Hi all :) It's been a while. Here's chapter 8 :)
Sorry MJ, Byookie, I couldn't reach you guys. Your Yahoo account is full
when I e-mailed you the last time.
Previous Chapters:
Revised 3-6 this August:
If you want it in one big bulk P-6 Mr. Phillip has provided space at:
http://members.tripod.com/the_packrat/anime.html (THANKS)
If you want it by chapter it's archived at http://www.fanfiction.net
If you want chapter 7 it's at
http://24.31.125.242/cgi-bin/RetrieveStory.exe?StoryID=151167
(the format is bad, I made a mistake in wordwrapping, but readable)
~~Ice~~
No. You're not the only one without a witty comment.
(In answer to a sig I saw last week.)
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Special Thanks to:
MJ Maurice Phillip
Tin and Angel Jourdan Bickham
Byooki Desu Carmi
And to the person reading this.
I hope I didn't miss anybody...
But the cynic, the sad and the fallen,
Who has no strength for strife,
The world's highway is cumbered today,
They make up the sum of life.
~~ Ella Wilcox
Worthwhile
~ Chapter 8 ~
_... You know, it doesn't look like it but all of them seemed to share
something special back then, I wasn't sure how to fit in..._
Nabiki massaged her forehead and sighed, while watching Yuka lay out
the ingredients for Yosenabe. Kodachi was supposed to be an expert cook
(taking aside her potions that is), so at first Nabiki though that a
simple dish like Yosenabe would be as good as any dish to cook for the
day. However, the Kodachi of late proved to be unpredictable.
"Kodachi, first and foremost, the way to most men's hearts,
particularly my brother, is through their stomachs." She waved at the
low table, "I know you're a fairly skilled cook, but you haven't taken
into account the fact that samurai hardly get to eat their meals. The
reason... too many things come up in between. It is a wife's duty to see
that her husband eats."
Of course, usually samurai wives don't enter the kitchen, but that
wasn't important at the moment. If Kodachi has forgotten this tidbit of
information, so much the better. In her world *all* wives *must* learn
to be a good cook, who was Nabiki Saotome to question? Besides, she
wanted the maximum amount of fun from this as possible. Humiliating
Kodachi would be her greatest reward.
"Your skill also depends on your mastery of the recipe. I'm sure
you'll do pretty well. Cooking is something that runs in your blood.
We'll get to all the special moves after I've seen you cook." Nabiki
nodded as she looked at Kodachi's sweating form, for the third time
Nabiki wondered what was making her uneasy. "Well?"
"Uh... I can only cook curry, Nabiki." Kodachi gulped at all the
ingredients in front of her.
Nabiki raised her eyebrows then sighed, it would seem she would even
have to walk the girl through the cooking part. Though Nabiki knew how
to cook, she wasn't as good as Kodachi, hers was not even near Ranma's
ability. It was unnerving that her twin brother had more culinary skills
than she did.
"Don't you even know how to cook dashi(75)?" Nabiki demanded, her
hands tapping the table.
"Soup stock? Well sure." Kodachi shrugged, "I just didn't know it was
needed in Yosenabe."
She then proceeded to boil about six cups of water, Nabiki nodded, so
far so good, she took the konbu(76) out of the wooden container and
placed it along with the boiling water. Nabiki's eyebrows twitched as
she watched the konbu.
"What do you think you're doing?" Nabiki pulled the konbu out of the
pan and into its original container, "You didn't even wash the konbu!"
Kodachi winced as she took the konbu and washed it with soap.
"No, no, no!" Nabiki sighed, "You wash it with *cold* water."
Kodachi nodded then washed it with cold water *and* soap. Nabiki
hated to know what the dried konbu would taste like now. "Kodachi, wash
it with cold water *only*."
"Ohhh..." Kodachi nodded as she turned to wash it with Nabiki's
instructions, then she boiled it again.
Nabiki's eyebrows began to twitch again, the woman hadn't even
bothered to measure... 'Calm down, Nabiki, breathe. Don't bother, it's
okay.' She watched as Akane took a handful of katsuobushi(77) and placed
it inside the boiling water along with the konbu.
Nabiki resisted the urge to slap the girl, "Please give me patience."
Nabiki murmured as she relieved Kodachi of her present task and gave her
a chopping board and a knife. It was something Nabiki was sure Kodachi
would remember.
She would prove mistaken as she watched Kodachi chop the Chinese
cabbage, the tofu and the onions all together. This wasn't at all bad --
if Kodachi knew how to handle a knife. The problem is Kodachi was at
best, an amateur. The vegetables weren't uniformly cut, and she was
adding bits of the chopping board to the mixture. Nabiki was also
willing to bet they were not washed.
"Kodachi, how come a woman named after a short sword, doesn't even
know how to handle a knife?" Nabiki asked dryly as she watched small
bits of the food flying around. Kodachi turned around gave a shrug and
stopped her task.
Nabiki wished she could shout, she had ended up doing almost
everything, and she had been prepared to do absolutely nothing. "*This*
is how you cook Yosenabe. Hand me the dashi."
Kodachi quickly complied, and Nabiki poured the whole four cups then
covered the whole thing and looked at Kodachi, "Keep it under that for
ten minutes then close the fire of the brazier."
"Sorry."
Nabiki looked at her with mixed feelings, then sighed, "Look, so you
forgot how to cook. It's obviously your amnesia again. Get over it.
There are many things your amnesia is making you forget. At least you
cooked a decent Yosenabe."
Kodachi nodded as she watched the pot, Nabiki went off to find her
two pupils. She had not expected to cook Yosenabe for three sticks. She
was late for teaching the children for their strategy and shogi.
Picking up her pace, Nabiki wondered if Kodachi would manage to
bungle up that last piece of order. She resolved to let Yuka do the
teaching in regards to cooking, maybe they'll take up ikebana tomorrow.
Surely the girl can't forget two arts.
Again, her mind wandered to Kodachi, 'I hope the food will be
digestible by second meal.' She thought as she moved towards her pupil's
rooms. 'I hope she manages to remember to take the food out in ten
minutes. Maybe I should've just let her cook *rice*.'
She would be sorely disappointed.
They ate sashimi(78) for lunch.
~~~
Meanwhile Kodachi... the real Kodachi was looking half-heartedly at
her two escorts. If you have any illusions about the afterlife, this
should be the time to end it. The afterlife was nothing but the eerie
white walls and the holier-than-thou guards; to her it seemed like a
prison.
There was no time here, it was a sort of convergence where all off
history meet into one point, ahh... but then... Kodachi was in
purgatory. Why purgatory rather than hell? It seems that her judge has a
conscience.
Since she had been pulled out from her body before her time, it was
decided that she would try to repent in this prison until she was
supposed to die..., which was still far off according to her guardian.
Today, she is going to the scrying bowl because her judges had
decided that her punishment would be to watch her life through the woman
that was living her body.
As her guards left her, she sat before the scrying bowl. The scrying
bowl displayed the what the woman who had taken her body sees all
throughout her sentence. She seethed inwardly as she saw Ranma's face,
because she had truly loved her husband. It may have not been such a
conventional love, but it still had been love... in the twisted abyss
she called her mind.
Had she not loved him, she would not have put up with him for seven
years, not play the game that was eating his soul away... because the
moment Kodachi got her husband... she swore that no one could ever have
him, and neither could she. It was this warped sense of love that made
Kodachi Kuno insane to the eyes of most people and cruel to the hearts
of others.
They had been in an ever continuing game of pain after all, didn't
her husband like pain and suffering? After all, he killed for Lord
Happosai and will surely kill again, surely he wanted what she was
doing... her husband after all was not one to love the weak... and she
set out to prove that *she* was not weak.
Of course this woman in her body was ruining all her hard work.
Her hands clasped around her neck wishing fully that this woman could
feel her pain. It was obvious that she didn't after the first few tries,
although Kodachi didn't stop until she nearly fainted from the lack of
oxygen. The woman closed eyes for a moment and when they re-opened,
Kodachi saw Nabiki's face. Kodachi rubbed her temples. She didn't know
who was more infuriating, Nabiki, or the parasite that was using her
body.
"Her name is Akane."
Kodachi's eyes flew open, she was sure she had been alone, her
guardians leaving her, watching the scrying bowl was her task alone.
"What?"
"I said, her name is Akane." The woman smiled a little, Kodachi noted
that she was different from her usual guard. She talked to her, for one,
and for another she was looking at the bowl with her. Her guards never
looked at the golden bowl, it seemed as if they could not see it.
"What is it?" Kodachi was irked by the disturbance, but didn't mind.
Missing one of Nabiki's scathing remarks wasn't something she would
easily decline. "I thought I was supposed to watch her in peace."
"Oh, so a visit from me," She said pointing to herself rather
excessively, "the *only* person who has talked to you in, what? Five
months? Is the worst thing you could have right now."
Opening her mouth for an answer, Kodachi started to speak, but the
woman smiled and interrupted her, "Or is the scrying bowl too good for
your tastes. I see, you wish to watch another woman live off your life,
right?"
"I don't think --"
"Oh no, let me finish. It's sooo good to watch your life through
another woman's eyes. All those years wasted. Years to live that are
rightfully yours. So a visit from me is the worst you can have in this -
-" She waved around at the immaculately white room, her voice dripping
with the sarcasm her exaggerated actions pointed at, "-- solitary
confinement of yours."
She shrugged, "And seeing that you are obviously soooooooooo happy, I
should be going rather than offer you a chance to go and tell your
lovely little husband that that hussy in your body isn't you, right?"
Kodachi closed her mouth as she thought about the woman's offer it
was obvious that the woman had no patience for games, "I guess my lord
was wrong about you then, you don't deserve a second chance in telling
your husband all these things you should be telling. What a waste."
She spun around and briskly started to walk away but Kodachi called
out to her again, "Wait, woman. You seem to jump to conclusions too
much. What is this offer you are telling me? Your lord would not be
pleased if his order wasn't carried out just because you thought I was a
waste of your time."
The woman turned and nodded, not bothering to hide a pleased look on
her face, "Good, I'm quite in a hurry, my schedule isn't manageable you
know. I have lots of work to do and you are just one of then. My lord
wishes to give you your life back."
"How? My body isn't..." Kodachi paused searching for the right words,
"...available at the moment."
"True, but our dear Akane's is." The woman turned to the bowl, where
she could see Akane looking over what looked like recipes. "I'm sure we
could work something out."
"I thought her body was damaged." Kodachi frowned as she looked at
her hands, the woman had reminded her again of her state. It was eerie
to remember that she wasn't a tangible being anymore, and yet she could
still feel her own flesh. To her, the body she owned was as solid as the
scrying bowl in front of her... to anyone else, she couldn't be
touched... much less seen. "It's the whole reason why she was sent in my
body."
"'Ye of little faith." The woman looked at her expectantly but merely
smiled when Kodachi looked back blankly, and Kodachi was starting to
tire of that smile that played across her face, "My lord can do a lot of
things. Nothing is impossible with a god."
Kodachi looked at the woman dubiously, "Why are you offering me
this?"
"My job is not to question, merely to obey." She bowed, "Why question
such a wonderful gift Kodachi Saotome? You'll find, there are some
things almost impossible to get in life; one of them is a second chance.
Surely you realize that this grant isn't something given freely to most
people."
"Yes... but at what price?" Kodachi murmured thoughtfully, "It may be
more than what I am willing to pay."
"There are no strings attached, you can do whatever you want." The
woman shrugged at her worries, as if it was trivial, she righted
herself, "I said my time is very limited, will you accept my lord's
offer Lady Saotome?"
~~~
Nabiki looked for a moment at the kimono she had picked out for the
day and put it on in the brisk manner she did everything else in the
house. It was early morning, and most probably, her brother was already
awake in his girl form practicing a kata in the dojo.
Most of the servants though thinks he was still asleep in his room.
However, as Nabiki knew, Ranma was a very early riser. The fact that the
whole household has to be up before him, deeply unnerved him. He hated
the fact that the whole household had to conform to his schedule.
Still, Nabiki thought that it was much better than waiting for hours
for first meal, among other things. The stomach was empty after all, and
one needed to break the fasting of the night.
Pulling on fresh tabi(79) on her feet, she went to check on Sei
first. She woke him gently with her prodding hand, then turned to do the
same thing to Hanae.
Both of them, upon waking up, realizing the tardiness of their
rising, because of *who* roused them jumped in alertness to substitute
their yukatas for their sleeping kimonos, knowing full well that their
first lesson began straight after breaking their fast, which depended on
Ukyo's arrival.
Seeing that task done, Nabiki opened the shoji to the kitchen, Yuka
was already up, and was cooking some soup and some rice. "Good Morning
Lady Nabiki. Should I cook something more? I think you said Ukyo-san
will come by."
"Good morning, Yuka." Nabiki smiled genially in return as she watched
the kitchen goings on. Contrary to what others outside Rose Brier think,
Nabiki was familiar with *all* the servants that work under her. Her
cold demeanor only applied to dealings outside the house. "Yes, Ukyo
will come by, so don't cook too much. We don't want to waste good food."
Turning to go when she found nothing amiss, Nabiki checked on the
servant's quarters. When she passed by, she found that all the servants
were awake, which pleased her; an efficient household does not run on
lazy hands. The next she checked were the samurai, and all seem to be on
their scheduled post.
She nodded and turned to find Ranma when a samurai approached her to
announce Ukyo's arrival. Nabiki nodded in dismissal and turned to find
Ranma but dismissed it when she found the girl in front of the house.
"Ukyo, how wonderful to see you." Nabiki greeted her, while Ukyo
bowed according to Nabiki's rank, "How has life been treating you?"
"Well as any peasant might, Lady Nabiki. You?" Ukyo looked over
Nabiki's shoulder, showing Nabiki her eagerness to see Hanae, or was it
Ranma? She frowned at the title, after all Ukyo and she had been good
friends in the past, only recently had she acquired the irritating knack
of calling her lady.
"Well as any samurai might, do come in." She waved to the entrance of
the house, Ukyo's station did not allow her the use of palanquin or
horse and the travel must be tiresome to one who has been walking for
miles. "Would you want something to drink?"
"No, thank you." Removing her geta she looked around, "Is Lady
Kodachi away?"
"Fortunately, the lady of the house is home for the moment." Nabiki
said dryly, conveying to Ukyo her true feelings regarding the presence
of the woman. "Although I hope her presence will not hamper you to
provide us with first meal?"
"I always serve okonomiyaki when I'm here, lady. I would not have it
any other way." Ukyo offered as she followed slightly behind Nabiki
towards the kitchen.
"Well then, we will have a good first meal." Nabiki nodded as she
turned to one of the samurai to escort Ukyo the rest of the way.
Although the girl knew the way by heart, it was formality she be
accompanied. "I will find my niece and lord for you."
"Actually lady, I came not to pick Hanae up... but to say goodbye."
Ukyo looked at her feet, which made Nabiki think of how the girl truly
hated the idea of parting.
Nabiki stopped in mid-step, "Ukyo?"
"I don't think I can do this anymore, Lady Nabiki." She looked up,
and Nabiki could see the glassy shine of tears in her eyes. "You know
what Lord Ranma means to me, my lady and I think I started to see things
clearly in Happosai's donjon..."
Nabiki looked at the girl with awe, she didn't think she would've let
her brother go, not Ukyo Kuonji. She didn't dismiss the samurai, after
all, all samurai were trained not to listen when they are not spoken to.
"Lady Nabiki, It just struck me that I'm just torturing myself. I can't
have him. Only a fool would make a peasant a samurai's wife."
"We all know Genma was a fool." Nabiki pointed out, they did share
the same childhood after all.
"But even *he* didn't make me Lord Ranma's wife." Ukyo murmured, "Not
even consort. I can't continue to be foster mother to Hanae. Not
anymore. She reminds me of could haves and would haves. But also because
I don't want her to think that I'm using her to get close to her
father."
"Ukyo... nobody thinks that. Ranma chose you to be foster mother. It
is my pleasure that he chose such a dear and trusted friend." Nabiki
smiled ruefully, "You've been her foster mother all her life. Surely you
must realize that Hanae loves you deeply."
"She's a big girl now, I'm not even her official foster mother. I'm
just a proxy to Ranko. I can't do it anymore, Nabiki. Please." Ukyo
wiped her tears before they dropped. "You don't know how hard it is to
try to stop falling in love with someone who you practically see
everyday. And I do... through his daughter."
"If that is your wish, then I'm not going to try to change your
mind." Everything regarding the house was Nabiki's job, so the foster
mothers were her task as well, but she couldn't help but wonder if she
should tell her brother. Although matters like this do not concern him,
Ukyo was one of their best friends. Nabiki was torn between duty and her
friendship with Ukyo. "But you've got to tell this to Ranma. Should I
tell him to look for you in the kitchen, or do you want some time to
yourself before you tell him?"
"I'll tell him after you eat, my lady." Ukyo responded, Nabiki did
not miss the 'you' part. She frowned a bit. Ukyo always ate with them.
Not with the servants. She dismissed the samurai to escort Ukyo to the
kitchen.
It was barely dawn, and most of the house was up, although through
the silent halls it was not apparent. Soon she'll have to tell the house
that Ranma had already left his chambers.
Nabiki turned to Hanae's quarters, as expected the girl was already
packing most of her things in her bag, Nabiki nodded to her, "Hanae,
Ukyo is here."
"Yes, 'Nty." She said picking the pace up a bit.
Nabiki walked to her and sat down, taking the clothes into her hands
stopping the movement, "Hanae, I feel that you are a smart girl. I wish
to know what you think about Kodachi."
Hanae stopped to consider her words. Kodachi was a subject rarely
discussed and something noticeably avoided. It came as a surprise for
someone who palpably hated Kodachi ask for an opinion from her, "I dunno
know, 'Nty. I've always seen her as daddy or you have. And... she's
shown she can be cruel lots 'a times. But she seems different now..."
"Are you sure?" Nabiki wanted to know from this girl desperately, for
she was one of Kodachi's most hated people and the most innocent of all
whom Kodachi had hurt. The last person to hold any bias but still know
well enough about the situation.
Hanae looked up to her aunt's eyes, "Before... I doubted if 'dachi
could teach me the things you teach Sei-chan or 'Nty 'Kyo teaches me.
Maybe 'cuz she hated me too much 'cuz I was somebody else's daughter.
Now... 's not hate I see. Maybe resentment..." She struggled to get the
large words out, "Maybe some anger, but not the pure revulsion she had
for me. Not enough to throw me out in the rain 'Nywei."
The girl was smart and Nabiki trusted her completely, but to trust
Hanae's instincts... many things have been turning out bad, and Nabiki
merely wanted the best for her brother. Merely wanted the best for
everyone. She didn't want to do this but it had to be done.
Nabiki almost winced, she really hated to do this, but this was her
last alternative. She can't just watch Kodachi's every movement, to keep
up the whole house without it going to ruin was already such a big task.
Kodachi needed a hundred percent attention. Sasuke wouldn't do it, his
bind to the Kuno household, though weak, was enough for him not to
report to her. Ranma isn't to be disturbed from his task, that's the
reason Nabiki was managed the house. All the rest can't be taken into
account for they simply cannot keep up with Kodachi.
Except for Hanae.
She knew how unconventional this was going to be, but who cared about
norms anyway? This might save their lives. Ukyo had just provided her
with the best spy. She expected Ranma to give a fight, but the
opportunity... "Hanae, Ukyo can't be your foster mother anymore."
It was the perfect arrangement. Kodachi couldn't lure Ranma to
something more committed than he already is, she'd be kept busy for the
most part, Nabiki gets a spy whose loyalties are unquestionable and she
has more time to think in between her lessons of Martial Arts in Good
Graces. For an invented Art it sure kept up her reserves.
"This won't work if I announce it to her. You have to tell it to her.
Preferably after a big fight with Ranma. Memorize what I'm going to tell
you Hanae, I'm pretty sure this is how she'll react."
For the next stick, Hanae listened intently to her aunt, before she
finally stopped her lecture, convinced she had covered every
possibility, now all she had to do was find Sei and Ranma, and have
breakfast. Hopefully Kodachi will not wake up early.
~~~
Cologne walked to her great-granddaughter's room to rouse her. Unlike
the days when they have actively pursued Ranma, they did not have the
Nekohanten anymore, so their stay in Japan would be shorter than the
usual.
The twins' abrupt departure was not to be taken well, they had
already made their permission from Happosai and taken leave from the
Lady Nodoka. Shampoo looked groggily at her, and she placed one of the
Chinese dresses beside her, "<Xian Pu, take a bath and dress up quickly,
we're leaving early.>"
"<We're leaving, great-grandmother?> Shampoo asked drowsily as she
gathered her clothes to go to the furo. "<I thought we'd be staying a
bit more.>"
"<I'd rather not stay under the same roof as Happosai for too long.>"
Cologne answered disgusted, "<But we're not leaving Japan as of yet,
there's one more stop to go before we leave the country.>"
Shampoo nodded to take her bath, and Cologne tended to the other
things, swiftly she packed the few clothes Shampoo had decided to bring
along, then decided to take a walk in the donjon's garden. It didn't
take long for her thoughts to wander towards Hanae.
'So, Rian had a daughter after all.' Cologne thought, as she looked
at the black as night roses that made up the perimeter, usually this
evoked thoughts of Ranma's unwanted wife, but not that day, 'And she
from what Ukyo says, she is quite proficient in the art as well.'
She sighed, the world wasn't growing any younger, most of the
remnants of the Fianc�e wars (as what it has been aptly termed by most
who participated in it), was nearly gone.
It seemed every single fianc�e Ranma had, was already married, dead,
ronin or nun. Except for Ukyo and Shampoo. They had always been the most
persistent. Had Shampoo had lost to Ukyo, Cologne would have bowed out
gracefully from the fight, taking her great-granddaughter with her.
Fate seemed to want another thing, and their leave was less than
gracious. Kodachi Kuno was the last person Cologne would have thought to
snare Ranma Saotome. Just as that Ikkasei man was the last person she
thought would get Nabiki. Both were less than adequate match for the
two.
Ukyo and Shampoo.
Ukyo seemed like she would never marry, never get over Ranma, she
clung too much to the past and embraced pain too much by accepting
Ranma's offer as a foster mother. She had taken it hard, they were the
best of friends after all, and she had expected that Ranma would choose
her eventually. She had been let down hard and had hated him for a long
time because of it.
Shampoo seemed too dead to the past. She flirted with Mousse every
chance she got, but that was from the fact that she merely shifted her
attentions to him, there was no reality for the show of affection
Shampoo did with Mousse compared to her obvious love for Ranma.
Nabiki and Ranma.
Cologne set out another sigh, *that* was another set of problems all
together. Ranma was angry with his wife, and Nabiki seemed to be angry
with both Kodachi and Happosai.
Sure, Nabiki had her own share of trouble, she had a million of
fianc�s. But in Japan, as she has found out, men were married of as soon
as he wills, and a woman as soon as she can. Nabiki couldn't marry when
her brother was unmarried as well. Happosai had plenty of descendants to
marry of for political connections that he had waited on his own sweet
time to grant her omiai.
Nabiki's main hate for Happosai stemmed from the fact that she did
not believe in the fool to be head of a clan. Her hate for Kodachi ran
much deeper.
Ranma, that boy she didn't ... couldn't even dwell on, he was a
problem all and by himself. Those four people were her *main* concern.
Her memory quickly drifted to one of the first tests she set upon the
twins.
Kuh Lon watched Ranma and Nabiki, as they fought against each other,
their panda guardian off to the side chewing on bamboo shoots that they
had chopped off specifically for him. She signaled for a cut with the
clap of her hands.
Both parted and bowed at each other, she smiled, the perfect
students. "<You impress me.>" She turned to Ranma, "<You have brains to
match your brawns,>" then she turned to Nabiki, "<And you have skill to
match your wit.>"
"<We are twins after all.>" Both of them said at the same time.
"<Ahh... but there is something I still haven't seen you do.>" She
said as she signaled to one of the servants to give them what she had
ordered them to bring. "<Read it to me.>"
One look at the writing and Ranma gulped, "<I'm not very good with
reading Chinese, matriarch.>"
"<Read what you can, deshi.>" She smiled. "<I'm surprised you managed
to have good language skills with such an... intellectually challenged
foster father."
"<Actually...>" Ranma started, "<Nabiki forced me to do this. Honest!
She managed to get every scroll and forced me to listen to her reading
all those boring things. She made me suffer with her!!!! I can't believe
I have a twin who likes all those dull stuff."
"<Someone has to be smart enough, Ranma. Besides, I can't have my
other half *dumb*, now could I?>" Nabiki smiled as she opened the scroll
that was handed to her. "<The name that can be named is not the Eternal
Name. The way that can be mapped is not the Eternal Way.>" Nabiki read
fluently the beginning words of the Tao Te Ching.
"Show off." He whispered to her, which earned him a jab on the back.
Cologne clapped her hands, "<Good child! Your aptitude towards the
language is excellent...>"
Ranma humphed as he raised the small nursery rhyme scribbled hastily
by the Amazon matriarch, "It would actually help if Rian would keep to
herself and Xian would stop paying visits! I know enough!"
That earned him a strike in the head with Cologne's cane, "<Speak
Chinese boy! Happosai has ordered you to train under me! I was told you
two were the best! I do not want to be disappointed! Besides it is
quality and not quantity of what you know that counts.>"
"<Well, I know enough of the basics and some of the advanced stuff.
We already won a battle!>" Ranma protested to the matriarch.
"<Small battles are not wars, deshi.>" She only smiled at his
theatrics. "<You have only been under my care for two days! You do not
know everything *boy*.>"
"<Quality, not quantity of what you know is what counts.>" Ranma
smiled as Cologne realized he had used her words against her.
Twirling the scroll in her hand Nabiki turned to Cologne,
"<Matriarch, do not be so harsh on my brother. He was dropped on the
head when we were born.>"
"<Correction! Nabiki was dropped on the head! I was kicked by the ...
person who was holding me!>" He turned indignantly, Nabiki smiled, that
jibe always got him on the defensive.
"<As interesting as this conversation sounds, Rian must have her
sparring sessions... go off to find the slacker.>" The matriarch smiled,
Ranma shuddered, it was as if she knew that sparring sessions with Rian
flustered him. "<Not you, boy, you are staying with me to improve your
reading skills. Nabiki will go to train with her, they are about
parallel in skill.>"
Both shrugged in unison as Nabiki departed, Ranma scratched his head,
"<What I'd *really* like to know is why pops here trained us to speak
Chinese but never taught us how to read.>"
Cologne cracked a smile, "<Well it doesn't matter, boy. I'm teaching
you how to read Chinese.>"
They had been an energetic group, and one that learned so much, so
quickly.
What troubled her was that the only person who has actually someone
to take after was Nabiki and Rian. That half of the twins done, she
wondered when Ranma would find he wanted an heir, his skill would be
wasted if he did not produce offspring.
'At least Rian and Nabiki have produced fine children... Nothing to
surpass their own skill...' Cologne thought finally as she snapped a
rose from the garden and looked at it thoughtfully, 'But at least
someone *has* produced children.'
She sighed as she went to call Shampoo, the travel towards Rose Brier
was not a short one.
~~~
"What do you want to tell me, Ukyo?" Ranma smiled as they sat down in
the teahouse, Nabiki following behind. The teahouse was the most private
of all rooms in all samurai homes; it was isolated from everything. This
was probably the reason why most of the confidential meetings were held
there, and the reason why Ranma wanted to meet Ukyo there.
"Um... It's not really all that secret, Ranma. Taking me to the
teahouse was not really necessary." Ukyo fidgeted under Ranma's
questioning look, staring at her hands.
"I just wondered if you would like to partake in chanoyu." Ranma
asked looking at Nabiki who had suggested the whole affair.
Declining Ukyo looked at him, "I'm no samurai, Ranma. I don't know
the formal tea ceremony that much."
"I'm sure you'll do just fine." Ranma said trying to calm her,
waiting for what she was supposed to say.
"I've been thinking, Ranma." Ukyo sighed, she wanted it over as soon
as possible, "I thought about the conversation we had when you picked
Hanae up, and I realized that I was being a hypocrite."
Ranma frowned, not knowing what Ukyo was leading to, he didn't
interrupt her, just gave the passing nod or so. "I realized that having
Hanae around was self-torture, Ranma. She becomes more like you
everyday, maybe not her looks, but her cocky smile, her movements...
she's even taking to that sheepish look you once had when we were young.
Don't get me wrong, I care for her as I would my own... but I can't take
it anymore."
"Ukyo... I --"
"No, Ranma, let me finish. I was bringing it on to myself too, you
know. I thought maybe because I have your daughter, maybe then, you
could see me as I see you." Her hand brushed her cheek, "But I've been
harboring an illusion. I am still your vassal, Lord Ranma, but I can not
be Hanae-san's foster mother any longer."
"Ukyo..." Ranma trailed off, not knowing what to say. He hadn't known
of Ukyo's growing discomfort of the idea, and her statement had
surprised him as much as it had Nabiki, "If that's what you want, I
can't deny you that but... what will you do now?"
"Oh, I can still cook okonomiyaki, Ranma. It's how I'll make a
living." She shrugged she was still unsure of how to proceed after
giving up Hanae. She hadn't thought about that at all, she had never
found any reason to. "Maybe go to my father. See how everything is
doing."
"You will still visit, right Ukyo?" Nabiki asked from the side,
smiling up to the girl.
Ukyo returned the smile, if somewhat hesitantly, "Sure, Nabiki." Now
that they were private, the formalities were dispensed; after all, they
were all childhood friends. "I'd always want to drop by and see my
favorite twins after all."
"And you're always welcome here, Ucchan." Ranma said, feeling good at
calling her the nickname. Maybe now that she wasn't foster mother she'll
let both of them call her by her old pet name.
The twins waited on how she would respond, and Ukyo took her time in
doing so. "Sure, Ranchan, Biki-chan." There was an identical sigh of
relief from the twins at hearing her response. "But before I go I want
to ask a favor, Ranchan."
"Anything Ucchan."
Before Ranma knew it, he was completely surprised by the kiss that
followed. He desperately wished that all of his old fianc�es would stop
kissing him for 'old times sake'. Trouble always came afterward.
Ukyo broke off when Nabiki cleared her throat rather loudly. Both of
them turned to her, she raised her eyebrows at them, then pointed
towards the door with her fan. Ranma caught the distinct flash of a
yellow kimono before the person disappeared in the house. From the
color, Ranma was sure who it had been, for it was only Kodachi who
favored the pastel colors as of late.
Ukyo sensed the distress her friend was facing and backed away. Ranma
was one of the most readable persons, if you've known him well enough.
This is probably the reason why the negotiations of the house usually
fell on Nabiki.
Flashing out her fan, Nabiki fanned herself lightly. She watched her
brother's reaction then raised a questioning eyebrow at Ukyo.
"Go, Ranchan I think you and your wife need to talk more than we do."
She gave him a reassuring smile, but he still hesitated, "Go. Nabiki
will keep me company."
With that, Ranma leapt out of the door to find his wife. Ukyo watched
him until she could no longer see his figure then turned to Nabiki, "How
long has he been like that?"
"Like what?" Ukyo didn't know if she imagined it, but Nabiki's slow
moving fan moved even slower, which usually meant that Nabiki was
weighing Ukyo's right to know of such things.
"You know, stepping around eggshells with Kodachi."
"Since forever." Nabiki sighed, Ranma and Kodachi's marriage has
never been one she would call a peaceful one. It was never dull either,
but it grated on the nerves, "But if what you're really asking is how
long has he actually taken Kodachi's feelings into consideration, that's
a different question all together."
"And?" Ukyo looked expectantly at one of her best friends, it had
been so long since she had talked to Nabiki in that manner. Mostly it
became the greetings, and probably the off-handed hello when they met
but nothing more than the casual remarks you say to a mere acquaintance.
Nabiki stopped her fan and looked at Ukyo directly in the eyes,
"Maybe ever since mother's birthday. Possibly sometime before that."
"What do you think?"
"It's what my brother thinks that is most vital to the situation at
hand." Nabiki sighed then hid her fan in her obi, "Tell me, Ucchan, what
made you give up on my brother?"
"I don't know," Ukyo said dejectedly, she looked at her hands, "Maybe
it was because I realized that I could never make him happy, maybe it's
because I know that I'm just one in a million girls..." She looked at
Nabiki then smiled a bit, "*and* boys Genma chanced upon."
"I know the feeling." Nabiki offered her a weak smile.
"Of what?"
"Being unsure of yourself." She clapped her hands, her maid
appeared, and she asked that they be served some tea, the maid backed
away leaving them alone.
Ukyo didn't know how to respond to that, "You? Unsure of yourself?
You're one of the most definite-minded person I know."
Giving her a small shake of her head, Nabiki looked out into the
window, "Maybe when we were young. Now it's all an illusion, Ucchan.
Best you remember we've all changed, but Ranma and I most of all."
Ukyo was surprised at Nabiki, she has never come across a girl, at
twenty-nine, she was a cynic. Of course, Nabiki had also had a very hard
life. "Oh, Nabiki, what happened to you? To both of you? How did I miss
such a change?"
"I don't really blame you. Sometimes when we try hard to believe
something, what we see turns out what we want it to be and not reality."
Nabiki waved her hand at the still-open door where Ranma had fled just a
moment before. "You wanted so much to believe the love he gave you was
more than a friend..."
"Look my brother has been *your* focus of attention, even since we
were young. When we were six we stole your food, after that you turned
all your resources to getting us killed, when we turned sixteen you
decided that you would fall in love with Ranma, when we were twenty-two
you hated him, at twenty-three you held grudging respect for him. Now at
twenty-nine... you're falling in love with him again."
"You make it sound like you've analyzed the whole thing," Ukyo
whispered embarrassed at the summary of her life, and its accuracy. It
*had* revolved too much on the twins. Far *too* much.
"I've had the time to study it." Nabiki stopped to get the tea from
the maid and dismissed her, "You two are the closest people in the world
to me."
It was one of those times that awkwardness settled thick into their
conversation, and Nabiki was not one to give comfort, even to a friend.
She sighed as she offered tea to Ukyo, and since Ukyo wasn't much
educated on the formalities of drinking tea, she just took it as any
commoner would from a lady, and bowed deeply. "Still, you pointed it
*out*. I've had my whole life revolving around the two of you. How
*could* I miss such a change?"
"Because you weren't looking for it." Nabiki sighed, then sipped some
of the green tea that smelled faintly of Jasmine, "And because for
thirteen years you have been trying to get Ranma to make you consort.
There simply wasn't any room to notice."
Looking at the tea uneasily, Ukyo shook her head, "Did I really waste
my life, Biki-chan?"
"You thought you were doing what was best for you Ucchan. It's not
the past we have to apologize for we can do nothing about that, it's the
present." Putting down her tea, Nabiki held Ukyo's hands in between
hers, she wasn't the most comforting of people to talk to, but she knew
what to say, "You did what was best, you realized your mistake, and for
that I admire you."
"Why?"
There was silence, Ukyo thought that Nabiki wasn't going to answer
it, but she finally did, "Because I still haven't resolved mine." Then
as if nothing of importance was being said, Nabiki stood up, brushed her
kimono and smiled, "I think this conversation is getting *too*
sentimental, don't you think? Come on, Ukyo, let's walk by the beach."
After Akane's failure at cooking Yosenabe, everything had gone
downhill with Nabiki's attempts to make her produce edible food. It was
more than obvious that Nabiki was getting frustrated at the accumulation
of the food wasted on each cooking attempt and was more than annoyed at
the fact that they had been eating raw food for the couple of days that
Akane managed to get her hands at cooking.
Still, Akane tried, and today was no exception. She skipped around
gaily at the house, wondering what she would cook next, and decided that
her husband should take that pick for her.
"Do you know where Ranma is, Ifuku?" Akane finally asked after
circling the whole house twice and missing her husband. It has come into
her attention that he could've left just as he did most of the days, but
the samurai that traveled with him were still around.
"Lord Ranma seems to have visitors, my lady," Ifuku answered folding
some of Akane's newly acquired kimonos, "I think it's Hanae-san's foster
mother, Ukyo-san."
"Oh..." Akane's face fell, a bit, then decided she'd just go ask him
what he'd like for dinner with his guest... he doesn't seem to be around
at all lately. "Uh... where would they be?"
"They're not in the kitchen, or the garden perhaps." Ifuku suggested
still doing her chore.
"No... I can't find them anywhere in the vicinity." Akane frowned as
she thought about everything systematically, "No... Nowhere."
"Has my lady tried the tea house perhaps?" Ifuku suggested, after all
it was known that Ranma took most of his meetings with his friends in
the teahouse. Sometimes when he really wished to be private, they
usually went boating in the bay.
"Oh... the tea house. Right." Akane turned towards the said structure
after thanking Ifuku, only to be blocked by two other samurai.
"Lady Ko--"
"It's Akane." She reminded him patiently. Most of the household had
already caught up to the name, but a stubborn few still forgot.
"Lady Akane... my lord Ranma has given explicit orders not to let
anyone in the vicinity of the tea house." The guard insisted his hand on
his sword hilt.
Akane gave him one of her smiles, "Oh come on, I hardly *see* my
husband. I just want to ask what he would like for dinner, so I can
finally cook for him." She pushed insistently forward.
"But Lord Ranma has ordered --"
"Has Ranma ordered that *I* should *not* enter?" Akane asked
impatiently tapping her foot lightly, waiting for the answer. "Well?"
"No Lady Akane," The guard answered hesitantly, "But my orders were
*no one*."
"What were his *exact* orders," Akane asked finally seeing the
samurai wouldn't let her through, "I don't want any paraphrasing, I mean
the *exact orders."
The guard frowned for a moment then finally answered, "That no one
should step foot on the tea house."
"There you go." Akane clapped her hands delighted, "You can open the
shoji for me and I'll just peek, if he's not doing anything *too*
important for his wife to ask what his dinner will be I'll just sorta
ask over the shoji."
"Well..."
"Come on. Technically, you're not disobeying him." Akane smiled
again, and the guard finally relented, opening the shoji for her.
Although he was conveniently concealed from people from the inside of
the teahouse, he stayed by the door to guard her for her word.
Akane thanked him then turned to look at Ranma. It seemed like they
were having this conversation, and a woman was crying. She looked at
this scene and decided that she might not want to interfere in what she
didn't understand when the woman leaned closer to Ranma and kissed him.
Fuming Akane turned around, gave a cracked smile to the samurai and
went back to the house to vent some of the irrational anger. 'Under my
*roof*! He's already cheating me with *Ranko* and he's got another one?'
She wanted to give Ifuku the berating that was reserved for Ranma,
but didn't. It wasn't good to blame others for what simply wasn't their
fault. Although she'd have to lecture the girl and get it to her brain
that Ranma definitely had more than one consort.
"Sasuke!" She called out, her anger still at its peak, when he
appeared she gave him her orders "Bring me some rope. A rope as long as
the house."
Sasuke was gone and back in an instant, giving her what she wanted.
True it wasn't one single long rope, but what seemed like several
knotted together, made of some sort of hemp. She smiled, it will have to
do for now.
She went over to *her* side of the corridor and tied the rope in the
side up to the other end of the house. Dividing the house equally into
two. She turned her heels and was about to walk out when someone had
manhandled her to a wall. This time she managed not to jump too much.
"Ranma," She said, finally realizing whom it was, "What is it?"
"Look Kodachi, I know I already had this whole lecture with you about
being celibate and all..."
"You never gave me that lecture, it was Ranko." Akane bit out then
looked up to him, "Or do you share the same thoughts now?"
"I know you're angry right now--"
"Angry? Angry? Why the *hell* do I have to be angry about?" Akane
shook with her too visible fury, no matter how much she denied it, "You
are after all *entitled* to your consorts."
"Kodachi, would you please listen to me?" Ranma pleaded a bit.
"Why should I?" Akane asked defiantly pulling her shoulders off his
grip, it didn't work, "You *never* listen to me."
"It's not like *you* listen to me as well!" Ranma answered frustrated
he let her go, "Look, Ukyo is one of my oldest friends."
"You don't need to explain to me, Ranma." Akane gave him a very
unconvincing smile, "I am after all only your wife."
"I know I don't need to, but I want to."
This statement just made Akane a lot madder at him. He wasn't
supposed to agree with her. She took out her every trusty mallet and
started hammering at him. To her frustration, he simply dodged. "Oh so
you're saying that you should go traipsing around with every female you
could find. Fine. I don't care."
Giving up, Ranma rolled his eyes, jumping over the last mallet strike
and vaulting over her head then disarming her. "I can see this
conversation is not getting us anywhere. I'll be going now."
"Fine. Be that way."
Ranma had not taken two steps when he turned to face Akane again,
"What is it with you Kodachi? I try to explain things to you, and you
don't listen. I'm leaving you alone and you get angrier. Is there
something you wish to tell me? We have been going at this for at least
seven years Kodachi, I am pretty sure you know how redundant it got
after the first year."
"I'm sure," Akane retorted, "That's why you get all these women."
Ranma threw up his hands in frustration, "I am already giving you too
much of a chance, trying to believe this story of you loosing your
memory. It's far more than you deserve."
"And I'm being *nice* to you, you grumpy old man!" Akane shouted
putting her hands to her hips, "And *that's* fare more than *you*
deserve."
"Ahh... yes... name one nice thing you've done for me."
"I've taken up Martial Arts of Wife in Good Graces for you, I've
taken Ranko out of your room, out of your clothes, I've given her
*consent* to do whatever she likes, I've tried to find out about your
past, I've been *civil* to your consort, I've been more than kind to
your sister..." Akane smoldered even more, the totality of all she has
done the past months bearing down on her, "What more do I have to do to
make you realize I'm not that evil a person?"
"You *are* an evil person Kodachi. It's more of what you don't do
rather than what you do that proves it." Ranma stated watching her look
up to him defiantly, "There simply is so much proof, we *can't* deny
it."
"Why are you trying so hard to hate me?" Akane asked him, her anger
finally gone after a good deal of shouting and punching the tatami with
her mallet.
"I'm not." Ranma answered hafting the mallet around, which to his
chagrin disappeared in mid-air, "I'm merely trying to avoid you."
"Then why? Can't you see I'm trying?"
"Can't *you* see I'm trying?" Ranma threw back at her, "I don't want
all this Kodachi. I stay married to you because of the Sagami. Let us
not forget that small fact."
She felt dejected, he had only married her for a *damn* position. She
was about to slap him when he caught her arm, "And *what is the big idea
tying a rope in the middle of the house?"
She had momentarily forgotten the rope, she hoped this would be as
effective as she had seen in some of the shows she watched. "I divided
the house. Stay on your side."
With that, Akane turned to run, she didn't look back as she crawled
to her futon and cried.
Nabiki watched as her brother approached her with a very angry frown
plastered across his face. She sighed as she looked at Ukyo, who
shrugged in turn.
"I take it his talk with Kodachi did not go as planned." Ukyo
whispered to Nabiki, not wishing to draw Ranma's unnecessary hostile
attention towards her. Although it was certain he would not harm her,
she didn't particularly want to be the focus of his anger.
"It seems so." But then again, Ranma and Kodachi have never actually
met eye to eye, it was a wonder that the fool manages to fall in love
even through their obvious hatred towards each other. "Ucchan, you were
telling me a while ago that you wanted to talk to Hanae."
Taking that as a dismissal, Ukyo bowed and set off towards Rose Brier
to look for Hanae. She gave Ranma a cheery wave then disappeared towards
the shoji doors.
"Ranma, what happened?" Nabiki asked in concern as Ranma finally
approached her, as she had predicted it had not taken Kodachi too long
to engage in a rather long fight with Ranma. "Is there something I could
help you with?"
"Kodachi just managed to divide the house into two." Ranma growled,
Nabiki was thankful he was not lugging his katana around, "Literally."
"And how has she managed to do that?" Nabiki's curiosity peaked by
the fact, everything Kodachi seems to do, makes her question the woman's
sanity more and more. Maybe dividing the house will keep Kodachi at
arm's length. "Saw the tatami?"
"She tied a rope in between the shoji." Ranma bit out, it was obvious
he was not taking it well, then as if realizing something he said,
"Several of them in fact."
Not knowing what Kodachi wished by this Nabiki shrugged, Kodachi
could only be dealt with one way, "If Kodachi has become too much of a
burden to you, I could always commit seppuku."
"No! And now that you have mentioned it, I forbid it." Ranma declared
as he looked at his sister. Only a few relatives were known to him and
his twin was the dearest of them all.
"It was merely suggestion, my lord." Nabiki said lapsing to the
honorfics as she usually did when her brother needed to be calm. Going
over the soothing tones, it was eerie the way the timbre of her voice
matched the waves of the bay when she did that, "Would you care to walk
with me my lord?"
"Only if you walk beside me." Formality bade women, except consorts,
to walk slightly behind men. Nabiki agreed and they continued to walk
along the beach with each other in companionable silence. After a while,
an interesting fact came upon Ranma, "Tell me, where did Kodachi get the
idea of Martial Arts of Wife in Good Graces?"
"It was my fault, Ranma." If they hadn't been so serious, she would
have let out a laugh, as it was she merely walked the beach along with
him, "She was so insistent that I teach her to be a good wife, I thought
she'd back down after she heard such a formidable title. I was
mistaken."
"Is she's telling the truth?" Ranma asked thinking about Kodachi a
bit, Nabiki nodded then she looked up at her brother.
"Ranma... are you sure you would not take my offer of seppuku? It is
the only way." Nabiki pleaded with him, both of them knew the terms of
the marriage; Happosai had ingrained it too much in them for them to
actually forget.
The old man may be a perverted old fool, but he had known one thing
for sure, Ranma would not kill his own sister or permit her to die
before her time, which was probably well and after Kodachi was dead.
"Nabiki, don't make an already hard decision even harder. You're my
sister, I'd not trade your life for mine." Ranma answered her earnestly.
He may be a fool, but he was a sweet one. Then again, was she not fool
as well? She had had countless opportunities to kill Kodachi by her own
hand, and she had never taken the blade to kill her. Then she remembered
Kodachi's worst crime upon her and almost frowned. It still rankled her
to this time that the low class samurai could steal her sword.
She missed her sword, true it had been her fault for not keeping a
closer watch on it, but it had been handed down from generation to
generation of Saotome women. Awarded to her when she had become able
enough to use the sword at ten.
"I'm only watching out for you, my lord. It is my duty and my honor
to commit seppuku in order to free yourself from something as Kodachi."
Nabiki sighed as she flipped her pig-tail aside, once she had been
cursed, Happosai had ordered her hair be redone just as Ranma's, he had
also instructed her to eat the dragon's hair just as he had commanded
her twin.
"I will not have you killed. It is my duty to see you live, too, and
my honor that you are still in my house." Ranma gave her one of his
smiles, and Nabiki wished that it had been a genuine one, not the ones
they traded to make the other feel better. It seemed all too fake now,
"Besides, I refuse to live and face Happosai alone."
Nabiki almost smiled at his weak attempt of a joke. It was a sign
that at least he was trying to look at things in perspective. Maybe she
should be thankful for Kodachi, for having her bouts of temper, and for
over all being crazy. Because if not for her, perhaps, she would loose
her brother, she would be having a life serving the Ikkasei clan, her
son would be doomed to that close minded-clan Happosai sold her off to.
But then... there was simply too much evil in Kodachi that everything
she did was ultimately for *her* sadistic pleasures alone. Something in
her actions, in her ways that made you think you're getting the better
deal, when all she does is offer you a false hope of something you
already have. In that respect, Kodachi was a lethal opponent.
She hugged herself, she had long ago learned that it was not wise to
trust anyone but her twin, and for the two of them to manage victorious
with the Sagami, both of them must work together. They had far too much
enemies and too few friends, "Yes, to endure Kodachi, we must be at our
peak, but to survive Happosai we must not be divided."
~~~
Ukyo looked at the house for the last time, her goodbyes to the
family done. Maybe her father would see her home now. He could not
possibly turn her out for twenty-three years of trying. She did her
best. He couldn't possibly blame her for that. It has been so long since
she's seen home.
The restaurant could probably use her help. It was still in some part
of the Sagami, but far enough from Nerima for Ranma to be seen in it
everyday. He probably visited it once every year, just enough to see if
everything is fine. She clutched her heart dearly, she may have won
battles for Ranma, fighting beside him when they were younger, but now
she had found out the greatest of all pains. It was to love in vain.
Maybe she could take up her aunt's offer for lodgings, at least until
she could find some way to go to her father. Her home in the peasant's
lane with all those restaurants has been all she's known, and in six
years, Hanae had managed to imprint her memory in every crack.
She sighed, had it really been nearly six years since Hanae had been
a part of her life? Six years of watching a daughter she coveted for her
own. It had been raining then, and he had come drenched to her
restaurant, it had been a very slow evening, the rain hampering anyone
from wanting to eat out.
Ukyo looked up from wiping the small tables, she had dismissed the
help since she could obviously manage now, besides, it would be hell for
them to try to return home in the weather.
There was no one there, she thought she had heard someone open the
shoji. She shrugged then continued her task. Naturally, she was
surprised when a cold hand clasped her shoulder.
"Ucchan."
She managed not to jump to high, she knew who visited almost
immediately. Only two people called her Ucchan, and only one of them had
red hair when wet. She grimaced, the wedding still fresh in her mind,
"Lord Ranma -- or should I say Lady Ranko, what brings you here?"
"Ucchan, please. I thought we talked this over already?" Ranma-chan
sighed hefting the small bundle in her arms, naming what angered her
quite accurately, "It's been a whole year since I married Kodachi and I
thought we resolved this already."
"My lord, what makes you think we haven't resolved the issue?" Ukyo
answered curtly moving on to the next table, frowning at the pools of
water Ranma-chan was dripping on the tatami. "I am merely trying to
clean up."
"Because you don't call me Lord Ranma unless you're really mad at
me." Ranma-chan reasoned out, she almost reached out to touch her
shoulder, but Ukyo's glare stopped her from trying, "Ucchan..."
Ukyo looked at him sharply, "It does not befit my lord to refer to
peasants in such a familiar manner. What is it Lord of the Sagami now,
right? Total lord of the Sagami ever since you married Kodachi."
"Is that how you see this whole marriage, Ukyo?" Ranma-chan sighed,
she shivered lightly by the dampness of her clothes. Curiously, the
white bundle in her arms was miraculously dry. "I didn't marry Kodachi
for the Sagami, Ukyo."
"Oh? I know you've wanted to be Lord of Sagami ever since you were
young. Happosai refused to give the Sagami because of the Kunos
dominating the border by taking Rose Brier, and when you're twenty-
two... just after you *swore* to me you wouldn't marry, you take off for
some months and return *married* to lady Kodachi. *Lady* Kodachi who's
dowry happens to be, my, my, Rose Brier. Do you expect me to *believe*
in coincidence?" She didn't have much faith in that.
"I didn't marry her because of her dowry." Ranma-chan murmured.
"Oh *yes*, I remember now, I know... you don't marry girls when they
give you their dowry after all. You take it and run away. I wonder what
makes Kodachi special." She moved to another table again, she knew it
wasn't fair accusing him of something like the yattai, but life wasn't
fair. "Was it her looks, or probably her roses, or maybe because she was
good in bed. Which one is it?"
"I married her because Lord Happosai ordered it." There was a small
cry, she took it for Ranma's small sob, he could act like a child
sometimes, but she would prove mistaken, "I admit I did care for her for
sometime. Happosai made sure we knew each other before we were married,
you know. But all that's over right now. I don't really care much for
the woman now."
"The only reason we're still living in the same house is because Lord
Happosai desperately wants the Sagami in his side because it was to seal
his deal with Lord Ieyasu. They're allies now because of it. Lord
Happosai strongly believes that Lord Ieyasu will win the war. I think
he's willing to give Edo to the man just to prove his faithfulness."
Everybody knew Lord Happosai prided the fishing village. It may look
like that now, but he had large plans for the village, which will become
center of the Kanto someday. "What's the reason you came here for Lord
Ranma? I doubt it's to discuss your wedding arrangements."
"Actually, I came because of this." Ranma-chan nudged the bundle
towards Ukyo. "I wondered if... you know, you'd take care of her."
Ukyo looked curiously at the bundle, and when Ranma's words sunk in,
she pulled away, not even seeing the girl. She gave him a resounding
slap. "How dare you come in my restaurant and ask that of me Lord Ranma.
Do you wish to insult me so much as to make me foster mother of your
daughter with your *wife*? I *may* be your former fianc�e, but I am not
your servant."
Ranma-chan took the slap Ukyo knew that. Had she been unwilling to
take it, Ukyo would not have connected, but she looked at Ukyo with
sadness, "I'm not insulting you Ukyo. I'm sorry if you took it as that.
And... she is not my wife's daughter. She is mine."
Ukyo looked at Ranma, shocked. She didn't know how to take that
answer. This was Ranma, Ranma who has bound his very soul to bushido.
Who saw everything in the Way of the Warrior... even matters regarding
his wife. Would such a man disregard his wife?
Another thought occurred to her, could Ranma have borne the child?
She shook the last thought away from her head, although she was angry
with him she knew him. He would never bed down with a man even for an
heir.
Maybe because he finally found the truth in Kodachi, he had tried to
find someone else. Maybe this girl was a mistake then. Then surely if
Kodachi had not taken Ranma's heart... she still had a chance.
"The offer still stands." Ranma-chan said as she turned to leave.
Ukyo watched her go out, her body shielding the little girl, she was
about to take to the roofs and Ukyo couldn't bear it any longer. She
still loved the fool. "Wait!"
Ranma-chan turned around.
"I'll be the girl's foster mother. If only because you were my friend
once."
Ranma-chan looked ridiculous in the rain, her body stooped to prevent
her charge from getting wet. "I still think of you as one."
Ukyo didn't know how to respond to that. Up to now, Ukyo still didn't
know what made her take up the offer. Maybe because instinctively, she
knew Ranma had told her the truth, maybe because she wanted to be closer
to a part of Ranma... still... "What's her name?"
"Hanae. Saotome Hanae."
~~~
Akane did not know how long she slept, but a tapping sound from her
window roused her from her sleep. Deciding to ignore whatever it was,
she tugged on to her blanket. When it kept going on, she decided that
she should send whatever it was on its way.
She was expecting a bird rapping on the paper window and had not been
prepared to see Hanae dangling upside down from the ledge.
"What the hell are you doing out there?" Akane asked surprised trying
to pull her in. Surprisingly the girl just smiled and sat there. She
just smiled and sat on that thin ledge. Akane prayed her damndest that
it wouldn't give way and fall. It was *just* paper after all.
"Come inside, Hanae." She may dislike the girl, but it wouldn't do
for the girl to fall down from her window towards the very rough cliff
on to the bay. She moved allowing the girl some space for her entrance.
Thankfully, the girl followed her up on her offer and she gracefully
stepped into the room, whipping her kimono around her then breaking out
into a grand smile, as if she had just preformed a great feat. She
looked around swiftly then grimaced, "Lousy decorating sense."
"I agree." Akane nodded sitting down at the bed then offering her one
of the cushions, she still hadn't finished the change of all the
monochrome colors, but she was starting, "Won't you sit down, and
*never* come in through the window again. You scared me half to death!"
Hanae raised her eyebrow then sat down as she had been told while
Akane lit a candle. "I'd think you'd *want* me to enter through the
window, daddy seems to pref-er that en-tra-nce, and you *did* marry
him."
Akane looked at the child with mild disbelief, no one comes through
the window, especially *her* window of all things. "And does your father
know about this little jaunts of yours?"
Giggling, Hanae shook her head, "Don't tell him. It's the first time
I've ever tried it." She giggled a lot more after seeing Akane's
expression. "Don't worry, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't know if
I'd live through the ex-pe-rience."
"You talk big for a child your age."
"I'm above-the-average child my age."
"So you are. So, what brings you at my window so late at night?"
"Actually, I'm here because of daddy." Hanae sighed as she twirled
the locks of her hair contemplating on what to say. "I know you've been
having fights, and I don't think it's right."
That was the worst understatement she has ever heard, they barely
were around each other and when they were they always ended up in a
shouting match. "That's because he's the most infuriating man in the
world! He has a mistress on the same house, and an ill-"
It was then that Akane wisely shut up. With her eyes wide as saucers.
Hanae just nodded, "It's ok, you can say it, with his illegitimate
daughter. I'm used to it." She tilted her head sideways then sighed, "I
think daddy's wrong. You're not pretending."
Someone had just believed she had amnesia, someone she had probably
insulted. Someone she particularly disliked for the moment. "What?!"
"Even though he has guarded me from seeing 'dachi -- " She gave Akane
an appraising look, "the real one. I've seen her. Recently, before she
went here. She was ranting and raving, and laughed, but she had one
goal, to tell me I was a b'stard."
You know Akane's wide eyes? It just got wider. "That dreadful woman
told you that?"
The child nodded then looked away, "And though I'm not trusting you
totally... I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt..." She
paused as she let that sink in, "And my help."
"I don't want your help."
"Wanting and needing are two different things."
"What?! Your father would disown you if he knows you're helping me."
Akane said after everything fully sunk in her brain. 'Are you crazy?
This is the only person who's actually cutting you some slack!' Angry as
she was with Ranma, she couldn't bring to get his child working against
himself. But then this comes from a girl she has particularly decided to
have an aversion to.
"This isn't where you say that." Hanae jumped up to the bed and took
Akane's head nodding it, "This is where you say, 'That's the best offer
I've heard the whole week!'"
Clasping Hanae's hands on her own, Akane looked at the child sternly,
"Ranma wouldn't like that."
"You're thinking of what he wouldn't like now." Hanae shook her head
as she sat on her lap, "I'm half convinced you're not Kodachi."
When Akane didn't say anything Hanae dropped to the floor, "Look, I
know daddy. He's being patient with you now, there's no real guarantee
that patience will last long." If what she was experiencing patience,
she'd like to see what impatient people did. "Your latest episode just
made him think you're regaining your craziness back."
"Hey, I've seen it work in Television!" Akane protested.
Hanae tilted her head again mulling over the unfamiliar word, "You
managed to put that rope where you couldn't reach the door outside!"
"I fixed that!" Akane grumbled, she had been so frustrated she didn't
know where she placed the damned thing. At least she moved it so *Ranma*
couldn't reach the outside. "Is he angry?"
"Who wouldn't be?" Hanae stopped for a moment in contemplative
silence, "My foster mother can't take care of me anymore ... would you
be willing to take her job?"
"I thought wives weren't foster mothers." Akane pointed out what
little knowledge she knew.
"Yes, but we're an 'unusual family. You don't do much of the wifely
duties 'nywei." Hanae told her, which Akane had to agree, "You have
plenty of time in your hands."
Akane knew what was offered, it was something that would definitely
give her an edge towards to her husband, something that would make her
quest to make him see her as Akane rather than her past as Kodachi
easier... but her conscience nagged at the gift. She opened her mouth to
refuse the offer when Hanae stopped her, "Why are you trying so hard to
hate me?"
That Akane did not expect, she had not expected her own words thrown
back at her. Maybe it was the reason why she finally agreed with the
child. She looked at her tentatively, maybe it really was worth a try,
"I don't really know how to be foster mother."
"Then you're lucky, I know how to be a good child." Hanae offered her
a smile then went out. Akane shook her head, wondering what she had
gotten herself into now.
Moving out through the doorway this time, Hanae shook her head.
Offering Kodachi a space for governess would make her more manageable.
Mostly it just told her that Kodachi was really out of it.
She tugged the rope that Akane had indeed moved. She thought about
what her aunt said and moved to the next order of business, talking to
her father.
Ducking under the rope, she went straight to find him, if she guessed
right, he was seething at his room, venting off frustration at the dojo,
thinking on the roof or contemplating with Nabiki in the teahouse.
That was quite a lot of places. He obviously wasn't at the teahouse
since Nabiki and Ranma already had a small talk. He wasn't at the roof
or he'd have caught her at the window. She had been telling the truth,
Ranma hadn't permitted her to try coming through the window. A little
balance techniques, but nothing like that.
Since he wasn't at his room, she moved towards the dojo with a candle
at her hand. She did find him there drenched with water moving on
through one of the more complex katas.
Watching from the entrance, Hanae didn't interrupt her father, he
always did it perfectly and so easily that she always wanted to watch
him. He made it seem as effortless as breathing.
He stopped when he sensed her watching him, picking up a towel by the
table he wiped the small trickle of perspiration running down his brow.
"Hanae, are you aware of the situation with Ukyo?"
Hanae nodded.
"Well, I'll ask Nabiki to see to a suitable replacement for her,
until then 'Ranko' will be enough." He smiled at her as he rumpled her
hair, she smiled back.
"I always want to stay with you, daddy." Hanae whispered hugging him
fiercely.
He kneeled so that he could look at her at an eye level, "That's why
I'm going to look after you."
"Then don't send me out again. I *will* stay with you." She pleaded
with him, "You need me, daddy."
He shrugged, a little girl won't make his life any easier, but not
really all that harder. He had promised her mother after all, "You're
better off with a *real* foster mother, Hanae. I'm not very good at
being one. I'll visit you, just like with, Ukyo. What's the difference?"
"You can't stay out of Rose Brier, daddy." Hanae whispered clutching
him tightly, "Don't you see? With all the activity you've been telling
'Nty Nabiki to leave the Sagami without its leader..."
"You talked to her?" Ranma asked wondering why the girl was suddenly
fidgeting pulling her from the hug, "What did she say?"
"'Nty said Kodachi'll be my new foster mother."
His stern gaze was enough to make Hanae realize that her father was
not especially enamored to the idea of Kodachi caring for her. Kodachi
had never much to do with children in the past and surely less in the
present. "Yes, Nabiki told me."
"Are you mad, daddy?" Hanae asked crestfallen, as if the idea of the
foster mother was her fault.
Ranma noted the suspicious shine in her eyes and rumpled her hair,
"No Hanae, I'm not. Just surprised that's all. Besides, you can't do
that, Kodachi is hardly motherly material."
"But she knows gymnastics, she can teach me that, plus she can swim,
something you still can't teach me because of your problem. The rest
*you* can teach me." Hanae looked up at him, "Daddy, she won't do
anything at all, just watch me, and I'm a good little girl."
"And a handful." He said wryly thinking of the stunts that the girl
did most of the day.
"She's a handful too." Hanae protested. Mostly, she didn't need a
foster mother, she was more disciplined than anybody Ranma knew. She got
her maternal ministrations from Ukyo, Nabiki and occasionally Nodoka.
The foster mother would only there for formality. "Besides, I'll find
out if she's telling the truth or not."
"Kodachi is not someone you mess around with." Ranma reminded her
thinking back on the madness Kodachi could very well do. She is not a
rational variable. "She's not even close to sane."
"I'll handle it." She wiped her tears, confident of herself now that
her father has approved of what she was planning. "So do you want me to
learn gymnastics, or swimming first?"
Akane walked the boundaries of the dojo, looking at every weapon, she
had chanced upon it when it was empty, and she was quite happy, usually,
Ranma or his sister dominated the structure that she could not use it as
she pleased.
Today was different, today it was miraculously empty. She wondered at
her last argument with her so-called-husband. There wasn't much to tell,
she had always been quick to her temper, and Ranma was the person who
*always* set it off.
Maybe it was because he still believed that she was Kodachi, but from
what Ifuku says, Kodachi and Ranma had the most unusual arguments, and
usually Kodachi got out of it by some potions, which are carefully
hidden in the house.
Sometimes she thought she couldn't take it anymore, it's been nearly
half a year stay in Rose Brier, she hasn't gotten out, admittedly she
wasn't *that* social a person. But no man's an island. And Rose Brier
was too much isolated from the rest of the world for her to actually
start and learn something.
She didn't quite get why God chose her for this mission, actually.
Death was a commonplace occurrence in the world, and not all who die
were actually thrown back into time. There has to be some ultimate
reason for this.
She didn't quite believe that God just decided to play some infernal
tic-tac-toe game and decide that she was to be sent back in time. She
*refused* to believe it was on whim. God simply couldn't be someone who
said, 'Hey, I like what she did, let's send her back in time!'
There were only two answers for *why* she was given someone else's
life, either it wasn't *her* time, or... it wasn't Kodachi's time.
She sighed as she got a small dagger she fancied and walked towards
the beach, cutting a small flower into her hand, the white one with
violet tips that reminded her of her husband for some reason.
'Was there some grander scheme between Kodachi and Ranma in the first
place?' Akane thought taking in the sweet smell of the flower, 'Or am I
deluding myself? Maybe I was just sent here to be punished.'
She probably would have been lost in her reverie, between the lulling
of the waves, the sweet smelling flowers and the sand on her feet, had
she not realized something.
Maybe it had been the waves, or possibly her angels, but she
distinctly heard the sound 'baby' whispered in the breeze, "My baby?"
She asked aloud not really expecting an answer.
It was possible that the baby she had lost was to be given back to
her. It was possible by some quirk of fate this baby was actually needed
for some reason, Dame Fortune played all the nasty games in the world,
and humans were the least to expect it.
'Yes' Akane didn't know if she was dreaming or just having a
conversation with herself, she probably just imagined the whole thing,
but the distinct rasp of the waves made her unsure.
She crumpled her face, 'Oh great, I need to actually make a baby with
my husband, and how does God propose to do that when my husband
obviously hates my guts?' then she sighed, and turned back to the house
to think. It was her fault after all, she had asked the question, and
she got a distinct answer.
Of course, it needn't be the answer *she* wanted.
~~~
Hikaru Gosunkugi was in a miserable state. He was badly bruised,
miserable and totally lacking the skills to properly minister to his
wounds. He took up some of the cloth and bandaged his wounds, it had
been few weeks since they were inflicted and they still haven't healed.
Admittedly, he was a slow enough healer, but Ranma Saotome sure knew how
to severely pound a guy.
It was already just plain luck for him that he had not been
mutilated. Had Kodachi not interfered, he would have lost his head. Had
Happosai not ordered Ranma to stay, he would have been cut into pieces.
Pure Luck.
The gods must be smiling at him.
And Kodachi, what was the idea with her? It must be her husband,
doing this to her. He was probably forcing his sweet Kodachi to bed
again, that brute Saotome was *mad*. He didn't let Kodachi do anything
that a woman should.
Her husband had been watching, that's why she didn't want to kiss. He
stroked one of the multiple scars that he had received from the
encounter with Ranma. Saotome would pay dearly for his scars. Each and
every one of them.
The door of the shoji opened, "Who's there?" He croaked, his mind
going over the people who knew he was there. The eta village was not a
place where even peasants tread and it was heavily avoided. He scratched
his leg, his kimono was probably lice infested already.
But it was the only place he could stay that was surely safe from
Ranma Saotome's clutches. Saotome was a samurai after all, and samurai
tended to be loyal to fellow samurai, especially against a peasant.
He was not answered.
He stood to check who was there, when a hand stopped him from rising,
"Oh, Hikaru, who did this to you?"
He turned around to face... someone who he didn't quite know.
~~~
"You want me to teach you *what*?" Akane exclaimed frantic at the
small child. Trying to see if she had heard correctly. "I know little
gymnastics and even less of swimming!"
Hanae pouted twirling the makeshift ribbon in her hand. The crude
ribbon was tied to a stick and from the looks of it, it seemed like it
came from one of her hair decorations, "Come on Kodachi, you were good
at it, daddy said you almost won against him."
That match had been some years before the marriage, and Kodachi had
not been close to winning. Later, Ranma would learn that Kodachi usually
cheated at these matches, and that she cheated a lot. She had only
withheld those tactics with 'Ranko' because she had learned -- or
probably misunderstood her connection with Ranma.
"But... I *forgot*!" Akane said frantically thinking of a reason. Was
swimming like biking that once you learn you never forget? "I can't
swim!"
"You can't forget a skill!" Hanae argued determined to get what she
wanted, "You can turn a bit slower, possibly lesser endurance, but a
skill is never forgotten."
Akane sighed, just her luck that it was like biking. "Okay, fine, but
what will we use for bathing suites?" She doubted if Speedo was actually
around in the 1600's. Hell she doubted if *any* swimsuit was around in
the 1600's.
"Bathing suites?" Hanae repeated as she continued to rummage around
Kodachi's things in the dojo, "Why wear something when bathing? It
doesn't make sense."
"Well, we need that!" Akane argued taking an equally large box and
rustling around, not knowing what Hanae was looking for, but contented
just to do something, "What do you wear for swimming?"
"Nothing!" Hanae frowned as she thought about it, and then stopped
searching in the box, she regarded Akane thoughtfully, "Should I wear
something?"
"Well, Yes!" Akane said frustrated, for someone who's father didn't
want to see her in shorts, she certainly seemed to have less feminine
dignity than her.
"All of Lord Happy's samurai know how to swim," Hanae told her, "It
is something we *all* must know, just as chanoyu and ikebana. And all of
*them* learned to do it without any of this suites you certainly want to
have."
"But why?" Akane asked bewildered, this was certainly something she
didn't think they'd argue about.
"Do you wear something when you bathe?"
"Well ... no."
"And isn't swimming sort of like bathing?"
"Well ... yes."
"So what's the problem?" Hanae asked quizzically scratching her head
a bit. She simply couldn't comprehend the need for such hampering
devices in what otherwise would be a very easier training. "Why insist
on this clothes of swimming?"
"Because I want to be decent!"
To that Hanae desperately tried not to laugh out loud, "Were you born
with clothes?"
"No."
"So, when you were born, you were not decent?"
"No! I was a baby and --"
"Certainly if God thought nudity was indecent then he would not have
made us naked when we were born. Don't you hear the gospel when the
priest says Mass, Kodachi-san? I believe it is in Genesis wherein Eve
ate from the apple and realized their state of undress which made Him
cast them off of paradise."
"I'm a Shinto! I'm not supposed to know these things." Akane
whimpered at the onslaught of Hanae's lecture.
"My father was converted into Christianity from Shintoism 'cuz you
were Christian, are you telling me you've lied all these years?" Hanae
asked accusation in her voice.
"No! What does this have to do with swimming anyway?" Akane asked
flustered at the things Hanae were trying to get out of her, she started
to wonder if accepting her offer had been a big mistake. "All I ask is
why does swimsuits make you seem all angry?"
"'Coz the concept is *stupid*!" Hanae pointed out frustrated.
"First of all if you are trying to get away from someone, a swimsuit
will pull the body in an opposite direction, second, the suit you are
insisting on will get to the eyes making you virtually blind, third
cloth absorbs water, it will become very difficult to swim at a fast
rate because it's very heavy."
"We just need to cover up while we're learning!" Akane sighed lugging
the big box out of the way to talk to Hanae without it being in the
middle. "I don't care what you do or don't wear afterwards."
"But it will drag me down!" Hanae argued, "There is simply no cloth
that can not absorb water. If it drags me down I won't be able to
breathe properly."
"Have I actually consented on teaching you how to swim, young lady?"
Akane asked putting her hands on her hips and trying to look stern.
"Well, no." Hanae gave her a cheery smile, "But you will, after all
it's unfair to keep all your knowledge to yourself. That's being
selfish."
Akane shook her head, she wondered if there was such a thing as
insurance in 1600's. Probably not. She hoped that Ranma wouldn't go out
for her blood when she accidentally drowns Hanae or something to that
effect.
Holding her hand to her head, Akane could feel a migraine coming. And
this was about her *swimming* only. Who knows what the gymnastics
conversation would turn out?
Why couldn't she have just asked to teach her martial arts?
~~~
Nabiki watched with detachment as her two students finished their
game of shogi, they still hadn't come to a point where they could beat
her, but their constant practice would do them good.
"Sensei, why do we need to learn shoji?" Sei asked as he cleaned up
the board to go to the cases.
"Shoji is a game of tactics, combining the ability to follow
instructions, your strategy and your problem solving," Nabiki answered,
Her son was younger than Hanae a year, and was starting to show his
curious streak. "And to win a war, the leader must have a good head for
tactics."
"Will we fight in the war?" Hanae asked as she covered the board with
a piece of cloth then kept it in the alcove, then she looked at Nabiki
questioningly. "When did you start to fight?"
"You will, someday." Nabiki smiled as she took out another board game
essential for their strategy, "We were about ten when we started on
little battles."
"What is that?" The boy asked curiously at the new wooden set Nabiki
turned out from the alcove.
Nabiki just smiled as she readied the pieces, it was one of the few
remembrances she had of their lessons from China. This particular piece
was from before the matriarch had taken over their lessons. "This, Sei,
Hanae, is called Xiang-chi."
"Xiang-chi(80)?" Both of them repeated, as they saw the fine lines
drawn across the board and the pieces Nabiki set carefully.
"Yes, it's the Chinese form of shoji and similar to it, except for
some notable differences." Nabiki lectured as she wiped the last piece
and placed it on the lines, "Well? I would be disappointed if you didn't
notice at least *one* dissimilarity now."
"The game is played at the int'rsections!" Hanae pointed out
gleefully, clapping her hands.
Smiling at her student, Nabiki nodded, "Yes, unlike shoji, which
plays inside the squares, this one is at the intersections. Some pieces
also may not cross the central river."
She pointed at the blue dividing line of the board, "After you learn
Xiang-chi, the next game would probably be go, but I want you to learn
this game well." Nabiki said putting the board between the two children,
"It was not taught to us in China for nothing. I will leave you to set
up the black side by yourselves and look at the board for a while, so
you can try to see what are the similarities of this wooden game," She
knocked on the board, then looked at the children, "And real life."
She stood up only to see Kodachi watching them from the shoji, she
sighed imperceptibly, the woman seemed to have too much time in her
hands, she led the woman to the garden before asking, "Yes, Kodachi, is
there something I can help you with?"
"Uh... Nabiki, I didn't know who I'd turn to for this, but, ahh, I
*can't* swim!" Kodachi looked like a three-year old caught handling the
sword that he had been ordered not to touch. "I barely know how to
tread!"
Raising a perfect eyebrow up, Nabiki sighed, the woman simply wanted
to get all of her troubles out of her mind, everyone knew perfectly well
Kodachi was a capable swimmer. Swimming was an order Lord Happosai sent
to *all* his samurai, even hatamoto(81).
"Kodachi, you are not passing off your work to me," Nabiki said
coldly shifting her fan out in the open, "I have too much work to do."
"I wasn't implying that you take my work," Kodachi persisted, "Just
that I *can't* swim."
Kodachi wasn't much of a useful woman, granted she was an excellently
trained housewife -- when she managed to bring her skills out in the
open, but the only plausible thing she could pass off to her wards at
the moment were swimming and gymnastics. "Then what do you propose to
teach your charge?"
"Martial Arts." Kodachi responded quickly, "It's the only thing I
know how to do."
"You can't. They already have several teachers in the area. They are
beginning to learn mid-level battoujutsu and some of the ninjitsu
techniques Sasuke is willing to part. They are also beginning on their
Kyudo(82) training," Nabiki turned to the dojo, "The teaching of martial
arts is reserved for the head of the Saotome family. I am pretty sure my
students are at your level of fighting, or possibly a bit below, but you
are not advanced enough to teach."
This seemed to have enraged Kodachi, "Look here, Nabiki-*san*, I have
been sensei to the Tendo school of martial arts since I graduated from
collage. How dare you accuse me of--"
"And excuse me, Kodachi-*san*," mimicking the exact words Kodachi
threw at her, "You haven't even touched, Chiu(83), much less Dai
Gakho(84). In this house, the children are privately tutored while the
peasants attend such schools. *You* have refused education, you *cannot*
teach anything other than wifely ministrations that you were trained by
your mother, which you have seemingly forgotten."
"How dare you belittle my skill!" Kodachi raved, enraged at the way
Nabiki was treating her, "You haven't even seen me fight."
"I don't need to." Nabiki answered as she looked at her from head to
foot, "Your feet are rough from running without the geta," she circled
her a bit then pointed out, "You have lost your flexibility by not
training in it, although it seems you have been trying...
unsuccessfully, I might add, to some strength training."
She pointed to Kodachi's hand, "Calluses in the knuckles of your fist
suggest you have been breaking something recently... perhaps wood, which
has much to say about your strength... which is to say, not much."
After that, Nabiki crossed her arms to watch Kodachi's expression.
"Your endurance only long enough to run by the boundary of Rose Brier,
you're too lazy enough to try of the periphery of Nerima. You walk in a
manner that suggests you are *too* slow for an encounter with my
students, no matter how stronger you are." She didn't even bother to
delve into the topic of how Kodachi neglected to train in both defense,
from the non-reaction she got when she walked around her.
She shrugged then gave a severely cut diagnostic, "Your size can be
an advantage to you, but not to much, as my students can dodge quite
speedily as you will see. I predict that my students will either try to
wear you out or simply get as much hits as they can while avoiding
yours."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Only if you take it to be so." Nabiki said then moved towards the
children again, "I'm not much of a fighter, Kodachi-san, merely telling
you the odds."
"Then how about a fight, to test my abilities?" Kodachi offered,
still bothered by the fact that Nabiki had taken her skill so lightly,
she was the best in Furinkan and surely still good enough now.
Nabiki shrugged then called out her two students, both of them
hurried out of the room when she summoned, leaving behind the Xiang-chi
immediately. They bowed to her lightly and Nabiki nodded.
"Hanae, Sei, Kodachi wants us to test her fighting ability." Nabiki
said lightly regarding Kodachi, "She thinks I have underestimated her.
What do you think?"
"It depends on what you told her, Nabiki-sensei," When they were
taught, they always addressed their teachers in that manner. "But I am
pretty sure that your assessment of her ability isn't that far off the
mark."
Hanae nodded in agreement, "Sensei, your appraisal of anything has
been what my father prized the most in your battles. You would not tell
Kodachi something that you are not particularly sure of."
"Come now children, Kodachi," Nabiki said as she turned to walk to
the dojo, "A challenge of sorts has been issued and accepted."
Nabiki walked the stone path towards the dojo and slid the shoji
open, revealing the room in all its grandiose.
"Come now, Nabiki," Kodachi said as she followed, "Surely the
children should be left out of this."
"The children are samurai." Nabiki said as if this statement would
explain everything, "They should learn to participate in battle."
"But... they're so young!" Akane protested as they opened the side
shoji which revealed space where spectators usually watched, they pulled
two cushions, then turned expectantly at Nabiki.
"Who do you propose then be our judge, Kodachi?" Nabiki asked as she
bowed towards the takonama, the children not short behind, then turned
towards the still stunned Kodachi. "I am sure that the children would
want to watch this, just as any of the samurai."
The children looked at them and sat down in their respective places.
Kodachi looked even more stunned, "Oh... they're *judging*. From the
way you talked before, I thought they would be fighting me."
"Yes, but they might not be able to give an accurate summation of
your abilities." Nabiki shrugged then turned to her, "I am merely
obliging to your wishes."
Kodachi took on a ready stance, which Nabiki recognized as one of the
most basics of Anything Goes, a meld from two other styles Genma taught
them. Nabiki looked at the other woman suspiciously. Kodachi shouldn't
*anything* from Indiscriminate grappling. Even a basic stance.
A glance at the children told them that they recognized the stance as
well, something was up, Nabiki didn't move from her position, 'No one
outside the Saotome Clan should know *any* move from the Hidden Arts. No
one.' Even Happosai did not speak of Anything-Goes freely.
She could name a select few outside the clan who knew that the style
was practiced, the Amazon matriarch and her two heirs, possibly China's
emperor, Gosunkugi from Ranma's fight back at the party and a few rivals
from when they were younger, back in the fianc�e wars. Some were even
hazy, they didn't go about proclaiming they actually used it. Those who
see them fight, attribute their skills to a lot of branches of martial
arts, few suspected it was actually a compiled version of every art they
have gotten their hands into.
Yet this woman, who rarely practiced outside martial arts rhythmic
gymnastics moved like a practitioner of the Anything Goes. A clumsy and
slow practitioner, but a practitioner nonetheless. This did not bode
well.
"Well, are you going to fight me or not?" Kodachi asked irritated her
right hand balled into a fist in front of her.
"I am." Nabiki smiled complacently, sure that Kodachi would make the
first move against her, Kodachi was more impatient than her brother, and
her brother *always* initiated their sparring matches. "I'm merely
waiting for your attack."
"But you're not in a ready stance." Kodachi protested.
"Just because I look more relaxed than you, my dear Kodachi," Nabiki
smirked as she placed her hands on the back of her neck, the one stance
that her brother used to goad most of his enemies, "Doesn't mean I'm not
ready for you."
Kodachi's hit first came an inch clear of her face, 'She's pulling
her blows *and* intentionally missing me?' Nabiki almost laughed, "You
should learn to treat me with more respect than that Kodachi, I don't
fight with someone not giving their all."
"Who says I'm not?" Kodachi asked as she turned to assault Nabiki
with a barrage of punches, Nabiki sighed, if you had gone through
training 'roasted chestnuts on an open fire' Kodachi's punches were less
than mediocre.
"Because it's either your aim is quite bad for your punches to miss
as wide as an inch," Nabiki pointed out as she jumped over a 90-degree
kick that Kodachi lashed out, using Kodachi's leg as her support to jump
through, "Or you're missing me intentionally."
After that there was a grim determination in Kodachi's eyes that
settled in, confirming Nabiki's suspicion that she *had* been holding
back. Unluckily for Kodachi, Nabiki didn't have the same reservation as
her brother for hitting females, which probably stemmed from the fact
that Nabiki was female herself.
Fortunately for Kodachi on the other hand, Nabiki was merely testing
her abilities today and was prolonging the fight, because from the
minute Kodachi punched Nabiki knew she was exerting too much energy into
it, making it very easy for her to just push the girl before she could
rebound.
And when the woman *did* punch, she left too much of her defense open
that any counter attack that dealt in the lines of a foot sweep, an
attack towards her midsection or her brother's habit of kicking the
opponent's head back when he jumped, would automatically disable her.
"You're the one who's not taking me seriously with all this dodging."
Kodachi quipped as she heaved a quick punch to the side, followed by a
kick, both which Nabiki dodged gracefully.
"I'm testing you're abilities, remember?" Nabiki said in a voice so
sweet, that it was obvious it wasn't said to the other girl's good
graces.
A few minutes into the dodge game and Kodachi was already breathing
heavily. Nabiki was quite surprised she managed to last this long. Too
many gaps in her defense indicated that on Kodachi's first blow, she
could've hit her cold instantly.
Nabiki turned to block another barrage of punches and almost gasped
when she recognized the following moves, some of the more advanced moves
in Anything Goes. If Kodachi could learn from merely watching the elite
*few* fights they did displaying the moves, then she must be quite a
fast learner, possibly just as fast as Ranma. Unless someone was
actually *teaching* her these moves, and she heavily doubted anyone
would do that, for she wasn't Saotome.
It was then that Nabiki decided to guard her moves carefully, not
using any combination moves from Indiscriminate Grappling, focusing more
on aikido, and lapsing sometimes to the defensive forms that the amazons
taught her.
Besides most of the moves she *did* do where in the basics of *any*
martial art school. Nabiki was learning *more* about Kodachi's fighting
style, while she was just giving off some commonly known moves.
Deciding to end the fight then Nabiki dodged down from one of
Kodachi's last blows and swept her feet under her, sending the girl
tumbling. She brought her elbow down to Kodachi's neck, but didn't
connect it.
"Now you see, Kodachi, a lesson from someone, who can not even land a
blow on someone like me, who is not so good with the art as my brother
in the first place, is not any lesson at all." Nabiki said, pinning
Kodachi to the ground with her elbow. Of course, Nabiki didn't mention
that she had never truly lost any other fight than to her brother.
Nabiki stood up, then dusted her kimono, holding her hand out to
Kodachi, who accepted. Motioning for Hanae, Nabiki instructed her to
assist the woman to her room, "Sei, Hanae, after you fix the game board
that you left, you are dismissed and think upon one of the many flaws of
Kodachi's fighting style."
Kodachi glared at her, Nabiki merely smiled, "Kodachi, how are they
going to learn how to fight if they do not see what is wrong in the
first place."
"Do you have to tell it to them in front of my face?" Kodachi spit
out, leaning mostly on Hanae.
Nabiki shrugged, "If you can not take criticism, Kodachi, you must
learn how to be correct. Take for example, Sei, what do you think is the
weakest point in Kodachi's form, and why was my reaction time to her
punches faster after the first few seconds?"
The boy paused for a minute trying to re-create what happened in his
head, then answered, "She falls into the same pattern after a few
tries."
"That's true, and a pattern yields to predictability." Nabiki said
then looked at Hanae, "And Hanae, did you notice anything out of the
ordinary of the punches, and kicks Kodachi threw?"
Again, there was a pause as the girl thought for a minute, "She threw
too much power behind them, that counter attacks or blocking was only
possible if you were extremely nimble."
Nodding, she patted her two students head, "Correct," She turned to
Kodachi and said, "And since your body isn't really powerful, the
gravity of the punches you give tends to push you forward more than
what's actually necessary. Those flaws are *only* from your punches. I
think this little lesson is over now, think more about your actions
*before* you decide to challenge someone whose skills you barely know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Footnotes:
yes, the footnotes start at 75.
(75) Dashi: Soup stock. Okay, even if the translation is there, so
there's no confusion I'm repeating it down here.
(besides dashi and deshi sound too much alike.)
(76) kombu: kelp
(77) katsuobushi: bonito flakes
(78) sashimi: raw fish, you don't cook this at all, you just have
to slice fresh tuna fish to eat. :) With some soy sauce and lemon
juice it's a good meal. (If you're not that hungry)
(79) tabi: socks with the split in the middle for the shoes. You
know what I'm talking about right?
(80) What is Xiang-chi? If you've been listening to Nabiki :)
you'd know this is Chinese chess. Sometimes called Hsiang-chi
or Xiangqi. One of the little war games :) I got my info on
this on 'The Basics of Chinese Chess' :)
for those interested
the page is http://www.yutopian.com/go/ccLes/ccLes.html
Its history can be found at:
http://www.yutopian.com/chinesechess/classics/history.html
(81) What are hatamoto? A hatamoto is a special retainer of a
daimyo, who had the right of access to his lord and could wear
his sword in the presence of his lord.
(82) Kyudo: Way of the bow or Japanese Archery
BTW: Yes, I know most martial arts began in about 1800's Japan (except
Kung Fu (?) which began I think about 2000 BC in China)
I recreated history, all the martial arts I'm putting here are known
back in my time period. (Hey I'm changing everything else why not this?)
(83) Chiu Gakho: Middle School
(84) Dai Gakho: Great School
(85) The Duo Jet Ski Raging Waters Attack: I don't know
if it's in the manga, but Ranma and Akane in the Anime,
when they dealt with the Dojo destroyer used this move.
I don't know the Japanese term of this anyone wanna help me out?
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Author's Notes:
Yes, I fianally finished 8. It's probably the longest you're
going to get from me. I'm currently suffering from mental block.
So you'll have to understand why Chapter 9 and 10 will be short and
might go out of context. :) (Well, it goes through a lot of people,
it might be in context by then.)
For the delay of this... I'm not even going to think up of a
reason, I'll leave that to your imagination. :)
As always, c&c appreciated.
PS. Please be reminded send mail to me at: Ice-o8o@usa.net [that's an o
and not zero, both of them]
(I love recieving letters if just for a pleasant hi, I always answer
back,I'm *that* talkative, if not prompt)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We sometimes tend to forget that criticsm is better than praise, when
we criticize we say that the other person has the ability to accept
our words and take it as a challenge to become better because of this.
~~~ my teacher (hehehe)
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I write when the spirit moves, and I make sure it moves every day.
~~ unknown