I don't have the creative energy to make a long winded post about how
much everyone else sucks compared to me, as some would-be authors seem
to think is the thing to do, so pretend I was more offensive than I
already was, or something. Yeah.
Just a quick disclaimer: I've been working upwards of 60 hours a week. It
wears me out, and I'm sorry I haven't been either posting or writing as
much as I used to. I wish I could say that I'd be having more free time
soon, but this month is looking to shape up to be solid 12 hour shifts
seven days a week.
If I don't reply to your comments (hah, assuming you find this
comment-worthy), then now you know why it takes me so long to get back
to you. Right. On with the fic, thanks to Rumiko Takahashi, Ken
Akamatsu, and Tatsuya Egawa for the colors.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and go get blitzed.
(Post the stuff after ths line, Larry. ;)
--------------------------------------
Ranma woke up with the first lights of the rising sun
turning the walls of her room golden, running with a soft amber
glow. She stretched carefully, mindful of the silver-haired girl
cuddled up against her, and muffled a yawn. "Morning, kiddo," she
said sleepily.
The girl scrunched up her face, even in her sleep, and
pressed her face against Ranma's side, mumbling, "Aniki...."
The small amount of annoyance left at having to sleep as a
woman to satisfy Motoko's temper faded, and Ranma sighed, ruffling
Suu's hair gently. "Come on, time to wake up."
"Too early," the girl mumbled. "Motoko-chan sleeps longer."
"None of that, now," Ranma said sternly, sitting up, and
dislodging the sleeping bag she was using in lieu of a blanket.
The cold air struck Suu, and made her shiver, pouting at
Ranma. "Still tired!" she protested.
"Well, you can either go sleep in your own room, or stay
here, but I've got things to take care of -- like finding hot
water."
Sighing, Suu nodded, climbing up off the bedroll, and
stretching. "Morning, Ranma!" she exclaimed, suddenly much more
cheerful.
Ranma shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "You
rest well?"
"Ranma talks in his sleep," Suu assessed, nodding knowingly.
The redhead tensed uncomfortably at that. "What about?" she
asked cautiously.
"Eight treasures," Suu said, frowning. "What's that? Is it
delicious?"
--------------------------------------
Diamonds in the Rough -- Chapter Three -- Call me Master
Disclaimer: Paints in this story are from Takahashi, Viz
(Ranma 1/2), TV Tokyo and Ken Akamatsu (Love Hina), and Tatsuya
Egawa (Goldenboy). The easel is mine. That's all.
Notes: Divergences should become apparent as relevant.
--------------------------------------
"It's about the most distasteful thing I've ever heard of,"
Ranma assured the girl, shuddering.
"Eight treasures? Happosai?" she asked.
Ranma shuddered again, and insisted, "Yes, now, never speak
that name again. It's _bad_ luck."
Suu eyed Ranma, her nearly perpetual smile fading for a
moment. Nodding, she resumed her grin, and scampered to the door,
sliding it open and vanishing.
Ranma raised an eyebrow, seeing Motoko standing in the
hallway, worn and haggard as she stared resolutely forward. "Rest
well?" the redhead asked, smirking.
Motoko growled, "I had to make sure you wouldn't do anything
untoward with Suu."
"Just because I turn into a girl doesn't mean I act like
you," Ranma assured her. "Now go and get some sleep, or something.
I'm going to take a bath."
"That's not fair!" Motoko wailed suddenly. "I'm not _like_
that!"
"Neither am I," Ranma said seriously. "But there's this girl
I know, see, and she runs around with a sword, chasing me all the
time, and she doesn't believe me. So I feel your pain."
Motoko heaved a put-upon sigh, and wandered away, shaking
her head. "Watch yourself, Ranma," she warned. "I wanted to trust
you, but you do not make this easier for me."
Ranma winced, a sudden bolt of guilt shooting up her spine.
The girl had a point, but.... "You want to trust me? So why did you
watch me all night to make sure I wasn't doing anything? You didn't
trust me, then."
"Nor would I, ever," Motoko shot back, pausing before the
corner of the hallway, and looking back at Ranma with a scowl. "With
Suu." She offered the faintest hints of a smile, and stepped around
the hall, vanishing from Ranma's sight.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ranma asked, confused.
***
Shinobu rubbed at her eyes sleepily, blinking at her
reflection in the small mirror near the sink. She was suddenly
stricken with the realization that she didn't know who put it there,
and spent a moment to ponder that, while she readied her toothbrush.
Her eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity, and she had to resist the
urge to giggle at her own reflection as she began brushing.
A soft footstep sounded nearby, and Ranma nodded at her,
producing a toothbrush of his own. Suu had finished brushing her
teeth already, and then run off to chase Tamago across the roof.
Ranma, however, had taken the time to take a bath, as his once-again
male form suggested.
Stiffening, Shinobu managed an awkward bow, and mumbled
around her toothbrush, "Did you rest well, Oe-san?"
Ranma nodded, yawning slightly, and putting some toothpaste
on his toothbrush. "Pretty good," he said after a moment. "I fell
asleep the moment I lay down, so that was nice."
The girl relaxed instantly at hearing that. If he had just
slept, then it wasn't nearly as bad. "Oh, that's good," she said,
holding her toothbrush in her hand. "I was so worried! I thought
that Motoko-chan and... um... nevermind." She blushed, realizing
what a scene she was making, and quickly jammed her toothbrush into
her mouth again, bowing her head.
"Nothing like that," Ranma said insistently. "Me and Suu
just slept, and I was a girl at the time. I'm not like that."
Shinobu looked up at Ranma hesitantly, as he began brushing
his teeth. "Really?" she asked quietly.
"Yeph, reawy," Ranma replied seriously.
The girl couldn't help but giggle at the stern looking man
with his toothbrush still in his mouth.
He raised an eyebrow, then pointed at her and proclaimed,
"Rabid schoolgirl!"
Laughing harder, Shinobu put her hand over her mouth to
avoid spitting at Ranma, and glanced at her reflection in the
mirror. As Ranma's announcement had suggested, her mouth was neatly
ringed with foamy bubbles of toothpaste. Drawing in a breath to
laugh again, she choked on her toothbrush, and sat down heavily,
trying to breathe, as everything faded....
...only to return a half-second later.
"You okay?" Ranma asked cautiously, his toothbrush still in
his mouth.
Shinobu blinked, wondering why she was lying on the floor
again. Something about being near Ranma seemed to prompt that. "I
think so," she said cautiously. "What happened?"
"You choked on your toothbrush," Ranma explained, chuckling.
"Ah... that was my fault, I'm afraid."
"I'm fine," she assured him, climbing unsteadily to her feet
again. Her toothbrush sat on the counter next to the sink, and by
her reflection, Ranma had wiped the toothpaste from her face.
Right," the man mumbled, producing his notebook and pen.
"'Do not laugh and brush teeth at the same time. It can be
dangerous.'"
"Oe-san?" Shinobu asked, unable to resist giggling again
despite the embarrassment. "You need to write that down?"
"It helps," Ranma said in an offhanded manner, rinsing his
mouth out and spitting into the sink. "Aniki used to write down
notes like that, too. One of them was, 'The human head is not meant
to turn one hundred and eighty degrees. I tried it today. It hurt.'"
Shinobu burst into laughter at hearing that, while Ranma
nodded sagaciously. "Is that true, Oe-san?" she asked.
"Yep," Ranma said, smirking. "I also learned the hard way
that the head should not sit at a ninety degree angle to the
shoulders, once. Hmm. Never remembered to write that one down."
He scribbled in his notebook again, and Shinobu laughed,
carefully pushing her toothbrush away from her. "Well, I'll just
remember, 'Be careful about brushing your teeth near Oe-san," she
giggled.
"Could be good advice," Ranma reasoned, smirking. "Hey,
since I'm taking over for Keitaro, and you already had an accident
this morning, how about letting me make breakfast for you?"
"Ah! I can't let you do that!" Shinobu protested. "Oe-san,
you don't need to do that for me!"
"You sure?" Ranma asked cautiously. "You were knocked out
for a few minutes, and you still need to leave in time for school,
don't you?"
"Oh," Shinobu wailed. "I'll never make it! I have to hurry!"
"Then hurry, but let me handle breakfast," Ranma insisted,
marching towards the kitchen quickly.
Shinobu paused her frenzied panic, blinking at Ranma's back
as he strode away. If he took care of breakfast, she'd have easily
enough time, but at the same time.... "Thank you," she whispered
quietly, dashing to her room.
***
Ranma threw himself into the task of cooking, glancing up
from the stove only as Keitaro and Naru wandered into the dining
room, quizzing one another on various topics in the upcoming test.
Both paused at seeing Ranma in Shinobu's normal place, and frowned
in confusion.
"Oe-san?" Keitaro hazarded. "What's going on?"
"Shinobu-chan's running a bit late, Kanrinin," Ranma said,
serving out the rice and miso carefully, and setting bowls of each
before the pair.
"Oooh, that smells good, Shinobu... Oe?" Mitsune asked in
confusion as she poked her head into the dining room. "You can
cook?"
"I worked a summer at a hot-spring resort with Akini," Ranma
said dismissively. "Most days I ended up in the kitchen." He served
Mitsune, then retreated back into the kitchen to prepare more place-
settings. "A few days I had to serve everyone in the main hall."
"Oh, so you know how to be a cook and a waitress?" Mitsune
teased, sampling her miso.
"Yep," Ranma answered absently. "Didn't care much for the
drunken old men, and the management didn't care much for bruised and
angry customers, so they made me clean out the hot springs from then
on. I liked that a little better."
Mitsune blinked in surprise. "Oh," she said quietly. "I
thought you were kidding."
"Nope," Ranma said, setting out bowls for Motoko and Suu as
they entered, Suu dancing circles around the weary kendoka. "But
I've worked in restaurants before, mostly just not ones that served
alcohol."
"I bet you look really cute dressed up as a waitress,"
Mitsune mused, causing Keitaro and Naru to wince in tandem.
"I guess," Ranma mumbled. "Aniki's got pictures. If I were
staying longer, I'd get the album from him, but--" Ranma broke off,
staring at the wall facing the interior of the inn, and blinking in
confusion.
"But?" Mitsune prompted.
Ranma remained silent, eyes growing large with shock, and
prompting even Motoko to rouse herself to study him in concern. A
low, nearly inaudible scream echoed, growing louder with each
passing second, until Shinobu nearly flew into the dining room,
wailing, and latched onto Motoko. "Waaaaaaaah!" she cried out,
causing everyone else to wince at the volume.
"What's going on?" Motoko asked, climbing to her feet and
putting an arm about the girl protectively, shooting Ranma a
scathing glare.
"Someone's stolen all my panties!" Shinobu wailed. "I can't
find any of them!"
Ranma shuddered, making a face. "This _can't_ be happening,"
he murmured. "Suu, did you say that name I told you not to say?"
"Which name?" Suu asked curiously, pulling up the hem of her
skirt to look. "I said it, but my panties are still here!"
Ranma slapped himself on the forehead, gritting his teeth.
"Perfect," he mumbled. "Aniki never said the days would get _this_
bad."
"What do you know about this?" Naru demanded suddenly,
standing up, and slapping her palms against the table. "Are you
responsible for Shinobu's missing panties?"
"No!" Ranma protested. "Well. Maybe. Wait! No, the only
thing I ever did was let the old pervert live!"
"Which old pervert?" Naru asked skeptically.
"Uh... it's not important," Ranma assured her, glancing over
his shoulder worriedly. "Kanrinin, you and Narusegawa-san need to
hurry up to get to your test. I can handle the old man."
"What old man?" Keitaro asked, frowning in confusion.
"I'd rather not say," Ranma said evasively. "But, uh, look
at the time, you know?"
Keitaro took a deep breath, and climbed to his feet,
instantly the center of attention, dropping one hand onto Naru's
shoulder. "I think Oe-san is right, Naru -- we need to hurry up to
make it to the test on time. I asked Oe-san to take care of the
Hinata-Sou while I was gone for today, and I trust Oe-san. Everyone
else, if you need help, ask Oe-san. He's going to need to talk to
the contractors later today."
"Don't be so personal with me!" Naru snapped, looking at
Keitaro with annoyance. "And get your hand off my shoulder."
Keitaro leapt back as though burnt, and reflexively
whimpered, "Not indoors!"
Everyone took a moment to blink in surprise, before Naru
shook her head. "Anyway, you're right, Keitaro, we need to hurry up
and get outside."
Cringing, Keitaro dropped his head. "Must go outside," he
whimpered. "Okay, everyone, see you later."
With that, the pair strode down the hallway, and out of
sight.
"Oe, I want answers," Motoko grumbled. "What's going on
here?"
"I think we should take this outside, too," Ranma said
quietly. "I don't know how much time we have before the contractors
get here."
"What?" Motoko asked, one arm tightening about Shinobu, and
the other dropping to her sword.
Shinobu, realizing where she was, began to whimper, "Help!
Save me, Oe-san! Motoko, I'm not like you!"
Motoko released the girl, scowling. "It's not like that! I'm
trying to save you from the perversions of men!"
"That only makes it sound worse!" Shinobu protested, running
to hide behind Mitsune.
"You think I can help you?" Mitsune asked, surprised.
"No, you're just less perverted than everyone else!"
"Uh... let's try and tone down how often we say that word,"
Ranma suggested. "And I'm going outside. I'll handle this."
With that, the man shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably, one
hand going to his headband before he stepped out the door.
Everyone else exchanged a few nervous glances, then
followed.
***
Ranma marched across the lawn area behind the inn, glaring
towards the trees. Shinobu had realized that the man had a quick
temper that seemed to come and go -- mostly around Motoko -- but she
couldn't fathom what had brought up the man's ire this time.
Certainly, not why he would be angry about missing panties.
Whatever his anger was at, he stood in the center of the
lawn, fists trembling at his sides. "Where are you?" he yelled out
towards no one in particular.
Motoko crossed her arms over her chest, and narrowed her
eyes suspiciously. "I sense something," she murmured. "Something
ominous."
Mitsune and Suu stood nearby, the younger girl staring with
wide-eyed interest and a curious grin, Mitsune with slightly more
concern. "Well, what's all this about?" Mitsune asked after a
moment, when no one answered Ranma.
"I-" Ranma snapped out, cutting himself off suddenly. He
raised his hands, glowering, and stared at them closely. "I'm not
sure," he said in a slightly subdued tone. "I... maybe I'm
overreacting, is all."
"Overreacting?" Shinobu asked, blinking in surprise. "Why
are you so worried about... about... about what's missing?"
"Not what's missing," Ranma clarified, "but who _took_ it."
"Something wicked approaches," Motoko intoned, drawing her
sword, and standing before Shinobu and Suu protectively. "Is this
some fell minion that followed you, Oe?"
"He shouldn't have been able to follow me, though!" Ranma
protested, taking up a fighting stance.
"Who?" Motoko asked, shooting a sidelong glance at the man.
"Him," Ranma stated flatly, as a form of shadow leapt from
the trees.
A dark, rounded blur like a massive troll or ogre, gigantic
upper body supported on a set of tiny legs, moving so quickly that
Shinobu almost couldn't see it at all flashed towards her. "Aaaah!"
she wailed, covering her head with her arms and cowering.
The sound of Motoko's sword cleaving through the air echoed
through the silence, along with the soft rustle of cloth and the
muted noise of footsteps staggering to a halt. Recovering some of
her courage, Shinobu peeked through her fingers, afraid of what she
was going to see. The troll stood a short distance away, but she
could see clearly that it wasn't a large creature at all -- it was a
rather tiny one, with a massive sack slung across its back.
Motoko held her sword in a ready position, her knees shaking
slightly, and her eyes wide with shock. Ranma crouched before her,
one hand on the earth, the other held parallel to the ground at his
side. "Oe," Motoko said softly, taking a staggering step backwards.
"What... what have you done?"
Ranma growled, reaching into his shirt, pulling out a frilly
black lace bra, and throwing it to the ground. "Saving you a lot of
trouble," he spat. "Now stay out of the way, little girl. This is
_my_ fight."
Motoko's grip on her sword wavered, and she took another
halting step backwards before she steeled her resolve. "I will not
stand down until you tell me what is going on here, Oe," she
insisted.
"Oe?" the troll asked, surprised. "Ranma, have you changed
your name?"
Straightening up, Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "What
difference would that make?" he asked. "I don't know why you're
here, Happosai, but I don't want you to stay."
"Ranma!" the creature exclaimed, batting suddenly large,
innocent eyes at the man. "You wound your old master!"
"You are not my master," Ranma countered, shaking his head
tersely. "You never gave me anything, just like everyone else in--"
He caught himself, and shivered slightly. "You're from a part of my
life that's over, old man," he said flatly.
"Oh, that's not true," the troll chuckled, setting down his
sack and grinning widely. "I can see that you still use Anything
Goes just by looking at you. As long as you use that school, you
will always be my heir."
"Oe!" Motoko snapped. "You've trained beneath this beast?"
"Beast?" Happosai asked. "How cruel! But you're a feisty
little thing, aren't you?" The old man -- if he was a man -- looked
at Ranma slyly. "Almost reminds you of Akane, doesn't she?"
Ranma trembled with barely suppressed rage, his face a mask
of anger focused enough to make whatever temper he'd had against
Motoko the prior day look as though it were nothing.
Shinobu took a step backwards herself, colliding with
Mitsune, who reflexively dropped a hand to the girl's shoulder to
steady her. "Well, now," Mitsune mused, frowning softly. "This is
more than I bargained for when I mentioned excitement!"
"I wonder what their relationship is," Suu mused quietly,
one finger placed between her lips as she studied the two. "Is a
Happosai stronger than a Ranma?"
Ranma glanced at Suu, his expression softening. Standing up
straight, he shifted his combat stance, turning to face the old man.
"Maybe I use Anything Goes, and maybe I don't," he said evasively.
"And even if I do, I'm not your heir. Never will be again, old man."
"Sounds like a challenge, Ranma m'boy!" the man cackled.
"Your father Genma may be the master of the Saotome school of
Anything Goes, as Soun is the master of the Tendo school of Anything
Goes, but I am the grandmaster. If you don't have their permission,
then you have to have mine to practice." He rubbed his hands
together slowly, grinning from ear-to-ear. "So that means if you
can't beat me, you have to beg my students for permission."
"I don't need your permission for anything," Ranma growled.
"I can do whatever I want, and I'm not training anyone in Anything
Goes." Ranma's expression gave way to a rather unkind grin.
"Whatever there was of the Art that was pure in Anything Goes has
been refined into the Oe Ronin-ryu."
"So you think that you can steal some of Anything Goes to
create a higher art?" Happosai asked, one eyebrow flicking upward in
surprise.
Motoko grimaced distastefully, and turned to regard Ranma
the way she would look at something unclean. "Is that your art?" she
asked. "Theft?"
Ranma glanced at Motoko, and his expression shifted -- for
just a heartbeat, Shinobu knew, but long enough for her to see -- to
hurt and betrayal before it melded back into anger. "Stuff it, old
man!" Ranma yelled, turning back to the wizened creature. "Fine.
I'll accept your challenge. When I win, you leave me alone, forever.
Deal?"
Happosai chuckled again, pulling a pipe from his gi, and
puffing on it idly. "Interesting, interesting," he mused, blowing a
pair of smoke rings. "And if I win, you either give up Anything
Goes, or train under me like your father did."
"I don't plan on losing," Ranma said levelly. "So let's get
this over with."
The old man barked a short laugh, and said, "Your choice, my
heir! Happo-dai-karin!" Bouncing towards Ranma, the creature pulled
an object about the size and shape of a tennis ball from his pocket,
and flung it at Ranma.
The man leapt backwards, his arms crossed before his face.
In slow motion, his braid seemed to leap across his shoulder,
trailing in front of him as he flew backwards, then, as Happosai's
projectile struck the earth and detonated, the braid flipped over
Ranma's shoulder and fluttered behind him. His hair only came to
rest when Ranma landed on the far side of the lawn on both knees and
one hand, wincing. Happosai landed on the lawn, and chuckled for a
moment, before producing three more of the spheres from his gi.
Ranma surged to his feet, clapping his hands together, then
tearing them apart with a shout of, "Mouko Takabisha!" As his hands
separated, strands of energy and light began to swarm across them,
like bolts of lightning that quickly grew in size and number, then
leapt into the space between his palms, forming a flashing sphere of
golden-white light, shot through with streaks of red and black. The
ball hovered for a half-second, then shot directly at Happosai with
blinding speed, streaking across the yard.
The old man leapt upward, narrowly dodging the ball of
force, which shot past him and slammed into the bundle that Happosai
had left on the ground. There was a quiet, muffled explosion, and
the bag detonated, scattering burning panties and bras across the
battlefield. "My... my... my pretties!" Happosai shrieked in horror.
"Yours?" Mitsune asked under her breath. "I think those are
_ours_!"
"None of mine!" Suu said cheerfully, until one of the
garments suddenly exploded with enough force to knock Shinobu and
Mitsune to their feet. "Well, maybe one," she allowed, shrugging.
Happosai stared at Ranma disconsolately, with large, sad
eyes. "Ranma!" he sputtered. "You've destroyed my pretties! How
_could_ you?"
"I was aiming for your head!" Ranma snapped.
"Why, you little..." Happosai muttered. "Take this! Happo-
dai-karin!" Barely giving Ranma enough time to react, the old man
lobbed a trio of his explosives, one towards Ranma, one towards the
inn, and one towards the girls.
Motoko didn't flinch, slicing the grenade in two before it
struck, the pieces rolling to land near Suu. Ranma dived immediately
towards the inn, landing on his hands, somersaulting, and snapping a
kick upwards towards the third projectile, launching it into the air
where it burst harmlessly. Climbing to his feet, Ranma growled at
Happosai, who bounced over to stand between Ranma and the others.
"Care to take another shot at me?" the old man asked, smiling. "I'm
suddenly reminded of something that happened a few years ago in
Nerima...."
Ranma raised his hands, the sparkling bolts of power that
preceded the Mouko Takabisha shining for a moment before he growled,
low in his throat, and released it. "Leave them out of this, old
man!"
"It's 'Anything Goes', Ranma!" the old man mocked. "Are you
going to show me your higher art?"
Ranma surged towards Happosai again, speeding towards the
aged man. Happosai hopped backwards, deflecting strikes and blows
from the larger man with his pipe, offering only an exaggerated yawn
at the effort required. "You've gotten sloppy," he chastised. "Now
I'm not sure I even _want_ you to be my heir."
"Shut up!" Ranma roared, throwing as much strength as he
could into a spin-kick at the man's head. Happosai twirled his pipe
absently, and Ranma was launched upwards with a forceful sounding
'crack'. The man tumbled through the air, slamming into the Earth in
front of Mitsune and Shinobu hard enough to leave an indentation.
"Uhhng..." Ranma moaned, trying to pull himself up out of the
crater.
"Do you not have enough strength to clean up your own
messes?" Motoko asked angrily, her sword directed at the old man. "I
am disappointed in you, Oe!"
"Leave... me alone," Ranma mumbled, still unable to rise.
"Oe-san?" Shinobu asked hesitantly. "You can beat him,
right?"
Ranma paused his struggles for a heartbeat, and lay still,
simply breathing. The old man began to walk over slowly, and Ranma
unsteadily reclaimed his feet, glowering. "I'd better," he mumbled,
easing himself into a defensive stance, obviously in pain as he did
so. "And you should back off a bit."
Shinobu quickly did as he suggested, followed only a second
later by Mitsune and Suu. Motoko held her ground, narrowing her eyes
in suspicion. "I expect an answer for this, Oe," Motoko warned.
"Stay out of this!" Ranma yelled at her. "Leave me alone, I-
-"
His moment of distraction was more than opening enough for
Happosai, who darted across the intervening distance to throw Ranma
upwards again, coming to the ground heavily before the short shrubs
and low fence that separated the back yard from the baths. "Heehee!"
the old man chuckled, whirling his pipe across his fingers idly.
"And you used to think that _I_ was easily distracted by a pretty
face!"
"Stuff it," Ranma advised, spitting out a mouthful of turf,
and staggering to a kneeling position. "I betcha can't hit me like
that again."
"Sounds like a plan!" Happosai said cheerfully, moving far
too quickly for the other man to stop, and sending Ranma hurtling
through the air again. Ranma vanished over the fence, but this time,
there was no resounding thud from his impact against the ground.
Happosai blinked, frowning in surprise. "What's this?" he asked
quietly, glancing around in consternation.
Ranma reappeared, bouncing over the fence, female this time.
Her red hair fluttered behind her, a stray fleck of blood from a cut
on her cheek drifting past it. The long bandana that Ranma
habitually wore came loose, and the shock of her bangs came free,
hair hanging before her eyes like an ominous curtain. "This is me
kickin' yer ass!" Ranma yelled, driving towards the ground foot-
first.
The old man barely had enough time to slip out of the way as
Ranma slammed into the ground, leaving behind an impact crater
nearly half a meter across. "Hotcha!" he said, laughing. "Ranma-
chan, you're coming back?"
"Oh!" Ranma exclaimed, collapsing to the ground and
clutching the ankle she had landed on. "Damn it!"
Happosai paused, then smirked. "Serves you right for
destroying my haul," he observed sagely. "Now maybe if you behave,
I'll be a forgiving master!" He leapt for the man-turned-woman, as
she clutched her wounded leg, only to make a distressed sound as the
'wounded' limb shot out, snapping into his chin and flipping him in
the air.
Ranma launched herself off the ground, a wild -- but
powerful -- strike slamming the aged man to the lawn, and a number
of follow-up blows raining down on him while he lay prone. "Moron!"
Ranma chastised. "You fell for the oldest trick in the book!"
"Urk," Happosai uttered, struggling away, then running from
Ranma. The redhead didn't follow, one hand going to her side, as she
winced. "You got me once," he said, flatly. "But the match isn't
over."
"You sure about that?" Ranma asked, grinning. "You know I'm
going to win, old man."
Happosai opened his mouth to say something, then frowned,
and crossed his arms over his chest. "No," he said, shaking his
head. "You're not. You don't have what it takes to be a master of
Anything Goes, Ranma. You've lost this match."
Ranma gaped in surprise, collapsing to one knee. "What the
hell are you talkin' about?"
"We'll fight again," Happosai advised, smiling softly. "At
sunset tomorrow, I'll return. Then we'll really fight. Until then,
my heir, that was a fair warm-up. But next time, I want you to show
me the true Oe Ronin-ryu." Done with his speech, and cackling
loudly, the old man bounced away, vanishing into the trees, though
his laughter echoed for far longer.
"Oe..." Motoko said softly. "I don't understand what has
happened here, and I mean to. Speak to me."
Ranma said nothing, merely bowing her head slightly. With
her hair unbound by the bandana, her eyes were masked, though
Shinobu flinched at the single trail of wetness that she saw
crossing Ranma's cheek.
"Oe...san?" Motoko ventured again, sheathing her sword.
"Nothing," Ranma rasped, straightening up and not meeting
her gaze. "Nothing I want to talk about."
"Best leave the girl alone," Haruka advised, emerging from
the side-path behind the baths. "Anyway, where's Keitaro? There's a
bunch of contractors here to talk to him about the repairs to the
inn."
"Oh, right," Ranma mumbled, rubbing at her face with her
palms for a moment, then shaking out her damp T-shirt to try and
remove some of the form-fitting qualities it had assumed when she
stood still. "I have to talk to them. Thank you, Haruka-san."
"Hmm," Haruka mused, watching Ranma disappear down the path
she had arrived on herself. "Keitaro's foisting the responsibilities
of running the inn off on a new tenant already. I might need to have
a word with him about that."
"Oh!" Shinobu exclaimed, finally clearing her head of the
daze-inducing shock that had settled over her. "Um, Haruka-san,
Urashima-sempai had to take a test, and asked Oe-san to take care of
the inn for him for the day, since Oe-san can't take the test yet."
Haruka raised an eyebrow at that, taking a drag from her
cigarette. "If he trusts Oe, I suppose," she allowed. "If he can
hold his own against Happosai, he must have enough ability to at
least run an inn."
"Happosai?" Motoko asked, her eyes widening. "You know him?"
Haruka blinked in surprise, then looked away, touching the
side of her head with a finger. "Um, say, don't you girls need to
hurry off to school?"
Motoko yelped in surprise, and ran towards the inn, full
tilt. "I mustn't allow Oe to make me late!" she protested.
Shinobu only took a moment to follow, her arms agitated
blurs as she wailed, "I have nothing to wear!"
Suu cocked her head to one side, glancing between Mitsune
and Haruka speculatively, then shrugging and skipping into the inn.
Mitsune broke the silence, asking, "Now, what's that all about?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all," Haruka said flatly.
"Well, if nothing's up, then I was wondering if you could
loan me some money," Mitsune began, smiling softly. "Some little
troll and a really handsome guy conspired to steal my underwear and
then blow it all up...."
Haruka reached into a pocket, and slapped a short stack of
large bills into Mitsune's waiting hands. "Let us never speak of
this again," the older woman said tersely.
"Works for me," Mitsune said softly, counting through the
bills.
***
With the inn behind her, Naru stood on the already crowded
bus, one hand on the rail before her. Keitaro stood behind her,
mumbling about something from his notebook to himself. She couldn't
help but shake a certain feeling of apprehension; that something bad
was going to happen.
Turning around as much as the crowded bus would allow, she
asked, "Keitaro?"
He looked up sharply, folding his book against his chest as
the bus lurched to a halt at the next stop. "Yes?" he answered,
blinking in surprise at her.
Naru bit her lip, reconsidering, then asked, "How do you
think you're going to do this time?"
The man brightened instantly, eyes shining with hope. "I
think I'm going to make it. This time, for sure! How about you,
Narusegawa?"
"I'm sure I'll make it this time," she answered evasively,
turning away and staring at her feet. "I won't fail again."
"That's the spirit!" Keitaro encouraged her, bumping into
her gently as the bus ground to a halt at an intersection.
She reflexively raised a fist, ready to strike him, but when
she turned around, he wasn't paying attention to her at all, instead
trying to steady himself with one hand, and still read his notes.
Sighing, she dismissed the urge to hit Keitaro, and studied him for
a moment.
He'd been trying for years, to get into Toudai. Would he
make it this year? Would she, for that matter? Her scores on
practice tests were flawless, but the last time she had taken an
actual test... she had failed. The idea began to form in the back of
her head that she might not make it again this year, either. She
wasn't certain if she could handle that.
Last year she'd had the dubious reassurance that Keitaro,
for all of his attempts, also failed. But what if he made it, this
year, and she were left alone, trying to get in? Initially she had
respected Keitaro, when she thought he had already made it, but she
didn't like his attitude when he was maintaining that facade. Would
it return if he made it in without her?
Maybe that was what was bothering her. That he would make it
in and leave her behind. But... why would that bother her? "Stupid,"
she mumbled, prompting Keitaro to blink and look up at her in
confusion.
"What?"
Before she could explain, the bus gave another of its sudden
lurches, and she found herself falling into Keitaro. He caught her
with one hand, braced against her chest, and she grit her teeth,
shoving him away. His grip failed, and he stumbled back into a pair
of salarymen, while she righted herself. The men in suits shot
Keitaro several dark looks as he managed to pull himself upright,
apologizing to them profusely.
"This is our stop," Naru said with slightly more confidence,
when the bus began to slow again. "Are you okay?"
"Um, fine, I guess," he said, frowning. "Do you really think
I'm going to fail?"
"What are you talking about?" she asked, edging towards the
exit as the bus came to a stop.
"You said I was stupid!" Keitaro protested, struggling out
the door after Naru. "What was that all about?"
"Not so loud!" Naru protested, glancing around. Few people
were paying any attention to them. "It was... it wasn't you," she
mumbled, shaking her head.
"So I'm not stupid?" Keitaro asked, brightening. "You think
I'm going to make it?"
"Y... yes," Naru said hesitantly. "I think you will." Her
hopes weren't so high for herself, but she wasn't about to tell him
that.
"Narusegawa! You finally have faith in me! I'll do my best
for you!"
"Not so loud!"
***
The foreman for the construction seemed familiar to Ranma,
somehow, but she couldn't quite place her finger on _why_ he seemed
to familiar to her. "Hello," she said, bowing, and trying to dismiss
her temper. "Sorry about making you wait, and thank you for helping
us on such short notice."
"Not a problem," the foreman said confidently. He was a
large, burly man, more muscular and a good deal taller than Ranma in
her male form. He and his crew -- another dozen men dressed
identically in beige tank-tops, heavy gloves, and sturdy looking
jeans -- stared about speculatively. "So, where do we begin? Hajime
didn't tell us all the details."
"I imagine not," Ranma sighed, shaking her head. "I have
everything written down. I've got all the details for what needs to
be done -- are you going to start working today?"
"It's early enough," the man reasoned. "We'll whip up a
quick plan and move in some equipment -- the real work won't begin
tomorrow, and we'll probably start with the plumbing."
"That makes sense," Ranma mumbled, pulling her notebook from
behind her, and consulting what information Keitaro had given her.
She rattled of the directions quickly, leading the men into the
house and showing them the ruined bath, then various other damaged
areas -- the hole in the wall shaped vaguely like Keitaro, a cracked
beam in the ceiling of Motoko's room, and the like.
The foreman nodded studiously, his men already hauling their
equipment up to the grassy area behind the house. "Any questions?"
Ranma asked, once the pair had climbed to the roof to study the
loose shingles and various other areas of damage.
"Just one or two," the man said, stooping down to tug at a
shingle experimentally. It came up in his hands easily, and he
frowned at it. "Well, uh, the first one is: how long were you told
that this all would take?"
"Um... two weeks, they said, maybe a week extra," Ranma
said, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "You think it'll take
longer?"
"Yeah, well, my guys are good, and we're getting a new guy
on Wednesday, but I don't think we're good enough to finish this
place in two weeks." He rubbed at his chin for a moment, then shook
his head. "Anyway, my other question is, who are you? Paperwork said
we'd be working for some guy named Urashima Keitaro."
"Uh, my name is Oe," Ranma said, frowning. "Is it
important?"
"Oe?" the man asked, surprised. "Oh! The new guy we hired is
named Oe, too! His name is Ranma -- are you related to him at all?"
"Uh, he's my brother," Ranma hedged. "Um, I'm Ranko."
"Nice to meet you, Ranko-chan," he said pleasantly. "You're
twins, right?"
"Yeah," Ranma said slowly. "Um. So, I don't want to get in
your way, or anything, but if you need any more info, just ask
around. I think Mitsune's here, too, but you don't need to bother
her for anything."
"Well, I did have that other question for you," the man
protested, as Ranma backed towards the edge of the roof.
"What's that?"
"Well, you seem nice, and I'm already working with your
brother -- why don't you let me take you to lunch so we can get to
know each other better?" The foreman stepped closer to her -- not
threatening, but protectively.
Because Ranma was right next to the edge of the roof, she
realized. What she needed wasn't a protective and burly foreman, but
a way _out_. "Uh, I don't really think that would be a good idea. I
mean, I don't even know your name!"
"I'm Suzuki Taiso," he said, bowing slightly. "So, how about
it?"
"Um, well," Ranma hedged, looking around frantically, "I'd
love, but, um... you see...."
"But?" the man asked, crossing his arms over his chest and
raising an eyebrow.
"But...."
"Oe? Where are you?" a voice called out from behind Taiso.
Trying to keep her relief from being too obvious, Ranma took a few
steps to the side, surprised to see Mitsune there, grinning widely.
"Um, I'm right here, Kitsune," she said, waving, as though
there were other people on the roof she could have been confused
with.
"Oh, great!" Mitsune cheered, clapping her hands together.
"I was wondering if you could help me go shopping today."
"Er... well, I would, but--"
"Oh, if you've got other plans, Oe-chan, I won't get in the
way," Mitsune drawled.
Taiso turned to look at Mitsune, scratching his head
curiously. "Well, that doesn't seem like a problem to me," he said,
shrugging. "You can go shopping some other time, right?"
"Um... I promised, didn't I, Kitsune? I mean, we were going
to go shopping and then visit my brother," Ranma objected swiftly.
"Yeah, that's right," Mitsune said, crossing her arms
beneath her chest and nodding. Leaning slightly closer to Taiso, as
though she were confiding in the man, she added, "Her brother's a
martial artist -- really strong, and very protective of his sister.
I also think there's something going on between her and the manager
of the inn, anyway, but she's really shy about it."
Ranma's eyebrow ticked at that, but it saved her trying to
explain his curse to the man, which she really didn't want to do.
She wasn't positive, but suspected that they might not be happy with
the idea, or would more likely see Ranma as the curse rather than
the person she really was. "Yeah, that's right! Let's go shopping
and meet with my brother, Kitsune-chan!" she cheered. "I have to go
out for tea with the manager this evening."
"I hope your brother can take us to lunch," Mitsune
commented quietly, while Ranma scurried towards her, avoiding Taiso.
"Why's that?" Ranma asked, suspecting he knew the answer.
"He seems like the kind of guy I'd like to get to know a
little better," she said, putting an arm over Ranma's shoulders.
"Lucky him," Ranma managed, hiding a sigh. "Well, sorry
Suzuki-san, I have to go now."
***
Male again, Ranma stalked down the street, carrying
Mitsune's shopping bags over one shoulder. His appearance seemed to
attract a fair number of glances, while Mitsune strode happily ahead
of him, nearly skipping. When they reached a crosswalk, she stopped,
waiting for the light, and turned to face him. "Thanks," she said
after a moment.
"Thank you, I guess," Ranma grudgingly allowed. "I really
hate it when guys hit on me like that."
"How do you normally deal with it?"
Ranma looked evasive, glancing away. "Um, just, kinda, hit
them a little," he mumbled. "I'm not like that."
The woman snickered, shaking her head. "You know, there's a
lot about you I don't know, but I'd really like to."
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked, cocking his head to one
side. "You're not just playing games with my head, are you?"
"You wound me," she quipped, her smile widening slightly at
his wince. "But, I would like to know what all of _that_ was about."
"I don't like to talk about it," Ranma complained. "I mean,
I _really_ don't like to talk about it."
"I've heard," Mitsune mused, tapping her lower lip with one
finger. "Okay, how about a bet, then?"
"What kind of bet?" Ranma asked suspiciously.
"Let's go have lunch. I'll guess your story. If I get it
right, you pay for it."
"And if you don't get it right?"
"Then you tell me, and I pay for lunch."
"I have a better idea," Ranma posed. "See, I don't like to
talk about the past, because it's, well, in the past. But I do owe
you for helping me out with Taiso, so I'll buy you lunch someplace."
"Free lunch, or answers, free lunch, or answers?" Mitsune
mused, cocking her head to one side, then smiling slyly. "Free lunch
with a really _cute_ guy."
Ranma snorted, rolling his eyes, then pointed to a nearby
restaurant. "Hey -- do you like okonomiyaki?"
"Is that all you're offering me?" Mitsune asked, pouting
slightly, and leaning towards Ranma as though to inspect his value.
"I'm trying to save up and get into college," he said
defensively. "Look, I'll even cook for you. Sound fair?"
"Well... okay," she allowed after a moment, straightening
up. "Lead the way, my darling Ranma-sama!"
"Don't call me that," Ranma said reflexively, marching into
the shop, and nodding at a waitress. In short order, the pair were
seated near the window, with a good view out onto the city. Bright
sunlight flooded the street below, shiny cars dimmed by tinted
windows, and the tree-lined hill that Hinata-Sou sat in pitched in
the difference. Mitsune said nothing immediately after Ranma's
admonishment, and he spent a long minute simply staring out at the
view. The restaurant they were in sat atop a hill, and he could see
more streets and buildings laid out below, before the slope
reversed, leading up to the inn.
"It's a nice view," Mitsune said, finally breaking Ranma's
reverie, a hint of disappointment entering her voice.
"Yeah," Ranma mumbled, turning back to face her and shaking
his head. "Um. Sorry. I'm not real sociable all the time. I'm just a
bit on edge from... Happosai."
Mitsune rested her elbows on the wooden lip surrounding the
grill in the center of the table, and raised an eyebrow. "Want to
talk about it?" she asked, lacing her fingers together and resting
her chin atop them.
He wrestled internally for a long minute. He wanted nothing
more than to speak about it to someone, but... but why open up to a
woman he'd know for three months, at best? Moreover, the curiosity
and scheming from Mitsune struck close to home for Ranma, and
reminded him far too much of a girl or two that had gotten the
better of him in the past. His brother could handle that, but he
wasn't certain he could.
And then, the truth of the matter was that Mitsune didn't
seem to be a bad sort -- not at all. But....
"Nah," he said after a moment. "If I did, you'd have to pay
for lunch."
"Point," the woman allowed, smiling. Further conversation
was preceded by the arrival of a waitress, who took their orders
quietly, then returned with the ingredients they had requested.
Mitsune watched intently as Ranma poured some batter across
the grill, smiling slightly. He served it to her when it was done,
then began to prepare one for himself. "Not bad," Mitsune said
around a mouthful of her okonomiyaki. "Somehow, after breakfast, I
was expecting more, though."
"If I'd met Aniki before I left Nerima, I'd have learned how
to make okonomiyaki better from Ucchan," Ranma said absently,
flipping an okonomiyaki over.
"Oh?" Mitsune asked quietly. Ranma blinked at the grill,
realizing his slip-up. Too often when he thought about his past, he
spoke about it without thinking. He had nothing to hide around
Kintaro, of course, and the rest of the time, he didn't think about
his past when he could help it.
But now he was locked in a situation where he _had_ to think
about it, with the reminders being thrown at him nearly constantly.
And it was more than just the okonomiyaki, he knew. It was the
little parts of Naru that reminded him... of Akane. Or the way that
Shinobu reminded him of... of... of her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Mitsune asked quietly.
Ranma looked up sharply, realizing his okonomiyaki was
burnt. He distractedly moved it in front of himself, off the grill.
"Um..." he stalled. She had asked if he wanted to talk about it, not
for more information. That alone told him the woman was more
trustworthy than he was giving her credit. She could have drilled
him for information while he was vulnerable, but she hadn't -- and
he knew she was curious about it. "I... I could tell you about my
older brother, I guess," he said after a moment, taking a bite of
the burn okonomiyaki he had made for himself.
"That can't taste very good," the woman opined.
"It doesn't," Ranma said, grimacing. "But I made it for
myself, so I'll see it through." He shook his head, adding some
sauce, and taking another bite. "Anyway, I... like Happosai said, I
didn't used to be Oe Ranma. I used to be Saotome Ranma, before I met
Aniki."
Mitsune nodded her understanding, sampling another bite of
okonomiyaki.
"Um, I met him... a while after something that changed my
life forever. In a bad way... I mean, it was what I think was the
worst day of my life, and he... stopped me from doing something
stupid." Ranma scratched his forehead underneath his headband
uncomfortably. "So, he told me things weren't so bad, and was about
one of the first guys I ever met who treated me like a guy all the
time, even... with the curse."
Ranma sighed, pouring another okonomiyaki onto the grill.
"So, I liked that he could respect me, and he asked if he could help
me out. And he offered to teach me a new way to look at things, and
a way to learn more." He glanced at Mitsune, checking for her
reaction, then continuing, "I didn't much care about the learning
part right then, but... Aniki saved me, so I wasn't going to ignore
it. I agreed, and he said that if I was going to live with him, we
would be like brothers. So he called me 'Otouto', and... I've called
him 'Aniki' ever since."
"So he's not your real brother?" Mitsune asked, surprised.
"Nope." Ranma flipped the next okonomiyaki effortlessly, and
set it before Mitsune. "But he is my brother, legally. He went to
Toudai for long enough to get a law degree -- but he never actually
picked it up. He said he knew everything he already needed from
that, and that his learning would continue elsewhere. But he knew
enough about how to get my name transferred to his family's register
legally."
"Is your brother as cute as you are?"
Ranma dropped a spatula on the grill, scrambling for a
moment to retrieve it, and burning his fingers in the process.
"Er... a lot of girls think so," Ranma hazarded. "I mean, he's my
brother, I don't look at him that way."
Mitsune giggled, shaking her head. "Sorry," she murmured
apologetically. "I probably shouldn't have asked like that. You
really like your older brother, huh?"
"Yeah," Ranma said quietly, leaning back in his seat, and
turning to look out the window. "He's done a lot for me, and I owe
him. That's why I have to get into Toudai." He turned to look at
Mitsune, who was watching raptly, the remainder of her lunch
ignored. "So now you know," he finished.
"Thanks for the story, Ranma," Mitsune murmured. "You know,
Keitaro and Naru are also trying to get into Toudai for special
reasons."
"Really?" Ranma asked, pushing the remnants of his burnt
okonomiyaki away from himself.
"Well... you should ask them about it," the woman suggested,
stretching her arms over her head. "But I guess we're done here."
"Yeah, you're right," Ranma said quietly, standing up, and
reaching for his wallet. "Anyway, I want to get some cold water, and
I really have to get back and see if those contractors need any more
information."
***
Treading lightly, Shinobu was the slightest bit unsettled to
watch Suu leap off of the ground and dance merrily across the low
rooftops of the shops on the street leading to the Hinata-Sou.
"Going to catch a Ranma!" the girl sang happily, leaping across the
entire width of the road to caper back, passing in a wide circle
around Shinobu. "Going to catch a Ranma!"
"Ahh! Kaora! Be careful!" Shinobu called out, hurrying to
keep up with the other girl's pace. "We'll be home soon, and that's
dangerous!"
"I know what I'm doing," Suu assured, a heartbeat before she
slipped at the edge of one roof. An ancient shingle, coated on both
sides with a thick layer of moss, shot out from beneath the girl's
foot, caroming across the street, and leaving the girl to fall,
rear-end first. A hapless man broke her fall as he wandered down the
street, looking up in time to catch a face full of Suu's skirt
before he was slammed into the ground.
Suu sat still, perched on the man's face and blinking in
surprise, while Shinobu ran up to investigate. "Auuugh! Kaora, are
you okay? You need to get up, you've crushed someone!"
The man struggled to rise, and Suu shifted her position,
clinging to the man as he sat up. "Huh?" he asked, blinking, and
adjusting his spectacles.
"Ah! Urashima-sempai!" Shinobu cheered, relieved. "It's you!
For a moment I was afraid someone might have gotten hurt!"
"Fine, thanks," Keitaro managed, slightly dazed. The
confused expression lasted only a moment before he jumped to his
feet, ignoring Suu, now seated on his shoulders. "Yes!" he
exclaimed, eyes growing large and moist with joy. "Shinobu-chan!
Suu-chan! Meeting you here is a sign of good luck!"
"Lucky," Suu agreed, nodding. "But I wanted to catch a
Ranma, not a Keitaro."
"Eh? What's that, Suu-chan?" Keitaro asked, trying to look
at the girl. "Um, do you two come this way every day after school?"
"Yes, Urashima-sempai," Shinobu assured him. "Are you
looking for something?"
"Er... well, I was wondering what kind of places there are
along this street that are good for taking someone to... to talk
to," he said, nodding. "A tea house, or something. I don't want it
to be the one at Hinata-Sou, though."
Shinobu blinked, then pointed to the building they were
standing in front of -- the same one Suu had fallen off of. Keitaro
turned to look, adjusting his spectacles and blinking at the sign in
front of the building. "'Lower Hinata Tea-house'," he read off the
sign. "Oh. Well, that would explain that. Thanks, girls!"
"Why do you need to know about it?" Suu asked, leaning
forward far enough to peer into Keitaro's eyes. "I checked -- their
tea is not delicious."
"I was just going to ask someone out to tea later," Keitaro
said dismissively. "But for now, I need to come up with a way to
give Narusegawa some important news."
Shinobu blinked at that, drawing her hands together before
her chest reflexively. Whenever things started to turn strange, she
had a nearly uncontrollable desire to curl into a ball, and this
wasn't helping things. "Important news?" she asked worriedly.
"It's about Oe," Keitaro explained. "But don't worry about
that, now. Once I talk to Narusegawa, then I think I can honestly
say that you girls will all be in good hands."
Shinobu blinked, absorbing that bit of information, as
Keitaro resumed his walk to Hinata-Sou, Suu still perched on his
shoulders.
***
Female once more, Ranma was awarded the dubious honor of
watching Mitsune model her new clothing. Most of this entailed her
sitting on the floor of Mitsune's room, watching the door. "Ready?"
she asked, twirling the end of her braid around her finger idly.
"Yep, I think that does it," Mitsune said, stepping around a
divider, and showing off a sleek black dress. "What do you think of
this one? And be honest."
Ranma sighed, studying the dress closely. "It looks okay,
but I don't know if black is really your color," she said after a
moment.
Mitsune stuck her tongue out at Ranma. "Black matches
everything."
"I guess," Ranma said, shrugging. "I never learned much
about clothes, except how to mend them."
The woman smirked, shaking her head. "Okay, okay, I have one
more to try on, but it's not that special. You have to like _one_ of
these."
Ranma nodded dutifully, and turned to watch the door again.
A soft pattering of feet tramped their way past, followed by
another, and a sudden, "Myu!"
"Can Tamago take care of himself?" Ranma asked, suddenly
worried.
"The only thing around here that tries to eat him is Suu,
and I think she's given up on that," Mitsune assured Ranma. "And I
don't think she's back from school yet. You'll hear it when she is,
though."
"I'll bet," Ranma mumbled, shrugging her shoulders
uncomfortably.
"I'm not so sure...."
"No, you're probably right. If Suu were back, I'd probably
get some clue on it."
Mitsune laughed quietly. "I meant about the outfit. It
looked okay in the window, but it seems... too old fashioned now
that I think about it." She paused for a moment, and Ranma heard her
footsteps across the back of the room. "What do you think?" she
asked curiously.
Ranma sighed, and turned around. And froze, unable to move,
with eyes wide. The outfit that she had chosen consisted of multiple
pieces. The first was a white blouse with a wide, lacy collar. The
second was a plum colored dress with a low neckline that fit over
the blouse, and the last piece was a simple light blue vest that fit
over that.
The redhead swallowed unable to look away. Only Mitsune's
face and hair kept the illusion from being perfect. The woman held
out an arm, and frowned at the sleeves there, shaking her head
uncertainly. "I feel like an old housewife -- this outfit's no good
at all," she sighed. "I'll take it back tomorrow after work, I
suppose."
"Uh," Ranma managed, closing her eyes, and shaking her head.
"It's... not a bad outfit."
"You like it, then?" the woman asked, a faint hint of hope
sounding in her voice.
"Um, I don't think it's really you," Ranma said, shaking her
head. "The black dress looked better on you -- or the miniskirt,
that was nice."
"Wow, thanks," she said dryly. "If you think it's bad, then
you could just say so."
"It's not bad," Ranma said quickly. "I... knew someone who
used to dress like that all the time."
"Oh?" Mitsune asked skeptically.
"Yes," Ranma said apologetically, opening her eyes. But the
dress wasn't on Mitsune any more -- all she was wearing was the
blouse, which was already halfway unbuttoned. "Eep!" Ranma spun
around, facing the door quickly. "Um, yes, really."
Mitsune laughed softly again. "Okay, okay," she said. "I
believe you. But you peeped at me. I could tell Motoko about that,
you know...."
"Oh, please," Ranma groaned. "That's the _last_ thing I
need! That irritating little girl will jump on any excuse to give me
hell." She paused for a moment, considering what was about to
happen, then sighed. "Can you do me a favor and make this quick and
painless?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Mitsune asked, voice full of feigned
innocence.
"Awww... what do you want me to do in order to not have
Motoko running after me with a sword all day?" Ranma asked.
In answer, Mitsune dropped the black dress into her lap.
"You want me to return this for you?" Ranma asked hopefully.
"I want to see how you look in it," Mitsune said cheerfully.
"Okay, okay." Ranma stood up, shaking her head, and turned
to face Mitsune, getting another eyeful as the woman was wearing
nothing but her underwear this time. "Ack!" Ranma spun around.
"Don't do that," she chastised, tugging off her shirt. She held up
the dress before her, studying it, and trying to calculate the fit.
Mitsune grabbed the bottom edge of her tanktop, and began to
pull it up, just as the door to Mitsune's room opened, and Naru
walked in, sighing. Mitsune froze, her hands atop Ranma's breasts,
as the dress slipped from Ranma's fingers, and the redhead began to
giggle nervously. "Mitsune?" Naru asked tiredly, staring at the
floor.
"Um... yes?" Mitsune hazarded, peeking over Ranma's
shoulder.
"I need to talk to you--" She broke off at a sudden
pattering of feet down the hallway, and glanced towards the open
doorway. "Oops -- it'll have to wait." The woman stepped into the
hallway, closing the door behind her without seeming to register the
awkward position of the people within. "Wait a minute," she said
slowly from outside the door. "Did I just see--"
Ranma wasted no time, surging into motion faster than
Mitsune's eyes could follow. By the time Naru opened the door again,
Mitsune was in the same position, blinking, and wearing the black
dress. Ranma was seated on the opposite side of the room, trying to
look nonchalant, and wearing her T-shirt.
Naru peered around in confusion, then shook her head. "Sorry
Kitsune, Oe-san. I thought I saw something strange," she apologized,
closing the door again.
"Yeesh," Ranma mumbled, climbing to her feet, and shaking
her head. "Doesn't she know how to knock?"
"Ack," Mitsune noised, remembering to breathe. "How did you
do that?"
"I've had lots of practice," Ranma mumbled. "You learn to
change clothes really fast with a condition like mine."
"Oh."
"So, did I get out of trying on the dress?" Ranma asked
hopefully.
"Er... for now," Mitsune allowed, smiling slyly at Ranma.
"Thanks," Ranma sighed, shaking her head. "I think."
***
Ranma waved to Keitaro, nodded her head at him as he
finished the long climb up the stairs before the inn. "Heya,
Kanrinin," she greeted. "The contractors are about to head out --
they just wanted to get set up today, I guess." The redhead smiled
slightly, raising her head. "Hey, Suu-chan, Shinobu -- how was
school?"
"School was fine, Oe-san," Shinobu said, smiling hesitantly.
"Oooh, this Ranma is still a girl!" Suu said, leaping from
Keitaro's shoulders to scamper across the courtyard and examine
Ranma closely. "Can we sleep together tonight, too?"
Shinobu paled slightly, and bowed, excusing herself. "I need
to do my homework," she apologized, edging away.
"Thanks again, Oe-san," Keitaro said, bowing slightly
himself. "I found a nice spot in town where we can talk, and drink
tea. Er... would you mind having tea with me?"
"Of course not!" Ranma said, smirking. "I agreed to this
yesterday, didn't I?"
"Auuugh," Shinobu noised quietly, running towards the inn,
followed shortly by Suu.
"I wonder what that was all about," Ranma mused, turning to
look after the schoolgirls. "Oh! That reminds me -- how'd you do on
your test?"
"I got a perfect score!" Keitaro exclaimed exuberantly. "I
can't wait to tell Narusegawa!"
"Good for you," Ranma encouraged, glancing back over her
shoulder at the inn. "I'm going to change back before we go out.
When did you want to take care of that?"
"Oh, uh, I need to tell Narusegawa how well I did -- I got
out before she did, and then we were separated before we got to the
bus," Keitaro explained, looking up to the front of the inn. The man
sighed, smiling, and stretched his arms over his head. "What a great
day!"
"Seems pretty good to me," Ranma said agreeably, moments
before a rounded, speeding blur slammed into the back of Keitaro's
head. The blur resolved itself into a little girl, her knee driven
into the back of Keitaro's neck while she grinned impishly. "Uh...
maybe I spoke too soon," Ranma said, frowning.
"Who are you?" the blonde asked, blinking at Ranma
curiously.
"Oe Ranma," the redhead said, nodding. "And you are?"
"Sarah MacDougal!" the girl exclaimed proudly. "Papa-san
said that there was someone new at the inn to play with, but he said
it was a boy."
"You'll meet him soon enough," Ranma said dryly, shooing the
girl away from Keitaro as the man righted himself unsteadily. "But,
uh, do you live here, too?"
"Nope, I live with Haruka."
"Is your Papa-san Seta?" Ranma asked, cocking her head to
one side.
"Yep! Papa-san teaches me martial arts -- he said he was
teaching the new person martial arts, too." The girl grinned.
"This'll be fun!"
"Maybe," Keitaro said, shaking his head. "Sarah, don't go
trying to hit, uh... the new tenant once you meet him."
Ranma rolled her eyes. "I guess you're busy, and the
contractors are on their way out. I'm going to get some hot water.
Go ahead and tell me when you've got some time for that thing we
were talking about earlier," Ranma advised.
Keitaro nodded, as Tamago flitted down to land atop his
head, waving at Ranma.
***
The flow of Naru's words melded into a low distressed
mumble, of which Mitsune paid only partial attention to, most of her
thoughts instead centering around the outfit that had seemed to stun
Ranma. "... and I'm afraid to let anyone know how badly I did on the
practice tests," the woman concluded sadly. "What should I do?"
"Eh?" Mitsune managed, blinking at her friend. "You think
Keitaro did better than you?"
"Even Keitaro has to score higher than zero," Naru mourned.
"Zero?" Mitsune asked, offering Naru her most sympathetic
look. "Is that bad?"
Naru shook her head, sighing. "It's really bad," she
mumbled. "Really really really bad."
"Oooh. Well, I'm sure something worse could happen than
failing a practice test." The door flew open at that point sliding
into the wall with a loud bang, revealing a wide-eyed and heavily
breathing Shinobu.
"Aauuugh! Kitsune-san, I need your advice!" the girl wailed,
pitching herself at Mitsune's feet.
"Eh?" Mitsune managed again, blinking at the girl. "Why's
everyone coming to me for help?"
"Kitsune-san, I think that Urashima-sempai is interested in
Ranma -- he asked her... her... her... asked her out to tea!"
"Ack!" Mitsune responded as eloquently as possible. "You
mean... asked out to drink tea, tea, or asked out to a love hotel?"
She blinked, mulling that over for a second, while Shinobu wobbled
unsteadily at the mere thought. "Um, wait, we already remember what
Ranma said last night. I thought it was... wait, something doesn't
make sense."
"Keitaro is trying to do _what_ with Oe?" Naru asked, one
eyebrow ticking.
"This calls for investigation," Mitsune announced, climbing
to her feet and nodding boldly. "Where are they going?"
"I know where it is! Urashima-sempai is going to take Oe-san
to the Lower Hinata Tea-house," Shinobu explained quickly,
recovering herself.
"Okay, quick, dress up casually so they won't suspect us,
and let's chase after them!"
***
Ranma shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, walking alongside
Keitaro down the street, away from the Hinata-Sou. "You ever get
that strange feeling you're being watched?" Ranma asked, cocking his
head to one side, and glancing sidelong at the other man.
"Right now?" he asked, glancing up at Tamago, who was
looking behind Keitaro intently. "Yeah, actually, but I'm kind of
used to it, I guess. Why?"
"No reason," Ranma said, shaking his head. "So, where are we
going?"
"I found a tea shop earlier today. It's nothing spectacular,
but I thought that you might like it more than the inn, since you
were there all day," Keitaro explained.
"Well, I did get to go out for okonomiyaki with Kitsune,"
Ranma reasoned. "So we could have just gone to the tea house back at
the inn -- heck, if you wanted, I could have made tea in the
kitchen."
"You know how to make tea?" Keitaro asked, surprised.
Ranma sighed, sticking his hands into his pockets. "I know
the tea ceremony," he said offhandedly. "I mean... I had to learn
it, when I was a kid. I kind of figured everyone would know the
basics, though. Don't you?"
"Actually, I do," Keitaro admitted, chuckling ruefully. "My
parents made me learn it when I was younger. Erm. Anyway, what would
you like to talk about?"
"Tell me about your parents, I guess," Ranma suggested,
shrugging.
"Er... maybe something else?" Keitaro asked. "I... don't
like to talk about them much."
"You won't get any complaints from me," Ranma mumbled,
shaking his head. Raising his voice slightly, he asked, "Why don't
you tell me about how you ended up moving into an all girl's dorm."
"Oh, well, that's actually a funny story," Keitaro began,
gesturing towards the tea house as they neared it. "I was looking
for my grandmother...."
***
Creeping along carefully, Naru a step ahead, and Shinobu a
step behind, Mitsune peered around her newspaper cautiously. She was
dressed in an inconspicuous trenchcoat, along with a matching
fedora. The papers in her hand had been chosen carefully for maximum
subtlety. She imagined, however, the effect would have been more
convincing had Shinobu and Naru not dressed identically.
"Are you sure this is casual?" Shinobu asked, her voice
quavering slightly.
"They aren't noticing us, are they?" Naru countered.
Mitsune, of course, had her own suspicions as to why they
hadn't been noticed, and that was the fact that neither of the men
seemed particularly observant. "They probably will, if we're not
quiet," she warned. The other two immediately bowed their heads
behind their newspapers, as the men entered the tea house.
Shinobu spoke -- though the newspaper she still held muffled
her voice. "Why are we spying on them? Oe-san wasn't... wasn't a
girl, so it's just two men, right? That's normal, isn't it?"
"Two men, alone at night in an inn filled with pretty girls
like myself?" Mitsune asked. Shinobu flinched from behind her paper.
"And they talk about the tea ceremony on the way here?" Naru winced
this time, dropping her newspaper to look at Mitsune in dismay.
"Neither of them want to talk about their parents?"
"Okay, so the clues are all there, but that doesn't really
make any sense! We don't know Oe, but Keitaro is a pervert! He's
always trying to peep at one of us," Naru asserted. "He couldn't
possibly be...."
Mitsune smiled grimly when Naru trailed off, unable to
convince herself. "Maybe that's all a clever ruse," she warned.
"Maybe that's why he tries so hard to peep -- he's overcompensating
because he's not sure how to act normally."
"Keitaro... is not like that," Naru protested weakly. "Is...
is he?"
"It makes so much sense!" Shinobu sobbed quietly. "He told
me today that he had important news for you, Narusegawa-sempai, he
said: 'It's about Oe. But don't worry about that, now. Once I talk
to Narusegawa, then I think I can honestly say that you girls will
all be in good hands'." She sniffled, shaking her head sadly. "He
must have meant that he wanted to tell you that he doesn't need to
pretend anymore, and the inn will be... pervert free once he...
he... tells you." The girl dropped her newspaper to the ground,
bowing her head and staring at her feet. "I'm sorry, Narusegawa-
sempai...."
"But... but... but why?" Naru asked plaintively. "Why... why
would he want it to be here, and not at the tea house at Hinata-
Sou?"
"Good question," Mitsune mused. "Let's go inside and try to
listen in."
In relatively short order, Mitsune had managed to wrangle a
position in a booth not far from Keitaro and Ranma. Shinobu simply
hid behind her newspaper, while the older pair listened intently to
what they could of the conversation.
"... and that was pretty much how my first day at Hinata-Sou
went," Keitaro concluded.
"Wow. Sounds like I got off lucky, just being attacked by
Motoko," Ranma noted.
"Well, I wouldn't speak poorly of Narusegawa," Keitaro
protested.
"Nah, I'm not saying anything bad, but she's just... eh, not
my type." There was a pause, then, Shinobu waving away a server as
Mitsune and Naru traded glances. "Anyway, I guess you probably had
some questions about this morning, right?"
"Um... with the missing... panties?" Keitaro asked
hesitantly. "Er... yes, I am a bit curious."
"It wasn't me, it was someone I knew from... a long time
ago," Ranma grumbled. "Suffice to say, he won't be back until
tomorrow, and then I'll finish things with him for good."
"Oh, that's a relief," Keitaro said, sighing slightly. "I
was worried for a moment."
"Sounds like Oe's not completely finished with a
relationship," Naru whispered to Mitsune.
Mitsune paled, and shook her head quickly. "I'm pretty sure
that's not what they're talking about. I mean, Ranma? With... that
old guy? Yuck!"
Naru was about to speak again, until she heard her name
mentioned. "... Narusegawa is really nice," Keitaro's voice
announced. "With her help, I think I can really get into Toudai this
year."
"I've heard enough," Naru said quietly, shaking her head.
"Let's leave."
"But, don't you want to hear what else they talk about?"
Mitsune asked. "I mean, we don't know for certain if--"
"I don't want to hear it!" Naru snapped, wincing at how high
she had raised her voice. She glanced across the table to where
Shinobu was sitting, head bowed, and eyes wide. Speaking more
softly, she added, "I just... need to go home."
"Okay," Mitsune whispered, one hand patting Naru's shoulder
comfortingly. "I didn't know.... Well, let's get out of here."
As they crept away, pointedly ignoring the confused
waitress, the last of Keitaro and Ranma's conversation reached them:
"How many years have you been trying?"
"Er... four," the man said in a somewhat weaker voice. "But,
this time for sure!"
"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Ranma assured him,
chuckling. "I dropped out of high school, and ended up making the
missed years up on the road. But I'm going to make it into Toudai
for sure -- I want Aniki to be proud."
"You really like your older brother?" Keitaro asked.
"Yeah," Ranma said in a much more subdued voice. "Family...
is very important."
***
The sun was just setting as the three walked down the
street, Naru and Mitsune side-by-side, Shinobu some distance away.
She needed time to think about what was going on.
Naru was obviously uncertain how to deal with the
revelation, so she decided she couldn't fault herself for being
unsure, as well. But... it was so unfair! She had never gotten a
chance to confess her own feelings to Keitaro!
A heavy sigh echoed from Naru, and Shinobu froze, turning to
look at the woman. A distracted apology was murmured to a pedestrian
that took a step around her, standing still as she was. Was Naru,
too, disappointed? Shinobu felt that for all of her violence towards
the man, Naru felt more than she showed, but... but was she upset
about the lost opportunity, as well?
Part of Shinobu's mind immediately tried to cheer her; if
she never confessed to him, she never had to worry about how he
would have had to treat her, considering his actual preference.
Though, somehow, that felt like it wasn't much of a consolation.
Her musing was interrupted by a sudden succession of noises.
The first was a loud, deep rumbling, one that made itself felt
throughout the evening air, and reverberated through the street. A
shrill squealing echo that bounced eagerly across the close
buildings lining the road to assault her ears followed it. The next
in the rapid procession of sounds was the deep, grating blat of an
air-horn, sending a chilled shiver of panic up her spine. As she
turned around to try and look at the source of the noise, a final
sound joined the ensuing cacophony; that of tires scraping for
desperate purchase on a too-slick road as several tons of truck
skidded towards her, faster than her reflexes would carry her away.
The irony, she decided, was that her biggest regret would
have been being unable to confess to Keitaro, had she not learned
that he wasn't interested in girls at all. Her final ruminations
sluggishly worked their way through her mind as she stared at the
grill of the approaching metal behemoth, maintaining their lurid
pace as the pedestrian she had murmured an apology to suddenly
reappeared before her, drawing a flashing line of glimmering light
vertically through the air.
Her eyelids lazily swam closed and then reopened, watching a
matching line of blackness suddenly cleave the truck cleanly in two.
It separated along the divide, one half sliding past her, as
everything suddenly sped up, and the next thing she knew she was
staring straight up at the first stars of evening.
The pedestrian, vaguely familiar at the periphery of her
vision, peered down at her. "Are you okay?" she asked in a much more
familiar voice.
"I'm sorry, Motoko-sempai," she said without thinking. "Do I
have to sleep with you to thank you, now?"
The woman above her blinked, and leant closer, eyes widening
slightly, and peering deep into her own. "You know Motoko-han?" she
asked, one eyebrow rising. "Strange, I know she was never one to
associate too closely with males, but that, I would not have
expected of her."
"Oh, sure," Shinobu said, blinking, and still lost in the
haze of panic from the oncoming truck. "It makes sense. She's that
way, Urashima-sempai and Oe-san are that way. Maybe Kitsune-san and
Narusegawa-sempai are, too!"
"I... see," the woman said slowly, looking up. "I think that
this poor girl is in shock. Do you know where she lives?"
"Shinobu?" Naru asked, suddenly entering the girl's field of
vision. "Are you alright? Shinobu-chan?"
"I'm okay," she giggled, struggling to sit up as the haze
over her thoughts began to thin. "Oh, oh no! I shouldn't have said
those things -- I'm sorry! I don't know what I was talking about!"
"Ah, good. It was merely the shock, then," the woman said,
one hand going to caress the beak of a bird that landed on her
shoulder. "Am I given to understand, however, that you know my
younger sister?"
"Younger sister?" Shinobu asked in tandem with Naru and
Mitsune.
"Yes! It's been so long since I've seen poor Motoko-han, and
just yesterday I received an urgent... message from her saying that
she required my assistance with a certain... situation involving her
lodgings." The woman stood to her full height, one hand going to the
sheathed sword at her hip. "Do you know, perhaps, where she dwells?"
"She lives with us," Shinobu said, face flushing. "Only, um,
forget what I said earlier, I didn't mean it and she only sleeps
with one other girl and she only tried to--" she silenced herself by
the simple expedient of clapping her hands over her mouth.
"It would seem as though something is amiss," the woman
mused quietly. "Allow me to introduce myself -- my name is Aoyama
Tsuroko."
***
Whistling tunelessly to himself, Ranma walked jauntily
forward, staring up at the stars, and nodding absently as Keitaro
babbled on about how bad Naru really wasn't, Oe-san, if you'd just
listen! Occasionally, he would offer a grudging nod, as though the
man had convinced him of some point or another, while in reality,
his thoughts were focusing on what they needed to -- the match he
was going to be fighting against Happosai the next day.
The old man had beaten him soundly, as little as Ranma
wanted to admit it. Moreover, he had needed to call upon a very
dirty trick. One he hated to employ.
And it hadn't worked.
Kintaro had shown him the basics, but Ranma had always felt
that Kintaro's martial arts simply weren't up to par with Anything
Goes. And he liked admitting that even less. The possibility existed
in his mind that he was doing something wrong, and he knew that the
Art as Kintaro had presented it was about more than just combat.
But at the same time, how could something that focused on so
many things still be good for fighting? Especially against an art as
focused as Anything Goes. He had learned a few martial arts
techniques over the years, and had expected by his rather simple
victory over Motoko that he had gotten better. Much better.
And then Happosai had come and beaten him so easily.
Obviously, the answer was more training, but Ranma was
uncertain how he could manage that, considering that the rematch was
only a day away. And Kintaro had said, "Life is training, Otouto.
More than that, training... is life!" Ranma had written that one
down in his notebook, but had the unnerving suspicion that he hadn't
actually _learned_ it yet.
"... what do you suppose happened here, Oe?" Keitaro asked
suddenly.
Stopping his casual march, Ranma lowered his gaze, blinking
as his eyes came to rest upon the two neatly bisected halves of a
large delivery truck. The apparent driver of the vehicle was sitting
on the side of the road, eyes wide. On the street next to him, a
scintillating collection of glass shards sat in a small pool of
alcohol, and all about pedestrians stared at the sight in shock.
Ranma hopped over to the side of the truck, and leant over
to examine the engine of the vehicle. While he was unfamiliar with
how they worked, he suspected the razor-fine slash that formed a
perfect plane across the workings of the device was not an aspect
normally associated with standard operations. "Huh," he mumbled,
rubbing his chin. The truck looked to be heavy, and the halves had
dragged a good distance along the street before it came to a halt.
"Someone cut the truck in half," he deduced.
"Oe-san?" Keitaro asked incredulously. "Who? Do you think it
was... Motoko-chan?"
"Eh? Motoko?" Ranma rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and
reexamined the cut. "No," he said after a moment. "It's too fine.
Whoever did this never actually cut the truck. It was done with a
blade of vacuum, and I've seen hers -- unless she was holding back a
lot every time she fought me, it was someone else. Still, I do
wonder who did this." He strode towards the man sitting on the
sidewalk. "Excuse me -- is this truck yours?"
"Never again," the man mumbled, shaking his head. "Blue-
haired little girl... coulda been an accident. Never again."
Ranma's eyes narrowed in anger. "Driving while he's drunk,"
he spat. "Idiot. Kanrinin, can you give me a hand?"
"With what?" Keitaro asked, scratching his head.
Ranma strode to the nearest half of the truck, and pushed
against it carefully. "I'm going to try and move these," he said,
grabbing the frame, and testing the leverage of the obstruction.
"Can you make sure no one's in the way?"
"Eh!?" Keitaro exclaimed, as Ranma heaved upwards on the
truck, and dragged it towards its matching half, easily a distance
of four meters before letting it drop to the road.
"There," he said, leaning over to catch his breath. "Thanks,
Kanrinin. Now they can get something in here to clear this hunk of
junk out.
"How... did you do that?" Keitaro managed, after a moment.
"I spent a few months with the Department of Public Works in
Hokkaido," Ranma said, shrugging. "They'd get boulders and trees
falling all over the roads on the pass I was working at. Luckily, it
was mostly snow and hail, so the work wasn't bad," Ranma reasoned.
"Why?"
Keitaro goggled at Ranma. "The Department of Public Works
must have very high standards," he finally said. "I don't think most
people could even push that truck if it were on four wheels, let
alone drag it like that!"
"Oh, that," Ranma said dismissively. "That's nothin-- Wait,
that guy said something about a little girl with blue hair, right?
Crap! Kanrinin, we gotta get back and check on Shinobu-chan! What if
it's her?"
Ranma only gave Keitaro enough time to blink before seizing
the man's arm, and hurtling down the street. The Hinata-Sou was only
three quick jumps away, and Ranma bounced for a fourth leap from the
top of the steps, entering the open window into the sitting area on
the second floor without a second thought. The lights indicated that
_someone_ was there.
Indeed, Shinobu was there, sitting on a couch next to Naru
and Mitsune. Suu skipped down the hall a half-second later, waving
cheerily at Ranma, while the other females just stared at him. Ranma
glanced down and saw that Keitaro was clinging to him with wide
eyes, and shivering slightly. "Kanrinin," Ranma said, shaking a leg
and trying to dislodge the man. "Ride's over."
"Whee!" Suu exclaimed, latching onto his other leg. "My
turn!"
Keitaro disengaged his grip, and rose unsteadily, until he
regained his focus. "Shinobu-chan! Are you okay?" he asked, leaning
over to inspect the girl.
She blushed reflexively, and bowed her head, looking away.
"I'm... fine, Urashima-sempai," she said, nodding quietly.
"That's a relief," Ranma grumbled, frowning at the other
girl that latched onto his leg the second Keitaro had let go. "So,
you're Sarah, right?"
"Yes!" the little girl said, clinging to him tightly. "Papa-
san says that I should play with you to help you train!"
"Swell," Ranma sighed. "Any other surprises I should know
about?"
"Ranma!" a chillingly familiar voice greeted him.
The man's eyes widened, and he tried to back away, but was
tangled up in the children clinging to his legs. "Uh-oh," he said
quietly. "Um, hello?"
Motoko, who he had missed, smiled at him triumphantly. "And
now the truth is revealed, Oe-san," she murmured.
A woman eerily similar to Motoko stepped out from behind the
girl. "It's been so long!" she enthused, rushing him while he was
trapped, and hugging him tightly, his face pressed into her bosom.
"Ranma! How are you doing?"
"Can't... breathe," he wheezed, until the woman loosened her
grip on him. "Um, it's been a while, Tsuroko-sensei."
"Ranma," she said sternly, pouting. "Is that any way to
address me?"
"Er... sorry, Tsuroko-chan?" Ranma hazarded, smiling
nervously.
"Much better!" the woman enthused. "Tell me, Ranma, where--
rather, how is your brother?"
"You know my sister?" Motoko yelped. "How? Why? This is not
fair -- how could you possible have known her, and not heard of me!"
"Ah, I see that Ranma's still not learned to improve on his
horrible memory with names," Tsuroko giggled.
--------------------------------------
Author's Notes:
Mad props to everyone who's C&Ced for me so far:
Rez, Dracos, Pavel, Gin, Bjorn, Mr. Sommer, Therm... and anyone else I
forgot to mention.
Thanks to Chibi-Ginn for his help with this chapter. And previous
chapters, once they're revised!
So, if you didn't know:
Aniki -- term of address, has a few potential translations, but when
Ranma says it, he means 'older brother'.
Aneue -- term of address, means 'older sister' in the context that Motoko
gives, but is a somewhat older form of speech.
Otouto -- term of address, means 'younger brother' in this context.
Be blinded by my leet fanboy Japlish skillz!