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Death Reborn Evolution
Chapter 12: Chapter 9: Visitors from China

By: Shanami

 
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Death Reborn Evolution Chapter 9: Visitors from China

Chinese

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing involved in this and it is written strictly for fun, not for profit. See the prologue for a more in depth disclaimer.

AN: This chapter is something of a departure in that it isn't primarily focused on Ranko and her friends. I do apologize for how long it took to write, but I was trying to focus on a reasonable portrayal of two characters that I hadn't used yet and it took a while before I was happy with the end product. That said, please enjoy.

XXOOXX

The fall afternoon was crisp and clear and the residents of Tokyo's Juuban district could not help but stare at the sight that greeted them. This was quite unusual, considering that most of the residents had been attacked by anthropomorphic, vaguely feminine monstrosities with similarities to washing machines, toys, or potted plants. Really, outside of Nerima and lower Manhattan, Juuban had more supernatural, extraterrestrial, or just downright strange occurrences per capita than any other place on earth.

Regardless, the citizens were rendered completely speechless as they watched a man, six feet tall wearing regal looking robes walked down the street, calming conversing with a bouncy, well endowed teenager whose purple hair was pulled up in a pair of buns. What caught the eye though, were the honest to god angel wings sprouting from the man's back and the fact that his hair appeared to be literally made of flame as it's oranges, reds and yellows danced and swayed with each step. Now, had the man attacked the Osa-P jewelry store, demanding a heart crystal or soul energy, the populace wouldn't have blinked an eye before staging an orderly retreat under the guise of a panicked crowd. But they just couldn't handle someone of obvious supernatural power calmly walking down the street so they did the only thing they could under the circumstances; they froze up and stared.

"Excuse me sir," the man approached one of the bystanders with a piece of paper, "would you be so kind as to direct me towards this address?"

"Y-y-youma!" the man screamed and ran off, sparking a panic in the surrounding populace.

A moment later, the slightly stunned man turned to his companion and spoke to her in Chinese, I do not understand. Is that not how one is supposed to interact among the landlings?

She giggled lightly. Lord Saffron, I do believe you startled them. Perhaps I should ask next time?

What do you mean, Xian Pu? Saffron looked confused. I realize my clothing is a bit archaic for Japan, but I was unaware that I was being overtly threatening. Did I perchance break some custom? The Amazon coughed lightly and pointed to Saffron's wings, drawing a look of startled comprehension from the Phoenix. I suppose my appearance would be unusual, though I was under the impression that the Japanese were used to strange occurrences.

Indeed, they are. But this isn't Nerima, where you would not get more than a passing glance. I believe we are in Juuban, which was known for monster attacks, Shampoo responded.

Ah, I suppose that would be the problem, Saffron said. Sighing, he concentrated for a moment and his wings burst into flame before retracting into his back. Better? he asked.

Yes, much. You will actually blend in now, Shampoo replied.

Excellent, let us be off then. I should like to meet my niece without running afoul of the local magical exterminators, Saffron said.

XXOOXX

Ranko stared despondently as the seconds ticked by on the clock in her classroom. The school day seemed to be dragging indefinitely. She had returned to classes earlier in the week with little fanfare; after all, most kids get sick at least once per year. Sure, her friends had fussed over her and made sure she was okay, and she had absently wandered towards the boy's locker room for gym but nothing had really changed. Still, while the first few days back were absolutely packed between finishing makeup assignments and trying to not fall further behind on her homework, school had settled back into the standard grind.

'Just a few more minutes… hurry up already,' Ranko's eyes pleaded with the clock as the teacher droned on. 'Stupid parabolas… I just wanna go home,' she thought. She realized that math was her worst subject and that she should therefore pay more attention to it but the material was just so boring.

Ranko tried to maintain her attention, she really did, but her attention inevitably drifted off. Her eyes idly roamed over to where Usa was leaning back in her chair stretching. Ranko's gaze locked on to the taut top covering her friend's developing bust before she flushed and turned abruptly back towards the front of the room. Tentatively, the embarrassed girl glanced around the room. 'Please don't let anyone have noticed that I was checking out my friend… not that Usa isn't filling out really nicely… Gah!' She continued to glance around the room, carefully avoiding Usa's desk. She slumped in relief when she realized that no one was paying any attention to her.

Ranko turned back to the worksheet on her desk. They were given a few minutes to work on their homework before the end of the day. But, the numbers just seemed to be staring back. Sighing, Ranko realized that she just couldn't concentrate on math anymore. Her eyes went back to the clock, which taunted her by passing time with agonizing slowness. Her gaze once again drifted towards her classmates though she carefully avoided looking towards Usa. Settling on Jun for a moment, she felt a pang of regret. Not because she really felt anything towards him, but because he had treated her so coldly since their breakup. Not wanting to dwell on such depressing thoughts, she looked towards her first real friend. Hotaru's face was scrunched up and she nibbled on her lower lip as her pencil furiously scribbled away at her worksheet. 'Hotaru looks so cute when she concentrates,' Ranko thought with a soft smile. Her thoughts and gaze drifted down to Hotaru's slightly pouted lips, which seemed to ache for a bruising kiss. Ranko's eyes locked forward once again as she desperately tried to reign in her blush.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bell rang and Ranko practically teleported out of the room. "Hey Ranko, want…," Hotaru trailed off when she noticed the absence of her friend. Meanwhile, Ranko bolted into the bathroom to splash some cool water on her face in an attempt to get her libido under control.

Hotaru turned to Usa with a slightly lost look on her face. "Where'd she go?"

"No idea. We can wait for her out front," Usa shrugged.

They met Ranko at the gate of the school. "Ko-chan, why'd you run off on us like that?" Hotaru asked, mostly hiding her confusion.

"I had to use the restroom," Ranko mumbled with a slight flush. She didn't want to admit that it was because her hormones were spiraling out of control. Her reactions would eventually settle down, but puberty was a harsh mistress.

The other girls giggled at Ranko's reticence. "It's alright Ko-chan, I was just confused," Hotaru said.

"You know, we really don't have much work to do for tomorrow," Usa's face lit up. "You guys wanna go kill some time at the Crown?"

"Sounds great!" Hotaru chirped.

Ranko's face fell. "Sorry, I can't this time. Mom mentioned going to see some people in Nerima tonight so I need to go get my work done today."

"Aww, really?" Usa pouted.

"Don't worry about it, Ko-chan," Hotaru laid a hand on Ranko's shoulder. "We'll miss you but it's just one afternoon."

"Yeah, well… I'll catch you later, Ja!" Ranko called as she walked off.

"Bye bye!" Hotaru and Usa chorused.

XXOOXX

Lord Saffron, I believe it is this house, Shampoo said as she led the way up the path to ring the bell at the Tanaka residence.

Inside the house, Kasumi turned to Nodoka and asked, "I wonder who that could be?"

Nodoka shrugged and said, "No idea dear, I wasn't expecting anyone today."

"I'll go see who it is," Kasumi responded.

"Be right there!" A sweet voice drifted out. 'That voice sounds familiar,' Shampoo thought. The door slid open and Kasumi stepped out to greet the guests. "Hello, who is… Shampoo-chan? What a pleasant surprise, please come in."

"This one thanks you, nice-girl Kasumi," Shampoo said.

"Oh my, your grammar has improved quite nicely," Kasumi replied.

"Thanks I think. It may have taken a while, but even Shampoo can learn pronouns," Shampoo responded with a wry grin. Kasumi giggled lightly, but Saffron devolved into a full belly-laugh.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. With the excitement of seeing Shampoo-chan again I've been ignoring you. I do apologize for my rudeness. I'm Tendo Kasumi," she said with a formal bow.

"Please, it was no trouble Kasumi-san. My name is Saffron."

"Kasumi dear, who was at the door?" Nodoka called from the other room.

"I believe we have guests Auntie," Kasumi said as she led the way into the other room. "You remember Shampoo-chan and may I introduce Saffron?"

"Welcome to my humble home," Nodoka greeted the guests with a formal bow. "It is good to see you again under less trying circumstances Lord Saffron though I was not expecting you for several days. I presume you are here to finally meet Ranko-chan?"

Saffron nodded. "Yes, I would like to meet the girl I plan to claim as a niece, with your permission of course." Nodoka nodded her ascent. "Wonderful."

Nodoka gave Shampoo a penetrating gaze. "And it is nice to see you again Shampoo. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"I merely wanted to visit and see old friends. I promise to not cause trouble," Shampoo said. "I know that my actions were very trying for both of your families but I truly loved Ranma, Amazon law or not. I realize that I probably never would have won his heart, and that still hurts in a way, but I'd like the chance to know what is left of him." Shampoo sighed, "And while we never got along, I did consider the others to be friends. I'd like to get on better terms with them as well."

"You are welcome to stay with us Shampoo," Nodoka replied. "I'll admit your unexpected arrival worried me. None of the Amazons caused us anything but trouble in the past but I'm willing to overlook it. If you need a place to stay, I believe we would have room."

"This one thanks you for your kindness," Shampoo responded sincerely. Nodoka excused herself to ready a pair of guest rooms while Kasumi showed the two around the house. After a brief tour, the travelers were shown to their rooms where they proceeded to unpack.

XXOOXX

"I'm home!" Ranko called out as she stepped out of her shoes and slipped into a pair of house slippers.

"We're in the den Ranko-chan. There are some people I'd like you to meet," Nodoka called back.

"Be right there mom," Ranko responded with a sigh as she pulled her wings back in. She walked towards the den and noticed two brightly dressed people, a man and a woman, sitting together who set her on edge. She instinctively dropped into a very aggressive combat stance and her eyes flitted from the man to the woman and finally to her mother.

Nodoka continued to sip her tea calmly and raised a curious eyebrow at her daughter. "Dear, I'd like you to meet Shampoo," she indicated the purple haired woman, "and your honorary uncle, Saffron."

Ranko slumped slightly and relaxed her stance, suppressing the echoes of Ranma's memories that told her that they should be classified as 'foe.' After all, Ranma and Saffron had fought to the death, and Shampoo had hunted Ranma rather aggressively. But Ranko realized that those past interactions really had no bearing on her life as they did not affect her directly. "Hello, it's nice to meet you," Ranko tentatively waved at Shampoo. Her face brightened and she smiled at Saffron, she had been looking forward to her 'uncle's' visit since she was a little girl-Ranma's experiences notwithstanding.

Saffron laughed heartily. Ranko's reactions were quite amusing as her face flitted from anticipation on entering the room to determination (with a hefty dose of aggression at the strangers) to shyness to beaming. "Well met, little niece," he said. He stood, large, angel-style wings stretching slightly as they appeared out from his back in a burst of flame and a pulse of magic.

Reflexively, Ranko's wings burst forth from her back in response and she flew forward to crash into Saffron with a tight hug. While it had been suppressed with his wings concealed, Saffron's magical aura was comforting and swept away any residual hesitation she might have had. It felt like family; though they were not related by blood, in a magical sense, Saffron may as well have actually been her uncle.

Saffron rocked back slightly to maintain his balance. He gently set a hand on Ranko's head as she snuggled into his chest. "My, you are quite strong, for a fledgling at least," he chuckled, causing most of the room to giggle lightly as Ranko looked up with an indignant pout.

A flash of flame drew all eyes and interrupted the retort forming on Ranko's lips. The fire spiraled into a tightly condensing ball before bursting open to reveal a small, hawk-like bird with flaming wings and brilliant red-orange-yellow plumage trilling a joyous song as it circled around the room. The bird settled onto Saffron's shoulder and trilled once more.

Ranko squealed, "Oh my god, it's sooo cute!" and she bounced up to investigate the bird more closely. She turned to Saffron with wide eyes, "Can I hold him, please?"

Saffron scooped the bird off his shoulder and placed it in Ranko's cupped hands with an indulgent smile. She lightly rubbed her cheek against the bird and cooed at the phoenix chick. "So soft!"

Kasumi joined Ranko in fussing over the adorable bird. "What is your name, little one?" she asked.

"That is my most recent fragment. He has not settled on a name yet, last I checked," Saffron replied.

"Fragment?" Kasumi asked, confused. "It looks like what the mythological phoenix birds are supposed to look like."

"Indeed, he is one of the lesser phoenixes," Saffron responded. "And all lesser phoenix come from me, as a byproduct of my rebirthing cycle."

The bird sang a few notes. "He says his name is Hikaru," Ranko spoke softly, still cuddling the firebird.

"You could understand that, Ranko-chan?" Nodoka asked.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Ranko's eyebrows scrunched slightly in confusion.

"I believe your mother was merely surprised that you understood the phoenix-speech," Saffron chipped in.

"Oh," Ranko nuzzled back into Hikaru. "So I can understand you, Hikaru? That's so cool!"

Laughing lightly, Shampoo stood and bowed to the room. "Sham… I thank you for the tea. I would like to see some of the people in Nerima. If the offer still stands, I will return later."

"Of course, that's fine Shampoo. We were originally going to Nerima this evening, but I believe we will be putting those plans on hold. Perhaps you can convey my regrets?" Nodoka replied and Shampoo nodded. "Allow me to show you out."

"Thank you," Shampoo replied. She swept Ranko up into a hug, surprising the younger girl. "It was nice to meet you Ranko-chan. Perhaps you can show me if you are as strong as you look later." And with that, she was gone, leaving Ranko rather confused by her behavior. She could have responded to a glomp or a war cry, but Shampoo acting like a normal person was so out of character with the memories that it completely threw Ranko for a loop.

"Shampoo-chan is a nice girl, isn't she Ranko-chan?" Kasumi prodded.

"Huh? Oh yeah," Ranko responded. "I'm just trying to re… reconcile?" Kasumi nodded. "I'm just trying to reconcile that with what Ranma remembered her being like."

"She was a little aggressive, wasn't she?" Kasumi replied. Ranko just stared at her, still slightly amazed by her 'neechan's ability for understatement.

"As far as Amazons go, Xian is relatively tame," Saffron replied, drawing incredulous stares from the others. He shrugged, "All our tribes are rather insular and the aggression of Amazon women is legendary. It is something I've been looking to correct, though I'll admit it is rather difficult for my people to not stand out in public."

"That does make sense, even if they wouldn't draw much attention in Nerima," Kasumi replied.

"Indeed. Speaking of which, Hikaru, are you rested enough to carry a message back to the tribe?" Saffron asked. The bird chirped happily and squirmed free from Ranko's grip. "Excellent," Saffron pulled out some stationary, jotted a quick note and attached it to the phoenix's outstretched leg. Hikaru started to sing an upbeat tune before bursting into a ball of flame and disappearing.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Ranko said with a look of awe. "Will he be back?" she looked at Saffron hopefully.

"Eventually," Saffron replied. "He will remain until my council of advisors has finished meeting in case any issues require my attention." Ranko drooped. She wanted to spend more time with the playful phoenix chick. "Now now, don't look so depressed, little fledgling, or I won't teach you how to empower your own fragments."

Ranko's eyes widened. "What?" she croaked.

Saffron smiled at the incredulous girl. "Your powers are very similar to mine Ranko-chan; one of the main reasons I'm here is to help you gain control over them. You should be able to create one lesser phoenix of your own every time you are reborn, though I would expect them to reflect your nature more than mine. Consider this our first lesson."

"Really?" Ranko was nearly vibrating with excitement. She was still petitioning her mother to let her get a kitten but her own phoenix hatchling would be even better. And beyond that, Ranko was looking forward to learning more about her burgeoning magical talents.

"Um, excuse me. What did you mean by that last bit?" Kasumi asked. "Why would they be different?"

"Well, it stands that since my magic is primarily over fire, that my fragments would be birds of flame. Given Ranko's affinity towards water and ice, I would expect something along those lines to predominate," Saffron lectured.

"Can we start now? Pleaaase?" Ranko pleaded.

"I think you should ask your mother if it would be alright for you to keep a phoenix around the house first, don't you?" Saffron responded.

"Momma, pleeeaaase?" Ranko turned shining eyes on Nodoka, who quickly folded.

"Of course you can, Ranko-chan," Nodoka said indulgently. "I did say you could have a pet after all, didn't I."

"Woo-hoo!" Ranko pumped her fist and jumped up into the air. "What do we do first, uncle?"

Saffron turned to Nodoka, "Do you still have a portion of her egg?"

"Of course I saved what I could… most of it evaporated immediately but I couldn't bear to part with the rest of it," Nodoka responded.

"We will need to use it as the template," Saffron said.

"I… it is quite precious, that egg gave me my daughter. But, I suppose this is important," Nodoka sighed. She left the room to return a moment later, reverently carrying a small glass case. Inside, they could see a single, slightly cracked piece of an aquamarine colored eggshell roughly the size of a saucer. "This is all that remains."

"I came out of that?" Ranko stared queerly at the eggshell. She just couldn't get over how strange it seemed that she had… well, hatched.

Nodoka smiled fondly. "Yes, you did dear," her eyes misted up. "You were so small and adorable."

"I'm not adorable now?" Ranko pouted.

"Of course you are Ranko-chan," Nodoka giggled.

"Good!" Ranko chirped. "So, how do we do this?"

"The eggshell still contains the energy of life from your rebirth. You need to do is channel as much of your magic into it as you can while holding the form of the completed egg in your mind until it forms," Saffron explained.

"Alright, let's do this!" Ranko looked to Nodoka and asked, "Are you sure this is okay, mom?"

"Yes, yes I'm sure. It wouldn't be right to deny you this opportunity. Besides, the egg already gave me something much more valuable," Nodoka responded with misted eyes.

"Aww, mom…" Ranko blushed. She carefully lifted the lid and placed the shell in between her hands. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Ranko closed her eyes and pictured an unbroken, aquamarine egg with deep blue highlights about twice the size of a chicken egg. Her wings pulsed brightly and a glow sprung up between her hands. Her eyes opened, glowing with barely suppressed power and the glow between her hands brightened to painful levels before it pulsed once and abruptly faded. Panting, Ranko slumped heavily to the floor. She felt like she had run a marathon, but glowed with pride when she saw the egg reformed between her hands, just as she had envisioned it.

"That was amazing Ranko-chan!" Kasumi helped Ranko up to the sofa where she snuggled in between both Kasumi and Nodoka, both of whom fussed over the tired girl.

"Very impressive," Saffron agreed. "When you have recovered slightly, we can move on to the last step."

"That wasn't enough?" Ranko whined.

"Don't worry, the next part is much easier," Saffron said.

"Thank goodness," Kasumi said. "That looked very tiring, Ranko-chan."

"Yeah, I'm spent, Kasumi-neechan," Ranko replied sleepily. Her stomach growled and she blushed fiercely. "And I'm pretty hungry too." The others laughed, and Ranko's blush deepened.

"I suppose I can start working on dinner dear," Nodoka giggled.

"Thanks mom," Ranko replied. She could already feel her strength starting to recover, but that just seemed to make her hunger even more prominent. "I think I'm ready now, uncle-Saffron."

"Great. Now this is purely speculation, but I believe that since I have to literally roast the eggs I produce in a bonfire to birth them that you will need to take your magic and freeze the egg solid. That should hopefully trigger the phoenix's first birth," Saffron said.

Ranko looked dubiously at the delicate, little egg. "Are you sure that won't hurt it?" she asked.

"Even if the magic works differently for you, there is very little that you can do to actually damage this egg," Saffron replied.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot," Ranko enthused. She cupped her hands around the egg and again focused her magic on it, encasing it in a cocoon of ice, which then began to crack. A moment later, the ice burst apart in a swirl of snow. Ranko looked down to see a small phoenix chick nuzzling into her cupped hands. It was only six inches long with an equal sized wingspan with a pure white, feathery coat and ice blue eyes with a blue patch on its breast and at its wingtips. The hatchling stared back into Ranko's eyes and crooned an uplifting tune and she felt a tickle of elation at being alive in the back of her mind.

"C-can I hold it Ranko-chan?" Kasumi was bursting with awe with her eyes locked onto the miniature phoenix. Ranko reluctantly handed her over. Kasumi stroked the bird softly and cooed, "What's your name cutie?"

"Amaya, her name is Amaya," Ranko whispered. She was still overwhelmed by the sheer joy radiating off the hatchling. She reluctantly turned away from the… no, her phoenix chick and told Saffron, "I think I can feel her."

"Indeed, you will always share a bond with your fragments. It will fade a bit in time. Until Amaya completes a full life cycle she will be drawing directly on your magic for nourishment. You may as well consider her to be a true familiar," he responded.

"What do you mean by familiar?" Nodoka asked.

"Well, Ranko-chan and Amaya will likely maintain a mental connection on some level with each other. This usually means that they will have some knowledge of each other's emotional state and the ability to know if the other is in trouble. Furthermore, as she absorbs more of Ranko-chan's magic, I believe that Amaya will develop some unique abilities. As she is the first ever lesser ice-phoenix I cannot say for certain their extent. My birds can travel great distances instantly by flaming or flame travel, they have minor fire magic and regeneration, are immensely strong, have healing tears, and are reborn in a burst of flame. I would imagine that at the very least, Amaya and any future ice-phoenixes will have some mode of travel, some minor water or ice magic along with regenerative powers and a rebirth cycle involving ice or snow. What, if anything else that they can do we will have to see."

"Wow, that's amazing! Amaya will really be able to do all of that?" Ranko looked in awe at the small bird.

"This is all speculation, but Amaya will assuredly have some very potent magic of her own," Saffron responded.

"I guess you really are the most special pet I could have ever gotten," Ranko said to the little bird who chirped out an agreement. Amaya made her way around the room, receiving lavish attention from both Kasumi and Nodoka before taking a brief flight and settling back into Ranko's arms for the rest of the night.

XXOOXX

Shampoo wound up spending the evening in Nerima. Upon her return to Juuban early the following morning she was drawn to the back of the house by clashing sounds. She gasped as she was treated to an aerial battle the likes of which she had never seen before. Saffron and Ranko were swooping at each other and exchanging punches and kicks through high speed maneuvers. Both combatants were clearly skilled, but it was quite obvious that Saffron was holding back significantly though Ranko was much better than Shampoo would have ever expected.

Ranko was slowly being pressed back towards the house as Saffron's superior power and experience forced her further on the defensive. Suddenly, in a flurry of motion, one of Saffron's blows slipped past Ranko's guard and sent her rocketing down towards the ground. She recovered awkwardly with a few feet to spare before impact and raised her arms into a defensive stance that would have looked more effective if they weren't shaking with effort. Her hair was plastered against her face and she was panting with exertion. Saffron landed lightly opposite her, prompting the exhausted looking girl to sink gratefully to the ground.

"Aiyah, that was very impressive," Shampoo announced her presence.

"Ah, good morning Shampoo," Saffron greeted. "Shampoo is correct, Ranko-chan, you are quite a capable fighter and you seem to have quite a knack for airborne fighting."

"Thanks, I've been practicing the moves in those scrolls you sent," Ranko replied. She entered a slow series of stretches.

"Tomorrow, I'd like to assess how far you've come with your magic, then we can start some actual instruction in the Phoenix Tribe's style of aerial combat," Saffron said.

"And if you'd like, I do have permission to train you a bit in the Amazon techniques, Ranko-chan," Shampoo added.

"That sounds great," Ranko responded. "I did try to learn the Amaguriken, but I kinda accidentally quench the fire every time I try…" she admitted sheepishly. Shampoo giggled and Saffron laughed boisterously, though Shampoo was quite surprised both that Ranko was as advanced in the Art as she was and that she was trying to learn an Amazon move on her own.

"I have to get ready for school now. Thanks for the spar, Uncle Saffron," Ranko enthused before bouncing into the house, her energy having recovered slightly during her cooldown.

"She is far more advanced than I would have thought," Shampoo commented.

"Indeed, and she improves quite rapidly. It will be a joy to teach her for the duration of this visit," Saffron agreed.

XXOOXX

"Kawaii!" With a squeal of delight Amaya found herself cuddled tightly to Hotaru's bosom as she and Usa fussed over the hatchling ice phoenix.

As soon as her last class ended that afternoon Ranko had dragged her friends back to her house. She wanted to introduce them to Amaya and to their houseguests before taking a trip into Nerima for the annual festival. She had been distracted all day from a combination of excitement about the afternoon and a vague sensation of loss from being separated from the ice-phoenix chick. Though the need for contact would fade with time after the initial bonding, Ranko desperately craved contact with HER hatchling.

Amaya chirped happily at the attention causing Ranko to smile indulgently. She felt more comfortable already, like a nagging emptiness that she didn't consciously realize existed was gone. Besides, she had to admit that Amaya was almost as adorable as the faces that Hotaru made while babying the phoenix. Ranko had briefly introduced her friends to Shampoo and Saffron before the trio of girls rushed off to play with Ranko's new pet. "Uncle Saffron says that Amaya will start developing her own magic really soon, I'm really excited," Ranko told her friends.

"She's magical?" Usa asked.

"Yeah, we don't know exactly what she'll be able to do, but I'm really excited to see it," Ranko replied.

"At least you guys have pets," Hotaru lamented. "I really want one but I don't think Michiru-mama would be very happy."

"I doubt there is an animal elegant enough for Michiru," Usa giggled.

"Girls," Nodoka called, "you had best go get changed for the festival."

"Okay mom/auntie," they replied.

XXOOXX

The girls, Nodoka, and Saffron met Shampoo, who had gone ahead to spend the afternoon with members of the former wrecking crew, at the Nerima train station. Nodoka had insisted that they dress appropriately for the annual winter festival and was garbed in a very ornate navy blue kimono with white floral print and a white obi. Ranko was dressed the same but in miniature, though she wore a crimson obi the same shade of her hair. Usa, as might be expected, favored a bright pink kimono with crescent moon embroidery while Hotaru was dressed in lavender with sakura tree patterns stitched in white thread.

Shampoo and Saffron split off, leaving the girls and Nodoka continued on directly to the festival where they sampled the food and played some games. Ranko did manage to track down the same fishing game to complete the Amaguriken training before being dragged off to grab some takoyaki.

Meanwhile, Ukyo was watching Akane attempting to pace a trench in the middle of the Tendo dojo. With an exasperated sigh, Ukyo grabbed her girlfriend and pulled Akane into her lap. "Settle down, sugar. Shampoo said they were just coming to apologize and then they'd be on their way."

Burying her face in Ukyo's shoulder, Akane whispered, "I know… I just… I know it's silly but I still have nightmares about Ju-jusendo. B…being trapped as a doll was just…" she trailed off. Ukyo could feel the slightly smaller girl trembling in her arms.

Ukyo stroked her back and soothed, "Shh 'Kane, it'll be okay, you'll see." Akane eventually calmed down and leaned further in to Ukyo's embrace, drawing comfort from her presence. "You know, you really don't have to do this, sugar. Say the word and I'll send them away."

Akane sighed and shivered lightly. She whispered, "No… I really… I need to face him." She stood and started pacing furiously again.

A few minutes later, Shampoo led Saffron in to the dojo. Ukyo nodded a greeting to Shampoo while Akane seemed to be warring with two distinct emotions, terror and burning anger. Falling back on her old crutch, she exploded, "Why the hell did you come here?" Ukyo pulled the simmering girl into her lap, stroking Akane's hair soothingly.

Sighing, Saffron knelt across from them and began, "I... I truly wish to apologize to you, to both of you, for what I have done." Ukyo pinned him with an arctic glare as Akane pressed further into her embrace. "I can see my presence upsets you, so I will be brief. For what it is worth, I am sorry for what occurred between us. Though it hardly excuses my actions, I had been raised by rather insular advisors after my rebirth and was a rather… petulant child. I doubt either of you would ever be willing to consider me a friend, but I am trying to make up for my actions."

"How DARE you, you think a simple sorry means anything?" Akane ranted.

"No, I do not," Saffron replied simply, which seemed to cool Akane's temper slightly. "I realize that I did you a great wrong, and that my actions led to the death of a brave man. I do not believe that I will ever be able to set things right."

"So why did you bother asking for this meeting?" Ukyo interjected to prevent Akane from ripping him apart. Not that she spared any care for Saffron, but she realized that once her girlfriend really got built up, there would be no stopping her.

"I do not run from my debts," he replied. "I have done a great wrong to you, Akane, and an even greater one to your former fiancé. For what it is worth, I am here to try to make up for it. If there were something I could do to earn your forgiveness I would. As it stands, I am trying to make it up to Ranko the best way I know how. I truly consider the girl to be my niece, and I take my duty as her uncle quite seriously."

Between Saffron's seemingly genuine regret and Ukyo's comforting ministrations, Akane had calmed down considerably, though she was still trembling slightly. "I… will think about it. I… I really can't forgive you… yet."

"I understand, consideration is more than I had hoped," Saffron replied. Seeing that nothing else was likely to be accomplished, Saffron continued by saying, "Since there seems to be nothing left to discuss currently, Ranko-chan wanted to invite the both of you to join them for the rest of the evening at the festival. And you do not need to worry about my presence, I have an important engagement to attend to once we are finished, though Shampoo intends to accompany the girls for the rest of the night."

Akane and Ukyo shared a glance, silently communicating. After a moment, Akane shrugged and Ukyo nodded. "Sounds like a good idea, I haven't seen the little squirt in a while."

"In that case, I bid you farewell, and perhaps next time we shall meet under less trying circumstances." Saffron allowed his wings to burst out from his back before flying off into the night.

Shampoo giggled lightly, "Come on, we should hurry, Ranko-chan was really hoping you would join us."

They spent the rest of the night watching indulgently as the younger girls enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells and especially the tastes of the festival.

XXOOXX

The following morning, Ranko flitted around the backyard at high speed with a huge grin on her face. The previous night, she had made enough progress pull off a proper Amaguriken. Her arms blazed forward towards a practice log, impacting 356 times in just under 2 seconds. "Very impressive Ranko-chan," Shampoo congratulated. While a seasoned warrior like herself could exceed 800 blows in the same time, Ranko's progress over the course of a single night was nothing short of remarkable for a girl her age.

Ranko blushed and smiled brightly. "Thanks!" she replied. "Check this out!" Ranko channeled some magic to her hands with another cry of "Amaguriken" and unleashed another barrage of punches that each left behind a trail of frost. Panting heavily, she drooped back to the ground.

Chuckling, Nodoka scooped Ranko up and dragged her back inside the house for breakfast. "I think that's enough for this morning, dear, you don't want to be too tired to see your friends this afternoon."

"Aww, mom…" Ranko whined half-heartedly.

A flash of flame and a burst of song interrupted the meal as Hikaru appeared over the table, dropping a note on Saffron's lap. Ranko's face lit up and she squealed happily as she caught and cuddled the firebird. "Hi Hikaru! You have to come meet Amaya, she's my first fragment and she's an ice phoenix and I think you'll really like her!" she enthused. The others chuckled at her antics.

Saffron unrolled the scroll and perused its contents. He sighed, "Unfortunately, it appears I will have to depart sooner than expected as there are some matters that I must deal with for my tribe."

"Aww, when do you have to leave?" Ranko asked.

"Well, I was originally planning to depart in a few days, but it appears that I shall have to make haste. I intend to leave shortly after lunch," he said. "Will you still be accompanying me, Shampoo?"

"I believe I shall, Lord Saffron, unless that would pose a problem. The company makes the long trip much more bearable," Shampoo replied.

"By all means, your presence will be appreciated," he said.

"Do… do you really have to go?" Ranko looked up with big, pleading eyes.

"Unfortunately yes, little fledgling. And don't think that look will work on me," he chided.

"Darn… it was worth a try," Ranko giggled.

"Indeed. Though I truly am sorry to leave you so soon," Saffron said.

"You will come back though, right?" Ranko asked.

"Of course, though my duties keep me busy more often than not these days, I will find time to visit again. Though, you will have to come visit the mountain at some point as well. I will leave a few scrolls for you to further your training, along with some information on the Phoenix tribe that I would ask you to look through. You will be able to contact me any time once Amaya is ready for the trip. Give her a week or so, and she should be strong enough," Saffron said.

"Why do I have to learn so much about the tribe, there's so much of that stuff," Ranko whined.

"Well, I am the King, and thanks to your powers and our relationship, those few of my tribe that know of you consider you to be our Princess. It simply would not do for you to not know about our people," Saffron smirked. Ranko's eyes swelled to the size of dinner plates, and she promptly fainted.

XXOOXX

After Saffron and Shampoo left early in the afternoon, Ranko walked to Hotaru's house. Before they departed, Saffron took a bit of water from one of Ranko's wings and a single feather from Amaya for a project, though he kept the details entirely to himself. Both of the guests promised to visit again when they were able to, and Saffron talked Nodoka into making a trip to Phoenix Mountain after the school year was over, much to Ranko's delight.

"Hey Taru-chan, ready to go?" Ranko called out when she saw her friend waiting for her on the doorstep.

"Of course, Ko-chan," Hotaru replied. They continued to make small talk while walking to the Tsukino household. They had plans to spend the afternoon at the Crown and were stopping to pick their friend up on the way.

"Oh hello girls," Ikuko greeted when they arrived, "Chibi-chan is upstairs in her room."

"Thanks Tsukino-san," Ranko replied. The girls made their way upstairs to Usa's room. The door was cracked open slightly.

They could hear Usa's voice drifting out, "I think we should just lock them in a closet together already." A pause. "What?" "You can't be serious Puu!" "Of course I'm not going to do anything… I know what's going to happen as well as you do." "What am I talking about then?" "Geez Puu, what do you take me for?" "I am so not going there…" They heard giggling followed by a much more substantial pause.

"Huh, guess she's on the phone," Ranko shrugged. "Think we should wait until she's done to bother her?"

"I suppose we shouldn't interrupt," Hotaru replied. "We really shouldn't listen in though."

"How else will we know when she's done," Ranko smirked mischeviously.

"I… I guess so Ko-chan," Hotaru mumbled.

"Well, of course I'm not going to interfere on purpose, but they're in so much denial it hurts!" They heard a sigh. "I know, I know… but do you know just how long it's going to take for them to realize…" They heard some mumbling through the door but couldn't make out what was said. "…even after they get together."

"Wonder who she's talking about," Ranko murmured.

"I'm just getting so frustrated Puu, I just want to kiss… senseless and drag… into my room." They heard more giggling. "I am so old enough to talk like that!" The voice sounded indignant. The voice turned into a sultry soprano "Are you sure Puu… (a breathy sigh) I'm sure we could have… fun together." Ranko looked at Hotaru and they gulped.

"Bwahahahaha! Oh man, I wish I could have seen your face!" "Not nice to tease you?" "Oh come on Puu… you're smoking hot, I know it, you know it… hell, even Mina-chan knows it and she's in straighter than a turkey dinner!" "Aww, I thought it was a pretty good impression." More giggling and Hotaru could barely repress her own laughter. "Fine, so I can't mangle quotes and my Mina-chan impression sucks. Anyway, you can just go find someone and get laid to relieve those frustrations, I can't… Even if we aren't together yet I'm not exactly going to cheat am I?"

"What!" the voice turned indignant, "I am so old enough to think about those sorts of things. I've had this older body for over a year now, I just don't use it because I think it would scare the Inners." "Thanks Puu… I just had to get that off my chest and you're the only safe person to talk to about the future. I've gotta go. Ko-chan and Taru-chan are supposed to come over soon." "Mhmm, I'll cya later, bye."

Hotaru gave Ranko an incredibly guilty look. She whispered, "I really don't think we should have heard that."

Ranko shrugged apologetically, "Yeah, that got a bit too personal… we'll make it up to her somehow even if she won't know it." Squaring her shoulders, Ranko burst loudly through Usa's door. "Hey Sa-chan! Ready to go?"

Usa squeaked and jumped around, clutching her chest. "Eep! Ko-chan!" she smacked Ranko on the shoulder playfully. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," Ranko replied, though she clearly wasn't if her smirk was any indication.

"Sometimes I wonder why we put up with her," Hotaru lamented to Usa as she entered the room.

"You know…I wonder that myself," Usa sighed dramatically.

"Hey!" Ranko protested. The other two laughed at the expression on her face.

Still chuckling, Usa looped her arms around her friends. "Onwards, to ice cream!"

"Mmm, ice cream!" Ranko chirped.

Hotaru sweatdropped at the dreamy expressions on her friends' faces. "I swear I don't know why I put up with you two sometimes... You're worse than Usagi-chan."

"What?" Usa screeched. "We aren't as bad as the bun-head!"

"Taru-chaaan, we aren't that bad, are we?" Ranko whined.

Skipping ahead, Hotaru smirked back at her friends. "Sure you aren't," she said, before racing off laughing towards the Crown.

"I hope she realizes that we're going to get her back for this," Usa commented.

"Oh yes, yes we will," Ranko agreed.

They found Hotaru sitting in a booth at the Crown a few minutes later. After gorging themselves on liberal quantities of ice cream, the girls enjoyed a lazy afternoon at the Arcade.

XXOOXX

AN: Sorry this took so long to get out. I really have no good excuses, I just kept putting off working on it. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this segment. I wanted to get some more of the Ranma cast involved before returning to the main plot for real.

I've started work on the next chapter already, as a scene I thought I was going to use for this chapter just didn't seem to fit. While I make no promises, I do hope to produce the next chapter a bit quicker than the past few.

As always, your thoughts and criticism are especially appreciated.

 
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