Rejected
Part 6 - Friday - Love of Power.
By Lord Archive
This is a dark and sad series.
Characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Video, etc..., and are
used without permission. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them. I
can't afford the overdue charge Nabiki insists on.
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It's been a bad week. Really bad. Today is going to be the worst, for
me, since Sunday. Since the day my little sister got married and then
lost her in-laws, because her oh-so-brief mother-in-law refused to
acquire all the facts on Ranma and committed seppuku. Someone making a
decision of that magnitude without knowing all that facts is sheer
stupidity. No wonder Ranma can be so stupid. Here I thought he
inherited it all from his father.
I think what surprised me most out of this whole mess was that I
thought Akane was going to marry Ranma as a sham marriage, to keep him
safe. That isn't what happened. She really married him. The closeness
between them now goes beyond anything I've seen before in anyone.
Kasumi said that she's seen it before... that she's seen Mom and Dad
that way... towards the end.
How'd that tear get on my face? I wipe it off. It does me no good to
cry.
I wasn't really surprised when she didn't say anything about having
her stuff moved into Ranma's room. He was really hurting and someone
had to watch him. I was surprised to hear the sounds of Akane and
Ranma making love. I didn't expect they'd do that. Maybe I bought too
much into their act that they didn't like each other to notice they
were in love.
I'm kind of curious if they've been having sex while I'm at school. So
far, I've only heard them at night. I wish they'd be quieter. Then
again, those noises are preferable to the sounds of them fighting.
If only I could sell photos of them or something. I can't do that
right now, considering Ranma's state of mind and all. I've had to
forget about making any profit this week because I had to make sure
Ranma wouldn't get himself killed, and control the arrival of suitors
and enemies so Ranma could deal with them.
I have to keep Ranma alive, because if I don't, Akane will die too.
Lucky for me, Ukyou did what I wanted her to do without my help.
Shampoo knows, but is staying away. Just a message to Kasumi. Better
than her trying to kill Akane.
Mousse almost blew it, but he and Cologne are gone now.
Ryoga saved the day when Ranma decided to spill the beans on P-Chan.
I'm not sure we can repay him for his help. No, I'd call it debt
settled for him playing P-Chan in the first place. Well, maybe he
still owes us for that.
Today is Kuno's turn. I've been working on him since Monday. Little by
little, chipping away at his delusions. Hope I broke them down enough
that he won't go ballistic when I tell him.
While I'm not entirely sure I even like the additional plan to help
soften the blow, I'm going to have to do it. Anything that helps keep
Ranma alive has to be done. Even that.
Walking into the dining room, I see Ranma and Akane are there. Kasumi
already brought out breakfast so I sit down and start eating.
I don't like the look on Ranma's face. He's looking over at the koi
pond, like he's watching himself and his father fighting over it. I
wish he'd just snap out of it and be the jerk I'm familiar with, the
one I can deal with and make money off of. This Ranma is an enigma to
everyone but Akane.
When the reality hits him that he beheaded his own mother because of
honor, it may be enough to shock him into dropping any pretense of
honor on his part. And that makes it VERY dangerous to do anything to
him, as his chauvinistic tendency of not hitting girls was brought
about solely by his sense of honor, and doing something to anger him
could actually endanger my own life. That, or it could make my schemes
painful enough to make him forget his promise to Akane and put the
knife in his gut.
"So, are you two going to try and go back to school Monday?" I ask
them.
Akane doesn't answer, she's looking at Ranma. It's for him to decide.
"Yeah. Can't stay cooped up in here too long." Ranma's answer
surprises me a little. He didn't really like school much before, but
I can understand why he would want to get out of here.
"Guess I should let the school know you're married then, so they have
time to get used to the idea before you return."
They both look at me in wide eyed shock.
"You haven't sold that to the school already?" Akane asks. I feel like
I've been slapped.
"What do you take me for? I couldn't let this information out,
considering what happened after the wedding."
Ranma stares at the floor. Remember, don't say anything more that
might cause him to think about his parents.
"I had to release the information carefully, to control when the
others came here. I couldn't just let them come in one big swarm this
time, could I? I've also been working on Kuno. We really don't need
him going ballistic."
"You've been doing that?" Akane asks, her disbelief now makes me feels
like I've been punched in the gut.
"Yes. You should expect Kuno to show up today. Hopefully, he'll be
somewhat reasonable and respectable."
"So, how've you been handling everything?" Ranma asks.
"Well, I told Cologne Tuesday and she in turned told Shampoo. Cologne
was able to control Shampoo long enough to tell her everything. I was
going to tell Ukyou Monday, but she beat me to the punch. For Kuno,
I've been drilling things into his head like how you're engaged and
that he has no say in the matter. Other than that, I've had my friends
keep an eye on everyone to give advance warning if they show up."
"Where's the profit in it for you?" Ranma asks. Just great, that tone
again. He wants to get Akane to fight him, and he's using me this time
to attempt to trigger it.
"There is none. It's a wedding present if you will."
"Oh, really?"
"Can't I do something nice for my sister and her husband?"
Ranma looks at me warily. He's trying to come up with something to
retort against my question.
Fortunately Akane is the one to reply first. "Thanks Nabiki. We really
appreciate it."
"You're welcome. I'm off to school now. See you later."
I got up and left. I hadn't exactly finished breakfast, but I couldn't
stay much longer. I don't want to tempt Ranma. I'm a pretty tempting
target to start a fight, considering what I've done to him in the past.
I don't like that they thought so little of me that'd I sell them out
after what happened. Did they really think I'd stoop so low? That I'd
be really that reckless and let everyone know before implementing
damage control? Ranma is already suicidal, if I had done that, Ranma
would be dead. As much as he infuriates me, he's my brother now and
I'm not going to let him curl up and die. Particularly since he'd take
Akane with him if he did.
Money may be important to me, but life is more important. Money will
always be there, but people won't. It's best to make sure they're
around as long as possible, even if you don't really care to see them.
Kuno still hasn't gotten a clue and given up yet. He's doing his
morning stretches in the hope that today he'll defeat Ranma. Chances
of him winning are currently set at 100 to 1, and there are no takers
because it's a waste of money.
Only five other students, good. I won't look too much like a fool for
implementing my additional plan.
"Hello there, Kuno-chan. You look very dashing today." I'm right, I
don't like this plan already.
"Glorious morning to you, Tendo Nabiki. Does thou have news of my
loves or the accursed Saotome?"
"Why do you insist on chasing after things that you have no hope of
getting?"
"Ah, but there is hope, for I am truly the better man. Saotome will
be crushed, and I shall have my loves!"
I sigh. "Now, Kuno-chan, really. Even if you defeat Ranma it changes
nothing. Akane is not free to marry you. The pig-tailed girl can't
love you because she prefers girls to guys. But I'm free."
"There is nothing about you that is free." Why do I feel like he just
stabbed me with his bokken?
"Forget about those two. They'll never be yours. You should realize
that. I could be yours, though."
"You just want to get your hands on the vast wealth that is the Kuno
estate." He just twisted the bokken.
"Really, would I do that? I love making money. Getting money that way
isn't my style, you know that. Come on Kuno-chan, let go of your
loves, and take me out on a date. I'll even pay." I'm saying this so
seductively, I want to vomit. I hate showing any kind of emotion in
public. Fake or not.
"Ha! I shall never date you, for I see through your tricks. Saotome
has paid you off in an attempt to keep me from my loves."
I slap him.
I feel like he's killed me. Rejected by Kuno of all people. This
arrogant bastard thinks he'll get away with that?! That perverted
jerk lives so far into his own dream word that he refuses to see the
real world. Can't that baka see I'm attracted to him where his 'two
loves' would sooner have sex with Gosunkugi than him?
I shake my head. Since when am I attracted to Kuno? It'd be a cold
day in hell before he could turn me on.
I walk off, furious. I have to fight back from crying. I must stay in
control. Why am I acting this way? Why should I care if Kuno rejects
me? I can get any guy I want to date me. Make them date me, make them
notice me. To see me and not my sister or her husband. Why should I
give a damn if one egotistical pervert refuses to see me?
Walking into the bathroom, I look into a bathroom mirror. I see that I
look like a mess, that I'm on the verge of tears. Damn you, Kuno. You
will not get away with this.
I straighten up, take a breath, and regain my composure. Make it look
like Kuno had no effect on me. I am Tendo Nabiki, and I am always in
control. People bow before me for I am true power. If they do not bow,
I shall break them. Kuno has refused to bow, so now I must break him.
No one has rejected me before, and he will pay for it dearly.
I walk out of the bathroom, and head to the school's office. Once
there, I pick up a phone and call home without asking. The secretary
doesn't say anything. She knows better.
"Hello?" Kasumi answers from the other end.
"Hi Kasumi. Tell Akane that I've failed to properly handle Kuno.
Expect him to be arrive in about half-an-hour. He will be very angry."
"I'll tell her."
"Thanks. See you later, Sis." I hang up the phone, and turn to the
secretary. "I'll need to make an announcement on the PA about Ranma
and Akane after school starts."
The secretary nods. She knows better than to question me.
I sit in the office and wait for the bell. I want to spread this
around in a way that'd make money, but I can't. They need to be all
told at once to prevent the rumor horde from mangling the facts. They
need to know that when Ranma returns that they can't bug him about
anything.
It also adds the nice touch of giving the information impartially to
Kuno. That no one treated him above another in informing him. Besides,
I don't want to be anywhere near him when he finds out.
Finally, the bell rings. Time to get this over with. Flicking the
PA system on, I begin, "Good morning. I think you all know who I am.
As you may have noticed Ranma and Akane have not been to school this
week. There are two reasons for this. One of them is that Ranma's
parents died last Sunday. He has taken it rather badly. The other
reason is that shortly before his parents died, Ranma married Akane."
The school erupts in noise. The sound of a wall breaking tells me
Kuno is off to face Ranma. I pray that neither of those two idiots die
from this.
I wait for the school to calm down so I can continue. "The death of
Ranma's parents has made Ranma's and Akane's honeymoon rather
bittersweet. Ranma and Akane will return to school Monday. I will not
tolerate anyone asking Ranma or Akane about the wedding, Ranma's
parents' death, or the honeymoon. Anyone who so much as asks one
question will make me very angry at them."
I switch off the PA system. That won't stop all of them, but it should
reduce it to a level Ranma can stand.
I could now make a mint off information on the 'honeymoon.' That they
stayed home, that Akane is a screamer, and several other tidbits of
information would make me money easily. I can't, because I don't know
how Ranma would react.
I walk to my classroom. I'm at the door Kuno made. I hope Akane makes
him hurt, makes him suffer. The ball is in her court now. She has to
make Kuno realize that she loves Ranma. To crush his spirit and his
love. I really want to see that. There is no way I would make it there
before it ends. All I can do is find out what happened after the fact.
My class starts mobbing me with questions. Several of them are waving
money in my face. It'd be so easy to accept it. To take the money and
tell them. I could make money for just saying a little bit of
information. I could take all there money and give comfirmation that
Ranma and Akane are not virgins.
Would Ranma get upset if I did that? I mean this isn't exactly Earth
shattering information. It's no big deal that a married couple had sex.
They continue to pester me, throwing even more money toward me.
All this money, and all I have to do is say a couple words. To tell
them things that would be true. Things they might find out later.
Yet more money is flung into my face. They're trying to buy the
information from me. Trying to buy me. Like I could be bought. Like I
care more for money than myself and my family.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I scream. Where the hell did that come from? This
mess is affecting me worse than I thought.
I quickly regain my composure and say calmly, "I will not answer any
questions concerning Ranma or Akane." I will not be bought. I will not
betray Akane or even Ranma.
I sit down at my desk, and ignore everybody.
The teacher is having a hard time controling the students. There isn't
going to be much schooling done today. I could get the class under
control. Let the teacher teach. I won't unless he pays me. I can make
money on this. I can control this, because I am Tendo Nabiki.
I am power.
I am alone.
It's lonely at the top. I have power. I can have anyone do as I want.
Not because they want to, but because I made them. But what does power
give me? The ability to control. If I were to go through the level of
emotional trauma Ranma has, would someone come and give me the
strength to live as Akane has for Ranma? No, there is no one.
I face the world alone. I used to be content with this, preferred
this. Now... now I'm not sure facing the world without love is a good
idea. Love can give strength where money does not. Sure love can hurt.
The death of a loved one REALLY hurts. I know this better than most.
What I can lose to love must be compared to the gains. Love can bring
life. Ranma is alive and getting better because of love, where
otherwise he'd be rotting away in the ground now. Money could not save
him, only love.
There is no one to save me, for I stand alone. Alone without love.
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My mind troubles me so. Why did Tendo Nabiki act in such a peculiar
fashion? Did she act that way for I saw through her ruse? Or did she
really mean it? That she truly wanted to date with me?
Ha! She is in love with money and nothing more. She knows not of true
love. The love I have for Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl.
Hark, the bell rings. Yet, Tendo Nabiki is still absent. This is most
unlike her. Why is it that she is not here? Tis her loss.
I hear Tendo Nabiki on the public address system, "Good morning. I
think you all know who I am. As you may have noticed Ranma and Akane
have not been to school this week." Yes, and it pains my heart to not
see my goddess of the hunt. "There are two reasons for this. One of
them is that Ranma's parents died last Sunday. He has taken it rather
badly." Feh! Regrettable, perhaps, that such an event take place, but
that cursed Saotome should feel pain. I hold no pity for him. "The
other reason is that shortly before his parents died, Ranma married
Akane."
"WHAT?!? This is an outrage! Saotome dares to take fair Akane's hand
in marriage! I SHALL NOT STAND FOR THIS!!!!" My rage is pure. My
vengeance is just. I shall make Ranma pay for his impertinence. He
will not get away with this.
No obstacles shall impede my wrath. No wall, no weapon, nothing shall
stop me from saving Akane. I run for the home of my love, where
Saotome, no doubt, is taking unjust liberties with her. Forcing her
to... I can't think of such evils. I shall make him pay. I shall kill
him.
Ah! My love awaits me to free her. She is by the gate awaiting for
me, her champion, to free her from the vile sorcerer's grasp! I run
to her. "Tendo Akane! I shall save you from your loveless marriage!"
My love carries me aloft by her own hands. "Oof!" I forgive my love
for overestimating her strength and for not being able to prevent me
from falling heavily upon the ground.
Her hand is lovingly at my neck. I shall endure her ignorance that the
placement is causing my shirt to restrict my breath.
"Kuno-sempai," she says with her loving fierceness. "Let me make this
absolutely clear to you. It was my decision that I married Ranma. I
proposed to him. I love him. He is my husband and he shares my bed,
because it is my choice to. I will not tolerate you interfering in my
life, and I most definitely won't stand for you interfering with my
husband's. End your delusional and dishonorable pursuit of me and the
pig-tailed girl. If you don't, I'll have to hurt you severely."
"It pains me to see how Saotome's spell makes you lie so." The rush
of air whips past my ears and I find myself at the wall of my love's
home.
"I am not lying. And his name is Tendo Ranma now. It is dishonorable
to pursue a married woman. If you give a damn about honor, you will
stop chasing me!" Her fiery eyes speak of love for me.
"I cannot! Honor demands that I protect you!"
"The only person I need protection from is you. I swear on the graves
of my ancestors that if you do not stop interfering with Ranma's, the
pig-tailed girl's, or my life, I will send you to the hospital."
Such a strong and noble oath. But how can I let her, my love, remain
under the vile sorcerer's spell? I must keep her safe until such time
as I can free her.
"My love, I shall free you..."
My words can say no more for the furious actions of my love carry out
the oath Saotome's spell has forced her to say. I forgive her for
this, for it is not of her own will.
--------------------------
I awake, as promised, in the hospital. Such fierceness my love has. I
respect her and her power.
Oh, someone stands by the window. Perhaps one of my loves wish to
comfort me.
"Hello, Kuno-chan." Sigh. It's only Nabiki. "Do you understand yet?"
"Yes, the vile Saotome has enspelled Akane and bought you off."
She-she slapped me! Again! Yet her face shows of pain. What thoughts
lurk in her mind?
"Listen here, Kuno Tatewaki. There is no more Saotome. Ranma is now
a Tendo. He has married my sister out of the love they share. And do
you know how much money I've made from the marriage? None. I haven't
made a single yen. I've even lost money."
"Your lies are ill becoming you."
"Have you ever known me to lie? Have I ever said anything that was not
true? Sure I've withheld information, but I've never lied. If I say
Akane loves Ranma, Akane loves Ranma. And you damn well know I'd never
say I lost money if it wasn't true."
She has never lied before today but... "I cannot, shall not believe
what you say! My loves love me! How can they not?"
"Because you are an arrogant, egotistical, self-centered, pompous,
foolish, stupid, idiotic, blind, perverted, jerk that can't deal with
reality. You have to understand that Akane doesn't love you, she loves
Ranma. And the pig-tailed girl doesn't love you either. If you ever
stopped living in your own little dream world, you would see that you
have no hope of marrying either of your 'loves.'"
Her words sting like another slap. How is it she can't see Ranma's
sorcery? Perhaps she has fallen victim to it as well. Now I must free
her as well. But if she is under Ranma's spell, why is it she wanted
to date me and not him? Is it part of Ranma's evil plan?
"Tendo Nabiki, was it truly your intent to date with me?"
She scowls at me. "Until you take off your rose color glasses and see
the world as it is, you will never know." Once said, she leaves me to
ponder her words.
Is it as she says? That I am deceiving myself? That my loves don't
love me? This cannot be true. My love is true and just! How can they
not love me? How?
A fair nurse enters and gives me pills to handle the pain my love's
fist has caused me. The pills let me sleep though my thoughts trouble
me so.
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Author's Note:
In case you didn't noticed Akane seems to speak in more Kuno-esque
style than normal when the story is from his perspective, since this
is Kuno's interpretation of things.
Thanks to my numerous pre-readers for checking this chapter.
And thanks to all of you who sent me C&C on this series.
You can send C&C to archive@mich.com
You can find previous chapters my other stories at
http://www.mich.com/~archive/anime
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geocities.com/tokyo/fuji/9061) (
geocities.com/tokyo/fuji) (
geocities.com/tokyo)