Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Wallets ❯ Compound Interest ( Chapter 51 )

A Tale of Two Wallets

(An Altered Destiny)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Ukyo wondered which of the kami to thank for their safe arrival, but decided that she would make a stop at every shrine on the way back to Nerima to thank them all, just in case they all played a part in their deliverance. Cologne got the precious cargo through customs by explaining that it was mineral water being carried for legitimate scientific purposes, and informed the dubious customs agents that they should refer to the Chinese consul if they had any questions on this topic.

Ukyo found herself sitting in the terminal with the others while Cologne went about the task of arranging to buy bus fare back to Nerima. She was finding herself oddly relaxed in the company of the Amazons from Shampoo's village as Perfume and Lotion seemed content to continue their quiet discussion between themselves while Ambergris continued to keep Ukyo company, sharing wry observations that the cross-dressing okonomiyaki chef found more than a little amusing.

"Tell me, Sugar," she asked after a time of searching for the right moment to broach the subject, "How did you wind up with a name like Ambergris? That must have caused you some fights when you were a kid…"

"Oh, more than a few," Ambergris sounded almost amused at the recollection, "I'm reminded of that Gaijin song about a Boy named Sue, but in my case it just added another factor for other children to pick on me. As you may well understand, we have a ferocious pecking order among warriors of the younger generation, and for a time I was near to the bottom before I made a thorough study of the arts and mastered the techniques that allowed me to defeat my nominal betters."

"Still, it seems kinda cruel that your mother would set you up like that," Ukyo noted.

"Oh, it was not intentional, I'm positive of that. It is just that I was born on almost the exact same night as Perfume…perhaps an hour or two after her, and my mother wanted to name me Perfume in honor of the Elder in our family who bears this name. When it was pointed out to her that there were two Perfumes being born at the same time, she decided to change my name to Ambergris, mainly because she liked the sound of it, and nobody had the heart to tell her that it was another name for Whale Puke."

"Oh," Ukyo said as she thought that over, "Maybe she thought of it because it's used in making Perfume, right?"

"That is what I surprise," Ambergris sniffed, "How typically shortsighted of my mother, though I love and respect her memory and wish no ill will between us. At least my father was more understanding when he counseled me to always be true to myself and never let what other say depress me. A wise man, my father…" she sighed, "Of all my family, I most miss him."

"Fathers can be a pain and a blessing," Ukyo agreed, then the two of them fell silent for a time as each thought about their own respective male parents. She wondered what her own old man was doing at the moment, and if the doctors were helping him to get any better. He could be a real jackass at times, but in the end he was still her father.

After a few moments Ukyo found herself giving questioning looks towards Hairbrush, who was performing the admirable task of keeping his two teenaged daughters from running loose at the airport. He consented to accompany them as they checked out the local merchant shops, asking endless questions that he quite patiently answered while doing his level best to restrain the two from causing serious problems with the locals.

"He's quite a guy," Ukyo finally noted, "I think I can see why Comb married him."

"Indeed," Ambergris replied, "In some respects he is almost her exact opposite, a man from the capitol city who had a bit of trouble with the authorities and was sent out to the country for cultural rehabilitation. Did you know that he is a very fine engineer? Oh yes…he worked on the local water pump and maintains what little machinery we have in our village. He is well liked and respected for a male, and not a half-bad fighter, though his skills are nothing to equal that of a War Master."

"Did he really win Comb's hand by playing a game of chess?" Ukyo still found it hard to believe that particular story, which had been related from Shampoo's own lips during a prior conversation.

"Oh yes," Ambergris chuckled, "There was a bit of a scandal over that, or so I'm told. Comb was a former Tribal Champion turned Healer, and I think the general consensus was that she threw the match in order to let him best her. It is not uncommon for a warrior to deliberately lose to a man she likes, though it is technically a scandal if she's too obvious about it. It would be hard enough to bring in new blood to our community if our best fighters never lost to an outsider, since few foreign men are our equals. Within the village a warrior does not need to lose to a Nyanchiczu male in order to marry him, the simple declaration of intent to marry is all that tradition requires. Pride is the only reason the old traditions are kept at all these days since most of our best men tend to leave for the big city as soon as they come of age, which makes most warriors of our age a little desperate."

"Including you?" Ukyo asked, wondering why she was daring to broach such an uncomfortable subject.

Ambergris smiled at Ukyo and said, "I'm not in any great hurry to marry, though I suppose one day I will meet someone who I care enough about to want to keep for a bedmate. We Amazons are a bit more casual about sex than most people, and lots of warriors experiment on the sly with same-sex pairing, though very few of those result in permanent bonding. The desire to have children is very strong with us, far too strong even for the dictates of Beijing to enforce on us that one-child policy that is so widely hated. I tend to favor the attitude of the Mosuo women, who are an offshoot of the Amazons but do not believe in any formalized marriage."

"They don't?" Ukyo wondered, recalling vaguely something she had once heard about the people of the Lugu Lake region.

"They have a tradition they refer to as 'Walking Marriage,'" Ambergris explained, "The women choose the men whom they will sleep with, and any resultant children are their own, though boys are sent to live with their fathers. Perhaps this represents in pure form what our Scythian ancestors were like before the great Exodus from the Caspian region. Women control the household, make all the decisions, and men grow up in the houses of their mothers or fathers as useless homemakers and layabouts. It's quite interesting to see how relaxed everyone is with this arrangement, though Mosuo women are also known as great wrestlers and fighters. It's almost the reverse of what is taken to be the natural state of affairs in most other regions, the Taliban of Afghanistan being the worst of all extremes in their suppression of the natural rights of all women."

"So you want to pick and choose who you sleep with," Ukyo surmised, "And if you have a kid as a result of this…?"

"Then I will raise her…or him…as I see best," Ambergris noted, "The only obligation the father would have towards me or our child would be in the fathering stages. I have no great interest in starting a family just yet, though, as I am still in training to become what my destiny demands I be for the sake of our people."

"The next Matriarch," Ukyo said softly, then added, "Don't take this wrong, but aren't you a bit young to be an Elder?"

"The Matriarch does not have to be an Elder to rule our people," Ambergris replied, "Though Elders are the respected authorities of our village. At one time we had a Warrior Queen of a hereditary line tracing back to the great Queen Hippolyta of ancient legend, said to be the first of all Amazons before her fateful meeting with Herakles. Our last Queen died over six hundred years ago, leaving no direct successor, so the Council chose to rule in her place by electing the Matriarch to serve as her nominal regent. Warriors as young as myself have held that office on occasion, though the Council must elect even a designated successor, and quite naturally they prefer to choose one of their own instead of a youth barely old enough to be out of her diapers, as they reckon such matters."

"The Elders sure seem to dominate over everything you do," Ukyo remarked, "I'm not sure I'd like living that way, it'd be awfully stifling for one thing…"

"There is a legend," Ambergris began with a smile as she gazed off into the distance, "That holds to the wisdom that the Elders are the guardians of a tradition that predates human civilization. Lore Masters are the guardian of that tradition and know the most regarding it, but some say the wisdom is even older than their order. I once heard a story that my mother told me that was supposedly dating from the time that our ancestors were nomadic steppe-clans, herdsmen and hunter-gatherers. The story goes that a warrior named Batu was once hunting a great elk when she was surprised by a wild pig that sought to gore her with its tusks. Batu had only her bow in hand and had no time to reach for a stone axe, so in a moment of desperation she raised her hand like this…" Ambergris lifted her hand as if making a salute, then brought it down as she added, "And by sheer reflex she did this, which struck the boar exactly dead-center on the top of its skull, shattering it in twain and killing the animal within seconds."

"Wow," Ukyo recognized the palm strike and noted, "You mean she discovered the martial arts by accident?"

"So it might seem," Ambergris smiled enigmatically, "But when she returned to the village and related what had happened, giving a demonstration of what she had done to her fellow astonished villagers, one old, wizened, toothless hag stepped forward and said to her, 'No-no-no! Not like that! You're bending your elbow to much, and you should do it more like this…" she repeated the gesture, smiling in such a way that Ukyo could not suppress a small chuckle.

"Moral of the story," Ambergris concluded wryly, "Elders are eternal and will always be there offering us the benefit of their wisdom."

"You told it wrong," said Cologne, who chose that moment to make her presence known, "But that is hardly surprising as your mother hardly told any better. I wanted to inform you both that the bus leaving for Nerima departs in half an hour, so we had best be on it as the next one is not due for many hours. I will inform my son-in-law and great-granddaughters of this fact. Of course Perfume can hear me, even with her present state of distraction, so do be certain that she and her friend to not tarry."

"Of course, Matriarch," Ambergris replied with perfect formality, "We exist only to serve your whims."

"Sarcasm is not appreciated, Warrior," Cologne replied as she turned away, only to pause as she glanced sharply to one side, then murmured, "Well…I'll be. One moment, I must attend to other business."

With that she began hopping away on her staff while Ukyo and Ambergris followed her progress to the far end of the terminal station. In a mild hint of resentment, Ukyo remarked, "She's not exactly too warmed up about your being here, is she?"

"I can endure her disdain and distrust," Ambergris replied, "It's nothing less than what I would expect from her, given the Matriarch's suspicions that I intend to supplant Shampoo's position as tribal Champion."

"And are you?" Ukyo asked without hint of any malice.

"I intend to challenge her and prove which of us is the best," Ambergris replied, "But I will do so honorably, because I happen to know that Shampoo never wanted her title in the first place. It was only to please Cologne, and for the sake of her warriors pride, that she fought her way to the top, being the best and brightest of our generation…with one exception," she smiled as she gave Ukyo a wry look from her single visible eye.

Ukyo was deciding whether to accept this at face value when she saw where Cologne came to a stop beside a row of benches that presently were occupied by only two people, and old man and a fellow with dark hair that from a distance made him seem like a more mature version of Ranma…

Remo Williams was bored as he sat lazily in his chair beside Chiun, who was composed as usual with an inscrutable expression. To keep his mind alert, and to amuse himself, Remo was balancing on his finger a stack of boxes that contained Anime tapes from Chiun's latest personal obsession, a soap-opera like series titled Marmalade Boy.

"{I dunno about this, Little Father,}" he remarked as he effortlessly held a stack of fifteen tapes aloft, thinking of adding a few others to provide further challenge, "{Last time we were in Japan you were really fixated on those Magical Girl episodes of Sailor V. I mean…not to criticize, but I just couldn't take serious the whole idea about a bunch of adolescent girls running around in sailor fuku fighting evil. From what I hear about this new series the plot's not all that much better, just some guy who has trouble confessing how he feels to a girl he's nuts about.}"

"{That is because you are an ignorant, pale pigs ear and a complete disappointment to Sinanju,}" Chiun retorted with his usual jibing tone of superior condescension, "{These sacred stories tell the tale of pride, nobility, love and honor, elements so totally lacking within you and yet so surprising to find in a place as backward and barbaric as the Japanese Islands. You judge by your own lack of success in holding to a relationship with a woman…}"

"{Hey!}" Remo spoke up, "{Look whose talking? And aren't you the one who always gets in the way whenever I start to have anything meaningful with a woman? You keep harping on about training and how marriage would interfere with me becoming the next Master of Sinanju!}"

"{My son,}" Chiun said with a hint of fatherly compassion, "{Despite the great handicap that befell you by not having been born Korean, you have shown some slight progress towards one day fulfilling your potential. When you have at last proven yourself worthy of succeeding me, then perhaps you may consider settling down and having sons who will carry on your traditions…}"

"{Hello,}" a voice pleasantly chimed into the old man's ear, "{Son-in-law.}"

Remo was totally shocked and amazed at the speed with which Chiun bounded up out of his seat and began running out from the terminal as fast as his legs could carry him. He was even more stunned when he turned to see the wizened old troll who stood perched upon a stick chuckling to herself in a manner that was almost bone-chilling.

"<My,>" the old woman chuckled to herself in Mandarin, "<That was certainly fun, and it's good to see he hasn't lost a bit of his speed and reflexes. I must remember to tell Shampoo that I ran into her grandfather.>"

So saying she pogo-sticked away, leaving Remo behind more bewildered than ever…

Shampoo's Diary Resumes:

Of the many strange and unaccountable things that I have encountered in my travels to foreign parts, I had only briefly made acquaintance with the formal school system of Japan, to which both of my airen are in regular attendance. In my neko form I have observed my wife and husband in their separate classes learning from what my mother calls the Rote method of repetition where the teacher lectures the students on dry subject matters in the aimless hope that at least some of what is spoken will be retained for later recall. It is much as what the Communists once sought to impose on us before the Elders put a stop to such nonsense. The Amazon way is to coach the student into learning, to discipline us into wanting to learn and showing us how to study on our own time. It is the method by which my Great Grandmother has taught me, one of several reasons that she has long discouraged me from seeking a more formal education.

That my mother now wished for me to learn by the Japanese method was most strange in itself, but I could not fault her reasoning that attending classes would allow me to spend more time with my husband. I have a fairly good grasp of subjects such as mathematics and the sciences thanks to private coaching by both my mother and great grandmother, but my knowledge of the history beyond the borders of China is…less than satisfactory. My command of the Japanese language is poor, which even I must admit as I still have trouble using personal pronouns. I can read a little better of the kanji than before my arrival thanks to the loan of some of my sister-in-law's books, Kasumi being a very helpful sort who seems to understand that I am at least making the effort to sound less like a country bumpkin. I am encouraged by the fact that many symbols in katakana and hiragana are at least based on root Chinese characters, but I am a long way from being fluent in either written or spoken language.

Of course that is merely the academic side of education. I had almost forgotten that there were less formal traditions in Furinkan High that in some ways remind me a bit of a Nyanchiczu village. A case in point would be my first meeting with the Elder who runs the institution, who is coincidentally also the father of Stupid Rose Girl Kodachi. He surprised us-much as an Elder would-by attacking us without warning, and while he may seem to have a peculiar obsession with short hair on his students, being an Elder means taking such things in stride as most Elders that I have known tend to be a little eccentric.

We confronted him just after he had trimmed Stupid Pig-Boy Ryoga's hair to so short a length that it was almost well groomed for a change, though I personally think it made him look more stupid than usual. That the weapon of his attacker had not snagged upon his endless supply of bandanas was the only thing of any substance that surprised me. The Principal seemed to be ignoring my wife and her younger sister and focusing on both me and my husband, no doubt because our hair was much longer. I caught the way his attention seemed to be drawn to Ranma's warrior braid, then shifted to my own long-flowing hair, and the scissors in his hands seemed to twitch meaningfully, which caused me to tighten my fists in the resolve that he would not get near enough to us to use them.

"What's the big idea of attacking us?" my husband demanded, "You ain't really the principal, are you?"

"That I be," the man thumped himself on his barrel chest, "And shame on yo for dissin' on your principal. You young punks need t'learn some resect for your elders, an' first up y'gotta get'n line with the school dress code, which means no hair longer'n th' collar, an' I means t' enforce it!"

If I am using undue contractions and poor grammatical speech patterns I should like to apologize in advance, for this is what the man sounded like in my ears. It is difficult to say for certain if I am relating his speech accurately because his command of Japanese was even poorer than mine is, but I think I've come close enough to approximating his most unusual accent.

"No way," my husband said firmly, "You ain't doin' to me what you just did to Ryoga."

Stupid Pig Boy was just beginning to recover from his shock at being attacked and was just beginning to work on being angry. My apprentice was already well on the way there to full blown outrage. My wife appeared worried for some reason, no doubt concern for this new challenge to our husband while I simply tried to gauge the strange man's fighting potential, which seemed very high by even Amazon standards. I reasoned that he had been a contemporary of our parents and so no doubt had sparred with them on prior occasions. The mere fact that he is still able to walk upright was an indication that he was not someone who should be taken for granted.

Ranma, being the superb warrior that he is, naturally seemed to share my appraisal of the principal, but being the proud man that he is he would not back down or surrender his warrior's pride in the face of such a challenge. Instead he stood ready to defend himself as the principal made clipping sounds with his scissors. I readied to summon my bonbori to hand should I need to employ a weapon to keep my own hair at the appropriate length. It seemed a moment pregnant with danger as both sides waited for the other to make the first move, only the sound of the school bell distracted us all at this point of heightened tension.

"Oh great," Akane complained, "Now we're late for class and we're going to have to wait out in the hallway with buckets of water!"

"Eh?" the oddly dressed Principal seemed to take notice of the time himself and relaxed his posture, "So it is. Looks like you kids is tardy today. Don' have no permission t'be out loiterin' the hallways. I'll be seein' you all after class for special study courses'n detention. Don' be late or the Big Kahuna's gonna come lookin' for you!"

With that the odd man put away his weapons and pulled out what appeared to be a musical instrument that I later looked up and discovered is called a Ukulele. He began to play (although I think I am being unusually generous in inferring that the sounds that he was making were supposed to be music) and sang off-key tunes about desert beaches and waves of surf and other such things that made little sense to me at the moment. He turned and left us alone, however, which was a good thing to my reckoning, so I guess the encounter could best be rated a draw with the real match to be held between us at a much later juncture.

What did surprise me-and I think everyone else was with me on this-was when Kuno Tatewaki walked into view from behind the bushes and said, "That man is totally deranged. If I were you, Saotome, I would think it best to avoid him."

I started to notice that there was something unusual about the poetry-spouting fool, something odd about his hair that did not seem to be quite in place, though as the moment I was reckoning on what extremes of lunacy he might judge as madness in another. My husband was also taking notice of the odd behavior of this youth that I had once made the extreme misjudgment of mistaking for Ranma's rival. In truth there is no comparison to be made between the two as Ranma is so much more superior to him as a fighter. Indeed, the only positive thing that I can say in Kuno's behalf is that he is not Mousse, and that also is being generous in my not linking the two on the same wavelength.

"What gives, Kuno?" my husband asked, "Is that clown really your dad?"

I saw the extreme distaste on Tatewaki's expression as if the mere act of agreeing with Ranma was physically painful, "Alas, it is true…he is my father returned to us, although far worse for wear than even I remember. Isolation and withdrawal have sapped the limits of his once-great mind and left in its place this hollow travesty masquerading as a Beach Bum. Were it not that Kuno Pharmaceuticals has been a heavy contributor to this learning institute I doubt not that the Board of Regents would have long ago replaced him instead of delegating authority to Assistant Principal Hiro. Unfortunately, so great is his reputation and such influence carries the Kuno name that none will challenge him for supremacy, and so we must all endure his rampages as he enforces a strict dress code by his military standards."

"Something wrong with your hair, Kuno-chan?" my wife inquired after a moment of silent appraisal, "It looks a little out of place."

I saw the foolish boy's eyes widen with a note of panic, and then he produced a mirror-compact and made several adjustments to his hair, by which point we all had come to realize that he was wearing a wig in place of his normal hair. I found the idea so amusing that I had to suppress the urge to laugh, which of course Akane did not do as she has even greater reason to hold a grudge against this obsessive lout. Once she started to laugh, I felt less constrained about joining her, and Nabiki giving in and joining us mere moments later.

I caught the savage glare that Kuno turned our way, but he directed his gaze principally at my husband and growled, "Not a word on this if you value your life, Saotome! If you so much as crack a smile…"

"Yeah, yeah, right," Ranma scoffed, giving us all a big grin as he turned to Nabiki and said, "Need a lift?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Ranma-baby," our wife said between stifled guffaws, stepping up to the embrace of Ranma's arms as our husband swept her off her feet then looked at me and said, "You coming, Sham-chan?"

I smiled at his endearment and nodded my own head in affirmation, then with one powerful leap we vaulted from the space where we were standing to the third story balcony, which we found was crowded by curious and anxious students. I chose a clear space to set down while Ranma restored Nabiki to her feet, then the three of us walked into her first class as if the stunned looks being turned our way was of no great concern to us, including the even more flabbergasted appraisal of Nabiki's homeroom teacher.

I could almost feel their curious comments being directed my way, but since few of them had ever been in the presence of a Nyanchiczu warrior from Joketsuzoku, I decided to make no issue about their whispers. Ranma and I departed the class in search of his own homeroom, where we were excused from the normal routines of early lecture to practice the curious training exercise of holding a bucket filled with water at arms length, which certainly proved a lot more interesting than what my acute hearing could discern was the droning voice dominating our first classroom.

Of course, how was I to know that things would soon become so much more exciting and eventful…?

"Well…we're here, I guess," Kasumi turned towards Kodachi, smiling shyly as she said, "Do you want me to walk you to your first class? I wouldn't mind it, really…"

"I would love nothing less than to have you with me, darling," Kodachi cooed back, glancing down almost in imitation of her companion's modest gesture, "But I think it would be best if Sasuke took you home until later. I've so much enjoyed spending this time with you, but for the sake of discretion…"

"Yes," Kasumi glanced away, "I suppose you are right. It…does seem a bit forward of me to want to spend more time with you, but my high school days are long behind me…"

"There is still college, if you intend to pursue a medical career, darling," Kodachi suggested, "I would be only too glad to help support you, if you would let me be your sponsor."

"Thank you again, but that would be imposing," Kasumi demurred.

"Not at all," Kodachi said with a heartfelt expression, "You could never impose on me, my darling. I would give you all that I have, and more if it would make you happy."

"I'm happy right now," Kasumi lifted her eyes and took Kodachi's hand, again shyly lowering her lashes as she added, "Just being with you makes me feel happy. I am happy…" she lifted her eyes, looking deep into Kodachi's eyes and seeing the other girl's clear ardor reflected there, "So happy…and for the first time for myself, and not just because of my family or obligations."

"I live to see you happy," Kodachi said, kissing Kasumi's hand with cherished fondness, "Your happiness gives me joy beyond measure, for you have let me into your life, and brought me the light of your smile, which has banished all my darkness."

Kasumi felt the warmth rise to her cheeks, but a troubled thought caused her to glance to the side as she murmured softly, "Kodachi…is it right to feel such happiness…because of what we did? Somehow…it just doesn't seem entirely proper…"

"I could never imagine you doing anything that was not proper," Kodachi said with gentle firmness, squeezing the delicate hand between her own to emphasize her point, "You are propriety itself, I set my very definition of the word by the standard you set. Never doubt what is in our hearts is proper, Kasumi-sama…I yearn to spend time in your presence. School will be an eternity for me for it denies me half of my waking day that could be spent sharing my ardor."

Kasumi returned her gaze and for a moment nothing mattered, then Sasuke softly murmured, "Ah…Mistress? You're going to be late for class…the bell is ringing…"

"You'd better go," Kodachi said with sad reluctance, still not relishing letting go of Kodachi.

"I know," Kodachi replied, still not willing to release Kasumi's hand until reminded by Sasuke again, who dared much to remind her of her duty to maintain a good attendance.

She exited the car, giving a last fond smile at Kasumi before the car drove away, and then she slowly turned and dragged her feet as the loneliness came over her once more, only lighted briefly as the memory of a smile once again banished away the darkness and silenced the voices that had been silent far more often of late while she barely acknowledged the hails and hellos of her fellow classmates.

Kasumi also felt the emptiness of Kodachi's absence, leaning her head against the window as Sasuke glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. The little Ninja was concerned about what he was seeing in both women, recognizing a difference from all of Kodachi's other flings and obsessions as there was something fundamentally appealing in the Tendo girl. Kasumi had the luster of an angel in her smile, and to see her sad was to become sadness incarnate. In an attempt to provide a ray of cheer he said, "The Mistress cares for you very much, Mistress Kasumi. I've never seen her be affected by anyone the way she behaves with you."

Kasumi lifted her head from the window and gave the little driver a puzzled look, "What did you call me, Sasuke-san?"

"Mistress," Sasuke replied with a shrug, "I call everyone that, or didn't you notice? Since it's my humble lot in life to serve the noble family of Kuno, I call everyone connected to them in any way either Master or Mistress, and I don't mind calling you that since I happen to think you deserve the title, and so does my real Mistress."

"Oh," Kasumi seemed to puzzle that one over before asking, "Do you like working for the Kuno family, Sasuke-san?"

"Eh?" Sasuke nearly swerved into traffic before recovering from his surprise, so only after bringing the limousine back into the proper lane did he managed to stammered, "O-Of course, it's a great honor to follow in the footsteps of my father, and his father before him! The Kuno family has a long and illustrious history dating back to the times of the Shogunate…"

"Oh," Kasumi said, surprised at seeing how wildly the little man could drive, when he seemed so nice and normal to her most times, "Then you must love working for Kodachi very much. She seems to think very highly of you…"

"She does?" Sasuke would never have guessed it, and in fact he came very near to having another accident before getting his mind back on traffic.

"Ah…" Kasumi hesitated before saying, "I don't mean to criticize, but I think you ought to be more careful driving, you wouldn't want to get a ticket."

"Yes Mistress," Sasuke swallowed, "I'll be very careful from now on, thank you so much for noticing. You really are a kind-hearted person, Mistress."

"What a nice thing to say," Kasumi smiled, "And you can call me Kasumi if yo like. Mistress makes me sound so…so formal."

"Oh, I would never dream of calling you less!" Sasuke assured her, "You are the very soul of kindness, a veritable angel, Mistress Kasumi."

"Uh…well…that is a nice thing to say," Kasumi felt both flattered and puzzled at the odd man's behavior, but his kind regard was certainly good for cheering her up, and while she still missed being with Kodachi, she supposed a few hours of waiting would only make the time they spent together that much more enjoyable and well cherished.

If only she could figure out why it felt so…nice to be referred to as Mistress…

Nabiki's Journal Resumes:

First period was a bit more of a trial than I'd been expecting, mainly because my fellow classmates were all abuzz with questions concerning my eventful arrival in the company of my iinazuke and Amazon girlfriend. I tried at first to play the coy, aloof, unconcerned ice queen, but I don't think my act was as convincing as usual because I'm positive that I was absolutely glowing with the radiance of someone who had just had sex until the wee hours of the morning. To say the girls in my class tried to pester me with questions to confirm or deny various rumors would be too mild an understatement, and while I considered making a profit out of selling the information at premium rates, there are some topics that even I consider off-limits, and this was a bit too personal for me to handle.

Fortunately Ryonami and Yuriko were on hand, having snuck into my class under the very nose of the teacher, mainly to have their own curiosity sated, but once they took stock of the situation Ryonami-bless her gambler's heart-decided to go take the heat off of me and began to at once play the role of my agent, smoothly fielding questions, taking promises for cash and pledging to supply the requested information at the time and place of my earliest convenience. I smiled slyly as my two assistants handled the crowd with professionalism and flourish. I knew that they were dying to ask the same questions of me, but out of loyalty they were willing to wait in the hopes that I would confide with them first in private, which I think I do owe them.

Two questions dominated over all the others that were being asked my way, the first, of course, concerning whether Ranma had been successful in courting me or not, there being a large betting pool on the subject and a lot of money riding on the outcome, pro or con. I was not directly involved with that bet for the obvious reason that I had a vested interest in the outcome, but I knew fortunes were to be made or lost depending on how I answered. Had I truly been a disinterested party I would have bet on the wide spread with Ranma not getting enough courage together to so much as hold my hand in a public place, if not for Shampoo's involvement.

Which brought up the second point of contention, naturally enough, namely what Shampoo was doing escorting Ranma and me to my homeroom. Knowledge concerning our mutual engagement to the Amazon had been kept strictly in-house with only a few parties entrusted with the knowledge of our dual engagements, and the more conventional-minded of the students were of the opinion that her presence signified something very untoward was taking place between her and Ranma. That I did not seem to mind this alleged fact was surprising to more than a few interested parties, and only a few of the more liberal minded seemed ready to accept the notion that I might be interested in our purple-haired wonder no less than Ranma. To say the least, her presence alone was enough to cause a scandal!

At any rate, I was glad when first period ended and I was able to step outside for a breath of fresh air. Playing aloof and mysterious is fun, but it can also get kind of smothering when you have the sort of inquiring minds demanding to know that predominate our classroom. I told Ryonami and Yuriko that I'd meet with them later to give them the juicy lowdown, and that they were to make what arrangements they could short of a full revelation just as long as they kept everyone guessing, then snuck out the back way and sought the privacy of a field behind our school that I some times used when I wanted to be alone and do some thinking.

Of course no sooner had I started to breathe the fresh air then a familiar voice asked, "How are you feeling, child?"

I whirled around, finding the old woman standing there as if she had been waiting there for hours. Without thinking I asked, "What are you doing here?"

"This is a school, is it not?" Lotion asked with a quizzical lifting of eyebrows, "And you are my student, so what better place to meet is there?"

"I mean…" I started to say, then thought better of it and just sighed, "What did you want to talk about this time, Elder?"

"Exactly what I just said," she repeated as if I were a small child, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I said, "Why shouldn't I be?"

"No reason," she replied smoothly, "I was merely wondering if you felt in any way different now from the way you felt before last night. You know…do you feel the same as you did yesterday, or is today in any way different from what you remember?"

I stopped in my tracks and seriously wondered about that, really thinking about the question and realizing at once what my mentor was asking me. It only took a moment for me to reply, "Ah…well…I do feel a little better…a little sore, though…"

"It will pass," her eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement, "You just need more practice to build up your stamina and fortitude. Repeated encounters will help you master the fundamentals, and then you can work on the more advanced techniques in which Shampoo is already knowledgeable."

I think this was the point when I realized that I was a long way from beyond the point of feeling embarrassed, because I must have flushed crimson from head to foot as I smiled foolishly and looked down at the bushes. More practice with Shampoo and Ranma? Try and stop me! I am seriously intending to try out the Kama Sutra with my two amorous bed partners and go a bit beyond that before the semester is over!

"Ah…" I managed to stammer out, "Well…I guess maybe I do kind of…tingle all over…is that also natural?"

"For you, yes," the old woman replied, "You have taken a larger step into a greater world than you know, Apprentice. You have crossed the threshold of innocence and have entered the scary, wondrous world of adulthood, and at your advanced age, no less."

"Advanced age?" I sputtered before I caught the mirthful gleam in her eyes and realized that she had been joking. I chuckled as I realized that I had been had by an expert, so to save face I replied, "Yeah, well…us old ladies have to stick together, right? And anyway, you kind of helped to set that whole thing up…"

"I am flattered that you think so highly of my abilities, but I am by no means the cause of everything that happens in your life," Lotion replied, "You did this for yourself with little aid from me, I fear. Indeed, this began with the point where you accepted Shampoo into your life and ceased to treat her as a stranger. Once that was done you knew that it was only a matter of time and opportunity when she would force your hand, and that of your iinazuke."

"I guess I kind of underestimated her a bit," I replied with a reluctant nod of my head, "But how was I to know that she was into bondage?"

"She learns by observing others, as well as from the experiences of her own young life," Lotion replied, "She has had several teachers in the pleasurable arts, but only one who was her lover back in China. The memory of that lost love has haunted her life and caused her to seek the affections of one such as you. Do not be surprised if my great granddaughter's name is mentioned in passing by Shampoo, for there are some ghosts in our past that will be with us forever."

"Great Granddaughter?" I asked in confusion, "Kachu?"

"No," the old woman said patiently, "The one who bears my name, who was so named in my honor by my granddaughter, Balm, Silk's sister. Lotion the Younger, who is a bright flower burning bright in Shampoo's memories, something you should be aware of as the pain of losing her still drives your wife in moments of distraction."

"Pain of loss?" I blinked, feeling a certain dread come over me, "What happened to her? Is she dead?"

"Shampoo most certainly believes that she is," the old woman said evasively, "My great granddaughter was beloved of Shampoo, and admired in secret by Shampoo's adopted cousin, Perfume the Enforcer. It caused dissention between the two girls, and in a moment of supreme misjudgment the Matriarch decided to intervene to separate the girls, all of fourteen years of age, by sending Lotion to another village for training as a Healer. Along the way she was confronted by several girls who were rivals of Shampoo and resented her status as the strongest of their generation. They sought to take advantage of one whom they deemed a weaker girl, intending to harm her, but in the confusion that followed the child fell into a water fall and was presumed lost. Perfume punished the girls by bringing them to the Elders for judgement, but Shampoo…did not recover her smile for many months afterward. That is the state of affairs that exists with her today, the smile of happiness returned to her only by the bloom of love that she now feels towards both you and Ranma."

"Kami…" I whispered faintly, having heard some truncated version of this story before, but never guessing until that moment just how much pain Shampoo must have been carrying within her for the past two years. No wonder she was so willing to seek a relationship with Ranma and me! She must have been incredibly lonely growing up with almost no friends, training to be the best fighter of her village, and feeling only emptiness at winning her title.

"Do not bring it up right away with her," Lotion counseled, "But wait for her to bring the subject up for you to discuss. Feel free to tell her that your knowledge comes from me, for very soon you will need to console each other for the tragedies of your past, as well as the discoveries of the present, which will both shock and amaze you."

"Okay," I sighed, then glanced away as I felt the touch of sadness darken my otherwise bright morning. I'm not sure what motivated me to say the words next, "You know…I thought losing my virginity was a big thing…but I never guessed how different I'd feel about…Shampoo and Ranma."

"Oh?" she inquired with a sly look, "How so?"

"It's like…" I grasped for the words, "Like a barrier that's been between us is gone, and I'm suddenly a part of something bigger than the three of us put together. It's like…the end of history as we've known it…"

"That's the funny thing about history," she said enigmatically, "Just as soon as you think you've run out of it, it just keeps happening somewhere."

I sighed, "Why do I bother telling you this? You already know how I'm feeling! You know everything…"

"Everything that I know is internal," she countered, "It is understanding what I know that is the hard part. Besides, each morning I cleanse my mind of all past experience to create a perfect slate upon which to write the new days events. It is easier to go through life without expectations blinding you to what can happen. You should come to expect that the unexpected will arrive in its own good time, and that the best any of us can do is to roll with the fates and cope with the challenges that life presents us."

"Okay," I said, "So what does that mean? I blank out my mind and then have to learn everything all over again? Kind of a time waster, don't you think?"

"That all depends," she looked at me approvingly, "When you get to be my age you begin to detect certain patterns. It comes from knowing what to look for, as you will learn in time for yourself."

"All right," I conceded, "So…where do we go from here? Now that Ranma, Shampoo and me have done the big dance together, I guess the next step is marriage…"

"Oh, there are quite a few steps to go before you reach that point," she smiled, "I will try to guide you in my own way, but I cannot fight all of your battles. You must learn to anticipate the eventful ride that is ahead of you and live in the moment so that you can devote your energies to solving each and every riddle. Some of the things that you will encounter will test you to the marrow of your being, but do not flinch from this challenge. You have only begin to grow out of the shell that you surrounded yourself with many years ago, and a time has come when the sleeping child within you must awaken!"

"Awaken?" I asked, wondering why she was starting to sound like a Frank Herbert novel.

"Most people act as though they are asleep most of their waking hours of life," Lotion explained for my benefit, "That is because they only use a small portion of their brains to process the data-flow that bombards them constantly. To see as a Lore Master is to open your mind to the greater part of this data, to train yourself to see that which to others remains hidden. It also means learning to channel this flow in whatever direction your spirit has focus, as you did the other night when dealing with Mousse after your kidnapping."

I suddenly looked at her in a whole new light, having almost blotted the incident out of my mind, save for the vague recollection that I recorded here in a previous entry. In a flash I remembered getting angry, at being shut out of the altercation between Mousse and Ranma, of feeling small, helpless and insignificant, and in my anger lashing out at my tormentor without physically touching him, a blow that had staggered Mousse and all but handed the fight over to Ranma.

"You know about that?" I gasped.

"Know it?" she replied, "I felt you when it happened. At the time I was concentrating on aiding Shampoo, in stabilizing her cursed form, and it left me vulnerable to sense what you did when you struck Mu-Tsu in your anger. It was the moment when I knew you were coming of age and making rapid progress in harnessing your expanded potential. What you did you did blindly, without knowing you had done it, and yet it was an advanced technique, and it left you momentarily drained, did it not?"

I nodded mutely, recalling the weakness that came over me, as if I'd drained myself in the act of striking at Mousse. I was surprised to discover that Lotion had been aware of that, but then again, I really was starting to believe that the old woman was omniscient, at least so far as it concerns me, maybe a student-teacher thing, or something of that nature.

"I taught you to do the dance of life because you will need to learn to harness your energy better should this ever happen again," Lotion explained to me, "You will need to remain more…competitive, should another crisis arise in which you are confronted by such a challenge. After all, we are Lore Masters…we cannot let War Masters come to take us for granted or view us as merely objects to be shunted aside when we become…inconvenient."

That old woman really does know how to push all the right buttons, because that was exactly the thing to say to get me fired up, as I'm sure she intended. I hate being taken for granted or ignored by the people I care about. I don't mind being ignored by complete strangers, but never my iinazuke, and especially not some punk who thinks he can kidnap Tendo Nabiki and use me as bait to trap Ranma!

Of course before I could voice my budding outrage, Ryonami appeared, frantically telling me that the principal had summoned all of the students to the school gymnasium, where he intended to give us a mandatory lecture, one that we were warned against skipping. Something about this troubled me, as it obviously did my faithful assistant, who has very good instincts of her own and a knack for sensing trouble.

Almost as sharp as mine, as a matter of fact, since my previous encounter with Principal Kuno had left me with a sense that Tatewaki and Kodachi were only the tip of the iceberg when it came to family madness.

Boy was that ever an understatement!

Continued

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