Here lies the disclaimer, may it rest in peace...
A Feather in the Wind
Chapter 11
A bruised and battered Chinese man spoke into a public
phone while another one glared at the few people out late
that night. The one on the phone winced at some particularly
loud exclamations and tried to respond. Resolutely, he hung
up the phone.
"Well?" The one that had not been on the phone asked in
Chinese.
"We are to return home, this mission is a failure." He
shrugged and started walking down the street. The other one
jogged a few steps to catch up.
"How can one attempt turn into mission failure?"
"We didn't perform enough observations on our target's
guardian, or his companion. Our agency does not want to risk
another attempt that may result in our capture. The boss
doesn't want to cause an...incident over this."
"Are we still getting paid?"
"Right now I'm more worried about...," he trailed off
as a black sedan pulled up next to them and stopped. The
passenger door opened and a soft voice bid them to enter.
"We no trust you!" One spoke angrily in Japanese. The
person inside the sedan laughed.
"If I wanted you two dead, you would be dead already.
My employer wishes to discuss a business proposition with
you." The two men shrugged and got into the car. Inside,
they found a short man dressed in a black suit in the
driver's seat.
"Gentlemen, I am known as Moiri," he identified
himself.
"Ping I am."
"Chun am called."
Moiri winced, "I don't suppose you could drop the
ignorant foreigner act could you? All that talking in the
third person gets on my nerves." Ping and Chun looked at
each other, abashed.
"You could tell?" Ping asked.
"It's not too difficult if you know what to look for."
The rest of the drive was spent in silence. Chun tried
glancing out the window from time to time to see where they
where headed, but the tint of the window and the dark of
night kept him from seeing anything clearly. Eventually,
they got out of the sedan inside of a mostly empty warehouse.
There was a single desk in the center with a high-backed
chair facing away from them. Ping and Chun glanced nervously
at each other.
"Welcome to my temporary office." The chair turned,
revealing Naoli. "I trust the summons wasn't too
inconvenient."
"What do you want?" Ping asked suspiciously. Naoli
smiled and placed her hands on the desk.
"I want the two of you to take a vacation. I'm sure
your agency is quite unhappy with you for failing in your
mission, and probably will not be willing to have failures in
their service." She gave the two suddenly nervous men a
smile. They conferred quietly for a moment before turning
back to face her.
"How do you know so much about this?" Ping asked, his
anxiety clear in his voice.
"I have my own sources. You really should have watched
Mr. Hibiki a little more before you decided to try and
eliminate him."
"We could have taken him...," Chun started to speak,
but Ping cut him off with an abrupt gesture.
"I see. We did underestimate his skill, not to mention
the skill of his companion. How do you propose we avoid our
own people?"
"That's entirely up to you, but should you attempt to
contact them again, I will have to take steps. It's a long
shot, but I think you might have enough intelligence for that
much at least." She leaned back in her chair and gazed at
them with half closed eyes.
Chun turned red in the face and reached into his robe.
His hand flashed as he threw a brace of knives that glinted
in the dim light. With a blur of motion Naoli had leapt
clear of the chair, leaving the knives to imbed harmlessly
into the back. Chun looked up just in time to see Naoli's
foot descending. Ping cursed and backed up as Naoli engaged
his partner. Moiri seemingly materialized next to him.
"I recommend against you trying to help your friend."
Moiri spoke quietly, but Ping could feel the sharp steel of
the katana against his throat making his point quite clear.
In the meantime, Chun was backing up slowly against Naoli's
furious assault. Her kicks were neither the fastest, nor the
most skillful, but it was all he could do to block the
attacks. Naoli muttered a silent thanks to Ryouga, she knew
that if he wasn't hurt she wouldn't stand a chance. Finally
he crumpled, howling with pain as Naoli had kicked the side
of his knee.
"I see you have a lack of common sense," Naoli said
coldly. "Remember what I told you two. If you get on the
wrong ship or plane, don't expect to arrive alive. I'm sure
there's a small island somewhere that will suit you." She
turned her back on them and walked to the desk and sat on it.
She reached into a drawer and grabbed a briefcase. She
looked at it briefly before she tossed it negligently at
Ping's feet.
"You'll find adequate compensation in there. Now get
out of my sight before I change my mind."
Ping gathered his partner and fled the building. Moiri
moved to stand near Naoli.
"We don't have the manpower to carry out that kind of
threat, my Lady."
"I know that, but they don't. A good bluff is almost
as good as having the people. I just don't want them to be
able to make a detailed report." She held a finger up.
"When they disappear, I will be sending the Chinese
agency they work for a little letter telling them that they
plan on selling information about them to another power, the
United States maybe. That should keep them out of our way.
After all, we do need the target, and maybe Mr. Hibiki in
good health. Our employers haven't made their minds up on
him yet."
"Clever, for one so young." Moiri almost smiled. Naoli
beamed a brilliant smile at him.
"Thanks!"
"But, it was rash of you to fight him like that. You
should know your skill better than that!" Moiri's usually
emotionless voice took on an edge of reproval.
"I knew Ryouga had hurt him. Besides, it'll teach him
to ignore friendly advice."
Morning brought very little with it to be cheerful
about. Gray clouds covered the sky, and the wind blew almost
constantly. Ryouga looked out the window and growled.
"Figures it'd be miserable out there."
"Yeah, whatever man. C'mon, I don't feel like
practicing with my old man." Ranma half dragged Ryouga out
to the yard. They faced off for a few seconds before they
launched themselves at each other. Ryouga remained almost
immobile against Ranma's lightning quick assault, but his
answering attacks were gleefully dodged. Ryouga snarled at
Ranma and tried to move faster. All that really did was make
his moves sloppy, and Ranma took advantage of each lapse.
"C'mon man, can't you focus better than that?" he
taunted.
"Shut up!" Ryouga snarled and tried for a roundhouse
kick. Ranma ducked the kick and punched Ryouga in the
stomach. Ryouga half smiled at him.
"You should know better than that Ranma!" he said as he
grabbed his wrist and threw him to the ground. Ranma sprang
instantly to his feet and was forced to block some rapid
punches, moving him back a few paces. Ryouga pressed his
attack trying to force Ranma into the pond. Just when it
seemed Ranma was going to fall in, he caught one of Ryouga's
punches and threw him into the pond.
"Still way too slow Ryouga!" Ranma squatted at the
edge of the pond and gloated at Ryouga-chan. She looked
downcast at the water for a minute before grabbing the front
of Ranma's shirt with an iron grip. A quick tug later,
Ranma-chan was spluttering in the cold water as well.
"Hey! What didja go and do that for?" Ranma-chan
glowered at Ryouga-chan.
"You were the one sloppy enough to stay within my
reach!" she countered. As they sat in the water glaring at
each other, Akane came outside wearing a white T-shirt and a
short gray skirt.
"Come inside you two! Breakfast is almost ready and
you need to dry off!" She waited on the porch with a pair of
towels for the soaked martial artists. "Honestly, can't you
train without getting wet?"
"Does not look like it, does it Ryouga?" Ranma-chan
spoke with no emotion in her voice.
"Not at all." Ryouga-chan spoke in much the same
monotone. Akane looked at them warily.
"What gives?"
"We go. Internal chronometer indicates it is past time
to obtain sustenance." Ranma-chan now spoke in a robotic
voice and moved jerkily. Ryouga-chan's face twitched, as if
she were suppressing a grin.
"Roger roger." she spoke in the same kind of voice and
took two steps before Akane threw the both of them back into
the pond with a shout.
"I can't believe you!" She shouted before she stormed
inside. They looked at each other, still neck deep in the
cold water.
"I thought she would find that funny." Ryouga-chan
said as she shook some water out of her hair.
"Who can ever tell with that un-cute tomboy?" Ranma-
chan grumbled. Akane stuck her head out the door.
"I heard that Ranma!" she stuck her tongue out and
closed her eyes, making a face at her fiancee. She opened
them again in surprise when she felt someone grab her tongue
between two fingers.
"Gee Akane," Feather said mildly as she pulled a little
on her friend's tongue, "Your tongue seems to be loose this
morning."
"Heeh ho oh my hongue!" Akane's eyebrows furrowed
angrily. Feather cocked her head innocently.
"What was that? I couldn't understand a word you
said." she squeezed Akane's tongue a little harder. Akane's
eyes narrowed a split second before she grabbed her wrist and
gave it a deft twist. Feather cried out in surprise as Akane
flung her towards the pond as well. She snapped her wings
out and hovered, her feet just above Ranma-chan and Ryouga-
chan.
"Nice throw Akane, but throws don't work that good on
me!" She stuck her tongue out at a steaming Akane. Ranma-
chan and Ryouga-chan looked at each other for a moment before
they each grabbed a leg and pulled her in.
"Hey!!!" Feather screamed as she surfaced in the pond.
Akane just about collapsed on the porch laughing, while
Ranma-chan and Ryouga-chan gave each other a high five over
Feather's head.
"If that's how you're going to be...," she sniffed at
them before she climbed out of the cold water. When she
shook her wings to dry them, it caused a spray of water that
got Akane wet.
"You did that on purpose didn't you?" Akane yelled as
she stomped towards Feather. Feather gave her the most
innocent look she could.
"Who, me?" she asked right before she wrapped Akane up
in a hug, encircling her wet wings around the startled girl
as well.
"Hey! That's cold!" Akane shouted as she struggled in
the red-haired girl's grip before she started laughing as
Feather's wings tickled her bare legs.
"Hee hee hee, stop it! Your wings are tickling me!"
she managed to gasp out.
"Oh, you mean these wings?" Feather asked with a
vicious grin as she purposely drew her wingtips across the
back of Akane's knees. Ranma-chan and Ryouga-chan's eyes
went wide as Feather's wings moved away from Akane.
Feather was practically holding Akane up with a tight
hug, who had perhaps unconsciously wrapped her arms below her
waist. Their legs had gotten tangled as Akane had tried to
kick her legs away from being tickled. They were pressed
tightly together and Akane's squirming made it appear that
she was rubbing up and down against Feather's body. Her
white T-shirt was quite wet now and it clung to her skin.
Both of the girls were laughing uncontrollably. Ryouga-
chan's nose began to bleed and she slowly sank under the
water while Ranma-chan just stared wide-eyed.
"Whoa! You two really don't want to know what that
looks like from over here!" Ranma-chan smirked at them.
Akane was out of breath from laughing too much to reply.
Feather looked over towards the pond and scowled.
"Knock it off, big brother!" she glanced around
quizzically, "Hey, what happened to Ryouga?" She asked.
Ranma-chan's head whipped around a few times until she
spotted the semi-conscious Ryouga-chan under water. She
reached under and pulled the blonde from the water.
"Guess he couldn't handle it!" Ranma-chan joked as she
dragged her friend into the house. The girls looked at each
other.
"I guess that did kinda look, well, bad didn't it?"
Feather giggled behind a hand. Akane gave her an exasperated
look.
"It's your fault for grabbing onto me like that!" Akane
mock scolded her as she held the T-shirt away from her skin,
"Now I have to go change before breakfast!"
"I'm sure Ranma appreciated the view!" Feather gave
her a sly glance, and then laughed when Akane blushed.
"I, he, we, oh never mind!" She stormed into the
house. Feather shook her wings a few more times, trying to
get the last of the water off of them. She sighed as she
tried to retract into her back again and couldn't.
"Must be because they're wet." she muttered to herself
as she went inside to change as well. She folded her wings
around herself like a cloak.
Feather was aware of the stares when she approached the
table. She stared at the table as she sat down, twitching
her dress a little to cover her legs.
"Feather," Soun asked after a moment, "why didn't you,
you know...," he gestured towards his back, groping for a way
to convey his meaning. Feather looked up at him with a
little bit of a grimace.
"I can't seem to do that when they're wet for some
reason."
Genma reached over and ran his hand down one of them.
"Feels dry to me."
"They're damp, I can still feel the water." She
twitched her wing away from his hand before she attacked the
food on her plate. Ryouga gave her a look that conveyed his
sympathy before he began eating as well.
"Oh my, that doesn't look very comfortable," Kasumi
said when she saw how often Feather had to shift her wings to
keep them off the floor. Feather shrugged.
"I'm more or less used to it."
"Whoa yeah! Now there's a sweet sight for me!"
Happosai yelled as he bounded into the room and attached
himself to Feather's chest. She jumped straight up,
overturning the table onto Soun.
"He's spry this morning," Nabiki frowned as she
mentally figured out how much it would cost to replace the
dishes that had been broken.
"Grandfather Happosai!" Kasumi said in a sharp voice,
causing all motion in the room to stop. "I thought you had
agreed that mealtimes would not be affected by your
training!" Everyone but Happosai face-faulted at her words.
"Training?!?" Ryouga managed to squeak out once he got
his jaw off the floor. "You call that training?"
Happosai had a hurt look on his face when he dropped
off of Feather and walked a few paces towards Kasumi.
"Kasumi, you don't mean...," he whimpered a little as
Kasumi slowly nodded. He turned around with a totally
dejected look on his face, scuffing his toe like a scolded
schoolboy.
"Hey Kasumi," Ranma spoke as he righted the table,
"What kinda deal did you pull with him? I didn't think
anything could stop him."
"It's simple Ranma," Kasumi giggled, "I told him that
if he totally interrupted a meal, I wouldn't make him another
meal that day. Or, if he ruined dinner, nothing for the
entire next day."
"Wow," Akane laughed, "and all you get out of it is
peaceful meal times."
Happosai turned and glared around the room. "You
better not be laughing at me! I won't tolerate it!"
"Come off it freak." Ranma squatted in front of the
shriveled master, "We all know Kasumi's word is law when it
comes to the food in this place. Don't go and try to blame
us for what you did!"
"Why shouldn't I? It always worked with your Fathers.
Besides, I'm still your master." He crossed his arms and
turned to walk away while Ranma was fuming, only to run into
Ryouga's legs. "And what do you want?" he asked indignantly.
Ryouga bent over picked the old man up by the collar of his
shirt.
"Why don't we get a few things perfectly clear, old
man," he growled, "I am not your student, my father was never
your student. I have none of the so-called obligations you
like to hold over their heads." Ryouga grinned evilly at
him. "So don't expect me to go bowing and scraping for you at
any time, 'cause you won't get it from me."
"Anything else you want to throw in my face while
you're at it, boy?" Happosai sneered at him; "Because you
aren't likely get another chance to speak to me this way."
"No, but I'll let you know if I think of something."
Ryouga said as he dropped the old man unceremoniously.
"I should teach you a lesson in respect boy!"
"Bring it on!" Ryouga snarled as he dropped into a
ready stance. Happosai snorted.
"You ain't worth half my effort boyo! Besides," he
brushed a bit of dirt off his doji, "Kasumi's mad enough at
me as is. See ya!" Happi laughed as he hopped off. Ryouga
stood seething and staring in the direction Happosai had left
in. Feather put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't let him get to you, ok?" she said softly.
Ryouga glanced at her before stalking upstairs without saying
a word. Feather's wings drooped noticeably as she watched
him disappear upstairs. She walked outside and out the gate.
Akane followed her out the gate, but when she looked around,
the redhead was gone. A moment later, Ryouga came back down
the stairs.
"Uhm... I can't find the bathroom..." Embarrassment was
evident in his voice.
"C'mon man. It's this way." Ranma chuckled as he led
the lost boy down the hall.
Feather watched the gate from around the corner until
Akane had gone back inside. She wanted to be alone so that
she could sort out her own feelings. The dank and cloudy
morning seemed to fit her mood perfectly.
"Why am I so depressed now? Nothing major happened
this morning, right?" she asked herself as she walked.
Unable to answer her own question, she walked with her head
hung until she came across a small playground. There were
several small children playing on the swings and the jungle
gym while two mothers sat on a bench, keeping a benevolent
watch on them as they talked. Feather smiled as the carefree
laughter became infectious. She sat down on another bench
and folded her wings about her to help ward off the cool
morning air.
The innocent play of the children seemed to cheer her
up, until she tried to remember the last time she had played
like that. Unable to recall such happy moments, she sighed
and stood to leave. As she walked away, she glanced once
over her shoulder at the laughing children, sighed, then
walked quickly away.
"Having regrets Feather?" Feather spun at the voice and
found Naoli standing slightly behind her.
"Naoli! Don't sneak up on me like that!" She put one
hand over her rapidly beating heart. Naoli gave her a quick
smile.
"Sorry. I didn't expect to see you out this early
alone."
"What do you mean by that?" Feather asked as she
narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Naoli put her hands in her
pockets and looked up as she replied.
"Oh nothing." She brought her gaze back to Feather. "I
understand there was a bit of excitement last night at the
concert you went to."
"Excitement? Oh, that." Feather snorted. "They
didn't seem to be that much of a problem for Ranma and
Ryouga." She started walking again and Naoli fell in beside
her.
"It made the evening news. They didn't say who was
involved, but with the level of destruction they showed on TV
it almost had to involve Ryouga." Naoli laughed, "A lot of
people thought it was just part of that bands' act too,
that's the real kicker!"
Feather flashed her a smile, but didn't say anything.
They walked for quite a while in silence before Feather
stopped. Naoli took two more steps before she stopped and
turned to face Feather.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Naoli, I want to ask you something. What's your
interest in Ryouga?" Feather asked with a serious look on her
face. Naoli grinned as she took a step towards Feather.
"Oho! You're the jealous type aren't you?"
"What do you mean jealous? Who's jealous?" Feather
sputtered as her face turned a pretty shade of red. Naoli
laughed and put her hands on her hips.
"I should've known you'd be the jealous type with those
green eyes of yours."
"What do my eyes have to do with anything?" Feather's
face was now red with anger rather than embarrassment. Naoli
looked at her with mock amazement.
"Don't tell me you've never heard that old saying."
"What old saying?"
"That one about jealousy being a green eyed monster!"
Naoli laughed as she dodged a sudden swing from Feather.
"So, I'm a monster am I?" she scowled at Naoli before
she began to chase her in earnest. Naoli laughed at
Feather's futile attempts to grab her as she ran. Suddenly
she couldn't hear any footsteps behind her. Naoli turned
around, expecting to see Feather standing a few paces behind
her, but saw nothing. She spun around again when she felt a
gust of wind right behind her. Feather landed with a muffled
thump and her wings blurred a little as they retracted into
her back.
"Still plan on running?" Feather asked with an amused
smirk.
"Are you still going to try and get me?"
"Maybe."
"Then maybe I'll have to try running again!" Naoli
crossed her arms and half turned as if she was about to dash
off again. Feather laughed and took a step forward and
reached out for Naoli when someone jumped off of the wall
secured Feather's arm behind her back and held a knife
against her throat. Feather let out a startled cry and
stiffened when she felt the knife touch her skin.
"Chun! Why haven't you left the country yet!" Naoli
snarled at the Chinese man.
"Ha! Ping might've taken your so called advise, but I
intend to complete our mission!" he pressed his knife a
little against Feather's throat, "And there's nothing you can
do to stop me now!" Naoli scowled at him and decided to try
and stall for time.
"Just how do you think you can escape? She'll just fly
off if you loosen your grip in the slightest." Naoli held
her arms wide and took a slight step forward.
"Back off!" Chun yelled before he lowered his voice
again. "I don't really want to be forced to kill her, but
it's an option!" His scowl slowly turned into a half smile.
"Then again, why don't you come closer? I'm sure that my
employer will be just as happy to see her dead."
"What do you want from me?" Feather said, her fear
evident in her voice.
"There are people that are very interested in your
wings. I was hired to bring you back alive, preferably."
Chun grinned, revealing gaps in his teeth evidence of his
fight with Ryouga. "Now, be a good girl and bring your wings
out. Slowly, I don't think it be wise to try and shove me
away right now."
Feather swallowed hard and shook her head a little.
"I can't, not with you holding my arm that high." Chun
scowled at her words and twisted her arm a little harder,
eliciting a small cry of pain.
"Don't try to lie to me! Do it now!" he yelled in her
ear. Feather concentrated, trying to figure out something
she had been doing instinctively. She held her breath for a
second and then slowly, her wings emerged from her back.
Naoli watched in wonder as she saw Feather's wings slowly
grow out of her back, feathers sprouting from the fleshy
portions at an astounding rate. What had taken a split
second before took an agonizing five minutes. Several times
during the process Feather gasped in pain due to her shoulder
being twisted back by Chun.
"That's a good girl." He let go of her arm and put a
crushing grip on close to the base of her left wing. Feather
screamed in pain as he twisted it cruelly. The color drained
from her face and she nearly passed out from the pain.
"Bastard! Let go of her!" Naoli yelled as she leapt at
him. Chun snarled and pulled Feather in front of him. Naoli
barely managed to stop her charge before she ran headfirst
into Feather.
"Don't be reckless!" he spat as he hit Naoli in the
forehead with the handle of his knife. She fell back,
stunned from the blow. Chun brought the knife against
Feather's throat again.
"Move!" He hissed at her as he yanked her roughly
toward the corner.
Things seemed to be quiet at the Tendo dojo. Ranma and
Ryouga were in their room, quietly looking at a book of some
sort. Ryouga fidgeted nervously as he flipped the page.
"Are you sure this is the best source of information?
I mean, are you sure this will help?" Ryouga asked nervously.
Ranma nodded sagely.
"Know thy enemy, and know thyself. Pops spouts that
all the time, but this really might help you out. I know it
helped me come a little closer to dealing with things." He
pointed imperiously at the page. "Now read it!"
"Are you sure a book like this will help me? I mean,
this whole book reads like, well, a lecture."
"Hey, you wanted to know how I got on better terms with
my curse!" Ranma snatched up the book and held the cover in
Ryouga's face.
"'How to be a Woman, a girls' guide to womanhood?'"
Ryouga read angrily, "You actually read this?!?!" Ryouga
grabbed Ranma's shirt. Ranma looked at Ryouga sternly before
he started laughing uncontrollably.
"You set me up for that didn't you Ranma!" Ryouga
angrily threw him across the room. Ranma was still laughing
when he landed in a heap.
"The... hee hee, look on your face!" Ranma continued to
laugh while Ryouga steamed until there was a soft knock on
the door.
"Yeah?" Ryouga asked as he stood to answer the door.
The door opened before he could reach it. Akari bounced in
happily.
"Hi Ryouga, did you miss me?" she asked as she gave him
a hug. Ryouga however, blushed and stared off into space,
sending Ranma into another laughing fit.
"What's wrong with Ryouga?" she asked as she struggled
to get his attention.
"Nothing more than terminal shyness I'd say." Ranma
said seriously before he reached over and pinched Ryouga's
cheek a bit. "Ain't it too cwuuute?"
Ryouga recovered from his light-headedness instantly
and grabbed the offending hand.
"And just what is too cute?" Ryouga glared at Ranma.
"Uhm, Ryouga? What's wrong?" Akari asked quietly.
Ryouga immediately stood stock-still and took in the scene
around him. Akari was still hugging him, and he had Ranma's
hand in a death grip, and the book...
"Oh no!" He dove out of Akari's arms and snatched the
book from where it lay on the floor and promptly held it
behind his back.
"What's that Ryouga?" she asked, a small smile on her
face. "What is it? Lemme see!" Ranma stepped back and
laughed as Ryouga desperately dodged Akari's attempts to see
what it was he was trying desperately to hide.
"Well, looks like you have some company Ryouga, I guess
I'd better go." Ranma smirked at the panicked look on his
face before he left the room. He hadn't gone more than two
steps past the door when he was clobbered in the back of the
head. He spun around, but all he saw was the door to the
room closing and the book on the floor. Ranma shrugged and
tossed the book into Akane's room.
"Maybe that thing will have more use than just getting
a rise outta Ryouga..." he mused as he turned to make his way
downstairs.
Feather was sweating nervously as they walked down the
streets of Nerima. As they turned another corner, she
recognized Dr. Tofu's office. She saw him talking with one
of his elderly patients just outside the door, when he
suddenly ducked back inside. Feather watched out of the
corner of her eye and saw him pick up a phone and dial
rapidly. She muttered a silent prayer that he was calling
the Dojo.
Dr. Tofu was chatting with one of his regulars outside
when he saw Feather and a man he did not recognize turn the
corner. His eyes narrowed when he saw that the man's
knuckles had turned white from the force of the grip he was
keeping on her wing.
"I'm sorry Mr. Yamata, but I'm afraid there is
something I must do now," he said in way of apology before he
ducked inside and quickly dialed the phone.
"Tendo Dojo," Akane's voice said pleasantly through the
receiver.
"Akane, this is Dr. Tofu. Get Ranma and Ryouga to the
clinic as fast as you can! Someone is trying to kidnap
Feather!"
"We'll be right there!" He heard Akane drop the phone
and her rapid footsteps away. He hung up the phone and
looked out the window to see how far down the street they had
gotten, and tried to come up with a way to stall the man.
"We'll be right there!" Akane dropped the phone and
dashed upstairs. She slammed into Ranma's chest at the top
of the stairs.
"Whoa! Hey, watch it you klutz!" Ranma said as they
landed in a tangle.
"Never mind that Ranma!" Akane yelled as she got to
her feet and started dragging Ranma down the hall, "We have
to get Ryouga and get down to Dr. Tofu's now!"
"Hey, what's going on?" Ranma asked as Akane threw
open the door to Ranma and Ryouga's room. Akari jumped in
fright and Ryouga's head snapped around to face the door at
the noise.
"What the...?" Ryouga started before Akane grabbed his
arm as well.
"We must get to Dr. Tofu's right away! Something's
happened to Feather!" she practically yelled.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Ryouga snarled,
and the three martial artists sprinted away, leaving a
confused Akari behind.
"What?" Akari stared at the speed of their departure.
She ran as fast as she could to try and catch up with them,
but by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, there
was no sign of them.
"Oh my, Akari, what's going on?" Kasumi asked as she
stepped out of the kitchen.
"Something happened to someone called Feather," Akari
shrugged, "Do you know who that is?"
"Feather is Ranma's sister. Oh, I hope nothing bad
happened to her..." Kasumi fidgeted worriedly for a minute
before she returned to the kitchen. Akari sighed and settled
down in the living room to watch TV.
Dr. Tofu had started to step outside when he saw a
woman in a black jumpsuit stagger around the corner and then
moved to confront the man with Feather. She apparently
started an argument with him. Dr. Tofu watched from around
the edge of one of the pillars that marked the gate to his
office as the argument raged on. A glance at his watch told
him that the argument had lasted for nearly ten minutes.
::Just a few more minutes, and the cavalry will be
here!:: He thought to himself. His slight smile faded when
the woman apparently threw some sort of insult that
infuriated the man. He couldn't hear what was said, but he
could see the anger on the man's face as he threw Feather
into the wall and knocked the woman out with two powerful
punches and then kicked her in the ribs a few times for good
measure. Dr. Tofu cursed under his breath, knowing that his
devotion to the healing arts left him unprepared for this
kind of confrontation.
Feather shook the cobwebs out of her head just in time
to see Chun knock Naoli to the ground. She dashed forward
and delivered a kick to the small of his back. When he
turned to face her, she kicked him in the jaw, knocking him
back a few steps. Feather seized the opportunity and scooped
Naoli into her arms and took off, intent on flying back to
the dojo. She had gotten maybe two meters off the ground
when she felt something wrap around her ankles and was jerked
to a stop. She looked down and saw that Chun had used his
belt like a whip in a last ditch effort to keep her from
escaping. An evil grin spread over Chun's face when he saw
that Feather wasn't strong enough to fly with his weight as
well.
"What's the matter? Not strong enough to get away?" he
sneered as he pulled harder. Feather began to fly rapidly in
different directions in an attempt to get him to lose his
grip. Chun was amazed at how much effort it took to keep a
hold on the belt, if she wasn't already weighed down with
Naoli, she would have pulled him off the ground immediately.
It was a stalemate; the first to weaken and fall would
be defeated. As the minutes drug on, the overcast morning
turned into rain. Chun grinned viciously when he saw that
Feather was tiring faster.
"What's the matter? Getting a little tired?" He
taunted. She stuck her tongue out at him in response.
Without warning, something flew out of the rain and severed
the belt before it embedded itself into the wall.
"What the...?" Chun cursed as he fell over. When he
got up, he saw Feather fly into a second story window of a
clinic across the street. As he moved to intercept her
again, he found himself blocked by three angry girls. He
paused to look at them. The first had short black hair and
was wearing a jacket and a mid length skirt. The next one
had bright red hair bound into a pigtail and was wearing
Chinese clothes. The last one had shaggy blond hair and had
a yellow sweater and green pants bound around the calves.
"Who are you three supposed to be? The Nerima
musketeers?" He laughed as he tried to push his way past
them. When he couldn't he tried to slap Akane.
"Wrong move pal!" Ranma-chan yelled as she kicked his
arm away from Akane. Chun howled as he backed away,
clutching at his arm. Ryouga-chan growled deep in her throat
as she leapt for a kick. Her foot slammed into his chest
with the force of a sledgehammer, knocking the breath out of
him.
"Right, it's my turn!" Akane said as she went through
a punch kick combo, ending with a foot sweep. Chun crashed
into the concrete with all the grace of a dropped rag doll.
"Who are you people?" he asked as he struggled to
stand. Ryouga-chan crouched in front of him.
"We're the people that will make your life hell if you
ever come back here." Barely contained fury flavored her
voice and twisted her features. Chun spat blood in her face.
"Oh, hell!" Ranma-chan cursed when he saw Chun spit in
her friend's face. Sure enough, Ryouga-chan went through her
transformation and proceeded to thoroughly thrash the hapless
Chun. After a few seconds, Ranma-chan moved to stop her.
"Hey, that's enough!" she yelled as she grabbed onto
Ryouga-lupine's shoulder. Ryouga-lupine looked over her
shoulder at Ranma-chan before she dropped the now unconscious
Chun.
"Come on, I saw Feather fly into Dr. Tofu's, let's see
how she's doing," Akane said when she walked over to them,
"Besides, your gonna draw a crowd if you keep changing like
that." Ryouga-lupine managed to look embarrassed through the
fur before she shifted back into her girl form. Well, almost
all the way back. Her ears remained tufted wolves ears, and
a large bushy tail peeked out of her trousers. Akane covered
her mouth and giggled when Ranma-chan leaned around Ryouga-
chan and tugged at her tail.
"Ranma! Stop pulling my tail!" Ryouga-chan snarled as
she batted her hands away, her tail swishing in agitation.
"Ok, ok! Geez, lighten up." Ranma-chan snorted as she
turned to walk into Dr. Tofu's.
When they got inside the clinic, they found Feather
leaning against the wall, holding a bag of ice near the base
of her left wing.
"Are you ok Feather?" Akane asked as she took the ice
from her and held it on her wing.
"Yeah, I'll be just fine as soon as you ease up on that
ice!" Feather winced.
"Sorry." Akane stopped pressing as hard on the ice
pack.
"I only have a few bruises, the worst one is where he
grabbed my wing and twisted it," she gave them a pained look,
"You have any idea how much that hurts?"
"Not really," Ranma-chan shrugged, "but I can imagine.
Who was that girl you carried in here anyway?"
"Oh, that was Naoli," Feather shrugged, "That creep
knocked her out and kicked her in the ribs a few times. Dr
Tofu is wrapping her ribs up right now."
"What'd she ever do to him? She's basically harmless
without that rifle of hers." Ryouga-chan shrugged. Feather
looked over at her and collapsed laughing. "What?" Ryouga-
chan asked, her ears going flat against her head, sending
Feather into another fit of laughter. Ryouga-chan threw her
hands in the air in disgust before she plopped onto the couch
and began to wring the rainwater out of her tail.
"How'd that happen?" Feather asked when she finally
stopped laughing. Ryouga-chan scowled for a second before
she responded.
"Dunno. Ranma managed to make me feel really
embarrassed while I was a werewolf," she looked thoughtfully
at the ceiling, "I'm still not totally sure how this curse
works."
"Getting back on track," Akane said as she firmly
reapplied the ice to Feather's wing, "Where exactly did Naoli
fit into all this?"
"We're not really sure," Feather looked thoughtful,
"The first time we saw her she was warning us about those two
guys that attacked Ranma and Ryouga at the concert. But, she
told us that they were cultists that were angry with Ryouga
for breaking up a ceremony or something. When she was
confronting that guy today, I found out that they were really
trying to get Ryouga out of the way so they could kidnap me
and she knew it!"
"I just knew she wasn't really telling us everything,"
Ryouga-chan muttered, "That story about the cultists didn't
really sit all that well with me. Something just didn't
sound right about her getting so concerned about me that
she'd come here from China just to give me a little warning."
"Sounds to me like she's got some explainin' to do!"
Ranma-chan said as she crossed her arms and leaned against a
wall. Akane nodded.
"Right, but she did slow that jerk down long enough for
us to catch up. She can't be all bad." Akane pointed out.
At this point, Dr. Tofu walked into the waiting room and
closed the door behind him.
"How is she Doc?" Ryouga-chan asked as she stood.
"Oh, she'll be just fine. She only has a few bruises.
I wrapped her ribs merely as a precaution. You can go in and
see her now if you want." Dr. Tofu opened the door for them.
Ryouga-chan was the first one through the door, but the room
was empty.
"What the... She's gone!" she exclaimed. A quick
glance around revealed only a scrap of paper on the bed where
Naoli should have been. Ranma-chan scooped up the note and
read it aloud.
"Hey there, as you can see, I had to run. I will be
seeing you all again soon. Thanks for fixing me up Doctor.
It's signed Naoli," Ranma-chan scowled at the window, "What
I'd like to find out is how she closed the window behind
her."
"Who cares?" Feather shrugged, "I just want to go home
now."
"Sounds good. See you later Doc!" Ranma-chan said as
she led the others out.
Naoli winced as Moiri re-wrapped her ribs with dry
gauze. He chuckled at her as he finished up.
"Well now, you've had an exciting morning. Who nearly
broke your ribs?" he asked with a dry tone.
"Chun. He decided he wanted to try and make a grab for
Feather without any help. He almost succeeded too," Naoli
said as she put on a loose fitting sweater. Moiri shook his
head in disgust.
"And you could not defeat him again? He should have
been little trouble."
"He had a knife to Feather's throat, and kept pulling
her in the way. The best I could do was stall him in front
of Dr. Tofu's office while he called up Ryouga and his
friends." Naoli snapped. In a flash, Moiri had grabbed her
collar and pulled her down so that her eyes were level with
his.
"Remember this, you may be in charge of business
aspect, but I am still your master. Do not lose your
patience around me girl, you might make me regret ever
getting you away from that gang and teaching you to be a
mercenary ninja instead of a petty thief." His voice was
cold and level as he spoke. After holding her gaze for a few
minutes, he released her. Naoli looked shocked before she
knelt in front of him.
"I'm sorry master. It will not happen again," she said
seriously. Moiri glared at her until a smile broke out on
his face. He cupped her chin in his hand.
"Don't be making promises you know you can't keep girl.
It hurts your reputation."
"Come in and dry off, you must be freezing," Kasumi
said as she met them at the door with an armload of towels,
"Ryouga, your friend Akari is still here."
Ryouga-chan smacked her forehead while Ranma-chan
laughed at her. Ryouga-chan turned and growled at her.
"Don't even start Ranma!" she warned. Ranma-chan just
kept on laughing as she left for the furo.
"I'm gonna take a bath and warm up. You comin' Ryouga,
or are you gonna stay a girl all day?" Ranma-chan taunted as
she raced down the hallway, Ryouga-chan in close pursuit.
Akari walked into the foyer with a dazed expression.
"I thought I just saw Ryouga as a girl with a tail
running down the hall after a red haired girl saying
something about a bath." Akari looked at the other girls for
an exclamation.
"Don't look at me, I'm not even going to try and
explain those two anymore." Akane shrugged.
"Just one of the minor pieces of insanity that keep us
sane around here." Feather quipped as she started to work on
drying her wings with a towel. Akari stared hard at her
until Feather looked up in alarm.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing, it's just that, well, you have... you know...
wings," Akari stammered, not really believing her eyes.
Feather looked at the ceiling in resignation.
"Yes, I have wings."
"Uhm... By any chance would you happen to be an angel?"
Akari asked excitedly as she clasped her hands in front of
her.
"I AM NOT AN ANGEL!!!" Feather screamed in her face
before she dashed to her room. Akari's hair was blasted back
by the force of the yell. Akane winced when she heard the
door slam shut.
"What did I say?" Akari asked innocently. Akane
sighed as she led the pig-farmer back to the living room.
"It's a kinda long story, but the short of it is that
her last guardian was using her as a sideshow attraction,"
she said softly, "He claimed she was an angel and kept her
chained to a stool. Ranma and I saved her when we found out.
If you want to know anything else, you'll have to ask her
after she's calmed down."
"I can't really blame her for being upset with a
question like that," Akari sighed, "I bet she hates me now."
"It's hard to figure her out sometimes." Akane
shrugged.
Feather glared at her closed door for a while before
she felt she was calm enough to go back and apologize to
Akari for screaming in her face.
"She must think I'm really mean now...," she sighed to
herself as she opened the door. When she reached the top of
the stairs she found herself struggling with a sudden bout of
nervousness. Steeling herself for what she was sure would
end up a screaming match, she started to descend. When she
reached the living room, she saw that Ranma and Ryouga had
finished their bath and were chatting with Akari and Akane
over some tea. Ranma patted the spot next to him.
"Sit down Feather and grab some tea. I'll bet your
feeling a ton better now that you've had a chance to calm
down, right?" Ranma emphasized the last few words causing
Feather to blink in confusion.
"Calm down?" She asked blankly.
"Yeah, calm down. Getting attacked this morning really
did a job on your temper, didn't it?" Akane gave her a hard
stare. Feather looked blankly at her for a second before
comprehension set in. She smiled apologetically at them as
she sat next to Ranma.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry about earlier Akari, I was still
upset at that guy." Feather blushed while Akari waved off
her apology.
"It's not really your fault. Besides, it was a dumb
question, wasn't it?" She giggled. Feather vowed to herself
to be nice to the pig-farmer, despite the fact that she was
hanging all over Ryouga. Ryouga, on the other hand, was
doing his best just to stay halfway conscious. The
conversation drifted around him unnoticed until Akari started
to compare him to pigs again. The badly underrated fuse that
held his temper in check burned out. Ryouga stood suddenly
and he leveled a glare at Akari.
"I. Hate. Pigs!" he ground out before he stomped
away from the living room. Akari looked abashed at his
statement.
"He hates pigs? Why?" she asked in a small voice.
"I'm not sure," Akane looked thoughtful, "but speaking
of pigs, I haven't seen my little P-chan anywhere for a
really long time now." Ranma bit down on his tongue hard to
keep from telling her the truth about P-chan.
"Gee Akane, the little porker gets lost so much I'm
surprised he didn't disappear for good earlier," he said
nonchalantly as he leaned against the table.
"We're talking about P-chan, not Ryouga you know!"
Akane snapped at him. He waved at her lazily.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Ryouga ain't P-chan. You gotta
admit though, it's the longest he's been gone. Not really
much you can do about it." He yawned. Akane glared at him
until Feather spoke up.
"I hate saying this Akane, but Ranma might just be
right. After all, I've never seen your P-chan and I moved in
a while ago." Akane sighed at her words.
"I, I just hope he's happy wherever he is. He was one
smart little piglet." Akane sighed, elsewhere in the house
Ryouga sneezed. Conversation died off at that point, and
Akari decided to depart. Once she was out of the door, she
looked up to sky and made her vow.
"By the next time I see you Ryouga, I'll be able to
hate pigs for you!"
Afternoon found Ryouga and Feather facing off in the
dojo while Ranma relaxed off to one side.
"Ok Feather, come at me," Ryouga said calmly as he
took up his stance. Feather nodded and rushed in with a kick
that he deftly blocked. Ranma yawned as he watched them
spar.
::How basic can you get?:: he thought to himself as
Feather went through a three-strike combo that Ryouga easily
dodged. Ryouga began to attack Feather, and the resulting
display made Ranma sit up straight and take notice. ::He's
not pulling his punches! He'll break her in half when he
hits!:: Ranma thought frantically as he half stood.
"Hey! Go easy Ryouga!" he blurted out. Distracted by
Ranma, Feather didn't see Ryouga's next strike until it was
an inch from her face. With a startled cry she bent over
backwards so far that she almost looked like she was folded
in half. She placed her hands on the floor and brought her
legs up quickly in an attempt to kick Ryouga. He dodged out
of the way as she finished her impromptu handstand. He
turned and glared at Ranma.
"What do you think you're doing, distracting her like
that!" His eyes never left Ranma, but he continued to block
Feather's attacks.
"You're not pulling your punches Ryouga! You could
kill her with one hit!" Ranma exclaimed, "I know first hand
how powerful those punches of yours are. She hasn't a chance
of being able to deal with the same kind of damage we can."
He crossed his arms. Feather stopped attacking Ryouga and
gave Ranma a confused stare.
"I can handle it Ranma. I'm tougher than I look, you
know."
"Maybe, but so is Ryouga. Look, just be careful ok? I
don't want to see you get hurt while training."
"I know what I'm doing Ranma," Ryouga sounded a little
exasperated, "She's already fast enough to dodge or block the
kind of blows I'm throwing her way. If I coddle her too
much, she won't be ready for any real fights." Ranma looked
ready to disagree with him but said nothing. As they went
back to their training, Ranma watched with a jaundiced eye.
Even though Ryouga was putting his usual amount of strength
into the punches and kicks he sent her way, he wasn't even
putting half the speed into them that he could. Ranma nodded
his understanding and relaxed. When one of the blows landed,
Feather rolled with them, sometimes literally, only to get
back up and try again. He found a grudging admiration for
her tenacity.
"Winged girl get better quickly." Ranma nearly jumped
out of his skin when he heard Shampoo speak from almost right
next to him.
"When did you get here Shampoo!" he said as he turned
to face her while clutching at his chest.
"Just minute ago. Saw lost boy and winged girl
training, so watched. She very flexible. Shampoo no know if
can bend like that." She pointed towards where Feather was
dodging by going into positions that would make a
contortionist wince. As they were talking Mousse staggered
in.
"Saotome," he said by way of greeting before he slumped
against the wall.
"Geez, you don't look so good Mousse." Ranma crouched
next to the master of hidden weapons. Mousse gave him a weak
smile.
"Thanks to you. I'm still recovering from the
infection, but that won't take too much longer."
"Is good! Shampoo go on date with Ranma to say
thanks!" she squealed as she glomped onto him.
"No way!" Ranma half yelled as he struggled to get
free, "Besides, I wasn't the only one who helped get the
moss."
"Shampoo...," Mousse sniffled from where he sat, too
weak to punish Ranma or even pursue his beloved Shampoo. It
had taken all of his strength just to make it to the dojo,
and his precious reserves were dwindling fast. To his
surprise, Shampoo let go of Ranma and knelt in front of him.
"What Mousse want now?" She asked diffidently. Ranma
stared in shock, only barely noticing that Ryouga and Feather
had stopped training to watch. Tears streamed out from under
Mousses' glasses.
"You, you actually listened to me..." he managed to say
before he passed out. Shampoo sighed as she splashed him
with water from the fire pail and gathered up his robes.
"Duck boy not know how weak he is now. Maybe date
tomorrow Ranma?" Shampoo waved cheerily as she carried Mousse
back to the Nekohanten.
"You catch all that?" Feather asked after the amazon
had left.
"Yeah, and I'm not totally sure I believe it," Ranma
shook his head, "She's didn't call him stupid or anything."
"Weird. Well, I think that's enough training for today
Feather." Ryouga said as he tried to go into the house.
Ranma followed him out to the storage shed.
"You know, that's the shed Ryouga."
"Shut up Ranma, just shut up."
Dinnertime rolled around, and it found everyone staring
at the meal that Akane had prepared. It looked great, it
even smelled good but survival instincts prevented most of
them from eating right away. Akane smiled at them as she
placed the last dish on the table.
"Well, come on everyone! I made plenty for everyone!"
"Looks great Akane," Ranma said as he poked at his
plate, "but is it really safe?" Akane scowled at him.
"Of course it's safe! Why wouldn't it be?" Akane
snapped.
"Maybe all those times we've suffered at the hands of
your cooking," Nabiki quipped. Akane glared at her sister
who merely looked the other way.
"I think it looks great!" Feather said as she gathered
some with her chopsticks. Everyone else at the table stared
at her as she took the first bite. Her eyes widened in shock
as she placed her chopstick back onto the table.
"Uhmm... urp... excuse me!" she managed to get out as
she dashed from the table. Ranma winced when he heard her
being noisily sick in the bathroom.
"Hey, I'm gonna go see how Feather's doin'," he
declared as he dashed away from the table. Akane shrugged
and took a bite, only to spit it out again almost
immediately.
"That's funny, I wonder what went wrong this time?" she
asked no one in particular before she hung her head. "Why
can't I cook the same way I did when Auntie Nodoka helped
me?" She sniffled. Kasumi moved to comfort her.
"It's ok Akane, we know you tried hard to make this
meal look good."
"That's just it Kasumi! I can make food that either
looks good or tastes good! Why can't I get it to balance
out!" Akane cried into her sister's shoulder for a while.
When she looked up, she saw that the table had been cleared
while she was crying. A glance into the kitchen found Ryouga
dashing about, tending several pots and pans. A pang of
guilt hit home when she saw how efficiently he tended each
dish. He noticed her at the door and waved.
"Hi Akane. I'll take care of dinner tonight, so relax
ok?" He spun and stirred one of the pots noisily and turned
to face her again. Akane could only stare.
::Even Ryouga's a better cook than me...,:: she thought
to herself. Ryouga saw that she wasn't going anywhere so he
turned his attention back to the food. A couple of minutes
later, Ranma appeared at the door next to Akane.
"Yo, Ryouga! You need any help?" Ranma called out.
Ryouga glanced up.
"Naw. How's Feather doing?"
"Alright, I guess. She's not green anymore, and was
asking how something that toxic could look so good," Ranma
laughed. Akane scowled at him before she hit him in the back
of the head.
"I'm right here you idiot! Why didn't you even try
it?" she yelled at him.
"Hey, you gotta admit that junk really messed Feather
up. I ain't gonna die tryin' everything you cook!" He
sweated when he saw that Akane was only getting angrier.
"And I had such hopes for tonight's dinner." Akane looked at
him startled.
"You did?"
"Yeah, I was kinda hoping that Kasumi'd make some
sukiyaki..." he trailed off when he saw Akane's aura flare.
"Ranma you jerk!" she screamed as she chased him
through the house intent on pounding him. Ranma ran ahead of
her, dodging around furniture and eventually diving out the
door. Akane dashed after him, picking up a practice sword on
the way.
"Come back here Ranma!"
"Nyaahh! Come get me!" he taunted as he hung upside
down from one of the tree branches. Akane swung the shinai
at him relentlessly, but he casually dodged each attack by
swinging to a side. "Whoa, getting closer!" he laughed as
he dodged another swing. Akane snarled something
unintelligible, as she swung again, not at Ranma, but the
branch his legs were wrapped around. The branch snapped and
he fell to the ground with a thump and Akane began hitting
him repeatedly with the shinai.
"Oww! Stop it Akane! Help!" Ranma yelped as he tried
to regain his footing.
"Serves you right Ranma!" Akane glared at him before
she stomped back into the house, the shinai over her
shoulder. Ranma slowly sat up and rubbed his head.
"Uncute tomboy," he muttered only to get the shinai
thrown at him!
"I heard that Ranma!" Akane yelled before she
disappeared inside the house.
"Is it safe now?" Ranma glanced up when he heard a
voice drift down from the higher branches. He glanced up and
waved at Feather.
"Yeah, I got the anger out of her." Feather dropped
out of the tree and landed with an almost inaudible thump.
Ranma shook his head in amazement.
"You know, I can never get over how quietly you land."
He said as he stood.
"Ryouga taught me how to land quietly. He said it was
useful when you're hunting." She shrugged.
"Whatever." Ranma walked into the house.
The early morning quiet was broken when Genma burst
into Feather's room and roughly shook her awake.
"Up and at 'em girl!" he yelled, "Time to start
training!" Feather did the only sensible thing a girl could
do in her situation. She screamed. That brought Ranma and
Ryouga charging into the room, trampling Genma on their way
in.
"Hey, what's going on Feather? Is it the old freak
again?" Ranma asked as he looked around the room, trying to
spot the old lech. Feather shook her head.
"No, Dad surprised me this morning. He wanted to train
me." She said. Ranma looked under his feet at his father.
"Would you kindly get off me now boy?" Genma said
acidly before he threw Ranma and Ryouga out the window. He
stood and dusted off his gi only to be knocked down again as
Soun rushed in with Akane right on his heels.
"What's going on?" He asked as he stood on his old
friend.
"I'll explain that as soon as you get off me Tendo!"
Genma growled from his position on the floor. Soun stepped
to one side and helped Genma to his feet.
"Now," Soun asked as he crossed his arms, "What on
earth is going on in here?"
"I was merely waking her up the same way I wake up
Ranma to train. I guess she's a lighter sleeper." Genma
laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Excuse me," Feather said sweetly as she stood up and
clutched a large fluffy pillow, "but would you kindly GET OUT
OF MY ROOM!" she yelled as she slammed them repeatedly with
the pillow. They retreated quickly into the hallway and
closed the door behind them.
"And I thought I was bad in the morning," Akane
muttered as she left for the bath.
Ranma-chan and Ryouga-chan were muttering to themselves
as they closed the door to the changing room.
"He just had to throw us into the pond first thing,
didn't he?" Ryouga-chan growled as she took off her shirt
and tossed it negligently into the hamper. Ranma-chan
muttered her agreement as the two finished getting ready for
the bath. With a sigh, they sank into the hot water. The
sudden change in their mass caused the furo to overflow a
little.
"What's gotten into your father?" Ryouga asked. Ranma
shrugged.
"I guess he really sees Feather as part of the family
now, so he's trying to train her like he trained me."
"If he pulls a stunt like that again, I'm going to have
myself a panda skin rug!" Ryouga growled. Ranma only shook
his head a little as he relaxed.
Akane glared at the little sign on the door that
proclaimed that the bath was in use. She tapped on the door
only to have it open slightly. ::I guess the door wasn't
closed all the way, which means the bath is really empty.::
She thought to herself as she stepped into the changing room.
As she started to unbutton her pajamas, the sliding door that
separated the bath from the changing room slid open a little
and Ranma's head peeked around.
"Hello? I thought I heard a knock on the... door," He
paled when he saw Akane, "Oh boy...," he swallowed hard.
Akane held he pajama top closed with one hand and grabbed the
laundry basket with the other.
"You PERVERT!" She screamed as she flung the hamper at
him. Ranma scrambled to dodge the projectile, falling on his
rump and flinging the door open as he did so. Ryouga sunk
deeper into the bath, his face a deep crimson as Akane
stormed into the bath to continue to berate Ranma.
"Wait, Akane!" Ranma protested as he quickly wrapped a
towel around his waist, "It ain't all that bad, right?
Besides, you walked in on us!"
"What do you mean us?" Akane glowered as she glanced
around the bath, "I don't see anyone else here!" Ranma
glanced over to the furo.
"Aw, man! You made him sink!" He reached into the tub
and yanked Ryouga out by his hair.
"Ah, hi Akane," he waved meekly, "can we finish our
bath now?" Akane stared at him in shock for a second before
she flung the clothes hamper at them again and stalked out of
the room.
"You know, I think she's upset." Ryouga muttered,
one corner of the hamper embedded in his cheek.
"You ain't kiddin'," Ranma muttered, a little out
of breath from the hamper hitting him in the gut.
In the yard, Genma faced off against Feather over the
pond.
"Ok Feather. The Saotome school of Anything Goes
Martial Arts specializes in mid-air attacks," he grinned at
her, "Therefore, you would do well to pay attention. Don't
try to fly until I tell you to. Are you ready?" She nodded
before she launched herself at him. Genma's grin never left
his face as he leapt to meet her. He traded a few kicks with
her and sighed as she sailed into the tree branches from his
last kick.
"Can't you do better than that girl?" he taunted from
one of the stones by the pond. "Or do you not want to
learn?" Feather shouted angrily as she dove towards him.
Again, he leapt to meet her and this time she fell
ungracefully into the pond. Genma shook his head, trying to
figure out what was going wrong when Feather leapt out of the
pond with a kick that landed in his midsection. He smiled at
her.
"That's the spirit!" He chuckled as he backed up from
the blow. He leapt to the other side of the pond before he
leapt at her. Feather leapt to meet him and instead of
kicking she grabbed his outstretched leg and climbed up his
body before jumping off his shoulders. Genma landed with
little difficulty and looked up to see where she had jumped
to. He rolled out of the way as she came down in the spot he
was in a moment before.
"Get back here Pop!" She snarled as she leapt after
him again. Genma chuckled as he met her in the air and sent
her into the pond again. This time, she couldn't drag
herself out so he helped her out onto the lawn.
"Not bad at all Feather, not bad at all."
"What do you mean, 'not bad'?" she asked grumpily as
she wrung the water out of her hair.
"You're doing fine for such a beginner. Continue
training with Ryouga in the afternoon, and I will train you
in the morning. We'll have you up to snuff in no time at
all!" He laughed heartily and slapped her on the back,
bowling her over. Feather struggled to her feet and was
about to attack him again when she heard a polite clapping.
She turned and saw Naoli sitting on the wall.
"Well done! It's such a rare opportunity to see such a
master of the art train!" She complimented as she slid off
of the wall and walked over to them. Genma pushed his
glasses up on his nose.
"And who might you be miss? I don't recall ever seeing
you before...," he asked as he tried desperately to remember
if he had ever promised his son to a girl that looked like
her.
"I'm Naoli, and I have a message for you. A
corporation hired me to find your daughter and offer a job."
"What kind of job?" Genma asked as he hushed Feather
with one hand. Naoli smiled a little.
"They wish to learn a little more about her wings
through polite observation."
"Define polite." Feather broke in.
"X-rays, a CAT scan, a little blood work and an
examination. In return, there is a handsome amount of money
they are willing to pay and my continued operation to keep
other less, reputable, organizations from harming her."
Naoli noted the glint in Genma's eyes when she mentioned the
money. Feather hit the palm of one hand.
"So that's what Chun was talking about. He was a thug
that was hired to kidnap me for the same kind of research. I
thought you said that they were cultists after Ryouga?" Her
eyes narrowed as she watched for any kind of reaction to her
words.
"I did not wish to alarm you or Ryouga. They had been
told to kill him because they thought he was your only
family," Naoli said quickly.
"Sold!" Genma said as he eagerly shook Naoli's hand,
"When does she start?"
"She could start today if she wishes. They want her to
stay in the lab for a week and will take care of tutoring
her. After that, they will call if she is needed to come in
again." Naoli said thoughtfully as she crossed her arms.
Genma turned quickly on Feather.
"You will go today, won't you Feather? You don't want
to disappoint your Father do you?" He grabbed her shoulders
in his excitement.
"Can Ryouga come along?" Feather asked quickly, "I'd
feel better about it if he did."
"Of course," Naoli said as she celebrated inside her
mind, "He's more than welcome to come with you."
"It's settled then. I'll go get the boy while you pack
up Feather!" Genma dashed into the house gleefully. Feather
crossed her arms as she watched him go.
"Ok, now what's really going on?" she asked
suspiciously.
"It's exactly as I told you. A few tests and you will
be going back to your normal life." Naoli said patiently.
Feather looked dubious, but nodded anyway.
"Fine. I'm going to go dry off and pack." Feather
walked into the house. Naoli followed her as far as the
dining room. Kasumi walked out of the kitchen with a
steaming platter of food.
"Oh my, a visitor. How are you this morning?" She
managed a half bow while still holding the platter. Naoli
returned the bow.
"I'm fine. That really smells wonderful," she said
hopefully.
"Your welcome to stay with us for breakfast if you have
the time," Kasumi said sweetly as she set the platter on the
table.
"I would be delighted." Naoli sat at the table and
waited patiently.
It wasn't long before everyone was gathered around the
table and Genma was excitedly explaining the deal he had just
struck. Nabiki leaned forward in interest.
"So, how much money is it worth for a human guinea pig?
I happen to know someone who can withstand the most toxic
foods you could imagine."
"Nabiki!" Akane glared at her sister who stuck her
tongue out in response.
"Don't worry. All the tests they wish to do are
harmless." Naoli reassured them again before everyone
started eating. After breakfast, everyone said their
farewells to Feather and Ryouga as they got into a cab that
Naoli had called.
"Don't forget to call!" Kasumi said as she hugged
Feather.
"I won't," Feather promised.
"Don't get lost there Ryouga, and keep an eye on
Feather." Ranma said as he shook Ryouga's hand.
"We'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to her."
Ryouga broke the handshake and climbed into the backseat of
the cab. Feather quickly finished her farewells and climbed
in next to him. Akane suppressed a giggle as Ranma dropped
Ryouga's pack and umbrella into the trunk of the car and the
suspension sagged noticeably. Naoli climbed into the front
seat and directed the driver. Kasumi continued to wave until
the cab was out of sight.
Several hours passed during their ride until the cab
stopped at what looked like a small farm in the middle of
nowhere. Everyone climbed out of the cab and gathered their
luggage.
"Doesn't look much like a research place." Ryouga
commented as he slung his pack on.
"There's a limousine that is supposed to meet us here.
For security reasons, the cab couldn't go directly there,"
Naoli said as she paid the driver. A few minutes after the
cab left, a stretched limousine with heavily tinted windows
pulled up. Naoli opened the door for them and followed them
inside.
"Wow, I've never been in a limo before!" Feather said
excitedly. Ryouga nodded as he looked around the plush
interior with wide eyes.
"I think you can get used to such comforts while you
are with us," Naoli said as she got a glass of water from the
small wet bar. As the limousine started to move, Feather
looked out the window and watched the countryside roll by.
Ryouga settled into the seat and took a nap to ease the
boring ride.
"So, do you work for these people all the time?"
Feather asked Naoli after several hours. Naoli shook her
head.
"No, actually I'm a mercenary they hired to protect and
contact you with their offer. They didn't want to use one of
their own for security reasons."
"Oh."
After a seemingly endless ride, the Limousine stopped
outside a large building that was surrounded by a tall
chainlink fence. Several guards could be seen patrolling the
yard and several more were by the door. One opened the door
to the limousine for them.
"Welcome to Fukuzai Enterprises, Ms. Feather!" the
guard exclaimed as Feather climbed out of the limo.
"Uhm, thanks," she said, unused to the kind of
deference the guards were showing her.
"Follow me please," the guard stated before he walked
towards the building. The doors opened for them
automatically, and Ryouga could not fully repress a shudder
when he saw what was inside. The lobby of the building had
numerous fountains, some large, some small. There was even
one that would send arcs of water through the air over the
walkways into small rings.
"That's beautiful!" Feather exclaimed when she saw
them. The guard smiled at her.
"Our employees like to come here to relax. The sound
of running water is naturally soothing to most people."
"Definitely not all," Ryouga muttered under his breath
as they walked over to an elevator that was open and waiting
for them. The guard pushed a button and the elevator
descended.
"The living quarters are in the above ground rooms,"
the guard explained, "but the meeting rooms and the
laboratories are all under ground."
"No wonder this place is called 'Hidden' Enterprises,"
Feather said as the door opened. The guard led them down a
short hallway into a waiting room.
"Please, wait here while I announce you to the board,"
he said before he left through a large pair of carved oak
doors.
"This doesn't feel right," Ryouga muttered under his
breath to Feather, "Something is going to happen."
"I'm nervous too Ryouga, but you're worrying over
nothing," she breathed back. Ryouga would have said more,
but the doors opened wide and the guard beckoned for them to
enter. Inside the room there was a massive wooden table, its
polished surface gleamed in the light. Five older looking
men sat along one side of the table with several papers in
front of them.
"Ah, Feather. It is so good to see you. I'm glad you
were able to make it here in one piece, it makes the tests so
much easier," one of them spoke with a raspy voice. Feather
looked at him with wide eyes until another one stood and
berated the first.
"Stop scaring the poor girl!" the first old man raised
his hands in disgust and turned away. The second one bowed
to them.
"I must apologize, our esteemed president has a slight
problem with choosing his words. My name is Tsukabe and I am
the head of the research division that will be taking a look
at you."
"Thanks, I think." Feather held one hand over her
rapidly beating heart.
"Who is the young man who accompanies you?" Tsukabe
asked with mild interest.
"I am Ryouga Hibiki, a good friend of hers," Ryouga
said as he narrowed his eyes. ::Something is definitely
wrong here,:: he thought when he saw the delighted
expressions on the board members.
"Excellent, excellent. Everyone is here. Please,
follow this good man. I'm sure your journey has wearied
you." Tsukabe indicated another uniformed guard.
"If you would follow me, I will guide you to the
reception area." The hulking guard's voice rumbled as he led
them down the hall to the elevator. It sank a few floors
before opening again. A wall of noise assailed their ears
when the doors opened. Various clangs, shouts and the hum of
heavy machinery filled the air. They took a few steps out of
the elevator and gazed down into the pit. Feather gasped in
astonishment. There, being worked on by a small army of
technicians, was a replica of the machine that Project Raven
was trying to produce. Feather spun on the guard.
"What's going on here?" She demanded.
"That is for the techies to figure out. This way to
the reception area." He motioned for them to follow. Ryouga
loosened his umbrella atop his pack before he followed.
Naoli gazed at them quizzically, not understanding Feather's
reaction to the machine.
The guard led them up to a desk where a pale man in a
lab coat sat working on a computer. He cleared his throat to
get the other man's attention.
"Feather Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki for processing," the
guard said dully.
"Ah, yes. We have been expecting you. This way
please." He stood from the desk and led them down a long
hallway and into a room roughly the size of a stadium.
"I thought we were supposed to go to the reception
area," Feather said, her voice echoing through the gigantic
room. Ryouga glanced up and saw that there was quite a
distance to the ceiling. The man in the labcoat shook his
head.
"This is the reception area. It's been emptied out to
aid us in our research involving your wings. Let me show you
how to get to your room." He walked over to a polished metal
door. As he approached, it opened to reveal another
elevator.
"This elevator goes expressly to your rooms," the man
in the labcoat said as he led them in. Once they had packed
themselves into the elevator, the door shut and it rapidly
brought them above ground. When the doors opened again, it
revealed a living room environment. There was furniture, but
no decorations.
"Welcome to your new home for the time being. Through
that door is a kitchen and over there is where you will find
the bedroom. The washcloset is through that door," he
pointed out each feature as he guided them through the suite.
"Anything else you need, all you have to do is pick up the
phone. The operator will handle any other questions." He
retreated into the elevator and the door shut behind him,
leaving Ryouga and Feather alone in the suite. Ryouga looked
at the area around the elevator and swore.
"What is it Ryouga?" Feather asked as she dropped her
suitcase.
"We're trapped! There's no controls for this
elevator," he snarled. Feather shrugged.
"You could always rip the doors open with your bare
hands if you really need to get outside, or just break the
windows," She walked over to a large bay window and gazed
outside, "You can see the ocean from here!" she giggled
excitedly. Ryouga grumbled to himself as he hit his fist
against the wall. The metallic clang confirmed his
suspicions that they were being held, and there was no way
for him to break them out.
"I'll bet the glass is bulletproof or something." He
muttered as he dropped his pack.
Deep within the complex, Tsukabe and a few other
researchers watched their every move on a monitor.
"Take notes. I want a control pad installed in the
room ASAP. We don't need him destroying the suite because he
perceives that he's trapped," he said sharply. An aide
jotted it down and made a phone call.
"Also, make sure their escort is always armed with a
tranquilizer gun and the elephant tranquilizer we recently
developed. That should be enough to stop him." He fiddled
with the viewpoints and shook his head. "And remove the
cameras from the bathroom and bedroom, you perverts."
Ryouga stared at the king-size bed in the bedroom for a
long time before he resolutely retrieved his sleeping bag
from his pack and unrolled it on the living room floor. Just
as he finished doing that, the elevator door opened and
several men in jumpsuits carrying toolboxes exited.
"Who in the?" Ryouga asked, startled as the men
quickly spread out and started to do seemingly minor
maintenance on the room.
"Maintenance team. We're installing a manual control
pad for your elevator, since you don't have the badges.
We're also fixing the bathroom sink and the closet door in
the bedroom," one of them said as he pulled out a power tool
and cut a square hole in the wall by the elevator.
"Bathroom sink?" Ryouga said in confusion, "But
Feather's..." He trailed off when he saw one of the
maintenance team fleeing from the short hallway that led to
the bathroom. Cries of pervert and various thrown bath
articles chased him out. "In there," he concluded. He
walked over to the man that had walked in on Feather and cold
cocked him.
"That's for walking in on her," he growled, "Anyone
else want to invade her privacy?" The shaking heads and
sudden interest in their work was answer enough for him.
Ryouga settled down into his sleeping bag and promptly fell
asleep, despite the noise.
The next morning found Ryouga and Feather sparring in
the stadium sized room. After a short time they stopped and
bowed to each other. The sudden applause that came from the
gathered researchers startled them.
"Bravo! Bravo! What a performance!" one of the
researchers said as he approached them, "Now, if we could get
down to business. Feather, if you would please follow me."
He walked towards the far end of the stadium. Ryouga moved
to follow, but a guard got in his way.
"I'm sorry, but you can't go in there." He said.
"Like hell!" Ryouga snapped as he effortlessly pushed
the guard aside. As Ryouga started to stomp towards where
Feather was, the guard drew a tranquilizer gun and fired at
his back. Feather spun when she heard the noise in time to
see Ryouga collapse with a stunned look on his face. Naoli
dashed up to the fallen boy and knelt beside him.
"What did you do to him?" Naoli demanded of the guard.
"Tranquilized him," the guard said simply. Naoli
glared at him as Feather cradled Ryouga's limp form in her
lap.
"Well now, this is a little earlier than expected,"
Tsukabe said as he entered the massive room, "The rules to
this game are very simple Miss Feather. Either you cooperate
with my team and tell us everything you know about the Viper
clan's project Raven, or you and Mr. Hibiki will die. It's
up to you."
"You said you wouldn't hurt them," Naoli said as she
stood up. Tsukabe regarded her with a cold look.
"I haven't hurt them, yet," he glanced at his personal
guard, "Kill her, just to prove to our little specimen that
we are more than willing to follow through." Tsukabe turned
his back on Naoli. The guard took aim with his rifle, only
to be distracted by an angry violet aura that suddenly sprang
up around Feather. As quick as it came, it went out, but the
distraction was enough for Naoli to knock out the guard with
a flying kick and dash for the exit.
"Get Ranma and the others!" Feather yelled after her.
She didn't struggle when the researcher grabbed her by the
arms and lifted her up.
"She will never make it out alive." Tsukabe chuckled
as they dragged Feather into the lab. A few carried a
comatose Ryouga into a stone cell and dumped him inside.
Naoli ran for her life, knocking techs and equipment
over in her wake. She felt a hand grab the back of her
jumpsuit, but she ignored it. The fabric ripped easily,
revealing part of a tattoo that covered her back. With a
quick spin kick she knocked out the offender and took his
security badge. With it she opened a door and ducked inside.
It was a small meeting room with another door on the far
side. Her eyes scanned the room until she found an air vent
she could crawl in. She frantically yanked at the grate,
ripping it out. She then used the badge to unlock the door.
She pushed it wide open and then ducked into the vent,
pulling the grate into place behind her. With a small roll
of tape produced from one of her pockets, she taped the grate
into place and began crawling away when she heard the pursuit
dash through the room.
"Damn, and double damn!" Tsukabe cursed as he listened
to the radio reports of his guards. Not one had seen any
sign of the mercenary girl for several hours. He glanced at
the camera that covered the cell that Ryouga and Feather
shared. Feather was now wearing one of those flimsy hospital
gowns and was gently cradling a still unconscious Ryouga's
head in her lap. He allowed a small smile, he still had the
girl. According to the informant he had in the Viper Clan,
she was the only one successfully transported who still
survived. Whether or not her wings were a result of the
teleportation were yet to be seen. Unknown to him, Naoli was
watching him from the vent and debating on whether or not she
should kill him now. She decided against it and crawled on,
determined to escape.
It was night before Naoli broke out of the ventilation
system on the roof of the complex. Wasting no time, she ran
to the nearest edge and peered over. The lawn was well lit,
and guards with dogs patrolled in regular patterns. She
smiled at their stupidity and pulled a coil of cord and a
pair of special gloves from another pocket in her jumpsuit.
She tied the cord to an antenna and tossed it over the side.
After donning the gloves, she slid down the cord and dashed
for some bushes. There she waited patiently for the patrol
to pass. Once they were out of sight, she dashed for the
fence. A shout and gunfire rightfully inspired her to run
faster. She leapt onto the fence and grabbed the barbed wire
with one gloved hand before she flipped over. She landed
running and disappeared into the darkness.
She was breathing hard as she approached a cliff
overlooking the sea. She could hear the shouts of the men
who pursued her. She reached the edge and stood with her
back to the ocean, waiting. She could make out a small group
of men with flashlights approaching quickly.
"Ok, that's far enough," one said as he got close
within shouting distance, "That was a merry little run you
gave us, but now your trapped. Give up and we'll make your
death quick!"
"I don't think so." Naoli smiled sardonically at them
as she took a step back over the edge of the cliff. A meter
down she landed on a small ledge. She quickly climbed down
the rock face and positioned herself under the ledge. She
clung to the rock until she could no longer hear the voices
of her pursuers. Then she climbed the rest of the way down
the cliff to the rough rocks and surf below. Hidden in the
rocks was scuba gear she had left there in case of just this
kind of emergency. She had barely shed her jumpsuit when she
saw the searchlight from a helicopter and heard the angry
thrashing of its rotor. Ignoring the wetsuit, she grabbed
the airtank and dove into the ocean. She regretted it
instantly in the icy water, but she swam on.
When Naoli climbed out of the water at a small fishing
village, she was nearly frozen. She shivered violently in
the night air as she ran past closed businesses. She smiled
despite herself, though, when she found the small hotel. She
knocked on one of the doors and was gratified to see the
shocked face of a businessman before she knocked him out. A
while later she left, warm and dressed in a suit that was a
size or two too large and began the long walk to the next
town. She figured that by the time she got there, the trains
would be running again.
Tsukabe smirked as he approached the prisoners' cell.
"Well now, are we having a pleasant stay?" He asked
sarcastically.
"Go away." Feather snapped before she turned her
attention to the still unconscious Ryouga.
"Tsk tsk, such manners. I just thought I'd tell you
that that troublesome Naoli is dead, and your friend, Ranma
was it? Will never know of your predicament. I suggest you
cooperate before you force us to kill him too," he grinned
maliciously as he turned to walk away, "Sleep well, it's a
long day tomorrow." Once he was gone, Feather began to cry.
She had walked right into their trap and now it seemed to her
that there was little to no hope of escape or rescue.
Author's notes:
Sorry it took so long! I've already started on chapter 12,
so hopefully it won't take so long! Please let me know what
you think and any errors you find!
Fukuzai - lying concealed, being hidden, thus Feather's
comment about the place being called hidden enterprises
All previous chapters can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/bay/5151