Greetings all-

It's been a while since I posted anything, but I've been helping a few
friends with a few things (you know who you are).

At any rate...PLEASE send all C&C to gargoyle@hotmail.com

It's my other e-mail address, and the only one I can check at work...Oh,
damn! I can't tell everyone-

Well, anyway...Thanks for reading it!

Industry Standard Disclaimer:
All characters that aren't mine belong to Rumiko Takahashi / Viz Video /
Others that would probably sue my ass all over the place if I actually made
any money off this...Which I'm NOT. Anyway, I bow down to
you-I'mnotworthy!I'mnotworthy!
I love you and your companies and wish I could draw...

Oh, BTW, Alandra! Sorry this is coming out on Wednesday instead of
Tuesday...but...I wasn't quite awake...

GOMENASAII!!! AND FORGIVE THE SPELLING TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WhewO.o!

I'll split this up into two parts for easier digestion...

As for the rest of you-sit back, order a tall cold one and relax!

Enjoy!

***
(Opening Music Begins)

(Opening Credits begin)

�The Lament�
                                                            Opening Theme to
                                                            With Wings to
Carry Them
When she looks into the sky,
She sees the dreams of things undone,
When she looks into my eyes,
I can see what has just begun.

To travel under distant sun,
To lands far and near,
I would travel them all for you,
All just to have you here.

I see the sunset one more time,
Going down over one more town,
I am alone as I think of you,
And I shed a tear as the sun goes down.

I only wish for this journey to end,
That I may go home,
To see my love just once again,
And to never again be alone,
I only wish for this journey to end,
That we would be home,
So I can see my love once again,
And know that I am not alone.

(Instrumental Section)

I only wish for this journey to end,
That I may go home,
To see my love just once again,
And to never again be alone,
I only wish for this journey to end,
That we would be home,
So I can see my love just once again,
And know that I am not alone.

(Fade)

(Opening Credits fade)

(Title fade in)

With Wings to Carry Them
By
Joshua Trujillo

Act 3; Home Sweet Home Part 1

And they were off.

Nodoka wiped at her eyes. It was all coming together like some fantastic
dream. Her son must have been the man she had always wished he was to
instill this kind of support from such a varied group of people. So what if
half were engaged to him and the other half wanted him dead.

Akane had tears in her eyes as she hugged Nodoka. She didn�t know how long
they�d be gone. Certainly not more than eight more months. It was all that
Ranma had left. Nodoka didn�t want to think about it. Even though Genma was
with them, the defacto leader of the group had been Akane, who didn�t seem
quite thrilled with the idea, but accepted it anyway. Two nights ago, she
and Nodoka had stayed awake far longer than they should, recounting all of
the strange adventures that seemed to follow Ranma. Finally, Nodoka was able
to coax Akane into speaking about her near suicide.

It wasn�t easy. It should never be easy. But it was necessary.

Another wail behind her told Nodoka that perhaps they should get Soun home
before the port authority said something. Nodoka hadn�t been too sure about
Ryouga being so eager to go with them. He wouldn�t be denied however, and
Akane had given her approval, so Nodoka hadn�t said anything aloud. Nako was
another story. Nodoka didn�t want him to leave Japan, where perhaps, he
could get injured on this little escapade. After what he told Nodoka about
his experience with Ranma, he couldn�t be denied either.

Back in the van, Nodoka noticed that Soun had passed out from his tears. She
thought that he was anemic perhaps. He seemed to have such a frail
constitution when it came to emotions. Nodoka just didn�t know sometimes.
She also had no idea where Nabiki came up with this van either. Just another
way that the Tendo women held everything together. She looked at the
passenger seat at Kasumi. She had been the one to hold things together
emotionally when Soun and Akane couldn�t.

Sukido had beaten Kasumi pretty badly when he was possessed. She came back
from that and was a fine example to the rest that life will go on, even
without Ranma. Now, she never gave up on the idea of bringing him back, but
she tried to prepare everyone for the possibility that he might not. Even
now, weeks later, it was hard for Kasumi to be alone in the same room with
Sukido. Nodoka knew that it bothered Kasumi that she feared him and to his
credit, Sukido left her alone to work it out for herself. Tofu had also been
a wonder in her recovery. And Nodoka suspected that there was a little more
there than patient / doctor.

�What was Akane like before she met my Ranma?� Nodoka asked Kasumi.

Nabiki had her headphones on, but Nodoka suspected she would be listening
anyway. Soun was out and Sukido really wasn�t paying any attention.

�She was a real brute,� She said, then seeing Nodoka�s reaction, �I know,
but those were her words. She was just unsure of herself and her place in
the world. I had the house and father to take care of, Nabiki had the family
finances. Akane didn�t have anything except the dojo.�

�But that�s as important, if not more than, the family-� Nodoka began.

�I know, but you have to remember, with the family and the finances, change
can be seen almost daily. Any changes that occur in the dojo occur over
years, and Akane was so young when all this happened. She was just coming of
age when Ranma arrived and she didn�t know how to handle it,� Kasumi
finished.

�What do you think of Akane now?� Nodoka asked her.

Kasumi thought for a minute.

�We were probably at another crossroads. Their relationship was getting
nowhere and was turning stagnant. Something had to have happened, or it
would have gone completely sour. And while I didn�t want THIS to happen,
something had to,� Kasumi said cautiously.

�Yes, complacency is the destroyer of life,� Nodoka said.

Kasumi nodded. Behind them, Nabiki considered it and nodded. She looked to
Sukido, who returned her look with a goofy smile and nodded as well. Soun
began to snore.

***

The sight never failed to impress her. The newly expanded and remodeled
Tendo Saotome Dojo was certainly an impressive sight as they drove in to the
garage area. Sukido insisted that some people would require more than a
train line to the dojo if it were to be successful. Soun was very hesitant
about the addition until Tatewaki reminded him that his brother was
extremely successful at what he does. Soun agreed and Sukido kept the
renovations in line with the original design plan of the house. Kasumi loved
her new kitchen. She was so happy that she simply passed out.

Nabiki had her own office, if only temporary until she moved to America with
Sukido. That little bit of news didn�t set well with Soun either, but Nabiki
simply wouldn�t listen. Kasumi sighed inwardly at the thought. Nabiki had
always been the independent keeper of the family. Kasumi supposed that she
could do that whether she went to America or another planet.

There were simpler, plainer quarters for those students who lived too far
away to make commute a viable option. It was not only a suggestion from
Nabiki, but also from Happosai, who was oft times too wary of Sukido. Kasumi
sighed again. Poor Sukido. He had done so much to make up for something that
Kasumi thought he had no control over. As she understood it, it was the
demon that controlled him during that time. Later she and the others got to
meet the real Sukido Kuno, the Kuno that Kasumi always thought was there.

Akane was another matter. She fell into a deep depression after the
incident. Kasumi knew that she snuck bottles of alcohol into her room after
everyone had gone to bed. Kasumi had often gotten up early and cleaned them
up from her room before Soun or the others got up. They didn�t need any more
reason to worry about her. After a certain night when Kasumi was away, she
had come home to find Sukido gone, and Nabiki and Akane already asleep. This
was odd because Sukido and Nabiki were always late nighters.

Akane seemed reborn the next morning. She was still depressed, but she
seemed to have steel behind her actions. Kasumi had watched her in the dojo
that morning. Akane seemed more focused and alert than she had been in
years.

It was that day that Cologne and Happosai delivered their message that Ranma
might not be dead. Kasumi didn�t know what to make of all this talk about
souls, but it brought together everyone who had suffered and it rallied
their actions to a common goal. It was later, when Tofu-chan came over, that
the diagnosis was confirmed. Ranma�s soul had taken a little trip. Nabiki
began to collect information, the dojo began to be rebuilt, Akane began to
train in earnest, they all began to happen.

Happosai threw himself into Akane�s training with a passion, one that
rivaled even his vaunted panty collection. She had asked him why he was
doing this. Happosai almost seemed reluctant to say anything, but finally
muttered something about never losing a student. Kasumi realized that
Happosai needed a purpose, even at his age. His purpose had been to train
Genma and Soun, and later Ranma. When Ranma died, his purpose was in
jeopardy. So he helped in designing the new dojo as well as a special
obstacle / battle course that could complement the training. It was all so
complex. Kasumi sighed again.

Kodachi was away. Nabiki and Sukido relaxed into the new livingroom and
began to snuggle. There were some things that even Kasumi couldn�t stomach.
Nodoka joined Kasumi in the kitchen and began to work on dinner. Something
light. Soup? An excellent idea. Cooking was always something that Kasumi
enjoyed doing alone. Akane concentrated and focused her thoughts around
first her martial arts, then around Ranma. Nabiki focused first around
money, then around Sukido and money, though not in that order. Kasumi
focused around cooking.

The doorbell rang. Kasumi was startled. That was another new addition that
she couldn�t get used to.

She wiped her hands and went to the front door. It was Tofu-chan. Okay,
maybe she focused around him too. Tofu joined Kasumi and Nodoka in the
kitchen and joined in the conversation, but kept wisely out of the way.
Soon, dinner was ready and Tofu went to find the others while Nabiki, Sukido
and Nodoka arranged things.

Opening the door to the dojo, Tofu could make out the shape of a man
standing in the ready position. It was Tatewaki.

***

So many thoughts swirled through his head at once. Tatewaki thought that
practicing would be a good way of removing the obstacles to his focus.

He was wrong. It only seemed to bring more issues into his head.

Tatewaki felt terrible. Perhaps it was a cold. It felt like disgrace. Cold
edged and lethal, like the blade of a finely honed weapon. And just as
deadly in the long run. After all the trouble and hardship he went through
to finally face up to the fact that his red-haired goddess was actually that
wretch Saoto-no, he couldn�t even finish it now. Sukido was a demon. Even
without the actual demon inside him, he was always the one to get the girls.
He was the one who got the scholarships to go to an American school, away
from the family, away from Father.

Tatewaki shook his head and readjusted his stance. Concentrate on the
position. Concentration is the key.

Certainly Sukido wasn�t the only thing on his mind. Tatewaki could handle
him. No, there were other things. Akane Tendo in some part. His dream of two
long years taken...no, he wasn�t going to blame Ranma again, the therapist
told him it wouldn�t get him anywhere. He was right. Akane had chosen Ranma
over him and Tatewaki just couldn�t handle that. Not right now at least.

Then there was Nabiki Tendo. She and Tatewaki had developed a love-hate
relationship over the years...They�d love to hate each other. From selling
the photos, to everything else, he must have spent millions of yen. He didn�
t mind, because he knew that, if only in a round about way, he was helping
Akane. Lately, she had come to him for advice on all manners of things.
Academic, emotional, theoretical, never financial however, but it didn�t
matter. Then he swallowed his pride and dared to ask her to the athlete�s
dinner. Somehow he thought he might make something of it. He was proven
wrong again. He didn�t blame Nabiki with everything else happening, but
there was still a part of him that regretted.

He wished he had done something sooner.

He switched into the next position. Stiff muscles strained to try and
dictate his actions, but he would hear none of it. Years of this kind of
training taught him how to work mind and body as one and as separate units.

Cologne. It was the face that sent him into a rage that almost equaled what
he used to feel towards Saotome. It was rare that this kind of hate came to
him anymore. With Saotome, much of the passion that he once felt died as
well. It was almost amusing to have a normal conversation with Akane if
nothing else than for the expressions of curiosity. But Cologne, he would
not deal with. She took him out of a fight without even hearing his side of
the story. Such was a true crime committed against him.

Akane tried to protect the old bag by explaining about the chi energy. He
then found out about the Ranma�s soul. He wanted to help in the search, but
Akane wanted him to stay at the dojo and to protect it since Sukido was
still unable to do much more than walk. He agreed to keep the homefront
while Akane searched to bring back her hus-

He swallowed hard against the bile that rose in his throat. Husband. He bit
down on the thought. He attended the wedding ceremony that united Saotome
with Tendo. Part of his heart died that day.

The path of the true warrior is fraught with inharmonious destinies. And it
looked like he was heading for another one. He opened his eyes and turned
his head. It was Dr.Tofu. He returned his gaze toward the garden.

�Did all pass without record at the airport?� He asked, somewhat surprising
himself with his noncommittal tone.

�Akane�s fine,� Tofu said smugly, �How are you?�

�I am well,� Tatewaki said, lowering his bokken, �If that is what you�re
asking. I am the proud samurai that I chose to be. What whilst thou make of
me?�

�Nothing more, nothing less...than a man,� Tofu said, �Dinner is ready.�

�Was my sister involved in the preparation?� He asked, turning ever so
slightly.

�No, Kasumi and Nodoka prepared the meal. Tatewaki, there�s something that I
must ask you,� Tofu said, the early smirk disappearing.

�Yes, Doctor?�

�What happens to the man inside when the warrior outside has nothing left
for which to fight?� He asked, stepping back into the hallway.

In the short time that he was in the Tendo household, he found that Tofu had
that annoying quality about him. Like that gaijin movie about the force. At
least he wasn�t green.

***

The sun set through the new dining area. It was so much different from the
old dining room. Nodoka couldn�t quite get used to the curved table, but
since it was a present from the Emperor to Sukido, they couldn�t refuse it.
It was very pretty anyway.

The meal progressed without incident and after Ranma died, much of the
distractions in a meal had gone as well. The meal seemed, she didn�t know
the appropriate terminology for it, bland now.

�Tatewaki?� She asked of the young samurai, �Where�s Kodachi?�

�She is with Father. She feels,� He said, he then turned slightly to Nabiki,
�...unwelcome here.�

This didn�t go by Nodoka. Something was wrong and about the last thing this
family needed was another fight on its hands. She waited for Nabiki to say
something scathing and the fighting to start, but Nabiki just looked into
her food and continued to eat in silence.

Well, Nodoka thought, Better bland than tense.

***

The moonlight sparkled from the heavens on that night. Just like the night
that my dear brother returned home and said that my Ranma-sama was...no, she
still couldn�t believe it. She had seen his body. It was still warm to the t
ouch, even now, almost two months after the incident. Kept alive and yet
dead to everyone. She hadn�t told anyone, but late at night, she crept out
and kissed him goodnight at least twice a week. That was generally how long
she could stomach living there. Here. In this...house. It smelled of new
money. Worse yet, it was Kuno money.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked out into the courtyard. The
structure across the way was the one thing that even she would have paid
for. It was the shrine. Ranma was there. She wiped at her tears. Ranma-sama
would have never wanted to see her cry. She would be strong for him. She
wanted to go and search for his soul in Europe, but that old ghoul Cologne
had prevented her. Instead, Spatula girl went and now she was going to find
his soul instead of Kodachi. Even that Chinese bimbo Shampoo had gotten into
the action and taken her duck-boy with her to America.

Akane was getting stronger by the day. She was almost as strong in martial
arts as Kodachi herself. Not quite though, but Kodachi had been out of
practice for quite a while since she�d been attending college. The
University frowned on that kind of fighting.

There was a knock at the door.

She didn�t say to enter, but the door opened anyway. That kind of rudeness
would require a lashing at the Kuno mansion, but here, it was almost common
practice. Barbarians. She could tell from the pattern of breath that it was
Nabiki Tendo. For some odd reason, she always sounded short of breath these
days. Perhaps it was because of Sukido. She stood there waiting for Kodachi
to say something. She probably noticed the sobs. Kodachi silently cursed
herself for this moment of weakness in remembrance. Kodachi sat down on the
bed and spoke Nabiki�s thoughts to her.

�I can�t tell you what�s wrong,� She said, biting on her open aggression,
�You might charge me.�

�I guess I can give it free this time,� Nabiki said.

�You�ve become very generous since shacking up with my brother,� She replied
sarcastically, then she sobered, �Do you know how Tatewaki thinks of you and
Sukido?�

�I know he thinks he�s lost me. He never had me,� Nabiki said.

�Didn�t he?�

�Why don�t you change rooms with one of us Kodachi?� Nabiki said, trying
desperately to change the subject, �Sitting here facing Ranma�s tomb all day
must get depressing.�

�It�s life pain. A pain that keeps me alive,� Kodachi said, turning back to
the window.

�Whatever. Listen...Nodoka, Kasumi and I are going shopping tommorrow. You
want to come?� Nabiki asked cautiously.

�No, I don�t like you that much,� Kodachi said quietly.

A cold chill ran up the base of Nabiki�s spine. Perhaps this is one of the
reasons that Ranma had such an anxiety attack everytime he was around
Kodachi. She sighed once at the mistake of asking and turned to go. Nabiki
thought that, maybe in vain, she could get Kodachi to come out of her shell
anymore than she could get Akane to come out. She had been wrong. Kodachi
was in another world, not another shell.

Nabiki closed the door gently and walked back towards the room she now
shared with Sukido. Nabiki thought that her father was just deluding himself
with the reality that all of his girls were grown.

He was already in bed and reading. Some gaijin novel about a cockroach. She
didn�t understand his taste in literature. The truth was, he was still
having problems getting around. Many of his bones had been broken during the
incident and while he�d been able to use his chi ability to heal over half
of those, the areas healed were still quite tender.

She climbed into bed next to him and nuzzled his ear. After a minute or so,
he stopped reading.

�You need to tell me something, I take it?�

�Just need to ask you about Kodachi...�

�What about her?�

�Well, I just came back from her room and she still doesn�t want to come out
and interact with the rest of us,� Nabiki said, running a finger along the
cast on his arm.

�I think my sister�s just jealous,� Sukido said, bookmarking his place, �She
never really got along with any of us. But right now, she�s probably more
lucid than Tatewaki.�

�What do you mean?� Nabiki asked, concerned.

�Nabiki, when you and the others went against me that last time, what were
you supposed-�

�The athlete�s ball. My God, is he still...Over that?� Nabiki asked
incredulously.

�Nabiki, if you have to ask how single minded either of my siblings are,
then you don�t really know them,� He said, putting his book on the
nightstand.

�Another thing that is bothering him is the fact that Cologne took him out
of the fight. That�s not something that you can fix, of course, but it still
hurts him. I know that he hates her and is not too fond of you right now
either. Just keep clear of both of them, please?� He explained.

�I-I�m sorry,� Nabiki said, flustered.

She was really not sure how to take all this aggression. Sukido stayed so
calm through this, but it really scared her. She was no martial artist.
Sukido shook his head.

�Nabiki, I�m not the one you should apologize to,� He said, stroking her
chin lightly.

She curled up beside him and they just held each other. Taking small comfort
in each other as the night wore on.

***

The sun had risen and breakfast had gone by. Kodachi came to her room
overlooking Ranma�s tomb and took up her position. She had gone early in the
morning and got breakfast elsewhere. She didn�t dislike Kasumi�s cooking,
but she couldn�t eat at the same table as that money-grubbing wench.

The day wore on and like a bad movie, nothing exciting happened. It was that
way all throughout Nerima since the incident. It seemed like Ranma himself
was the uncaused cause of everything weird that had ever happened.

In short, she was bored.

She rifled through the clothes that she kept at the house. She would be
spending lengths of time away from the mansion and without Sasuke, things
could get hectic. She paused, a skirt in her hands. Sasuke. It was the first
time she had consciously thought of the little ninja. Right now, Sasuke was
undergoing rehab in a little hospital in Hokkaido for an addiction to
painkillers. Where he had picked it up at, she had no idea.

She slid a dress aside and gasped. She didn�t think she still had that. She
reached in to the closet and pulled out her old leotard. Putting it up
against her, she realized with a scowl that she�d have to get a new one. She
caught herself and smiled. That�s what she would do. She would join her
brother in what he had been doing almost non-stop since the
incident...Train. Get back into the form she used to have. She wasn�t really
flabby, but her fighting shape was a couple of years out of practice. There
just wasn�t much time to train in college.

She left that morning and went to her old favorite store. Finding a leotard,
or two, would take some time, but she thought it would be worth it.

***

It fit like a glove. She forgot how little it left to the imagination. She
had cultivated modesty while away at college and felt the blood rise to her
cheeks. The new one held the kind of conservative daring that seemed to
typify the teen crowd these days.

Well, they had nerve. Just whom did they think they were marketing to
anyway?

...

...

She DID look good in it though...

***

Kodachi returned to the house undetected. She could have announced herself,
as was custom, but the room had been set aside for her and she would make
use of it. She changed into one of her new leotards and took a few items
with her to the obstacle course. She had a pin and two of her ribbons, she
couldn�t find anything else in such short notice, but that was no matter.
She was badly in need of practice anyway and these would do just fine.

Kodachi jumped to the first level of the course and began to work herself
backward into the bar area. It was the slow part that was designed for the
warm-up. It worked all right. She tossed a ribbon and wrapped it around one
of the upper bars and began to pull herself to the higher levels. She soon
fell into the designed rhythm of the course and quickly lost track of
herself.

***

Pulling herself up to the last platform, Kodachi fell against the pole
supporting the platform, exhausted. She was really out of shape. Either that
or this course was much harder than it appeared. Since that miniature panty
raider Happosai designed this course, she thought it was probably a little
of both. She couldn�t deny his mastery, as much as she wanted to deny him.
She wiped her brow and sat there, admiring the golden reds and oranges in
the distant sunset. There were noises. The occasional dog barking, the
constant flute playing that seemed to pervade these nights nowadays, but
something else.

Kodachi got up and walked to the edge of the platform facing the dojo. It
was Tendo-san. He and Tofu-san were sparring. Well, this was something that
she had never seen before. She knew that Ranma had sometimes sparred with
Tofu, but no one else ever really wanted to. She wondered why?

Thrust, spin, sweep, jump, hit, hit, counter.

All done with the grace that even rivaled Ranma. Kodachi had to admit to
herself that Tofu really knew how to move the human body. She smiled. He was
handsome too. And smart, a doctor after all. His technique was something she
�d not seen before that old ghoul Cologne had come to Nerima after Ranma.
Kodachi guessed that it was probably a Shiao Lin variant. The fluidity
matched that style, but some of the moves were almost, well, improvised.
Tendo-san looked as though he was doing everything in his power to keep from
losing, but in the end landed flat on his back. It was a remarkable
performance and Kodachi found that she had stood up on the platform and was
quite ready to clap. She sat down again and hoped no one had seen her.

Helping Tendo-san to his feet, they faced each other and bowed. It was all
very fair and sportsmanlike, and therefore quite foreign to Kodachi. Even
her brother, the paragon of athletes was not above whacking his opponent on
his bean when he wasn�t looking. In the Kuno family, it was almost required.

Tofu took a deep breath and headed towards the course. Kodachi began to
panic. What if he saw me here? What if he thought I was spying on him?

Paranoia in full gear, Kodachi sprang from her perch and bounded back down
to the easier section of the course. She could most likely outrun him here.
She raised herself onto one of the higher platforms overlooking the lower
elevations, but couldn�t see him. Was he hiding? A wave of fear hit her, not
like any she�d felt in a long time. What if he knew? What was she going to
do?

What if...? What if...? What if...?

She threw herself forward and up towards one of the highest platforms to try
and get a complete view of the course. The outside lights came on a few
minutes later, giving the whole course an incandescent, alien glow. Some of
the areas of the course were designed for night fighting and therefore had
neon architecture built into the framework. She saw a shadow. Was that him?

Kodachi peered gently over the ledge. Nothing but darkness.

A hand grasped her shoulder and Kodachi spun herself around. Her mind was an
absolute wall of fear as she whipped the ribbon past her head. Whatever had
touched her would now pay...

But it wasn�t there. Kodachi lost her balance and tumbled through the
course. She tried to angle herself away from the more dangerous posts, but
quickly saw one rushing towards her head. She closed her eyes, but nothing
came.

She felt the ground hit beneath her with a thud. But she wasn�t ON the
ground. Someone had caught her. She cautiously opened her eyes. It was Tofu.
Straining against the urge to scream, nothing escaped her lips. Tofu smiled
and raised an eyebrow.

�Don�t worry, I�ve got you,� He said, �I�m sorry if I startled you Kodachi,
but chasing you around the course has been most enjoyable and healthy. It
was a great workout, thank you.�

Kodachi only nodded in amazement as this odd man put her to her feet. He
waved goodbye and walked slowly back to the house. The smell of dinner came
floating out on the late summer breeze. Kodachi forsake dinner again and
returned to her room. She bathed and prepared for bed. Tonight, she didn�t
think it would be so bad to sleep here. She sat down in front of the mirror
and began to brush out her hair. She had cut it since moving to college, the
shorter hair just easier to manage in the hectic student life.

Some of the boys at school had always been trying to attract her attention,
but none of them ever measured up to her Ranma-sama. Then again, no one did.
He was unique.

But perhaps there was more out there than just Ranma.

She stopped brushing in mid-stroke. Kodachi looked out the window toward
Ranma�s tomb. She had never dared think that before. More than her
Ranma-sama? Impossible. But tonight, she thought she witnessed something
that could be said for experience. She had literally been swept off of her
feet, and that just did not happen to a lady of the house of Kuno.

Kodachi�s indignation flared as she thought more on it. Who did he think he
was, sneaking up on a helpless woman such as she? Him, a lowly doctor. And
yet...he was handsome. And strong, oh yes. He was also intelligent. He was a
doctor after all.

Kodachi sighed. She really felt helpless in this kind of situation.

There was a knock.

The door opened, it was Nodoka.

�Can we talk?� She asked.

Kodachi nodded slowly.

�You are a part of this family you know,� Nodoka said, sitting on the edge
of the bed closest to Kodachi.

�Yes, I know, I just don�t find the pleasure here that I once did...�
Kodachi trailed off.

She turned back to the mirror and tried to hide her tears in brushing her
hair. It didn�t work.

�I know, you miss Ranma,� Nodoka said, then seeing her reaction, �We all do.
But he�s married to Akane now. You�ve got to move on.�

Kodachi flared at this. How dare she? How dare she try and dictate her
actions? Kodachi caught herself. This was Ranma�s mother. Of course she
would do what she thought was right, even if it might not be.

�Have you ever truly loved?� Kodachi asked, trying to assay her true
emotions.

Nodoka was taken aback, but she figured that that was where the conversation
would probably lead. Nodoka knew that unless she got truthful, then Kodachi
would probably never leave her son alone, dead or alive.

�I thought, perhaps, Ranma would be the proof of that,� Nodoka said.

Kodachi shook her head.

�I am no more product of love than my dear brother. Perhaps the love shared
between Tatewaki and myself is rough and caustic at times, but it is much
more than he or I ever received at home,� Kodachi said softly.

�Do you want to talk about your home?� Nodoka asked.

Kodachi shook her head again.

�There�s more pain there than I�d rather recall,� Kodachi said, then turning
to her mirror again, �Please leave me to my pain. It may be one of the few
things I have left.�

Nodoka didn�t want to leave her like this, but what other choice was she
left with? Kodachi wouldn�t open up about her family life...At least, not
yet. Perhaps she would just have to try later. Bringing her back out was
perhaps the next great leap in joining the two families. At least Tatewaki
was training in the sunshine and out in the open where the rest of the
family could interact with him. Kodachi had walled herself into the room,
keeping lonely vigil over Ranma ever since the shrine was built.

Nodoka stopped at the door and began to ask something, but saw that Kodachi
was lost in thought again. She dropped it and turned to go.

�Nodoka,� Kodachi asked, startling the matron, �Is it ever worth fighting
for something?�

�Of course,� Nodoka said, smiling, �Once you find something worth fighting
for, then a purpose can implant itself in your life, guiding your actions.
Helping you when you get down and keeping you grounded and humble. Ranma
always did this well. At least, that�s what Nabiki and Kasumi always told
me. Is there anything else you�d like to know?�

�No...Oh. And Nodoka?� Kodachi asked, �Thank you.�

Nodoka smiled at the sad girl. Still a girl, not the woman that Nodoka had
assumed college would make her. But then, she was just as bad. All those
years hiding behind the mask of ignorance. It had taken her a while to come
to grips that her husband became a panda and her son was also her
daughter...at least, for a while.

Nodoka slowly closed the door.

***

Here comes the second half...Of part one...Of Act 3...

Need an outline yet?

Joshua "Gargoyle" Trujillo
"Stone Cold Protector of the Righteous"
"Owner of The Anime Bar and Grille - Confusing people for well over twenty
minutes"

Come on down to
The Anime Bar and Grille - New Hardwood Floors!
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/1509
We bake our stories fresh daily!