All characters copyright of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Inc. and
Viz Communications.  The character of Suteko Saotome is mine.

SINS OF THE FATHER
CHAPTER FIVE
Brother and Sister talk
or
Suteko's history
by LPrior

Ranma turned back to Akane.  He started to ask her if she minded but she looked at him for a moment and then shook her head.  She wasn't going to leave Ranma with an unknown young woman, even if they were related.  They had been through too much together, plus she wanted to hear this girl's story.  Suteko may have said that she didn't want to challenge him, but with Ranma's luck she would just wait until Akane and Ryouga had left.  She stepped closer to Ranma and spoke to Suteko.  "I'd rather go with him."  It was short and simple but Suteko understood the tone.  This girl was going to stay close to her fiancé.

"OK, Akane,"  Suteko smiled.  All right, she could talk to him with the girl around.  It wasn't as if she was going to tell him any big family secret.  She looked around, she still wasn't quite sure were everything was in a city this size.  "Um, which way is it to the airport?  I left my pack there."

Ryouga spoke up first, stepping away from the others.  "We go this way."  As usual he was facing the opposite of the way they needed to go.  Ranma snorted and grabbing his arm turned Ryouga around the right way.

"Wrong again, lost boy.  The airport's this way."  Ranma stepped away quickly as Ryouga took a quick swing at him.  Akane snorted and started to say something when Suteko cut in.

"Let's not start up again, boys.  I need to get my stuff," she looked around at the devastation around them.  "Besides, this part of town looks like it can't take much more damage."

Ranma and Ryouga looked around in a bit of amazement.  There wasn't a wall anywhere within sight without a hole punched through it.  "She's right, guys."  Akane said to the two.  She turned back to Suteko, "the best way would be to take a bus to the airport.  We can  pick one up a couple of blocks from here."  Akane proceeded ahead of the guys and Suteko fell in next to her.  Akane's natural friendliness was tempered a bit by her caution with this unknown, but she was trying to be polite.  So she asked, "Suteko?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you here all by yourself?"

Suteko walked without speaking for a minute.  Then she sighed.  "I've been traveling alone for a year, now."

Akane was amazed.  Traveling all alone for a year.  A girl, alone?  Sure, Ryouga ends up traveling alone all the time, but he was a guy.  Girls had dangers that guys didn't have.  Suteko was small and delicate, like Ranma in girl form.  She must be tougher than she looked.  "Must have been lonely."

"At first it was an adventure, you know.  No grownups around telling me what to do, but after a while I just wanted to find him and get it over with."  Suteko spoke to Akane without looking at her.  Her attention focused on where they were going;  her mind only half on talking with the girl next to her.  Memories of the past year and the troubles of traveling alone in a part of the world that considered girls too weak to take care of themselves had been a real trial.  In America, Suteko had had enough trouble with guys wanting to take care of the tiny girl.  They always seemed to think that if they acted macho she'd fall all over them.  But after a while, they got the message.  Suteko had been training with her staff since she was old enough to walk.

"Do you hate him?"  Akane asked.  She could understand if Suteko did.  To have been a child grow up knowing her father would never be there had to be terrible.

Suteko shot a look over at Akane.  "Hate him?"  She thought a moment.  "Not really."

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Ranma and Ryouga were following closely behind the two girls.  Each boy was deep in thought.  Ramna was thinking about Suteko.  Having a sister -- he wasn't sure if he liked the idea or not.  On one hand, it meant he wouldn't be an only child anymore.  On the other hand he wasn't alone anymore.  They could spend time together and talk.  A girl who wasn't interested in him as a fiancé.  That itself was amazing.  Plus she was a marital artist.  They could train together.  That staff work she pulled on Pop earlier looked different.  He hadn't seen anything quite like it in his travels.  But on the other hand, she was here to challenge Pop and get revenge for what he did to her mother:  for causing her to be born.  She grew up without a father, just like he had grown up without his mother.  He continued to ponder these thoughts as they walked toward the bus stop.  He only interrupted them when he caught what Akane had asked Suteko. 

"Not really."

She didn't hate Pop? "Wait a minute."  Ranma pushed up next to Suteko's other side.  "You challenged the old man and you don't hate him.  I'd think after chasing us around for so long you'd want to waste the old man."

Suteko just gave Ranma a cold look.  "I don't hate anyone.  Genma had his reasons for dumping my mother, I'm sure.  Anger and hatred have no place in true revenge."

"What!"  Ranma was shocked.  Anger had nothing to do with revenge?!  "Try telling that to Ryouga here."  He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the other boy.  Ryouga just glared at him.  "He always seems to mad about something."

Suteko stopped walking for a moment.  She looked Ranma straight in the eye and explained her clan's view on revenge.  "Little brother, the Fukushuu clan has made a fine art out of revenge.  All members are taught at a young age that anger and hatred can cause a warrior to lose focus and take the revenge beyond that which is truly due."  She turned toward the lost boy and spoke directly to Ryouga.  "Anger can make a warrior do things he would regret upon later reflection.  In modern times, revenge is best if the focus of the act is left alive to suffer with the knowledge that they were bested.  To remember that what happened to them was true justice."  She then took Akane's arm and walked on.

Akane took a quick look at Suteko's face, she was surprised.  Once  morning before school.  Why?"

Suteko smiled.  "Got any pointers?"  Ranma stood there shocked.  Could she be asking for  help in defeating Pop in an honor battle.  Suteko took pity on him after a moment.  "Just kidding, Ranma.  I wouldn't ask for help in an honor battle.  I was raised right."  Ranma let out his breath in a whoosh.  "Besides, I think I can take care of myself."   That came out a tad smug.  She sounded just like Ranma.

After a few minutes the bus arrived.  The teenagers piled aboard and headed for some open seats.  Akane and Ranma sat together, leaving Ryouga to sit with Suteko.  Suteko took the window seat and sat staring out the window.  She was amazed at just how big Tokyo and the surrounding area was.  This much land covered lots of towns back in New England.  Why the eighty miles of the city proper would have included Boston, Lowell, Nashua NH and all the way down to the Cape back home.  How did anyone get from place to place here?  She turned back to face her brother.  "So, what was it like growing up with Genma?"

Ranma started to make a snide answer but the look on Suteko's face made him change his mind.  "Well it was an adventure."

"An adventure?"

"Yep,"  Ranma went on to tell about some of the places his father had taken him in their years of training.  Suteko nodded as she listened.  It was interesting to hear his side of the Ukyo story.  Not too different but just enough.  Occasionally Ryouga would break in, adding depth to the story but also causing Ranma to start arguing and Akane to join in.  Suteko smiled.  This seemed to be a normal part of their day.  Maybe their fighting wasn't what it seemed on the surface.  They were getting loud though.

"Hey, guys.  It's not that important.  I just wanted to know what it was like to grow up with a dad."

"Akane would have been the better one to ask.  Her father was more a normal father,"  Ryouga said.

"You know, I agree," added Ranma.  He turned to face Akane.  "Why don't 'cha tell her about growing up with Mister Tendo, Akane?"  This lead to more conversation about families until the bus pulled up to the airport.  They got out and Suteko led them to where she stashed her pack.  It looked much like the one Ryouga usually carried with him.  They headed back out toward the buses but got separated from Ryouga in the crowd.  

"Ryouga!!  Where are you!!!"  Akane called out, trying to spot him in the crowd.

Ranma shrugged as he leaned against a nearby wall.  "You know that ain't goin' to work.  He's lost again.  Probably won't see him for another week."  

"Well, your no help.  Why didn't you keep an eye on him anyway?  You know he gets lost so easily."

"Aww, Akane, why should I?  He can take care of himself."

Akane took out her mallet and prepared to bonk Ranma on the head.  "Because he was your responsibility!  That's why!"

Ranma moved away, holding his hands up.  "Since when is he my responsibility?"

"Since you were standing next to him at the time!"  Her battle aura was coming up now.  Suteko couldn't believe the size of the mallet Akane had pulled out of no where.

"Um, Akane?"  She tried to get the girl's attention before she committed some dire act on Suteko's newly discovered brother.

It must have worked because Akane turned and politely asked, "What is it, Suteko?"

"Ranma was talking to me when your friend wandered off.  I'm sorry.  I didn't know he had such a bad problem."

Akane calmed down a bit.  "That's OK, Suteko.  It's hard to believe just how lost Ryouga can get without meaning to."  Her aura changed back to normal and she stowed her mallet away, without using it for once.  Ranma breathed a sigh of relief.

"Does he know how to get back to the dojo?"

Ranma and Akane looked at each other and smirked.  Ranma answered, "Oh, yeah.  He should show up sometime next week.  He always seems to."

"Well, let's go catch a bus back to Nerima.  It's getting late and your family must be wondering where you two are."  Akane looked down at her watch.  It was now half past four.  "Plus I told Ukyo I would be back for dinner at her place.  Don't like being late."

"Ranma, why don't you and Suteko get the tickets and I'll call Kasumi and tell her when we'll be home?"

"OK, Akane."  He smiled at his fiancée.  It was nice to avoid being hit by the mallet just once.  "Meet you by the Kiosk."  The teenagers parted.

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Suteko was glad that she got Ranma alone for a moment.  She studied him while he talked with the ticket agent.  She could see a faint resemblance to her uncle Tanto around the chin.  She really missed him and even though she would be glad that her quest was over she didn't think she'd be seeing him soon.  Mother wanted her to stop by the family estates before leaving Japan.  Something about meeting her great-grandfather and telling him that the family honor was restored.  She was a bit afraid of that moment.  Uncle had told her all about his father and he sounded very intimidating.  She was lost in thought when Ranma finished with the tickets and spoke to her.  She jumped and pulled out her staff in reflex.

"Whoa!  Easy Suteko it's just me."

Suteko pulled her staff back from Ranma's face.  She hadn't touched him, due mostly to Ranma's speed.  He had ducked back, just out of range of a close attack.  "Sorry Ranma.  I guess I wasn't paying attention."

Ranma pushed the end of the staff to the side.  "Did I surprise you?"  Suteko nodded.  "What where you thinking about so hard?"

"My great-uncle Tanto."

"He must be important, you where out of it there."  

Suteko smiled, "Yes, he was."

"Your pretty fast with that stick there.  Where'd you learn that?"

"Uncle Tanto taught me the style and technique and traveling this past year has built up my reflexes.  I'm sorry I swung at you.  I didn't hear you and my reflexes took over.  Too much time alone I guess."  She fiddled with the leather wrapping the end of the staff.  "Uncle always said that my single-mindedness would cause problems.  I tend to focus too tightly on one thing at a time."

Ranma understood.  He had that problem once.  That and Ryouga had that problem bigtime.  "This Uncle sounds like a smart guy.  He live back in America?"

Suteko got a pained look on her face for a moment.  She took a deep breath and spoke.  "Uncle Tanto died just before I left to find Genma."

Ranma felt a wave of sympathy wash over him.  He barely knew this girl but to see the pain in her eyes he knew that the man had been someone special to her.  He moved forward and awkwardly put an arm about her.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Suteko wiped a single tear from her eye and straightened.  "It's all right.  I should be over this by now.  Uncle would think I was acting childish to let it bother me this long.  He had a long life and he enjoyed almost all of it.  Thank you for being concerned, though."

Akane came around the corner then and saw Ranma with his arm around a girl.  Her first reaction was to blow up, like always.  She pulled her mallet out and said, "Ranma" in her deadly voice.  As she got nearer she realized it was Suteko and she cooled down but not before Ranma saw her.

He pulled his arm away from Suteko and raised his hands to defend his head.  He was amazed to see Akane back down for a second time this afternoon.  Maybe having Suteko around was going to be better than he thought.

"What's going on?"  Akane looked from Ranma to Suteko and back again.

"Nothing Akane.  Ranma was just being nice.  I was telling him about someone I lost recently."  Suteko smiled weakly.  Akane sure got mad a lot.  She slid her staff back into staff-space and shook herself.  "We should probably go meet the bus back to Nerima now.  Yes?"

Akane nodded.  "Kasumi said she'd hold dinner until we got back, Ranma."  She turned to Suteko.  "She also told me to ask you to dinner."

Suteko looked surprised.  "I don't think that would be a good idea, Akane.  Genma would be there and I shouldn't see him again until the time of our challenge."

"I told Kasumi that but well...."

"She's a bit different."  Added Ranma.  "She doesn't seem to understand battles and the like, right Akane."

"Yes.  I told her that you probably wouldn't come but I promised her I would ask.  Have you found a place to stay the night yet?"

"Ukyo offered me crash space at her place.  So I'm taken care of for the night."  She leaned up against the wall as they waited for the bus.  "I never did get that explanation about the fiancée thing.  Ukyo told me you have four?"

Ranma looked stricken.  He had hoped she would have forgotten that.  "Um...."  But before he could say anything Akane broke in.

"He only has three 'official' ones.  Me, Ukyo and Shampoo.  Kodachi just latched on to him for no reason."  Akane send a viscous look Ranma's way.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea.  Besides she's no worse than Kuno."

"Oh, that's right."  Akane turned to Suteko with an evil look on her face.  "Then there's Kuno.  He has a real thing for Ranma."

"Akane!"  The two started to toss insults at each other again.

Suteko could see that Akane was enjoying making Ranma squirm so she broke in.  "Does he want Ranma as a guy or a girl?"

The two broke off and looked at Suteko.  "As a girl, of course.  What kinda guy you think I am?"

"Oh, don't worry, I understand.  Must be tough having a guy fawn all over you when your a guy."

"You don't know the half of it.  Besides he loves Akane."

"Kuno is such a jerk.  He couldn't make up his mind..."

"If he had one."  Ranma snorted.  Then Akane and Ranma got to explaining just exactly who was or thought they were engaged to Ranma.  There explanation was just short of an all out war but Suteko got the gist of the story.

"So, Akane, you have first claim on Ranma, right?"

"Yes, not that I want to."  Akane answered with disgust.  "He's a pervert, girl chasing pain."

"How's he a pervert, Akane."

"Well, he's a cross dressing, window peeping......"

"Akane!"

"Does he dress in women's clothes when he's a guy?"

Akane thought a moment. "No...."

"Then he's not a cross dresser."  Suteko said smugly.  Sounded like Akane just wanted to find something wrong with Ranma.  She knew she shouldn't jump to conclusions but Suteko trusted this younger brother of her's for some reason.  She turned to Ranma.  "So do you have a favorite?"  Ranma didn't answer that one.  He was still torn.  Besides he didn't want to say anything in front of Akane.  After a moment Suteko continued.  "Do either of you have a problem with me staying at Ukyo's?  If you do I can find somewhere else to sleep."  Ranma told he didn't and after a quick thought Akane didn't either.  "OK.  Look I don't know anything about this Shampoo but her claim doesn't sound as valid as Akane and Ukyo's and this other girl, um, what's her name?"

"Kodachi," answered Akane.

"Thank you.  She sounds like a real problem.  We had someone like her back in Boston.  She finally got put away for her own good.  Poisoned the boy she had her crush on.  Better watch out for that one."  Just then their bus pulled up.  The three got on board and took the back seat since it would sit three.

Suteko took the right side of the seat next to the window.  Ranma sat between Akane and his sister.  "So have you avoided that fiancée thing?"  Asked Akane.

"They don't do things that way in America.  Forced engagements fell out of fashion a century ago.  Besides Grandfather Mikado said that I wasn't worth engaging to anyone, being an illegitimate child."  She said the last part with loathing.  It was obvious that there was no love lost between Suteko and her grandfather.

Akane was shocked.  How cruel for a grandfather to say such things to his grandchild.  It wasn't her fault that she was conceived outside of marriage.  "Is he the reason your mother moved to America?"

Suteko pulled her legs up and rested her feet on the seat.  "Mother told me that she left Japan to get away from sad memories but I think that what you said is closer to the truth.  Uncle Tanto always told me that his brother, Grandfather Mikado was a real hard line, old fashioned kind of man.  He never forgave my mother for her slip but he never said anything to me the few times he visited his brother."

"Pop caused a real mess of trouble, didn't he?"

"You don't know the half of it.  After Grandfather died, we came to Japan for the funeral.  She and Uncle Tanto were allowed to go but I had to stay away."  Her voice became very flat.  "No non-family members allowed."

"But you were family.  You were your mother's daughter."

"Not in Grandfather Mikado's eyes.  But that doesn't matter.  He died three years ago."

"I'm sorry."

Suteko stared out the window at the gathering rain clouds.  "Looks like rain."

Ranma shivered a little.  "It rains a lot around here."

"Must make life interesting, what with being cursed to change and all."

Ranma answered.  "Yeah."  He thought for a minute.  "Suteko?"

"Hmmmm?"

"You seem awfully calm about my curse.  Why?"

Suteko looked a bit sick for a minute.  "I told you about how I followed you and Genma around for a year, right?"

"Yep."

"Well, I found Jusenko."  She added, a slight blush creeping up her throat.

Ranma looked at Akane and she looked back.  Together they said, "You didn't?"

"Pool of drowned boy."

"Oh, boy."  Suteko winced at the pun.  Ranma apologized.  "So when you get wet you turn into a boy?"

"Look just like you with blonde hair.  Should have guessed you were related when I saw you but I wasn't paying attention to anyone other than Genma when we met.  Took Ukyo to tell me I had a little brother."

"How'd it happen?"  Asked Akane.

For a minute it looked like Suteko wouldn't answer but she took a deep breath and told them how she stupidly jumped in.  Stunned Akane and Ranma just sat staring at her with their jaws open.  Suteko smiled weakly, "I know but we get claims of amazing things in America all the time.  And the motto of every good New Englander is seeing is believing."  She chuckled.  "I was being a bit of a stupid, arrogant jerk but well shit happens."  She turned back to staring out the window.

Ranma and Akane just sat stunned.  "You jumped in?"  Ranma asked incredulous.

"Yep.  Stupid, I now know.  So we have something else in common, little brother."

For most of the trip back there was silence.  Suteko sat staring out the window as the rain came down.  Ranma and Akane just sat quietly next to each other.  For once not arguing, a small miracle in itself.  After a long while Suteko started to talk quietly again.  "Ranma?"

Ranma looked up.  "Yeah?"

"What's  your mom like?"

Ranma was a bit taken aback.  He hadn't seen his mom in a long time.  "I haven't seen mom  since Pop decided to take me on his training missions, why?"

"Sorry.  I was just wondering."  Suteko traced the path of a drop down the window pane with her finger.  "I was wondering if she was anything like mine."

"I remember her cooking and how she smelled."  Akane stiffened at the mention of cooking but didn't do anything.  Ranma wasn't talking about her.  "She always had a hug for me and stuff like that.  You know she was mom like."

"My mom was too, once."

"Whatcha mean?"

"Remember I told you we came to Japan three years ago for Grandfather Mikado's funeral?"

"Yeah."

"After the funeral Mother went to talk with great-grandfather Ito.  She left me with Uncle Tanto since he was the only one who would talk to me.  She was gone for a long time."  She kept tracing patterns on the window as she talked.  "After about six hours she came back.  I was glad to see her.  We had made plans to go to one of the bigger temples.  She wanted to show me where she had grown up.  But after her talk she canceled our plans.  She told me it was time to go home.  To say the least I was disappointed.  I started to argue but she cut me off cold.  The look she gave me."  Suteko shivered.  "It was like I was an ant climbing up her leg.  I shut up and went along with it.  We flew home within the hour."  Suteko swallowed.  "I don't know what Great-grandfather did but she was changed.  We stopped going on picnics and started training real hard.  She kept at me to be the best.  That and she suddenly decided that it was time to make Genma pay."

Ranma listened to her outpouring.  Something obviously wasn't right.  "Why the sudden change?"

"I don't know but she made me quit all my clubs and only train.  I lost a lot of friends that way.  Uncle Tanto tried to find out what she was up to but she wouldn't talk to him at all.  Plus she started to spend a lot of time away from home.  I think being home reminded her of all she had been missing.  When Uncle Tanto died she told me that I had to find my father and make him pay for her dishonor.  She wouldn't even let me mourn him for a week before she pulled me out of school and sent me to find Genma."

"That's rough."  Akane looked past Ranma toward Suteko.  She felt the pain the girl tried to hide in her words.  Why was she telling us this?  It seemed too strange to Akane to have the same girl who had challenged Genma to a duel this morning telling her about her family's problems that afternoon.  "Suteko, I know this isn't the best time but..:

"What?"

"Why are you telling us all this?  I mean we barely know you."

Suteko curled her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees.  "I'm not sure, but well, Mother plans on being at the dojo tomorrow and I  thought it might be important if you knew.  She's got something planned and I don't think she's told me everything."

"That's OK, Suteko, we're used to trouble."

She looked up at Ranma's face, so like her own in male form.  "Besides your the first people I've had to talk to in a long time.  And your family."  She reached out and tapped Ranma on the arm.  "Your my 'little' brother, right?"

"Hey, I'm not little!"  Ranma groused half-heartedly.  Suteko smiled.  It was good to have someone to tease.

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In a boardroom somewhere in Japan.  Seated at the conference table were an elder gentleman and a beautiful woman in American clothing.  The resemblance is striking.

"Granddaughter, tell me how the revenge is going."

"My daughter has challenged the man.  The battle will be at dawn, tomorrow."

The old man looked thoughtful.  "That is good." He placed hands together and rested the fingers against his lips.  "Where?"

The woman looked down at her notes.  "At the Tendo Dojo, in Nerima."

A slow, evil smile crossed  the man's face.  "So he still visits his old friend.  Good.  We can take out two with one blow.  Very good, granddaughter.  You have my approval."  Pause.  "The girl knows what she is to do?"

"Of course!  I have trained her as is required.  She will do as she is told."

The old man flicked open a folder in front of him.  "And what of my son's influence?"

There was a quick flash of uncertainly in the woman's eyes and a quick shake of her shoulders.  "The girl will do what I say!  I will have my revenge!"

With a slow, evil smile the old man said, "Good."

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to be continued

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As always C&C is appriecated

Lisa Prior
writer of stories and teller of tales