ringlhach said:
Gotta admit, even if I have no intention of Nanoha "growing up," as it were, it's still pretty funny. ^_^
In which case, enjoy this one, that came to me later. Maybe a good sign my muse is starting to feel energized again.
(-----------------------------------)
Fate was beginning to get worried; what with the explosion at their base, and from what she heard over the network, a major battle going on at the Infinite Library.
Then there was the fact that her roommate/lover/partner had yet to return. But since the sky hadn’t suddenly turned pink, she was going to assume Nanoha wasn’t involved in anything … nefarious?
Dangerous?
Likely to end up involving jail time and/or huge fines?
… Yeah, probably the last one fit it best. She could still remember the shock at the bill she had received after the Flying Ace had defeated the
Saint’s Cradle … and dropped it right on top of the TSAB headquarters.
A knock on her door brought her out of thoughts of payback for what that Loop had ended like.
“Nanoha!?” she gasped, opening the door and hoping her loli-friend was okay.
“Yo,” Ranma waved with his free hand, as he carried the familiar nude form of her friend over his should.
“… Did you guys have sex without me?” Fate asked with a growl. Damn it, they had agreed to share…
“… Wait; she’s an adult again?” she gasped, finally realizing that said nude backside, facing her, wasn’t of a statutory age.
“Physically, yeah,” Ranma replied, entering their dorm. “Mentally, I don’t think there’s enough time for that.”
“… O~kay,” Fate replied, as Ranma tossed the nude agent onto the couch. “Do I want to know what happened?”
“Eh, I think she went #16,” Ranma replied, looking over Nanoha. “Maybe #14, but I’m not sensing any demonic contracts attached to her.”
Fate could only blink. “Explain?”
Blinking—and she was certain for a moment, his eyes had been as red as hers, but the pupils looked odd—he faced her. “Oh, she used one of the ways I know of, to change herself back.
“Personally, I would have gone for #1—it’s the easiest and has no secondary clauses.”
“... Explain more.”
“What part?” Ranma asked.
“The fact that you apparently knew multiple ways to help her … and didn’t tell her!” Fate finished with a yell.
Ranma just blinked. “I know a lot of stuff, being the Librarian and all,” he added. “But you guys … well, you never asked.”
“… Never asked?”
Ranma nodded. “Yeah, I mean, I figured you guys would have called or popped in by now, see if I found anything new when I organized that place.
“I would have sent you a message, but I didn’t want to take a chance they would have hacked the system.” Of course, it was impossible for them to hack
HIS system, but then, they were the ones complaining he didn’t hang out with ‘real people’ enough.
And then they went and never visited. How hypocritical.
“…” Fate took several calming breaths, trying not to immediately bring Bardiche out and attack, which might result in the loss of very critical information … and the chance for her to get some. “And just what are the things you solved for us?”
“… Just the good stuff,” Ranma replied, “curing your sister, your birth mom, opening a portal to Al Hazard or whatever it was called, some dark energy thingy…” he continued, not noticing her eyes going wider as he continued.
“… And finally Skuld’s curse on Nanoha—because, frankly, I’m starting to get tired of answering questions from law enforcement every time she tries to feel me up.” Apparently, Mid had a version of Chris Hansen.
He knew that now.
And he was tired of having people follow him wherever he went … well, the ones that thought he was a child predator. It felt like when Skuld first started chasing him all over again.
Fate opened her mouth several times and closed it, trying to wrap her mind around what he had just revealed.
“At the very least, I had hoped you guys would have sent me your research notes so I wouldn’t have to start from scratch.”
“…”
“… Bardiche, did they ever research?”
“No, Master,” the device responded, respectful of the relationship her Mistress hoped to have with the male mage.
“… Damn newbs,” Ranma muttered. “Thank you, Bardiche.”
“You’re welcome, Master.”
“… Anyway,” he continued, seeing Fate was at a loss of words—and less likely to just start yelling again, “I figured out … um, about twenty-two ways to undo what Skuld did.
“The first just being to draw her rune on a table top, set a bucket of expensive ice cream on it, and pray for her forgiveness.
“And every one after that had a secondary effect that would kick in if you tried to undo it.
“This one allows her to go back to her true age—well, true for what she should be now in this point of your normal flow of time—but … well…” he paused with a blush.
Fate finally got her higher brain processes back online, and stared at him. “But what?”
“Well,” Ranma paused, chuckling weakly. “Let’s just say Nanoha now is … very sensitive.”
“… Sensitive?”
“One touch of any happy spot with another happy spot, and she’s out.”
Fate’s eyes went wide at that. That … sounded like it would be very bad for Nanoha. Essentially, she had gotten her age back … but was now unable to actually enjoy it.
A small, dark part of Fate reminded her that that meant her friend was technically out of the running for any Horse Riding time … but she did love Nanoha.
“So … more ice cream?” she asked.
“Probably three tubs at—” he paused, looking out the window. “… Oh.”
“Oh?” she asked, blinking at the sudden change in his mood, as she looked outside. “What do you see?” she asked.
“That,” he replied, motioning to…
“The moon?”
“That’s no moon,” he growled, before turning around, summoning several screens.
They looked on, as a large group of white-armored individuals were marching down the street, followed by weird walking … metal camels? “Is that Ginga … in that odd bikini thing?”
Ranma was more focused on the clone … in the dark robe … holding aloft a black-blade lightsaber. “Well, this is probably gonna get blamed on me.”
“Did your clone just threaten to blow up the planet?!” she squeaked.
“…”
“Ranma?” she asked, looking around, and finding him gone.
Palming her face, she looked at her still-nude and passed-out friend. “… I wonder who I can get to explain her new … curse to her?” she pondered.
She didn’t want to do it! That was almost courting certain death right there.
Maybe I can just get her to offer the prayer without telling her what the new curse is?
“… Screw it; that’s what cannon fodder is for,” she muttered, wondering if those idiots down the hall with the loud sound system on at all hours would do it.
(---------------------)
Le end...
Because I don't think Skuld would allow you an out without her blessing ... and would design the next stage to keep you away from 'her Ranma'.