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This is a new, improved version of chapter 3 (I hope)
The tale of Cinderella goes on -
Still looking for Japanese names for the band members of 'Primrose Path'.
James and the Bluejay
jeeades@wanderway.com
---------------
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi and Viz and a whole bunch more
have dibs on Ranma et al; Fujishima Kousuke and Animeigo
take credit for associating Urd of Norse mythology with kawaii
features and a computer engineering degree; Cinderella is an old
fairy tale, which leaves me with Hainoko and Kidori. Basho
belongs to himself. Not to worry, since I don't figure on making
any money off this anyway. No gerbils were harmed in the writing
of this fanfic, although a few are still on medication.
What has gone before, or CATCH UP DUTIES: Urd, the norn of the
past/goddess of love (take your pick), has called upon a temp
service to free her to pursue a virus she suspects has been
introduced into the heavenly computer by the demoness Marlar.
The agent she called has in turn asked for a substitution, which
turned Ryoga into a roving temporary wish-bringer. One of the
wishes Ryoga has granted makes Hiroshi turn into 'Cinderella', a
rock star who is, unfortunately for Hiroshi, blatantly female.
Hiroshi has been trying to deal with this new identity and has
made a few mistakes.
ASHES - A Cinderella Story
Chapter Three
Drawing Closer, Getting Caught
Some are young and some are old
Silver threads among the gold
Let us dip and let us groove
Chapter Three is on the move.
HIROSHI:
Lies, all lies.
Still, I had to admire the poster maker's work. He was an artist
- the poster had certainly cost me enough. He had used a picture
from a telephoto camera to create the illusion of a warm,
breathing human being smiling out from the surface of the paper.
I knew better. The girl in the photo had not been breathing most
of the time. She had been afraid, petrified, in fear for her
life. I did _not_ remember smiling.
Hmmm.
So that was what Cinderella looked like. Not bad, when I could
squelch the tiny voice of reason that kept chittering inside my
skull. If I applied my years of expertise, I could enjoy this
picture. A little too much ribbon here in front, maybe, but
someone with an airbrush...
Accckk! If I could think this, then someone else was already
doing it! I was being violated by proxy, and I had all my
clothes on!
I gathered my resolve and determined to keep my humor. Only
fools would waste their time playing with pixilated images. I
would laugh at them. I would sneer at anyone who found comfort
in distorting reality in order to support their crippled vanity.
I would...I would...I wondered if the same artist had any posters
of Primrose at a reasonable price.
Still, I would probably attempt to maim the first person I saw
selling a picture of a nude Cinderella. After all, a man must
have _some_ principles.
Which reminded me. Buried in the bottom of my closet I had some
excellent snapshots of Ranma in a state of disdress. I was
almost certain that they had been taken without his consent. I
would have to watch out for Nabiki.
But first, I had to protect the poster. The hiding place had to
be perfect. Hainoko had a nose for my stuff. She had stolen
CDs, posters, manga, homework, and even my favorite chewing gum.
I mean, how am I supposed to keep anything when she can just walk
in and take it? Under the floorboard. Superglue the loose
board. There, safe. A ninja could not get in there. It would
be my secret stash, a guilty memory to take out and reminisce
about, someday when all this would have been forgotten.
I sagged onto the sofa, bushed beyond belief. The day had been
fraught with tension. Everyone was gossiping about the mystery
girl, Cinderella, who she was and where she had come from.
Illogically, I expected to be exposed at any second. They could
not know anything, yet my nerves were on edge. The other
students kept staring at me, probably because I wasn't hanging
around with Daisuke.
Daisuke, my old pal, my best chum, was busily stabbing me in the
back. He yukked it up in the gym, bragging to all the guys about
how far he had gone with Cinderella. In class, he winked and
made sickening faces at the girls. To make matters worse, some
of them winked back, especially Yuki and Tomai, who had mentioned
that they were determined to find what secret charm Daisuke had
to attract a fabulous chick like Cinderella.
By now I realized that I had sabotaged myself by going on that
date. Then I had sealed my fate by not revealing my secret to
Daisuke when I had the chance. I would have to get him aside and
tell him the truth, before he smeared my reputation any more.
But, first, I had to rest.
--------------
Someone was trying to beat down our door. I waited for Mom to
answer it, but she must have been out of the building. Pops was
at work. Hainoko never answered the door. That left me, and I
was bushed, beat, and feeling sorry for myself. I was still
sleepy and wanted to go back to my nap but someone was trying to
knock our door down, which was leading me in a circle, so I
answered the door.
Daisuke was prepared to pound on our the door again when I opened
it and stuck my head out. "Hey, have you heard?" he said
excitedly, "Primrose is at Ucchan's!"
"What in the world is she doing there?"
"I don't know, but that's where I'm going!" Daisuke had an eager
expression on his face, along with a confidence I had never seen
before.
"Ah, man," I put on a long face and tried to look even more tired
than I was. My heartbeat had tripled and my exhaustion had
vanished, but I did not want to show it. "What's the point?
She'd never notice me! Besides, I have that test to study for.
I can't go."
Meanwhile, I was thinking. Not as myself. But in my secret
identity.... This situation has _got_ to have a up side. I
rubbed at my eyes, trying to scrub away some of the sleep. I was
still groggy, for some reason. Last night had really drained me.
Oops. Last night. I _knew_ there was something I had to do, and
I might as well get it over with, now.
"Well, I'm going," Daisuke pouted. "Go ahead. Stay home. Break
up the dynamic duo. You are shaking the very fabric of the
space-time continuum."
"Wait," I said. "About last night...."
He lingered at the door in what I recognized as the insecurity of
guilt. With a sidelong glance he said, "You're jealous because I
stole Cinderella-chan from you. I understand. In time you will
forgive me!"
"I am not jealous!"
He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead in pure
Kuno-esque fashion, "I must go forth into the cold, dark,
treacherous night, knowing that my best friend, whom I have
wronged by stealing his girl, actually thinks I did it
deliberately!"
"Well?" The schnook had not even noticed that he had dropped his
date off less than a block from my apartment. I doubt he even
remembered picking her up here.
"It was an accident! Honest! It wouldn't happen again in a
million years! She was there, and she was all over me! Trust
me, I was saving you from her! She would have eaten you alive!"
"I don't want to even imagine what you mean by that!"
"Someday you will forgive me," he paused again at the door to
gesture dramatically. "Farewell. I must go, for Primrose calls
me. Another date, another notch...."
"I'll notch your head, Dumbass! Look!" and then I said the magic
words, "'I want to be a rock star.'"
-poof-
Something clattered to the floor and rattled around. I think it
was Daisuke's jaw.
"Now," I growled cutely, "Would you like to repeat that garbage
about me pawing you?"
"Woo-woo!"
"Dai-kun...."
"pant...pant...pant...."
"Zip it, will you? This is ME, Hiroshi!" My hand was invisible
to him as I waved it in front of his face, but when I stepped
around him, he followed. "Do you hear? Daisuke!"
"Wow. Hiroshi. That's really you?"
"Are you better? Can you talk?"
"Did you go to China, too? I'm going to carry cold water all the
time!"
"No! Cold water doesn't work on me! I made a wish, and the
whole thing went to crap. About last night...."
"It was great!"
"That is not what I was talking about! Now, about last
night...."
"I am free tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after that,
and...."
"Baka!" I rarely struck my cohort in academic crime, but this
time he deserved it. I popped him on the top of his head with
the palm of my hand. He never even blinked. "I am not going out
with you! I am Hiroshi! I am NOT a girl!" I hit him again.
"Ow!" he said. "Well, you coulda fooled me, Hiroshi!" His eyes
went roving and he smiled a slow, calculating smile. "Oh, boy,
could you fool me. You can fool me all day, and...."
"Knock it off, willya?" I said, pushing him away. My voice was
too soft. I wanted to scream, but that would have sounded even
more like a girl. "Why are you taking this so calmly? This is
as bad as Ranma's curse!"
"Yeah," he agreed, wiping at the corner of his mouth, his gaze
never leaving the vicinity of my chest. "Bad."
"Well, I can choose when I change, and I don't have to worry
about water. But everything else is not good. I am stuck this
way for two hours."
"Two hours. Gee, that's terrible, " He seemed deep in thought,
with one finger raised as though about to say something.
"What?"
"It's the answer to a prayer!"
"_What_?"
"Don't you remember? You told Ranma that if one of us could turn
into a girl, we'd be more generous than he was!" He did not seem
to notice that I had stopped to stare at him. "You're in luck!
Now we can share!"
"You have about two seconds to rethink that thought before I take
out your tonsils with a soccer stick!"
"Uh...okay," Daisuke appeared to agree, only to take off on a
different tack. He approached the subject hesitantly, as though
concerned that it might turn and punch him in the nose - which it
might have. I was getting a little irritated. "What I really want
to know is...are you...is this body...you know, anatomically
correct?"
"Whaddya mean?" I gasped, "Anatomically correct? Are you a
pervert?"
Daisuke looked at me with misty, hurt eyes. "Of course I am!" he
exclaimed, "What did you expect?"
"Well, this is not a real female body! It's plain and...and...
like one of those dolls! It's smooth, all over!"
"That's terrible! I don't believe it! That would be cruel beyond
the limits of human endurance!" he cried, disappointment clouding
his face. Briefly, a faint hope brightened his countenance, "Can
you prove it?"
"It's magical clothes, dummy! They don't come off!" [Oh,
please, don't ask! Please, pleasepleaseplease....]
"Uh - how do you know? Have you even tried?"
[Arrrrrggggghhhh!!!!] "No," I admitted, "No, I haven't." Yeah,
I know. I was in denial. It was easier to pretend that this was
a costume I was wearing. A very complete costume. It was not
really me.
"Can we look, now?" he asked. My pal.
"What part of 'when hell freezes over' don't you understand?" I
shoved him, protesting, out the door.
------------
I looked around after he left. No one. The place was deserted,
with the only movement my reflection in the hall mirror. I had
almost two hours before I became Hiroshi again, and I did not
want to be alone with myself. Also, I did not want to be around
the house when my parents came in. I shrugged. Might as well go
to Ucchan's.
I suited action to impulse, grabbed a coat and hurried out the
door, feeling the outer surface of a bubble of panic. I was
going to step out into the public eye. Alone. As a girl.
Somewhere in the base of my heart a muscle quivered. So I could
see Kidori. As a girl. Oh, dear kamis. I was actually looking
forward to it. I was sinking into a pit of self-delusion.
I evaded Daisuke, who was lurking outside to escort me, by simply
running away from him. It surprised me how fast I could run,
legs pumping, arms swinging, coat flapping, past shocked
pedestrians, leaving him behind heaving and blowing.
Yes, Primrose was at Ucchan's. So were half the students from
Furenken, making it impossible to get to the door. I took off
the sweltering hood, trying to see more clearly, wary of bumping
into Daisuke. Somewhere along the way my reason had begun to
reassert itself, and I had almost convinced myself to turn away
and return home when I ran into a familiar face.
"Yo, you're new around here, ain'cha? Y'look kinda lost."
"Ulp!" I froze, not wanting to let Ranma get a close look at me.
Not that it would have mattered, but I was having a heart attack
at the moment, and I didn't want him to see.
"Oh, don't pay any attention to him," said his companion, digging
her elbow into Ranma's side. "He has to hit on every pretty girl
he meets. Hi! I'm Akane!"
"I'm...um...I'm...."
"What's with the crowd?" wondered Ranma, "Ukyo must be giving it
away free, tonight."
"Raaanma...."
"What? What'd I say?"
"You are hopeless!"
"I didn't say nuthin'...."
"I think Primrose is here," I said, finally managing to get my
jaw moving. Who could I say I was? Why didn't I just stay home
the way I said I would? Why did I have to change into a rock
star, or something? Why was I asking all these questions?
"Hey, look!" someone shouted, "It's Cinderella! She's here,
too!"
"Oh, boy," I groaned.
"Oh, of course! You're Cinderella?" Akane gasped, "Why, I've
heard about you! That's all anyone would talk about at school,
today!"
Yeah, I know. Talk about embarrassing.... Oh, I did not mind it
when they talked about how well I sang, but the boys tended to
drool and the girls got this strange look in their eyes, as if
they wanted to talk about something else.
"Sing us something, Cinderella!" Suddenly I was surrounded by a
crowd. "Give us an autograph! Give us your clothes!"
"Oh, no!" I said, thinking out loud, "I've got to get out of here
before they mob me!" It did not help that I had spotted Daisuke
at that moment, and he was fighting his way through the mob to
get to me. He was being hampered by several girls who seemed
intent on getting his attention.
"Put me down! What do you think you are doing?" Akane demanded
as Ranma swung her into his arms.
"We're going around back," said Ranma. "Can't be any more
crowded than it is out here!"
With that he jumped to the roof of the restaurant. He turned to
call back at me, "Wait there and I'll be right back!"
"Don't bother," I said from beside him.
"Wup," he said. Recovering quickly from his surprise he added,
"Nice jump."
"I find I can do all sorts of stuff when I put my mind to it," I
said, while my private thoughts raced. How did I do that? I saw
him go and decided that I wanted out of there, and up I went.
Yeah, nice jump. Three meters, straight up? I asked to be a
rock star, not an acrobat!
Konatsu was at the back door, all smiles and gracious manners,
and he led us through the busy dining area where the fans were
elbow to elbow in the corner. It was easy to guess who was at
their center. Primrose.
Then I saw her, the most beautiful girl in the world, sitting at
the tiny corner table, and she looked up from the crowd, saw me,
and waved me over.
"Hi! Over here! My name is Kidori!" she called. I floated
closer on a cloud and she asked, "Is your name really
Cinderella?"
She acted like a fan. Not just any fan. Without her stage
makeup on, she looked different, but still beautiful. All I
could do, in response to her question, was nod my head. I was
unable to speak around my heart in my throat. It hurt when it
beat so strongly.
Somehow, Konatsu arrived through the crowd and took our order,
and I said I was not hungry. Also, I was broke. I had brought
no money, and had no pocket to put it in, anyway. I said so, and
twenty guys immediately offered to pay my tab.
"How could I allow them to do that?" I asked, thinking of the
consequences when some guy tried to collect on his investment.
"Let them all chip in," said Kidori. "If you feel guilty, give
them each an autograph signed, 'With my undying gratitude.'
They'll love it. Fans are so nice! Now, take off your coat and
sit down. Let's enjoy the food!" She showed me a napkin and a
pen.
"Yeah. Nice," I said. I had seen 'nice' from the other side of
the fence. I always had an agenda when I was generous to a girl.
Then, without thinking, I took off the trench coat. The place
got deathly quiet and I began to think that maybe I had made
another mistake.
"That's...a nice outfit," said Kidori, her eyes widening. "Isn't
it the same one you wore onstage?"
"What there is of it," I agreed, willing the blush out of my
face. My cheeks were probably blushing as well, because I could
feel a draft. I considered placing a napkin across my lap, gave
up on that and grabbed a tablecloth.
"But it's beautiful!" she gasped, "You're so pretty! I am
jealous!"
"There are disadvantages," I said. Particularly when you don't
want to attract attention. Having a guy call me 'cute' was
enough to give me the blind staggers.
"Oh, I heard you sing, yesterday!" she went on, "It was
breathtaking!"
"It was a lullaby! A simple nursery song. Nothing special!" I
wanted to sink out of sight. How could she sit here in front of
all these people and carry on a conversation as if they were not
there?
"The guys in the band want to record it, if you'll let them pay
you for it."
"They can have it. No problem," I waved off the thought.
Part of me asked, 'Where was my brain? How could I pass up
money?', while another part responded, 'Profit? And just who
would cash the checks?' The ensuing internal argument kept me
from noticing when the crowd started thinning out. Ukyo and
Konatsu had issued an edict, 'Paying guests, seated only.'
There are places and times when you have to ask yourself, am I in
heaven or in hell? I was in both. Simultaneously. I was face
to face with the girl of my dreams, but I was not myself.
"I loved your song, really," Kidori bubbled. "It made me feel so
warm and loved, and I wanted to spread it to the rest of the
world. I nearly passed out, it felt so wonderful. Don't you
feel loved when you sing it? I wanted to go right out and have
my own baby. Are you choking?"
"No, no! Of course not!" I coughed.
"You have such a lovely voice, and I really ought to be jealous,
I suppose Mother would expect me to scratch your eyes out, or
something, but you just make me feel comfortable, as if I'd known
you all my life. Do you think we could practice together,
sometime? I would love that!"
"I...ah...yea...uh...I never thought about it." This was a
little too fast for me. All I wanted was to get close enough to
see her. Now she wants me to sing with her? Doubts tormented
me. What if my voice goes out? What voice?
"Please?" she begged, "Think about it? I've always had to
practice alone - Mother is such a stuffy disciplinarian, and I
had to keep house and clean up after everyone else, and then I
had to go off alone to practice, and I'd love to have someone to
sing a duet with. Oh! You are such a good listener! Here I've
been talking your ear off and you haven't been able to say a
word!"
"Oh, that's quite all right! Honest!" I had enough to think
about, without my mouth saying stuff to get me deeper in trouble.
I had assumed that this 'wish' thing would wear off. Now I found
that I was not in such a hurry. She would not have even glanced
my way while I was Hiroshi, but as Cinderella....
Another thought came, unbidden, 'What if she likes me because I
am a girl?' I shuddered in anguish. No. I had to tell her,
sooner or later, who I was. If I could.
"Oh, no! It's getting late! Mother will kill me if I'm not back
in time for my night exercises. Oh, she won't really kill me,
but y'know what I mean."
She said goodbye to Ukyo and Konatsu. Konatsu gave her a hug and
a bow. "Thanks for having me over!" Kidori said to Konatsu, "You
are so kind and generous!" Konatsu gave her another bow and held
it until she was gone.
"Sweet kid," Ukyo said, leaning over the counter. "You'd never
know she was so popular."
"Come to think of it, where are her bodyguards?" I wondered.
"Mistress Nobara does not like them," Konatsu supplied, cleaning
the table.
"Her mother must be a slave-driver," I said, and Konatsu made a
wry face.
I wrapped my trench coat around me after she left, because
suddenly there seemed to be a lot of guys with only me to watch,
and it gave me a queasy feeling.
I wanted to go over to Ranma and say, 'Hey! I know how you feel,
now! You really have it rough, don't you? Still, you wanna let
me-boy date you-girl? (wink-wink)'. But I didn't do it. At the
moment, I would die before I admitted to anyone what I was doing.
It was bad enough that I had admitted my secret to Daisuke. I
could trust Dai to not spread it about. Couldn't I?
Ukyo prepared to close the restaurant. "Stick around, Sugar,"
she told me, "We can talk. Tell us about yourself."
"Acck!" I looked at the clock and it said that I had ten minutes
left before my disguise vanished. "I can't stay out this late! I
gotta run!" Where had my two hours gone?
I stepped out the door. Voices hushed. Faces turned.
I thought I had made all my current allotment of mistakes.
Apparently I was wrong. Kidori had vanished like smoke before
anyone had spotted her, but I was not so fortunate. The crowd
saw me and converged. I heard voices clamoring for my attention,
felt hands tugging at my sleeve, patting my face, roaming over
my....
"Hey, watch it!" I snapped.
"Whatcha think I'm trying to do?" came the reply.
Behind me, Ranma and Ukyo were coming out of Ucchan's to rescue
me, but I could not wait for them. I had to get out of there in
a hurry. I leaped out of the crowd, somersaulted over one guy
and took to the rooftops until I had left them behind.
Fear that I would relapse back into myself kept me running until
I reached my own doorway, and I was so glad to get back in time
that I was inside the apartment before it hit me that I was still
not me.
So I tried to be cool and casual about it...walked through the
hall, up the stairs, and into my room as if there was nothing
unusual happening. Maybe no one saw me.
Except Pops. Uh-oh.
And Hainoko. Drat!
Hainoko came into my room - uninvited, of course - lugging the
Cinderella poster I had hidden away so carefully. I almost
lunged at her to grab it back before I remembered that I was
still shape-shifted.
"Is this you?" Hainoko demanded, pointing to the blue ribbon
wielding diva pictured on the poster.
"Yeah, that's me," I gruffed. That is, I tried to speak gruffly.
What came out of my mouth was softer, sweeter, and impossibly
perky. Man, I couldn't even sound rude in this form!
Hainoko stared somberly, then, as silently as she had appeared,
she disappeared.
The apartment grew quiet. I tried to calm down and wait until
the change wore off.
Pops had watched me, bug-eyed, when I first came in and went to
my room. Now I heard his footsteps creaking toward me and I
cringed, trying to hide. It was a close thing - if Pops had
stuck his head around the door jamb a second sooner, he would
have seen a radiant complexion and blue eyes in panic mode
staring back at him. As it was, he hesitated, and the person
receiving his lecture was male, pale, and inexplicably relieved.
"Don't you have any principles at all?" thundered Pops, "Bringing
a girl into this house and into your room ALONE?" The thunder
trailed off into puzzlement as he cast his eyes about the floor,
the futon, the cabinet, the posters on the wall, the closet, and
the window. "She gone already?"
I nodded dumbly, inwardly kicking myself for being so
pre-occupied as to make such a stupid blunder.
"Oh," said Pops, and he sounded disappointed. "She looked like a
hot - seemed like a nice girl. But, you should think about her
reputation before you do something stupid." He looked about
again before lowering his voice. "Just remember, kid. Don't
forget the protection."
"Heh...." I scratched the back of my neck absently, and my voice
squeaked, "I won't, Pops!" as I watched the door slide shut.
Oh, man! What had I done? Now even Pops thought I was a
pervert, and I could not imagine what would've happened if Mom
had seen me!
The door slid open again and Mom entered, stage left.
"I saw the girl tiptoeing up to your room. She was so young, so
beautiful, so _in love_. To think such a liaison could be going
on in my own house!" Mom sighed with _deep emotion_. "Oh,
Hiroshi! You are growing up! I am so proud!"
Exit stage left.
"Oh, great," I groaned and collapsed.
A NERIMA PARK:
In a tidy Nerima park, a lone figure sat on a park bench,
admiring the flowers. A portable television hummed and sputtered
white static by his side. As he sat, the television 'blerped'
and another, much shapelier, figure fogged into being beside him.
"I did not expect to see you in person," the man said. "You are
lovelier than I had imagined."
Urd brushed off the compliment. "I came in person because I feel
responsible. I wanted to apologize for the delay in granting
your wish. Ordinarily, we would have dispatched someone
immediately, but...well, there's been a problem with Yygdrasil."
"Ah," the man smiled. "Yygdrasil, the ancient ash tree."
"Yep," Urd said. "The original hierarchical structure.
Someone's trying to break in, and I've been busy. Just took a
breather to let you know we haven't forgotten about you."
The man took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered her
one. She refused, politely.
"As I recall my mythology," he said, "the tree has always been
under some kind of attack. Snakes in the roots, goats in the
branches. A never-ending battle, with the tree refreshing itself
from your well."
She nodded respectfully, a rare action, but she was not expecting
sagacity. "You know your history. And you're cute, too," she
said.
He beamed and volunteered, "Anyone who teaches must know the
past."
"True," For a while, the platinum haired goddess watched the
flowers pensively, before she broke into a pleased smile. "I
believe you have just given me something to think about," she
said as she rose and bowed, "Please forgive me for delaying your
wish, and for my abrupt departure."
"Oh, do not trouble yourself on my account. I have waited this
long to see her, I can wait awhile longer," he waved her on. He
sat on the park bench for a while after she vanished, enjoying
the warm breeze, before he checked the time, smiled, and left.
FURENKEN:
The school room quiet was broken when Ukyo came to class late,
limping, using her battle spatula as a cane.
The instructor sought to bring order back to the furor as he
said, "Class, Miss Kuonji is quite capable of walking to her seat
without your chatter. Please return to your books and go to page
number forty-three."
Ranma leaned toward Ukyo and whispered, "Yo, wha'happen?"
Ukyo directed her face toward him with a melting glance, and then
rolled her eyes to look at the teacher, who was watching Ranma's
blatant disregard of class-room discipline with an accelerating
tic in his eye. "Later!" Ukyo hissed, then sat upright with full
attention on the front of the room, as the instructor again
prepared to render his assignment.
-----------
"She got you, too?" Akane asked, brushing a hand across the
purple smudge on her own face.
"Same gal, sounds like," growled Ranma. "She challenged Akane
and Kodachi."
"She didn't say a word, Ranchan. She just hit me. I didn't even
see her, until it was too late. I am more worried about Konatsu.
He left without saying a word after he saw what had happened to
me. I haven't seen him since."
"Who's next?" wondered Akane.
Ranma merely opened and closed his fists, his knuckles creaking.
"Only attacks girls, eh?" he said.
"Unless she got Konatsu, too," Akane mused. "Ranma, are you
thinking of doing something dumb?"
"Whaddya mean, 'dumb'?"
"You have that look in your eye."
"What look?"
"The one you get when you are going to do something stupid and
maybe get yourself hurt!"
"Since when do you care if _I_ get hurt? I am supposed to get
myself hurt! That's how I learn!"
"Hummph! I couldn't have said it better, myself!"
"Yeah? Well, what plan would you suggest, huh?"
"What kind of plan is that? Go out as a girl and hope someone
attacks you? I've seen this girl! She's powerful! She even
scared me!" Akane stopped abruptly, put her hand over her face
and moaned, "Oh, no. Now I've done it."
"Aw, what do you know? Stupid tomboy. I don't care if she's
built like an elephant! I can beat her! She's only a girl!"
"Listen to yourself, Ranma. Whoever she is, she could take you
on right now, and your girl side does not have your strength or
reach."
"Ain't no girl so strong that I gotta be scared of her!" Ranma
snorted. "Except maybe you, that is."
"What do you mean by _that_?"
Ranma appeared to actually calculate the result of two plus two
and replied, "Uh, nothin'."
"I was only trying to help, and you start insulting me. And I am
_not_ a gorilla!"
"Well...I wasn't going to say that, exactly."
"That's what you usually call me! And another thing. I am _not_
unsexy and uncute!" Akane's lower lip quivered with building
rage. "I'm not!"
"Heh...one thing ya are, though."
"What is _that_?"
"Loud."
Akane suddenly noticed the circle of interested faces, and she
turned scarlet. Grabbing Ranma, she dragged him back to class,
trying to ignore smiles and laughter from observers.
HAINOKO:
The lie had worked. Even her arch-nemesis, Deirdrum, approached
almost reverently to ask her about Cinderella. Deirdre, however,
was not about to let Hainoko bask in the limelight for long.
"You think you are so special!" sneered Deirdre. "I told my
mother you said you could contact Cinderella, and she said you
were lying. Then she said if you really knew her you could give
her this message. It's from the charity where my mother donates
time. If Cinderella replies, then _maybe_ you are telling the
truth."
Hainoko folded the paper and hid it in her backpack, aghast. She
was trapped. To make it worse, several other kids gave her
similar notes. She would have to ask Hiroshi to give the
messages to Cinderella. She would have to humble herself and be
_nice_ to him, and he hated her. What if he refused? What if
Cinderella refused? So Cinderella had come to see Hiroshi once.
That did not mean they were great friends. Maybe Hainoko was
reading too much into her visit.
"Still," she sniffed, to herself, "At least she came to _our_
house. She hasn't gone to visit any one of them!"
IN A DARK ALLEY:
Daisuke was not speaking to me, or anyone, for that matter. He
complained of seeing me at Ucchan's and I didn't even speak to
him. Or rather, he saw Cinderella and expected her to say
something, since they had such a great time together on their
date. He never got near the door to get inside, there was such a
jam of people outside. He felt snubbed and upset about
something, so he holed up in his room while he read his manga. I
don't know what he was so upset about. Several girls were hanging
around his house waiting for him to come out and say 'hi.'
So I went out to spread my own somber mood around. No way I was
going to sit at home and brood, merely because I was stuck with
an alter ego that threatened my manhood.
I sought companionship with someone I figured could identify with
my problem. I was ready to confess all and tell him what had
happened. I never got the chance to discuss it, however. The
person I was seeking was a cute chick at the time, and she was
acting preoccupied, prowling about the streets near the Cat Cafe.
"Hey, Ranma!" I said. "Why are you sneaking around like that?"
"Shhh!!" she hissed, "I'm trying to catch someone!"
"Who? I don't see anything."
"Listen!"
I stopped and strained my ears, which was a strange feeling, but
the sum total of my hearing was the whir of tires from a passing
bicycle and the distant clatter of a stray dog knocking over a
trash can.
Ranma tilted her head slightly. She must have heard something
because she turned and said, "See ya." Then she left at a dead
run.
I was curious. I followed, as best as I could, which was not
very fast. Before I got so tired that I was gasping my lungs out
I came upon Ranma again, standing in a posture of alertness
outside an alley.
>From within the alleyway I heard a thump, then an angry voice,
"Aiya! You think you fool Shampoo with ugly mask! You will die!"
Then another thump, the rattle of a loose bonbori and a crash,
followed by a groan of pain from Shampoo.
"She's getting killed!" I panted.
"Not if I can help it," Ranma muttered as she stepped away from
the corner and leaped into the alley.
I started after her before I remembered a fact of great import.
I was a coward.
Turning back probably saved my life, for instantly a flurry of
pointy things came howling out of the alley, a trash can lid
tumbled out riddled with holes, and something hit something else
very hard and very fast - blows, counterblows, blocks and above
it all the gasps and yells of three girls in mortal combat. I
peeked around the corner at Ranma and someone else, only to have
to duck away from flying splinters. I had to be content to
remain outside and wait until Ranma emerged the victor - or would
that be the victress? I entertained myself with that thought.
Yeah. Victress. What a card. I slay me.
Then I heard a sound that sent chills down my spine.
Several sounds, in fact - a splash, a yowl, and Ranma's voice
saying, "Ca...ca...ca...."
I ran with all my might.
Somebody sped past me like I was standing still, except she did
not duck around the electrical utility poles at the end of the
street. She hit one dead center and knocked herself silly.
I picked Shampoo up off Ranma, getting several scratches in the
process, and carried her away from the spot, cautioning her to go
back to the Cat Cafe. She wanted to stay and comfort Ranma, but
she finally thought better of it and limped stiffly home.
At least when she woke up, Ranma would not be fleeing Shampoo.
The thought had occurred to me that I could probably dump some
hot water on the cat and bring her back to human form, but since
she would be unclothed and not in a very civil mood, logic and
self-preservation dictated that I merely get her out of Ranma's
sight. I _was_ not going back into that alley to retrieve her
clothes.
I never did see who they were fighting, though I saw a darker
portion of the shadows move once, out of the corner of my eye.
Also, I think someone followed us while I helped guide Ranma back
to the Tendo dojo. Ranma in his girl form was small but solid -
I did not get to carry her or even support her, and I was too
scared to try to get a feel anyway. I kept hearing noises, but
nothing more happened and she was too stiff and sore to do more
than stumble into the house and head for a hot bath.
PRACTICE STUDIO:
The next evening I went to practice with Primrose.
The Primrose Path had found a soundproof warehouse close to
Ucchan's, somehow, and they were using it for their rehearsals.
The band greeted me enthusiastically and introduced themselves -
Porky on the bass, Melba on the sax, Guapo on the drums, and
Percival on the synthesizer. They gave me a round of applause
when I took off the trench coat, but then went back to tuning
their instruments and wisecracking back and forth about baseball
and rollerblading.
Heaven. I was definitely in heaven. Kidori and I rehearsed
songs that I know that I did not know that I knew. I heard
nothing different about my voice, but for once no one cringed or
turned the TV louder when I sang. Primrose seemed to glow with
happiness when our voices blended. We danced, each with our own
routine, and I could dance beyond my most outrageous fantasies.
Before each number, Kidori would go centerstage and do a kind of
dance routine I did not recognize. I asked Guapo and she said
Kidori was practicing a kata, because martial arts forms limbered
her up for the dancing she had to do during a live performance.
She seemed to be somewhat stiff as she moved, however.
When she finished the song which was to be the finale, Kidori
reached into a pocket somewhere and tossed flower petals onto the
bare floor which represented the audience. I asked her where she
hid the flowers, since, like me, she had only the barest
essentials of a costume...although, in all honesty, her costume
had more places to hide stuff than did mine. She would not
divulge her secret.
"I wish I could do something like that," I said, and I snapped
thumb and forefinger. There was a -zap- and a tingle.
-poof-
A sparkling blue ribbon appeared in mid-air above the 'audience
floor' and fluttered down.
"How did you do that?" she asked, wide-eyed, while Percival
retrieved the ribbon.
"It's a secret," I replied smugly, even as I searched the shadows
for Ryoga. My thumb was stinging from snapping my fingers. I
truly did not know where the ribbon had 'appeared' from. I had
my suspicions, but how could I have a wish answered without Ryoga
nearby?
"Look at this!" called Percival. "It says, 'From Cinderella to
Percival'. Can you beat that? Instant autograph!"
"Who belongs to this oinker?" Porky laughed, holding up a
struggling black pig. "If no one claims it, I oughta invite him
for lunch."
"I think that's Akane's pet," I said. "Hang onto him and I'll
take him back home."
"Never mind. He lit out when I mentioned 'lunch'," Porky said,
leaning forward over his guitar. "Pop out another ribbon. I
want one."
Snapping out the ribbons became easier after a little practice.
Each band member got one, plus a few extra, with names I did not
recognize. They assured me that the names were of friends, and
not a ribbon went unclaimed. One final ribbon fluttered down,
and Kidori grabbed it.
"I don't understand," she said with a puzzled frown. "This one
says 'Hiroshi loves Kidori.'" Her legs seemed to give out and
she sat flat on the floor.
I almost freaked out. "Throw it away!" I blurted. "I'll try to
make another one!"
"No. I think I'll keep it," she said, very softly, folding the
ribbon away. A tiny glimmer appeared in her eyes, and I thought
I saw something like loneliness shining through, before she shook
herself and called, "Okay, break time. Let's go get some grub."
After I helped her to her feet, I checked the time. For once the
clock was good to me. I still had over a half hour before I
would have to run away from the ball.
While the band opened their bentos, Kidori and I went to
Ucchan's. We went in disguise - that is, we dressed up in boy's
clothes, which felt weird, since mine did not fit me. She
borrowed some clothes from the band - Percival's silver moon suit
and space boots, since he was about the right height.
I did not explain why I happened to be carrying a pair of pants
and a shirt along - let them wonder. Every time I changed to
Cinderella my clothes had changed, too, but I was wary lest I get
stuck as a boy wearing my blue scanty outfit. Go ahead and
laugh. It has happened to Ranma.
"Oh! You're so cute!" Kidori exclaimed, "You wear boy's clothes
so well!"
"Heh," I blushed. "It's something in the jeans."
Our disguises got us into Ucchan's without mishap, except for a
couple of sharp-eyed urchins who stopped us and demanded
autographs. Primrose smiled graciously and complied, and I found
myself so enraptured by her grace that I signed 'Cinderella,'
without complaining, on the notepads the kids held out to us. It
felt odd, suppressing the twinge of irritation, remembering that
at one time I had actually wanted to be a rock star.
At Ucchan's she didn't want to sit at the counter, where we could
have gotten instant service. She wanted to talk, at a table. I
surprised her by holding her chair. She hesitated as she sat,
easing into the chair as though in pain. "I helped move
furniture last night," she explained.
[Oh. That would explain the scratches on her arm, as well,] I
thought. Seemed perfectly logical to me. "The katas didn't help
loosen you up?"
"Katas?" Her gaze was blank for a second, then she smiled, "Oh,
you mean the exercises. No. Those are Mother's idea of
relaxation. They really don't seem to ease the stiffness."
"Where's Ukyo or Konatsu? They usually wait on customers by this
time."
"Right here, Sugar," Ukyo limped up to the table. Kidori jerked
about at her voice, knocking the condiment tray off the table,
scattering bottles, shakers and sauce all over.
"Oh, I am sorry!" cried Kidori, gazing in horror at Ukyo's
scrapes and bruises, "I am so terribly, terribly sorry!"
"It's all right, Sugar," said Ukyo tiredly. "No problem. I'll
get another tray."
UCCHAN'S:
At another table, a conference of war was going on - five heads
with but one thought, five hearts with but one ambition:
vengeance.
"Only an uncultured barbarian would waste their strength on
direct blows when a sophisticated twist would be so much more
effective," Kodachi spoke imperiously. She shifted her body into
a more stylish posture, then slumped back in her chair to brood.
"For that reason, I suspected this peasant Akane, because of the
forceful attack the masked girl used."
Akane sat with her eyes fixed straight ahead, though the
countertop she was gripping began to bend. "I thought we weren't
going to get into personalities!" she said, "Or is this more of
the 'revenge of the Kunos'?"
"We all got hit, and hit hard," Ranma said, for once the
arbitrator. "Can ya think of anything that might help us figure
out who it was? I remember seeing someone sneaking about just
seconds before I went into the alley."
"And what about _you_?" Akane asked, "I thought you were above
hitting girls!"
"I didn't exactly hit anyone," Ranma replied stiffly, setting
aside his third okonomyaki, only half-eaten. "I blocked."
"Airen block very good," Shampoo added with a tiny smirk.
"Shampoo have scar to prove it, from first time we fight. Macho
girl want to see?"
"Keep your clothes on, Hot Stuff," Ukyo ordered. "Let's
concentrate on the problem at hand."
"Well, I believe you, Ranma-sama," purred Kodachi.
"Since when do I gotta defend myself?" demanded Ranma. "We got
ourselves a problem!"
"Shampoo puzzled," the purple-haired girl said, "Why mask girl
attack spatula girl without warning, but challenge rest of us?"
Ukyo shook her head. "She never said a word," she said. "I also
remember seeing someone skulking about in the shadows. When I
stepped out the door to investigate, I was hit from another
direction. Then I saw that hideous mask. Afterwards, I found
flower petals scattered about." She propped her chin on her hand
and frowned in reflection.
"What sort of flowers are these?" Akane asked, "I didn't even
notice them until Nabiki pointed them out."
Kodachi fingered the petals disdainfully. "Common field flowers.
I would not even allow them into my yard. The tramp is an
uncultured boor."
Ukyo lifted her head to growl, "All you grow are black roses,
Kuno. What do you know?"
Kodachi laughed, which made everyone shift uneasily, then she
said, "I chortle at your ignorance! I know all about flowers,
Merchant. This is cowslip, an ugly plant which grows wild in the
fields or alongside the road. Another name for it is the
European Primrose."
Ranma's eyes shot wide open. "What did you say?" he yelped.
"Primrose?" Akane answered.
"But she's...." Ukyo began, and five heads turned toward the
table in the corner, where Kidori and Cinderella were attacking
their respective dishes, as they liked them.
CHAPTER THREE: END
James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com