- Chapter 3 -
Ranma stirred, restless. He had felt his body being moved earlier that
day. 'How strange,' he thought, 'I just got moved yesterday, after
all.' Realizing something unusual was occuring, Ranma tensed his
muscles, exerted every bit of the formidable will that ten years of
martial discipline had inculcated within him, and managed to open his
eyelids.
It was no use, though, as he could only make out blurred figures. With
another titanic effort, he managed to painfully snap his eyes to focus
on one figure -- a familiar-looking tuxedo-clad man, with a flower
boucquet in one hand, something golden in the other, and with a bokken
at his side. The act of focusing his eyes was physically painful, and
almost immediately they drifted away. He could not focus; what had
happened. He did not know. His eyes drooped. As they went down, he saw
white... his clothes? He saw blackness.
--------------------
He was floating in the air, an invisible observer to a peaceful scene.
He saw an island, thrusting upright into the azure sky, thin wisps of
clouds floating in their lazy way. Ominous smoke came from the
mountain's top, joining the clouds in their journey. Beneath those
clouds, there was a sea, in which small fishing boats bobbed, making
their way in pursuit of sustenance. And in that sea, on one boat, a
small human figure clad in the robes of a tribal priest gesturing
wildly with a long staff held in his hand, gesticulating in front of a
large pile of empty nets on the deck.
The crew of the small boat seemed to pay little attention to the
priest, making perfunctory and ritual as the priest hectored
them. Perhaps due to something the priest said, however, the boat
shifted course, and made rapid progress towards the island. The priest
had stopped speaking and instead stood in silent dignity at the boat's
prow.
As the boat beached in the shallow waters off the pristine beach, the
man stepped off the prow into the waters, and strode with due pomp
ashore. He turned to face the men struggling to secure the craft and
retrieve their cargo, his oratory returning to his mouth as if it had
not left.
The men finally assembled before the priest, presenting a large chest
four men had taken from the boat's deck. A smaller figure -- evidently
the priest's serveant -- came from below decks and emerged, carrying a
large golden key. Using the key to unlock the chest, the servant threw
open the top to reveal its contents: a red-haired woman, unconscious,
her skin pale, lay inside.
The servant then withdrew a bottle that had lain at the woman's feet,
and tipped it to her mouth. The liquid poured over her slack lips,
disappearing into her mouth like water on a desert surface. Whether it
be the liquid or the sun and sand, the red-haired woman soon stirred,
her eyelids weakly fluttering open.
Content, the priest barked a short command, and two of the sailors
bent down and drew the woman to her feet, half-carrying her between
them. The group began to march off the beach, towards the steep
mountain slope, finding a trail which they then followed. The trial
allowed them to make good time, so that the day was not yet done by
the time they reached the top.
The mountain-top thrust up into the sky as a lone scout in this sea;
the boats still out in the darkening sky looked like nothing so much
as toys, floating in the bathtub of the gods. The woman by this time
almost seemed aware of what was going on around her... but perhaps
not. She was still being supported by the men. All remained on the
outer edge of the top where the trail concluded, wordlessly leaving
the ominous smoking hole at the center alone.
The priest gestured with the staff. The men brough the woman to the
edge of the hole. The black-clad priest made one final comment to the
men around, and pushed the woman in. She went without a sound, so very
fast, into the red recesses below. The priest laughed. The ground
rumbled.
At that, the men quickly left, their excitement subdued. By the time
they returned to the boat, the volcano appeared much more
ominous. They were no more than a mile offshore when they witnessed an
explosive plume of molten lava at the top of the mountain; they
redoubled their efforts to make speed away from the island. The priest
remained at the back, a frown stretching across his face. He did not
appear to have been expecting this result.
And what they couldn't see -- what perhaps only an invisible observer
in the sky could see -- was hidden beneath the waves. Miles of
tentacles floated in the water, sleeping until the stars were aligned
in the sky... but they seemed much more active now than they had been
before the boat's recent arrival at the isle.
--------------------
The long, black limousine pulled silently through the narrow streets
of Nerima, its dark elegance an odd counterpoint to the lazy late
afternoon stillness that had descended upon the ward. The houses
around it began to transform from the large but plain houses that
characterized the Tendos' neighborhood into large, palatial estates,
the city houses of the Japanese elite. The houses were becoming more
and more elaborate, until the vehicle finally came to a halt before
tall metal gates bearing the Kuno name in ornate lettering.
The driver rolled down the privacy window inside the car. "Just a
minute, Miss, I've got to go out and alert the house that we're coming
in." He rolled down his window, and leaned out to the gatehouse.
Nabiki leaned forward to the driver, making sure that her charms were
exposed. 'Might as well practice on him.' "I don't recognize this
house; are you sure it's the right place?" Nabiki breathed at him.
"Yes, uhm, ma'am," the driver stammered. "I understand there might
have been some remodelling done recently..." The man trailed off, his
face reflecting a nervousness as much from his beautiful patroness's
proximity as the hair's breadth he stood from contradicting her.
"Oh, that's good to hear. It'd be boring if everybody knew the place,"
Nabiki said, as she settled back into her seat. 'In good form,
Nabs. He was eating right out of your... hands.'
But after the limousine pulled through the elegant circular driveway,
letting Nabiki out by a fountain that glittered in the evening's full
moon, and into the sparkling halls of power, Nabiki was feeling less
pleased with herself. The party's guests, built up in her imagination
as moguls and tycoons, were surprisingly mundane.
Oh, she hadn't really expected anything else, not really, not
consciously. But disappointment lay heavy in her heart
nonetheless. 'Well, it's not like they're princes on a floating
island. They're just people, like anybody else. And that's perfectly
ok with me; I just want a nice ordinary path all the way to the top.'
"Hark, here is the sharp-minded Tendo scion, come to lighten the room
with her chilly radiance." Nabiki heard Kuno's tones; despite his
poetic-but-still distant and condescending tone, the attention he
directed her way was a comfort.
"Hello, Kuno." Nabiki tried to keep her voice respectfully formal, but
a hint of her normal tone with him must have slipped through. She saw
a few of the guests blanch at her familiarity. 'Guess they're worried
about offending their host,' Nabiki thought contemptously. 'They might
have to buy their own cheese and fruit.'
"Welcome to this abode, Tendo. Your transport was satisfactory, I
hope?" Nabiki nodded. Kuno's earlier hidden ebullience was definitely
there... but his face had become more mature, almost overnight since
she had last seen him. In contrast to the tuxedo-clad crowd who were
apparently following him around the party, Kuno was wearing a formal
black kimono. Its silk flowed around his frame, making him appear
taller, more in control of those around him. "You will consider my
offer, yes? The myrmidon efforts of the faithful Kuno Industry workers
are crying out for the efforts of a taskmistress as yourself. Your
past services to the Kuno glory are but tokens of what can be
achieved!"
Nabiki smiled enigmatically. "Kuno baby, you're too kind. You supply
the resources, I accomplished a few small things. But now, maybe we
should go our own ways, hmm? You just concentrate on your money, and
*I'll* worry about my way in life."
Kuno nodded his head. "Very well, Tendo. Know that you may call upon
us at any time; our debt to you is without bound."
After he passed by, Nabiki shook her head.
--------------------
Genma Saotome was ill-prepared to fight his latest enemy. He could see
the weaknesses, the potential openings, the strategy which would once
again demonstrate his prowess and earn him food. But he couldn't
summon the energy, couldn't bring himself to care. He weakly gestured
towards a frightening apparition about to burst into the room, hoping
to advantage of his and his opponent's distraction. But his opponent
ignored the feeble gesture,
"Atari!" his opponent, a one-time brother in arms, cried
joyfully. "That makes it three pork rolls you owe me when next you go
to market, Saotome! Now what was it you were looking at over there? "
Soun Tendo, content with his easy victory over his larger-framed
friend, looked easily over at the door.
But there was nothing there. Soun hid a frown in his long moustache,
One of the tenets of the Anything-Goes martial art that both he and
Genma had learnt, and that Genma had further adapted, was the
principle of surprise redirection. Genma's distraction had been so
weak that Soun had assumed as a matter of course that it was real... a
distraction should have seemed more real and heart-felt.
"Old friend, come now, you must relax. Tomorrow you will be off to
China, where you will have to brave the wilds and dangers accompanied
only by your lovely wife. Your wife is so lovely..." Soun's mood
evaporated completely in the space of an eyeblink, as he began to cry,
reminded of his own wife ten years gone. He stopped trying to speak,
and instead turned away and let the tears trickle down his
cheeks. Genma remained silent, lost in his contemplations and plans.
But soon a steely soft hand came to grip Soun's shoulder. "Genma..."
Soun began, comforted at his friend's presence.
But it wasn't his friend's voice who answered him. "No," in Nodoka's
soft voice. "We will leave you now. Grief is a private matter, to be
borne in sturdy solitude. You must embrace your duty and look to your
family and your own needs."
"No, Nodoka. That is all right." The dignity of the Tendo patriarch
was restored -- at least on the surface. "I did not realize you had
come back already from the embassy. Please, come this way... I'm sure
Kasumi has some pastries for guests here in the kitchen, if you'll
just come this way."
"No, we should be going now. I intend to go over the route my husband
and son took in China at least once more before Genma has to bouy up
his spirits." A careful listener might have heard inflection points
when she discussed her family -- but then again, a careful listener
might not. Her control had grown admirably in the past months.
"I see, Nodoka."
Before he could bid the Saotomes a final farewell, however, Soun was
interrupted. The telephone began to ring.
------------------------------------------------
The three fiancees were gathered in a group before the gates leading
to the Kuno estate. The sheer glam of the sight would have silenced
them, but no words had escaped their tight-lipped mouths since the
events with the compass. Ukyo held her spatula before her in a tight
grip, while Shampoo keep shifting her hand from the reassuring
presence of the bow leaning before her to the scabbarded sword. Akane
was intent on holding her hands at her sides now that they were
stopped, keeping her school skirt pressed against her side.
"So you're sure this is where the compass pointed, Sampoo?" Akane
reluctantly broke the silence, her tone more in tune with the dark
gloom that had enveloped them in the trees than the golden, glittering
gates before them, a semi-permeable membrane allowing those with class
to enter and intent on keeping suspicious young teens out. Between the
bars, Akane could see a long curving drive with long, sleek
automobiles delivering women in long, glittering gowns. The women were
met by tuxedo-clad men, the sharp cut lines of their tailored cloth
making them distinct even at this distance.
"I sure." Shampoo's Amazon bravado seemed unfazed by the display of
High Civilization. "We go ask Stick-boy what he knows now, yes?" In
the distance, an orchestra had materialized, playing a nocturne for
the crowd as they began entering the house to the light of the setting
sun. The orange light played its usual chromatic tricks upon the
setting, giving the house a fiery backlight.
Akane swallowed. Her earlier determination was not surviving contact
with the Kuno estate. The fiery house, the Beautiful People.... "You
don't think we should just wait until after the party, do you?"
Ukyo turned and looked at her, dark steely eyes cool over her black
school uniform, her stance a mute rebuke to Akane. She then shifted
her attention back to the estate. "No. Ranchan is in there, I just
know it! I'm not going to let that hussy Kodachi trick him any longer
than I have to!" It wasn't clear that she was seeing what the others
were seeing; Ukyo's eyes were manic. "That witch will leave my Ranchan
alone!"
"Well, I guess we can go in and see what's going on." Akane was
determined that if the other two were going to be reckless, she'd
remain cool. She could do it; she was usually calm and collected,
after all.
"I'm sure Kuno will have a few minutes to spare. Yes," Akane nodded
firmly to herself. 'Of course, I don't think he could ever refuse one
of us anything. I doubt he'll ever be able to resist a pretty face.'
She slid open the metal gate, ignoring the shriek of the wheels in the
tracks and the squawks that began sputtering from the loudspeaker
peeking out from the ivy-covered fence. "Let's go, guys." They slipped
inside the grounds, forming an uneasy line of drabness amongst the
splendor.
No sooner had they passed the first line of trees than several
uniformed security men stepped out. "Going somewhere, folks? Got your
invitations handy?" The question came from the lead man, a bearded
fellow with hard eyes belying a ready grin.
"Oh, we were just hoping to look around. Kuno -- Tatewaki Kuno -- he's
a friend of ours, you see, " Akane half-lied. "We heard that there was
a party, so we came by to see him."
The man openly smirked. "Yes, I'm sure. Sorry, Misses, but we've been
been alerted that there may be trouble going on today. Otherwise, we'd
just let you head right on in there. " The men behind him were
stoically impassive, but somehow they gave the impression of laughing
at this last. Nonetheless, the bearded fellow gestured, and one of his
men came up bearing a wireless videophone. "We'll just go right ahead
and ask Mister Kuno if he's available to speak with you right now."
A few minutes, a flawless video image was visible on the screen, and
Akane could see Kuno's annoyed face staring out. "Why do you bother
me, fool? The dinner begins anon, and I must review my annou... oh,
darling Akane! It is a wonder that I could have noticed the setting of
that distant fiery sun, when such a radiance as yours draws near."
Akane realized that she had moved closer to the man, and must have
become visible. "Uhm, hello, Sempai." Before she could say anything
else, Kuno interrupted her.
"Of course the gods above would have directed your presence to mine
this day of all days. It is predestined, a star-crossed fate that
would torment even the most Panglossian of lovers. We must meet. Come,
attend me in the gardens." Kuno began to shift, clearly intending to
sever the connection.
"Sir! What about these others?" the bearded man quickly interjected.
"What of them? Akane is the only visitor that I could care about on
this day!" The image switched off, with an air of finality.
Akane gulped. She just didn't understand the new Kuno sometimes. The
same nascent air of mystery which accompanied Kuno as he graduated,
which had attracted Nabiki firmly into his orbit, Akane found simply
frustrating.
But she did understand when the bearded man took her arm. "OK, Miss,
let's go see the Boss. You fellows, get these others out of here." The
last was directed at the other men, who took Shampoo and Ukyo's arms
and began hurrying them back towards the front gate.
Before she would have thought possible, Akane found herself on a small
footbridge overlooking a pond in the sprawling Kuno yard. The bearded
security fellow patted her shoulder, and moved off to one end of the
bridge, his head moving back and forth as he scanned the landscape for
threats. He tensed visibly when a figure in black kimono came out of
the house, before relaxing when it became apparent that the master of
the house was coming.
"Akane Tendo! It is true that our love has been growing despite the
formidable obstacles placed in our paths. But now the ultimate barrier
has been placed, where the noble family imperative impels us to remian
separate forever, separated by two oceans. I could not think how to
tell you this, but Divine Providence has ensured that you would be
here for what words I could summon. Fare thee well in life, Akane
Tendo. Perhaps we shall meet again, with the dictates of our fmaily
business, but not for some time; it will be too painful." Kuno
abruptly hugged Akane... but for once, there was no not a single hint
of perversion. "Cousin."
"What are you talking, Kuno? Two oceans?" Akane sputtered, taken
aback.
"Ah, you could not know." Kuno gazed at her fondly, like he would a
favored pet. "My noble father, finally recognizing my noble heart and
keen mind, has decreed I shall run Kuno Industries of America. Tonight
I leave to begin controlling the serpentine coils of the corporate
beast." He paused, staring in the distance while wiping a tear off his
cheek. "But here, in remembrance." He pushed something into Akane's
hands, and began moving smoothly away. "I... I'll never forget you,
Akane." He was gone.
Akane could only stare, open-mouthed. Obviously something had
happened, but she really didn't understand this new Kuno.
She stood there for several moments, before the bearded fellow came
back. His presence snapped Akane back to herself, annoyed that she
hadn't gotten to ask Kuno if he had seen Ranma, or at least asked to
stay at the party.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" Akane yelped as the man
casually siezed her arm by the elbow, his blunt fingers digging into
the ulnar nerve. The pain caused her to drop what Kuno had given her;
she could see in the bottom of her vision yellow petals drifting away.
"I didn't even get a chance to say anything! Do you think I'm just
going to go away without actually talking to Kuno? Let _go_ of me!"
The man had begun moving her towards the estate boundaries.
"Let me think... yes, I think that is exactly what I expect." The man
smirked. "You can send him a postcard tomorrow, to his new residence
I'm sure somebody can give you the address... *oof*!" The sentence was
punctuated by a sharply indrawn breath, as Akane's other elbow found
its mark.
"I don't think so. I'm going in there, now, and you'd better not try
to stop me!"
The bearded man's posture shifted slightly, its silent subtlety loudly
proclaiming his martial prowess. "Is that so, Miss?" His hand went
down to his belt, pressing a button that briefly glowed red. "I'm
sorry to break this to you, but you're now officially uninvited with
prejudice from this little soiree." Now his hand snapped up, trailing
a whip that the belt had somehow become, striking towards Akane in one
lightning lash...
------------------------------------------------
Ukyo and Shampoo stared as Akane was taken off to meet with
Kuno. "That Akane had better find out what's going on with Ranma,"
Ukyo muttered to Shampoo, only to receive a grim nod. They were now up
against the front gate -- barely inside the grounds, as a bare
concession to politeness while they waited for Akane's return. They
were off to the side, however, where the incoming limos would not see
any common folk that might disrupt their festive mood.
Once they were positioned, the two guardsmen were content to talk
between themselves. Gossip about the latest gameshow -- something
where local contestants would race against each other through an
obstacle course for small prizes -- was interrupted periodically by
beeps from devices on the men's belts. Some sort of communicator was
evidentally hooked in there, sending them periodic messages from the
other guardsmen. The men were nice enough to tell the girls that Akane
and Kuno had begun speaking, but otherwise maintained their distance.
Of course, that distance may have been encouraged by the two girls'
body language. Shampoo leant against a tree, saying nothing while
seeing everything. Occasionally a hand would leave her bow or sword
hilt to briefly stroke the golden compass slung around her neck as a
necklace. Ukyo paced before Shampoo, her eyes focused on nothing and
her mind evidently elsewhere. Occasionally she would say something
under breath, a murmured "10 years!" or "Ranma-honey!"
Finally, with a great deal of tension evident, Ukyo stopped. "Argh. I
wish Akane had kept her mouth shut; now I have a really bad feeling
about this. What's taking her so long?" The last suggested a shriek of
aggravation, but Ukyo remarkably kept her tone low.
Shampoo cattily remarked, "Maybe she have to make kiss-kiss with
Kuno." Obviously her temper had not been improved by the wait.
One of the men looked over at that. "Oh, I don't know about that,
Miss, not today." The other elbowed him sharply, and the first man
blushed. "Uhm, never mind. Hey, that hurt, Yoshi" Looking a bit guilty
at having broken in, the man reached into his front pocket and pulled
out a packet of gum. "Would you like something to chew on while you
wait?"
As Ukyo was reaching out, eager to have something else to occupy her
mind, the security guards's belts began to beep. They took one look at
the message screen, and their faces blanched simultaneously.
"Uh-oh. You'll have to come back another time, girls," Yoshi began to
say, as the other man began to turn towards the grounds. "Something's
come up. Don't worry about your friend; we'll send her along shortly."
The other guard had already turned and was beginning to jog up the
driveway in the direction Akane had gone.
The two girls caught each others eyes, and silently exploded into
action. Shampoo leapt up without ever taking a step, flipping over
Yoshi's head and landing on one knee behind him. She swung the tip of
her scabbarded sword behind her, so that it slid into a small groove
near the small of his back, in a precise strike to disrupt the man's
energy flows. His legs froze, and his arms began churning in a frantic
windmill as he fell backwards.
"My legs! I can't move my legs!" Every trace of geniality in his voice
was gone, replaced by blind panic. He hit the ground heavily, where
Shampoo had been only a second before, to see her standing over him.
"No worries. It not permanent!" Shampoo wrinkled her nose in
amusement. "Here, have something to chew on while you wait." She
reached down to the forgotten packet of gum, took out a piece, and
stuffed it in his mouth. "Bai-bai, now!"
Shampoo left his field of vision before he could manage to drag
himself to a sitting position with his arms. When he did manage to do
so, he saw no sign of her -- just as, after he finally thought of it,
there was no sign of the communicator that had been clipped to his
belt. He began the process of dragging his body towards the fence and
driveway, in the hopes of flagging somebody down, chewing his gum all
the while.
------------------------------------------------
Ukyo had missed the entire byplay. As Shampoo attacked her guard, Ukyo
slid around him, and took to the air in tremendous bound. She lifted
her right hand up to her left ear, and then shot it sweeping forward,
releasing a row of throwing spatulas at her opponent.
It was done so silently that he hadn't even noticed her approach until
a spatula parted his hair and singed his nose with its passage. He
turned, hands instinctively coming up to his face to block his
vulnerable face. Unfortunately he failed to move fast enough, as Ukyo
descended like an angel from on high with a flaming battle spatula,
twisting the blade so that it slipped between his still-bewildered
hands and impacting the side of his head.
There was a soft pop, and he went down, unconscious. Ukyo wasted no
time in removing his belt and tying his hands together, but she had
just barely finished when Shampoo came up behind her.
"All right, Honey, let's go on in and meet the guests!" Ukyo said,
baring her teeth in what was almost a smile.
Shampoo's own teeth gleamed. "Yes." They faded into the trees lining
the drive, and began picking their way closer to the gathering. The
shadows stayed close, shielding them from prying eyes, as they picked
their among the tree branches. As they came to the final tree, Ukyo
held up a hand, wordlessly indicating to Shampoo that they should
stop.
At some point in their journey they had separated onto opposite sides
of the roads. They slowly crept to the edge of their respective
branches, kneeling silently over those guests still taking in the hors
d'oevres and the beautiful sunset coating the lavish estate a
brilliant red.
Carefully looking around, Ukyo noticed several men, in somewhat
plainer suits than the other guests, looking intently around the
crowd. They had small, discreet buds in their ears; their ready stance
and regular patrol through the crowd put the lie to any belief that
they were just guests.
Shampoo raised a hand, not daring to wave it lest it attract the
attention of those below. When she was sure that Ukyo had focused on
her hand, she slowly extended it, pointing at a balcony upstairs. Tall
french windows looked out upon it, a slight sway in the left one
making apparent it was unlatched.
Ukyo tensed, flexed her muscles, and leapt, barely landing in the
balcony 20 feet away. The only noise she made was a soft grunt as her
knees bent beneath her, absorbing the impact. Reaching out to grasp
the window and softly draw it open, she suddenly froze, when she
noticed, in the darkened other end of the hallway, two figures,
apparently looking at some of the portraits that lined the walls.
She froze, causing Shampoo back in the trees to freeze also. The
Amazon irritatedly tried to see what had caused Ukyo to stop, but
could see nothing. She was able only to stay in the trees, silently
cursing the okinomiyaki chef as Ukyo silently listened, a gargoyle
above the festivities below.
------------------------------------------------
Akane snapped her right hand down, catching the belt between her thumb
and forefinger and yanking it forward, while twisting her body and
reaching for the man with her left hand. She managed to grasp his
jacket lapel before he could twist away, clenching her fingers tightly
and yanking desperately on the cloth. Seeing he was caught, the man
stopped trying to twist away, and actually threw his weight in the
direction Akane was pulling him. He sank towards the floor, throwing
his hands out at the last minute to cartwheel away, the momentum
pulling both belt and suit out of Akane's grip.
Akane was still somewhat surprised by the suddenness with what the
scene had shifted to violence, but she was confident as she turned and
awaited her opponent's move. He was evidently skilled... but not in
Akane's league. She was sure of that. Well, pretty sure.
His hands stabbed forward, the belt a snapping lash invisible to the
eye. Akane fell back, turning her body to present a smaller
profile. The end of the belt bounced off her forearms, as Akane
continued to back peddle, looking for an opening. A small barb at the
end tore a chunk out of Akane's flesh, leaving an bloody trail in the
air as it swung back to the man.
Akane gasped. Deciding that the belt simply gave the man too much
range to try to dodge, she abruptly reversed course and charged. Still
several feet from him, Akane threw herself into the air, a human
missile. She reached one arm out to grab the belt, and the other to
take the impact. The end of the belt-whip sliced into her one more
time, but then she had a hold of it, and her full weight was pressing
on him in the next instant.
The man fell back, allowing Akane to execute a one-handed handspring
off his chest to spring clear, taking the belt whip with her. She
could feel the man's shoulder leave his socket as he tried to hold on,
before he whimpered and his hand relaxed. As she landed facing away
from him, she contemptously threw the whip as hard as she could into
the trees. Turning, she began to approach him, noting that he had
barely managed to get to his knees. His eyes looked somewhat glassy,
and his lips were already bluish. Shock was evidently starting to set
in.
"Now, I'll just go in and talk to Kuno, and I'll get him to send you
some medical attention. " Akane began walking away, feeling some
contempt of the man behind her. Maybe she had gotten a lucky blow in,
but he hadn't put up much of a fight.
But before she took two steps, she felt muscular arms wrapping around
her torso, and beginning to compress. Time began to slow. She could
feel his facial hair sliding across the soft skin of her neck. His
lips moved behind her, further irritating the skin. "Impressed by the
secret attack of my school? The 'Shock & Awe' hug is almost
unbeatable."
The arms began compressing, squeezing all air out of Akane's
lungs. Akane desperately flailed for purchase. But she could find
none; butting her head backwards hit only air. Her arms strained, but
she couldn't break the band of pain across her chest. Even the
dislocated arm seemed oblivious to her efforts. She thought she might
have heard his breathing quicken a little, but that might have been
her own breathing. She couldn't breathe, she felt her strength fading,
and then she was being picked up and dragged to the bridge.
"Here, why don't you entertain Mr. Turtle for a while? I'm sure the
police won't investigate a trespasser who stumbled into the pond too
much... Bitch!" The last was hissed, the most emotion the man had
shown the entire fight. Akane found herself falling, entering the
water, before she knew it.
The familiar rage and fear Akane encountered whenever she was in the
water joined the feeling of helplessness and despair that losing the
fight had engendered. And then... the man's words sank
in. 'Mr. Turtle? Isn't that Kodachi's...' Akane began splashing
furiously, trying to get herself to solid footing. 'This can't be that
deep, can it? Where's the bottom! Aaaggh!'
She was deeply afraid that she heard a splash in the water, over her
own splashing. Was that sun flashing off scales over there? Or was
that a snout brushing against her leg? These questions at least kept
her from thinking so much about the fact she was drowning. But when
she actually felt herself being pushed down by the mammoth reptilian
claws, that was small consolation.
Desperately lunging, she somehow managed to briefly lift herself to
the top of the water, and grasp the alligator around the neck --
Kodachi Kuno's infamous pet, "Mr. Turtle". It immediately began
thrashing, hoping to dislodge her and resume its task of eating. Akane
grimly hung on, knowing it was her only chance of getting out of this
alive.
Thus she was all the more shocked when the creature's wild motions
caused it to come underneath the bridge, and she found herself being
bashed against the unyielding stone. She saw stars, and she let go,
her muscles unconsciously relaxing. The creature paddled away briefly,
clearing its pea-sized brain before returning to devour the
surprisingly stubborn prey. Akane sank deeper in the water.
"That Akane... what a klutz. Come on, Ukyo, let's go get married. I'm
glad you're the one who found me; I was off doing some incredibly
romantic thing for the last two months. Glad a real woman found me. "
Was that Ranma? That lunkhead! That idiot! That insensitive clod!
Akane came back alive, with a start. But as she did, the heavy
emotions surrounding her dragged her faster into the depths.
That was the last straw. Mr. Turtle was diving straight for her, when
Akane, in instinctive genius, embraced her emotions. The hatred, the
anger, the depression... she suddenly rocketed to the bottom, her
shoes finding purchase in the soft muck, an aura of red surrounding
her. Mr. Turtle managed to look quite surprised, but dove himself,
jaws opening wide to decapitate Akane. Mr. Turtle was directly above
Akane, when he felt himself being lifted up by some strange force,
lifted up, up, up, out of the water, before tipping to the side and
beginning to fall. Had he been less stunned, he might have paid
attention as the energy sank back down, and exploded at the bottom of
the pond, emptying it as water was flung across the landscape. In the
middle of what had been the water, Akane stood, dazed.
'What just happened?' Akane wondered? One minute she was drowning, and
the next the water was gone and she was hurting. She felt like
something had bruised every square inch of her skin. She limped out,
almost slipping several times in the mud, leaving a wide berth from
the still-unmoving alligator.
------------------------------------------------
Nabiki frowned. Kuno's talk with her had been low-voiced enough that
the guests didn't exactly know what was said; but that she had a big
in with the man had been made obvious. This certainly was helping her
meet and speak with the powers that were at the party, but complicated
her task of building her own future. Her latest conversation target
had slipped away, as a distinguished looking man in coat and tie had
crept in and begun talking to her
"So we would like to create a program in child psychology, to help
children and parents come closer. We feel that there are a lot of
families in Japan that encounter stress and simply don't know how to
deal with it. If you could only talk to Master Kuno, I'm sure he'd be
willing to help sponsor such a beneficial program..."
"Why, I suppose I could, Mr. Sohma. But, really, what's in it for me?"
Nabiki pressed the wineglass against her lips, hiding her smirk. She
was spinning him like a wheel.
He blinked, flustered. "Well, I suppose, you'd get the satisfaction of
helping Japan's families. Think of the children, Miss Tendo; wouldn't
it be better times if every child had loving parents who knew how to
take care of them?" His earnestness almost repelled Nabiki, so she
started walking, maintaining her distance. "And, of course, we'd
expect Mr. Kuno to maintain some oversight, so I'm sure we could
arrange you to have intern in a consulting position, to come inspect
the program."
Nabiki paused.
"When you're not at school, of course! We have very good relations
with Nekomi Tech, I'm sure that we could arrange a healthy scholarship
for someone of your standing!"
Nabiki smiled.
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Sohma. I'll speak with Mr. Kuno at my next
opportunity. You can send me the details at my address here." Nabiki
handed over a small business card, containing her name and the dojo's
address. "A small word to the wise: I am deciding where I'm attending
college very shortly. I'd hate for this opportunity to pass me by,
capisce?"
Nabiki turned away, as the man nodded, wide-eyed.
'All right, Nabs, you've got it. A few more opportunities like this,
and it really /will/ be a hard decision,' Nabiki exulted. She looked
around for her original target, but did not see him. Instead she began
climbing up the grand staircase, letting her hand trail along the
wooden banister. She felt the grains pass beneath her hands, a ridge
trailing behind her, extending in front of her, and then veering away
as she reached the top. She closed her eyes, feeling an odd sense that
her life was about to change that night and never again be the same
comfortable existence that she lived prior to this moment.
She looked at the hall, noting the elegant paintings lining the walls
on her left and right. A clean white linen cloth covered the painting
at the top of the stairs, presumably a new work not completely
installed. She was just starting to peek beneath the linens when she
heard a voice behind her.
"Nabiki Tendo. Your presence here is remarkable, really." The cool
tones of Kodachi Kuno behind her quickly brought Nabiki down to
Earth. "My brother has been more impressed than ever with you these
last few months." Nabiki turned to see the younger Kuno girl, dressed
elaborately in a designer blue gown, sheer silk at the base giving way
to a delicate black lace floral pattern at the top. It was a dress
that would not have been out of place at the American Oscars. "But
then, you always have been very good at profiting from
opportunities. "
Nabiki turned away. "Yes, I am good at that, aren't I?" She embraced
Kodachi's sneer, made it her own. "You've certainly taken advantage
enough of my services. Over your little Ranma obsession?"
Kodachi's voice rose in a shriek. "Never! He and I are a destined
match! From the moment I laid eyes upon him, I knew he and I..."
Nabiki started calculating the odds that Kodachi would be ripping off
her gown to reveal a leotard cunningly concealed, but then Kodachi
stopped. "But no... now that my brother is taking the reins of power,
we shall together search the world for darling Ranma. Your petty
services will _not_ be required."
"Taking... the reins?" Nabiki asked, trying to figure out what was
going on.
The Kuno girl looked curious. "He did not tell you?" And now Kodachi's
infamous laughter did begin, a strident echo of madness floating in
the aira above the heads of the powerful below. "My father has stepped
down, and persuaded the board to acknowledge the truth. My brother now
heads Kuno Industries. Today, he has become a man."
Patterns began falling into place, as Nabiki recognized why the
kowtowing had been so pervasive tonight. She took a few breaths. 'What
does this mean? What should I do?' Her carefully laid plans were now
completely asunder, as she pondered what would be the best course for
her to take. She felt as if there were dice spinning in her head. It
was almost not a surprise, then, when she heard the crash of breaking
glass and the screams beginning. Somewhat surprising, however, was
Kodachi's drawing her towards one of the upstairs rooms, urging her to
take cover. Maybe Kuno had been right when he said the family owed her
a debt.
------------------------------------------------
Ukyo had had enough. She raised her spatula, and silently flipped open
the French window. But she had not even entered the house when she
heard, behind her, the sound of an enraged Amazon, breaking glass, and
shrieks of pain. When she turned, she could saw what had happened. Or
rather, she couldn't see any trace of Shampoo other than the bow,
abandoned in the tree, so her mind filled in the details.
She jumped down below, finding Shampoo had reached inside the
shattered remnants of a large window, and was holding one flustered
Tatewaki Kuno by the lapels of his kimono off of the ground. The
security guards were running closer, and Ukyo felt herself pressing
closer to Shampoo, her muscles tensing for confrontation.
She could hear Kuno's teeth chatter as Shampoo shook him. "Where
Ranma?" Shampoo demanded. "We know he's here. Where is he?" Shampoo
let Kuno drop, as he landed with a thump amidst the glass shards.
Ukyo took a closer look at Kuno's face when he landed. It was
red... 'Has he been drinking?' she wondered. Then Kuno opened his
mouth, and removed the need to wonder.
"What are you doing, woman!? This is a private engagement! I know
nothing of that cur, Ranma; now leave!"
The security guards had just reached Shampoo, so Ukyo moved to block
them. The guards, while obviously trained, did not appear to be
expecting much resistance from the two girls, so fell back when Ukyo
met their grasping hands with the clang of cold steel. "Then we
search!" Ukyo heard Shampoo assert; it was sheer luck that she looked
back at Kuno to see white appear in his alcohol-ruddied cheeks. She
then was forced to look back at the guards, throwing several spatulas
to keep them honest.
"No! You'll disturb the guests! You can search tomorrow, when we fly
to Hawaii... I'll have Sasuke show you around!" Kuno's voice had
noticeable heightened in pitch.
Shampoo's response was quite physical, as she jumped through the
window into the room, landing in a roll on the thick persian carpet
and drawing her sword. "No! We find Ranma now! Spatula-girl, come!"
Shampoo didn't wait, but threw upon the door and began rapidly moving
through the crowd. The people, drawn near the door by the sounds of
excitement, wisely moved away from the lavender-haired woman with the
very sharp-looking blade.
>From the crowd, however, came two small-gleaming prongs trailing thin
silver wires. Shampoo whirled, and caught them with her free
hand. This proved to be a mistake, when the electricity
came. Shampoo's hand tensed, and then she dropped to the floor. The
man who fired the taser had made it to her body and had begun moving
her arms behind her back, shaking loose a pair of handcuffs. The
handcuffs fell when a foot with all Ukyo's weight behind it landed on
his face.
The guard now laid out as warning to the others, Ukyo hoisted
Shampoo's body across her shoulders and began running for higher
ground. She was halfway up the stairs when a tingling at the back of
her neck warned her to leap aside. She jumped onto the left bannister,
springing back and forth from one side to another, hoping to gain some
distance and avoid whatever it was she had sensed. Presumably by now
the other security guards were taking measures against her. At least
the upper stairs seemed to be deserted.
She felt more than saw the metal shuriken passing her, and realized
her time had run out. Hurling Shampoo in front of her, towards the top
of the stairs, Ukyo then flung herself up, so she could use the
railing as thin cover to launch a counter attack. The girls' positions
on the floor served them well, as the sharp metal shuriken from below
angled overhead. Ukyo regained her feet and jumped from the second
floor, concentrating as she fell on her aim. She felt the smooth
tension in her arm as she released one, then a second sharp spatula,
hitting the evident shuriken-thrower in the arm. A small spurt of
blood made evident that he would be favoring that arm for a while.
As Ukyo landed, however, she was given no chance to relax. She found
her arm caught in something -- a ribbon? From above? She grimaced,
focused her strength, and tugged downwards. She met no resistance, but
instead saw a familiar figure jumping towards the chandelier in the
middle of the room.
"HO HO HO! It is the serveant girl, come to disrupt the festivities!
Excellent --- none shall accuse the Kunos of neglecting the party's
entertainment!" Kodachi threw a ball at Ukyo, who promptly returned it
with a swing of her giant spatula... the contest was on. Ukyo grinned
with relish... she was going to recover Ranma or die trying.
But busy fighting Kodachi as she was, Ukyo was in no position to deal
with the security guards in the crowd, as much as she might want
to. She could only hope Shampoo would recover before the men stopped
being distracted by her battle with Kodachi amidst the room's rafters
and chandeliers.
------------------------------------------------
Nabiki gasped. She had just crept out of the bedroom Kodachi had
pressed her in, seeing a scene straight out of a war film. Shampoo and
Ukyo were engaging in aerial combat with several men, their battle
cries filling the entire room. Below, she could see guests pressed
against the wall, unwilling to get in the way of the combatants. A few
of the more powerful-looking men were speaking on the cell phones,
attempting to ignore what was going on; but most were focused on the
display. Ukyo was throwing bags of flour left and right, which
promptly would explode in people's faces.
All seemed to be going well for Shampoo and Ukyo -- they were slowly
whittling down the numbers of opponents willing or able to stand
against them. A few of the braver guests were hauling off unconscious
guardsmen to the punch tables. But then the guardsmen pulled back,
revealing someone evidently much more a menace. A giant sumo wrestler
appeared from within the depths of the house, his every step shaking
the men nearby to their toes. Ukyo and Shampoo lit upon the upper
railings, and looked briefly at each other. They simultaneously leapt
at the man, extending their outermost legs in an attempt to bring him
down rapidly. However, the man swung one massive, gargantuan arm, and
managed to knock Ukyo into Shampoo, and into a wall.
Nabiki froze. She was furious that Shampoo and Ukyo had crashed her
party, her very important party, but she didn't want to stand by and
let them get hurt. The man looked ferocious, angry, and just a little
bit hungry. She began looking around for something to throw as a
distraction, and then her blood curdled.
Sometime in the fight, the white cloth covering the painting at the
top of the stairs had come off. At the top, posing stiffly, was a
wedding portrait, beautifully done in oil on canvas. There was
Tatewaki Kuno, standing stiff in a beautiful black tuxedo... with a
red-haired, glazed looking bride by his side. Nabiki saw this, and
screamed.
Beneath her, everybody turned and looked up. The sight of the
magnificent painting caused a mass intake of breath. Even had Nabiki
not recognized the two, she too would have been caught up in the
paralysis. The painting was awe-inspiring, with life-size characters
and Kuno's gaze a commanding look at each and every member of the
audience. The artist, whoever he was, had clearly outdone himself.
But then a loud boom announced the arrival of a very interested
newcomer.
"WHAT?" Akane was here. Nabiki couldn't bear to turn away to see her
sister. Instead, Nabiki's knees began shaking, quietly. She heard the
crack of wood breaking, and soft fragile bones hitting the
walls. Akane was coming.
Nabiki closed her eyes, but opened them when she felt a mass arc over
her, disturbing the light. She saw the sumo wrestler flying through
the air at tremendous speed, to crash into the painting, wrecking
it. But then she saw something which almost made her scream
again. Behind the painting, in a small room, she saw Sasuke, looking
wide-eyed up from the bowl of soup in his hands. She couldn't see the
person whom Sasuke had been feeding from the bowl, but then she really
didn't have to. The brilliant white wedding dress, restraints around
the room, a stoppered bottle of something, the bruises on Sasuke's
face, all made it fairly clear who it was, and Nabiki knew fear, and
shame, and pain.
- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - =
Well, there we go. This has probably been the most technically complex
chapter I've ever written (counting the viewpoint shifts, the number
of characters, the dream symbology, and the fight sequences); I'm not
completely
happy with it, but here ya go. I'd like to give a big thanks to
bio-nic and piemur for pre-reading this; I'd be interested in other
pre-readers. (I believe a few of you offered after the first chapter;
but I can't find those emails. I'm very sorry about that :-( ). I, of
course, welcome any and all C&C, either on- or off-list. In
particular, I'd like to hear opinions about whether the fight
sequences worked. They were probably the single slowest part to write,
so any feedback would be useful.
Thanks a lot to everyone who's commented on previous chapters; you've
really helped me solidify the story. Thanks in advance to any comments
on this chapter.