New scenes from Spreading Wings for those still following the story.
C&C more than welcome and thanks to all who have written me. Your help
has been invaluable.
I apologize to those still having trouble with the way these posts are
formatted. The solution turns out to be something less than simple. I
have written some 33,000 words of text. The only way I can fix the
thing so that it will format properly with this e-mail client is to
re-type the entire piece. This leaves me faced with a decision, stop the
creative momentum so that I can do the re-typing, or post what I have
while continuing to write the story using a different typing technique
so that the straight ASCII works. I've elected to post what I have while
advancing the story in a new format. Meanwhile, I'll post the pieces
already written here, then install them at my web site. I will
eventually get the entire story in a format for those who prefer pure
ASCII as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I am reduced to begging for your
patience. If your patience has already run out, there is nothing I can
do about it. I am doing what I can with the software and time I have
available.
Regards,
Don Granberry.
Most of the characters in this piece and the setting for it, were
conceived of by Rumiko Takahashi for her Ranma1/2 series of Manga. All
such characters and the setting are the property of Takahashi-san and
her licensees. All other characters in the piece are purely fictional
and any resemblences to actual persons living or dead are purely
coincidental.
Spreading Wings
Part I: The Burning Ring of Fire
Scene 24 thru 26
As it turned out, Soun and Genma got a good deal more interested in
the beer than they did the sushi. After the two of them got good and
misty eyed they started another of their endless rounds of shogi. Nabiki
turned on the television and was greeted by a newscaster.
�...There was as a mild earthquake in Tokyo today measuring
five-point-zero on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in the Nerima
district.�
�Ha! Kasumi was right! She would have taken my money.�
�...Seismologists are puzzled by the trembler because it was so
shallow. Shallow quakes in this region of Japan are most unusual. This
one is especially curious as its characteristics, according to
seismologists at the University of Tokyo, were more like those expected
from the impact of a large meteor. However, no fireballs were reported
having been seen and no craters have been found. Damage was slight and
no casualties have been reported.�
�Well Ranma is still moving around, anyway.�
Click.
�Rrr!�
�Ma ta!�
�Rrrr!�
�In other news today, the Cultural Attache at the Chinese embassy in
Tokyo said in an interview that his government would be announcing a
program of �Cultural Modernization.� China, the attache said, is a very
large country with a very large population and steps must be taken to
ensure that China remains a single great nation going into the
twenty-first century.�
The doorbell rang.
�I�ll get it,� Nabiki said as she got to her feet.
The doorbell rang again. Who the hell can it be? Nabiki wondered. No
one with business at the dojo would ring the doorbell a second time so
quickly. Nabiki opened the door to find her favorite gaijin standing
outside. His eyes got wide. His jaw went slack, then he fainted. His
large body hit the floor with an incredibly loud crash in the quiet of
late evening.
�Oops! I forgot to change!� Nabiki said with a guilty grin.
�Who is it, Nabiki?� Her father called from the living room.
�Biru-san!�
�Is everything all right?�
�He...ah...tripped is all!�
�Well bring him on in! It�s time we had a long visit anyway!�
�Hai!�
�Are you all right, Bill?� Nabiki asked in English.
�I think so. Aren't you required to have a permit to wear a weapon like
that?� Westerlake said, indicating Nabiki�s dress.
�No!" Nabiki said sounding slightly put upon, "I�m twenty-two years old
and I can wear whatever I please.�
�Without being registered as a lethal weapon?�
Nabiki nodded happily.
�Kasumi asked me to drop this off for her,� Westerlake said as he
handed her the bracelet.
�Bless her heart!� Nabiki said in Japanese.
�Beg your pardon?� Westerlake asked in English.
�Oh, nothing,� Nabiki said in English, �My oldest sister is the
sweetest person you will ever meet but she has the worst luck with
jewelry of anyone I know.�
�Oh.�
�Father wants you to come have a beer with him and Mr. Saotome.�
�All right. Let me get these shoes off,� Westerlake said as he sat down
and began tugging at this laces.
�You brought lace up shoes to Japan?�
�Some one made off with my slip-ons at the University.�
�Oh, dear!�
�Oh dear is right!� Westerlake said sounding peeved, �Do you have any
idea how hard it is to shod a gaijin in Japan?�
Nabiki could not help herself and began laughing. Westerlake joined
her.
�Who in Japan would steal a pair of shoes that big?�
�One of my fellow gaijin, of course!�
�Oh!" Nabiki said, putting a hand to her mouth, "I hadn�t thought of
that.�
�I have three pairs on the way but they won�t be here until Monday.�
Nabiki helped him to his feet. Not that Westerlake needed it, she just
wanted to touch his hands. It was a mistake. It started that same kind
of power flow she had felt that day at the front gate. They regarded one
another for a few timeless eternities, unable to speak.
�Nabiki?� Soun called.
�So where�s this beer you were telling me about?� Westerlake asked.
�This way,� Nabiki said. �Dad and Mr. Saotome have something of a head
start on you I�m afraid.�
�Good,� Westerlake said. �Maybe they won�t drink me under the table.�
�Good luck!� Nabiki said. �The two of them can really put it away once
they get started.�
They rounded the corner to find that Soun and Genma had abandoned the
shogi match and were sitting at the table. Genma unfortunately, was
still in his panda form. Westerlake froze.
�Oh, never mind him!� Nabiki said. �I�ll get some hot water.�
�Oy, Biru-san!� Soun said heartily, �What brings you to this neck of
the woods?�
�Ah,� Westerlake said nervously as he eyed the panda, �Kasumi asked me
to drop off her bracelet. Apparently the clasp broke and she was afraid
she would lose it.�
�Well have a seat!�
�Rrr. Rrrr!� The panda growled as it waved at the spot across the table
with its paw.
�Thank you.�
Westerlake sat down still nervously eyeing the panda. Nabiki entered
the room with a steaming kettle and began pouring its contents on the
furry beast, whereupon it immediately transformed itself into Genma
Saotome. Westerlake stared in disbelief.
�So now the first topic of conversation will be Jusenkyo,� Nabiki said
over her shoulder as she returned to the kitchen.
�We�ll need Ranma for that,� Genma said in his gravelly voice.
�He and Akane went out to eat,� Nabiki said, with an imploring look
towards the heavens. Hear that guys? She thought, don�t let them come
back in here anytime soon. She got out a tray and loaded it with two
flasks of sake and three cups.
Genma relishing a fresh audience began telling the tale of Jusenkyo
from it�s very beginning. Soun listened with half an ear while watching
their guest�s reactions. Genma�s sing song delivery in his gravelly
voice lent a great deal of verisimilitude and romance to the story.
�We are out of beer. I hope you don�t mind sake instead,� Nabiki said
as she put down the tray and passed the cups around.
Soun was a bit taken back by this. Ordinarily, Nabiki would have simply
left them to their own devices. She had never as far as he could
remember, ever played at being the domesticated Japanese woman. He
watched as she placed two flasks on the table, one between himself and
the rumbling Saotome and the other between herself and their guest. Soun
felt his eyes grow wide as she filled the gaijin�s cup and set the flask
down.
In an attempt to recover, Soun filled Genma�s cup who then filled
Soun�s cup with the automatic dexterity of long practice, never missing
a beat as he rumbled on about his and his son�s adventures in China.
Westerlake downed the contents of the little cup in one gulp as is
expected of a man taking his first drink of the evening. Nabiki
immediately refilled it. Soun�s jaw went slack.
�...I had no idea of the true dangers of the place, you see. I can�t
speak Chinese all that well and that useless guide didn�t...�
Soun Tendo watched as his daughter refilled Westerlake�s cup for the
third time and then he saw it. His daughter�s aura was completely
intertwined with Westerlake�s. He managed not to blubber but his eyes
did tear up considerably.
�...You can just imagine my surprise when this lovely but furious young
maiden came swarming back up out of the spring. I never expected to see
her, much less have her attack me. She blew right through my guard and
knocked me off the pole. I fell into another spring and well...�
Soun wasn�t really listening anymore, even though he realized that
Genma had gotten the act of telling the story down to a fine art,
embellishing it in all the right places as was proper with such a tale.
He was too fascinated with the fact that his middle daughter, the one
who was so coldly rational, had become a victim of love at first sight.
Who would ever have expected it he thought. Nabiki of all people! And
with a gaijin! He was suddenly struck by how beautiful she was. And how
unbearably sexy she had become. Somehow he could not really begrudge the
gaijin his daughter if they wanted each other. Soun sighed inwardly. It
would be complicated of course, but then again how could it be
otherwise? Nabiki was his daughter after all. Wasn�t Genma ever going to
finish?
---------
Tofu and Kasumi caught a double feature. Neither of them would ever
remember the title of either film. Kasumi because she was so preoccupied
with the future and Tofu, well for being the Tofu that he became with
Kasumi around. They held hands through the first film which was not all
that bad. He was badly distracted but managed to stay pretty much in
control of himself. He lost it during the second moview when she laid
her head on his shoulder. His glasses steamed up. Kasumi did not think
he saw any of it. It did not matter. They were together now and would be
forever. The terrible barrier that had plagued them for so long had
finally begun to dissolve. He managed to stay in his seat through both
features, although they did go through something of a Jerry Louis
routine with a bucket of popcorn.
He was still in his freaked out mode when he and Kasumi walked out the
front door of the theater. This was most unfortunate for one of Nerima�s
newest residents.
�You guys came in here tonight and took five-percent of my gross for
the entire week!� The manager said to the yakuza, �Now you want free
tickets for you and your girlfriend? For a double feature? You are one
major pain in the neck, Buddy!�
�Oh!� Tofu said brightly, �Your neck hurts?�
The yakuza never got the chance to turn around.
�I can fix that...crack!...There see? Doesn�t that feel better?�
The yakuza went down screaming as though he had been shot in the behind
with rock salt.
�Aiiii! It hurts!�
Kasumi grabbed Tofu and steered him away from the theater before he
tried to treat someone else. The yakuza just thrashed around on the
cold, wet concrete in agony. By the time the manager and one of his
ushers could get out to the sidewalk, Kasumi and Tofu were well out of
sight.
�There, there!� The manager said in soothing tones to the whimpering
crook, �We�ll get you to the hospital right away. Everything is going to
be just fine!�
The yakuza just pleaded with his eyes. He was in too much agony to
speak. The manager waved to the usher.
�Get his feet!�
The usher took the yakuza�s feet as the manager took the man�s
shoulders.
�Ready?� The manager asked?
The usher nodded.
�Let�s go!�
They carried the whimpering man down the street until they were
half-way across the bridge over the canal.
�One!�
The gave the hapless yakuza a swing.
�Two!�
Another swing.
�Three!�
This time they let go of the criminal and he sailed over the handrail.
They were rewarded with satisfying splash in the frigid waters beneath
the bridge, followed by a few desperate gurgles.
�Well,� The manager said sounding immensely satisfied as he brushed
palms together, �That�s our good deed for the night. Let�s go wash up!�
---------
A few blocks away, Tofu had begun to regain control of himself. In no
small part because he wanted desperately to have control. He very much
needed to speak coherently with his beloved.
�Kasumi I...�
�Yes, Tofu?�
�I want to speak with your father later this week about...�
�Yes, about?�
�About us but I...�
Kasumi was careful to keep her distance even though she obviously
wanted to wrap her arms around him.
�...I wanted to make sure that it would be agreeable with you, first.�
�What about us, Tofu?�
�Kasumi, will...I mean...would you...marry...�
He got no further. Kasumi through herself into his arms. Curiously, his
glasses did not fog up. Suddenly, his self control was too important to
him. After all, from now on he would be taking care of Kasumi Tendo, the
gentle Princess of Nerima and the fairest maiden in all of Japan.
�I...I...love you, Kasumi-chan.� Tofu Ono shuddered with relief. He had
wanted to say those words to her for at least an eon.
�Just kiss me, you fool!�
So he did. He pulled back from her suddenly with a horrified look on
his face.
�What�s the matter?�
�I didn�t plan to do this.�
Kasumi started to look hurt.
�I haven�t bought a ring!�
Kasumi laughed and buried her face in his shoulder.
�We have plenty of time to worry about that, silly.�
�Oh.�
�Let�s go home,� Kasumi said, �It�s getting colder.�
And indeed it was. The stars overhead in the clear night sky winkled
excitedly at the changes the universe was making behind the front as it
moved south. Life in Nerima would never be the same but then again, life
is an infinite loop. The more things change, the more they remain the
same.