Special Thanks to:
Tin and Angel
Jourdan Bickham
Roja Cyd
Howard Russel
Rgorman
Sakk, Bubbly Minx
And to the person reading this.
Dedicated to Nonny.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||-----------^_^-----------||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For loneliness is a silver word,
An acrid wine, or a broken chord --
And loneliness is sharp and sweet,
Unleavened bread for some to eat.
~ Hermit's Chant
Fansisco G. Tonogbanua
~ Chapter 14 ~
_ ... Everything spun out of control... out of *my* control.
I think I finally know how you felt like in one of your depression
spells... and I wish I didn't ... _
Ifuku was used to traveling long distances. It was the
story of her life. When she was young she had been handed
from one house to the other until she had settled with the
mother she had grown up with. It was there that she learned
to be a servant to the Saotome household, and then was
raised as a lady's servant for the Lord Ranma's future wife.
She was also afraid when it came to traveling alone as a
woman. So, for protection's sake, she changed into men's
clothing for long travels. She had sewn a set of clothes
that she usually wore at the designated time when she met
Sohin. A peasant's garb that was more suited for a man than
a woman. She hid her long hair with a small straw hat,
hiding her face in the shadows. In the mirror she looked
exactly as a man should.
The past three weeks since she left Rose Brier had left
her in the middle of the trees without a solid path while
remaining deep in Kamakura's perimeter. She was avoiding all
major roads because there would be checkpoints and
questions, and Ifuku was in no state to answer questions.
She wiped her brow uncomfortably as the heat of the sun
seeped through the reed hat. It wasn't much protection and
she was wearing clothes she wasn't accustomed to.
Idly, she wondered what had prompted Akane to suddenly
give her the much needed vacation. She dismissed the thought
almost immediately. She was barely functional the past weeks
and she had been going through her work with a distracted
air. The empty grave had troubled her, and constant worry
plagued her. She felt that the anxiety would not leave her
until they found out just why the grave was empty and what
had happened to the body buried there. Still, her thoughts
wandered back to the time when Akane had given her leave.
||-------------------------||
Ifuku watched silently as Akane stared in contemplation
into the mess that littered the floor of the room. She has
been increasingly frantic in her search for her brother
since the inauguration she passed for the last month. Ranma
seemed to be looking the other way with regard to her
training, preferring not to train her and leaving Akane with
too much time in her hands for letter writing. They only
managed a couple of sessions in the weeks since they arrived
from Happosai's donjon.
Akane was facing a low table with an inkwell and a
feather pen that Ifuku had managed to scour up. Crumpling
the letter then throwing it over her shoulder, Akane
gathered the other pile that she had discarded. They were
the only things that littered the otherwise clean room.
Sighing, Akane put the pen down. "Why can't I do this?
He's my *brother*!" She forcibly hit the flat of her hand
against the table, which resulted to all the things jumping
up and down. It had been lucky that none of the ink had
spilled.
"Maybe because he's not my real brother?" she muttered
under her breath. She had yet to meet Tatewaki Kuno. When
she asked, she was met with a stare of either compassion or
mild disgust. It appeared that Tatewaki was just as popular
as his sister.
Finally making up her mind, Akane wrote a curt, but
polite, letter telling Kuno that she wanted to talk to him
and that he was invited to Rose Brier for chanoyu if he
wanted to. Not that Akane knew a thing about the formal tea
ceremony, but she had decided that she was going to learn.
Had she known that the person she sought was just beyond
the walls of Rose Brier, she could have been spared of the
pain and the hurt that the next days was going to bring her.
But that information had been limited to Nabiki, Sohin and
the peasants who were at the marketplace... none of whom
thought telling her as important, entertained the idea of
meeting with her, or had the chance to do so.
Still, the letter had been her last hope. Akane sighed
as Ifuku walked away with the letter to attach to one of the
pigeons. She summoned for Ifuku again. Unless that letter
brings her miracles, she was giving up for the moment.
"Ifuku... would you like to leave?"
The maid looked puzzled at the proposition that had never
been offered to her. She had been one of the few maids who
Kodachi had never disposed and yet the suggestion coming
now, when her mind was troubled, was tempting. "You're
asking me to leave, Lady Akane?"
Offering a weak smile to the woman, Akane shook her head.
"Ever heard of a vacation, Ifuku? You know getting out...
doing the things you want... seeing the world." There was
not much of the world to see in the 1600's but Akane was
trying to make a point.
Ifuku looked at the letter in her hands then at Akane.
"But my lady, you'd be alone." Ifuku had gone about in an
almost normal pattern ever since she had been assigned to
Kodachi. And that meant a week leave in Minazuki, the water
month. She had never been given more, because Kodachi was
not a lenient mistress. That week was already enough for
her.
"You can give me one of the maids for training." Akane
waved her hands. "I'm sure you've worked hard enough for a
break... maybe a month or two?"
"I shall give you Sara for the job. Will that be
satisfactory, my lady?" Akane recalled Sara and nodded at
Ifuku's choice.
Ifuku once more started to leave when Akane gave her a
small bundle wrapped in a handkerchief that Akane found
among Kodachi's little trinkets. "I know it isn't much, but
I would like you to have this."
Ifuku didn't open the parcel. It was rude to do so in the
presence of that who had given it but the confused stare she
gave her mistress was not lost on Akane. "It's for your
loyal service, Ifuku. Please, remember me when you wear it."
Ifuku nodded as she thanked her before going.
||-------------------------||
Ifuku frowned, Akane had given her two kodachi, the very
ones that Akane had been bestowed when she gained acceptance
in the inauguration. She had not wanted to accept the gift
when she had opened it, but she knew that refusing it would
be ill-mannered. So she carried it with her to consult with
Sohin about them. Luckily, she knew how to fight with it,
although it would be just her luck if someone accused her of
stealing it.
Although peasants were allowed to use swords, the
combination of a short one for beheading and the katana were
reserved for samurai status. The Kodachi wouldn't be
mistaken as the samurai's twin swords but she tried to hide
them both anyway. If she was questioned, she had more than
the swords to be accountable for.
She looked at the sky and shading her eyes against the
sun's harsh rays. From its position she noted that three
sticks passed since she had left her sleeping area, a tree
that had been uprooted by some means or the other. Ifuku
sensed that a fight had been responsible for her shelter.
As she walked over to the edge of the small forest, she
felt a sword to her back. 'Great...' Ifuku thought 'A very
nice time to be robbed.' She turned around meekly, fully
expecting some highway bandit and coming face to face with a
Saotome samurai instead.
"What are you doing out of the path?" the samurai
demanded, Ifuku recognized Omokage and frowned. It had not
been that long since the incident with the pigeon and he had
caught her again. She grimaced at the samurai guards, not
understanding their rotation.
"I have been given a temporary leave," Ifuku informed
him, a little thankful at least, that he could recognize
her, even if they were not on the best terms. She brought
the hat down to reveal her face and her bound hair. "Lady
Akane has given it to me."
Omokage sheathed his sword when he identified her and
then gave her a disapproving look. "You're acting unusually
these days, Ifuku." he commented pointing towards the
nearest path. "That's where the road is. Stay on it."
"Sorry, sir, I'm in a hurry," Ifuku apologized still
holding her ground, a little in panic. Although she knew how
to fight, she wasn't sure if she could hold her own against
one of Saotome Ranma's own men. "I believe this is a shorter
way."
Omokage gave her a look of disbelief. Her self-made road,
in truth, would actually take her a several days more than
the usual to reach her destination. He let her statement
pass turning his attention elsewhere, "Why are you dressed
up like that?"
She wanted to see Sohin as soon as possible, and delays
like Omokage could lead her well into weeks if he chose to
detain her. The main road would just bring her unwanted
attention and Omokage was making things difficult.
Worrying at the direction that the questions were taking
them, Ifuku used her haughtiest voice to reply,
"Omokage-san, I never knew it was your business to pry into
peasant's affairs, especially my own."
He was startled at the answer. It wasn't natural for
peasants to answer back. Especially not to samurai that were
overseers to the same household that they lived in. "Not
when they're acting according to rules." He scowled at her,
exasperation showing. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"No *you're*--" her words were cut off by Omokage's hand,
silencing her effectively as it clamped over her mouth while
his other hand snaked around her waist to carry her with him
as he jumped towards one of the trees. He signaled for her
silence before he let her go.
Ifuku managed to look at him indignantly before settling
on the branch that he had chosen for their hiding place. A
few seconds later, two women came through the field they
just vacated. Ifuku's eyes squinted to see through the
leaves.
"There's something familiar..." she whispered as she
tried to inch closer.
Omokage caught a fistful of her shirt in an instant,
glaring at her. "You really are not fit for reconnaissance
work are you?"
She matched his scathing words, "I am a *peasant*,
Omokage. I'm not supposed to be fit for 'reconnaissance'."
She took her eyes back towards the duo but they vanished
when she was talking to Omokage.
Omokage tried to look for signs of where they went,
trying as much as possible not to give away their hiding
place. "I do not like this."
Ifuku broke free of his grasp and jumped from the high
branch that was their hiding place landing on her behind.
With as much dignity as she could muster, she pulled herself
up from the ground to dust herself. "I'm supposed to be on
my way to Sohin. I'm already fearful that he might have
moved too fast already."
She turned around proudly. When Omokage didn't come down
from the tree, she didn't wait for his permission to leave.
She was about to move out again when she saw the two ladies
they had spotted moments ago blocking her way.
It took a second for her to register the faces in front
of her. She gasped raising her hand towards her mouth. She
had not seen her sister recently, but she knew the face
perfectly, how could she not?
Yet the impossibility of the circumstances froze her in
place -- because it was also almost a year since the death
of her sister. The possibility clenched at her heart, a
confirmation that her sister was well. The reason for the
empty grave. A soft question managed to escape her lips,
"Akane?"
'Akane' turned back at her in one swift motion, her
surprise couldn't be hidden from her face as well, finally
she turned towards her companion. "Ari, Don't tell me this
*peasant* is Tendo Shori."
"How did you know?" Ari asked as she moved towards the
paralyzed Ifuku.
"Because she's been my maid for the past seven years,"
the woman spat out in revulsion. She could not see the
reason why anyone would willingly renounce themselves of
their title and pick up an identity akin to that of a slave.
Something clicked in Ifuku's mind as she heard the last
sentence from her opponent. She broke into a run as she
shouted in warning, "Omokage!" her strangled call went out.
She wasn't sure if he was going to aid her, but it would
help her even the playing field. Ari was a ruthless opponent
who didn't hesitate for the kill. She was also one of the
few women who she needed to kill desperately. "That woman is
Saotome Kodachi."
Both of the women turned to her sharply at her call,
Ifuku dared not to look back at the face of the sister she
had thought was months dead. Random facts were clicking into
place as she ran.
Kodachi hissed at her companion, "I thought you said
capturing her would be easy." She started the chase towards
her former servant.
"I said locating her would be easy. Capturing her is a
different story." She took out two short daggers at her
side, throwing them at the girl. One had grazed Ifuku's foot
the other passed her harmlessly. "Shori's brother was ten
years of age when Chisei came to power. He was heir, and he
knew enough of the arts to be a nuisance. In the years we
tried to capture them, he taught his two sisters the art."
Kodachi growled as she readied her trademark weapon, a
single black rose filled with poison. "How did she manage to
hide as a peasant at the Saotomes?"
"We never knew she had hidden as a maid in Saotome
territory," Ari admitted readying another blade. Ari moved
with grace and precision, her agility compensating for her
lack of height. "It was the last thing we expected her to
do... she was a spoiled child. We know she frequented the
area because we have sources saying Akane is buried near
here."
Kodachi readied to throw her projectile when Ifuku
stopped running and turned around abruptly to face them. "I
am Tendo Shori, First Lady of Sanuki, Second Heir to the
Tendo Legacy. I am the true holder of what Chisei has
stolen. And if you expect to kill me without a fight... you
are sadly mistaken. Prepare yourself, because I will be the
last person you see today."
Kodachi gave a laugh, confirming her identity as Ifuku's
patroness. Ifuku could not be mistaken, no matter how
unworldly it may seem. Kodachi Saotome was in her sister's
likeness. Kodachi's condescending voice was strong in the
air as she stopped running, giving Ifuku a long calculating
look. "You talk big for a peasant, Ifuku."
"Do not underestimate her," the woman beside Kodachi
whispered urgently. "The last time we fought she had killed
my companion. Her sister had died because she had gotten in
the way of a suicide hit that Shori had executed. Her moves
may not be as refined as any samurai but she *can* fight."
A gleam of interest passed through Kodachi's eye. "So she
killed her own sister?" Kodachi laughed. "What guilt must
have wreaked upon your soul, Ifuku."
"Don't call me that, Kodachi." Ifuku drew the two
identical swords that she had been hiding. It was another
reason why she wanted to stay off the main roads. "I demand
respect from those who will try to kill me."
"You make me laugh, Ifuku." Kodachi fingered her newly
shortened hair, as she sneered at her opponent. "You were
the one who chose to be a peasant. I'm just obliging your
wishes. Can we fight now? Formalities bore me."
"Two to one is hardly a fair fight, Kodachi," Ifuku
informed her as she crossed her swords above her head in a
stance that was new to Kodachi. "Then again, you hardly
*ever* play fair."
Ifuku started to charge Kodachi and her companion when
Omokage suddenly appeared beside her, matching her own pace.
"You forgot me."
"What took you so long?" Ifuku demanded at his sudden
voice all the while thrusting her swords towards Kodachi's
neck, finding out quickly that Kodachi's neck wasn't where
it was supposed to be. She jumped back as Kodachi landed. "I
would appreciate it if you would give me a signal or
something so that I know you're on *my* side here," Ifuku
told Omokage in controlled tones, keeping her eyes on
Kodachi.
"And *I* would appreciate it if *you* told me things in
advance." Omokage had his sword out parrying the daggers Ari
was throwing at his way. Ari was dealing with him through
long range combat, keeping the distance while circling him.
"What was *I* supposed to tell you?" Ifuku shouted as she
whirled her two swords around to fend Kodachi's projectiles.
"It's not like I *knew* they were coming after me."
Ari snorted as she flipped three consecutive daggers in
the air. "It seems like you'd rather kill each other than
fight us."
Omokage drew his sword closer to his body evading the
projectiles neatly trying to bring his opponent closer.
"Just clearing out misunderstandings." When he was closer he
took a swipe at her wrist giving her a grin. "Don't worry
I'm all yours now."
~~~
Cologne entered Rose Brier with a frown on her face.
Nabiki noticed the matriarch's worry immediately as she told
her two charges that they were dismissed for the day. She
smiled for their benefit and summoned for Sasuke to give
them their baths.
As soon as they were gone, Cologne turned to Nabiki.
Tapping her chin in thought she asked, "Where is Ranma?"
Nabiki winced at the directness of the summons. Cologne
usually had time to be playful but today she did not want to
waste time on pleasantries. "I have something important to
talk about."
Nabiki nodded as she turned to go, only to see Ranma
coming out of the hallway with his trademark stance. He
noticed the matriarch immediately and Nabiki's pointed
glance before he managed to ask, "Yes?"
Cologne motioned for the two of them to come as she
walked towards the dojo. Nabiki frowned, Cologne never
isolated them on the dojo unless she was really serious or
she wanted to train them. Nabiki was more inclined to
believe the former rather than the latter.
When they were inside the four walls, Cologne secured the
entire area, wanting to know if there were any other samurai
training at the time before she settled down to look at the
two of them. "" She preferred to address them in Chinese since
the matter was delicate.
The twins looked at each other for confirmation then both
shook their heads. They turned towards Cologne, wondering
what she was up to. The frown had not left her face as she
continued, ""
"" Nabiki asked in the
language that Cologne addressed her in, curiosity not
leaving her voice. Cologne must think highly of the girl to
bring *both* of their attention to it. If there was trouble,
Cologne rarely asked for help unless she couldn't take care
of it herself, or propriety demanded that she speak of it
first. ""
Cologne took out a small object from her robes flicking
it towards the twins. It was Ranma who caught it. He
unwrapped the cloth and stared at the object inside for a
moment, before Cologne broke his thoughts with her words,
""
Ranma looked up throwing the object to Nabiki. "" Nabiki nodded in
a moment as she examined the hair ornament. She had one in
her dresser to wear for formal occasions. Her own marital
comb was left in the Ikaasei house, and the ones she had in
this house were for beauty's sake.
Nabiki fingered the comb for a moment then looked at
Cologne, wondering how to phrase her next words without
seeming impolite. In the end, she settled for a direct path,
""
"" She looked at the two of
them and waited for the confirmation before she continued,
""
Both of them gave her confused looks. It was Nabiki who
spoke up,
""
"" When she had seen that they would
let her continue without questions she continued, ""
"" Nabiki snorted at the name. ""
"" Cologne nodded her fingers thoughtfully
rubbing her cane. ""
Nabiki handed Ranma the comb back for further
examination. It would fetch a good price in the market if
sold, but there were more expensive things in the house that
the girl could have taken. ""
The comb's only use was to prove that she was the wife of
Ranma Saotome. No one but a fool to try it since Kodachi's
reputation was well known. The comb would be of no use.
Cologne looked at them. ""
The two waited expectantly to hear what Shampoo learned
from her expedition, but Cologne shook her head. ""
Nabiki nodded, already thinking of possibilities. ""
"" Ranma
asked quietly as he stared at the trinket. ""
"" Cologne mused.
The only thing that gave 'Murasaki' away had been the broken
shards of glass. There seemed nothing out of place except
for the comb on her hair, and the girl carried nothing on
her way out.
"" Nabiki whispered as she too stared
on the comb in Ranma's hands.
""
Cologne sighed as she looked at the twins. It had been more
than a month since she had heard from Shampoo, and she
cursed herself for not acting sooner. For getting distracted
with her great-granddaughter, Hanae, for getting distracted
with Sei.
In the month past, the girl she only knew as 'Murasaki'
could be anywhere. The trail has run cold. But she could
try, she was not an Amazon Elder for nothing... and she was
an excellent tracker.
Kodachi's comb.
Her direction.
Her skill.
It was not much to go on. But if she wants to make
another attempt at the comb... she had to hide close to the
city. Kamakura offered quite a few sanctuaries for people
like her.
One was the temples, and that would give her the almost
impossible task of weeding through all sixty-five of them.
Or the peasant houses, another almost impossible task.
Cologne gave a sigh, too much to do with so little time.
She had depended on Shampoo to be safe, because she was
an Amazon. She had thought her heir would be all right, away
from the Saotomes that were making her nervous. Doing
something that came naturally to her.
Shampoo was only human.
'If I were to hide a kidnapped Amazon, where would I
place her?'
There were far too many answers.
Nabiki left the dojo with the two others deep in thought
when she spotted Sara going down with a tray of food. She
raised her eyebrows. "Kodachi has taken to eating upstairs,
Sara?"
The maid was startled at the sudden inquiry but looked at
her and
nodded. Ranma frowned and asked, "When did she return?"
The maid looked even more startled. "She never left, my
lord."
Nabiki looked at Ranma then at the maid. "What do you
mean, 'She's never left.' I haven't seen her in weeks." They
all assumed that she went to Nerima. It was the usual
arrangement for Kodachi and both Ranma and Nabiki had been
happy she was gone.
Kodachi complicated matters. It was best if she stayed
far away from Rose Brier as possible. The maid looked
fearful and steadied her visibly shaking hands before
replying, "She is in her room, my lady. She didn't want to
get out of bed."
Nabiki dismissed the girl as she jumped up the tree that
slanted near their house until she reached Kodachi's window.
She nimbly entered while taking her shoes off, Ranma and
Cologne close behind her.
The room was closed off letting darkness envelope it,
even in the middle of the afternoon and the room's air had
started to turn stale. Nabiki solved the problem by opening
the windows to let fresh air and sunlight filter in..
Cologne opened the doors, even the ones leading to Ifuku's
room. "Ugh, I can't believe you stayed here for more than
three weeks."
Ranma immediately knelt beside Akane while his companions
tended to the room. "Hey," he whispered trying to soothe her
awake while shaking her. It took them a while before she
opened her eyes. "It's the middle of the afternoon. Aren't
you going to get up?"
"Oh..." Akane grumbled opening her eyes for a moment then
turned her head away from the sunlight. "I think I'm going
to pass this one up."
Ranma started to rouse her again when Cologne tapped his
shoulder. "I'll do this, son-in-law. I'd tell you to draw a
bath, but I don't think the furo would be appropriate."
Cologne knelt beside Akane and pressed some pressure
points then she turned towards Nabiki. "Daughter, you carry
her towards the bay."
Ranma stared at the matriarch, not really understanding
her intent. "The bay?"
"She needs to wake up and I'm not about to make people
draw water when there's a large body out there that I can
exploit." She gave Ranma a toothy grin as they went outside
though the window.
In seconds, Akane was in the salty water with a female
Ranma and a male Nabiki looking at her. "She'll live,"
Cologne pronounced as she looked at Akane who was
spluttering at the salt water.
"Why did you go lock yourself up in your room anyway?"
Ranma-chan muttered, not intending for Akane to hear.
However, she did hear the words and she grasped on him
for support until she could stand up. She coughed a fistful
of water before hitting him with a mallet. "I wanted to go
home, you jerk. I hate you. I hate this stupid place. I
can't believe you don't want me to find my baby."
Cologne watched as the girl weakly but proudly left the
three of them to go back to Rose Brier. She turned to her
two wet students. "She deems watching, you two. She's
depressed enough to want death."
"Kodachi wanting to die?" He shook his head
uncomprehending. Kodachi's whole life revolved around other
people wanting to die. She wants everything else to die it
was the entire reason she wanted to live.
Nabiki followed Akane's departure with her eyes. "No,
there's something about her..."
"Your wife said something that merits a second look,
Ranma." Cologne watched Akane as a wave toppled her over.
Turning towards her students, Cologne addressed Nabiki next,
"You assist that girl, and make sure she lives. She may have
some answers that you're looking for."
While Nabiki-kun had sprinted to get Akane out of the
sea, Cologne held Ranma-chan back. She gave the older woman
a questioning look but she pogoed leisurely towards the
house using her cane as stilts to elevate her from the salt
waters. "Ranma, opportunities like these only come but once.
If life continues for her like this, she may very well die."
The proposition seemed unbelievable to Ranma but Cologne
never joked about life and death. She ran his hand through
her red hair and muttered, "That woman is going to be the
death of *me* someday." Ranma-chan flicked her wet pigtail
as they began their ascent towards the house.
Nabiki-kun had taken the shorter way by the trees and was
already instructing some of the servants to bathe Akane and
change her clothes.
"With the way things are going, she's going to die
first," Cologne mused as she tapped her staff on the sand,
spraying the water that had clung to it. "You have a strange
blessing son-in-law. You make people fall in love with you.
Yet it's a curse in its own right, because in the process,
you break their hearts." Ranma-chan looked uncomfortable
under the scrutinizing gaze so Cologne gave her a toothy
grin to break the uneasiness. "You put too much thought in
my words. Take care of her. I don't think you'd want her to
die."
There was a pause before Ranma-chan tried to answer, and
Cologne watched as her expression changed from
uncomfortable, to confused, to irritated and then
uncomfortable again. Cologne stopped her flustering by
saying, "I see you're still indecisive. It is good that you
have not brought that bad habit to your fighting."
Suddenly, Ranma-chan stopped walking up the hill and
stared at Cologne. "You're the one who's been indecisive. I
thought you couldn't tolerate Kodachi." She was too annoyed
and too aggravated to understand what Cologne was willing to
impart.
Amused at her behavior, and knowing that it was the
famous Saotome's foot in the mouth talking, she continued
walking. "Son-in-law... you're not very sharp are you? Not
when it concerns women. Your gift is wasted on you." She
shook her head. "Do you believe in fate, son-in-law?"
He paused wondering what to answer. "Fate or destiny?"
"Is one so different from the other?" Cologne asked as
she swatted away some of the taller grasses then opened the
door that led to the kitchen. With her cane, she fished out
the kettle and poured its contents on Ranma. He growled at
the temperature being hotter than necessary, but she ignored
his grumbling as she asked, "Well, do you?"
Ranma wrung his pigtail dry then took off his shirt
flicking it in the air to wring out the excess droplets of
water. "If there is one then she plays a sick game."
"It seems you believe it to some extent." Cologne took
the kettle again and replaced it in the brazier. "Sometimes
fate makes a mistake. Even such a being can't always be
perfect."
Ranma pulled his shirt over his head again. "What? Like
she made a mistake in dropping us at Jusenkyo?"
Ranma still resented the curse a bit. Cologne had hoped
he would overgrow it. "Jusenkyo was not a mistake, child."
Cologne sat down in one of the zabuton that lay on the head
of the table then turned towards the door just as Nabiki-kun
entered the room.
Nabiki immediately headed for the kettle only to find out
it was empty. "Don't mind me here." He turned to glare at
Ranma as he filled up the kettle with more water, while he
said in an accusing tone. "*Someone* used up all the hot
water."
"Don't blame it on me. *She* poured the water." Ranma
thumbed Cologne and sat down unceremoniously. "I still can't
believe you're saying Jusenkyo wasn't a mistake."
"If it was," Cologne said slowly gauging their reactions,
smoothly sitting down at a comfortable spot. "It would have
been rectified. Dame Fortune does not like knots in her
threads."
"It's not a perfect fabric anyway," Nabiki-kun reasoned
out as he took his place opposite of Ranma. "So why bother?"
"Why bother?" Cologne gave another grin as she lay down
her staff on the table, the twins sensed she was going into
her story-telling mode again and gave identical sighs. "What
would have happened to the two of you when you were caught
by the Wako if you did not have your curse? They would
still be hunting for your blood. What about the fight
against Clans? You would not have your girl side as a spy
and your similar appearances as an alibi. You would have
been executed."
"Perfection doesn't always seem perfect to you, children.
We Amazons believe in many things. It is a must to survive.
One of them is fate. We are a superstitious people."
"How does 'Dame Fortune' fix her mistakes?" Nabiki asked
curious, she was cutting the story short, but she wasn't
about to listen to a lengthy story with only one point in
it: to leave them thinking about when Cologne would ever
give them straight answers. "That *must* be the point of
your questions."
"Astute as always, daughter, yet impatient," Cologne
delivered the reprimand and compliment in an even tone.
"Very well, she creates a way for two worlds to convene, so
that her wrong would be fixed by another mortal. A meeting
of destinies."
Even when Nabiki cuts the chase, Cologne manages to talk
in circles. "This is what Amazon legend tells you?" Ranma
asked skeptically.
"It is what we *believe* in." Cologne nodded at the
shoji. "Your wife is a stubborn one isn't she? She's
supposed to be resting."
Ranma sighed as he called Akane in and Nabiki-kun gave a
knowing glance. "How long has she been there?"
"Not long enough, Nabiki," Akane muttered as she took
hold of the table to steady herself. She did not hear
anything of importance.
Cologne took in the sight of the woman, she was thin, and
deathly pale but there was a glint of determination in her
eyes. "As I said, it looks like this one will live." She
procured two pouches of medicine from her robes and gave
them to Ranma, who opened them to look at the small
spherical black pills that filled it. "Make sure she takes
three pills at least once a day. Dilute it in water or
food."
Ranma nodded then turned to assist Akane to sit. Akane
gave him a weak glare. "Even in my suffering you don't leave
me alone."
Cologne's eyes never left the two of them. "" the question was addressed to
Nabiki, since Ranma was pre-occupied with his wife.
Nabiki-kun shrugged, not really understanding where the
questioning was leading to this time. He answered in
Chinese, since it seemed like Cologne didn't want Akane to
know what they were talking about, ""
This said, Cologne brooded over what she was going to do
next for a minute before turning to Ranma. "I must go, I
fear for Shampoo and I only stopped by to tell you."
Ranma nodded as he helped seat his wife on one of the
pillows around the table. "Goodbye, matriarch... and thank
you for the help."
Cologne nodded and Nabiki-kun rose to accompany her.
Before she left she gripped Nabiki-kun's hand and told both
of them in a loud voice. ""
Nabiki-kun nodded at the words then bowed. When he
raised her head, the matriarch was gone. The only sign of
her departure was the open shoji. When he went back to the
kitchen he immediately went over the kettle to see to his
water.
Akane gave a weak cough then clutched on to anything she
could hold for stability, and that happened to be Ranma's
shirt. "What did she want to talk about?"
"Foreordination," Nabiki-kun quipped testing the water
against his finger, "and her great-granddaughter. She's as
mysterious as always."
When Nabiki-kun deemed the water ready, he poured it on
his head with a little smirk then turned to Ranma, who
looked like he was seeing nothing of what he was staring at.
Nabiki cleared her throat. "Well?"
Ranma stared at Akane for another second before turning
to Nabiki. "I still don't understand *why* she told this to
us in the first place." Ranma shifted Akane on his arms,
then deciding that something needed to be done about Akane's
mood announced, "We're going out, and I'm dragging you to a
walk around town."
Akane gave him a grimace, not liking the sudden change of
subject. "You were talking about me, weren't you?" Akane
pushed him away as she tried to stand up on her own but she
failed and found herself being held by the waist again. "I
hate you."
"I'm sure I share the sentiment," Ranma drawled as he
half-carried half-dragged her towards the streets of Rose
Brier. "But now, we are taking time for you to know the
people of the dear lovely town of Kamakura."
Nabiki gave Akane a sympathetic smile. "You're not
getting away if he gets one of his moods. He's a strong
one." Nabiki gave both of them a small wave. "Have fun you
two, don't be out so late."
"I thought you wanted me to rest?" But that comment
seemed to fall on deaf ears. Akane gave a small shriek as
Ranma sped up his pace from a slow walk to almost a trot.
"Arghh... Have you no sympathy? Nabiki! Ranma! I want to go
home!"
Nabiki shook her head as she started to stand up, when
she heard Ranma's yell. "You've been cooped up in that house
long enough."
Nabiki shook her head again. She hadn't heard Ranma shout
like that since... since the Fiancée wars. Seems like
Kodachi was making Ranma feel like a child again.
Nabiki hummed as she continued to do her work.
"You dragged me all the way to the middle of the
streets... to *buy fish*?" Akane asked, enraged. A few of
the peasants in the market were already staring. It was late
in the afternoon, so most of the good buys were already
gone, but Ranma seemed at home with a small basket on his
left hand and Akane on his right.
Ranma nodded. "Now what would you like for dinner?" then
Ranma began ticking off names of fish as they walked by the
fishermen's stall. Akane got the sudden urge to curl up and
die again.
"I want this one..." Ranma pointed at the fishmonger and
began haggling for the price. If Akane didn't know he had
the money to spend, she would have thought that he was dirt
poor. It was the first time she'd seen a man haggle over the
price of a *fish*. And Ryoga usually left the shopping to
her.
Watching them made Akane smile a bit, and then she
remembered that having a stroll in the market isn't exactly
one of her favorite pastimes. She was about to tug Ranma's
arm in impatience when the lady smiled at her. "Ahh, it's a
pleasure you've come to visit, my lady."
Akane didn't know how to react to the people, being who
she was supposed to be and who she really was. Adding the
fact that she hadn't been paying attention towards the
conversation, she could only give a half smile in response.
"It's a pleasure meeting you too."
The lady nodded as she began to salt the fish and wrap it
in a thin piece of paper. She smiled gaily as she did her
task. "You haven't been around lately, my lord. Lady Nabiki
seems to be troubled as well. She had given two more coins
than she should have." She handed the fish to Ranma with an
expectant stare.
"Then you're lucky, you know how she is with money."
Ranma smiled as he accepted his purchase then placed it in
the basket. "She's a thrifty one, my sister."
"And you're not, Lord Ranma?" the woman asked in a
jesting manner that told Akane that the banter had gone on
before. She shook her head as she wiped her fingers with the
damp cloth she had near the table. "You're just as bad as
she is. The both of you are almost misers. Your servants
give us higher income than you do."
"Aha!" Ranma exclaimed as he took some coins from a
strung up holder, and even though he had put that much of a
fight for the price, he hadn't even counted the coins he
handed over. "I'm just here to cut down the cost that *fish*
has been adding."
Akane didn't know what Ranma did when he left the house
so late at night, but this probably was one of them. The
people liked him, and he was proud of them. She remembered
about the talk she had with Ranko about their childhood
concluding that his haggling must have been a side-effect of
his past. Then she shook her head as she remembered that
Ranma and Ranko was the same person.
The girl smirked as she handed back three coins to Ranma.
"You're getting worse than your sister, my lord." It was
also widely known that samurai were not allowed to know the
value of coins. Pride was dominant among samurai and they
hated to be associated with the merchant, they considered it
improper. However, it had been a useful to know the worth of
money in the road and so Genma had taught them. As Akane has
already found out, the Saotomes were different.
He looked offended, waving his basket in the air while
miraculously keeping its contents inside. "What? Are you
saying that I can't count? Shame." He took Akane's hand and
bowed. "I'll see you sometime."
The woman nodded as she kept the extra coins and Akane
managed to tug his sleeve when they left. He stopped to look
at her with a questioning look. Akane gave him a sigh. "You
gave her that money on purpose didn't you?"
He stopped to think about what to say and shrugged as he
led her to another part of the market. "Not really, I'm not
really supposed to count all of those coins or the other
samurai would be appalled. Nabiki's bartering skills cut on
their income but Nabiki enjoys it so most of the servants
compensate. It's her little game. I sometimes do it."
They walked along the streets, buying vegetables of all
things, and most of the servants went about their tasks.
Akane concluded that Ranma and Nabiki regularly haggled on
the streets for the people to feel at ease that their daimyo
was doing something as common as shopping.
Akane hated to admit it, but she liked walking around the
streets of Kamakura with Ranma. He took her around the city
introducing her to people that Akane thought he would never
get the chance to know.
He proved his knowledge of the city went beyond its
defenses, beyond its economics, he knew how the people
lived. He asked how they were doing, if one flower girl's
mother was feeling better, or if one vendor's husband was
back from the trip to this and that. Trivial things.
In return, he was given an extra bag of salt, a warm
smile, and questions about both his mother and Nabiki. It
was obvious that the people were fiercely loyal to their
liege and they loved him dearly.
The main street, Wakamiya Oji, was a charming place,
bustling with activity, even in the afternoon. The street
had many quaint shops with right along with the small
restaurants and food vendors, and Ranma expertly guided her
around, pointing out things he expected her to like.
They even stopped at one of the shops she was
particularly fascinated with, and Ranma let her look at the
items sold in it. He never left her side, and at her
fascination at the little trinkets, Ranma gave her a small
explanation, "This is the specialty of our city.
Kamakura-bori. It's an art that requires chiseling the wood
and painting it. They put lacquer to finish." Most of the
designs were red painted on black... they adored the figures
of dragons the most.
Akane gushed over the small items. She took to a pin in
the design of the lotus blossom the most. All Kodachi's
things were bought from outside the city, as Ifuku told her,
and it was the first time Akane had seen Kamakura's
craftsmanship. She bought nothing, and although Ranma
offered to buy the pin, she had declined.
"You're an uncommon lot, you and your sister," Akane
observed as she clutched his arm for support, already
feeling weak from walking around the city. "Not at all like
what the history books tell me."
"History? There is no history in the muddy fields of
Sagami or the little spats of liege lords." Ranma smiled as
he turned in another bend to look over another shop.
"There's no history when we try to hide behind it. Books are
dangerous things."
"So they say..." Akane trailed a little, after all
history did not seem like history when you lived it, then
she stopped walking. Ranma almost stepped on her feet at the
abruptness of her halt. "Look, it's obvious that you're
trying hard to please me. It's not working, and I know you
hate me... and the feeling's mutual. So why don't we go on
our own way? Tell me how to get to Nerima."
He shook his head as walked towards the nearest stall,
bringing her along with him. This time, it was filled with
items for a young lady, fans, some pottery, all of them
beautifully and painstakingly made. Ranma didn't turn to
look at her, but his answer was clear, his resolve,
complete. "No. Nerima is too far and the road too dangerous
for a woman to go marching out there alone."
"Are you insinuating that I can't handle myself?" Akane
accused as she stared at his face, while he was trying to
avoid looking at her. "I'm a martial artist too, you know."
"One who's pretty sick at the moment because she hasn't
been eating properly," Ranma shot back as he bent over to
look at the things that were sold in the shop.
Seeing that he wasn't going to tell her what she wanted,
Akane turned to the vendor and smiled. The vendor
immediately gave her a bow, she tried to recall if the other
merchants they had talked to had given Ranma a similar bow,
but could not remember. "Do you know the way to Nerima?"
The girl smiled warmly. "Sure, my father and I usually go
there every winter, to bring some of the goods." Ranma gave
her one warning look and her attitude changed drastically.
"But... I can't quite remember it without my father leading.
It was snowing then, no landmarks at all."
Akane pinched Ranma's arm, which was still linked to
hers. She smiled at his wince and told him in an accusing
voice. "You did that on purpose!"
"What?!" He gave her an innocent look then turned back to
the vendor. "Do you know what Lady Akane is talking about?"
The girl blushed prettily then shook her head as Ranma
paid for his selection. Akane did not know what he bought
although she noted he didn't even haggle this time. He
hadn't even asked the price. She glared at him. "You play
dirty."
He put the small package in the pocket of his Chinese
pants, shook his head then headed for the path towards the
house. He took a look at his basket and said, "I think we're
done shopping for dinner, and here I hoped you'd get to know
the colorful people in my city."
When they arrived home, Akane's first task had been to
walk up to one of the samurai guarding the gates, put her
hands on her hips and demanded her wishes in the most
intimidating voice she knew of, "Tell me where Nerima is."
A moment later Ranma was by her side, pulling her towards
the house. "Lady Kodachi is a bit confused. She wants to go
to Nerima! At this time of the year! Don't you think it's a
silly idea?"
The samurai gave Ranma a disoriented look then turned to
Akane to address her questions, "Well, my lady, Nerima has a
good atmosphere it has a lively town and--"
Ranma cut off what seemed like a long list of good things
about his hometown. Deciding that the samurai needed a
little bit of urging for things to go his way he said, "But
not for a sick young thing like your Lady, don't you think?
You just might get her lost."
"But I'm sure the weather would work won--" Another
samurai elbowed him and as he coughed at the rather hard
hit, the interfering samurai continued, "My lady, sorry for
my friend's rambling here. He's seen Nerima once and he
thinks it's Utopia."
When the other samurai started to speak again, the one
who had interrupted stepped on his foot forcefully. "I'm
sure that he's too dazed to remember the location of Nerima
in his state."
Akane stared at the somewhat comical display in front of
her. "I'm sure..." She turned to glare at Ranma again, who
by this time was pulling her towards the house. "You're
turning everyone against me."
Another innocent look and a few steps later, they could
hear the samurai arguing in the background, "Are you dense
or what? Lord Ranma obviously didn't want Lady Kodachi to
know of Nerima."
"Well he should have been more obvious!" the samurai
answered belligerently. Akane gave Ranma a meaningful look
when they heard that, which Ranma promptly ignored.
"What could be more obvious than him jumping up and down
behind Lady Kodachi waving his hands no?" the other samurai
asked in disgust. "I know you're dim-witted, but this is way
below that. Are you sure you passed that training trip?"
A vein popped at the side of Ranma's head and Akane noted
it with mild interest. "You proclaim to the world you hate
me, yet you don't want to let me go. You contradict
yourself."
"Maybe you think too much," Ranma suggested. Sasuke was
at the front door before he could land a foot in it. Just as
always, he was the reliable doormat. Ranma nodded to him as
he handed the purchases, and sensing that Akane was going to
go into another round of questioning glared at him. "You
*don't* know where Nerima is."
"Uh... Lord Ranma?" the ninja asked uncertainly then
turned to Akane. Ranma wished he could bang his head a
couple of more times on the wall. Sasuke was the most liable
person in the whole house to tell what he had been trying to
hide. He was loyal to Kodachi first before the Saotomes.
"Ranma is keeping me from going to Nerima." Akane managed
a good mannered pout, a few well-placed blinks in the eye
and a sniffle. Ranma groaned at the act. "I *really* want to
go... and this big bully isn't letting me. But you'll
accompany me, right?"
Before any affirmation came out of the ninja's lips
Ranma took him by the collar and dragged him towards the
kitchen. "Nope, he's not going with you either."
Akane threw up her hands in defeat and then shouted,
"Fine!" She dragged herself up the stairs, but stopped as
Nabiki blocked her way. "I don't suppose *you* know where
Nerima is?"
Nabiki gave her an amused glance, tapped her chin, tilted
her head sideways then gave her a smile. "Well, my dear, to
go to Nerima you swim this bay towards Enoshima." Nabiki
pointed graphically at one of the larger windows. "Then you
take a boat with one of the fishermen to Nerima. Just tell
them who you are and you'll get it for free."
Giving her a sideways look, Akane eyed the path Nabiki
pointed. "You sure?"
"Of course I am!" Nabiki answered knowingly patting Akane
on the shoulder, making her look like a young child. Akane
wondered how much of the act was exaggerated. "Now go to
your room, and freshen up a bit before dinner." As an
afterthought, Nabiki added, "Do you know where my ungrateful
brother is?"
"Back at the kitchen strangling Sasuke to death," Akane
answered bitterly turning to do as Nabiki had suggested.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow then shrugged. Her brother was
not stupid to kill someone inside the house, would not kill
someone on their paycheck that wasn't a spy and would
certainly leave no witnesses if the first two were broken.
She skipped merrily into the kitchen then raised her eyebrow
at Ranma tying Sasuke to the beams of the house. "Should I
go tell Kodachi that you *are* strangling Sasuke?"
He didn't comment as he tied another rope around Sasuke's
already bonded hands and sat down, exhausted, on the
zabuton. "Don't start."
"What?" Nabiki couldn't help but be amused at her
brother's bedraggled state. The way Sasuke was struggling
did not help either. She tilted her head as she tried to
find the right words, "I assume you're keeping Kodachi from
Nerima?"
He gave her a pondering glance then nodded. "How did you
--"
"Know? She just asked me." Nabiki flipped her hair then
turned to Sasuke to order, "Sasuke, don't let your mistress
go to Nerima."
Nabiki turned her head and clapped three times, a couple
of maids arrived. "We don't really want Kodachi to go to
Nerima, so I'm depending on all of you to keep her here. I
want all seki in the vicinity to know of it, especially all
of the boatmen. Plus, keep a watch on dear old Sasuke for
me. He might be up to something."
After that was said, she waved her hands and the handful
that appeared scurried to do what she had told. "It's more
efficient than gift wrapping our little ninja... who's about
to escape as soon as he gets his knife to get at that...
tight spot between his arms." Nabiki flashed Sasuke a smile
just as he dropped the knife that he had been holding.
"I'll set him free," Ranma groused, standing up again.
"Let him do it, he requires a little exercise." Nabiki
smiled as she stretched the muscles of her arms. "So Kodachi
wants to go to Nerima... Hmmm... This will provide me with
*some* entertainment."
~~~
Ifuku tore one of the linen from her sleeves as she
arranged a small tourniquet around her bleeding arms. She
was feeling lightheaded and knew that one of Kodachi's
potions managed to get into her bloodstream.
"Did you manage to kill Kodachi?" Ifuku asked when she
sensed Omokage coming up from behind her.
"No." He managed to catch her against his arms as she
swayed again. Deciding that the trees would be a batter
place to be than the field below, he swung up one of the
branches while lifting her up. "You're making a path you
know."
"I wouldn't be making a path if I didn't have you to
worry about," Ifuku retorted as she tore another one of her
sleeves to stop bleeding from another part of her body. One
thing was for certain, she needed practice in fighting.
"You didn't need to wait for me," Omokage told her
carrying her to accommodate his tree-hopping then changing
the angle of their movement ninety degrees away from the
path Ifuku had been traveling. It would buy them some time,
but not much. "I'm safe in Saotome territory."
"That's what you think," Ifuku muttered as she wiped her
brow. She was already sweating coldly and she didn't know
which wound the poison had seeped through. "Besides, I
needed you."
Omokage stopped at a large tree and jumped up a few more
branches before he rested her down a thick branch to take a
look at her, leaning her against the main trunk for support.
He straddled the branch then unsheathed his sword and began
to cut through the peasant's garb she was wearing. "You're
sure that's Lady Kodachi?"
"There's no mistaking that laugh, Omokage," Ifuku
grumbled not protesting as he stripped away more of her
clothing. His probing hands moved through all of the gashes
she had sustained in the fight while trying to find the
entry point of Kodachi's potion. "There's no mistaking the
fighting style."
That was something he could understand. Kodachi's
fighting style was extremely unique in composition. He also
knew that he couldn't question the impossibility of the
situation. Nothing in the Saotome household was normal.
Everything had to be taken as they were presented. "You're
not Ifuku."
"Did you kill the other woman?" Ifuku rasped out,
ignoring the accusation in his voice. Her question was
answered with a curt yes and Ifuku smiled a little. Kodachi
would not know her target without a guide. "Why are there no
other samurai this part of the land?" Ifuku said, wincing as
he pressed a tender spot. He still hadn't found the poison's
entrance. "You're supposed to be guarding these parts."
"This is in between Rose Brier and the border. Most of
the men are on the border itself. We're supposed to be
keeping people out. Not keeping the people in. We monitor
some of the areas in between for suspicious movement like
yours." He motioned towards the lands. "Usually no one
guards this because the security at the border is enough."
"Some security." Ifuku winced as one of his fingers
stabbed a bruise. She glared at what had been a deliberate
jab. "I don't think that Tendo samurai came from within
Saotome grounds."
The border security was a tender spot amongst the samurai
guarding it. Especially since they still haven't solved the
problems there and have recently been handed a burning
Yokohama and Nerima central. "You were just lucky I was
there."
"You *weren't* supposed to be *there*," Ifuku said
forcefully, shoving his hands off of her. "You were
following me."
He didn't give any indication otherwise. He took his
sword again and opened a small wound in her chest. "I have
to suck the poison out Ifuku."
Ifuku just glared at him. "You're enjoying this aren't
you?"
"Would you rather I leave it?" he asked as he tore the
endings of his shirt to make a large enough bandage for her
chest. "I could always walk up and go. Tell the Saotomes why
exactly you were so eager to have your husband tell them
about the Tendos. You were hiding behind us all along."
"I was forced to hide. I don't think you're going to get
any of the poison out anyway... this long, it could have
gotten to my heart." Ifuku closed her eyes. It wasn't her
preferred way to die. She had dreamed she was going to
retake her land. She was never going to do that now.
"Drink this." Omokage gave her a flask and she poured it
down her throat. Her face contorted to a mask of pain and
she began to vomit. "How's that supposed to help when you're
vomiting it all over the tree?"
"It doesn't help that it's repulsive," Ifuku spat out
while taking a sniff of it then made a face. "Why do you
carry this anyway? You expect to be poisoned?"
"Lady Nabiki always gives us antidote when Kodachi is
around. It should keep you alive until we get you to the
Saotomes," Omokage explained as he watched her force down
another gulp without vomiting. "Lady Nabiki knows how to
cure most of Kodachi's potions."
"No!" Ifuku disagreed immediately, thrusting the flask
back to him. She tensed up as she tried to sit down. "I'm
not going until I warn Sohin about that woman."
He pushed her down the branch again, and since Ifuku
wasn't well enough to fight him his will won over. Her
sitting position against the branches didn't prevent her
from glaring at him though. Taking the flask from her hands
he secured it against his belt then looked at her again.
"You're Shori Tendo. I can't believe the three banes of
Sanuki have been hiding in our lands."
"You've heard of that story?" Ifuku asked mildly amused.
She had not been called that since she was five. There were
stories that said they were vengeful at being sent away on a
training trip. That they had run away because of it and to
live they marked the soil unusable, that they had stolen the
people's koku. That they had ordered these cruelties upon
the people. It had ruined their names badly.
"It's a silly tale designed to water you out of your
hiding place, no doubt." Omokage began administering to her
wounds by trying to wipe the dried blood away and binding
the large abrasions. "It was a failure."
"We were children, it almost worked. We never wanted to
hurt those that we ruled, and they thought that *we* were
the cause of their suffering. It was bad. The people were
bled off their money, and the samurai took all in our name.
It's no wonder they stick to Chisei." She shivered lightly.
To people, it doesn't matter what hand fed them, as long as
someone does. No matter how hard that hand was on them, as
long as it stayed there. "They look up to her as their
savior."
"We were very young. We barely lived crossing the
islands." Ifuku sighed then tried to sit down again,
remembering Sohin. "Please... don't take me to the Saotomes.
Not until I speak to Sohin. He'll be an easy target. She's
the exact replica of Akane Tendo."
"Why would Sohin be deceived? He had --"
"He and I were Akane's guardians," she explained hastily.
Omokage did not get a chance to ask further questions since
Ifuku vomited towards the grass below and promptly passed
out.
~~~
Usually, coming back from the border tired him out so he
headed straight to his rooms and let the samurai with him
rest. However, when he arrived home today he was informed of
Akane's latest stunt and was forced to go check on her.
Ranma stared at the shoreline and cursed as he found
Akane rowing in what he could discern was a makeshift raft
in the middle of Sagami bay. He was mildly thankful that
Sagami didn't have strong waves when it wasn't raining
because of Enoshima. Enoshima trapped the waves back and
forth from the main island to itself creating almost still
waters.
"Your wife sure can row fast," Nabiki commented after she
whistled appreciatively at Akane with paddles on a kayak
with measured strokes across the water. "Good thing the tide
is lower during sunset or she'd probably have deep waters in
store for her."
Nabiki and Ranma were not raised near the ocean, but it
wasn't difficult to find time to be familiar with it being
in an island where any body of water was always just a
training trip away.
"I'll retrieve her," he said as he started pulling off
his slippers and tossed them towards Nabiki removing his red
shirt leaving the white sleeveless undershirt instead. "Get
some warm water ready and tell the samurai to move back
towards the house."
He had barked the orders because of Jusenkyo, and the
samurai would retreat further into the woods for privacy but
would not leave them alone. Not since both their daimyo and
his wife could need their help. Important people were never
left alone.
He didn't check to see if Nabiki had followed orders as
he waded into the water and then dived in. He soon realized
that the last remaining warmth had left with the sun, and it
would soon be dark. He had to bring Akane back soon.
Ranma-chan resurfaced a few meters away from the shore
and took several long strokes before she reached Akane. She
pulled herself up and out of the water in one fluid motion
and landed on top of the raft managing to rock it slightly
and bring Akane's attention to her.
Akane sent her a disgruntled look then frowned. "Don't
rock the boat."
"Hello to you too," Ranma-chan muttered as she squeezed
water out of her pigtail. "Sun's down. It's going to be
pitch black here in a while. Couldn't you have waited until
tomorrow to do this?"
"I tried to make this thing for three days. I wasn't
going to wait for tomorrow to get to Nerima," Akane answered
as she put the makeshift paddle down. It has been four days
since Nabiki gave Akane the false story about needing a raft
to go to Nerima. Akane didn't waste much time when thinking
of ways to get what she wanted.
Ranma looked at the bamboo and driftwood she had tied
around each other conceded to the fact that even if it
didn't look like it would sell in any of the stalls it
really did float. She looked back at the shore where Nabiki
had already set his orders in motion by sending samurai back
towards the forest and had laid his slippers and shirt down
well above the shoreline.
"During evenings, the waves move out towards sea rather
than towards land," Ranma-chan explained as he looked at the
deep cyan water. From experience, he knew the water reached
over his head upright, even in male form, but there were no
sudden drops since they were between islands, and the sand
just leveled off. "It's going to be difficult to swim
against the tide."
"Good for us then," Akane muttered as she assessed Ranma's
appearance, and decided that she wouldn't try to bring her
back against her will. "You wouldn't drag me towards shore."
"You idiot," Ranma insulted her as she gauged the length
they'd have to swim to go back. It was already quite the
distance. The shore was getting farther as the waves carried
them away. "We're going to be stuck in the middle of
Enoshima and Sagami for an entire *night* if we're lucky.
Enoshima's waves isn't going towards *land* either. And if
we're extremely *un*lucky we might get washed out to sea."
She made a small sound that meant the situation was
finally sinking in before Ranma-chan sighed. "How strong a
swimmer are you?" She shivered lightly as the cold winter
breeze caught her. The water was rapidly cooling off and the
sun had already disappeared. She cursed again at the entire
thought that Akane decided to go rafting on such an
inopportune time.
Akane shifted uncomfortably at the question. But Ranma
took the oar from her. "Never mind, I have enough strength
to paddle us back to shore."
As Akane was about to hand over the paddle before
snatching it back again. "Wait a minute. Did you just call
me an idiot?"
"Well what would you have me call you then?" Ranma asked
indignantly as he wiped the salt water from his eyes. "I
can't very well call you brilliant for this little
escapade."
"Why you little --" She lunged for the oars, meaning to
take them away.
"Akane you idiot!" Ranma screamed as his arms
instinctively went around Akane's body in a tight embrace
meant to protect her as the raft tilted precariously. "Don't
--"
Akane elbowed the petite girl to free herself, managing to
do exactly that before the two of them were forsaken by her
raft and dropped into the bay.
It took Ranma-chan a few moments to break the surface
again, swiping her fingers against her eyes to keep the salt
from stinging before she could scan the surrounding waters.
Already dark, she could barely see her hand in front of
her but she could hear Akane's wild thrashing over the
water. "God, don't tell me you can't *swim*!" Ranma cursed
as he took his bearings and swam towards Akane, half
grateful that the girl was fighting enough against the water
for her to be heard above the waves.
When Ranma drew close, Akane's immediate response was to
grab on to him, pulling Ranma down with her when she went
under. Ranma managed to break on the surface. "Akane don't
--!"
As they went under again, Ranma hit Akane's hands,
disengaging them from its grip as the drowning girl broke
the surface for another gulp of air.
Clawing for the surface, Ranma stayed an arm's length away
from Akane gulping deep breaths of air while murmuring in
what she hoped was a soothing voice, "Akane, don't grab me
again! We'll *both* drown!"
That increased Akane's thrashing more, and Akane now
actively tried to lunge towards Ranma who evaded smoothly in
increments towards the upturned raft. "Akane, I'm going to
try to bring you to whatever you call that thing of yours,
but you'll have to promise me not to fight me."
Ranma didn't know if Akane understood the words or not,
but although she was still desperate to live with adrenaline
boosting her energy, the cold water will get to them sooner.
They could try swimming against the current, but Ranma
didn't know how long he'd last with Akane moving towards the
shore, so he opted for the floating raft.
Diving under the cool waters, which didn't even have the
small divisions of cold and lukewarm it had earlier in the
afternoon, Ranma-chan resurfaced behind Akane and took hold
of her arms again to prevent the girl from thrashing.
"Please, Akane. Cooperate with me."
Finally, Akane stopped moving, if not understanding the
words then the pleading tone Ranma-chan had implored in.
Swimming on her side to keep Akane's head fully out of the
water, Ranma was able to grasp the raft and helped Akane on
to it.
For the second time that evening, Ranma-chan pulled herself
out of the water. As soon as she did she lay down on the
raft panting, having exhausted most of her energy and losing
a lot of her body heat in the dip that they had just
received.
Akane was coughing from all of the cold water she had just
inhaled, but she was sitting over Ranma.
"Hey, hey," Ranma said weakly as the start of what seemed
to be a fit of tears broke out from Akane. "We'll get to
shore in the morning, maybe even as soon as I get my
strength back. It's always possible that Nabiki will get
suspicious of all the time we spent out here in the open and
come and fetch us. We'll survive."
"I just wanted to get to Nerima so badly," Akane explained
in a frenzied whisper. She touched her undershirt lightly
playing with it. She did not voice the fact that she was
more worried about him than the fact that they were stranded
in the bay.
Ranma reached up to touch her face, rubbing the teardrop
away. "Am I really that terrible to live with that you'd
risk your life to get away from me?"
A shiver both from the cold and a tinge of longing escaped
her, so she wasn't able to answer Ranma's question.
Noticing, Ranma pulled her down. "Strip."
"What?" Akane asked a little indignant over the sudden
order and a little bit shy over the circumstances that were
presented to her.
Ranma closed his eyes against the exhaustion and murmured,
"The clothes need to be dried and we need to share some body
heat before we freeze to death."
Although Ranma's endurance was exceptional, swimming
against the current to get to Akane, the cold water, Akane
almost drowning him and dragging Akane back to her device
took its toll on him.
He could probably manage a few more strokes, but he
didn't trust himself to go towards the right path in the
dark and didn't want to waste energy moving towards the
wrong direction. So economy over blind bullheadedness won
over and he let some of his fatigue show.
"Oh," Akane murmured, she battled with herself for a bit
but the need to survive won over modesty as she took off the
gi and laid them out towards the other side of the raft.
Ranma was just thankful she wore a gi for this escapade
instead of a kimono.
If she wore the traditional garment, she probably would
have drowned by the time he reached her. That or be faced
with the dilemma of ripping it out of her body before trying
to haul her over the raft while she was fighting him because
she was drowning..
She proceeded to do the same for Ranma as well before
Ranma stilled her hands with his own. "Never mind my
clothes. I'll get wet again if I swim us to shore." He
pulled Akane down so that they were both beside each other
on the narrow bamboo planks and whispered, "Let me get some
sleep for a while. Hey, if you see a fisherman's boat, don't
forget to wave."
"Are you joking?" Akane asked half incredulously. "You're
conveniently forgetting the fact that I'm naked."
Ranma smiled on Akane's shoulder as he pressed the woman
closer. "Well that'll sure catch their attention."
"You --"
Ranma silenced her by placing a finger across his lips.
"Akane," He said with strained patience that he didn't have,
with strength that he already expended. "I'm too tired to
argue with you and I'm too weak to rescue the two of us.
Fishermen gather their goods at night when the waves are
moving towards the sea and go back to shore in the morning
when the tides reverse. They're bound to be the first people
to see us here."
"But, they're bound to notice that I don't have a stitch
of clothing on!" Akane protested. "What are you going to do
then?"
"Probably the same thing I'm going to do right now to
cover you. You have got to be the most talkative woman this
side of Japan," Ranma complained as he pulled Akane's head
closer for a kiss, just to silence her before he claimed
sleep.
~~~
Omokage trudged the trees with a grimace. Ifuku was dead
weight. After a few days of travel, she was starting to wear
him down, especially since they were having trouble getting
food, getting past the samurai and getting the direct
antidote.
All of those were the least of their worries because
Kodachi stalked them in the night just as she stalked them
in the day. Omokage was starting to wonder if the woman
slept at all.
"We could have been in Rose Brier in five days." Omokage
muttered as he carried Ifuku on the trail. "You would have
been cured and we could warn Sohin later."
Ifuku's breathing came in rasps now... the temporary
antidote the samurai carried only went so far, especially
since the poison hadn't been sucked out of her. She gave him
a weak glare. "You don't know him. You wouldn't know what
loyalty to him would be."
"Don't lecture me about loyalty," Omokage told her as he
jumped towards a tree, propping her up against the trunk. He
looked around for signs that they were being followed, but
found none. They managed a few moments of respite from
Kodachi. "I am talking to you about idiocy."
"And don't *you* patronize me," Ifuku spat as she tried
to get up, by now, she was experiencing high fever. Omokage
marveled at her ability to fight him, when she was obviously
sick. "The temple is nearer than Rose Brier. Kodachi would
have followed us. Who would the Saotomes believe the snit of
a peasant who lied to them or the ghost of Akane Tendo who
they were looking for?"
"I don't know," indecision laced his voice as he watered
down a piece of cloth and placed it against her forehead.
"But we would have a fighting chance."
"I'm sick, Omokage-san." Ifuku gave a cough and a shiver.
She was close to breaking. "What I don't understand is why
you follow my orders when you could have taken me back."
"Sheer foolishness," Omokage muttered as he retied her
hair in a ponytail that had been detangled during their
flight. He fed her berries that he had found on the small
woods and watched as she ate them halfheartedly. "We should
reach the shrine by noon."
His words fell on deaf ears. Ifuku was already deep in
the delirium her fever induced. She called for names that he
couldn't understand and mumbled words he couldn't hear.
Sohin sighed as he ripped another part of his sleeve
noticing that he was losing bits of his clothes day by day.
He looked at her undecidedly. When she had made another
whimpering sound, he gagged her efficiently. Something that
he had not wanted to do, but was necessary for them to keep
hidden from unwanted company especially this close to the
border.
Perhaps it was foolishness that made him comply with her
wishes, but in the first days, she was thoroughly annoyed
and a pain to bring back to Rose Brier. She was still able
to hold off a fight then, and fighting her was not an
option, especially when Kodachi was so close. The following
night, she pleaded for his cooperation, she knew she would
never reach her destination without his help.
They could have been in her temple in a shorter time if
she had been well and if he gave her less frequent rests. At
least the monks there would know some cures... he hoped.
Seeing that she was not about to break through the hazy
cloud the fever has put upon her, Omokage took her in his
arms again. His arms ached. He'd been carrying her for two
days. It was a surprise she lasted so long against Kodachi's
poison. Most women died instantly after the cold chills.
Omokage frowned as he tried to jump from tree to tree
again. In an area patrolled too closely by samurai, leaving
tracks in the grass was not an option. Tree-hopping wore him
out. He was not trained for aerial maneuvers. It gave him
trouble when he was alone, more so now when he had someone
with him. It was the reason why he stuck to the ground until
now.
Still, they didn't *need* to reach Kamakura's borders.
Ifuku had confided that her destination was Tokeiji
Temple... and although it was close to the city boundary...
it was still inside the city. She said that around this
time, Sohin would be there, guarding a boy and his foster
mother. Just as when he was in Gokurakuji.
The boy?
Who was he?
A son?
A brother?
With the lies Ifuku had spun, he did not know what to
expect.
Tokeiji Temple... he wondered what Sohin and Ifuku could
want in such a... unique... haven. Tokeiji was known
throughout Japan as one thing, a refuge. It was home to
wives who were abused and offered one thing that, at least
to Omokage's knowledge, no other temple did.
Tokeiji Temple offered divorce.
~~~
The hasty wake up call managed to rouse Ranma-chan a
little from her exhaustion induced sleep. She murmured her
disagreements before finally cracking her eyes open to a
frantic Akane who managed to turn and face him in the middle
of the night.
"Look at the shore." She said pointing towards one side
of the dark night. Ranma craned his neck to find that the
shoreline was already dotted with torchlight, a beacon,
welcoming them home.
'What took you long Nabiki?" He thought as he scanned the
area or any boats. 'Probably my orders to stay away.' Even
with the help of the torches there were no search parties
out to look for them.
As Ranma-chan stood Akane caught her hand. "You're
freezing."
"I barely noticed." Ranma said as he stilled Akane's
frantic hands against his own. "Come on, let's get rescued.
I want a hot bath and a warm futon."
Akane nodded as Ranma dived towards the murky water,
resurfacing near the raft and steering it towards home.
"Akane, don't do anything like this again. I can't rescue
you every day."
"Have you ever thought that I don't want to be rescued?"
Akane asked indignantly, her voice somewhat muffled by her
gi as she pulled it on.
"Sometimes I wish you'd just be thankful," Ranma said
ruefully as she started paddling towards the torch-lit
beach.
The short trip towards the shore was seemingly endless
and was spent in silence. When Ranma touched the bottom of
the lake, Akane jumped off to run towards the house.
Ranma-chan dropped by the kettle leaning against one of
the torches and upended it against herself, invoking the
change immediately. As soon as he snagged his slippers, he
chased after Akane. "Promise me you won't do anything like
this again."
There was a long pause before she nodded, then she tried
to break away again, but Ranma's grip was firm. "Let me go,"
Akane demanded pulling her arm from his.
"As you wish, my lady." Ranma dropped his hands from hers
and watched as she clambered towards the steps of Rose Brier
and disappeared inside the house.
~~~
Kodachi watched from the trees the flight of the samurai
and her peasant maid. She gave a small laugh at the futility
of it, but had to give them a small amount of respect for
trying.
She fingered a wound that had been inflicted to her by
the Tendo woman. There were also several bruises along her
jaw, but it didn't matter. The whole purpose of this was to
find the Tendos and get Chisei's men. She needed all the men
she could get since her previous benefactor didn't know her
change of face.
There had been a setback in Chisei's plan. No one in her
ranks knew what the elder heir, Tendo Eruchii looked like.
They were lucky in Akane and Shori because of the
resemblance to their mothers, but Eruchii seemingly
disappeared.
It was the reason why Shori had been their first target.
It was the reason why Shori wasn't dead yet.
The temple gates loomed ahead of them, and Kodachi gave a
small smile at the irony of their sanctuary. They had chosen
to unite at a place that broke ties. Kodachi idly wondered
if Shori was going to meet her brother here.
It didn't matter to her, she just needed to get Shori
away from the samurai she had called Omokage, and the temple
was the best place to do it. They arrived inside with little
fuss, and the monks were all around them. Ifuku looked
terribly sick.
In an instant, they were inside, women -- divorced women
- wearing robes of white took Ifuku one way, and the monks
took Omokage the other way. 'Perfect.' Kodachi thought, she
took note of her disheveled appearance, but decided that it
was going to get their sympathy.
She sauntered towards the entrance, as if her tattered
clothes were robes fit for the empress. "Boys," she called
out holding a vial of clear liquid in front of them. She
hated working with monks. They simply had no exploitable
libido. "I think I have something that *you* would want."
She scowled at their non-response. Straight to the point
then, "There was a girl sick with poison... I can cure her.
Where is she?"
The monks eyed her wearily and a woman stepped out of the
temple. "She's with her husband. I'll take you to her."
That was a surprise. She did not know her maid had a
husband. Then again, she didn't know her maid was samurai
either. She put on a docile manner as she fell a step behind
the woman, removing her shoes for their benefit she used her
most pleasing tone of voice, "Lead the way."
Sohin ran to Ifuku's side the instant that he knew she
had been brought in. The little boy that accompanied him
looked at them, staring. He gave the boy a small smile.
"Yuki, would you mind if you talk to the monks for a while?
Look for your foster mother, the monks will explain
everything to her." The boy nodded, he was obedient, and
quiet. Sohin wondered how long he was going to be able to
protect him.
He didn't want anything to happen to the boy and had
instructed the monks what they should do incase something
should happen to him. He hoped things would never come to
that.
The monks left as well, sensing that he needed time alone
with Ifuku. The moment they had been left alone, Sohin
raised his hand to her face his calm exterior broken. She
was sweating, and she looked like she was suffering. The
monks had bathed her, changed her clothes, looked at her
sickness but could do no more for her. "Why did you come to
me, Ifuku?"
At his voice, she broke out of her daze, she stared at
him uncomprehending for a moment then as if realizing who
she was talking to clutch his collar and brought him close
to whisper, "... she's possessed..."
Whatever she said before or after made no sense to him.
The fact remained that she was safer at the Saotomes than
she was out in the open looking for Sohin. She shouldn't
have gone out. Now someone has attacked her. They were in
danger... even in sanctuary.
"Don't worry about it," Sohin tried to soothe her in mild
tones as he squeezed her hands in comfort, wishing that he
could end the torment she felt, but could do nothing but
watch as she lay in front of him in slow agony.
There was no hope for her.
She shook her head violently at his words. "No, no,
no..."
"Stay with me," Sohin pleaded holding her hands tightly.
"Stay with me."
"Sister, I have *just* what you need." Sohin took a deep
breath at the sound of the voice then turned around to stare
at a face he had not expected to see. She pulled her hand up
to her face and touched it. "Do you like it?"
"Akane?" he asked, unsure if he was dreaming.
She was standing inches in front of him. He had not heard
the door open or close in his concern for Ifuku.
The voice.
The empty grave.
Chisei had not dug her out after all. She was alive. Yet
Sohin felt uneasy at her presence. There was a sense of
wrongness at the way she moved. She was dressed in clothes
that were tattered. She had fought recently and Sohin
concluded that Ifuku had been there. Whether she had fought
beside or against the new comer, he didn't know.
There was a long bleeding cut on her shoulder and bruises
that were already turning purple marred her face. Her hair
was sticky with sweat, blood and the dirt of travel. She
looked no worse, and yet no better the last time he had seen
her. She tugged on her bluish-black her, her trademark, for
no one else he knew had the same hue as she had. "You look
... well."
"For someone who's been left to die, you mean?" She gave
a bitter laugh, touching the wound at her shoulder that had
been freshly made. She wiped it off its blood and licked her
thumb. Sohin repressed a shudder, she seemed to enjoy it.
"I have the antidote for her." She pulled the vial out of
what was left of her clothes, brandishing it with
lavishness. He suddenly realized that she was the one who
inflicted the poison on Ifuku. "I shall administer it to her
if she becomes my prisoner."
"We didn't mean to leave you. We thought you were dead.
Shori didn't mean to strike you..." Sohin whispered as he
stood up, trying to make her see of a battle long past.
"No... It was raining, the visibility was poor. Chisei's
guards had managed to find us."
She gave a laugh. "A pitiful excuse. The monks tell me
she's with her husband." She gave him an appraising eye then
shrugged. "How does it feel, peasant, to be married to an
heir of a samurai?"
Sohin frowned at her words instantly knowing that she was
not Akane Tendo. Still unwilling to believe that someone
could look so much like his charge and not be her he spoke
once more to confirm her identity, "Shori didn't mean to
strike you with her kodachi, Akane... please believe me." He
gripped Ifuku's hands tighter.
There was a small sadistic smile on her face as her hand
splayed on her stomach. "I'm sure she didn't." She shook the
antidote in front of him. "Well, I lose my patience. I want
Shori in my hands, and I want our brother too. You give them
to me and I'll spare her."
So that was the reason she was here, a trade off. Sohin's
eyes narrowed as he eyed the woman critically, knowing that
she was not the person whom Ifuku had managed to strike some
months ago. "What makes you think I know where her brother
is?"
"Why indeed? Maybe because she headed straight for you
when she found out I was alive and hunting the Tendo heirs?"
She shook the bottle again for emphasis. When he lunged for
it she snatched it quickly, putting it back in her tattered
robes. "No, no, that would never do. Are you going to give
her to me or not? You test my patience. You live solely
because you know who her brother is."
"No," Sohin denied as he jumped back, taking Ifuku in his
arms, recalling the frantic words she whispered earlier and
realizing what she had been trying to say. "You're not
Akane. Who are you and what do you want with the Tendos?"
She gave another laugh and shook her head. "It doesn't
matter. I don't need to be Akane Tendo when I hold the cure
to your pathetic wife. Are you willing to sacrifice the life
of your wife for the life of your mere brother-in-law?"
He wavered. He looked at Ifuku and laid her back to the
bed again. He brushed the strands of hair away from her face
reverently, a motion borne of years of intimacy. Sohin
didn't look at his adversary his entire attention on Ifuku
but slowly said, "Give her the antidote and I'll tell you
where her brother is."
"Tell me, and I'll give it to her." The woman who looked
like Akane drove a heavy bargain. She pulled her hand out
again, offering her hand to him in welcome, in allegiance.
"I give you my *word* that I will cure her as soon as I get
them both under my care."
"And then what? Have them killed?" Sohin pushed for time,
yet knew that no one would dare defy her. Not when she held
the cure for Ifuku's malady. The only cure.
"I just give them to Chisei." Apparently, the woman did
not care for what happened to them.
Sohin's head snapped towards the door as it opened
slowly and Omokage stepped in. He was garbed in clothing the
monks supplied for him earlier and looked at Kodachi, at
Sohin and then at Ifuku. "I know where Ifuku's brother is."
Sohin opened his mouth in disbelief and then shut it.
"You fool. Don't trade --"
"Don't move, both of you, or I will break her antidote."
Sohin and Omokage didn't want to find out if she was
bluffing. "How come *you* know where he is?" the woman
asked, a bit curious at his sudden appearance, remembering
that he had fought with Ifuku at the fields. "You ran
towards *him*." She punctuated her point by inclining her
head towards Sohin. "It means you don't know where her
brother is either."
"He's her husband, why shouldn't she go to him? We went
to him because he's in the closest structure of healing." He
gave her a smile.
A skeptical look passed over the woman, wondering if he
would give her what she wanted just because of Ifuku.
"You're sure where he is?"
"Of course I am." He looked at Sohin who, by now, was
looking at him intensely, wondering what he was about to
reveal. It was obvious that Kodachi was growing impatient so
Omokage gave her his best smile and the information she was
seeking, "After all, I am Ifuku's brother."
"My companion didn't point at you." She was on her guard,
testing him, wondering if he was lying. "How could you be
her brother?"
"How could I not be?" he answered smoothly. "I was with
her. I protected her. I killed your companion before she
could pinpoint me. Are you even sure if she saw me?"
Sohin didn't know if he should thank Omokage or kill him.
Kodachi started to laugh.
~~~
Ranma frowned at the dead body on the site. Some samurai
spotted a battlefield in the middle of Rose Brier and
Nerima's border earlier and had brought the twins'
attentions to it.
From the fight patterns littering the area, there were no
more than five combatants. From the apparent moves used, it
was possible that one of them was from their own ranks. One
of them has the distinct pattern of Kodachi's style and two
unknown. One of the unknown people was dead on their
doorstep.
"Sift through all the people find out who's been missing
at the time it happened. Everyone," Ranma ordered as he
looked over the dead body. "It could be a spy."
"Hmmm... already did that. Although the time of the
battle could not be determined, the woman's death would
clarify some matters." Nabiki trained most of the samurai to
learn the fighting patterns of a foe from the battle ground.
She found use in it, especially if the attackers were
unknown. "The border troubles are clearing up..."
"I sense closure."
"I sense commencement." Nabiki shook her head in
disagreement. "Enemies mobilizing have never been good,
especially not one so abrupt."
"Maybe they tire."
"Maybe they need reinforcements." Nabiki snorted, she
glanced up at their samurai escort and waved them to give
them a little privacy. All of them bowed and took respective
posts around the Saotomes, far enough not to hear their
conversation yet close enough to be of help when the need
arose. Nabiki tilted her head in thought, something that has
become a habit as of late, and then shook it.
Reaching for the map she brought along, she knelt
opposite of Ranma to lay down the well-drawn map of the
entire Sagami. Nabiki picked up small stones from around her
and littered them on the border. She placed two on Rose
Brier, one on the mountains and a couple around the towns.
Ranma looked at the stones that represented friend as
well as foe. "If they move, then we don't need to put so
much guard on the borders."
"Maybe that's what they want us to think," Nabiki said
thoughtfully. She placed five stones on the site where she
suspected the battle to have gone and used a short broken
reed to represent the dead woman. "The border mysteriously
cleared up when these showed up."
"Are they connected?"
"I wouldn't know." Nabiki rubbed her thumb against the
leaf thoughtfully looking at the dead woman just meters from
where they were. She was killed with three identical blows
to her chest, horizontal slash marks from her side which
were as wide as she was. "The first blow appeared right
below the collarbone, the next across the breasts and then
just below them. The precision is exquisite."
"A sword?" Ranma murmured. The wounds were not jagged
telling them of the quality and the care of the blade.
"A sword acting as three..." Nabiki muttered trying to
bring forth something from memory and discarding it when she
couldn't call it forth. "Her hands had identical marks. Her
opponent failed the first time, she raised her hands to
block. Got her on the second."
"Why would someone do the exact same attack right after
it failed?" Ranma shook his head. "It doesn't make any
sense."
"That's because *you* do everything uniquely whereas we
mortals rely only on redundant and scanty tricks in our
arsenal." Nabiki gave him an appraising look. "I don't
suppose the attack reminds you of anything?"
"Some," Ranma muttered. There was no law in trying to
create a new move so this could be something that he has not
seen yet. "But if it was precise... then it was done
simultaneously or maybe one after the other. If it was done
like that, he could have slashed her from the side... It
sounds like the guy was testing his sword. First blow was
tai-tai. Next was chiwari. Finished it off with suritsuke.
The blows are horizontal but from the way she's bruising on
the left side, I'd say the opponent is right handed.
Powerful."
Although Nabiki could do all sixteen moves, three of them
at once meant that they were dealing with a moderately
skilled samurai. But the way he had *not* cut through made
it clear that he was not testing his sword, and was just
aiming for severe cuts, and the choice of cuts were ironic.
Tai-tai, 'very big', chiwari 'splitting the breast',
suritsuke, 'rubbing in'.
"That's it." Ranma snapped his fingers. "It's 'Walking
Across the Twelve Arced Bridge'."
Nabiki nodded, berating herself for not recognizing the
move sooner. The Bridge referred to the human rib cage which
consisted of twenty-four ribs. Twelve on each side. "If I'm
not mistaken *you* perfected that move."
"I took if from Bloody Rose or something." Ranma gave her
a smile. There was no mistaking the name. Now one else could
have come up with something that singly screamed roses.
"That was Kodachi's move."
"I thought it was Tatewaki's." Nabiki shrugged, not
really knowing what they have accomplished through divining
the move. Still, something was better than nothing. "That
means he's faster than most. Could be faster than me.
Controlled, very controlled... and accurate."
"Match up those and we can probably get a who." Ranma ran
a hand through his hair. "From there we could get why, and
from there, the connection to the border."
"That dead woman looks like a samurai. Yet she seems far
from home, the southern lands." Nabiki didn't like
unanswered questions but the answers to her questions lay to
more questions that could not be answered. "But why would
she go all the way from there to here."
"An alliance? Looking for something? Killing someone?"
Ranma shook his head. "Too many possibilities. The best shot
we have is to look for our guy and ask the right questions."
A dead woman in the middle of Sagami should be
investigated soon and dealt with accordingly. Especially one
whose death was unknown and whose enemies are unseen. Had it
been an assassination attempt on someone important or had
she been a ninja attacking, it would not have raised the
twin's attention so much.
"What about the one who fought like Kodachi?" Ranma
asked.
Nabiki frowned. "No leads there. Kodachi was stuck in the
main house all three weeks... and this death is fresh...
maybe a day or two. Besides, in her condition, she wouldn't
have been able to fight one of ours."
"No..." Ranma looked at Nabiki, a thoughtful expression
coming onto his face. "We've seen her fight recently...
Kodachi's fighting style isn't exactly her fighting style
anymore. She's adapted Anything Goes, remember? And there
are no traces of her style in it anywhere."
"A copy cat?" Nabiki snorted, they found roses, black
ones, littering the entire diameter of the fighting area.
Most of them were soaked through with her poison, and
Kodachi's roses *and* potions are one hell of a task to
imitate. Not to mention the difficulty of finding and
breeding black roses. "Highly doubtful. Maybe Kodachi taught
her style to someone before she had amnesia."
"Kodachi learned by herself. She was so possessive of the
style that she would *never* have taught anyone else." Ranma
remembered the roses outside the main house and wondered
what reaction Kodachi would get if he ordered them cut. "Is
there something exclusive to the black rose that I don't
know about?"
"It has a toxin..." Nabiki turned to pick up one of the
petals that were soaked with poison. Both of them ignored
Kodachi's dabble in potions because Cologne taught them well
enough to counter it.
That and the fact that the more they thwarted Kodachi,
the harder it was to pinpoint what she was doing. "It's
really harmless by itself, but she mixes it with a certain
liquid. It becomes fatal. You'd be dead in an hour if you
didn't know what to do."
"Maybe Kodachi's just pretending to *not* know her
style..." Ranma murmured in thought but found that doubtful.
There are some things that you cannot unlearn and fighting
was one of them. Fighting was ingrained to the bone, to the
mind, so that you could come up with a counter attack in an
instant. To consciously alter the basis of what you've begun
takes a while. Kodachi hasn't had that *while*. It could
also mean death if faced with a skilled opponent and their
samurai certainly showed skill.
"Maybe she was just trying to mislead us." Nabiki
frowned, it was highly unlikely. You can't reprogram your
body for fighting in one style and the next week change the
basics completely. It just wasn't done.
"Mislead us? Then choose Anything Goes?" Ranma shook his
head. "That's not a very good choice and we should still
have seen traces of her old style left in her. When I fought
her, it was completely new. It was like fighting a different
person."
Nabiki shook her head. She had no more answers to give.
"I thought I said we should finish this quietly," Ranma
muttered, "In a few weeks Happosai is going to fry us for
this one."
"You said quickly. There was nothing said about being
quiet," Nabiki answered as she arranged the map rolling it
thinly so it wouldn't get crumpled. "I'll find out who that
Saotome samurai is."
"Hopefully that will end the border problems," Ranma said
as he helped her arrange the mess that they had created.
"Hopefully," Nabiki echoed as she stared at the broken
reed that had represented the dead woman.
"I ran up to Ryu during the inauguration, Nabiki." Nabiki
grimaced at the name while she stood up taking one final
look at the mess, but Ranma was watching her carefully. "He
offered me to convince you to marry him again."
On occasions that called for it she acted like Ranma's
wife, or husband depending on the temperature of the water.
They always let each other go their way if deemed necessary.
Her grimace twisted to full blown distaste. "My answer is
still no." It had been a long time since someone had asked
Ranma to get their hands on her. Years ago, it had been
common occurrence. Ryu should have known better than to ask
when she just talked to him.
Ranma took the papers that Nabiki was holding and bound
them together. "He seems to think I'm keeping you here,
Nabiki. Am I?" When he brought her back from her husband, he
never forbade her to go out. Happosai ordered that she
remain within the confines of Sagami but Sagami was a large
place. She had rights to the land just as he did. She could
rebuild her life.
"No." It was obvious the subject was distressing her.
Although she liked to work out Ranma's fiancées, she did not
want to talk about hers. "I don't want to leave, Ranma. My
son is here. Hanae is here... I have so much work to do..."
Ranma frowned keeping the map and then resting his hand
lightly on her shoulder. "That's exactly what I'm talking
about, Nabiki. I'm beginning to understand why Ryu talks the
way he does about you. You don't have to 'work' here. You
can take your son, get married and have a decent life. You
don't have to take care of me."
Nabiki withdrew from him. "I don't need you to tell me
what to do, Ranma!" she snapped, regretting it instantly. It
was the first fight they had since they were children, and
she wanted to end it as fast as she could. "I like it here.
I like teaching Hanae and Sei. I like taking care of Rose
Brier. I like straightening the mess of this town."
"I know you feel like you're indebted to me because of
Happosai -- but..."
Nabiki whirled around to face him. "You don't get it do
you? I don't want to have my own life. I've had five years
of it and I'm sick of it. I don't *like* having a husband. I
don't *like* having some other liege lord who I have to bow
and scrape to. I don't *like* hiding my curse at every
waking moment. I'm content *here* in the middle of Saotome
territory."
One of the things that Ranma dreaded were verbal spats
and though their little fights were less than witty, Nabiki
always manages to win. "Look, I'm just trying to look out
for you."
"I know... and that's what I'm doing too." Nabiki threw
up her hands. "Look what getting us separated brought us. I
have a husband who'll believe anything and you have a wife
who'll destroy everything. Husbands are trouble. Now lay off
on trying to marry me."
"Husbands are trouble," Ranma mimicked in the exact tone
Nabiki used, Nabiki gave him a halfhearted swipe which he
had evaded neatly. "This coming from a person who seems so
interested in Ifuku's."
Nabiki's smile immediately turned to a frown giving Ranma
a warning glare. "Lay off, Ranma. I won't have you
matchmaking me to every man that walks into our doorway." It
was a surprise that the topic was the sole thing that
managed to drive her to hysterics. This was the closest
Ranma had seen Nabiki to hysterical anyway.
~~~
Ifuku groaned as she registered her being thrown into a
dark damp room. It smelled both of kitty litter and of
rotten flesh, and surmised that it was probably the pungent
mix of smells that roused her from her delirium.
She felt weightless, and she knew she was going to impact
with the ground at any second when strong arms circled her
before she fell. She opened her eyes with difficulty and
managed to give him a weak smile. "We made it to the
temple?"
"Sad isn't it? The temple couldn't protect you and your
brother." Ifuku shuddered at the voice. It was an uncanny
experience to listen to the voice of your dead sister with
another woman's intonation.
She tried to push Sohin away but he held her tightly.
"Don't move, Ifuku. You're very weak right now." He was
right, she hardly saw beyond shapes, and even that was
blurred. Finally, she fell back into Sohin's arms.
There was a flutter of things being thrown at them by
someone from the door. All she could make out were the
browns and the light filtering through. "Use these for your
beddings. I wouldn't want the precious Tendo heirs to die."
She gave another one of her annoying laughs. Speaking to the
guard in a low voice that still carried in the enclosed area
she ordered, "Don't give them anything hot. Especially
water."
With those words, she pulled the door shut with a loud
bang.
Ifuku pulled herself up with much protest and shielded
her eyes. Kodachi had at least given them a small lantern to
pass the night. She propped herself up on the wall with
Sohin helping her up. "Hot water?"
At her question a small purple cat, from the back of the
room moved forward, jumping away from all the other cats in
the area.
"Seems like our captor has a fondness for cats," Sohin
quipped as he took one of the rags that Kodachi threw into
the room and swabbed it with water. As Kodachi promised, she
gave Ifuku the treatment she needed. They wondered how long
she would continue to do so.
"No. She doesn't."
Ifuku turned around to see who the voice belonged to and
groaned when she realized who it was. She found Omokage
standing by the doorway leaning on it, with a small frown on
his face. She had hoped that at least, Omokage had not been
taken along with them. "Unfortunately Sohin, Omokage is
right," her words were controlled and soft.
Omokage answered the question that had been left in the
air. "Lord Ranma and Lady Nabiki are deathly afraid of
cats."
Ifuku nodded in affirmation pushing away the wet towel
Sohin was placing on her head. "She also said not to get hot
water on the kitten for a reason." She crooked her finger at
the purple cat, which then jumped towards her. Ifuku's hand
stroked its back.
Sohin looked at the animal and cocked his head to the
side. "For it not to get mad?" he asked uncertainly.
Ifuku smiled, the two men noticed that the cat didn't
purr to her administrations unlike normal kittens do.
"Little cat, do you know of Jusenkyo?" The cat meowed in
confirmation, while the two men marveled at its
intelligence.
"Our problem of getting out is almost solved," Ifuku
whispered confidently stroking the cat's hair
affectionately. "Now, my lady, I wonder who you might be?"
The cat shrank at her touch and Ifuku nodded. "Omokage, keep
her away from Kodachi's sight."
"Kodachi?" Sohin asked, wonderingly. Ifuku patted his
hand weakly.
"Kodachi, the mistress of the Saotome household, has
gotten herself a new face..." Ifuku murmured as she took
hold of Sohin's gaze. "We're in dire trouble."
~~~
Nabiki raised her hand to knock against the shoji of the
Dragon Chambers, not liking her task for a minute. The maid
that greeted her escorted her towards Kuno's room. Nabiki's
displeasure blossomed to a smile as the door opened.
Kuno had been looking out of the window in a thoughtful
manner when she was brought in. He nodded at the maid to go
and Nabiki's own maid, who she had brought to show her
authority as Lady of Sagami, Nabiki dismissed. There were no
other samurai inside the room with him.
"What gives me the pleasure of Lady Nabiki *finally*
coming to notice my existence in her gracious city?" he
asked and Nabiki couldn't identify if the tone she heard was
resentment or sarcasm. She had forgotten his presence
because of the recent turn of events, and he has been in
Kamakura for more than a month.
Nabiki sat complacently at the zabuton, arranging her
kimono around herself. She wore it instead of the usual
Chinese get-up with the same reason in mind when she decided
to bring her maid: she wanted to show him her authority.
"You wound me. I'd come because of concern for your sister."
There was a pause as he thought about the words, then
shook his head. "You said she was fine. Her injuries with
the horse were minor. I do not find any need to see her."
"You're her brother," Nabiki quipped, placing her hands
complacently on her lap. At that moment, Nabiki looked more
of a doll that wished to please more than anything else. It
amused Kuno that she would go to so much trouble for a woman
that she didn't even like. "Don't you care?"
"Of course I do," Kuno answered he gave her a wary look
that told her he didn't trust her. "We've grown apart, my
sister and I. Not everyone in Japan shares the same
sentiment you and your brother hold for each other." There
was another moment of weighted silence while Kuno looked at
her sideways. "You are not doing this because you fear she
might die and you will shortly follow, are you?"
Nabiki slammed the palm of her hand against the tatami.
"I do not fear *my* death, Kuno. I fear that if she does she
will take my brother along with her." She shook her head,
not looking at him. "I'm not a fool. If she dies *naturally*
I don't need to be killed by a Kuno sword. Read her contract
from time to time."
"You depend too much on your brother, Lady Saotome." Kuno
shook his head with obvious dislike for Ranma. "I sense
you'd do anything for him."
"Maybe I would," Nabiki answered guardedly. "Now... are
you going to see your sister or not?"
He thought about her demand. "What are you willing to
give, Lady Nabiki, in exchange for fulfillment of your
request?"
Nabiki regarded him for a while, knowing that she should
have expected his demands. She bled Kuno dry in their
younger days. She has always found it pleasurable to
manipulate him. He would take pleasure in paying her back.
She bowed her head. "What do *you* want?"
He stood up then sat across her, leaving his two swords
by the window, cupping her face so that she would look at
him eye to eye. "Let us talk, Nabiki."
Nabiki pulled her face away from his solid fingers. "Do
not insult me again by touching my face, Kuno." He dropped
his outstretched hand, resigned at her anger, and then
raised his eyebrow. When Nabiki was sure he wasn't going to
do it again she continued, "We're *already* talking Lord
Kuno."
Shaking his head Kuno stood up and took his two swords.
Nabiki watched him closely. He did not turn to look at her
again, but spoke, "I heard that your fiancé has left town."
Nabiki kept her emotions in check when she answered,
"He'll be back to marry me." Nabiki had not known what
possessed her to say the words since there was very little
chance for a reunion with Sohin.
"You are sure of this?" Kuno asked almost sounding
worried for her sake.
Nabiki just continued to stare at her hands, she accepted
the fact that she *was* going to dance at Kuno's wedding
night, but he would not wangle a confession out of her
prematurely. Her pride kept her from saying that much.
"Yes."
"And you are sure of this because he loves you?" Kuno
asked quietly.
"I don't see what business it is of yours." Nabiki's eyes
were defiant when she answered. She may have come in the
Dragon's Chamber's for Akane's sake, but she would not allow
to be questioned in the manner that he was doing. "I don't
see *you* married. You're a month overdue."
"My beloved has been struck with indecision," Kuno
answered after a while. Nabiki suppressed a small smile at
the irony of Kuno marrying someone who was afflicted with
his own weakness. "I am not sure if she loves me."
Nabiki shifted uncomfortably, not knowing why Kuno was
telling her of his betrothal problems. She was sure that he
would not have told her if he had not heard of Sohin's
departure. "Well, do you love her, Lord Kuno?"
"I do," he said the words without thought.
Nabiki wanted to believe the response as the truth but
knew that he believed in his own truths and made them up to
suit his needs. She probed lightly at his determination,
"Much more than your pigtailed goddess?"
There was a pause, but while Nabiki knew he was going to
disappoint her, he answered her in an earnest voice, "The
pigtailed goddess is a dream. Someone unattainable. I admire
her, but I do not *love* her. In the waking moments, I chase
her just to get father to believe me. My father is already
looking at a prospective wife... and given me the ultimatum
to find someone to marry." There was a pause, another sigh.
"The pigtailed goddess was a scapegoat. An escape from
reality. I want my..."
He used Ranma-chan much like the way she used Sohin, at
least he was straightforward about it. "We are too much
alike, Kuno-san," Nabiki whispered, too low for him to hear,
but she had let it out anyway. "Don't give up on this other
girl. Besides I'm sure the pigtailed girl would be *happy*
to see you devote your attentions to someone else."
"I imagine she loves another." Kuno shook his head, still
referring to his mystery woman. Nabiki wondered idly what
Ranma would think of that when Kuno turned to look at her.
"Would I break such love?"
"In the end, it's up to *her* to chose if you should
break it," Nabiki answered standing up, not wanting to
intrude on his time anymore. "I'm sorry to disturb you in
your... ponderings, Lord Kuno."
She began to bow when he turned around to address her,
"No. It is all right. I shall see my sister."
Nabiki didn't think that her efforts would yield success,
but concealed her surprise. "I will arrange for a meeting
where no watching eyes can pry."
He smiled at her, it was a sad one. "Yes, I would like
that, Nabiki."
Escorting Kuno across the town towards Rose Brier was not
an unusual occurrence in Kamakura. When they were younger,
it fell on Nabiki's shoulders to entertain visiting samurai.
When Ranma had married Kodachi, his trips didn't frequent,
but they were not unheard of. After all, he knew that his
pigtailed goddess was in this particular Saotome stronghold.
Knowing that she shouldn't let a visit like that pass
without her or Ranma listening in on the conversation, she
had already resolved on a plan of action earlier on.
As soon as they entered Rose Brier, she bowed to Kuno and
handed him over to a samurai who already had instructions to
bring Kuno up Akane's room. After Kuno was safely away and
his samurai cleanly dispatched in front of the doors of his
sister's room, Nabiki managed to find Ranma. She ushered him
into Ifuku's room, which was conveniently alongside Akane's
own. They evaded the samurai standing watch by using one of
the other corridors.
One thing that made Nabiki absolutely adore the shoji
that separated the rooms was the perfect acoustics. With
little effort and stealth on both their parts, they could
hear exactly what was being talked about in the adjacent
chamber without being spotted.
However, Ranma wouldn't outright agree to spy on his own
wife's family conversation. Coercing him to do so required a
glib lie, "I rearranged the rooms last night." In times of
need, rooms were shuffled easily by moving around the shoji.
It was easily done and ritually arranged if the liege was a
suspicious lot fearing his own death at every turn.
She hadn't executed any such order, but Ranma wouldn't
outright doubt her word on it. "And I forgot where I placed
that godammned map you were carrying around. Help me look
for it here will you? Just don't make a sound. I wouldn't
want to disturb Akane in the next room, she has a visitor.
Think of it as a training exercise."
"Geesh, you think of training ideas cookier than pops!"
Ranma muttered as he got down on his hands and knees opening
the small alcoves where Nabiki could have misplaced the
small paper.
"Right..." Nabiki deadpanned, raising her eyebrow at his
choice of words. Sometimes his vocabulary slipped back to
the times before they were daimyo but she had to wonder
where he picked up the words like -- cookier. Their parents
would have an apoplexy. "Like *you* weren't the one who
enlisted children to stone us to death, while we were
running on a river, with rabid dogs chasing us *just* so
that we could be faster."
"We were younger," Ranma protested, as if that meant
anything to her. "We're *supposed* to be wiser now."
"Ahem." Nabiki cleared her throat. "Point one, that
incident with the children was *last month*. Point two, you
*never* learn. "
Ranma held up his hand when he heard the familiar lilt of
the voice in the other room. "You didn't lose the map did
you?" he accused, lowering his voice another notch as Nabiki
inched closer to the shoji to press her ear on it
shamelessly.
She shot him her most innocent smile, she didn't even
pretend to look for the paper as she said in a low voice, "I
just wanted your opinion about your wife's visitor. Is that
so bad?"
-
When her maid announced a visitor, Akane took a deep
calming breath, trying to imagine how she was going to act.
She stood up from writing her letters to take a good look at
him when he entered her room. He was tall, stately, and
didn't look so bad on the eyes. He carried a katana on his
shoulder, boastful of his high standing as a samurai. Even
his blue hakama seemed tailored for the trip alone.
"Come in." Akane smiled as she led her first guest
towards one of the small zabutons in her room that she
hardly used. "I hope you like my room."
He looked surprised to see it and took a second look
around the room noting the difference from when he last
visited her. "I never knew you liked pastels, Kodachi." He
nodded, seemingly approving of her choice.
Akane was a little self conscious on how she should act
as hostess of the house. She had never been one, for Kasumi
obliged all visitors with her warm smile and pleasing
manner. Now, she was forced in the role with the feudal
time's rigid formality. "Oh, they're all very cheerful. I
like yellow. It soothes my eyes. Please call me, Akane."
At that, he gave an uncertain look. Reluctant, and
somewhat curious at her choice he repeated the name,
"Akane?" He heard the name pass through his lips and frowned
in disapproval. "Why choose a name for yourself when you
know it was Nabiki's child?"
"It's *my* name." Then remembering that he was a guest,
she withdrew her tongue quickly. She didn't want to fail on
the first 'diplomatic' task Nabiki gave her, and not so soon
after all her other attempts at trying to be a wife. "No one
has forbidden me against it."
He gave a suffering sigh. "No one will." He put the sword
down against
his side and took a good look at her. "I'm your brother and
yet you confuse me. You take no other's standards but your
own."
"Brother?" Akane repeated, Nabiki had not warned her. But
then, she should have expected that she wouldn't have been
warned. She looked at his features, trying to etch it to her
mind and noticed their resemblance. "I've sent you letters."
"Oh?" He looked genuinely surprised. At least she knew
that he wasn't actively avoiding her even if Tatewaki and
Kodachi did not have the best relationship in the world.
Although they were siblings, they regarded each other
aloofly and when forced to showed tolerance towards each
other because of rigid rules. "I traveled. I was in
Yokohama, I have been in Kamakura for a while."
"Oh..." Akane's voice dropped then remembered something
he said. Curiosity won over. Knowing that she would never
find out on her own, she asked, "Do you know how Nabiki's
child died?"
Kuno gave her another uncertain look. "They say you have
amnesia?"
Akane frowned, not knowing *who* would believe her if her
own brother doubted her own words. She nodded in answer, and
he paused for a moment wondering how he would tell her.
"Very well... I shall tell you."
He shifted his position on the zabuton. "It was Nabiki's
first pregnancy. She was excited about it and naturally, the
first person she wanted to inform of it was ..."
||-------------------------||
"...Ranma!" Nabiki hugged her brother with her delight
and excitement, and Ranma was a little surprised at her
affection. Even as a child, Nabiki had not been particularly
demonstrative of her feelings. Yet, there she was embracing
him with all her might, tears flowing from her eyes. Ranma
would have never believed it if he had been told a day
earlier.
For Nabiki's part, she wouldn't have believed it either.
Ranma pulled her up and raised her above his head, like he
would a child. "Really, Nabiki?"
"Really!" Up until that time, Nabiki had not believed in
tears of joy either. She had thought it was a foolish notion
of the Amazon women... but she realized then that it was
something to be experienced rather than be told about. "I'm
going to be a mother! You're going to be an uncle!"
Ranma was glad. Nabiki was getting increasingly bored in
the house. She missed their time together badly and at her
husband's she had been treated just as a wife should be. She
was stripped of responsibility of the samurai, the land, the
training... and she had nothing to do with her time except
manage the house which she could do in her sleep. "Then you
shouldn't be practicing the arts until my nephew is born!"
Making a face as Ranma let her down, she groaned at the
notion. " I hate doing nothing. This is like waiting for
eternity." She splayed her fingers across her belly smiling.
Ranma sensed she'd wait for eternity if she had to. "You
better come out early, you!"
"Yep!" Ranma bent towards Nabiki's stomach and whispered,
"I need to have a boy around here."
Nabiki slapped his head playfully. "She's not a nephew!"
Ranma could only raise his eyebrow at that. He helped
Nabiki towards the zabuton, arranging her seat, opening the
shoji and generally fussing over her. A hearty exchange of
places. "How do *you* know? I mean you're not a psychic."
"No." Nabiki smiled at him, as if she knew a secret that
he wasn't privy to. "But I went to visit Rian. She's at
Ummei's, I think he was the one who fished her out of the
sea."
"Rian? What's she doing here?" At the mention of the Lost
One's name Ranma shuddered. He and Rian had not parted on
good terms, and she had reinforced her vow to kill him. That
had been ages ago... when they were in China. "I thought she
was banished."
"The reason why she's here is that she *is* banished,
silly." Nabiki said, sighing happily. Ranma thought that if
he told her he'd just divorced Kodachi and the world was
ending she'd still be oblivious. "I found out by accident."
"What's that got to do with my nephew?" At the mention of
nephew, Nabiki hit his head with her two forefingers. He
gave her a glare, but the damnable smile that was plastered
across her face was still there. Ranma shuddered, he simply
wasn't used to Nabiki being this *giddy*.
"That's what I was about to tell you, you big baby. 'Is
Amazon Technique buried in 300 years of history!'" She
scowled when he wasn't impressed by her imitation. "She can
read the baby's ki! Ummei didn't like it though -- he said
it was like peeking into a wrapped present, Rian assured him
she won't do it anymore, especially if they have one of
their own."
"I'm sure you know how to do it by now." They were
similar in that way. They only needed to see it once, and
they could get the principle down. "No more trips to Rian!"
"Rian is nice," Nabiki answered, trying to defend her
friend, hugging a pillow close to her.
"Sure, if you like maniacs who try to kill you." He's
been at the receiving end of the bonbori more than once. He
wondered why Nabiki liked the girl because she had her own
share of bonbori bashing too. "She's *definitely* uncute."
"Right... act your age, Ranma." Nabiki stuck out her
tongue at him, succeeding in making her earlier statement
silly, then dropped the pillow to the side. "Anyway... my
baby is a girl."
"So what do you plan to call her?" Ranma asked, stealing
the pillow in case she started to get ideas about bashing
him, even with something as innocuous as a pillow, he'd seen
his cousins get violent when they were pregnant. "Have you
told your husband?"
"No. I said you were the first to know, didn't I?" Nabiki
grimaced at the task, but smiled again. "Well... dearest
told me once he wanted a girl named Kasumi. *But* I'd like
her to be called Akane. What do you think?"
He scrunched up his face in concentration, trying hard to
look like he was serious, and failing miserably. Nabiki
already had another material in her hand, this time a scroll
she saw lying around, the threat of her hitting him with it
hung in the air if he didn't answer. "Okay, okay! Sheesh,
you sure are violent when you get pregnant, Nabiki. I think
Akane sounds great."
She dropped the scroll, already looking like she was lost
in the clouds, Ranma let out the breath he had not known he
was holding. Nabiki gave him a sidelong glance. "You're not
saying that because I'm your sister, are you?"
"No, of course not!" Ranma answered indignantly.
"Or is it because you know I can beat you out of your
hide?" Nabiki asked playfully.
Ranma sighed. He certainly didn't want to be anyone's
punching bag if he could help it, but if Nabiki needed to
get a few punches in before she delivers the baby he was
going to oblige her with one or two.
This was the scene that the Kuno siblings had walked in
to when they arrived. Tatewaki took one look and had the
decency to look embarrassed at interrupting a private
affair. Not that there was any overt show of affection
involved. They were just holding each other's hands. Kodachi
raised an eyebrow at Nabiki and turned to Ranma. "I thought
*she* was happily married?"
"And I thought *you* were happily dead," Nabiki groused
at the sudden change of mood. Then she lifted her hand up to
her mouth in an exaggerated gesture. "Oh, I forgot. Demons
aren't happy when they die. You just get kicked back to the
human world. They just *have* to torture the living."
Kuno gave a warning look at his sister, and Ranma touched
Nabiki's shoulder, but Kodachi ignored her brother and
stared defiantly at Nabiki. "You're not wanted in *my*
house, Ikkasei Nabiki. Leave. Immediately."
"No." Ranma stood up between his sister and Kodachi.
"She's my sister. I demand your respect."
Kuno pulled his sister back from the confrontation, and
she reluctantly complied. Ranma turned back to Nabiki and
gave her a weak smile in way of apology for the behavior of
his wife, helping her to stand up to adjourn to a different
room.
He did not expect Kodachi to turn around, maneuver around
him and slap Nabiki on the face. Nabiki didn't even
acknowledge it. Ranma pushed Kodachi away from his sister.
"You disturb the wa of the house Kodachi. Leave."
Kodachi always disturbed their peace... it was not new.
Kuno took his sister by the shoulder and led her outside.
"I'm sorry for the mess, Lady Nabiki. I'm sure my sister
didn't mean her hasty words."
"Don't apologize for her Lord Kuno. It's not fitting,"
Nabiki answered while Ranma was assessing the reddening face
from her side, sore from the slap that Kodachi had
inflicted. Nabiki smiled at Kuno. "You sugarcoat her words,
but I know what it means."
She assured Ranma she was alright before he let her go.
"I'm sorry for disturbing the wa of your house, Lord Ranma."
She bowed to her brother then turned to Kodachi. "Lady
Kodachi, Lord Kuno." She inclined her head, and squeezed
Ranma's hand. She gave him a final look saying that she did
not want him following. "I shall take my leave."
Ranma moved to follow against her wishes, but she stared
him down. She had nodded to bid them farewell and turned
towards the door when Kodachi got free of Kuno and slammed
her against the wall, hitting her in a full body slam.
She had been unconscious for an entire day.
Nabiki had lost her baby.
||-------------------------||
Akane raised her hand to her mouth, shaking her head.
"No..."
"You did not know of her pregnancy, but that was uncalled
for. Lady Nabiki already retreated." He gave a disapproving
look. "Her husband never knew of that child."
Pain started in the corners of her heart. Tears started
to shed, for the loss of a child that she never knew. "She
sounded different."
"The Saotomes changed after their marriages," Kuno
admitted, his eyes still bored through her. "But none so
much as the change Nabiki's miscarriage brought. Both of
them lost a part of their souls with that baby. Lady Nabiki
because she was the mother and Ranma because he had watched
her slowly disintegrate."
There was nothing more Akane wanted than to be left alone
right then. Knowing that she shouldn't have pried into
someone else's business, and now, she could not think of
anything but the baby who bore her name.
Kuno took in her reaction, not believing that the person
who caused Nabiki's own miscarriage, was next to tears.
"Stop weeping, it's done. Lady Nabiki has moved on."
She shook her head. "I know what she must have felt." She
looked up to the ceiling to try to hold back her tears and
sniffled. "I'm really sorry."
Kuno nodded and took her hand. It was the first time he
tried to comfort his sister since they were children. "You
must tell this to Lady Saotome. I am not the one who has
grieved."
Shaking her head, she brought her gaze back down to him.
"No. What would a delayed apology do?"
"More than you would think, sister." Kuno stared at her
for a while waiting for Akane to compose herself. "You have
changed."
Akane gave him a smile, and Kuno realized that his sister
didn't look -- demented -- when she did. It was a sincere
one that he rarely saw in her adulthood. "Have I? Ranma
tells me... Ranma tells me that you talked."
"We met in Yokohama, yes," Kuno confirmed. He and Ranma
were not on the best of terms. They avoided each other
completely when they could and were civil when they must.
Considering their history, it was the wisest thing to do. "I
don't believe we've had the opportunity to..."
This time, it was Akane's turn to squeeze Kuno's hand.
She wanted to know the reason for her husband's sudden cold
attitude. "Please, there must be *something* you talked
about or said to him. He was terribly upset when he came
home from Yokohama. He assures me it's something I should
know because *you* told me."
He brought his eyebrows together in concentration and let
got of Akane's hand so he could lean his head on his fist.
It was out of place for someone who looked like he took
everything seriously. Seeing him *now* Akane would have
never guessed that he and his sister had been equally known
for their fanatical attitude towards their passions.
Finally he snapped his fingers. "Ahhh! I know what you
speak of!" He inched closer, as if it was a secret that no
one should overhear. "You see... I commanded you to make a
good wife out of yourself or carry out seppuku."
Akane shook her head, uncomprehending. Kuno nodded. "I
also did not understand why Nabiki was upset, but she
explained to me that it was all a game."
At those words Akane bit her lip as she shook her head,
unbelieving. "No... he thought I'd *betrayed* him." In a
world where loyalty was more important than love, this
betrayal would have been the most unforgivable of all sins.
"He thought I was playing around with his head..."
Akane passed a shaking hand through her hair. "I said I
had no motive... and now here it is. Damn Kodachi." She
shook her head again and in a softer voice repeated. "