Revision updates:
01/07/05 :: A LOT, changed the fight scene with Rian, added a RxA scene
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Special Thanks to:
MJ Maurice Phillip
Tony Loco Dream and Angel
Jourdan Bickham Jose Aragao
Byooki Desu Anno Nimus
C. Jones Richard Robinson
David Bateson David Stanley
Jitou King Chan
Lawrence Chu Bert Miller
The Dragonbard Darthcwader1
Erin Outlawone1
And to the person reading this.
I hope I didn't miss anybody...
Sweet are the hours in one's own country
Where all is friendly underneath the sun,
Sweet are the breezes from the native rice fields,
Death less bitter and love more sweetly won!
~~ Dr. Jose P. Rizal
Noli Me Tangere
~ Chapter 7 ~
_...Hikaru Gosunkugi... yes, he was one of Kodachi's sins. She had
turned him into a monster. It seems like Kodachi was skilled in
this kinda thing..._
Soon the hallway was clear except for Sasuke, Nabiki,
Ranma and Kodachi. Kodachi was pale from the experience, but
she did manage to lean on Ranma for support. Nabiki followed
closely behind with Sasuke in the last of their group.
Ranma pulled Kodachi into their room and looked at her
face. Nabiki raised her eyebrow in question but did not
comment. The bruising was already starting. "Get me
something to put on her lips to stop the swelling. Sasuke,
call for Ifuku. Nabiki, please come here."
Nabiki sat down gently beside her brother, both surveying
her critically. Seeing them side-by-side, Akane noticed the
distinct similarities and could believe they were twins.
Akane began to feel noticeably faint during the examination
of the twins and managed to give them warning just before
she fainted.
"The stress must have been too great." Ranma muttered as
he laid her down on the nearby futon that one of the maids
had already prepared for that evening.
Nabiki looked at Kodachi's head critically. "She's hit
her head again, seems like Gosunkugi managed to bang her
head on the rail of the palace. Luckily... it isn't in that
old wound." She was referring to the one that gave Kodachi
her so-called amnesia.
Ranma nodded and turned to the water that Ifuku brought
to clean Kodachi's cuts, he looked at the water tentatively
then at Nabiki. Even if he knew that just immersing his
hands in water would not activate the curse, some part of
his mind was always cautious about touching water. Jusenkyo
managed to do that to all its victims. He shrugged, then
picked up the washcloth and dipped it in the cold liquid.
Gently Ranma cleaned Kodachi's face and scalp, while
Nabiki set out to bandage the worst of the wounds that she
had acquired. On Nabiki's orders, Ifuku disrobed her so that
she would soak in the furo. The warmth of the water would be
good for her body, but only after they washed her wounds.
Silence settled over the three of them as they worked
efficiently and methodically over her, from her head to her
feet. It was not unusual for the twins to work on minor
wounds, battle injuries taught them that much.
There was a long pause before Nabiki spoke up. After the
show in the gardens, she didn't know what to think of Ranma
and whatever reservations he held against his wife.
""
"" Ranma said moving the cloth towards her arms and
legs, which were dirtied because of the scuffle. Gosunkugi
had managed to do a lot of damage in such short a time.
"" Nabiki sighed, usually the
brother and sister spoke in Chinese when they didn't want to
be understood. Genma managed to teach them before they were
sent on the errand to China and luckily they could speak
some of the basic sentences before the Matriarch from the
Amazon village started to instruct them.
"" He looked at his sister
worriedly. ""
Nabiki looked at her brother then at Kodachi, her heart
constricted at the pain in his eyes. She caught him move his
fingertips against her bruised lips, tracing the bluish
black spots. "" Nabiki
commented off handedly, probing her brother's mental state.
"" Ranma trailed off helplessly, his hand on her hair.
"" Nabiki
laughed. Ranma was startled. It was something so rarely
heard from her person. ""
"That's the key word. The exact opposite of her." He
hmphed jerking his hand as if it had been burned. He called
for the samurai out of the door and told him to ready the
furo.
He stood up to leave, but Nabiki blocked him. She wanted
to get an answer out of him. Just to prove that her hunch
was wrong. ""
"" Ranma looked dejectedly at
her. ""
""
Ranma's hand went to his brow, and used his other hand to
wave her off. The list Nabiki was starting to tell was an
endless one, "See?"
"But it's true, you fool... and yet you still feel this
way?" Nabiki searched her brother's face for something,
*anything* that would work against Kodachi. She found none.
That scared her. He had hated Kodachi enough, and yet now
that she is a weak spineless fool -- at least projecting
herself as one -- one who showed proof of violent
tendencies... he might fall in love with her.
He looked back at her. "Do you think I'm making a
mistake... that all of this is a mistake?"
Maybe it was. Kodachi wasn't someone you treated lightly,
after all, Kodachi was the one who had ruined most of their
lives... and yet she found herself helpless against the
question. She found out that she couldn't break her
brother's heart "I -- I -- honestly don't know."
Ranma stared at Kodachi and the samurai arrived and
carried her off to the bathhouse. He wanted to go to her,
but his pride couldn't -- wouldn't let him. His temper got
him into this situation in the first place, his temper and
his jealousy. His pride kept him there. 'Akane, why do this
to me?' Not noticing that he had called her by that name.
For years his life had held a semblance of control. His
life held no joy, but there was no conflict either. Now...
He didn't know where he was at Kodachi for the most part
was a lunatic. The only emotion you used to be able to see
was the madness that took her eyes, the Kami that had played
with her soul. Now, it seemed she had gotten over with her
madness. That or a different Kami possessed her body.
He threw one final disgusted look at Kodachi then left
for his quarters. Nabiki watched him go. And when he was
finally gone, she closed the shoji and crumpled to the
floor. She would've wept, but tears were useless, just as
her dreams.
One escaped her self control. A tear trailed down her
cheek, her silent tear, for her forsaken brother and their
damned life. Whether she noticed that she shed it or not,
did not matter.
That single tear encompassed the whole of Nabiki Ikkasei
- she stopped not Ikkasei, she was Saotome once again --
Nabiki Saotome's grief, then she stood up, straightened her
kimono and went to her son. A son who wasn't her own
anymore. Her son who was now Ranma's.
~~~
Ranma bowed low, it had been a whole day after he arrived
at the donjon, and Happosai was not pleased. He was expected
to deliver his findings the moment he set foot in the palace
and he had deliberately avoided him.
Happosai was not one to listen to anyone's side
patiently. Ranma hoped Kodachi's demonstration of lunacies
the previous night would make Happosai think that he had
been merely keeping tabs of his overwrought wife.
Fortunately, Happosai did not comment on his late report.
He found other things to criticize with his time.
"My lord Happosai, I fear that I should go back to Rose
Brier, as soon as possible. I request the Lady Nabiki, my
sister, to come with me." Ranma said, still in his bowed
position.
Happosai puffed on his pipe then shrugged leisurely.
"Tell me your report of the countryside, the estates, and
why you want to go and I'll think about it."
"Ah... Kodachi is suffering from memory loss and the
doctor has advised to keep her in familiar surroundings to
help her regain her memory." Ranma informed Happosai as he
looked up and settled into the cushion. He honestly didn't
like the idea of Kodachi getting her memory back, the fact
that it was gone was still in question, but it was the only
way he could observe her without Happosai interfering.
Happosai. For an old man, he was one hell of a
manipulator. Damn the man who cursed them all, he was a
worse plague than Kodachi. But he was their liege lord and
he must be followed... at least until the right heir takes
his place.
"You are aware that this feast is in honor of your
mother?" Happosai asked, a little bit irritated. Ranma
wondered if his presence was needed for the banquet. The old
lech must have some plans set for them.
"Yes sire, but..." Ranma tried not to bite his lip and
cursed that Nabiki couldn't take this interview. Since
manipulation was her best skill and proceeded with the story
he had come up with Nabiki. He would have to play out
everything slowly, "Our mother does not need us on the day
of her birth. We have already celebrated with her and we
fear that more days away from our duties would bring bad
tidings to the clan."
"Bad tidings?" Happosai, for an impatient man, asked a
lot of questions.
"Troops have been mobilizing around Nerima, sir, and we
fear that if we leave Rose Brier for too long, they might
get access to the Tokai(1) Road." The Tokai road started at
Rose Brier, and ended at the city of Edo. It was the road
from Nerima in his han, Sagami that had the easiest access
to the main city.
Happosai nodded, the Tokai was needed. Edo was an
important capital. After all, it was the Saotome Clan's main
fort. "And why does Nabiki need to be present?"
"We are two halves of a whole, sire. I handle all things
that have to do with troops and fighting, and she has the
job of thinking things over." Ranma paused wondering if that
was the right image to feed Happosai. A needy daimyo is not
an effective daimyo. "Sagami would be powerless with half of
its leadership gone."
Happosai smiled then drew on his pipe again. "Then it
seems you should thank your wife for handing you Nabiki back
on a silver platter. However did you manage to think
intelligently these past few years without her?"
Ranma cursed his luck. He had stumbled again. Happosai
had given him another reason not to kill Kodachi... another
reason in a long line of reasons that Happosai had come up
with over the years. He didn't doubt that if it had been
Nabiki present, she would have seen through whatever ploy
Happosai was weaving him into.
"My twin and I have compensations for the lack of skill,
sire. Though I may not be as bright as my sister nor she as
advanced in the art... we still both have something that the
other excels in. We are not one brain halved, merely two
people who are equal. Since we are not an exact copy of the
other... we each have an advantage the other does not have.
It is what we learned in China, sire."
Happosai nodded, it seemed Ranma had managed to produce
the right answer... this time... "Well then, your departure
may be arranged. After all, we wish the Lady Nabiki to feel
better from her sickness, ne? And the soothing waves of Rose
Brier may just be the cure." Happosai flashed a toothy
smile.
Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. What he said wasn't
necessarily a lie. Troops are mobilizing but far from the
Tokai road... and more directly towards the Nerima ward than
anywhere else.
"Tell me boy. What have you learned from the last errand
I sent you off to?"
Ranma swallowed, the time to play games was nigh. How
much could he tell without contradicting himself and how
much is too much. How much was he willing to reveal, and
would these things make Happosai suspicious.
Clearing his mind, he began to narrate. "Troops suspected
belonging to Tokugawa Ieyasu's(2) enemy -- unconfirmed
exactly to whom -- have been moving against the Sagami--"
The interview lasted for five whole sticks. Nabiki was
glad she was ordered to bed. It seemed that she had acquired
the flu rather mysteriously.
~~~
Having broken her head once before in this ordeal,
Akane's abused head was pounding when she woke up, as soon
as she did so, there was the disoriented feel that she had
every time she opened her eyes into the different rooms that
she had been hoisted unto through her stay with the
Saotomes.
The room was dim and she had barely registered movement
towards the corner of her room but she had seen it. The
shadow was about to slip out of the room without her knowing
it but she managed to muster a groggy voice, "Wait, wait."
The figure hesitated but Akane reached out for it. "Thank
you for watching over me."
"I'm sorry about Gosunkugi. It's not going to happen
again." Even in the darkness, Akane could recognize Ranma's
voice.
Akane smiled at his concern, so her husband wasn't
totally indifferent to her at all. He had worried about her
enough to stop by and check on her, and worry about
Gosunkugi. "Please stay a while, Ranma. I would like to talk
to you."
Ranma stood there for a while, and then sighed as he sat
down near her. "You're leaving tomorrow. I will not be going
with you, I have business to attend to here but Ranko and
Nabiki will accompany you back home."
The room wasn't completely dark because of the hallway
lamps and she could see his outline. It was the troubled
sort, worried for her condition, yet hesitant, guarded.
She brought one hand up to his face. Ranma was a man
difficult to love, he was making it difficult for her to
love him, but right here when they were the only two people
in the room she could sense what he has kept hidden from all
others, a pained life. One which made him the man he was
today.
"We're not friends now, are we?" Akane asked softly,
omiai's usually didn't deal out friends or love. They were
the harsh realities of heirs and bloodlines. There were no
emotions in these matches, arranged marriages that did not
have a home. "I'm willing to try so badly to be friends,
Ranma. Would it hurt so much just to be my friend?"
He averted his face and took her hand away. "We were
never meant to be friends, Kodachi." Ranma's resignation
resonated through him. He did not believe in second chances
for them.
"But thank you for protecting me from Gosunkugi, Ranma."
Akane whispered as he stood up to leave her. He had been her
only defendant in that row of people, when all else had
scorned her, when all else turned their backs on her. "Thank
you for fighting for me."
He opened his mouth to say something, but thought the
better of it. "He shouldn't have gotten away. I would have
killed him."
"Don't stain your hands with his blood for me." Akane
answered softly. "I'm fine. It was all that mattered."
"Men have died for lesser things." Ranma answered but
shook his head. "Rest well, my lady. Tomorrow you leave. I
did not mean to disturb your sleep."
The next morning, it was as if her conversation with
Ranma never happened. Akane woke up with one hell of a
headache and sat up on the futon with aching muscles. Akane
confirmed her memory of Ranma's words that night from Ifuku
and learned that she, along with several other companions,
had been ordered to travel and were being sent back to Rose
Brier even in her condition. Ifuku tended to her constantly,
but Ranma had not visited her again.
During their journey, Akane only noted Nabiki, Ranko, Sei
and Hanae. Obviously, Ranma and his mother were left behind
in the fort. Ifuku said it was because Nabiki advised Ranma
that his presence would bring more complications going back
to Rose Brier. Akane just took that as a sign to befriend at
least Nabiki or Ranko. Unlike her first hit on the head, her
healing process was more gradual, and she barely noticed the
days as they traveled.
Once they reached Rose Brier she had decidedly tried to
move about but Ifuku had forcibly let her sleep the day off.
When she finally got out to the beach, she was restricted to
walking.
At the path, she looked at the nice little flowers that
dotted the way towards the beach and sighed as she walked
along in her day kimono. A cat mewed in the distance. Having
nothing better to do, she followed the sound and found a
kitten. It was obviously lost and the poor little thing was
shivering. She lifted the pitiful animal up and stroked its
fur softly whispering as she turned towards the house to see
to some food.
As usual, samurai were not too far behind to see her, she
ignored them, as she usually did. They almost never bothered
her unless she had severely encroached over certain rules,
and even then very lightly. So it came as a surprise when
one immediately blocked her path.
It was rare that samurai would go out of their way to
block her, sometimes warn her of a folly or two, but it was
the first time she had been forced to stop, she must have
done something really wrong this time. She tried to put on
her sunniest smile, she was learning the rules, and it was
at best a tedious process. There was no rulebook, no norms,
and she was expected to know these things and implement
them. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry Lady Akane," The samurai, Omokage(3) -- if
she was not mistaken -- looked at her uncertainly, then at
the small animal at her hands. The prevention of cats to
gain access to the area was one of the little odd rules that
the Lady Nabiki had made sure the samurai never forgot, but
was not mentioned to Kodachi. "No cats are to be allowed
within the parameter of Rose Brier."
Assuming that one of the people inside the house was
allergic, Akane nodded. It was a severe rule for a mere
allergy, but was a rule nonetheless. Men were beheaded for
lesser crimes in these times.
She changed her direction towards the beach when the
samurai stopped her again. "If I may ask the Lady Akane to
hand over the kitten? The Lord Ranma will not be pleased to
see it."
Akane bit her lip as the little thing mewed pitifully in
her hands, as a little girl she had always had an attachment
to strays. Little lost creatures without a home. She gave
the samurai another smile. "Please, Omokage-san, I promise I
won't take it in the house. I'll just go pick raspberries or
something and feed it. I'm sure Ranma or anybody else won't
turn crazy when they see a cat."
Omokage looked at her then frowned in puzzlement at her
comment, unsure how to react to her last statement. Akane
took this for a yes and thanked him cheerfully. The samurai
followed close, whereas before, he had always done so at a
distance. 'Someone must *really* hate cats or something.'
Sighing she turned to face the samurai. "Um... I think
he's hungry, I'll go by the border and set it free if you
get me some milk?" It seemed that the cat was of importance
to him.
Torn between loyalties, the samurai gave her an uneasy
look. Akane was almost in the stage of giving up. It seemed
like he was not going anywhere. "Look, I promise I won't
bring him anywhere near the house. I'll even take him to the
farthest possible place. I'll just feed him and then I'd
give him to you to give to some little girl who would take
care of him nicely. Okay?"
There was a long pause but he reluctantly agreed to do as
she wished, retreating to the woods and then running for the
house. Akane stared after him 'He didn't have to run. He
could've taken his time. Oh well...' She walked towards the
beach in relative peace.
"--Ooof." Ranma-chan grunted, the wind knocked out of
her. She pushed herself upright again bringing her hand up
to her head and moaned softly. Still, it was Ranko's fault.
The woman had been recklessly running towards Rose Brier
without looking where she was running.
It was also attributed to the fact that she had just seen
a cat. She shuddered. It seemed like there had been many
cats around lately. She idly wondered if that girl living
some miles north was loosing those cats she was breeding.
"Are you alright?" Ranma-chan asked looking at who she
had knocked down -- well surprise-surprise -- Kodachi was
walking about. The doctor must have given his okay already.
The samurai were under strict instructions to follow the
doctor's orders.
"No, of course I'm not all right!" Kodachi humphed as she
moved to stand up brushing her kimono. She glared at the
offered hand and stood up without Ranma-chan's help. "Would
you mind watching where you're going?"
"Well, sorry, my *lady*." Ranma-chan answered indignantly
as she turned her back to Kodachi moving towards the house
again. She really needed to tell some samurai to watch the
perimeter more closely. Plus the thing about the troops...
she just had an idea which...
"The least you could do is help me find it..." Kodachi
mumbled, already on her knees going through some bushes,
searching for whatever item she had lost.
Ranma-chan resisted the urge to grumble, telling herself
she would not let Kodachi get satisfaction from her
discomfort. Her message could wait; it was rare that she
could see Kodachi in a situation like this. The troops
weren't really closing in on Nerima anyway, just mobilizing.
They were probably biding for time. "What are you..."
"Found it!" Kodachi yelled triumphantly which made
Ranma-chan look up from the place she was searching.
Unfortunately it was under a low lying branch which she hit
as she stood up. "Owww..."
She rubbed her sore head for a few seconds before she
heard a distinct meow behind her. The hairs behind her neck
began to stand. "Exactly what was it that you were trying to
find Kodachi?"
"This kitten, silly... you're not allergic to it, are
you?" Kodachi asked worried as she purred over the cat,
which thankfully Ranma-chan still hadn't seen.
'That has got to be one of the *stupidest* questions
she's asked me.' Ranma-chan thought nervously, her body
freezing, the distinct symptoms of her ailurophobia
surfacing. She still managed to speak, "Get it away from
me."
"What! This..."
"I said get it *AWAY*!" Ranma-chan almost shouted, her
breathing labored. 'Oh Kami, please let that stubborn witch
listen...' "I don't know what you're trying to prove but get
it away from me."
Kodachi looked at the little cat as she cradled it
against her arms from the grass, a few specks of dirt
falling softly on her pale kimono. She scratched the back of
the cat's ears then looked at Ranma-chan contemplatively.
Ranma-chan's response to that was to back away, Kodachi
merely looked at her. "Oh, come on, Ranko, you can't
possibly be afraid of one little cat," She patted the small
creature as she smiled. "And you can't be allergic or you'd
be sneezing at the moment."
There was no answer from the paralyzed girl as she stared
at the cat, it was too far out of her reach to trigger the
Neko-ken but close enough to send shards of fear through
her. Enough for her to back away, enough for her brain to
obstruct what would otherwise be normal thinking.
Ranma-chan couldn't run, her feet were firmly planted,
huddled on the roots of the brush she had managed to back
herself into, she couldn't jump for she was immobile, she
couldn't scream -- for it would bring her shame, and if she
did so -- Kodachi wouldn't let her hear the end of it. She
could just stare at Kodachi, hoping Kodachi would send the
cat away.
Then with whatever mercies the Gods were willing to give
to her that day, she didn't trigger the Neko-ken, and her
mind succumbed to oblivion.
Akane looked at the kitten then at the girl wondering
what had brought on Ranko's orders. When Ranko fainted, she
was both surprised and panicked for she didn't know what she
would do. She hadn't even known what was happening, much
less come up some way to resolve it. Thankfully, Omokage
appeared just as suddenly with a bowl of water on his hands.
As he approached her he gave her a questioning look.
Finally, Akane sighed as she gave the small cat to the
samurai with some instructions to feed it and turn it over
to someone who cared before she turned her attentions to
Ranko.
"Is there any help I can offer?" Omokage asked as he held
the kitten and the bowl of water, when Akane waved him away.
The samurai nodded in submission and left her to do what he
was instructed to do.
"The cat's gone now, Ranko," When there was no response
from the girl, Akane waved her hands in front of her several
times, finally she pinched the dazed girl by her shoulder.
"RANKO!"
She didn't respond Akane looked at the girl closely and
realized the problem -- she had fainted. Pulling up the
sleeves of the long kimono, she dragged Ranko to the beach
where she cupped some water and splashed it over her face.
Finally coming to her senses the girl slapped the
offending hand away, and spluttered at the water that had
been suddenly thrown at her. "What did you do that for?"
"Well... you fazed out!" Akane answered in a matter of
fact way as she sat on one of the bigger stones on the
beach, it was mid-afternoon and the breeze was as refreshing
as the lull of the waves, although the sand was scorching.
Dusting herself, Ranko stood up as Akane lectured, "What did
you want me to do, drag you back to Rose Brier?"
"There are some samurai over there you know." Ranko
retorted, thumbing some trees a distance away, Akane
squinted against the sunlight and looked at the spot hard.
True enough, some samurai were watching them complacently.
"You could've asked them for help."
"I did the first thing I could think of, okay!" Akane
muttered in disgust. There was an option of asking help from
Omokage, but she didn't tell Ranko that. "Besides, I told
someone to keep the cat away from you. You owe me one."
There was a smile on Akane's lips, Ranko frowned, no
matter what angle you saw the argument in, Akane was right.
Ranko wouldn't -- couldn't deny it, it would too much a
breach of honor to do so. Still Ranko shrugged then stood
up, fear-induced palsy wearing off. "I thank you for doing
what the *master* bids us all to do."
"Still... I think it's more of your reasons than the
*master's*, don't you think?" Akane retorted as she put down
her hand on Ranko's shoulder, her message was clear. "You
still *owe* me."
"A favor?" Ranko took Akane's hand off and looked at her
wearily. "Please, spare me, Kodachi, I really don't like
giving you any favors."
"Even if you owed me?" Feudal Japan had its advantages.
Their honor was one thing, their debts another. 'Feudal
Japan was sooo... old fashioned.'
Ranko cursed again then sat down in the sand as if
nothing had happened, ignoring the heat. She turned to Akane
in a conversational manner, and said her words in a way that
didn't make it sound like a death sentence, "What grand
torture befits someone who owes the Lady Kodachi? Seppuku
perhaps? Or maybe just kill me off? I could think of more
gruesome things to do at the moment, but thinking of a ways
to kill myself is not one of my better habits."
"I just want three things." There really wasn't much to
ask after all. She had everything in the palm of her hands,
now all she had to do was use them. Ranko was the perfect
person to ask, and a cancellation of debt the perfect way to
do it.
There was a guarded look on Ranko's eyes and she weighed
the girl before her, then, dismissed the things she was
going to ask for as trivial even before she heard it. Then
she intoned in the most formal manner she knew of, "How may
I be of service to my Lady Kodachi Saotome of the House of
Kuno?"
"I don't want you in my husband's bedroom at night."
Akane reasoned it was for the best, her husband would sleep
earlier, and the whole household would sleep earlier and a
lot less grumpy people. It was on no account of jealousy on
her part, she thought, after all it was for the good of the
household. "If possible I don't want you wearing his
clothes."
Thinking about it, Ranko made a face clearly showing her
dislike in the matter, but she couldn't and wouldn't refuse
it. 'It isn't such a hard bargain as one that Kodachi might
usually drive... and Kodachi usually tired easily of her
games.' She smiled, '*Ranko* will play your game for a
while, Kodachi' "Where would I sleep and what would I wear,
then? Surely you have some idea."
"I don't really care. As long as it's not my husband's."
She waved her hand in dismissal, there wasn't any way Ranko
could go around this agreement. There was no way Ranko would
go against her precious code of honor. Just as any
self-respecting samurai wouldn't.
"Agreed. I don't really have a room and I don't really
have clothes. I would then wear your kimonos for the
duration and would sleep in your room. After all you don't
really care."
Inwardly, Ranma-chan congratulated herself on the
brilliant idea. It was obvious that Kodachi was less than
happy with how everything turned out. Ranma had managed to
turn what initially seemed to be a punishment for her into a
punishment to both of them. 'Hell, I'm not suffering by
myself.'
Seething, Kodachi glared at the redhead. She would not
weasel out of the next one easily, "Also I want you to tell
me about Ranma's childhood."
Of all the things Kodachi could've asked for, this one
surprised Ranma-chan the most. She was taken aback, then she
shrugged, it was inconsequential. There was nothing she
could do. Things like the past caught up easily, she
couldn't hide it forever. "Well, do you want me to tell it
to you *now*?"
Kodachi gave out what she thought was her most patient
smile, "Yes, please." She answered sitting close to
Ranma-chan to hear her story, she might hate Ranma-chan for
being the consort, but she would like at least if they
became friends.
Ranma-chan shifted uncomfortably at her nearness, the
past was something she did not readily visit. It was
something best forgotten... it was useless to live in
yesterday when the burden of today and tomorrow was heavily
laden on your shoulders. "I'm only telling this because it's
my duty and that I owe you. But it doesn't mean I trust
you."
"I never expected any more."
That finished, Ranma-chan began to weave a highly edited
tale, "There isn't really much to tell about Ranma's
childhood." Yeah, right. There were many aspects in Ranma's
childhood that one sitting would not encompass. An hour into
the story won't even scratch the enigma that was his past.
"He lived like every samurai in the Saotome clan has. The
twins were raised together, and against convention had a
single foster parent." Ranma-chan frowned as she remembered
the man. "Their foster father was Saotome Genma. A man was
their foster father because well, he had managed to
infuriate Happosai. Don't ask me how. Men are never foster
parents (4). He was an exception. The twins always were
*the* exception."
She drew on the sand with her fingers, the sand hot to
the touch, a remnant of a battle plan long ago. They had
many memories, and a lot of pain went with them. "Nabiki and
Ranma won their first battle at the age ten. Because of
this, Happosai sent them to China to learn under the
Imperial Palace when they were twelve..."
The Imperial Palace. It seemed so long buried in the
past... and so much like the memories of yesterday...
||---------------------||
Ranma-chan was irritated and wet. Through their newly
acquired forms, Nabiki obviously gained strength, but she
had still managed to let *him* carry all her load. She had
reasoned out that since they were indeed the same strength
now, but her speed was decreased and Ranma's had increased,
an excess load would hamper her pace.
Their speed was essential in the chase that was presently
happening.
Their currently panda of a foster father was running
along with them... the guide puffing along. "Where the hell
is the Imperial Palace anyway?" Ranma-chan grunted hefting
the two packs along while trying unsuccessfully to bring
them in a nice enough position while running.
"I think it's that towering thing over there." Nabiki-kun
quipped looking the impressionable building over. It wasn't
hard to miss. It was the largest thing in the city.
Ranma-chan grumbled. It was perplexing to see him walk
beside himself... currently herself. In her opinion, no one
should be able to be subjected to such things. It was weird
that their foster father turned into a panda and Nabiki
turned into -- a mirror image of himself. What she thought
unusual in the situation was that even though they were
twins, Ranma certainly didn't turn to her.
"I'll get to the palace first, you guys watch my back!
You shouldn't have much of a trouble. She's after me!"
Ranma-chan shouted, when Nabiki-kun nodded Ranma-chan threw
him both of the packs, which he gracefully caught. Ranma
noted that Nabiki was indeed slowed down by the extra
weight.
Turning towards the palace and jumping towards the roofs,
Ranma-chan began to put on speed. Amazons, she was starting
to realize, were very, very persistent. The Amazon that was
chasing them had been in pursuit for seven days!
As she prepared for another jump, she wondered if the
palace guards were going to give her any trouble. She wasn't
sure if they were expecting them. Happosai just sent them to
China to go under the Imperial palace because every daimyo
was supposed to send their best students there. However, he
didn't care how they got there. There was no doubt that he
didn't care if they were warmly accepted either.
As for Genma, he didn't mind the lack of transportation.
Their foster father made them swim. Both had been resigned
-- if a bit reluctant to label that as a training
experience. As Ranma-chan ran towards the palace gates, she
saw the guards close in to block her path, weapons rising
threateningly.
Ranma-chan cursed, her balance was too much off at the
point to be in the fight with what seemed like two very able
guards. "Outta my way!" She screamed as she ran through
them, both moved to strike. Ranma cursed and jumped,
vaulting over them, quickly opting for running and hiding,
making a two-point landing on the palace walls. She jumped
over the first set of gates and aimed for the sixth floor.
Luckily, Chinese palaces were similar to Japanese ones. The
layout would most probably be the same.
She broke through the window using one of the basic kicks
and ran around, trying to familiarize herself. The guards
would not reach her in at least a minute so she started to
search for the main room. The questionable training in
stealth her father had given her was now coming in handy.
Finding a room larger than the rest, its entrance blocked by
five guards she drew the conclusion that she had come across
her destination.
Avoiding the guards she located a joint room and broke
through the wall separating it and the central room,
allowing her access, "I need help!" She shouted, at what
seemed like an almost empty audience room... the emperor was
seated in what looked like a throne to Ranma, obstructed by
shadows. She hoped the emperor was an understanding sort.
Appearing out of the dark a girl wielding weapons quite
similar to what the Shampoo girl had used in the Amazon
village put herself between Ranma and the emperor. ""
Letting out another curse, Ranma started to analyze the
situation. In her true form, she looked her age... yet this
body made her look two years younger. She doubted if this
girl or the emperor would believe if she blurted out
Happosai had sent her. Although she hoped her apparent
'youth' would make the girl think about any sudden
movements. "Talk slow! I can't understand much of Chinese!
I'm... I need help... my sister, foster father and the
Jusenkyo guide is being chased by an Amazon and I'm under
the Kiss of Death... there's been this great
misunderstanding and --"
Dodging her sudden attack, Ranma watched as a smile
slowly crept its way onto the girl's face. "Yes, you quick,
there no mistake, I am Amazon woman... my name... is Rian
Pu... and I will take pride in killing you for my sister!"
Forced into battle, Ranma felt shocked as he dodged a
blow and ducked under another, it was just like her luck to
find an Amazon in the emperor's chambers. 'At least Nabiki
and the others would be safe.' Shampoo's main target was
Ranma-chan herself.
Back flipping she managed to avoid another attempt to
crush her skull. She wasn't as lucky the next time as Rian,
having been able to successfully plot her trajectory, had
thrown one of her weapons and managed to clip her on her
left shoulder. Her female body wasn't as tough as her male
one and the damage that the heavy weapon was able to inflict
upon her really hurt. Her flesh screamed in agony as a
muscle in her arm was torn.
'At least the soldiers are simply watching the fight.'
Ranma-chan thought as she managed to get a glimpse of the
spectators. All of them watched, but none dared to step in.
With only one fight since the curse, Ranma-chan doubted
her odds against winning a second match so early on. The
only reason she had won against the other girl was because
the Amazon had been fatigued, underestimated her, and a bit
below her skill level... the only thing that would win her
this fight would be a quick mind.
The girl -- Rian had every advantage over herself,
Ranma-chan thought as she caught the cloth that was whipped
to her with her left hand. Had it connected, the silken belt
would have gone for her throat. She pulled it out, and threw
it to the side.
Watching the other girl, she counted her opponent's
advantages. The Amazon was well rested, she had reach, she
had weapons, she was on friendly ground and she was a bit
skilled -- not more so than Ranma herself, though.
Landing a kick on Rian's hand, which made her throw her
right hand weapon, she blocked a vicious kick to her chest
and watched as the amazon quickly shifted her other weapon
towards her more able hand.
Seeing the opening immediately, she intercepted it with a
kick of her own breaking its shaft as her foot connected
with the hard wood. Smiling towards Rian, Ranma-chan grabbed
hold of the girl's shirt and made a throw at her hips
sending her opponent flying through one of the walls. "Ahhh
man, my sister could fight better than you!"
"Maybe because your sister is better than *you*!" The
Amazon retorted smiling as she rolled to her feet while
grabbing a knife that she had been hiding in her hair and
threw it at Ranma's direction. Ranma-chan caught the knife
in the air as it was just about to connect between her eyes.
She threw it back, only to watch it get deflected by the new
weapon the Amazon was now wielding.
As the knife clattered on the floor, Rian was already
hefting the yari, a spear of about five meters used for
defense, in her hands and coming at her in a rush. The
weapon struck down where Ranma-chan had been standing
seconds earlier, missing her by an inch as she managed to
get away by sliding towards where the ball-like weapon was.
Seeing her opponent twirl the yari around, Ranma-chan
moved for another strike. Pulling the heavy ball-like weapon
off the floor, Ranma-chan managed to throw it at Rian. The
amazon easily avoided getting hit by leaping into the air,
this however was what Ranma had wanted, as she, with a leap
of her own, flipped over the other girl in midair and
grabbed hold of her weapon.
Spinning around in the air she brought them down against
the ground where Rian, still clutching her weapon, saw the
knee that forced the air out of her lungs. Twisting around,
Ranma brought the edge of the weapon into the ground after
which she, with another twist, shifted her balance and
brought her right foot on the side of Rian's head. The
Amazon lost her grip on the spear but got up on her feet
dazed but not beaten, only to find herself on the receiving
end of a flurry of punches, which mostly connected to her
head and abdomen. Finally, Rian crumpled in a heap,
unconscious.
Ranma was about to lean over to check if the girl was
still breathing, but stopped when the soldiers, wearing grim
faces, gathered around the girl.
"Enough!" The emperor called out. "Who are you?"
"I am Saotome Ranma... sorry about this..." She smiled
sheepishly as she bowed just as Genma instructed her to...
with more deference than she did with Happosai -- which was
to say not much.
"I thought Ranma was male?" He looked at her thoroughly.
When he remembered what the girl said, he nodded. "Ahhh...
Jusenkyo then?"
When Ranma-chan nodded, the Emperor laughed. "For a
child, you certainly have spunk... you defeated my royal
guard... bested the best Amazon in your generation and
managed to best one from the village. It's a wonder you and
your sister are still alive."
Ranma-chan looked at him questioningly, but said nothing.
Even she knew she shouldn't talk when not spoken directly
to. "I doubt that you know the Amazon rules then?"
"Nah... I just know the one that keeps me moving!" Ranma
said casually.
The emperor clapped his hands, a woman arrived, and he
spoke to her briefly he nodded to Ranma-chan then turned.
"If Happosai wasn't such a known figure out here... You and
your companions shall be given a room in the lower donjon.
Right now they will be admitted towards your quarters..."
"And young man?" He said before Ranma-chan turned to
follow the girl. "You watch out, Amazons never let their
husbands go."
"Husband?" She looked at the emperor puzzled as he bent
over to the girl lying on the floor, trying to rouse her...
that man was certainly funny...
||---------------------||
Of course, that bit Ranma-chan didn't see the need to
tell Kodachi about all of that. She never said anything
about being specific. Such incidents she never needed to
know.
"When they returned to Japan at the age sixteen, Ranma
and jointly Nabiki were given twenty ri around Nerima ward.
Ranma was married off to you at twenty-two around the same
time as Nabiki. They were given Sagami as han which contains
Nerima, as a wedding gift. Nabiki's dowry was-- I think
we're well moving out of childhood and you know the rest."
"Thank you Ranko. That was... insightful." Kodachi looked
off into the horizon, stood up and walked towards the house,
waving a little good bye towards her.
Ranma-chan watched her go. She had never been so confused
before. The damned woman was confusing her. She acted as if
he was two different people and God knows that she knew that
Jusenkyo didn't create a separate entity.
This had her seriously considering the amnesia, but not
by much, reminded of how much Kodachi loved to manipulate.
No -- it would take more than that to convince him of
amnesia.
Now if she could convince her heart that.
She clasped the golden chain that hung around her neck.
It wasn't visible through her shirt. The cross was a gift
from the priests. Every baptized person was given the cross
to wear, to distinctly mark them as Christians. She noticed
Kodachi hadn't been wearing hers lately.
Standing up, she began to look for Nabiki.
~~~
As Nabiki turned towards the windowsill to watch Ranma,
she decided that he was definitely avoiding his wife.
Although he normally did wake up before the crack of dawn,
she was finding him doing it earlier and earlier. It was
fine with her but the fact that *everyone* was to wake up
even earlier because of him irked her a bit.
Aside from this he went to check on Nerima's boundaries
quite often, he left early in the morning and returned late
at night. Even Hanae and Sei were noticing that Ranma wasn't
taking charge of their training as it was left to some
samurai instead.
Nabiki shrugged it off and thought it for the best.
Ranma's tender feelings towards Kodachi should be eliminated
as soon as the distance registered in his heart.
'At least I'm sure that absence certainly doesn't make
the heart fonder.' Nabiki thought as she watched Ranma's
fleeting figure in the dark horizon, along with several
samurai.
She was fairly sure Ranma had made up his mind to see
Kodachi in every person he had come to kill on those
wanderings, remembering her every taunt, misdeed and
betrayal. It was certainly easy to imagine Kodachi trying to
kill him. She had tried once or twice.
Of course, she wasn't pleased by Ranma's sleeping
arrangements. Ranma shouldn't be sleeping in Kodachi's room,
and it didn't feel right. Even after he explained that he
was in her debt. It was like Kodachi to do that --
It didn't help matters that she had asked about their
childhood. Those were the best and worst memories that she
could've asked for. Nabiki closed her eyes, feeling a
headache coming.
||---------------------||
She opened them to stare back at the cherry blossoms in
the Imperial Palace. The blossoms were at its peak season
and they looked beautiful falling softly onto the ground,
carpeting the soft grass with the pink paper-thin flowers.
Yet, she still felt homesick. Back home, the blossoms would
have been just as beautiful too. Probably a cherry blossom
viewing party Happosai was so fond off.
She felt a hand against her shoulder and looked up, it
was her brother. 'Figures.' She thought staring back out the
window. 'Only he would disturb me in such a time.'
He didn't talk, just stared out the window with her. They
shared companionable silence for a while. Both of them
watching the pink blossoms fall softly on the ground, a
shower of petals. The cherry blossoms were one of the sights
that reminded them of Japan.
"Hey, Nabiki," He said in a soft voice, "Do you miss
mother?"
"When I hear the lark sing and I remember her voice, or
when I see the swords she gave us to bring along, or the
furoshiki that came along to wrap our swords in. I miss her
those times." Nabiki inhaled the sweet scent of the blossoms
then her eyes hardened. "The rest of the time I try to
forget her."
Ranma nodded leaning out the window, perhaps it was best
if they didn't keep memories of her to haunt them. It
prevented them from doing so much more than they should be.
But, she was still their mother and there were times they
were allowed to think of her. He sighed the few moments of
peace they shared alone were rare, and sometimes they were
just too exhausted. "I miss her too. I wish I could have
gotten to know her better, before we left."
"How could we miss someone we hardly know?" She asked,
more of herself than her brother. Nodoka was rarely with
them and they had been taken away from her just as soon as
they were old enough to train. That wasn't very old in
samurai standards, about the age when they could stand, with
some basic training even before that. "Sometimes, I think
it's Japan we miss most of all."
"Maybe, but Happosai won't let us come home." Ranma
quipped, a soft wind blew, scattering more of the flowers in
the breeze swirling them about in a beautiful pattern before
letting them fall softly on the ground. "I think he intends
us to stay here for the rest of our lives."
"Maybe," Nabiki frowned as she turned her back from the
window and leaned softly on the banister, she untied her
hair, the brown locks falling past her shoulder. "I think he
wants us out of his way. We're of direct lineage to him, if
ever the Saotome's decide that he's been head of the clan
for far too long... you're the best candidate."
"We're only fifteen, Nabiki." Ranma reminded her, and
fifteen was not old enough to be head of the clan, much less
threaten an experienced ghoul such as Happosai. "No one will
want children in his place."
"I wasn't saying they'll do it *now*." Nabiki muttered,
she had thought about it and it was the only reason why
Happosai would detain them in China. "I'm saying he's
keeping us from everyone's sight so that nobody will get any
ideas. So nobody will see how fast we both learn."
"If you say so." Ranma conceded. He had learned long ago
that in matters such as this, Nabiki was usually right. "I
just want to go home."
Nabiki suddenly broke out into a smile and pinched him
slightly in the shoulder. He spun around to glare at her
while she teased lightly, "You just want to get rid of Xian
Pu and Rian!"
"You try having them follow you around!" Ranma answered
rubbing his shoulders. Shampoo and Rian were both nice
enough girls -- if they weren't trying to kill you. It was
good that her brother was the one who fought them in the
first place. She didn't know how well she would've fared if
she was the one being hunted to the death. "I can't even get
enough sleep."
"You *haven't*!" Nabiki gasped exaggeratedly her hand
flying to her mouth, implying the less than honorable
reasons for his lack of sleep. "Oh brother, if *Lord*
Happosai hears of your conquests! Why... you would make him
proud."
"What the--" Ranma said, he let the words sink in before
he managed to put on an indignant look. "Hey! You know I'd
*never* do something like that!"
"Men!" Nabiki smiled as she ran across the hall, brown
hair flying about her, her brother in hot pursuit. "You
think you know them, and suddenly they pop up with these
surprises. Oh, Nabiki, when will you ever learn?"
She passed some servants who looked at them with
confusion, mostly because they couldn't understand Japanese
at all. She took the chase outside leaping out the
three-story balcony. When she looked back, Ranma was still
behind her.
"I'll get you for that!" Ranma shouted.
"If you catch me!" Nabiki let out a giggle as she jumped
towards the trees, shaking the already falling blossoms even
more. "You're certainly funny, Ranma, first you're trying to
get away from them then you invite them to bed?"
"Excuse me?!" Ranma shouted back dodging a low branch,
then taking to the trees as well. He wasn't closing in on
Nabiki, in this body with Ranma male, she was faster, but he
wasn't lagging behind either. It was okay. She tired far
more easily than he did. "You're the one who's in
'marriageable' age already."
"Not if you don't marry, brother!" Nabiki called gaily,
taking a handful of cherry blossoms she threw it at her
brother's approaching form. Ranma dodged them all, but it
had hindered his pace. One had managed to hit him in the
shoulder, and for flowers, they certainly stung. "I'm to be
granted omiai after you find yourself a suitable wife!"
"You just want to get married!" Ranma bantered, snapping
some branches from the trees, he threw one at her and she
dodged sticking her tongue out at him, frowning he threw
another, missing her for the second time.
Nabiki smiled at him, her hair obscuring some of her
vision and reminding her why she didn't want to grow her
hair longer or remove the strings which bound it. Currently
it was running away with the wind.
"For someone who's supposed to be better than me, you've
got a lousy aiiiiiimmmmm!" Nabiki shouted as she fell from
the branch that she had been standing on, her arms shooting
out in an arc as she landed on her feet onto the ground
below.
"Wasn't aiming at you." Ranma answered as he lowered
himself with a nimble leap, Nabiki gave him a small smile.
She couldn't quite guess why her brother managed to be
graceful at martial arts but have this awful swagger when he
simply walked.
"" Someone called behind them... and was
promptly ignored as the two engaged in a small fighting
spree. ""
Cologne sighed as she jumped over to them and landed a
blow on each of their heads stopping the fight immediately.
The siblings bowed to each other then looked at Cologne
ruefully, hands seeking the back of their necks as both of
them adopting identical sheepish looks.
"" Cologne asked as she
pointed to the rather disheveled looking trees and general
chaos abound of what was supposed to be a peaceful garden.
Ranma and Nabiki winced as they looked at the Sakura tree
which they had managed to strip to a few flowers by jumping
around and the occasional torn branch or two.
"" Cologne said in an
even tone, ""
They managed to look ashamed up to their rooms where they
looked at each other, then spoke at the same time in hushed
voices, "You know... we should try that again some time."
||---------------------||
Nabiki smiled at the memory, turning away from the window
and Ranma's retreating back. They truly did have an
unnatural childhood. China *had* been a part of their hearts
for some time, but there was something to say about being in
Japan. Japan was home.
Even though Japan was where Happosai had dominion over
them and Japan was where Kodachi pulled them ruthlessly by
their strings, Japan would always be their home more than
anywhere else.
To keep their home, she must lookout for those who would
keep them from it. 'Then, I would watch Kodachi for you,
Ranma.' Nabiki thought as she left the windowsill.
As the days turned into weeks, Nabiki watched from the
shadows as was her duty to Ranma, as much as she had done
the initial weeks of Kodachi's accident. Her first slip, her
first fall, Nabiki would learn of those. And that would be
reason enough to kill herself -- with that Ranma could
finally kill Kodachi, he can finally kill her off.
~~~
"You're honestly sleeping in my room?" Akane deadpanned
as she saw Ranko move a futon to the ugly room she had to
call her own, for the simple fact that she had no other.
"I'm honor bound to sleep here." Ranko laid her futon
down beside Akane's. She stretched and moved towards the
closet picking one of Kodachi's sleeping kimonos. She donned
it so quickly Akane was not even sure if she took off her
initial clothes in the first place had she not seen the pile
of discarded clothing folded neatly in her hands.
That was the only thing that was exchanged between them,
before Ranko slept in the comforts of the futon. Akane
sighed once again wondering why she was in the past, in
Kodachi's body. She couldn't have been such a bad person in
her past life, right?
Her thoughts wandered over to her husband, who was
currently avoiding her.
Apparently, so was everybody else in the house.
The children simply didn't talk to her and even if they
did, she wasn't sure she wanted to, because they were so
distant.
Nabiki, she never knew, she disappeared in and out of the
house, as if she didn't exist, yet it was glaringly apparent
she was actually living there. The ikebana arrangement on
the takonama was always fresh, the house was distinctly
clean, and the samurai wages and needs were looked after.
Her touches lingered in the house, yet she wasn't seen. She
was like the wind, you knew she was there, but you really
couldn't see her, except for the soft touch in your face
that makes certain of its presence.
Ranko was constantly missing, the consort of her husband
she only saw at night and only when she wakened from her
discreet motions through her rooms... and even that, rarely.
The girl moved with such grace and yet a non-grace that
puzzled her... a distinct tomboyish sluggishness in her
movements, but something distinctly feminine as well.
She had all reasons to believe she had dreamt the girl in
her room at all except for the fact that Ranko did not clean
up her futon after using it. Ifuku was the one who always
moved it towards the alcove where they kept the futons. When
she questioned Ifuku about it, she shrugged and said in a
mild manner that reminded her of her sister. "It's my
pleasure and honor to keep my master's bedding. It would be
most improper if he -- she keep it herself. Even my lady
Nabiki doesn't do it, and you don't. My Lady Ranko deserves
the same respect."
"I don't think your lady Ranko deserves any," Akane
huffed, jealousy rearing its ugly head, she kept the hussy
away from her husband and she still managed to nag her.
"She's nothing but a whore."
"Ladies don't use such language, my lady," Ifuku offered
gently, brushing Kodachi's long locks, the furo was to be
ready in some minutes. "It is though sufferance that you are
given indulgences. My lord has already been too kind."
"He doesn't visit me when I'm sick and he's kind?" Akane
wondered what hatred equated to. His sword flashed through
her mind.
"It is not through affection that my Lord Ranma shows his
benevolence towards my lady," Ifuku said, the brush running
through her black hair gently. "It would please him greatly
if you would treat Lady Ranko the same way you treat him."
"I don't see why I have to be anything but civil to
Ranko." She twirled the little golden pins in her hands, a
sign of discomfort. "It's not right for a wife to share her
husband."
Ifuku didn't respond for a minute, and Akane wondered if
she would let it go but she finally did, "But Lady Ranko has
a right to share Lord Ranma. Consorts are what give pleasure
to men, my lady. Wives put order to the house."
"*I* don't bring order to the house." Akane grumbled,
"Why should *she* do what she's supposed to?"
There was a small sound that Akane suspected as withheld
laughter. She must really sound silly to the maid's ears.
She was acting like a spoiled child. "Maybe the lady should
consider doing her duty then? Maybe it would make Lady
Ranko's presence less disquieting."
Akane let the question go unanswered. She was thankful
Ifuku didn't actually laugh out loud, she asked, "Um... does
Ranma have any more consorts?"
"No, my lady. My lord hasn't been in a woman's arms for a
long time." Ifuku smiled at Akane's surprise. "He wishes for
an heir of his own blood but he desires it from his wife,
not anybody else. If my lord doesn't produce an heir before
he dies, he has granted that privilege to Sei-san."
"But I thought he was Nabiki's son!" Akane frowned, "Why
not Hanae?"
"Women are not heirs... they are to be granted omiai(5),
just like yourself, my lady." She had counted one thousand,
she wondered if they would finish up to two as they usually
did before her head injury. "Lord Ranma adopted Sei when
Lady Nabiki was banished from the Ikkasei clan. My lady
Nabiki's being alive is a secret of the Saotome House."
"A secret? How so?"
"We really don't meddle with samurai business, my lady."
Ifuku answered, she didn't know if she should be telling
this, but it was her duty to make her mistress understand
the rules... but she also had a greater duty to her lord to
keep secrets... what to tell and what not to... the eternal
game of the houses. "I don't know why my lady is to be kept
here, but she is and all servants are ordered to
confidentiality."
"My lady Kodachi's bath is ready." Sasuke called as he
opened the shoji.
Ifuku nodded as she gathered what Akane would wear for
the day following her master out to the bathhouse.
Ranma shivered as the cold water hit him -- the change
washing over him... it wasn't really very obvious when they
underwent the curse. There was nothing to indicate that they
did, except the feeling of dampness and the obvious gender
change. "I thought the water was hot?"
"Never mind that... the furo is warm anyway." She turned
to scrub Ranma's back, when the small red head suddenly
threw cold water to her as well, triggering her curse.
Nabiki-kun frowned. "Such childish behavior."
"Want me to suffer alone?" Ranma-chan smiled. "Now scrub
my back, please." Usually there were attendants who washed
the samurai's backs, but because of their unique qualities
regarding water, Ranma and Nabiki almost always bathed
without attendants and together.
It wasn't anything new, when they were young and training
on the road, they had no other choice, after all no one
would do it for them. When they returned from China, they
were ordered to keep the curses secret... and so they were
confined to themselves again.
When Nabiki was married off, she found it a little bit
harder to keep the curse to herself. But she managed to get
the bath house vacant when she washed, which had confused
people to no end.
"If you weren't my brother, I swear I'd get revenge."
Nabiki-kun said moving his arm towards Ranma-chan's back.
Usually the red-head had a small cloth around her waist
where she had been branded but ever since Nabiki had found
out about it, she hadn't used it anymore. Nabiki briefly
wondered at how dense she had been. They had been exposed to
each other's bodies since they were children, but she had
never questioned the peculiar sash.
"If's the key word here!" Ranma-chan pointed out, then
lapsed into comfortable silence before she asked, "Hey,
Nabiki... do you ever wonder why we have different cursed
forms? You know... why I don't turn to you? But you turn to
me??"
"Sometimes..." Nabiki-kun smiled a little. Ranma almost
never thought of such things, there were simply too much
other things to think about, 'martial arts' in particular.
"I believe it's because we looked similarly in our previous
life, ne? After all, we're supposed to be twins and we bear
little similarity towards each other, and that... you have
to strain to see."
"You were the guy in our previous life?" Ranma-chan asked
as she crumpled her face. "I really don't see it."
"Maybe we switched bodies!" Nabiki-kun let out a little
smile. "We got different bodies than we were supposed to! I
was supposed to turn to Ranko while you were still like
yourself?"
"You know... some ideas are so stupid... only
intellectuals believe them."
"Sure, sure." Nabiki rolled her eyes, "And back in the
Amazon village, you would be considered a 'learned' person,
you know. Only a step below the Elders?"
Ranma-chan shook her head still not willing to believe
the idea. "It's a weird theory."
"Maybe I'm not your sister in your previous life. Maybe I
was Kodachi's older sister, which is the reason why I like
her so much." Nabiki-kun made a face at his obvious dislike
of his own suggestion.
"If that's true, then I'm in love with my wife *and* I
actually believe in love." Ranma snickered as she listened
to Nabiki.
"It was only a theory, or maybe the man who died in that
spring looked like you and his twin died at the
Nyannichuan." Nabiki-kun shrugged. There was no telling what
the explanation was. "Your turn to scrub my back."
She obliged to Nabiki-kun's request. "So? Are you okay
with this? Your Jusenkyou form, I mean."
"It's been so long, and you ask it only now?" Nabiki-kun
wondered at Ranma's ability to think back. "It was our karma
to fall in those springs. By falling to those springs, we
became more able to serve our liege lord. It provides a new
identity... Ranko's unrecorded background has given us
advantage over some cases, and the ability to be in two
places at once. I never actually regretted falling into that
spring, Ranma. It gave me more of a way to protect you."
"It was a way to protect each other." There was a long
pause. "Hey, Nabiki."
"Yes?"
"Thanks, for everything."
Nabiki-kun stopped what Ranma-chan was doing and turned
to face her, Ranma-chan's gratitude was as rare as her
apologies and even rarer than her smiles. "No, it's me who
should be thanking you."
"We both thank each other then?" Ranma-chan smiled.
It was then that Kodachi walked in on them... Kodachi
blushed and started to turn around but stopped and crossed
her arms. She was still wearing her night kimono. "What are
you doing in here?"
Ranma-chan regarded her then turned to Nabiki-kun,
Nabiki-kun smiled and said, "I don't really know... I think
I'm making a baby... what do you think Ranko-san?"
Ranma-chan looked up at the ceiling and twiddled her
thumbs, accomplishing what looked too much like a guilty
flush. "Ah... um... I don't think that's the best answer
Na-- Ra-- umm... I mean Lord Ranma."
"Fine! See if I care!" Kodachi stomped out of the room
and closed the shoji with a bang.
There was some silence and Nabiki-kun started laughing,
Ranma-chan looked at him with a frown. "Do you really wish
to see me die so early Nabiki-chan?"
"Oh please, Ranma, spare me." Nabiki said under fits of
laughter. "We both know that even on her best day Kodachi
can't touch you... hell she can't even touch me! Serves you
right for waking up this late."
Ranma-chan rolled his eyes over his sister's obvious
hilarity in her discomfort. "Besides, you should be happy."
She frowned. "And why is that?"
Both of them have seriously thought about Kodachi's
amnesia and conceded that she might not be faking the
ailment, although neither of the two thought that her new
attitude was better off than her attitude before. "She's
obviously jealous of you. And only women who care are
jealous."
"Why would she be jealous... I mean... I think she *did*
see it as a joke... right? She can't be *that* dense! I mean
'Ranko' is our 'faraway' relative as you've stated... and
there's no reason to be jealous... She acts as if she
detests me. I mean I'm supposed to be my own legal consort,
right??"
"Of course..." Nabiki-kun drew out a long suffering
smile. "Kodachi hates to share anything, haven't you
noticed? I'm willing to bet she feels bitter she isn't
Hanae's mother and resents the fact that Sei would be your
heir."
Ranma-chan winced at his statement. It was far too true
for her to contradict. Resolving to talk to Kodachi,
Ranma-chan stood up to wash the soap off when she was
playfully punched on the ribs by Nabiki-kun. "Hey, you!
You're not finished scrubbing my back!"
Okay... so she would talk to Kodachi *after* having
scrubbed Nabiki-kun's back.
Ifuku winced as Akane dragged on to her room looking
around frantically; she wished her mistress wasn't looking
for something to break because a lot of things in her room
were delicate.
"Define 'a long time', Ifuku!" Akane said anger streaking
her eyes.
Her mistress had just received the worst possible answer
from the Lady Nabiki at the worst possible time.
Sure, Ifuku knew that there wasn't really anything
happening inside that room... after all they were
siblings... and yes, Ifuku knew that the Lady Ranko was
really Lord Ranma and the Lord Ranma she saw there was
really the Lady Nabiki, but that particular knowledge wasn't
helping her a bit in this situation. She doubted if the Lady
Akane would truly believe Jusenkyo until she saw it. The
Lady Nabiki and Lord Ranma would never actually submit to a
show in front of the Lady Akane. "They were merely playing,
my lady surely --"
"Oh, they were playing alright!" Akane continued to fume
and walked around in circles. Ifuku wondered when her
mistress would get dizzy.
"Surely you realize that Lord Ranma was only trying to
tease my lady?" Ifuku tried her damnedest to calm Akane
down. It simply wasn't working.
"Tease... tease... Tease... TEASE!!!!" despite of
herself, Ifuku found herself imagining the girl's head
growing larger, every time the word was repeated. "That
sonofabitch isn't teasing me! He's down right rubbing my
face in the fact that we actually haven't slept together
in... How many years?"
"Four years, my lady."
"Four years! I keep Ranko out off his bed but he manages
to do 'the deed' in the bathroom!" She paced around a little
more, cracking her hands in the process. "I'm going to
pulverize that... that... that..."
Ifuku flinched at the string of profanity that came out
of her mistress' lips, she had thought her mistress thought
it was unimaginable for ladies to swear... unfortunately...
along with her great change in attitude came her new love
for expletives.
She was about to continue with her tirade when Lord Ranma
-- still in her cursed form slammed the shoji open, with her
hand on her towel. She regarded Ifuku for a moment but
didn't dismiss her, then turned to her wife.
"Akane, will you stop bringing the whole house down!"
Ranma-chan ordered, holding the towel firmly around herself.
"I was not doing anything with Nabiki, okay?! She's my
sister for goodness sake."
Ifuku gulped a little wondering if her lord, in the
condition she was in, realized what she had just said. The
curse was something they agreed to keep quiet about.
"I was not referring to *Nabiki* I was talking about
*Ranma*. You're a girl." She paused for a moment, seemingly
contemplating on something, "Unless of course... you like
*that* kind of thing..."
Ranma-chan looked at her puzzled. Ifuku gave a little
cough and motioned a little. Understanding dawned on Ranma
and she eeped... as much as a Saotome could anyway, "What?!
No... no... no... You're getting this all wrong! Listen
Kodachi and I'm not repeating this. I AM ONLY RANMA'S
CONSORT BY NAME! Not dissimilar to your situation! We do not
share a bed... we do not sleep in the same futon... we're
never together... I like his clothes... so what, I like his
room... so? I am his consort, I have the right to stay
there... just as you do but have not done so in seven years.
I give him his back scrub... he gives me mine... it is my
pleasure to do so... he is my lord. I follow what he says.
If you ask Ifuku she will confirm that Ranma only bathes
with his sister or me."
Before she walked away, she turned back, "And no! I don't
like *that* kind of thing! I have been celibate for nearly
four years Kodachi, just as my lord. I could only wish I
could say the same for you."
Ifuku tensed as she watched the lord leave, she wondered
what the lady would think about the Lady Ranko having
professed her abstinence, and perhaps she would not realize
that the Lord Ranma is the same, ne? Then things wouldn't be
so complicated.
Watching the Lady Akane grab a shoji to steady herself,
she rushed to lend her support, but it was shrugged off, she
was a proud woman.
Looking at Ifuku in the eyes Akane sighed. "She was
telling the truth wasn't she?"
Ifuku nodded, of course... she wasn't about to tell her
lady that her lord omitted some very vital facts... that the
Lord Ranma and the Lady Ranko were one and the same, for
instance.
~~~
A loud bang issued from the rooms to their left and Ranma
grumbled putting on his red shirt, another day, another
problem, he would've ignored the bang if it hadn't
persisted. He sighed as he ran towards the general direction
of the noise... his wife's room. Surprise, surprise.
He stood there leaning at the shoji watching her take
down most of the black things and pulling black tatami off
the floor, when she noticed him.
"Oh, Ranma... I was cleaning up the room a bit... it's a
bit too gloomy here... and, I wanted it to be a little bit
more cheerful." She said. Thinking of nothing else to say,
she forcefully pulled out one of the shoji that promptly
tripped her. It seemed like she wasn't used to taking the
shoji down after all. In their home, Kasumi had done that.
In their apartment... there were no shoji. It came as little
surprise she couldn't do so.
Surprisingly her husband caught her in an instant, she
blushed as she righted herself with his help... she had
never encountered anyone so fast. He raised an eyebrow at
this. "What? You react as if you've never touched me
before."
Akane bit her lip as she gazed to his bluish gray eyes.
They were clouded up, and looked royally pissed. "If I have
I've actually forgotten."
Ranma nodded, it was good he decided not to do anything
about it, he turned to leave but Akane stopped him with a
question, "Do you know where Ranko is?"
He turned around to look at Akane and frowned. "Why?"
"I wanted to apologize to her... for telling her some
pretty nasty stuff..." She offered a weak smile at her
husband, she hoped he would understand and help her explain,
"I'm really sorry... It just doesn't feel right to share my
husband."
Ranma tapped his fingers against the shoji. "It isn't
right to share my wife. More so... law allows me a consort
my dear, several in fact. Law also demands I kill all of
yours."
Akane crunched up her face, stupid feudal Japan, here she
was being nice and he comes up with pretty good excuses.
Damn it, she had the right mind to tell him that she didn't
care. "I'm sorry I didn't know any better. Please, Ranma. If
it makes you feel better..." She winced at what she was
going to say next, "You could sleep with her already... I'm
sorry for all the trouble I've caused... I'll tell her as
soon as I find her."
"What brought this on?" Ranma looked incredulous.
Apparently Kodachi didn't do this very often. Or maybe it
was the fact that he didn't actually need her permission.
"I -- Ifuku explained everything... I'm sorry for acting
childish, as your wife, I should tend to your needs... I've
not been doing a lot of that... I just realized it... I want
to ask for her help... how to run your household you know...
and how to act... like a proper wife."
Ranma snorted, "Ranko wouldn't know how to do that...
that's the reason she's the consort! The person you should
be asking that is Nabiki... and my sister isn't as forgiving
as I am."
FORGIVING! The lout had not even shown her a moment's
compassion! -- Okay so Gosunkugi was a fluke -- "I'll --
arrange to meet Lady Nabiki, then?"
"Whatever." He looked around the room noticing the
changes. "What are you doing with the shoji Kodachi? It cost
us a lot... ten samurai actually..." She didn't know if he
picked the dreadful thing so she offered it to him, she was
met by a grimace. "Burn it if you want, I don't want it
touching my room... not after ten good men's blood was
spilled to get it."
She shuddered, all the more wanting the shoji out
immediately... she wondered how her room should
look...unfortunately she wasn't good at doing creative artsy
stuff either, she hoped Ifuku would lend her a hand in
decorating her room.
Briefly, she thought if she should've asked help for her
room *before* she tore everything down...
Nahhh...
~~~
Ranma shook his head as he left the house towards the
trees, 'Kodachi is too damn hard to understand.' He thought
leaping for the next tree. He sighed as he took off towards
the border. When was the last time he had tree-hopped for
the mere enjoyment of it and not to get away from his
problems?
Far too long...
||---------------------||
...long?" Nabiki asked from beside the pond, her newly
bought Chinese shirt hung loosely around her figure.
"Uh... would you mind repeating that Nabiki?" Ranma asked
as he landed beside her, the pond looked far too inviting,
and swimming was the last thing they should be doing now. "I
didn't hear you."
"I said," Nabiki asked throwing him some parcels of
clothes, "What took you so long?"
"I had to get away from Rian and Shampoo." Ranma answered
deftly catching the paper wrapped packages from the air.
Recently, avoiding Rian and Shampoo have been troublesome.
Cologne must have been stepping up their training too. After
all, the old crone believed that their constant pestering
would do well for the twin's training. "What? You *want*
them along?"
Nabiki shook her head. "No, I just thought you might.
Come on, Cologne rarely gives us our free time, you know.
You're wasting time." She re-tied her recently grown hair.
Ranma just looked at her, when they were younger she had
refused to grow her hair past her chin, it just took him by
surprise that she changed her mind, Nabiki rarely did.
"Uh huh, and what do you suggest we do?" Ranma asked
opening the small parcels and found some assortment of
Chinese clothes identical to hers. He nodded, the kimonos
they had barely fit them anymore, Genma gave them money to
buy some clothes, but he had been avoiding the amazons the
whole morning and was forced to ask Nabiki to shop for him.
"If you remember, we don't do much of *anything* outside of
martial arts for fun."
"Put those on, will you? I want to see how you look in
them." Nabiki smiled, at thirteen they were still of the
same height, she still could pick out his clothes from the
market for him without using the Jusenkyo curse.
"I'm sure it'll be perfect, Nabiki." Ranma reassured her
as he closed the packages and placed them in the crook of
his arm. Nabiki just gave a little pout of disappointment.
"As always."
"Well... it *is* our birthday..." Nabiki's eyes twinkled
as she gazed at the trees. "Come on, let's go tree hopping
and terrorize the countryside for a bit... I'm sure we'll
think of something better to do."
"Yeah, sure." Ranma rolled his eyes, and then threw her a
small box. "Here catch!"
Nabiki caught it between her hands and opened the small
wooden box in delight. "Oh, you shouldn't have!" She
protested putting the two ivory trinkets amidst wood
shavings from the box on her hand. Both were hand-carved. It
was actually clever of him to put the wood flakes there
because it protected the ivory.
"I know." Ranma smirked as he moved closer to see her
reaction. "But I couldn't resist. Some old guy gave me an
inch of ivory 'cuz I did something or the other. Happy
Birthday, Nabiki."
"They look wonderful... thank you..." Nabiki admired the
small earrings on her hands. If you looked at it on one
side, it looked like a small curled up dragon. If you looked
at it on the other, it was an exquisite flower. "How did you
manage to carve this? Oh, I wish I had a mirror."
"That's a secret." He smiled as she clasped it on. "Okay,
now that that's over we can go and tree-hop if you like."
"Oh no, I've got something for you too." Taking a bag
from her other things she handed it to him, "I know you
disapprove of me making money from Rian and Shamps'
affection of you, but how else do you think I'd manage
enough money to buy things?"
"Still..." Ranma smiled as he opened the package and took
out a beautiful three tiered lacquered bento box with a pair
of matching lacquered chopsticks, both had a design of a
dragon etched into them, his name was on the warabashi.
"Thank you, Nabiki. It's beautiful."
"I know. Happy birthday to you, too." Nabiki answered
knowingly as she fingered the earrings, "You always eat too
much I say, and I saw this makie vendor just beside the
Chinese silks and I couldn't resist." She said echoing his
words, "It doesn't have gold in the design, so it's not that
expensive, and I wish it was made off the deigo wood, back
at home, but beggars can't be choosers..."
"Oh come on, you know I'm not choosy, Nabiki, even a
simple note would've been okay." Ranma answered, re-wrapping
the gift gently, makie needed to be kept out of winds and
direct sunlight for it to last long... and they were going
to go tree-hopping.
"It wouldn't have been fun." Nabiki answered as she
pocketed the wooden box, "Come on, time's wasting."
"You're leaving your parcels here?"
"Please, Ranma, Chinese don't steal things in the middle
of the forest!" She smiled as she took off to the trees.
"Come on, I want to show you sunset over Jusenkyo valley,
it's beautiful."
"I'd rather stay as far from the Bayankala Mountain range
as possible." Ranma quipped. He was beside her in a moment.
"It can't help us any and I hate what it reminds me of."
"Don't be such a baby, you remind me of Jusenkyo, you
know." Nabiki laughed at his expression, "Oh come on, suffer
with me for a while."
||---------------------||
Ranma sighed as he landed on another branch, his
destination was not so far off now, and Nabiki was at home
suffering through the mere presence of his wife. 'Yes,
Nabiki, we'll suffer along, together.'
~~~
Nabiki leafed through the papers... it was a cookbook of
sorts that she had to deal with weekly, since the
responsibility of Ranma's wife fell to her. She was happy
with the job... of course, doing the menu was still one of
the most detestable things, happy or not.
She flipped through the pages, with her brother, you
could actually place the same boring food in front of him,
and still he'd eat it, but she wanted variety in her food.
'What should I let them cook this week? Somen-coated
shrimp(6), we don't have shrimp as of yet... Yosenabe(7)?
Do we have mushrooms... some shitake probably, I'll look it
up.' She copied the name and put a question-mark with it.
'Okay... First day is done... Second Day morning? I wonder
if Ukyo will be gracious enough to serve us some Okonomiyaki
when she picks up Hanae. Hmmm... better prepare some
yakitori in case she's in a hurry.'
She flipped more pages as she thought of the second
meal... 'Would Kisu No Sujime(8), be good? Ranma won't be
home for the second meal after all... Vinegared Fish will
suit Kodachi well enough.'
"Nabiki... could I talk to you for a minute?"
Not turning from what she was doing, Nabiki shrugged. As
she continued leafing through the menu not liking the
disturbance. In the past, she had been unencumbered in the
house, and Kodachi ignored her, something that she had liked
about their relationship immensely.
"Are we in good terms Nabiki?" Her question was
tentative, gauging Nabiki's answer.
Her back still against Kodachi, she placed the feather
quill down. If Kodachi wasn't so dangerous in the kitchen
she would have just given her the menu and escaped somewhere
else. "I ignore you, you ignore me. That's how the world
works around the house Kodachi. Let's hope you re-learn that
little bit of information."
Her anger rose a notch when Kodachi sat down beside her
asking, "Can't we be friends?"
"I can not be more than civil to you Kodachi." Nabiki
snorted, she decided she would just put Kodachi's hated food
on the menu, something which she had called plebian once.
'What was it... Ahhh... Fish Simmered in Miso(9) Sauce...
she hates red bean paste, she hates miso.' She added some
side dishes and went on with her task, trying to pretend
that her sister-in-law wasn't beside her.
"It's Akane." She whispered softly.
Nabiki almost broke her quill into two, the damned woman
was trying to get to her nerves again. 'Calm down, breathe,
breathe...' "A nice name Lady Kodachi... the color crimson
suites your namesake. I would say it reminds me of blood."
"What's wrong Nabiki, you never call me lady... and..."
"My first daughter's name was Akane, lady. It honors me
that you should choose that name for yourself." 'I don't see
what the hell my brother sees in you. What was the thing
Kodachi was allergic to again... ahh yes... kamboko(10)... I
think Chawanmushi(11) would be good for first meal in the
third day, I think I'll ask Yuka to add more kamboko than a
measly eight.'
Though it was soft, Nabiki heard her gulp. "If you're at
uncomfortable with it Nabiki... I could always change it."
'Yes, be afraid of me Kodachi.' She shrugged as she
remembered that Kodachi particularly loathed lotus and added
Age Renkon(12) to the dinner list of the third day. "I don't
see the reason why my lady needs to change her chosen name,
as I said I am honored."
Yuka passed by and Nabiki thought the cook would give the
papers she had been holding over to Nabiki, obviously it was
more recipes, but she retreated, she probably heard the way
she had addressed Kodachi, she never called Kodachi 'lady'
until she was mad. And the Lady Nabiki Saotome was rarely
angry.
There was a tentative pause. "I want to ask something
from you Nabiki."
This time, Nabiki managed not to close her hand on the
quill, "My lady can ask anything from her humble servant."
'She hates turnips because they're bland... what is a good
recipe... ah irony is it? Kikka Kabu(13) will do for
breakfast. She looked at the diagram of how to prepare and
smiled... flowers... what a befitting meal.'
"I would like you to teach me... to be a good wife."
She heard Kodachi hold her breath. 'She's been married
seven years and she wants me to give her pointers on being a
good wife, *now*? What the hell is she thinking? Miso... are
there more miso recipes? Kurume no Mosohuri(14)...'
After writing that down, she decided a full three days of
Kodachi not eating anything prepared by the cooks was a good
enough revenge and turned towards her. "If it's what my lady
Kodachi wants, her humble servant shall oblige... is there
anything else you would require from me... should I stop the
menus today, or does my lady want her lessons now?"
Kodachi looked uneasily at the sheaf of papers on the low
table, "What you're doing seems important and--"
"Oh no, no, no," Nabiki punctuated each word with a shake
of the head... "I would always be happy to oblige my lady."
"Well -- would it be better if I knew more things of the
house? It seems truly distasteful that I'm the wife and you
and Ranko do all the work." She bit her lip, which Nabiki
duly noted, Kodachi never bites her lips.
An idea came to Nabiki as she saw Kodachi steeple her
hands in worry, it sounded ridiculous... but it was worth a
try after all. "My lady wishes to know the Martial Arts of
Wife in Good Graces?"
"Martial Arts of Wife in Good Graces?" Kodachi repeated.
Nabiki shrugged, after all if you've heard of a Martial
Arts Tea Ceremony there had to be a martial art for
everything right? Of course Kodachi was pretty smart when it
came to things like Nabiki conning her, but it was worth a
try... even though no one in their right minds should
actually believe that there's such a thing as --
"Sure I'll try it." Kodachi offered her a warm smile.
'That knock on her head loosened the few remaining screws
too.' Nabiki almost stopped herself from laughing, this was
too hilarious. 'She's so dense...' "Yes, we can start
tomorrow."
Only when Kodachi fully disappeared from her sight did
finally let out a smile. She would find out if Kodachi was
faking her amnesia, even if it meant suffering through the
long hours with her and trying to show Kodachi things she
already knew. And Kodachi hated to be taught something which
she already excelled in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Footnotes:
(1) What is the Tokkai road? Well it's the road connecting Tokyo and
Hakone. And since I don't exactly *have* a map of Japan with me,
it's the road that connects to Nerima too.
(2) *Before* someone righteously lectures me about Japanese history
and tells me that Edo was given to Tokugawa as a fief and all
that, please, let me tell you, I spent my whole second year high
school in Japanese history. If something doesn't connect with
Japanese history it's because I'm re-writing it :).
(3) Omokage: Image
(4) Genma as a foster parent? I ask you this, if I made him their
*real* father, would he actually have time to train his kids? As
for him being a guy... well... read on.
(5) Omiai: arranged marriage. (Isn't it great to have a dictionary?)
(6) Somen: is a kind of buckwheat noodle. They add salted water to the
wheat flour and knead it, then coat it with vegetable oil. It's
stretched thin, and dried by sunshine. It turns out as a kind of
bleached white color, but the vegetable oil coating is about the
only real difference between soumen and ramen. As a general rule
of thumb, any food ending in "-men" is likely to be a
noodle dish of some sort.
(Thanks to LarryF)
(7) Yosenabe: It's sorta soup with this clear white noodles called
'sotanghon' o wait... what's the English of that... I can't
remember. If you cook tinola with sotanghon (and actually know
what tinola is) you'll know what it looks like.
(8) Kisu No Sujime: Vinegared Fish
(9) miso: bean paste
(10) kamboko: boiled fish cake
(11) chawanmushi: Steamed Egg Custard
(12) Age Renkon: Field Lotus Roots
(13) Kikka Kabu: Flowered Turnips
(14) Kurume no Mosohuri: Eggplant Miso Soup
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes:
I'm not particularly happy with the way Akane got Ranko with the
debt. Any suggestions as to how she's going to extract a debt of honor
will be most appreciated. (Even if it's so late that I have to redo
the entire story again... really)
This was actually my favorite story before... I have no idea why,
but anyway I've revised it and thought that it needed more Akane-
Ranma interaction. Byookie-desu and I also fixed a couple of fighting
scenes in this piece and made it better. After this we're going to
leave Ranma and Akane alone for a while to take a peek at the other
people in this story. :)
~~iCe~~
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Please be reminded send mail to me at: siuane@gmail.com
My homepage: http://iCe.esmartdesign.com/
Mirror site: http://time-arrow.atspace.com/rend_main.htm
** popup less, banner less site :)
Packrat's homepage: http://members.tripod.com/the_packrat/anime.html
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We sometimes tend to forget that criticsm is better than praise, when
we criticize we say that the other person has the ability to accept
our words and take it as a challenge to become better because of this.
~~~ my teacher (hehehe)
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I write when the spirit moves, and I make sure it moves every day.
~~ unknown
