She sighed as she sat down in the Tendo dining room. "Arigatou, Kasumi-chan." Kasumi smiled before returning to her work in the kitchen. Ranko blinked and glanced at her father 'sparring' with Kaneda. She sipped her tea before standing up again. She poked her head inside. "Kasumi-chan?"
The kind brunette turned around. "Yes?"
"Mind if I help you cook? I'm quite good at it." Ranko asked softly, stepping into the kitchen and holding her hands together demurely.
Kasumi smiled. "Sure, Ranko-chan."
++++++
A figure trudged down the pathways of Nerima quietly. The person wore a chef's outfit and had a huge cooking utensil strapped to his back.
"Saotome..You will pay."
++++++
Kaneda grumbled loudly as he walked up to the shower. He sighed as he changed his drenched clothes. "Just what is Saotome-san's problem? It's one thing to beat me up but it's another to continue to dump me in the koi pond!"
He frowned as he walked back down the stairs. He got an embarrassed look when his stomach growled. He poked his head through the kitchen door and blinked.
Kasumi turned around and smiled at him from where she was cooking the rice. He barely noticed his sister since his attention was focused on his 'fiancee.'
Ranko softly hummed as she swiftly threw vegetables into the air and twirled her knife to cut them in precise cuts. She took no notice of the vegetables falling on the plate in a professional arrangement since she quickly moved on to the stir-fry in her hands. She noticed his presence only after placing her stir-fry onto another plate.
"Oh, hey Kaneda-kun." He waved back at her dumbly.
She cocked her head in confusion as he continued to stare at her silent for several more minutes.
He blinked and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "So..uh..whatcha doing in here?"
Ranko frowned slightly. "Helping your sister, what else? You don't seem to help out at all and I decided that Kasumi-chan needed all the help she could get. The sooner we finish the chores then the more time she has to rest."
"Oh." Kaneda mumbled before his stomach growled again.
Ranko's frown disappeared as she laughed in unison with his sister. "Hungry, eh?" She stepped away from the stove carrying the stir-fry she just finished making. "Here, try some of my stir fry."
He glanced at her stir-fry warily. It looked nice and all but did it taste good?
Her frown appeared again when she noticed that the Tendo boy had not made any move to try her food. "Fine, if you don't want it then I'll go give it to someone who cares."
He blinked again and hurriedly grabbed the plate from her hands and nearby chopsticks. Ranko smiled slightly as she watched him eat her food in a nervous and hurried fashion.
"You don't have to eat that quickly."
As soon as Kaneda swallowed the food on the dish he stared at he in shock. "T-this tastes delicious!"
Ranko grinned. "Well, you don't go on a training trip with your father for several years without having any skill in cooking. Besides, the Amazons are fantastic cooks. Not to mention Uk..." She trailed off as her grin faded.
"Ranko?" He asked worried. She pasted on a grin and turned back to her cooking.
"It's nothing."
+++++++
Kaneda stared at the redhead talking to Shampoo worried. The breakfast she made was delicious but ever since his conversation with her in the kitchen, she seemed rather subdued.
The mention of something, or rather someone, had caused her to fall into a depressed state. Who was it though? Uk..who? And was that person a boy? He sighed and turned his head away from his 'fiancees.'
Things were becoming awfully confusing ever since Ranko entered his life. Still, he wouldn't trade all the peace and quiet in the world in exchange for Ranko never entering his life.
+++++++
"Is something wrong, Ranko-chan?" Shampoo asked as they sat down in their assigned seats.
Ranko thought for a moment before replying, "Yes, but don't let it bother you."
Shampoo frowned. "If it bothers you then it bothers me. We aren't Amazon sisters for nothing."
The redhead smiled, however it never quite reached her usually sparkling blue eyes.
Shampoo's frown deepened with worry. "Ranko-chan..please don't ever do that again. It hurts to see you have to pretend to be happy."
Ranko's smile slipped. "I know, I'm sorry." Shampoo could only sigh as she turned her head to see the expressions on Mousse and Kaneda's face match her own. This just wasn't normal for Ranko.
Ranko stared out of the window. She didn't really see anything since she was deep in thought. She snapped out of her daze when she finally recognized what her teacher had just said.
"Class, once again we have a new student. I hope you all give Ukyo Kounji a warm Nihao since he is new here."
Her eyes widened as she gasped. "U-ukyo?!"
The chef turned to look at her. "Ranko Saotome, I've found you."
++++++++
Luna stared at the princesses in disbelief. "You..you...you fired at an innocent?!!!"
The scouts nodded their heads in mixed embarrassment and shame.
"After she helped you kill the DEMON?!!!"
They nodded again.
Luna shook before transforming into her human form. She placed her hands on her hip. "You ELECTRICUTED him?!"
They nodded again.
"HOW COULD YOU?!!! THEY WERE HELPING YOU!!!! SO WHAT IF SHE SAID YOU WEREN'T SOLDIERS AND YOUR OUTFIT WAS SILLY!!! IT'S TRUE ANYWAY!! YOU ARE PROTECTORS OF THE INNOCENT!!! NOT MENTAL MAGES ATTACKING ALLIES!!!! YOU HAVE MAGIC AND SOME EXPERIENCE BUT YOU ARE NOT 'SOLDIERS!!!'"
Artemis sweatdropped. "Uh..Luna, aren't you overreacting a TINY bit?"
She GLARED at him. "OH BE QUIET ARTEMIS!!"
The white cat's eyes twitched. "JUST BE QUIET ALREADY!!!!" He yelled after transforming into his human form.
They glared at each other before smiling and kissing.
The girls sweatdropped as they hung their heads.
"We know we made a mistake, but did they have to rub it in?" Rei grumbled.
Makoto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and then they had to go through that fake routine of yelling at each other and then making out."
Minako winced. "Ever since they started being able to transform into their human forms, they started to get all mushy on us.."
"No kidding," a voice deadpanned. Surprisingly it had been Usagi's voice.
Ami sighed embarrassed. "I still can't believe how much I overreacted..attacking innocents like that! Even if she was making fun of our speech and uniforms..she still..didn't deserve for that to happen to her."
They nodded once again for the umpteenth time.
"So.." Minako started. "When do you think Luna and Artemis will stop that fake routine? They've done it five times already."
"No idea. They'll probably do it another fifty times before stopping since they don't often get a chance to use the act."
*HUGE SIGH*
"You..you...you fired at an innocent?!!!"
"Here we go again."
+++++++
She stared at her hands as she stood under the large oak tree. "Ukyo.." She began softly. "You're back." Ranko smiled at him with her eyes filled with joy. "You're finally back."
Ukyo stared at her frowning. "Back? You abandoned me. It's more of I've finally tracked you down, Saotome."
Her eyes filled with hurt. "I-I didn't mean to.."
His eyes hardened. "It doesn't matter. You left me alone all these years to search for you. Do you think a mere 'I-I didn't mean to' will cut it?" He laughed bitterly. "Of course not!!"
"U-Ukyo.."
The two 'friends' stood across from each other still. Ranko's attention focused on Ukyo's angry face while Ukyo's attention focused on Ranko's sad visage.
A small grin cracked Ukyo's 'furious' visage. Ranko grinned back. "Ucchan!!"
"Ranchan!!"
They laughed as they hugged each other. Ukyo wiped away a tear as he disengaged from his friend. "Kami-sama, it seems that we finally got it down good huh?"
Ranko smirked. "It would have happened sooner or later."
"Still..I gotta say that we make pretty good actors." Ukyo said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Ranko nodded her head. "Yeah, we do."
Ukyo gave the redhead a mischievous smirk. "Looks like it's time for me to meet 'Dear Uncle Saotome.'"
Ranko faked a concerned look. "Oh..Ukyo-sama! Please don't harm him TOO much! Just a TAD bit!"
They stared at each other silent for a moment then immediately burst out laughing.
Mousse, Shampoo, and Kaneda stared at the two sweatdropping.
++++++++
The Saotome patriarch stared at the shogi board sweating. He rubbed his chin in deep concentration. Suddenly his eyes widened as he pointed behind Soun. "Look! A flying monkey!"
The Tendo patriarch turned around to look for the unusual occurrence. Genma grinned as he switched around several pieces. Soun frowned. "Where? I don't see any flying monkey." He turned around only to find a grinning Genma.
"Oh." Genma said. "Must have been a bird."
Soun shook his head as he looked back at the shogi board. "That's weird..I was sure that I had you there." He stared at the board confused. Genma chuckled nervously.
"Must have been your imagination."
"FATHER!!" The two jumped as a red blur entered the room and targeted at Genma.
"Oof!" Genma stopped his fist from hitting his attacker by a mere inch when he realized that his 'attacker' was actually his crying daughter.
His eyes filled with concern as he patted Ranko's back. "Tell me, what's wrong?"
"Ucchan's back! But..but...HE HATES ME!!"
Genma's eyes widened. "Ukyo?" The teary eyed Ranko nodded. 'Uh oh,' he thought silently.
He saw a white flash and pushed his daughter to ground as the weapon embedded itself into the spot he had just sat. He jumped into a ready stance as Ranko sniffed.
"Who's there?!"
"Genma Saotome." A voice spoke.
Genma turned to face his attacker. He gulped. "Ukyo.."
Ukyo growled menacing as he stepped towards the Saotomes. "How dare you engage me to HER and then abandon ME?!!!"
"Uh.."
Genma sweated as he heard several gasps, one coming from his daughter. "Uh..you see Ukyo..I was just planning to..train her...and uh..make her a good wife for you!"
"GENMA!!" The overweight martial artist whimpered as Soun went into his Full Demon Head Attack.
"No, no! I couldn't engage her to you since I already engaged her to my friend here Tendo! You can't blame me since she is already obligated."
"Father.." He turned slowly to meet the betrayed look in Ranko's eyes. "How could you?"
"Yes." Ukyo started as he stood next to Ranko. "How could you?"
"Uh.." He started. "Ranko..Ukyo..it was-"
"UCCHAN'S A GIRL!!"
"I'M A GIRL!!"
"..." Genma was speechless and shocked. So he did the best thing, he facefaulted along with everyone else other than Ranko and Ukyo.
Ukyo and Ranko burst out laughing. The look on everyone's faces, especially Genma's, was indescribable. Well, maybe hilarious would do. "Silly Papa."
Kaneda rubbed his sore head as he regarded the two 'girls.' "So Ukyo is really a girl?"
They nodded. He smiled relieved. "That's..good."
Ranko turned her head slightly. "Why's that?"
"It's nothing." He mumbled as he turned and left.
"Hmm.." Ukyo said as she stared at the retreating Kaneda. The brunette glanced at Ranko and then at her friend's Chinese friend, Shampoo. "Interesting." She said softly.
Ranko glanced at Ukyo at the corner of her eye but then turned her attention to where Kaneda had stood.
"That's odd."
End Chapter Seven.
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Author's Notes: It's a short chapter I know. I don't know what's wrong with me these days but hopefully with Spring Break one day away, I will have time to make the next chapter of Ranko's Gundam and Ranko's Fate a worthwhile one. Think of this chapter as a filler.
And by the way.. Poll: Who should Ranko be with? Ryouga, Kaneda, or Mousse? Cast your votes! ~Allie