Ice Angel
21st November 2003, 04:00 PM
Rendezvous with Fate Update:
This is a draft. It has not been edited by my pre-readers yet. Chapter 12
will be released completely once all my pre-readers have responded.
Chapter 13 is 95% finished. I just need help with the fighting scenes.
Anyone want to volounteer with helping me with that?? :) Just contact me at
ice_an6el@yahoo.com (I promise after the fight scene and pre-reading chapter
13 is releasable)
past chapters could be found at
http://iCe.esmartdesign.com/
Fanfiction.Net
To my pre-readers:
Sorry if I posted ahead before hearing from any of you, but... I haven't
heard from some of you since July and I was wondering if my e-mail address
of you guys are faulty, my e-mail is faulty or you just have been busy, so
since I don't want to bring the wrath of the admins by posting an 'are you
guys here', I'm posting half of the fic. I'm sorry again, and I hope you
guys don't mind. You know the address you use to mail me? Scrap that, just
contact me at ice_an6el@yahoo.com as well, it might be hotmail's over eager
janitor deleting mails...
Oh and to other people who want to offer to pre-read as well, I never turn
help away :)
On to the fic:
BTw. Disclaimer is at the bottom.
Special Thanks to:
Roja Cyd
Maurice Phillip
Dream and Angel
Jourdan Bickham
Byooki Desu
Acetylene
Negai
And to the person reading this.
Little note before you start anything:
Ranma, Ranko and Nabiki... Nabiki in her cursed form will be
referred to as Nabiki-kun in scenes that show the perspective
of people who know about the Jusenkyo curse. (Ranma-chan in
Ranma's case). When this is shown in Akane's point-of view,
Ranma will be called Ranko and Nabiki will be called Ranma.
I hope this doesn't cause confusion.
I also switch from gender to gender in the middle. (Arghh sorry,
sometimes Ranma gets referred to as he when in cursed form and
Nabiki gets referred to as she in cursed form.)
Are women Saints?
No Saints, and yet no Devils,
Such Needful Evils,
That few can be without.
~~ Wit's Recreation
John Ashmore
~ Chapter 12 ~
_... I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what I was going to
do..._
The moment Ranma had heard the assessment of Kodachi's actions out of
Nabiki's lips, he had known she was right. They had all been played for
fools.
Damned fools.
He had run through the finishing touches to Yokohama blindly, the two
extended weeks passed through dully, and Yokohama was finished. Nabiki
was worrying about her so-called wedding with Sohin and Kuno postponing
his wedding for hers. Which was quite odd, especially since there was a
bet looming on their heads. Nabiki dismissed it as 'being Kuno' but
Ranma doubted it.
Still, there were other things on his mind, and Nabiki's farce was
the least of them.
Nabiki told him that the children were out of the house, that she had
asked Cologne to bring them to Nerima. They were prepared to return to
Rose Brier when Ranma did, but Ranma protested against it. He thought
that it would be bad for the children to be around when he dealt with
Kodachi.
Nabiki had agreed.
The last day at Yokohama was still fresh at Ranma's mind.
||-------------------------||
Nabiki leaned at the door watching Ranma pack all of his things with
mild interest, she had never seen him in a hurry to go home, *ever*.
There were such things as firsts after all. "*You* can't leave here.
*I'm* going home."
Nabiki winced at the way he said the words. She had never seen Ranma
as livid as he had been at the moment. She was truly scared at the show
of anger, not for herself, but for the person who was at the receiving
end. "I don't think it's wise to confront Kodachi now, Ranma. You're
angry at her."
"There's no other perfect time to deal with her, other than *when*
I'm angry at her." Ranma ground out, he picked up his bag and began to
walk out his pace beginning to speed up. "She has been the perfect
little wife, hasn't she? I'm hurt. It had taken an explicit order
against her life for her to pretend to be nice."
Nabiki had to run to keep up with her brother's larger stride.
"Ranma, please be reasonable. Let's go to mother first. Just to cool off
your head. You might do something you'll regret. Come to mother's house
and I'll deal with Kodachi." Nabiki argued, pulling on Ranma's sleeve.
He brushed her hand away rather violently. He stopped walking and turned
to her.
"I'm an idiot. A goddamned idiot. You can tell me now."
"What?" Although it wasn't something to be happy about, Nabiki
resisted the urge to smile. There was something extremely boyish in the
way he said that.
"You're itching to tell me that you told me so." He accused crossing
his arms in front of his chest and then tapping his foot against the
soft earth, impatiently waiting for what he knew was inevitable.
"I'd rather nor rub salt to your injury." Nabiki smiled a bit then
sighed as Ranma deepened his frown. "Oh, all right. I can't believe I'm
letting you go." It had never been her choice. He would go even if she
didn't want to. "Promise me you won't do anything irrational."
He gave her an indignant look. "When have I been irrational?"
"All the time." Nabiki deadpanned. Then she held his arm, preventing
him from moving away from her. "Come on, I won't let you go without your
promise."
There was a hesitant pause before he gave her his word. "I've already
sent a note to Sasuke to bring the children to mother's house, okay?
I'll rejoin you in Rose Brier soon. Before the children need to swear
in."
The townspeople had already gathered amidst the semi-revived town,
wanting to bid goodbye to their lord. He gave out a forced smile and
thanked the gods that Kuno was not out. He did not know what he would
have done if he had been.
"Oh, and Nabiki? I'm giving you the rest of the week to stay at
Yokohama. You really don't need to come with me." Nabiki's jaw dropped
open as she started to protest, she couldn't be left alone in Yokohama
with Sohin and Kuno and the bet looming over their heads with -- "You
have a wedding to plan."
She was stunned speechless, good, that would give him time to leave.
Nabiki snagged his sleeve, a fake smile plastered across her face as she
whispered, "I can't believe you're doing this, Ranma! Damn you."
"You don't want it?" He knew she wouldn't because the people would
wonder why she would pass such a gift from her brother. Time was
something rarely given and the people -- especially Kuno -- would ask
why she had turned it down.
She bowed, "My lord is gracious." She then leaned closer, and to the
people who were watching, it seemed like she was giving him an
affectionate hug. She leaned towards his ear and whispered, "I'll get
you for this Ranma."
He gave her a smile and when she stepped back and looked up to him,
his smile widened, "I know."
||-------------------------||
No one will be home when he confronts Akane -- Kodachi. He wondered
if it was wise, but dismissed it. He had to go home sometime, and the
best time to deal with Kodachi was when she didn't know what to expect.
He landed gracefully down the front of Rose Brier, walking through
the arches. One of the samurai bowed and offered to carry his pack for
him. He gave no indication that he saw or heard him, and went
distractedly towards the house.
Akane was out in a second, a smile lighting up her face, then a frown
geared at him. "Ranko, where have you been? I've been looking for you.
Hanae and Sei were called to Nerima and..."
Whatever she said barely registered in Ranma's brain as he noticed
that he was indeed female. He had not even been aware when or how he had
managed to become wet, but he -- or rather she was.
"Well? Have you been listening?" A flash of worry showed through
Akane's face as she walked towards Ranma-chan slightly tilting her head.
"Ifuku said that you were with Nabiki and Ranma. Aren't they coming
home?"
With the last words out of her mouth, Ranma-chan's eyes steeled.
"Don't you dare pretend with me, Kodachi. You damn well know who I am. I
talked to your brother. I'm sure you'll understand what he's told us."
Technically, that wasn't true either. But they weren't basing it on
the technicality here, were they? He didn't talk to Kodachi's brother,
and she might have not known what Tatewaki would tell... but then, he
wasn't thinking straight either.
"What am I supposed to understand..." Akane asked, bewildered at the
sudden hostility that the girl had shown. She shook her head and brought
her hand up to touch Ranma-chan's shoulder. Ranma-chan glared at her
then continued walking. Akane put her hand down. "I thought..."
Ranma-chan stopped moving towards the house, Akane's words of denial,
the final straw. She whirled around to face Kodachi, looked up to her,
took her hand and pulled her towards the house. "I am *sick* and tired
of putting up with you."
"But..." It was the only thing Akane could get past her lips as she
was dragged towards the house by Ranma-chan's strong hands. She only
noticed that they were in the kitchen when they stopped. "What are we
doing here, Ranko?"
"Putting an end to the 'Ranko' business." Ranma-chan answered as she
turned to the servants that cluttered the kitchen, the sounds of talk
immediately stopped as they bowed low and waited for someone to relieve
them. "I'd like you all to retreat to your quarters for the day. I'll
send Ifuku when you can return."
There was no protest as the ten or so servants that cluttered the
room left. Everything that they had been doing left at the small tables.
"Why do that Ranko? And why here?"
"Because, as I'm sure you know, this isn't something that concerns
them." Ranma-chan took a kettle of hot water from the brazier that the
maids had all surrounded earlier. "I'm doing this only once. Don't you
want to guess what will happen next?"
Akane bit her lip hesitantly. She was nervous. 'Good, let the strain
get to her nerves for once.' Ranma-chan thought as she swung the kettle
lightly on her fingertips. She really didn't need to do this, but she
wanted to make her admit everything to stop the pretense. 'At least give
me that much.'
"Make tea?" Akane offered up helplessly, and Ranma-chan was once
again reminded of how good an actress his wife really was. She looked
clearly dumbfounded.
"Funny. I never knew you had a sense of humor." But Ranma-chan didn't
want the confrontation to last more than it should, and so, she
unceremoniously dumped the remains of the kettle on her head. The change
came over him, muscles expanding, height growing, breasts diminishing,
until his body reached its full proportions.
Akane took this all in with wide eyes. She dazedly went forward and
raised her hand to touch his chest. It angered him more that she wanted
to continue the farce that she was trying to put up. And then, when she
had satisfied herself that there were *no* breasts, she looked up to
him.
There was hurt and betrayal in her eyes, and Ranma wondered at the
lengths she would go to save her own skin. "How *could* you?" She
slapped him hard on the face and ran out of the kitchen. Ranma just
looked at the door where she had exited, then raised his hand to his
cheek.
Already Kodachi had grown stronger than the last time he had assessed
her. Her drive to teach Hanae was incredible, and he had to wonder what
benefit she could attain from teaching his daughter.
"Ifuku!" He called out. It took three calls for the maid to hear him,
as she scurried towards the kitchen and bowed low. "Go get Yuka and the
rest of the staff at their quarters. Tell them I won't be eating for the
night. I'll be at the dojo and I do *not* want to be disturbed."
"Yes, Lord Saotome," Ifuku rose from her bow and scurried to perform
the orders.
Ranma watched her go then turned towards the dojo, his resolve
against his wife strengthened. Opening the large double doors, he
sighed. Without the children, the dojo was pretty much useless to him.
But since he didn't want to be seen, the dojo was the next best option
the other was camping outdoors on a training trip. He had enough of
camping from Yokohama, thank you very much.
He took a deep breath, didn't bother with stretching his muscles and
started to do a long complex kata that he hadn't performed since the
last time he was this angry.
As he moved along the hard and forceful blows, he wondered if peace
was ever going to come to Rose Brier.
"You mean you *knew* of this all along?" Akane asked, incredulously
at her maid, furious at the sudden surprise that her husband had landed
at her. "You *knew* Ranko was Ranma?"
In a way, it made sense, the way Ranko wore the same things Ranma
did, or the peculiar room arrangements... and why Ranko looked so much
like he did. But it was all the more unclear because she *has* seen the
two of them together. Everything didn't make sense. But then, ever since
she had landed in the past when did *anything* make sense?
"Yes, Lady Saotome, I am one of the very few privileged to know their
secret." Ifuku was taking all of it in stride. The fact that her *maid*
knew more than she did irked her all the more. She was made out for a
fool and Ranma was getting away with it. Ifuku continued gently, "I
would suggest not taking up Lord Saotome on the battlefield right now.
He is most assuredly angry at you, my lady."
"Angry? What the hell is he supposed to be angry about?" Akane fumed,
and in all truths, Ifuku could not see any reason why Ranma should be
angry at Akane either. There was no point in all of this when they had
been so much in love when he left.
Something had happened and it had changed Ranma's outlook on his
wife. "We are never given the easiest road in life, my lady. Maybe Lord
Ranma has chanced upon one of her ladyship's past 'misdeeds'?"
What Ifuku meant by misdeeds, Akane would never know. Kodachi did too
many 'misdeeds' for her to pinpoint on one particular thing. Everything
that Kodachi could have done in the past would have been erased by her
claim of amnesia.
With the way Ifuku was hovering over her, she knew the woman was
trying to think of someway to make her 'feel better'. But there was
nothing she could do. "Please leave me."
A flash of uncertainty went past Ifuku's eyes, as she thought of
whether she should obey and leave or take into consideration what Akane
needed and stay. In the end compliance won and she bowed and silently
left the room. Whatever argument Ranma and Akane had, it was up to them
to solve it.
This had to happen when everything was going well... 'Karma,' Ifuku
thought, 'The Gods of Fate have always been playfully sadistic...'
~~~
Nabiki did *not* like it when her own brother tricked her. Not one
bit. Not at all. She threw her hands up in frustration as half of the
inn room was piled up with gifts for her supposed wedding.
She had already received things ranging from a nice fan to the more
provocative _Pillow Book_ and the 'toys' that came with it. She was
going to strangle Ranma. But before she strangled Ranma... she was going
to kill that good for nothing bastard... "Where *is* he?"
"Looking for your future husband, Lady Nabiki?" Nabiki spun around to
find Kuno leaning against the door, with that weird little smile of his.
She put a mental note to herself that she should strangle him as well.
She glared at him, and he ignored her as he continued to walk by the
clutter of her room, raising an eyebrow at the articles here and there.
Ever since Ranma had left her, she had become more irritable, raised her
voice to Kuno and Sohin constantly and generally became bossier. "Are
you being pesky Lord Kuno? Do you really wish an answer to that
particularly *stupid* question of yours?" This wasn't good, she wasn't
supposed to be *provoking* Kuno.
"He is outside," He answered nonchalantly, as if it was the most
obvious answer in the world and Nabiki had failed to see it. Nabiki's
temper rose a notch higher. Not only was Kuno the reason why she was
stuck here in the first place, he was also the reason why Ranma was not
here stuck with her.
"Bravo. How may I ask did you come with that conclusion?" Nabiki
asked in feigned awe, something that she had mastered since childhood.
She glared at him and then waved her hand at the room. "Maybe because
he's not *in* the room?" She drew out the last words with a level tone.
"Oh... not really. I merely saw him stroll out." Nabiki's mouth
opened to retort then she shut it again. What was the use when you were
talking to an idiotic blockhead like Kuno Tatewaki in the first place?
She took out a big sack and started packing everything that was given
to her. She didn't care that Ranma gave her a week off, she didn't care
that she was going to dance with only a geta on Kuno's wedding night.
She was sick and tired of Yokohama. She should be spending a quiet time
at home getting irritated by Kodachi than spending her entire week in
Yokohama getting harassed by both Kuno and Sohin.
"I've changed my mind, I'm going after my stupid brother." Nabiki
muttered as she dumped a beautiful white furoshiki unceremoniously into
the sack, followed by whatever materials she could grasp, "I've decided
that I *really* don't want Kodachi to die, even if she deserves it, and
my marriage can wait."
Kuno looked at all this with a smile on his face, "Really Lady
Saotome? If I marry next week, you're going to be forced to dance for my
bride and I."
"However did *you* of all people manage to make me bet on something
as stupid as *dancing* in geta?" Nabiki asked as she threw everything,
not bothering to see where it was landing anymore. "I mean don't you
think your wife would find something unethical about it? Arghhh -- don't
answer that! If wives arrange courtesans then *obviously* wives can go
about with naked women in getas."
Kuno looked at this all with mild amusement. She picked up her
backpack and slung the enormous sack over her shoulder. She took offence
at his smile. She took offence at his mere presence. "Not one word,
Kuno. Not one word. Regards to your future wife, but I'm going home."
He couldn't help it, he spoke up. "Perhaps this has something to do
with you dying when my sister dies?"
Nabiki turned back and glared at him. "At least *that's* better than
dancing in a *stupid* geta for a *stupid* wedding, wherein I haven't
seen a *stupid* bride yet." She was close to a shout when she ended
that sentence.
Her tirade was interrupted by Sohin as he walked nonchalantly into
the room. He looked at her, at the pack, and back at her before asking.
"Uh... What are you doing?"
"Sohin, darling," She almost cringed as she said the endearment.
Thankfully, Kuno didn't seem to notice. "I've decided that my brother
has been temporarily touched by the kami... he's not fit to be in Rose
Brier ALONE!" She smiled as sweetly as she could while carrying an
enormously heavy pack, and trying to keep the sarcasm in her voice. "Be
a dear and help me get to Rose Brier in time."
Sohin looked genuinely confused. That's good. At least he's learning
to play his part in this whole fiancé fiasco. Now if she could get her
life back. "I just decided that I'd rather get married in Nerima, with
family." She glared daggers at him. "Now let's get to Nerima, darling."
"You know Lady Saotome, with your sudden mood swings..." Kuno hid a
small smile behind his hand, he took his time and waited until he had
both Sohin and Nabiki's attention before asking, "Are you perhaps
carrying child?"
Nabiki glared at Kuno again. "Now *that* is the stupidest thing I
have heard from you. Do I look like a woman with *child* Lord Kuno?"
With that she stomped down the stairs with the big bag in tow.
"I think..." Sohin sighed as he looked at the path Nabiki took. "I
better go and help her," He quickly took his own things and dashed after
Nabiki. When he reached her, she was outside, two rows of samurai in
front of her, the sack containing their 'gifts' were at her feet.
"Nabiki..."
She turned around to glare at him, so he kept his distance. When she
was satisfied he wouldn't interfere she turned to the samurai. She had
visibly calmed down and was talking to them in an almost light manner,
as if she had forgotten her previous enraged attitude. "In the light of
the recent events, I'm going to follow my brother. Yokohama is whole now
and I'm not needed anymore."
"Koku intake is going to be cut in half until we regain the
production that we have lost." That was going to be hard... their region
was primarily upland and irrigation was hard upon them, even with the
abundant field. That meant there were very few lands where rice could
grow. Most of their crops were fruits and vegetables... and in a land
where rice was literally money, a loss such as Yokohama's was hard.
"That goes for every samurai in the entire Sagami. Food rationing shall
go until the entire field has recovered."
Nabiki shook her head. "Sagami is under trial right now. The enemy is
closer than both my brother and I realized. Guard your backs well. Get
to your duties." The samurai bowed and one by one left her, Nabiki
sighed, the first show of weakness since she arrived at the city. "Let
us not loose Sagami too soon..."
One of the samurai who had been at the last of the ranks approached
her, she smiled at him. "Yes, what is it?" He had approached shyly and
given her a bundle wrapped in red furoshiki with imprints of a fan.
"My wife wanted to give your husband a sword, my lady. It was her
father's, and since we would never have a son, and she will not fight
again, she wanted to give it to you." He bowed as he offered the bundle
to her. She looked at the sword indecisively. It was obvious from the
vibrant colors that his wife had just made it a day or two ago. The
cloth was probably from one of the remaining good cloths they have.
She also knew his wife was lying in her deathbed with a wasting
sickness that they knew no cure of. "What's your name?" Nabiki asked
softly, "And your wife's?"
"Maria and Michael, my lady." Nabiki looked at him thoughtfully.
Christian names. It was highly unusual for a samurai to give Christian
names, but Happosai had made sure that everybody knew his orders.
Michael probably knew she was ordered to be a Christian.
'I probably should re-baptize myself into Buddhism... just to spite
the old man.' Nabiki shook her head as she placed her hand on his
stooped shoulders. "Thank you for the gift, but I'd rather if you offer
it directly to Sohin... after all you're giving it to him."
The man nodded and turned to Sohin, Nabiki watched as the man ambled
over to her pseudo-fiancé and present him the family heirloom. She
watched in morbid curiosity over what Sohin would do with it.
It was rare that swords a few generations old be given away because
the swords that were most coveted are the ones that had tasted blood so
often. These swords were heirlooms passed from generation to generation
and since they were so rare, many young samurai were forced to accept
newly forged swords. And here was a three-generation sword wasted on a
peasant.
She had wanted to tell him to take the sword back, or at least, wait
for someone worth its blade, but she dared not insult her 'fiancé' nor
the man that stood proudly in front of her. In some way, she had sent
him to Sohin as a test. It was a test to see how her fiancé would react
to such a precious gift.
At least no one asked why Sohin did not have a sword. It was widely
believed that for a samurai to part with his sword is to loose his
honor. But these men were in Saotome territory, and in the whole of
Happosai's lands, men were taught that the Saotome fist could do so much
more than a single blade. Nabiki rarely carried hers when she expected
no fight from samurai outside the Saotome sect. It was a dishonor to
have it stolen... but they found nothing wrong with it being left...
Her curiosity was even more piqued when they started walking towards
the stables where the horses were kept. Sohin turned to look at her and
motioned her to follow them. Outraged that he summoned her as he did,
yet interested in what they were going to do, she grudgingly followed.
She sighed as she picked up the sack and lifted it with a grunt. "Come
here, he says..." She muttered all the way to the stables where exactly
one horse was kept. She stayed at the door, where she could watch all of
them idly. No one was going to use horses because Happosai had not
given any permission. The solitary horse they kept in each city was used
for emergency purposes. Even though there was a scarcity of the animal
in Sagami, the stables were always packed with straw... it was an
essential part of living.
Currently, a couple of women were sitting on the haystack matting the
rice straw together. When this was done, another group of women covered
this with a smooth surface of their woven reeds and bound the edges
together with cloth tape. They were making the tatami, the final touches
to their houses.
Nabiki just raised her eyebrows when Sohin and Michael started to
gather straw, binding it together with ropes until it became twice as
big as she was. Then, Michael stepped back and gave Sohin the sword.
Sohin smiled as he gently unwrapped it. Nabiki noted that he looked
exactly like Hanae or Sei when they were opening presents on special
occasions. He took the sheath and the sword and fixed it on his belt,
his hand resting lightly on the sword hilt. All of a sudden, it dawned
on Nabiki what they were doing.
They were testing the sword.
"Oh... damn," Nabiki muttered, as she raised her hand to stop Sohin
from striking the haystack, berating herself for not realizing their
intent sooner. Just because Sohin was a peasant it did not mean that he
did not know he was supposed to test the sword. She just hadn't drawn
that conclusion, and she didn't think Sohin would do it in front of an
audience.
Usually swords were tested on criminals except murderers, priests,
tattooed individuals and eta. When there was a lack of subjects to test
the sword upon, what was left were haystacks, as what Sohin was trying
to do right now.
Between the ten women, most of whom were samurai, and Michael who was
a few meters away from Sohin, one of them was bound to realize Sohin had
never handled a sword before. If that didn't put and end to their game,
nothing would. "Sohin!"
But it was too late, for he had already gone through the motions
swiftly... And she watched as the haystack stood there in a single
piece, 'He *missed*. It was right in front of him and he *missed*. I'm
doomed.' Nabiki thought as she ran towards them, in a moment she was
beside Sohin... "What do you think--"
Sohin sheathed the sword and smiled as he looked at Nabiki then
turned to Michael. "Thanks. It's a great sword." And in that instant the
straw pile disintegrated.
Nabiki's jaw slacked. She turned towards the straw, which had been
whole a few minutes ago. She looked down on herself and found that her
clothes were already sticking with the small particles. She had not
expected him to be swift. He was probably only slower than Ranma,
possibly slower than her... she would have to check on that.
Usually, swords tested with the haystack were regarded as lesser
swords than those who were tested with real bodies, but this was not a
new sword, Sohin was just testing it for formality. It told her more
about Sohin than about the quality of the blade that had just been
handed down to him. She turned towards Sohin and gave him a glare, "That
was an excellent show. I never knew you could do the sixteen stroke
test."
The test was preformed with much difficulty. Samurai usually did it
with one stroke at a time, but most Saotomes did all of it in the way
Sohin had. Some had a great deal of difficulty. Nabiki had mastered it
at a young age... but for a peasant to do it... it was a remarkable
statement of his skill alone. She gave him a guarded look. She had long
suspected Sohin was hiding something from her. This feat just made her
more suspicious.
"You never asked," He gave her a smile, then took the sword from his
belt and handed it over to Michael. Nabiki noticed the tsuba, the
hilt-guard of the katana, had an extremely intricate design decorated
with the engraving of a crab and had several inlays. Both the twins had
dragons in theirs... Sohin shook his head. "I can't accept this. It's
too good a sword for me."
The man smiled at him and shook his head. "And I can't take it back,
because it was never mine in the first place. Please accept it
Sohin-san. It's the least we could do for the husband of Lady Saotome,
for someone of great skill. You have not tested it against the human
flesh yet, my lord."
"Well... okay then, thank you." Sohin answered not even glancing at
Nabiki he took out ivory chopsticks carved intricately with flowers at
the thicker side from his belongings and presented it to Michael. "I
wouldn't accept such a good gift without something for you to remember
me by."
The samurai nodded and accepted. Nabiki watched all of this with mild
frustration. She made a mental note to have a long talk with Sohin and
then a longer talk with Ifuku after this ordeal.
She watched as Michael walked away, then turned to watch as Sohin
wrapped the sword slowly with the furoshiki. Yes, she was going to have
that long talk.
Kuno smiled then looked outside, where one of his men had waited
patiently for him, "You. Come here. Prepare our things, we're leaving."
The samurai bowed, then asked, "The destination sir?"
"Kamakura."
~~~
Shampoo was getting bored following the crazy lady circle half of
Nerima before she finally stopped in front of the shabbier place of the
eta village. It was highly unlikely that one person who was going to
literally rob the Saotome household was eta. They were the classless...
and a classless society does not challenge one higher in ranks. It could
mean only two things. It was either this eta was extremely stupid... or
she wasn't eta at all.
Shampoo was willing to bet on the latter rather than the former. She
had been following this woman for days, and she has not yet seemed to be
suspicious of her presence. Shampoo didn't want to return empty handed
to her grandmother. Not when this had been her first assignment without
the matriarch ever since she had left China.
Her bones ached for a good fight, not the spars that she had with the
twins... but for a real fight. She'd missed that... this might be her
last for a very long time if Cologne continued to train her so far away
from civilization. The woman she followed turned her head back and
stared at the night, and for a moment, Shampoo thought that she had
spotted her, but she continued towards the house slipping into the small
shanty as if she owned it.
In a moment, a small light from her lantern lit the small house up
and from what the shadows could tell her, the girl was sitting down
complacently doing whatever Japanese girls did at that time of the
evening.
She was tempted to get up and leave, nothing was happening of
importance, and she wondered why her great-grandmother would take an
interest on such a boring specimen.
After an hour of staring into the house, Shampoo stretched her coiled
muscles, wondering how the girl could sit there staring into nothing at
all. Probably one of the idiosyncrasies of Japan? Perhaps a bit of
meditative silence that her great-grandmother was trying to teach her.
A branch snapped in the distance and she stood up alertly, moving
silently through the night, making sure that she kept to the shadows for
cover. A quick glance around revealed no one lurking in the dark, but
Shampoo kept her stance ready, a quick peek at the house told her that
her prey was still staring at the wall.
She turned back to relax herself again, when she felt a distinct rasp
of metal, which she was sure could only be a sword, she tried to whirled
around, but an object dug on persistently at her back, "Ah, my dear
Shampoo, does your great-grandmother send you to do her dirty work for
her now?"
Shampoo's mind whirled, who *was* this woman? She apparently knew
them... but she had no recollection of seeing her. Ever. And Shampoo had
an impeccable memory. She tried to turn her head, but the sword against
her back was firm, "Uh uh, we don't want you to make a scene."
"What am I going to do with you?" The woman sighed loudly, and
Shampoo could almost hear the staged effect from her ears. "I can't just
send you yelping to your great-grandmother. She is after all... a very
formidable foe. It's tragic that I found out about you only now. I could
have cut the strings earlier on... but... no matter. Come my dear pussy
cat, we need to keep you chained."
After a moment she was splashed with cold water, and she was a cat.
It would have proven to be her advantage being small and nimbler but
before she had the chance to run, the woman's hands caught her by the
neck, and lifted her up, "Now, now, no running my kitty cat, I still
have need of you. Your great-grandmother will not know of me. I see my
drug is working."
As a cat, Shampoo's eyes were flawless, and she looked at her prey
turned hunter. She was beautiful... Shampoo would give her that. Her
looks reminded Shampoo of someone she couldn't pinpoint. The eyes... the
mouth, the shape of the face, the curve of the cheek... there was
something eerily familiar about the girl that she couldn't place. Yet,
she was sure that she had never seen this woman before.
"You want to know who I am little cat?" The woman laughed out loud,
then brought Shampoo closer to her face, by now, Shampoo was almost
paralyzed by whatever drug that had been induced to her through the
small blade. Powerful stuff to have affected her so quickly. "I will
tell you, but you might not believe me."
Her voice dropped down to the smallest of whispers, an evil glint
placed in her eyes, a small smile starting to form on her face, "I am
Kuno Kodachi."
If Shampoo had not been sure if Kodachi had been telling the truth
the first time, the loud laugh that followed confirmed it. She was at
the hands of Kodachi Kuno.
Her eyes widened as much as the drug would let her. If Kodachi Kuno
is in the body of this peasant... then who was in Kodachi Kuno's body?
It was the last coherent thought of Shampoo before she succumbed to
oblivion.
~~~
After the third day of being secluded in the dojo, most of the
household was already wondering about Ranma. He had not eaten and
apparently through the sound of flesh against the dummy, he did not
sleep. For three days Ranma Saotome had closed himself to the world. It
spoke volumes of his anger, for Ranma had never done such a drastic
thing before.
On the third day he summoned for food, and as one of the younger
maids offered to do it, Ifuku tapped her and volunteered for the duty.
The girl eagerly complied to do so, no one in the household was thrilled
to face Ranma at the moment, and so it had been easy to persuade the
young girl.
She tapped lightly on the shoji of the dojo, "Your food, Lord Ranma."
"Come in." the voice was haggard -- and female. She didn't know when
Ranma had the chance to turn female, but it was obvious she had been in
that state for at least a day... and Lord Ranma never let the
opportunity for change pass -- especially if there was no need to be
female at the moment.
When she entered she found Ranma-chan staring at something only she
could see. Her eyes were sunken from lack of sleep and from the three
days that she had spent without food. It looked like she had lost a bit
of weight.
She moved towards her setting the small tray down and bowed, "Would
you like hot water for your curse, my lord?" Ifuku asked in the most
humble voice she could muster.
It took a while before he -- she answered, as if Ifuku's words had
only become clear now. Then, she gave a startled looked over herself and
finally realized why the woman had asked for the water, "No... I'll
manage."
"Yes, my lord," She paused for a moment, not leaving the floor which
she knelt on, "Is there any thing else you want, my lord?"
"Stop calling me my lord, for one," Ranma-chan quipped, "You're going
to let the whole house get suspicious."
"Yes, my lady, I'm so sorry, my lady," Ifuku said, when she was
young, it was always ingrained to her that there was no such thing as
too much scraping, bowing and flattering when it came to appeasing your
lord. "Is there anything else, my lady?"
Realizing that Ifuku had not moved from her prone position,
Ranma-chan tapped her shoulder and knelt beside her. She turned up to
face Ranma-chan, a bit uncomfortable to be sitting beside her lord.
"Were you sent here Ifuku? Are my own vassals afraid of me now?"
"No, my lady," Half a lie, but if Ranma noticed, she didn't say.
"What if it wasn't me, or Yuka-san? Another servant would learn of your
secret then."
"How is Kodachi?" It was the first she's asked of her condition, it
proves that he cares, at least, even if it was just a cover.
"Heart sick, my lady," Ifuku answered tentatively, she closed her
eyes, waiting for any indication of what Ranma-chan felt -- there was
nothing, "She's been crying to sleep almost every day. I think you broke
her heart."
"She has one?" Ifuku winced. This wasn't like any of their fights
before. This time, Ranma was the one who started, and Akane was on the
verge of giving up... but *why*? "Did *she* send you?"
"No my lady, I volunteered to go," From all the members of the
household, it was Ifuku who was closest to Akane, and it was she who was
far more able to defend her if the need arose. But they were talking
about their liege lord here, "There has been worry for the both of you."
"Were you here when Nabiki and I had our numerous engagements,
Ifuku?" Ranma asked in a low voice, almost a whisper. The past was not
something talked about in the house, why look back when the present
contains so many problems, and the future still out there to build?
"Were you here when I married her?"
"I was, my lady," She had practically grown up in Saotome territory,
when she had started to serve the house of Saotome, she had been three
and ten. She was older than most, younger than some. She had learned
from Nodoka-sama, and she had continued under Nabiki-sama.
Children were very hard to find in samurai territory, it was as if
they were locked by key to keep away from the world. Nabiki and Ranma
were the only children remotely close to her age, and even in the
five-year gap, the twins had treated her very kindly. "My mother always
thought my first work would be for Kunos, for she worked there... but I
was your sister's maid before I was Kodachi's."
Ranma had a short memory span concerning people, even those who had
been very close to him. It wasn't a surprise he didn't remember when she
started. When he smiled, Ifuku knew he had finally recalled,
"Nabiki-chan needed a chaperone for her numerous fiancées, and mother
picked you because you seemed so out of place with the servants..."
"I was very old when I started to learn, my lady, my training wasn't
well... I was a very spoiled child..." Ifuku smiled a bit. At least, the
twins were very forgiving masters...
"Did your parents die when you were young, Ifuku?" Ranma-chan asked,
the meal in front of her forgotten. It was rare for samurai to question
a peasant's past after being taken in, and though Nabiki and she had
been a bit close before Ranma married -- she had never had more than a
pleasant hi from Ranma.
She paused for a moment, as if considering what she was going to say,
but finally spoke, "... I was taken in by a woman, my lady, the only
mother I had ever known... I was too young to remember her face, the
face of my real mother, I mean. Sometimes... sometimes..." She smiled,
it was a sad one, "We regret a lot of things in life, my lady. Not
knowing my mother was one of them."
"We never knew our father too." Ranma-chan whispered, "Then again,
we've both been lucky, I had Genma -- even though sometimes I wish I
hadn't -- and you've had your own surrogate mother."
"I suppose," Ifuku sighed again.
"Your husband, then, at least you have your husband." Ranma-chan
answered.
For a moment Ifuku looked confused then smiled, "Sohin, yes, how is
Sohin? I take it he managed to catch up with Lady Nabiki and my lady?"
It took a while for Ranma-chan to say anything about *that*
particular topic, "Yes... he did. You'd better talk to Nabiki about your
husband, though. I have a feeling that they did not start on the right
foot."
"Sohin and Lady Nabiki?" There was a puzzled look in Ifuku's face,
"But... Sohin and my lady are...! I should think that they would get
along, my lady? I mean no offence, but Sohin is a very good man and --"
"I'm not saying anything, Ifuku," Ranma-chan shook her head as she
remembered Nabiki's treatment of the poor man, "I understand that he's
your husband. It's just that... well he and Nabiki don't really see eye
to eye on matters."
"Did he do anything terrible, my lady?" Ifuku asked curious as to why
Nabiki and Sohin would not work well together when... "I'm sorry I sent
him, my lady, but I thought that he would be the best spy for the
Tendos, and I didn't think... I'm very sorry."
"It's okay," Ranma-chan looked outside and noticed that it was
considerably darker than when she had finished the kata, "I must be
keeping you from your duties, you may go Ifuku."
"Yes, my lady."
Ifuku bowed and started to leave, when Ranma-chan called her out
again, "Do you think I've been terrible to my wife, Ifuku?"
Ifuku frowned not knowing what to say, on one hand, this was the most
depressed she's seen Akane in months, on the other, this was her lord
she was talking to. She opted for the truth, "My lady has done nothing
to offend you Lady Ranko. She's been terribly hurt from your deceit...
will you not tell her what you have found offending?"
Ranma-chan's eyes darkened in anger, "Don't she *dare* turn this
around! I did *nothing* to her that wasn't called for. *She* was the one
who deliberately mislead *me*."
Ifuku bowed, her lord was angry, "I am sorry, my lady, I speak when I
know nothing." She turned back towards the doors of the dojo.
"One last thing, Ifuku," Ranma-chan called out, for the third time,
Ifuku stopped to look back at her lord, "Tell her I'll fight her
tomorrow morning."
Ifuku nodded then left. Her lord was skilled -- even when angry...
was it wise to make Lady Akane fight him now that *she* was the sole
focus of her lord's anger?
Ifuku stopped tentatively at Akane's door, one hand raised to knock
on the paper dividers, but not quite reaching it, the other holding
another tray of food. Akane has been depressed for days, and though she
came out of her doors to eat, sleep and fulfill any necessities unlike
Ranma, she was like a ghost, making the motions, but not once thinking
what she was doing.
Ranma had hurt Akane... and yet, Akane had hurt Ranma just as well.
Both had far deeper wounds than they were willing to let on, and with
Nabiki out of the house, there was no one to mend things... no one to
mediate except... her... and it wasn't the easiest of jobs when you knew
only half of the story.
Ifuku sighed, 'Best that I finish this soon...', she tapped the shoji
lightly, although she was sure her silhouette had been distinct from the
inside of the house, "Lady Akane, I have some food for you."
There was shuffling from the room, and the soft yellow light from one
of the lanterns started to flicker from it. Ifuku opened the door as
soon as she heard Akane's call.
Akane had stopped her crying through the day, now she cried only
through the night, which lead to her eyes being a half size smaller than
it should be, a pseudo-smile lit up her face almost immediately as Ifuku
entered, Ifuku being the only servant Akane ever sees the past few days.
"How is my lady?" Ifuku asked as she prepared the table, careful not
to lay her breath on the food, "I trust my lady has been well?"
"I'm fine, really," Akane answered as she sat down from the tatami,
facing Ifuku calmly, "I could've eaten downstairs, you know."
"My lady needs a little extra treatment from time to time," Ifuku
answered as she handed her the ivory chopsticks, long black ones with
roses at the end and Kodachi's name carved intricately amongst its
thorns, "This house is too lonely for someone like you, Lady Akane.
Perhaps if we take a walk?"
"Maybe tomorrow, Ifuku, I'm not really up for it tonight,"
"I guess so..." Ifuku trailed off then finally thinking that there
was no other time to tell it, she sighed, "Lord Ranma has finally set
the date of your 'spar', Lady Akane. He wishes for you to be ready
tomorrow morning."
Akane stopped eating for a moment, turned to look at Ifuku, then back
at her plate, "I thought he'd never ask."
Ifuku looked at Akane worriedly. There were too many factors that
engaged this fight that she didn't particularly like. Far too many.
There was something about two people angry at each other brawling on the
dojo. There would be no limits... no guarantees. Anything Goes. It
scared her. "As my lady wishes."
"You can leave now, Ifuku-san."
Ifuku bowed as she left to retire towards her own quarters.
~~~
There was something happening in the Saotome household beyond
Kodachi's sudden amnesia that Cologne did not know. Now, Nabiki was
asking her to keep the children at their grandmother at Nerima.
It was a queer request since Nerima was in trouble right now, but she
trusted her student's judgment in such matters. There was a specific
request not to tell Akane where they were going and if she must know
something, only the fact that they were leaving.
Sei's foster mother was to be taken along and Hanae had been assigned
a new foster mother that Nabiki had arranged for in Nerima. She was also
'to continue teaching them what she saw fit', for which Nabiki had asked
for forgiveness.
She had been surprised to hear from Nabiki, and even more so to hear
the favor that she had been asking. Then again, the twins, aside from
her heirs, were her favorite students. With Shampoo gone on that errand,
she had nothing better to do but wait.
Cologne looked at Nodoka silently, wondering what a woman like her
felt like with children such as the twins. She really didn't know much
about the woman, the twins were not the type to talk about their past.
When she had pursued the two when they were in Japan, Nodoka had not
been informed of their arrival because of that seppuku pledge Genma had
ranted on and on about. Eleven years after she first heard about it and
she still knew nothing about the woman who had brought the twins to the
world...
"Thank you for bringing my grandchildren over, Matriarch Cologne."
Not having the same grasp of Chinese as her two children, Nodoka still
manages to fuse her name together. "I hope the trip was not tiring."
"No, no, the children were very cooperative." Cologne answered, being
as old as she was, Cologne tended to know how to deal with nasty
situations dealing with nasty children... not that Hanae and Sei gave
her any trouble. They were much more... sedate than the twins had been
in their youth.
Nodoka led the elderly matriarch towards the backyard where Sei and
Hanae were talking on the steps, their transfer from Rose Brier to
Nerima unquestioned.
Without their two main teachers -- namely, Ranma and Nabiki -- Hanae
and Sei were left to their own devices, something rare with the barrage
of lessons they were imposed to learn daily. That was going to change
now that Cologne was given a free reign on the lessons.
Today though, both were sitting on the steps of the newly polished
dojo and sipping some tea Sei's foster mother had made for them,
watching the small koi after taking a breather from running from Rose
Brier to Nerima. Cologne was as much a taskmaster as their parents.
"You're busy these days aren't you?" Sei asked as he looked at
Hanae's tired expression. "I've barely seen you the past months other
than our sessions together."
Hanae made a face as she took a sip from the tea and set it down on
the tray, "'nt Nabiki has asked me to find out about Aunt Akane's
'illness'." Sei made a face when he heard the name Hanae had used to
refer to their aunt. "Yes, I've missed you too, Sei. What do you say we
pick some shells by the sea?"
Sei's eyes lighted up for a moment, but it went out just as quickly.
He was the more cautious of the two and the more practical in matters.
"I don't think so. Last time, I heard you practically drowned. No one
has tried to get you near the waters... and that was a year ago."
"Well the water was choppy!" Hanae pouted as she brought up her knees
towards her chin and hugged it, thankful that she had chosen one of the
hakama they trained in for the day. "Have you master'd that last move
father taught us?"
"It's okay I guess, not perfect, but well enough."
Hanae clapped her hands gaily. "Show me Sei-san! Come on, I wanna see
how it's performed. Mine seems too wobbly and stiff."
"How about you show it to me? I'll just correct your form from time
to time..." Sei suggested, not too eager to stand from his comfortable
position on the steps just to show his cousin something that she could
do well on her own.
Jumping up from her position by the steps, Hanae landed gracefully
upon the soft earth in front of the dojo. Sei just raised an eyebrow at
her performance. "Well the least you could do is tell me how well I
executed my jump." Hanae said pretending to be hurt from her cousin's
lack of expression.
"It was perfect, Hanae." Sei answered in a dull monotone that
bordered on boredom. But although he showed disinterest, Hanae knew that
he did mean what he was saying. "As always. Now show me the move."
Bowing to her cousin, Hanae complied, moving with the swift kicks and
spins that her father had gone over with her the last time he was able
to teach. She executed the moves gracefully, but Sei found that she
lacked some of the precision and balance that should go along with it.
She danced but she missed the rhythm.
Cologne frowned and found that she needed to correct that, but Nodoka
smiled at the children's antics. "They are having fun, are they not?
What I would not give to be as carefree as they are now. Youth and its
ignorance --"
"Sometimes they see more than what we 'wisened old ones' do." Cologne
chuckled as she turned to see Nodoka. Maybe she was more alike to Nodoka
than she would admit.
She had been forced to give up her children at a young age, learned
to deal with life suddenly and fate had dealt with her roughly.
'Whatever reasons Nabiki had for leaving the children here, it would do
Nodoka good.'
She watched the woman smile at the children wistfully. Yes, the
children would do Nodoka good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: Ranma and co. were borrowed from the brilliant mind of
Rumiko Takahashi. Book that the story was based from was 'When there
was Hope.'
||-----------^_^-----------||
Author's Ramblings:
Hmmm.... well this is barely fifty percent of the fic, and as I said,
it's a very rough draft. Punctuation
errors abound (i need a lot of help with that) *sigh* anyway, enjoy, I
suddenly realized I haven't
posted chapter 11 in the webpage yet, so I'm going to rectify that
mistake. There are a few
survey questions about Rend 11 at the website, if you want to answer
that.
I shall fix the website now. (There'll probably be more ramblings when
I do get to post the entire
length of this for real anyway.)
~~iCe~~
PS. My e-mail adress is ice_an6el@yahoo.com
Feedback is my fuel.
Homepage: http://iCe.esmartdesign.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I write when the spirit moves, and I make sure it moves everyday :)
~~Unknown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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This is a draft. It has not been edited by my pre-readers yet. Chapter 12
will be released completely once all my pre-readers have responded.
Chapter 13 is 95% finished. I just need help with the fighting scenes.
Anyone want to volounteer with helping me with that?? :) Just contact me at
ice_an6el@yahoo.com (I promise after the fight scene and pre-reading chapter
13 is releasable)
past chapters could be found at
http://iCe.esmartdesign.com/
Fanfiction.Net
To my pre-readers:
Sorry if I posted ahead before hearing from any of you, but... I haven't
heard from some of you since July and I was wondering if my e-mail address
of you guys are faulty, my e-mail is faulty or you just have been busy, so
since I don't want to bring the wrath of the admins by posting an 'are you
guys here', I'm posting half of the fic. I'm sorry again, and I hope you
guys don't mind. You know the address you use to mail me? Scrap that, just
contact me at ice_an6el@yahoo.com as well, it might be hotmail's over eager
janitor deleting mails...
Oh and to other people who want to offer to pre-read as well, I never turn
help away :)
On to the fic:
BTw. Disclaimer is at the bottom.
Special Thanks to:
Roja Cyd
Maurice Phillip
Dream and Angel
Jourdan Bickham
Byooki Desu
Acetylene
Negai
And to the person reading this.
Little note before you start anything:
Ranma, Ranko and Nabiki... Nabiki in her cursed form will be
referred to as Nabiki-kun in scenes that show the perspective
of people who know about the Jusenkyo curse. (Ranma-chan in
Ranma's case). When this is shown in Akane's point-of view,
Ranma will be called Ranko and Nabiki will be called Ranma.
I hope this doesn't cause confusion.
I also switch from gender to gender in the middle. (Arghh sorry,
sometimes Ranma gets referred to as he when in cursed form and
Nabiki gets referred to as she in cursed form.)
Are women Saints?
No Saints, and yet no Devils,
Such Needful Evils,
That few can be without.
~~ Wit's Recreation
John Ashmore
~ Chapter 12 ~
_... I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what I was going to
do..._
The moment Ranma had heard the assessment of Kodachi's actions out of
Nabiki's lips, he had known she was right. They had all been played for
fools.
Damned fools.
He had run through the finishing touches to Yokohama blindly, the two
extended weeks passed through dully, and Yokohama was finished. Nabiki
was worrying about her so-called wedding with Sohin and Kuno postponing
his wedding for hers. Which was quite odd, especially since there was a
bet looming on their heads. Nabiki dismissed it as 'being Kuno' but
Ranma doubted it.
Still, there were other things on his mind, and Nabiki's farce was
the least of them.
Nabiki told him that the children were out of the house, that she had
asked Cologne to bring them to Nerima. They were prepared to return to
Rose Brier when Ranma did, but Ranma protested against it. He thought
that it would be bad for the children to be around when he dealt with
Kodachi.
Nabiki had agreed.
The last day at Yokohama was still fresh at Ranma's mind.
||-------------------------||
Nabiki leaned at the door watching Ranma pack all of his things with
mild interest, she had never seen him in a hurry to go home, *ever*.
There were such things as firsts after all. "*You* can't leave here.
*I'm* going home."
Nabiki winced at the way he said the words. She had never seen Ranma
as livid as he had been at the moment. She was truly scared at the show
of anger, not for herself, but for the person who was at the receiving
end. "I don't think it's wise to confront Kodachi now, Ranma. You're
angry at her."
"There's no other perfect time to deal with her, other than *when*
I'm angry at her." Ranma ground out, he picked up his bag and began to
walk out his pace beginning to speed up. "She has been the perfect
little wife, hasn't she? I'm hurt. It had taken an explicit order
against her life for her to pretend to be nice."
Nabiki had to run to keep up with her brother's larger stride.
"Ranma, please be reasonable. Let's go to mother first. Just to cool off
your head. You might do something you'll regret. Come to mother's house
and I'll deal with Kodachi." Nabiki argued, pulling on Ranma's sleeve.
He brushed her hand away rather violently. He stopped walking and turned
to her.
"I'm an idiot. A goddamned idiot. You can tell me now."
"What?" Although it wasn't something to be happy about, Nabiki
resisted the urge to smile. There was something extremely boyish in the
way he said that.
"You're itching to tell me that you told me so." He accused crossing
his arms in front of his chest and then tapping his foot against the
soft earth, impatiently waiting for what he knew was inevitable.
"I'd rather nor rub salt to your injury." Nabiki smiled a bit then
sighed as Ranma deepened his frown. "Oh, all right. I can't believe I'm
letting you go." It had never been her choice. He would go even if she
didn't want to. "Promise me you won't do anything irrational."
He gave her an indignant look. "When have I been irrational?"
"All the time." Nabiki deadpanned. Then she held his arm, preventing
him from moving away from her. "Come on, I won't let you go without your
promise."
There was a hesitant pause before he gave her his word. "I've already
sent a note to Sasuke to bring the children to mother's house, okay?
I'll rejoin you in Rose Brier soon. Before the children need to swear
in."
The townspeople had already gathered amidst the semi-revived town,
wanting to bid goodbye to their lord. He gave out a forced smile and
thanked the gods that Kuno was not out. He did not know what he would
have done if he had been.
"Oh, and Nabiki? I'm giving you the rest of the week to stay at
Yokohama. You really don't need to come with me." Nabiki's jaw dropped
open as she started to protest, she couldn't be left alone in Yokohama
with Sohin and Kuno and the bet looming over their heads with -- "You
have a wedding to plan."
She was stunned speechless, good, that would give him time to leave.
Nabiki snagged his sleeve, a fake smile plastered across her face as she
whispered, "I can't believe you're doing this, Ranma! Damn you."
"You don't want it?" He knew she wouldn't because the people would
wonder why she would pass such a gift from her brother. Time was
something rarely given and the people -- especially Kuno -- would ask
why she had turned it down.
She bowed, "My lord is gracious." She then leaned closer, and to the
people who were watching, it seemed like she was giving him an
affectionate hug. She leaned towards his ear and whispered, "I'll get
you for this Ranma."
He gave her a smile and when she stepped back and looked up to him,
his smile widened, "I know."
||-------------------------||
No one will be home when he confronts Akane -- Kodachi. He wondered
if it was wise, but dismissed it. He had to go home sometime, and the
best time to deal with Kodachi was when she didn't know what to expect.
He landed gracefully down the front of Rose Brier, walking through
the arches. One of the samurai bowed and offered to carry his pack for
him. He gave no indication that he saw or heard him, and went
distractedly towards the house.
Akane was out in a second, a smile lighting up her face, then a frown
geared at him. "Ranko, where have you been? I've been looking for you.
Hanae and Sei were called to Nerima and..."
Whatever she said barely registered in Ranma's brain as he noticed
that he was indeed female. He had not even been aware when or how he had
managed to become wet, but he -- or rather she was.
"Well? Have you been listening?" A flash of worry showed through
Akane's face as she walked towards Ranma-chan slightly tilting her head.
"Ifuku said that you were with Nabiki and Ranma. Aren't they coming
home?"
With the last words out of her mouth, Ranma-chan's eyes steeled.
"Don't you dare pretend with me, Kodachi. You damn well know who I am. I
talked to your brother. I'm sure you'll understand what he's told us."
Technically, that wasn't true either. But they weren't basing it on
the technicality here, were they? He didn't talk to Kodachi's brother,
and she might have not known what Tatewaki would tell... but then, he
wasn't thinking straight either.
"What am I supposed to understand..." Akane asked, bewildered at the
sudden hostility that the girl had shown. She shook her head and brought
her hand up to touch Ranma-chan's shoulder. Ranma-chan glared at her
then continued walking. Akane put her hand down. "I thought..."
Ranma-chan stopped moving towards the house, Akane's words of denial,
the final straw. She whirled around to face Kodachi, looked up to her,
took her hand and pulled her towards the house. "I am *sick* and tired
of putting up with you."
"But..." It was the only thing Akane could get past her lips as she
was dragged towards the house by Ranma-chan's strong hands. She only
noticed that they were in the kitchen when they stopped. "What are we
doing here, Ranko?"
"Putting an end to the 'Ranko' business." Ranma-chan answered as she
turned to the servants that cluttered the kitchen, the sounds of talk
immediately stopped as they bowed low and waited for someone to relieve
them. "I'd like you all to retreat to your quarters for the day. I'll
send Ifuku when you can return."
There was no protest as the ten or so servants that cluttered the
room left. Everything that they had been doing left at the small tables.
"Why do that Ranko? And why here?"
"Because, as I'm sure you know, this isn't something that concerns
them." Ranma-chan took a kettle of hot water from the brazier that the
maids had all surrounded earlier. "I'm doing this only once. Don't you
want to guess what will happen next?"
Akane bit her lip hesitantly. She was nervous. 'Good, let the strain
get to her nerves for once.' Ranma-chan thought as she swung the kettle
lightly on her fingertips. She really didn't need to do this, but she
wanted to make her admit everything to stop the pretense. 'At least give
me that much.'
"Make tea?" Akane offered up helplessly, and Ranma-chan was once
again reminded of how good an actress his wife really was. She looked
clearly dumbfounded.
"Funny. I never knew you had a sense of humor." But Ranma-chan didn't
want the confrontation to last more than it should, and so, she
unceremoniously dumped the remains of the kettle on her head. The change
came over him, muscles expanding, height growing, breasts diminishing,
until his body reached its full proportions.
Akane took this all in with wide eyes. She dazedly went forward and
raised her hand to touch his chest. It angered him more that she wanted
to continue the farce that she was trying to put up. And then, when she
had satisfied herself that there were *no* breasts, she looked up to
him.
There was hurt and betrayal in her eyes, and Ranma wondered at the
lengths she would go to save her own skin. "How *could* you?" She
slapped him hard on the face and ran out of the kitchen. Ranma just
looked at the door where she had exited, then raised his hand to his
cheek.
Already Kodachi had grown stronger than the last time he had assessed
her. Her drive to teach Hanae was incredible, and he had to wonder what
benefit she could attain from teaching his daughter.
"Ifuku!" He called out. It took three calls for the maid to hear him,
as she scurried towards the kitchen and bowed low. "Go get Yuka and the
rest of the staff at their quarters. Tell them I won't be eating for the
night. I'll be at the dojo and I do *not* want to be disturbed."
"Yes, Lord Saotome," Ifuku rose from her bow and scurried to perform
the orders.
Ranma watched her go then turned towards the dojo, his resolve
against his wife strengthened. Opening the large double doors, he
sighed. Without the children, the dojo was pretty much useless to him.
But since he didn't want to be seen, the dojo was the next best option
the other was camping outdoors on a training trip. He had enough of
camping from Yokohama, thank you very much.
He took a deep breath, didn't bother with stretching his muscles and
started to do a long complex kata that he hadn't performed since the
last time he was this angry.
As he moved along the hard and forceful blows, he wondered if peace
was ever going to come to Rose Brier.
"You mean you *knew* of this all along?" Akane asked, incredulously
at her maid, furious at the sudden surprise that her husband had landed
at her. "You *knew* Ranko was Ranma?"
In a way, it made sense, the way Ranko wore the same things Ranma
did, or the peculiar room arrangements... and why Ranko looked so much
like he did. But it was all the more unclear because she *has* seen the
two of them together. Everything didn't make sense. But then, ever since
she had landed in the past when did *anything* make sense?
"Yes, Lady Saotome, I am one of the very few privileged to know their
secret." Ifuku was taking all of it in stride. The fact that her *maid*
knew more than she did irked her all the more. She was made out for a
fool and Ranma was getting away with it. Ifuku continued gently, "I
would suggest not taking up Lord Saotome on the battlefield right now.
He is most assuredly angry at you, my lady."
"Angry? What the hell is he supposed to be angry about?" Akane fumed,
and in all truths, Ifuku could not see any reason why Ranma should be
angry at Akane either. There was no point in all of this when they had
been so much in love when he left.
Something had happened and it had changed Ranma's outlook on his
wife. "We are never given the easiest road in life, my lady. Maybe Lord
Ranma has chanced upon one of her ladyship's past 'misdeeds'?"
What Ifuku meant by misdeeds, Akane would never know. Kodachi did too
many 'misdeeds' for her to pinpoint on one particular thing. Everything
that Kodachi could have done in the past would have been erased by her
claim of amnesia.
With the way Ifuku was hovering over her, she knew the woman was
trying to think of someway to make her 'feel better'. But there was
nothing she could do. "Please leave me."
A flash of uncertainty went past Ifuku's eyes, as she thought of
whether she should obey and leave or take into consideration what Akane
needed and stay. In the end compliance won and she bowed and silently
left the room. Whatever argument Ranma and Akane had, it was up to them
to solve it.
This had to happen when everything was going well... 'Karma,' Ifuku
thought, 'The Gods of Fate have always been playfully sadistic...'
~~~
Nabiki did *not* like it when her own brother tricked her. Not one
bit. Not at all. She threw her hands up in frustration as half of the
inn room was piled up with gifts for her supposed wedding.
She had already received things ranging from a nice fan to the more
provocative _Pillow Book_ and the 'toys' that came with it. She was
going to strangle Ranma. But before she strangled Ranma... she was going
to kill that good for nothing bastard... "Where *is* he?"
"Looking for your future husband, Lady Nabiki?" Nabiki spun around to
find Kuno leaning against the door, with that weird little smile of his.
She put a mental note to herself that she should strangle him as well.
She glared at him, and he ignored her as he continued to walk by the
clutter of her room, raising an eyebrow at the articles here and there.
Ever since Ranma had left her, she had become more irritable, raised her
voice to Kuno and Sohin constantly and generally became bossier. "Are
you being pesky Lord Kuno? Do you really wish an answer to that
particularly *stupid* question of yours?" This wasn't good, she wasn't
supposed to be *provoking* Kuno.
"He is outside," He answered nonchalantly, as if it was the most
obvious answer in the world and Nabiki had failed to see it. Nabiki's
temper rose a notch higher. Not only was Kuno the reason why she was
stuck here in the first place, he was also the reason why Ranma was not
here stuck with her.
"Bravo. How may I ask did you come with that conclusion?" Nabiki
asked in feigned awe, something that she had mastered since childhood.
She glared at him and then waved her hand at the room. "Maybe because
he's not *in* the room?" She drew out the last words with a level tone.
"Oh... not really. I merely saw him stroll out." Nabiki's mouth
opened to retort then she shut it again. What was the use when you were
talking to an idiotic blockhead like Kuno Tatewaki in the first place?
She took out a big sack and started packing everything that was given
to her. She didn't care that Ranma gave her a week off, she didn't care
that she was going to dance with only a geta on Kuno's wedding night.
She was sick and tired of Yokohama. She should be spending a quiet time
at home getting irritated by Kodachi than spending her entire week in
Yokohama getting harassed by both Kuno and Sohin.
"I've changed my mind, I'm going after my stupid brother." Nabiki
muttered as she dumped a beautiful white furoshiki unceremoniously into
the sack, followed by whatever materials she could grasp, "I've decided
that I *really* don't want Kodachi to die, even if she deserves it, and
my marriage can wait."
Kuno looked at all this with a smile on his face, "Really Lady
Saotome? If I marry next week, you're going to be forced to dance for my
bride and I."
"However did *you* of all people manage to make me bet on something
as stupid as *dancing* in geta?" Nabiki asked as she threw everything,
not bothering to see where it was landing anymore. "I mean don't you
think your wife would find something unethical about it? Arghhh -- don't
answer that! If wives arrange courtesans then *obviously* wives can go
about with naked women in getas."
Kuno looked at this all with mild amusement. She picked up her
backpack and slung the enormous sack over her shoulder. She took offence
at his smile. She took offence at his mere presence. "Not one word,
Kuno. Not one word. Regards to your future wife, but I'm going home."
He couldn't help it, he spoke up. "Perhaps this has something to do
with you dying when my sister dies?"
Nabiki turned back and glared at him. "At least *that's* better than
dancing in a *stupid* geta for a *stupid* wedding, wherein I haven't
seen a *stupid* bride yet." She was close to a shout when she ended
that sentence.
Her tirade was interrupted by Sohin as he walked nonchalantly into
the room. He looked at her, at the pack, and back at her before asking.
"Uh... What are you doing?"
"Sohin, darling," She almost cringed as she said the endearment.
Thankfully, Kuno didn't seem to notice. "I've decided that my brother
has been temporarily touched by the kami... he's not fit to be in Rose
Brier ALONE!" She smiled as sweetly as she could while carrying an
enormously heavy pack, and trying to keep the sarcasm in her voice. "Be
a dear and help me get to Rose Brier in time."
Sohin looked genuinely confused. That's good. At least he's learning
to play his part in this whole fiancé fiasco. Now if she could get her
life back. "I just decided that I'd rather get married in Nerima, with
family." She glared daggers at him. "Now let's get to Nerima, darling."
"You know Lady Saotome, with your sudden mood swings..." Kuno hid a
small smile behind his hand, he took his time and waited until he had
both Sohin and Nabiki's attention before asking, "Are you perhaps
carrying child?"
Nabiki glared at Kuno again. "Now *that* is the stupidest thing I
have heard from you. Do I look like a woman with *child* Lord Kuno?"
With that she stomped down the stairs with the big bag in tow.
"I think..." Sohin sighed as he looked at the path Nabiki took. "I
better go and help her," He quickly took his own things and dashed after
Nabiki. When he reached her, she was outside, two rows of samurai in
front of her, the sack containing their 'gifts' were at her feet.
"Nabiki..."
She turned around to glare at him, so he kept his distance. When she
was satisfied he wouldn't interfere she turned to the samurai. She had
visibly calmed down and was talking to them in an almost light manner,
as if she had forgotten her previous enraged attitude. "In the light of
the recent events, I'm going to follow my brother. Yokohama is whole now
and I'm not needed anymore."
"Koku intake is going to be cut in half until we regain the
production that we have lost." That was going to be hard... their region
was primarily upland and irrigation was hard upon them, even with the
abundant field. That meant there were very few lands where rice could
grow. Most of their crops were fruits and vegetables... and in a land
where rice was literally money, a loss such as Yokohama's was hard.
"That goes for every samurai in the entire Sagami. Food rationing shall
go until the entire field has recovered."
Nabiki shook her head. "Sagami is under trial right now. The enemy is
closer than both my brother and I realized. Guard your backs well. Get
to your duties." The samurai bowed and one by one left her, Nabiki
sighed, the first show of weakness since she arrived at the city. "Let
us not loose Sagami too soon..."
One of the samurai who had been at the last of the ranks approached
her, she smiled at him. "Yes, what is it?" He had approached shyly and
given her a bundle wrapped in red furoshiki with imprints of a fan.
"My wife wanted to give your husband a sword, my lady. It was her
father's, and since we would never have a son, and she will not fight
again, she wanted to give it to you." He bowed as he offered the bundle
to her. She looked at the sword indecisively. It was obvious from the
vibrant colors that his wife had just made it a day or two ago. The
cloth was probably from one of the remaining good cloths they have.
She also knew his wife was lying in her deathbed with a wasting
sickness that they knew no cure of. "What's your name?" Nabiki asked
softly, "And your wife's?"
"Maria and Michael, my lady." Nabiki looked at him thoughtfully.
Christian names. It was highly unusual for a samurai to give Christian
names, but Happosai had made sure that everybody knew his orders.
Michael probably knew she was ordered to be a Christian.
'I probably should re-baptize myself into Buddhism... just to spite
the old man.' Nabiki shook her head as she placed her hand on his
stooped shoulders. "Thank you for the gift, but I'd rather if you offer
it directly to Sohin... after all you're giving it to him."
The man nodded and turned to Sohin, Nabiki watched as the man ambled
over to her pseudo-fiancé and present him the family heirloom. She
watched in morbid curiosity over what Sohin would do with it.
It was rare that swords a few generations old be given away because
the swords that were most coveted are the ones that had tasted blood so
often. These swords were heirlooms passed from generation to generation
and since they were so rare, many young samurai were forced to accept
newly forged swords. And here was a three-generation sword wasted on a
peasant.
She had wanted to tell him to take the sword back, or at least, wait
for someone worth its blade, but she dared not insult her 'fiancé' nor
the man that stood proudly in front of her. In some way, she had sent
him to Sohin as a test. It was a test to see how her fiancé would react
to such a precious gift.
At least no one asked why Sohin did not have a sword. It was widely
believed that for a samurai to part with his sword is to loose his
honor. But these men were in Saotome territory, and in the whole of
Happosai's lands, men were taught that the Saotome fist could do so much
more than a single blade. Nabiki rarely carried hers when she expected
no fight from samurai outside the Saotome sect. It was a dishonor to
have it stolen... but they found nothing wrong with it being left...
Her curiosity was even more piqued when they started walking towards
the stables where the horses were kept. Sohin turned to look at her and
motioned her to follow them. Outraged that he summoned her as he did,
yet interested in what they were going to do, she grudgingly followed.
She sighed as she picked up the sack and lifted it with a grunt. "Come
here, he says..." She muttered all the way to the stables where exactly
one horse was kept. She stayed at the door, where she could watch all of
them idly. No one was going to use horses because Happosai had not
given any permission. The solitary horse they kept in each city was used
for emergency purposes. Even though there was a scarcity of the animal
in Sagami, the stables were always packed with straw... it was an
essential part of living.
Currently, a couple of women were sitting on the haystack matting the
rice straw together. When this was done, another group of women covered
this with a smooth surface of their woven reeds and bound the edges
together with cloth tape. They were making the tatami, the final touches
to their houses.
Nabiki just raised her eyebrows when Sohin and Michael started to
gather straw, binding it together with ropes until it became twice as
big as she was. Then, Michael stepped back and gave Sohin the sword.
Sohin smiled as he gently unwrapped it. Nabiki noted that he looked
exactly like Hanae or Sei when they were opening presents on special
occasions. He took the sheath and the sword and fixed it on his belt,
his hand resting lightly on the sword hilt. All of a sudden, it dawned
on Nabiki what they were doing.
They were testing the sword.
"Oh... damn," Nabiki muttered, as she raised her hand to stop Sohin
from striking the haystack, berating herself for not realizing their
intent sooner. Just because Sohin was a peasant it did not mean that he
did not know he was supposed to test the sword. She just hadn't drawn
that conclusion, and she didn't think Sohin would do it in front of an
audience.
Usually swords were tested on criminals except murderers, priests,
tattooed individuals and eta. When there was a lack of subjects to test
the sword upon, what was left were haystacks, as what Sohin was trying
to do right now.
Between the ten women, most of whom were samurai, and Michael who was
a few meters away from Sohin, one of them was bound to realize Sohin had
never handled a sword before. If that didn't put and end to their game,
nothing would. "Sohin!"
But it was too late, for he had already gone through the motions
swiftly... And she watched as the haystack stood there in a single
piece, 'He *missed*. It was right in front of him and he *missed*. I'm
doomed.' Nabiki thought as she ran towards them, in a moment she was
beside Sohin... "What do you think--"
Sohin sheathed the sword and smiled as he looked at Nabiki then
turned to Michael. "Thanks. It's a great sword." And in that instant the
straw pile disintegrated.
Nabiki's jaw slacked. She turned towards the straw, which had been
whole a few minutes ago. She looked down on herself and found that her
clothes were already sticking with the small particles. She had not
expected him to be swift. He was probably only slower than Ranma,
possibly slower than her... she would have to check on that.
Usually, swords tested with the haystack were regarded as lesser
swords than those who were tested with real bodies, but this was not a
new sword, Sohin was just testing it for formality. It told her more
about Sohin than about the quality of the blade that had just been
handed down to him. She turned towards Sohin and gave him a glare, "That
was an excellent show. I never knew you could do the sixteen stroke
test."
The test was preformed with much difficulty. Samurai usually did it
with one stroke at a time, but most Saotomes did all of it in the way
Sohin had. Some had a great deal of difficulty. Nabiki had mastered it
at a young age... but for a peasant to do it... it was a remarkable
statement of his skill alone. She gave him a guarded look. She had long
suspected Sohin was hiding something from her. This feat just made her
more suspicious.
"You never asked," He gave her a smile, then took the sword from his
belt and handed it over to Michael. Nabiki noticed the tsuba, the
hilt-guard of the katana, had an extremely intricate design decorated
with the engraving of a crab and had several inlays. Both the twins had
dragons in theirs... Sohin shook his head. "I can't accept this. It's
too good a sword for me."
The man smiled at him and shook his head. "And I can't take it back,
because it was never mine in the first place. Please accept it
Sohin-san. It's the least we could do for the husband of Lady Saotome,
for someone of great skill. You have not tested it against the human
flesh yet, my lord."
"Well... okay then, thank you." Sohin answered not even glancing at
Nabiki he took out ivory chopsticks carved intricately with flowers at
the thicker side from his belongings and presented it to Michael. "I
wouldn't accept such a good gift without something for you to remember
me by."
The samurai nodded and accepted. Nabiki watched all of this with mild
frustration. She made a mental note to have a long talk with Sohin and
then a longer talk with Ifuku after this ordeal.
She watched as Michael walked away, then turned to watch as Sohin
wrapped the sword slowly with the furoshiki. Yes, she was going to have
that long talk.
Kuno smiled then looked outside, where one of his men had waited
patiently for him, "You. Come here. Prepare our things, we're leaving."
The samurai bowed, then asked, "The destination sir?"
"Kamakura."
~~~
Shampoo was getting bored following the crazy lady circle half of
Nerima before she finally stopped in front of the shabbier place of the
eta village. It was highly unlikely that one person who was going to
literally rob the Saotome household was eta. They were the classless...
and a classless society does not challenge one higher in ranks. It could
mean only two things. It was either this eta was extremely stupid... or
she wasn't eta at all.
Shampoo was willing to bet on the latter rather than the former. She
had been following this woman for days, and she has not yet seemed to be
suspicious of her presence. Shampoo didn't want to return empty handed
to her grandmother. Not when this had been her first assignment without
the matriarch ever since she had left China.
Her bones ached for a good fight, not the spars that she had with the
twins... but for a real fight. She'd missed that... this might be her
last for a very long time if Cologne continued to train her so far away
from civilization. The woman she followed turned her head back and
stared at the night, and for a moment, Shampoo thought that she had
spotted her, but she continued towards the house slipping into the small
shanty as if she owned it.
In a moment, a small light from her lantern lit the small house up
and from what the shadows could tell her, the girl was sitting down
complacently doing whatever Japanese girls did at that time of the
evening.
She was tempted to get up and leave, nothing was happening of
importance, and she wondered why her great-grandmother would take an
interest on such a boring specimen.
After an hour of staring into the house, Shampoo stretched her coiled
muscles, wondering how the girl could sit there staring into nothing at
all. Probably one of the idiosyncrasies of Japan? Perhaps a bit of
meditative silence that her great-grandmother was trying to teach her.
A branch snapped in the distance and she stood up alertly, moving
silently through the night, making sure that she kept to the shadows for
cover. A quick glance around revealed no one lurking in the dark, but
Shampoo kept her stance ready, a quick peek at the house told her that
her prey was still staring at the wall.
She turned back to relax herself again, when she felt a distinct rasp
of metal, which she was sure could only be a sword, she tried to whirled
around, but an object dug on persistently at her back, "Ah, my dear
Shampoo, does your great-grandmother send you to do her dirty work for
her now?"
Shampoo's mind whirled, who *was* this woman? She apparently knew
them... but she had no recollection of seeing her. Ever. And Shampoo had
an impeccable memory. She tried to turn her head, but the sword against
her back was firm, "Uh uh, we don't want you to make a scene."
"What am I going to do with you?" The woman sighed loudly, and
Shampoo could almost hear the staged effect from her ears. "I can't just
send you yelping to your great-grandmother. She is after all... a very
formidable foe. It's tragic that I found out about you only now. I could
have cut the strings earlier on... but... no matter. Come my dear pussy
cat, we need to keep you chained."
After a moment she was splashed with cold water, and she was a cat.
It would have proven to be her advantage being small and nimbler but
before she had the chance to run, the woman's hands caught her by the
neck, and lifted her up, "Now, now, no running my kitty cat, I still
have need of you. Your great-grandmother will not know of me. I see my
drug is working."
As a cat, Shampoo's eyes were flawless, and she looked at her prey
turned hunter. She was beautiful... Shampoo would give her that. Her
looks reminded Shampoo of someone she couldn't pinpoint. The eyes... the
mouth, the shape of the face, the curve of the cheek... there was
something eerily familiar about the girl that she couldn't place. Yet,
she was sure that she had never seen this woman before.
"You want to know who I am little cat?" The woman laughed out loud,
then brought Shampoo closer to her face, by now, Shampoo was almost
paralyzed by whatever drug that had been induced to her through the
small blade. Powerful stuff to have affected her so quickly. "I will
tell you, but you might not believe me."
Her voice dropped down to the smallest of whispers, an evil glint
placed in her eyes, a small smile starting to form on her face, "I am
Kuno Kodachi."
If Shampoo had not been sure if Kodachi had been telling the truth
the first time, the loud laugh that followed confirmed it. She was at
the hands of Kodachi Kuno.
Her eyes widened as much as the drug would let her. If Kodachi Kuno
is in the body of this peasant... then who was in Kodachi Kuno's body?
It was the last coherent thought of Shampoo before she succumbed to
oblivion.
~~~
After the third day of being secluded in the dojo, most of the
household was already wondering about Ranma. He had not eaten and
apparently through the sound of flesh against the dummy, he did not
sleep. For three days Ranma Saotome had closed himself to the world. It
spoke volumes of his anger, for Ranma had never done such a drastic
thing before.
On the third day he summoned for food, and as one of the younger
maids offered to do it, Ifuku tapped her and volunteered for the duty.
The girl eagerly complied to do so, no one in the household was thrilled
to face Ranma at the moment, and so it had been easy to persuade the
young girl.
She tapped lightly on the shoji of the dojo, "Your food, Lord Ranma."
"Come in." the voice was haggard -- and female. She didn't know when
Ranma had the chance to turn female, but it was obvious she had been in
that state for at least a day... and Lord Ranma never let the
opportunity for change pass -- especially if there was no need to be
female at the moment.
When she entered she found Ranma-chan staring at something only she
could see. Her eyes were sunken from lack of sleep and from the three
days that she had spent without food. It looked like she had lost a bit
of weight.
She moved towards her setting the small tray down and bowed, "Would
you like hot water for your curse, my lord?" Ifuku asked in the most
humble voice she could muster.
It took a while before he -- she answered, as if Ifuku's words had
only become clear now. Then, she gave a startled looked over herself and
finally realized why the woman had asked for the water, "No... I'll
manage."
"Yes, my lord," She paused for a moment, not leaving the floor which
she knelt on, "Is there any thing else you want, my lord?"
"Stop calling me my lord, for one," Ranma-chan quipped, "You're going
to let the whole house get suspicious."
"Yes, my lady, I'm so sorry, my lady," Ifuku said, when she was
young, it was always ingrained to her that there was no such thing as
too much scraping, bowing and flattering when it came to appeasing your
lord. "Is there anything else, my lady?"
Realizing that Ifuku had not moved from her prone position,
Ranma-chan tapped her shoulder and knelt beside her. She turned up to
face Ranma-chan, a bit uncomfortable to be sitting beside her lord.
"Were you sent here Ifuku? Are my own vassals afraid of me now?"
"No, my lady," Half a lie, but if Ranma noticed, she didn't say.
"What if it wasn't me, or Yuka-san? Another servant would learn of your
secret then."
"How is Kodachi?" It was the first she's asked of her condition, it
proves that he cares, at least, even if it was just a cover.
"Heart sick, my lady," Ifuku answered tentatively, she closed her
eyes, waiting for any indication of what Ranma-chan felt -- there was
nothing, "She's been crying to sleep almost every day. I think you broke
her heart."
"She has one?" Ifuku winced. This wasn't like any of their fights
before. This time, Ranma was the one who started, and Akane was on the
verge of giving up... but *why*? "Did *she* send you?"
"No my lady, I volunteered to go," From all the members of the
household, it was Ifuku who was closest to Akane, and it was she who was
far more able to defend her if the need arose. But they were talking
about their liege lord here, "There has been worry for the both of you."
"Were you here when Nabiki and I had our numerous engagements,
Ifuku?" Ranma asked in a low voice, almost a whisper. The past was not
something talked about in the house, why look back when the present
contains so many problems, and the future still out there to build?
"Were you here when I married her?"
"I was, my lady," She had practically grown up in Saotome territory,
when she had started to serve the house of Saotome, she had been three
and ten. She was older than most, younger than some. She had learned
from Nodoka-sama, and she had continued under Nabiki-sama.
Children were very hard to find in samurai territory, it was as if
they were locked by key to keep away from the world. Nabiki and Ranma
were the only children remotely close to her age, and even in the
five-year gap, the twins had treated her very kindly. "My mother always
thought my first work would be for Kunos, for she worked there... but I
was your sister's maid before I was Kodachi's."
Ranma had a short memory span concerning people, even those who had
been very close to him. It wasn't a surprise he didn't remember when she
started. When he smiled, Ifuku knew he had finally recalled,
"Nabiki-chan needed a chaperone for her numerous fiancées, and mother
picked you because you seemed so out of place with the servants..."
"I was very old when I started to learn, my lady, my training wasn't
well... I was a very spoiled child..." Ifuku smiled a bit. At least, the
twins were very forgiving masters...
"Did your parents die when you were young, Ifuku?" Ranma-chan asked,
the meal in front of her forgotten. It was rare for samurai to question
a peasant's past after being taken in, and though Nabiki and she had
been a bit close before Ranma married -- she had never had more than a
pleasant hi from Ranma.
She paused for a moment, as if considering what she was going to say,
but finally spoke, "... I was taken in by a woman, my lady, the only
mother I had ever known... I was too young to remember her face, the
face of my real mother, I mean. Sometimes... sometimes..." She smiled,
it was a sad one, "We regret a lot of things in life, my lady. Not
knowing my mother was one of them."
"We never knew our father too." Ranma-chan whispered, "Then again,
we've both been lucky, I had Genma -- even though sometimes I wish I
hadn't -- and you've had your own surrogate mother."
"I suppose," Ifuku sighed again.
"Your husband, then, at least you have your husband." Ranma-chan
answered.
For a moment Ifuku looked confused then smiled, "Sohin, yes, how is
Sohin? I take it he managed to catch up with Lady Nabiki and my lady?"
It took a while for Ranma-chan to say anything about *that*
particular topic, "Yes... he did. You'd better talk to Nabiki about your
husband, though. I have a feeling that they did not start on the right
foot."
"Sohin and Lady Nabiki?" There was a puzzled look in Ifuku's face,
"But... Sohin and my lady are...! I should think that they would get
along, my lady? I mean no offence, but Sohin is a very good man and --"
"I'm not saying anything, Ifuku," Ranma-chan shook her head as she
remembered Nabiki's treatment of the poor man, "I understand that he's
your husband. It's just that... well he and Nabiki don't really see eye
to eye on matters."
"Did he do anything terrible, my lady?" Ifuku asked curious as to why
Nabiki and Sohin would not work well together when... "I'm sorry I sent
him, my lady, but I thought that he would be the best spy for the
Tendos, and I didn't think... I'm very sorry."
"It's okay," Ranma-chan looked outside and noticed that it was
considerably darker than when she had finished the kata, "I must be
keeping you from your duties, you may go Ifuku."
"Yes, my lady."
Ifuku bowed and started to leave, when Ranma-chan called her out
again, "Do you think I've been terrible to my wife, Ifuku?"
Ifuku frowned not knowing what to say, on one hand, this was the most
depressed she's seen Akane in months, on the other, this was her lord
she was talking to. She opted for the truth, "My lady has done nothing
to offend you Lady Ranko. She's been terribly hurt from your deceit...
will you not tell her what you have found offending?"
Ranma-chan's eyes darkened in anger, "Don't she *dare* turn this
around! I did *nothing* to her that wasn't called for. *She* was the one
who deliberately mislead *me*."
Ifuku bowed, her lord was angry, "I am sorry, my lady, I speak when I
know nothing." She turned back towards the doors of the dojo.
"One last thing, Ifuku," Ranma-chan called out, for the third time,
Ifuku stopped to look back at her lord, "Tell her I'll fight her
tomorrow morning."
Ifuku nodded then left. Her lord was skilled -- even when angry...
was it wise to make Lady Akane fight him now that *she* was the sole
focus of her lord's anger?
Ifuku stopped tentatively at Akane's door, one hand raised to knock
on the paper dividers, but not quite reaching it, the other holding
another tray of food. Akane has been depressed for days, and though she
came out of her doors to eat, sleep and fulfill any necessities unlike
Ranma, she was like a ghost, making the motions, but not once thinking
what she was doing.
Ranma had hurt Akane... and yet, Akane had hurt Ranma just as well.
Both had far deeper wounds than they were willing to let on, and with
Nabiki out of the house, there was no one to mend things... no one to
mediate except... her... and it wasn't the easiest of jobs when you knew
only half of the story.
Ifuku sighed, 'Best that I finish this soon...', she tapped the shoji
lightly, although she was sure her silhouette had been distinct from the
inside of the house, "Lady Akane, I have some food for you."
There was shuffling from the room, and the soft yellow light from one
of the lanterns started to flicker from it. Ifuku opened the door as
soon as she heard Akane's call.
Akane had stopped her crying through the day, now she cried only
through the night, which lead to her eyes being a half size smaller than
it should be, a pseudo-smile lit up her face almost immediately as Ifuku
entered, Ifuku being the only servant Akane ever sees the past few days.
"How is my lady?" Ifuku asked as she prepared the table, careful not
to lay her breath on the food, "I trust my lady has been well?"
"I'm fine, really," Akane answered as she sat down from the tatami,
facing Ifuku calmly, "I could've eaten downstairs, you know."
"My lady needs a little extra treatment from time to time," Ifuku
answered as she handed her the ivory chopsticks, long black ones with
roses at the end and Kodachi's name carved intricately amongst its
thorns, "This house is too lonely for someone like you, Lady Akane.
Perhaps if we take a walk?"
"Maybe tomorrow, Ifuku, I'm not really up for it tonight,"
"I guess so..." Ifuku trailed off then finally thinking that there
was no other time to tell it, she sighed, "Lord Ranma has finally set
the date of your 'spar', Lady Akane. He wishes for you to be ready
tomorrow morning."
Akane stopped eating for a moment, turned to look at Ifuku, then back
at her plate, "I thought he'd never ask."
Ifuku looked at Akane worriedly. There were too many factors that
engaged this fight that she didn't particularly like. Far too many.
There was something about two people angry at each other brawling on the
dojo. There would be no limits... no guarantees. Anything Goes. It
scared her. "As my lady wishes."
"You can leave now, Ifuku-san."
Ifuku bowed as she left to retire towards her own quarters.
~~~
There was something happening in the Saotome household beyond
Kodachi's sudden amnesia that Cologne did not know. Now, Nabiki was
asking her to keep the children at their grandmother at Nerima.
It was a queer request since Nerima was in trouble right now, but she
trusted her student's judgment in such matters. There was a specific
request not to tell Akane where they were going and if she must know
something, only the fact that they were leaving.
Sei's foster mother was to be taken along and Hanae had been assigned
a new foster mother that Nabiki had arranged for in Nerima. She was also
'to continue teaching them what she saw fit', for which Nabiki had asked
for forgiveness.
She had been surprised to hear from Nabiki, and even more so to hear
the favor that she had been asking. Then again, the twins, aside from
her heirs, were her favorite students. With Shampoo gone on that errand,
she had nothing better to do but wait.
Cologne looked at Nodoka silently, wondering what a woman like her
felt like with children such as the twins. She really didn't know much
about the woman, the twins were not the type to talk about their past.
When she had pursued the two when they were in Japan, Nodoka had not
been informed of their arrival because of that seppuku pledge Genma had
ranted on and on about. Eleven years after she first heard about it and
she still knew nothing about the woman who had brought the twins to the
world...
"Thank you for bringing my grandchildren over, Matriarch Cologne."
Not having the same grasp of Chinese as her two children, Nodoka still
manages to fuse her name together. "I hope the trip was not tiring."
"No, no, the children were very cooperative." Cologne answered, being
as old as she was, Cologne tended to know how to deal with nasty
situations dealing with nasty children... not that Hanae and Sei gave
her any trouble. They were much more... sedate than the twins had been
in their youth.
Nodoka led the elderly matriarch towards the backyard where Sei and
Hanae were talking on the steps, their transfer from Rose Brier to
Nerima unquestioned.
Without their two main teachers -- namely, Ranma and Nabiki -- Hanae
and Sei were left to their own devices, something rare with the barrage
of lessons they were imposed to learn daily. That was going to change
now that Cologne was given a free reign on the lessons.
Today though, both were sitting on the steps of the newly polished
dojo and sipping some tea Sei's foster mother had made for them,
watching the small koi after taking a breather from running from Rose
Brier to Nerima. Cologne was as much a taskmaster as their parents.
"You're busy these days aren't you?" Sei asked as he looked at
Hanae's tired expression. "I've barely seen you the past months other
than our sessions together."
Hanae made a face as she took a sip from the tea and set it down on
the tray, "'nt Nabiki has asked me to find out about Aunt Akane's
'illness'." Sei made a face when he heard the name Hanae had used to
refer to their aunt. "Yes, I've missed you too, Sei. What do you say we
pick some shells by the sea?"
Sei's eyes lighted up for a moment, but it went out just as quickly.
He was the more cautious of the two and the more practical in matters.
"I don't think so. Last time, I heard you practically drowned. No one
has tried to get you near the waters... and that was a year ago."
"Well the water was choppy!" Hanae pouted as she brought up her knees
towards her chin and hugged it, thankful that she had chosen one of the
hakama they trained in for the day. "Have you master'd that last move
father taught us?"
"It's okay I guess, not perfect, but well enough."
Hanae clapped her hands gaily. "Show me Sei-san! Come on, I wanna see
how it's performed. Mine seems too wobbly and stiff."
"How about you show it to me? I'll just correct your form from time
to time..." Sei suggested, not too eager to stand from his comfortable
position on the steps just to show his cousin something that she could
do well on her own.
Jumping up from her position by the steps, Hanae landed gracefully
upon the soft earth in front of the dojo. Sei just raised an eyebrow at
her performance. "Well the least you could do is tell me how well I
executed my jump." Hanae said pretending to be hurt from her cousin's
lack of expression.
"It was perfect, Hanae." Sei answered in a dull monotone that
bordered on boredom. But although he showed disinterest, Hanae knew that
he did mean what he was saying. "As always. Now show me the move."
Bowing to her cousin, Hanae complied, moving with the swift kicks and
spins that her father had gone over with her the last time he was able
to teach. She executed the moves gracefully, but Sei found that she
lacked some of the precision and balance that should go along with it.
She danced but she missed the rhythm.
Cologne frowned and found that she needed to correct that, but Nodoka
smiled at the children's antics. "They are having fun, are they not?
What I would not give to be as carefree as they are now. Youth and its
ignorance --"
"Sometimes they see more than what we 'wisened old ones' do." Cologne
chuckled as she turned to see Nodoka. Maybe she was more alike to Nodoka
than she would admit.
She had been forced to give up her children at a young age, learned
to deal with life suddenly and fate had dealt with her roughly.
'Whatever reasons Nabiki had for leaving the children here, it would do
Nodoka good.'
She watched the woman smile at the children wistfully. Yes, the
children would do Nodoka good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: Ranma and co. were borrowed from the brilliant mind of
Rumiko Takahashi. Book that the story was based from was 'When there
was Hope.'
||-----------^_^-----------||
Author's Ramblings:
Hmmm.... well this is barely fifty percent of the fic, and as I said,
it's a very rough draft. Punctuation
errors abound (i need a lot of help with that) *sigh* anyway, enjoy, I
suddenly realized I haven't
posted chapter 11 in the webpage yet, so I'm going to rectify that
mistake. There are a few
survey questions about Rend 11 at the website, if you want to answer
that.
I shall fix the website now. (There'll probably be more ramblings when
I do get to post the entire
length of this for real anyway.)
~~iCe~~
PS. My e-mail adress is ice_an6el@yahoo.com
Feedback is my fuel.
Homepage: http://iCe.esmartdesign.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I write when the spirit moves, and I make sure it moves everyday :)
~~Unknown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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