Minna-san,
Part 7 will be split into two sides. The second side,
as I envision it now, will include the whole
Akane-Ryouga-Marie part, plus Jonna's and Orin's
introduction and several other things.
I'll be taking most of next week off to tour the
Korean peninsula, so I won't get to work on Part 7 B
Side until the weekend of the 10th at the earliest.
Despite that, I'll still be answering e-mail of course
(the wonders of the PC-bang revolution here in the
Republic).
Enjoy!
Fred
=====
Fred Herriotfherriot@yahoo.com**** **** ****"Fanfiction IS Real Life!"**** **** ****
______________________________________________________________________
Post your ad for free now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: LoneS-07A.txt
-- Desc: LoneS-07A.txt
"Nodoka."
Nodoka's eyes flutter as a tired groan escapes her. Sitting
up in her hospital bed, she looks confusedly around the room. Yes,
there was Hisayo in the bed next to her. Maya Nishiki had arranged
for the sisters to convalesce in Nerima General Hospital; sometime
later today, they would be discharged. As she finishes her scan of
the room, she notices the lone man standing by the door. "Father!"
she gasps, eyes wide.
Isao Asagaya is a man in his late sixties. Very slim, his head
bald save for grey hair around his ears, not to mention moustache
and goatee, he always carries himself in public with an imperious
air. If a daimyo of the Tokugawa era could be instantaneously
transported to the start of the twenty-first century, then clothed
in modern fashion, he would most likely be Isao. If there was anyone
in Nodoka's life who served as her ultimate role-model when it came
to personal etiquette, it was her father.
"Genma is no more," he calmly states.
Nodoka blinks, then nods, moving to sit herself up. A glance
at Hisayo reveals her to be still asleep. Isao waves her daughter
down with a pass of his hand. "Yes, Father. The police informed
me of that Monday morning," Nodoka relaxes in her bed. "How did you
get in here?"
"I have ways," he replies. "What of the Saotome honour sword?"
"Destroyed," Nodoka sighs. Did Isao knew what happened?
If so, why was he asking her about what happened? If not, why wasn't
he concerning himself more over this, given his desire to bring Ranma
into the Asagaya family? "Genma foolishly tried to use it against
Ranma Sunday night. According to the police, it was destroyed
during the fight."
"Good," he slowly nods. "With all of Genma's foolish actions,
the blade had lost all true significance. A family without even the
barest semblance of honour has no right to possess an honour sword.
Agreed?"
"Agreed," she sighs. "Father, there is a problem with Ranma..."
"I am aware of that, Nodoka," Isao's eyes narrow. "In fact,
there are several problems my would-be grandson has thrown up before
us. The primary one being this: why has Ranma declared himself
an orphan?"
Nodoka stares wide-eyed at Isao, her heart thumping hard in her
chest as his question whirls through her mind. "Orphan...?"
she gasps.
"An orphan, Nodoka," Isao gazes absently at her. That look
sends a chill through her body; it didn't take her much to realize
how displeased her father had become over this development.
"That he continues to hold the same name as that fool Genma is one
thing. That he has gone so far as to create his own branch of the
Saotome family, with no relations to either Genma or yourself,
is another. Why has this happened, Nodoka? Did you not make it
clear enough to your son what was being offered to him?"
"I..." she pauses, then nods. "Yes, Father, I did. But..."
a lump forms in her throat. Oh dear, how was she going to explain
this? "There were those who cast a lot of suspicion on what you were
trying to do."
"Then I suggest you make it VERY clear to him when you see him
next," Isao sternly instructs, then leaves.
Nodoka watches him go, then sinks back in her bed. "Ranma..."
"I don't think Ranma's going to listen to you, No-chan."
She glances over. Hisayo is slowly sitting up. "Onee-chan..."
Nodoka whispers, then closes her eyes. "Did you hear it all?"
"Yep," Hisayo nods. While Nodoka still held onto some faint
hope of restoring a proper father-daughter relationship with Isao,
Hisayo was now firmly convinced that the sooner the old fool finally
died, the better. "He doesn't really care a damned bit for either
you or Ranma, No-chan. The sooner you come to realize that, the
better for you both."
Nodoka gazes on the ceiling, then nods...
* * *
"Lonely Souls"
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
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 "A" Side of the
Prologue.
**** **** ****
THE SEVENTH PART, "A" SIDE - A FLASH IN THE DARK
In orbit over Earth...
Unseen by anyone aboard the Avalonian bioroid factory, even
those keeping watch on everything in all the work spaces via internal
security monitors, a frail figure cloaked in ragged white robes
kneels in a cubicle near the aft end of the twenty-kilometre
structure. Gripping the Staff of Gihan in her bony hands, Miree
tries not to laugh out loud.
Madness!
Utter madness!!
Miree's eyes narrow, her mind's eye focusing on the *thing*
watching over the enslaved Avalonians in the factor's primary control
room. Fool! The President of the Niphentaxian Union was in even
worse shape than Miree. He HAD no body, which was something Miree
could claim -- for a while yet, the priestess of the Church of
Hollywood muses. She knew the infidel Lumites' move to starve her to
death had succeeded. It was now only a matter of time before her
weakened immune system would collapse, leaving her vulnerable
to even the most simple pathogen. But, the Fates willing, she will
succeed in her set mission before allowing the Te'a to take her.
She closes her eyes, relaxing her guard ever so slightly as she
allows the psychic auras of the many Avalonians aboard the factory
to brush past her mental defences. They could not detect Miree;
she had the Staff to shield herself from their telepathic and
empathic powers. But she could feel them, sense their mounting
frustration at their continued enslavement. The cloak of total
helplessness the bioroids now felt was almost stifling.
Miree feels her heart go out to those poor unfortunates.
How strange. The factory was discovered when the Church of Hollywood
was the first church of Phentax Two. She wanted to tell them Oogi
is doomed. She wanted to tell them the Saviour would triumph.
For Oogi only had the power of a curse put on his 'goddess' when she
was born. The Saviour, not to mention His Beloved, had all of
Eternity Itself backing them.
Miree allows herself to relax, gather what strength she had
left. Yes, the Saviour and His Beloved were safe. The Te'a always
protects Its Own. And the Earth Spirit, the one to whom the Saviour
bestowed the title "elder sister," the one who called herself
"Negako," was safe, too.
But what of the Saviour's Beloved Sisters?
Twelve innocents protected by Fate and many missed chances
from the maelstrom which had plagued the Saviour's life before His
Awakening?
Miree's eyes narrow with determination.
They would be protected.
As the Te'a took in the Saviour unto It, made the Saviour Its
Avatar of Entropy and Creation, so will It take in Them as Its
Avatars of Love.
It was only a matter of time...
* * *
She had lost her fiance.
Akane didn't know what hurt worse.
That it had happened at all...
...or that it had happened THIS way!
The youngest of the Tendou daughters is now in the dojo,
performing a complicated kata around several stands of cinder blocks.
The Densetsu no Doogi sits by the wall, maintaining its peace as its
mistress carried out morning exercises. Souun was still asleep.
That was fair enough. While Akane relished every chance she got to
learn from her father, she needed some time alone this morning.
After what Negako said last night...
Ranma.
Akane stops, concentrating on one of the cinder block stands.
Her fist quakes as she tries to force herself to be calm. No, don't
think of Ranma now. Ranma can take care of himsel-...! No, HERself!
Her...
A gentle sob escapes her as she sinks to the dojo floor, her
hand resting on the stand. Covering her eyes, she wipes away her
tears. Damn, how many times had she cried since she learned the
truth?
Ranma...
"You okay, Akane?"
She sees Nabiki at the doorway. "Onee-chan..." she slowly
rises, gruffly nodding as she wipes her forehead. "Hard to
concentrate..."
"Yeah, it would be, wouldn't it?" Nabiki bows to the dojo
spirit, then walks over to draw Akane into her embrace. "Hey, it's
gonna be okay, Akane-chan. It's not the end of the world, you
know..."
"Would you be saying that if YOU were the one who lost Ranma?!"
Nabiki considers that, then shrugs. "I did lose Ranma. A
couple of times. First time was when Kasumi and I forced you into
the engagement. Second was when the engagement was switched to me
for a time. The only problem was..." she pulls back from her sister,
then turns away. "...that I was too blinded by what I believed
about Ranma to see the truth."
"Brainless jock that was bringing all sorts of trouble into our
lives," Akane grimaces, moving to take down the cinder block piles.
"Yeah," Nabiki moves to help. "Still, we should look on the
bright side, Akane. At least we learned the truth now, before anyone
wound up actually married to Ranma. Could you imagine what things
might've been like if you were starting a family with Ranma and
Ataru-kun came along in search of his 'Other?' Or what might've
happened if Neko-Ranma came out one day wanting to seek her soul-mate
and you were standing in the way?"
Akane pauses, a shudder racing through her, then she nods.
"Yeah, that's true," she whispers, closing her eyes. "But it still
hurts."
"Yeah, I know, I know," Nabiki squeezes her shoulder in
reassurance as the last of the cinder blocks are stowed in one corner
of the dojo.
"What should I do now?"
"Give her space and time. Yeah, you, Ukyou, Shampoo and Kodachi
are hurting right now. Try to look at it from her perspective,"
Nabiki waves Akane out of the dojo. "She's just had her life turned
upside-down and inside-out in the space of six weeks." Her eyes roll
amusedly. "Damn, I've just GOT to see this Sanctuary place for
myself! Hard to believe that Negako-san managed to cram five weeks'
training into a period less than six hours on Sunday. Could you
imagine what you could do with that place?"
"I don't want to think about that," Akane shakes her head...
* * *
Some blocks from Furinkan High...
"Glad you're willing to do this for me, hon."
"Hey, after you saved the guys and I from those bullies, it's
my pleasure, Ukyou-san," Seiichi Hoshina, president of the school's
computer club, taps controls on his machine. Ukyou had come to visit
the senior student bearing a plate full of hot, fresh okonomiyaki;
she didn't like the idea of paying cash for favours of this nature.
"So why is it you want to tap into Saotome's family records? Trying
to find out if he's burakumin or something stupid like that?" he
snidely grins at her.
Ukyou shakes her head. "That has just GOT to be one of the most
stupid prejudices ever known," she smirks. "Nah, don't worry about
that nonsense, Seiichi-san. I just want to see what changes've
been made since Sunday. Last night, I got told by a very reliable
source that Ran-chan's declared himself an orphan, breaking away from
both his jackass old man and his mom. I need to confirm that before
I finally face off against my dad."
"Right," he nods as his hands fly over the keyboard. "You're
lucky that you're not asking me to do anything more, Ukyou-san.
Very recently, the Family Registrar got hold of the services of one
of the hottest young inventors in the whole country to firm up the
firewalls protecting all their information databanks. Ever since
then, every attempt by people to dump information from the Registrar
into the public domain's been shot down big time. A lot of people
are getting really pissed over it, too."
"Why?"
"Remember me asking about burakumin?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, as you probably know, a lot of people's lives are getting
screwed around with these days because there're people out there
who're dipping into the Registrar's databanks to get ancestral
profiles. Private investigators and the like, all answering to some
of the biggest businesses in the whole damn country. You can figure
how it usually turns out, can't you? You're not sure about someone,
so you contact a private eye. He dives into the records, then hauls
out what you need to know. *Boom!*" he makes an exploding motion
with his hand. "Guess what happens?"
"Like I said: it's stupid!" Ukyou shakes her head. "To believe
there are so many fuckin' anal-retentive jackasses running this
country. It's no wonder we're not getting anywhere these days."
"Got that right. But now, it's next to impossible to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because of a girl named Rinrin Hatoyama."
Ukyou blinks, then her eyes widen. "From Promised Island?!"
Seiichi stares at her. "How'd you know, Ukyou-san?!"
"Simple. Ataru Moroboshi's her half-brother."
Silence falls as he considers that, then he clicks his tongue.
"The things you learn these days," he puts fingers back to the
keyboard.
"So what did she do?"
"She created a nasty little programming mouse that links into
any computer that taps into the databanks in question," he explains.
"It doesn't do anything as long as you're just *looking* at the
records. But if you try to copy or memorize what's on your screen
to your own unit, the mouse unleashes an "erase" program that
prevents you from loading that onto either your hard drive or a
diskette. Real NEAT little bugger, too. It doesn't damage your
computer, but if you want to make copies of Registrar records for
yourself..." he snorts. "Forget it. It won't happen."
"And people're trying to do that?"
"Yep," Seiichi smirks. "I mean, this doesn't prevent people
from reading the records on-line. But if you can't draw out a hard
copy, you really can't really do spit about charging someone with
burakumin ancestry. If you try to approach the Registrar's
people to get that information out in the open, they'll ignore that
since it IS technically a violation of a person's right to privacy.
So..." he blinks. "Ah, here we are."
"Look for the Saotomes of Oomure-jima," Ukyou orders.
"Right."
He taps controls, then nods as a file comes up. "Okay, here we
are. Saotome family of Oomure district, city of Odawara, Kanagawa
prefecture. Three people currently listed. Ranma's the head of
house. Two others, Toshiko and Kumiko..." he pauses, then points.
"Look here, Ukyou-san."
Ukyou looks, then nods. "I expected that."
"Is this just a cosmetic thing or is this for real?" Seiichi
asks.
"It's for real. Though it IS pretty hard to accept after all
this time," she laments. "Thanks, sugar. I really appreciate
this."
"Sure thing, Ukyou-san."
"Seiichi?"
"Yeah?"
"DON'T tell ANYONE about this, okay?" she holds up a warning
finger, the tone in her voice telling him how she'd view his
disobedience.
He looks at her, then ruefully nods. "No problem..."
* * *
Ranma sighs as she turns Aeyek-hup'uk in a gentle arc, parrying
an imaginary attack from behind. The eunuch's blade is sheathed,
following a curious martial art form only a fanatically-inclined
spiritual race like the Noukiites could create: Pup'nik'et'-ch'e,
sheathed-sword fighting. Its founding principle was this: for
someone to be a TRULY decent person, one never drew a sword unless
one was prepared to kill. Of course, to learn Pup'nik'et'-ch'e,
one had to know how to handle an eunuch's sword OUT of its sheath.
Ranma learned that with Negako in Sanctuary after receiving Aeyek
and her sister blade, Et'a Yekaechsuch-at', from Ataru's daughters.
She side-steps as she uses the sheath to knock aside a thrust
to her heart, then turns to see Haruka gazing at her from the front
porch. "Oh, Haruka-chan!" Ranma grins at her fellow martial artist,
then slips Aeyek to her side as she walks back into the house. "Been
waiting long?"
"No, not really, Anegimi-sama," Haruka's cheeks redden. "Um,
wouldn't it have been better to practice with a bokken?"
"Nah! Negako introduced me to a really funny Art when we were
in Sanctuary. The Noukiites came up with an idea of fighting using
SHEATHED swords," she taps Aeyek's ironwood sheath. "Weird, huh?"
"Indeed," she nods after considering that, stepping out onto the
lawn to bring practice with her gunsen and naginata.
Once inside, Ranma notices several of the sisters already
digging into the leftover Portuguese bean soup from yesterday's
lunch. Ataru is in the kitchen with Negako and Shirayuki. The
grandmistress, Ranma quickly notes, is preparing some special herbal
tea. The looks on their faces, not to mention Chikage's and Sakuya's
-- the two oldest sisters standing by the refrigerator -- are grim.
"Is there something wrong?" Ranma wonders.
"It's Chigaiko-san, Onee-sama," Sakuya whispers.
"What about her?" Ranma tenses.
"She has acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia," Negako reports.
Silence falls as Ranma considers that, then shudders. "Can she
be helped?" she stares concernedly at Ataru.
"Not by conventional Earth medicine," Negako answers. "It has
progressed too far for standard chemotherapy to assist her, if
something as potentially damaging to the whole body as that can help
her."
"Onee-chan's not a believer in modern medicine," Ataru adds.
"The human body can be made to heal itself if it is only given
a proper chance to do so," Negako states. "Chemotherapy can easily
destroy the granular leukocytes in her blood stream, not to mention
the malignant cells in her bone marrow, but it does not flush the
remnants of those leukocytes from her body. With those fragments
in her body, a remission of the illness or the advance of a more
virulent illness is possible. What is needed for her to overcome
this is to have the malignancy taken OUT of her body. That will
require time, plus a complete blood transfusion."
"How long will it take?" Ranma asks.
"Some days. It is hard to predict. Furthermore, Chigaiko
must be emotionally supported as well. If she loses the will to
live..."
"Anything we do will ultimately be of no avail," Chikage
finishes, then straightens. "I'll make some arrangements of my own,
Ane-kun."
She walks out. "What do you suppose she has in mind?" Ranma
asks.
"Hopefully, something good," Ataru closes his eyes...
* * *
In the western section of Tomobiki, near the Mendou estate,
there is a row of townhouses lining a single-lane street. Nominally
residing in one of those townhouses is the Gekasawa family. At this
time, the only person living in the house full-time is Kumiko
Gekasawa. With the many disruptions in the Japanese economy over the
last two decades, her parents Kenjirou and Mami had been forced to go
on the road, exchanging a secure life with one of the area's larger
employers for the uncertainty being mobile salespeople for an
international household supply chain produced.
It certainly proved a lucrative life for the Gekasawas.
With some prudent budgeting and the permanent renunciation
of vacations abroad or other frivolous expenditures, Kenjirou was
able to keep a roof over his daughter's head, plus keep her well-fed
and clothed. With the help of their neighbours, Kumiko's parents
were able to spend many days away from Tomobiki to carry on their
work; there was not a day when either Mrs. Tani or Ms. Yokoyama
didn't come to the house to ensure all was well.
All was certainly NOT well now.
"Mendou-san..."
Kumiko sits up in her futon, gazing out the window as the
morning slowly progressed. Her eyes are awash in tears as her mind
replays one shocking scene from yesterday again and again and
again...
* * *
"Oh, Shutaro...?"
"H-hai!" Mendou stammered.
Chikage gazed at him. "I believe congratulations are in order."
"A-a-about...?"
"Your pending wedding to Asuka Mizunokoji..."
* * *
"Mendou-san..."
Kumiko quakes as she covers her face with hands, voice failing
as pained sobs wracked her. Shutaro Mendou. The most handsome
young man she had EVER laid eyes on. Getting married -- MARRIED,
by the gods! -- to that ANDROPHOBE Asuka Mizunokoji?! Why?! By all
that was holy, why?! WHY?!!
Married...
The strength in Kumiko's voice fails as she falls back on her
futon, gazing blankly at the lone fan rotating overhead. No. It
just wasn't the least bit FAIR! It was bad enough that Mendou had
often been distracted by that Oni to pay attention to the girls who
DID love and care for him. It was worse that Mendou had dated
Shinobu Miyaki for so long. It was even worse that Ataru Moroboshi
always did his damnedest to keep forcing Lum away from him, thus
potentially making it easier for Mendou to claim the Oni's heart for
himself. But for this to happen...! But for THIS...!!
Kumiko turns to her sides, curling in on herself as she tries
to fight off another avalanche of tears. "Mendou-san..."
* * *
"Kumiko-chan...?"
"What is it, Tomomi?"
Tomomi Yoshino, who had been watching over breakfast for her,
Kyooko Ikusawa and Minako Sawada, is now gazing out the window of
their apartment, located close to downtown. "Kumiko..." she
whispers.
"Tomomi, you okay?" Minako squeezes her friend's shoulder.
"I..." the brown-haired Avalonian starts on feeling Minako's
hand, then tries to focus on the woman she had met yesterday.
"I don't know..."
* * *
"So you think she's got a good chance?"
"With Onee-chan on the case? You can count on it," Ataru nods
as he and Ranma walk to school. They decided to leave earlier than
normal and take it easy today. "Still, it is pretty painful to
watch."
"What do you mean?"
"That for so long, she felt so alone in this world. She finally
comes to a place where she can make friends and put all the pain her
going to Tomobiki High caused her..." he shrugs. "And then THIS had
to happen!"
"Pits, huh?!"
"Got that right. And yet..."
"What?"
He gazes on her. "Everyone on this planet's got the potential
to make something really good of their lives. Yet how many of us
ever truly get the chance to DO exactly that, Ranma? Isn't that a
crime or what?!"
She considers that, then nods. "Yeah, you got a point. But
there's just so much damned GARBAGE in this life that gets in the
way."
"My point!" he holds up a finger. "You know that. I know that.
We've accepted it, then did something about it. But you know what?
There are people out there who just CAN'T stand the idea of others
making their lives so nice! So what do they do? They try and try to
do all they can to drag everyone down back into the muck! Isn't that
a crime or what?!"
Ranma hums, then nods. "Yeah, you're right. But..."
"What?"
"Wouldn't life get BORING if there're no challenges anymore?"
"I don't see it as boring."
"Oh, what do you see it as?" her eyebrow arches.
He winks at her. "I'll tell you when I figure it out myself!"
"Why, you...!!" she swings her bookcase at his head.
He dodges it, then both laugh as they continue to school.
Within fifteen minutes, the couple makes their way onto the main
street leading right to Furinkan High's front gates. Turning the
corner, they slow down on seeing a small crowd standing past the
gate. "Oh, hell!" Ranma mutters under her breath. "Don't those
morons ever get the damned hint?!"
"Don't think so..." Ataru tugs Ranma's shirt sleeve to guide
her into a side street. "C'mon..." he directs her to lean up against
a wall lining the lane, then looks around. "Jinseiko!" he calls out.
"You called out, Young Master?"
Ranma jolts on seeing Jinseiko Fusegu kneeling beside her.
"Yes, I did," Ataru nods. "What's the situation at the school now?"
"You have them keeping watch on the school?!" Ranma gapes.
He winks conspiratorially at her. "It is as you suspected,
Young Master," Jinseiko ignores Ranma's outburst. "Tatewaki Kunou
nor most of his friends did not accept Akane Tendou's rejection
of his proclamations concerning her. Early today, he proclaimed
that under NO circumstances would Akane-san be allowed in school
today unless she was forced to fight Kunou and his friends. Further,
due to Young Mistress Ranma's words in ethics class yesterday,
several boys in your class now desire to reprimand her for her
exposing what they considered 'private' business."
"Oh, terrific!" Ranma groans. "Ideas?"
Ataru gently rubs the hair covering his chin, then a smirk
crosses his face. "Jinseiko, could you go fetch Chikage for me?"
"Is there a problem, Ani-kun?"
Ranma yelps on seeing Chikage now standing next to Ataru. The
only reaction the sorceress' sudden appearance elicits from her
brother is a twitching eyebrow. Jinseiko leans over to whisper
in Ranma's ear, "Amazing how the Young Mistress Chikage DOES that,
isn't it?"
"Got that right!" Ranma nods.
By then, Chikage is looking around the corner at the crowd over
a hundred metres away. "My, it appears Kunou-san and his friends
have grown quite melancholy at Akane's absence," she titters
amusedly, then cants her head down a street. "And speaking of which,
there she is."
They look as Akane and Nabiki approach. On seeing the Tendou
sisters, Jinseiko quickly withdraws into the shadows; if the Young
Master or the Young Mistresses had need of her, she would be there
for them. "Oh, this is just going to be delightful," Ranma mutters.
"Oh, 'morning, Ataru-kun, Ranma-chan, Chikage-san!" Nabiki
waves.
"Obayun!!"
Nabiki jolts, then spins around. "Chieko...!!" she growls.
"Sorry," Chieko Fujii runs up to them, then points to the
school. "I hate to say this, Obayun, but Kunou's not taking 'no' for
an answer!"
"What do you mean?!" Akane demands.
Chieko explains. Hearing that, Akane quakes, then gnashing
her teeth, moves to storm to the school. "I'll show him...!"
"Akane-san, don't!"
Akane stops, spinning on Ataru. "Hey, this is my fight...!!"
"I know it's your fight in the end, but your fighting under
Bokken-for-brains' rules," he grins, gazing fondly on his sister.
"Chikage-chan, you once created a spell to ensure no one from
Tomobiki would ever come to Promised Island if they desired to do me
harm, did you not?"
"Yes, I did."
"Can you use it here? For both Akane-san and Ranma?"
"Easily enough. Oh, Ane-kun, these are for your classmates,"
she draws out an envelope, handing that to Ranma.
"Thanks!" Ranma slips that into her bookbag, then turns to
Akane. "Get your doogi out. It's time you got a chance to learn
the Umisen-ken."
Akane jolts, her eyes going wide as Ranma's words sink in, then
she looks down at the ground, her cheeks flaming. "Ranma..."
"Well, do you want to learn it or no?" Ranma asks.
Akane jolts, then nods. "Yes!"
"Let's go! Hey, Chikage, how long does this spell of yours need
to get set up properly?" Ranma motions Akane with her down the side
street.
"All I'd need from you two is a hair sample. I always keep a
vial of the actual potion with me at all times," the sorceress
holds out a hand.
"Chikage-san, were you ever a Girl Scout?"
"No, Nabiki, I wasn't. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering..."
* * *
"She should be here by now!" Daikun Takuichi grumbles, noting
that it was fifteen minutes before the final bell. He looks to one
of the members of the archery club, standing on the fence. "Do you
see her?!"
"Not a sign of...! Wait! There's Nabiki!" the man jolts,
pointing. "And Moroboshi's with her, along with some girl in a white
cape!"
The other members of the Horde, plus other people, tense. If
Nabiki was coming, Akane wouldn't be too far behind her. Once she
got here, then the Horde would set things right and matters would
carry on from there. None of the men here had any interest in
Moroboshi; by what people heard yesterday, he hadn't made a single
move on any girl all day. And if that other girl with Nabiki and
Ataru was one of Moroboshi's sisters, then the Horde would do
everything to stay VERY clear of her. Kunou himself had railed
yesterday about Ataru whipping out some huge alien gun at lunchtime,
ready to atomize the principal if he laid his barber shears on the
hair of one of Ataru's other sisters. *Jeez! How many sisters
has this guy got?!* the kendoist wonders. But the message had got
across plainly enough.
Daikun nods, gripping his bokken as he glances at the roof.
There are members of the kendo and archery clubs posted by the clock
tower; school rumour stated yesterday that Ranma, Ataru and Akane
had come to school via a big leap over the back fence. No, Akane
wouldn't be allowed to avoid this fight THAT way, not this time! And
Ranma...? Daikun snorts. He didn't know why there was a crowd from
Class 2-F out today ready to fight that cross-gender freak, nor did
he really care. Akane. Think of Akane. Akane Tendou is what
mattered now! Only Akane...
Nabiki steps past the gate, followed by Ataru. The caped girl
has her arm wrapped around his. *Yep,* Daikun nods. *His sister,
alright. Freaky-looking girl, too...* he notes the symbols on her
cape.
"HOLD, MOROBOSHI!!!!"
Ataru and Chikage ignore Kunou's thunderous outburst as they
carry on to the front doors. Not used to having anyone just IGNORE
him like this, the kendo team captain storms over to place himself
in their path...
...and he finds himself looking into THOSE eyes again!
"Tatewaki."
"Urk!!"
"Move. Aside. Now."
Kunou gargles, then sidesteps clear of the front path, giving
Chikage a VERY wide birth. The sorceress titters amusedly as she
beckons her Ani-kun with her, they following Nabiki inside. The
others on the front lawn blink, stunned speechless on seeing that odd
woman glare the Blue Thunder down, then one archer comments to a
would-be sumotori. "Man, I don't think Ataru-kun's EVER going to
have to protect that girl!!"
"Got that right, man!" the latter nods...
* * *
"You ever gonna ask that girl for a date, Dai?!"
"And risk her wrath AS WELL as Ataru-kun's, 'Roshi?!" Daisuke
pales. "Uh-uh! I like girls but I'm not interested in committing
suicide!"
Hiroshi nods as much of Class 2-F stand by the windows, almost
all holding their breaths as they wait for this morning's drama to
play out. "I hope Akane-chan'll be okay," Sayuri mutters, she
standing beside Yuka. "I can't BELIEVE Kunou's so damned arrogant,
he ignores everything Akane-chan says! Who does that bastard think
he is?!"
"B.A.O.C., Sayuri-chan. 'Big asshole on campus,'" Ukyou smirks.
"Why doesn't Ranma-kun fight him and get it over with?!" another
guy asks near the teacher's desk. "That's the way it worked before!"
"Did any of you ever think to thank Ranma for doing something
like that? Or have you always felt that thanks weren't really
necessary?"
Eyes turn as the door opens, revealing Ataru and Chikage.
"Hey, Ataru-kun, where's Ranma?" Hiroshi asks as Ataru takes his
seat.
"Be here soon," Ataru stretches himself as Chikage posts an
ofuda on the wall beside the main doors. "That the last one?"
"Hai, Ani-kun, all in place. You can drop your cloaks now."
People scream as the air near Ataru fizzles, revealling
Ranma and Akane in the Densetsu no Doogi. As the others in the class
watch, both walk to the ofuda on the wall, then touch it. A small
burst of chi floods the paper card, then they turn to Chikage.
"Is that it?" Akane asks.
The sorceress blinks as a pained scream echoes from outside.
That is quickly joined by other screams both outside and inside the
school. The people in the class wince, many plugging their ears as
that agonizing wail increases in tempo to the point where the windows
begin to vibrate. Then the screams fade almost as quickly as they
started. People look around the room, then scramble for the windows
to look out. "Holy shit...!" Hiroshi gasps, then stares wide-eyed
at Chikage. "What did you do...?"
"A variation of a spell I constructed to protect personal
property from unwanted theft," the sorceress glances at Sayuri.
"I believe Asano-san got a taste of it yesterday. I prepared special
ofudas for those who asked Ane-kun about it in physical education
class yesterday."
Sayuri gives the sorceress a stare of death. An icy "So what's
YOUR big problem?" glance from Chikage nearly makes Akane's friend
dive out the window. "So what do THESE do?" Yuka points to the one
by the door.
"Once boosted by chi energy from either Akane-san or Ane-kun,
it will project a psychic aura of HATE into the hearts of those who,
at the moment this happens, have..." a wry smile crosses her face,
"...any dishonest or potentially dark thoughts towards Akane-san
or Ane-kun."
The others in the class consider that, then look back outside.
Right now, the various members of the Horde are passed out, their
skins as white as sheets as unseeing eyes look towards the heavens.
"This won't kill them, will it?!" Yuka turns back to Chikage,
pointing outside.
"No," Chikage shakes her head. "I put a special safeguard
spell in the ofudas to prevent that from happening. I do not believe
Akane-san or Ane-kun would like to have anyone's deaths hovering
over their heads, even the death of a blind narcissist like Tatewaki
Kunou." She turns to Ranma and Akane. "They should recover sometime
after the late bell rings. I wonder how many of them would enjoy
bucket duty. If you'll excuse me."
She vanishes. The others watch her go, then look on Ataru.
"Man, I hate to say this, Ataru-kun, but that's one far-out sister
you got there!" Hiroshi muses as people make their way to their
seats.
"Hai, I know," Ataru smiles as Akane allows the Doogi to
separate from her, she now clothed in her school uniform. "At least
I've got ONE sister I don't have to worry about protecting.
I'm working on the others now..." his voice picks up, "...so don't
ANYONE get any funny ideas!!"
The boys tense on hearing that, then rapidly nod, remembering
what happened yesterday at lunchtime when Shirayuki came to visit...
* * *
The Mendou estate...
"So do you understand these instructions?"
"Yes, Master," the leader of the group of ten Kuromegane
replies as they all bow to Hajime Mendou. "It will be carried out."
"Off with you, then."
"Hai, Master! Excuse us, please!" they all chant.
The bodyguards withdraw from the sitting room. "Father, do you
really believe dragging Onii-san away from a potentially
'embarrassing' situation will sit well with his classmates at
school?" Ryooko asks.
"My daughter, much that it was quite amusing to see all those
girls fawn over Shutaro, the time has come for him to face his
responsibilities to the Clan and the Conglomerate," Hajime looks
knowingly at her. "And while traditionally, the practice of keeping
mistresses was accepted for those of our stature, I believe in the
long run, Shutaro would prefer to keep his inner lusts solely focused
on Asuka-chan. Wouldn't you agree?"
Ryooko considers that, then shrugs. "Perhaps. But still..."
"What bothers you, child?"
"Would Onii-san be thinking that if Moroboshi-kun had kept to
his old ways?" a curious smile crosses the younger Mendou's face.
Hajime blinks, then hums. "Hard to say..."
* * *
"Ohayou, Shinobu-chan."
"Ohayou, Ryuu-chan. So where WERE you last night?"
Ryuunosuke gags on seeing the knowing look on her friend's
face, then waves her hands in denial. "Now, hold on here, Shinobu!!
It ain't like THAT, for heaven's sake! I just slept over with
Saki-chan...!"
"Oh? And did you share a futon last night?" Shinobu muses.
An unintelligible garble escapes the tomboy's lips as they walk
up the front pathway into Tomobiki High, that soon echoed by
Shinobu's gay laughter. Soon arriving at the third floor, Shinobu
quickly notes the woman waiting by the door to their classroom.
"Minako-chan, ohayou!"
"Ohayou, Shinobu-chan, Ryuunosuke-san," Minako nods, then
quickly senses something wrapped around the former like a shroud.
"Oh! And what were YOU doing last night with Kaeru-kun? Confess,
girl!" she points accusingly at her new friend. "I smell SEX all
over you!"
Shinobu awks, her face now as white as a sheet. "Oh?!"
Ryuunosuke then hums knowingly. "So what're you doin' buggin' ME all
the time about what goes on between Saki-chan and I, Shinobu?!
Start talkin', girl!!"
"Hey, hey, HEY!!" she waves her hands in an attempt at
deflecting Minako's and Ryuunosuke's questions. "It wasn't anything
like that!"
"Hmmmm...?" the rose-haired Avalonian's eyebrow arches, then she
exchanges a look with Ryuunosuke. "I think she's hiding something."
"Sounds like it," the tomboy taunts as she heads into class.
Shinobu mutters something under her breath...
* * *
*This should be enough...*
Kumiko sits on a closed toilet seat as she gazes on the pile of
sleeping pills in her hand. A pile FAR too large for anyone to
sanely digest at any one WEEK, much less any day. In her pocket
was a note she would lay on her desk. Shuddering as a icy knife of
fear cuts through her heart, she takes a deep breath, then swallows
the pills with the help of a canteen of water. Once that is done,
she rises, flushing the toilet to allay any suspicions from anyone
who might've been in the washroom at that time. Taking a deep
breath, she turns, heading to class...
* * *
"I really would insist you remove this from the classroom."
"But, Sensei..."
Hinako Ninomiya holds up a hand to cut off a protest from either
Akane or Ranma. It is near the end of homeroom period, just before
geography class is about to begin. "Much that I truly understand
where both of you are coming from, the fact that you went to THIS
extreme..." she indicates the ofuda now hanging by the doorway,
"...to deal with Kunou-kun and his friends could easily rebound
on you both quite badly."
"How so?" Ranma crosses her arms. "Are you saying we should
just stand there and TAKE that sort of mindless abuse from everyone?"
The teacher shakes her head. "No, of course not. But you DO
have your chi-masking technique, Saotome-kun. And I see you've
taught that technique to Tendou-kun. A responsible thing to do. Use
that instead and leave dealing with those delinquents to me," she
points to herself.
"I..." Ranma blinks, then sighs. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I don't
like the idea of shrugging this on you even if it IS the proper
thing. What's to stop some of these dorks from trying to bushwhack
you in return?"
"And risk expulsion for assaulting a teacher?"
Ranma and Akane exchange a look, then the former sighs, reaching
over to draw the ofuda off the wall. "With some of the characters
here, Sensei, I'm not sure something like THAT'd stop them," she
warns.
The bell rings. "Your warning is noted, Saotome-kun,"
Hinako nods as she proceeds to collect her books, then head to her
first class.
As students start to chat in the short break before the
geography teacher arrives, Akane and Ranma sit down. "So it's
alright for fifty-plus guys to ambush someone on the front lawn
before class begins, but it's not alright to defend yourself from
said group of guys?" the former slips the ofuda into her pocket,
then leans her chin into the palm of her hand. "Man, I am going to
rejoice SO much when I leave this place!"
"I suppose I can't blame you for feeling that way, Ranma,"
Akane sighs. "It makes me envious of you, believe it or not."
"Why? Because you can't move out of this place?"
"Hai. According to the school rulebook, the only surefire
way to transfer out of this school is to move into a different
district."
"Typical," Ranma shakes her head.
"Oh, don't mind it too much, Ranma," Ataru smirks.
"Why'd you say that?"
"How quick we forget there are MANY more ofudas lurking around
the rest of the school," he winks conspiratorally at them. "And
those are ones only you or Akane-san can touch, remember? All you
have to do is play your cards perfectly and by the time we leave this
place, you'd probably swear even KUNOU away from pawing after
Akane-san ever again."
Ranma and Akane blink, then exchange a look. In nearby desks,
some of the boys who were victims of Chikage's hate spell cringe.
Suddenly, the sounds of hydraulic gears and rollerblades echoing
from the hallway. "What the hairy heck is THAT?!" Ukyou demands,
bolting to her feet.
A gushing cheer. "WAAAAAAAAAAI!!!! WHAT A CUTE ROBOT!!!!"
Running footsteps. "HAVE AT THEE, EVIL AUTOMATION!!!!"
More footsteps. "HEY!!! LEAVE MEGA-CHAN ALONE, YOU CREEP!!!!"
"Rinrin-chan!!!" Ataru bolts up, racing to the doorway.
Others in the class quickly clear a path; many are quick to
realize after encountering Shirayuki and Chikage that hearing such
a personal form of address from Ataru HAD to spell another sister
of his now on school grounds. He throws the door open to see
Mega-Rinrin nearby, one clawed arm raised to fend of a barrage of
bokken strikes from Tatewaki Kunou. Rinrin herself is trying to pry
off a giggling Hinako Ninomiya in child-form from her large
creation's left leg. Seeing Mega-Rinrin, the others in Ataru's
class can only gape in shock. "Vile automation!!!" Kunou bellows
as he tries his thousand-strike attack on Mega-Rinrin. "How dare you
enchant an innocent teacher with your hideous wickedness?!!"
Interpreting his words, Rinrin stops pulling on Hinako, glaring
at the kendoist. "Hey!!! Who the heck're you calling Mega-chan
'vile,' you narcissistic dork?!!" she rails, then looks up.
"Mega-chan!!!"
"*Yes - A.ne.ki?*" a flat voice echoes from the robot.
"Manoeuvre Six," she points to Kunou.
"*At - once - A.ne.ki.*"
A clawed hand snares Kunou by the sides of his head, then he is
pitched out an open window to take a swim. By then, Ataru has come
up. "So you finally gave him the ability to speak, eh?!" he smiles.
"Yeah! Isn't it neat, Aniki?!" Rinrin giggles delightedly.
"What the heck are you doing here anyway, Rinrin-chan?"
Ranma asks. "We got classes on now...! Oh, hi, Tachibana-sensei!"
"It's alright, Saotome-kun," Mr. Tachibana, the geography
teacher, chuckles as he gazes up on Mega-Rinrin. "My, what a
magnificent construct. I assume you're the one who created him?"
he gazes on Rinrin.
"Hai!!" Rinrin blushes, then blinks as Hinako tugs her sleeve.
"What is it?" she stares down at the child-like teacher.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but Mega-chan's upset about
something," Hinako stage-whispers to Rinrin, then points to
Mega-Rinrin.
Rinrin looks up. "What's wrong, Mega-chan?"
"*This - u.nit - is - sor.ry - A.ne.ki,*" the robot bows to its
creator. "*But - this - u.nit - wish.es - that - A.ne.ki - could
- have - pro.grammed - this - u.nit - to - pro.per.ly - blush.*"
Everyone balks on hearing that. Rinrin laughs. "Okay, enough
of that! What's wrong, Rinrin-chan?" Ataru waves the teen genius
down.
She blushes. "Um, I'm really sorry to bug you about this,
Aniki. But I was going to go back to the Island today. I mean,
Chikage told me about those synthezoids Grandmama had made and I've
just GOT to take a look at the one that wasn't finished up, the one
Chikage sent to the island. You know what I mean, don'tcha? But..."
she looks at the floor.
"Rinrin, I thought we were going to KICK this little habit of
yours," his eyebrow arches, then reaches into his pocket. "Oh, here
you go," he hands her a bank debit card. "Don't spend it all at
once, okay?!"
Rinrin brightens, then beams. "Really?! Arigatou, Aniki!!"
she lunges over to knock him down with a hug. "You're the
greatest!!!"
Everyone smirks on seeing this Kodak moment, then jolt on
hearing an enraged bellow echo from down the hallway. "VILE, DEMONIC
MACHINE, YOU HAVE NOT VANQUISHED THE BLUE THUNDER YET!!!!" a soaked
Kunou screams.
"See you later, Aniki!" Rinrin hops into Mega-Rinrin's
arms. "Go!"
"*At - once - A.ne.ki.*"
The robot races off BACKWARDS to the stairwell. Kunou doesn't
fully realize what is happening in time to avoid being rudely
bodychecked by over five hundred kilograms of duranium-reinforced,
nickel-chrome steel. The hapless kendoist is sent flying out of the
building once again, this time smashing into a cherry tree. "Hey,
you jerk!! Get out of the way next time!!!" Rinrin screams out as
she and Mega-Rinrin race down the stairs.
"Oooh!!" Hiroshi shakes his head. "That's just gotta SMART!!"
"Too bad for him," Daisuke smirks.
Laughter fills the hallway, then Ranma gazes knowingly at Ataru
as they head back into class. "Ataru, I hope you gave her enough!
You KNOW that girl goes through money like she had the keys to Fort
Knox!!"
"Well, technically, it was my grandmother's money," Ataru shrugs
as they sit down. "And since she's dead, what better way to put it
to use than to let my sister indulge her creative fantasies?!
Besides, she'll need the practice for when she finally goes to MIT or
CalTech!"
Ranma considers that, then nods. "True."
* * *
"Kumiko-chan, are you okay? Kumiko-chan..."
Kumiko seems to sway as Mark Onsen drones on with English class.
Everyone else in the room is silent, most raptly paying attention
to their books. Ever since Lum's departure -- and especially
now with the Oni's "death," not to mention the deaths of Megane and
his friends -- the vice-principal has begun to crack down HARD on
students misbehaving. But that doesn't stop Momoe from trying to
help her best friend stay awake.
In her chair, Tomomi Yoshino glances frequently at the
raven-haired teen she had befriended the day before. Kumiko had been
looking very pale since she came into class today. Frequently
had her hand risen up to her forehead to wipe away non-stop
perspiration. And now she looked ready to fall dead asleep in the
middle of English class. Dead asleep...
Asleep...
Oh, no!
"Kumiko-chan!!!"
Everyone gasps as Tomomi bounds over a row of seats to land
beside Kumiko just as the latter teeters over. "Yoshino, what are
you...?!" Onsen spins on her, then jolts as Kumiko lands in the
Avalonian's arms.
"Someone, get Sakura-sensei up here!!!" Kyooko Ikusawa screams
as she rushes over to help Tomomi lift Kumiko into the clear.
Ryuunosuke is already moving to race out. "Now, just a
minute...!!" Onsen sputters as the tomboy throws open the door.
"Sensei, be part of the solution or get out of the way!!" Minako
runs up as her friends lay Kumiko out on the teacher's desk.
Mendou is beside them right away. "What can I do?!"
"Call an ambulance!!!" Tomomi feels Kumiko's pulse.
Mendou flips open his cell-phone as other students begin to
rise, many starting to chatter excitedly. Onsen moves to force them
back into their chairs with his bokken stick. Sakura races into the
room, first aid bag in hand. "What happened?!" she demands as
Ryuunosuke steps in.
"She just fainted!" Tomomi gently opens Kumiko's mouth, then
peers into it. "Oh, damn!!" she hisses. "Look for a pill bottle!!"
Kyooko and Minako pat her down, then the former pulls out a
small bottle from her skirt pocket. "Here it is!!" she hands it to
Sakura.
The nurse scans the information there. "Placadyl!!" she hisses,
then looks around the room. "Someone call an ambulance!!"
"Mendou's already...!" Tomomi looks up, then her jaw drops as
she scans around the room. "Where the hell's Mendou-san?!"
Everyone freezes on noticing that a certain student in a white
uniform is NOT present. "He was here just a second ago!" Shinobu
gasps.
"I saw him get dragged off by a bunch of jokers in black suits
and Ray-ban sunglasses," Mie Seikou points outside. "There he is!!"
People crowd to the windows as Sakura and the three Avalonians
turn back to carry on with first aid to Kumiko...
* * *
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOTS?!?! LET ME GO!!!"
"We are truly sorry, Young Master. Your father has ordered
this!" one of the Kuromegane grunts as they carry Mendou away from
the school to a waiting limousine past the front gates. "Did someone
get that suicide note the girl left behind?!" he barks out to his
co-workers.
"I have it!" another orders.
"CHECKY!!!!"
A digital camera flash goes off. The bodyguards scream out as
the bright light distracts them enough for Yotsuba to act. The
detective ducks around the massed Kuromegane, her hand plunging
into the pocket of the one who spoke out. As he tries to bash her
away, she aims her camera at his face and triggers the flash again.
He screams out, automatically covering his eyes as she pulls the note
clear, then springs for the school. "Come back here, girl!!!"
another of the bodyguards reaches for his pistol.
Before the Kuromegane could react, invisible hands reach into
their jackets to yank out their pistols, they soon floating in
mid-air. The men scream out as a woman clothed in slacks and button
shirt lands before them, her eyes ablaze with burgundy fire.
"Shutaro, are you alright?!"
"Yes!" Mendou pulls himself clear of the men sworn to protect
him, then moves to stand beside Seiko Izumo. "What is the MEANING
of this?!" he glares the Kuromegane down. "Who told you to take me
out of the school?!"
"Your father ordered this, Young Master," the group's leader
bows. "He suspected that several of your female classmates might
contemplate suicide upon hearing the public announcement of your
wedding to Mistress Asuka. You were to be removed from the school
to prevent embarrassment from falling on the Conglomerate and the
families before such happened."
Mendou blinks, then sighs, holding up his cell-phone. "And the
call I was trying to make to get an ambulance here to help
Kumiko-san?!"
"Your cell-phone was deactivated. Also at your father's order."
The scion of one of Japan's richest families gazes wide-eyed
at his protectors as the unspoken message sinks in. Seiko gazes at
him, quickly sensing the cauldron of confusion, disbelief and raw
fury building up deep inside his heart. "Go inside," she whispers,
squeezing his shoulder.
Mendou jolts, then nodding thanks, races off. "Young Master,
you can't...!!" one of the Kuromegane screams out...
...then they all find their mouths slammed shut by Nendo-kata
telekinesis. "You better pray that girl is still alive, gentlemen,"
Seiko glares at them, her eyes burning like twin supernovae.
"If she is not, then there will be many people who will be VERY upset
at you sub-creatures. Not to mention the one who sent you here on
your fool's errand!"
* * *
"Who's that girl holding off those bodyguards?!" Mie asks.
"A friend of ours," Shinobu then jolts as the door opens,
revealing a girl in clothes that wouldn't seem out of place for a
Sherlock Holmes adventure, she accompanying one of Ataru's synthetic
replicas.
"Ken-chan, check her out!!" Yotsuba orders.
"Hai, Ane-chama!" Kenshiro nods, slipping past Sakura as he
poises himself by Kumiko's head. "Excuse me, ladies!" his hands
reach out to touch her pale skin, then his eyes glow an eerie crimson
as energy seems to encompass his fingertips to quickly encase Kumiko
from head to toe.
"What's he doing?!" Sakura turns to Yotsuba.
"Yotsuba's not sure," the would-be detective holds up her
spy-glass to observe the synthezoid in action. "But Yotsuba thinks
this is a special way for Ken-chan to checky-checky anyone who's
hurt."
"She ingested almost seventy sleeping pills," Kenshiro reports.
"SEVENTY?!?!" Sakura shrills as Mendou steps inside.
"Mendou-san, what happened?!" Momoe runs over to him.
Mendou waves her down. "A little later, Momoe-san, please.
Does anyone have a cell-phone with him? Mine was deliberately
shut down."
"Why?!" Shinobu's jaw drops.
"Ane-chama!"
"What is it, Ken-chan?!" Yotsuba moves to stand beside Tomomi.
"The pills are starting to badly affect her brain's autonomous
controls," the synthezoid reports. "If something's not done soon,
she'll have a heart seizure and die. I can stop it, but I need
to..."
"Whatever!!" Yotsuba snaps. "Check it, Ken-chan!!!"
"Hai!" Kenshiro nods as he holds up a finger.
Everyone watching this gasps as a burning energy blade, about
forty centimetres long, juts out from the tip of his index finger.
Accompanying that is the *vrmmm!* one might associate with an
activating lightsabre from "Star Wars." "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!"
Sakura shrieks as Kenshiro turns Kumiko's head, the blazing tip of
that vibro-blade now over her jugular.
"Saving her life!!" Kenshiro snaps as he gently thrusts the
blade into Kumiko's neck. "There..." he grimaces, withdrawing
the blade.
"Real fast," Yotsuba observes.
"They're supposed to be," Kenshiro immediately sheathes the
vibro-blade, then places his fingertips on Kumiko's head, that
strange glow once again forming around her body. "Alright, then..."
"Kenshiro-kun, what did you just do?" Shinobu wonders.
"I injected some medicinal nanites into Kumiko-san's body,
Shinobu-sama," he reports, then continues as many of the class begin
to whisper among themselves. "Right now, they're being pumped to
every part of her body through the heart to intercept and destroy
the various drugs trying to inhibit Kumiko-san's nervous system from
operating properly."
"How long?" Sakura wonders.
"Not very long. Once it's done, we can move her to your office
so you can give her a more detailed examination if you wish."
The nurse balks, then grudgingly nods. By then, Yotsuba is
fishing out a folded note from her skirt pocket. "You better check
this out, Sakura-sensei," she walks over to hand it to Sakura. "One
of Mendou's guards tried to swipe it away before someone else could
check it."
Sakura takes the note, then opens it to read. Mie walks up,
folding her cell-phone up and slipping it into her pocket.
"Ambulance's on the way," she reports, then gazes at Mendou. "You
better have a long chat with your bodyguards, friend. Crap like that
is NOT good, y'know!"
"Indeed I will, Mie-san," Mendou icily vows, his fists
clenching. "Not to mention having a talk with some other people."
Hearing that declaration, the uncertain looks on the faces of
many of his female classmates vanish, replaced immediately with
relieved smiles. Sakura finishes with the note, then walks over to
Mendou. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Shutaro, but you
better have a read of this."
He takes it, then moves to read. "There!!" Kenshiro calls out.
A barking cough escapes Kumiko's lips. "Kumiko-chan!!"
Momoe and Tomomi scream as people move to crowd around the teacher's
desk.
"Give her room!!!" Kenshiro barks, making many of the students
back off as he turns back to Kumiko. "Kumiko-chan, are you alright?"
Her eyes flutter, she finding herself staring into his face.
"Wh-who...?" she sputters, then coughs a few more times.
"Kenshiro-kun...?"
The synthezoid smiles. "You gave us all quite a fright today,
Kumiko-chan," a wry chuckle escapes him, then he glances at the
school nurse. "With your gracious permission, Sakura-sensei...?"
"Wait!!"
Eyes lock on Mendou as he walks up. Gently grasping Kumiko's
hand, he holds it close to his chest as he stares on her. She weakly
looks at him, eyes brimming with tears. He shudders, then bows low,
clearly ready to prostrate himself before her to make his point.
"Kumiko-san, please, PLEASE, I beg you!! Do not do this again!
Please, Kumiko-san!"
Kumiko shudders as his pleas cut through to her heart, then a
pained sob escapes her as she curls into herself. Instantly,
Tomomi moves to comfort her as Minako guides Mendou clear.
Exchanging a knowing look with Tomomi, Kenshiro poises himself to
Kumiko's other side. Together, they lift the ill student off the
teacher's desk, then carry her out of the room. Sakura follows
them out of the room, she followed by Yotsuba. The others watch them
go, then Onsen moves to restore order to the class.
*Gods, what have I done?!* Mendou wonders as he returns to his
seat. *What in the name of all that is holy that I've done...?*
* * *
Outside, Seiko gazes on her old classroom, a sad smile crossing
her face. The Kuromegane had long been let go, they chased off to
the Mendou estate by the expat Urusian-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran.
"Truth hurts, doesn't it, Shutaro?" she lightly nods...
* * *
Morning recess...
"Yes, I understand that," Ataru speaks into his cell-phone,
now in the hallway beside Class 2-F. "Do you think she's going to
make a full recovery, Chikage-chan?" A pause, then he grimly nods.
"Yeah, gotcha. Okay, tell Yotsuba-chan to do what she feels is
right. Yeah, 'bye!" he cuts the link, then slips his cell-phone
back into his pocket. "Damn!"
"What happened?" Ranma steps out.
He glances at her, then stares out the window. "Kumiko
Gekasawa, one of the girls from my old class who has a big crush on
Mendou," he reports. "She nearly swallowed a whole bottle of
sleeping pills this morning after she found out that Sword-for-brains
and Asuka were finally moving to tie the knot. Chikage sensed it
right away, then sent Yotsuba down to check it out with the help of
one of those synth doubles of mine."
"Oh, shit!" she grimaces. "She gonna be okay?"
"Physically, she'll recover," he nods. "Mentally, though..."
"Damn!"
"MOROBOSHI!!!!"
Ataru tries not to groan as he senses a bokken fly at his face.
A finger parries it as he barks, "***SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU!!!!***"
The wooden blade instantly shatters, fragments buzzing like
canister fire from an artillery piece to fly out the window. The
back blast of the Heart Blast Touch is enough to seemingly daze his
attacker. "That...!" Kunou grunts as nausea overwhelms him. "Didn't
hurt..."
He drops to the floor. "Kunou no baka!!" Ranma shakes her head.
"Can't he just damn hell give up and leave us be?!"
"He needs something stronger to remind him, I guess," Ataru
shrugs as they move to head back into the classroom.
"HOLD, MOROBOSHI!!!!"
"...which I didn't seem to give him now," his eyebrows twitch
before turning to gaze on a quivering kendo team captain, he having
drawn a fresh bokken. "Yes, Kunou-san, what do you want?" Ataru
crosses his arms.
Kunou sneers. "First, you will address me as 'sempai,'
Moroboshi!"
Ataru blinks, then sighs. "Fine, Baka-sempai. What do you
want?"
Inside the class, people start to giggle. "BE SILENT!!!!"
Kunou roars them down, then turns back to Ataru. "Now..."
"Excuse me, Sempai, but can I ask you something?"
Kunou stops. Well, this was a bit better. "That is?"
"Do you, by any chance, take stupid pills in the morning?
Or is your chronic refusal to accept reality an actual medical
condition?!"
Silence.
"Wha...?!" Kunou pales, then flushes bright crimson.
"SWINE!!!!"
He lunges into his thousand-strike attack, then quickly notes
that Ataru has vanished. "COWARD!!! FIGHT ME LIKE...!!!" he spins
around...
...right into Ataru's open-hand slap that nearly knocks him off
his feet. People in the class gape in shock; whenever someone had
fought Kunou before, no one had EVER slapped him. Kunou shakes his
head as dizziness nearly overwhelms him, then moves to straighten
himself. Before he could poise himself to launch a new attack,
Ataru's finger jabs the kendoist's wrist, making him drop his bokken.
A hand grabs him by the throat, then Ataru pours on the pressure
like a runaway vise. Kunou croaks as his air is choked off, his skin
paling as he tries to wrench Ataru's hand away from his throat.
Ataru's classmates are speechless on seeing the principal's
son being so easily wrestled down by the newest member of their
class.
"'Coward'...?" Ataru hisses, then his eyes narrow. "Don't."
People blink on hearing that flat-toned order, then they look
some distance behind Ataru. There, members of the kendo club now
stand, shinai and bokken at the ready to help their leader. Seeing
that, Ranma steps into the hallway, putting herself between Ataru
and Kunou's friends. Chi coalesces in her hands as an icy smile
crosses her face. "Care to try your luck, boys?" she sweetly smiles
as she allows the chi balls to merge.
Seeing THAT, the kendoists pale, several taking a fearful step
away from Ranma. Ataru glances at them, then turns back to Kunou.
"'Coward,' you call me?" a wry grin crosses his face as he eases off
the pressure, his free hand jabbing the shiatsu points that would
immobilize Kunou's arms. "Well, believe it or not, Kunou-sempai,
you're right. I AM a coward!"
He lets go of Kunou's throat, then jabs a shiatsu point to lock
up his larynx. "For over a year-and-a-half when I was living in
Tomobiki, I was a coward," he emotionlessly declares. "Not wanting
to accept what was going on around me. Not wanting to accept that
a certain alien girl's love for me was the best thing that ever
HAPPENED to me in all of my worthless life. Not wanting to accept
that all my 'girl-hunts' was tantamount to STALKING." He nods.
"Yeah, you're pretty dead on about that, Sempai. I was a coward.
And what was worse, I kept running from trying to accept the truth
about what I did and why. That, as I'm sure all of us here today
can readily agree, is the worst form of cowardice. No denying that.
"And then I learned I couldn't run away anymore."
Everyone is silent as Ataru unbuttons his jacket. Next comes
the shirt, leaving only a white muscle shirt underneath. "Look
there," he points to the wound in the hollow pit of his right
shoulder, ignoring the shocked gasps from many of the girls in class.
"Tell me something, Sempai. Have you ever been SHOT in the defence
of your whole PLANET before?"
Kunou shudders, stunned as his eyes lock on that jagged crater
of semi-healed flesh. His eyes then dance over Ataru's exposed
arms, quickly marking the places where the skin is cut by what had to
be a very sharp sword. "Guess not," Ataru tilts the kendoist's
head up so they can look at each other eye-to-eye. "And believe
me, it damn hell HURTS at times. Both in the body, as a way to
remind me of what being stupid in the middle of a damned GUN FIGHT
can cost, especially against people who look on you as less than
human..." he glares Kunou down, "...and in the soul when you realize
that the ONLY way you can get out of that ALIVE is to do the one
thing no sane person never would EVER wish to do. That,
Kunou-*san*..." his voice drips with contempt at the honorific,
"...is to kill."
Ataru steps back from Kunou, the latter sliding to his knees
as the words the former just spoke start to sink in. "And by the
way, I'm not the only killer in this classroom." His finger points
to Ranma. "There stands a person who had to kill an
honest-to-goodness GOD to save the life of your precious 'fierce
tigress,'" he indicates Akane. "And that act will mark Ranma for the
rest of her life, just like all the things I've done in the time I
left Tomobiki will mark me for the rest of MY life.
"And yes, even now, I am a coward."
"No, you're not, sugar..."
"Mind your peace, Kuonji-san!" Ataru looks at Ukyou.
The chef balks, then bows her head. "Sorry."
He nods in acceptance, then turns to Kunou. "As I said, even
now, I'm a coward. And that's because of one simple thing. After
all I went through in Tomobiki, I came to learn that my father --
atop me, the son his wife ALWAYS wished she never gave birth to! --
fathered twelve daughters out of wedlock. And even though they sure
had better lives than I did, even though they could have rejected
me for all the crap I did in Tomobiki -- and we know how well the
press loved to harp on THAT, don't we?! -- they didn't. What DID
they do? They accepted me as their brother, as part of their family.
And they came to love me with all their hearts and souls.
"So when I see someone like YOU berating Mega-Rinrin,
a robot my sister Rinrin poured her heart out to create ON HER OWN,
all just because Ninomiya-sensei, who's been through a load of
garbage on her own, thought he was cute..." he stabs Kunou in the
forehead, "I get VERY angry.
"And even though many would say that **I** really have no right
to judge matters concerning others in matters like this, I also get
angry whenever I see you try to harass my good friend there," Ataru
points to Ranma, then Akane. "And believe me, Kunou-san, you don't
WANT to know how I feel about you deliberately ignoring an oath she
made in her MOTHER'S memory just because you've got this insane crush
on her!"
His finger lands on Kunou's forehead. "And by the way,
Kunou-san. When you have experienced, both with your eyes and your
soul, the slaughter of THREE BILLION people in the time it takes me
to snap my fingers..." he snaps his fingers in emphasis, "...THEN
talk to me about cowardice."
Grabbing Kunou by what is left of his top, Ataru shoves him
toward his clubmates. "The shiatsu locks on his shoulders and voice
will wear off around lunchtime," he warns. "Keep him out of my
face."
The other boys fearfully nod as they move to drag Kunou off.
"One more thing," Ataru takes his shirt from Ranma, making the
kendoists freeze.
They stare warily at him. Ataru lightly smiles, then graciously
bows to Akane. "With your most gracious permission, Akane-ojousama."
Akane's cheeks turn bright cherry on being formally addressed
as "Lady Akane." "Um...!" she sputters, then nods. "S-sure,
Ataru-san!"
"Thank you," Ataru nods, then glares at the kendoists again.
"The 'Fight for Akane's Heart' ends TODAY!!" he snaps. "Pass it on
to everyone who's also involved in that! And if they got a problem
with it...?" an icy smile then crosses his face, "...warn them that
I fight to KILL." Many in the kendo club blanch on hearing that.
"Now go," Ataru waves them off.
They retreat at the double-quick. Ataru sighs, then slips on
his shirt before noticing everyone staring awestruck at him. "What?
Did I say something wrong?" his eyebrow arches as he buttons his
shirt.
People exchange looks, then Yuka flusters, "Um, Ataru-kun,
that point about you seeing three billion people die...?" she pauses.
"It's true."
Silence falls as they consider that. Hiroshi walks over to
place a hand on Ataru's shoulder. "How the hell do you live with
yourself?"
He smiles. "Hiroshi, I have an adopted sister and twelve
half-sisters who love me very much, a very good person I'm honoured
to call a friend..." he indicates Ranma, "...and I live my life a day
at a time."
Ataru takes his jacket, then heads into the classroom as the
warning bell heralding the end of recess rings. People quickly
get out of his way, though they get a respectful bow in return.
Ranma remains in the hallway, then sighs, heading inside herself.
Soon enough, people start to chat with each other, then quiet down
as the history teacher comes inside. "Good morning, everyone,"
Mr. Kimihara calls out. "Ready for a new class?"
"Hai!!" the students chant enthusiastically.
"Good! Let's get started."
As people ready themselves for class, Ranma relaxes in her
chair. Gazing at Ataru for a moment, she jots a quick note down,
then hands it to him. He reads it: DO YOU THINK KUNOU GOT THE
MESSAGE THAT TIME?
Ataru blinks, then staring at Ranma, shrugs. Noting that, Ranma
nods as she turns back to her own books. Ten minutes later, a note
lands on her desk from Akane. She gazes at her ex-fiancee.
Akane gives her a pleading look. Ranma takes that in, then opens
the note to read:
"Ranma,
"Negako-san told us everything last night. About your bond to
Ataru-san, what Jusenkyou REALLY did to you and everything else.
"We can't begin to say anything that can express how we feel
now. We still love you and care for you. We always will.
"But we know that we can never have you in the way we've long
dreamt of having you. That hurts us, but PLEASE, don't think of it
as your fault.
"The one TRULY responsible for this has paid for what he's done,
both with his life and with his legacy shattered once and for all
time.
"Please, we want to talk to you about this, so we can all figure
out what to do now. Could you please come to the gym during study
hall?
"With All Our Love,
"Akane & Ukyou"
Her eyes mist over, then she smirks on reading Ukyou's
postscript:
"Ran-chan, you're gonna be DAMNED as the most BLIND fool in the
history of womanhood if you let that guy sitting beside you slip out
of your grasp!"
Ranma's cheeks then redden on reading Akane's:
"I certainly second THAT, Ranma!"
Folding the note, she slips that into her pocket, then winks
at Akane before turning her attention back to the teacher...
* * *
"Surely, there must be a way around this..."
"No, Tendou-san, there IS no way around this."
Sitting by the table in the sitting room, Souun quivers as his
mind rolls through what Hayato Midorikawa just told him. Hayato,
a man in his early fifties, was a local lawyer specializing
in family matters. The agreement between Souun and Genma Saotome
had not been set in legal stone. That was something Souun now
regretted not doing when he made his pact with his late friend.
Not having a written contract of any sort made all the other claims
for Ranma's hand all the more legitimate. And, as Hayato just told
him, it made what Ranma had done on Sunday all the more easier.
"But the agreement..." Souun pleads.
"Traditionally, verbal promises between two close friends to
forge a marriage pact for their children are recognized as
legitimate," Hayato holds up a cautioning hand. "And yes, by
tradition, the chronologically first promise is the one which has
precedent. But the law nor custom did not anticipate what your
friend did, Tendou-san. Young Ranma would have had to been born
SEPTUPLETS to fulfil all those promises his father made on his
behalf. And those are just the ones originating from Japan."
The lawyer takes a deep breath. "When he approached the Court
of Special Appeals, Ranma wanted to create a situation where all the
affected families, including yours, could come free of this matter
with honour preserved for all. Ranma did not care for his own
family's honour since it was his father who caused this mess to
happen. Plus, there was the matter of his mother doing NOTHING
to try to correct this situation herself.
"Put simply, Tendou-san, Ranma had no choice in the matter but
to sever relations with his parents. But in doing THAT, he would've
brought dishonour on himself by going roonin. Being adopted by
another family would have been tantamount to doing the same thing.
He was trapped. The only reasonable thing he could have done then
was to kill himself."
Souun shudders as if a great weight now sinks on him. "But..."
"I'm sorry, Tendou-san," the lawyer shakes his head. "You could
have ignored all the other marital claims to Ranma's hand, but it
would have changed NOTHING in the long term! All the families
who had claims on Ranma, especially the Kuonjis, would still have the
right to challenge your family's claim in court. That is a right
that NONE of them have given up to date. What could Ranma do in a
situation like that?" He points to the documents he brought with him
today. "Well, the Court of Special Appeals gave him -- excuse me,
gave HER -- that option. And she took it."
Souun's eyes flare. "Ranma is a BOY!!!" he slams his fist into
the table. "All this talk of him being a girl is a farce!! Or
perhaps it's that Moroboshi woman doing something to make him feel
that way!! I will not stand here and watch my friend's legacy be
destroyed like THAT!!!"
"You have no power to change it, Tendou-san," Hayato ignores
his outburst. "Yes, you can challenge it in court, but what could
happen then? A lawyer could easily tear through your whole family
to prove what sort of 'monsters' you were while Ranma was living
here. Your youngest daughter might face a psychiatric hearing for
her inability to control her anger. Your middle daughter,
investigated for all the illegal things she did to keep this home
solvent. You, not to mention your older daughter, could be painted
as potential accomplices to everything Genma did, all for the simple
act of giving him shelter in your home. Don't you see, Tendou-san?
All non-judicial courses of action you could take to bring Ranma back
into this home have been denied you. Your only legal recourse
is through the courts. And that could spell the ruination of your
whole family."
Silence falls as Souun considers that, his eyes gazing on the
floor before him. "There must be something...! Anything...?"
"There is nothing, Tendou-san. Not now. It's too late."
Souun does not respond. Taking that as a sign that he is no
longer needed, Hayato collects his papers, then departs. A moment
later, Kasumi enters the sitting room, a tea tray in hand. Pouring
her father a cup, she stares briefly at him, then rises to return
to the kitchen. "I'll be spending the afternoon at Ono-sensei's
clinic, Father. I have no idea when I will return. You will have
to obtain dinner for tonight."
"You will not go," Souun ordains.
"You no longer have the right to order me to do anything,
Father."
He quakes, then glares hotly at her. "So you would abandon
your own family, abandon everything that made you what you are?!"
"'Abandon everything that made you what you are,' you say?"
Kasumi parrots his words, then stares cooly at him. "What am I then,
Father? A mindless maid, no better than a slave to appease your
laziness?"
Souun balks, then lunges. Before he could come close to
striking her, a finger taps several places on his back, making him
kiss the floor. Sensing most of his body locked up, Souun screams,
then turns his head to see Toofuu Ono standing beside his daughter.
"Are you alright, Kasumi-san?" the chiropractor asks, not bothering
to look down at her father.
"Yes, Toofuu-sensei, I'm fine," Kasumi sighs, then looks down
at her father. "And I think the time's come for me to finally take
my leave of this place. I find it no longer hospitable if all that
you can think of, Father, is pursuing a mad fantasy forced on you by
a petty *thief.*"
"Are you sure you want to do this, Kasumi?" Toofuu calmly asks.
Kasumi blinks, then nods. "Yes, Sensei, I'm sure. I've put my
life on hold long enough for this family. It's time for me to move
on."
"You will -- not -- go...!" Souun rasps. "I -- forbid it..."
"She is well past twenty now, Souun," Toofuu reminds him. "She
has every right to leave this place if she desires." He gazes on
Kasumi. "If you want, Kasumi, I can let you sleep in the spare
bedroom at my office."
"I would appreciate that, but I don't wish to impose..."
"It is no imposition," he chuckles, then his eyes narrow before
he calls out, "Ladies, I know you're out there. Come on in!"
Kasumi gasps as black blurs flood the sitting room, they
morphing into four beautiful young kunoichi in black combat suits.
"You summoned us, Ono-sensei?" their leader bows respectfully
to the chiropractor.
"Can I trust you to move all of Kasumi-san's things to my
office?"
"Right away, sir?"
"Right away, please."
"Hai!"
They vanish upstairs. Kasumi watches them go, then gazes on
Toofuu, a confused look on her face. "Er...? Friends of yours,
Sensei?!"
"Actually, friends of Negako-san and her family. I suspect
you'll be moved into my building within ten minutes," the
chiropractor smiles.
"Oh, my! That's very fast!!"
"They are known for that..."
"Mistress Kasumi?"
She gasps, then stares down to see one of the Kuromoroboshi
kneeling beside her. "Er, y-yes, can I help you?" she stutters.
The ninja smiles. "Do you require your kitchen utensils?"
Kasumi balks, then thinks about it for a moment before nodding.
"I would require my personal utensils. Can you find them?"
"Easily enough, ma'am. Excuse me, please."
She vanishes. "My!" Kasumi breathes out.
"Amazing, aren't they?" Toofuu chuckles.
"They are!" the eldest daughter nods, then sighs. "Excuse
me. I have to leave a note for Nabiki-chan and Akane-chan."
"Alright."
She heads upstairs. Toofuu sighs, then gazes down at Souun.
"How could you...?" the latter moans, still unable to move.
"How could I?" Toofuu frowns. "How could YOU, Souun? Just keep
on acting as if everything you wish for can come true because it's
what YOU what? I can see from where Akane-chan's selfishness
first arose. Your wife, may she rest in peace, must be turning
over in her grave after watching you allow your whole family to fall
apart like this!"
Hearing that, Souun pales, then starts to cry.
"Nooooooooooooo..."
The chiropractor sighs as Kasumi's father breaks down into a
heap of tears, then moves to head upstairs. "The shiatsu lock on
your body will undo itself in an hour, Souun," he pauses at the foot
of the steps. "Do not think of trying to drag Kasumi back here, not
by yourself or by using the police. And I suggest you remember
what happened to your 'friend' if you try to punish her for simply
desiring to take control of her life."
He heads upstairs as Souun continues to moan...
* * *
Later...
"Well, that should take care of this for the time being."
Sakura hangs up the phone, then sits by her work desk. Kumiko
is now asleep on the recovery bed behind a drawn curtain. Kenshiro
sits beside her, tenderly holding one of the girl's hands. Glancing
inside at that scene, Yotsuba smiles, then turns to the nurse. "You
sure the people at the hospital won't want to check Kumiko-san
out more, Sensei?"
"Pretty much so," Sakura chuckles, then nods thanks as Tomomi
hands her a cup of tea. "Most people in Tomobiki are used to pretty
weird things happening in a whole sea of subject areas, Yotsuba.
That Kumiko here was instantly cured of a drug overdose is par for
the course in this place." A deep sigh, then, "The one thing that
worries me is a potential emotional relapse. With her parents on the
road working for Amway and no one else at her house, what happens
if she falls into another deep depression."
"I can stay with her, Sensei," Tomomi volunteers. "I mean, if
it's friends she wants, friends she'll have. Loads of them if need
be."
Sakura smiles. "That might do it, Tomomi. But if she was
willing to end her life just because Mendou is getting married
finally..."
The would-be detective from London grimly nods. "Sounds like
one bad case Yotsuba checked out on the Internet. Back before the
World Cup, some guy in Korea went and killed himself just to be a
'hidden' ghost player for the rest of the national team." She sighs.
"Pretty ironic that Korea made it all the way to the last four in
that tourney, ne?"
"So what Kumiko-chan really needs is a boyfriend," Tomomi perks.
"Checky!" Yotsuba snaps her fingers.
"But where can she find one right away?" Sakura asks. "Most
of the boys here in school are still getting over what happened
to Lum to even THINK of possibly eyeing any of the other girls in
school."
"Hmmm..." Yotsuba rubs the curve of her chin, then her eyes
widen. "Wait a minute..." she glances at the closed curtain
encompassing Kumiko.
The others look, then stare at the detective. "You MUST be
joking!" Sakura gapes, pointing to the enclosed space. "You mean..."
"What does a girl want in a guy?" Yotsuba wriggles her eyebrows.
The nurse considers that, then sighs. "Well, true, but..."
Yotsuba waves Sakura down as she slips into the curtained
space. Kenshiro looks up, a smile crossing her face. "She's asleep,
Ane-chama," he whispers as she sits beside him. "All her vitals
look good."
"Can she be woken up?" Yotsuba asks.
"Pretty much so, but she really needs to rest," he warns her.
She nods, then gazes on Kumiko. "Do you like her?"
"Of course I do," Kenshiro nods, staring at the sleeping
teenager. "In spite of what happened today, Kumiko-san is a very
strong girl. She has to be to live alone in her house with her
parents on the road all the time to make sure she has a home to call
her own. But..." he pauses, then reaches up to gently rub her
forehead. "Even strong girls are entitled to moments of weakness.
It's what being human is all about, isn't it?"
"I'm not strong..."
Both tense as Kumiko's eyes flutter, tears spilling down her
cheeks. "Yes, you are," Kenshiro reaches up to gently peck her
cheek.
She quakes as she senses his holding her hand, then stares
wearily at him. "Sure I am..." she closes her eyes, though her other
hand reaches over to gently grasp his. "I did such a STUPID thing
today..."
Kenshiro smirks. "Yes, it was a foolish thing to do,
Kumiko-chan," he nods. "But fortunately, your friends were there
for you when you really needed them. You're not alone, Kumiko-chan.
Not the least bit alone."
She considers that, then a light smile crosses her face as she
glances at the ceiling. Her eyes then narrow as she realizes
something. "I'm still at the school. Why aren't I in a
hospital...?"
"Ken-chan here checked you out when you passed out, then slipped
some medical nanites into you to get rid of the sleeping pills before
you took the Big Checky to Saint Peter's Gate," Yotsuba explains.
"He and his brothers have the ability to do that since Grandmama
wanted to make sure Yotsuba and Yotsuba's sisters would be okay.
While Yotsuba isn't really happy at some of the dumb things Grandmama
did, Yotsuba's really happy that Ken-chan and his brothers can do
this for anyone who really needs it."
Kumiko takes that in, then her eyes widen as the meat of
Yotsuba's statement sinks in. "He actually saved me...?" she
whispers, then turns to Kenshiro. "Thank you, Kenshiro-kun,"
she gives his hand a warm squeeze.
"It was my pleasure, Kumiko-chan."
Yotsuba whips out her spy glass to give Kumiko a thorough
check. The latter blinks confusedly, then watches as the would-be
detective walks over to gently grasp Kenshiro's hand. The synthezoid
freezes up, his voice going totally monotone as he identifies
Yotsuba, declaring her to be the "Herald to the Clan McTavish"
-- whatever THAT meant! After he asks her how he could be of
service, Yotsuba asks, "Do you like Kumiko-san?"
Kenshiro blinks, then his cheeks suddenly flame even if his
voice remained the same bland monotone. "*Yes, Ane-chama. I do.*"
Kumiko gapes, then feels her cheeks heat on hearing that
assertion. She then jolts, her eyes going wide on hearing Yotsuba
ask, "If Yotsuba ordered Ken-chan to love Kumiko-san, would Ken-chan
do it?"
"*Yes, Ane-chama, I would. As long as it did not conflict
with my primary mission directives concerning you and your sisters.*"
"Yotsuba checks that!" the detective nods, then stares
whimsically at Kumiko. "Do you want to ask him something,
Kumiko-san?"
She pales. "I...! B-but, I...!! W-well...!" she sputters.
"Ken-chan, answer Kumiko-san honestly."
"*Yes, Ane-chama, I understand.*"
Kumiko's voice fades for a moment, then she reaches over to
gently grasp Kenshiro's other hand. Drawing it close to her, she
gently traces the curves and bumps of the knuckles and veins before
gazing at him. She opens her mouth to say something, then closes
it, shaking her head. This repeats several times before she finally
asks, "Will you ever leave me?"
"No. Unless it's what you want."
She stares at him, then glances down to see that Yotsuba has let
go of his hand. Staring back at Kenshiro, Kumiko feels her cheeks
heat, then she slowly sits up. Automatically, he moves to help, but
is waved away. Once she is at eye level, Kumiko reaches to his
shoulders. He doesn't resist as she draws him into her arms, her
lips caressing his. They remain still for a moment, then he slips
his arms around her waist. She stiffens. He instantly pulls his
arms back. She relaxes, one of her hands reaching down to guide his
arm around her. As he holds her, she pulls her lips back to whisper
"Gomen" before reengaging in their lip-to-lip conversation.
A camera flash then goes off. Kumiko jolts, then glares at
Yotsuba as the latter lowers her digital camera, giggling madly.
"Why, you...!!"
A hand firmly tilts her face to gaze on Kenshiro's. "Now,
Kumiko-chan, you really don't want to hurt her, do you?" he gives
her such a doe-eyed pout, it sends her heart flying into her throat.
"After all, I am hard-wired to protect Ane-chama and her sisters.
I wouldn't like it if I was forced to fight such a beautiful woman
as you, Kumiko-chan."
Kumiko blinks, her mind awash in a sea of mad desire. *Oh,
someone, ANYONE, please tell me this is some mad dream!!* she yodels
as he draws her in for another warm kiss. *Hmmmmm...* she sighs as
her arms wrap around his neck. *Well, if it's a dream, it's a damned
nice one...*
Yotsuba quickly snaps off some more pictures, then as Kenshiro
and Kumiko pull apart to get some air, walks over to softly lay her
hands on his shoulders. "Ne, Kumiko-san, would you like to have the
ability to personally program Ken-chan?" she wriggles her eyebrows
amusedly.
"Eh?!" Kumiko jolts, her eyes widening, then she stares at the
synthezoid. "You mean I can?! I...! Oh, wow!! Um, er...!"
"Hai, you can," he smiles, his cheeks starting to flame.
A concerned look crosses her face. "What is it, Kenshiro-kun?"
"I...!" he stops himself, then flusters. "Gomen nasai,
Kumiko-chan, but...! I...! Well, I don't want to embarrass you..."
"What?!" she insists.
"Well..." he looks down, then mutters, "I really enjoy it."
"Huh?"
"Yotsuba thinks Ken-chan's trying to tell you that he's
programmed to really, REALLY enjoy being commanded," Yotsuba moves
to his rescue. "In fact, if Ken-chan wasn't a replica of Ani-chama,
Yotsuba might actually be tempted to do a really CLOSE checky-checky
of Ken-chan," she winks.
Kumiko blinks as she tries to interpret what the would-be
detective just said, then her eyes widen considerably as she briefly
glances down his chest to a significant area below his belt buckle.
"Oh, my..." she covers her mouth politely, then stares at him.
"Kenshiro-kun?"
He ducks her stare. Kumiko grimaces as she shifts his face up
so they could gaze into the other's eyes. "Do you want me to command
you?" she mews playfully, wriggling her eyebrows in a VERY suggestive
manner.
"I...! Ah...! W-well...!"
"Ken-chan, what did Yotsuba tell you?" Yotsuba sternly warns.
The synthezoid stops, his skin sallowing, then he drops his head
in surrender. "Hai..." he whispers, then moves to hold her close.
Kumiko gazes down at him, then stares at Yotsuba. The detective
smirks, then taps Kenshiro's shoulder. "Okay, Ken-chan, before
Yotsuba leaves you and Kumiko-san alone to really checky-checky
each other out to your hearts' content, you gotta walk Yotsuba
through this."
"Hai..."
* * *
*Whoever built him, Sensei...* Tomomi sighs as she psi-links
with Sakura. They were now watching events through a small break
in the curtain surrounding Kumiko's bed. *I just wish to hell that
he or she thought to build MORE! Every lonely girl in the world'd
bless him for it!*
*Agreed,* the nurse sagely nods...
* * *
Morning study hall...
"You sure we can meet here, Akane? The equipment room's a
better place to go. Some of the girls might not like me being here."
"Oh, relax, Ranma," Akane smirks as they sit on one of the
benches in the girls' change room. "You might not really take time
to notice things like that, but word about what Enzou tried to ask
you to do got around the school in a flash. Even if..." she pauses,
"...some of the girls would have major problems accepting you AS a
girl -- yes, even after they're told about what Jusenkyou really
did to you -- they did appreciate you exposing that pervert in class.
To believe that idiot'd be stupid enough to ask THAT..." she shakes
her head, then bows her eyes. "Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
"You're right about one thing."
"What's that?"
"About what you said yesterday. You telling me how much the
rest of the class was brainwashed into believing you're a pervert
and all that."
"Actually, I was wrong."
Akane perks. "Ranma..."
"Shortly after I said that, I got a note from Eri Matsumoto."
"Eri-san?!" Akane blinks as she recalls the bespectacled
girl's image in her mind, then she shrugs. "What did she want?"
"Well, she and her friends've had a pretty long crush on me.
Ever since I first came," Ranma shrugs. "Learning that kinda
surprised me."
Akane shudders. "It's not your fault, Ranma..."
"It is," Ranma sighs, closing her eyes. "Akane?"
"What is it?" she gazes on her ex-fiancee.
"Would you want to become my student?"
Silence falls as the youngest Tendou considers that, then she
looks away, her cheeks flaming as the implications sink in. "You..."
she rasps, then gulps to put some moisture back into her mouth.
"You...?" she tries again, then stares at Ranma. "You mean it?" she
finally squeaks.
Ranma looks at her. "Yes, I mean it."
"I...!" Akane's hand closes over her heart, then she looks away.
"Do you mean...? Teaching me what you know in Musabetsu Kakutou?
Or...?"
"I can't teach you Saikoo Jinseijitsu," Ranma shakes her head.
"I'm sorry, but that Art's an 'in-the-Clan' discipline. I'm
considered an adopted member of the Moroboshi Clan now. You aren't.
I'd have to get special permission from Negako -- and probably
Jijii, too -- before I could be allowed to teach you that. But..."
she takes a deep breath. "Seeing as how the Saotome-ryuu has, in all
effect, been destroyed and the Tendou-ryuu having no master now that
your dad's lost his teaching license..." she pauses, her fists
vibrating as an icicle of naked fear rips up her spine. Damn, she
never thought saying this would be THIS hard! "Akane?"
"What is it, Ranma?" Akane gently squeezes the redhead's
shoulders.
Ranma closes her eyes. "I want to teach you what I can, Akane,"
she whispers, reaching up to squeeze Akane's hand. "I really do.
No! I HAVE to teach you now. I..." she shudders, then feels her
body relax as Akane slides over to hold her close. "Gods, Akane,
I'm so sorry..."
Akane shushes her as Ranma starts to cry. "It's okay, Ranma.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay..." she rubs her nose into the back
of Ranma's neck, her own eyes glistening. "It's okay, Ranma..."
The door then opens, revealing Ukyou. The chef tenses on seeing
Ranma crying, then moves to add her embrace to Akane's. Ranma quakes
as she feels their arms around her, hears their voices whisper in
assurance in her ears, then shakes her head as she tries to push them
away. That only makes her former fiancees all the more determined
to hang onto her.
"Ai-yah!!! What happen to Ranma?!"
"Ranma-sama, are you alright?!"
Ranma jolts, then spins to the doorway to see Shampoo and
Kodachi standing there, concerned looks on both their faces.
"X-x-Xian...?! K-k-Kodachi...?!" she sputters, paralysed as the
warrior-maiden and the gymnast approach her, readily adding their
own hugs to Akane's and Ukyou's. "N-no...!" Ranma shakes her head,
then her voice fades into another pained moan as the others tighten
their hold on her. "No, please..."
Silence falls as Ranma's would-be lovers hold her close, then
finally sensing that the redhead had gained some control over
herself, they pull away. "You okay now, Ran-chan?" Ukyou gently
ruffles her hair.
"Not really," Ranma admits, then stares at Shampoo and Kodachi.
"What the heck are you two doing here, anyway...?"
They exchange looks, then Kodachi sighs. "As you're no doubt
aware, Ranma-sama, we've all been told about..." she grimaces.
"What that hideous Jusenkyou place really did to you. Last night,
when Negako-sama explained everything to us..." she looks down, then
shakes her head. "Oh, Ranma-sama, you've endured so much to date,
but to endure THIS...!!"
Ranma stares at her. "Koda-...!" she stops herself, then
reaches over to squeeze the gymnast's shoulders. "'Dachi, why ME for
heaven's sake?!" she wonders. "You're rich! You're beautiful!
You've got so much going for you! Why do you want to be with a
screw-up like ME, 'Dachi?!"
Kodachi gazes warmly at her. "Admittedly, at first, it was
merely a physical attraction. As a man, Ranma-sama..." she pauses,
then her cheeks flame. "Excuse me, Ranma-san, I...! Well..."
she shrugs. "You are very handsome. Believe me, your mother's
concerns about your 'manliness' were totally irrelevant. Well, even
after I nearly put Akane in the hospital the night we met, your
concern for me was quite genuine. I..." she closes her eyes. "You
were the first person to ever show that sort of concern who wasn't
a doctor, Ranma-san. It was refreshing after enduring a loveless
home and sterile medical offices." She warmly squeezes Ranma's
hand. "And over time, despite all the attempts I made to win you
over, it gave me the impetus to finally take control of my life. To
see past all the illusions and lies I cloaked myself with. That..."
she reaches with her free hand to caress Ranma's damp cheek, "...was
how I was finally able to make myself accept that you-as-a-man
and you-as-a-woman are one and the same person. In your own unique
way, you saved me from an endless pit of delusion, Ranma-san.
And I can never, ever thank you enough for that."
"'Dachi..." Ranma blinks.
"I chose you as a would-be husband of my free will," Kodachi
moves to wipe Ranma's cheeks clear. "Now, I choose you as my friend,
also of my free will. I know you'll soon leave Nerima with
Moroboshi-san and his family. But..." she leans up to kiss the tip
of Ranma's nose. "Don't think you'll leave this place totally
friendless, Ranma-san."
"I..." Ranma shudders, then nearly crushes Kodachi with her
embrace.
The others exchange knowing smiles as they hold each other.
Ranma and Kodachi then share a chaste kiss before the former turns
to Shampoo. "I should've told you about this long ago, but..."
she shrugs.
"It alright, Ranma," Shampoo sighs. "After clan-sister
Negako tell Shampoo about what really happened to Airen, Shampoo..."
she bites her lip, shrugging. "Well, Shampoo began to think about
all the times she try to make Ranma really love her. And Shampoo..."
she sighs. "Shampoo realize that even though Shampoo have no choice
when it come to making Ranma her Airen, Shampoo could have done
things much, much better. But..."
"You didn't know how," Ranma notes.
"Hai, Shampoo no know how. When sent from village to pursue
Ranma after tournament day, it..." Shampoo grimaces. "It first time
Shampoo ever wander so, so far from village lands. Shampoo believe
it alright to do whatever she could to kill Ranma. And then..."
she shrugs.
"We're both kinda guilty about that, Xian."
They stare at each other, then Shampoo reaches up to cup Ranma's
cheeks in her hands. "Hai, that true. And even though we hurt each
other badly over last year doing stupid-stupid things, not thinking
about what other person might want..." she leans up to kiss Ranma
on the lips. "It no change fact that Shampoo love Ranma very much.
And now..." she closes her eyes. "If Shampoo no can have Ranma as
husband, then Shampoo will have Ranma as blood-sister. Shampoo
hopes that soon, her beautiful sister will marry clan-brother
Ataru and unite Nyu-che-zuu and Tora-Seishin. Only then can Shampoo
really hope to return home with honour restored."
"Is this union of the clans vital to your people?" Kodachi
asks.
"Hai, very vital," Shampoo nods, pulling her hands away. Ranma
takes one to hold in her lap. Shampoo beams. "Even if Hibaa-chan
and elders no want to admit it in public, Nyu-che-zuu need alliances
with outside tribes who think like Nyu-che-zuu so tribe can survive,
especially with stupid Maoists running rest of Middle Kingdom from
Beijing. Tora-Seishin ninjas -- Ataru's and Negako's family -- think
very much like Nyu-che-zuu. There many others like us, too. All
around the world. It only good way we can survive in face of so many
stupid things outsiders do."
"Even though some could say that your tribe's done some pretty
dumbass things, too, Shampoo," Ukyou reminds her.
"Hai, Ukyou right," Shampoo smirks.
Laughter fills the room, then Ranma sighs. "Do you really want
someone like me as your sister, Xian?" she wonders. "I mean, after
crap like when you were under the influence of the Reversal Jewel..."
"Shampoo knows," the warrior-maiden nods.
"That really wasn't your fault in the end, Ranma," Akane notes.
"Oh?" Ranma stares at her. "You mean it was alright for me to
act like a total fool, do all I could to force Xian back into that
sick trap those laws and my selfishness forced her into in the first
place?!"
"But you didn't really know any better, Ranma!" Akane shakes
her head, then indicates Shampoo. "Yes, what you did to Shampoo
was wrong, very wrong! No doubt in the world about that, Ranma!
But you were conditioned NOT to care about things like that by your
father...!"
"I can't always blame things on him, you know!!"
"Ran-chan!" Ukyou sighs. "In this case, you can!"
"U-chan, I CAN'T!"
"Oh?" the chef's eyebrow arches. "Before you came to Nerima,
Ran-chan, how many people did you associate with on a full-time
basis?"
"With just Oyaji, of course! But that doesn't excuse what I did
to you or to Akane or to Xian either, U-chan!! Not a damned bit...!"
"How were you to know, then?!" Akane asks.
Ranma gazes at her, then rises, stepping clear of the others
before gazing on Akane. "Akane, did you at the very least appreciate
me butting into your fight with the Horde when I first came to
Nerima?"
"Of course not, but..."
"Did you like it when I refused to go all-out on you when we
sparred in the dojo?" Ranma presses. "Did you like it when I called
you all those names? Did you like it when I trashed your cooking
in front of your whole family? Did you like it when I did everything
I damned hell could to shoot you down in front of everyone else?
Hell, did you like it when I stopped you every time you tried to
improve yourself in the Art?!"
"No!! I didn't like it one bit!" Akane shakes her head,
standing up to place herself before Ranma. "I hated it, in fact!!
Believe me, I hated every damned bit of it! I'm a martial artist,
too, Ranma! I once thought myself the best before you came to live
with us!! Everyone, even Kodachi's brother, acknowledged that fact!
It filled me with such pride! And..." she looks down. "And I guess
it made me a little arrogant, too. And THAT, Ranma, wasn't your
fault at all! It..." she shrugs. "We were both very arrogant
and we couldn't make ourselves believe otherwise."
"Shampoo know what Akane talk about," Shampoo sighs, rising
to grip her former rival's shoulders. "Back in village, Shampoo
fought hard to be best warrior of her generation. Shampoo train
lots, especially with Hibaa-chan teaching her. Then Ranma came to
village..." she stares at Ranma, then weakly smiles. "And Ranma show
Shampoo what REAL training all about, even though Shampoo no could
admit it to herself at times."
Ranma looks away. "That wasn't a fair fight, Xian," she takes
a deep breath. "How many fights did you have before you faced me?"
"Twelve."
"'TWELVE?!!'" Akane, Ukyou and Kodachi shrill.
"Twelve fights, huh?" Ranma grimaces. "Tired. Slightly
dehydrated from all the sweating even if it was a damp day. The
combat area was at a high altitude even if you were conditioned
to it by living there. There was probably little or no break time
between the bouts. You were facing people just as determined
to win..." she then shakes her head. Something like that would've
been as exhausting for Ranma, even now after all the things she had
experienced. "There are times I so dearly wish I'd've let your
people turn Oyaji into a panda skin rug, Xian."
"Ranma no could think that then," Shampoo notes.
"But still..."
"But nothing, Ran-chan!" Ukyou rises, walking around to face the
redhead. "Look! If you're hatin' yourself over all the stupid
stunts you pulled when it came to us or anyone you fought, that's
wonderful! You're finally gettin' away with thinkin' just about
yourself, saying to yourself that you AND ONLY YOU matters. And
believe me, sugar, you doing that puts you WAY higher than your
jackass father! Hell, that puts you WAY over your mom, too!! What
the hell did Genma ever do to correct what he did wrong?! Nothing!
He shrugged it off on you or hid himself as a panda just to avoid
facing up to all his dumbass mistakes! What did Nodoka do to correct
what happened?! Nothing, except waving that damned sword around
whenever she thought you weren't living up to her outdated vision
of what being 'manly' was all about!" She places her hands on
Ranma's shoulders. "Look what you did, Ran-chan. Remember what
Ataru said to Kunou? About him not being able to run away from all
the troubles in Tomobiki? It's the same thing you had to face here,
Ran-chan. Look what you did! You finally realized what was wrong
with all our lives, then moved to fix things up."
"Ukyou's right, Ranma," Akane smiles. "And even if there are
people out there who can't accept it -- my dad, Ukyou's dad, maybe
your mother and her relatives -- the ones who REALLY matter do
appreciate what you did. And..." she sighs. "Even though we'd like
it if you stayed, we know we've no right to make you stay in a place
where you're uncomfortable."
"Akane..."
A knock is heard at the door. "Ranma?"
Ukyou opens it, revealing Ataru. "Hey, what're you doing...?"
she pauses on seeing the look on his face. "Something wrong?"
"Very much so," he sighs. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news,
but I believed Akane-san would like to learn this as soon as
possible."
"Me?!" Akane tenses. "What's wrong?"
"It's about your sister Kasumi," he grimaces, then explains.
It takes five minutes. Hearing him, Akane pales. Ukyou,
Shampoo and Kodachi gaze sympathetically at their former rival, all
knowing in their own way what experiencing the pain resulting
from a family shearing itself apart was like. Ranma quakes as the
implications sink in. No matter what she did to make people think
otherwise, there were those in this place who could only make
themselves view Ranma in only one way.
At the end, Ataru sighs. "I'm really sorry about this."
Akane gazes emotionlessly at him, then shakes her head. "Don't
apologize, Ataru-san. Have you told Nabiki about this?"
"He has."
Ataru turns as Nabiki steps in. "What're you gonna do, sugar?"
Ukyou crosses her arms. "If Kasumi's livin' with Doc Toofuu now,
things're gonna get really tense over at your place. And, much that
I hate to say this to you, neither of you are really prepared to live
without her."
"I know," Nabiki nods, then notices a faint battle aura
shrouding Ranma. "Hey!" she marches over to place a stern hand on
the redhead's shoulder. "You stop that, Saotome! It's not your
fault...!"
Ranma stares icily at her. "But it is my responsibility,
Nabiki."
"Bullshit!!" Nabiki snarls.
"Oh?" Ranma's eyebrow arches. "And what happens if he turns
on you next? Or if he turns on Akane? Or goads someone else into
helping him? When the hell does it finally STOP, Nabiki? Is he
going to chase me all the goddamned way to Promised Island just to
make me bow to his dreams?! Believe me, I sure as HELL do not want
to drag Ataru, his family or either of MY sisters into this mess!
I have no right to do that, Nabiki!!"
Nabiki sighs. "Ranma, I don't want that either..."
"Ranma, could I beg an indulgence from you?"
Eyes lock on Ataru. Ranma blinks, then walks over to him.
"They don't want us to get involved, Ataru," she gazes on him.
"Are we to abandon our responsibility to help those who
themselves are about to be abandoned by their own family?" his
eyebrow arches.
She considers that, then nods. "You're right. We can't do
that."
"What are you guys talking about?" Ukyou blinks confusedly.
"Ai-yah! Shampoo no realize!!" Shampoo slaps her forehead,
then walks over to stand beside Ataru. "Shampoo should know that if
Ranma become elder ninja, Ataru be elder ninja, too!" she pats his
shoulder.
"I don't like to think along those paths, Xian," he reminds
her.
"You're a teacher?" Akane blinks.
"Hai," Ataru nods. "Ranma, as you know, is ranked
'Mizu-joonin.' Elder Ninja of Water. I'm considered Hou'ou-joonin."
"'Elder Ninja of the Phoenix?'" Nabiki's eyebrow arches.
"Hai. Don't ask me why Onee-chan chose THAT one for me," he
shrugs.
"So what is with this 'indulgence' you ask of Ranma-san,
Ataru-san?" Kodachi asks. "I hope it isn't anything particularly
harsh."
"No, it's not," Ataru shakes his head. "Granted, as the
Patriarch-in-Waiting for my clan, I *can* demand Ranma do this, but
I won't. It's just not my way. However, as one joonin to another,
I can simply ASK a favour from Ranma, Kodachi-san." He gazes on
Akane and Nabiki. "And that favour is this: To openly challenge
Akane-san's father to make him finally back off and leave Ranma,
not to mention his own family, be."
"So how can we do that, Ataru?" Ranma crosses her arms.
"Simply force him to put it ALL on the line, Ranma," Ataru
winks.
The others blink, then Nabiki's eyes widen. "You mean..."
Ataru nods. "Everything." He holds up a finger. "We can all
guess that your father doesn't really respect Happousai deep down,
Nabiki-san. What can we conclude from that? Your father no doubt
believes that he is still the master of his own school of Musabetsu
Kakutou-ryuu. So we take THAT away from him. Also, we force him to
surrender his place as head of the Tendou family, giving that up to
Kasumi-san. That means title to your property, full and complete
control of the family register, control of all the finances and
everything else. You should understand, Nabiki-san: If you want to
do something right, do it ALL the way or don't do it at all!"
Silence falls as the two younger Tendou daughters consider
his words, then exchange a look. "We'd have to discuss this with
Kasumi first, Ataru-kun," Nabiki notes. "Once we get a consensus,
we'll contact you."
"Best do it as quickly as possible," Ataru warns.
"Right," Nabiki turns to Ranma. "You really want to do this?"
"What do you think?" Ranma glares at her...
* * *
The Moroboshi home...
"Nee-ya?"
"What is it, Aria?"
"Aria wants to go for a walk."
Negako looks up from a dozing Chigaiko, then nods
understandingly. "Do you want someone to go with you? Say
Kitaro...?"
The young Parisian instantly shakes her head. The
grandmistress's eyebrow arches, then she crosses her arms. "I sense
a considerable amount of disapproval emanating from you concerning
them. What is it?"
A frown turns her lips. "Aria doesn't like being called
'Nee-ya' by them. Aria is Nii-ya's little sister, not big sister.
Why did Grandmama have them built anyway, Nee-ya? Isn't one Nii-ya
enough?"
Negako blinks, then lightly grins. "I wish I could truly answer
that question for you, Aria. There are times that some of
Nagaiwakai's actions defied even MY abilities to comprehend them
properly." She takes a deep breath. "I believe Chigaiko would
prefer if I remained by her side as she undergoes her treatment.
Haruka!" she calls out of the bedroom.
Haruka peeks in a moment later, a grave look etched on her face.
Rarely did Negako raise her voice. "H-hai, Anegimi-sama?"
"Is Shirayuki finished with the herbal broth I wanted her to
cook?"
The martial artist flusters. "Gomen nasai, Anegimi-sama,
but Sakuya-chan and I've been busy trying to prevent Shirayuki-chan
from..."
"Shirayuki-chan, NO!!! You're not supposed to add THAT to it!!"
All glance towards the kitchen as a quick shuffle echoes through
the walls of the old shrine. Haruka gives Negako an apologetic
glance. Aria tries not to giggle. "Shirayuki, cease trying to
experiment with what I desire you to make!" Negako sternly orders.
"Do as I told you!"
"But it's BLAND, Nee-sama!!" the chef whines from the kitchen.
"You can't expect Chigaiko-san to enjoy it without some flavour!!"
"Shirayuki, this is MEDICINE, not a new soup recipe!" Sakuya
snaps.
"So?!" Shirayuki retorts. "Hime can't stand bad tasting
medicine, so why should Chigaiko-san be forced to take it,
Sakuya-chan?!"
Negako tries not to groan. "Shirayuki, if you do not do this,
I will deliberately deaden the taste buds of everyone in our
household to make VERY sure that none will enjoy your cherry
cheesecake ever again!"
Silence.
"Nee-sama...!" Shirayuki nearly chokes. "Nee-sama wouldn't..."
"Try me," Negako evenly replies.
More silence.
"Oh, alright!" the chef groans. "But still..."
"Shirayuki!"
"Haaaaaaai...!"
Negako returns to monitoring Chigaiko. She then glances nowhere
in particular for several seconds, then calls out, "Shirayuki!"
"Hai, Nee-sama?" the chef meekly responds.
"After you are finish with the broth for Chigaiko, make some of
your tofu omelettes. One serving for Chigaiko and one for myself.
Add cheese, red pepper, mixed greens and beef cubes to the batter."
Still more silence.
"Hai!!" Shirayuki yips.
"Herbal broth first, Shirayuki!"
The excitement level takes an instant nosedive. "Haaaai..."
Haruka giggles, covering her mouth politely, then she asks, "Is
there anything else you might require from me, Anegimi-sama?"
"Yes. Aria here desires to go for a walk. I am sure she would
like to indulge her fondness for chocolates now that she is
temporarily clear of Guenevere's supervision. Also bring something
back for Hinako."
"Hai! Aria-chan?" Haruka waves her sister with her.
"Bye-bye, Nee-ya," Aria waves as they step out.
Negako watches them, then turns back to Chigaiko. The latter's
eyes are now slightly open. "Much that I am grateful to you for
doing this to me, Negako-san, I've just GOT to say this..." she
whispers. "You have all the emotional deftness of a drunk Godzilla
on the rampage."
"One cannot learn the proper husbandry skills required to deal
on a daily basis with a mass of younger sisters when one is busy
helping one's host kill people, Chigaiko," the grandmistress
reminds her.
Chigaiko blinks as she interprets that, then nods. "True..."
* * *
Sometime later...
"Well, that should be enough for now."
Kasumi blankly nods as she relaxes on her bed. How those ninjas
managed to move everything of hers -- from the bed to the large
wardrobe to her study table -- from the Tendou dojo to Toofuu Ono's
clinic without breaking or losing ANYTHING was a mystery to her.
"Hai, it seems alright."
Toofuu gazes at her from the doorway. "Are you okay?"
"Should I be?" she bitterly wonders, then shakes her head.
"Gomen nasai, Sensei. Believe me, I didn't want THIS to happen at
all!"
"I don't blame you," he walks in to sit beside her, gently
grasping her hand. "I would think that after the effort Ranma put
forth to expose everything Genma did, your father would just accept
it and get on with his life. But to..." he sadly shakes his head.
"To just act as if nothing's changed at all?! To actually think
Ranma's to blame for all this..."
"That's the way Father's always been, admittedly," Kasumi
confesses, glancing at the floor. "I wish now that I spoke out about
it much sooner. I certainly should've been more forceful when it
came to things that were dumped on Ranma-kun's head for no reason
whatsoever. Forcing him to..." she shakes her head. "To shoulder
all that...? It's no wonder he went so far out of his way to sever
contact with my family! We must be..."
"I know, I know," Toofuu squeezes her shoulder, then tries to
smile. "Still, there is some hope in all this. After all, if Ranma
DID see you all as heartless monsters, she could've just walked away
from you and vowed never to have anything to do with your family
again. Even worse, she could have allowed Akane to die when she
fought Saffron. Or even better, force Akane into a challenge
with the future of the Tendou dojo as the stakes..."
"She..."
Toofuu stops, then chuckles. "Hard to believe, ne?"
"Somewhat. And..." Kasumi closes her eyes. "Part of me wishes
that Ranma-kun could've considered trying to stay as a man, Sensei."
"Why? So Ranma could still marry Akane?"
"Yes," she nods, then holds up a hand to moderate. "But not for
Father's sake or for the sake of the schools. For their own..."
"Sensei?! Are you here?!"
"Up here!" Toofuu calls outside.
Seconds later, Akane and Nabiki burst into the room. Kasumi
looks up, quickly noting the concerned looks on their faces. Eyes
tear as the younger sisters move to embrace Kasumi. As sobs and
murmured questions echo from them, Toofuu rises, exiting to give them
privacy...
* * *
"It's almost just like home, isn't it?"
Aria looks around as she and Haruka walk down the central avenue
of the Nerima Ginza. "No, it isn't at all like home, Haruka-chan,"
the young Parisian empathically shakes her head. "Promised Island
is a lot cleaner and nicer than this place." A small "kusu" then
escapes her. "Aria only wishes that we can all be on the Island
now with Nii-ya and Nee-ya."
"Hai, I'd like that, too, but things have to be done in a
certain way when it comes to Anegimi-sama," Haruka nods, then points
to a nearby candy store. "Ah! Let's look there for a moment,
Aria-chan!"
Aria looks, then smiles as she follows the martial artist to the
store window. Her nose -- which, even for a child, is EXCEPTIONALLY
keen when it comes to things of a sweet nature -- twitches excitedly.
"They make fresh chocolate here!" she gazes on the offered treats
within.
"Well, let's get something for everyone. The prices don't seem
too out of hand," Haruka proposes as she heads to the door.
"Madeleine!! Oh, Madeleine, there you are!!"
Aria perks, straightening herself as a funny wind whips right
over her left arm, then she jolts on NOT feeling something that
should be there. "Ara...?" she reaches over to pat her hand, then
looks. "Eh...?" her eyes suddenly widen before tears instantly
well in her eyes. "Kusu!!"
Haruka is instantly at her side. "Aria-chan, what's wrong?!"
"Aria...!" the young Parisian shudders, pointing to a blank spot
on her wrist. "Aria's ribbon...!" she shudders, then sniffs.
"Kusu!"
Haruka looks, her jaw hitting the ground. "The special ribbon
Anegimi-sama hand-made for you?!" she asks, then seeing Aria faintly
nod, scans around. "Who on earth would...?!" she stops, then
quivers.
"Oh, Madeleine, Asuza'll take you home!"
Haruka's eyes narrow as she watches a certain brown-haired
girl Karen's age, now riding on rollerskates, quickly withdraw
from the scene. "Wait right here, Aria-chan!!" she draws her
naginata and gunsen, then races off after the thief in question.
"I'll get your ribbon back!!!"
"Ah!! Haruka-chan!" Aria calls out, then sniffs. "Kusu..."
* * *
"Damn!! Wish I had my bicycle here!" Haruka grunts as she waves
through the crowd, about five metres behind Asuza Shiratori.
Oh, yes, Ranma-anegimisama had told all the sisters about the martial
arts figure skater/kleptomaniac and her kiss-stealing partner,
Mikado Sanzen'in. How a silly dispute between the female half of
Kolkotz High's "Golden Pair" and Akane Tendou over who "owned" Ryouga
Hibiki's cursed form -- though why Akane presumed she actually
"owned" her friend, Haruka had yet to sit down and figure out -- led
to a brutal ice skating battle which Ranma and Akane had won more out
of sheer single-mindedness than any real tactical skill.
To believe such a spoiled brat as Asuza was allowed to run
rampant without any sense of parental supervision whatsoever!
*Hmph!!* the martial artist muses as she front-flips over a couple,
then turns a corner down a side street, still hot on Asuza's tail.
*Give Guenevere-san a chance to deal with this thief and Shiratori'll
change her ways soon enough!*
Up ahead, Asuza laughs as she holds her latest acquisition
close to her as she dodges around and through the shopping crowd.
Passing by a cotton candy yatai, she waves absently at Mikado
Sanzen'in, he currently chatting with a second-grader from Seisyun
High. "Hi, Mikki-chan!!"
Mikado looks, then tenses on seeing the ribbon in Asuza's hand.
"Oh, no! Not again!" he mutters under his breath, rising. "Would
you excuse me, miss?! I have a brain-dead, airhead partner to
catch," he bows apologetically to his new friend, then races off
after Asuza. "Asuza!!"
"Come back soon, Mikado-kun," the Seisyun girl purrs, then
blinks as a woman in a pink-and-black hakama, naginata and fan in
hand, races by. "Poor guy," she mutters, shaking her head, then she
takes a nibble of her cotton candy. "To put up to that stupid girl
all the time..."
Haruka is quick to note who else is racing after Asuza. *Well,
for a narcissistic twit, he at LEAST understands what's proper!*
she grits her teeth, pouring on the speed as she closes the distance
with Mikado.
"Asuza, stop!!!" Mikado snaps. "What did you steal this time?!"
Asuza brakes on her skates, swinging around to face him. "Baka
Mikki-chan, why does Mikki-chan...?!" she stops as someone leaps into
the air from behind Mikado, she preparing to toss something at her.
"Eh?!"
Her hesitation is just enough for Haruka to snap close her
gunsen, then fling the war fan right at Asuza's forehead. The
skater's head snaps back HARD from the blunt blow just above her
nose, then grunts as the top of her head slams into an old telephone
pole. The wood shatters under the impact, causing the upper part of
the pole to timber right at Mikado's head. He screams out
frightfully before a woman's voice calls "Excuse me, please!!"
as a pair of high-heeled boots lands on his head.
Several flashes of well-toned metal later, the pole is shredded
into six pieces, clattering to the ground to both sides of Mikado.
As that is done, the woman atop his head flips to the ground, then
marches over to take the stolen ribbon from Asuza's fingers before
turning to face him.
*Oh, my dear Heaven!!* his eyes widen as he drinks in this
lovely woman's facial features, then a churlish smile crosses his
face as he moves to make his latest acquisition. "I apologize
for...! URK!!"
The "urk" came from the sharp tip of Haruka's naginata now
touching his Adam's apple. "Sanzen'in-san, I've been long warned
about you and your so-called 'partner.' If you cannot control this
spoiled brat and make her leave other people's belongings alone,
it will be done FOR you. And the results, I assure you, will not be
the LEAST bit pleasant!" An icy smile crosses her face as she leans
up to him, her eyebrows wriggling. "Ne?"
"H-h-h-Hai!" he sputters, clearly not used to experiencing
THIS.
"Excellent," she nods. "Now if you'll excuse me..."
"Uuuh...! Wh-what h-happened to Asuza...?"
Haruka glances behind her to see Asuza staggering to her feet,
eyes spiralling as she tries to regain some sense of self-control.
Suddenly, a gloved hand reaches down to pick up Haruka's dropped
gunsen. "Haruka-chan, Aria thinks you dropped your gunsen," she
holds it out for her sister.
Mikado blanches. "GUNSEN?!?!"
"Of course, Sanzen'in-san," Haruka takes her prized hand-weapon
back, then holds out the ribbon for Aria. "After all, a lady MUST
have the right to defend herself and her sisters, ne?" she draws back
her naginata.
"Ah!! Aria no O-ribbon!!" the young Parisian gushes as she
takes the ribbon back, then ties it around her arm again.
"HEY!!!" Asuza yells on seeing her precious Madeleine once again
in the hands of this overdressed brat. "Give Madeleine back!!"
Before she could grab Aria to get "her" prize back, Haruka steps
in the way, her naginata swinging around to touch the skater's
throat. Asuza gags on feeling that sharp tip on her skin, then
screams, "Mikki-chan!!! Save Asuza from this creep!!" she waves her
hands frantically.
Mikado sighs. Seeing how much the young blue-haired girl wanted
her ribbon back -- and having experienced how much the older girl was
ready to defend her sister -- he shakes his head, turning away. "I
have much more important things to worry about, Asuza. Please have
a good day, miss."
He heads off. "Mikki-chan!!!" Asuza screams as she dances clear
of Haruka's naginata, then grabbing one of the telephone pole pieces
Haruka sliced up, races after him. "Come back here and save Asuza,
Mikki-chan!!"
He screams out as she starts to bash him over the head with the
large block of wood. Haruka and Aria watch as the Golden Pair
disappear around a corner, then sigh. "Haruka-chan?" the latter
gazes on the former.
"What is it, Aria-chan?"
"Aria will be very happy when we go back to the Island with
Nii-ya and Nee-ya," the young Parisian makes a face. "Nerima is too
strange!"
The martial artist nods. "I wholeheartedly agree," she clutches
a hand over her heart, then waves Aria with her. "Well, shall we go
get some chocolate before heading back to Anigimi-sama's
house?"
Aria nods. "Hai!"
They head off...
* * *
The image of the young Parisian burns brightly in the orb of the
Staff of Gihan. "You need not fear, Aria-sama..." Miree cackles.
"Soon the time will come when you are no longer alone. Then, THEN,
you will never fear being alone ever again. Never again,
Aria-sama..."
* * *
To be continued...
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