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All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.
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Coutuva.
Yue - Part Three
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Kasumi moved wordless from the genkan to the kitchen,
noticing immediately that no one had made any effort to
do the dishes. That observation would have normally resulted in
her issuing an annoyed huff, but this time, she made no sound.
As she ran the water to start the task, she heard Nabiki
enter the room and walk up behind her. She sighed.
"Oneechan? Dad tells me you went to meet her...?"
"Hai. I met her," she began, picking up a dish and
starting to wash it.
"And...?"
Kasumi set down the dish. "I... Like her. Very much,"
she confessed, lowering her face.
"Kuso... I knew it had to be something; you never stay
out past nine o'clock, and it's almost eleven thirty," Nabiki
huffed, frowning so deeply Kasumi *heard* it.
"We were talking, and I lost all track of time. She's a
wonderful, charming, friendly girl, and so polite and well-spoken.
I completely forgot who she was," she explained, shaking her head.
"Her personality is nothing like any of the other times this sort
of thing has happened."
Nabiki sobered. "You're not telling me what I want to
hear, neechan," she intoned, apparently trying not to sound as
exasperated as she looked.
"If you mean how she and Shampoo are getting along, I
think 'of a mind', describes it best. They have much in common,
and each respect the other totally. Shan Lin seems just thrilled
to have a friend that truly understands her, and Liang Yue feels
the same way," she stated, returning an even look.
"Shan Lin? Liang Yue? I won't ask," Nabiki responded,
rolling her eyes. "Did you at least get us an opening?"
Kasumi eyed her younger sister cautioningly. "I mentioned
the family to her, and told her who the people were that found
her. She's coming by tomorrow to meet everyone, and to express
her appreciation for everyone's concern," she stated, then turned
to face Nabiki fully. "I do not want you to mention whose body
she has, Nabiki. She's such a wonderful, caring young woman that
I honestly believe it would devastate her -- which I'm certain
is why nobody has told her yet. And should I find out that she
learned of it from any of us, I would be most perturbed," she
advised, meeting Nabiki's eyes in a telling glare. "And I would
like you to mention that to your sister, as well," she added,
tilting her head slightly and raising one eyebrow.
Nabiki blinked. "Hai, Kasumi-oneechan," she responded,
her tone far more conciliatory. "But... What about Ranma?"
"Nabiki... We... Do not know if bringing Ranma back is
even possible... Yet. And until we do, I will not condone
hurting Yue. I can't imagine her living with the guilt I am
certain she would feel, especially if it turns out... That we
can't bring Ranma back. And if you take the time to think about
it, sister, I am sure you will agree with me," she explained,
taking her hands and smiling gently.
"I... I guess you're right," Nabiki conceded at length,
apparently having actually thought it over. "But I'm still going to
do everything in my power to get him back."
She smiled knowingly. "Nabiki-chan... I wouldn't be
foolish enough to think you'd do otherwise."
Yue rolled over with a long, soft moan, stretching the last
of the sleep from her body. It was then that she realized she had
been asleep, and gasped quietly.
Her last memory was of sitting in the Neko-hanten talking,
long after the very pleasant Kasumi had left. Shan Lin had gone to
prepare them a small confection, and she had been awaiting her
return.
Looking about herself, she noted she was now in a spartan
room, clad only in a loose-fitting garment. She chuckled to herself
as she reasoned that she had slipped into slumber while awaiting her
friend.
Rising to a sit, she blinked at the sight of Shan Lin laying
beside her on the same mat, still deep in the throes of her dreams.
A smile replaced her shocked expression as she reached over and
moved a stray lock of hair from her new friend's face. The smile
widened as Shan Lin moaned, and adjusted her position.
"I have been awarded the grace of the Gods with your
presence, Amazon. Were it not for you, I would surely be lost in
all this strangeness," she whispered, then quietly rose from the
mat.
Locating her clothing, she found her way to the bath,
which was thankfully adjacent to the room she had been in. The
sun was almost up, which meant it was time for her practice.
Returning to the room, she looked for something to
press into service as a weapon, as without, she would be unable to
execute her full routine. A smile crossed her face as she caught
sight of a large cache of weapons, all stacked neatly in a corner.
"I would have known that you would not be without," she
whispered, casting a knowing look toward Shan Lin's reposed form.
Selecting a two-handed broadsword from the array, she
tested its heft and huffed with satisfaction. She was not surprised to
note it was a well-crafted example; light, agile, yet of proper
rebound.
Upon tightening its scabbard over her left hip, she
turned and almost sprinted from the room.
Once outside, she stepped to the middle of the somewhat
small grassy plot, then turned her face to the warming sun and
smiled. Closing her eyes, she offered a prayer to the newborn day.
Turning again, she stiffened, then began her preparation.
First, she cleared her mind of all distracting thought, and
evened her breath.
Upon feeling herself become inwardly cleansed, she raised
her arms and started her limbers, following a pattern well engrained.
It took less time than she anticipated to complete the routine, but she
did not mind. It enabled her to get to the best part more quickly.
Then, despite her efforts to remain centered, she smiled
in anticipation of the event to come. Resuming her stance, she threw
open her eyes, moved her right arm over and handed the hilt of her
borrowed weapon, accustoming herself to its feel.
For a moment, she stood motionless, and the world seemed
to come to a stop around her -- almost as if holding its breath.
Her opening strike cry shattered the stillness as she
exlpoded into motion, the sword carving a whistling swath through the
crisp morning air. Within moments, her widening smile rivalled the
sunrise as she felt the weapon become a part of her, growing ever
lighter in her hand. Emboldened, she advanced her regimine, intent
on testing herself to the fullest.
It was just then that she caught a movement to her side, and
without breaking form, she brought her weapon to parry. The sharp
clang of steel biting steel played like music to her ears.
She was not surprised to see Shan Lin roll off the block,
twin broadswords at the ready. She smiled gratefully and moved to
her stance, heart pounding in anticipation.
Shan Lin twitched; she lunged -- and their deadly dance
began.
Cologne, roused from her slumber by the unmistakable
sound of a Chinese strike cry, balanced by her window with her jaw
dropped in awe.
She had been impressed by the formidable skill evident in
the Princess's practice exercise, but what she looked out upon now
made that seem like child's play. And by the look she could see on
the Princess's face, it seemed that it still was.
With only one sword, and a large one for her at that, she
was fending off Shampoo's best attacks readily. When she finally
went on the offensive, her strikes were blindingly fast, and her
control amazingly precise.
So precise in fact, that as Cologne watched the contest
unfold, a wry smile spread over her aged face.
"Three... Two... One," she counted out as the strikes got
in, then chuckled as Shampoo's right arm suddenly slumped useless
at her side, the sword it once held clattering to the ground.
The old woman shook her head. "I think I like that girl,"
she noted aloud, then turned and hopped away.
Shan Lin apparently couldn't hide her shock. It looked so
true and complete that she actually felt guilty.
"" she gasped bewildered,
stepping back to withdraw.
"" she
bowed apologetically, slipping her sword away.
"" the Amazon blurted, not angrily, but excitedly. "" she added, working her numb
shoulder.
She flushed. "" she confessed,
lowering her face.
A moment later, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
""
Shan Lin smiled, patting her shoulder. ""
she added, flashing her now-famous grin.
She smiled warmly. ""
"" the Amazon glowered back, then
smiled again. "" she
followed, turning to retrieve her swords.
"" she asked, as she unbuckled
and removed her borrowed sword belt, then reached for Shan Lin's
dropped weapon.
"" Shan Lin smiled back, picking up her other one.
"" she protested, but Shan Lin shook
her head.
"" the girl countered, her tone firm.
She sighed, realizing she was caught by decorum -- until
a thought struck. "" she grinned,
then bowed.
"" Shan Lin complained, but she only
mimicked the girl's famous grin.
The Amazon shook her head concedingly. As she did, she
moved the sword she held as if she was going to scabbard it behind
her back, then stopped. ""
"" she responded,
with a wary eye.
" she grinned back, then
held her sword in front of her. "" she trilled,
then swung it around behind her back. When she withdrew her
hand, Yue had to look twice as she saw that it was empty. But,
before she could comment or even exclaim, Shan Lin twirled
around slowly.
The weapon was nowhere to be seen.
"" she blurted, when she
finally found her voice.
The Amazon smiled. "" she
explained, obviously amused by her little trick. "" she added,
reaching behind her and withdrawing a bonbori. "" she continued, dropping the
bonbori and clamping her hand over her mouth.
"" she echoed fearfully, recoiling back a step.
Shan Lin sighed, amid a remorseful nod. "" she stated, starting toward the door.
Despite herself, she shuddered, then followed -- but at a healthy
distance.
A moment later, they arrived in the bath, where Shan Lin
undressed in silence. Upon folding aside her garments, she turned
full on to face her. "" she stated, filling a rinse bucket with
warm water first, then doing the same with cold. "" she resigned, upending the bucket of cold
water over her head.
Yue felt her knees go weak. Where Shan Lin once stood
now sat a very wet, sad looking little white cat. "" she whispered,
kneeling to gently pick the animal up and hug it to her.
The cat only uttered a loud meow, then looked down at
the other bucket. "" she sputtered, setting the
animal back down. Picking up the bucket, she dumped it over the
cat, and yelped out loud as she suddenly found her face inches
away from a particularly embarrassing part of the Amazon's
anatomy.
"" she stated,
kneeling to face her. "" she added, as Yue felt her touch her
shoulder then slide her hand down her arm.
""
she sputtered back, having trouble catching her breath even with
the assuring touch.
Shan Lin frowned. "" she explained, flashing
a small smile. "" she added, winking.
She couldn't believe her ears. "" she began, but the Amazon dismissed it with
a wave.
"" she stated, rising and offering a
hand.
Yue felt herself shudder. "" she
huffed, unable to imagine living in such a manner. Taking the
proffered assist, she rose to her feet and sighed. "".
"" the Amazon dismissed again, winking. "" she redirected, walking toward what looked
like a tub.
"" she puffed,
shaking her head as she started to open her tunic ties.
"" the girl grinned,
starting the water.
Akane peered at her bedroom window through the single
eye she had grudgingly opened, groaning at the prospect of having
to wake up. After the grueling evening Nabiki's 'friends' had put her
through, and then not getting to bed until almost one in the
morning, she definitely did not feel up to facing the new day.
Gradually, however, she did gather the ambition to rise,
and pushed herself to a sitting position. After a less-than-
ladylike yawn, she rubbed her eyes to try to get them both to
focus at the same time.
It was at about the point they did that she noticed
something wrong. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but
she was convinced. Getting up from the bed, she walked to the
window and looked out it, examining everything in sight.
She was perplexed to note that nothing was out of place.
The tree was fine. The street was quiet. The yard looked
undisturbed. The koi pond...
The koi pond.
It was devoid of any of the sputtering, cursing bodies which
would normally be crawling, or even leaping out of it by now.
Suddenly, she knew what was wrong; the house was too quiet. With
Ranma 'indisposed', the sounds of he and his father 'training' were
gone, leaving an almost deafening silence.
She drew a long breath to fight off the tightness that
observation brought to her chest, then turned away from the
depressing sight. Grabbing her bath things, she headed toward her
door, hoping to make it before she started crying.
Akane was mortified. "She's coming *here*?" she blurted,
gaping at her oldest sister.
"Why, yes. I invited her yesterday, since she mentioned
that she wanted to thank all of you for bringing her to
Tofuu-sensei," Kasumi responded, gathering a few dishes from the
table.
"When?!?"
"I believe we decided on ten o'clock. I told them that I
needed some time to clean up," she answered, heading back into the
kitchen.
"Masaka! That's only an hour! I need to get ready!" she
gasped, shoving the last of her food into her mouth and jumping
to her feet.
"Just remember what I told you, Akane-chan. She doesn't
know!" Kasumi called after her, then shook her head. "Kids."
Just under an hour later, the anticipation in the air had
become thick enough to stop a thrown katana. The family had long
since gathered in the main room, and were sitting around the table
awaiting the arrival of their 'guest'. Kasumi looked nervous, Nabiki
looked pensive, Akane was muttering to herself, and Soun was doing
relaxation exercises.
"Aaaany minute now," Nabiki droned, the sound of her voice
seeming amplified by the atmosphere. Everyone looked at either the
clock or their watches.
Then, they heard it. The laughter. The carefree, easy
laughter that drifted over the wall and in through the opened
sliders beside them. It was the same voice, but everyone noticed
how different it sounded.
Just as they all exchanged worried looks, the laughter
suddenly stopped.
Yue had to shake her head to break her mindless stare. It
was then that she heard Shan Lin calling her name.
""
"" she began, trying to hide
the colour on her cheeks. Even so, she could not tear her gaze
away from the splendid example of a man that approached from up
ahead. Handsome, well apportioned and deeply bronzed, and from the
look of the pack he carried, strong as well. Her eyes roamed his
form intently, from the spotted cloth he wore under his unruly black
hair, down on through his handmade, yet respectable footwear.
A soft sigh escaped her before she could stifle it, which
instantly made the Amazon laugh.
Her face flared. ""
"" Shan
Lin chuckled, giving her cause to blink.
"" she asked,
incredulous.
"" the girl began, but stopped in mid-breath.
She tensed, sensing imminent danger behind her. Turning, she
saw the handsome man now running toward her, arms outstretched and
yelling angry gibberish. "" she sighed, drawing her sword and spinning it to the ready as
she took her stance.
Shan Lin walked away, still chuckling.
Akane was the first through the open gates, and the sight
that greeted her froze her in her tracks. The girl that used to be
Ranma was in a strange, crouching stance, holding a large sword.
Ryouga was in mid-leap, reaching for his umbrella and extending his
fingers toward the unmoving redhead.
She was just as stunned to see Shampoo standing against the
pillar at the side of the gate, watching the scene with great amusement.
"Shampoo! We've got to stop them! She doesn't know about
that attack!" she shrieked, glaring at the unimpressed Amazon.
"Is no to worry. Yue fix stupid lost boy, quick-smart," she
replied, jogging a thumb at the action.
Gaping in disbelief, she looked over at them, only to see
a blur of motion between Ryouga and the ground, followed by him
crumpling onto it -- and no explosion. Just beyond him, the redhead
was sliding her sword back into its scabbard and sighing.
"No... She didn't!" she gasped, raising her hands to her
face.
"No, she didn't," Shampoo indicated, shaking her head. "I
tell her no kill anyone; she only put him out her misery," she
added, flashing her pixie grin.
She blinked. "That easily?" she thought, the realization
of what had occurred starting to sink in. As it did, she looked over to
see the redhead step over Ryouga and start toward them -- and felt
her stomach tighten.
=========================================================
END - Yue - Part Three A Ranma1/2 Fanfic By Coutuva
Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@gmail.com
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