Hello all readers,
My muse has apparently returned for now, so I'm riding the wave for as long
as it lasts.
I am almost done with the chapter, so I'm releasing the first half. The
second half should be done before the weekend is over.
I wanted to get this chapter done before I turned to comments on chapter 18.
Enjoy,
Steve
*** Earth +0.001,+0.002
Genma grumbled softly in his sleep and rolled over, his arm reaching
out for the familiar shape whose side he had returned to only a couple
of months ago. When his questing hand only found an empty futon, his
slumbering mind slowly roused to the fact that there was something
wrong. He blinked open sleep-rheumed eyes and fumbled for his glasses,
putting them on as he sat up in bed.
"Nodoka-chan?" He spoke in a whisper into the house's darkness and
quiet. He waited a moment, but there was no response. Then he sighed.
He knew where she was. It was the same place she had been going to
ever since Ranko had vanished.
Rising from bed, Genma fumbled briefly to find his house slippers and
robe. The late spring air was still chilly at night. Once he was
dressed, he shuffled out of the master bedroom and down the hall to
Ranko's room.
A muffled sobbing drifted into the hall from behind the closed door to
his daughter's room. The sound tugged at his heart, an echo of the
pain and guilt that Nodoka was suffering. He settled his hand on the
knob and readied himself for a moment by taking a deep breath and then
slowly letting it out. Then he opened the door.
The room beyond was dimly lit by the nearest streetlight, occupied by a
huddled figure lying on Ranko's bed. Genma sighed and shook his head
at the sight of his wife so defeated-looking. She had been like this
since they had first received word of Ranko's disappearance, a large
departure from her usually more stoic nature. The recent news that she
was pregnant, and the hormonal changes it was causing to her emotional
state, went far towards explaining the intensity of her feelings. She
needed him to be strong.
"Nodoka-chan...."
Crossing the room to her side, Genma settled down next to her and laid
a gentle hand on her shoulder. He felt her body trembling slightly.
"I just want my little girl back," Nodoka whispered softly. She sat up
and leaned against Genma, sobbing softly into his shoulder. "Oh Genma,
I was so horrible to her that day. So hateful. I just- I just want a
chance to make it up to her."
"I know." He patted the arm Nodoka had slipped around his waist. "I'm
doing everything I can to figure out what happened. I'm going to find
our daughter."
Nodoka began calming down as Genma held her, releasing a soft sigh and
resting her head against Genma's shoulder. Sleep soon claimed her.
Genma picked Nodoka up-
******************************
*** Heaven +0.001,+0.002
There was a momentary disorder in Yggdrasil's crystalline matrix when
two slightly different data pattern suddenly came into phase within
itself, triggering one of its automatic file maintenance routines. The
harmonic tone changed timbre slightly as one of the terminals in the
control area lit up and began quickly scrolling with runic symbols.
*FLUX DETECTED IN MIDGARD REALITY PARADIGM. FILE MERGE IN PROCESS.
*FILE MERGE COMPLETE. INITIATING SCAN FOR INVALID FILES.
*INVALID FILES LOCATED. PURGING ANOMALIES FROM SYSTEM FILES.
*PURGE COMPLETE. REFRESHING LINKAGES AND INDICES.
*REFRESH COMPLETE. RESTORING NORMAL PROCESSING. ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL.
Yggdrasil's timbre dropped back to its normal processing tone as the
two timelines finished aligning, two different versions of Yggdrasil
becoming one. Of course, some discrepancies had to be eliminated.
******************************
*** Earth +3.121,-2.664
Ranko started awake from a sound sleep, uncertain what had woken her
up. She reached for a small, handheld device resting on the table next
to the hotel room bed she had been sleeping on until a few moments ago.
With a grunt, she glanced briefly at its numeric display as it counted
down, before she set it back down.
A rumble of thunder sounded outside, and a wet patter of rain began
sounding against the glass. Maybe she was just being overly jumpy. It
wasn't like her to have a rainstorm wake her. She laid back down to
get some more sleep. She wanted to be fresh for her next transit. She
never knew what surprises a new world might have to offer.
Over on the table, a rumpled newspaper sat half-read. The headline
splashed across the front page was, "Japan Becomes 54th State!"
******************************
*** Earth +0.001,+0.002
Genma picked Nodoka up. He looked around at the newly painted room and
smiled wistfully. Nodoka had lost no time in starting to prepare this
room for a new baby, ever since she had found out she was pregnant. It
was nice to see her so excited, but it was still disconcerting for him
to wake up and find her gone in the middle of the night. She wanted to
fill this room with her presence, so she spent as much of her time in
it as she could. It was undoubtedly a suggestion by one of her friends
down at Nerima's Women's Kendo Club, perhaps even Lady Kenseiko Kuno,
who Genma had long thought was just this side of being certifiable, but
he had never said anything. Her husband was his best friend after all.
As he held his beloved wife, Genma paused a moment to reflect. It had
been so long since they had stopped trying to have children after the
miscarriage, and he wondered if he was still young enough to handle the
rigors of a new baby in the house. Painting this room over the weekend
had strained his back a bit, but Nodoka had insisted on getting started
immediately.
Ah well, at least they had names already picked up. If it was a boy,
then Ranma. If it was a girl, then Ranko.
Shuffling down the hall so as not to wake her, Genma carried Nodoka
back to bed.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Quantum Destinies
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By Steven Thesken (sthesken@earthlink.net)
Ranma 1/2 and its characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This story
is inspired by her works and the stories from some of my fellow fanfic
authors. Among these are D.B. Sommer's "Shampoo 1/2", Jim Bader's "A
Very Scary Thought -aka- Nabiki 1/2", and John Biles' Elseworlds
series. All C&C is welcome.
Other chapters of this story may be found at this website, or you can
email the author for them:
The Quantum Destinies Homepage
http://home.earthlink.net/~sthesken/fanfics/qd.html
The list of worlds reoccurring in this chapter:
Earth 0.000,0.000 - The world of Scholar Ranma (Baseline cluster)
Earth +0.001,+0.002 - The world of Scholar Ranko (Baseline cluster)
Earth +1.612,+1.509 - The world of Shampoo 1/2 (Shampoo 1/2 cluster)
What has gone before in this story (or at least what will help you
understand what is going on):
On a parallel Earth that diverged from the standard Ranma timeline over
five hundred years ago, the Empire of Japan rules almost half the world
and has done so for almost a century. A young scientist named Ranma
Saotome, through a device of his invention, is now possessed of the
skills and memories of a martial artist version of himself. There was
the promise of romance trouble to come in the Gosunkugi household as a
Chinese Amazon made her desires known. Nabiki fully integrated with
the personality of her counterpart, altering her further. Meanwhile,
while Ranma has now integrated with the personalities of his martial
artist selves, he still resists doing the same with Ranko. Ukyo
arrived at the Academy for her first day of classes. Nabiki and Ranma
had a fierce battle against each other, to see who would be the student
of Jun Fan (Bruce) Lee. Nabiki won through her use of the Chestnut
Fist technique, but things didn't quite work out like she had planned.
Note: Events in this chapter are concurrent with those in chapter 18.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chapter 19 - Signal to Noise Ratio
You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and
using a timing which the enemy does not expect.
- Miyamoto Musashi
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
*** Earth +1.612,+1.509
The early morning light awoke Akane Tendo to another day. Her eyes
blinked open at the rays of sunshine impinging on her eyelids, and she
saw her breath fogging slightly in the chilly air. Her body's aches
and pains had become a familiar sensation under Cologne's tutelage.
But the days spent out here had been working marked improvements in her
skills, and at a pace that sometimes left her astonished.
"You're awake," croaked Cologne's ancient voice from the direction of
the campfire. The old woman was seated on a log, quietly drinking tea
from a wooden mug. She eyed the Tendo girl. "How are your injuries?"
Akane brushed a hand across the bandages wrapped around her middle. A
faint scent of strange herbs rose from it, pungent yet not unpleasant.
Her bruises from yesterday were almost gone, and the cracked ribs from
three days ago were finally healed. Seeing the old woman eyeing her
inscrutably, she quickly replied, "I'm fine."
Cologne chuckled slightly. Training the feisty girl had been a bit of
a challenge due to Akane's innate stubbornness. The first few days had
been hard on the youngest Tendo, and Cologne had been relentless. She
had torn down the girl's pride and battered her body to the brink, but
now the ancient matriarch was rebuilding both and discovering a much
better weapon than she had anticipated. Akane would have made a fine
amazon, Cologne had discovered, and that was very high praise from her.
"Then let us continue where we left off, Akane Tendo," said Cologne.
She hopped over and tapped a quick series of pressure points on the
girl, nodding with approval as she saw a savage fire ignite deep within
Akane's eyes. A sudden feeling of guilt over what she was doing to the
girl was just as quickly quashed. Ranma needed to be dealt with in
order to reclaim her great-granddaughter, and Akane needed to be free
of the web of emotions the boy had unknowingly cast over her. Besides,
the youngest Tendo was only a tool for Cologne's needs, to be discarded
without even a backwards glance once Shampoo was safely back in hand.
However, as she solemnly watched Akane running through her morning
warm-up exercises, the odd feelings of guilt continued to tease at the
edges of her awareness. So caught up was she in contending with them
that she almost failed to notice a ragged figure suddenly emerge from
the woods. She blinked in surprise at the sight of the apparition.
"Where the hell am I now?" Ryoga muttered angrily.
The perpetually lost boy paused to adjust the weight of his backpack,
but the physical discomfort it gave him was nothing compared to the
anguish within his soul. The cowardly Ranma Saotome had run away from
him again, many days ago, leaving nothing but emotional wreckage behind
him. An example of such wreckage was poor, kind-hearted Ukyo. She had
acted so very brave about the whole thing, claiming she wanted to drop
the matter entirely, but Ryoga knew otherwise. He was doing this for
Ukyo, and when he caught up with Ranma, he was going to make him pay
for his crimes, every single one.
"Ranma Saotome! I will see you in Hell!" Ryoga shouted at the heavens.
An ancient-sounding voice suddenly spoke up behind him. "Not quite
what I had in mind, but it sounds like we might have a common enemy.
Would you care to join forces?"
Ryoga spun around. He eyed the little, trollish-looking figure before
him. "Do you know where Ranma Saotome is?" he growled.
"I do," Cologne replied, eyeing the boy. Akane would have had a rather
difficult time dealing with Ranma and Shampoo on her own. This odd boy
looked like he could prove useful. "What grievance do you have against
Ranma Saotome?"
Ryoga growled, "Where do I begin? He's done nothing but make my life
miserable ever since I met him. He lies, cheats, and he's a pervert of
the worst sort. Even if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to destroy
him." A soft blue glow began coruscating around Ryoga as he warmed to
the subject he was speaking on. His voice took on a disturbing tone as
his hand closed into a tight fist. "Just you wait, Ranma Saotome."
"I think we can help each other then, boy," said Cologne with a smile.
Ryoga snorted, "Oh yeah? Not to be rude, granny, but what could you
possibly do to help me?"
"How about this, for starters?" replied Cologne, as she calmly tapped a
nearby boulder with the tip of her staff. She hopped away just as it
exploded into a hailstorm of tiny pieces.
Ryoga blinked rock dust out of his eyes, absently noting several small
scratches on his skin from flying shards of stone, each one leaking a
little blood. He turned slowly to look at the withered figure before
him. "Wh-what was that?"
"The Bakusai Tenketsu Technique," answered Cologne. "A very special
attack that finds the weak spot in anything, and destroys it. Still
think I have nothing to offer you? I could teach it to you, if you
like."
Ryoga turned back to look at the small crater where a boulder had once
stood. A slight smile broke out on his features. He began to laugh
maniacally. Destiny was tapping him on the shoulder, offering him the
means to finally destroy Ranma Saotome, his hated nemesis. He would be
a fool to not take it. His laughter came to a very abrupt halt when
Cologne whacked him hard across the skull with her staff.
"Enough of this foolishness," said Cologne. "Do you accept my offer?"
Ryoga rubbed the top of his head, feeling a lump already rising, and he
said, "Yeah, I accept. I'll do anything to defeat Ranma."
"Then come with me," grunted Cologne. "I'll take you to where my other
student is now training in the technique. I believe you might already
know her."
Ryoga followed Cologne as they came closer to the campsite. He saw the
familiar-looking, short-haired girl tying off a rope, and his eyes
narrowed. What was Akane Tendo doing out here? Was this some sort of
devious trick by Ranma?
Akane looked up and eyed Ryoga with a flat gaze. She grunted once in
acknowledgement of his presence and then went back to what she had been
doing. She secured one end of the rope around her and stood up. She
nodded to Cologne and waited, her eyes glinting with cold focus.
"Let's show the boy here what he has to look forward to," commented
Cologne to the Tendo girl, receiving a nod in reply.
Ryoga watched in amazement as Akane was hoisted upwards into the trees
by Cologne, ending up suspended across from a large boulder held up by
thick ropes. In a series of bounds, the ancient matriarch leaped into
a tree near the boulder's resting place. She eyed the youngest Tendo
for a moment, noting almost dispassionately the fiery look in the
girl's eyes. Then she flipped the boulder back with a swipe of her
staff.
Akane's emotional state was a surprisingly stable combination of heated
fury and icy calm as she watched the boulder hurtling towards her. Her
eyes probed for the weak point, as her finger poised for the strike. A
sense of purpose filled her. She would master this technique to defeat
Shampoo with it. And as for Ranma- Her thoughts flickered in sudden
uncertainty at the last moment.
Ryoga winced as he watched the boulder slam hard into Akane's body with
merciless force. As it swung back away from her, he was astonished to
see that the Tendo girl was still conscious.
"Again," said Akane. She shook her head to clear it, ignoring the
brief flares of pain from her body. They had been growing less with
each session, her body toughening from the grueling training. "I
almost had it that time."
Cologne glanced downwards at an openly gaping Ryoga. "Are you afraid
yet, boy? This is not a technique to be attempted by the faint of
heart, but it will give you an edge over Ranma."
"I'm not afraid, old woman!" snapped Ryoga, her taunts bringing him out
of his daze. "I can take any training you throw at me, if it will let
me defeat Ranma Saotome!"
Up in her tree, Cologne smiled. Shampoo was practically hers already.
******************************
*** Earth 0.000,0.000
The sound of a crackling fire stirred Mara to sudden wakefulness. By
opening her eyes to mere slits and attempting to keep her breathing as
slow and regular as she could, she tried to gauge her surroundings
while still appearing unconscious. She swiftly catalogued the various
sensations assailing her awareness.
Sharp pangs of hunger made themselves known from her belly, a familiar
side-effect of the magic she had used to heal herself. The comfortable
feeling of her taut leather minidress was gone, replaced by that of a
much looser-fitting outfit, one made of cotton or some similar fabric.
Something slightly cold and metallic encircled her neck, a flat band
that she could not sense any sort of a seam in. Her feet were bare to
the chill morning air, but her left foot was a bit warmer from the
radiance of the nearby fire, a small one. She could smell the smoke
occasionally drifting in her direction, and random poppings would sound
as small pockets of woodsap ignited. The sky above was lightening into
the coming dawn.
Where was she? What had happened while she was unconscious?
"I know you're awake," a voice suddenly spoke, interrupting her as she
took stock of her present situation. "Don't bother faking."
Mara grunted once in annoyance, and she opened her eyes more fully. "I
could use some food," she said with a timbre of irritation. She raised
a hand to her neck to grasp the metal band encircling it.
Her as yet unseen companion suddenly spoke once again. "I wouldn't do
that, if I were you."
Sneering, Mara continued to run her hand along the thin metal, feeling
runes of some sort engraved into it. She tugged at it, seeking for a
seam or breakpoint. When that yielded nothing, she tugged harder and
was abruptly rewarded with waves of pain wracking her body, racing
through her like white-hot lava. Her body bucked involuntarily from
the agony, her spine arching like a strung bow, leaving only her head,
shoulders, and feet to remain in contact with the ground. She could
not even scream, so immense was the pain. She managed to wrench her
hand away from its grasp on the band around her neck and the agony
abruptly subsided.
"I tried to warn you," said that same mellow voice, colored by a faint
touch of amusement.
Gasping, tears still flowing down her cheeks, Mara forced her eyes open
and beheld her captor. A small, wizened figure sat across the fire
from her, dressed in the robes of a simple monk. His bald head gleamed
in the morning light.
"Hello," said the gnomish old man, casually poking away at the fire
with the stick he held in one hand, stirring the ashes. "I am called
Cherry. I would suggest that you don't try that again."
Quickly rising to her feet, Mara felt her powers swelling within her as
they fed off the rage now suffusing her entire being, the sounds of a
battle incantation beginning rolling off her lips. How dare this
pathetic little man mock a demoness of her supreme might and status!
She would teach this insignificant speck of a mortal to trifle with
her.
Cherry's only response was a slight sigh as he continued to poke at the
embers in the fire, otherwise apparently unconcerned.
Before the last syllable could emerge from her throat, Mara suddenly
felt like her entire head was going to explode. Waves of pain that
made her earlier agonies pale in comparison erupted deep inside her
body, rolling up her spine to crash like tidal waves within her skull.
She thrashed about like a marionette with tangled strings for several
moments, before finally collapsing to the ground, clutching her head.
"I wouldn't suggest doing any more of that either." Cherry continued
to devote his attention to the fire. A small teakettle wisped some
steam near one side of the flames.
Mara growled low in her throat as the pain subsided once again, but she
decided to play along for now. She rolled into a seated position near
the fire and took the opportunity to study her outfit. She recoiled
when she realized what she was wearing: the red, hakama-style pants and
plain white robes of a Shinto shrine priestess. She fixed Cherry with
an amused glance, wondering if the old monk had enjoyed undressing her.
Perhaps she should try to play this a different way.
"So what is this all about?" Mara asked in more seductive tones, her
hand casually loosening her top to reveal a bit more cleavage. No bra
was present beneath the robe. She ran her tongue across her upper lip
for a moment to wet them. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage."
Cherry looked distressed. "Uh, I'm afraid that you're laboring under
somewhat of a misunderstanding, demoness."
"What's to misunderstand?" cooed Mara. She leaned forward, exposing a
bit more of her bosom beneath the robes. "We're alone, you're a man,
and I'm dressed up as some kind of shrine priestess. It's not the most
original bit of play-acting I've ever done with one of your kind, but I
think I can get into the role. After all, I've yet to meet a priestess
that wasn't secretly simmering with suppressed desires and yearnings,
her body aching for what only a man's touch can give her. So let's get
a bit more comfortable, little monk, and I'll- Ouch!" Mara's speech
was cut short by the sudden, sharp sound of wood cracking hard against
her skull. Rubbing the rising lump on the crown of her head, she
quickly whirled around to see who had struck her from behind. "Who
dares?"
Standing right behind Mara was a tall, Japanese woman of very striking
beauty, dressed as the demoness was in the red hakama-style pants and
white robes of a Shinto priestess. A short rod of wood, decorated with
several trails of folded white paper, rested in one hand. Carried in
the crook of her free arm were several branches of firewood.
"I dare, dark one," the woman intoned coldly in clipped tones, her eyes
blazing with anger. "I am Sakura Sakuranbo, a priestess of the sacred
kami, and it would do you well to keep a much more civil tongue in your
head when speaking of the affairs of priestesses." Sakura paused for a
moment, blanching ever so slightly as she suddenly realized how her
words could be taken. She hastened to speak again. "Those happen to
be a spare set of my own clothes you are wearing. I was the one who
changed your garb, not my uncle."
Still rubbing at the lump forming on the top of her head, Mara eyed
Sakura evilly even as the priestess glared back coolly. The staring
contest would have continued for quite some time longer, but Cherry
interrupted them by clearing his throat.
"Yes, Uncle?" Sakura kept a corner of her gaze on Mara as she turned
to face Cherry.
"So what do you want with me, priest?" Mara pointedly ignored Sakura.
"And what's this thing around my neck?"
Cherry sat up straighter and looked the demoness squarely in her eyes.
"I want some information, and you're going to give it to me." He then
pointed at Mara with the tip of the stick that he had been stirring the
embers with. "As to that, it's to insure your good behavior, a spirit
binding of my own creation. You can't remove it or use your powers to
harm anyone while wearing it."
"So what's to keep me from getting physical with you, little monk?"
sneered Mara as she stood up. "Anything to prevent me from doing
that?"
Cherry looked briefly at his niece and nodded once.
Mara glanced behind her to where Sakura had been standing, but she only
caught a brief glimpse of something red and white moving quickly. The
breath was abruptly knocked from her lungs by a solid punch just to the
left of her spine. It was quickly followed up by a hand grasping her
hair and slamming her face into the hard-packed ground. One of her
arms was quickly caught and wrenched painfully behind her back, and she
felt a foot come down firmly on her neck. As she briefly struggled to
catch her breath, Cherry approached her and knelt down nearby.
"I would suggest that you be a bit more cooperative, demoness," the
bald, little monk said mildly. "Sakura has been well-trained in both
her physical and spiritual abilities, and she could make things most
unpleasant for you." He lowered his voice and leaned a little closer,
even as Sakura levered Mara's arm a couple of notches higher, forcing
tears of pain from the demoness' eyes. "She doesn't like your kind
very much, so she's not as forgiving as I am."
"Wh-what do you want to know?" mumbled Mara, finding it difficult to
speak with Sakura's foot planted solidly on her neck.
"We'll try some easy ones first," said Cherry pleasantly. "Who are
you, demoness? What is your rank?"
Mara growled out an imprecation, too softly for the two with her to
hear. The damn priestess was twisting her arm right out of its socket!
Sakura pressed a bit harder with her foot on Mara's neck, hoping to
persuade the demoness to be a bit more forthcoming to Cherry's quiet
questioning. She was rewarded with a gasp of pain from her pinned
captive.
"I-I'm M-Mara," she whimpered, trying to focus past the pain of her
straining ligaments. "D-demoness First C-class." She gasped again,
this time in relief, when Sakura eased up a bit on twisting her arm.
"Very good," said Cherry soothingly. "Your name is Mara. Why are you
here, Mara? Why did you attack that boarding house?"
"G-go to hell, priest." Mara sucked in a breath when Sakura twisted
her arm up even higher than it had been at before. She swore she could
feel ligaments tearing as she cried out in pain.
"Leave her alone with me for a little while, Uncle," said Sakura very
calmly. "I'll get her talking soon enough." She eased up on her hold
a little, just to keep Mara from passing out from the pain.
"You see?" asked Cherry, shrugging his shoulders a bit, still kneeling
next to the pinned demoness. "If you don't cooperate with me, I won't
have any choice but to leave you two alone to chat. And I don't think
you'd want that."
"D-damn you, priest. Get this psycho priestess off of me, and I'll
tell you what you want to know, I swear." Tears leaked from her eyes.
Cherry flicked his gaze upwards to meet Sakura's. "Release her, if you
would, my dear. I think she's a bit more willing to cooperate now."
He turned his gaze back down to meet Mara's. "Aren't you?"
Mara nodded her head as best she could in her current position. She
gasped aloud in relief when her arm was suddenly released and Sakura
removed her foot from the back of Mara's neck. She slowly sat up,
working her shoulder to make sure the priestess hadn't permanently
damaged it.
Cherry returned to his place by the fire and waited expectantly. He
picked up his cup of tea and drank from it while he waited for Mara to
collect herself back together.
Sakura took up a position right behind Mara, ready to defend herself or
her uncle if the demoness dared to try anything. She crossed her arms
and waited, a grim figure of restrained wrath.
"I was sent here to kill a goddess, one who showed up at that boarding
house, nothing more." Mara frowned and grumbled to make her lie look
more convincing. "It was just business, you know. Nothing for you
mortals to be concerned over."
Cherry frowned. "So why did she appear there?"
"Granting a wish, I guess." Mara shrugged.
"Why would a goddess grant someone a wish?"
Mara smirked. "It's all part of the propaganda machine they've got
running up there, with their Goddess Relief Office. Every now and then
one of you mortals gets singled out for having a good nature or other
such lame excuse and is given a wish. It's a bone for playing the good
dog."
"And demons don't grant wishes?" Cherry asked sarcastically.
Mara leaned forward and smiled seductively at the monk. "With us, it's
more of a business transaction. You give us something we want, and we
give you something you want." She gently parted the front of her robe
a little bit and fanned herself, gazing at Cherry warmly. "What about
you, little monk? I can offer you a free sample, just to show you what
you're missing. I can- urk!" Mara thrashed a bit as her windpipe was
suddenly choked off by an arm wrapping around her throat. As lithely
feminine as Sakura looked, she carried a surprising amount of toned
muscle in her frame.
"You try and tempt him one more time, and I swear to all the kami that
I will twist your head right off your neck, you oni bitch," whispered
Sakura's voice into Mara's ear in low and dangerous tones. "Don't test
me on that, or you'll regret it." She tightened her grip a little more
to show that she meant business, causing stars to briefly swim across
Mara's vision, before quickly releasing the demoness.
Mara massaged her throat as best she could with the spirit binding in
place around her neck. She cast a baleful gaze at Sakura. She added
the priestess to her personal 'hurt with extreme prejudice' list.
"Now then," said Cherry. "Is that all you were up to?"
Shifting her gaze from Sakura to Cherry, Mara nodded. She stood up a
moment later. "Well, I've told you what you wanted to know, so now I
think you should let me go."
"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple," said Cherry. "I have many
more questions, but your answers so far will do for now. Sakura?"
Mara began to turn around, and then the world went dark.
As Cherry and Sakura stood over the fallen demoness, Sakura absently
rubbed the knuckles of her right hand with the palm of her left. She
kicked Mara hard a couple of times for good measure, still smarting
from the sexual innuendoes at her expense. They awakened unpleasant
memories of her life with her ex-partner, Ayaka Kisaragi. Her eyebrow
twitched at the mere thought of the woman and her self-destructive
lifestyle, and all the times Ayaka had called her a prude to her face.
Sakura sniffed disdainfully. She was certain she was not a prude. She
knew perfectly well how to enjoy life, but she preferred to treat her
body like a temple, not like Ayaka. That woman treated hers like an
amusement park, the drunken slut. Yes, getting away from Ayaka and her
hedonistic ways had been exactly what she needed, even if she wasn't as
successful as a solo agent. Not that Ayaka had done any better on her
own, she quickly amended, having kept quiet tabs on her old partner,
hoping for a chance to gloat when Ayaka's life finally crashed down
into flames as it inevitably would. She was looking forward to saying
"I told you so," and it was astonishing to her that her ex-partner
hadn't managed to get herself cashiered yet.
"I understand you have a new assignment," Cherry ventured.
Sakura nodded, her mind briefly breaking out of her musings to focus on
Cherry. "Yes, Uncle. I will be the resident shrine priestess for the
temple where the Institute plans to house the goddess Belldandy until
her business is concluded. I'm going to be working with a local priest
and his apprentice, a Katsuhito Masaki and his young grandson, Tenchi.
They're even going to assign me an apprentice shrine maiden to train
while I'm there. Her name is Rei Hino. I'm looking forward to being a
teacher to the girl and passing on a bit of my accumulated wisdom. It
should keep me quite busy."
Sakura felt smug that the Mobius Institute had entrusted her with field
training an apprentice. It had been a slap in her face when Ayaka of
all people had been the one given such a plum assignment as being the
advisor to the Empire's Miko Task Force. Impressionable young girls
should never have been exposed to a woman of such loose morals. But
the last that she had heard, her ex-partner had been removed from that
posting and given some sort of an undercover assignment.
It was a shame really. It would have been quite pleasant to show off
her new apprentice to Ayaka and brag a bit, since Sakura could not
imagine the Institute ever trusting that karaoke otaku with one again,
especially one with as much potential as Rei Hino had shown in her
file. And even if they ever did give Ayaka a trainee, the girl was
probably some loose cannon reject that no other senior agent would ever
want to be paired with anyway.
Cherry glanced over at Sakura and inwardly sighed. Maybe it was time
for his niece to retire from field service and get married. She wasn't
getting any younger, after all. Perhaps he should start looking into a
matchmaking service for her, since he could not recall when Sakura had
last had anything even remotely resembling a date.
While the two were involved in their respective musings, several men
and women in plain gray Security Directorate uniforms quietly emerged
from the nearby trees. A single patch was visible on their right
shoulders, that of the Mobius Institute. One of the men stopped right
in front of Cherry and saluted in a textbook perfect motion, and the
monk quickly acknowledged it with a nod.
"You may take the Mara entity into custody now, Lieutenant," stated
Cherry in a mild tone. "Please see to it that she is placed in one of
the maximum security cells in the vaults, and I recommend that you
activate the teleport wards. We don't want this one getting away from
us just yet."
"Yes, sir." The man saluted again and then went to assist his squad
with securing their prisoner. After several moments spent locking
Mara's ankles and wrists into solid orichalcum cuffs, they carried the
unconscious demoness away to a parked van. Another few moments passed,
and then the van drove off towards the Institute.
Sakura glanced at Cherry as he watched the van driving off, slightly
concerned to see the thoughtful expression on his face. "What is it,
Uncle?"
"A confluence is forming in the Pattern, Sakura," replied Cherry very
solemnly. "And I find it troubling that two entities of such a level
of power have so suddenly appeared in Tokyo, so soon before a crux
point emerges. However, I suspect I know the source. Or perhaps I
should more correctly say sources."
Sakura looked closely at her uncle. "Who?"
Cherry smiled and said, "Two young people I've met recently: a teenaged
boy and girl. The weight of the Pattern is unusually heavy upon them
both, but there is also a disturbing dissonance occurring between them,
almost as if two mutually opposing destinies were now locked in savage
conflict, struggling for ultimate dominance over the other." Cherry
suddenly frowned. "I simply can't explain it. Never before have I
encountered anything like what I can sense happening between them, but
this unprecedented clash between two such strongly discordant destinies
has begun awakening new possibilities in the Pattern, potential futures
that were never there before."
Sakura gazed at the elderly Cherry, concern filling her dark eyes. He
was one of the most pious men that she knew, and she loved him dearly
for it. But he had been like this for several years now, an enigma in
brown robes, ever since he had made the unexpected announcement of his
retirement from the Mobius Institute to take up the life of a wandering
monk. He had never explained to anyone the real reason that had to be
behind it, not even to the Emperor, but Sakura knew that he must have
had a good one for his sudden decision to leave public service.
Cherry, lost in thought once again, appeared to be unaware of Sakura's
worried regard. He stirred the hot ashes in the fire for several long
moments before speaking again. "Ranma Saotome and Nabiki Tendo. Two
young people possessed of great martial arts skill, wielding techniques
from a school that they could not possibly have studied, and at a level
of ability that very few have ever possessed in the entire history of
the Empire." Cherry's voice grew quieter. "Perhaps it is fate working
its will, and one of them will fulfill a prophecy I was once told."
"Prophecy?" Sakura stepped closer and was startled to see that Cherry
had been writing in the ashes. She could make out several characters
in kanji that glowed in the embers: Happosai.
Cherry looked up at Sakura standing near and abruptly wiped away the
kanji symbol.
"Uncle, who is Happosai? What is this prophecy you speak of?"
Cherry sighed, and he suddenly looked much older. "Happosai is a name
that few even remember anymore, a name that no longer has any meaning."
He looked up briefly at Sakura, his gaze inscrutable. "He was a thief,
a wastrel, a scoundrel, and a notorious pervert." He smiled, a bit
wistfully. "You would have hated him." He looked down again, the
smile swiftly vanishing. "He's gone now. He's been gone for a long
time." Cherry paused for a long moment, his gaze turning even more
somber as he looked back at the flames. His voice fell to a whisper.
"Such a very long time...."
Slowly standing up, the elderly monk's knees cracked slightly, and he
looked more deeply into the flames for several moments before speaking
once again. "As to the prophecy I spoke of, you must never repeat a
word of it, not to anyone, ever." He grunted once in acknowledgment of
Sakura's quick nod. "It concerns Seven Thunders, great warriors who
will come together in the Empire's darkest hours, and of the one who
will lead them, the one who will reclaim the Anything-Goes School of
Martial Arts from those who have usurped it and carry it to a place of
honor in the Empire."
"The Anything-Goes School? I've never heard of it."
Cherry gazed solemnly at his niece. "Few know of it, and still fewer
dare even speak of it. It has changed much from what it once was, its
techniques now taught to only a select few in each generation. For
almost a century it has been used, time and again, to destroy other
schools of martial arts in the world, after first assimilating their
most powerful techniques unto itself. Since it began following this
path, many of the more unique and powerful schools of martial arts in
the world have been lost, their practitioners killed off to the last."
"Then how could these two children have come by such knowledge of it?"
"I do not know," Cherry replied after a moment. "But I'm watching
them. It is merely a matter of time before one of them comes to the
attention of the current Master of the Anything-Goes School. And then
things will most certainly become... interesting."
Sakura frowned. "You're playing a dangerous game with their lives,
Uncle."
"Perhaps," Cherry acknowledged. "But I'm not the only one with an
interest in them. The Institute has had them both on a watch list for
some time, for reasons other than mine, but I think I bought them some
breathing space. Kasuga-san can be a fairly reasonable man if he's
approached correctly."
"But if they're so important, Uncle," protested Sakura. "Then the
Institute should guide them for the good of the Empire. Surely you
can't mean to trust in some children that you barely know." She saw
the small monk shake his head and became a bit exasperated. "Why?"
Cherry sighed. "I can't explain, but I feel that these two should be
allowed to freely experience whatever the future holds for them on
their own, without any second guessing or any other sorts of 'helpful'
guidance. They need to be free to choose their own paths, no matter
what happens." His voice then softened but also took on an ominous
timbre. "It is fate."
******************************
"I want you to know that what happened last night changes absolutely
nothing between us. I still despise you utterly."
Mikado Sanzenin smirked slightly as he paused in kissing the girl's
shoulder and neck and lifted his eyes to study Asuka Saginomiya's face.
The two of them were naked in her bed, cuddled together. Both of their
bodies were bruised, mute testament to the time they had spent so far
together, training under the mystery man, Nanashi. Despite the dull
pains in his body from sparring with Asuka, her closeness was raising
an almost erotic tingling within him, exciting him on a level that only
a few girls had ever matched, like that delectably well-built Nabiki
Tendo, and the sweet and innocent Kodachi Kuno. He waited until he saw
Asuka open her eyes, a puzzled frown on her face.
"That wasn't what you said last night," Mikado said in mild amusement,
one of his hands moving down her body, gently caressing her skin as he
carefully avoided her worst bruises.
Asuka's nostrils flared slightly, and her brow furrowed angrily. She
sat up, lifting the sheet to cover her nakedness in a pose of feminine
modesty, ignoring the pleasant tingling feeling he awoke in her even
now, even after a night spent together in carnal pleasures. "Whatever
I may have said in the passions of the moment last night should not go
to your head, my dear Mikado. You were simply convenient, merely a way
to work off some tensions raised by our training. Nothing more."
"As you were for me," mused Mikado, lifting his hand to gently touch
her face. He grunted once as her fist hit him in the ribs. He growled
and quickly captured her wrist, his genteel look quickly transforming
into something more wrathful. "That hurt, you know."
"OH HO HO HO HO HO!" Asuka laughed, almost dementedly. "But you let
your guard down, my dear Mikado. Nanashi-sensei told us to take every
advantage against others, after all." She smiled as he captured her
other wrist in his grip and forced her back down to the bed against her
token resistance. Her eyes flashed with passion, and she raised one
leg to half-wrap it around his hip. "I imagine you wish that your
precious Kodachi was more like me."
"Kodachi isn't anything like you, Asuka," Mikado replied coolly, as he
immediately regretted giving in to his desires last night. What had he
been doing, bedding a spoiled, selfish brat like Asuka Saginomiya? He
felt her leg still caressing him, and he glared down at her. "You're
vicious, vindictive, and wicked to the core."
Asuka smirked, half-closing her eyes, feeling her heart rate speeding
up from Mikado's nearness. She reveled in the excitement even as she
cursed her body for betraying her like this by responding so strongly
to a lothario like Mikado. She decided to twist her knife in him a bit
to get him back.
"Don't ever forget that your precious, innocent princess wants nothing
whatsoever to do with a womanizer like yourself, my dear Mikado." She
paused in thought as her calf continued to caress up and down his
flank. "You and I are really very much alike, no matter how much we
both would wish otherwise. And as for my being wicked, are you feeling
up for some more wickedness with me this morning?"
"Curse you, woman," Mikado growled, feeling his body responding to hers
against his rapidly-weakening resistance. Both her legs held him now,
loosely wrapped around his hips. Still keeping her wrists pinned down
tightly against the pillows, he bent down to kiss her fiercely, a kiss
she responded to with such passion and eagerness that it thrilled and
disgusted him at the same time.
No, Asuka Saginomiya was nothing like the lovely and innocent Kodachi
Kuno, but she would do for now to satisfy the inexplicably powerful
urges he felt for her. Until he had his revenge on that damnable Ranma
Saotome and bedded the lovely Nabiki Tendo, he would keep Asuka around.
Revenge, like politics, often made for strange bedfellows. But he
could cast the White Lily aside in an instant, when the way finally
became clear for him to claim his goal, to make Kodachi his, no matter
how strong his desires were for the vicious Asuka. He was certain he
could.
Asuka sighed deep in her throat as her back arched a bit, accepting
Mikado's kiss and dueling his tongue with her own. She laughed inside
as she felt Mikado responding to her, looking forward to the day when
she destroyed any hope of his ever being with his precious Kodachi, the
damnable little mouse that had challenged her rightful dominance over
Blackhall. Above all other insults he had done her, she hated Mikado
most of all for placing Kodachi on a high pedestal, like some goddess
worthy of worship. The Kuno girl was nothing special, and certainly
far beneath Asuka Saginomiya, the White Lily!
Her duels with Kodachi had shown Asuka one thing. Kodachi somehow held
the same darkness locked within herself that she had long ago embraced
and used to reforge herself as the White Lily, even if the Kuno girl
kept it hidden under that mask of insipid innocence she wore. Asuka
desired to rip that mask away and expose Kodachi's true self for the
world to see. Then let Kodachi see if her dear brother or that new boy
she was spending time with, that rather handsome Ranma Saotome, truly
cared for her. After all, nobody really cared about anyone else in
this miserable world, a truth Asuka had learned a long time ago when
she had stood at her mother's grave. She planned to enjoy it to the
fullest when she finally broke that mouse for daring to stand up to
her. She would savor it like a rare vintage.
As for Mikado, why did it hurt her so much deep inside to have him feel
anything for Kodachi, to hear him speak her name with such reverence?
After all, numerous handsome young men constantly vied for the White
Lily's attention, a prize she doled out carefully, playing them off
against each other for her own amusement. Many had even shared her bed
from time to time; Mikado had simply been the first, when he had stolen
the last shred of her trust from her over a year ago. Some friend he
was to Tatewaki, she sneered in her thoughts. But the White Lily knew
better. Honor, like love, was only for the weak.
Yet her body betrayed her by its strong yearnings for Mikado, even more
than she could admit feeling for Tatewaki. Because of that, she would
keep him nearby for now, carefully wrapping him up tightly in her web
of seduction, enjoying the power she had carefully honed, using every
male's weakness for a beautiful female, while she prepared for her
revenge. The handsome Mikado was simply useful as a temporary ally, in
case Kodachi's new associate, Ranma, tried to assist her. But she was
certain she could cast him aside when she finally attained her goal and
utterly defeated her hated nemesis, thereby proving to herself that she
didn't need anyone in her life, least of all Mikado Sanzenin.
However, that was in the future. Asuka chuckled wickedly as she turned
her attentions back to the task at hand, enjoying the soft kisses and
caresses she was being given and responding in kind, allowing her hands
to roam. It seemed that she and Mikado would not be going to classes
today, a thought that filled her with an almost guilty pleasure.
******************************
Akane opened up her schoolbag and started placing her textbooks within,
an early breakfast filling her belly. She could hear Kasumi and Kyoko
working in the kitchen, getting the morning meal ready for their new
guests. She could hear one of them, Godai-sensei, her new history
instructor at Furinkan Military Academy, upstairs in the bathroom. It
was going to be very weird having a strange man in the house, but she
would get used to it. Her father had told her Godai-sensei would be
staying with them for a while, so that had been the end of it as far as
Akane was concerned.
Their other guest was even stranger. Her name was Belldandy, a foreign
woman, with pale skin, light-colored eyes, wearing strange clothing and
having odd markings on her face. She was currently sitting at the main
table drinking tea, watching the birds fluttering and chirping just
outside the window. She was a weird one, but her father had said that
she would not be staying long. The Mobius Institute had arranged other
quarters for her for the longer term, but Akane found that she liked
her. Belldandy reminded her a lot of Kasumi, the pair even having very
similar voices. If she closed her eyes, she was hard-pressed to tell
the difference. So it had been pretty funny to hear them speak, like
she was hearing one person speaking two different roles.
The past few days had been starting to inundate Akane a bit with the
coursework that she had to catch up on at Furinkan. Sakura had been
helping her, earning more of Akane's friendship in the process. While
much of it was similar to her coursework at the Imperial Academy, not
all of it was. So it had been a grueling pace each night, sitting up
with her textbooks and burning up pen after pen writing out assignments
she had missed. Fortunately, she had an almost photographic memory.
Akane muttered a curse when that reminded her of something. She had
broken her one remaining pen late last night, and she wasn't going to
have time to get any more this morning. She had a training session
scheduled with Sakura, to ready herself for her next challenge match.
She only needed one more win to join the Combat Club, and Sakura had
promised her another match if she won her next challenge and obtained a
spot in the club.
Her father usually had some extra pens in his desk, and he wouldn't be
likely to miss one. She slipped inside his den, letting her eyesight
adjust to the dim light before going over to his desk and tugging on
the main drawer. It slid open with a slight scrape, and she was very
grateful that it wasn't locked. As she picked up one of the pens from
the tray, her gaze was caught by an envelope sitting in the drawer.
Picking it up, she saw Ranma's name on it and a folded document inside.
Nibbling on her lower lip briefly, her curiosity getting the better of
her, she pulled it out and began reading it. She was startled when she
realized it to be a marriage contract, and her heart leapt with joy in
her chest. Her father must be planning to contact the Saotome family
and arrange a marriage between her and Ranma. Happily, she skimmed the
text of the document, eagerly looking for her name as that of the
arranged bride.
When she saw the name written there, Akane's jaw fell.
"It can't be," she whispered hollowly, her heart feeling like lead.
She must have misread it before. She was the one who had fallen in
love with Ranma. She was the one who wanted him. Her name had to be
the one mentioned in the contract. Taking a deep breath to try and
relax herself, she read the name one more time.
Nabiki Tendo.
Akane wanted to scream, to cry, to fling the contract across the room
and deny its existence. Nabiki knew how she felt about Ranma. Nabiki
wouldn't have betrayed her like this. She couldn't have! Akane slowly
sank to her knees, tears welling up deeply in her eyes as the contract
slipped unnoticed from her grasp.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
She loved Ranma. She loved him so much.
He should be hers. He was meant to be hers.
"Oh, Ranma," she whispered, her voice ragged, letting the tears roll
down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. A wretched sob
wracked free from her throat. She hurt so much inside now, more than
she could ever remember feeling, more even than when her mother had
died. How could Nabiki have done such a thing? Why had her own sister
betrayed her like this?
After what seemed like an eternity spent sobbing, feeling like her very
heart had been ripped bleeding from her chest by her sister's malicious
treachery, Akane slowly lifted her eyes, now puffed and reddened from
tears. She wiped them slowly, her sadness gradually being replaced by
fury. Her breath came in slow pants as she realized how easily and how
completely she had been tricked.
"Nabiki," she whispered, her voice raspy with emotion. Her hand closed
solidly into a fist as she angrily wiped some more tears from her eyes
with the sleeve of her blouse. Her mother had raised her daughters to
be true warriors, and a true warrior shed no tears. A true warrior
shed the lifeblood of her enemies, and crushed their shattered remains
utterly beneath her heel. Dropping her hand to her side, Akane's face
was now a mask of raw determination.
"I'm going to take Ranma back from you, Nabiki, dear sister," she vowed
grimly. "I'll show you that I'm stronger than you and more worthy of
being with him. I swear it!"
After finally regaining control of her seething emotions, Akane very
carefully gathered up the marriage contract and replaced it into the
envelope and then put the envelope back into her father's desk. She
left the room, retaining just enough presence of mind to remove any
obvious signs of her presence. Gathering up her umbrella, schoolbag,
and uniform jacket quietly, she slipped her shoes on and hurried out
the door. She had to train hard if she was going to defeat her sister,
to prove to her treacherous sibling that she was the one who deserved
him, and she needed Sakura to help her.
Akane looked forward to avenging her pain, to have her 'beloved' sister
remember for a very long time the price she was going to pay for her
treachery, for having deceived her sister's trust like this. With any
luck, Akane mused with grim mirth, Nabiki would have plenty of time in
the hospital to reflect on her mistake, while her soon to be broken
bones healed. Gritting her teeth to hold in her rage, the youngest
Tendo ran hard for Furinkan Academy, as storm clouds began gathering
overhead.
******************************
"More rice, Godai-san?" Kasumi asked her father's new guest. She gave
the young lieutenant a warm smile when he looked up at her.
Swallowing nervously, Yusaku Godai nodded at the eldest Tendo daughter
and handed her his bowl. The house was fairly quiet now. Akane and
Nabiki had both left for school early, and Soun had left shortly after
sunrise this morning, leaving him alone in the house with three women.
It had been a very nerve-wracking experience for him.
On his right, Belldandy quietly ate her breakfast as Kasumi served him
another bowl of rice. In the kitchen, Kyoko Otonashi, the housekeeper,
could be heard bustling about cleaning up. He smiled and murmured his
thanks to Kasumi when she handed him back his bowl.
Kasumi settled back down to finish her own breakfast, but she kept a
watchful eye on Yusaku to make sure that he lacked for nothing during
his meal. She poured him more orange juice when his glass was looking
empty, and she made sure that he had plenty to eat for a good start to
his day. Being around him gave her a nice feeling inside, one she had
seemed to feel so rarely in her life now. She had been feeling like
this ever since last night, when she had opened the door and first
greeted the young lieutenant.
Young, Kasumi thought with amusement as she ate. He was actually a
little over two years older than she was, or so she had learned while
talking with her father's new guest last night. Perhaps it was due to
a boyish sort of charm he possessed, a quiet innocence that Kasumi had
been surprised to see in a career military man. And what had been even
more surprising was what Yusaku Godai had awoken within her, a gentle
sort of passion. She knew that he needed someone around him to take
care of him, to see that he was fed right, to see that his house was
kept orderly, and to see to it that his clothes were clean and pressed.
A blush appeared on Kasumi's cheeks. She was being silly. She was a
married woman with a husband who lov- who provided well for her. She
went back to eating her own breakfast, trying hard to keep her gaze
from drifting back to rest on Lt. Godai. What she was doing wasn't
right. What she was feeling wasn't right. It dishonored her husband
and her marriage vows. But she couldn't seem to help herself. There
was something within her now, something that had come into her life
last night when she had answered the front door, like a brilliant light
suddenly illuminating a darkened room. What was she going to do?
In the kitchen, Kyoko was scrubbing a pot with vigor, feeling a muted
anger at how easily the eldest Tendo daughter had seemed to take charge
of their new guest. A married woman shouldn't be acting like she had
seen Kasumi acting. The younger sisters hadn't seemed to notice how
their sister had been behaving, but Kyoko had. A woman should honor
her husband and remain loyal to him, no matter what. She herself was a
widow, so that was different, she quickly amended. But the way Kasumi
had been practically fawning over Lt. Godai ever since last night was
simply shameful.
Kyoko paused and sighed when she remembered her first sight of him,
standing there in his battered uniform, yet still looking so handsome
and fit. She blushed at the memory. She had always had a weakness for
men in uniform, especially older men. But there was something about
young Lt. Godai that had captured her attention and stubbornly refused
to release it. She could tell that he had been through some sort of
horrific ordeal last night, but he had emerged from it only a little
bent, not broken. That spoke well of the strength of his character.
Resuming her scrubbing, Kyoko made a silent vow that she would do her
best to make his stay here a pleasant one. It was the least she could
do for him while he was staying under this roof.
Belldandy quietly sipped her tea and finished eating her breakfast as
the others in the house remained caught up in their individual internal
quandaries. She had a few of her own, marring her usual calm. The
Mobius Institute was being very kind to her, even going so far as to
procure living quarters for her in an abandoned temple nearby, for as
long as she might require it. So she would be staying there while
Godai would be remaining here. That was quite all right, but she was
concerned about Mara returning and possibly harming someone. There was
also the matter of Godai's wish. The Ultimate Force had been set into
motion last night, and it would bring him together with the one who
would fulfill his wish, no matter what obstacles might lay in his path.
There was no doubt in her mind that Kasumi was the one the Ultimate
Force had chosen for Godai. Coming here had been the beginnings of its
power manifesting. Belldandy could sense such a level of similarity
between herself and the mortal woman that it was astonishing, almost
like Kasumi was her mortal avatar or karmic twin.
The problem was that she was already married, and that complicated
things immensely, not that the Ultimate Force would care. Belldandy
sighed slightly. This was an area where Urd might be better suited
than herself. Perhaps once she was settled at the temple, she should
give her older sister a call and ask for some advice on this case.
******************************
The clash of steel sounded in the chamber atop the Rose Tower of Ohtori
Academy. The morning sun was hidden by storm clouds, but the grayish
light that made it through brought out many intriguing patterns in the
carved roses, patterns that changed as the light changed throughout the
day, a clever trick of carving and placement that provided an ephemeral
sort of backdrop as two duelists moved. One young fighter, dressed in
a white Ohtori uniform jacket and tailored pants, the redness of her
shoulder-length hair like a beacon of well-coifed flame on her head,
struggled with her opponent. That one was a pink-haired girl dressed
in a dark Ohtori boys' uniform jacket and short pants, revealing
coltish legs. Grim smiles lit both girls' faces as they clashed with
each other.
"Juri seems off her form today," remarked Toga Kiryu calmly, leaning
against one wall.
"This match has only gone on for fifty-two seconds, and you can tell
that already?" asked Miki Karou, briefly glancing at his pocketwatch.
"Her movements appear slightly less fluid than normal," he said with a
clinical voice, watching as Utena and Juri clashed blades. "I heard a
rumor that her parents are trying to arrange another match."
Juri cursed as Utena's blade managed to score a slight rip through her
sleeve as the two girls passed in front of Toga, steel ringing hard
against steel, and she took a moment to snarl once at Toga. She then
rallied, putting Utena on the defensive and pressing her hard. But
Utena held firm, her own blade meeting Juri's in a dazzling display of
parry and riposte, weaving a net of steel around herself that not even
all of Juri's skill and might could get through.
"I appear to have touched a nerve, Miki," Toga remarked in a casual
aside to his companion.
Juri missed a block, and she grimaced when the red rose in her jacket
was suddenly cut free by a deft swipe of Utena's blade. She backed off
and raised her own blade in salute, acknowledging her defeat with a
grudging grace. She received one back from Utena in reply, and she
lowered her blade again, before turning to walk towards the chair where
she had left a towel. She picked it up and began dabbing lightly at
some perspiration on her face.
"Is that true, Juri?" asked Utena, placing her sword in the rack on the
wall. She preferred wooden blades for matches, but Juri had insisted
on having this duel with live steel. Losing to Ranma had given Utena
an appearance of possible weakness, and Juri had been the first to step
forward and test that.
"It's true enough." Juri settled her slightly heavier blade in its
place on the wall. "The meeting is in a couple of days, with the Kuno
family."
Toga frowned slightly and said, "Tatewaki Kuno, eh?"
"You know him?" asked Juri, raising one eyebrow.
"We've met," Toga said enigmatically. "He's a skilled duelist."
Utena hmm'd briefly. Other than Ranma, she had not fought with anyone
outside of Ohtori's student body. When she turned around, Juri was
walking away, her back straight, her shoulders firm.
"Juri's rejected several marriage agreements," said Miki, coming up
behind Utena softly. "Her family is pressuring her to finally accept
one."
Utena was glad that she was not of the nobility. An arranged marriage
sounded so archaic. But then she had not had much interest in boys,
preferring to spend her time honing her skills, until meeting Ranma
that is.
Ranma. A faint sigh escaped her lips at the thought of him. She hoped
that he would call her soon. Ohtori Academy had a formal dance coming
up, and she could use an escort. Besides, she sort of owed him for his
kindness in letting her stay at his house overnight.
"She's thinking about that Ranma Saotome fellow again, I would hazard
to guess," commented Toga in another aside as he and Miki leaned upon
the Rose Tower's outer balcony, allowing them to look over the entire
school. Lightning flashed in the distance, and the clouds promised
rain.
"Ranma Saotome," murmured Miki, his hands clenching slightly on the
railing. "I don't like him." The memory of how Kodachi had demeaned
herself so over the other boy burned like a flame within him.
"He caught the fancy of your attractive little friend Kodachi, I could
see," remarked Toga casually.
Miki replied quickly, if a bit acidly, "Not to mention that Nabiki
Tendo girl you were being friendly with."
"Yes. It appears we may have a common cause in dealing with him."
"You have something in mind?" Miki looked at Toga, the breeze playing
with his hair.
Toga smiled. "Ohtori's spring formal is coming up. I was thinking of
causing a slight scandal by inviting Nabiki Tendo to attend it with me.
I believe I heard somewhere that you have already invited Kodachi Kuno
as your date?"
"Yes," replied Miki, a wistful smile appearing on his visage at the
thought of dancing with Kodachi. "I've been practicing my dance steps
with my sister."
"I'm sure you have. All we need to do is show the ladies a good time
amidst a society affair, and they shall be putty in our hands." Toga
casually stroked back some of his reddish locks of hair, a confident
look on his face. "I intend to show Nabiki Tendo a very good time, if
you understand my meaning, one that will make her forget all about that
Ranma Saotome fellow."
Miki blushed. Toga was always so sure of himself around the ladies,
unlike himself. He always felt uncertain around girls, except for a
few, like Utena or Kodachi. Even Anthy made him a little nervous, and
he had felt a crush for her ever since she had arrived on the campus.
But now Kodachi had come back into his life again after all these many
years since they had played together as children, and his desires for
her were growing stronger every day.
"Do you think Utena will ask Ranma to the dance?" Miki looked over at
the pink-haired girl.
"My dear Miki, I'm counting on it." Toga smiled charmingly. "It will
be a perfect chance to deal with this particular thorn in our sides,
don't you think? The ladies will see him there with Utena, and the two
of us will be there to console their wounded hearts. Whatever sort of
inexplicable spell he has cast over them will be broken. I then fully
intend to enjoy my time with the charming Nabiki to the utmost, and I
suggest you do the same with Kodachi." His smile turned lascivious.
"I see." Miki thought about the plan. It seemed simple enough, and
any chance he was given to spend more time with Kodachi was wonderful.
He nodded his agreement with the scheme. "I'm in."
"Excellent, I shall telephone Nabiki Tendo this week and invite her."
He bowed to Miki, smiling at his new ally.
"Here's to victory," said Miki, bowing back in response.
Standing up, Toga smiled even more brightly. He loved the sound of
that word. "Yes, to victory."
******************************
On the outskirts of Tokyo, two travel-worn figures seemed to emerge
from the light of the sun rising behind them. Both of them carried
heavy travelling packs, and they appeared like people who had been on
the road for some time. One was an attractive girl with blue-green
hair, somewhat taller than average and with a somewhat insouciant
manner about her, and the other was a teenaged boy with a bandanna
wrapped around his head to hold his unruly hair out of his eyes.
"Well, we made it," said Ryoko, turning to flash a brief grin at Ryoga.
"Yeah," he replied, feeling his heart lift a bit from the deep pit of
despair it normally sat in. Soon he would have his revenge. It would
feel so good to finally unleash his righteous rage on the one who had
earned it: Ukyo Kuonji.
A few days spent travelling on the road together with him had given
Ryoko an oddly maternal kind of protectiveness towards Ryoga. They had
spent a fair amount of their time travelling by talking to each other,
but his core reason for hating Ukyo was still vague. He didn't seem to
much like talking about it, only that the other boy had wronged him
somehow, and he wanted to have his revenge. As they had gotten closer
to Tokyo, his thoughts seemed to focus more intently on that revenge,
with a single-mindedness that was almost inspiring to Ryoko in an odd
sort of way. She had actually come to enjoy travelling with him, even
as gruff and surly as he could be occasionally, and she was a little
saddened that their journey together was coming to an end.
"So where do we find this Ukyo guy you're looking for? Do you have an
address where he'll be in town?" As she spoke, Ryoko walked along with
an easy manner, occasionally eyeing some of the many window displays,
but she never took her eyes off of Ryoga for very long.
"Uh, no," Ryoga replied slowly. "I don't know an address, only that
Ukyo was going to be in Tokyo."
Ryoko paused in her walking, and she looked at Ryoga in amusement, one
eyebrow raised. She casually leaned against a wall and studied him,
folding her arms across her chest.
"Let me get this straight," she said with a grin suddenly appearing on
her face. "You just spent a couple of weeks trekking across Japan to
get to Tokyo, a city with about twelve million people in it, looking
for this Ukyo guy. And you don't even have an address? Just how dumb
are you, Hibiki?" She raised her arms up, turning around. "This is a
big city. Did you give any thought for how you'd find _one_ person in
the midst of it?"
"I- uh-" Ryoga looked ahead at the sprawling metroplex stretched out
for innumerable miles before him, a concrete monument of steel, glass,
and stone. He scratched the back of his head, suddenly realizing how
enormous his task was going to be. It wasn't like the villages back
home where he and Ukyo had grown up. He had simply thought he would
march into town, find Ukyo within a few hours of looking, unleash his
revenge upon the miserable wretch for awakening feelings of attraction
in him, and then he could go back home.
"Come on," said Ryoko, suddenly grabbing him by the arm. Knowing that
he would be totally lost in this city without her, she had spent the
last couple of mornings trying to figure out a good way to ask him to
come home with her. It seemed that his lack of planning had given her
the perfect excuse. "You're coming home with me. My folks live in the
Nerima area. You can stay with us for a couple of days while I help
you track down this Ukyo fellow."
"H-home with you?" said Ryoga, his heart suddenly pounding as he let
her drag him towards the nearest subway station. He came very close to
fainting when he had finally noticed her hand on his arm. A nervous
twitch came across his features. A beautiful girl was walking arm in
arm with him. This was wonderful and utterly terrifying all at once.
"Yeah, my folks won't mind," she replied, still grinning. She noticed
that Ryoga had zoned out with a goofy look on his features. She began
casually slapping him hard across the face a few times to snap him out
of it. It was something she had gotten used to doing during their trip
together. "I'm sure my mom will likely be thrilled to see you," she
said half-jokingly, after he came back to himself.
As they walked down the stairs to the subways, Ryoga became lost in his
own thoughts again. He had made it to Tokyo. Soon he would have his
righteous revenge on the cause of his misery.
"Ukyo Kuonji! I will see you in Hell!" Ryoga shouted at the heavens.
A pair of peaceforcers eyed the couple, and Ryoko smiled innocently at
them, quickly elbowing Ryoga hard in the lower ribs to quiet him.
"He's practicing for a school play." She then hurriedly got them on to
the next train, leaving a couple of puzzled peaceforcers behind them.
******************************
Sakura could tell that something was wrong when she saw Akane's face.
The girl looked like she wanted to kill somebody. Breaking off from
her conversation with one of her squadmates, she headed over to Akane.
"Hey, Akane," said Sakura with a smile. She stepped back a pace at the
sheer fury in the gaze that the Tendo girl gave her in reply, falling
into a defensive stance by reflex. She relaxed when Akane seemed to
recognize her finally, the Tendo girl's savage look crumbling a bit.
"Sakura," Akane said a bit forlornly. "I want you to help me train."
"Train? Are you worried about your next challenge match?" She paused
when she saw Akane abruptly shake her head. Sakura put her arm around
her friend, trying to console her. "What is it, Akane? What's wrong?"
"My sister is trying to steal Ranma from me," Akane said with an edge
of sobbing in her voice. She leaned her head on Sakura's shoulder. "I
can't let her get away with it. I need you to teach me that technique
you used to beat me."
"The Cherry Blossom Fist?" Sakura was surprised at the request. "I
dunno, Akane. It's a pretty advanced technique. It took me weeks to
get it down right."
Akane looked up and met Sakura's gaze steadily. "I need it to beat
Nabiki, Sakura. She's got this new technique she's been training to
master. I need something to match it." Akane gripped Sakura by the
shoulders. "Help me. You're the only one I can turn to."
"All right, Akane." Sakura smiled and nodded. "I'll help you, if it
means that much to you. What are friends for?"
Akane's eyes filled with tears, and she hugged Sakura tightly. "Oh,
thank you, Sakura! Thank you!"
Sakura ruffled Akane's hair and smiled a bit distantly. Helping Akane
out with her problems would help get her mind off her own troubles,
like her worries over her poor Ryu-sempai, and her plans for maiming a
certain Chinese amazon if she ever got the chance.
******************************
(to be continued in 19B)
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