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And starting to catch up once again:
Hi all,
Here is the promised conclusion to the chapter.
And here is my promised C+C.
Ryoga paused to wipe the sweat from his face onto his sleeve,
At last! The Lost One is heard from again.
mountain, and grumbling under his breath when he finally realized he
had lost the road somewhere. Again. Life was just so unfair. All he
wanted to do was to find Ukyo Kuonji, beat the smug ninja boy to within
an inch of his life, and then return home.
Heh. A goal he will never achieve, though not for the reasons he thinks.
"Where the hell am I now?!" Ryoga shouted out loud, but there was no
reply to his question. It was around noon, and here he was, starving
to death in this wilderness. Glaring about at the unhelpful trees
around him, he pulled out the tattered map of Japan a farmer had given
him and studied it intently.
Not that it would help.
He turned it first one way, and then
another, before sighing once and putting it away.
Ryouga: Stupid Map. It's broken. How can anyone use a broken map?
When, not if, he found that wretched Ukyo Kuonji, he was going to break
the ninja boy into numerous little pieces and then stomp all the pieces
flat. After all, his troubles were all Ukyo's fault.
Heh. It will be amusing to hear him shout that line eventually.
Even as the cry of dismay left her lips, Ukyo came bursting into her
aunt's restaurant at a dead run, her arms laden with shopping bags.
She could not believe that it was already so late in the morning, and
that shopping for her uniforms could have taken her so long.
All women have in their genetic code this function that turns off their
perception of time when they go shopping.
Luckily,
since this was the middle of the term, there had been a terrific sale
on them at the local department store, and she had picked up an entire
week's worth of outfits for school. It had used up all the money from
her parents, but she was all set for classes on Monday.
A pity the same can't be said for Nabby and Kodi. :)
Yumi Kuonji shook her head. Ah, to be young again. Having the girl
around was like reliving her own youth,
So Yumi had a miserable childhood too, eh? :)
Glaring intently at the fallen boy, who had been pervertedly staring at
her chest before her well-aimed throw had ended that, was a teenaged
girl named Ryoko Masaki. Before the lake water soaked her down, she
had been dressed in loose garb of heavy cottons, but the outfit was now
clinging to every curve on her body. She stood there in disgust, her
hands brushing futilely at her blue-green hair, feeling the algae from
the lake water clinging to it. She glared at Ryoga some more. When
she finally gave up on that, seeing his body half-drifting in the water
before her, she waded in and began to haul him out with a weary sigh.
With any luck, judging by the way he had been staring at her endowments
through her soaked clothes, he wouldn't remember seeing anything odd.
Oh? There really were two of her?
"I see you're alive," said a female voice. It was difficult to tell if
it was relieved or annoyed.
Ryoga's eyes snapped open. He glanced around and saw that same girl
with the odd-colored hair, dressed in dry clothes this time as she
pulled a brush through her blue-green tresses. He started to sit up,
wondering if he was hallucinating. Women did not have hair that color.
Never seen a dye-job?
"W-where am I?" Ryoga asked, glancing around to see where his pack was.
He relaxed a little when he saw it.
I'd add 'resting against a nearby rock.' or something. It just seems to be
hanging there to me for some reason.
"You're not far from the Masaki Shrine, just outside the village of
Kurashiki," said Ryoko, continuing to brush her hair. Seeing the blank
look on the boy's face, she added, "We're about twenty kilometers or so
from Okayama."
"Is that near Tokyo?" asked Ryoga hopefully.
Ryouko: In an astronomical sense, it's right next door to it.
"No, we're about six-hundred-and-fifty kilometers from Tokyo," Ryoko
replied after shrugging her shoulders. Perhaps he was still feeling
stunned by the two blows to his head. Pounding out the large dent in
her iron skillet that the strange boy's head had left in it
Oh yes. Blame his head and not the hand that delivered the blow. :)
"I'm Ryoga Hibiki," he said with a nod of his head. "Sorry about
dropping in on you like this." He put his hand behind his head and
chuckled nervously.
"What a weenie, just like my older brother," thought Ryouko.
"I-I'm looking for someone," Ryoga said. Inside, he cursed himself for
sounding like some sort of an idiot. He knew exactly what his problem
was, that he was talking to a girl, a pretty one. Girls had always
been so difficult for him to talk to, even back at his home village,
especially the good-looking ones.
even the good looking ones that were related to him. Oh, he was absolutely
pitiful.
"Whoever it is you're looking for must be pretty important to you,"
said Ryoko as she knelt to place sticks on the fire. She plopped down
on a flat rock when she was done and looked at him. "So, what's the
story?"
Ryouga: Quantum Destinies.
Ryouko: That's not what I meant.
A week, Ryoga mused. Soon, his quest would be ended.
And he would be back in the story full time.
"I-I have this little problem."
Ryoko sat back on her haunches and regarded him. Then she snapped her
fingers. "You're from Kikaitani?, right?"
It seems the Hibiki clan is rather famous in certain circles.
"Sorry." Ryoko shook her head and stood up. She reached out and took
Ryoga by the hand and tugged him to follow after her. She led him off
a distance into the trees, but near enough to still see the camp.
Ryoga felt like he was floating. A girl was touching him.
Boy. Talk about starved for affection.
"Change your clothes here, and then call out my name," ordered Ryoko.
"I'll be back to come get you and lead you to camp. Don't take too
long and don't move from this spot."
Ryouko: That way it'll be easy for me to peek when you're in the middle of
changing.
He's sure a pathetic sort, Ryoko thought with a smile. Cute too, in a
silly sort of way, like a puppy that eagerly wanted to please.
A pity for him she was looking for a 'Great Dane' and not a puppy.
******************************
The journey to Ohtori was an uncomfortable affair for Ranma, since he
was riding in the back seat between Kodachi and Nabiki.
Oh, I can just imagine.
Ranma mentally slapped himself once again for his foolish coveting of
his analog's life with girls competing for him. He should have been
wiser and learned a lesson from it instead.
But then, he wouldn't be Ranma, now would he?
While hiding in the trunk, Ukyo wondered for the umpteenth time why she
was sneaking around like this, but she realized it was force of habit.
She looked on it as doing reconnaissance. After all, she had observed
two of the same girls she had encountered at Ohtori hanging around
Ranma, much too close to him as far as Ukyo was concerned. But she
would fix that easily enough in a couple of days.
Sure she can. All she needs is a 'Good Plan.'
No, no. That was not a plug for one of my fics. Honest. You're just being
paranoid.
After all, Ranma was
now her fianc�, and no soft, city-bred girl was going to steal him from
her. Still, Ukyo was almost hoping that there would be a fight, not
that either girl looked like much of a challenge to a ninja of her
capabilities.
Like planting car bombs on their vehicles and killing them without a direct
confrontation. A good thing ninjas didn't follow some intangible 'code of
honor' that actually did nothing more than prevent people from winning by
any means, like a good ninja always did.
The pink-haired cross-dresser was going to be told, in very definite
terms, to stay away from Ranma Saotome after today.
And it will be just as effective as telling Kodachi the same thing. :)
Then Nabiki would
be magnanimous and allow Ranma a few days to rest up before Nabiki
I'd change that to 'she'
Ranma kept alternating his attention between the two girls, struggling
to keep his mind focussed on his upcoming match and failing. He could
feel their body heat against his sides, and he smelled a very delicate
fragrance hovering in the air. It was making him feel edgy. And his
resonator-acquired memories were not any help in this situation, unless
perhaps a fight broke out in the car.
Heh. True.
Tingles like biochemical sheet lightning kept surging up and down the
nerves of Ranma's sides. It was quite distracting, especially when his
hearing also detected an occasional, almost inaudible sigh coming from
either Kodachi or Nabiki. So, for a time, he kept his hands in his lap
to hide the evidence of his body's more obvious responses to the input
that kept assailing his senses.
Ah. Obviously his 'Flight' instinct is what he's trying to hide. Running for
it really is the only reaction a real man would have in such a situation.
Fuyutsuki kept glancing into the rearview mirror with a slight sense of
nervousness. There was a strong undercurrent of sexual tension going
on in the back seat that you
change 'you' to 'one' or something.
could almost cut with a sword. All of the
players involved in the little drama seemed to be ignoring each other,
nor even talking amongst themselves, but it was still there. He hoped
that Ranma could maintain his focus on today's goal despite his present
distractions.
Shouldn't have brought the girls along if he's that worried about it.
"They're four minutes early," said Miki. "If we hurry, we can make it
to the front steps in time to greet them."
'Them' meaning 'Kodachi' in his case. :)
Utena smiled, nodded, and stood up. As she did so, she tugged slightly
on the front of her uniform jacket. Classes had been finished for over
an hour, and she had been occupying herself with her homework, trying
very hard not to think about her opponent. But her studies were a poor
distraction from musing about a certain blue-eyed boy, and the clarity
in his gaze. Maybe after the match was over, she could console Ranma
over the loss she would give him by treating him to dinner.
How very forward of her.
She also
owed him repayment for the dinner she had received at the Saotome's
residence the night of their first match.
And there is still the problem of her missing panties. Maybe she should have
Ranma get her one of those to make up for the pair she lost at his place. :)
As she walked, two other members of the Student Council emerged from a
side hallway to join her, Juri and Toga.
The other two principals in this little event.
She exchanged a nod with each
of them, and they solemnly fell into place a single stride behind her
and Miki. The sound of their combined footsteps echoed outwards into
the distance of the marbled halls of Ohtori, even as the sun sparkled
on the floors and picked out the rose imagery that was an integral part
of this place.
Can't walk down a hall without tripping over a rose. :)
The front doors swept aside as Utena straight-armed them open, and she
smiled broadly to see Anthy waiting for her on the front steps with the
headmaster of Ohtori Academy.
And the last one is in place as well.
The pair greeted Utena and the three
members of the Student Council who accompanied her with a nod, Anthy
smiling brightly at them all.
Glasses shining in typical sinster anime style.
"Now we shall see what manner of man is this Ranma Saotome,"
"man this Ranma Saotome is,' Sounds better to me
As the car carrying Ranma passed through the open gates to Ohtori, a
stealthy figure slipped out of the trunk and re-secured it, clinging
for a moment to the rear bumper. At the proper instant, the figure
landed to one side of the road with a tuck and roll, swiftly vanishing
into concealment behind some shrubbery. In a moment, the figure was
back up and moving, and it began flitting from shadow to shadow with
uncanny skill.
"Ryuuosuke, it's you!" a student said as he slapped Ukyou on her shoulder.
Maybe hiding behind a single shrub in the middle of an open field wasn't the
best place in the world to hide.
Nabiki watched the sun sparkling off the waters of the nearby bay
that was curiously in the shape of a rose.
as
the car wended its way clockwise up the path circling the hill
that was curiously in the shape of a rose.
that
Ohtori stood upon. There was a no-nonsense expression on her face.
that was curiously in the shape of a... oh, never mind. :)
Today she was finally going to meet Utena Tenjou face-to-face, the girl
who had spent the night at Ranma's house, the girl who had seduced her
fianc�.
Utena: That's because I'm the star of my own series while you're just a
background character in yours.
Ranma kept glancing out the windows on both sides of the car, impressed
by what he could see of Ohtori's arrangement. Gothic architecture was
mixed with elements of the Western Renaissance, creating a facility for
learning that was as much a cathedral as it was a school. Roses were
an integral part, and it combined with the architectural styling to awe
Ranma with its beauty.
Nice imagery.
Kyosuke felt a whisper of something cross his senses
A moment later, he exclaimed "All right, who cut one?"
again, a few more times, as the vehicle looped around. Curious, he
cast his senses outward, regretting that using the Power in such a way
was not his forte. In his mind's eye, he saw the currents of power
that flowed through Ohtori's demesne.
Akio: (Suddenly appearing next to Kyosuke, as though he had been there the
entire time. )There's no power here. You're just being paranoid. Here. Have
a rose.
Kodachi broke free of her imaginings as the car came to a halt, and she
smiled when she spotted Miki waiting amid the small group on the steps.
He looked quite handsome in his uniform, almost sparkling in the light
of the sun.
Miki: It's the bishonen look. All the chicks dig it.
Miki spotted Kodachi emerging from the car, and he smiled. He gave the
others with the noblewoman a brief once-over, and then his gaze quickly
returned to Kodachi.
Heh. The only truly important one.
Toga caught sight of Nabiki when she came out of the car, but the only
sign of his interest was the gleam that suddenly appeared in his gaze.
Touga: Chicks dig gleaming.
He was pleasantly surprised to see her, feeling confident that she had
intentionally come here to meet him again.
Heh. Typical.
She walked around from the
far side of the car, and Toga's gaze took in everything about her with
great interest.
Her breasts. Her butt. If there was anything else, he was unaware of it.
Utena's eyes locked onto Ranma the moment he became visible. He was
just as handsome as the last time she saw him, when she had kissed him
goodbye in the train station. Her cheeks suddenly felt warm, and she
coughed into her fist to hide that unexpected response to seeing the
pigtailed boy. Besides, he was here to challenge her, and she fully
intended to send him home in defeat, along with her telephone number.
Heh. I guess she would be this forward since this is the only time she might
get to see him again.
The two headmasters broke the brief impasse
by punching each other out.
"Your boy is a glutton for punishment," replied Fuji with a slight
twinkle in his eye.
Oops. Braggers always lose in the end. He should have known better.
The two groups approached each other, intermixing as introductions were
exchanged. Miki immediately stepped over to greet Kodachi and talk
with her, earning him Ranma's attention. An unpleasant feeling came
over the pigtailed boy as he watched Kodachi smiling at Miki's words,
and he resisted an unexpected urge to push himself between them.
Heh. His first jealous impulse. How sweet.
A
similar emotional response came over him when Toga came over to Nabiki,
like an ache in his chest.
And there's his second.
He couldn't be jealous, could he? But, how
did the two girls know these guys? And the two Ohtori cadets were much
too suave and self-assured for Ranma's liking, reminding him of his own
weaknesses when it came to dealing with girls. And what was that one
jerk doing to Nabiki?
Touga: It's called 'charming the socks off her.' One of the few things you
aren't good at: interpersonal dynamics.
Ranma's head whipped around to see who had spoken to him, after having
just watched Toga take Nabiki's hand and brush his lips against her
knuckles.
Good way to make him jealous, all right.
He saw Utena standing right in front of him, her blue eyes
bright as she smiled at him, her long, pink hair flowing softly in the
breeze. Seeing her, Ranma realized that he could play the same game
that Kodachi and Nabiki were.
How suspicious of him to think they are playing a game with his attentions.
Nicely egotistical too.
"Hello, Tenjou-san," said Ranma pleasantly, but the tone of his voice
belied the formality of his greeting.
In fact it cried out, "Want some hot sex?' Something Kodachi and Nabiki
picked up on immidiately.
Nabiki and Kodachi both heard Ranma's voice speaking another girl's
name with subtle fondness, and they were briefly distracted from their
own conversations.
Heh. Nice undercurrents flowing here.
Kodachi fought down the hurt feeling welling up inside her by taking
Miki by the arm, trying to use the subtle play of pleasant sensations
his nearness to her generated to drown out the ache in her heart. How
dare Ranma Saotome act so... so friendly with that wretched tramp?
That's right. He should have kicked her in the gut the moment he laid eyes
upon her.
That pink-haired harridan was to be his opponent, not his date to a
social event! She would show him!
Kodachi: (To Miki) Remember when we about five and played 'doctor.'
Miki: Of course.
Kodachi: Want to take another crash course in it?
Nabiki's thoughts were running in similar patterns,
but she didn't really know Miki well enough to ask him out.
as she gazed at the
smiling girl standing near Ranma. Her insides churned with hurt and
anger,
though she should be happy Kodachi's apparently showing interest in Miki.
but she held any sign of her true feelings from her face with
the consummate skills of an actress.
actually a 'skills of a member of the securtiy directorate' might be even
more appropriate.
Instead, she offered Toga her arm
but since he already had two arms of his own, he declined.
and asked with a smile, "Interested in escorting me, Kiryu-san?"
Touga; I was thinking more along the lines of having hot sex with you.
Both girls swept by Ranma without looking at him, leaving him standing
with Utena and a smirking Juri, who had been enjoying the show.
Juri: Now us lebians don't have these sorts of problems.
She's Probably sorry she didn't bring a bag of popcorn.
"Something like that," Ranma muttered, wondering why he felt as he did.
Neither girl was his fianc�e, so why did he feel so possessive of them?
Because of your near vastless ego?
His feelings towards his two classmates confused him, especially when
he was standing here with a pretty girl like Utena. "Uh, how've you
been?"
Utena: Just rosy. But around here, that's natural.
Utena could tell that Ranma seemed nervous, and it helped ease her own
sudden case of shyness. He was different from the boys at Ohtori,
...and not bishonen at all.
>From the concealment of a nearby shadow, Ukyo watched Utena and Ranma
together. Her teeth ground together as she saw the pink-haired floozy
take Ranma in hand and lead him inside, acting far too familiarly with
him for the ninja girl's tastes.
Since she caught Utena naked in Ranma's bed, one wouldn't think she would be
that surprised with her familiarity.
******************************
The elevator bell dinged when the car reached the top floor, and the
doors opened. Ranma turned around at the sound, having spent the brief
ride watching the ground drop away beneath him, the tinted glass of the
elevator's exterior wall giving an impressive view. He walked out with
Utena at his side.
Both of them tucking their shirts back into their pants.
"Boy, what a shame the elevator got stuck like that for the last hour, isn't
it?" Ranma laughed nervously.
"Yeah," Utena said, just as lamely.
"I see," Nabiki said dryly. "And those cries of 'Oh, Utena-sama! you kept
shouting out?"
"Cries of worry that we wouildn't get out alive," Ranma assured her.
"I see." Nabiki repeated. "And the sperm stains on your trousers?"
"What? I thought I didn't get any on me..." Ranma trailed off, realizing he
had been set up.
Releasing her hold on the bottom of the elevator car, Ukyo swung her
body to a nearby handhold.
Juri: Ryuunsuke, let go of my leg.
Over ten stories of empty space yawned
beneath her as she clung to the wall. She glanced down between her
feet and briefly marveled at the height, feeling a thrill as she
flirted with death. But she was here to watch over her fianc�, not
sightsee, so she reached up, grasped a firm handhold on one of the rose
sculptures, and pulled herself upwards.
Luckily no anti-ninja traps here, or else there would be trouble. :)
and clear of obstacles, ideal for a straight-up fight. Very detailed
sculptures of stone roses ran the entire length of the chamber, where
the walls and ceilings merged. Large windows on one side were designed
to let in the morning sun, but shadows were already beginning to deepen
in corners since the sun was now on the opposite side of the tower. It
gave the room an ominous air that startled Ranma.
Akio: (appearing out of nowhere) Now you're just being paranoid. Here, have
a rose.
However, perhaps the foreboding feeling was due to the two young women
who were gazing at him with matching expressions as he emerged from the
elevator. Both Nabiki and Kodachi had paused in their conversations
with their escorts, and the not-quite glaring look in their eyes made
him feel a little nervous.
Obviously he doesn't understand the gravity of the situation or would he
would be more than a little nervous. :)
But, a moment later, they relented and
returned their attentions to the two Ohtori cadets, presenting their
impromptu escorts with fresh smiles on their faces that somehow made
Ranma feel even worse than dealing with the iciest glares they could
have offered him.
Heh. True. In some ways its better to have them mad at you then not have
them mad at you.
Having secured a toehold, Ukyo raised herself up to peek in through a
lower corner of the window, pressing her face against the glass to see.
But all she saw was Touga's bishonen butt pressed against the glass.
She studied Utena going through a kata out in the middle of the floor,
and she saw the other two girls who had come with Ranma standing with
some cadets from Ohtori. She also saw the redheaded bitch who had
tried to kill her.
Nah. If she really wanted Ukyou dead, she would be by now.
She owed that one some serious payback in the near
future, ninja style.
Regretably, Juri also has anti-ninja traps set up in her place too, seeing
as how she's a favorite target of the Morobishi triplets as well.
Kyosuke stood next to Anthy, the two of them conversing with each other
mentally. Luckily, Anthy had a small measure of telepathy, otherwise
they would have been forced to talk like mute-minded normals.
Yeah. How demeaning. :P
Ranma emerged from the changing room after a handful of minutes, now
dressed in his fighting clothes, a red Chinese-style shirt and black gi
pants. He saw Utena still warming up, and his gaze seemed to study her
backside of its own accord. A slight smile appeared on his face.
Meaning two frowns are appearing on a couple of other faces.
He's a dead man when we get home, Nabiki swore in her thoughts. That
other Ranma never gave her analog such troubles.
He was a true lackey, spineless in most ways and always happy to follow that
Nabiki's lead.
He was a loyal and
true fianc�, not a philandering jerk like this one. Her right hand
closed tightly into a fist at her side as she felt a soft ache form in
her chest.
That was the last time she would have a triple helping of weinerschnitzel
they offered at school. Her heartburn was never going to go away.
After she defeated this Ranma, she would lay down the law
between them as to how things were going to be from now on.
And watch in surprise as Ranma gives her the fineger and tells her to shove
off.
Kodachi frowned at the sight of Ranma eyeing the man-stealing hussy,
but it only firmed her resolve to win his heart. She glanced at the
boy standing next to her, and a flash of memory unexpectedly assailed
her, of Sukeban-Kodachi being played like an instrument of intimate
pleasures by another Miki Kaoru.
Kodachi: Whoa! Miki's pretty good at sex.
"What is he waiting for?" Nabiki muttered. "He's holding back."
It's called 'feeling out', but Nabby's emotionally upset so this is
understandable on her part.
Toga briefly glanced at Nabiki, her words registering on his awareness.
He was following the contest going on between the pigtailed stranger
and Utena with interest, but it was not fully distracting him from the
presence of his charming companion. There was something about the girl
that called to him, a strength of mind and will within her that was
very appealing. He would have her for his own.
Touga: But in a nice way, since we already have a rich possessive bastard
like Kinnosuke hanging around after Nabiki.
Fuji was growing concerned. He had seen Utena trade a multitude of
blows with Ranma, and he could tell that she was tiring from her
injuries faster than the boy was. The difference was miniscule, as
Utena had dealt out just as much punishment as she received, but a
battle such as this could end on a single blow.
Like most fights.
"It doesn't look good for young Tenjou," Fuyutsuki said solemnly,
trying not to sound like he was gloating.
And no doubt failing.
"One last dance?" said Ranma teasingly. This had been fun, but it was
time to bring it to a conclusion. His body hurt a lot, but he could
still function. He began moving in on Utena.
"I'll lead," replied Utena with a wolfish grin. She and Ranma rushed
at each other, and both of them took to the air in a leap.
Heh. Nice dialogue there.
Utena's grin faltered a little, and she replied, "Yeah, but I still
lost." Her smile regained its luster, and she stepped a half pace
closer to Ranma. "You're a good fighter, Saotome-kun. It was fun."
Now it was Ranma's turn to chuckle nervously. "Uh, heh. Well, maybe
we could do it again sometime. Or maybe something else other than a
fight."
Ohh. That will make Nabby and Dachi steam.
"I might take you up on that," replied Utena,
and that will really anger them.
Nabiki stepped up next to Ranma, subtly nudging him backwards to put a
little space between him and Utena. "We should get going, Ranma-kun.
It's a long ride home."
Longer than he knows. :)
"Yes, Saotome-kun," agreed Kodachi, taking up a mirroring position to
Nabiki's. "We should leave now."
"But I was just-"
digging your own grave.
Toga watched the newest object of his affections depart with a neutral
look. He idly fingered the slip of paper in his pants pocket, Nabiki
Tendo's telephone number.
Heh. so he acquired it after all. A good day, as far as Touga would be
concerned.
Miki was less amused as he watched Kodachi depart with that brutish
Ranma. He thrust his hands into his pockets as he saw Kodachi demean
herself so, all because of Ranma Saotome. It was obvious to him what
he had to do. Sweet and innocent Kodachi needed to be rescued from her
infatuation with someone unworthy of her affections. And Miki Kaoru
was just the man to do it, he vowed silently.
Heh. How similar to Dachi's thoughts of before.
Utena did not quite glare at the two girls dragging Ranma off. If she
had not already sustained numerous injuries, she would have been quite
happy to teach those two proper manners.
And how to crossdress. She was good at that.
Poor Ranma was obviously too
much of a gentleman to resist being bullied by those two. He needed a
girlfriend who could watch out for his interests, and also keep bullies
like Nabiki and Kodachi in line.
She would encourage Anthy to ask him out.
With a last smile at the girl, Kyosuke turned and walked to the car.
He watched in amusement as the two young women ganged up on Ranma in a
united effort. He was glad that Yohko was the only girl in his life,
although he still wanted to help Madoka get free of the biker gang she
was in. That was no life for a teenaged girl. She just needed a
friend who could help her through the transition. It should be easy
enough to do.
And thus, Kyosuke did damn himself.
******************************
The afternoon sun painted a rosy glow on the walls of the Saginomiya
Manor's private dojo. Within, a familiar-looking, proud daughter of
that line was training in solitude, a singular desire within her
driving her ever onward in her efforts. Almost like a living thing,
the ribbon in her hands snapped out to encircle the neck of a training
dummy. Without breaking the ribbon's tension, her other hand snatched
up a razor-sharp hoop of metal and launched it at the target, severing
the head from the shoulders. A number of such effigies were strewn
about the hall, and she visualized each one destroyed bringing her one
step closer to her final goal.
I see someone knows Martial Arts Rythmic Gymnastics as well.
"Oh, how you will pay for the many indignities I have suffered at your
hands, Kodachi Kuno," muttered Asuka Saginomiya.
So she's back. Forgot about her.
Standing before Asuka a short distance away was a tall man, wearing a
dark brown cloak with a deep hood, the shadows hiding much of his face.
Ah. the Classic mysterious figure. Wonder who it is.
Asuka did not move, uncertain what to make of the stranger before her.
She suddenly felt a little foolish, but that brought her anger back up
full force again. "Who are you?" she asked brusquely.
"Forgive me," said the figure, his lips curling into a half-smile below
what was concealed by the shadows of his hood. "My name is Nanashi."
The Emporer clone using an alias?
Asuka frowned. No name? That was his name?
"Nameless I have come to you as. Nameless so shall I remain."
He was young, perhaps twenty at the extreme oldest, with a short mane
of black hair that flowed down to halt above his shoulders. He was a
foreigner,
Well now, I guess not the Imperial Clone.
"An exchange of favors," replied Nanashi, capturing Asuka's gaze with
Nanashi smiled and replied, "Perhaps a demonstration is in order."
Whereby he will beat her in one move.
When Asuka did not reply and simply kept attacking him, Nanashi slipped
a swift palm strike past her defenses. The blow struck hard against
the young noblewoman's chest, landing high on her ribcage, and the heir
to the Saginomiya name was utterly shocked to feel her heart abruptly
stop. Asuka staggered back, dropping her ribbon, her body convinced
that she was already dead. Feeling panic rising within her, she tried
to breathe, but could not draw any air into her lungs.
nice move.
"I can offer you the means for your revenge," Nanashi said gently. "I
too know what it is like to suffer ignoble humiliation at the hands of
another."
"I was married once,' he explained. "The worst idea mankind has ever come up
with."
Surging forward suddenly, Nanashi struck another blow to Asuka's chest,
this strike landing just to the right of where his first blow had
impacted. Asuka dropped to her knees, still trying to catch a breath,
even as her heart lurched back to life.
Heh. Very nice.
"A most rare and powerful school, Saginomiya-sama," Nanashi answered, a
half-smile upon his face. "In your language, it is called Musabetsu
Kakuto Ryu. Few can face its full power and survive. I will teach you
as much of it as you are strong enough to bear."
Asuka smiled at the name, the School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts.
Oh ho. Very interesting.
"What?" Asuka blurted out. "Who dares to spy on an innocent young girl
without her consent or knowledge?"
"Somehow, I don't think that innocent is a description that applies to
either of us, my dear Asuka," said a male voice. Stepping into the
doorway came Mikado Sanzenin. He smiled at her and leaned against it.
"Do you?"
And another returns to the scene to become a threat in the future.
Asuka glared at the boy and growled out, "Sanzenin, you vile pervert."
I see she knows him well.
Asuka's cheeks flushed crimson, but her gaze met his without yielding
in the slightest. She continued to growl low in her throat.
"A man never forgets his first time, Asuka-chan," said Mikado ever so
softly. "Does a girl?" His hand brushed against her cheek.
Asuka: No. I remember Tatewaki well.
Mikado: Argh! He beat me to you!
As an aside to the blonde noblewoman, Mikado said, "My only desire here
is for revenge upon that peasant, Ranma Saotome, lovely Asuka-chan. I
would also most strongly suggest that you do no permanent damage to
Kodachi Kuno, for your sake. However, anything short of that, and I
will not interfere with you. Do you understand?"
"OHHOHOHOHO!" laughed Asuka. "Why Sanzenin-kun, you make it sound as
if I plan to kill Kodachi-chan."
True. They quite possibly could end up stepping all over each other's toes.
"Of course, Sanzenin-kun," replied Asuka, all sweetness once more. She
quickly elbowed him in the side, hard. While he glared at her, she
continued to speak as if nothing had happened. "And please cease to
ply me with your roguish charms while I am forced to spend time in your
presence. I may have yielded to them once, but I am quite immune to
them now.
Asuka: Yes. The sex was that bad.
Just you wait, Kodachi Kuno, thought the White Lily. For I am Asuka
Saginomiya, descendant of generations of samurai, and I will see you
humbled before me, begging for my non-existent mercy. This I swear,
and no one had better attempt to stop me.
Arising from two throats, the training hall echoed once again with the
sounds of laughter. It was a sobering sound.
Making Nanashi reconsider his offer. They were two lunatics, after all.
Excellent work. Things are finally starting to move along at a better pace.
I know firsthand how slow some things can go when you have so many
characters and plotlines going at once. Some of the not so dangerous
characters are on their way to becoming so, and the Ohtori arc is in full
swing providing other sides to triangles as well and making things less
predictable. Still an enjoyable read and still my favorite work. Hope to see
more soon.
D.B. Sommer