Minna-san,
I hoped at first to be able to cover the weekend
following the events in Part 10 in one part. I was
wrong. It might go two, it might go three. Hard to
say, but please enjoy!
Fred
=====
Fred Herriotfherriot@yahoo.com**** **** ****"Fanfiction IS Real Life!"**** **** ****
______________________________________________________________________
File your taxes online! http://taxes.yahoo.ca
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: LoneS-11.txt
-- Desc: LoneS-11.txt
In orbit over Tokyo...
"Himiko-sama?"
The teenage girl in the dark blue seifuku looks over her
shoulder to see one of the "normal" Avalonians -- you could recognize
them by the form-fitting, sleeveless bodysuits with the two-phoenix
insignia on their chests -- standing at the door to her guest room.
"What is it, Noshi? And don't be so damned formal with me, okay!"
Himiko Kawamura crosses her arms.
"The President would like to see you, Mikiko-sama and
Nagisa-sama in the central control chamber as soon as possible,"
Noshi reports.
Himiko sighs, then nods. "Let's go!"
Both step into the corridor, then proceed to a nearly inter-ship
transporter unit. Given the colossal size of the Avalon bioroid
factory unit, using transporters to get from place to place in lieu
of elevators and moving walkways seemed more efficient energy-wise.
In a flash, the two women find themselves in a circular room located
near the squared-off bow of the city-sized structure. Awaiting
them are two other Terran women, one dressed in a Tomobiki High
seifuku, the other in a flowery sundress.
"Ah! Himiko-chan!" the girl in the seifuku smiles.
"Hey, Mikiko-chan!" Himiko embraces her, then nods to the other
woman. "Hiya, Nagisa-san! You okay there?"
"Not really," Nagisa Shinowataru sighs, then glances down the
front of her dress to see the humps of a pair of VERY female breasts
where there had once been a toned set of male pectoral muscles.
Himiko and Mikiko Serizawa gaze on the transformed teashop
worker, then exchange a knowing look. Ever since waking up aboard
this giant ship, the Tomobiki High second-year students (both were
from Class 2-2) had been exposed to far more alien things in
forty-eight hours than what most members of Class 2-4 might have
potentially experienced in a YEAR! Sighing, Himiko walks over to
squeeze Nagisa's shoulder in reassurance. "Nagisa-san, if
Ryuunosuke-san really loves you, she won't care about this," the
blue-haired swimmer (Himiko had been captain of the Tomobiki High
girl's swim team) indicates the boy-turned-girl's breasts.
"I..." Nagisa bites her lip, then sighs. "I know, I know,
but..."
"Don't worry," Mikiko comes up to give Nagisa's other shoulder
a warm squeeze. "We'll be there for you, Nagisa-kun. Besides,
given that you both don't have to worry about Ryuunosuke-kun's
father anymore...!"
Nagisa blinks, then a smile curls her lips. "Y-yeah, that's
true!"
"Ah, ladies, there you are!"
The suave man's voice echoes from all around as a spheroid
of light appears before them. That quickly morphs into an astral
near-replica of Shutaro Mendou (save the pointed ears and
tiger-striped cummerbund he wore over his white boy's school
uniform). Seeing that, Mikiko and Himiko both shiver delightedly;
like so many of their female schoolmates, they dreamt a lot of the
chance of winning Mendou's interest. One had to admit, the cosmetic
surgeons who had transformed Oogi into an alien-born twin of the
"Fifth Holy Apostle" had done a bang-up job. Nagisa, the would-be
fiance of a woman Mendou had often taken interest in (not to mention
the fact that Nagisa HAD, despite her upbringing, been born a boy),
remains quiet.
Suddenly, Oogi's astral form vibrates, the light fading for a
moment before he solidifies anew. "Oogi-sama, are you alright?!"
Mikiko panics.
"I..." the disembodied Niphentaxian president flusters, then
nods assuredly at the Terran girl with the long, charcoal-green
hair. "Yes, Mikiko-sama, I'm quite alright. For now, that is.
Anyhow, I've some good news. You'll be heading back to the Holy City
today!"
"TODAY?!?!" all three blurt out.
"Hai, hai!" Oogi nods. "The computers running the gestation
units report that the cells in your new bodies have fully stabilized
themselves. You should have quite long, productive lives from now
on. And I'm sure those who love and care for you will be MORE than
relieved to see you alive and well. So, since it's approaching
dawn now in the Holy City, we can send you right to your homes. It
should be quite the surprise."
"Yeah, that's true," Himiko sighs. "Hey, you sure you're gonna
be okay there? I mean, after what Moroboshi did to you..."
"Do not worry, Himiko-sama. I will deal with the Great Evil in
due time. And when the opportunity comes finally, the scientists
who normally work here can determine some way to create male
bioroids. Perhaps in a few years, we can help you truly become what
you are, Nagisa-sama," he gazes on the transformed Nagisa. "Then
you and Ryuunosuke-sama can be truly happy."
"I..." Nagisa blinks, then smiles. "Arigatou, Oogi-san.
I really appreciate the thought, but..." she glances down at herself.
"In a way, I DO want to go back to being a boy. But Otou-san always
wanted a daughter in spite of what he and Oji-san promised each
other. So I AM honouring Otou-san's other desire in the long term.
As for Ryuunosuke-sama..." she pauses, then shrugs. "Well, what
happens will happen, I suppose."
Oogi bows. "If that's what you believe is proper, Nagisa-sama,
I'll not argue against such an August personage as yourself. In the
meantime, Noshi, take them to the transporter room and have them sent
to the Holy City," he instructs the bioroid who escorted Himiko to
the control room.
"Yes, Mister President," Noshi nods, then waves the three
Terran-turned-Avalonians with her. "Ladies, this way, please?"
They depart. Oogi watches them go, then a smile crosses his
face. "Perfect..." the disembodied president of Phentax Two mutters.
"Once they have returned to the Holy City and spoken to the others
of the Holy Company about the Great Evil's whereabouts, then his
wretched 'sisters' will be done away with! And then...! And
then...!" his astral form quivers with anticipation, then
monomaniacal laugher echoes through the factory...
* * *
"Lonely Souls"
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
"Gates of Dawn," composed by Rolf Lovland, lyrics by Brendan Graham.
**** **** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko
Takahashi; and "Sister Princess," created by Naoto Tenhiro and
Sakurako Kimino. This story is set after the end of the "UY" and
"Ranma" manga series.
**** **** ****
NOTE: The writer's notes are at the end of the Prologue.
**** **** ****
THE ELEVENTH PART - THE SISTERS' WILD WEEKEND BEGINS!
Promised Island, Welcome House, sometime before dawn...
A moan escapes Marie's lips as she sits up in her bed,
stretching herself. Glancing at her alarm clock, she gapes on seeing
the time, then looks around her darkened bedroom. Odd. She had no
need to go to the washroom or do anything like that. Why was she
awake at THIS time of day? Normally when she slept, she slept
straight through to when her alarm rang; the clock, one of Rinrin's
many devices, had an extra-loud chime to ensure Marie didn't sleep
late. Taking a deep breath, Marie slips under the covers again,
then looks left. "Ohayou, Ma-chan," her companion sighs.
"Ohayou, A-chan," Marie shivers on feeling herself being drawn
into Akane's embrace, then they share a brief kiss. "Can't sleep?"
The youngest Tendou yawns to get the oxygen circulating
in her blood stream, then she shakes her head. "Actually, strange
as this sounds, I'm not tired at all. What time is it...?" she looks
past Marie's head to see the alarm clock, then she blinks. "Damn!
Not even Ranma or Kasumi get up THIS early! Was it something
about dinner last night, Ma-chan?" she slumps on the pillow again
as Marie snuggles closer to her.
"I don't know," Marie admits, then sighs. "Well,
Shirayuki-chan'll be up getting breakfast ready for us all.
Mamoru-chan might be up, too; she likes going on early-morning
rollerblade runs to downtown and back."
"Want to get going?"
Marie blinks, then nods. "We might as well. Who knows? Maybe
Rinrin-chan'll've stayed up all night working on Aneue-sama's
computer. Want to go to the furo and get a nice, long soak? It'll
loosen your muscles up before you go out for your morning jog."
"I haven't gone jogging since I got this new body of mine,"
Akane admits, then sits up. "Well, since we're up..."
"Okay!"
The nightstand light is turned on as the girls rise...
* * *
Minutes later, both stop at the entrance to the rotunda's
kitchen, beside Shirayuki's bedroom on the ground floor. Looking
inside, Marie and Akane grin on seeing the would-be chef hard at
work. "Ohayou, Shirayuki-chan!" Marie calls out, then sniffs the
air. "What's for breakfast?"
"Eh?!" Shirayuki stares at the doorway, then blinks.
"Marie-chan, Akane-san, what are you two doing up so early?!"
"Neither of us were that tired," Akane admits. "You put
vitamins into your food there or what, Shirayuki-san?"
Shirayuki laughs. "Hime doesn't think so!" She then takes a
quick glance at the wall clock. "Breakfast'll be ready by
six-thirty."
"Hai!" both girls chime as they head down to the furo room.
Once in the changing area, they notice that someone else is already
inside. "Looks like Mamoru-chan's soaking herself up before heading
out," Marie points to the orange-and-green spandex bodysuit and
in-line rollerblades there.
"Does she do this every day?" Akane wonders.
"Hai, regardless of the weather or what her personal condition
might be at the time," Marie slips off her nightshirt. "A-chan?"
"Hai, hai!" Akane quickly strips off her clothes.
Both step into the washing area. Sure enough, Mamoru is in the
steaming furo, her eyes closed as the hot water did their magic to
her muscles. Hearing their footfalls, the athlete opens one eye,
then both snap wide open on seeing who had come to join her this
morning. "M-marie?! Whatcha doing down here at this time o' day,
for cryin' out loud?!"
"I couldn't sleep," Marie announces, then sitting herself down
on a stool in one of the wash areas, gazes at Akane. "A-chan?"
"Hai!" the older girl positions herself behind Marie, then after
the latter slips off her glasses, sprays her down with hot water
before soaping her back down. "Do you want your hair shampooed,
Ma-chan?"
"No, I washed it last night," Marie announces.
"Okay."
Mamoru gazes at them from the furo, an eyebrow arched.
*'A-chan?!' 'Ma-chan?!' What the hairy heck's going on here?!*
she wonders...
* * *
"This is unexpected..."
Chikage, still in her nightclothes, gazes at her crystal ball.
In it, the image of three girls having just appeared on the front
lawn of Tomobiki High School flashes. Three girls who, two weeks
ago, had been two girls and a boy. Three people who should be dead
right now.
Still, the young sorceress is able to discern some things about
the people calling themselves Nagisa Shinowataru, Himiko Kawamura
and Mikiko Serizawa. First of all, spiritually, it was really them,
not any sort of memory or personality replica. Secondly, they now
possessed Avalonian bodies, no doubt constructed by the bioroid
factory presently in high orbit over Tokyo. Finally, even though
they presently seemed to be in perfect control of themselves,
there had been considerable subconscious tampering of their thought
processes. Tampering which could spell trouble.
But for who?
Ani-kun, perhaps...?
Drawing her tarot cards, Chikage shuffles the deck, then lays
out five cards to do a reading. Taking a moment to compose herself,
she places her hand on the card on the right. Flipping it over, her
eyes narrow on seeing what it was. The Twins, upside down. "A
threat to us?" she whispers, then placing that card down, she flips
the next one. Death.
Chikage places the card down, then sits back in her chair.
"Oogi is targeting us now...?" she mutters, then reaches for her
cell-phone...
* * *
Tomobiki High School, minutes later...
"Lucky thing I hid a spare key here so we can get in."
Nagisa unlocks a maintenance door leading to the storage rooms
behind the school cafeteria, then waves Himiko and Mikiko in. "So
this is where you two and Ryuunosuke-san's dad lived, right?" the
swimmer wonders.
"Hai. Not much, but it's still home," Nagisa smiles as she
closes the door behind them, then waves the others to one of the
store rooms. "Here! Now, let's see..." she opens the door, then
flips on the light.
"Nothing's here," Mikiko notes.
Nagisa blinks. "Wha...?" she looks around, then her jaw drops
in shocked surprise. "Where...?!" she walks into the emptied space,
then twirls around to confirm that indeed, everything that had
belonged to her or to the Fujinami family no longer was here. "What
happened...?!"
The other women exchange a look, then Himiko sighs. "Look,
let's go to my place there. Dad and Mom both work night shifts this
month, so we can probably get in without any sorta problems. 'Sides,
we can get some spare clothes there, then try to figure out what to
do next."
Nagisa considers that, then nods. "Alright, let's go."
They step out of the store room, Nagisa closing the door...
* * *
As the three "dead" victims of the terror attack two weeks ago
walk off the property, they do not sense they are being watched
from the shadows of the clock tower. "Fate is truly a strange
entity," Negako quietly muses, then walking along the spine of the
north-west wing's roof, closes her eyes as she taps into the local
chi fields to backtrack what exactly happened when Ibrahim Alhamzi
brought misery and death to this place.
The grandmistress stops, then crouches, feeling the roof
timbers. "Centre-point of the blast was here," she stands up, then
points towards the clock tower. "Muchi and Kinshou were there down
on the first floor. Aisuru, Daremo, Shitto and Urayamu were closer
to Ibrahim." She then turns the other way. "Fujimi was closest
to Ibrahim. Nagisa two metres behind him. Himiko and Mikiko were
on the second floor right above Nagisa..." Her eyes then widen
before a smile crosses her face. "Of course!"
Her eyes then trace a line ascending from where Nagisa
Shinowataru had last stood as a man on Earth, that ascending straight
up. Glancing to the heavens, the ninjitsu grandmistress focuses
her senses on the cloaked Avalon bioroid factory. Halfway up, there
seemed a diffuse confluence of two separate types of magical energy.
"Yes. That makes sense..." she crosses her arms. "Oogi was trying
to use the Oak Forest Witch's curse energy to rescue Aisuru and his
friends. But that energy made contact with the energy that restored
Nagisa to life as it was dispersing thanks to the explosion shredding
her old body. Himiko and Mikiko were caught up with the power that
kept Nagisa alive and..." she nods as the synchronisity of what
happened two weeks ago hits her. "So Oogi had to deal with them
first. And by the time he could have 'helped' Aisuru and his
friends, it was too late; their spirits had already merged fully back
with the Tao." A glance in the general direction of the front gate
reveals that Nagisa, Himiko and Mikiko were making their way down the
street towards the Kawamura home.
"So let's learn what Oogi did to you three," Negako chuckles.
Hopping to the ground, the ninjitsu grandmistress bounds up to a
telephone pole, then races off. Fortunately for her, Nagisa, Himiko
and Mikiko were taking a casual pace back to the swimmer's home.
Within five leaps, Negako is right beside them. Deciding not to
waste time, she drops to the ground behind Nagisa, then reaches
out with her fingers to hit the Terran-Avalonians' sleep spots. All
three gasp as their bodies give out from under them. Negako catches
them before their heads could bounce off the asphalt, then piling
all three together, she boosts them into her arms, then bounds once
more for the telephone poles and a run to Nerima...
* * *
"Ohayou, Haruka-chan! Practising?!"
Haruka looks towards the doorway leading into the rotunda at
Welcome House, then smiles. "Ohayou, Marie-chan...! EH?!!"
The martial artist gapes, wide-eyed on seeing Marie and Akane
step out onto the lawn. Seeing the youngest Tendou in her preferred
yellow-white karate-ka's gi seemed natural. Seeing Marie in a
sleeveless, black-and-grey spandex bodysuit of the same cut as
Mamoru's certainly WASN'T! "M-m-marie-chan, what are you doing
dressed like that?!" Haruka stammers.
Marie blinks, then smiles. "It's alright, Haruka-chan.
A-chan and I are going to do some morning exercises before she has to
go to school."
"Besides, Ma-chan deserves ever chance to learn how to defend
herself, don't you think?" Akane pats Marie's shoulder.
"A-chan!" Marie squeals.
*'A-chan?!' 'Ma-chan?!'* Haruka blinks as her eyes follow the
other girls to a clear point near where the laundry bars stand.
Making Marie sit on the ground, Akane places herself before
her, then launches into a basic stance lecture, the same one Souun
Tendou gave his wide-eyed daughter years ago. Haruka remains still
as Marie is made to stand, then guided into a sparring stance. To
Haruka's knowledged eye, Marie is a VERY quick learner, not having
any need to ask Akane questions.
"What on Earth...?" Haruka whispers as Akane moves to a kata...
* * *
"Oooh...! Didn't sleep at all again...!"
Rinrin rubs the side of her face as her alarm clock -- a
miniature Mega-Rinrin -- chimes off, "*Rinrin-chan, wake up!
Rinrin-chan, wake up! I'll lend you some money for research!*"
Quickly clicking the alarm off, Rinrin heads to her window, then
opens it. A fresh breeze off the Sagami Sea flows through her room
as she takes a deep breath, then she gazes on the dawn. "Ah! Gonna
be a nice day today..." she muses, then looks onto the lawn. "Oh,
Haruka-chan, ohayou!!" she calls down to her half-sister.
No response. "What the...?" Rinrin blinks, then noting that
Haruka's attention was diverted to something on the ground, looks
left towards the laundry bars. Quickly recognizing Akane by the gi
the youngest Tendou now wears, the teen scientist peers closely
at the other girl there. The long French braid speaks volumes,
even though that SERIOUSLY clashes with the clothes she wore now.
"Marie...?" she gapes, then shakes her head, moving to climb into the
upper level of her bunkbed. "Oh, man, now I KNOW I need to get some
sleep! I'm startin' ta hallucinate here...!" she grumbles...
* * *
"Ataru taught you some t'ai chi?!"
"Hai!" Marie smiles, then moves to head inside. "Just a moment
there, A-chan! I want to get my portable CD player."
"Er...?! Oh, okay!" Akane nods as the younger girl races off.
Emerging from the rotunda a minute later with a battery-powered
radio/CD/cassette player -- Akane is quick to note the name "RINRIN"
on the unit's carapace; *Damn! Does that girl build EVERYTHING
in this place?!* Akane wonders -- Marie sets it down by the laundry
bars, then draws out a CD and loads it in. "This is a group
Aniue-sama likes very much. He said that while he was training
with Aneue-sama in Sanctuary -- I think it was the third weekend
he was here -- he always listened to them to calm him down." A frown
turns her lips as she pauses, then she sighs. "I hope it really
did, especially after he found out about Obaa-sama."
Akane blinks, then walks over to stare at the tape cover.
"Secret Garden?! Oh, yeah, I've heard of these guys! Kasumi loves
listening to this stuff! This is their latest album, right?!"
"Hai," Marie smiles, then programs controls. "Okay, here we go.
Press 'play' when I tell you, okay, A-chan?!"
"Hai!"
Marie takes her position, then faces the statue at the summit
of Stargazer Hill. Bowing, she then assumes a relaxed stance.
"Now."
Akane hits PLAY. A mixture of violins, keyharps, whistles,
oboes and harmonicas heralds the prelude of "Gates of Dawn." With
the first key, Marie flows into a waving kata with her arms and body,
pivoting on her hips and ankles to simulate blocking manoeuvres
from attackers coming at her from all sides. Staring at her, Akane
whistles. She didn't know T'ai Chi Chuan very much, though that was
something that had interested Kasumi before their mother died. But
she doubted that even Ranma, with all her experience in martial
arts, would know this particular manoeuvre.
Then, almost in surprise, Marie begins to sing:
The wheels of life keep turning,
Spinning without control.
The wheels of the heart keep yearning
For the sound of the singing soul.
And nights are full with weeping,
For sins of the past we've sown.
But tomorrow is ours for the keeping;
Tomorrow the future's shown...
Lift your eyes and see the glory
Where the circle of life is drawn.
See the never-ending story;
Come with me to the Gates of Dawn...
And whose is the hand who raises
The sun from the heaving sea?
The power that ever amazes;
We look, but never will see.
Who scattered the seeds so life could be,
Who coloured the fields of corn?
Who formed the mould that made me me
Before the world was born?
Lift your eyes and see the glory
Where the circle of life is drawn.
See the never-ending story;
Come with me to the Gates of Dawn...
As the song goes into an instrumental phase, Akane walks over,
then places herself beside Marie. The latter smiles as the former
reaches out. Instantly, both slip into a pushing hands drill, then
when the background vocals and the choir come up, both launch into
song...
Lift your eyes and see the glory
Where the circle of life is drawn.
See the never-ending story;
Come with me to the Gates of Dawn...
Lift your eyes and see the glory
(Lift your eyes and see...)
Where the circle of life is drawn.
(Circle of life is drawn...)
See the never-ending story;
Come with me to the Gates of Dawn...
Watching them, Haruka shakes her head. "How is that
possible...?"
* * *
Chikage now stands at a window overlooking the stairs connecting
the various floors of the rotunda. "Yes, Akane, you really do not
listen..."
* * *
Nerima, the Moroboshi home, minutes later...
"Um, Onee-chan, much that I don't mind looking on three
beautiful women first thing in the morning, but don't you think...?"
Ataru's voice trails off as his sharp eye for things of the
female nature clicks into data stored in the recesses of his mind.
Alright, all three young ladies were his age. Two were now dressed
in Tomobiki High sailor suits. The other had a sundress. Young Lady
Number One was a slender, athletic type with neck-length bluish hair
and deep blue eyes. Young Lady Number Two had green hair going to
her hips, partially held down by a white hairband, and turquoise
eyes. Young Lady Number Three had dark brown hair to mid-back,
tied at the neck with a bowtie, and brown eyes...!
Wait a minute.
"Nagisa...?" his eyes widen, then he peers at the girls in the
seifuku before things finally clicked in. "Himiko?! Mikiko...?!"
he slumps into the floor pad beside the table, then he stares
wide-eyed at Negako. "Onee-chan, how on Earth did THIS happen?!"
"Courtesy of Oogi, Ataru," Negako kneels beside him, then
glances at the three unmoving women laid out on the shrine floor.
"You could guess that when Ibrahim detonated that bomb at the school,
Oogi was monitoring events. Who would be the first people he would
desire to rescue?"
"Megane and his nuts, of course..." Ataru's voice trails off,
then he crosses his arms. "But if Oogi's spirit's merged with the
Oak Forest Witch's curse, he couldn't realistically touch those goofs
because they loved Lum so much and the curse was primed to deny
Lum-chan happiness..."
"Exactly," the grandmistress nods. "Then factor in the matter
of Nagisa's resurrection and the Great Sea Urchin's power."
His eyes widen. "The two energy matrices combined?"
"Enough to form a conduit that allowed Nagisa's soul to be drawn
right into the Avalon bioroid factory's datastorage units."
"What about Himiko and Mikiko?"
"They were standing right above Nagisa's head when the bomb went
off. As Nagisa's soul was drawn up, theirs were captured along the
way."
Ataru considers that, then he sighs. "So while I was busy with
Ranma cleaning that mess up in the school, Oogi was kept busy
'helping' these girls get new lives. And by the time he could have
been in a position to help Megane and his goofs, it was way too late,
right?"
"Exactly."
He takes that in, then hears footsteps. "Ataru-kun, what's
going on out...?" Chigaiko's voice shifts to a shocked squeak on
seeing the three women passed out on the shrine floor. "Here?!"
Ataru and Negako turn to see that not only Chigaiko had come out
of her guest bedroom, but so had Hinako Ninomiya. "Negako-san,
are these girls alright?" the child-teacher stares worriedly at the
grandmistress.
"No, Hinako, they are not," Negako rises, then kneels beside
Nagisa. "Oogi has manipulated all three of them to be living weapons
targeting our sisters now on Promised Island. No doubt, those of the
'Holy Company' have written crucial data in their diaries, thus
appraising Oogi of Ataru's relations. Thus, in a prelude to a battle
between Oogi and Ataru..."
"All my sisters would be made to suffer, all because of their
relationship to me," Ataru finishes, then sips his tea.
Both women are stunned, then Hinako's fists clench. "Where
IS this delinquent, anyway?! How can you just sit there and drink
tea while this monster is up there ready to kill you,
Moroboshi-kun?!"
A sly smile crosses Ataru's face. "Patience, Sensei, patience!"
he wags a finger at her, he winking. "We're all trying to do this
in a way that'll let us come out the victors WITHOUT incurring
a classroom full of unnecessary casualties. Relax. Everything'll
be alright." He then gazes at Negako. "Onee-chan, you think you can
fix them up so that they won't end up hurting someone before we can
get our hands on the factory?"
Negako hums, then gazes at Nagisa before she tilt's the latter's
head to its side before tapping several shiatsu points. "Despite
her conscious mind being unable to comprehend what has truthfully
befallen her, Nagisa's subconscious mind is trying to resist Oogi's
subliminal commands."
She falls silent as she forms a tiny chi ball, then gently
presses it into the back of Nagisa's head. "There. It is now
broken, but unless we remove them to the factory for thorough
restructuring of their brains' neurons, it CAN be undone. Unless..."
her eyes narrow, a contemplative look crossing her face, then she
smiles. "Easily enough," she mutters.
"What is?" Chigaiko prompts.
Negako stares at Ataru. "Have Ryuunosuke summoned here right
away."
"Okay..." he heads to the kitchen...
* * *
Tomobiki, the Miyaki home...
"Moshi-moshi, Miyaki desu."
"Ohayou, Miyaki-san."
Silence, then a hesitant "Ataru-kun?!"
"Hai, it's me. Listen, is Fujinami-san up now?"
"I..." Shinobu blinks, then frowns. "Yes, she is. Why are YOU
calling here? I thought you said you didn't want to deal with
us...!"
"Never mind!" Ataru snaps, causing his former girlfriend
to jolt in shock. "Listen. You may find this impossible to believe,
but it is true. Nagisa-san is ALIVE, Miyaki-san. Incredible
as this might sound to you, but Oogi managed not just to save her,
but those two other second-year girls who were 'killed' that day.
Understand me so far?"
Shinobu blinks, blinks again, then shakes her head. No, even
if Ataru didn't want to deal with them anymore, he'd never LIE about
something like THAT! Would he...? "Ataru-kun, are you sure?!"
"Yes. I am sure," he evenly replies. "If you want
confirmation, go ask Seiko-chan about a curse a witch from the Oak
Forest asteroid put on Lum-chan when she was born. That curse's
energy is what's sustaining Oogi's life right now, Miyaki-san.
He tried to use that to save Megane and his goons that day, but it
couldn't work because the Witch's curse was meant to deny Lum true
love. We know what Megane's feelings about Lum were all like, don't
we? Ditto with the other three. Understand?"
"I..." Shinobu balks, then sighs. "Yes, I understand.
I just find it so hard to believe! But how did that help Nagisa-san
survive?"
"You can get the explanation when you get here. Get Fujinami
off her butt, then come to the old Shinto shrine north of Furinkan
High. That's where Onee-chan and I live now. MOVE IT, Miyaki!!"
Click. Dial-tone. Shinobu stares at the receiver, then hangs
up before heading to her bedroom. No, Ataru wouldn't lie about that.
And he wouldn't be so deliberately cruel to rake over Ryuunosuke's
wounds, either. Even with all that's befallen him, he just wasn't
the type. "Ryuu-chan, you up?!" she ducks into the bedroom to see
Ryuunosuke rubbing her eyes.
"What is it, Shinobu?!" the tomboy mutters. "Who was
callin'...?"
"Ataru-kun!" Shinobu reports, then yelps as her window suddenly
flies open. "What in God's name...?!!" she calls out, then gasps
on seeing the young woman with the glowing eyes ducking in.
"Seiko?!!"
"Hurry up and get dressed, you two!" the
Oni-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran orders. "Nagisa needs you at Darling's
place right away, Ryuunosuke!!"
Hearing that name, Ryuunosuke bolts up. "Nagisa...?"
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, the door to the Moroboshi home flies
open, revealing a haggard Ryuunosuke and Shinobu, both having just
experienced what flying courtesy of Nendo-kata telekinesis was all
about. Seiko and Sakiko are behind their friends as they come in.
As soon as she is in the clear, Ryuunosuke spots the three
unconscious females on the floor, all three now lying on futons,
blankets covering them. "Ah, there you are, Ryuunosuke," Negako
looks up from beside the girl not dressed in a Tomobiki High seifuku.
"You are acquainted with Nagisa, are you not?"
Silence falls as Ryuunosuke takes that in, then she staggers
over to the side of her would-be husband, slumping to her knees as
her eyes focus on that bishoonen face. "Nagisa...?" she gasps, her
eyes instantly tearing as she reaches for that face, then she stops,
her eyes dropping down to gaze on the pronounced cleavage hidden
behind the sundress. "What the fuck...?" she gasps, then turns to
Negako. "What the hell is THIS?!"
The grandmistress remains calm. "Mentally, Ryuunosuke,
this is your paramour in every detail possible. Nothing was lost
when Nagisa 'died.' It is only in the physical body that there is,
as you have just noted, a pronounced difference. The Avalon bioroid
factory is capable of much, but it is limited in one paramount
regard. The fact that it can only create *female* bioroids, not male
ones. Oogi..." she pauses, her lips slightly curling up, "...could
only restore Nagisa to life as a woman."
Silence.
"A woman...?" Ryuunosuke eeps.
"Exactly," Negako nods. "Furthermore, Oogi decided to take
advantage of Nagisa's, Himiko's and Mikiko's vulnerability
to subconsciously program them to become assassins." Ignoring
the shocked gasps from Shinobu and Seiko, she continues. "Directly
targeting Ataru's sisters in hopes of breaking the 'great evil's'
heart before they directly fought."
Ryuunosuke blinks, blinks again, then jolts on hearing a
confused moan escape the woman lying before her.
"Ryuunosuke-sama...?"
A shudder warps through her as she looks down to see lucidity
return to Nagisa's eyes. The teashop "waitress" moans, then glances
curiously around the room. "Where on Earth am I...?" she moans,
then her eyes tilt right to stare into Ryuunosuke's. She blinks,
then smiles. "Ryuunosuke-sama..." her hand automatically
rises to grasp her fiancee's.
Ryuunosuke cries out, then staggers back to her feet, she moving
to get as far away from this...! This...! Well, WHATEVER it was!
-- as soon as she could. Before she could accidentally stomp on
Himiko Kawamura's stomach, Negako is at her side, tapping a shiatsu
point to knock the tomboy out. As Ryuunosuke collapses in the
grandmistress' arms, Shinobu moves to drag her away from the other
victims of two weeks' past. Nagisa watches that, then slowly sits
up. "What did you do to her?!" she demands, then moves to stand up,
glaring at Negako. "Who do you...?" Her voice halts on seeing the
man calmly sipping tea at a nearby table. "Ataru...?!"
Everyone tenses on seeing Nagisa's face suddenly twist into a
mask of uncontrolled fury. She moves to lunge at him, then cries
out as SOMETHING yanks her off the floor, allowing her to drift a
metre in mid-air. Nagisa screams, then turns to see a strange,
black-haired girl with glowing eyes walk up to her. "Wh-who...?"
she stutters, wide-eyed.
"You've heard Oogi's story, Nagisa-chan," Seiko wryly smiles.
"Now it's time for you, Himiko-chan and Mikiko-chan to hear the
*truth.*"
Nagisa blinks... * * *
Welcome House, breakfast time...
"EH?!?! TARGETING **US?!?!?!**"
"Hai," Chikage sips her tea. The other sisters (save Hinako,
Aria and Kaho), plus Akane, stare wide-eyed at the sorceress.
"As soon as I identified the problem, I contacted Ane-kun to have
them intercepted. Currently, they are now in Ani-kun's home in
Nerima. Ane-kun will, no doubt, move to disable what Oogi did to
them, thus rendering them safe."
"And these are three of the people killed at Onii-chan's
old school two weeks ago?" Karen wonders. "What about the others?
Were they saved?"
Chikage shakes her head. "No, not that I've been able to
perceive to date, Karen. Then again, given Oogi's twisted worldview,
why resurrect Nagisa, Himiko and Mikiko? Granted, Nagisa could be
perceived as one of the so-called 'Holy Company,' but he is a minor
player. Himiko and Mikiko are like most of the girls attending
Tomobiki High School. Deep down, they loathed Lum because they
feared Shutaro Mendou might seek her out."
Sakuya sighs. "So if they haven't appeared to date, that
means...?"
"They are gone," Chikage concludes.
"Unless they're being held in reserve," Mamoru notes. "After
all, Anii and Anee are plannin' to grab hold of that bioroid factory
up there, right? What's to stop this Oogi jerk from layin' a trap?"
"I doubt it," Akane shakes her head. "From the way your brother
and Nassur-san described this creep, he's more arrogant than Kunou
and Mendou COMBINED. If he's so confident that he'd send down three
innocent people in some vain hope of killing you girls, then he
probably thinks that he could catch Ataru unawares on the ground
in Nerima or Tomobiki. Besides, does he have any full understanding
of what Negako-san is like?"
"Doubtful, but we should keep our eye out for such a thing,"
Haruka warns. "The biggest mistake WE can make is being
overconfident ourselves."
The others nod. "Smart thing to do is get rid of Fungi's pals
and all those other observers," Yotsuba proposes. "Especially
the ones who dive into everyone's diaries to add new chapters to the
Book of Lum."
"That's a good idea," Rinrin sips her tea. "Has someone talked
to Reigi-aniki about that? The sooner it's done, the better."
"I'll call him and ask," Sakuya sighs. "So what do we do with
these three girls Chikage just told us about, everyone?"
"Well, since they've been technically 'dead' for almost two
weeks, is it kinda smart to let their parents find out?" Yotsuba
wonders.
"I'm sure they'll be relieved to know they're alive!" Karen
muses.
"Maybe," Chikage sighs. "But I doubt it."
Eyes lock on the sorceress. "Why do you say that, Chikage-san?"
Akane wonders. "I mean, unless they didn't come from good homes..."
"That is part of the problem, especially concerning Nagisa,"
Chikage reports. "Remember, Nagisa's 'fiancee' is someone who has,
since as long as she can remember, been forced to live a lie. It's
not like the case of Ukyou Kuonji, Akane. Ukyou CHOSE to disguise
herself as a man in atonement for 'losing' Ane-kun thanks to
Ane-kun's father. Ryuunosuke Fujinami had no such choice. After
her mother's death, her father automatically started treating her as
his 'son.' That never let up until the day he died."
She takes a sip of her tea. "I believe that, while she WAS hurt
by Alhamzi's actions of two weeks ago, somewhere deep inside her,
Ryuunosuke was actually RELIEVED to be rid of both her father AND
Nagisa. With them gone, she could literally do whatever she wanted,
live the life she CHOSE to live. Suddenly getting Nagisa back could
potentially throw that ALL into doubt, especially now that Nagisa
is physically a woman."
"That's cold, Chikage!" Marie shivers.
"Maybe, maybe not. But did Ryuunosuke actually love Nagisa
in the first place?" Rinrin wonders. "I mean, Aniki said that when
they met on that island there, they were just thrown together by
their fathers, then after Nagisa was brought back to life, he was
allowed to live with them at the school? It's no different than what
happened between Aniki and Lum, much less what happened between
Aneki and A-chan here. A-chan, did YOU really appreciate havin'
your dad and Aneki's dad do that to you?!"
Akane jolts, then sighs. "No, Rin-chan, of course not!" She
then leans her chin over her crossed hands, ignoring the curious
looks coming her way from some of the other sisters. "Then again,
what was Nagisa-san really like when she was growing up? Did he like
being forced to play a girl, sort of like Ukyou's friend Konatsu?
Or did he resent it as much as Ryuunosuke-san resented what her
father did to her? And now, we have to compound all that with what
Oogi just did to her, too."
"What a mess," Yotsuba shakes her head.
"What about Himiko-san and Mikiko-san, Chikage?" Shirayuki
wonders.
The sorceress sighs. "Himiko is your typical sports-orientated
person," she reports. "Hails from a normal middle-class family,
though these days, both her parents are forced to work. No siblings
to worry about. Emotionally, she has been become quite independent
due to the frequent absence of her parents. Rather like what we
are." A pause, then, "Mikiko also is an only child to a middle-class
family. And yes, like the Kawamuras, the Serizawas both work to keep
a roof over their heads. Mikiko is more sedentary than Himiko,
though she does have a desire to go abroad to continue her studies.
Given the way our economy is now, that's a very intelligent
idea. Education-wise, Mikiko could get the chance to enter one of
the well-known universities in the States, Canada or in Europe.
With some financial help, of course. The question that has to be
asked now is this: will their parents accept them back as their
children or...?"
"Potentially see them as monsters?" Karen finishes. "Look on
them as insults, as affronts, to their daughters' memories."
"That is stupid!!" Yotsuba snaps.
"Stupid, yes, but not many people've experienced or learned
about things we now take for granted, Yotsuba-chan," Haruka sighs.
"So if they reject them, what then?" Akane asks.
"Offer them a place to stay here, of course," Karen nods.
"Can you do that?!" the youngest Tendou wonders.
"Oh, hell, A-chan, it's easy!" Rinrin laughs. "After all, even
though this place is open to anyone, our family DOES own it! How do
you think you've been allowed to say here, much less Jonna, Orin and
Fungi?"
"I..." Akane blinks, then sighs. "Well, truthfully, I've never
really sat back and thought about it. I don't want to be a
freeloader, though. After what Ranma's dad almost did to my home..."
"It's alright, A-chan," Marie reaches over to gently squeeze
Akane's hand. "Aneue-sama didn't like the idea of 'freeloading,'
either."
"Still, if you do wish to stay with us, you best have your
father sign this, Akane," Chikage draws out an envelope from under
her cape, then walks over to give it to Akane. "I took the liberty
of filling out all the necessary details. All it needs is your
father's signature and hanko stamp to make it official. Once you
fill this out, you could then transfer out of Furinkan High School
finally. Even if Tatewaki and his father are, for the time being,
out of the way, even THEY couldn't argue with a change of address
to a place well beyond Nerima's ward limits, ne?"
Akane stares wide-eyed at the sorceress, then opens the envelope
to gaze at the contents. Sure enough, the top form was an
application to reside at Welcome House for the next school year. To
Akane's shock, the application had already been accepted by the trust
group administering the youth hostel. All that was needed indeed,
given Akane being underage, was Souun Tendou's signature. "I..."
Akane blinks, then smiles. "Thank you," she looks up at Chikage.
"I appreciate this. I really do."
"Do you want to stay here?" Sakuya wonders.
Akane gazes at her, then glances at Marie. The younger girl's
cheeks redden slightly. Seeing that, the youngest Tendou nods.
"Hai, I do. Even if I've only been here for just over three days,
I haven't felt so much at peace with myself since...! Well, since
Kaa-san died." A pause, then, "Besides, Chikage's right. If I'm
here, Kunou'll have to go find someone else to bother. Maybe he'll
finally go after Mariko Konjou, given how much she likes him.
Unless..." she pauses, then slumps back as a sickening realization
hits. "Could he try to move here to keep after me?"
"Not necessarily," Chikage shakes her head. "After all, when
he DOES finally recover from what Ani-kun did to him, he'll be facing
the police for what happened to Hinako Ninomiya. Even if he dodges
that (which is doubtful), his family's reputation will be grossly
tarnished. Ani-kun and Reigi-anikun's people in Toranoseishin
can see to that. If he tried to come here, the Island's ruling
council could easily see him forced away, especially if Ani-kun
warns them ahead of time. Tatewaki Kunou might be powerful in
Nerima, but that does not apply elsewhere in Japan."
Akane considers that, then nods. "Alright." She then flips
through the other pages, noting that the other forms basically
covered a potential transfer from Furinkan High School to Stargazer
West College. "I guess once the school staff sees this, they'll
get it processed right away."
"It should be no problem," Chikage sighs, moving to leave. "I
suggest you get ready to leave, Akane. I'll have the rainbow ready
to go in thirty minutes. Please, don't be late."
The sorceress steps out. Akane sighs, then stands. "Hai, I
better get changed. Thanks for breakfast, Shirayuki-san!"
"Hai!" the cook smiles.
"Hey, A-chan, are you sure your dad'll sign that?" Rinrin asks.
Akane stops, then glances at the teen scientist. "Don't worry
about it, Rin-chan! I've got the right thing to make Dad play
along."
"What about your sisters?" Yotsuba asks.
Akane shakes her head. "Far as I'm concerned, Yotsuba-chan,
they've got no right at all to object to what I decide to do now. If
Kasumi truly DID care for me, she would've told me about Ryouga and
'P-chan' right away. And Nabiki should've known better than to butt
her nose into my business, especially where it concerned Ranma, even
if she WAS trying to keep a roof over our heads. And if both of them
think of themselves as my sisters, respecting what I might've
actually wanted with my life, they wouldn't've forced me into the
engagement with Ranma. If they can't accept that now, then I can't
really look on either of them as my sisters anymore."
"Akane-san..." Haruka stares at her.
The youngest Tendou smirks. "'S funny. Ever since I came here,
I've come to like and trust you guys a lot more than I could even
trust my own flesh-and-blood. Even you, Mamoru," she gazes on the
athlete.
"Akane..." Sakuya's jaw drops open.
"I...!" Mamoru blinks, blinks again, then stares briefly at
Marie.
"It's alright, Mamoru-chan," Marie smiles assuredly. "I've long
forgiven A-chan for what happened on Tuesday."
Mamoru takes than in before standing up. Placing a hand on
Akane's shoulder, she takes a deep breath. "You just apologize
to Anee, okay?"
Akane gazes at her, then nods. "Hai. I guess I do owe Ranma
that much, don't I? Anyhow, I got to get to school. See you later,
guys!"
She races out. The others watch her go, then sigh. "Maybe
I should go with A-chan to Nerima myself," Marie stands, moving to
leave. "Besides, if A-chan's father proves to be a lunkhead over her
coming to live here, I can do some things myself to make him see the
light."
"Some of us should go see what's going on with Onii-chan
and Onee-chan, too," Karen reminds the others.
"Agreed," Sakuya nods...
* * *
"Waaai! Is Aria-chan sure about this?!"
"Hai," Aria nods. Both she and Hinako now sit on the roof of
the main part of Welcome House, close to the rotunda where they
normally resided. The youngest sisters are in their "magical girl"
clothes, the Staff of Gihan and the Genesis Wand of Paran in their
hands. "That bad man who hurt Nii-ya saved three girls who could've
been hurt when that other bad man blew up Nii-ya's old school.
They're Avalonians now, just like Orin-neeya, Jonna-neeya and
Akane-neeya. Even better, Tsue-san told Aria that Nee-ya make sure
they wouldn't hurt any of us or Nii-ya."
"Sugoi!!!" Hinako gushes, then sighs. "But what can we do with
them now, Aria-chan? Hina likes being with Jonna-oneetama
just as much as Aria-chan likes being with Orin-oneetama and
Marie-chan likes being with Akane-oneetama! Who do we give those
new girls to, Aria-chan?!"
Aria hums, then cants the Genesis Wand close to her ear. A
moment later, she smiles, then looks at Hinako. "Tsue-san just told
Aria that we can help them come together with Karen-chan, Sakuya-chan
and Haruka-chan."
"Why them?" Hinako asks.
Aria leans the Wand close to her sister. Hinako listens in,
then her eyes widen even more. "Waaaai...!" she breathes out, then
nods. "Okay!!"
"Still..."
"What is it, Aria-chan?"
"What about the others?" Aria wonders. "Doesn't Hinako-chan
think it's only right that Aria and Hinako-chan and Marie-chan
have Avalonians to be with us and they don't? Aria doesn't want
anyone to feel left out!"
"Well, then, all we got to do is find more!" Hinako declares,
then points to the Staff. "Hina'll get Bou-san to go find some more,
those who aren't up on that big ship over Tokyo, so that the bad man
won't know when Onii-tama and Onee-tama are gonna go up there to take
it away from him!"
Aria considers that, then smiles. "Kusu...!"
* * *
The Moroboshi home, an hour later...
"So you're saying that because these girls are your half-sisters
and all that, Oogi wanted us to kill them so that he could hurt you,
right?!"
"Yes, Kawamura-san, that's what we're saying," Ataru sips his
tea.
Everyone is now seated around the living room table. The looks
on Nagisa's, Himiko's and Mikiko's faces echo the feelings of
disbelief and betrayal the three Terran-Avalonians now have towards
the man who "saved" their lives. Not to mention the confusion,
even the fear, they now feel about the man seated before them. The
fact that Ataru was now addressing them, even Shinobu and Ryuunosuke,
so formally was unnerving enough. Even after learning Ryuunosuke's
would-be fiance was a man, Ataru called him "Nagisa-chan"
afterward. And ANY girl attending Tomobiki High School had, before
now, ALWAYS been called by given name with "-chan." And if all the
changes that befell Ataru weren't disorientating enough,
comprehending Lum's transformation into Seiko Izumo left them all at
sea.
"So what do we do now?" Mikiko wonders, rubbing her arm.
"Well, that depends on what your parents might decide to do once
we inform them you are still among the living," Ataru muses, then
sighs. "Unless, of course, you prefer to remain 'dead' to them."
"How can you propose THAT, Ataru-kun?!" Shinobu snaps.
"Miyaki-san, do you think that just a little over a week after
their parents were forced to bury them, that the Kawamuras or the
Serizawas would appreciate having their worlds turned upside-down
yet AGAIN?!"
"You're saying they might...?" Mikiko's voice catches as her
eyes glisten with frightened tears. "They might REJECT us?!"
"It's a possibility that has to be considered," he nods.
"Darling, don't you think...?" Seiko begins.
"Seiko-chan, do you think that, after all the crap that's
happened there since you first came as Lum, everyone there's as
capable of seeing AND understanding some of the odd things that've
happened to date?"
The Oni-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran blinks, then sighs. "True..."
"But these are their DAUGHTERS, Ataru-kun!!" Shinobu protests.
"I was there at the memorial service we had the Friday after Alhamzi
blew up the school! Their parents were DEVASTATED!!! They HAVE to
take them back in!! It's the right thing, it's the ONLY thing, they
can do now!!"
"But what's to stop any of them from thinking that Himiko-chan
and Mikiko-chan aren't their real daughters, even IF we explain
exactly what happened to them?" Sakiko wonders. "I mean,
Ryuunosuke's having enough problems dealing with this already,
Shinobu. Why's she been staying in the bathroom since she recovered
from what Negako-san did to her earlier?"
Everyone gazes to the hallway leading to the washroom. "Maybe
Fujinami-kun should be out here," Hinako stands up.
"No, Sensei, leave her be," Ataru waves the child-teacher
back to her floor cushion. "We can't stick a gun to her back and
tell her what's right or wrong, not after all the crap she's been
through."
"She has a responsibility, Moroboshi-kun..."
"Forced on her by a madman, Ninomiya-sensei. TWO madmen, when
you get down to it," he then glances at Nagisa.
The teashop worker jolts, then her fists clench. "Ataru, it was
an honourable agreement between my father and Uncle!!" she protests.
"I have all the right in the world -- No! I have a DUTY!! -- to see
my father's wishes fulfilled!" She shudders, then stares down at
herself. "Yes, it'll be harder now given what's happened, but I just
can't throw what my father desired off like you threw your parents
off! It's not proper."
"Oh? And raising a young girl to be a 'man above men' is
proper?" Ataru gazes intently at Nagisa, causing the latter to wilt.
"Atop that, was raising you to think, act and dress like a girl the
least bit 'proper' even if it 'matched' what happened to
Fujinami-san, Shinowataru-san? Do you really think that, even if you
finally got rid of that lunatic, you could've enjoyed a happy
relationship in the long term? Do you?!"
Nagisa shudders, then looks away. "I though you didn't care
about us anymore, Moroboshi-san," her voice drips with wounded rage.
"Personally, how you people decide to run your lives from this
day on is your business. It always HAS been your business, by the
way," he adds. "And yes, I have things on my plate right now that
very much preclude me from associating with you people again.
However, what I'm concerned about in this whole matter is child
abuse. Physically or emotionally, both you and Fujinami-san
were deliberately constrained by your fathers to be NOT what you
really were. Deny it all you wish, Shinowataru-san, but that's what
happened! You know, if that lunatic was still alive, I'd be tempted
to kill the creep just on principle! What he -- no, what BOTH OF
THEM -- forced on both of you was wrong, Shinowataru-san.
Plain wrong!"
"Agreed," Seiko sighs. "And I must confess that if he was still
alive, I'd be tempted to put that sub-creature into place myself."
"Amen to that," Sakiko snorts. "Blessed Mother, sensing all the
garbage that devil-shark forced on Ryuunosuke-chan reminded me a
little too much of what my so-called 'mother' did to me when I was
that age!"
"Is she still alive, you think?" Seiko gazes at her.
"If she did manage to escape what the Noukiites, the Inquisition
and Darling unleashed on Uru -- and if she does try to come our way
-- I'll take care of her as she deserves to be taken care of,
Seiko-chan."
"Want me to ask the Inquisition to track her down?" Ataru
wonders.
Sakiko considers that, then shakes her head. "No, leave the
fool be, Darling. My life belongs to me right now; hell, it's
belonged to me since I first came to Earth. If she has problems
with that, too damned bad."
Hearing that, Nagisa relaxes, then stares at Ataru. "I still
care for her, Ataru. I still love her. I can't just switch it off,
then go off on my own. It's not that simple, you know!" she hisses,
then stands up, turning to head towards the bathroom. "Excuse me."
She marches off. Ataru watches her go, then sighs, shaking
his head as he raises his tea cup. "That was rude, you know,"
Shinobu warns.
He stares at her. She jolts, seeing the Arctic chill appear
again in his eyes, then she relaxes as he lowers his cup. "Life
itself is rude, Miyaki-san. I would believe you would understand
that well," Ataru notes. "Tell me something. How've things been
with your father trying to get Fujinami-san legally registered
as a girl, both at school and elsewhere? Has it been easy? Or has
your father started to discover all the stupid little tricks that
asshole pulled to ensure that no one'd force him to finally admit
the truth and see his 'son' for what she truly is?"
Shinobu gapes. "How do you know about that?!" she demands.
"I learned it when I was travelling with Onee-chan," he replies.
"Since Fujinami-san had to put up to a lot of crap when she was
growing up and since (at the time) I still did look upon her
favourably, I decided to see what I can do to help her get some
control over her life. So I had my friend Reigi Yumoa research
her past, especially when it came to her schooling and all that.
Care to know what he found out?"
"What happened, Darling?" Seiko probes.
"Ever since primary school, it's been a running battle with
local authorities to make sure Ryuunosuke stayed a 'he,' not to
mention stayed under that bastard's thumb," Ataru sips his tea.
"According to what Reigi-kun discovered, there were over two dozen
attempts, usually by teachers or the school nurses, to have her taken
away from that slimebag. Every time it happened...?" he snaps his
finger. "The complainer found herself delayed for some reason -- we
know what sort of tricks that slimebag could pull when he was
cornered, ne? -- then before the complaints could go anywhere,
that bastard would've pulled up stakes and moved both Ryuunosuke
and he to a new location to avoid the heat. Atop that, you DO have
to factor in how slow the courts can be when it comes to family
matters."
"Horrible...!" Hinako shudders.
"Amen to that," Ataru smirks. "Then, you'd also have to factor
in what that sleezeball must've done to Fujinami-san to make sure she
didn't complain. Then you add the attitude that people shouldn't
interfere in the affairs of other families..." he shrugs. "Well,
it's over now."
"Except for the recovery, that is," Sakiko sighs.
"Yeah. Except for the recovery," Ataru nods...
* * *
"Ryuunosuke-sama?"
Nagisa knocks on the door leading into the bathroom. She leans
up to listen to whatever noise is emanating from inside. Nothing.
Gritting her teeth, she knocks again. "Ryuunosuke-sama,
please answer me!" she pleads. "Ryuunosuke, I'm coming in," she
twists the handle, then opens the door.
Glancing inside, she pauses on seeing Ryuunosuke seated on the
closed toilet cover, gazing out the window at the morning sky. Her
face seems distant, as if she didn't fully understand how she had
come to be here and why. Staring at her, Nagisa bites her lip, then
she steps in, closing the door behind her. "Ryuunosuke-sama?"
she gently probes. "Are you alright?"
Silence, then the tomboy closes her eyes. "I dunno, Nagisa."
Tears trickle down her cheeks. Seeing that, Nagisa immediately
moves to a Kleenex dispenser to get some tissue, then she kneels
beside the other woman, reaching up to wipe the tears away. Before
her hands could get close, they are forced away by Ryuunosuke's
arm. Nagisa jolts, then feels her eyes tear as she looks away.
"Ryuunosuke-sama...!"
"Just leave me alone," Ryuunosuke sighs. "J-just..."
Her voice breaks as sobs quake her body. Seeing that, Nagisa
moves to hold her. Ryuunosuke does not resist this time. In a
minute, both are sobbing, holding each other tight as years of pain,
confusion, heartache and frustration finally roar to the surface.
No longer caged by a father whose blind indifference to their
suffering seemed at times as unshakable as Fuji-san itself, their
emotions roil deep in their hearts and minds.
Finally, the tears slow down as they pull apart, then Nagisa
takes the tissue to wipe Ryuunosuke's eyes. The latter tries to
smile, then she cups the former's cheeks in her hand. However,
the kiss that Ryuunosuke gives Nagisa is to her forehead, not her
lips. Nagisa seems to freeze for a moment, then after staring into
the other woman's pain-filled eyes, slowly nods. "I'm so sorry,
Ryuunosuke-sama..." she whispers.
"Nah, don't apologize," Ryuunosuke shakes her head, then sighs.
"I...! I don't want to go back to the way it was before, Nagisa."
Nagisa blinks, then moves to grip the other's arms. "I still
care for you, Ryuunosuke-sama. I can't just shut it off..."
"I know, I know," Ryuunosuke nods. "But...!" she bites her lip,
then sighs. "I can't think'a doin' things like gettin' a lover,
getting married and all that until I finally put this mess my life's
become back together again. Ya heard what Ataru said. It's been
pretty hard for Shinobu's dad ta fix up what Oyaji did to me, even
with him gone and all that. I..." she shakes her head. "I never
knew about what Ataru's friend found out."
"I couldn't begin to believe that!"
"Was it that way? What your dad did to you?"
Nagisa blinks, then shakes her head. "N-no. N-nothing like
that! Nothing like that at all! Father never..." she pauses, then
sighs. "Well, since we lived on the island most of our lives, it
really didn't matter in the end. There weren't many people who came
by, so..."
"So ya didn't get many chances to have someone find out the
truth?"
"I...!" Nagisa blinks, then sighs. "No." She then takes a deep
breath. "Still, Father was pretty honest about things to me. And he
did always wish he could have a real daughter in the end. And..."
she points to her chest. "Well, it's happened. And I've got to live
with it."
"Yeah, I know," Ryuunosuke smiles, then gently grasps Nagisa's
hands. "But unlike you, I've always known I was a girl and I've
always wanted to act like a girl and all that. Every time Oyaji got
on my case about it and all that, it just made me more determined
to succeed. And now..."
"And now?"
"He's dead," she sighs, lowering her hands before she stands
up and looks outside the window. "He's dead and 'Good riddance!'
That's all I can say now. I..." she grits her teeth, then stares
at Nagisa. "I like you, Nagisa-chan. I really do like you. But..."
she pauses, then bows her head. "But it ain't fair to either of us
if we keep playin' up this stupid LIE Oyaji forced on us. On me AND
you! I..." she shakes her head, then takes a deep breath. "I just
don't feel it's right to pretend that in the end, nothin' really
happened! 'Cause a lot sure HAS happened! I..."
"Ryuunosuke...?"
"I..." Ryuunosuke shudders, then moves to leave. "I need some
time to myself, Nagisa. Please, I want to be left alone! I..." she
pauses at the door, then bows her head. "I'm sorry, Nagisa."
She runs out. "Ryuunosuke!!" Nagisa cries out...
* * *
Inside the living room, everyone watches as Ryuunosuke storms
past them to the entranceway. Slipping on her shoes, she does not
give any of them a parting glance as she walks out, slamming the door
shut behind her. Silence falls, then footsteps echo from the
direction of the bathroom. They turn to see a bleary-eyed Nagisa
standing there, she gazing at the floor. Noting the devastated
look on her face, Himiko and Mikiko rise, moving to comfort the
teashop worker. The others stare at her, then Ataru gazes on
Shinobu. "You best keep an eye out for Fujinami-san."
"I..." Shinobu takes that in, then nods as she rises to leave.
Sobs escape Nagisa as she drops to her knees, covering her face
as she curls in on herself. Himiko and Mikiko stay at her sides,
both girls whispering reassurances to her. The others by the table,
save Negako, gazes sympathetically at them. "So what now?" Sakiko
wonders.
"Do we contact their parents or not?" Ataru then sips his tea.
Himiko looks up from Nagisa, then shakes her head. "Don't worry
about it now," the swimmer sighs. "We can do that later. You got
some place here where we can take her to be alone?"
"I'll handle that," Chigaiko rises...
* * *
The Tendou dojo...
"Akane...?!"
"Sign it, Dad."
Souun quakes, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks as he
stares wide-eyed at the form laid out between them. "But...?!"
"Sign it, Dad!" his daughter repeats, the look in her eyes as
chilly as an Arctic wind. "I'll be staying there for a full school
year and I've no intention of attending Furinkan High anymore.
Since the damned school rules state that the only way we can transfer
out of that place is if we don't live in the district anymore,
the only recourse for me then is to live somewhere else. I've been
invited by Ataru-kun's sisters to stay with them on Promised Island
for the foreseeable future. I've accepted the invitation. So sign
it," she points to the application sheet.
"B-but wh-what about your family?! Wh-what about your
sisters?!" Souun stammers. "Akane, you can't walk out of here just
like that!!"
"Oh, CAN'T I now?!" her voice rises an octave, causing Souun
to duck. He HATED it when Akane talked THAT way to him. "Fine,
then! Do you REALLY want to know why I want to get away from this
place, Dad?! I'll explain it to you in two words," she leans up to
him. "Ryouga Hibiki."
Souun acks, then flusters. "Akane, it was a...!!"
"What?!" she growls. "A matter of honour?! A matter of trying
to make Ranma so jealous that she'd do anything to declare her love
for me so that you and your panda friend could see your damned dream
come true?! Well, I have a news flash for you, Dad! It DID NOT
WORK!!!" she bellows, making Souun shrink in on himself even more.
"Because of that, I do NOT feel welcome here!! Not by you, not by
Kasumi and not by Nabiki, either! I DO feel welcome where I am now!!
If you can't understand that, Dad, then it's YOUR problem, not
MINE!!! I'm not going to let you get away with that anymore!!
Now..." she points to the form. "Sign it!"
"I...!" Souun quakes, then wails. "OH, AKANE HATES ME!!!!"
Akane shudders, feeling a familiar desire to whip out
Mallet-sama and brain her idiot father for procrastinating
this matter surge up her spine, then she jolts on hearing Marie's
voice. "***MISTER TENDOU!!!***"
Souun acks, then spins right to see Marie standing at the
doorway to the living room, arms crossed and a VERY displeased
look on her face. Even though there is no school for her today,
she is presently dressed in her Stargazer West College's seifuku.
"Forgive me for interrupting this little circus act, but there's
something more that you should be aware of before you continue
to consider refusing your daughter's request!" she frostily notes,
leaning down to glare into his eyes. "Tuesday afternoon, while I was
trying to help Hibiki-san regain his human form after he was splashed
with water, I was hit, rather harshly, by your daughter's chi-mallet!
Do you realize that I can press CRIMINAL CHARGES against her?! Say,
assault with a deadly weapon?! Or perhaps, attempted
MANSLAUGHTER?!!"
Souun shudders. "M-m-manslaughter...?!" he pales.
"Yes," Marie nods. "If you do NOT sign this, sir, I promise
you this: I will see to it charges are laid on your daughter for
what she did to me and ensure she spends some time in a JUVENILE
HOME -- or perhaps, even better, JAIL!! -- for what she did! And if
you think of asking your other daughter Nabiki to stop me, be warned:
I can ask people working for my brother's family to go out and
investigate EVER illegal and quasi-legal activity Nabiki's been
involved with!! Could you imagine what might happen if SHE wound
up in jail?! Who'll pay for the bills to keep your roof over your
head?! What could happen to Nabiki if the Yakuza decides she was
horning in on their business?! Do you wish to see her put in
danger?!" She leans right up to gaze into Souun's eyes. "Well,
Mister Tendou?"
Souun awks, then grabs the sheet and jots his signature down.
Akane hands him his hanko. Once the stamp is in place, Marie takes
up the sheet, then hands him the carbon copy underneath. "Fair
enough," she rises, then frowns as more tears jet from his eyes.
"Mister Tendou, act your age!!" she huffs indignantly. "She's not
leaving you forever! It's only for a year! And she can visit you
any time she wants to! Now stop that!!"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! AKANE'S LEAVING HOME...!!!
URK!!!"
Mallet-sama. "That's enough, Dad!" Akane stands up, leaving
a dazed Souun now with his face planted into the coffee table. "Now,
I'm going to deal with the school to get myself transferred
to the school on the Island. You don't need to worry about that,
so relax! I'll call you if there's a problem! Let's go, Marie-san!
I don't want to be late on my last day!"
"Hai, Akane-san," Marie nods. "Good day to you, Mister Tendou."
"Akane..." feebles from somewhere under the broken table...
* * *
A few minutes later, both women make their way towards Furinkan
High, trying their best not to reach out to hold the other's hand.
While that might be accepted in Korea and several other places,
it wasn't that way in Japan, even in a weirdness haven like Nerima.
As they turn a corner, both jolt on hearing someone call out, "Hey,
Akane! Marie-chan!!"
Both turn, then smile. "Ranma!"/"Aneue-sama!!"
Ranma drops down from a nearby telephone pole, then presses
her skirt clean as she falls in beside the other women. A large gym
bag is in one of her hands; unlike some of the others who had
attended last night's slumber party at Kimiko's house, she elected
to sleep there overnight. Though she looks tired, her movements
are still sharp and sure. Akane looks around, noting someone was
missing. "Where's Ataru-san, Ranma?"
"Eh?!" Ranma blinks, then shakes her head. "Dunno! I took a
change of clothes to Kimiko-chan's party last night; I haven't been
by the house. So what brings you guys here today...? Eh? What's
the letter there?!"
She points. Akane catches herself, then smiles. "Oh, it's just
a permission form I had to sign to allow me to stay at Welcome House
for the next school year," she announces. "At least with this
backing me up, I can finally transfer out of Furinkan once and for
all time."
Ranma stares at her, then sighs. "Are you sure about that?"
"Eh?"
"Are you sure about pullin' up stakes and leavin' the house like
that? Do either Kasumi or Nabiki know about this?"
Akane stares at her ex-fiancee. No, there was no indication
of any possessiveness in Ranma's voice. Certainly, she was
concerned, but it went no farther. So, she had come to accept it,
too. "Yes, I'm sure about it, Ranma. Thank you for caring enough
to ask. And no, please, I don't want my sisters to find out until
after I'm back on the Island. After all the things they've done to
me since you came, they've no right to expect any sort of courtesy
from me until they start showing some in return."
Ranma considers that, then sighs. "You blame me for that?"
Akane shakes her head. "No. Granted, you were something
of a catalyst to some things that happened, but blaming you for it is
wrong, Ranma. It's time to move on and get on with our lives, I
think."
The martial artist gazes on Akane, then smiles. "Okay, if
you're cool about it, I won't say nothin' anymore."
She returns Ranma's look, then sighs. "We've changed, haven't
we?"
"Yeah, we sure have."
"I still want us to be friends, Ranma."
Ranma blinks, then reaches down to give Akane's hand a warm
squeeze. "I want us to be friends, too, Akane."
"Alright, then," Akane nods, then pulls her hand back. "But
there's something I've got to do for you first at school."
Ranma blinks. "What's that?" her eyebrow arches.
"You'll see," Akane winks at her.
She gives her ex-fiancee an intense look, then nods. "Okay.
I'm trusting you on that part there, Akane," she wags her finger
at her.
"Oh, relax! So how was the slumber party, anyway?"
"Ah, it was alright," Ranma smiles. "Couldn't believe some of
the stuff girls do at things like that, but it didn't hurt a bit.
Watched 'Gone With The Wind' there before a lot of the girls like
U-chan and Chigaiko-chan headed home. Everyone cried at the end of
it."
Akane blinks, then stares wide-eyed at Ranma. "'Gone With The
Wind?!' YOU?!! You actually sat and watched that movie?!"
"Second time I've seen it, actually. Right, Marie-chan?!"
"Hai, Aneue-sama," Marie smiles, then sensing Akane spin on her,
winks. "It's true, A-chan. When she first saw it, Aneue-sama
liked it."
Akane blinks, then shakes her head. "Ye gods, will wonders
never cease?!" she sighs, throwing up her hands in disbelief.
"Hey, I thought it was really cool," Ranma muses. "'Sides,
learnin' how ta talk like Scarlett O'Hara helped Ataru paste ol'
Kunou there on Tuesday. Ya should'a heard us goin' at it before
the fight!" She then gazes on Marie. "So how're things on the
Island there, Marie-chan? Did Jonna and Orin get Hinako-chan
and Aria-chan their presents?"
"Hai," Marie nods. "They like them very much."
"I only hope those two know what they're doing," Akane sighs.
"Hey, I had problems with it, too, but when Jonna and Orin told
me that lettin' those things be close to two girls with real pure
hearts was the best thing in the end, I shut my mouth about it. And
besides, Ataru and Negako've got no problems with it," Ranma notes,
then as the three make the final turn before approaching the school's
front gate, she blinks on sensing Ukyou come up from her restaurant.
"Hey, U-chan!"
"Ohayou, Ran-chan, Akane! Heard you were comin' by today. Hey,
Marie-chan, what're you doing here?!" Ukyou nods.
"Oh, I just wanted to spend the day on the mainland. We don't
have school to worry about until Monday morning," Marie smiles as the
chef falls in beside them, then she gazes at the front gate. "Eh?!"
Akane looks, then stops on seeing several dozen boys, all of
them members of the kendo club, awaiting them past the gate. "Oh,
no...!"
"Relax, Akane," Ranma reminds her. "Give 'em the benefit of the
doubt this time. 'Sides, bokken-for-brains is still in the
hospital."
Akane considers that, then nods. She gives Marie a glance,
then heads over to confront Kunou's former clubmates...
* * *
"There, that should be no problem now."
Hinako Ninomiya places the telephone receiver back in its
cradle. Ataru walks up from the guest bedroom. "Call them?"
"Hai. Spoke to the assistant principal about this. When I told
him three victims of the attack on Tomobiki High had been restored
to life, he freaked out," the child-teacher smiles, then sighs.
"Ataru, are you sure not informing their parents is the right thing
to do?"
Ataru sighs. "Sensei, this situation isn't like the 'martial
arts challenge of the day' Ranma used to face, much less the 'weird
visitor from outer space' I had to deal with. They lost their
daughters in Alhamzi's attack. What's worse, they were able to
recover the bodies and had them buried not long afterward. Hell,
I remember helping dig their bodies out of the school the day it
happened!" he points to himself, then jolts on feeing a tiny hand tug
at his shirt sleeve. Spinning around, he gasps on seeing Aria
standing there, an innocent smile on her face. "Aria?!!"
"Ohayou gozaimashita, Nii-ya," Aria draws her hand back, both
holding up the Genesis Wand. "Aria didn't mean to scare Nii-ya."
Ataru blinks, then stares briefly at the Wand before relaxing.
"Well, you're starting to get used to Orin's new present. That's
a good sign," he turns as the front door open. "Oh, hi, girls!"
"Ohayou, Onii-sama!" Sakuya smiles as she, Karen, Haruka and
Chikage step inside, slipping off their shoes before walking into the
living room. "We just got the news about our three 'survivors'
from two weeks ago."
"Yeah, they're in Chigaiko-chan's room now," Ataru indicates
the hallway to the bedrooms. "Soon as we get them settled down and
all that, I'll have to run off to school. Can I trust you girls to
keep an eye on 'em until Ranma and I get back from school today?"
"Sure, that's no problem," Karen nods, then tilts her head.
"But, Onii-chan, aren't they going to try to get together with their
parents again? I know Nagisa-san's an orphan and all that, but..."
Ataru sighs. "Well, Nagisa'll be definitely coming back with
us."
"In other words, Ryuunosuke rejected her."
A nod. "Yeah, Chikage-chan, that she did."
"Why?!" Sakuya demands...
...then everyone gasps as a flash of light produces Hinako
Saeru, she dropping to the floor beside Ataru. "Onii-tama,
we got a problem!!!"
He nearly stumbles back into the other Hinako, then catches
himself before panting out in relief. "Hina, would you mind?!"
he demands. "What are you trying to do to me, anyway?! Give me a
heart-attack?!"
The youngest of the sisters acks, then flusters. "Gomen..."
"Bou-san's sure a handy thing to have, eh?" Sakuya whispers
to Karen.
"I guess so," the latter shrugs.
"What's the problem, Hinako-chan?" Haruka wonders.
Catching herself, the youngest sister sighs. "Well, Hina went
to Himiko-oneetama's house to see if Himiko-oneetama's
parents wouldn't mind her coming home again. But Himiko-oneetama's
parents've packed up all her stuff and put it into the attic! And
Hina went to Mikiko-oneetama's house, too! Mikiko-oneetama's
parents did the same thing!!"
The others gaze on her, then Ataru sighs. "Oh, wonderful..."
he shakes his head, then turns to Sakuya. "I guess that now means
that all three of them'll be joining you girls in Welcome House."
"But, surely...!" Hinako Ninomiya protests.
"Sensei, if they've packed all of their daughters' things so
soon after they died, it makes me wonder what type of parents they
were," Ataru gazes on his new homeroom teacher. "I mean, if they
really, truly loved their daughters, I'd expect their bedrooms
to have remained untouched for months, if not years. But not even
two weeks after they died and all that?" he crosses his arms, then
shakes his head. "I dunno..."
"So how do we get their personal belongings out of the attics
of their homes and all that?" Sakuya wonders. "Jinseiko and her
girls?!"
"No, we got something better now," Ataru stares at his youngest
sister. "Hina-chan, you think you can use Bou-san to get their stuff
and bring it here?" he points to the empty living room floor.
Hinako blinks, then nods. "Okay!" she raises the Staff.
The crystal flashes briefly before a tendril of energy lashes
out from the Staff to hit the floor by the entranceway. Instantly,
two small piles of boxes appear. Once they've materialized,
Hinako lowers the Staff. "Hai! All done, Onii-tama!!" she waves
to the boxes.
"Okay," he nods thanks, then turns to the older Hinako. "Let's
see if they notice the boxes' disappearances. If they do, then we've
got grounds to believe they'll accept their daughters back. If they
don't, well..." he shrugs, then sighs. "Would that be more
agreeable?"
The child-teacher hums, then sighs. "Well, if that's the way it
all turned out, I suppose, but what happens if their parents start
accusing each other of throwing their daughters' belongings away?"
"I'll have people keep an eye on them, but I don't think
anything'll happen on that regard for some time to come," Ataru holds
up a finger, then sighs. "Well, I best get off to school. I think
Onee-chan's rendered them safe for now, but in case they aren't..."
he gazes on Chikage.
"It will be dealt with," the sorceress nods...
* * *
As the others talked, Hinako and Aria made their way down the
hallway to the guest room Chigaiko Inu was now using as her own. The
door is not completely closed as the two youngest of the sisters
peek in. Now in seiza on a futon, Himiko cradles a sleeping Nagisa's
head in her lap. The teashop worker's face is damp with tears. Now
leaning against the swimmer's right side, Mikiko dozes. Himiko
herself looks like she is ready to fall asleep herself. Seeing that,
Hinako and Aria exchange a nod, then the former holds up the Staff.
A shower of sparkles makes her vanish. Aria tries not to giggle
delightedly as Hinako appears behind Himiko. Before the older girl
could sense the newcomer, Hinako reaches over her scalp to jab her
forehead. Himiko freezes in place. Then Hinako renders Mikiko still
before walking over to do the same to Nagisa. With all three
Avalonians frozen, Aria opens the door and steps in, closing it
behind her. Walking over to stand beside Hinako, Aria gazes down at
Nagisa, noting the dampness on her face. "What do we do now,
Hinako-chan?" she wonders.
"Well, Bou-san told Hina that we should make sure that
Karen-chan, Sakuya-chan and Haruka-chan get the right ones," Hinako
shrugs.
"A wise approach, Hinako."
Both gasp in shocked surprise, then turn to see Negako standing
at the door to the room. "Onee-tama!"/"Nee-ya!"
The ninjitsu grandmistress chuckles as she walks over to kneel
beside Aria. "Well, we have three single girls here. Nagisa here
was a man until very recently. Mikiko desires to study abroad.
And despite her aggressive behaviour in comparison to her peers,
Himiko would most likely prefer a relationship with someone who can
evoke her more sensitive side."
Hinako and Aria consider that, then exchange another look before
the latter points at the three Avalonians in question. "Karen-chan.
Sakuya-chan. Haruka-chan." She then turns back to Negako. "What
now, Nee-ya?"
"Here's what we will do," Negako sighs...
* * *
Furinkan High, the assistant principal's office, later...
"Well, this is, I confess, quite a surprise. Are you sure your
father is willing to let you live on Promised Island, Tendou-kun?"
Akane sighs. Furinkan High's number two man, Shigeru Nanba,
was a man now approaching retirement age, he having taught in dozens
of schools before coming here. He is a thin man, reminding Akane
of Hikaru Gosunkugi in a way with his frailness. "Hai, Nanba-sensei,
he is. I had to twist his arm into doing it, but I convinced
him in the end."
He blinks. "Why?"
She takes a deep breath. "It turns out that my father and
oldest sister kept a very vital secret concerning a so-called
'friend' of mine from me," she clasps her hands behind her back.
"That secret, in part, helped contribute to my eventually breaking
up with Ranma Saotome. As for my other sister, well..." she shrugs.
"I guess you know about some of the things Nabiki has instigated
while we've been attending school here."
Shigeru stares at her, then sighs, nodding. "Yes, you are right
there, I suppose. I trust you're not going to make this permanent."
"No, sir. Probably until I graduate."
"Thus avoiding possible interference from the principal's
son?"
"And others."
"I see," he sits back, then lightly smiles. "In the end, I can
truly understand your position. I only wish I could have done
something to have eased matters for you while you were here,
Tendou-kun. What happened to you and Saotome-kun, especially
at Tatewaki's instigation, was inexcusable to say the LEAST of it.
Hopefully, after Tuesday's events, we won't have to worry about
Tatewaki OR his father for some time. I assume that by doing this
now, you'll ensure that if he avoids facing criminal charges because
of what happened to Ninomiya-sensei, he won't bother you anymore."
"Hai. I've been assured that the village council on Promised
Island is more than capable of dealing with him, especially with
Ataru-san and his uncle's friends helping out," Akane nods.
"Very well, then. I'll have these forms filled out and ready
for you to take to Stargazer West before you leave. We'll send your
student file by courier to the college on Monday. It should be no
problem for you since the Ministry does keep electronic copies of our
files with them. Your new teachers and headmaster should find it no
problem." With that, Shigeru rises, offering his hand. "I can only
apologize again for all the trouble you've endured here, Tendou-kun.
And wish you luck in the future."
"Arigatou, Sensei," Akane squeezes his hand, then bows before
heading out, proceeding to the stairs so she could return to class.
As she heads down the hallway, she perks on seeing someone
ahead of her, a young man with a ponytail tied at the neck.
"Ataru-san?!"
He stops, then looks back before offering the youngest Tendou
girl a reserved smile. "Everything arranged with the school,
Akane-san?"
"Hai, all taken care of. I just hope Nabiki doesn't get wind
of this before I head back to the Island with Ma-chan today."
Ataru stops, then his eyebrow arches. "'Ma-chan?!'"
he wonders.
Akane takes another step, then urks before turning to stare
wide-eyed at him, then her cheeks flame. "Um...! Well, ah...!!"
she stutters.
He peers intently at her, then sighs. "Well, at least, no one
forced the issue," he moves to stand beside her, then stops.
"Besides, as I said in my letter to you, what you and Marie-chan
decide to do in the end is your choice and no one else's. Saying
that..." He places a hand on her shoulder, then leans up to whisper,
"Welcome to the family, Akane-chan."
She blinks. "Arigatou," she lightly smiles, then stares
warningly at him. "But don't expect me to call you 'Aniue-sama,'
alright?!"
"Never crossed my mind," he waves her to class...
* * *
The cafeteria, morning break...
"Hey, you're one of Ataru-kun's sisters, aren't you?"
Marie blinks, then looks up before smiling. "Hai, I am. Are
you some of Aniue-sama's or Aneue-sama's friends?"
"In a way. Hard to claim something like that when you've only
known the guy for about a week," Hiroshi smiles as he and Daisuke
sit down across from Marie. Currently, the bespectacled girl is
knitting a fluffy white scarf. "Making that for your brother there?"
Hiroshi wonders.
Marie blinks, then smiles. "No, a friend of mine back on the
Island. You're Hiroshi Chanpatsu, correct?" Seeing him nod, she
then gazes on Daisuke. "And Daisuke Bosabosa, I presume?" her
eyebrows arch.
"The same," Daisuke chuckles. "Er...?"
"Ah, gomen nasai," Marie's blush deepens slightly. "I'm Marie
Susumu. Hopefully soon to become Marie Moroboshi, as soon as the
lawyers get around to placing me on the proper family register."
"So it's true, huh?" Hiroshi blinks. "About what Ataru-kun's
dad did when he was staying on that island after Ataru-kun was born,
right?"
"Hai, it's all true," Marie sighs.
"You don't seem too bugged by it," Daisuke notes.
"Iie, not really. Actually, given that, in a sense, I'm an
orphan now, having a new family to call my own is something of a
relief, not to mention quite a joy," Marie sighs, then places her
knitting aside.
"Sorry to hear that," Daisuke sighs, then tenses slightly
on sensing someone standing behind him. Turning around, he quickly
relaxes on noting that it is Ataru. "Hey, Ataru-kun, there you are!"
"Not flirting with my little sister there, I hope," Ataru smirks
as he walks around the table to sit down beside Marie.
"The temptation, my friend, is enormous," Hiroshi admits.
Marie's face turns beet-red. "Ah, an honest man!" Ataru clicks
his tongue, then winks conspiratorially. "You boys're lucky that you
ain't trying to flirt with Sakuya-chan there. Much that I do love
and care for her, she can be something of a man-killer at times."
His classmates ack. Marie sighs. "Hai, that is true," she
leans her chin on her palms. "Then there were all the times she
flirted with *you,* Aniue-sama. It was just shameful, the way she
acted. I hope she finally decides to get a boyfriend and soon.
Maybe she'll settle down somewhat!"
Hiroshi and Daisuke blink. "She flirted with you?" the former
asks, staring wide-eyed at Ataru. Seeing him nod, he sputters,
"But she's..."
"My sister, yes!" Ataru nods again. "But at the start there,
it was hard for ALL of us to believe we were blood-related.
And even after Onee-chan got the blood and DNA tests done to prove
our relations with each other, Sakuya-chan still went at it. Then
again, I guess deep down, she's looking for the right person to be
with, so she was practising her flirting techniques with me." A wry
smile crosses his head. "I guess the idea of having such a large
family to call one's own must've just overwhelmed us at times, even
me. Especially after I left Tomobiki..."
Hiroshi nods. "Yeah, I can dig that, dude. Hey, Marie-chan,
did you girls know each other before you found out you were all
sisters?"
"Somewhat," Marie admits. "Karen-chan spent a lot of time with
her mother and step-father abroad; he works in the diplomatic
corps. Sakuya-chan, Kaho-chan and Hinako-chan had always been
friends. Aria-chan and Yotsuba-chan spent most of their lives in
Paris and London. Shirayuki-chan was the last to join us at the
House; I never knew her that much before hand, I do admit. I did
meet up with Haruka-chan, Mamoru-chan and Rinrin-chan occasionally
since we went to the same school. And Chikage..."
"Chikage-chan's always been something of a loner," Ataru
finishes.
"Hai," Marie nods, then looks around the room. "Aniue-sama,
where are Aneue-sama and A-ch-...!" she catches herself. "Um,
Akane-chan?"
"They went off on their own to have a chat," Ataru reports.
"Is that wise?" Daisuke wonders.
"Dai, they need a chance to work things out between themselves.
Even if they aren't engaged anymore, they still want to be friends."
"That's a good thing," Hiroshi nods...
* * *
Outside, by the baseball diamond...
"So you two are sleeping together?"
Ranma jolts, then sighs, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Um...!
W-well, y-yeah, we are," she flusters, then waves her hand in
reassurance. "I mean, we ain't doin' nothin' intimate, but..."
Akane chuckles. Good thing that none of Nabiki's people were
in close range; who knows WHAT the middle Tendou daughter might do
with THAT sort of hot information! "Oh, please, will you relax,
Ranma! Even if you both were shagging like rabbits, it really isn't
anyone's business but your own!" she scolds her, then blinks, looking
up at the tree branches. "Good grief, did I just actually SAY
that?!" she covers her mouth.
"Yeah, I guess you did," Ranma smirks, then sighs.
Akane gazes at her. "Is he forcing himself on you?"
"Oh, hell, no!" the boy-turned-girl shakes her head, then sighs.
"Ataru ain't that type. Hasn't been since he left Tomobiki, when you
get down to it. Um, Akane, can you tell me something? About your
mom?"
Akane jolts, then sighs. "What do you want to know?"
"What do you miss about her the most?"
The youngest Tendou considers that, then sighs. "I don't know.
Lots of things, I guess. Mama was someone I was really close to.
And..." she bites her lip, then stares at Ranma. "Why do you want
to know, Ranma?"
Ranma breathes out. "Do you miss her hugging you?"
"Of course I do...!" Akane's voice catches, then she hums. "Oh,
I get it now. Is that what you do with Ataru at nights?"
"Yeah," she admits. "Ya know, I never got anything like that
from Oyaji. Hard to remember if Mom ever did that to me, but I guess
she did before I got taken away. Then when I got all the
fiancees..." she shakes her head. "Shampoo'd be tryin' to stick my
face into her cleavage all the time, you'd freak out and pound me,
Kodachi'd be doin' who knows WHAT to get me to admit that I 'love'
her and U-chan...!" her voice trails off.
"Not what most people'd call real love, ne?"
"Nah, not one bit," Ranma shakes her head. "Ataru and I drifted
together, I guess, 'cause we needed each other. Both comin' from
places where there was no real intimacy and all that, no closeness,
no one sayin' that things were gonna be okay in the end. Ya know,
every time I fought some jerk like Tarou or Kouman or Herb, no one
ever came up to me and said 'You did good, Ranma.' No ever really
thanked me for doin' things to make sure people didn't get hurt. No
one except you, that is..."
"And even if I did thank you, we'd be back to fighting like cats
and dogs the very next day," Akane finishes. "Oh, Ranma..."
"Nah, it's okay, Akane..."
"No, it's NOT okay, Ranma!" Akane snaps, then she sighs.
"Ranma, I am SO sorry for all the things I did to you! I didn't
take time to sit back and think about what you were going through
at the time! I..."
Ranma's hand gently squeezes her ex-fiancee's. "It's okay,
Akane. It's over and done with now. It's time ta move on."
Akane pauses, then lightly smiles. "Are you sure...?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I've got someone new, though I ain't ready
to go public with that yet. Ya know what Negako and Chikage've
said about what Jusenkyou might've done to me, don'tcha?" she stares
at her.
The youngest Tendou blinks, then nods. "Hai, I do. Is...?"
"I dunno," Ranma draws her hand back. "I mean, Negako's only
gonna start work on fixin' the N-n-neko-ken problem this afternoon
after school's finally done..." she shudders as her fists clench,
then she sighs. "Well, no matter what, it'll be nice to have that
problem gone."
"Yeah, that would be nice," Akane chuckles. "Who knows. If you
go 'cat' again, what might happen? I don't think I can stop you
then."
"Yeah!" Ranma shakes her head. "That's what I'd need, eh? Slip
into that, then wind up kissin' Ataru in front of the whole school!"
"Ooooh, your mother wouldn't like hearing about that, eh?!"
Both laugh, then Ranma pauses before breathing out. "Yeah,
she really wouldn't go for something like that, would she?"
Akane blinks, then looks away. "You renounced all that,
remember?"
"Yeah, but still..."
"But NOTHING, Ranma!" Akane faces her. "Look, if you really
do become a girl in body AND soul, she has no right to judge you, you
know!" she taps the other girl's shoulder. "Yes, she's your mother
and it's clearly obvious that she's got more feelings for you than
your father -- may the bastard rot in Hell for all he did! -- ever
expressed! But she has no right to hang those outdated morals and
honour codes on you, especially since she wasn't a part of your life
for ten whole years!!"
"But still...!"
"No, Ranma!" Akane shakes her head. "I'm sorry if this isn't
what you want to hear, but you're gonna hear it! If you mother
really did care for you as a mother SHOULD care for her child, then
she should've done a heck of a lot more about tracing you down while
you and that lazy panda were off on your trip! Did she do that?!
No, she didn't! What did she do?! She sat in your family home and
waited like a traditional wife, not ONCE worrying about the fact that
you might've been hurt, if not killed, while you were off learning
the Art! Didn't you notice that when she came to visit us before
she found out about the curse that she didn't really press matters
about you? If she really DID want to see you, she should've done all
she could to stick around and waited for you to come 'back' from your
'training trip.' Hell, if she did that, who knows what could've
happened! You might've decided to say 'screw it' to what that jerk
panda was forcing you to do and gone off to face her with the truth!"
Ranma considers that, then sighs. "Yeah, I guess I might've,"
she admits, then stares at Akane. "But I have to give her a chance,
Akane."
Akane blinks, then nods. "Yes, I suppose you do. But don't
stick your neck out just to satisfy her warped sense of honour,
Ranma. She has no right to demand ANYTHING of you. Not now, not
ever. Okay?"
"Okay, okay, already!" Ranma sighs.
"Akane-chan!"
Akane turns as Sayuri runs up. "What is it, Sayuri-chan?"
The latter slows down, glances intently at Ranma (who ignores
it), then turns back to her friend. "Akane-chan, you've really got
to talk to Yuka-chan there!" she pleads. "She's been avoiding
me all day! I don't know what's wrong with her. She's been spending
time with that new girl from Tomobiki and she won't answer me when
I call out to her...!"
Hearing this, Ranma feels her fists clench. Damn it, what the
HELL was this loudmouthed bitch trying to do? Things were
potentially already bad enough between Akane and Yuka. Neither
of them certainly didn't need Sayuri to stir the pot up even more!
Opening her mouth to call out, the martial artist then catches
herself before relaxing against the tree. No, don't say anything
now. Wait until she got a chance to talk to Akane without Sayuri
in listening range, then she'd straighten things out.
"Okay, okay, I'll talk to her," Akane assures the other girl,
waving her down, then checks the clock tower. "Damn, it's almost
time for class there! Look, let's save this 'till lunchtime,
okay?"
"Okay! You're the greatest, Akane-chan!" Sayuri nods.
With an emotionless glance at Ranma, she races off. Akane is
quick to notice, then she stares at her ex-fiancee. "She mad at
you?"
"Yeah, you can say that," Ranma waves Akane with her.
"Yesterday, she came up to me wonderin' where you were and all that.
When I told her that it wasn't really my business bein' your
watchkeeper an' all that, she got really insulting. I snapped
and..." she shakes her head.
Akane blinks, then pales. Having herself experienced what
Negako had done to Ranma the day Nodoka annulled their engagement,
the youngest Tendou had a rough idea of what could have potentially
happened. "Ranma, she's not a martial artist, for heaven's sake!
You know you could've...!!"
"Hey, hey, relax, alright?!" Ranma snaps back, causing Akane
to stop. "Don't worry, Akane! I only slapped her. And I know how
to pull those, alright?!" Taking a deep breath, she sighs. "But at
that moment, I...! I realized I was sick and tired of being harassed
and bothered because we were once iinazuke! It just got to me,
Akane! I'm sorry, but it did!"
"I..." Akane blinks as they step inside, then after putting
on their indoor shoes, head up to their room. "I guess I can
understand that."
"Thanks," Ranma lightly smiles. "So I told Sayuri to leave me
alone about you from now on. U-chan got involved in that, too,
makin' sure she didn't get a cheap word shot in afterward. Then..."
she pauses, then places a hand on Akane's shoulder, causing the other
girl to stop. "Then, Yuka -- she was sittin' with me, along with
Kimiko and Chigaiko -- she told Sayuri that they were strangers,
then she walked away."
Akane blinks, staring wide-eyed at Ranma, then she looks nowhere
in particular. "Why...?" she gasps. "Why would Yuka-chan do THAT?!"
Ranma sighs. "Akane, I think it's got a lot to do with the
times you slugged Yuka with that damned mallet of yours before I came
here. Not ta mention what you nearly did to her on Tuesday mornin'
with that thing."
The other girl jolts, then shivers. "Ranma, I would have
remembered it if I ever DID hit Yuka, for heaven's sake! And I'm
sure she would've gotten upset over it if I did hit her!! She had
every right..."
"Hey, why do you think I let you hit me with that thing?"
Akane stops, staring quizzically at her ex-fiancee. "Ranma..."
"Akane, regardless of how I eventually came to think about you,
I never ever ONCE forgot what you told me when we first met. 'Let's
be friends.' It's something I wanted so badly, I gladly grasped
onto it, even from those who later came to hurt me." Seeing the
guilt appear on Akane's face, she sighs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean
it to sound so harsh, but ya gotta understand Yuka's the same way.
She wanted your friendship so badly, she was willin' ta put up to
gettin' clobbered by your mallet. And yeah, ya can say that Kunou
was ultimately at fault there since that happened when he was tryin'
ta 'win' your love like he always did."
She then places her hands on Akane's shoulders. "But Tuesday
was different. On Tuesday, you lost control because I wasn't payin'
attention to you 'cause I was talking to Kimiko about the slumber
party. Yuka was tryin' ta save ya from what happened the week
before. And if it wasn't for me zapping that mallet an' Ataru
knocking you to the ground, you could'a put Yuka into a coma. If ya
did that, what would've happened then?"
Akane blinks, then shudders as memories of that morning, the
morning of her last day as a pure-blood Terran, come back to her.
"No...!" she whispers, covering her mouth as the flashing image of
Yuka's panicked face flow past her mind's eye, then she shakes her
head. "No, no, no...!"
Ranma's hands squeeze her shoulders, making Akane stare at the
other girl. "Akane, even if Yuka may've forgiven you for the times
ya hit her before I came, you OWE her an apology for what happened
on Tuesday."
Akane gazes at her, then nods. "I guess I do..."
* * *
The next class beings a couple minutes later. Sitting in her
chair as the clock ticks towards the end of period bell, Akane
partially pays attention to the teacher's droning monologue.
Even if some of the teachers she had taken classes with at Furinkan
were pretty okay -- Hinako Ninomiya came to mind, despite her many
personal eccentricities -- the rest really needed to work on their
lecturing skills. A glance towards Ranma's chair reveals that, even
though she was paying attention, the martial artist was also starting
to show signs of boredom. Well, she hoped that Ma-chan was telling
the truth on their way in from Promised Island this morning and that
the teachers at Stargazer West were a lot better in that regard...
Ma-chan...
Akane leans her chin on her palms as she tries not to blush too
much. Damn it all, what she REALLY wanted now was to be in Marie's
bed at Welcome House, both of them in each other's arms and they
kissing away like they did last night. Maybe this time, they'd
forego clothes altogether...
*Ooooh! I shouldn't be thinking such naughty thoughts about
A-chan! She might think I'm perverted or something like that...!*
Akane shudders. Oh, no, no, no! She didn't need Ma-chan to
think things like THAT! Those were GOOD thoughts, not bad ones...!
Wait a minute.
That really WAS Marie's voice.
What the HELL...?
"Tendou-kun?!"
"Eh?!" she blinks, then jolts, sensing the teacher staring
her way, then her cheeks fluster. "Oh, Sensei, gomen nasai," she
then rises, bowing apologetically, then she jolts on hearing the bell
ring.
Damn, end of class ALREADY?!
The teacher sighs, then moves to pack up his book. "I'll let it
go this time, young lady, but not next time!" he warns, then leaves.
Akane breathes out as the door closes behind him, students
moving to talk to their friends. *Pity there isn't going to BE a
next time, Sensei!* she sneers before sinking back into her chair.
*Of course not, A-chan!*
Silence falls, then Akane sits straight, her eyes widening
for a moment. Wait a minute! That WAS Marie's voice and she sounded
as if she actually HAD overheard Akane's thought about the teacher.
What the...?
Oh, no...
*Ma-chan?*
*Eh?!* Marie's voice perks up, then a barely-audible
gasp filters through Akane's mind. *A-a-a-chan?! Why am I hearing
your voice...?!* Her voice then trails off for a moment, then she
whispers, *Oh, my...*
*Ma-chan...* Akane blinks, then sighs. *It's happened to us.*
Silence.
*I see...* Marie breathes out. *But how...?*
*I don't know. But still...*
*What is it, A-chan?*
Akane then smiles. *I'm glad it did happen to us.*
Marie seems to consider that, then she titters. *So am I,* she
then admits, then she sighs. *A-chan, do you think this is normal?*
*I dunno,* Akane breathes out, gazing out the window. *First
thing we do when we get back to the Island is get hold of Chikage,
Jonna and Orin -- and maybe Negako-san, too -- and try to figure
out what to do next.*
*Good idea,* Marie replies. *Well, I'll try not to distract
you for the last class this morning. How long's the post-lunch
period?*
*Just a few minutes. I'll make my apology to Ranma -- and Yuka,
too! -- then, then tell everyone I'm leaving.*
*Didn't you apologize to Aneue-sama at recess?*
*Eh?!* Akane blinks. *How did you...?* she catches herself,
then she sighs. *Oh, did you overhear that?!* she wonders.
*I...! No, not really, but I can feel it somehow...!*
Marie stutters for a moment, then she sighs. *You're right, A-chan.
We have to talk to Chikage, Jonna-san and Orin-san about this.
But...*
*What is it, Ma-chan?*
*Well, if you HAVE apologized to Aneue-sama -- and if she's
accepted it, of course -- then as far as I'm concerned, it's alright
now...*
*But Sakuya-san said...!*
*Oh, hush, A-chan!* Marie scolds. *I can almost guess that even
if you wanted to apologize in front of the whole school, your sister
might've decided to put a stop to it. After all, if you **did**
make a* mea culpa *in front of your peers, then you'd expect her to
do the same, ne?*
Akane blinks, then sighs. *Got that right,* she bites her lip.
*Well, I still owe Yuka an apology. And I still want to hold off of
the announcement about my leaving 'till the last moment. Can you get
on the computer and get Chikage to get one of her travelling
rainbows ready to go the instant the last bell rings this afternoon?*
*Alright, I'll call her, A-chan. 'See' you later!* Marie
giggles.
*You bet, Ma-chan,* Akane's cheeks flush a bit.
"Hey, Akane?"
Akane jolts, then looks up to see Ranma staring concernedly
at her. "Oh! Sorry about that, Ranma. Is there something wrong?"
The martial artist smirks, then leans up to whisper into her
ex-fiancee's ear. "I think congratulations are in order here."
The youngest Tendou blinks, then her eyes go wide as she
realizes what Ranma's talking about before her cheeks heat up.
"Ranma..."
A hand squeezes her shoulder. "Is she worth it?"
"Eh?" Akane stares at her, then blinks before crossing her hands
under her chin, a content smile -- a smile Marie might make, Ranma
muses -- crossing her face. "Hai, she is," she nods, then stares
at her ex-fiancee. "Um, Ranma, I hope you're really not...?" she
stutters on the last word.
"Me?" Ranma blinks, then smiles. "Nah! I'm happy for you,
Akane. Don't worry about it. But be very, very careful, okay? Some
folks might not take too well to that sorta thing, ya know."
She rises, heading to her seat. Akane watches her go, then
blinks before steadying herself as the new teacher comes in...
* * *
The final morning class is quickly done, then people stream
out of the room. Many head outside while others make their way to
the cafeteria to relax with their friends from other classes and
grade levels. By the time she gets there, Akane quickly notes that
Marie has reserved a table. Plates of piping hot okonomiyaki
await them both. Glancing at the corner of the room, where Ukyou
is hard at work preparing new dishes for hungry customers, Akane
smirks, then heads over to sit beside Marie. "I wish I could smother
you with kisses right here and now, Ma-chan, so consider yourself
kissed to death," Akane whispers, then picks up her chopsticks.
"Arigatou, A-chan," Marie picks up her own chopsticks.
"Did you pay for these?"
"Hai. Ukyou-san was willing to let me have them for free, but
I told her I wouldn't allow it," Marie smiles. "It's not right for
a craftsman -- or craftswoman -- to not be compensated for her work,
ne?"
"Definitely not, especially since she IS the best okonomiyaki
cook I've ever encountered," Akane smirks. "But don't tell her I
said that!"
*It shall not leave my lips,* Marie thinks back.
Akane jolts, then smiles. *I love you, Marie.*
Marie's cheeks flame. "A-chan, we can't say that now..."
*I can't forget your brother's letter, much less Jonna's and
Orin's warning, about this,* Akane thinks back. *Ma-chan, only death
itself can break this sort of bond. And if we bump into another
Avalonian who might be psionically powerful enough to help us shatter
it, what then? If it's not done right, we might end up getting
our brains fried over it!*
Marie jolts, then sighs. "You have a point there..."
"Akane-chan!!"
Both look up as Sayuri comes up, a bento in hand. "Oh, hi,
Sayuri-chan!" she waves her friend to the chair, then introduces
Marie.
"Oh, so you're one of Ataru-san's sisters, eh?!" Sayuri grins
at the younger girl, then stares at Akane. "So where've you been all
this time, stranger? I've been worried sick about you, you know!"
Akane jolts, then flusters. "Oh, it's...!" she pauses, then
sighs. "You might say my temper got the better of me Tuesday
afternoon, right after the fight between Ataru and Kunou," she bows
her head.
Sayuri blinks. "What happened, Akane?"
"Remember Ryouga Hibiki?"
"Yeah, what about him?"
"He's P-chan."
Silence.
"You're kidding me...!" Sayuri pales, wide-eyed.
"No, I'm not," Akane sighs, reaching over to give Marie's hand
a warm squeeze, then she leans her chin on her palms. "Marie-chan
here found 'P-chan' wandering around. Ataru had told his sisters
about all the people that got cursed, even Ryouga. So Marie-chan
tried to get some hot water for him. And I stumbled onto it just as
he transformed..."
She shudders as images of that anger-tinged afternoon,
especially those images of Marie's nearly-broken body collapsing
to the ground after sustaining a harsh blow from Akane's mallet,
replay in her mind. Marie lightly quakes as she grasps Akane's
hand. *I forgive you, A-chan...*
Akane blinks, then relaxes. Sayuri stares curiously at her,
then she leans over to snap her fingers before her friend's face.
"Akane-chan!"
"Eh?!" Akane jolts, then sighs. "Oh, sorry about that...!"
"What happened?!" Sayuri prompts.
"I got angry and tried to slug him with my mallet. Marie-chan
here got in the way and she got hurt instead," Akane explains,
giving Marie an apologetic look. "She had to spend the rest of the
week convalescing in her home, so Ataru's other sisters stuck a knife
to my back and forced me to stay on Promised Island until Marie-chan
got better."
"I..." Sayuri blinks, then sighs. "I guess that was right.
But still..." she shakes her head. "I can't believe Hibiki did THAT
to you! You always said he was the nicest guy around! And he sure
as hell liked you a lot! Why would he pull a perverted stunt like
THAT on you?!"
Akane explains what Ryouga had told her on the banks of the
Shakujii River shortly after Marie was injured. Hearing that,
Sayuri's face clouds over, then she shakes her head. "Geez! Maybe
it's a good thing you're not engaged to Saotome anymore, Akane-chan!
If all his being with you's done to you are things like THAT, he's
not worth it at all!!"
"It was not always Aneue-sama's fault, Sayuri-san," Marie notes.
"Oh?!" Sayuri snorts. "I take it you haven't been told about
all the stupid stunts that perverted idiot's pulled since he came
here!"
Marie's eyes widen, a hot flash of outrage ripping through
her body, then she feels a hand twitch, something...! Oh, my! What
was...?
Oh, my...!
Akane tenses on sensing Marie reach into something she certainly
never could have accessed before, then she reaches over to squeeze
her free hand. *Ma-chan, what are you doing?!!* she mentally
projects.
Marie jolts, then relaxes. Sayuri was now gazing confusedly
at them both. "Oh...!" Marie covers her mouth, then she flashes
a thankful look at Akane before staring intently at Sayuri. "I'm
sorry, Asano-san, but I'm not really in any sort of mood to hear
anything about Aneue-sama's supposed 'perversions,' especially
from someone who clearly does NOT understand the whole story, nor
does she DESIRE to understand it. Good day to you."
She rises, then marches off. Sayuri watches her go, then stares
wide-eyed at Akane. "What on Earth did I say?" she pleads.
"I think it's what you were implying that got her so upset,"
Akane sighs. "Sayuri-chan, look. Marie-chan's right about one
thing," she then points to herself. "I made a big mistake all along
when it came to Ranma."
"No, you didn't, Akane-chan..."
"No, Sayuri-chan, I did. I just found it too easy to blame
Ranma for everything that happened to me since he came..."
"And you were right to do that, Akane-chan!" Sayuri protests,
shaking her head. "Akane-chan, it WAS that idiot's fault...!"
"Sayuri-chan...?" Akane blinks.
"All the times he said how good he was while at the same time,
he was putting you down, insulting you, refusing to respect you,"
Sayuri rattles on, then sighs. "You know, if it wasn't for his
so-called 'honour' and all that, he would've probably left you long
ago! Don't try to make excuses for the creep, Akane-chan! He
doesn't deserve it at all!!"
Akane gazes at Sayuri, her jaw open in stunned confusion,
then she quietly asks, "Sayuri, haven't you listened to anything
I said?"
"Yeah, I have," Sayuri sighs. "All the time I've been friends
with you, Akane-chan, I've watched you suffer. If it wasn't that
bastard Kunou who wasn't trying to put you down, it was that pervert
Saotome! No one ever bothered to try to understand you, Akane-chan!!
No one's ever tried to support you or encouraged you whatsoever!
Why couldn't they try, even your family?! Why couldn't anyone try to
respect you, Akane?!"
"I..." Akane looks down. "Sayuri-chan..."
Sayuri blinks, then sniffs back tears. "And now, there's
Yuka-chan saying she won't be my friend anymore! And I'll bet she's
gonna say the same thing to you, too! And there's Saotome proving
what sort of jerk he's always been, saying he doesn't have to care
anymore about you and leaving you hanging high and dry! And there's
Nabiki, who treats you more like a prized pet than her sister, saying
it's none of my business to know what's happening with my friend!
And there's Kasumi pretending to care for you, yet not REALLY caring
a bit about your feelings!! And now, there's that jerk Hibiki,
who says he's your friend, then SPIES on you as a pig! For what,
Akane-chan?! Just so he can beat up on Saotome, not caring a bit
about how he's invading your private life and all that?! It...!"
Sayuri stops, then looks nowhere in particular. Akane stares
at her, then she tenses on feeling Marie's voice in her mind. *She
loves you!*
*Eh?!*
*She loves you, A-chan!* Marie, now standing in the hallway
beyond the cafeteria, reports; she had glanced through the windows
to keep an eye on Akane and Sayuri as the latter pair talked.
*I...* Akane blinks, then looks at Sayuri. Trickles of tears
flow down the latter's cheeks, her eyes hooded from her friend's
stare. Without hesitation, Akane reaches over to gently lift
Sayuri's face so she could stare into her friend's eyes.
"Sayuri-chan. Arigatou."
Sayuri blinks, then reaches up to grasp Akane's hands in her
own. "Akane-chan..." her cheeks flame, then she wipes her eyes.
"Gomen..."
"It's okay..."
"Yeah, I guess so, but..." Sayuri bites her lip, then she sighs.
"You know, with all this stuff going on about Saotome, then you add
what Ataru-san did to Kunou and all that, I was really worried that
you were just being ignored by everyone, even your family. That's
not fair..."
"Well, I still have friends. Even made new ones on Promised
Island, there," Akane draws her hands back, then glances around the
room. Her eyes are quick to pick out two people now staring her way.
As her eyes fall on them, they quickly turn back to their own
business. Alright. One of those two, Akane definitely recognized
as one of Nabiki's informants: Chieko Fujii. The other might be
another of Nabiki's people, though her identity was a mystery to the
youngest Tendou. No, she didn't want to let her big surprise get out
too soon. *Ma-chan, did you talk to Chikage?*
*Hai,* Marie nods. *Everything's ready to go. But I really
would advise you to tell Sayuri-chan about what's happening first.
If she really does care for you that much, A-chan, she deserves
to know right away.*
*Gotcha. Okay, I'm moving this outside. You see Fujii and that
other girl who were looking my way just now?*
A pair of images flash through their minds. *Hai!*
*Think you're ready enough to put a stop to them?*
Marie giggles. *I think I can. Glad I'm doing it here instead
of the House. I couldn't BELIEVE the looks on everyone's faces when
they saw me practice martial arts with you this morning.*
*Great...!*
* * *
Within two minutes, Akane and Sayuri have cleaned up their
plates and have headed outside. Marie shifts into the cafeteria
just as Chieko stands up, clearly moving to follow. The other girl
Akane spotted heads into the school proper, no doubt planning to
speak to Nabiki about what was going on with her younger sister.
That was fine and fair; Akane was taking Sayuri to a big tree in the
back of the property to have their chat. Well, as long as that other
girl didn't race out later to try to eavesdrop on Akane, that was
fine and fair. But Miss Fujii was another problem.
Akane and Sayuri move to stand under the tree in question.
Seeing that, Chieko dodges left, heading to the side fence line so
she could quickly approach the pair and hopefully avoid being seen.
By then, Marie has caught up with her, the latter reaching out to
snare Nabiki's friend by the skirt. "Fujii-san, I believe Akane-chan
and Sayuri-chan wish to converse in private," she smiles as the other
spins on her.
"Who...?!" Chieko jerks, then realizes this was one of Ataru's
odd half-sisters. "What the hell do you mean by that?!"
"I understand what you're trying to do," Marie relaxes, she
giving Chieko a tranquil look. "No doubt at Nabiki-san's request,
you're trying to eavesdrop on Akane-chan and Sayuri-chan in hopes
of informing Nabiki-san about what might be happening to her sister.
That, I'm afraid to say, is none of Nabiki-san's business seeing
as how things between the members of her family have become
estranged. I don't think that trying to add fuel to the fire will
do anyone, even Nabiki-san, any good, ne?"
Chieko blinks, then turns away. "Forget it, kid..."
Marie sighs, then concentrates...
* * *
*WHOMP!!!!*
Everyone in the yard stops, staring wide-eyed at the sight of a
frail girl with long black hair and glasses, she having just ploughed
an older, bigger girl face-first into the sand thanks to a mallet
similar to the one Akane Tendou liked to use all the time. Marie
pulls the mallet back, then notices the people staring at her before
her cheeks redden. "Excuse me!" she titters embarrassingly
as she returns to the school, calmly swinging her own Mallet-sama
around as she goes, making people scramble out of her way. *My, I
can see why you like these things, A-chan!!* she smirks...
* * *
"Did YOU teach her how to do that?!"
Akane's own cheeks are bright with embarrassment as she and
Sayuri watch Marie head into the school building. "Well...!"
the youngest Tendou flusters, scratching the back of her head...
* * *
"Hey, Ataru, is Akane givin' your sisters lessons there?!"
"Well, I wouldn't mind if she did," Ataru shrugs before he and
Ranma head back into the classroom for the post-lunch homeroom
period...
* * *
Minutes later, the bell heralding the brief period after lunch
rings. Since this is no official class, Marie is allowed to sit in
the back of the room. Of course, with Hinako Ninomiya convalescing
at Ataru's home, there is no teacher to handle the class.
Fortunately, the assistant principal makes his way to Class 2-F to
handle the announcements. "First of all, I am more than pleased
to report that Ninomiya-sensei is making an excellent recovery
from Tuesday's events. She should, so Moroboshi-kun's sister has
reported to me earlier, be back on her feet and teaching you again
by Wednesday at the latest. I've also been told by her that
Ninomiya-sensei's problem with her physical age will be also dealt
with by then."
Hearing that, the boys grin. "About time!" Hiroshi chuckles.
Laughter fills the room. Shigeru then draws up a large
envelope, holding it towards Akane. "Now, I believe Tendou-kun
has some things to say to you before the class ends. Tendou-kun?"
"Hai. Arigatou, Sensei," Akane rises, then taking the envelope
in hand, moves to stand by the teacher's desk. As the assistant
principal steps out of the room, she gazes at her soon-to-be
former classmates. She notices several people's looks. Marie,
Ataru, Ranma and Sayuri were all lightly nodding; no doubt, Ataru
had filled Ranma in on information about Akane's current plans after
Chikage passed them on to her brother early in the day. Chigaiko
and Ukyou seem neutral. Yuka wasn't even bothering to look her way.
*Damn, it IS true!* Akane quivers, then she sighs.
"First of all, I'd like to..." she pauses, then she lightly
smiles. "Give a couple long-overdue apologizes to two in this class
concerning my behaviour towards them over the last year and more.
The first one..." she gazes near the front of the room, "...is to
you, Yuka."
Yuka jolts, then stares wide-eyed at the other girl as everyone
in the class perks. "I don't..." Akane bites her lip. "Recall
the times I've been told that I struck you with my mallet when Kunou
decided he was going to be an even worse jackass than usual
concerning me. But since it is clearly obvious that I DID hit you,
without any real excuse, I..." she squeezes her eyes shut. "I am
really sorry about that, Yuka-chan. Not to mention what I nearly
did to you on Tuesday morning. There was no excuse for that, either!
I'm so, so sorry, Yuka-chan..." she bites her lip as streams of tears
trail down her cheeks, then she bows to the other girl.
Whispers quickly flow from student to student as eyes fall on
Yuka, the question many want to ask clear on many people's faces.
Ukyou gazes at Akane, a flash of respect in the chef's eyes. Yuka
herself seems hesitant, then she sighs. "I can accept that,
Tendou-san," she replies.
Hearing that, Akane straightens herself, then stares at Yuka.
The latter has turned her eyes away from her, one hand absently
rubbing the other arm. Seeing that, Akane sighs. "Hai. Well..."
she then turns to Ranma. "The next thing I have to say is..."
"Forget it, Akane," Ranma speaks up.
Akane jolts, then sighs. "Ranma, please..."
"I said it's okay, Akane," Ranma hops out of her seat, then
walks up to place her hands on Akane's shoulders. "Ya don't need ta
tell me what you told me earlier, especially in front of these
folks."
"I have to...!"
"Says who?!" Ranma crosses her arms.
Akane considers that, then she sighs. "Says me. And why the
hell are you stopping me, Ranma? They deserve to know..."
"But do they care?" Ranma's eyebrow arches. "And no, it ain't
'cause of somethin' Oyaji taught me. But we're friends now, Akane.
That means I ain't gonna stand for you embarrassin' yourself in front
of others."
"But what about the times I called you a pervert and all of them
overheard me?" Akane snaps, pointing to the others in the class.
Ranma blinks, then stares at her classmates before shrugging.
"Heck with it, Akane," she turns back. "If they heard you and chose
to believe you, that's their business. They know what might happen
if they decide to get in my face about it. And 'sides, if they're
willin' to believe what others say about me without tryin' to find
out themselves what I'm like, then I don't want nothin' to do with
them. It's no skin off my back."
Silence falls as the others in the class gaze on them. "But I
made a big mistake about you all along, Ranma...!" Akane reminds
her.
"Yeah. And I did the same thing to you. And we both admitted
it to each other and we're making up for it now," Ranma insists.
"And if these people really care for your feelings, then they'll
take the time and effort to understand everything. That's fine and
fair to me, Akane. But if they don't want to change their opinions
because you have -- or worse, would rather prefer that you'd stay the
way you were -- then, hell! All that tells me is that they're no
better than that jerk Kunou!" She then gazes at Ataru. "And we know
what happened to him, eh, Ataru?!"
"Yes, we do, don't we?" Ataru lightly smiles.
"True," Akane smirks.
Some people in the class laugh. Others seem thoughtfully
silent as Ranma heads back to her desk, then sits down. As soon as
the noise quiets down, Akane takes a deep breath, then holds up the
envelope the assistant principal just gave her. "My final
announcement concerns this envelope and its contents Sensei just gave
me," she sighs, then takes a deep breath. "Today is the last day I
consider myself a student at Furinkan High."
Silence.
More silence.
Still more silence.
Then...
"***YOU'RE LEAVING?!?!?!***" nearly everyone bellows.
Akane nearly gets bowled over, then she reaches up to check the
state of her eardrums. "Hai..." she moans, then sighs. "For your
information, I'm transferring as of today to Promised Island
Stargazer West College, the all-grade school Ataru's sister
Marie-chan..." she waves to the back of the room, making people gaze
at the lone person in beige-and-red there, "...and his other sisters
currently attend. I'm doing this for personal reasons, though I
think you can guess as to one of them. And..."
One of the windows suddenly opens as a rainbow seems to stream
in, landing beside the teacher's desk. Almost echoing the rainbow's
arrival is the sound of the final bell. "And speaking of which,
there's my ride back to the Island now," Akane sighs, then bows to
her former classmates. "Take care of yourselves, everyone.
Marie-chan, let's go!"
"Hai!" Marie rises, carrying Akane's gym bag (which contained
what personal items she had kept in school) as they move to sit on
the rainbow. They are boosted up, up and away, heading south towards
Promised Island.
Before anyone could even consider following them, the rainbow
disintegrates in their wake. Silence falls over Class 2-F as
everyone stares at the place where Akane had been, then Ranma sighs,
rising. "Well, time to go home!" she stretches. "Hey, Ataru, you
coming there or not?!"
"Hai, hai!" Ataru rises.
Both walk out of the room. Soon enough, Chigaiko follows,
she trailed by Yuka. The remainder sit in their chairs, then Ukyou
shakes her head. "I can't believe she just upped and left like
that."
"I can," Sayuri triumphantly smiles, rising to head out...
* * *
The Tendou dojo, later...
"Tadaima!"
Nabiki sighs, slipping off her shoes as she steps into the
living room, then she stops on seeing her father passed out on the
floor, his face damp with lots of tears. Kneeling beside Souun is
Kasumi, a pained look on her older sister's face as she tries to keep
her father's spirits up. As Kasumi looks up to her, Nabiki sighs.
"Okay, what happened now?"
Wordlessly, Kasumi points to a sheet on the coffee table.
Noting the tape holding the table in place, Nabiki shakes her head.
Damn, who the hell broke it THIS time? Walking over, she picks up
the sheet, then stares at it. It only takes her a second to
understand its true meaning. "Oh, shit...!" she gasps, then turns
to her sister. "When did THIS happen?"
"This morning when I was at the grocery store, probably just
after you left for school," Kasumi reports.
"Akane...!"
Immediately, the eldest sister moves to soothe her weeping
father. Nabiki gazes at Souun, then turns back to the sheet in hand.
"Damn..." she mutters, then jerks on hearing her cell-phone ring.
Setting the sheet aside, she draws out her phone, then opens it.
"Hai, Tendou desu."
"Boss?!" a pained woman's voice replies. "It's me!"
"Chieko?!" Nabiki perks. "What happened to you?!"
"G-g-gomen," the other woman stutters. By the sound of her
voice, Nabiki muses, she must have just recovered from what might've
hurt her. Whatever that was, the middle Tendou daughter has no idea.
"But...! I was tryin' to keep an eye on Akane. She was talking
to Asano at lunchtime and then...!" a grunt. "One of Ataru-kun's
sisters...! The girl with the glasses, the really skinny one...!
She slugged me...!"
"What?!" Nabiki blinks. "Chieko, what the hell are you trying
to feed me here, anyway?! Marie-chan couldn't hurt a fly!"
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Chieko ruefully laughs. "Until
she pulled your sister's mallet-trick on my forehead!"
Nabiki's eyebrow twitches. "Oh, wonderful! She's giving
lessons!"
"G-guess so," Chieko chuckles, then sighs. "Another thing.
That girl there told me that..." another grunt, "...I shouldn't've
been spyin' on Akane there 'cause things between Akane and you guys
aren't so nice anymore...!" A deep breath. "Sorry about that,
Boss."
Nabiki blinks, then sighs. "Fair enough. Get some rest there."
"H-hai."
The link is cut, then Nabiki senses Kasumi gazing curiously
at her. Nabiki nods to the kitchen. Kasumi nods, then stares at
their father. "Get some rest, Father. We'll try to get Akane-chan
back."
"Akane...! Akane...! Akane...!" Souun burbles.
They head into the kitchen. Once there, Kasumi turns to face
Nabiki. "According to Father, Akane-chan forced him into signing
and stamping that sheet after that girl threatened him with laying
legal charges against Akane-chan for what happened on Tuesday.
How on EARTH does what happen there suddenly translate into the
people at this Welcome House allowing Akane-chan to stay in their
hostel for a full year, Nabiki-chan?!"
"Search me," Nabiki shrugs, then sighs. "Though...!"
Her cell-phone rings. "Oh, damn!" she curses, then picks it up.
"Hai, Tendou desu!"
Kasumi remains quiet as Nabiki listens to her caller, then jolts
as the latter cries out, "She did WHAT?!! When did this happen?!!"
A pause, then she curses. "Oh, damn!! And the school's okayed it?!"
Yet another pause, this one slightly longer. "Look, is there someway
to stop all this?" Nabiki listens to the answer, then nods. "Right,
right. Thanks." She closes the link, then stares at Kasumi. "The
plot thickens."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, as of today, Akane's no longer a student at Furinkan
High."
Kasumi's jaw drops. "Oh, my! But where on Earth's Akane-chan
going to go to finish school?!" she demands.
"Stargazer West College," Nabiki sighs. "Promised Island's
only school. Kindergarten to third-year high school, all under one
roof."
The older sister takes that in, then looks down. "Why...?"
"I think you can guess why, Onee-chan."
Kasumi shudders, then moves to lean on the kitchen counter.
"No..." she shakes her head. "I mean, yes! She has a right to be
angry at us for what happened with Hibiki-san and all that, but to
just up and leave the house like THAT?!" she stares pleadingly
at her sister. "Please! Can you go to the island and bring
Akane-chan back here?! Please...?"
Nabiki stares at her, then sighs, crossing her arms. "What if
she doesn't want to come back, Onee-chan?"
"NO!!!" Kasumi slaps her hand on the counter. "She is coming
home, Nabiki!! I'm not going to stand here and watch my family
disintegrate like this! Please, go to the island and bring her back
here!!"
Nabiki winces on seeing the frightened look on her sister's
face, then she sighs. "If I do, how the hell are we gonna whip up
the cash for the room rental back-pay, then?" she crosses her arms.
"What does THAT got to do with it?!" Kasumi quakes.
Nabiki sighs. "Onee-chan, that contract stipulates that rent
on Akane's room is being paid for by the trust fund that supports
Welcome House. I can guess that's an account Ataru-kun's grandmother
set up for her granddaughters when they finally broke away from their
step-dads and mothers. Now, it didn't say it directly, but I can lay
bets that they might decide to do it anyway if we force the issue.
If Akane moves back here, they might charge us time for use of that
room. Say a full month's rent, maybe? How much does THAT cost, for
heaven's sake?!"
She then puts hands to hips. "And besides, why the hell would
Akane want to listen to me in the first place? I have to admit,
I've done some dumb things that certainly eroded Akane's trust in me.
So have you, as you'll recall," she points to Kasumi, then shrugging.
"If we go marching there and tell her that she has to come back home
no matter what, what's to stop her from leaving us once and for all,
Onee-chan?!"
Kasumi jolts, then shudders before she staggers over to the
kitchen table and sitting down. "No, NO!! It can't be this way...!"
she moans, then collapses into a sobbing fit, covering her eyes with
her hands.
Nabiki stares at her, then sighs, walking over to squeeze her
elder sister's shoulder. "Tell you what," she soothes. "I'll go
over there and talk to her. I'll find out what's wrong. I'll try to
get her to come back as soon as she can, okay? But I'm not going
to guarantee anything, Onee-chan. At best, we can hope for Akane
to visit when she can, alright?"
"No, no! Please bring her home, Nabiki! Please...!"
"I..." Nabiki bites her lip, then sighs. "I'll try..."
* * *
An hour later, Nabiki steps out of the house, heading to the
gate. After reassuring a sobbing Souun that she would do everything
in her power to convince Akane to come home, the middle Tendou
daughter packed a small overnight bag, then headed off. Her first
destination, however, would not be the seashore dock in Odawara,
where one got ferry rides to Promised Island. No, her first
destination would take her much closer. After all, why pay
Shinkansen fare and a fare for a ferry when one could use a certain
young sorceress' travelling rainbows to get from place to place?
Soon enough, she finds herself at the front gate leading into
the old shrine where Ataru and Negako Moroboshi now called home.
Opening it, she pauses on seeing a beautiful Shinto priestess
and a Buddhist monk about the same size and age as Happousai chanting
some mumbo-jumbo, both kneeling before the main doors to the shrine.
The doors open, revealing Sakuya. "Oh, Nabiki-san, konnichi wa?!"
she waves, then crosses her arms as she glares at the two priests
before her. "Can't you two stop that, finally?! You're starting
to give us all headaches in here!!" she snaps.
A spirit-sensor is thrust into her face. "Are you INSANE,
girl?!!" the priestess demands. "Cavorting with a monster like
THAT?!! Declaring that THING your HALF-SISTER?!! Don't you realize
what danger you're in?!!"
Nabiki walks up. "I take it these two are the infamous Sakura
and Cherry of Tomobiki, right?" she stares amusedly at Sakuya.
"Much to my disgust, yes," Sakuya shakes her head.
The door slides open, revealing Hinako. "Sakuya-chan,
Onii-tama's ready to let them inside! Oh, hi, Nabiki-oneetama!!"
she waves.
Nabiki blinks, then her cheeks redden on hearing the youngest
of Ataru's sisters refer to her as "big sister." "Hi, Hina-chan!"
she waves back, then walks up beside Sakura. "Is your brother home
or do I have to wait for this little entourage to go away before
I can talk to him?"
Suddenly, Cherry looms before the middle Tendou daughter,
paralysing her with his penetrating gaze. "You have the Mark of Doom
on you, girl!" he hisses, pointing at her. "Even worse than any time
that it ever, EVER appeared on Ataru! Be cautious, girl, or else
you'll...!!"
A huge bag of ladies' underwear then crashes on the monk's head,
burying him into the boards of the patio. Atop that is Happousai,
looking refreshed after an early afternoon panty raid. "Ah, what a
haul!!" he chuckles, then waves. "Hello, Nabiki-chan! What are you
doing here?!"
"Trying to talk to Ataru-kun there, Ojii-chan!" Nabiki chuckles.
"Evil beast!!!" Sakura winds up with her spirit-sensor,
ready to smack the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu into orbit.
"How dare you desecrate this shrine with your vile, lecherous
presence...?!"
Happousai easily dodges the swipe, then uses his pipe to trip
Sakura up, sending the poor shrine maiden down on her back. "Girl,
I once gave your teacher a run for his money years ago!" he cackles,
bounding off Nabiki's shoulder before dropping to the patio deck
beside Hinako.
"Besides, how worse can this shrine be desecrated given that its
previous guardian actually drew blood here?"
Everyone acks, then spins to a nearby bush, where Chikage had
just emerged from shadows. Seeing her, Sakuya and Hinako breathe
out, followed by Happousai and Nabiki. "DAMN you, Chikage, you do
that REALLY good, you know that?!" the middle Tendou daughter pants,
patting her chest.
"I live with her full time and I'M not used to it!" Sakuya
sighs.
The door opens again, revealing Haruka. "Ah, everyone, please
come inside. The tea's ready now," she demurely smiles, then waves
them in.
Happousai's bag of underwear bounces away from the shrine as
Cherry pops up. "Did someone say something about tea?!" the monk
wonders.
"Hai," Haruka nods. "Doozo."
The others step inside. Chikage is last in the group, her eyes
focused on Nabiki for a moment, then she reaches into her tunic and
draws out two of her tarot cards in succession. Death, then the
Eight of Cups.
*An ending...* she grimaces. *Then a new beginning...!*
* * *
Thirty minutes later, the room is deathly silent, then Sakura
sinks onto her floor mat, her spirit-sensor about to drop from her
hand. "It...!" she blinks, then stares wide-eyed at the three young
women sitting across from her and Cherry. "Gods...! It's really
them...!" she sputters.
"Yes, it's really them," Ataru sips his tea, he sitting off to
the priestess' left, beside Negako and Ranma. Nabiki sits off to
Sakura's right, she staying silent as she listens in on this meeting.
Hinako Ninomiya had gone back to her guest room to get some sleep.
Happousai had checked in on his student, then bounded off to the
Tendou dojo to play with his latest acquisitions. The youngest
of Ataru's sisters had gone off with Chigaiko to get some lunch at
Tampopo's. "Amazing how things can sometimes go right even when they
seem to go very wrong, ne?"
"Indeed," Negako lightly smiles.
"And this happened because this Oogi fellow was trying to use
the power of this curse placed on Lum when she was born, that
intermixing with the power of the Great Sea Urchin that resurrected
Nagisa?" Cherry asks.
The grandmistress nods. "That is what happened."
"Lucky for us we were right over Nagisa's head when that idiot
set off that bomb," Himiko chuckles, then blinks as Haruka hands her
another cup of tea. "Oh, thanks, Haruka-san," the swimmer nods.
Haruka turns back to preparing more cups. "So what do you three
intend to do now?" Sakura wonders.
"Try to put our lives back together again, then go on from
there," Mikiko admits. "I mean, now that you've verified what
Negako-san here discovered, it should be much easier to revoke our
death certificates and allow us to have our identities back. As for
our parents..." she glances at Himiko, then she shrugs. "We'll have
to deal with them on our own sometime in the future. Not now,
though. We still have to get over the shock of learning how much
that bastard LIED to us, how much he USED us!"
"How soon can he be dealt with, then?" Sakura asks.
"Monday morning," Ataru replies.
"That's being precise," Cherry notes.
"Hayao, there are many more players involved in this whole
matter than you now suspect," Negako reports.
"Like who, Negako-san?" Nabiki wonders.
"The President of the United States of America, for one."
Nabiki nearly drops her tea cup, her jaw hitting the floor.
Sakura and Cherry nearly spit out their coffee. "WHAT?!?!?!"
"It's true," Ataru then sips his tea, then places the cup down.
"You know, in this whole mess concerning the Urusians, going along
with all the lies and half-truths that came out of the first Tag Race
and all that, one question was NEVER answered: if the Federation
was willing to ignore their own Non-Interference Treaty to block a
potential Ipraedies or Seifukusu invasion of our solar system, then
why the hell didn't they afterward decide to 'seed' technology
our way so we could, in the long term, look to our own defence
without others having to do it for us?"
The visitors from Tomobiki exchange a look, then turn back to
Ataru. "You're saying that they did that to make us dependant
on them," Sakura crosses her arms. "Thus, we would not become a
threat to them."
"Right," Ataru drawls. "Now, with the bioroid factory up in
orbit, we have the means to see to our own defence, once scientists
get up there to give this thing a thorough look-over. If we
guarantee the Avalonians the right to determine their own destiny
(once Oogi's out of the way, of course), then we win an ally who'd
be more accommodating to us than Lum's people EVER were. Plus, we
have the potential to firm up alliances with the Zephyrites,
the Noukiites and even the Niphentaxians and Ipraedies. I say if we
play our cards right, it'll be a win-win situation for us all."
"The Urusians are now in no position to stand in our way,"
Negako adds. "Neither are the Tritonians courtesy of what Ataru did
on Thursday, not to mention the psychological blow B-Boy's death
delivered onto Oyuki and her parents. The remainder of the
Federation, if the organization is to weather what has happened,
will have to play a cautious diplomatic game now that the Noukiites
are quitting the organization. There is also the Ipraedies card to
play, once they no longer perceive the Federation as a serious
strategic threat. The Avalonians are another factor, as are the
Niphentaxians themselves (once they have rid themselves of the Church
of Lum). The only threat now comes from the Seifukusu Dominion,
but their long border with Zephyrus (and our own relations with the
Holy Republic) should keep them at bay long enough for us to firm up
our own defences."
Silence falls as people consider that, then Sakura sets her tea
cup aside. "Well, that's all nice and pretty. And it is good that
in the end, you three can pursue your own lives as you wish..."
her eyes fall on the three "victims" of two weeks ago, then she
glares at Negako. "But that does NOT for a moment excuse you
allowing all those other people to die!!"
"Do you believe Alhamzi acted alone?" Ataru asks.
"Eh?!" the priestess stops.
"At the time I was at the school, I sensed not just Ibrahim,
but two other members of al-Qaeda. 'Back-up' suicide bombers in case
Ibrahim failed. And there were three more of their cell in the area
who could have taken up their mission should they have failed. And
that does not for a moment discount the fact that other organizations
beyond al-Qaeda across the planet also had a (as Ataru would say it)
'beef' against Lum and her allies here on Earth," Negako sips her
tea. "If I stopped Ibrahim, what was to stop the others from
carrying out their missions, Sakura? I, as you no doubt believe,
am not perfect, not by far. If I missed even one of them, people
would have died. And if they had died before Ataru had his encounter
with Oogi in Lumukyou, what could have happened then? Or perhaps
even now, with Oogi a mere mental shadow of his former self? There
is still the possibility that he might contact loyalists in the
Niphentaxian armed forces who could come here to aid him. What
happens then?"
Silence falls. "That's cruel, Onee-chan," Karen notes.
"Yes, Karen, in your eyes, it is VERY cruel," Negako nods. "But
in a scenario like this, people were going to die. It was not like
when I restored Ataru's memories before I brought him to meet you on
the Island."
"The only choice was 'bad' or 'worse,'" Nabiki sighs.
"Exactly," Negako sips her tea, then stares at Sakura. "In the
end, if more people believed like you did, Sakura, the world would
be a much better place emotionally and socially. But that is
impossible as you can no doubt realize. My advice to you and Hayao
is to continue preaching to the better side of humanity's nature.
It is a protracted process, one lasting over generations, but as
history has shown, it gains results."
The visitors stare in stunned shock at the ninjitsu
grandmistress, then Sakura's eyes narrow. "What of what you did to
Kinshou and Muchi?"
Negako returns her look, then sips her tea. "Tell me, Sakura.
By your words so far in this meeting, you clearly indicate that you
do not condone the deliberate taking of innocent lives. Does your
beliefs extend to Karen, Sakuya and Chikage, not to mention Ataru's
other sisters?"
"Wha...?!" Sakura sputters, then she sighs. "Of course it does!
And yes, it extends to Ataru, even if he IS an idiot!"
"Hey!!!" Sakuya snaps.
"Oh?" Ataru smirks, then glances at Ranma. "She sure has a
selective memory, doesn't she?!" he chuckles.
"Yeah! Maybe she should remember who cursed who first," she
laughs.
Sakura sputters, then gags on seeing a very sharp naginata
blade hover before her face. Glancing right, she gulps on seeing
Haruka fan herself with her prized gunsen. "Indeed, Anegimi-sama
is correct," the latter ruefully smiles. "And though I detest
drawing weapons on a person of faith, your rude behaviour and insults
towards Anigimi-sama, someone who has sacrificed much on behalf of
all humanity, are quite unbecoming of an honourable guest. I
suggest, Sakura-san, you remember that."
Sakura shudders, then jolts on hearing Himiko add, "Yeah, you
sure got that right there, Haruka-san," the swimmer crosses her arms.
"Jeez, can you guys finally stop snapping at each other and get on
with it?!"
Haruka draws back her naginata as Negako takes another sip of
tea. "So you have said, Sakura," she places her cup down, then her
eyebrow arches. "Tell me. In your research of what happened that
Monday, did you or Hayao sense any dark thoughts haunting Kinshou
before she died?"
"I..." the priestess blinks, then exchanges a look with her
uncle before turning back to the grandmistress. While they would
NEVER trust this monster with anything, they could not, for an
instant, deny the breadth and depth this beast possessed as a
birthright. "No, not really. But what does that have to do with
anything?! Ataru ordained that when he became of legal age, he would
have them made roonin! That was enough!"
"True, it was enough so long as Kinshou remained ignorant
of the existence of Sakuya, Karen and the other sisters," Negako
replies. "That changed during the week Ataru stayed in Sanctuary
to recover from events on Phentax Two. Courtesy of a spy from the
Seifukusu Dominion who had allied himself with an old enemy of the
Moroboshi Clan, the Shirohana Clan."
"The Shirohana?!" Cherry perks up. "But they were dealt with
at the end of the Greater East Asia War when Nagaiwakai made first
contact with the Zephyrites! Besides, with Nagaiwakai's death, why
would they consider pursuing Ataru or his sisters? They didn't
threaten them!!"
"No, we had no intention of pressing matters with them, but
they, as one might expect of such beings, were not party to that
thought," Negako reports. "Further, there is myself to consider,
plus the fact that I had been so openly separated from Ataru five
years ago. Realizing that all the knowledge I possessed was
imprinted in Ataru's subconscious could, if done correctly, transform
him into a formidable warrior, the Shirohana decided that was enough
to prompt them to keep close watch on Ataru."
"Another one spying on me," Ataru's eyes roll.
"Onee-chan, did they follow you and Onii-chan to the Island?"
Karen asks, her eyes widening as the implications sank in.
"Not at first," Negako reports. "But the Seifukusu do possess
penetration agents among the Zephyrites, even in the Inquisition.
As the war between Noukiios and Uru progressed, Ataru and I began
assisting the Noukiites and the Inquisition from the sidelines.
In your conversations with Ryuunosuke, Nassur and Seiko in Tomobiki,
you learned what sort of support that entailed," she glances at
Sakura and Cherry.
"Yes, we know of that," Cherry nods, then turns to Ataru. "And
I must say, lad, it impresses me greatly that you didn't lose
yourself too much when you were playing this 'Brother Wind-Dancer'
character to cover their investigations of those behind Nagaiwakai's
murder."
Ataru sighs. "There were times I was tempted..."
"You were?" Ranma blinks.
"Hai. You couldn't believe the arrogance of some of those
people, especially those who were waiting for a chance to drop all
the pretenses about 'protecting' Earth and go straight to an
invasion. Not to mention the ones who hated the Noukiites like some
people here hate Koreans. Gods!" he sneers. "And the arrogance
they showed to their own people! Some of them were bragging on and
on about how it was their right to make decisions regardless
about what normal folks thought!!"
"Divine right of kings, in other words," Chikage titters.
"Got that right!"
"So by doing that, it didn't take long for these Seifukusu
to try to learn more about you, thus leading them to learn of your
sisters," Sakura concludes, then her eyes widen. "You mean to say
that...?"
"It was their penetration agent on Earth, a fellow named
Namisuke, who made contact with Kinshou about Karen and the others.
It was the Tuesday before Ibrahim's attack on the school," Negako
reports. "I must say that, according to Jinseiko Fusegu and her
co-workers, Kinshou was quite put off about how much Nagaiwakai
had planned against her. And she was quick to absolve Muchi of any
guilt over his 'betrayal' of their marriage oaths. Kinshou, you see,
was quick to put blame on 'that cow' and some special aphrodisiacs
to help 'that cow's hookers' -- your mothers, in other words..."
she gazes on the sisters, "...seduce her husband."
"SAY WHAT?!?!?!" Karen, Sakuya and Haruka scream.
Nabiki quickly notices that even Chikage is clearly NOT amused
by this revelation. "That is the truth," Negako sighs. "To that
end, Kinshou decided not to inform Muchi of his daughters, both
because she believed he didn't deserve to be burdened by his mother's
'betrayal' AND because she also feared that Muchi might try to stop
her from hurting you. Besides, if she was forced to allow Namisuke
and the Shirohana to kill her own husband, her own chances of gaining
possession of Nagaiwakai's fortune would be lessened even more. To
that end, Kinshou agreed to 'allow' Namisuke and the Shirohana
to have a free hand in dealing not just with the sisters..."
she pauses, then gazes on Ataru, "...but Ataru as well."
Silence.
"When did you learn of this, Ataru-kun?" Nabiki wonders.
"Equivalent time here on Earth was the Wednesday before I came
back to Japan," Ataru sighs, finishing his tea, then nods thanks
as Haruka walks over to refill his cup. "By that time, I'd
sufficiently recovered from the fun in Lumukyou to come out of
Sanctuary and help Onee-chan deal with these jerks. Before dawn on
Thursday morning, Onee-chan and I, backed up by a dozen Inquisitors
and some of the Noukiite Lost Stars (they volunteered to help out),
raided the Shirohanas' main camp near Niigata."
He grimaces, then smiles as Haruka hands back a new cup of tea.
"It lasted about a half-hour altogether, but by the time we were
done, they were permanently dealt with. Namisuke was turned over to
the Inquisition, but then Kiyomi Shirohana, the matriarch of the
clan, escaped by teleporter to North Korea. Turns out that the
Shirohanas had a few deals going with the Pukhans, hoping to sell
them Seifukusu technology to help that nutcase in P'youngyang
conquer the South finally. Onee-chan and I chased her to Heungnam
on the East Sea coast, then dealt with her there. Terminally,
of course; there was just no choice but to see her gone if we wanted
to ensure that no one threatened us again from that quarter,"
he closes his eyes.
"We left an anonymous note behind warning them that the next
time the Pukhans tried to get their hands on alien tech, their 'Dear
Leader' and his cabinet would be killed in retaliation. Not that
they don't deserve a good slap in the face every once in a while to
remind them the world doesn't dance to their tune." An amused smile
then crosses his face. "Then, as a sort of 'graduation' exercise
for me, Onee-chan forced me to make my way through the DMZ to the
South -- I came through near Kimhwa up in Kangwon Province -- then
we took a bus to Pusan, then the ferry to Shimonoseki."
"Onee-chan..." Karen shudders.
"Whoo!! And I thought your father came up with some interesting
ideas for training?!" Nabiki stares amusedly at Negako.
"If I believed Ataru could not do it, I would not have allowed
it to happen, Nabiki," Negako lightly shrugs. "Besides, the
commander of the North Korean forces there was going to provoke
an incident along the Demilitarized Zone against his Southern
cousins. Thanks to Ataru, that did not turn out as the North Koreans
planned," she gazes at her brother.
"Wow!" Sakuya whistles.
"So why kill Kinshou and Muchi?!" Sakura presses.
Negako sighs. "After our return to Japan, I received a message
from the Holy Inquisition concerning their interrogation of Namisuke.
Namisuke confessed that he told Kinshou about the Niphentaxians
and their interest in Lum, plus their hatred of Ataru. A sort of
'revenge from the grave' in case the Seifukusu failed. During the
weekend prior to Ibrahim's attack on Tomobiki High School, I noticed
that Kinshou WAS spending time trying to trace down where
Niphentaxians observers were lying. Since they could conclude
that Karen, Sakuya and the others were the 'Great Evil's Wicked
Sisters' or some other moronic title, it did not take me long to
conclude that IF information on them fell into Niphentaxian
hands..."
"They would gladly strike out at these poor girls, especially
after what happened to Ataru in their capital city," Cherry sighs.
"Exactly," the grandmistress turns to Sakura. "Ibrahim's
attack on Aisuru and his friends would have happened no matter when
it could have happened or who launched it. If not by Ibrahim
himself, then by someone who thought like him. If it did not happen
that day, then it could have potentially happened sometime in the
future, but with MANY more deaths. While you might think this cruel,
it was better in the long term to see Aisuru and his friends die
immediately than to see many bystanders die in case those determined
to kill Lum's 'holy apostles' did not care who stood in their way.
Should Aisuru's mother Rui die for Aisuru's actions, Sakura? What
of the other guards' parents? Must they suffer as well?"
Sakura stares at her, then shudders. Damn, damn, DAMN, this
thing was telling the truth...! "No, of course not..."
"I did not believe so," Negako sighs. "In fact, there was a
great difference of opinion even within Ibrahim's al-Qaeda cell. The
two 'back-up' suicide bombers, Abdul al-Mubarraz and Mohammed Haynin,
would have gladly killed everyone in the school since they believed
all of them were corrupted by Lum's 'evil' influence. Abdul, in
fact, had a special hatred of you and your former paramour, Nagisa,"
her eyes fall on the former teashop waitress. "Ibrahim, for all his
faults, did care very much for you both. He saw your fathers'
actions as a direct affront to his god and believed that killing
Ryuunosuke's father for his 'pagan' beliefs would set you both free.
Abdul did not care one whit about how you both have suffered at your
fathers' hands. To him, seeing you both dead was..." she pauses,
then sighs. "More than sufficient to honour his own faith."
Nagisa shudders, then shakes her head. "Why...?"
"Who can question the motivations of those raised in a
cloistered environment as those fellows, Nagisa?" Cherry shakes his
head...
* * *
Some minutes later, Sakura and Cherry depart, returning back to
Tomobiki. The members of Ataru's family, Ranma, Nabiki and their
three Avalonian guests stand on the porch as the two spiritualists
leave. Few words had been exchanged after Cherry's gnomic
observation. Finally, Ranma takes a deep breath. "So now what do we
do?" she looks at Ataru.
Ataru hums, then lightly smiles. "Want to go on a date?"
Ranma jolts. "Eh?! You?! Me?! DATE?!!"
"Sure," he chuckles. "I need the chance to cool off after they
came by to visit, so seeing a movie and going for a long walk sounds
pretty good. I'd prefer not to do it alone, of course, but if you
don't want to, I think I could persuade Chikage-chan here to come
along."
Ranma blinks, then sighs. "Oh, okay! Let me get changed,
but if people ask, we're NOT on a date, alright?!"
"Hai, hai, Ojou-sama," Ataru smirks as they head inside.
Nabiki watches them go, then titters. "Oh, my heavens! I can't
believe I just WATCHED that!!" she shakes her head.
"Why do you say that, Nabiki-san?" Haruka wonders.
"Before Ataru-kun and Negako-san arrived, you'd had have to
stick a gun to Ranma-kun's forehead to make her go on a date with
ANYONE!" the middle Tendou daughter smirks, then sighs. "Well,
anyhow..."
"You need a ride to the Island so you can speak to Akane."
Nabiki awks, then glares at Chikage. "How...?!" she sputters.
The sorceress chuckles, then draws out a tarot card. The Hanged
Man, upside-down. "If you were willing to respect Akane's desire
to be left alone, not to mention acknowledging your sister's and
father's desire, you would not have come here in the first place
today."
Nabiki stares at her, then sighs. "Oh, okay...!"
"Besides, we might as well head there ourselves," Mikiko yawns.
"No sense remaining here anymore. Oh, Karen-chan, did your sister
move our stuff to this hostel where you girls live?" she looks to
Karen.
"Hai. In fact, if we're not careful, all the others would've
probably unpacked it and moved it into your new room," Karen reports.
"Well, let's get goin' then!" Himiko grunts, then glances over.
"Hey, Nagisa-san, you sure you're gonna be alright there?"
Before Nagisa could respond, Sakuya slips an arm around hers.
"Don't worry about it. I'll make sure Nagisa-san here has a nice
wardrobe to call her own before long," she playfully winks at the
boy-turned-girl.
Nagisa jolts, then flusters. "Er, r-right!"
The others laugh...
* * *
To be continued...
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