The Taming of Kodachi
Part 9 of "Much Ado about Ranma"
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by HK Miller
21 March 1999 - FFML draft
28 July 1999 - RAAC draft
Major characters copyright Rumiko Takahashi and licensees:
Shogakukan in Japan and Viz Communications in the USA.
No disrespect is intended by my unlicensed usage.
Mild lime warning: adult themes suggested.
The earlier stories in this mini-series are are posted at:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/5058
A summary follows this story.
Conventions: telepathy is delimited > <
Time: Late summer after Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou's graduation
from Furikan High School and Ranma and Akane's wedding;
several months after "A Spring Tale" and "The Tempest".
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ranma-sa.." Kodachi swallows the final syllable, "I apologize
for disturbing you. I need help." She recovers from a bow to the
floor and settles into a kneeling position. "Tatewaki-oniisama
is missing. It is my duty to find him. I fear that I will need
help to retrieve him, and I have nowhere else to turn."
Inside the Tendo-ke reception room, Ranma, flanked by Ukyou and
Akane, sits at a low table. Shampoo stands behind Ranma, arms
crossed sternly. All four wear casual clothes; Kodachi wears a
very formal kimono.
"Well, sure," Ranma replies.
"Martial artists are supposed to help people in need," Akane adds.
Ukyou directs a sharp look at Ranma and Akane. >Aren't you guys
being just a bit too gullible here?<
>That crazy rose girl might be trying to kidnap you or worse,<
adds Shampoo.
Ranma looks around thoughtfully at Ukyou and Shampoo, then back
at Kodachi. "Why don't you tell us what you know?"
"Tatewaki-oniisan was researching various legendary artifacts,
especially ones which might help him," Kodachi grimaces, "free
the pig-tailed girl, Tendo Akane, and Saotome Ukyou from you.
One day he announced that he had located one such, and was off
to procure it. He mentioned that it was in the possession of a
band of yamabushi, mountain priests, living near a remote village
in the mountains, in the northeast, in Yamagata prefecture."
"Yamagata? Not Ushimachi village?" Ranma asks.
Kodachi is astonished. "How did you know that?"
Ranma just sighs. Ukyou grins. Akane offers, "Some yamabushi
from that village have been after Ranma's father for months.
Saotome-ojisan offended them somehow, years ago. We still haven't
heard the full details."
"Oniisama was seen in the village itself, but then disappeared.
I believe that those yamabushi are holding him. The police have
been useless. They claim there aren't any yamabushi living in
the area."
"I can see why ya don't want to take these guys on by yourself.
Pop just runs when he sees one, so they must be pretty tough."
"I believe that if several of us go, and make a show of force,
they will surrender Oniisama, or tell us where he is. My sensei,
Fujiwara-dono, is also willing to go."
"Ah! I'd like to see Fujiwara-sensei again. We owe her a lot.
I'll do anything to help if she's involved."
Ukyou interjects, >Guys, remember: the Ambassador's Ball is
tomorrow evening. Our bosses told us that that's one function
we have to be at, regardless of excuse.<
>Right, Ucchan,< Ranma replies. "Kodachi-san, we can help you
starting on Saturday. How about if we meet you at the train
station that morning, about nine?"
Kodachi rises and bows. "That will be fine, Ranma-san.
I look forward to seeing you then. Thank you for being willing
to help; I know that you do not like me very much."
As she emerges from the outer gate, Kodachi's composure crumples.
Her eyes moisten. Ranma-sama has the love of all three of my one-
time rivals now, and he doesn't even trust me or like me. I'm
alone. I'll always be alone.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the guest room, Genma pores over his meager possessions
as Nodoka lies sleeping. Anything left here I can pawn? She's
trying to cut me off from my sake money. He looks carefully at
an old, tarnished medallion. Maybe this? Where did I get this,
anyway?
"...grandchildren, behave..." Nodoka mutters, turning over
in her sleep. "Lin Tsi, give that back to Hikama... Ranko,
Keiko, sit up straight..."
Gods, Genma thinks. How will Ranma ever be able to support
that many on a training trip?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That night, Ranma tosses and turns in his sleep. His arms rise
to caress empty air. His mouth opens.
"Kodachi," he moans. "Please... Oh, yes, keep doing that..."
Suddenly he is awakened by a bucket of cold water thrown over him.
Ranma sits up, only to find three angry faces staring down at her.
"YOU PERVERT! DREAMING ABOUT KODACHI!"
"RANCHAN! HOW COULD YOU? AND THEN YOU BROADCAST IT TO US!"
"HUSBAND MUST NOT DREAM ABOUT OTHER WOMEN!"
Oops, Ranma thinks. This's gonna hurt.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A large, ornate, ballroom, filled with people from all over the
world. Glittering chandeliers hang from the high ceiling. One
side of the room consists of floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests
are dressed formally, most conservatively. Onna-Ranma, Akane,
Ukyou, Shampoo, and Nabiki, dressed in kimonos, help dozens of
other women cater the event. They carry drink and food trays
through the crowd. A discrete television newscamera is in one
corner, filming the ball, with a correspondent commenting on
prominent guests.
Nabiki fumes. I can't believe I'm still on the hook to those
clowns! What the hell am I doing here: I can't help with
security, and they don't need the extra pair of hands catering.
The worst part is they're not even paying me, just blackmailing
me with the threat of jail.
>Guys, I can't go. My own master, Chingensai-sensei, is coming
tomorrow, for a week of training. And Nabiki-chan and I have
business on Monday; we're paying off the loan we used to buy
half the Nekohanten.<
>That's okay, Ucchan. Might be better that way. If it IS any
kind of a trap, leaving one of us outside it is a good idea.
I'm tempted to leave Akane behind...<
>Ranma! I'm a martial artist too! Don't you dare!<
>Akane, wouldja let me finish? ...but I know she'd never stand
for it. And in some ways, you might be the best person to leave
behind, Ucchan. Kodachi knows you carried your obsession with me
around for ten years. If she is planning somethin', she knows
you'd spend the rest of your life chasin' her to avenge us.
Kodachi knows that Akane don't obsess like that. Shampoo might,
but Shampoo could be forcibly deported; you can't be.<
Akane's thought is sad. >Ranma... do you really think I would
give up chasing Kodachi if she did something bad to all of you?<
>Akane, if you didn't know I was right, you'd be angry, not sad.<
Shampoo comments, >Husband is right, Akane. If Kodachi hid well,
you would get on with your life someday. It might be years later,
but you would. You enjoy life too much. That's one of the
reasons Ranma loves you best.<
>The whole thing's probably on the up-and-up, but I still feel
better if we leave Ucchan behind. Also, she can let us know
real fast if those damn Kagema pull somethin' while we're away.
So far, since China, it's just been low-level agents, pilfering
magic items. We don't even know what they're really after. I
wish Cologne or Happosai knew more. Ucchan, try gettin' more
outta Chingensai.<
>Ranchan, he already told us all he knows.<
>He 'n the old freak were drunk when you asked.<
Ukyou is just setting a tray down on a table at one side of the
ballroom. A woman guest approaches her, giggling. "Did you
know that you, and three of the other girls here, look like the
characters on that anime series? I think that's so funny."
Ukyou wearily replies, "It's been mentioned to us..."
Nabiki carrys a tray of octopus balls through the middle of the
ballroom. She continues to fume. I can just look at their faces
and I know those four are conversing, and I can't join in unless
one of them initiates the contact. Why the hell could Ranma make
one of those rensus for Shampoo and not for me? He SAYS he
doesn't know why the attempt failed. Something about "maybe
you're not supplying enough ki", like that's supposed to mean
something to me. And then old Cologne just cackled and said I'd
be better off without one.
Frustrated and distracted, Nabiki doesn't watch where she's
going, and collides with a tall male guest dressed in an elegant
tuxedo. Fortunately, she drops her tray without spilling
anything on the guest. Unfortunately, her hand comes into
contact with something hard under the man's armpit.
"Ah, girlie, maybe you'd like to dance with me?" The man grabs
both Nabiki's wrists in his hands and whirls her onto the dance
floor. A slow waltz is playing.
Nabiki blinks. Ohmigod, it's a gun! She whispers, "Please
don't hurt me."
The gunman whispers back. "You just got one hand in the wrong
place at the wrong time, girlie. We got big plans, and you're
not messin' them up. Don't scream or nothing and you might
live through this."
Nabiki minds hums furiously. Plans? Requiring a gun? Not... an
assassination? Here? Better try to find out all I can without
getting myself killed. Need to act helpless.
Nabiki meekly whispers, "I'll behave... You're not going to
shoot anyone, are you?" The gunman just glares at her.
Guess he is. What else do I need to know? Hmmm... If he's the
only one, and who's the target, for starters. Nabiki ventures,
"Err... I heard the Prime Minister isn't here tonight."
The gunman doesn't react. Looking up, Nabiki sees that he isn't
looking at her, but his eyes track certain individuals in the
crowd. Nabiki says nothing for a while, just watching the
gunman's eyes. The only one I recognize is the Minister of
Construction. Didn't I hear or read something the other day?
Rumors about the Minister putting the kibosh on a big project...
She continues to watch. Her dance partner shifts position to
stay within a certain distance of the Minister. The other
individuals the gunman tracks are also moving.
Right, he's supposedly blocking some boondoggle project awarded
to the Totemo Ookii Construction Corporation, which is teetering
on the edge of bankruptcy. Funny behavior for a politician,
especially one in the Ministry of Construction. Good way to get
yourself replaced.
A few more minutes and Nabiki has the pattern down. Four of
them. They're keeping the Minister boxed. And I'm a hostage.
Just great. Okay, somehow I've got to get one of MY four to
contact me.
Nabiki carefully looks around. Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo are
nowhere close by, but Ukyou is walking towards Nabiki and the
gunman carrying a tray. Nabiki feels the gunman's arms tense a
bit as she moves. Nabiki turns her face toward Ukyou and, for a
moment, allows her face to reveal the fear she so keenly feels.
>Nabiki? What's up? You're supposed to be working.<
>Ukyou, quick! Bring everyone else in! This guy I'm dancing
with is holding me hostage. He and three others are planning
to assassinate the Minister of Construction!<
Ranma comes in. >Okay, Nabiki. Picture the four in your mind.<
Nabiki mentally points her four suspects out.
>Right. Akane, the one near the big doors. Ukyou, the one with
Nabiki. Shampoo, the one near the windows. Wait until we're all
in position, go invisible or drop your trays if you need to.
Move on my signal, take their guns first. Everyone, stay tuned
to Nabiki.<
Shampoo and Ranma are not quite in position when Nabiki hears a
small noise, a pencil being dropped. Her captor tenses and starts
to move one hand beneath his jacket.
Nabiki thinks urgently, >That was the signal!<
Ukyou appears beside Nabiki and plucks the gun from the man's
hand, bending the barrel with one finger as she places the gun
on her tray. Three outthrust fingers then stab into the gunman's
solar plexus, and he collapses. Ukyou then puts her free hand
on Nabiki's shoulder.
"You okay, Nabiki-chan?"
Akane beats her man to the draw, pulling his gun from his holster
and kneeing him in the crotch. He faints. Akane bends the gun's
barrel, then drops it. Akane briefly wonders if she kneed him
too hard.
At Nabiki's thought, Ranma blurs forward, throwing her hors
d'oeurve tray like a frisbee. It bounces off her target's face.
Ranma jumps and catches the tray with one hand as she fires a
quick ki burst with the other, rendering her target's gun useless.
Ranma lands. One finger stabs out, poking a shiatsu paralysis
spot. "Oh good, didn't spill anything," Ranma mutters.
Shampoo, still carrying a tray of drinks, leaps over a knot of
guests to get to her target, who has his gun out and is aiming.
A thrown drink glass knocks the arm aside as the gun goes off.
The bullet shatters a floor-to-ceiling window. Shampoo lands and
grabs the gun arm with her free hand, wrenching it so that the
gun is pointed at the man's head. A further movement, and the
gun barrel has hit the man's temple, hard. He falls, his face
just beginning to register surprise. Shampoo squeezes the gun
barrel shut with two fingers before letting go. Smiling, she
turns to the other guests around her, offering her tray.
"Would anyone like a drink?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Much later. Everyone enters the Tendo-ke main living room,
yawning. Kasumi is still up, watching the television news.
One TV news reporter is saying, "Hiro-kun, the most remarkable
thing about this evening's events is just who reacted. When the
assassins pulled their guns, all four of the officeladies involved
were in action, but none of the uniformed security officers knew
that anything was going on until after it was all over."
"That's right, Mirako-kun. I'd say these particular officeladies
are both untypical and very interesting." The speaker guffaws at
his own joke.
Kasumi cheerily says, "How nice that you're all home. They've
been re-running the news footage of your fight in Kyoto last year,
alternating with tonight's. Your four are probably famous all
over Japan!"
The TV continues, "This just in! The following scenes are in the
outtakes at the end of the newest Hong Kong martial arts
movie..." The TV screen shows Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou rescuing a
well-known actor.
Ranma groans, "They got part of our fight with the Unarmed Man
on film too!"
Ukyou grins. "Hey, you look pretty good there, Ranchan!
It's more fun than watching you as a girl."
Nabiki considers. This should stimulate interest in the anime,
but I've got to keep a lid on real info. Nobody'll want the anime
if they know where to find the real thing.
The TV news continues, "Certain members of the Diet have voiced
the suspicion that tonight's event may have been a publicity
stunt for the hit anime series: Typical Uninteresting
Officeladies, and have urged the police to question the series
producers."
Nabiki stares at the TV, aghast.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next morning, in Nabiki's room in the Tendo-ke, Nabiki and
Ukyou are going over some numbers together.
"Looks good, Nabiki-chan. Cash flow has been good enough since
we bought in that we've paid off the loan in four months.
You and I each own one quarter of the Nekohanten, and Cologne
has the rest."
"I see your point about buying into different kinds of
restaurants, closer together than a chain of the same kind could
be. Less travel time between them, plus we can raise the prices
a bit, having a local monopoly." Nabiki rubs her hands together.
"And we've been able to negotiate better prices from the suppliers
you and Cologne had in common."
"Best of all, we still have positive cash flow overall even with
seasonal shifts in the popularity of different kinds of food."
"The main problem is staffing. Your okonomiyaki expertise
doesn't carry over as well," Nabiki observes.
"But so far, with Shampoo and I moving between the two as needed,
we've managed."
"But you know, I thought this place was crowded even before you
moved in. Shampoo staying over really strains matters, even if
she is helping Oneechan with the housework."
"Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing. Maybe we ought to
think about emptying this place out a bit."
"Your foster parents are the obvious candidates."
"But not the only ones. Your dad isn't going anywhere, but what
about Kasumi? She'll move out if she marries Tofu-sensei."
Nabiki smiles. "Maybe we can expedite that relationship a
little?"
Ukyou grins in response. "Sounds interesting. I'd like to
keep Mother living here. I like her, and we'll need the extra
babysitter someday. But I don't mind kicking the old panda out.
Any ideas?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A Shinkansen train traveling north from Tokyo central station.
Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo sit facing Kodachi and Fujiwara-sensei.
Akane is looking at a guidebook titled "The 200 Not-Quite-So-Top
Onsens of Japan."
"Ranma-san, what have you and your wife been doing since high
school?" Kodachi asks, with a tentative smile.
"Akane's workin' for Daimaru Department Stores as an apprentice
clothes buyer. Gotta admit, fashion's one thing she's always
been good at." Ranma smiles at Akane, who smiles back.
"I joined the Self-Defense Force. Just finished basic training
a month ago. Now I travel from base to base as an advanced
martial arts instructor."
"Neither of you are going to university?"
"I had enough of school. Akane thinks she might go next year,
maybe take some business courses."
"I see. I myself am at Tokyo University, the usual curriculum
for entry into government service."
Akane looks up from her guidebook. "Did you have any particular
place in mind to stay? This ryokan in Ushimachi looks nice.
It has an onsen, and the food's supposed to be good."
"There's a country sake local to Ushimachi which is supposed to
be quite good," Kodachi ventures. "Handmade, aged in cedar
casks."
"Martial artists shouldn't drink that stuff."
"I suppose you're right. It never stopped Oniisama, though."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In an executive suite high up in an office building in Tokyo,
an executive sitting at a desk speaks into a telephone.
Behind him, the wall bears a large sign reading "Totemo Ooki".
"The police are investigating, and we are the prime suspects.
It's too widely known that we face bankruptcy if that airport
contract for Ushimachi doesn't go ahead. Fortunately, there
is nothing to find here in our office. Do you know of any
compromising material anywhere?"
"A letter? To a local politician in Ushimachi?"
"WHAT? We COMMITTED that the airport project would be
restarted, and GAVE A DATE? WE IMPLIED THAT THE MINISTRY WOULD
CHANGE HANDS?!"
"Yes, I know an airport for a village of one thousand is
unnecessary. It's not the first ludicrous project our company
has proposed, and won contracts for. That's what campaign
contributions are for. Forget that now. Take a small team to
Yamagata and retrieve that letter, at all costs, before the police
learn of its existence."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the Shinkansen train to Yamagata, Kodachi and Akane are deep
in discussion.
"I helped select the entire autumn line! It's really good
experience!" Akane gushes. "And I get a discount on my own
clothes, too! I just love the job!"
Kodachi raises one eyebrow. "You always have been clever at
picking out your wardrobe, I remember. Practical but cute. I
wish I could do that as well. I fear I overindulge in outfits
designed to leave an impression, and which don't really
complement my face."
"Well... I've always thought my face is my best feature, so I pick
clothes to emphasize it. With you, it's not like guys probably
look at your face when they're around you, you know? With your...
assets, lots of guys must be interested in you."
Resentment flickers across Kodachi's face; her muscles tense as if
to launch one of her laughs. But she says nothing and relaxes a
moment later. After a pause, she replies, "no. Not really. Men
do look at my chest or legs, but never at my face. And few
will talk to me." Kodachi pauses again, swallows. "I... envy
you, Akane. I always have."
Across the aisle, Ranma and Shampoo are talking with Fujiwara.
"Kurobara-chan picks up some techniques quite easily, though
not as easily as you, child. For instance, I've been teaching
her to separate her astral body from her physical. She's
proving to be quite good at it."
"Why'd ya wanna be able to do that?" Ranma wonders.
"Silly husband!" Shampoo reproves. "Great-grandmother says that
that is a very valuable reconnaissance technique."
"Oh yeah? Hmmm... how's this work, exactly?" Ranma asks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In her room, Nabiki is busy studying cash flow projections
on her computer. A diffident knock comes at her door. At
her summons, Genma, in human form, walks in.
"Saotome-ojisan? What can I do for you?" Nabiki smirks,
knowing it had to be about money.
"Nabiki-sama, please." Genma kneels abjectly, bowing. "Just a
little more money. Nodoka doesn't have to know."
"Why should I? Did you bring anything to sell?"
"Well..." Genma draws the old, tarnished medallion from beneath
his gi and hands it to Nabiki. Nabiki appraises it closely.
"Hardly an impressive item. Where did you get it?"
"Actually, I've... had it a long time. I... acquired it in the
countryside..." Genma coughs, "...many decades ago."
Nabiki produces a cloth and some cleaning fluid from a drawer
of her desk and rubs away at the medallion. Gradually the design
becomes clear, a low-relief dragon. She raises an eyebrow at the
workmanship.
"The metal is a low-grade brass. Not worth much." Nabiki
considers. Might as well see if I can spin some tale to get rid
of him for a while. "I can't pay you much for this, ojisan. But
there might be another way to make a little money."
Nabiki considers her words carefully. "Last night's assassination
attempt: there may be a reward posted for any evidence. My hunch
is that Totemo-Ooki is behind it, since the Minister is blocking
their contract for the airport in Ushimachi. Now, you never know,
but there just MIGHT be some evidence lying around up there in
Ushimachi..." Nabiki looks up to find that she is now alone.
Outside, Genma hastens away from the Tendo-ke, hefting his
backpack. Wah-hah-hah-hah! If I can get that evidence,
I'll be rich!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back on the train, Kodachi and Ranma are playing go on one side of
the aisle while Akane and Shampoo chat on the other.
"Bad move, youngster! Kurobara-chan has you now!" Fujiwara chuckles.
Ranma tugs his pigtail in frustration. "Ya sure? I can't see it
yet."
Kodachi looks Ranma in the eyes and smiles. "You beat me at
Shogi, Ranma, but Go requires a more strategic vision. And I have
years of experience."
"Ya ain't beat me yet!" Ranma glares. "Let's just keep
playin'!" Looking back at the board, he continues in a lower voice,
"...though my C.O. did say my strategy was pretty bad for
somebody that good at tactics..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It is mid-afternoon when Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, Kodachi, and
Fujiwara arrive in the village of Ushimachi. As they leave the
train station, Kodachi produces a map and orients herself.
"The yamabushi temple is up that mountain to the west of the
village. Why don't we go straight there? If we free Oniisama
quickly, we can be on our way back to Tokyo tonight."
One long climb up stone steps later, the five stand in a
flagstoned courtyard. Two burly priests are visible, both wearing
rude cloth garments. One is kneeling and praying to a cross-
legged Buddha statue and the other sweeps the courtyard. Ranma
gestures the others to fan out while he approaches the sweeper,
but Kodachi pays no attention. She walks straight up to the
sweeping priest.
"Excuse me for my rude interruption, sir..."
The yamabushi ignores her. Ranma tries. "Hey! We got a question
for you guys!"
The sweeping priest turns his head to look at Ranma. "Who's asking?"
"My name's Tendo Ranma..."
"Tendo? Tendo? Hmm... Just a minute..." The priest pulls a
small notepad out of a pocket and consults it. He finds the
correct entry. Looking up, he glares. "YOU'RE THE SON OF THAT
SAOTOME SCUM!"
Suddenly the courtyard is filled with a dozen burly priests, all
holding staves. "Is that so? Well, SAOTOME, are you going to
make good on your father's misdeed?"
Ranma and Akane sigh. "I knew this was gonna happen..."
"Husband is not responsible for his stupid father's deeds,"
insists Shampoo hotly.
"Oh? What are you, a foreigner? Of course he is! And if we ever
catch Saotome Genma, we'll work his butt off for YEARS!"
The yamabushi advance. Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo face the
approaching priests, an even distance apart. Kodachi stands
behind them, producing her ribbon. Fujiwara yawns, producing
two folded fans from within her kimono sleeve.
As the yamabushi attack, Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo defend
themselves with hand-to-hand maneuvers, shattering staves as
necessary. The first three attackers go down quickly.
Five more attack simultaneously. "Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! You won't
hold my brother without my permission, ill-educated pretenders!
Taste my ribbon!"
>Ahh, that's the Kodachi I remember.< Ranma notes to Akane and
Shampoo.
Akane is just blocking a staff with one arm and punching with the
other when Kodachi's ribbon flashes past her head and wraps around
her fist, spoiling her punch. Off-balance, the next staff blow
catches Akane on the side of the head.
"AKANE!" Ranma's head snaps to the side. He swoops, ducks, and
sweeps up Akane, leaping to the top of one of the temple
buildings. >Watch your back, Shampoo! I gotta take care of
Akane!<
Half-a-dozen yamabushi leap to the roof and confront Ranma.
"I ain't playin' around with you guys any more. MOUKO TAKABISHA!"
Unfortunately, several of Kodachi's clubs come flying up at the
yamabushi on the roof and intercept Ranma's ki blast. The clubs
disintegrate, but weaken the ki blast in the process. Only two
of the yamabushi get pushed off the roof.
Below, Shampoo has her back to a wall and is defending herself
successfully, but is unable to initiate an attack. Fujiwara
idlely fans herself, but any priest approaching her close enough
to strike is sent flying skyward with a brief flick of her fan.
Kodachi prances around wildly, scattering many blows but doing
little damage to her adversaries.
Ranma quickly scans the scene. Dammit! This is ridiculous! We
oughta be beating these guys easily, but we're gettin' in our own
way too much! It's Kodachi's style; it's too different from ours,
and, unlike Sensei, she ain't got the sense to stay outta our way.
>Akane, you okay?<
Akane holds her head with both hands, but nods. >Just give me
another minute.<
Ranma stands over Akane, defending her, until she's fully
recovered. >Alright, we gotta get back together with Shampoo, as
far away from Kodachi as we can get. Shampoo! Somersault over
to your left, that clear space!<
Ranma picks up Akane and leaps. He lands so that he, Shampoo, and
Akane form three sides of a triangle, all three facing outward.
They link arms. >Spin!<
All but two of the remaining yamabushi jump the three, but the
spinning kick knocks the wind out of all of them. Ranma, Akane,
and Shampoo land, then run over to where Kodachi has just been
knocked down by the two most burly-looking holy men. Ranma taps
one on the shoulder, then nails him as he turns around. Akane
takes the other.
The courtyard is littered with unconscious or groaning yamabushi.
The five victors approach one who seems to be in charge, with a
waist-length grey beard.
"Now, listen to me. I'm not here about whatever my pop did or
didn't do to you guys! We're here about this woman's brother!"
"My elder brother, Kunou Tatewaki, visited you two weeks ago. He
has not been seen since. I demand you release him!"
"Boy yore age? Looks like you? Shore, I 'member the kid. Well,
we ain't got him. He came askin' bout the temple treasure.
Arrogant snot, full 'o lofty airs."
"That's Kunou-sempai all right," Akane remarks drily.
"We mighta roughed the kid up a bit, maybe, but that's all. We
ain't got 'im."
"Happen to know where he might be now?"
The old priest looks embarrassed. "We lost 'im. But we know
who's got 'im. It's that there yamamba, that witch, lives over on
the mountain east 'o town, past the lake."
The five look at each other, then at the setting sun. "Guess we
gotta stay the night, then."
Fujiwara turns to the old priest. "Just a point of curiosity,
honored sir. Did the young man find what he was looking for?"
The old priest fidgets. "Ahh, no, he didn't."
"Can you tell us anything about the object of his search?"
The old priest's agitation increases. "Well, ah, we don't know
much about it. They say Minamoto Yoritomo once owned it. We
kept... I mean keep.. it locked away mostly."
"I see. Thank you." Fujiwara turns to leave with the others.
As they descend the steps, she continues, to herself, "My ancestor
Minamoto Yoritomo owned it? Wonder what it is? I could check the
family records... Did the Minamoto seize it when they overthrew
my ancestors the Taira, or did they have it all along? If the
former, did the Taira get it from my ancestors the regents, or
some of my imperial ancestors? Perhaps retired emperor Go-
Shirakawa?"
Shampoo ignores Fujiwara. Akane gives Fujiwara the flat-eyed
look. Ranma mutters, "Geez! Who isn't her dumb ancestor, I
wonder?"
Suddenly Fujiwara is standing on his head, whapping him with her
fan. "Impertinent whelp! Have some respect!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back in Nerima, Ukyou helps Kasumi dress for her date.
"Are you sure I look okay, Ukyou-kun?" Kasumi asks. "I do so
want to make a good impression. He's always so silly around me."
"You're fine, Kasumi." I just hope Nabiki is handling her end.
Better let her know. >Nabiki! Kasumi's about ready to leave.<
Over at Tofu-sensei's clinic, Nabiki waits for the doctor to
emerge from his living quarters. She fingers a pair of glasses
she has in her pocket.
>Okay, Ukyou. I'm set on this end.<
Tofu-sensei emerges, tightening his tie. "Okay, I'm ready,
Nabiki. I'm just not sure I'm ready to date a stranger. What's
the name of this woman again?"
"Her name is Sakumi, and I'm reliably informed that she likes you
a lot. You'll be meeting her at the restaurant. Let me adjust
your tie for you." Nabiki advances and raises her hands.
"You don't really have to..." Tofu-sensei's comment is
interrupted as Nabiki knocks his glasses off.
"Oh, excuse me!" Nabiki catches the glasses and quickly pockets
them. She then produces her other pair.
"Oh, I managed to catch them. Let me put them back on you."
"Funny. Everything's a bit blurry. I hope you didn't hit my
head. I'm not sure I'll even be able to tell what this woman
looks like."
"That's okay. Just be yourself during the date, and I'm sure
she'll be impressed."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That evening, in Ushimachi, Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, Kodachi, and
Fujiwara-sensei check into the rustic hot-springs inn. No other
guests are visible.
"Pardon me, but you don't seem to be very busy. Isn't this one of
your busy seasons?" Akane asks, holding her guidebook.
The short, aged woman behind the counter replies. "Shore is, most
years. Scared off, they are." She humphs in disgust. "It's them
ghost stories. People're sayin' the onsen's haunted. Nonsense!"
She gives a big grin. "But we got enough rooms for all of ya."
"Two will do," Akane says. "One for my husband, myself, and
my..."
"Husband's other wife," interrupts Shampoo.
Akane glares at Shampoo. Kodachi continues to the hotelier, "And
one room for my teacher and myself."
Grabbing Shampoo's arm, Akane pulls her over to a corner.
>Shampoo, don't say that in front of people who don't know us!<
Shampoo glares back at Akane. >Why not? Why should I care about
stupid Japanese laws? We're both equally his wives! Why should I
be the one to pretend not to be married? Take your turn!<
>TAKE MY TURN?! I *AM* MARRIED!<
As the two girls continue to glare at each other, Ranma looks over
at them worriedly. Kodachi murmurs to him, "I see it's not easy
keeping your relationship going. Do they ever get violent with
each other?"
"Not yet. Akane and Shampoo don't get along with each other as
well as they both get along with Ukyou, though."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back in Nerima, Ukyou and Nabiki corner Kasumi as she returns
from her date.
"How was it?"
"Did you like him?"
"Tell! Tell!"
"Oh, my. Tofu-sensei was so different tonight. He's really a
wonderful man. He kept calling me this strange name, though."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next morning in Ushimachi, Kodachi emerges from her room into
the ryokan's courtyard, yawning. Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo are
already going through their morning katas, dressed in white gi's.
"Why don't you join in, child." Fujiwara is suddenly standing by
Kodachi's side. "See, your intended is beckoning you."
"Yo, Kodachi! Might as well work out with us. I wanna do what
I can to meld your fighting style with ours, just in case we gotta
fight again on this trip."
Kodachi lines up next to Shampoo and begins some stretching
exercises, then tentatively tries one of the Anything-Goes katas.
Nobody says anything for a while. Slowly, Kodachi's movements
grow into a semblance of synchronization with the others'.
As they finish, Fujiwara slides over to Kodachi. "Kurobara-chan,
you look fairly tired. You should work out with your friends more
often." She gives a little chuckle. "You looked like this
Thursday night after your first successful astral body
separation."
Akane's ears perk up. Thursday night?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later that morning, on their way to the yamamba's cottage, Ranma,
Akane, Shampoo, Kodachi and Fujiwara walk past the edge of Ryuu-ou
Lake near Ushimachi, looking at the overcast waves.
"This lake," Fujiwara begins, "has a story about it.
The Dragon King and the Yin-Yang Diviner
When my ancestor, Fujiwara no Michinaga, was Minister of the
Left, there was an accomplished Yin-Yang Diviner who lived
in the Capital, named Kamo no Tadayuki. He could see through
the deceptions of foxes at a glance, and tengu and demons as
well held no terror for him.
As his power grew through study, so did his arrogance. He
began to believe that he could do whatever he wanted. He
had two children, a son named Yasunori and a daughter, whom
he thought he loved, but whose needs he ignored in his desire
for power.
He came to hear that a dragon lived at the bottom of this
lake, and conceived a plan to obtain from this dragon even
more power. He journeyed here from the Capital, a journey
of many months in those days, seeking this lake. He wished
to compel the dragon to make for him an medallion of great
power.
Arriving here in Ushimachi, he began his preparations.
Unknown to him, the dragon who lived in this lake was a
Dragon King, immune to Kamo no Tadayuki's spells of compulsion.
The Dragon King was fond of visiting Ushimachi in the shape of
a young girl, and in this shape, the dragon watched the
preparations for the great spell. These preparations took many
days.
When the preparations were complete, he cast the spell and the
awesome Dragon King duly appeared. The diviner made his
request. The dragon had spent many days considering what to do
with this arrogant request, but finally decided that just
granting the request was vengeance enough. The Dragon King
smiled a predatory smile, but produced the medallion, gave it
to the diviner, and sank beneath the waters of the lake again.
Kamo no Tadayuki returned to the Capital, rejoicing in the
success of his quest. The return journey took many more
months. By the time he returned to the Capital, he had
been absent for three years. His children had grown.
The son had himself grown arrogant like the father, but
divorced from reality. The daughter had come to worship
her father, and emulated what she remembered of her
father's behavior. Because of this, however, she had no
friends and was very lonely.
When the diviner returned to his home, he was displeased with
both of his children, but more displeased with his son.
However, he now had the dragon medallion, and his displeasure
manifested itself unexpectedly. One day, angry at his son for
the son's incessant womanizing, he roared out his anger while
holding the medallion. Fire emerged from his finger and
consumed the son. In despair, the father lost his reason.
The daughter spent the rest of her life caring for her father,
living in sadness and despair."
The group looks quietly at the overcast lake when the
tale is concluded. Finally they turn to take their leave.
Kodachi is the last to turn. Gazing out over the lake,
she says, low enough so that only Ranma can hear her,
"...living in sadness and despair.
An overcast day,
A story of bygone days,
Waves on the lake shore;
Father, have you condemned me
To a life without friendship?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
At the Ushimachi train station, Genma, in white gi with backpack,
gets off a newly-arrived train and emerges from the station.
Twisting his head around, he wonders where to go first. Hmmm.
Better make sure I don't go near those yamabushi. Maybe a
disguise as well. Yes, the Ploy of the Fierce Chameleon is just
what I need.
Not watching where he's going, Genma collides with five rough-
looking individuals who are just entering the train station. Four
are dressed in plaid and have visible scars; the other carries an
important-looking piece of paper. All six people end up on the
ground.
As they get up, Genma takes one look at the five and crouches.
Look like Yakuza. Better use the Crouch of the Wild Tiger.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Genma babbles, repeatedly
bowing.
The five look annoyed at Genma, but say nothing as they enter the
train station. A scream of fury sounds within the station just
as Genma realizes he now has a sheet of paper tucked in his belt.
Genma scans the paper quickly, then starts running. The five
thugs pour out of the station in pursuit. The biggest one stops,
looks around, and asks "Which way did he go? Which way did he
go?" The one not dressed in plaid angrily hits the biggest one
on the head and points at the fleeing Genma.
Genma runs as fast as he can, dodging a few bullets.
I'm Rich! I'm Rich! This letter is the evidence against Totemo-
Ookii! Now all I need is to find a policeman to sell it to!
Behind, by the train station, a girl who looks to be in her teens
emerges from the shadows. Passersby glance at her nervously.
The girl's skin has an uncanny tinge to it, and her eyes are a
trifle too large.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
At Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Ukyou is just finishing up a discussion
with one of her suppliers. Konatsu is the only other person in
the shop at the moment.
"...and since I now have double the volume with my two
restaurants, you should give me a better price on those noodles.
Frankly, I prefer to use yours; but Ichiban Yakisoba offered me
a pretty good deal."
The supplier's representative sweats a moment, then nods.
As he departs, Ukyou makes a few notations on her ledgers, then
looks up. The restaurant is almost empty. Konatsu, looking
wistfully at her, crosses her line of sight. Damn. Maybe I
better have that conversation I keep putting off.
"Konatsu-chan, why don't you sit down here a moment. I have
something I'd like to discuss with you." Ukyou waves at the seat
across from her.
Konatsu sits. Ukyou looks at him, wondering where to begin.
"Konatsu-chan, I appreciate all the hard work you've put into my
business. I want you to know that. You'll always have a place
working for me."
"Ukyou-sama," he murmurs and nods.
"I know you have feelings for me. I appreciate those, as well.
But I don't return them. I hope you understand that."
Konatsu hesitates, then says, "your arrangement with Saotome
Nodoka and Ranma-sama..."
"You know the details?" Ukyou smiles briefly. "I should have
guessed as much." She frowns. "Konatsu-chan, I may marry someday
as a cover, that's true. But my heart will always be with
Ranchan. It wouldn't be fair to you to let you take such a
position. I'm not sure I would even consummate such a marriage."
Konatsu bows his head. "I would accept it, even welcome it,
Ukyou-sama."
"That's just it, you probably would..." Ukyou breathes. She looks
out the window for a bit, then back. "Konatsu, it's your life. I
can't force you to stop wasting it on me. But you must realize
that I have no plans to marry you, even as a cover."
"I understand and accept your intention, Ukyou-sama." Konatsu
looks up at Ukyou and smiles. "But I have no other plans as
well."
Ukyou just nods and dismisses Konatsu back to his work. Damn, she
thinks. He's just going to put his life on hold until I marry
someone. But what I said applies to any guy; it just wouldn't be
fair. Maybe I'll have to marry a woman after all.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The yamamba's cottage turns out to be deep in the woods, with a
tall, thatched roof and overhanging eaves. The yamamba is an old
woman, hunched over, leaning on a cane. She peers up at her
visitors with bright, scrutinizing eyes.
"Grandmother," Akane says, "please sit down. We'd just like to
ask you a question or two."
"Don't mind me, dearie," the old woman cackles. "I've spent much
of my life standing."
Kodachi produces a photograph. "We're looking for my brother,
Kunou Tatewaki. He was last seen two weeks ago in this village.
The yamabushi across the valley told us that you might know his
current whereabouts."
The yamamba peers at the photograph, then laughs. "Oh, yes, the
young fellow. I remember him. He had a bit of difficulty with
those so-called priests. I helped him out of that, in return for
a few chores. Always can use a young strong back around here,"
the woman cackles, looking meaningfully at Ranma. "But he left
after a day or so."
"Any idea where he might've gone off to?" Ranma asks.
"Hmmm. Well, he was looking for something specific, I remember
that. The yamabushi's temple treasure, that they used to keep
locked up. Let people see it every hundred years or so. But
I told the boy that the yamabushi lost it, though they'd never
admit it. Some thief got ahold of it, 'bout a year ago."
"Thief? Somebody stole from the temple?" Akane asks, horrified.
"Yep. The yamabushi figgered out who it was, though. I know
they got the guy's name. Been lookin' for him ever since.
Tokyo, I think I heard. Bald guy, they said. Glasses.
Heavy-set."
Ranma and Akane bigsweat. Shampoo breathes "aiyaa!"
With an amused expression on her face, Fujiwara glances at her
companions, then back at the yamamba. "I am interested in this
artifact myself. The yamabushi wouldn't tell us much about it.
Perhaps you know something of its history?"
The yamamba snorts. "More than those idiots. I know their temple
received it as a donation from the Bakufu in Edo, during the reign
of Shogun Iemitsu."
Fujiwara nods. "My ancestor."
"Before that, its history gets a bit murky. There's an old story
that Ieyasu took it from Hideyoshi, who got it from Nobunaga.
Supposed to be one of the reasons for the warlords' success in
battle."
Fujiwara nods again and opens her mouth, but, noticing Ranma's and
Akane's stares, says nothing.
"One old story says Nobunaga's chief diviner won it from a group
of foxes, but another says it dates back to Heian Kyo. Supposedly
once the property of one of the Fujiwara clan's retainers."
Fujiwara directs a smug look at Ranma.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The group is almost back to the edge of Ushimachi when Ranma
shades his eyes and looks ahead into the distance.
"Pop? What's he doin' here?"
Genma appears, running at top speed towards the five. Trailing
him are the five thugs.
"Son! Glad to see you! Since time immemorial, it has been the
true duty of a martial artist to protect the innocent from
society's predators! Go to it!" Genma shouts, not slowing in the
slightest as he passes them.
Ranma cracks his knuckles. "Well, it's a chance to see if our
teamwork is any better, at least. Spread out a bit. Kodachi,
start behind us, then flank them."
Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo assume defensive stances. The five
thugs approach on the run. "You kids better not get in our way!
You're playin' outta your league!"
The biggest one adds, "Yeah! What he said!"
As the thugs confront them, Kodachi leaps to the side, her ribbon
at the ready. Each thug who tries to draw a gun finds his gun
plucked from his hand by her ribbon. Without guns, Ranma, Akane,
and Shampoo make quick work of the five.
"Much better," Fujiwara applauds.
"Well, there's still room for some improvement," Ranma scratches
his head, "but you're right. At least we weren't fighting each
other."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That evening, the ryokan owner bustles around in Ranma, Akane,
and Shampoo's room, setting up dinner for five. Sliding paper
doors hide the folded futons. The owner picks up the tatami mat
in the middle of the room, revealing a stove set into the floor.
She bustles to and from the room with dishes, talking as she
works.
"Aye. The ghost scared off all the tourists, it did. Though
they do say a very strange young girl showed up today. Ain't seen
her myself."
A bit fearfully, Akane asks, "What does the ghost look like?"
Kodachi and Shampoo snort.
"Tall, they say. Its eyes gleam with obsession. It carries the
blood-dripping sword that ended its life, and moves silently."
During dinner at the ryokan, Shampoo says nothing, but darts
upset looks at Ranma, who is oblivious. Akane notices. Kodachi,
off to the side, watches closely but says nothing. Fujiwara just
eats, inscrutable.
>Shampoo, why are you so upset at Ranma?<
>I will explain after husband has left.<
Finally, Ranma finishes and rises. "Sensei, want to try that
technique out a bit more? I'll see you guys later."
Shampoo waits until Ranma is well out of earshot. "Today is
Amazon Festival of Rebirth. Husband is supposed to give present
to wife. I know that Ranma knows this, but he has not given me a
present. My husband doesn't love me." Shampoo begins to cry.
Akane stifles an impulse to gloat. Smoothing her expression, she
says, "Shampoo, it doesn't mean anything of the kind. Listen to
me."
Shampoo stops crying and looks up at Akane.
"Ranma never remembers any occasion which is important to Ukyou or
I either. That doesn't mean he doesn't love us."
"But husband remembered Ukyou's birthday last month..."
"No, actually he didn't," Akane admits, bashfully. "The truth is
that Ukyou and I remember each other's important occasions. I
remind Ranma about Ukyou's, and she reminds him of mine. That
idiot'd never remember anything otherwise."
Akane waits a moment for Shampoo to absorb that, then adds, "We
both forgot to tell you about the arrangement. You have to let
us know what you want Ranma to remember; we'll make sure he does.
You can help Ranma remember ours as well."
Akane giggles. "I reminded Ranma every day the week before her
birthday, and the day before he still hadn't bought her a present.
He had to ask me to pick one out for him. Men are such idiots!"
Shampoo dries her tears. "Is husband really so inattentive?
I didn't know..."
Kodachi has been listening to this discussion without comment.
Finally, when Akane is finished, Kodachi says, in a low voice,
"Ranma never did that in my schoolgirl dreams."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later that night, Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo, wearing the ryokan-
supplied bathrobes, knock on Kodachi's and Fujiwara's door.
Kodachi opens it.
"Yo, Kodachi. We're hitting the onsen. You guys interested?"
Kodachi blushes. "Ranma-san, the onsen here still practices mixed
bathing... But I don't mind if you three don't."
Coming from inside the room is the theme song to "Typical
Uninteresting Officeladies".
"Kodachi, do you actually watch that show?" Akane asks.
Fujiwara, lying in front of the television, looks up. "I never
miss it! You three don't watch your alter-egos in action?"
"Naw. Caught one episode last fall. Haven't watched it otherwise."
"A pity. You'd probably find it more amusing than you think.
The initial office scenes are a hoot. Ah, here it comes now."
Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo move inside to where they can see the
screen.
- T - U - O -
A cramped office. R-ko, A-ko, U-ko, and S-ko, all in kimonos,
bustle around. Their boss, Juuno-shochou, sits pompously at
a desk, looking around officiously. He wears a turn-of-the-
century high starched collar, tie, and bowler hat.
"More tea!" demands Juuno-shochou, peremptorily. "A man of
my responsibilities must needs be properly stimulated for the
demands of my position." Behind him, R-ko holds down one eyelid
and sticks her tongue out at Juuno-shochou. A-ko elbows R-ko,
hard. U-ko and S-ko just prepare more tea.
Juuno-shochou produces a fountain pen with a flourish and signs
two pieces of paper on his desk, then contrives to drop the pen
near R-ko's feet. Looking peeved, R-ko bends down to pick it up,
her rear end facing Juuno-shochou.
A lustful look enters Juuno-shochou's face. He bends down, hand
upraised to feel R-ko's rear end. R-ko loudly breaks wind in
his face.
- T - U - O -
Ranma and Shampoo snicker. Akane looks faintly disgusted. "Is
the whole episode like that? I thought it was mostly fighting?"
"It's usually about this point when the winged-demon-of-the-week
comes crashing through the wall. They're mostly green this
season."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A bit later, in the onsen, Akane and Shampoo snuggle up on either
side of Ranma.
"What d'ya guys think about Kodachi so far?"
Akane giggles. "Trust you to talk about other women, Ranma."
"Somethin' about the way she looked at the lake today made me
think of Mousse. 'Member what Nabiki said about the way he
was so depressed? 'N then he let himself get nailed like that."
"I know what you mean; I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for her."
"Husband was not responsible for Mousse going off on his own, or
for his depression."
"Yeah, I know. And I can't really say I miss him; he always was
a bit of a jerk. It's just..." Ranma glances sideways at
Shampoo, gauging her reaction.
"...you wonder if he might still be alive if he'd had a few
more friends," Akane noted.
"Yeah. Kodachi looked pretty lonely today. I just wanna make
sure she knows she's got friends if she needs 'em."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That night, outside the onsen grounds, a shrubbery slides slowly
across the ground. Concealed inside lies Genma, wearing an
overcoat, hat, and fake moustache.
(I think I've lost those thugs. Gotta stay hidden, though, until
I find a policeman offering a reward.)
Suddenly the bush bumps against something. Genma looks up. A
tall, indistinct shape looms over the shrub. Two eyes glare
down at Genma.
"THE GHOST!!" Genma screams. He jumps up, shrugging off the
shrubbery, and takes to his heels. Unnoticed, a sheet of paper
drifts to the ground next to where he was concealed.
A hand reaches down and picks the letter up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Monday morning in Ushimachi. Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, and Kodachi
are again working out in the ryokan's courtyard, this time
sparring. Ranma occasionally interrupts, gesturing.
As they finish, Akane asks Kodachi, "is it really true you
separated your astral body and traveled in it?"
Kodachi looks a little smug. "It's true. I may not be in your
class as a fighter any more, but I have my talents."
"Wow!" Akane says, looking impressed. "Where did you go?
What did you do?"
"Why, to visit and shower caresses upon my darling Ranma-sa..."
Kodachi's voice drops off as she realizes what she's saying, and
to whom.
Akane and Shampoo glare at Kodachi, furious. "YOU DID THAT!
RANMA HAD THAT DREAM BECAUSE YOU VISITED HIM!"
"Oops. Ummm.. I think a had a prior appointment..."
As Akane and Shampoo fruitlessly chase Kodachi around the
courtyard, Fujiwara looks closely at Ranma. "You felt the
presence of her astral body? That's quite impressive, youngster.
You're probably half-way to mastering the technique yourself."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back in Tokyo, Nabiki sits at her intern's desk at Mitsutomo
Trading Corporation. She sits crammed together with co-workers'
desks. A male superior, in his late thirties, looks over her
shoulder at a computer screen. "We sell short on tin futures on
the Sydney market while simultaneously buying them in
Johannesburg. You can see the price difference yourself, Tsugawa-
kachou. If we keep it up for another week, then close out our
positions, we'll have made 500 million yen, risk-free."
"Good work, Tendo-kun," Tsugawa remarks. "Good enough, in fact,
that I'd like to invite you to sit in on a meeting we're having
shortly, with a representative of one of our American partners."
Shortly, Nabiki joins Tsugawa and a dozen other Mitsutomo
employees in a conference room. A gaijin man is ushered in and
introduced as Mr. Jason. He sits at one end of the conference
table. Tsugawa looks around. Nabiki is the only woman in the
room. "Tendo-kun. Please serve tea."
Nabiki grits her teeth, but rises and moves to the credenza at one
end of the room. Dammit, she thinks. No getting around it; I'm a
woman. Nothing I can do will get them to treat me as an equal.
When she returns to the table with a tea-tray, she finds the
gaijin man looking sadly and sympathetically at her. You know,
he's not bad looking, for a gaijin. What's that called, where his
moustache is continuous with his sideburns?
The gaijin clears his throat, then says, in perfect Japanese,
"Tendo-san, I've been told of your superb work. It's a shame to
waste your time serving tea."
Out of the corner of her eye, Nabiki notices that Tsugawa-kachou
at least has the grace to look a bit embarrassed. The other men
in the room look either indignant or missed the remark.
Nabiki smiles at the gaijin. "Thank you, sir," she manages in
good English. "I appreciate that very much."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Inside the Tendo Dojo, Chingensai and Ukyou are sparring.
"Ha! Girl, you gotta integrate your techniques better. You know
a parcel for a chickie your age, but you gotta vary 'em more, flow
from one technique to another. You're too damn predictable; you
always have been. Yer uncle was the same way."
Chingensai waves a halt.
"Sensei, Ranchan hasn't had much luck in teaching us this one
technique he uses sometimes. Maybe you know it? When Ranchan
does it, it looks like he's defying gravity. He just pauses,
standing horizontally on a wall or a tree."
Chingensai guffaws. "That silly bit of razzle-dazzle! Sure,
I know it. An old Shaolin trick, the Wai Li Kai O Ti. Sure,
I can teach it to you. Bit like the invisibility stunt you
already learned, in the way you use your ki. You fool what
these here scientists call the 'Uncertainty Principle', narrowin'
the observers who matter down to just your opponent, who's got
ta be lookin' the other way. Anybody else just sees you a'hangin
there, not falling. When your opponent looks at you, you start
to fall again. Got that?"
Ukyou looks puzzled.
"Ah, never mind the theory. Just c'mon over here to the wall.
I gotta coupla things for you to practice."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back in Ushimachi, the group is strolling around, discussing
what to try next in their quest for Kunou.
"But we have no more leads," Kodachi reminds Ranma.
"We gotta assume he's still around here somewhere. No point in
anything else, long's we're here. We just gotta figure out where
he is. Akane: assume Kunou's free; what's he doin?"
Akane, startled, stops in her tracks. Her fist meets her open
palm. "Of course!"
"Huh?"
Akane produces a bucket and splashes Ranma, then puts a hand to
her mouth and yells. "Oh, look! The pig-tailed girl!"
Ranma gives Akane the flat-eyed look. Shampoo giggles. "That
stupid wood-sword boy is sure to come now!"
Suddenly Kunou is embracing onna-Ranma from behind. "Pig-tailed
girl! You're free of the sorcerer's spell!"
"AAAAAGGGH! Get offa me, you hentai!"
"See: tall, obsessed eyes, carries a sword," Akane notes.
With a sour expression, Kodachi produces a tea-kettle and pours
hot water on Ranma. "Oh, brother dear, I'm afraid your pig-tailed
girl has disappeared on you again."
"Where did she go?" Kunou looks around, startled. Kodachi covers
her eyes with her hand and sighs.
"So why were you pretending to be the ghost, anyway, Kunou-
sempai?" Akane asks.
"Hah! I, the ghost? You wrong me, Tendo Akane. I have been
vigilantly attempting to ensnare this putative ghost myself."
Kunou tosses his hair back and poses heroicly.
"After freeing myself from various parties here in the village who
had tried to detain me (not that any could successfully detain one
such as I), I decided to conceal myself and keep watch by night,
certain that none could detect me while I watched to ensure that
the yamabushi did not pursue me. A few nights later, I heard that
a ghost prowled the grounds. Certain that this apparition could
not be a true ghost, this but gave me even more reason to continue
my nightly patrols. I have not caught the fradulent phantasm as
of yet, but 'tis a certainty that I shall!"
The other five stare at Kunou, open-mouthed. They hold that pose,
ignoring the noise of rapidly approaching footsteps.
"Ranma, my boy! Just the person I'm looking for!"
"Pop?" "Uncle Saotome?"
Genma hides behind Ranma, peering at the rapidly approaching
thugs. "My boy, it is the true duty of a martial..." He gets no
further, however, as Akane mallets him unconscious. Ranma glances
down at his father once, then sets up defensively, glaring at
the approaching thugs.
The thugs stop twenty feet away and draw their guns. "Just give
us that letter and we'll let you and the fat guy go free."
"Letter?" Akane wonders.
"See if he's carryin' somethin', Akane. The rest of us can hold
this crowd. Kodachi, Kunou, spread out a bit to the side,
slowly."
The tableau holds while Akane searches Genma's clothes and
backpack. "Nope. No letter here."
"YOU LIE!! HAND IT OVER!"
"Awww, man. Someone's gonna get hurt."
Just then a sudden windstorm breaks over the group. The sound of
wings flapping comes loudly from the direction of Ryuu-ou Lake.
Everyone looks up.
"Now what?"
"That speck!"
Shampoo peers closely, shading her eyes. "That is a dragon.
It looks like the Dragon King of the legend."
The thugs look skyward, gibbering in terror as the speck grows.
Ranma tenses; Akane shivers.
With a final gust of wind, the Dragon King comes to a stop,
hovering above the group. It speaks. "Who dares disturb my
domain with violence?"
"Hmmm. A full meter from nose to tip of tail, I'd say," Ranma
notes. "Does have a crown, though."
"Do you mock me, human?"
"Me, mock a dragon? No, sirree." Ranma whistles, hands behind
head. Akane and Shampoo both elbow Ranma sharply.
The dragon tosses its head. "You'd better NOT mock me!" Its
crown slips down over its eyes. "Drat!"
One paw raises the crown back onto its head. "Which of you is
the human known as Saotome Genma?" In a lower voice, the dragon
mutters, "I have to get this crown adjusted one of these days."
"All right, pop, what'd ya do NOW?" Ranma picks his father up by
his collar and slaps him awake.
"That human is The Accursed One? He shall feel my wrath!"
Clenching his fist, Ranma stares up at the Dragon King. "He may
be no-good rotten scum," he starts to say.
"A scrounge," adds Akane.
"A thief," adds Shampoo.
"Lazy." "Cowardly."
"Utterly without the honor befitting a true samurai."
"Yeah, all that stuff," Ranma pauses dramatically. "But he's
still my father. Ya ain't killin' him while I'm around!"
>Ranma, you jerk! That's a dragon!<
>Husband cannot defeat even very small dragon!<
Unnoticed during this discussion, one of the thugs has crept
closer to the crouching, trembling Genma.
"Did I say I would kill The Accursed One?" The Dragon King
speaks. "I shall not."
"Oh. Ya just wanna beat him up a bit? That's different."
Ranma lowers his fist and steps aside.
"Ungrateful boy!" Genma leaps to his feet, intending to flee.
At that moment, the approaching thug draws his gun and aims at
Genma. The Dragon sees this and roars, beating its wings.
Kodachi's ribbon whistles through the air, plucking the thug's gun
from his hand before he can fire it. The gun and ribbon are
caught in the wind from the dragon's wings. Kodachi goes flying
through the air, dragged by her ribbon. Everyone else covers
their heads against the wind.
"For a little runt, he sure kicks up a wind," Ranma says, bent
over and holding onto Akane and Shampoo.
"Vile dragon! Deceiver! Attack my sister, will you?" Kunou
leaps into the air, bokken raised. One flick of the dragon's tail
sends him flying, unconscious.
Abruptly the roaring and wind stop. The group looks up. The
Dragon King's crown has fallen back down over its eyes. "Drat
again! Excuse me; I have to go get my crown fixed." The dragon
flies back towards the lake.
The group looks around. At Ranma's direction, the thugs are all
quickly rendered unconscious.
"Where's Kodachi? Anybody see her? She saved Pop's life!"
"Kurobara-chan was carried over in that direction. She's probably
in the middle of that rosebush, covered with thorns."
"Uncle Saotome?"
"Aww, Pop skeedaddle again? Hey," Ranma shades his eyes. "He's
headed directly towards the yamabushi's temple."
"Those bad mountain priests will capture and enslave husband's father."
"We can't catch him before he gets there," Akane adds.
"What'll we do about these yakuza creeps? And why were they after
Pop, anyway?"
"I can answer that." Everyone turns to see the girl with large
eyes and uncanny skin approach. She flashes a badge. "I'm a
detective from Tokyo, Political Corruption Division. These men
were hired to retrieve a letter which implicates Totemo-Ookii
Construction Corporation in the murder attempt against the
Minister of Construction last Friday. That letter ended up in
your father's hands, and they've been pursueing him since
yesterday."
"But where'd the letter go?" asks Akane. "I just searched him.
It wasn't on him."
"It wasn't? I can arrest these men on weapons possession, but the
big fish will get away scot-free without that letter as evidence."
Kodachi approaches, limping, covered in thorns and dragging
Kunou. Akane hastens to assist her. "Here's the letter.
Oniisama had it tucked in his belt."
The detective takes the document from Kodachi and quickly scans
it. "This is it!" she exults. "Those bastards are dead meat!"
Handcuffing the five thugs and tying them together, she herds them
towards the train station. "Thanks for your assistance,
'Officeladies!' " She calls as she waves goodbye.
"Well, youngsters, it appears everything has worked out quite well
indeed," Fujiwara says. "It is best I return to Tokyo now, but
there is no reason for the four of you to cut short your visit.
Kurobara-chan, I will make sure your brother makes it home in one
piece." Fujiwara departs for the train station, dragging the
still-unconscious Kunou.
Ranma, flanked by Akane and Shampoo, turns to Kodachi. "Thanks,
Kodachi. You may have saved my father's life. He's not much of
a father, but he's the only one I have." Ranma bows, then grins
and sticks out his hand. "I know I haven't been very friendly
to you in the past, Kodachi, but I'd like to change that."
Akane and Shampoo murmur agreement. "WE'D like to change that."
Gingerly, as if afraid the hand will be withdrawn, Kodachi reaches
out to take it. "Thank you, Ranma-sa... Ranma. I'd like to be
your friend; yours and your family's."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Tendo-ke, the bathroom. Ukyou is washing up; Nabiki is
already in the furo. She comments, "you look like you could use
some relaxation."
"Sensei hit me pretty good a few times. He doesn't think I'm
improving as fast as I should be.
Nabiki climbs out of the furo. "Let me give you a backrub;
that'll relax you."
Ukyou closes her eyes. "Ummm... that feels nice. Say, Nabiki,
aren't you still scared of what I might do if Shampoo's potion
kicks in? You and Kasumi wouldn't bathe with Akane and I for the
longest time."
Nabiki says nothing for a while, continuing to give Ukyou a backrub.
"I stopped being scared a while back. I just thought it over and
decided, heck, so what? If you go all glassy-eyed and start
groping me, I'll just lie here until it wears off. Big deal.
Did that thing ever kick in on you guys in the bath?"
Ukyou blushes. "A few times. Akane and I just grab each other's
hands until it passes. We're evenly enough matched so that
neither of us can do anything. But once... it hit us both at the
same time. Ranchan just sat there and watched, the pervert!
Boy, did we get him good when we came out of it!"
Again, neither says anything for a while. Eventually Nabiki stops.
"Thanks. Do you want a back rub yourself?" Ukyou asks.
"Sure. But let's get in the furo."
The two girls sit in the furo, Nabiki with her back to Ukyou.
Ukyou begins gently kneading Nabiki's shoulders.
"Did you ever have that conversation with Auntie Saotome?"
"About marriage? Yeah; Mother decided against permitting me
to marry Shampoo. The reason she gave was about Shampoo not
being Japanese, how it would look, and so forth, but I don't
think that was her whole reason."
"Oh?"
"I think Mother decided that she's going to get her precious
grandchildren from Shampoo anyway, with or without legal
cover. And since they'll be half-Chinese, she doesn't care
if they're illegitimate; the social difficulties are the same.
I think she's decided she may get still more grandchildren
if she holds out for me marrying still another woman."
Ukyou pauses while she continues her massage. When she resumes,
she is speaking very slowly and sadly. "As first I was angry at
her for not resisting prejudice against Chinese. But she reminded
me that we were talking about my own children, mine and Ranma's:
that, legally, their mother would be Chinese. My own, 100%
Japanese children, might have difficulty getting into good
schools or getting jobs with good companies. She asked me how I
would explain this to my children when they're my age. That shut
me up in a hurry. I found that when my own children are on the
line, I'm not so very idealistic after all."
Nabiki says nothing for a while. Ukyou's hands continue to work.
"You and I have our financial affairs entangled now," Ukyou
laughs. "Maybe we should get married."
Nabiki looks thoughtful for a moment.
"Hey, I was just kidding!"
Nabiki grins. "Well, since you have to keep the name, I'd have
to become a Saotome. You can imagine how eager I am for that.
Then there's the constant hinting Auntie Saotome'd subject me to
about having children by Ranma. Wonderful proposal, Saotome-san."
Ukyou chuckles. "No need to thank me, Tendo-san."
Nabiki says nothing, but pictures the face of the gaijin, Mr.
Jason, to herself.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back in Ushimachi, in the empty mixed-bathing onsen, Kodachi bends
forwards, arms crossed and thigh-deep in the hot water, as Akane
and Shampoo pore over her bare back and hips, removing rose
thorns.
"Ya sure I can't help with that?" Ranma smirks. Akane and
Shampoo, equally nude, turn and glare at him. Behind them,
Kodachi flashes Ranma a brief seductive smile.
"You have enough women in your life, Ranma!"
"Husband must only touch wives!"
Ranma just smiles and relaxes in the pool, arms spread, enjoying
the view.
THE END
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Notes:
Kurobara-chan translates as "Little Black Rose."
The 'rensu' is adapted from Dr. Edward E. Smith's "Lensmen"
series. The Ambassador's Ball assassination attempt is modified
from the second book of the series, "First Lensman".
Ushimachi (= cow town) is imaginary. Yamagata prefecture is
real, and is home to a former LDP secretary-general. As a
consequence, it has its own Shinkansen line to Tokyo and two
airports.
Mitsutomo Trading Corporation and Tsugawa are from "Japan Inc.,
an Introduction to Japanese Economics (the Comic Book)," by
Shoutarou Ishinomori. Mr. Jason is from another source.
Totemo-Ookii Construction Company is my invention, though I'll
admit inspiration from Monty Python's "Meaning of Life".
Fujiwara no Michinaga is a historical figure, as are Kamo no
Tadayuki and his son Yasunori. Fujiwara-sensei's tale is
inspired by a number of old Japanese stories, many of which
feature these same characters. Kodachi's poem is original.
Politics of public construction in Japan and onsen description
inspired by articles in Jan-Mar 1999 issue of Japan Quarterly.
Naturally, any inaccuracies are my fault.
All persons claimed by Fujiwara-sensei as ancestors are actual
historical figures, most of them rulers of part or all of Japan.
Situation at end of previous story:
Akane and Ranma are now married, as Tendos, and get along
much better. Ukyou is now a Saotome son, and, with Akane's
agreement, is also Ranma's mistress. Shampoo no longer
has a home in China to which to take Ranma back, and
Akane and Ukyou are open to the possibility of Shampoo
becoming a second mistress. These are not quite the terms
in which Shampoo describes the situation.
Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo have all learned Happosai's
ki-recharge technique, involving intimate contact with the
opposite sex. Ranma is able to simultaneously recharge
from direct contact with Ukyou, Akane, and Shampoo, giving
him triple the normal recharging rate. Frequent use of this
technique was the reason offered by Happosai for the increased
physical toughness and strength displayed by all four.
Nodoka is now Saotome clan head, having had Genma declared
mentally incapable. Her agreement with Ukyou does not preclude
Ukyou marrying someone other than Ranma; but such a someone
would have to be legally female, as Ukyou is legally male,
and Ranma's children must be the main heir(s). Due to an
accident involving Shampoo, some spices, a distraction, and
other confusion, Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo all suffer from
infrequent, short spells of blind lust for any nude woman
in their sight.
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou now each possess personal 'rensus',
small magical jewels which glow when in contact with them, but
are dark otherwise, and painful for others to touch. These
allow the wearer to understand any language, spoken or written,
and to speak to another person in that other person's native
language. The rensus also allow Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou to
converse telepathically. They may possess other attributes,
as yet undiscovered. Another technique they've learned is
invisibility and its counter, taught them by Chingensai,
the founder of Okonomiyaki martial arts and Ukyou's new
mentor.
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou have been working for well over a year
as security personnel disguised as caterers for receptions and
conferences, working for two government security men, Sumizu
and Jounsu, who work for the Imperial Household Agency.
Shampoo was later added to the team at one of these, a
Japan-China summit meeting in Kyoto, at which eight terrorists
attempted the assassination of the Premier of the People's
Republic. Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo prevented this in
a fight captured by national newscoverage, but the government
officially branded the responsible caterers as "typical
uninteresting officeladies." Nabiki then developed a new anime
series, "Typical Uninteresting Officeladies", with animated but
recognizable versions of Onna-Ranma, Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo
as kimono-clad heros who combat demonic evil. The new series
has proved popular in China as well as Japan.
During the fall of Ranma, Akane's, and Ukyou's senior year at
Furikan, during the annual rhythmic gymnastics rematch,
Kodachi knew who Ranma was. With her mentor, Fujiwara-sensei,
she developed a strategy which would have given her victory
over onna-Ranma, except for interference from Mousse, who was
trying to kill Ranma because of Shampoo's growing closeness to
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou.
Immediately after their high school graduation, Ranma and Akane
were married, the ceremony being briefly interrupted by Akane's
kidnapping and retrieval. They and Ukyou were assigned a
"simple" courier duty by their superiors as a honeymoon
vacation: just fetch one item from Hong Kong. Despite
extraordinary difficulties, the three brought back their cargo
intact.
Shortly afterwards, Nabiki was arrested by Sumizu and Jounsu
for espionage and forced to accompany Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou
on a scouting mission to Qinghai. During the mission, Nabiki
learned about the rensus. The four learned of four-way
fighting going on between the Musk, the Phoenix, the Nujiezu,
and the Chinese government, apparently largely instigated by a
returned legendary demon disguised as a young male Tibetan
monk. This fighting resulted in the destruction of many
villages, including Joketsuzoku, and large numbers of refugees,
including many Amazons with lingering grudges against Shampoo
and Cologne. The demon killed Mousse and vanished, but not
before warning that Nerima would be destroyed. Shampoo and
Cologne have returned to Nerima with the others, Shampoo
remarking that she now has no other home.
(
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