Ranma 1/2 created by Rumiko Takahashi
Sailor Moon created by Naoko Takeuchi
Loosely based on Seahorse
Readers: Whoa whoa WHOA, what do you mean by loosely base on Seahorse?!
Vahn: This is an AU of my Seahorse story, Pretty much most of the stuff that happened in Seahorse happened here but now it's colored by different twist to it. What if it had been fake from the get go? This is not meant to be a sequel but more for a fun story for me to write with a comedic twist. It might fail HORRIBLY but I wanted to see more Ranma/Michiru DAMN IT!
Seahorse can be found on my profile page. Of course you don't need to read it to understand this story. At least I don't think so anyway!
Special Thanks to one Warfailz who patiently edited this fic and putting up with my own impatiences! This fic is only here because of him, round of applause!
Update: Special SPECIAL thanks to Azaggthoth who not only pointed out that I still had grammatical errors BUT volunteered to also help clean it up! Thank you!
Variation: Lost and Found
**** Four Years Ago ****
Winter, it is the time when everything dies before springing forth new life. It was also the time for the final exams for many schools and it was here that the snow covered dorm of St Louise Girls' Academy proudly stood.
Ranma, dressed in his black middle school uniform, perched lightly on the sill of a window. He knocked on Michiru's dorm window, startling the girl and her big-breasted roommate Mikuru, in the process. He saw his girlfriend give a wary look before putting on a green blazer and opening the window.
"Ranma," Michiru whispered quietly while looking around the dormitory grounds then at her roommate who was pretending not to listen. "You're not supposed to be here."
Giving the green haired girl a serious look, Ranma leaned in to her ear to whisper softly. "I have to talk to you about something important, it can't wait..."
Michiru looked at her boyfriend's serious profile and wondered what it could be about before giving a curt nod, signaling her agreement. The next thing she knew, she found herself scooped comfortably into his arms. She swore she heard Mikuru let out a swooning sigh by her desk but couldn't see her roommate from this angle.
"Hang on tight," Ranma warned as he jumped onto a nearby tree and began to bound through the tops of the trees with great ease.
With her arms tightly wrapped around Ranma's neck, Michiru buried her face into his chest and smiled. She initially had been scared of this method of travel but she found that there was no safer place than in Ranma's arms if you were to travel like this. Besides, it was a thrilling experience.
"And we're here," Ranma said as he leaped off the final tree top and did a dead-drop onto the ground.
"Eeeee!" Michiru yelled as she hid her face into Ranma's chest harder during the drop. It felt like one of those rides her and Ranma had ridden at Disneyland Japan. The one where you were put high up before the dead drop. Ranma did the same thing though not at quite that distance.
Landing lightly on his feet, Ranma stood tall and slowly set his giggling girlfriend on the ground.
Michiru looked around and was not surprised that the place Ranma had brought her was the lake by her school where they had met. In a way this had become their own private spot. Still, Ranma was pretty serious about having to talk to her. Turning to him she gave her boyfriend a quizzical look.
Ranma, to Michiru's surprise, fixed her with a deep searching look. He was drinking in her appearance in the near darkness of ending day with those dark blue eyes that she so loved. His intense scrutiny of her made Michiru blush heavily. He was acting quite odd.
"Michiru," Ranma started slowly his intense gaze switching to a softer one, the one he always used when he was sorry about something. "I'm leaving; my pops told me we are leaving soon and I don't know for how long."
She expected Ranma to say something else but not that he was leaving. "When?" Michiru asked in a soft whisper.
"A few hours from now," Ranma answered sadly as he looked at his girlfriend, "I guess this is it. I'm sorry I couldn't help you out all the way until the end of your school year."
"Ah..." Michiru said lamely and remembered their deal. "Right..." She said. Frankly she was not concerned about that. "I... I guess this is where we br-break up." She said in a soft whispered.
Ranma suddenly embraced the pretty, green haired girl and whispered into her ears. "Even if you were a fake girlfriend, you were the best thing that happened to me. Any girl would be lucky to have you."
Michiru was stunned but then she remembered their deal, her proposal.
It had been hell for Michiru during her middle school days as she had been suspected of being attracted to the fairer sex. It was true of course but in such a private academy, a catholic one at that, finding like-minded individuals proved to be tougher than she could have imagined. It was just Michiru's bad luck that she ended up attending an all-girls school that really didn't have the 'skin ship' she had been hoping for and so things had escalated. It had been one of the lowest points of her life. Between being the daughter to a major corporation head, having all kinds of expectations on her and finding that she did not like men one single iota Michiru had found her school life unbearable.
She remembered how she had been on the verge of break down as the hazing had increased daily. Michiru had been tempted to just shout at her school mates that she was a lesbian and just confirm their snide remarks already. The only solace Michiru had taken back then was her little trips out to the nearby school lake. It was there she met this rough, crass and ill mannered boy casually sitting in a tree.
During their initial confrontation Michiru was harsh. She later found out that he had not understood half of what she had said and that it actually took him a full day to decipher that she had insulted him. Strangely after that they connected. On a whim she confided in him her problem while he listened to her and made no judgment about her sexual orientation.
One day Michiru had left her book bag by the tree only to have Ranma return it the following morning, in front of the entire school. As if by magic, by noon time her bullying stopped. The girls thought Ranma was her boyfriend and that Ranma had been her boyfriend for quite some time. Like a shield he had protected her unknowingly. An idea had formed into her head then with two choices. Either use Ranma as a shield or confide in him, hoping that he would go along with her lie.
Michiru had every intention of choosing the first path, lie and then break up with him at the end of her school year. Ranma had not seemed clever so maybe he would not realize what she was doing. Yet, her conscience ate at her and she made her final decision when she saw him leaning by that tree gazing at her, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her.
So instead, as she told him about her school mates' mistaken conclusion about the two of them, Michiru asked Ranma if he could be her fake boyfriend until the school year was over. Ranma had been confused as to what she wanted him to do and what made it any different than her already being his friend who was a girl. Well, she had showed him the difference right there on the spot when she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Little did she realized how difficult it was for Ranma to play the role of the perfect boyfriend while Michiru tried to imitate, what she thought, was a perfect girlfriend. They had nearly been busted early on in their mutual deception due to their lack of real affection. So in order to be more convincing Michiru had to do a lot of things that had even surprised herself, all in the name of keeping up the facade.
Ranma initially had been against it, thinking she was simply giving in to peer pressure and doing stuff like forcing herself to makeout with him. Michiru did not need Ranma's reluctance as the boy could not lie for the life of him. No, if he was going to actually say that he kissed or held hands, then they would actually have to have done it. And it would have to be up to her to make him feel comfortable with it. Strangely Michiru had surprised herself when she found herself enjoying the physical aspect of their relationship very much. So much so, that in a heated passionate moment, she and her fake boyfriend ended up going all the way.
Michiru had considered, after sleeping with Ranma, reconsidering her stance on the male sex in general. Until she pictured Hibiki-kun, who was considered a certified hottie by her school friends, doing everything she did with Ranma. The Aqua tressed girl had physically vomited a few seconds later after her brief 'fantasy' involving the lost boy. If the thought of a male touching her in that manner still caused her to feel sick to her stomach and Hibiki, who she found sweet, still made her want to hurl, then surely she couldn't be bi-sexual.
Not for the first time Michiru wondered why it felt so good with Ranma, she didn't even find his physical form attractive! Yet the way he touched her... she loved the way he would touch her as if always in awe of her body, which she felt was nothing special. Before she knew it, Ranma had more then a passing familiarity with the most intimate details of her body and it's most vulnerable spots.
Blushing red as her mind went to the naughty aspect of their fake relationship, Michiru shook her head to focus on her soon to be ex-boyfriend, who was gazing at her curiously. She had been silent for a while as her mind had wandered. She could see the worry on his face before she gave him a reassuring smile and a soft look.
"I...I feel the same..." Michiru said softly as she looked at him to etch him into her memories. "You were, no, are the best boyfriend I ever will have. Your future girlfriend will be lucky to have you..."
Ranma had to grin at that, "Of course, why wouldn't she be?" He smirked cheekily then grinned even wider as the emerald eyed girl punched him in his left arm.
After a moment of comfortable silence Michiru bowed formally to Ranma. "Thank you for putting up with my selfishness for this past year."
"It's not selfish," Ranma said grabbing her by her shoulder, "I enjoyed it. Thanks for... for... everything..." Words now failed Ranma who was never that eloquent to begin with.
A sudden thought occurred to Michiru before she reluctantly took off her sapphire seahorse pendant from her neck and offered it to Ranma. "Here, you should take this back; after all it was for your girlfriend... which I'm not anymore." She said sadly and found it odd that she was sadder then she thought she would be.
Ranma extended his hand and to the girl's surprise, folded her delicate fingers back around the pendant. "Keep it, it was for you ya know," He assured her with with a soft smile.
And just like that, the two were no longer a couple.
"Guess I should be taking you back to your dorm huh," Ranma said looking at the night sky and the calm lake.
Michiru was about to nod when a thought came over her. "Ranma-kun..." She said in a strange tone.
"Yeah?" Ranma replied still looking at the stars in the sky.
"How long did you say you had before you have to leave?" Michiru said in an unreadable tone of voice.
"About three more hours give or take," Ranma answered as he turned to look at his ex-girlfriend who seemed to have a familiar expression on her face. Turned out he recognized it right as the green haired girl walked up to him and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. "Mmmph?!"
Breaking the kiss Michiru gave Ranma a look filled with passion. "One last time before we end this then." She said before kissing him again and pushed her ex-boyfriend up against the tree.
Ranma had been surprised by Michiru's insistent overtures before growling and turned her around to pin her against the tree instead while he returned her kiss aggressively. Soon he was running his hand up and down her body expertly.
Michiru gasped, moaned and whimpered under Ranma's 'proficient' fingers, biting her lower lip to keep from crying out loud. Michiru intended to make sure that no matter how many girls Ranma would have in the future, he would never forget about her. She was going to be selfish one last time with Ranma.
+++ The Next Morning +++
Michiru woke up naked in her own bed and confused as to why she was there until she remembered what Ranma and she had done the night before. Their final time... blushing, she made to get off her bed when she saw a note on top of her blanket.
Curious, she opened the note and smiled.
"Ace those tests Michiru! Hope you find the one you are destined for,
Your ex,
Ranma"
Stretching her body as a familiar soreness from their late night activity made itself known, she smiled softly as the sun started to rise. "Be safe on your Journey Ranma."
+++ On top of a train heading to Osaka beach +++
Ranma looked back as the last trace of the town he had stayed for almost a year disappeared from view.
"So you broke up with that girl, boy?" Genma asked his son as he inspected their belongings and water proofed their money.
"Yeah," Ranma said sadly. He hadn't wanted to tell her since he did agreed to be her fake boyfriend after all. But he felt something for her, something real. But he knew her preference, she had told him as much.
"Cheer up boy," Genma said patting his son on the back seeing his defunct look. "Why I bet there's a girl destined for you in the future!" He said smiling knowingly.
"Yeah yeah, hey we got anything to eat old man?"
***** Four years later, Kyoto ****
It was autumn in the bustling city of Kyoto and the cherry blossoms were falling after a full bloom. One could see the lovely pink petals flying in the winds and think they gave the city a sense of magic. Autumn was also the time when most of the seniors from various high schools took their seniors trips before those students would bid farewell to their high school days. To the locals it was time to make money off the high schoolers; to the high schoolers it was time to make some unforgettable memories.
Among the various schools in attendance was the infamous senior class of Furinkan High. As for why it was infamous that was due to a boy who, despite being with the uniformed Furinkan students, stood out like a sore thumb due to his manner of clothing. Dressed in a baby blue loose Chinese style shirt and black kung fu pants, he was a direct contrast to the black jackets, white button up shirts and black slacks the average male of his school wore.
Currently, the Furinkan students were on the third day of their school trip. Unlike most schools who gave their students only one free day to do what they wanted for self-study, the Principle of Furinkan had given the students two before making them reconvene together on the final day. So it was here the pig tailed youth stood with a group of boys, even as the rest of the students of Furinkan broke off to go about doing their self-tour.
Ranma was bored, this was supposed to be their school trip before their graduation a couple of months from now and he was bored!
"Yo Ranma, wanna check out Kyo-ani?" Daisuke asked their sex-changing, pig tailed friend. Hiroshi the scruffy looking boy nodded as did another group of boys. Kyoto Animation Studio, better known as Kyo-Ani, was the central hub where most anime was made. To Otaku, it was their Mecca. A place that the current group of boys wanted badly to go to worship.
"Yeah sure, why not?" Ranma muttered, it was better than nothing at least. Akane and her friends had opted to go to some cinema town or some crap like that, he'd seen enough historical crap on his training trip thank you very much.
"Sweet," Daisuke said before pulling out a maid -like outfit from behind his back. "Now, you mind changing into a girl and wearing this?"
Eyebrow twitching and glared at the two boys, "And why the hell would I want to do that?" Ranma asked with a low growl.
"Because this is Vita's outfit from Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha A! You'd look great in it and if we show up with a cos player at the Kyo-Ani studio, they might give us freebies man!" Hiroshi said excitedly as he eyed Ranma hopefully.
"Sure, I'll wear it," Ranma said making the boys in their group look excited then, before anyone could react, Ranma's hands blurred around Hiroshi and a second later a Hiroshi dressed in Vita's outfit was put on display. "After you of course. Tell me how they like that," He said grinning evilly before he walked away from the crying boy. As he left he heard as other guys took out their phones and snapped pictures of their distressed group member.
Sighing, Ranma now had some time to kill; the seniors of Furinkan had two whole days by themselves for self-study. Yet Ranma found that he had nothing he wanted to do in Kyoto and it was only eight in the morning! There wasn't even anyone for him to fight here! How utterly ridiculous!
Stupid self-study.
Ranma already did all the 'self-study' he could stand when he was on his training trip. In contrast to his class mates he actually enjoyed the group focused activities.
After an hour of aimlessly walking down trough the business district of Kyoto, Ranma found himself leaning against a local bridge looking down at the riverbed and counting the fish.
"Somebody stop that man!" A female shouted out in an indignant tone of voice. "He stole my purse!"
Alerted by the cry, Ranma immediately looked around for his father. Then Ranma realized they probably meant the burglars headed his way. The first guy was six foot two at least and muscle bound, next to him was a boy who wore a bandit mask armed with a knife holding onto an expensive looking purse.
Clearly the two were in cahoots with one another. Still it was something to kill time with so the moment they about to pass him he clothes lined the first guy hard, then in the same the same motion did one revolution and knocked out the second thief with the back of his fist. Dusting his hand after a job well done, Ranma took the purse with his feet and hiked it up in the air before snatching it expertly.
"Oh, thank you young man!" The owner of the purse gushed as she bowed to Ranma. She was a middle aged lady dressed in an elegant formal kimono, her blue hair tied in an elegant bun with light make up on her face.
"Madam!" Two handsome men in black suits flanked the clearly high class lady moments later, concern etched on their face. "You shouldn't run off like that, it's dangerous!"
"Soichi! Enough, this young man was nice enough to return my purse," The lady said as she turned around to look at the young man before her a moment later her eyes widen. "Oh my... Ranma-kun?" She said clearly shocked.
"You know me?" Ranma asked looking at the elegant lady in the formal kimono in confusion. He had to admit there was something familiar about her hair color. "You know what... you kinda look familiar too..."
"As if you would know my lady!" The second body guard, a much bigger man, growled. He's already had the pig-tail boy pegged as riff raff the moment he saw him, in his field he could identify their type with ease. Taking the purse from the boy who was glaring at him, he took out his wallet counted 100,000 Yen before handing it to Ranma. "For your trouble."
"Yeah, no thanks," Ranma said as he turned his nose at the money. This guy was a prick alright. He had his pride after all, now if Nabiki was where he was she'd take the money.
"Aikito," The lady said flatly silencing the more outspoken bodyguard before turning her attention back to Ranma smiling at him fondly. "My, you have grown handsomely!" She observed much to the pig-tailed boy embarrassment.
"Ah um, who are you again?" Ranma said drawing a blank.
It was then she saw his confused look before snapping her finger. Taking a little handkerchief out and a bottle water from one of her body guards, she wet it and wiped the makeup off of face. After she did that she took out the two decorative sticks which were holding her hair in place, letting it cascade down her back. "Now do you remember me?" The woman asked smiling mischievously at Ranma.
Ranma DID recognize this woman, though it had been almost four yours since he seen her last. "Mrs. Kaioh?!" He said shocked at seeing the woman here. Umi Kaioh, Michiru's mother.
During his middle school days, Umi had come to visit her daughter. Because she wandered too close to the bad part of town though, she was nearly robbed. Lucky for her, Ranma's school happened to be located in said part of town. Naturally, he beat the thugs, saved the lady and then escorted her to Michiru's school.
When Ranma met her later that night because Michiru parents heard she had a boyfriend... well they both were shocked when the woman instantly approved of Ranma on the spot. Since then she had regarded him fondly the few times she visited Michiru at school. She brought him fancy snacks from lord knows where and took them out to eat as a couple.
Looking extremely pleased at being recognized by the boy she closed the distance between them and gave him a fierce, motherly hug. "I was so sad when I heard the two of your broke up," She whispered softly for his ears alone.
Ranma immediately felt guilty upon her statement and awkwardly returned her embraced. "Ummm, Mrs. Kaioh... there's something I think I should tell you... about me and Michiru..." He said nervously. It has been four years, surely that would have been enough time.
"First, I told you, call me Umi-Chan. Mrs. Kaioh makes me feel old," Umi said as she grinned at the pig tailed boy. "And if it's about you and Michiru and her preference then I know all about it. She told me shortly after your break up."
Ranma was surprised that his secretive ex-fake girlfriend would tell her mother. It was one of the things she confided in him that she was afraid of most; being rejected by her mother for her real sexual orientation. After all, she was the only heir to the Kaioh corporation and name. "And you are... okay with it?" He asked concerned.
The Kaioh matriarch's eyes softened and twinkled with delight at Ranma's demeanor. "I am, as much as I would prefer for her not too, she IS my only daughter," Umi said honestly. "As for the two of you and your... deception..."
Gulping, Ranma started to back away from the woman who was looking at him with a hard look before breaking out into an unexpected smile. "I think it might have started out as a deception but... I know the real thing when I see it." She said cryptically before her smile turned playful. "Besides, it's a shame really, I wouldn't have minded having you for a son in law."
Ranma's eyes widened at that remark. "I- she- she wouldn't want me anyway..." He said quickly.
"Please," Umi said casually before leaning into Ranma conspiratorially. "If she didn't want you, then she wouldn't have given you her first. Yes, she told me that too." She smirked as she felt Ranma's body stiffen in shock as his face became red hot.
"Wh-ha-sh-she told you?!" Ranma exclaimed in shock, embarrassed and shy at the same time now. How do you look someone in the eye that KNOWS you slept with their daughter?
"We have a closer bond now that she's no longer hiding herself," Umi said happily with a bright smile. "And I wanted to know more about you too! You know Michiru always had this soft little smile when she recalled your time together."
"Oh-Oh...did she?" Ranma asked a bit happy that she still remembered him. This brought him to the hardest question he wanted to ask. "Is- did she- ever find... that is... ummm..."
"Yes, she has a partner," Umi said softly as she looked at Ranma's reaction. "Though, I would say she acts a bit different around her partner then when she was with you. A bit more reserved in public but she is happy."
"Good," Ranma said with a smile. He had been worried as after traveling the world he found out that it was hard on people who preferred the same sex. Still, if she could find someone that could make her happy? Well, he could only be happy for her. "I'm glad."
"You really are, aren't you?" Umi said surprised, then with a wide smile she embraced Ranma. "Thank you Ranma-kun."
Ranma fidgeted as he had gotten more hugs from this woman in the last few minutes then his fiancées combined. Shampoo didn't count as she doesn't hug, she glomps.
Breaking off from Ranma, the head of Kaioh Corp looked at Ranma. "So, what are you doing out here alone in Kyoto?" She asked as her two bodyguard had finished answering the questions from the recently arrived policemen. They were handcuffing the two would be robbers and about to lead them away.
"Oh, I'm, uh actually here for my senior trip," Ranma said waving his arms at his surroundings to encompass the whole city. "We have the next two days to ourselves for self-study."
"And where is your group?" Umi asked looking around for any of Ranma friends.
"Uh, I kinda don't have a group," Ranma said laughing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Never filled out a form to tell them what activity I wanted to join so... I guess I'm just looking around?"
Suddenly a mischievous smile lit up her face as the older woman intertwined her arms with Ranma's and leaned against him. "Why, Ranma-kun, that won't do at ALL! You're going to spend the next two days with me."
"Bwah?!" Ranma said intelligently and looked at the two body guards behind her. The guy name Soichi looked professional while the one named Aikito looked livid.
"Madam, might I remind you that you have several appointments today before your guests arrive tomorrow?" Soichi pointed out tactfully as he eyed the pig-tailed youth his mistress was obviously fond of. Meanwhile his partner gave the boy murderous glares.
"Cancel it," Umi said easily as she gave Ranma's arm a light squeeze. "Wow, you're quite solid Ranma-kun." She marveled as she felt up his hard, trained muscles.
"Uh... I... don't want to be a bother?" Ranma said once again. Him staying with Michiru's mom? Now that he thought about it, maybe it would be better then wandering the city for two days by himself.
"Nonsense! Why, the view from my house is simply superb, I won't take no for an answer," Umi threatened in the same tone she used in the business world.
Gulping Ranma nodded. "Then... I'm in your care?" He said formally even as he scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Hee hee, none of that," Umi said as she pulled him toward a limo that had just arrived. "Oh, one more thing, just between you and me and I won't tell a soul."
"Yeah?" Ranma asked bluntly before remembering his manners. "I mean... umm, yes?"
"Did you love my daughter, truly love her?" Umi asked softly under her breath and kept her gaze on Ranma, watching his expression.
Ranma looked at the blue haired woman next to him who as she watched him with eager eyes. "Between you and me? On your honor?" He asked softly.
"Yes," Umi replied respectfully before turning giddy. "Now tell me!"
Ranma looked conflicted for a moment before straightening his shoulders and looking at the Kaioh matriarch square in her eyes. "Yes, yes I did." He said with a soft smile.
"Wonderful!" Umi said chuckling. "Now... what do you like to eat Ranma-kun?"
"Uh? Food?" Ranma answered obliviously.
"Silly!" Umi said shaking her head. "I mean what type of food!"
"Ummm... as long as it is not poisonous, I think I am fine with just about anything." Ranma replied bluntly before looking a bit embarrassed. "I err... kind of eat a lot... like, REALLY a lot."
"Hmm, in that case an all you can eat buffet sounds like what you would prefer over a fancy five star restaurant then," Umi mused before snapping her fingers and directing them to their destination.
Aikito, the gruff body guard had to sputter in indignation. The president of Kaioh Corp eating at some plebeian buffet?! However a glare from Soichi, his partner and direct superior, quieted him.
"You know, I can still just go if it's too much tr-gulp- ," Ranma had tried to politely decline again but shut his mouth at the hard glare the Kaioh matriarch was giving him. "Thank you for the meal."
"Good boy."
++++Juuban, Same Day ++++
Michiru, a tall, green haired beauty, famed violinist and secretly Sailor Neptune hummed as she washed the dishes from their morning breakfast. Hotaru, adopted daughter, part time student and full time Sailor Saturn was helping her guardian clean the dishes. Setsuna was absent due to a night of... debauchery with some men and was too hung over. Haruka, her current girlfriend and reincarnated lover, had said she was getting in line for some collectors items last night. She was already out the door by four o' clock.
"This is fun!" Hotaru said as she was handed another dish by Michiru who was looking very housewife-ish in her long, white apron and regular jeans and t-shirt. "When will Haruka-papa be home?"
"Hmm, I hear her car pulling up now," Michiru answered as she heard the revving of the engine. From a block away...
"Arggh can't Haruka keep it quiet around here?" Setsuna, Guardian of the Time Gate and more well known as Sailor Pluto, said groggily as she shamble down the stairs. She was barely clad in an oversized t-shirt that clearly did not belong to her and black lacey underwear. "Coffee, black, if you don't mind... Michii."
"I'll got it Setsuna-Mama!" Hotaru chirped quickly as she made the coffee.
Setsuna, who was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, smiled affectionately at the younger girl.
Getting two cups of water, Michiru set one down for Setsuna even as Hotaru placed the coffee in front of her third guardian. As they did this, the revving of the sports car finally reached their home and cut off.
"What was she doing up so early anyway?" Setsuna said as a sip from her coffee started to wake her up.
A moment later a the loud slamming of the front door against the wall startled the house occupants as their fourth member made her presence known.
"Honey, I'm home!" Haruka, infamous amateur racer on the indie circuit and part time Sailor Uranus, announced in an obnoxiously loud voice as she walked in the door. She carried a rolled up poster in one hand and a black box the tucked in the crook of her other arm. As was her usual, she was dressed in an orange sporty t-shirt and blue jeans.
"You missed breakfast," Michiru said flatly. If she could take the time to cook breakfast for her family then the least her partner could do was sit down and enjoy it with her.
"Ah don't worry about it, I ate before I got home," Haruka said before her eyes widening realizing that's was the thing she should NOT have said. "Oops!"
"Yeah...oops," Michiru said testily. "Hmmph, what was so important that you left at four in morning anyway?"
"Oh nothing much," Haruka said lightly as she started looking around their living room and then suddenly grinned. "Only a poster autographed by my personal hero! But that's not all! I also got my hands on an authentic battle gauntlet use in one of his fights! It wasn't easy getting my hand on this, so many bitches wanted it but it's mine, all mine now! Hee hee hee!"
With that the blond's demeanor turned from barely concealed excitement to full blown fangirling as Haruka opened up the black box and showed off a clearly worn kote arm guard.
"A bit dirty don't you think?" Michiru asked archly with a disapproving frown at the arm guard. It was cracked and were those blood stains on it?! Shaking her head she looked at her partner who was actually hugging the... filthy item to her chest. "And I hope you haven't forgotten that after work today you still need to get a good night rest so we can go visit my mother tomorrow."
"Yes dear," Haruka said dismissively before she looked around the room. "There we go!"
Michiru watched in disbelief at what Haruka did next. "Excuse me, I don't believe I am seeing this correctly but... are you taking down a five million yen painting to hang up a simple poster?"
Haruka, who was mid-way through lowering said pricey painting, nodded as she put it negligently off to a side. "Not just any poster, a SIGNED poster." She explained as if that made all the difference in the world.
"And pray tell who is on that poster that is worth more than my five million yen painting?" Michiru said flatly, looking at her lover who was trying to remove the other trinket on the wall.
"Only the greatest martial artist of our generation!" Haruka gushed, GUSHED, in a girlish way.
"A movie star?" Michiru asked as her daughter was sitting next to her drinking orange juice while Setsuna poured an exorbitant amount of sugar into her coffee.
"Movie star? Please, those posers got nothing on my hero," Haruka said offended. "I've seen him in action once in Nerima, he was completely badass as he took down a frigging bull monster all by himself!"
"Bull monster?" Michiru said skeptically. "And why have we never heard of this... bull monster?"
"Because he put it down of course!" Haruka said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You should have seen him, flying kicks, chi attacks, the whole nine yards. It's like he came out of a kung fu movie!"
"And you don't find that odd?" Michiru asked once more as she watch in utter fascination as her partner was taking a rolled up poster out of a brown cylindrical container. "For all we know it could be youma influence."
"I thought so too until I found his fan club nearby. He's been doing that for the better part of two years now so no chance of that," Haruka explained as if talking to a newbie as she finished clearing off the rest of the wall decorations. "Too bad that was the only time I got to see one of his battles."
"Why don't you just go to Nerima again if you want see one of his battle so badly?" Hotaru asked her male-type guardian.
Suddenly, Haruka stiffened and looked seriously at her adoptive daughter. "Hotaru-Chan, I love you but you must realize something," She said in a serious tone of voice. The same tone used when she was serious about fighting Daimons, catching both Setsuna and Michiru's attention. "One simply does not waltz into Nerima, not with ten thousand men could you do this."
Setsuna face faulted while Michiru grabbed her cup of water tighter and turned to Hotaru. "Get rid of your Papa's 'Lord of the Rings' Blu-ray disc later, okay sweetie?" She told her daughter who was giggling at her Papa's antics. Turing back to her lover, she looked at how her lover was slowly unrolling the poster reverently. "Should I be worried that you are now attracted to a man of all things?"
"Maybe," Haruka said with a straight face before dodging a thrown piece of bread. "Seriously if I was still single and wasn't a lesbian I'd fuck him. Hell, I'd fuck him even if I am lesbian."
"Are you serious, you, the famous man hater, YOU?" Michiru asked before she drank some of her water.
Haruka shrugged her shoulder as she plastered the poster on the wall. "Hey, there's something to be said for being the only girl that has fucked Ranma Saotome." And turned around when she heard a loud cry of shock form Setsuna.
The moment Michiru heard Haruka's declaration was the moment Setsuna was hosed with a textbook perfect spit take. Michiru turned wild eyes to said poster and, sure enough, there was an image of her one time boyfriend now hanging in her living room wall.
The image itself had Ranma in a glory pose, standing on top of a pile of defeated enemies gazing out heroically into the distance.
"Why... did you do that?" Setsuna said in a displeased tone of voice before wiping her face off with a napkin. Seriously she'd already had enough junk on her face from last night, she didn't need any more in the morning.
Michiru for once had no answers, she'd never told anyone of her past or that she had a boyfriend. Besides her mother at least. To her, it was a treasured memory but one that she did not want to have rehashed even with her most intimate lover... yet somehow the boy found his way back to her, in a manner of speaking.
Haruka looked at Michiru strangely while Setsuna looked at the aqua haired girl expectantly.
"I uhh, need to go get something at the store, I'll be back!" Michiru said suddenly that made people question what was going on. If she thought she didn't look suspicious she was dead wrong.
"Damn it, don't tell me she was a closet Ranma Saotome fan!" Haruka said with a pout, now she wouldn't be able to show off her memorabilia. What if Michiru wanted it?
++++ Kyoto, Later that Night ++++
The Furinkan High students were in front of their hotel for roll call. All around they had an enjoyable time on their self-study.
"Ranma Saotome?" Miss Hinako said in her childish voice, clad in her usual yellow dress the teacher in question was currently in her child form. "Where are you Mr. Saotome?!"
"Uh, Ranma didn't come back yet?" Akane asked a bit concerned and turned to look at Hiroshi's group. "Hey, wasn't he with you guys?"
"He went off on his own," Hiroshi replied before the students started to look for their troublesome resident martial artist. He HAD to thank Ranma, after he showed up dressed as Vita the producers were so moved by their fandom that they received signed merchandise from the staff!
"Mr. Saotome is in big trouble now!" Miss Hinako said in a menacingly cute voice. However before she could say anything else five black tinted vehicles pulled up to the hotel.
At the center of the five was a wide Limousine which was escorted by two black SUV in front and two behind it.
"Oh a celebrity?" The girls of Furinkan said excitedly.
Just as the limo stopped the door opened and out came Ranma, who was looking confused as to why everyone had face faulted onto the ground. "What's the hell up with you guys?" He asked looking at the mass of fallen students and teacher.
Akane was the first to recover as she homed in on her fiancée and pointed a finger at his chest. "Where have you been and what are you doing in a limo?!" She demanded to know.
"Oh my, Ranma-kun, this must be one of your 'Arranged' Fiancées correct?" A woman's voice asked. A second later owner of the voice revealed herself and stunned the fiancée in question at how pretty she was not to mention how the woman was looking at her, seemingly quite amused.
"Umm, who are you?" Akane asked forgetting her manners. What would an older woman want with her fiancée now?
"Hmm, you must be Akane-Chan, Ranma told me so much about you," The woman said smiling politely.
"Umm, Thanks Umi-san for giving me a ride back," Ranma said with a polite bow. Truth be told he didn't need it but the woman had been insistent.
"It was nice catching up today. We're still on for tomorrow, right?" Umi asked Ranma hopefully.
"Uh yeah, sure." Ranma nodded.
"Hey, where are you going tomorrow?" Akane demanded of her erstwhile fiancée.
"Why just to keep an old lady company is all," Umi replied unconcernedly then suddenly had a devious smirk on her lips. "You seem worried for Ranma-kun, so why don't you come with him tomorrow?"
Akane looked surprised, usually a potential fiancée tried to cut her out but this woman just invited her, which must mean she was not a fiancée. "Umm... Thank you," She said with a bow.
"Tah tah, Ranma-kun," Umi said and to everyone an extra shock, hugged the pig tailed boy affectionately.
"Uhh, Bye." Ranma muttered as she saw all eyes on him putting him on the spot. Still she was hugging him so he returned to his ex-girlfriend's mom an awkward hug of his own.
A moment later the woman put on her expensive looking shades and entered the limo driving off into the night.
Ranma turned around after the car was out of sight and saw everyone pinning him with expectant looks. He knew what they wanted, what they expected from him. Well in most cases he might falter but where it concerned Michiru, he had grown protective. "That's none of your damn business," He said before walking into the hotel. Further stunning the crowd as Ranma usually caved in to pressure.
Akane looked worried as she watched Ranma leave but then perked up. She could get to the bottom of this tomorrow; after all she was also invited!
++++Next Day, Kyoto ++++
Michiru had come back and apologized and claimed that the reason why she had given Setsuna an impromptu morning shower was because she had choked on the water.
After straightening everything out Michiru found her eyes wandering through the day, looking at the pigtailed boy's poster and wondering how he had become some kind of underground hero for martial arts fanatics. Makoto had been called by Haruka later that day so they could compare memorabilia before she showed off her authentic arm guard, which made the Senshi of Jupiter quite jealous.
After that the day went normally but that night for Michiru she was unable to get any sleep. It had been years since she thought of her ex-boyfriend. Fake boyfriend she mentally corrected herself. Even though she said it was a fake, in her heart she knew it was real yet... she hadn't been brave enough to admit it to him. Not back then and now he was gone and, according to Haruka, really did become the best martial artist in the world.
"Earth to Michiru, we're here," Haruka prompted her girlfriend shaking her out of her thoughts.
"Right," Michiru said as she exited the car and was greeted by maids and butlers of her family home.
"Welcome back young miss!" The servants said in unison.
Michiru nodded at them fondly with a smile and watched the servants line up as the head butler led her into the main house.
"Michiru!" Umi Kaioh, dressed casually in slacks and blouse, said as she embraced her daughter in a great big hug. "Hmmm, you have gotten taller again."
"Hi grandma," Hotaru said shyly, prompting the Kaioh matriarch to embraced the young girl affectionately.
"Kaioh-san," Haruka said politely but nervously as she tries to make herself look as presentable as possible with her better looking clothes. It was still jeans and shirt but it was more stylish.
At the second girl's voice, the Kaioh matriarch straightened herself and looked every inch the prominent business mogul. "Ten'oh-san," She said formally making the blond sweat further. "You've been well?"
"Ah- ye-yes," Haruka said nervously. She knew it was her fault that the Kaioh matriarch was not overly fond of her. After all, when she first saw her before she'd gotten together with Michiru, the woman had been cos-playing as a maid. Well to Haruka that was a fine piece of ass and she had hit on her. "And yourself?"
"Acceptable enough," Umi said formally before beckoning her daughter and guest to the tea room.
"If you don't mind my saying, the kitchen seems to be making an unusually large quantity of food," Michiru said eying the large spread for breakfast.
"Oh well, that's because I have guest's today as well," Umi said before turning around to hide her smirk. Truth be told she didn't really have anything against Haruka anymore but it was fun making the blond girl sweat. A far cry from the usual 'tough guy' exterior that she tried to exude.
As for what Umi was hoping happened when Ranma met Michiru again... well actual grandchildren would be nice.
"Oh did we come visit at a bad time?" Michiru asked concerned while Haruka looked relieved.
"Madam, your guests are here," The head butler said formally.
"Well send them in," Umi said gleefully.
"Mother..." Michiru said slowly seeing that playful streak in her mother's demeanor finally breaking through her poker face. "What are you up to?"
"Yo, Umi-san, I'm here," A male voice said making Michiru and the other girls turn around.
Double gasps came from Michiru and Haruka while the boy they were looking at looked at Michiru only with wide eyed shock.
"Michiru..."
++++ Earlier +++++
"Come on, can't you tell me?" Akane pestered Ranma again during their limo ride for the umpteenth time about how he knew such a high powered lady. "If you don't tell me, I'll get Nabiki to find out," She threatened.
"Yeah, you do that and see if you can afford her rates," Ranma sniped back, making Akane silent. Nabiki's rates were legendary in their effort to milk you dry. Done fending off Akane's questions for now, he looked out the window at the moving scenery only to see the short haired girl open her mouth a second later. It was almost enough to make him physically groan in frustration. Why couldn't she just drop it?
"Hmmph!" Akane said folding her arms, "I don't see why you're being so secretive."
"Secretive nothing, I don't need to tell you everything, I have a private life too you know," Ranma said and instantly regretted his choice of words as he saw the flash of hurt across Akane face. "Look, I just don't want to talk about it. It's not that I don't trust you or nothing, I just don't want to talk about it."
Akane looked at her fiancée, scanning for any signs of him appeasing her, but saw that he really was serious about it. Well, she guessed she could let him off the hook, for now at least. "Fine."
"We're here sir," The Limo Drive said through the intercom as the vehicle came to a complete stop.
Before Ranma could even open the door, it was opened for him. "Right, rich folks..." He murmured as he walked out of the limo first.
Akane followed suit a second later and gazed in awe at the massive Greek style mansion. "Seriously Ranma, how did you know this lady?" She asked but didn't really expect an answer.
"This way," The head butler said as he directed Ranma to walk toward the house. "Lady Umi is waiting with her guests."
"Oh," Ranma said and notice a yellow sports car in the driveway.
As Ranma was led into the massive mansion he saw rows of servants on either side of the entrance bow formally to him and Akane.
"This way," The butler prompted again.
"Right..." Ranma said feeling a bit out of his depth. The previous day he had pretty much spent being ferried all over Kyoto city with Umi as his tour guide, they never got the chance to stop by her home so this was his first time here.
"Lady Umi, your guests have arrived," The Butler said as direct Ranma into a room.
Walking in he greeted Umi in his usual fashion and noticed the other people in the same room, one of them look oddly familiar in fact she looked like... oh shit.
Ranma eyes went wide as he stared at a girl he had not seen in over four years. A girl he had harbored secret feelings for, despite being her fake boyfriend. "Michiru..." He whispered softly.
++++Now ++++
"Michiru?" Haruka said being the first to recovered turning her to her girlfriend. Ranma Saotome, Ranma Saotome her personal hero had addressed her girlfriend on a first name basis! "You know Ranma Saotome?!"
Akane however saw something else completely. She saw Ranma's eyes soften and look at Michiru in a way he had never looked at any of the girls in Nerima and in a way that made her heart tighten.
"Oh, look! The guy from Haruka-papa's poster," Hotaru said pointing at the celebrity in their mist.
However to everyone's surprise, the two were still looking at each other in silence as if they were communicating telepathically.
"Umm... Michiru?" Haruka asked, snapping her fingers in front of her girlfriend.
"Ranma?" Akane called as she tried to get Ranma's attention by waving her hand in front of his face. Yet to her ire, he still only had eyes for the pretty green haired girl.
"Oh my! It's the ex-lovers reunited!" Umi said with a loud clap startling the two, Michiru was the first to turn around looking at her mother accusingly. While Ranma looked at Umi in shock.
"Ex-Lovers?!" Haruka and Akane shouted.
'Ranma Saotome Michiru's ex-lover?! How the hell did that happen?' Haruka's thoughts whirled.
Akane could not believe that Ranma had never mentioned such a pretty girl, ever in all the time she had known him.
"Oh my! You didn't tell anybody?" Umi said in surprise as she looked at Haruka and Akane. "They never told you about how they were a lovey dovey couple in middle school?"
"Middle school?!" Haruka and Akane said in shock looking between Michiru and Ranma simultaneously.
"Um-hm!" Umi said with a nod. "They dated for... what, close to a year?" She asked as she looked at Michiru.
"Eight months and twenty four days," Both Ranma and Michiru corrected the Kaioh Matriarch at the same time, then looked at each other in surprise at the accurate response before turning away to blush in embarrassment.
The comments by the two former lovers rendered their current lover and love interest speechless.
"But it ended right?" Haruka said as she realized Michiru was single when he met her. 'Ranma Saotome!' She thought again in shock.
"Yeah!" Akane nodded as she realized Michiru never came looking for Ranma, so there was no engagement. 'How does he know her?!' Akane thought jealously.
"Yes, unfortunately they broke up because Ranma-kun's father took him away," Umi said sadly, a heartbroken look on her face. "Ah, poor young lovers. Michiru wanted you to stay so much Ranma-kun but she was afraid of burdening you."
"Mother!" Michiru yelled as her mother just revealed something she told her in confidence.
"You wanted me to stay?" Ranma asked shocked looking at green haired girl he'd known so long ago.
Michiru for some reason was unable to meet Ranma's gaze lest she become lost in his eyes again. She so enjoyed those eyes. Eyes that looked at her as if she was the only one that mattered in the world.
"Michiru?" Ranma prompted again this time more insistently.
Biting her lower lips Michiru gave a tiny soft nod. "But I knew it was selfish to ask, your Art was too important to you..." She said softly. "I couldn't selfishly ask you to wait for me..."
Ranma eyes softened and then looked at her with the same gaze he once used so long ago making Michiru's breath hitch.
"You baka," Ranma said in a chiding tone of voice. "If you asked me I would have tried, I'd have done anything for you..."
Akane felt like she was punched in the gut while Haruka looked surprised once again between Ranma and Michiru.
Hotaru however just looked nervously between Haruka and Michiru.
"I know..." Michiru replied much to Ranma's shock, she'd realized back then that Ranma felt attached to her, he wasn't any better than her at keeping the relationship 'fake'. "But it would have been selfish of me to have done so, I didn't deserve you. You helped me so much but I couldn't ask that of you... you deserve someone better than me."
Ranma closed his eyes and nodded to himself. He had always regretted not telling her then and now he'd finally have the chance. He was marginally aware that Akane was watching but this was too important, he had bottled it up for the past four years. Now it was time to get himself some closure, he was selfish too.
"Michiru, there was something I wanted to tell you that final night we were... together." Ranma started off softly in the same tone of voice when they were alone together. The one where none of his natural attitude showed trough, the one where he simply confided into her.
Michiru looked at Ranma and waited for him to continue.
"It might have started out as something fake. Us, our relationship but to me, it became real. I enjoyed our time together and over time I... I came to love you," Ranma said shocking the green haired girl with just how much he cared for her. "I loved you then Michiru and I still do."
Akane once again felt as if she was punched in the gut while Haruka eyes shot widen open in complete and utter shock. The hero she worshiped loved her girlfriend, WHO had dated the hero she worshiped in middle school and he still LOVED her?!
Michiru was so stunned she had to sit back in her chair before her legs gave out. Ranma loved her, he LOVED her. He still loved her. She did not know why but she was feeling happy, so very happy.
"Finally," Umi said exasperatedly. "It was a long time coming but now you two shouldn't have any more regrets."
Ranma turned to the Kaioh matriarch. Realizing she set the whole thing up, he shook his head. "I should leave," He said seeing the distressed look on Michiru's face as well as the emotional storm in her eyes. Turning to Umi he gave a bow. "Thank you for... everything." He said and realized he meant it.
Akane looked at her fiancée who gave her a look and nodded. Not knowing what else to do, she followed Ranma out the door.
+++ With Ranma +++
Ranma had no sooner exited than the butler had a limo waiting. "My lady had said that I should prepare one just in case," He said knowingly.
"Thank you," Ranma murmured as he entered the limo, followed by Akane, before collapsing into the seat.
The two rode in the limo in silence for fifteen minutes before Akane couldn't take it anymore.
"Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?" Akane asked softly. There was no hint of accusation in her tone, nor confrontational overtures.
"Because we broke up," Ranma replied while looking out the window, his chin on his palm. His mind deep in thought as he compare the girl he knew then to the girl he'd seen just now. She had gotten prettier, taller, leggier, sexier and mature.
"But... but you say you loved her, that you still love her," Akane softly closing her eyes and struggled to breathe normally. She had always thought Ukyo was her greatest threat but a girl from out of nowhere had already won Ranma's heart.
"I do," Ranma said with a soft sigh. "But it doesn't matter even if I love her. She's with someone and I am also engaged to you."
"It does matter!" Akane said angrily balling her fist, surprisingly there was no battle aura that usually accompanied her anger. "It matters to me!"
"Why?" Ranma asked looking at Akane in surprise.
"I might marry you but I would never get the one thing I really want," Akane said as she leaned in closer to Ranma and pressed her hand on his chest, right over his heart, surprising the pig tailed boy. "This belongs to that girl back there... I don't want just the shell."
"I'm sorry," Ranma apologized softly. He felt Akane bury her head into his chest, grabbing his shirt as she started crying. Drawing upon his experience with Michiru he embraced the crying girl gently.
"It's not fair," Akane wailed as she cried into Ranma chest gripping his shirt tighter. "It's just not fair..."
"Tell me about it," Ranma said in agreement as he comforted the short haired girl he liked.
++++ With Michiru ++++
It was only when Ranma had already left Michiru realized it was too late to say anything she wanted to say to Ranma. She looked at her adoptive daughter and more importantly her girlfriend and reincarnated lover with guilt on her face.
"I'll be in the garden," Umi said as she excused herself and smiled at her daughter who glared at her. "Come along Hotaru-chan."
The short shy girl looked uncertain before opting to go with her grandmother.
'Typical, cause a mess and make others clean it up,' Michiru thought darkly as seconds later she was left alone in the room with her girlfriend, the two standing not to far apart from one another.
"So..." Haruka drawled. "When were you ever going to bring up the fact that you had an ex-BOYfriend?" The emphasis on the 'boy' part was clear.
Michiru looked guiltily at Haruka but at the same time her heart was singing with joy. It was such a contrast in moods that she decided to approach it with the cold emotion she would normally employ while performing in front of a crowd. "Not for as long as I lived if I could help it."
"Why?" Haruka asked questioningly. Was Michiru afraid she wouldn't accept a bi-sexual lover? "I mean I know you were a hard core lesbian back during the silver millennium but that doesn't mean you have to try to be one here and now. I mean if you're bi then you could have let me know."
"I'm not Bi," Michiru answered bluntly. Eww men! Michiru shuddered lightly at the thought.
Haruka looked confused. "Okay correct me if I am wrong but Ranma is your ex-boyfriend right?" Seeing Michiru nod she continued. "And you enjoyed being with him right?"
"Yes..." Michiru sighed as she had to accept getting the third degree from her girlfriend.
"Well in today's world when a girl or boy likes both genders, they are call bi-sexual," Haruka explained slowly as if explaining the difference to someone stubbornly uninformed.
"I know that," Michiru said with a sigh again, even now it didn't make sense to her. "However, MEN disgust me."
"Wha..." Haruka said flabbergasted. Her jealously now turned to confusion, maybe she had gotten the wrong idea? "How can you have a boyfriend and STILL find men disgusting?"
"It's... it's... complicated..." Michiru answered honestly. Still to this day she could not make sense of it. "Ranma was... different."
"Different how? What did you do with him?" Haruka asked curiously. Truth be told she really was. While one part was jealous over what just happened another wanted to know about her lover's other life. It seemed like her lover did not feel that she was bisexual, maybe it was something innocent. Maybe Michiru thought she liked boys but going out with Ranma confirm her preference for girls... Yeah that had to be it, maybe she was over reacting to the whole thing.
"You want to know?" Michiru looked up at her girlfriend in surprise.
"Yes," Haruka nodded and thought about it logically. Why they were fourteen, it was probably young puppy love, she rationalized. After all, at fourteen with Michiru being a lesbian, why she wouldn't know what to do with a guy! Everything was probably being blown out of proportion. Probably.
"In that case..." Michiru said as she looked her lover in the face and sighed. "Everything."
"Everything what?" Haruka asked at Michiru's vague answer. What did Michiru constitute as 'everything' with a boy? "Holding hand? Pecks on the cheeks?"
"No Haruka, we did everything as in everything," Michiru answered bluntly. She watched her girlfriend's face as it shifted from utter confusion to shock after the moment it dawned on her.
"N-N-No way!" Haruka said in disbelief. Michiru couldn't have... she couldn't have... gone all the way?! "Like everything? I mean EVERYTHING, everything?"
Sighing she nodded again. "Yes, everything EVERYthing." Michiru replied still looking at her lover's disbelieving face.
"You two... got pass first base?" Haruka asked looking at the green haired girl and had to sit down when she nodded. "Second? Third?" She croaked out in shock. Her Michiru? Second with a GUY? Letting a guy get to Third base, HER Michiru?!
"First, Second, Third. Home run after home run," Michiru said firmly to get it to sink through her lover's sometimes thick skull. Did she really have to spell it out?
Haruka eyes widened at what Michiru was implying. That she. That Ranma. That she and Ranma... they... they had... had... "Bullshit! You said you found men disgusting!" She rebutted remembering her lover earlier comment.
"I do," Michiru replied evenly as she saw denial was still on Haruka face. "They are filthy and repulsive to me but Ranma... he was different. He was not like other men, he was... special." Finished softly.
Haruka leaned back in her chair and threw her head back, almost groaning. One never wanted to hear their lover call their ex-lover special. That meant they still harbored special feelings for them. Then she remembered why she hated men, how they liked to pressure girls into doing things early. Maybe that was why Michiru... had sex... "Did... Did he make you... you know?" She trailed off unable to say it.
"No," Michiru said firmly. "He wasn't the type to do that. In fact, it was I who... initiated the physical side of our relationship."
Haruka jaws dropped. Normally SHE was the one that initiate things with Michiru, who then respond enthusiastically to her advances. Extremely enthusiastically. She couldn't ever recall a time when the green haired girl had ever initiated with her.
The two sat in silence once more, neither one saying much. Eventually it was Michiru who spoke up first.
"So now that you know, does it make you feel any better?" Michiru inquired softly as she looked at her lover.
"If it had been with another girl I would have said it made me feel like shit," Haruka replied honestly. It was true, if Michiru had slept with another girl she would have felt bad but... Michiru's answers were so damn confusing. She's not bi but she bumped uglies with Ranma Saotome of all people? She didn't follow him when he left but stayed here, with her. Yet her gaze firmly told Haruka all she needed to know about how Michiru felt about the boy.
"And right now?" Michiru asked as she walked over to her lover and sat in the chair next to her.
"Now I am confused. Very much so," Haruka mumbled with a sigh then turned to her lover, who had leaned her head against her shoulder. "Tell me... did you love him? Do... do you love him?"
Michiru exhaled deeply before answering honestly. What happens happens. "I did... and I do."
Haruka should have been shocked, she knew she should, yet somehow it felt as if she'd known the answer already. That look Ranma gave was too intense for anything else and the way Michiru blanked out was completely unlike her.
"Well... mind telling me how Ranma fucking Saotome won your heart?" Haruka asked softly without heat in her voice.
Michiru looked a bit surprised at her lover who then nodded. "Well it started when I was in my third year of middle school and was hazed for suspicion of being lesbian..."
++++ One Week Later, Nerima +++++
One third of the entire ward was wrecked. Three days ago had marked the beginning of a battle royale of ludicrous proportions. No one knows who threw the first punch but they were well aware who was at the center of the devastation.
One Ranma Saotome.
The first sign that this was not a normal battle was when Ranma was seen battling the ghost cat all around the city. That night Kirin, with his airship and the rest of the Seven Lucky Gods, had shown up again to take issue with Ranma over some perceived slight.
The town had heard Kirin was on friendly terms with Ranma now so, when the pickle eater attacked the pig tailed boy upon his arrival, the populace was somewhat surprised. By the next morning Furinkan High School was a total write off, destroyed as Kirin's airship had somehow fallen directly on top of it. The airship was all but a burning wreck.
Of course, when a major event happens in Nerima it was just that. A Major event. Kirin's arrival was a major event that should have given them a break until the next big to do. Yet to their surprise, an army of men arrived from Togenkyo with their prince Touma at their head. Once again an all out brawl raged. This one destroyed their island, which was somehow made land mobile.
Pieces of the Island could now be found all over Nerima and the surrounding wards after one of Ranma's tornado attacks had destroyed the island completely. After such a battle, the beleaguered residents of Nerima were lulled into a false sense of security. As that was clearly the last major event to happen...
To their surprise it wasn't, as Shinnosuke of Ryugenzawa arrived, atop the head of the eight headed Orochi and started calling for Ranma's head. With much luck and the help of Konatsu, the male kunoichi who worked for Ukyo, Ranma was able to defeat the creature. The Orochi's heads had been tangled like a ball of knotted yarn before it was knocked out cold. Shinnosuke himself, promptly forgetting WHY he was there in the first place after the eight headed dragon was defeated, shuffled away in confusion. After that, the mythical creature slunk back into the ocean.
The harried and wary residents of Nerima were about to go back to their normal daily lives when the Lost Boy arrived with Ryu Kumon in tow.
There was only one thing that the residents could conclude after what happened during the past three days.
It was the end times.
Which brought things to their current situation. The star of the show, in his trademark red Chinese cut shirt which had seen better days, was battling the Lost Boy after having viciously put down Kumon.
"Ranma prepare to DIEEEEE!" Ranma dodged Ryoga's barrage of rapid strikes before flip kicking the Lost Boy over a stone wall where he would hopefully live up to his nickname.
"Charge!"
Dodging the oncoming disguised cross dresser who was somehow disguised as a fucking stop sign Ranma, who had long ago lost his patience, punched Tsubasa into the concrete ground.
"I am the Dojo destroyer and I am here to destroy you again! Behold my new move, one hundred SLAP!"
Ranma weaved around the fat hands of the giant sized dojo destroyer then countered with his Amiguriken, putting down his latest opponent. After a moment of silence where no more attackers appeared Ranma leaned back on a telephone pole that was as battered as he was and took a breather.
All around the street was littered with the defeated bodies of Ranma's rogue gallery so to speak. Even Copy fucking Cat Ken was in on the action. The reason for their attacks on him? Simply put Nabiki sicced them on him.
Akane had come back from their trip sadder than ever. Nabiki found out why and Nabiki got angry, scratch that, Nabiki got furious. Nabiki told his suitors, who also became sad. The stalkers of his suitors decided it would be great to punish the boy that caused such heart ache for the girls.
Well, he was Ranma Saotome and they would have to do better than that if they thought he'd go down easy. His mother had been more than pleased that he had a girlfriend when he was in middle school. His father had gotten brownie points with his mother for that little gem... among other things he didn't even WANT to think about.
It was Soun Tendo who was incensed that Ranma had made his baby girl heartbroken and had then kicked the pig tailed boy out of the Tendo home until he apologized. Not that he gave a fuck anymore. Ranma now had his own home to return to, so if old man Tendo thought that was going to work he had another thing coming.
Happosai... well he was Happosai. The pervert was probably out collecting panties somewhere. Cologne had been strangely silent and Ranma could only dread when she'd attack. The longer it took her to attack the more worried he became and he was sure the old crone knew it.
Having gotten his breath, Ranma picked himself back up and prepared for his next wave of attackers only to see none. Grinning cockily he flipped off the beaten bodies of all his opponents. "Take that ya jerks!" He looked up into the sky. "It doesn't matter how many of ya come at me, I'll put you all down!"
"Hello Ranma," A familiar voice said from behind him.
Turning around quickly Ranma stared at the figure of Michiru, not sure if she was really there as she had managed to sneak up on him without him sensing her. The maybe-Michiru was wearing a dark green blouse that matched her eyes and a short teal skirt that reached to her mid-thigh to show off her legs.
"Michiru?" Ranma asked confused and hoping to confirm that she was really here and that this was not someone's hallucinogenic attack. Wouldn't be the first time someone use that method. "Are you really here in Nerima?"
Giving the pig tailed boy a wry grin she looked behind him to see the pile of bodies of his defeated opponents. "Yes, though I can see Haruka's poster was not exaggerating." Michiru noted with a small smile.
His first instinct was to hug her but then the name Michiru spoke brought him back to reality. "Haruka... that was the girl that as with you right, the blond?" Ranma asked having vaguely remembered seeing the blond girl.
"What make you so sure it was a girl I was with?" Michiru teased. "For all you know that was a boy." She challenged. To her surprised Ranma walked up next to a stop sign that was on the ground and shook it hard making a cute girl in a school uniform fall out.
"How do I know?" Ranma asked again with a smirk before flipping the unconscious girl's skirt up to reveal boxers. "I know a cross dresser when I see them thanks to idiots like these that comes after me."
A bit surprised by the whole thing, Michiru simply shook her head in amazement. Clearly she was not the only one that had interesting adventures. "An interesting life you have here," Michiru said softly as she gazed at the pig tailed boy fondly.
Michiru had to admit now that she could inspect Ranma without emotional turmoil, he had gotten more handsome. Still, that had never done anything for her. It never had but his eyes... the way he was looking at her was making her heart flutter again.
"So, seriously, what are you doing here?" Ranma asked again as he started to close the distance between them after having decided that the girl before him was not an illusion.
"Well, someone told me they loved me so I came to find out if that was true," Michiru said playfully not even realizing why she was acting this way when she was normally so much more mature. It was as if she in middle school with Ranma again.
Ranma blushed red in embarrassment and scratched his chin as he looked away shyly from the green haired girl. He didn't know what came over him that day but he had said it and he had meant it. "So yeah, I did, what about it?"
"Do you think I can hear it again?" Michiru asked seriously as she looked at her once ex-boyfriend.
Blinking at his ex-girlfriend's request, Ranma was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry, what now?" He asked to make sure he heard her correctly.
Nodding magnanimously, Michiru repeated herself. "Do you think I can hear you say the words that you said at my mother's house again?" She asked looking at Ranma with an innocent expression on her face.
Ranma jaw dropped at her request. That literally was the last thing he expected her to ask him. Still, he wasn't a coward and if he said it once he could say it again. "Fine..." He said as he stood tall and dusted off the dirt on his clothes that sported multiple rips from the three days of battle thus far.
Michiru tilted her head slightly and looked at Ranma expectantly. "Well?" She prompted.
Slowly Ranma closed the remaining distance, leaving only a few feet to separate them. He saw her look at the damage to his clothes with a worried frown.
"Hah! You should see the other guys," Ranma said cockily to get her to focus back on him.
"Baka," Michiru chide worriedly. She could see splotches of blood and cuts on his body that were visible through the shirt. "Why were they attacking you anyway?"
Suddenly Ranma grinned. "Because of you," He teased her and saw her frown at him thinking he wasn't serious. "It really is your fault."
"How is it my fault?" Michiru asked honestly, not recognizing anyone of the fallen fighters. Ranma's teasing eyes clearly told her he was playing with her.
"Because I told a certain girl in Kyoto that I loved her," Ranma said catching Michiru off guard and grinned. "And that, of course, I still AM in love with her. That's why they are after my head."
Michiru blushed and ducked her head a bit, while she had teased him and had readied herself to hear it, she did not expect for him to tease her and then catch her off guard. Once more she was left speechless but looked at his face, searching his blue eyes for affirmation.
Ranma made eye contact with Michiru's pretty emerald green ones. What he said next, he wanted her to see it. " I... I fell in love with you back when we were fourteen and even though years have passed since then. Now at eighteen, even as I am looking at you right before me, I find that I am still very much in love with you Michiru Kaioh."
Michiru's face had became so red and hot she felt almost faint. She had a light blush when Ranma had said love the first time but then he said it again and again and again... making her face redder and redder.
"There you have it then," Ranma said with a grin and was surprised when a moment later Michiru's familiar lips were on his. He hesitated only for moment, thinking about his other engagement but dismissed them.
Encircling his arms around Michiru's waist, Ranma leaned into her kiss and returned it hungrily. He had missed the feel of her lips on his, missed the way she felt in his arms, missed how her scent of fresh sea breeze made him feel so comfortable and most of all he missed how right this all felt.
After a few seconds it was Michiru who placed a hand on his chest and broke the kiss before she looked up at him with happy eyes. "I love you too Ranma," She said softly, "I always have since then and I always will."
Ranma felt as if a fist had gripped his heart as Michiru said those musical words. "HELL YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He shouted in joy even as Michiru looked on with an indulgent smile at his reaction. That was one of the many things she loved about Ranma, he wore his emotions on his sleeve.
Grinning Ranma was about to lean in for another kiss when a freak squall opened up over him, turning him into a her in front of a very stunned Michiru's eyes.
"R-Ranma?" Michiru asked in surprised, "You're a Starlight?"
"Uhhh..." Ranma-chan said intelligently, stalling to think of a good explanation but found that he, now a she, had none. Ranma let out a small nervous laugh. "I- err- I can explain this!" The redhead told the green haired girl.
++++++ Earlier, Up on a nearby roof top ++++
Eight figures had watched the scene unfold but turned around as the kissing started to get hot and heavy.
"Damn it! Michiru? Fucking MICHIRU?!" Minako, in her Sailor Venus persona, said while pointing accusingly at Haruka who was in her Sailor Uranus persona. "She has you and now she's grabbing a certified hottie like RANMA? Are you fucking kidding me?!"
"Hey!" Haruka retorted. "If anyone should be angry it should be me! I lost my LESBIAN girlfriend to a fucking MAN! Think of the disgrace I'm going to have to face in the gay community! I'll be shamed forever!"
"Bullshit!" Makoto in her Sailor Jupiter persona cut in glaring at Haruka. "I know you've been a fan of Ranma's, I bet you this is some scheme to get into his pants. You're probably going to go have a fucking threesome with him and your girlfriend!" She pointed accusingly at Haruka.
"Seriously guys," Ami, in her Sailor Mercury Persona, said as she had covered Hotaru's, who was in her Sailor Saturn persona, ears the moment Minako had started cursing. "We have a child present!"
"I don't give a damn!" Minako roared out, incensed at the unfairness of it all. "If she's old enough to save the world she's old enough to hear me fucking curse up a storm over this bullshit!"
Haruka scoffed. "Yeah, you really think I'll be interested in the guy who actually took my girlfriend away from me?" Haruka said bluntly and glared at the Senshi who was accusing her. Her with Ranma now? Yeah right.
"So why did you decide to tell Michiru to go to Ranma anyway?" Rei in her Sailor Mars persona asked, curious as to why it was at Haruka's behest that it had happened. "And did we really have to use Sailor Teleport to do it?"
"Ugh!" Haruka said exasperated at Rei comment. "First of all just so you all know, One does not simply WALK into Nerima okay? Not with ten thousand Senshi could you do this!"
Hotaru and Setsuna, who was present in her Sailor Pluto persona, face palmed while surprisingly Makoto nodded in agreement.
Haruka closed her eyes and sighed. "As for Michiru. When we got back, it was as if she lost some of her spark. It was all so mechanical. I just couldn't bear to see her that way." She said as she looked back down to the street below, to the two couple talking. "I want Michiru to be happy and in this life time, she met Ranma first. And despite clearly being a hard core lesbian, she fell in love with a boy of all things... I think he can make her happy until his, well at least until his dying day."
"His dying day?" Usagi in her Sailor Moon Persona asked curiously.
"Yeah," Haruka said with a dark, almost evil, smirk. "Sure, he might have Michiru now BUT we all know we're going to live for a long time. Well he's ONLY mortal. Once he's dead Michiru, will come find comfort in the arms of her destined lover who, if you guys didn't know, happens to be me."
All the inner Senshi, including Hotaru huddled together and looked at Haruka fearfully. 'Scary!' Was their unanimous thought.
Suddenly a pink portal opened, signalling a chrono disturbance, and a familiar pre-teen figure exited said time portal.
"Puu! Guys!" Chibi-Usa greeted her friends from the past but was surprised to find them not in the Hikawa shrine like normal. In fact they appeared to be in uniform, had she arrived in the middle of a battle? Looking out at the wrecked streets it certainly seemed that way.
"What are you guys doing here on this roof top?" Chibi Usa asked then took a second good look around. Her eyes widened a moment later when she recognized the area. "Oh my! This is Nerima! You guys must have teleported in."
"Hey, how did you know we used Sailor Teleport?" Hotaru asked her friend, curious as to how her pink haired friend made such an accurate guess.
"Duh!" Chibi-usa said looking at the other girls as if it was obvious then she winked at Haruka before saying. "Everybody knows one does not simply WALK into Nerima! Not with TEN THOUS-"
"Oh for fuck sakes!" Pluto interrupted viciously, regardless of present young company. "Next person who says that gets a DEAD SCREAM up their ass!"
"Heh heh heh," Chibi-Usa laughed nervously as Makoto and Haruka hugged, fearfully eyeing the time Senshi. Then her attention was drawn to the street and her eyes widened in delight. "Oh wow! Is this when Uncle Ranma and Auntie Michiru got together?"
"What did you just say?" Haruka demanded as she grabbed the pre-teen pink haired girl by her Sailor Collar.
"Umm... is this when Uncle Ranma and Auntie Michiru get together?" Chibi-Usa said again in a confused tone of voice.
"You mean late Uncle Ranma right?" Haruka demanded insistently.
"No... He's still alive in the future... Mom gave immortality after he helps us destroy the asteroid that was going to cause the great freeze," Chibi-Usa explained.
Haruka looked shocked. "Then I lost her... I really lost her..." She said listlessly.
"Lost who?" Chibi-Usa asked confused. "You're Uncle Ranma second wife."
Haruka eyes bugged out and looked at the girl from the future, who she was still holding off the ground. "WHAT?!" She shouted along with Jupiter and Venus.
"In the future mom changed the law so polygamy was legal again," Chibi-Usa explained calmly.
"Why would I get together with Ranma Saotome if he stole Michiru from me?!" Haruka shouted in protest.
"Because of that," Chibi-Usa said as she squinted down the street and nodded.
Haruka looked where Usa's eyes directed and saw a hot as fuck redhead standing in Michiru's arms. Strangely, she was wearing the same clothes Ranma had before.
"Uncle Ranma turns into that redhead with a splash of cold water," Chibi-Usa explained succinctly.
The scouts all looked at Haruka who's face remained stony for a few seconds before she gently set Chibi-Usa down, stood up and stretched her neck from side to side. "I'm in." She said simply before jumping down and speeding toward Ranma and Michiru at a sprint.
"Wow..." Makoto said amazed. "Look at her go."
"Fucking BULLSHIT!" Minako cursed. Her the avatar of Venus losing a guy over to lesbians. LESBIANS!
"So, how are we going to get out of here?" Usagi asked the rest of the Senshi who looked at her confused. "I mean if one simply does not walk in here then I guess one simply does not walk out of Neri-"
"DEAD SCREAM!"
THE END
First of all thank you to Warfailz and Azaggthoth for editing this bad boy! Now on with the notes.
So what the hell did you guys just read? When I originally wrote Seahorse it was meant to be a building foundation for more Ranma /Michiru stories for those that wanted to use it. I pretty much said as much in that author's note way back then. Nothing has changed in that regard. However when I was writing Seahorse itself I toyed with multiple ideas on how to do it in a believable way.
But like I mention in my old notes, it had to be build from the ground up, a foundation must be laid before we could talk multiple divergent paths. So in this one path I wanted to explored. What if it HAD all been fake that turned real? Naturally we don't get to see the real progression of the fake relationship but Seahorse should have enough juice in it to paint a decent picture on how the fake relationship went and this story is the eventual reunion between the two.
Of course I wrote this when I was writing a darker path base on Seahorse. I called this version "The My little Pony, Friendship is magic version." The darker version that I am working on that I want to write will be long and pretty much hair pulling romance.
This too is a light heart Romantic comedy I would think and a oneshot at that :D Hence the title Variation :Lost and Found. Look forward to the next Variation :D
Oh and for all the awesome reviews I ever gotten for Seahorse, I will say right here right now. Thank you for it! I would also like to answer the whole the Sequel question.
Seahorse ended the way it ended. There is no need for a sequel, I am very satisfied with how it ended the rest would be up to the reader's imagination. :) I said it before and I'll say it again now, Seahorse is a foundation for future story, like a violin let's see how many different notes we could play?
As always C+C Appreciated, Reviews welcome.
Omake OmakeOmakeOmakeOmakeOmakeOmake (because it just occurred to me :D)
The Sailor Scouts all nine of them were doing what they did best even though it was day time. Fighting extra-dimensional monsters. As the battle progress the Inner's were the first to start buckling under the pressure youma attacks. The Outer's feeling that their appearance was over killed held back from joining the fray. The Inner's needed to learn how to fight and were no better trainer then experience and pain.
"Oh no, Mars!" Sailor Moon shouted as she saw Rei get knocked away from the group and as usual felt despair when a sudden thorn rose flew pass her face and embedded itself in the monster face temporarily paralyzing it.
" Though you might feel despair now, so long as your heart remain stout and full of love you will never fall! Never surrender Sailor Moon!" A figure in a white mask and fancy Tuxedo said confidently to the girls.
"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon and the Inners said as one taking strength from his words.
"Okay guys, let's turn this monster into moon dust!" Sailor Moon said full of grit. She stood next to her companions who were by her side. The five Senshi of Love and Justice look defiantly at the monster that was slowly stalking their way when it abruptly stopped, shuddered then slacken, it's arms and shoulders hunched over.
Suddenly ,to Scouts horror ,the monster was ripped in half making it rain black energies for a few second before dissipating.
"Wow, attacking pretty girls school girls in broad daylight? Not cool." A familiar voice said. A voice that the scout recognized. The figure that stood in the monster place now was none other then Ranma Saotome.
"Oh hey, monster's gone now," Ranma Saotome of the Anything Goes School of martial art said s he dusted his hand. He didn't know what was going on but five girls getting attacked and the one guy in the area just standing there? Yeah. Not gonna fly. "Name's Ranma."
The Inner's was still shocked at how Ranma had dispatched the monster in such a way.
Ami was the first to recover seeing as the other Inner's was still shocked by the sight of what the boy did. "Th-thank you citizen..." She said lamely.
"No problem, Hey, Mind if I ask you a question?" Ranma said and saw the blue hair girl nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper. " You wouldn't happen to know where this address is would ya?"
Ami looked down at the paper and sure enough it was Michiru's home. " It's..not too far from here..." She said before pointing him in the general direction.
"Hey thanks a bunch!" Ranma said grinning infectiously before giving the Inner's a smart salute and in a single bound jumped onto a tall building, Senshi style , bounding off toward Michiru's home.
"Di-did he really just taking out that Youma?" Sailor Mars asked and saw the Outer's scouts showed up a second later.
The Outer's as one looked at Tuxedo Mask and then turned their attention over to Sailor Moon making their blond princess pout.
"Well, that ended well," Michiru said with a barely concealed grinned. "Looks like my boyfriend was planning a surprise visit to my place, tah tah girls."
A second later the teal hair Senshi was gone as the remaining three Outer Senshi looked at Tuxedo mask. It was Sailor Uranus who went over to the Masked Man and pat his shoulder. "Better step up your game cause our male mascot just showed you how it's done! Ohh burned!" She said with a grinned before disappearing off too.
Sailor Pluto and Saturn looked sympathetically at Tuxedo Mask then to their princess. Most of the Inner's thoughts were on how useful it would be to have a real male fighting companion of Ranma's level. All save one.
"FUCKING NEPTUNE!" Sailor Venus bellow to the sky at the unfairness of it all.
End Omake