43School was out for today. For once, Ranma managed not to get into a fight or being challenged by someone OR being assaulted by one of his fiancees.
This time, he just walked back home with Akane.
Their relationship really had improved over the past few months. Akane had realized that it wouldn't do him - or her, for that matter - any good to punt him into the atmosphere anytime she got angry. And Ranma - wonder of all wonders - had realized that it hurt Akane if he called her uncute, or a tomboy.
Well, he still called her a bad cook, but that was no lie.
"Ranma..." Akane said with an impish grin as they walked along the street. "What do you say we don't go home right away? There's this nice restaurant over there... and you could invite me for lunch..."
Ranma immediately brightened up. Lunch? And Akane didn't even suggest to cook herself? That sounded like a good idea to him.
He grinned. "Sure, lead the way!"
Akane smiled. That would be a really good way to start anew with their relationship. And if the day continued to be as good as it was now, they would be able to sit through their meal without being interrupted...
A sudden beep coming from Ranma's pocket made her freeze on the spot.
"Oh, it's the Senshi communicator. Just a second, Akane..."
Akane sighed and leaned against a wall. It had been too good to be true...
Meanwhile, Ranma was speaking into the small device. "Ami? Yeah, I'm just on my way from school... what, another Youma attack? That's the third one this month... I see, but can't you ask Mamoru, since I really wanted to... oh... it's that bad, huh? Oh well, I guess I have no choice then. Yeah, I'll be there. See ya then!"
He put the communicator back into his pants and sighed. "Sorry, Akane, but the girls really need me. A couple of rogue Youmas have attacked a nursing home, and they have their hands full. You don't mind if I..."
Akane sighed and nodded. "Sure, Ranma, go ahead! I understand, it's your duty and all..."
Ranma grinned. "Great! Listen, sorry about lunch and all... I'll make it up to you some time, okay?"
She nodded.
"Great! Love ya!" He pulled out an unusual pen, looked that nobody was around, and then raised it above his head. "Terra Star Power, Make Up!"
A short lightshow, and Ranma was transformed into his female self, wearing a dark green Senshi skirt and her red hair down.
Sailor Terra smirked at her fiancee. "See ya then, Akane! Tell Kasumi it's going to be late, okay?" And with a single leap, she was on top of the nearest house, from where she started running and leaping towards Juuban. If she hurried, she might make it in 10 minutes.
Akane sighed. Ever since her fiance found out that he was the reincarnated sister of the ancient Earth Prince, he had to help his fellow Senshi every now and then. She understood that it was his duty and all, but she still felt annoyed that every time they needed him, she had just planned to spend some quality time with her lover...
When she came home, she opened the door with a sad face and murmured: "I'm home..."
"Welcome home, Akane!" Kasumi replied from the kitchen.
Akane gave the living room a short look and saw her father and Genma sitting at their Shogi game. No, nothing unusual here...
Akane then went into the kitchen. "Kasumi, Ranma won't come home for lunch. Do you want me to help you?"
At that point, she stepped onto a yellow, furry tail that was draped across the floor.
"YEOWCH! Damn, Akane! Be a bit more careful!"
Akane giggled sheepishly and quickly stepped to the side. "Oops... sorry about that, Leormon!"
The little, yellow-furred lion cub Digimon with the golden collar glared at her while licking his tail. "Sheesh, you'd think you might have gotten used to me living in the same house as you..."
"I'm terribly sorry, Leormon!" Akane told her older sister's Digimon partner. "I just had so many things on my mind..."
She then realized that Kasumi wasn't preparing lunch... she was preparing a lunch box.
"Kasumi... what are you doing?" she murmured.
Kasumi smiled. "I'm sorry to say this, Akane, but there's been... an unexpected emergency. I'm afraid I can't stay for lunch either."
Akane groaned. "Digidestined business?"
Kasumi nodded. "See, it's like this: You remember when all those Digimon appeared in the real world and my friends and I had to bring them back to the Digital World? Well, it looks like a few of them have stayed behind... and they actually managed to stay hidden for all those years. But now a few of them have gotten restless and attacked the apartment buildings in that district. So Tai and the others have decided to go there and bring them back to the Digital World. And I decided to help them."
That's just like Kasumi, Akane thought. Always willing to help others. While she had been a Digidestined for several years now, Akane still was surprised how sweet, gentle Kasumi was willing to fight alongside her friends... even though it was Leormon who did the fighting for her.
"Listen, there's some leftovers in the fridge... please try not to set the kitchen on fire when warming it up." That statement would have made Akane, if Kasumi only wouldn't smile at her so warmly.
"Okay, I promise... if you promise to stay out of danger."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure Leormon will be able to protect me," Kasumi smiled while petting her partner's tuft of red head fur.
"Hey, I'm your partner," the lion cub grinned. "It's my job to take care of you."
Kasumi giggled. "Okay, I have everything I need... we should get going."
They left the kitchen and Kasumi called: "Father, I'm leaving now!"
A simple nod was the only reply she got.
"Aren't you going to call a cab?" Akane asked her sister.
"Oh no," Kasumi shook her head as she approached the computer that was standing in one corner of the living room. "I'm going to take a shortcut through the Digital World. Have a nice day, Akane!"
Another flash of light later, and Kasumi and Leormon vanished inside the computer screen.
Akane sighed. "Looks like this day is getting pretty boring..." she grumbled. "Maybe Nabiki has some idea how to..."
She gasped in surprise when her other sister came running down the stairs.
"Careful, sis! Coming through! No time to lose!"
"N-nabiki!" Akane said. "What's gotten into you?" Her mercenary sister barely was seen in a hurry like this, she usually had her friends from school/lackeys to do the urgent jobs.
Unless she had to...
"Oh no..." Akane sighed. "No, no, please don't tell me that you, too..."
Nabiki turned around and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, little sis! But when the Commander calls, I can't just stay at home. There was an Angel sighted in the northern sea, and we've been ordered to intercept it before it reaches the coast. And you know how helpless Shinji and the girls are without me..."
"I can't believe it..." Akane grumbled. "Can't there be a single day where not all of you have to leave because of some 'emergency'?"
"Hey, give us a break, Akane! We're not doing this for fun. You know I'm doing this because it was mother's last wish. Kasumi and Leormon share a bond, as Digidestined and Digimon partner. And don't let me get started about Ranma, his role has been decided by fate."
"Fate..." Akane muttered. "Does fate have to endanger the ones I love the most?"
"Sorry, what did you say? I didn't quite get that... never mind, I have no time. I still need to get my Eva Unit ready, and I certainly don't want to be the last to arrive at the battle scene. Did I already tell you how much I hate it when Asuka laughs at me?"
"Multiple times, sis!" Akane sighed. "Oh well, I guess I'll wish you good luck... and tell Mom I said hi, will ya?"
"Got it! Later, little sis!"
Seeing Nabiki run outside, there wasn't much Akane could do but to sit down and sulk.
Nabiki ran out of the house and into the back yard. She pressed a hidden button, and all of a sudden, the koi pond's water was drained, and a deep shaft opened up beneath it. Nabiki climbed onto the small platform that had appeared and pressed yet another button. The turbo lift then shot downwards, carrying Nabiki deep below the earth, while above her, the shaft automatically closed.
When the turbo lift stopped, Nabiki stepped out into the Tendo's personal Evangelion hangar... a huge room filled with all the machinery needed to take care of an Evangelion Unit. As the student of Ritsuko Akagi, Nabiki could take care of everything by herself... and in case she needed some help, she just had to call NERV.
And the best thing was: All of this was being financed by the government.
When she was sitting in her cockpit, a faint smirk appeared on the middle Tendo's face. "All right, Mom... let's show them what we're made of."
Evangelion Unit 04 let out an approving growl.
When Akane saw how the huge launch shaft behind the Tendo Dojo opened, she covered her ears. Just a few minutes after the shaft was fully opened, the roar of the Evangelion Unit made the whole neighborhood shake. And then, Unit 04 came shooting out of the shaft, like a giant meteor on its way to impact. When it was high above Nerima, Nabiki activated the jet engines, an invention she had added to her own unit herself, making it hover in the air.
Akane watched how Unit 04 was giving her a salute with her fingers, then it turned around and flew north.
The youngest Tendo sister sighed. Now she was the only one left in the house... except for her fathers, who wouldn't move an inch until they had finished at least five games of Shogi.
"Maybe I'll just go in the dojo and spar..." Akane murmured.
The next wooden dummy got smashed into pieces by Akane's foot.
It wasn't fair! It just wasn't fair! Both of her sisters AND her fiance were some sort of super heroes and left their home regularly to fight against all sorts of evil menaces, while she had to stay at home with their lazy fathers, worried about those she loved and bored herself to death. For some time, she wished that Shampoo or Kodachi would come by, so she had some way to unwind as well.
To be honest, Akane was tremendously jealous of Nabiki, Ranma and Kasumi. While they could do all kinds of cool stuff with their Senshi powers, Digimon partner and Evangelion Unit, respectively, she was 'just' a normal martial artist... and she wasn't even as powerful as Shampoo or Ukyo.
It just wasn't fair.
After smashing another dozen of training dummies, Akane slumped down to the floor, panted heavily and then gritted her teeth.
'Dammit!' she thought. 'Why can't I be like them? Why can't I have some super powers? Why can't I have some important role in life, just like them? I want to protect Earth as well, fight against bad guys, show them that I'm not just a weak, little girl who has to stay at home and...'
She stopped herself in mid-sentence when something caught her eye. Was it just her imagination or did the floor just shine in a bright light?
"What's going on here?" Akane muttered. She got up from the floor and approached the spot where she had seen the strange light.
She knelt down and touched the floor... and yes, there was that strange light again. It looked like it was forming a certain shape...
"A... keyhole?" Akane murmured while looking at the strange, shining keyhole that had appeared on the floor of her family's dojo.
She stood up, scratching her head. "Now what is this?" she murmured. "Did this appear here just a short while ago... or has it been here the whole time?" She shook her head. "What am I saying? I guess I would have noticed it if there was a glowing keyhole in the dojo..."
She then thought of something. "If this is a keyhole... does that mean there's also a key for it somewhere?"
It was then when she heard the whispering voices in her head:
'The Keyblade... the Keyblade...'
Akane gasped when, all of a sudden, something appeared in her hand with a flash. It looked like a weapon, but at the same time, also like a huge key. It had the handle of a samurai sword... but the shape of a modern key, just like a padlock key or something similar. The handle was bright red while the key part, which doubled as a blade, shone in a brilliant silver.
Akane raised the curious weapon and looked at her mirror image in its blade.
"The... Keyblade?" she murmured.
In the early morning, before Ranma and Akane were heading for school, Kodachi Kuno was sitting in the basement of her family's mansion, surrounded by stacks of old books.
The self-proclaimed Black Rose turned the next page and murmured to herself: "Ancient potions, unknown poisons... nothing here that could help me ensnare my beloved Ranma-darling..."
She sighed and threw the book she had been reading to the side. It had been weeks since she had been to school or even in the upper levels of the mansion. Day in and out, she was going through all the ancient books from the family library, just so she could finally get rid of all those hussies around her beloved Ranma... especially that red-haired trollop and that witch Akane Tendo.
"They'll all see..." she grumbled. "Ranma will be mine..." That's when her gaze fell upon a stack of books directly next to her.
"I've never seen this one before..." she murmured before picking up a black book with a strange emblem on its front. "Mysteries of the Heart... Corridors of Darkness... Heartless and their Behavior... Author: Ansem..."
The door opened. "Sister!" Kodachi groaned. Great, it was her oaf of a brother...
"What do you want, brother?" she snapped. "Can't you see I am studying?"
Tatewaki gave her an arrogant sneer. "Believe me, I don't care what you do in your free time. Without any doubt, you're once again trying to win the heart of the foul sorcerer, Saotome... but I don't care. I just came because I can't find the flowers I have bought for the beauteous Akane... or the pig-tailed girl... or both. Did you see them?"
Kodachi gritted her teeth. "Brother, please do me a favor and leave. Your stupidity might be infectious..."
A dark frown appeared on Tatewaki's face. "Sister, as the first-born and the male heir of the house of Kuno, I still demand respect!" He then saw the book she was holding. "Say, what is that? I haven't seen it in our library before..."
"That's none of your business, Tatewaki!" Kodachi hissed, while clutching the book to her chest. In her rage, she even addressed her brother by his first name, something she did very rarely. "Leave, now!"
"As you wish..." Tatewaki grumbled. "But I warn you: If the evil sorcerer insists on staying between me and my loved ones, you might not get the chance of being with him..." He left the basement and slammed the door behind him.
"Delusional fool!" Kodachi grumbled. "Can't he see that Ranma is no sorcerer?" She smiled. "No, he is the most handsome and noble warrior I've ever seen in my life... instead, those two hussies are the evil ones. You might watch out yourself, dear brother... or else your brides-to-be might turn into corpses... OHOHOHOHOHOH!"
She kept on laughing, not noticing how the darkness surrounded her heart. She then took a look at the book. "Now then, what do we have here...?"
The evil sorceress Maleficent smiled to herself. "See that, gentlemen?" she asked. "That girl has filled her heart with darkness... but she isn't consumed by it yet. I wonder how far her obsession with that boy goes..."
"Are you planning on making her part of our little group?" the sea witch Ursula smirked. "I always said we'd need a few more females among our ranks..."
"Feh, according to her laugh, she's a maniac!" Hades grumbled. "I have a few poor souls like that in the Underworld..."
"She might be demented, God of the Dead," Maleficent smirked. "But maybe we can use that to our advantage... after she passes my little test."
"Ooooh, so that's why you let her find that book!" the sack of bugs called Oogie Boogie laughed. "You are one sneaky witch, Maleficent!"
"Well, wouldn't you have done the same? The last thing we need is another Keyblade master. If we're in luck, Miss Kuno will take care of her before she learns to properly use her Keyblade... and maybe we can turn her into a Heartless. Doesn't that sound nice? A former Keyblade master as a Heartless, willing to do as we say..."
She waved around her hand, and the image on the table they were standing around changed and showed a confused Akane, as she was holding her new Keyblade...
"That was a fine game, Tendo!" Genma grinned as he stood up from the ground.
His old friend frowned at him. "Yes, because you have won three times in a row... you haven't cheated, have you, old friend?"
"Who? Me?" Genma asked innocently. "I don't know what you are talking about..."
Soun raised an eyebrow. "Then please explain to me why there are so many more pieces on your side than on mine..."
SPLASH!
Genma raised a wooden sign. 'Pieces? What pieces? I'm just a cute little panda...'
Soun sighed. He then saw his youngest daughter entering the room... and she was holding an unusual weapon. At least it looked like a weapon to him... or maybe it was just a huge key.
"What do you have there, Akane?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, Daddy," Akane muttered as she sat down. "It looks like some sort of sword... I just found it in the dojo... although I have the feeling that it 'found' me..."
Soun frowned. "In the dojo? We don't have such weapons in the dojo."
"Then you don't know anything about a shiny keyhole either?" Akane asked. Seeing her father's confused face, she sighed. "Oh, never mind..."
She hoped Nabiki would come home soon. Her sister was the most clever person she knew, and maybe she could help her find out what this weird key was all about.
And maybe she would even do it for free...
Akane was pulled out of her thoughts when a black shadow came seeping through the floor. It took shape and became a black creature with a pair of yellow, gleaming eyes and twitching feelers. It wasn't much bigger than a child, but it certainly looked menacing.
Instinctively, Akane reached for her Keyblade and jumped to her feet. "Wh-what is that thing?" she shouted.
Suddenly, even more of the shadow creatures appeared all around her. And their eyes were all directed at her... or rather, at the key-shaped weapon in her hand.
'The Keyblade... the Keyblade...'
"S-saotome!" Soun gasped when they were surrounded by the black beings. "What's going on here? Certainly, this has to be your fault..."
'Don't look at me,' the panda signed. 'I'm innocent...'
When the first Shadow jumped at her, Akane cried out in surprise and slashed at it with her new weapon. To her surprise, she had no problem handling the unusual blade, and when it hit the Shadow, it was hurled backwards.
She then narrowed her eyes. "All right..." she growled. "If it's a fight you want, you got one!"
Meanwhile, Soun and Genma found themselves surrounded by a mass of Heartless. The tried punching and kicking them away, but they just kept on coming.
'Tendo... in such a situation, there is only one thing we can do.'
"You're right, Saotome!" Soun nodded. "Let's do it together! One... two... three..."
And together, they turned around and ran as fast as they could. "ANYTHING GOES SECRET TECHNIQUE!"
"Oh, damn those two fools..." Akane grumbled. She slashed out with her weapon, and every time she defeated one of the Shadows, it disappeared in a puff of dark smoke.
But as in the case with Genma and Soun, her enemies just kept on coming, and she didn't know for how long she could keep this up.
"Damn you, Ranma!" she shouted. "Every time I need you, you aren't there!"
"Never fear, help is here!" an unknown voice behind her spoke up.
And then, a massive, white shape came crashing down on the Shadows, either smashing them apart or blowing them away with a powerful shockwave.
Akane boggled and stared at the huge, fat, white creature that was standing in front of her. But even more surreal was the small, furry animal sitting on its shoulders. It was wearing a golden crown and held a megaphone.
The black cat riding on the stuffed Moogle gave Akane a smirk and said: "The name's Cait Sith! I suppose you need a hand with these guys, right?"
