Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year:  "No Grudges" Part 2
by Sean Gaffney
gaffney@iconn.net
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edited by James  Bateman, Fred Herriot, Richard  Lawson, and Sebastian Weinberg 
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A side story  based on the fan fiction stories  by Mike Smith and Fred
Herriot,  in  turn  based  on  "Urusei  Yatsura",  created  by  Rumiko
Takahashi 
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IN THE  FIRST PART  OF "NO GRUDGES",  the young Prince  Walder, having slain
the  dragon Fafner, married  the Princess  Frigga, and together, they
mounted his  horse Trigga, and rode off  to the Castle Wunderbar, where they
were married  and lived happily  ever after.   Or not.   I don't write
synopses very well.  Read Part I.

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And so...ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!

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 December nineteenth.

 Reigi Yumoa  sits in his office,  staring at the  skyline.  It had  been
two  months now  since his  vow to  win  Ryouko, and  he was feeling
depressed.  Had he  really accomplished anything?  He knew her much better
now, of course, yet  he did not feel any closer to winning her, especially
considering the family traditions she was bound by.

 His contacts had brought him much information.  Some of it had pleased him,
but a  couple of things  were fairly disturbing.   Chief among these was a
propensity  for Ryouko to end her arguments with the descent of several
grenades.   Reigi had found it hard to believe that his Ryouko-chan would
be capable of such  wholesale destruction.  Had he been reading her  wrong
all this time?  With  a heavy heart, he had called for the hospital records
that these arguments caused.

 There  were none.   Minor  cuts  and burns,  but  residents of Tomobiki
laughed that off every  day.  But *no one* had been seriously injured as  a
result of Ryouko's  grenades.  Intrigued,  Reigi had his uncle's  ninjas
retrieve  a  couple  of grenades  for  sampling.   The grenades  were
deliberately  set with  low charges.   They  would give minor burns, and
throw people small distances, but  even when used in bulk, they would not be
able to harm anyone.  Reigi had felt his heart soar once again.  How  could
he have doubted Ryouko-chan for a moment?  
Obviously, the grenades  were more of an emphasis  to her remarks than an
actual weapon.  His respect for her grew even more.

 He  had  learned  much  about  her  life.    Mainly  privately educated,
she had been sent to a few girls' schools.  However, she had never been in
one school for more than two  years.  Reigi almost wept at the  thought of
the girl,  bouncing from school to  school, with no one to turn  to except
for her  family.  It was a  wonder that she had retained so much  of her
honor and dignity, instead  of ending up like her brother.

 Her interest  in the theater  was sparked by  talking with her Kuroko
servants, most  of whom were out-of-work  actors and directors.  
Reigi was pleased to note  that her relationship with her servants was
excellent, and  that she  did not  mistreat them  as Mendou  did those
idiots in the Kuromegane.

 In addition to Noh and  Kabuki theater, she had discovered the works of
Shakespeare at  a young  age.  Indeed,  one of  the earliest reports Reigi
received was of  her attempt to have Ataru play Romeo to her Juliet in a
mock rendezvous.   Reigi was amused to note that Ataru seemed to regain his
sense  of chivalry when around Ryouko, suggesting that Ryouko  had a
calming influence  on him.   He wondered  if Ataru realized that.

 She had an interest in  many forms of Japanese music, from the old numbers
dating from  the Shogunate  to ambient techno  by Keiichi Suzuki and Yasuaki
Shimizu.

 All of this information was  devoured by Reigi, as he realised more and
more how much  he loved this woman.   At first,  it may have been an
infatuation,  but now he knew  it was love.   Oddly, Reigi had never
imagined  anyone else  sharing his life  before - he  had always been a
fairly  solitary person.  But now the  thought of living a life without
Ryouko drove him almost to despair.

 He was also buoyed by  the fact that Ryouko had been trying to spy on him
as well, which said  much for the way  she felt about him.  
Reigi had asked Ataru whether he  should stop her.  He had admitted to
feeling a little guilty about his own methods, and thought it was only fair.
But Ataru told him not to worry about it.  "Trust  me, Reigi,"  he said. 
"Ryouko loves  a mystery.   If  she can't  find out  a lot  about you,
you'll just intrigue her more."   And so he had foiled Ryouko's spies,
leaving himself as the man of mystery.  He hoped it worked.

 Reigi sighed,  looking out over  the Tomobiki  skyline.  Ataru had said
that  he would help, but  that it would take  time.  *I can't wait for much
longer, Ataru*, Reigi thought.   *You've started to get the other wards
engaged.  When is it my turn?*

 Reigi  looked towards  the Mendou  mansion, and  imagined that Ryouko was
in the window of her room, looking out at the night...

    *    *    *

 Ryouko looked  out of the  window of her  bedroom, towards the city, more
importantly towards the imposing  edifice of Toranoseishin Finances.   *I
wonder if  Reigi-kun is working  there tonight?   Is he thinking about me, I
wonder?*

 Turning back to her nightstand, she picked up the dossier that she had
compiled  about Reigi.  There  was little there.   A few facts were known
to her; he was  an orphan raised by  Komeru Moroboshi, and currently Chief
of Operations of Toranoseishin Finances.  Beyond that, however, her spies
had drawn a complete blank.

 The thought  made her feel all  warm inside.   *He's trying to hide himself
from me, make  himself a man  of mystery.   Well, I love mysteries.  You
won't be able to hide from me forever.*

 She thought about using the  considerable sum that she was now getting from
Ataru Moroboshi  to strengthen  her resources.   But for some reason,  she
balked about  using the money  in such  a crass way.  After all, although it
came from Ataru, Reigi's name was on the check.  She did not want to betray
him by using his own money against him.

 The money was not going to waste, however.  She had decided to use most of
it to renovate some of the  local theatres, most of which had been abandoned
since the Second World War.   It was gratifying to know that she was
spending her  own money, and not that of the family, on such a worthy project.

 Indeed, she had  not really paid much  attention to her family in months.
Certainly whenever they raised a  fuss about her marrying Tobimaro, she
would jump  in and  put a  stop to it.   But  the petty politics that used
to be her everyday life just  did not interest her any  more.   Instead,
she  found increasing  delight  in her  charity works...and, of course, in
thinking about Reigi.

 Since she  could not get any  information, she had  to make do with  her
fantasies.    She  imagined Reigi,  sitting  in his  office, planning ways
to take her away  from the machinations  of her family.  *Even now,*  she
thought,  *...he is  organizing his forces,  ready to whisk me to his side.*

 She thought of  his handsome  face, his eyes glowing, as their lips  locked
in a  kiss of love and passion.  Slowly, his  hands would reach out towards
her, as he began to unfasten...

 Suddenly  a bucket  of water  came  cascading out  of nowhere, drenching
her!   Attached  to the bucket  was a  note:  DON'T  USE OUR CHARACTERS IN A
LEMON FIC! - THE AUTHORS OF UY:  TSY.

 *Hmmph!* Ryouko thought.  *Typical double standard...Ataru and Lum do it
all the time.*

 Sighing, she  sank down on the  bed, but she  still thought of Reigi...

    *    *    *

 Ataru Moroboshi  rode the elevator  up to Reigi's  office.  He was here in
order  to put the next stage of  his plan into effect, but truth to tell,
his mind was still on other things.  He just had a talk with his
grandmother about  the whole wishing  well fiasco.   It only served to
confirm what he already  knew.  Nagaiwakai  did not respect Lum any  more
now  than she  did then.   In fact,  she thought  it was another example of
"that Oni's stupidity" ruining  Ataru's life.  Lum had told Nagaiwakai in an
effort to break the  barriers between them, but it had not worked at all.

 Ataru was  also bothered by  the news that  the United Nations was almost
ready to pass Resolution  444.  Sure, if  he married Lum, she would  not be
affected by  it, but  all of  her friends  would be barred from visiting.
Nassur, Benten and Oyuki were important to Lum, as important as  Mie and
Nokoko were to him.   Driving them away would hurt her a great deal.

 Ataru sighed.   In her own  way, Nagaiwakai was  trying to run his life
just the  way Lum used to.  Lum  had taken almost three years of Ataru's
life, years that  Ataru had desperately wanted back.  Well, they were not
coming back.  Ataru had finally  realized that he would never get back the
youth he had  lost, so it was better just to get on with his life,  and not
blame Lum for something  which she had already long apologized for.
Nagaiwakai,  however, was not ready to make that choice, if she ever did.

 The elevator arrived  on the twelfth floor  and Ataru tried to put these
thoughts  out of his mind.  He  had more important things to worry about.
The next stack of dominoes was ready to fall...

 As he  opened the door  to Reigi's office,  he saw  Reigi in a typical
position:   hands clasped behind his back,  looking out of the window at the
Tomobiki skyline.  Looking in  the general direction of the Mendou  mansion,
Ataru  noticed.  Good,  Reigi was already  in the right mood  for this.   He
greeted him  with a  wave as  Reigi turned around.  "Hi, Reigi.   Thought
I'd come by and  give a status report for my uncle."

 Reigi  was,  Ataru  was  relieved  to  notice,  only  slightly distracted
as  he answered.   "Hey,  Ataru.  Well,  things seem  to be going swimmingly
so far.   Ryouhou, Shousetsu, and Houka have met with Natsuko's, Momoe's and
Kumiko's  parents, and they're already engaged.  
I've no idea how you managed to match them up that perfectly."

 Ataru grinned.   "Synchronicity, mostly.  It  so happened that the
interests  of  those  three  matched  up with  the  three  girls.
Everything else  was simple."   He  steeled himself, knowing  what was
coming.  "And what did Uncle think of all this?"

 Reigi smiled wickedly.  "He's delighted."

 Ataru could sense  the unspoken second half  of that sentence.  "And..."

 "And he  wants to know  when the girls  can be  engaged.  He'd like it to
be this week, if possible."

 Ataru put  his head  in his  hands.  He  had not  been looking forward to
this.  "I don't  know if that's gonna  be possible, Reigi.  The guys were
easy, because  I managed to find people with similar interests.  I'd like to
match up Tanoshii, Kenmei, Yasashii and Aijooa with those four nimrods, but
do I  have the right to do that to them?  I need to talk with them, find out..."

 Ataru stopped  as he noticed  Reigi grinning from  ear to ear.  Obviously
Reigi  knew something that he  did not.   "All right, Reigi, spill it.
What's so funny?"

 Reigi laughed.   "You seem to be  under the impression, Ataru, that the
rest of the town  is just as ignorant of your machinations as those dummies
at Tomobiki High.   Not everyone's that stupid.  Believe me, the  girls are
quite  aware of your  master plan, and  came to the conclusion long ago that
you  were gonna match them with Megane's Boob Patrol."

 Ataru raised  his eyebrows.   "So, what  do they think  of the idea?"

 Reigi frowned slightly.  "This is the part I find difficult to believe:
they're  delighted.  Apparently, they've  been interested in those four for
almost a year now.  In fact, Kenmei says that you won't even have to  do
anything; just give the word  and she'll put the plan into action."

 Ataru  seemed  just as  stunned  as  Reigi  that anyone  could possibly
find good qualities in Megane  and his nerds.  But he was not about to
question his good fortune.  "Well, that's great!  But I don't think that
we're quite  ready for  Megane and the  rest to  fall just yet."

 Reigi cocked his head.  "Who's left?"

 Ataru  steepled  his fingers,  giving  the  impression of  deep thought.
"Weeelll...I was  wondering if I  could borrow one  of your Ospreys.  I've
got a special delivery to make tomorrow, express."

 Reigi was puzzled.  "Special delivery?"

 Ataru smiled.   "Ryuu-chan is going to  get the quickest route possible to
her fiance."

 "Ah!" said  Reigi, understanding.   "Well, at  least you won't have to
worry about those two; they're already engaged."

 "Yeah, but  it's still  mostly one-sided.   I'm going  over to Ryuu-chan's
Island  tonight to have a  talk with Nagisa.   Maybe I can give him a few
tips on  winning Ryuu-chan's heart.  I suspect that she loves him,  deep
down.   She's just  not ready  to admit that  sort of affection to  anyone,
especially  if you  consider the  fouled-up life she's had so far."

 Reigi  looked  momentarily  downcast.   "Have  you  considered reporting
her father to the child abuse center?  He's certainly one of the worst cases
I've ever seen."

 Ataru  frowned.    "Y'know,   I  actually  suggested  that  to Ryuu-chan
about a month ago.  She nearly went ballistic!  She insisted that she would
be the one to beat her father, with no help from anyone else.  I think that
she still loves him, despite everything that he's done to  her."  Ataru
sighed,  thinking back at  the numerous beatings and  embarrassments  in
Ryuunosuke's   life.    "Plus,  Ryuu-chan  is everything to Mr.  Fujinami.
I think  if you took her  away from him, he'd die in a month.  I don't want
that, no matter how foolish the old guy is."

 "True," Reigi mused.  "So,  one Osprey for Ryuunosuke.  Anyone else?  Ran?"

 Ataru snorted.   "What makes  you think I  care anything about that
airhead's  love life?  When  Resolution 444 is  passed, she'll be the person
I'll be most happy to  send packing back to Uru.  No, I was thinking that we
still have one more ward to take care of first."

 Reigi paused.  "Who'd I forget...?!"

 As  he  realized  what   Ataru  was  referring  to,  his  eyes momentarily
glazed  over.   "You mean,  me and  Ryouko?   It's finally time?"

 Ataru grinned, amused that despite improvement, Reigi still had a tendency
to zone out when  it came to Ryouko.  "I think so.  The Mendou family have
been getting antsy lately, what with  Asuka-chan and Osooko-chan being such
a hot item.   I think they're trying to step up the plans to get Ryouko and
Tobimaro married.  Now," he added quickly, seeing the look of white  hot
agony on Reigi's eyes, "...since we know that Ryouko and  Tobimaro don't
love each other  in the slightest, our job is to make sure that  they're
united with the ones they love most.  Wouldn't you agree?"

 Reigi stood up  and grabbed his coat.  "I  can be there in ten minutes."

 Ataru stopped him.   "Whoa there, Tex.  I  can't go about this that
quickly.   This is  family politics, which  means it's  got to be done with
a certain amount of sneakiness."

 Reigi reluctantly returned to  his desk, annoyed that he could not  be a
white knight  coming to  save  Ryouko from  her oppressors.  "What makes you
think that Tobimaro is on our side?"

 Ataru's grin  threatened to split  his face.   "Actually, I've got the
perfect match for  that woman-hater!  Don't worry, if all goes well, he'll
be too  exhausted to  even think about  marrying Ryouko." With  that, Ataru
imagined  what  Yuukiki would  do  to someone  like Tobimaro.  His nose
almost started to bleed just from the thought.

 Reigi sat on  the edge of his chair,  his left leg reflexively jiggling up
and down.  "So, what's the plan?"

 Ataru leaned forward.   "Well, Ryouko-chan's always been a big fan of  the
dramatic  entrance.   I've got one  that should  knock her socks off."

    *    *    *

 Ataru paused at the high-voltage fence surrounding the estate.  He had
asked the Kuromoroboshi to bring him to the gate, but had then told them
that Ryouko's servants would take care of the rest.  Ataru wanted this
meeting to be top secret, and no one was better at getting to and from
places without being noticed than the Kuroko.

 He had called Ryouko earlier in the day (jamming the call so that the
Mendou clan or Ran wouldn't be able to listen in), but he hadn't mentioned
the reason for the meeting.  Ataru found more and more that he enjoyed
surprising people, seeing the looks on their faces as they realised what he
had done.  But now, instead of the nasty stunts he had pulled immediately
after the Spirit War, Ataru's energies were devoted to a better cause.  One
that he certainly felt Ryouko would appreciate.

 He was interrupted by a whisper from beside him.  "Moroboshi-sama, the
Mistress awaits you.  If you will allow us to escort you, we will bring you
to her."

 Ataru was impressed; he hadn't heard them sneaking up on him, and it was
almost impossible for someone to catch Ataru unawares these days.  "Of
course," he replied.

 Suddenly Ataru felt himself firmly gripped by two pairs of hands, and then,
without any sign of what had happened, he was *elsewhere*.  A private
garden, walled in on all four sides, with no sign of any doors or windows.
Looking up, Ataru saw a skylight, so the plants were able to grow, but...how
did he get in here?  A mystery to solve, Ataru wryly noted.

 Seated on a stone bench in the middle of the garden, Ryouko looked up at
the Kuroko's sudden entrance.  "Ah, Moroboshi-sama!  Welcome to my...well,
hideaway would be the best word for it.  You need not fear anyone listening
in, nobody else knows that this place exists, and it is searched for any
listening devices once a week."

 He smiled.  He was wearing a small electronic counter-measures device his
grandmother had obtained for him which was purported to be the latest in
surveillance jammers.  No one was going to be listening in on this
conversation, no matter what.  Nevertheless, he should be polite.  "Thank
you, Ryouko-chan.  And please, call me Ataru.  You know me well enough."

 Ryouko colored slightly.  "I would rather not, if you don't mind."

 Ataru blinked.  "All right, but at least make it Moroboshi-*san*."

 "Yes, all right.  I apologize for the formality," Ryouko began, as her
servants drifted away, leaving her and Ataru in private.  "I choose to use
it because, even though we have known each other for a long time, there is
much about you that is different.  I don't feel I know enough about you now
to be so casual."

 Understandable.  Ataru had not really seen a lot of Ryouko during the hard
weeks following the Spirit War; she must have been getting in some rather
disturbing reports.  "True, I am somewhat different, but there's a lot about
me that's the same.  I'm not a completely different person, Ryouko-chan."
He grinned, aware that she was uncomfortable now with his casual use of her
name.

 She looked at him closely.  "There is much that is different about you,
Moroboshi-san.  Yet...I can see it when I look closely.  The real you has
not changed.  I saw it on occasion in the previous two years."

 Ataru wanted to change the subject.  He was not comfortable with his
previous behaviour, and it would probably be a long time before he grew to
accept what he had been like prior to Icarus.  Ryouko's intense scrutiny was
also bothering him; time to get those eyes focused on the right person.
"So, Ryouko-chan, what do you think brings me here?"

 To his surprise, Ryouko looked down uncomfortably.  "I...I have heard of
your vicious treatment of those who abused you so.  I can only presume that
you are here to take me to task for my behaviour to you in times past."

 He lost his train of thought temporarily.  "Um...Ryouko-chan, I apologize
if I gave this impression.  Believe me, you have nothing to fear from me
this evening."

 Ryouko stared at him.  "But after all that I did to you..."

 Ataru smiled wryly.  "Everyone in Tomobiki behaved much the same way.
Besides, at the time, I probably deserved everything that you dished out.
And I don't think you were ever malicious towards me, just playful.  Of
course, to you, playfulness involves grenades..."

 Ryouko, beginning to feel a little better, smiled.  "I'm sure you've
guessed that those never really do any harm."

 Ataru grinned.  "Believe me, I'm aware of your altruistic qualities.  But
no, I've come for a completely different reason."

 It was Ryouko's turn to blink.  "Then I must confess, Moroboshi-san, that I
am at a loss to explain your reason for wanting to see me."

 Ataru tried to get his brain in gear, attempting to figure a way to bring
this up.  "Ryouko-chan, I understand that recently your parents have tried
to step up plans to have you married to Tobimaro Mizunokoji."

 Ryouko's eyes flared.  "Indeed, though I've been able to hold them off for
now.  I certainly have no wish to marry Ton-chan; he's as bad as my brother."

 Ataru smirked.  "Well, not *that* bad, surely."

 Ryouko thought for a moment.  "I suppose you're right; he, at least, *has*
a sense of honour.  But a marriage between the two of us would not be happy;
we are too different."

 "I agree," Ataru nodded.  "But you have a problem, because what with
Asuka-chan now dedicated to helping Osooko-chan parent her child, a marriage
between her and your brother seems very unlikely."  Ataru paused, in an
attempt to be dramatic.  "Of course, if there were anyone else you were
interested in, we might be able to do something.  It would be very difficult
to marry you off if you were already engaged."

 Ryouko was no fool (her brother had inherited those genes).  Her eyes
widened as she realised the implications.  Attempting to be circumspect, she
asked, "Moroboshi-san, are you...did you come here tonight as a
representative of someone else, perhaps?"  Her eyes glowed with hope.

 Ataru smiled inwardly.  He should have guessed that Ryouko would understand
his meaning immediately.  "As a matter of fact...I believe you've already
met one of my uncle's wards:  Reigi Yumoa."

 Ataru paused, waiting for a reaction.  And waiting.  For two minutes,
nothing moved in the room.  He was beginning to get a little worried.
"Ryouko-chan?"

 Finally, a small sigh escaped Ryouko's lips.  "Reigi-kun..." she murmured.

 *And I thought Reigi was bad!  These two need to be together!* Ataru
thought.  Out loud, he said, "I come here on behalf of my uncle Komeru.  His
wards are coming of age, and it is his wish to see them engaged in omiais as
soon as possible.  Reigi is the oldest, and I tried to suggest someone else,
but he would hear nothing of it.  Apparently, since your first meeting, he
has been thinking of nothing but you.  He would have come to you himself,
but knows how much you appreciate tradition.  I have, therefore, come to
arrange an omiai, with your permission.  Believe me, the man is smitten with
you; you should hear him out at least."

 *Well, most of that is true,* thought Ataru.  He had embellished several
points, but he knew that this would appeal to Ryouko's sense of romance.
Actually, he had not needed to embellish that much; Reigi tended to act like
a lovesick sandpanther in heat when Ryouko's name was mentioned.  Ataru
frowned momentarily.  *Where did I pick up *that* expression?*

 Ryouko had attempted to compose herself, and was only partially successful;
her voice was breathy and soft when she answered.  "You may pass the
message, Moroboshi-san, that I would be very pleased to meet with Yumoa-san
to arrange such a thing."  She started.  "I am at a loss, however, as to how
to prevent others from interrupting it.  Certainly my brother will not
approve of this, and my parents may try to halt it also.  And," and her lips
twitched into a sneer of disgust, "Shingo may also attempt an interruption."

 Ataru smiled.  "You don't need to worry about that, Ryouko-chan.  I'll take
care of all the arrangements.  All you have to do is worry about presenting
yourself to Reigi, although," and he grinned again, "you could dress in a
sack and he would still find you beautiful."

 Ryouko's eyes were glistening.  "Thank you, Moroboshi-san.  I'll allow you
to make all the arrangements.  If we are finished, I can have my Kuroko
escort you out."

 "Thanks, Ryouko-chan.  I wish you all the bes...wwwouff!!"

 Ataru had been stopped by Ryouko rushing over and gathering him up in an
NFL-caliber hug.  Tears of joy were streaming from her eyes.  "Thank you,
Ataru.  I don't know why you are doing this for me, after all the problems I
caused you, but thank you."

 Ataru attempted to disengage himself from Ryouko.  "Hey, stop that.  You
were always a friend, even when you were playing those pranks.  Believe me,
I wouldn't have let Reigi do this unless I knew that it was the perfect match."

 Ryouko smiled awkwardly, and let go of Ataru.  "You flatter me, Ataru.
It's nice to know that *some* things haven't changed."

 Ataru blushed.  Suddenly, he felt a whirlwind around him, and when it
stopped, he was once more outside the Mendou estate.  *How the hell do they
do that?* he wondered, but not for long.  There was a lot of planning to do
if this was going to come off...

    *    *    *

 Ryouko walked down the path of the largest garden in the estate, her
emotions a turmoil of expectation and worry.  She had done everything
possible to prepare for this evening.  She had chosen a simple white kimono,
emphasizing the grace of her elegant form.  She had chosen to have only two
Kuroko attend her, carrying her palanquin; the rest were scattered around
the estate, ready to help Ataru if he needed it.

 That reminded her of something.  She turned to one of her Kuroko.  "Do you
know if Moroboshi-sama or Lum-sama have come to the estate?"

 "I believe they are here, Mistress Ryouko," the servant quickly responded.
"Moroboshi-sama said he would guarantee that the omiai will go without
interruption."

 Ryouko's glance rose towards one of the security cameras her brother had
placed along the path.  He had been very intrigued by her behaviour this
evening, and would undoubtedly be tracking her movements.  Ryouko guessed
that it was her own fault; she had been so excited by the prospect of seeing
Reigi again that her emotions had run rampant.  Even Shingo had asked what
was wrong, and it took a lot to get him to notice anything.

 Ryouko needed Ataru and Lum's help this evening.  She would need to keep
her mind on winning Reigi, and had no time to devote to stopping her
brother's nefarious schemes.  Once again, she thanked the gods for Ataru's
help, for this would not have been possible without him.  "He's so sweet..."
she sighed.  She had heard that he and Lum had finally patched up their
differences and made their engagement semi-official; it still needed his
grandmother's final approval, although if Nagaiwakai proved the least bit
stubborn, all Ataru had to do was wait until April when he turned eighteen.
She was happy for them both, and her reports gave the impression that they
were happier than they had been in years.

 Sighing, she came to the pond, and sat for a moment to relax.  She hoped
that she would be able to keep her head when Reigi arrived, remembering with
a blush her behaviour at their first meeting.  Suddenly, the crashing of
horses' hooves interrupted her thoughts.  "Hello...?" she said, peering into
the darkness to see what has broken the silence.

 Suddenly along the path came a beautiful Arabian stallion.  Or what looked
like a stallion.  But as it got closer, Ryouko's trained eye saw that
it was not a horse at all, but a palanquin carried by two of the
Kuromoroboshi ninjas.  Her own palanquin was designed as a pantomime horse,
to fit her odd sense of humor.  This one, however, was perfect in almost
every detail, and it was only her theatre training that made her see it.

 Then she spotted a figure on the horse, riding sidesaddle because of his
robes.  He was gorgeous, dressed in samurai robes and wearing a katana.
With a start, Ryouko realised that this was Reigi.  She gasped at the
handsomeness of the financier, as all the memories of their first meeting
came back to her.  *How could I possibly have waited this long,* she
thought.  She heard herself sighing, "Yumoa-sama..."

 Reigi was finding it difficult staying upright.  He had ridden before, of
course, but had never ridden a pantomime horse carried by ninjas, and
certainly never sidesaddle.  He was attempting to grin and bear it, though.
Then he spotted the woman sitting by the pond.  It was Ryouko, looking
exquisite in a simple white kimono.  His feelings for her threatened to
burst from his chest as he saw her turn to greet them.  How could they ever
have been separated for this long?  It felt as if, now that they were
together at last, their souls could once again be complete.
"Mendou-sama..." he murmured.

 Reigi dismounted, doing his best to look noble rather than the awkward
sight he knew he must present.  Ryouko had stood up to greet him, and Reigi
tried not to lose himself in her eyes again.  Instead, he presented her with
the bouquet, selected personally after gaining knowledge of her favorite
flowers from his spies.  "For you, Mendou-sama."  There was no worry about
being too formal now; this was an omiai, after all.

 Ryouko blushed as she accepted the bouquet; the flowers were roses and
carnations, her favorites.  Undoubtedly Reigi had investigated all of her
likes and dislikes in order to gain this information, and Ryouko found the
idea thrilled her.  "Thank you," she said after a short time.  She had
gotten lost in his eyes again, but this time it was acceptable.  "I
apologize, I had almost forgotten how handsome you are."

 It was Reigi's turn to blush.  "I...I am pleased that I meet your
expectations, Mendou-sama.  I am ashamed to confess, I had avoided your
presence for a time, in order to gain more information about you.  Happily,
you certainly fit all of my expectations."

 Ryouko felt her heart leap; she had been afraid that he would hold her
family's insanity against her.  "In what way?"

 Reigi smiled; this was Ryouko's way of finding out just how much he had
learned about her.  Well, there would be no more secrets from her; he would
tell her everything.  "You are intellectually brilliant both in scholastics
and other areas," he begins, thinking of the tactical strategy involved in
the games she played on her brother, "...a fighter for causes your brother
would believe too low for his notice, adept in the visual and theatric
arts...and despite your well-known propensity for causing havoc in your
brother's life, a truly beautiful woman, inside and out."

 Ryouko turned crimson.  She might have taken this flattery as excessive,
but looking deep into Reigi's eyes, she could see that he meant every word.
It had become clear to her that he was as much in love with her as she was
with him, and the thought made her happier than she had ever been.  She
needed to be alone with him now, she realised.

 Reigi was gauging her reaction carefully; he was worried that, despite the
fact that it was truly what he felt, she might have taken his words as
false.  Looking into her eyes, however, he could see the love that flared
within.  His heart leaped at the realization that she loved him, just as he
loved her.  He was even more delighted when she took his hand in hers.

 "Please walk with me, sir," Ryouko said, attempting to keep the waver from
her voice.  She turned to her Kuroko.  "You may leave."  Any further
developments in this omiai were going to be strictly between the two of
them; besides, Ataru and Lum were making sure that nothing would interrupt.
Ryouko smiled as she thought of her parents and her brother, and the
ignorance they currently held towards this meeting.  This was a major step
in making sure that her life was her own, and not devoted to the financial
unity of two families.

 Reigi noticed that the Kuroko simply bowed and vanished, even quicker than
the Moroboshi ninjas.  "They're good men, your Kuroko," he said, in a vain
attempt to make conversation.  He noticed that Ryouko was looking off at the
mansion, smiling wickedly.  He found her smiles incredibly erotic, though he
did not feel ready to tell her that just yet.  "Mendou-sama, why are you
smiling?"

 Ryouko started as she realised that she had been caught off-guard again.
She chuckled.  "Just thinking that my parents will be beside themselves if
they learned that I am undergoing an actual omiai without their
knowledge...not to mention before the final peace between my clan and the
Mizunokoji is concluded."

 Reigi nodded; the politics of the Mendou family was another reason why he
had waited so long, gathering information on the clan's history.  "Yes, I
know.  Nagaiwakai-sama is already offering to mediate the peace." Privately,
he wondered whether this was such a good idea.  If they got her angry,
Nagaiwakai could easily make sure of the destruction of both clans.  He
tried to drift back towards the topic of engagements.  "Ataru-kun does know
that you've no interest in marrying Tobimaro Mizunokoji."

 Ryouko winced at the thought of that idea going through.  "No, thank you!
He's far too much like my brother for comfort.  I have no interest in
marrying him."  She sighed, as thoughts of family politics made an unwelcome
intrusion in her head.  "I really don't know what is going to happen.  I had
thought that my brother would marry Asuka-chan; indeed, they seemed quite
ready to do so..."

 Reigi caught the pause at the end of her sentence.  "Until the *saikoo
jinseijitsu* totally ruined any hope of that happening.  And with
Asuka-san's relationship with Osooko-san proceeding full steam ahead, the
chances of her getting back together with Shutaro are slim.  That's probably
a good thing, considering what Shutaro must imagine such a marriage to be like."

 Reigi paused; he knew that this was a tricky situation, and that the two of
them were only making the problem worse.  Of course, they were in love,
which tended to remove much of the guilt.  "Ataru-kun isn't quite sure what
to do.  At the moment, there's very little Shutaro can do without losing
face, and Ataru-kun knows this.  He's unsure whether to step in and try to
nudge things along, or to just watch Shutaro screw it up on his own."

 Ryouko looked up in surprise.  "Do you think that Ataru is attempting to
get revenge on my brother?"

 Reigi smiled, remembering a previous conversation discussing much the same
thing.  "Actually, Ataru-kun said that he had...no grudges against your
brother...?"

 Ryouko looks at him in astonishment, then begins to laugh hysterically.
Reigi joins in, as both of them know the true meaning of the phrase.
Recovering, Ryouko asked, "When did Moroboshi-sama acquire such an attitude?"

 "I think it was the day he first met you."  Reigi was beginning to lost his
initial nervousness, and just revel in the presence of Ryouko.  He wondered
if he should make the next move...

 Suddenly a voice shouts out from the top of a tree.  "I caught you!"

 He looks up to see Shingo, Shutaro's moronic ninja, glaring at them
angrily.  *Great,* he thought.  *Perfect timing!*

 Ryouko sighed as she noticed the ninja's expression change from anger to
puzzlement.  "You're not Moroboshi!" Shingo cried.

 Luckily, Ryouko knew exactly how to deal with Shingo, having dealt with him
many times before.  "Shingo, will you please leave us be?  Yumoa-sama and I
are on an omiai."

 Shingo's face reddened, hearing the words but not fully understanding them.
"Er...omiai?  Of course, Ryouko-sama!  I'll leave you be..." And with that
he disappeared into the forest.

 Reigi stood in amazement.  He had heard that Shingo was exceptionally dim,
but this was ridiculous.  He turned to Ryouko, astonished.  Ryouko smiled.
"You'll have to forgive Shingo, he is what is politely referred to as
clue-challenged."

 Reigi laughed at the expression.  "Dumb as a bag of hammers, eh?"

 Ryouko giggled.  "Precisely!  However, once he reports back to my brother,
we can expect further attacks..."

 Reigi frowned.  "That's where Ataru-kun and Lum come in.  They told me not
to worry about a thing."

 Ryouko sat him down by the pond, and snuggled up to him.  "Well, then,
let's not worry about it."  She sighed, and let the feel of his body
overwhelm her senses.

 Reigi almost gasped at finding Ryouko cuddling so close to him, but
eventually realised that the time for indecision was past.  He and Ryouko
loved each other, and thus there was no impropriety in showing affection.

 For a few minutes, the two merely sat together, watching the stars and
basking in each other's presence.  Reigi looked down at her, and found that
she was looking at him now, too.  He understood now.  They were truly
together at last, and could finally let the love they had for each other
out.  He found himself bending down towards her, and then brushing her lips
with a kiss.

 Ryouko sighed as she felt his lips against hers.  This was even better than
all her fantasies of this moment had been.  An electric feeling enveloped
her body, and she began to deepen the kiss.

 Suddenly, there was a cry from above.  Shingo had apparently been told by
Shutaro was really happening, and had returned to take his revenge.  "Leave
Ryouko-sama alone, you villain!"

 Suddenly, in midair, a rope flares out and ensnares Shingo.  Lum drags him
off kicking and screaming, leaving the two lovers with a wink.

 Reigi looked dryly at the scene that had just unfolded before them.  "I
think your brother knows I'm here."

 Ryouko smiled.  "I think we should let Moroboshi-sama and Lum-sama worry
about it, don't you, Yumoa-sama?"

 Reigi took her in his arms once more.  "Please," he said.  "Reigi."

 Ryouko felt her control abandoning her completely, as she whispered
huskily, "Ryouko."

 Suddenly they were kissing passionately with mad abandon, putting the past
two months of agonized waiting into one expression of their love.  They both
knew at that moment, whether their families accepted or not, that they would
be together for the rest of their lives...

   *** The Beginning ***