The
Great Crossover Adventure
by
Xanthix
Chapter
10: Epilogue
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Fox
McCloud hadn't had such a great time in years.
It
had been two days since Washu had returned him and the Great Fox to Cornerian
orbit, as abruptly and mysteriously as she had summoned him. He had been
spending the time repairing the damage done to his ship, as well as trying out
some new modifications that Washu had kindly left in the ship's computers.
Unfortunately,
the Great Fox, the Arwings, and the Landmaster Tank had taken quite a beating.
But there was no irreparable harm done, and Fox considered his adventure well
worth the price. It had come at a perfect time, in the boring lull after
Andross's defeat, and he had enjoyed it immensely. Even if the humans he had
met were somewhat odd, he had had a good time.
And
now he had some time off, to tinker in his ship and to think about the whole
thing. He also had to figure out what to tell General Pepper. But there would
be time for that later. He looked up at the shelf where his teammates'
pokéballs still sat. He would let his friends out as soon as he figured out
what to tell them. For now, he was enjoying the quiet. He soon was lost in his
imagination, re-living his latest adventure in his mind.
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Ranma
sat at the table in the dance hall, lost in thought. Miraculously, he had been
returned to almost the exact time and place that he vanished from days ago.
Thankfully, he was also returned in the same gender and clothing that he had
left in.
Now
he was thinking over the whole experience. He knew it wasn't a dream; it was
too real for that. Plus Ryoga was there for part of the adventure. Presumably
Washu had also returned him to wherever he was before.
Akane's
return to the table startled him out of his thoughts. "There you are! For
a minute I thought Ukyou stole you away!" she said. "We were supposed
to dance together so our fathers can see us together tonight!"
Ranma's
replied, "Well, if dancing with you will get them off my back, I suppose
it's worth it." His sarcasm prevented Akane from guessing how he actually
felt about her.
Akane
sighed in frustration, upset that she was engaged to someone that never seemed
to appreciate her. But when Ranma got up and took her hand, she followed him to
the dance floor.
As
Ranma walked with her, he thought of Ameria. Comparing her to Akane, he
wondered how things might have worked out if they had had more time to talk.
She was definitely an interesting girl...
A
slow song was beginning, and the two started to dance. Ranma held Akane close
enough to appease their fathers, who were looking through the ballroom window,
but far enough away to prevent things from getting mushy. Yet as the music
continued and he looked at Akane, and saw her looking back at him, he forgot
about Ameria and held his fiancée a little closer.
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"...you
should have seen the size of their roasts! They were as tall as I am, and if
you don't believe me, just ask Gourry!" Gourry nodded to affirm Lina's
assessment of the food fair they had visited on the way back to the inn.
"And the soup! It was so flavorful..." Lina continued, without even
stopping for air.
Zelgadiss
listened to Lina's report, pretending to be as interested in the local cuisine
as she and Gourry were. Ameria stood next to him. She would normally favor
straightforward honesty, but she had learned that there were times when you
should just smile and nod.
As
Lina raved on about the menu, Ameria thought back to the last few hours. She
and Zelgadiss had reappeared in the inn almost as if nothing had happened. They
even scared the innkeeper who had just noticed their disappearance. After they
had calmed the frightened man with a story about teleportation spells and
convinced him that all was well, they had spent the time talking about what had
happened until their companions returned from the food festival.
Though
it seemed to Lina and Gourry that she had never left the inn, she hoped that
she would never forget her adventure in a different dimension. She had
witnessed new sights and new experiences. And since she had returned, she
noticed that Zelgadiss had opened up to her a bit more as well. He had even
smiled at her a few times. She was confident that neither of them would forget
their adventure, or how their relationship may have started to change.
"And
you should have seen what happened to us when we left the festival!" Lina
continued, oblivious to what was going through Ameria's and Zelgadiss's minds.
"There we were, stuffed as pigs, walking home, and this HUGE white dragon,
the one they have a reward for, pops out of nowhere and nearly lands on
us!" Gourry kept nodding, backing up Lina's story. "So I yell at it
to get out of our way if it knows what's good for it..."
Lina
seemed content to tell her story regardless of who was listening, so Ameria
kept thinking about her past few days. When she stole a look at Zelgadiss and
saw him glancing back at her, she knew that he was too.
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Ryoko
walked slowly next to Tenchi, as he led the way down the garden path. Moonlight
was shining beautifully through the leaves of trees overshadowing the path, but
Ryoko didn't notice it.
When
she was alone with Tenchi, things were different than when others were around.
Aeka's behavior was the perfect example -- as soon as they had reappeared in
Tenchi's house, she had blamed Ryoko for Tenchi's absence. And the others
seemed more concerned with Tenchi's safety than the fact that she had nearly
died in the fight to rescue him. Everyone always made her so defensive about
her feelings for him.
But
now, alone with Tenchi at his own request, things were different. She could be
more open to her inner feelings without being so combative. As the two walked
and talked, and as Tenchi thanked her for all she had done for him, she was
less like the space pirate she had been in the past, and more like a child.
Perhaps it was inherited from her mother.
But
all Ryoko knew was that she could be herself with Tenchi. And as they walked
through the gardens, she got the impression that he saw her for who she was,
and how much she cared for him. It was a good start, and she was happy.
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Much
of Washu's time in her lab was spent at work or in research. But some of it was
just spent thinking. Now was one of those times. As she sat at a desk in a room
crowded with equipment, she let her mind wander.
Her
attention settled on the new set of souvenirs on her desk. She had collected
some memorabilia from her most recent adventure. The pokéball that Lord Tenchi
had been stuck in, a schematic of the Great Fox, a picture of Ranma in a skirt
that she had secretly taken, and other trinkets brought her back to the past
few days.
She
was glad that everything had turned out so well. The group that she had brought
together had become friends, a team, and had in a way saved their worlds. And
they had a lot of fun doing it. Even Ryoko had ended up happy, which was a
miracle in itself. In a way, Washu regretted sending everyone back so soon.
But
they needn't stay apart forever. Washu was planning on keeping an eye on
everyone in their respective dimensions, and if a crisis arose, she knew she
could count on them all again. Goodbyes were always sad, but not necessarily
permanent. Washu began to reflect on all the people in her life, those present
and those long gone.
But
as she began to lose herself in thought, a warning siren started blaring and
red lights began to flash. Washu, startled by the alert, jumped up and looked
for its source. As she muttered, "Well THAT can't be good," she
realized that it actually might not be long at all before she would have to
recall her new friends. Despite how serious the warning was when she located
it, she was smiling, and planning for the next adventure.
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T H
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"Slayers" is copyright H. Kanzaka / R. Araizumi. Original ideas, artwork, and text present on this page are copyright Esther Nairn, unless otherwise noted. No reproduction is allowed without express written or emailed permission. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.