To Live And Love Again
Crossover: Ranma 1/2, Tenchi Miyo, Sailor Moon
By ChasToro
Takes place after Tenchi OAV's, and After the battle with Herb in Ranma time line, Sailor Moon guest apperances
" "-Speach
( )-Thoughts
{ }-Notes
Ranma awoke suddenly, gasping for air, and trying to sit up. As she did so her whole body spasamed in pain and and dizziness washed over her. Forceing herself to lie still, and getting her breathing under control. She shoved the throbbing pain in her head aside, and analyzed her situation. Left leg in splint (broken leg). Left arm in splint (broken arm). Ribs and chest bound (three, no, four cracked ribs). Cuts and bruses everywhere else, lying in a sleeping bag in a small tent (What the hell happened to me!) And then the memmorys came back, being locked as a girl by Herb, being told if he came home still a girl she'd be made to marry Soun Tendo, a shiver ran through her whole body at that thought, and finaly the fight with Herb on Mt Horb. The whole battle played back in her mind, the kettle being thrown into a crevasse, Ryoga diving in after it, and the crevasse closing, burrying him alive. Herb's and Ranma's final attacks, and how they had combined with each other distroying the mountain top, and causing the land slide she had gotten burried in, and then darkness.
"I, I lost."
Escaped her lips as tears she couldn't hold back rolled from her eyes.
Just then the tent flap was pushed aside, and an older man in the robes of a shinto priest entered, carrying a bowl with steam rising from it. Setting the bowl down beside her the old priest said
"Well young lady, I'm glad to see your finaly awake."
"I've prepared some broth for you."
"W-Who?" Ranma stuttered.
"I am Katsuhito Masaki, Preist of the Masaki Shrine located in the next valley over." "Now lets feed you this broth."
He gently lifted her head and began spooning the broth into her mouth. The warmth of the broth seemed to bring her mind back in to focus as between sips she asked.
"The others, M-My freinds?"
There was a long pause, then the old man said.
"I searched for two hours before I found you." "Then spent the next while splinting your arm, and leg, dressing your wounds,and stuffing you into a sleeping bag to keep you warm." "After that, I searched until dark, checking back on you from time to time, I found no one else."
After a long pause Ranma managed a soft choked.
"Thank you."
Just barely holding back further tears. After she finished the broth, sleep claimed her again.
Ranma awoke slowly to the sound of the old man in the next room talking to some one on the phone. Looking around she found herself still in the sleepingbag lying on a futon in a room with tatim mats on the foor. She had hazy memorys of the old man carrying her in the early morrning twilight. She thought to herself.
(Well I guess this is it, the authoritys will come to take me to the hospital, and when I won't give them a family name they'll send me to some orphanage). (Evently my family will find me.)
With that thought a stealy resolve could be seen in her eyes.
"I'll comit seppuku before I'll marry that crying bastard Soun Tendo!"
Unknow to Ranma, Katsuhito had finished his call and was just on the other side of the rice paper door behind her. He had heard. A glare of light crossed his glasses as he thought about what he had just heard. He was very glad he had called his son-in-law to take them to the hospital and not the local authorities.
About 45 minites later he came in and picked ranma up explaining that they where going to the hospital. She said nothing not making eye contact just nodding her head. About half way down the shrine stairs, she looked up at the old man and said.
"You never asked for my name?"
He looked her in the eye.
"I'm sure you'll tell me when your ready."
She looked down again not able to look him in the eyes.
(I can't tell him my names Ranma, Nabiki'd find me for shure then.)
(Anyway Ranma's a boys name, and I'm just a weak girl now.)
As they neared the bottom she spoke softly.
"Ranko, my name is Ranko." {1}
A small smile came to his face as he said.
"Ranko, yes I think the name fits you, Wild Child, how apropriate, its nice to finaly be introduced, don't you think?"
Ranko looked up making eye contact.
"How?" "I mean nobody ever."
"Shh." He shushed her.
"I can feel it in your Ki, your spirit, you are untamed and wild like the wind." "Not some delicate flower."
Her eyes grew large at that , she just starred at him until she relised she was blushing and quickly looked away to hide it. Thinking to herself.
(Damn now I'm startin to act like a girl.) (Blushing, and bein enbarrassed an stuff like that.)
Ranko was saved from further embarrasment by the sound of a car nearing, looking up she saw a passanger van come out of the tree line and down a gravel lane leeding to the foot of the shrine stairs. When the van stopped a man in a busniss suit got out, ran around and opened the side door. Katsuhito set Ranko gently into the back seat closed the door then climbed into the front passager seat. When the other man got back into the drivers seat and started driving out of the valley, Katsuhito turned to Ranko and spoke.
"Ranko I'd like you to meet Nobuyuki, my son-in-law." "Nobuyuki,this is Ranko."
"Hello, sorry bout this." Spoke Ranko.
"Nonsence, I'm only glad I could help a perrty young lady like you!"
Before Ranko could get mad, Katsuhito spoke in a very gruff voice.
"Nobuyuki!" "This girl is not some secritary in the office pool you can flirt with." "She is a proud warrior, and has been injurd badly." "She is in no mood for your games."
Nyobuyuki's shoulders slumped.
"Please forgive me, father is right, I do sometimes go to far." "I ment no harm."
Ranko sat there stunned. No one had ever taken her side, they always said it was her fault. Finaly after what seemed an eterity to Nyobuki, Ranko said.
"Its O K, no harm done."
This had the effect of Nobuyuki sitting up straight and a smile comming back to his face.
"It won't be long now." He stated.
"We'll be at the hospital in a few minites."
Ranko had to cover her mouth with her good hand to hide her smile, and keep from laughing as Katsuhito looked at her raised an eyebrow and then winked.
It didn't last long though, as the hospital came in veiw Ranko again thought of what was to come.
(When I won't give a last name they'll assume I'm a runaway and put my picture out.) (Eventualy pop's or the Tendo's will find me.) (I just hope I heal up before they do so I can realy run away.) Its ether that or, or seppuku.)
Nobuyuki pulled the van up to the emergency entrence, got out and ran inside. Soon he came out with a orderly pushing a gurny. In the mean time Katsuhito had opened the side door and carfuly picked Ranko up, laying her gently on the gurny.
The emergency room was much like any other Ranko had been in, a centeral desk surrounded by open exam rooms with privacy currtains. The orderly wheeled her into one of the exam rooms and was joined by a nurse. They opened the sleeping bag, and slid her onto the exam table. Both were supprised by the amount of injurys they saw. But quickly began taking vital signs and cataloging the injurys for the doctor. As Ranko lay on the exam table trying to ignore the poking and proding, she could hear the old man talking to the clerk at the centeral desk. Thinking.
(Here it comes, they'll be in here any second trying to get my name.)
"First name?"
"Ranko, as in Wild Child"
Pause.
"Last name?"
"Masaki".
The rest was lost to Ranko as she just stared at the ceiling trying to understand why the old man had done that.
(He gave them his family name.) (He said I was part of his family.) (Why?)
Shortly they coverd Ranko in a lite blanket and wheeled her out for X-rays. As she passed the desk Katsuhito was still standing there. She gave him a questioning look that all but demanded to know what he was doing. He just smiled at her and winked again.
To Ranko the time at the hospital seemed to drag on for ever. Wheeled down to X-ray, wait, take X-rays, wait, wheeled back to exam room, wait, doctor check X-rays, wait, wheel to cast room, wait, get casts on arm and leg, and so on for most of the day. It was about 5p.m. when the finaly wheeled Ranko out of the hospital. She had arrived there at close to 6a.m. a very long day indeed. The old man had sat with her the many times she was waiting, saying words to comfort her that all would be alright. The one time she tryed to ask him why he had said she was Masaki, he had shushed her lying his finger across her lips, and saying they would talk later in private.
It was again Katsuhito who picked her up and sat her in the backseat of the van. As he did so she noticed a wheel chair and several boxes and bags in the back. Ranko wanted to ask why they where taking care of her when they didn't have to, but was just to exhausted and fell asleep within a few minutes of being sat in the van.
Nobuyuki glanced a the girl in the back seat. His mind full of questions, but knew Katsuhito would tell him what was going on when he was ready, and not before. As he drove back to the shrine he spoke.
"Well father, as you asked I opened the house up to air out, put out fresh bedding, and picked up the supplys you suggested."
Katsuhito replyed with a grunt of aknowlagement. Glancing over, Nobuyuki saw the old man half turned around in his seat just staring at the girl in the back seat. This confused Nobuyuki, as he'd never seen the old man show so much intrest in any of the many girls that had passed through the Masaki home.
"Well father, here we are." "Why don't you take Ranko in, I'll take care of all this stuff."
Ranko awoke realizing she was being carried. Opening her eyes she saw it was Katsuhito and relaxed. Looking around to see where they were. She saw it was early evening with the first stars starting to show in the sky, and they were crossing a foot bridge over a lake. At the end of the bridge was a large elaborate home, that she vagely remembered seeing that morning from the temple steps. As they neared it she realized the house was quite large by Japanese standards. Her eyes only got bigger as they entered,
(So much space!) (Every thing is so,so,I've never seen a house like this, its, its perfect!)
Katsuhito couldn't help the small smile that came to his lips as he watched Ranko twist her head left and right her blue eyes large with supprise trying to see everything at once. As she was being set on the couch her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, letting all in the room know of her hunger. Katsuhito coverd his mouth and prettended to cough to hide his laughter. Clearing his throat and speeking in a gruff voice.
"Well young lady, it seems your quite hungry." "You just relax here while I prepare a meal for us."
With that he left through a door she guessed led to the kitchen. Looking around she saw a large panel on the wall in front of her.
(That can't be what I think it is can it?)
Looking further she spotted what looked like a remote control on the end table. Picking it up with her good hand she looked it over.
(This dosn't look to complicated.) (ON/OFF, CHANNEL UP, CHANNEL DOWN.)
Pushing a button the screen in front of her sprang to life. Scrolling through the channels she stopped shortly seeing footage taken from the air of Mt. Horb, the announcer talking about a volcanic eruption. As the program moved on to other news Ranko sighed and started channel surfing again. Finding nothing she wanted to watch she looked back at the contol.
(Hyper Channels, I wonder what those are.)
Pushing the button the screen flickerd again. The image before her was like nothing she'd ever seen before.
(What the hell!) (Their not human, but they look so real, so life like.) (You can usualy tell its some guy in a rubber suit, but this.) (It looks real!) (What are they saying, and that music, it sounds just like one of those soap operas that Kasumi likes to watch.)
Nobuyuki choose that moment to enter the room, quickly sitting next to Ranko, Exclaiming.
"Oh good Ranko this in one of my favorit shows, but I never get to see it anymore as I live in the city now." "I wonder if Fukowa ever married Katora?" "Maybe I'll find out tonight." "Next time Tenchi visits with his wives I should ask Washu to set up a hyper reciver at my appartment." "Their suppost to visit this summer you know." "I wish they'd visit more often, but Juri is 350 light years from here, and Tenchi can't be away long, being the Crown Prince and all, even with the space trees it's a long trip,,,,,."
Nobuyuki's rambling was interupted by Katsuhito clearing his throat. Nobuyuki looked at Katsuhito seeing his stern look of disaproval, and relizing what he had done. He gulped and slowly looked over.
Ranko just sat there in shock, her eyes as large as sausers, her skin pale.
"W-W-Wives!" "350 L-Light Years!" "Crown Prince?" S-Space Trees!"
All kinds of wild thoughts running through her head as she looked back and forth between them.
"Who,who are you guys?"
Katsuhito put his head in his hand, and let out a sigh.
(This is going to be a long night.)
{1} Ranma having told Katsuhito her name was Ranko will be called Ranko from this point on. Ranko in Japan is spelled with two symboles Ran and ko. The common one for Ran for a girl would translate as the name of a flower. While the one that Ranma uses for both his male and female names translates as wild or untamed.