Authors note: Part 3…woo hoo! Not much to say this author's not except that the song lyrics that are at the start of the fic are from a very good song by a very good artist. The song is 'Good Mother' and the artist is Jann Arden, the song can be found on her c.d. titled 'Living Under June' The music tends to be dark and slightly depressing most of the time but it still is a very good c.d.…. Oh yeah, she is a Canadian artist so it might be hard to find the c.d. in other countries. Disclaimer Ranma ½ is property of Rumiko Takahashi and is used with out permission. Do you really think I would be writing fanfics if I owned it? Come on people get real…oh the song 'Good Mother' is property of Jann Arden and used without permission.


Letters from Nabiki 3
A Ranma ½ fanfic by Crikit

From: n_tendo@new_world.com
Date: February 18,1999
To: listener@new_world.com
Subject: Good Mother

"I've got money in my pocket, I like the color of my hair, I've got a friend who loves me, got a house, I've got a car. I've got a good mother and her voice is what keeps me here, feet on ground, heart in hand, facing forward just be yourself…"

I don't know why I just wrote that. It could be because Akane has been playing that song almost non-stop for the last couple of days…or maybe it's because, I don't have most of the stuff that's in that song. I do have money in my pocket, and I'm glad that I do. But, I don't have the stuff that is most important…at least, the stuff that most people consider important. I don't have a friend who loves me, and I don't have a good mother…I don't have a mother at all. Why am I telling you all this? Why am I telling someone that I have never met so much about myself? This isn't like me; I'm not the type of person who just tells what she's thinking and feeling to a complete stranger. What is so special about you? Why do I feel like I can tell you my deepest darkest secrets, and know that you won't tell another soul? I wish I knew, but I don't…I would stop e-mailing you but I can't. I can't because I feel that if I were to stop my life wouldn't be the same. Listener you let me vent out all my frustrations and you listen to what I say, it goes with the name doesn't it? Sorry, it's just I've had a rough day.

Now you want to know what I meant about my father and us. Well I wasn't planning on telling you; it just sort of slipped. But, maybe you can help me…or at least tell me what I can do. You see after my mother died my father changed. He was always a weak man, but after mom died he was even weaker. Right after the funereal my father spent days in his room just crying. I know my mom's death was hard on him, but it was hard on us to…and to see our daddy acting like that, well we didn't know what to do. Kasumi tried to comfort us as best she could but she needed comforting to and Akane and I couldn't help her. But that's not what my father can't see. What he can't see is how much we need him. He's a good father, don't get me wrong, but he's not the father that I remember him to be. Mr. Saotome and Ranma have helped a little in bringing life back to him, but he's still not the same. I know what you're wondering, you're still wondering what's happening to my sisters and I. Well to put it to you bluntly we're growing up, but daddy doesn't see that, he still sees us as his little girls, but we aren't. I'm graduating from high school soon, Akane is engaged…he knows about that, but he doesn't know that she's in love. And Kasumi, well Kasumi acts like his wife, doesn't he realize that she needs to have a life of her own? She can't look after us for the rest of her life, it wouldn't be fair to her, it wouldn't be fair to us…You must think my family is nuts right?

I had to laugh when you asked if Kuno was not normal now…honestly he's not, but yet he is. Does that make sense? I guess I should tell you what he does, shouldn't I? Well in order to do that you have to understand some things, like what happened to him. Like I said in my last e-mail, Kuno and I met the first day of school, and stayed friends until jr. high, I loved those times…but they ended there was nothing neither of us could do to stop it from ending. It happened in our first year of jr. high. I remember it was the first year, because it was the year that my mother died. Kuno tried to help get over the loss by becoming an even better friend…and it was working to, but…it wouldn't last. A few weeks after my mother died his did to. It turns out they died of the same thing to…cancer. I could tell you a bit about how they both died of the same thing, but I won't. I don't like to think about it. Anyway as I was saying, when Kuno lost his mother I was still grieving over the loss of mine. If he would have just told me, I would have helped him…like he helped me. But he didn't the fool. He didn't tell me that his mother died…when I found out and asked him why he said that he didn't want to trouble me. He didn't want to trouble me…I still can't believe he said that. I was his best friend, what effected him effected me, and he didn't want to trouble me. Oh well, I won't dwell on it, he sure as hell doesn't.

The death of his mother wasn't all that happened to Kuno though. No, it was just the start. A few weeks after they buried his mother, his dad ran off to live in Hawaii…abandoning Kuno and his younger sister Kodachi. I thought it was hard for Kasumi to look after Akane and I, but it wasn't as hard as what Kuno had to put up with. You see, his sister was already a little mentally unstable, and when their father left town she just lost it. They had to lock her up in the mental ward for a couple of weeks she was that bad. It was about that time that I noticed that Kuno was becoming more and more withdrawn, instead of coming over to my house to watch TV or do homework after school, he would go to the library and check out all the Shakespeare that he could find. I guess he identified with the characters, he was the hero whose life was destined to end in tragedy. That continued for a few weeks until one day…Kuno came to school and he wasn't himself. Instead there was a poetry-spouting freak in his place. I heard some of the teachers talking about his sudden change one day, it turns out that shortly after his sister was taken away he had a nervous break down. They said something about it being bound to happen considering how crazy his father was. I know this might sound weird but I feel that the way that Kuno acts is partly my fault. I wasn't a good friend…I didn't do a single thing to help him, while he spent hours helping me…it's not fair, it's just not fair.

I did what you suggested, I thought about all of the people that have been in Kasumi's life…and I remembered something or should I say someone. His name was Joey Holden; he was a foreign exchange student who went to school with Kasumi for a while. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier but it just wouldn't come to me. If I remember correctly, Kasumi and Joey were sort of an item. I say sort of because they tried to keep it hidden. Why do people do that? Why do people hide their love? Anyway, they were keeping their relationship…I guess that's what you could call it…secret because they didn't want daddy to find out. Akane and I of course knew about it, because they would often take us out for the day using the excuse that Joey was just going along to help Kasumi keep us in line. Can you believe that daddy actually bought that excuse? It was fun though, and Joey was a great guy to hang out with…he was the kind of guy that I thought Kasumi would marry…but it didn't last. Joey was to stay in Japan and go to school until he was finished high school, but in his first year which was also Kasumi's first year, he got called home. He was called home because his parents were killed in a car accident…they were hit by a drunk driver. I'm not sure what happened to the drunk but I bet he lived…that's usually how it happens. Anyway Joey had to fly home to go to his parents funeral, but the plane that he was on crashed. Kasumi was broken up about it, but anyone would be. I guess she wrote the poem in an attempt to get over the pain that she was feeling, I wonder if it worked…

Well I better go it's getting a little late and I still have to do my homework.

Ciao,
Nabiki


Letters to Nabiki 3
A Ranma ½ Fanfic by Tracy Garnett AKA Crikit

From: listener@new_world.com
Date: February 19, 1999
To: n_tendo@new_world.com
Subject: RE: Good Mother

Nabiki,
Do not say that you do not have a friend who loves you. It is not true…I say this because, well, because I love you Nabiki. I don't know the type of love I feel for you, but I still feel love. It could be romantic, or it could be the love of a friendship…whatever it is, it is still love. I am glad that you feel you can trust me. It is because of you that I come home with a feeling that I have not truly felt for a long time…that feeling is eagerness. I have felt eager for things but never for coming home, not since my…I can't remember when. But now when the school bell rings I look forward to arriving at my home, turning on the computer and hearing "super trouper" play announcing the arrival of new mail. I guess what I am trying to say is that I can not imagine my life without you either.

I wish there was something I can tell you to encourage your father but, I can't. I do not know your father, so, therefore I can not give you advise on reviving him to his former self…however I will attempt to give you a suggestion or two. Perhaps your father is lonesome, you yourself said that he misses your mother greatly and that when the Saotomes arrived his spirits brightened. Do you suppose your father might be interested in finding a new love? Not one that will replace your mother or the feelings that he had and still has for her, but will…I'm honestly not sure how to put this. I know that you will not like this idea so I will stop suggesting it, but only ask you to consider it. As for your father seeing what's happening with the rest of you perhaps you can talk to him, or have someone talk to him on your behalf. For I hate to say this Nabiki, if you don't point it out to him soon…one day he'll wake up only to discover that his daughters are not his daughters anymore.

Reading what you wrote about Kuno helps put my thinking towards him in a whole new light. Having to help a friend deal with the death of a loved one is never easy, but to have to deal with a death in your own family adds that extra amount of stress to a person. And under enough stress even the sanest person will snap. Perhaps Kuno didn't tell you about his mother because he didn't want to trouble you…you were going through family troubles of your own at the moment and perhaps he felt telling you his problems would only make things worse for you. So, he bottled them up letting his emotions and thoughts stew and ferment until they became intolerable. The fact that his sister lost it and his father abandoned the two probably did not help things. But Nabiki, that is all in the past, there is nothing that you or anyone else can do to help Kuno or his family. They have passed the point of no return so to speak. You may blame yourself for what has happened to his mental state but it is not your fault. If Kuno wanted help he should have asked he could have asked but he didn't. Even if he did ask there was nothing that you or anyone else could do to help him or his family…so please don't dwell on it.

I know you said that you don't like to talk about it, but could you please tell me what happened to Kuno's mother and your own? I ne…I would like to know, please. You don't have to if you don't want to, but please consider it.

Why do people keep their love a secret? That is a good question Nabiki, one that I can not answer…I honestly don't think there is a single person in the world that can answer that. If there were he would make a killing explaining it to the rest of us. Perhaps people hide their love because they are unsure…or they are afraid of rejection or maybe they do not want to hurt others. For example your sister Akane, and her fiancée Ranma. You say that they love each other, and that everyone knows it including them. That could be true, they could very well know what the other feels but they will not say. Not for fear of the other rejecting them, but for fear of hurting their friends, the people who fight so desperately for their affection. Can you imagine what would happen if they admitted how they feel for one another and told Shampoo, she would destroy all of Nerima, and Ryoga and Ukyo would be heart broken. You never know. What about you Nabiki? You hide the emotions that you feel for Kuno, why do you do that? You see him almost everyday of the week don't you? But yet you still don't confront him and tell him how you feel. I say this to you, you are able to complain and chastise others for not sharing their feelings. Which is something you should not be doing, not until you can freely admit to Kuno that you love him. Only then will you be able to comment on others. I may sound harsh in saying that but it's the truth, and you know it is.

I've thought about what you told me about Kasumi and Joey, and I think your right. She must have written the poem in an attempt to rid herself of the pain and sorrow that she was feeling. However you and I will never know, for that is most likely information that she will not willingly disclose to her younger sister and the person she e-mails. Especially considering that you took the poem without her permission. I fear that you might have to confront your sister, something that I know you do not wish to do at the moment. But, if you do not find some clue that will help you help her it will have to happen. Have Ranma and Akane found anything out yet?

It is time for me to go. I have a previous engagement that I must attend to.

Yours faithfully…
Listener.