsuko," Misato sighed. "I'm just upset." "If there's a way, we'll find it," Ritsuko assured her. (oO\O/Oo) "THAT IDIOTEN!" Asuka screamed as she kicked the railing on the overlook. "That stupid dummkopf JERK! What the hell was he thinking? How dare he do something like this!" She punctuated each sentence by kicking the railing again. The railing was slowly bending under the blows as Asuka continued to rant and curse in German. "Asuka?" Rei asked stepping up to the redhead and putting a hand on her shoulder. Asuka spun around and grabbed Rei in a hug and began to sob. "Why?" Asuka wailed. "Why did he do that for me?" "Because he loves you," Rei said softly. "But I'm not worth it!" Asuka wept. "Daddy left me! Mommy left me! I wasn't good enough for them. Why did Ranma sacrifice himself for me like that?" "You were obviously worth it to him," Rei said, stroking the redhead's hair soothingly. "No greater love hath a man than when he gives his life to save another." "Why did he leave us, Rei?" Asuka sobbed. "I love him. Why did he leave us?" "He will return," Rei said firmly. "He promised and I believe in him." Asuka nodded against the other girl. Misato watched the two girls from around the corner as a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly turned and walked away before her own sobs began. (oO\O/Oo) "Oh, man, I'm bored," Ranma muttered to himself, checking the timer on his plug suit. "Been in here 12 hours now and still haven't thought of anything. Come on, Ranma, think! This is what you're best at. Improvise, adapt, and overcome." "And nobody's better at it than you," a kind female voice said. "GAH! Who the hell are you?" Ranma demanded when he looked up to see an olive-skinned woman dressed in a short, diaphanous toga-like outfit sitting on the instrument panel in front of him. "Tisk, tisk, Ranma," the woman chided. "Don't you recognize your patron Goddess?" "My patron Goddess? You sure you ain't the angel tryin' to screw with my head?" Ranma asked. "No Ranma, I'm not the angel," the woman sighed. "I guess I should introduce myself. I am the Goddess Bastet, goddess of cats, pleasure, and motherhood. You were blessed by me before you were born. How else do you think you survived the Nekoken?" "So...um...what do ya want with me?" Ranma asked nervously. "Just protecting my investment," Bastet smiled. "I'm the one who is responsible for you being here after all." "You sent me here?" Ranma asked. "Why?" "Tell me, Ranma, were you happier where you were or here?" Bastet asked. "Um...I guess I'm happier here," Ranma admitted. "I mean, nobody is really pressurin' me. No morons attackin' me at random. I'm fighting for a good cause. Rei and Asuka...I love them and they love me. Yeah, I'm happier here, but is this world real?" "If you die here, you are dead," Bastet answered. "Is that real enough?" "Yeah, I suppose it is," Ranma said. "So how do I get out of here?" "Was it not mentioned that this angel produced this place with an inverted AT field?" Bastet asked. "Remember, Ranma, make the most of things here. You are learning invaluable lessons." With that Bastet was gone leaving Ranma to think about what he had been told. "Inverted AT field?" Ranma asked himself. "Hmm, the Umisenken works by inverting my ki, as does the Yamasenken." Ranma grinned as he brought Unit 01's power back online. (oO\O/Oo) Ritsuko was in the middle of explaining her plan to destroy the angel to an increasingly agitated Misato. Ritsuko could understand why her friend's eye was twitching fiercely as Ritsuko detailed the plan which involved dropping the 902 available N2 mines into the angel and detonating them, quite likely killing Ranma and destroying Unit 01 in the process. The blonde scientist didn't like the plan any better than Misato did, but destroying the angel came first. Misato was just about to explode with a stream of vitriol when the ground shook. Rushing to the railing they looked out at the formerly placid inky black surface that comprised the angel's body. It rocked and waved like a storm-swept sea. "What the hell?" someone asked, calling their attention to the sphere above the convulsing blackness. Suddenly two red-gold arcs appeared, glowing brightly as they burst from the surface of the sphere in a shower of red goo that looked a lot like blood. More of the glowing arcs burst out of the sphere until it finally exploded in gory chunks of angel flesh. From the middle of the explosion, Unit 01 dropped out and landed on the ground below, going to one knee and a fist and dripping with gore before it stopped moving. "That was disgusting," Misato commented, looking a bit green around the gills. "No argument from me," Ritsuko agreed. (oO\O/Oo) Ranma had no sooner climbed out of the entry plug than Asuka came running up to him...and belted him a good one. "YOU JERK!" she yelled, then glomped him, wailing. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she sobbed into his chest. Ranma chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her while moving his jaw around to make sure it was still in the correct position. Misato rushed up and tearfully glomped them both. Rei was hanging back from the scene, wanting to join in, but conscious of the possible consequences. "Why don't you go join them?" Ritsuko said coming up beside the blue-haired girl. "I cannot. The Commander..." Rei said in a sad tone. "Don't worry about it," Ritsuko interrupted. "I'll cover for you. Go. Go." Rei looked at her in gratitude and then practically blurred as she cannonballed into the group. "I am pleased that you are alright," Rei smiled. "I knew you would return to us." (oO\O/Oo) The girls had planned it well. Misato was out on a date with Kaji, something that had been happening since they had attended that wedding together, and was not expected home that night. They had the condo all to themselves, so they had decided that they would prepare a 'welcome home' dinner for Ranma who had been released from the infirmary earlier that day. Asuka was preparing a specialty of hers, bratwurst and sauerkraut, with roasted potatos, while Rei's contribution would be a nice garden salad with a light oil and vinegar dressing. It smelled delicious to Ranma who sat at the table with his mouth watering as he had been threatened with dire consequences should he set foot in the kitchen. Fortunately, Ranma didn't have to wait very long as the girls were soon bringing out large amounts of tantalizing food. There was a large platter of bratwurst, a big pot of sauerkraut, a bowl of roasted potatoes, a large bowl of salad, a loaf of some sort of fresh, dark bread, and a dish of whipped sweet butter. As Rei settled at the table, Asuka disappeared into the kitchen one more time before reappearing with the coup de gras, three cans of beer. "We simply can't have bratwurst uns sauerkraut without beer," Asuka said firmly at Ranma's questioning look. Shrugging, the three dug into the feast before them. Ranma was in heaven as the food was as delicious as it looked. Rei avoided the bratwurst, but enjoyed the potatoes, sauerkraut, and, strangely enough, the beer. "Oh man, that was fantasic, Guys," Ranma said, enthusiastically patting his stomach. "Best meal I've had in a long time." "Thank you, Variable-chan," Asuka smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Yes, thank you," Rei said, applying a kiss to his other cheek. After dinner the girls sent Ranma out to find them something to watch on the TV while they cleaned up the dishes. He was joined about a half an hour later by Asuka and Rei with three more cans of beer, 'just to help dinner settle'. (oO\O/Oo) Misato dragged herself in the door the next morning looking like death warmed over, reeking of booze and cigarettes. Passing through the living room, she froze and blinked. There on the table was a sizable stack of empty beer cans. Misato quickly proceeded down the hallway and checked Ranma's room, finding it empty. She slid open the door to the girls room and her eyes bugged out. There, sprawled on the futons and cuddled tightly to each other were three naked girls. Misato sniffed, finding the air heavy with the scent of female arousal. Blushing at the implication, Misato quickly shut the door and headed for the kitchen. She really needed a beer before she thought about what to do about this. Opening the fridge, Misato looked forlornly at her decimated beer supply before grabbing one of the remaining 108 cans and sitting down at the table. What was she going to do with those kids? On the one hand, Misato realized that her credibility factor wasn't especially high in this area and they hadn't exactly been irresponsible. At least they hadn't been out running the streets while drinking. Getting drunk and having sex hadn't been the most responsible thing they could have done, but then Misato understood why they would do something like that after they almost lost Ranma to the last angel. It had brought home to them that they needed to make their time together count. Misato wasn't against them having sex in spite of how young they were. Hell, as far as she knew, Ranma was the only one of them to have had a period as yet. She also knew that STD's weren't a factor. One of the girls turning up pregnant would be a huge problem, though. She would have to talk to them about taking precautions. The drinking wasn't even that much of a problem. Asuka was experienced enough with beer to not let things get out of hand and the fact was, they had only drank 12 beers between them; certainly enough to make inexperienced kids like Rei and Ranma piss drunk depending on how fast they drank them, but not enough to be dangerous. (oO\O/Oo) Misato smirked at the three blushing teens seated across the table from her. Each refused to make eye contact with anyone as they waited for the lecturing to begin. "So, did the three of you have fun last night?" Misato asked with just a hint of a teasing tone in her voice. The trio blushed even darker as they recalled what had happened between them. "I can see you did. I expect my beer to be replaced. I'm glad you were all responsible about it and didn't leave the house. You could have gotten yourselves and me into a lot of trouble if you were caught drunk in public." The teens were now looking at her in surprise. "What? You expected me to read you the riot act about underage drinking?" Misato smirked. "Look, I don't mind if it happens on occasion as long as you do it here. You may be kids, but you all have very adult responsibilities. We send you out there into danger with a very real chance you could be hurt or worse. Just between us, I'm willing to cut you some slack from time to time to unwind in an adult fashion...as long as it doesn't affect your readiness. Which brings me to another point. While I'm certainly not in any position to complain about you three sleeping together, it would be a very bad thing if Asuka or Rei turned up pregnant. I don't think that would do anyone any good to have to explain how that happened." "I..." Ranma stammered. "We..." Asuka stuttered. "That is why Ranma was in female form," Rei stated clinically before blushing heavily. Misato grinned wickedly. "Just be careful," Misato cautioned. "I'm all for you guys enjoying yourselves, but I know the temptation is there." "You mean you don't mind?" Asuka asked in shock. "Why should I mind?" Misato replied. "Who knows if we'll all survive this? We almost lost Ranma to that last angel. It's pretty obvious that you guys all care deeply for each other and I think you should experience as much joy as possible while you can." (oO\O/Oo) Toji stood at the railing overlooking the school grounds. As he stared across the campus he heard the sound of footsteps approaching behind him. "So you've decided to do it then?" Ranma asked. "Yeah," Toji said distantly. Ranma stepped up beside him and put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Look, Toji, I won't lie and tell you about how great it is," Ranma said. "Piloting an Eva in battle pretty much sucks. I just want you to know that Rei, Asuka, and I will do our best to keep anything from happening to you." "Ranma..." Toji trailed off, pausing for a moment to gather himself. "I just wanted to apologize for trying to beat you up when you first got here. Now that I'm gonna be a pilot, I'm seeing things a little differently. I was wrong back then." "Hey, no sweat, Toji," Ranma chuckled. "I understood at the time why you did it, and I really didn't blame you. I felt real bad about your sister." "So you got any advice for the new guy?" Toji asked. "Yeah," Ranma said. "Take Hikari out on a nice date tonight. Let her know she's special to you and enjoy yourself." "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die?" Toji asked. "Not if I have anything to say about it," Ranma snorted. "After all..." "Ranma Ikari doesn't lose," Toji drawled. "Right," Ranma smirked. "Remember, Hikari is just as worried as you are. Going out with her will help you both relax and take your mind off tomorrow." (oO\O/Oo) "So the fourth child is arriving tomorrow?" Misato asked Ritsuko as they prepared Unit 03 for its first activation test at the Matsushiro testing site. "Yes," Ritsuko confirmed. "We'll be finished with the preliminary testing this evening. We'll be ready for him tomorrow when he arrives." "Ritsuko, I..." Misato shook her head and trailed off. "You've got a bad feeling about this too?" Ritsuko asked. "Yeah," Misato said. "I don't know why, but I just have a feeling that something is going to go horribly wrong tomorrow." "Me too," Ritsuko said, "but I checked Unit 03 out thoroughly and everything seems fine. We'll just have to hope for the best." (oO\O/Oo) The restaurant was really nice. It was a traditional Japanese place complete with screens dividing each of its low tables for the privacy of the diners. The food was excellent and so was the service. "Thanks for bringing me here, Toji," Hikari smiled. "This is a really classy place." They were both dressed nicely in traditional kimono as they knelt on the cushions next to each other beside the table. "You're worth it, Hikari," Toji smiled. "You know, a lot of people just think of me as a dumb jock, and I guess they're mostly right. It took me a long time to see you were interested in me and realize that we were dating. Hikari, I just wanted you to know that whatever happens, I c-care about you a-a lot. You're better than I deserve." "Oh Toji," Hikari said, looking up at him with glistening eyes. "I care about you very much too, so you better take care of yourself. I'll be here waiting for you when you get back." Toji looked down into his girlfriend's shimmering eyes and slowly his head dipped closer to hers. She smiled and turned her face up, giving him the invitation. They moved closer, closing their eyes...and awkwardly bumped noses. Hikari giggled and cocked her head a little. This time, they tenderly brushed their lips together in their first kiss. It lasted only a minute, but both teens were giddy with happiness and pleasure when they pulled away. Toji walked Hikari home that night hand in hand. They shared another kiss, this one more passionate and less awkward, at her door before she stepped inside. (oO\O/Oo) Nabiki sniffled a little as she rewound the tape. Everyone was looking at her strangely. It wasn't often that the Ice Queen showed any emotion other than avarice. "What's wrong, Little Sister?" Kasumi asked. "It's just that, in the original story, Toji's Eva was possessed by an angel," Nabiki said. "Shinji, the character that Ranma replaced, refused to fight the Eva so that bastard Gendo engaged a thing called the Dummy plug which took control and tore Toji's Eva apart while Shinji had to watch without being able to do anything. Toji was nearly killed when the Dummy Plug crushed the entry plug. He ended up losing an arm and a leg. Ranma knows what's going to happen and he knows that he may have to watch as his friend is maimed while he watches powerlessly." "Ranma won't let that happen," Akane said with certainty. "He'll figure out some way to save Toji, I just know it." Everyone gaped at Akane and her confidence in Ranma. Discussion then turned to the fact that Ranma had, in fact, done the deed with Rei and Asuka, albeit in girl form. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth over this from the fiancées and fathers but Nabiki and Kasumi seemed happy for Ranma. Nodoka once again found herself conflicted between whipping out her victory fans or being upset that Ranma had been intimate as a girl. Cologne smiled as she noted that while Akane was upset about Ranma having slept with the two girls as a girl, she refrained from calling him a pervert. Also, it was foremost in her mind the little discussion that Ranma had with the Goddess Bastet. "Well, at least we know a little more about how this happened to Ranma," Cologne spoke, focusing all attention on her. "What do you mean, Elder?" Kasumi asked. "For some reason, Bastet-sama has sent Ranma there to learn some things," Cologne said. "While she never said one way or the other, she seemed to indicate that he would be returning if he managed to survive. I expect when he does return we will be facing a much different Ranma, someone that is not only more mature, but also a blooded warrior. I also suspect that we are being allowed to watch his adventures as a warning not to trifle with him as we have in the past." "Isn't that rather cruel of the Goddess?" Kasumi asked. "If Ranma returns, won’t he be heartbroken having to leave Rei and Asuka behind?" "The lessons taught by the Gods are often cruel," Cologne nodded sagely. "One thing is clear. I very much doubt he will tolerate the treatment he had been subjected to before he went there." Nearly everyone couldn't help but agree with that. The various girls were modifying their plans to catch the pigtailed boy on the rebound. The fathers, of course, ignored the fact that Ranma would be a much more dangerous person upon his return and began to plan another surprise wedding as soon as the honorless boy returned.
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