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All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.
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Coutuva.
Secrets: Volume One Part Two
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The hands moved; Miyoko flinched. Another minute had
passed, and she was still awake. She had so far watched two
hours pass, and came to realize that she wasn't going to be
sleeping any time soon. Sighing aloud, she flopped on her back
in frustration, knowing full well what her problem really was.
Rising from her bed, she walked to her dresser and looked
into the large mirror, examining the face that stared back.
It was a pretty face, one she had come to know well over
the last seven years. It represented her new lease on life,
having brought her more happiness than she had ever experienced
before.
Now, however, that happiness was in serious jeopardy.
The last thing she had expected, especially after seven wonderful,
peaceful years, was to see 'them' again.
The face in the mirror darkened. Ukyou setting up a
shop -- that she could see. But Shampoo and Mousse? Just
showing up out of the blue? That seemed like too much of a
coincidence to simply ignore.
She began to wonder how they had found her, but as
quickly as she asked the question, she answered it.
It had to be only one person. The only one she knew that
was persistent enough, and had the resources available.
Nabiki.
The face took on an unpleasant scowl. If Nabiki was
behind it, then everyone in Nerima knew. The bitch would have
made sure of it.
"Damn!" she cursed out loud, her scowl changing to naked
anger. She had invested too much in *this* life to have her old
one interfere now, especially with things going so well between
her and Yoriko.
Suddenly, her anger fell away to a horrible realization.
"Yoriko-chan..." she gasped, remembering their earlier
conversation. Her girlfriend knew nothing of her past, other
than the nebulous remarks she had made then. And making matters
worse, the girl trusted her. Trusted her more than she did her
own mother.
She had met Yoriko when the poor girl was reeling from a
failed relationship attempt. In fact, she had been sitting on the
shoreline of the park's tiny lake, crying. She was utterly
crushed, scared and alone, so Miyoko had taken her under her wing,
trying to help her rebuild her life and her self-confidence.
Over time, they became best friends, spending every waking
moment together.
And then it happened.
Miyoko realized that she was becoming attracted to her,
especially when Yoriko would be over watching TV, and fall sound
asleep snuggled up against her side.
It had been almost too much for Miyoko to take, but through
a great effort of will, she'd kept her silence. She had valued
Yoriko's friendship far too much to risk losing it -- especially
over being considered a slobbering hentai.
Yoriko, however, had not had any such fears.
Miyoko recalled how she'd been relaxing in the furo, and
heard Yoriko arrive and call out her name. Caught out, she opted
to pretend to be asleep. Yoriko, as expected, wandered into the
bath looking for her.
To Miyoko's continuing amazement, instead of simply yelling
at her to wake up, Yoriko had knelt down beside the tub, then
reached over and touched her face lovingly. After a few moments
of hesitation, the girl gave in to her urges and rose, then leaned
over and kissed Miyoko full on the lips.
Miyoko responded to the kiss passionately, startling Yoriko
half to death. However, that didn't stop the girl from getting
into it, which left both women flush-faced and breathing hard.
Later, Yoriko had stunned her again by stating she was not
a lesbian, but somehow, it had felt 'right' to do what she'd done.
That had been two years ago, and their relationship had
never looked back. Yoriko now seemed to be flourishing, having
blossomed from a shattered, helpess girl to a confident, successful
woman. She loved life again, and was caring and compassionate
beyond her years -- and Miyoko loved her with every cell of her
being.
But, if the girl were to find out her secrets from anyone
other than her, Miyoko knew all of that would be lost. And right
now, there was a great danger of that happening.
Suddenly, everything became clear.
There was simply no alternative. She had to tell her
girlfriend everything. About her curse, her past... And even
her son. She had to bare her soul, and hope that Yoriko loved her
enough... To forgive her.
The mood was pensive but somber in the small restaurant,
long closed for the day and empty, except for the small group of
people huddled at a table.
"Well, this sucks," Akane abruptly spat, kicking back
in her chair.
"Take it easy, Akane. Nabiki said that all we had to do
was wait, and she'd fill us in," Ryouga ventured, despite the
withering glare he got in return.
"That is true. Her message to us said the same," Shampoo
chimed in, nodding.
"I really don't see why we even came, Shampoo. The very
fact that he vanished without either a word or a trace makes it
obvious. He wants nothing more to do with any of us," Mousse
observed tiredly, pushing his glasses up his nose.
Shampoo glanced back at her husband and sighed. "I want
to see what happened to him. See if he really is changed like
Nabiki said," she stated, her eyes going slightly misty.
"From what I've seen... I'd bet yes, sugar," Ukyou
supplied, shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" Shampoo blinked, turning toward their
host.
"Like I told Ryouga and Akane already -- I've seen him.
Well, I've seen *her*... And her girlfriend," she responded,
shrugging. "One of my girls said her name's Yoriko..."
Shampoo was floored.
"Girlfriend?" she shuddered, suddenly looking a bit
green.
Mousse smirked and shook his head. "Makes sense, if you
think about it."
"Feh... Makes perfect sense to me... Hentai baka," Akane
glowered, stubbing out her cigarette gruffly. "I'm going back to
the hotel. Screw this," she snapped, grabbing her helmet and
heading for the door. "Call me when something actually happens,"
The others simply watched her go, then all looked back at
one another. Ukyou was the first to comment. "Damned shame..."
she muttered, sadly.
"Hai. She's been through a lot," Ryouga added, nodding.
First Ranma left... Then it was my turn," he sighed, remorsefully.
"Okay -- now you *have* to explain yourself, sugar."
Ryouga raised his gaze, sighed again, then looked back at
her sadly. "I tried to move in... After Ranma and Akane had
their big fight. I figured that it was going to be my best chance
to... Well, you know," he began, sheepishly. "Anyway... I
actually thought I was getting somewhere when I made the mistake
of getting caught in the rain. When I went into the bathroom at
Akane's house to change back, she happened to walk in," he
admitted, rolling his eyes. "When I got out of the hospital,
she wouldn't even speak to me," he concluded, quietly. "Not
that I could blame her. I betrayed her trust, and I guess I got
what I deserved," he lamented, lowering his face.
"I figured it was something like that. I know Ranchan
hated what you were doing, but he swore by the code that he'd
never tell -- and he never did. I have to admit, even I was
tempted to, but he wouldn't let me," Ukyou indicated, pointedly.
"Whatever else he is or was, he was a man of honour,"
Mousse noted, surprising everyone. Noticing the looks he was
getting, he adjusted his glasses and squared himself. "I am no
great friend of Saotome -- he is the reason it took me over ten
years to marry the woman I love. I do, however, have great
respect for him as a warrior, and as an honorable... Man," he
stated, pausing momentarily. "I know of what occurred between
him and Akane... And for my opinion, she brought her state upon
herself. She was always a bitter, angry, and dare I say deeply
bigoted girl. Unwilling to simply accept that which Saotome
honestly did try to give her, and unable, it seems, to give it,"
he continued, to the hushed gapes of his companions. "She is
destined to spend her days regretting the mistakes of her
youth... And doing so alone."
"Then why do you think she went to get that kettle? She
must be trying to get him back," Ukyou countered, rising in
her chair slightly.
"I would suppose that she wants to unlock his curse,
perhaps simply to hurt him as she perceives herself to have been.
Or, she could well want him back. He did, after all, give her
a child, and it is said that one never stops loving their first
lover," Mousse replied, thoughtfully.
Ryouga, meantime, sat blinking as he listened to the
conversation. He was still having trouble believing it was
*Mousse* speaking so... Intelligently. Finally, he could stand
it no longer.
"Ano... Don't take this wrong, Mousse... But... What
happened to you?" he asked, eliciting a snicker from both Ukyou
and Shampoo.
Mousse smiled proudly. "Thank you for noticing...
I finally had laser surgery on my eyes, and for the first time
could read the books I so loved, and not take months to do so.
My diction has improved as a result, and it is a blessing to be
able to see what lies ahead," he smiled, bowing slightly.
"Regrettably, I still do not have perfect vision, but it was a
marked improvement."
"Is it ever," Ryouga whistled, somewhat awestruck.
"I have to agree, sugar. You don't come off anything
like you used to," Ukyou smiled, rising and starting to clear
the table. "Well, as exciting as this has been, I think it's
time to call it a night, gang -- at least for me. Six o'clock
comes pretty early, y'know," she indicated, a strong tone of
suggestion in her voice.
"We will be at our Hotel, the same one that Akane is at.
Give us a call if you hear anything. I would assume that Nabiki
will contact you first," Mousse indicated, handing Ukyou a
business card from the Hotel, their room number written on the
front. "Thank you for the food, and the compliment," he added
with a smile, bowing quickly then offering Shampoo his hand.
"No problem, sugar," she replied, winking. "So,
Ryouga-kun... Where are you staying?" she abruptly redirected,
glancing over at him as the others departed.
"Ano... Still in my tent... At the park. I guess I
should try to find a room," he answered, somewhat sheepishly.
"Nope... Wrong answer. You won't find a room at this time
of night, Ryouga-kun. You better stay here tonight. I have a
spare room in the back. You don't snore, do you?" she offered,
then looked at him hopefully.
"No...!" he replied, looking offended. "Thanks,
though," he followed, rising and pushing his chair in.
"Okay, good. I'm a light sleeper," she replied, relieved.
"The room is right back there, through the kitchen. It's the one
on the right, beside mine," she indicated, wagging a thumb over
her shoulder as she began gathering the dishes.
"Let me help you with that, Ukyou," he suddenly
offered, shooing her away from the table. "It's the least I can
do," he added, flashing a small smile.
She blinked. "A-ano... Sure," she stammered, then stepped
aside, her hands rising to hide the pink tinge across her nose.
"Nooo... Not another evening shift," Yoriko whined,
pouting affectedly. "I thought you were days this week. I had
all kinds of plans for us."
"Gomen, Yoriko-chan. Michi called in sick, and they're
short handed at the club because Aiko and Suki are on holidays."
Miyoko explained, unhappily. "It's only for four days, though..."
she added, walking up and placing her hands on Yoriko's shoulders,
looking deep into the girl's disappointed eyes. "And I promise
I'll make it up to you..."
"Oohhh... Stop it, Miyoko-chan -- you're making me
shiver," Yoriko responded, her own voice husky. "But I'm still
going to hold you to it," she smiled, then hugged Miyoko tightly.
As she settled on the couch afterward, she watched
absently as Miyoko finished ironing her blouse.
A smile crossed her face as Miyoko began to sing softly
to herself, something she often did when she was doing her
housework or just in a good mood.
Yoriko loved to hear her girlfriend sing, and could spend
hours doing just that. As she was about to close her eyes and
enjoy it, however, she suddenly recalled something.
"Oh! Miyoko-chan! I almost forgot...!" she blurted,
grabbing at her purse.
"Huh? Forgot what?"
"This! Your singing reminded me of it," she announced,
holding up a 3" CD. "Someone left it for me at work. It was
probably meant for you," she replied, offering the disc.
"A CD...? What's on it?" Miyoko responded, taking
it and looking it over for a label. Suddenly, the pit of her
stomach tightened.
"You! I never knew you sang professionally -- although
you still should be. You do have a beautiful voice, Miyoko-chan,"
Yoriko responded, excitedly. "Oh, this came with it -- they
screwed up the names, though. They put your brother's down
instead," she added, holding up the note.
Miyoko opened the note, read it, then sank to her knees.
"They *do* know..."
Tears began to run down her face, and her stomach
suddenly felt like it was full of broken glass. Her deepest fear
had just been realized -- they *were* trying to destroy her life,
and it looked like they wanted to drag Yoriko down with her.
Instantly, a cold fury rose within her, completely
engulfing all of her senses.
The first shot had been fired -- And it had drawn blood.
So consumed with anger and hate was she that she barely
noticed Yoriko dropping to her knees, profusely and tearfully
apologizing for whatever she had done wrong, and promising never
to mention it again.
Wordlessly, Miyoko rose to her feet and strode from the
room, her face a mask of pure rage. She continued straight out
into the hall, and strode deliberately toward the far end.
Yoriko, who had chased after her, froze in her tracks as
she watched Miyoko open the window at the end of the third-storey
hall.
Miyoko, meantime, glanced out it for a moment, then
suddenly sprang out it like she was launched from a cannon.
Shrieking in horror, Yoriko dashed to the window and looked
out, expecting to see the woman she loved falling to her death.
She was even more stunned to see Miyoko bounding off into
the distance at incredible speed, leaping from rooftop to rooftop
like she had wings.
Collapsing to the floor in shock, Yoriko stared gaping into
space as her head spun, trying desperately to sort out what had
just happened. She wasn't having much luck. Snapping out of her
daze, she picked herself up and walked back to the apartment
numbly, her gut churning. She didn't understand why, but she had
the terrifying feeling that she had somehow opened Pandora's Box.
Ukyou listened to the phone intently, writing everything
down so she'd be able to relay it right.
"Hai... I got it, Nabiki-san. I don't think it'll work,
but I got it," she responded, critically. "Sure... Ryouga, Akane,
Mousse and Shampoo. That's it, though... Nobody else. Nope...
Neither one, sugar. Okay... See you then," she concluded, hanging
the phone up slowly as she reread the instructions.
"That was Nabiki, na?" Ryouga asked from behind her, having
been within earshot of the conversation.
"Hai. She outlined this hair-brained scheme to me, but I
think 'Dear ol' Nabs' has lost it," she grumbled, handing the pad
to him.
"She *is* crazy. All this will do is make him... Ah,
'her' even madder," he agreed, upon reading it over.
"I know. Well, better call the others... They'll want
to see it," she commented, heading out into the restaurant shaking
her head.
Miyoko continued to leap from building to building, not
even caring that she was dressed in a skirt and tank top. All that
mattered to her was that she was zeroing in on her target.
She had no idea where everyone else she had seen was, but
she knew how to get to Ukyou, and that was a start.
As she traveled the Kyoto skyway, her mind reeled with a
combination of anger and fear. Anger that Nabiki had interfered in
her life, and fear that it was going to cost her the love of the
only person she cared about.
Suddenly, her heart wrenched. In her anger, she hadn't
explained herself or the situation to Yoriko, and worse yet, had
taken off in a blind rage without so much as a word. She had left
the poor girl cold at her apartment, and probably scared her to
death.
Cursing at her temper, she decided her 'visit' could wait.
Yoriko was more important.
Redirecting the angle of the leap she was just completing,
she rebounded instead of advancing, heading back as fast as she
could. She only prayed she would get there before Yoriko did
anything she would regret for the rest of her life.
Yoriko wasn't frightened and confused anymore. Now, she was
scared and worried. After taking some time to sort things out, it
was obvious to her that someone was trying to hurt her girlfriend.
It had something to do with the past that Miyoko didn't talk
about, and it had something to do with her brother, of that much she
was sure.
And whatever it was had brought out a white-hot fury in her
girlfriend, the likes of which she had never before seen. That
had scared her, but, after she'd thought it through, it had begun to
worry her sick.
She was afraid that whatever was at the bottom of it had the
potential to drag Miyoko back into it, and quite possibly away from
her. Miyoko's unprecedented wordless departure had convinced her of
that.
She hadn't found the nerve to actually tell her yet, but
she *was* deeply in love with Miyoko. The woman's silent strength,
worldly wisdom and genuine, forthright manner had long ago captured
her heart, and she knew that she wouldn't even be alive had it not
been for Miyoko's unselfish, unlimited compassion.
She needed Miyoko. More than she needed the air she breathed.
And she wasn't about to let some resurrected demon from her
girlfriend's secretive past take her away. She didn't care about
the secrets themselves -- she had her own that she'd rather
not divulge. All she cared about... All she wanted... Was
Miyoko's love. Nothing else mattered.
During the course of trying to get things straight in her
head, she came to the conclusion that she had to confront the
owner of that okonomiyaki-ya.
She was the only other person who knew anything about Miyoko,
and Miyoko had been awfully anxious to avoid her.
Thus decided, she threw on her shell, grabbed her purse,
and almost ran out of the apartment.
Miyoko angled her approach perfectly, slipping neatly
through the window of her apartment. As she settled to her feet
in the middle of the living room, she called out for her girlfriend
urgently.
Her heart landed on the carpet with a squishy splat as she
realized she was too late. Yoriko was already gone, and Miyoko,
particularly given her mood, assumed the worst.
"Baka! How could you be so foolish?" she cursed out
loud, smacking herself in the forehead. Stomping over to the
phone, she punched the speed-dial for Yoriko's apartment, praying
she would be there to answer.
Many long, agonizing rings later, Yoriko's answering
machine picked up. Miyoko held the receiver out in front of her
for a moment, glared at it, then shattered it to bits in her hand.
"If I've lost her over this..." she snarled, lifting the
remnants before her face. "Somebody's gonna die," she continued,
then threw the pieces to the floor.
Yoriko swallowed hard. Before her stood the 'Happy
Spatula'. Within it lay her best hope for answers... But were
they answers she really wanted to hear? Despite her current
concerns and fears, she liked the way things were between Miyoko
and herself. She knew that going into that shop could very likely
alter that state forever, but, as she considered her next move,
she reminded herself that if she didn't go in there and fight for
Miyoko, she could just as easily lose her completely.
Suddenly, she made up her mind. Miyoko had already
given her back her life, and now something was threatening to take
Miyoko's away. Her course was clear.
Preparing herself, she strode across the street, headed
straight for the restaurant door.
Inside the shop meantime, the same table was occupied by
the same faces, none of which looked very impressed.
"You were right, Ryouga-san. This is crazy. It will
accomplish nothing," Mousse pronounced, handing the pad to Shampoo.
"You think. I figure it'll snap him out of this bullshit
delusion he's living in. Once he can't hide behind his curse,
he'll have to smarten up," Akane grinned savagely, setting the
kettle on the table. "He won't have any more friggin' excuses,"
she added, shoving the kettle toward Ryouga. "Go fill it up.
Warm water. We'll have it ready, just in case."
"Akane -- I really don't think..." Ryouga began, but Akane
cut him off.
"Yeah, that's your problem isn't it, Hibiki? You just
don't think, do you?" she suddenly snarled, jumping to her feet.
"For once, just shut up and do as you're told!" she commanded,
glaring death at the stunned Ryouga.
"Cool it, Akane!" Ukyou quickly injected, breaking into
her line of sight. "This is my place of business. If you two
want to take this outside, that's fine. But don't start anything
in here!" she warned, fingering the spatula in her hand.
Akane shifted her glare to the angry chef, then puffed out
a sigh and sat heavily. "Gomen, Ukyou..." she grumbled, then
crossed her arms in front of her, scowling.
"Good. Now, if..." she attempted, but was interrupted by
the rustle of the shop curtain. Pasting on her best smile, Ukyou
automatically turned toward her customer and rattled off her
standard greeting.
"Hi! Welcome to the Happy Spatula! May I seat you please?"
she roted out, then her face promptly fell. She recognized the girl
instantly.
"Konnichiwa," Yoriko began, bowing politely. "May...
I speak to the manager, please?" she asked tentatively.
Recovering, Ukyou decided to play dumb. "That'd be me,
sugar. Kuonji Ukyou. What can I do for you?" she responded,
sweetly.
Yoriko flashed a nervous smile, then looked back at Ukyou
hopefully. "My name is Naganato Yoriko. I... Believe you know my
friend... Takara Miyoko?" she stated, clutching her purse
tightly.
Before Ukyou could even react, a breadknife flashed through
the air, narrowly missing Yoriko's ear. As she yelped in surprise,
Akane was on her feet and in the girl's face. "It's you, isn't
it? You're the one that's keeping him living this lie!" she
snarled, grabbing Yoriko's blouse and twisting her fist in it.
Yoriko was petrified. All she could manage was to stare
fearfully back at Akane, her heart pounding in her chest, and her
entire body trembling. Akane looked her up and down angrily, then
sneered in disgust. "Just like I figured. Weak, stupid and
gutless. Just like he figures a woman should be," she spat,
then threw the frightened girl back hard against the wall.
The impact stunned Yoriko enough that she couldn't prevent
herself from falling to the floor, ending up gasping for breath
and too stunned to even think. Slowly, her shaking hand went to
her now torn blouse and pulled it closed, her fear-widened eyes
filling with tears.
Ukyou finally recovered from her shock and dashed to the
girl's side, worried sick. "It's okay, honey... You'll be fine,"
she whispered, quickly checking her for injuries. Satisfied that
she was only winded and scared to death, Ukyou snapped her head
around and literally screamed at Akane.
"What in the name of *hell* were you thinking? You
could've hurt her! She's *not* a Martial Artist, you damned
fool!"
"Who cares? She's the reason! It's because of *her*
that he's here! It's because of *her* that *I* had to come
here! She's lucky I didn't kill her!" Akane shot back, her eyes
flaring.
"You know that's not true, Akane," Mousse abruptly stated,
flatly.
Akane spun to confront him, a venomous insult ready on her
tongue, but instead, she clamped her mouth closed and simply
stared at him, unable to respond. A second later, she huffed
angrily and slumped in her chair, muttering something under her
breath.
Ukyou, meantime, turned her attention back to Yoriko, who
had only just started to recover.
"C'mon, honey... Let's get you up out of here, and I'll
get you a drink," she soothed, taking Yoriko's arm and urging her
to stand.
"A - Arigato..." the very shaken girl responded, her face
still white. As Ukyou lead her over to the table, Mousse rose and
pulled out a chair, then passed her his untouched water glass.
Akane watched the scene disdainfully, finally swinging her chair
around so her back was to Yoriko.
Yoriko, after taking a long sip of the water, cleared her
throat and surprised everyone by immediately speaking to Akane.
"Ano... Who... Are you? And why did you attack me?" she asked
pointedly, looking across the table at her.
Akane only turned and shot a look back at her, then smirked.
"I'm your 'friend's' rightful fiancee, blondie... Name's Tendou
Akane. And I 'attacked' you because you're in my way," she
snapped, curtly.
Yoriko's jaw dropped. "Nani? Fiancee?" she blurted
involuntarily, unable to fathom that Miyoko would even associate
with someone like this 'Akane'.
Akane's smirk became a scowl. "Didn't know that, did you?
Shit, you probably don't have a goddamned clue who your 'friend'
really is. Well, let me smarten you up. She's a lie... Her whole
frigging *life* is a lie, koneko... And she's been sucking you
right along with it," she growled, the look on her face indicating
her pleasure in the revelation.
Yoriko shuddered, then anger flashed across her face.
A heartbeat later, she hauled off and slapped Akane across the
face.
So unexpected was her act that Akane was unprepared to
stop it, and as her cheek reddened from the strike, she stared
back at the glaring Yoriko in gape-mouthed shock. As she raised
her hand to her stinging face, she paused for a long moment, then
shook her head and smiled.
"I'll give you that one, koneko... I probably deserved
it," she stated, surprisingly calmly. "But I wasn't kidding.
You're up to your ass in things you don't understand."
Yoriko's face hardened. "You don't know her. Just by
the way you talk, you don't know her. She's the most beautiful,
caring, selfless person I've ever known. And you have no right
to be interfering in *our* life!" she asserted, not breaking
her gaze.
Akane gaped back at her for a moment, then broke out in
cruel, mocking laughter. "Honey, have I got *news* for you,"
she wailed, then kicked back in her chair. "I just hope you're
not a fainter," she abruptly added, grinning wryly.
Yoriko, despite her anger, couldn't help but swallow hard.
Once she had calmed down enough to think clearly again,
it hadn't taken Miyoko too long to figure out where Yoriko had
likely gone. Miyoko knew she was a smart girl, and that she had
likely made the connection between the disc and the Happy Spatula.
However, even if she hadn't, Miyoko couldn't take the chance.
As she bounded through the air once more, she was deathly
afraid that she was already too late.
"You expect me to believe that?" Yoriko exclaimed, wide
eyed. "Do I really look that stupid?" she followed, angrily.
"You're just making up some horror story so you can get him --
*her* back!" she retorted, her face livid.
Akane only shook her head. "No, I don't expect you to
believe me. I expect you to believe *this*..." she countered,
grabbing her water glass and dousing Ryouga.
Yoriko gasped in horror as she watched the stunned man
sitting near her suddenly change into a small black pig. As the
occurrence sank in, she suddenly shuddered and melted back into
her chair.
Akane huffed in response, ignoring Ryouga's squealing
protests. "He changes to a pig, `cause he fell in the Pool of
Drowned Pig. Mousse over there changes to a duck, Shampoo changes
to a cat, and *Ranma* changes to a girl. How the hell else do you
think he got me pregnant?" she followed, setting her glass back
down. "Sorry about the mess, Uuchan," she tossed off absently,
flashing a glance at the chef as she spoke.
"Yeah, yeah..." Ukyou muttered, rising to go retrieve her
mop. "C'mon Ryouga," she waved, exasperatedly.
"This... Isn't true... I've seen her in the bath... She's
a real woman!" Yoriko grasped pitifully, still valiantly resisting
the thought that this 'woman' across from her could be telling
the truth.
"Wake up and smell the coffee, blondie... I already told
you he locked his curse with that damned ladle. He'd stay a woman
until it's unlocked, no matter what happens," Akane sneered, flatly.
Yoriko shuddered again. Her mind reeled. Could it be
true? Could her beloved Miyoko really be this... Ranma? She felt
her stomach lurch sickeningly.
"Why...? Why are you here?" the shattered girl abruptly
whispered, raising her reddening eyes to meet Akane's cold glare.
Akane's eyes flashed. "I want that *bastard* to suffer...
suffer like he made me suffer. He destroyed my life, and I mean to
see that his perfect little world comes crashing down around his
goddamned ears!" she snarled, leaning across the table into Yoriko's
draining face. "And if that means shattering your little fantasy,
koneko, that's tough shit!"
"Really fucking nice, Akane... Why don't you pick on
someone who can kick your bitchy ass straight back to Nerima?" a
startlingly familiar and very angry voice suddenly snarled.
Everyone still in the room turned to the source, stunned to see a
green-haired woman standing just inside the door, decked out in a
black gi.
Akane's face drained. "R -- Ranma?" she gasped, falling
back into her chair.
Miyoko's eyes narrowed. "No, Akane... Not any more. It's
Miyoko now, and don't you *ever* forget it," she growled, eyeing
Akane coldly as she quickly moved to Yoriko's side. Softening her
face, she knelt beside her girlfriend's chair and took her hands
gently. "Are you okay, Yoriko-chan?" she asked softly, her eyes
shimmering with concern.
"H - Hai..." Yoriko gasped quietly, her face an uncertain
mix of happiness, fright and confusion. As Miyoko looked her over,
she immediately noticed the rips in her blouse. Instantly, rage
flashed across her face. In a blur, she was across the table and
had Akane by the front of her shirt, yanking her out of the chair
and spinning her to the floor.
"What the hell did you do to her?" she yelled, preparing
to drive her fist into Akane's horrified face.
Akane didn't get the chance to respond.
Suddenly, Miyoko felt a presence behind her, and before she
could turn completely around, she felt the water strike her back
and shoulder.
Her face drained as she first felt a tingle -- and then
the change.
Time seemed to stand still.
Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyou and Yoriko all gasped, then held
their breath.
Miyoko froze. This, she hadn't expected.
It had been seven years. Seven precious years that she
had lived without knowing this sensation every time she turned
around. Seven years of not having to live in fear of water.
Seven years that had almost allowed him to forget this
horrible, sickening curse. And suddenly, with one splash from a
certain kettle, it had all been washed away.
Otoko-Miyoko lost control.
Faster than anyone could think, his hand left Akane's shirt
and snapped backwards, nailing a crushing grip on the stunned
Ryouga's throat -- and he began to squeeze. He could feel the
tough, sinewy texture of Ryouga's windpipe as it began to buckle
under the relentless pressure of his fingers. For a fleeting
second, it felt good.
Ryouga's strained gurgle as he tried to draw breath fell on
deaf ears, the same ears that tuned out the panicked shouts around
them... Until one shout -- one pleading, frightened entreaty pierced
through his rage. Shifting his gaze from Ryouga's cyanotic face,
he found the frightened, confused eyes of his girlfriend.
Instantly, his heart shattered, and his bloodlust fled him
like a beaten horse. Releasing his death-grip on Ryouga and letting
him drop gasping and choking to the floor, he gazed down at him
disdainfully.
"And to think I used to consider you my friend," he
growled, turning his eyes away.
Looking back at Yoriko, his expression melted into one of
deep sadness. For an eternal moment, they simply looked into each
other's eyes.
Abruptly, otoko-Miyoko made up his mind. Wordlessly, he
grabbed Yoriko around the waist and leapt toward the door. In his
next leap, they were both gone.
Mousse, as he slumped back into his seat, echoed the
thoughts of all present with one short sentence.
"That went well," he deadpanned, pulling off his glasses
and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Otoko-Miyoko paced the shoreline of the small lake, his
heart a lump of lead in his chest. A few feet away, Yoriko sat in
the sand crying softly. It was a weak, painful cry, the kind a
person is left with when they're utterly overwhelmed.
Every pitiful sob tore through him like a bullet, until
finally, he could stand it no more.
Turning, he walked up to her shuddering form and knelt
beside her, then tried to reach for her shoulder.
"Yoriko-chan..." he ventured gently, but she shrank away
from his touch.
"Don't... Call me that," Yoriko sobbed, turning her face
away. Otoko-Miyoko erked in confusion, then sighed heavily.
Suddenly, he knew what the problem was.
Walking back to the edge of the water, he stopped mere
inches from the reach of the lapping wavelets, then turned to face
his girlfriend.
"Yoriko!" he shouted, fiercely.
"What?" she shouted back, raising her head to glare at
him. As soon as she did, he took one step back. As the coolness
of the water caressed his foot, he closed his eyes and shuddered
as the change came over him once more.
Yoriko's face dropped. Miyoko froze, hoping she had
guessed right. A tense second dragged by. Yoriko suddenly
squealed, leapt to her feet and raced over to Miyoko, throwing
herself into the shocked woman's arms.
"Miyoko-chan!" she wailed brokenly, then dissolved in
tears as she clamped on for dear life. "I thought I'd lost you
forever," she eventually sobbed, trying to bury her face even
deeper in Miyoko's gi.
"No, Yoriko-chan. You never lost me -- not even for a
second," Miyoko assured, tightening her hug for emphasis. "I'm
still me, no matter what form I'm in," she emphasized, lifting
Yoriko's face and smiling sadly.
"Ano... But I thought... That woman made it sound..."
Yoriko began, but couldn't put her thoughts into words. "I don't
understand any of this!" she cried, jamming her eyes shut and
shaking her head violently.
Miyoko had to smile, despite her aching chest. "It's a
long story, Yoriko-chan..." she remarked, tiredly. "A *very* long
story."
"...and that's when they started to plan the wedding,"
Miyoko concluded, pausing to catch her breath.
Yoriko couldn't believe her ears. "You mean you were
actually going to marry her?" she blinked, aghast.
"Hai. Like I said, it took almost losing her to make me
realize I really did love her. At the time, anyway," she
indicated, shaking her head. "And you have to remember... She
was a *girl* herself back then," she remarked, smirking.
"Ay... Somehow, I can't picture it," Yoriko stated,
grimacing. Miyoko stifled a snicker.
"Anyway, the wedding fell apart when that old pervert I
told you about pulled a stunt, which ended up turning it into a
riot scene. That, I think, is when things *really* started to go
downhill. I figure she blamed me for the entire fiasco, and
probably still does. Actually, I'm *sure* she still does,"
she noted, sighing sadly and tossing the small rock she had been
playing with into the water. "She *always* blamed me for
everything... No matter what the truth was," she added, dourly.
"Then... Is that what this was all about? A failed
wedding?" Yoriko asked, her eyes widening at the thought.
Miyoko looked across at her and smiled. "I wish it was
something that simple," she lamented, rolling her eyes. "That
was only the beginning. A while after the dust settled, Akane
and I ended up alone together one night, which almost never
happened. We had a few drinks... And... Well, it came out later
that I got her pregnant," Miyoko stated, her face sobering.
"Then... You really do have a son?" Yoriko asked, biting
her knuckle.
Miyoko looked over at her sadly, then drew her knees to
her chest and set her chin on them. "Hai," she sighed, closing
her eyes. "He's almost seven now... And I've never seen him. He
lives with his mother back in Nerima."
Yoriko didn't reply at first, only adjusting herself to
take the same pose as Miyoko. After drawing a long breath, she
finally spoke. "So... What happened to make you..." she began,
but Miyoko beat her to it.
"Make me leave? Hrmph. It was stupid, really... The day
after we... 'you know'... She woke up with a chip on her shoulder.
Started snarking at me every time we passed. Turned out she had a
real problem with having gone to bed with a 'pervert', as she
considered me. Well, we started to fight... It lasted for three
days, finally coming to a head when she slashed me with a katana.
That was the first time she ever struck at me with the *intent* to
hurt me, and the only reason she was able to was because I wasn't
expecting it," she explained, her face darkening at the memory.
"You see, I *was* in love with her... And because of that, I could
never hurt her, even accidentally. When she slashed me though,
something snapped in my head. Suddenly, all the crap I had been
putting up with... The constant fights, the mallets, the insanity,
her lethal cooking... Was for nothing. She proved she didn't
love me, and my tolerance, which had taken a beating already,
just... Wore out. Later that night, after she had finally gone
to bed and my old man fell asleep, I packed my bags and left.
Sayonara Nerima, sayonara insanity," she concluded, puffing out
a breath.
"Masaka... I can't blame you. She's nuts..." Yoriko
commented, shaking her head at the story.
"You said it," Miyoko noted, nodding slightly. "And from
what I've seen, she's only gotten worse. It's sad, really," she
added, quietly.
Yoriko bit her lip as she noticed Miyoko's expression, the
sadness in her girlfriend's features rekindling a certain burgeoning
fear.
"Miyoko-chan... Do you still love her?" she abruptly asked,
holding her breath.
Miyoko puffed a single laugh and shook her head. "No," she
stated, emphatically. Turning, she took Yoriko's hand and held it
tightly. "I love *you*, Yoriko-chan."
Yoriko's reaction totally surprised her. Lip trembling,
the girl yanked her hand back and stood up. Looking down at the
blinking Miyoko with tearing eyes, she clenched her fists and tried
to speak clearly. "Iya, Miyoko-chan... You... Have a family...
You can't abandon them for me. I... Won't ask that of you," she
sobbed, wiping her eyes. "I can't... Come between you... And
your son," she added, fighting more powerful sobs.
Miyoko, at first a bit shocked by Yoriko's reaction,
abruptly smiled appreciatively. She had just been reminded of one
of the many reasons she loved this girl.
"Yoriko-chan... I think that's so 'you', it makes me love
you even more," she remarked, shifting the blinks back to Yoriko.
Shaking her head, she squared herself and took a deep breath.
"I have a son, yes. But there's a lot more to it than that," she
stated, her face sobering once more. "When I left, I didn't know
Akane was pregnant. In fact, it was only three years ago that I
found out. I was walking in the park and overheard some old
schoolmates talking about 'Akane's kid'. It freaked me, so I
followed them for a while, and one of them mentioned that *I*
was the father," she related, her eyes lowering. "I'd already
given up my entire history... And my gender. I'd been living
like this for three years, and for the first time ever I was
really, really *happy* with my life. Because of that, I fought
with myself for ages over what to do... I *love* kids; but, when
it came down to it, not enough to give up what I had here. I...
Decided that I'd set up a trust fund for him, which he'll get
automatically when he's eighteen. I put money in it every payday
so he'll be able to go to college... And have a chance at a decent
future," she explained, her voice growing low. "He's never even
seen me, Yoriko-chan... And I *don't* want to see him," she
emphasized, her face indicating her seriousness.
Yoriko only sniffed again and shook her head adamantly.
"He's... Your son, Miyoko-chan... He needs you; don't you even
care?" she blurted, starting to cry despite her best efforts.
"Yes, dammit! I *do* care!" Miyoko snapped in response,
then gasped as she realized that she had. Collecting herself,
she rose to her feet and stepped up close to the sniffling Yoriko.
Looking directly into her eyes, Miyoko took her hands again and
held them gently.
"Yoriko-chan... I know what you're doing, and I love you
for it. But... If I ever see him... I'll fall in love with him.
And if I do, then it's over, and all this has been for nothing.
They'll have me again; they've got that damned kettle, so I'll
be honour-bound to marry Akane, no matter how I feel about it.
Don't you see...? That kid... My son... Is the key to my
damnation," she stated, firmly.
Yoriko shuddered. "But, Miyoko..." she began weakly, but
didn't finish.
Miyoko, noting that fact, broke into a loving smile. "I've
been to heaven, Yoriko-chan..." she said, squeezing Yoriko's hands
for emphasis. "And there's no way I'm going back to that hell."
The last of Yoriko's resistance crumbled at Miyoko's words,
and with a burst of powerful tears, she collapsed into her lover's
arms.
"Miyoko-chan... I love you!" she wailed out loud,
shocking Miyoko. This was the first time Yoriko had ever said the
words, and they seemed to send her aching heart into overdrive.
Euphoria literally wafted over her, leaving her barely capable of
forming the words she couldn't help but say.
"And I love you, Yoriko-chan... More than *anything*," she
whispered, urgently.
"You should have waited, Akane... I had it all figured out,
but you just had to jump the gun, didn't you? Now he knows we have
that thing, and he'll probably disappear again," Nabiki
admonished, handing her shaken sister another cold cloth.
"He jumped me... Ryouga was only trying to protect me..."
she protested, glancing at the wheezing, gasping man.
Nabiki was unimpressed. "And why, praytell, would he jump
you? It wouldn't happen to have been something you did, would
it?" she intoned, glancing at the knife buried in the wall nearby.
"You, of all people, should know how protective he is. Going
after his 'girlfriend' only made matters worse," she added, shaking
her head.
"Nabiki, he was beyond pissed. I've never seen him so mad.
I honestly thought Ryouga-kun here was a goner. This may not be
such a great idea," Ukyou pointed out, worriedly.
"He scared *me*, too. I have seen him get mad -- but
today, I also thought he would kill. This is *not* the Ranma I
know. No way," Shampoo quipped, shaking her purple-maned head.
"I wonder what makes him like this?" she added, shooting a
barely noticeable glance at Akane.
"I agree with you, Ukyou-san. I don't think it is, either.
We have seen enough to convince us that the person we saw in here
today is *not* Ranma. She's a different personality entirely, and
I honestly believe that it serves no purpose to continue this...
Exercise," Mousse seconded, glancing at Shampoo, who nodded.
Nabiki's eyes narrowed. "Look, I didn't spend seven
years turning over rocks for this to fall apart now," she began,
her voice controlled. "You guys go home -- except you, Akane.
I'll take over from here, and we'll call you when it's all over,"
she continued, gruffly.
Mousse huffed at her statement. "That's assuming you
survive," he remarked, shaking his head as he rose to leave.
Shampoo suppressed a grin.
Once the Amazons departed and Ryouga had been escourted
back to his room to rest, Nabiki sat beside Akane and regarded
her levelly.
"Your call -- do you think you can behave long enough to
finish this or not?" she asked, her voice low.
"Cut me some slack, Nabiki. I'm not done with him yet,"
she growled, tossing aside her cloth.
"Glad to hear it," Nabiki replied, her voice edged with
sarcasm. "I've only got one ace left, and I *need* you to keep
your head on straight. I do hope you brought your lithium."
Akane's eyes widened. "Keep your damned voice down!" she
hissed, angrily.
===============================================================
END - Secrets V1P2 A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva
Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com
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