Disclaimer: This story is based on characters from Ranma One
Half and Ah My Goddess, neither of which I own. No gerbils were
harmed in the writing of this fanfic, although a few are still on
medication.
ASHES - A Cinderella Story
Chapter Three
Drawing Closer, Getting Near
Some are young and some are old
Silver threads among the gold
Let us dip and let us groove
And Chapter Three is on the move.
HIROSHI:
I had to admire the poster maker's work. He was an artist, the
poster had certainly cost enough. He had used a picture from a
telephoto camera to create the illusion of a warm, breathing
human being looking out from the surface of the paper.
Lies, of course. I knew for a fact that the girl in the photo
had not been breathing. She had been petrified, in fear of her
life.
Hmmm. So that is what I looked like. Not bad, when I could
squelch the tiny voice of reason that kept chittering inside my
skull. If I applied my years of expertise, I could enjoy this
picture. A little too much ribbon here in front, maybe, but
someone with an airbrush....
Accccck! If I could think this, then someone else was already
doing it! I was being violated by proxy, and I had all my
clothes on!
I stuck out my chin and resolved to keep my humor. I would laugh
at the fools who played with images as if there were any value to
the pixilated pages. I would sneer at anyone who found comfort
in distorting reality in order to support their crippled vanity.
I would probably attempt to kill the first person I saw selling a
picture of a nude Cinderella. Which reminded me. Where was
Nabiki? I had to watch out for her.
But first, protect the poster. The hiding place had to be
perfect. Hainoko had a nose for my stuff. She had stolen CD's,
posters, manga, homework, and even my favorite chewing gum. I
mean, how am I supposed to keep anything when she can just walk
in and take it? Under the floorboard. Superglue the loose
board. There.
HIROSHI:
Someone was trying to knock our door down. Mom didn't answer it,
so she had to be out of the building. Pops was at work. Hainoko
never answered the door. That left me, and I was bushed, beat,
and feeling unaccountably sorry for myself. I had tried to take
a nap after school but someone was trying to knock our door down,
which was leading me in a circle, so I answered the door.
"Hey, have you heard? Primrose is at Ucchan's!" Daisuke had
drawn back his fist and was prepared to pound on our front door
again when I opened it and stuck my head out.
"What in the world is she doing there?" I wondered, rubbing the
sleep from my eyes.
"I don't know, but that's where I'm going!" He had an eager
expression on his face, along with a confidence I had never seen
before.
"Ah, man," I put on a long face and tried to look even tireder
than I was. My heartbeat had tripled and my exhaustion had
vanished, but I did not want to show it. "What's the point?
She'd never notice me! Besides, I have that test to study for.
I can't go."
Meanwhile, I was thinking, [Not as myself. But in my secret
identity.... This situation has _got_ to have a up side.]
"Well, I'm going," Daisuke pouted. "Go ahead. Stay home. Break
up the dynamic duo. You are shaking the very fabric of the
space-time continuum."
"You go ahead," I told him. "I have to cram."
He lingered at the door in what I recognized as the insecurity of
guilt. With a sidelong glance, he said, "You're jealous because
I stole Cinchan from you. I understand. In time you will
forgive me."
"I am not jealous!"
He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead in pure
Kunoesque fashion, "I must go forth into the cold, dark,
treacherous night, knowing that my best friend, whom I have
wronged by stealing his girl, actually thinks I did it
deliberately!"
"Well?" The schnook had not even noticed that he had dropped his
date off less than a block from my apartment. I doubted that he
even remembered picking her up here.
"It was an accident! Honest! It wouldn't happen again in a
million years! She was there, and she was all over me! Trust
me, I was saving you from her! She would have eaten you alive!"
"I don't think I want to even imagine what you mean by that!"
"Someday you will forgive me," he paused at the door to gesture
dramatically. "Farewell. I must go, for Primrose calls me.
(sniff) Another date, another notch...."
"Get outta here before I deck you!" I growled, rolling my hand
into a fist so he could see it. He grinned as if he thought I
was playing around. I was not so certain. Me, jealous? Of
what?
I looked around after he left. No one. The place was deserted.
Softly, so quietly that even I almost could not hear myself, I
whispered, "I want to be a rock star."
-poof-
YES!
It is hard to believe how crowded the streets of Nerima could be
when you don't want to be seen. The moment I left the front door
there were pedestrians, bicyclists, carts, peddlers, housewives,
students, and people who knew me. Fortunately, they did not know
me in my 'rock star' guise. I was covered up with a trenchcoat
and a hood, a combination which diverted attention away from my
ankles and hair, the only items showing. It also covered me up
from myself. I did not really want to see myself in the open.
Yes, Primrose was at Ucchan's. So were half the students from
Furinken, making it impossible to get to the door. I took off
the sweltering hood, trying to see more clearly, but I did not
see Daisuke. I was about to turn away and return home when I ran
into a familiar face.
"Yo, you're new around here, ain'cha?"
"Ulp!" I froze, not wanting to let Ranma get a close look at me.
Not that it would have mattered, but I was having a heart attack
at the moment, and I didn't want him to see.
"Oh, don't pay any attention to him," said his companion, digging
her elbow into Ranma's side. "He has to hit on every pretty girl
he meets. Hi! I'm Akane!"
"I'm...um...I'm...."
"What's with the crowd?" wondered Ranma, "Ukyo must be giving it
away free, tonight."
"Raaanma...."
"What? What'd I say?"
"I think Primrose is here," I said, finally managing to get my
jaw moving. [Who could I say I was? Why didn't I just stay home
the way I said I would? Why did I have to change into a rock
star, or something?]
"Hey, look!" someone shouted, "It's Cinderella! She's here, too!"
"Oh, boy," I groaned.
"Oh, of course! You're Cinderella?" Akane gasped, "Why, I've
heard about you! That's all anyone would talk about at school,
today!"
[Yeah, I know. Talk about embarrassing....]
"Sing us something, Cinderella!"
"Oh, no! I've got to get out of here before they mob me!" It
did not help that I spotted Daisuke at that moment, and he was
fighting his way through the mob to get to me. He was being
hampered by two girls who seemed intent on getting his attention.
"Hey, let's go inside," suggested Ranma. "Can't be any worse
than it is out here!" With that he picked Akane up and jumped to
the roof of the restaurant. He turned to call, "Wait there and
I'll be right back!"
"Don't bother," I said from beside him.
"Wup," he said. Recovering quickly from his surprise he added,
"Nice jump."
"I find I can do all sorts of stuff when I put my mind to it," I
said. [Yeah, nice jump. Twelve feet, straight up? How did I do
that? I saw him go and decided that I wanted out of there, and
whoosh!]
We got in the back door, where the only trouble we had was a
passing alley cat which gave Ranma the shivers. Konatsu led us
through the kitchen to the dining area, where the fans were elbow
to elbow around a corner table. It was easy to guess who was
sitting at that table. Imagine my surprise when the most
beautiful girl in the world, sitting at the corner table, looked
up from the crowd, saw me, and waved me over.
"Hi! Over here! My name is Kidori!" she called, "Is your name
really Cinderella?"
A fan. But not just any fan. Without her stage makeup on, she
looked different, but still beautiful. I nodded, unable to speak
with my heart in my throat. It hurt when it beat so strongly. I
made my way through the throng until I could join her at the
table, leaving Ranma and Akane at the fringes.
Somehow, Konatsu arrived through the crowd and took our order, at
which time I had a terrible thought. I was broke. I had brought
no money, and had no pocket to put it in, anyway. I said so, and
twenty guys immediately offered to pay my tab.
"How could I allow them to do that?" I asked, thinking of the
consequences when some guy tried to collect on his investment.
"Let each guy pay a fraction," said Kidori. "It's simple.
They'll even take up a collection. If you feel guilty, give them
each an autograph signed, 'With my undying gratitude.' They'll
love it. They are so nice! Now, take off your coat and sit
down. Let's enjoy the food!"
"Yeah. Nice," I said. I had seen 'nice' from the other side of
the fence. I always had an agenda when I was generous to a girl.
Then I took off the trenchcoat, and I began to think that maybe I
had made another mistake. The place got deathly quiet and I
remembered why I did not want to look too closely at myself.
"That's...a nice outfit," said Kidori, her eyes widening.
"What there is of it," I agreed, willing the blush out of my
face. I hoped that the blush was not in my cheeks, too. They
were probably showing, as well. I felt a draft. I grabbed a
tablecloth and spread it across my lap for a napkin.
"But it's beautiful!" she gasped, "You are so pretty! I am
jealous!"
"There are disadvantages," I said. [Particularly when you don't
WANT to be called 'pretty'.]
"Oh, I heard you sing, yesterday!" she went on, "It was
breathtaking!"
"It was a lullaby! A simple nursery song. Nothing special!" I
wanted to sink out of sight. How could she sit here in front of
all these people and carry on a conversation as if they were not
there?
"The guys in the band want to record it, if you'll let them pay
you for it."
"They can have it. No problem," I waved off the thought.
Part of me asked, [Where was my brain? How could I pass up
money?], while another part responded, [Profit? And just who
would cash the checks?] The ensuing internal argument kept me
from noticing when the crowd started thinning out. Ukyo and
Konatsu had issued an edict, "Paying guests, seated only."
There are places and times when you have to ask yourself, am I in
heaven or in hell? I was in both. Simultaneously. I was dining
with my most favorite person in the world, but I was not myself.
"I loved your song, really," Kidori bubbled. "It made me feel so
warm and loved, and I wanted to pass it along. Don't you feel
loved when you sing it? I wanted to go right out and have my own
baby. Are you choking?"
"Acccck...no!" I coughed.
"You have such a lovely voice, and I really ought to be jealous,
I suppose Mother would expect me to scratch your eyes out, or
something, but you just make me feel comfortable, as if I had
known you all my life. Would it be a good thing if we could
practice together, sometime?"
"I...ah...yea...uh...I never thought about it." [This was a
little too fast for me. All I wanted was to get close enough to
see her. Now she wants me to sing, too? What if my voice goes
out? What voice?]
"Pleasepleaseplease?" she begged, "Think about it? I have always
had to practice alone - Mother is such a stuffy disciplinarian,
and I had to keep house and clean up after everyone else, and
then I had to go off alone to practice, and I would love to have
someone to sing a duet with. Oh! You are such a good listener!
Here I've been talking your ear off and you haven't been able to
say a word!"
"Oh, that's quite all right! Honest!" I had enough to think
about, without my mouth saying stuff to get me deeper in trouble.
I had assumed that this 'wish' thing would wear off. Now I found
that I was not in such a hurry. She would not have even glanced
my way while I was Hiroshi, but as Cinderella.... Another
thought, [What if she likes me because I am a girl?] I shuddered
in anguish. No. I had to tell her, sooner or later, who I was.
If I could.
"Oh, no! It's getting late! Mother will kill me if I'm not back
in time for my night exercises. Oh, she won't really kill me,
but you know what I mean."
She said goodbye to Ukyo and Konatsu, and Konatsu gave her a hug
and a special goodbye bow. "Thanks for having me over!" Kidori
said to Konatsu, "You are so kind and generous!" Konatsu gave
her another bow and held it until she was gone.
"Sweet kid," Ukyo said, leaning against the counter. "You'd
never know she was so popular."
"Where are her bodyguards?" I wondered.
"She does not like them," Konatsu supplied, cleaning a table that
had become vacant when Kidori stepped out.
"Her mother must be a slave-driver," I said, and Konatsu made a
wry face.
I wrapped my trenchcoat around me after she left, because suddenly
there seemed to be a lot of guys with only me to watch, and it
gave me an odd feeling. I wanted to go over to Ranma and say,
'Hey! I know how you feel, now! You really have it rough, don't
you? Still, you wanna let me-boy date you-girl? (wink-wink)'.
But I didn't do it. At the moment, I would die before I admitted
to anyone what I was doing.
Ukyo prepared to close the restaurant. "Stick around, Sugar,"
she told me, "We can talk. Tell us about yourself."
"Acck!" I looked at the clock and it said that I had ten minutes
left before my disguise vanished. "I can't stay out this late! I
gotta run!" Where had the evening gone?
I stepped out the door.
I thought I had made all my current allotment of mistakes.
Apparently I was wrong. Kidori had vanished like smoke before
the crowd had spotted her, but I was not so fortunate. They saw
me and converged. I heard voices clamoring for my attention,
felt hands tugging at my sleeve, patting my face, roaming over
my....
"Hey, watch it!" I snapped.
"Whatcha think I'm trying to do?" came the reply.
Behind me, Ranma and Ukyo were coming out of Ucchan's to rescue
me, but I was out of time. I had to get out of there in a hurry.
I leaped out of the crowd, somersaulted over one guy and took to
the rooftops until I had left them behind.
Fear that I would relapse back into myself kept me running until
I reached my own doorway, and I was so glad to get back in time
that I was inside the apartment before it hit me that I was still
not me.
So I tried to be cool and casual about it. Walked through the
hall, up the stairs, and into my room as if there was nothing
unusual happening. Maybe no one saw me.
Except Pops. Uh-oh.
And Hainoko. Drat!
Hainoko came into my room - uninvited, of course - lugging the
Cinderella poster I had hidden away so carefully. I remembered
that I was still shape-shifted in time to stop myself from
lunging at her.
"Is that you?" Hainoko demanded, pointing to the blue ribbon
wielding diva pictured on the poster.
"Yeah, that's me," I gruffed. That is, I tried to speak gruffly.
What came out of my mouth was softer, sweeter, and impossibly
perky. [Man, I can't even sound rude in this form!]
Hainoko stared somberly, then, as silently as she had appeared,
she disappeared.
Pops had watched me, bug-eyed, when I first came in and went to
my room. After Hainoko left, the apartment was quiet. I managed
to calm down enough to rest and wait until the change wore off.
It was a close thing - if Pops had stuck his head in the door a
second sooner, he would have seen a radiant complexion and blue
eyes in panic mode staring back at him. As it was, he hesitated,
and the person receiving his lecture was male, sallow, and
inexplicably relieved.
"Don't you have any principles at all?" thundered Pops, "Bringing
a girl into this house and into your room ALONE?" The thunder
trailed off into puzzlement as Pops cast his eyes about the
floor, the futon, the cabinet, the posters on the wall, and the
tiny closet. "She gone already?"
I nodded dumbly, inwardly kicking myself for being so
pre-occupied as to make such a stupid blunder.
"Oh," said Pops, and he sounded disappointed. "She looked like a
hot - seemed like a nice girl. You should think about her
reputation before you do something stupid." He looked about
again before lowering his voice. "Just remember, kid. Don't
forget the protection."
"Heh...." I scratched the back of my neck absently, and my voice
squeaked, "I won't, Pops," as I watched the door slide shut.
[Oh, man! What have I done? Now even Pops thinks I am a
pervert! What woulda happened if Mom had seen me?]
The door slid open again and Mom entered, stage left.
"I saw the girl tiptoeing up to your room. She was so young,
so beautiful, so _in love_. To think such a liaison could be
going on in my own house!" Mom sighed with _deep emotion_.
"Oh, Hiroshi! You are growing up! I am so proud!"
Exit stage left.
"Oh, great," I groaned and collapsed.
A NERIMA PARK:
In a tiny Nerima park, a lone figure sat on a park bench,
admiring the flowers. As he sat, another much shapelier figure
fogged into being and sat beside him.
"I did not expect to see you in person," the man said. "You are
lovelier than I had imagined."
Urd brushed off the compliment. "I came in person because I feel
responsible. I wanted to apologize for the delay in granting
your wish. Ordinarily, we would have dispatched someone
immediately, but...well, there's been a problem with Yygdrasil."
"Ah," the man smiled. "Yygdrasil, the ancient ash tree."
"Yep," Urd said. "The original hierarchical structure.
Someone's trying to break in and I've been busy. Just took a
breather to let you know we haven't forgotten about you."
The man took a pack of cylindrical objects from his pocket and
offered her one. She refused, politely.
"As I recall my mythology," he said, "the tree has always been
under some kind of attack. Snakes in the roots, goats in the
branches. A never-ending battle, with the tree refreshing itself
from your well."
She nodded respectfully, a rare action, but she was not expecting
sagacity. "You know your history," she said.
"Anyone who teaches in any way must know the past."
"True." Urd watched the flowers for a while, then an expression
of pleased surprise broke over her face. "I believe you have just
given me something to think about," she said as she rose, "Please
forgive me for delaying your wish, and for my abrupt departure."
"Oh, do not trouble yourself on my account. I have waited this
long to see her, I can wait awhile longer," he said as he waved
her on. He sat on the park bench for a while, enjoying the warm
breeze after she vanished. Then he, too, left the park.
FURINKEN:
The school room quiet was broken when Ukyo came to class late,
limping, using her battle spatula as a cane.
The instructor sought to bring order back to the furor as he
said, "Class, Miss Kuonji is quite capable of walking to her seat
without your assistance. Please return to your books and go to
page number forty-three."
Ranma leaned toward Ukyo and whispered, "Wha'happen?"
Ukyo directed her face toward him and then rolled her eyes to
look at the teacher, who was watching Ranma's blatant disregard
of class-room discipline with an accelerating tic in his eye.
"Later!" Ukyo hissed, then sat upright with full attention on the
front of the room, as the instructor again prepared to render his
assignment.
Later:
"She got you, too?" Akane asked, brushing a hand across the
purple smudge on her own face.
"Same gal, sounds like," growled Ranma. "She challenged Akane
and Kodachi."
"She didn't say a word, Ranchan. She just hit me. I didn't even
see her, until it was too late. I am more worried about Konatsu.
He left without saying a word after he saw me. I haven't seen
him since."
"Who's next?" wondered Akane.
Ranma merely opened and closed his fists, his knuckles creaking.
"Only attacks girls, eh?" he said.
"Unless she got Konatsu, too," Akane mused. "Ranma, are you
thinking of doing something dumb?"
"Whaddya mean, 'dumb'?"
"You have that look in your eye."
"What look?"
"The one you get when you are going to do something stupid and
maybe get yourself hurt!"
"Since when do you care if _I_ get hurt? I am supposed to get
myself hurt! That's how I learn!"
"Hummph! I couldn't have said it better, myself!"
"Yeah? Well, what plan would you suggest, hah?"
"What kind of plan do _you_ have? Go out as a girl and hope
someone attacks you? I've seen this girl! She's powerful! She even
scared me!" Akane stopped abruptly, put her face in her hands and
moaned, "Oh, no. Now I've done it."
"Aw, what do you know? Stupid tomboy. I don't care if she's
built like an elephant! I can beat her! She's only a girl!"
"Listen to yourself, Ranma. Whoever she is, she could take you
on right now. Your girlside does not have your strength or
reach."
"Ain't no girl so strong that I gotta be scared of her. Except
maybe you, that is."
"What do you mean by _that_?"
Ranma appeared to actually calculate the result of two plus two
and replied, "Uh, nothin'."
"I am _not_ a gorilla!"
"Well...I wasn't going to say that, exactly."
"I don't care what you say! I am _not_ uncute and unsexy!"
Akane's lower lip trembled.
"Heh...one thing ya are, though."
"What is _that_?"
"Loud."
Akane suddenly noticed the circle of interested faces about them
and she turned scarlet. She grabbed Ranma and dragged him back
to class, accompanied by smiles and gentle laughter from
observers.
HAINOKO:
The lie had worked. Even Deirdrum approached almost reverently
to ask her about Cinderella. Deirdre, however, was not about to
let Hainoko bask in the limelight for long.
"You think you are so special," sneered Deirdre. "I told my
mother you could contact Cinderella, and she said you were lying.
Then she said if you really knew her you could give her this
message. It's from the charity where my mother donates time. If
Cinderella replies, then _maybe_ you are telling the truth."
Hainoko folded the paper and hid it in her backpack, aghast. She
was trapped. To make it worse, several other kids gave her
similar notes. She would have to ask Hiroshi to give the
messages to Cinderella. She would have to humble herself and be
_nice_ to him, and he hated her. What if he refused? What if
Cinderella refused? So Cinderella had come to see Hiroshi once.
That did not mean they were great friends. Maybe Hainoko was
reading too much into her visit.
"Still," she sniffed, to herself, "At least she came to _our_
house. She has not gone to visit any one of them!"
CHALLENGES IN A DARK ALLEY:
Daisuke was not speaking to me, or anyone, for that matter. He
complained of seeing me at Ucchan's and I didn't even speak to
him. Or rather, he saw Cinderella and expected her to say
something, since they had such a great time together on their
date. He never got near the door to get inside, there was such a
jam of people outside. He felt snubbed and ashamed of something,
so he holed up in his room while he read his manga. I don't know
what he was so upset about. Several girls were hanging around
his house waiting for him to come out and say hi.
So I went out to spread my own somber mood around. No way I was
going to sit at home and brood, merely because I was stuck with
an alter ego that threatened my manhood.
I sought companionship with someone I figured could identify with
my problem. I was ready to confess all and tell him what had
happened. I never got the chance to discuss it, however. The
person I was seeking was a classy chick at the time, and she was
acting preoccupied, prowling about the streets near the Cat Cafe.
"Hey, Ranma!" I said to the classy chick. "Why are you sneaking
around like that?"
"Shhh!!" she hissed, "I'm trying to catch someone!"
"Who? I don't see anything."
"Listen!"
I stopped and strained my ears, which was a strange feeling, but
the sum total of my hearing was the whir of tires from a passing
bicycle and the distant clatter of a stray dog knocking over a
trash can.
Ranma tilted her head slightly. She must have heard something
because she turned and said, "See ya." Then she left at a dead
run.
I was curious. I followed, as best as I could, which was not
very fast. Before I got so tired that I was gasping my lungs out
I came upon Ranma again, standing in a posture of alertness
outside an alley.
>From within the alleyway I heard a thump, then an angry voice,
"Ayah! You think you fool Shampoo with ugly mask! You will die!"
Then another thump, the rattle of a loose bonbori and a crash,
followed by a groan of pain from Shampoo.
"She's getting killed!" I panted.
"Not if I can help it," Ranma muttered as she stepped away from
the corner and leaped into the alley.
I started after her before I remembered that I was a coward.
Turning back probably saved my life, for instantly a flurry of
pointy things came howling out of the alley, a trash can lid
tumbled out riddled with holes, and something hit something else
very hard and very fast - blows, counterblows, blocks and above
it all the gasps and yells of three girls in mortal combat. I
peeked around the corner at Ranma and someone else, only to have
to duck away from flying splinters. I had to be content to
remain outside and wait until Ranma emerged the victor - or would
that be the victress?
Then I heard a sound that sent chills down my spine.
Several sounds, in fact - a splash, a yowl, and Ranma's voice
saying, "Ca...ca...ca...."
I ran with all my might.
Somebody sped past me like I was standing still, except she did
not duck around the electrical utility poles at the end of the
street. She hit one dead center and knocked herself silly.
I picked up Shampoo and carried her away from the spot,
cautioning her to go back to the Cat Cafe. She wanted to stay
and comfort Ranma, but she finally obeyed, limping stiffly home.
At least when she woke up, Ranma would not be fleeing Shampoo.
The thought had occurred to me that I could probably dump some hot
water on the cat and bring her back to human form, but since she
would be unclothed and not in a very civil mood, logic and self-
preservation dictated that I merely get her out of Ranma's sight.
I never did see who they were fighting, though I saw a darker
portion of the shadows move once, out of the corner of my eye.
Also, I think someone followed us while I helped guide Ranma back
to the Tendo dojo. Ranma in his girl form was small but solid -
I did not get to carry her or even support her, but I was too
scared to try to get a feel anyway. I kept hearing noises, but
nothing more happened and she was too stiff and sore to do more
than stumble into the house and head for a hot bath.
HIROSHI:
The next evening I went to practice with Primrose.
The Primrose Path had found a soundproof warehouse close to
Ucchan's, somehow, and they were using it for their rehearsals.
The band greeted me enthusiastically and introduced themselves -
Porky on the bass, Melba on the sax, Guapo on the drums, and
Percival on the synthesizer. They gave me a round of applause
when I took off the trenchcoat, but then went back to tuning
their instruments and wisecracking back and forth about baseball
and rollerblading.
Heaven. I was definitely in heaven. Kidori and I rehearsed
songs that I know that I did not know that I knew. I heard
nothing different about my voice, but for once no one cringed or
turned the TV louder when I sang. The Primrose girl seemed to
glow with happiness when our voices blended. We danced,
each with our own routine, and I could dance beyond my most
insane hopes.
Before each number, Kidori would go centerstage and do a kind of
dance routine I did not recognize. I asked Guapo and she said
Kidori was practicing a kata, because martial arts forms limbered
her up for the dancing she had to do during a live performance.
She seemed to be somewhat stiff as she moved, however.
When she finished the song which was to be the finale, Kidori
reached into a pocket somewhere and tossed flower petals onto the
bare floor which represented the audience. I asked her where she
hid the flowers, since, like me, she had only the barest
essentials of a costume...although, in all honesty, her costume
had more places to hide stuff than did mine. She would not
divulge her secret.
"I wish I could do something like that," I said, and I snapped
thumb and forefinger.
-poof-
A sparkling blue ribbon appeared in mid-air above the 'audience
floor' and fluttered down.
"How did you do that?" she asked, wide-eyed, while Percival
retrieved the ribbon.
"It's a secret," I replied, smugly.
[I truly did not know. I had my suspicions. But how could I
have a wish answered without Ryoga nearby?]
"Look at this!" called Percival. "It says, 'From Cinderella to
Percival'. Can you beat that? Instant autograph!"
"Who belongs to this oinker?" Porky asked, holding up a
struggling black pig. "If no one claims it, I'm gonna have him
for lunch."
"I think that's Akane's pet," I said. "Hang onto him and I'll
take him back home."
"Never mind. He lit out when I mentioned 'lunch'. Pop out
another ribbon. I want one."
Snapping out the ribbons became easier after a little practice.
Each band member got one, plus a few extra with names I did not
recognize. They assured me that the names were of friends, and
not a ribbon went unclaimed. One final ribbon fluttered down,
and Kidori grabbed it.
"I don't understand," she said with a puzzled frown. "This one
says 'Hiroshi loves Kidori.'"
I almost freaked out. "Throw it away!" I blurted. "I'll try to
make another one!"
"No, I think I'll keep it," she said, folding the ribbon away. A
tiny glimmer appeared in her eyes, and I think I saw something
like loneliness shining through, before she shook herself and
called, "Okay, break time. Let's go get some grub." I checked
the time, and for once the clock was good to me. I still had
over a half hour before I would have to run away from the ball.
While the band opened their bentos, Kidori and I went to Ucchan's.
We went in disguise - that is, we dressed up in boy's clothes,
which felt weird, since mine did not fit me. She borrowed some
clothes from the band - Percival's since he was about the right
height, although the suit was too loose.
I did not explain why I happened to be carrying a pair of pants
and a shirt along - let them wonder. Every time I changed to
Cinderella my clothes had changed, too, but I was wary lest I get
stuck as a boy wearing my blue scanty outfit. Go ahead and
laugh. It has happened to Ranma.
"Oh!" Kidori exclaimed, "You wear boy's clothes so well! You are
so talented!"
"Heh," I blushed. "It's something in the jeans."
Our disguises got us into Ucchan's without mishap, except for a
couple of sharp-eyed urchins who stopped us and demanded
autographs. Primrose smiled graciously and complied, and I found
myself so enraptured by her grace that I signed 'Cinderella,'
without complaining, on the notepads the kids held out to us. It
felt odd, suppressing the twinge of irritation, remembering that
at one time I had actually wanted to be a rock star.
I surprised her at Ucchan's by holding her chair. She hesitated
as she sat, easing into the chair as though in pain. "I helped
move furniture last night," she explained.
[Oh. That would explain the scratches on her arm, as well,]
I thought. Seemed perfectly logical to me. "The katas didn't
help loosen you up?"
"Katas?" Her gaze was blank for a second, then she smiled, "Oh,
you mean the exercises. No. Those are Mother's idea of
relaxation. They really don't seem to ease the stiffness."
"Where's Ukyo or Konatsu? They usually wait on customers by
this time."
"Right here, Sugar," Ukyo limped up to the table. Kidori jerked
about at her voice, knocking the condiment tray off the table,
scattering bottles, shakers and soy sauce all over.
"Oh, I am sorry!" cried Kidori, gazing in horror at Ukyo's
scrapes and bruises, "I am so terribly, terribly sorry!"
"It's all right," said Ukyo tiredly. "No problem. I'll get
another tray."
UCCHAN'S:
At another table, a conference of war was going on - five heads
with but one thought, five hearts with but one ambition:
vengeance.
"Only an uncultured barbarian would waste their strength on
direct blows when a sophisticated twist would be so much more
effective," Kodachi spoke imperiously. She shifted her body into
a more stylish posture, then slumped back in her chair to brood.
"For that reason, I suspected this Akane peasant, because of the
forceful attack the masked girl used."
Akane sat with her eyes fixed straight ahead, though the
countertop she was gripping began to bend. "I thought we weren't
going to get into personalities!" she said, "Or is this more of
the 'revenge of the Kunos'?"
"We all got hit, and hit hard," Ranma said, for once the
arbitrator. "Can ya think of anything that might help us figure
out who it was? I remember seeing someone sneaking about just
seconds before I went into the alley."
"And what about _you_?" Akane asked, "I thought you were above
hitting girls!"
"I didn't exactly hit anyone," Ranma replied stiffly, setting
aside his third okonomyaki, only half-eaten. "I blocked."
"Arien block very good," Shampoo added with a tiny smirk.
"Shampoo have scar to prove it, from first time we fight. Macho
girl want to see?"
"Keep your clothes on, Hot Stuff," Ukyo ordered. "Let's
concentrate on the problem at hand."
"Well, I believe you, Ranma-sama," purred Kodachi.
"Since when do I gotta defend myself?" demanded Ranma. "We got
ourselves a problem!"
Shampoo came up with a question, "Shampoo puzzled. Why mask girl
attack spatula girl without warning, but challenge rest of us?"
Ukyo shook her head. "She never said a word," she said. "I also
remember seeing someone skulking about in the shadows. When I
stepped out the door to investigate, I was hit from another
direction. Then I saw that hideous mask. Afterwards, I found
flower petals scattered about." She propped her chin on her hand
and frowned in reflection.
"What sort of flowers are these?" Akane asked, "I didn't even
notice them until Nabiki pointed them out."
Kodachi fingered the petals disdainfully. "Common field flowers.
I would not even allow them into my yard. The tramp is an
uncultured boor."
Ukyo lifted her head to growl, "All you grow are black roses.
What do you know?"
Kodachi chortled at her ignorance. "I know all about flowers,
Merchant. This is cowslip, an ugly plant which grows wild in the
fields or alongside the road. Another name for it is the
European Primrose."
Ranma's eyes shot wide open. "What did you say?" he yelped.
"Primrose?" Akane answered.
"But she's...." Ukyo began, and five heads turned toward the
table in the corner, where Kidori and Cinko were attacking their
respective dishes, as they liked them.
CHAPTER THREE: END
Comments, please, to jeeades@wanderway.com.
My thanks to prereaders Lyn Daniel and Mike Allen.
James and the Bluejay
http://www.wanderway.com