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"Autumn and Spring"
by Angus MacSpon
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi.
C&C Welcome!
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- 5 -
Ranma did not know how to react. He simply had no idea. He stood
there, staring at her, and there were no words in his head at all.
"It was eight years ago," Ukyou said in a low voice. "Or was it nine?
January, February, March ... no, eight, I'm sure --" She broke off, and
sighed. "I'm babbling. Sorry."
She put down the cloth she had been using to mop at her skirt, brushed
the hair out of her eyes, and started again. "Eight years ago, I had a
heart attack. A major one. I'd had a couple of minor episodes before,
and I knew the symptoms. I also knew that ... well, you've seen how
remote this house is. I didn't have a chance of surviving long enough
for an ambulance to get here.
"And then ..."
She stood up, and began to walk restlessly around the room. He
understood instinctively. She was reliving the moment. The shock of
sudden knowledge. The fear. And --
"I stood there, feeling the pain getting worse and worse and _worse_. I
knew that in a minute or two it'd be all over. And quite suddenly I
thought, 'When I was young I didn't have a bad heart. I wish I was
young right now.'
"And I realised that I _could_ be."
She stood with her back to Ranma, her hands clasped behind her back, her
stance tense, rigid. Caught in the memory of that day.
"Getting to the kitchen was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I
thought I wasn't going to make it. But I did. And then I poured a
glass of water, and I tipped it over my head ...
"The change was incredibly painful. Worse than anything I've ever felt.
I blacked out. I thought I was dying ...
"And then I woke up. Alive. Young. And I felt fine."
She fell silent. Ranma said, "And you haven't changed back since then."
"I haven't dared. I think -- I'm _afraid_ -- I'd die instantly."
"But ..." Ranma frowned. "You're not sure?"
"No. I've spoken to the Guide at Jyusenkyo. He's never heard of a case
like this. It's ... there's no way of telling, really. Other than
trying it. And I don't dare risk that."
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I wouldn't have -- I didn't know."
"How could you?" She smiled, a little sadly. "Fortunately, it's a lot
easier to avoid hot water than cold. But still ... eight years,
Ran-chan. I think that's some kind of record. And I've had a number of
close calls."
"Like today."
With a snort, she said, "Like today. That was one way of changing that
I _hadn't_ planned for. The rest ... you wouldn't believe how many
sources of hot water I have to plan to avoid. I take cold baths, of
course. My clothes are all waterproof, and I wear gloves most of the
time. I try not to go outside if it's sunny --"
"Huh? I'd noticed that, but ... _why_?"
Ukyou laughed. "All too easy to slip and fall, outside. And if I
happen to fall in a puddle, and the water's been warmed just enough by
the sun ... well, maybe I'm overdoing it there. But I don't take any
chances. This house, now ... it was designed to withstand a hurricane,
an earthquake, or an avalanche. 'Expensive' was not the word. And you
wouldn't _believe_ the plumbing system. The builders thought I was
insane."
Ranma grinned. "I can imagine. But ..." He turned serious. "Do you
really think -- I mean, how long do you think you can keep it up?"
Suddenly Ukyou looked unutterably weary. She said, "I know. I'm only
prolonging the inevitable. Sooner or later I'll be caught out, and ...
that's it." She shrugged. "But really, I don't have anything to lose,
do I? 'I'm living on borrowed time. Every day I survive is a victory.'
That's what I keep telling myself." She forced a smile. "My plan is to
stave it off for long enough that there won't be any way to tell if I
died of a heart attack or old age."
Ranma did not speak for a few moments. Then he said, "I hope you make
it."
"Eight years, Ran-chan. Shooting for nine."
He nodded slowly and opened his mouth to reply -- but was interrupted as
her computer terminal chimed softly. An instant later, they both heard
a pager tone from the communit on her belt.
"What's that?" he asked, somewhat pointlessly.
"I --" Ukyou looked startled, he noted. No, not startled; _stunned_.
"Ran-chan," she said, "I need to look at this. Can we talk later?" She
sounded excited. Nervous.
"Sure," he said. But he was not sure she heard. As he turned to leave,
she was already working away on the terminal, her fingers flying almost
faster than the eye could follow. Ranma walked away slowly, thinking
hard.
[What's she working on? What's so important to her that she's ready to
drop everything as soon as her computer finishes a step? And she looked
so surprised ... why?]
[Is this something to do with the job she wants my help with?]
**********
That evening, in an odd mood, he cooked okonomiyaki for the two of them.
Ukyou's eyebrows shot up when she saw it, but she made no comment at
first. She ate slowly, her expression unreadable. When at last she
finished, she frowned for some time, fussing with her napkin, before
finally admitting, "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Ranma let out a breath he had not known he was holding.
She cocked an eye at him, and grinned. "Was this supposed to be some
kind of hint?"
"No!" he said, too quickly. Then, a little reluctantly: "Yes."
"Hmm." Ukyou stood up and went through to the kitchen, where she deftly
scraped the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. "All right,"
she said at last. "I admit it. I've taken it too far. I've let my
curse rule my life to the extent that I hardly _have_ a life any more."
"You do have a good excuse," Ranma pointed out. "Better than I ever
did."
"Well ... yes. But even so. I managed by myself for eight years. I
shouldn't be forcing you to do all my cooking for me! I'm sorry,
Ran-chan."
"Accepted," he said quietly.
"As for ... for the okonomiyaki..." She was silent for some time. "It's
been a long time since I made it. Three or four years, I think. I
hardly even think about it any more. That's not who I am, now." She
shot him a look. "Don't ask me to go back to that, Ranma. I won't.
That's over."
"You don't have to justify yourself to me," Ranma told her.
"Who else?" But she was smiling. "Tomorrow, _I'll_ make _you_ an
okonomiyaki. And we'll see if I've lost it, ne?"
"Uhh --"
"You've got a full day to prepare your taste buds. Better start now."
He studied her face, a little nervously, trying to see if she was joking
or not. He couldn't tell. But she was still smiling. That had to be a
good sign, didn't it?
"Now come on," Ukyou told him. "There's something we need to talk
about."
He followed her back through to the living room, a little uncertainly.
"Is this about what happened earlier --" he began.
She held up a hand to stop him. "Yes. But let me start somewhere
else." She sat down and thought for a moment. "There's a ... project,"
she said carefully. "Something I've been working on for, well, the last
twenty years or so, off and on. This afternoon, another piece fell into
place, but it's still a long way from completion. I was hoping you
might be able to offer some help."
Ranma stirred. "Yes," he said. "You asked me already, a couple of
weeks ago. But I don't know anything about genetics --"
"Don't worry." She laughed. "It's not that kind of project. Actually,
it's kind of a private matter. Not related to my professional work at
all. It's --"
She sighed. "Well, no use beating around the bush. The truth is, I've
spent the last twenty years trying to find Shampoo."
- End of Part 5 -
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Angus MacSpon Allen Gainsford
http://shell.ihug.co.nz/~macspon http://shell.ihug.co.nz/~macspon