Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Wallets ❯ Some Motherly Advice ( Chapter 84 )

A Tale of Two Wallets

(An Altered Destiny)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Kennou had managed to find herself in many strange and curious situations, but none recently could compare to the bizarre forced captivity that she was presently undergoing. Bad enough that Oni woman kept her confined in some weird place tucked out of sight in one corner of the dojo, but to bring her out so that she could share in the family communal dinner, and all under the watchful eyes of that half-toned bitch with the red eyes who was playing her guard dog warden, made the seeming pleasantries of a home cooked meal into a truly strange experience, and stranger still were the people who dined with her!

For prime example, the two main hostesses who cooked the meals and served them were abnormally nice to her, expressing their concerns even as they lavished huge platters full of piping hot food that smelled so incredibly good that it made Kennou's mouth water and her eyes as wide as saucers. She was even allowed to eat to her heart's content with no complaint about her manners, even when her seconds turned into thirds and the dishes began to pile up in front of her. Truly she had never eaten this good in her life, and yet with no hidden price tag involved it made her suspicious that maybe they were fattening her up for some sinister purposes later.

To be certain there was absolutely no indication of foul intent that could be discerned in either the Witch or this Kasumi person. Both were very pleasant eating companions who kept to their own and only randomly asked probing questions of Kennou, which-much to her own surprise-she sometimes answered without thinking. They asked her a lot of personal questions, but nothing too personal or embarrassing, such as whether or not she had a boyfriend!

In truth it was Kasumi who disturbed Kennou more than that Chinese mystic who called herself an Amazon. Kennou had never encountered such a relentlessly nice person before, and it set her teeth on edge to think on how this girl was so close to sainthood that she reminded her of one of those plaster Saints at the orphanage where she had so briefly stayed while the government found her a more permanent arrangement. Kasumi had a kind heart and a gentle manner that asked nothing in return from a person but that they adhere to a policy of good manners around the dinner table.

The one flaw in the girl's armor that Kennou noted was Kodachi, the dark haired girl whose manners suggested a very different sort of personality, one steeped in mischief and darker humors than anything one might normally associate with the older Tendo girl, yet who seemed to follow Kasumi around like a faithful wet-nosed puppy, ever eager to please and help out, as though the oldest of three sisters was her private Lord and Master or something. Kennou had been around enough to know that these two were a couple of Lezzies, but neither one exactly conformed to her mental images on that subject, being both far too feminine in appearance and manners to be anything but favorably contrasted with some of the Bull Dykes that Kennou had sometimes run across.

Kodachi was the sort of person who set Kennou's teeth on edge, especially when she laughed about something or other, creating a noise that was fundamentally disturbing. A rich girl, snooty and snobbish in her manners, looking down her nose at those whom she considered her social inferiors, was exactly the type of person on whom Kennou enjoyed dishing out punishment, but some warning instinct cautioned her not to take the other girl too lightly. Watching Kodachi work out in the dojo, demonstrating her martial arts gymnastic skills, told Kennou that she would be a tricky opponent, one steeped in dirty dealings who would not hesitate to use duplicity and deception in order to win a fight, which was at least something Kennou could respect if not actually admire. It was gratifying to see this proud girl freely humble herself around someone like Kasumi, though her worshipful act could at times get a little nauseating.

And then there was the Lord of this household, if one could call him that! A strong martial artist by training, he could prove to be such an appalling wimp at times that it made Kennou's eyes appreciably widen. The women at the table seemed to know that he was a pushover and cheerfully ran the affairs of the house with only token acknowledgement of his lord-rights. That aptly named Silk was the smoothest one by far, flattering the man's ego even as she led him by the nose in conversations. When the two of them sparred together they went at it like cats and dogs, fighting ferociously as if to establish which of them was the top hen or rooster in the hen coup, but after their sparring was over they were all affections and niceness to each other, and while they were not actually married they had the manner of newlyweds, which made Kennou feel even more like an outsider.

And then there was the Hibiki woman, who insisted that she was Kennou's older sister, which justified her current treatment of the blonde haired Hibiki. Kennou did not know what to make of her "big sis," having learned almost immediately upon her arrival that Atsuko was not actually a full-blooded human being. Kennou had never believed the legends of the Oni until she actually had met one, and yet for all the obvious fact that Atsuko was one of the Japanese Ogres normally conjured up to frighten small children, she behaved in a manner that was at times surprising human. A bit slow witted in places, but with sufficient street smarts to keep Kennou on her guard and wary. Not only was Atsuko an obviously superior fighter but she had the power to cast convincing illusions that could not be discerned from reality and even bent the normal rules of time and space to fit her billing.

Kennou counted Atsuko as her official jailer and bowed to keep her eye on the Oni woman until she better understood the situation. It would be folly to underestimate the older woman until Kennou had a better idea of how her powers worked and what would be needed to counteract her illusions. That Atsuko had also promised to reintroduce Kennou to their mutual father was another reason to wait and bide her time, just on the off-chance she seriously meant it, though the mere thought of seeing her father again…left Kennou feeling more than mild trepidation.

Of considerably more concern and alarm was Kennou's alleged "nephew," the boy whom she had fought and mistakenly believed was Saotome Ranma. Ryoga was polite, differential, considerate and more than a bit thick-witted with a hide as thick as tanned leather and a temper even more volatile than Kennou's. A powerful fighter whose knowledge of the art exceeded her own grasp, Kennou had reason to respect him as a fellow warrior, but as a man…he was a little too pussy-whipped for her liking.

That this Ryoga was in love with one of the Tendo sisters was the reason and justification for the Hibikis to be staying in the same residence as the Tendos, though calling the house-within-a-dojo a part of the same property was stretching it, because their living residence only consisted of a door that opened on one side of a single wall, and no other part of the property seemed to reside upon the same plane or dimension. It was there that Kennou spent the time when not permitted to roam the house freely, and it left her feeling more than a bit disconcerted every time she stepped through one side of the door to the other, feeling like Alice through the Looking Glass, not that the place that had been created through Oni magic was all that unpleasant a residence…it even had cable!

Of course this brought her to the two remaining members of the Tendo household, the younger sisters of Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane. Nabiki, the middle child of the three, had a sly and probing manner that seemed to treat Kennou as a puzzle needing to be opened and examined. She was the fiancée of Saotome Ranma, and thus naturally hostile to Kennou and more than a bit eager to learn the names and identities of the persons who had hired her to beat up her boyfriend. Nabiki also had a curious relationship with that purple haired cat-girl whom Kennou sometimes saw sneaking in and out of the middle sister's window. Hearing that they both shared an engagement with the same man had sent Kennou's head spinning at the possibilities, and if she could have arranged to set up a camera and sound equipment in Nabiki's room she would have paid dearly for the privilege, if only to learn if her suspicions were confirmed. On the whole it reminded Kennou how much this Tendo place differed from any ordinary household.

Lastly there was Akane, the shorthaired and short-tempered girlfriend of Ryoga, who was a practicing martial artist of some ability, though by no means in the same class as Ryoga. Akane reminded Kennou a little too much of herself in that the girl seemed to be boiling over with rage and seething about her romantic troubles. At the present moment she had challenged Kennou to a sparring session, which Kennou had agreed to as it was something to do to help relieve boredom. Akane had a lot of raw power and a fundamentally structured style of combat that no doubt had made her a real terror to the boys in her class, but she lacked the finesse Ryoga often demonstrated, and even Kennou knew enough street-borne counters to the Tendo girl's basic attacks that she could hold the other girl at bay without hardly any effort.

"No good," Kennou commented after five minutes of running the other girl ragged, "You keep attacking with such easy-to-read moves. Do you like being thrown around the room, Tendo-san?"

"Shut up!" Akane snarled, "I'm just getting warmed up! All your fancy tricks won't beat me when I really get going!"

In spite of herself Kennou found herself admiring the stubborn pride of the girl, who did not complain half so loudly about getting beaten and bruises in their match as Kennou would have expected. This Akane used rage as a weapon to intensify the strength of her attacks, and her speed was impressive for a girl her age. If only she were lighter on her feet and knew a bit more about gymnastics she might even be considered dangerous. As it was the girl was fighting on pure tenacity, and the way she was taking punishment suggested to Kennou that she actually welcomed the abuse as a form of self-flagellation.

Finally Kennou felt too disgusted to go on and called a halt to the whole affair. Akane was barely able to stand upright but insisted on ignoring her bruises, squaring her shoulders in a horse stance as she breathed in deeply to try and steady herself for a new encounter.

"Come on, fight me!" Akane demanded.

"It's no fun if you don't improve yourself more," Kennou said as she turned away and seemingly ignored the other girl's challenge, "How do you think I am going to improve as a fighter if you don't show me more than just the same basic attack styles over and over? You have to know more of the art than this, or at least a few variations. You've got trainers all around you who could probably kick my butt without half trying, so why would I want to fight you if all you want to do is get beaten?"

Akane snarled and rushed to attack, but Kennou merely stepped to one side and gave the girl a push when she moved past her, sending Akane staggering forward to crash into a far wall and land in a heap, groaning profusely.

"You see?" Kennou asked, "Even you should agree that attack was pathetic."

"Akane!" cried Ryoga as he rushed into the room, crossing the distance in a few strides so that he could kneel down and examine his ladylove, his distress so palpable that Kennou almost expected him to make a canine whimper.

"She'll be all right," Kennou said, against her better judgement, "She just needs to get serious if she wants to make this more interesting than boring."

Kennou was not prepared to see the savage snarl that crossed Ryoga's handsome features as he cradled Akane in his arms, "What's your problem, lady? Do you get off on tormenting other people?"

"As a matter of fact, 'Nephew,'" she gave the word a twist of irony, disregarding the fact that she was only a bit older than he was, "I don't. I just expect that when your girlfriend challenges somebody that she at least pays attention to her defenses. I know she has to be better than this, I've seen the two of you work out, but it's like when she gets into a fight she forgets what she's learned and just falls back on some lame kind of program. I've known MECHANICAL opponents with a better learning curve than this!"

"You want a fight?" Ryoga carefully extricated himself from Akane and stood to his feet, "You've got one."

"With you this time?" Kennou smiled coyly, "That would be more my idea of a workout. Of course I beat you last time, but if you promise to be more careful…"

"You used a ki attack to win the last time," Ryoga assumed a fighting posture, "I won't be caught napping twice by the same trick…"

"Ryoga," Akane's voice caused the lost boy to turn and look at her with renewed concern, for there were tears in Akane's eyes, though she was not looking at Kennou, "It's all right, you don't have to stand up for me. I asked Kennou-san to fight me…and she's right, I am pathetic…"

"Akane-chan?" Ryoga blinked, "No…you're not pathetic…"

"Yes I am!" Akane pushed herself to her feet and stumbled out the door of the dojo before Ryoga could move to stop her, her sobs carrying well into the night as the youngest Tendo girl gave vent to her deep sorrow.

"Akane-chan!" Ryoga moved to follow her, but found Kennou blocking his path, "Get out of my way!"

"Let her go," Kennou said with surprising softness, "You can't cover for her all of the time, this is something she has to work out for herself is she's ever going to grow up and stop living in other peoples' shadows."

"What do you mean?" Ryoga demanded, "I'm not covering for her, and Akane isn't weak either!"

"No, she's not," Kennou replied, "She's stronger than she knows…but while I don't know her as well as you, I can tell a spoiled brat who's been living a sheltered life when I see one."

"You shut up!" Ryoga threw a punch, but Kennou easily caught it in the palm of one hand.

"Care to have that rematch now?" the blonde Hibiki grinned, "I think I'm warmed up enough to cut loose in earnest."

Ryoga's only reply was another snarl, and the battle renewed itself between them.

Unnoticed by either Hibiki, however, a silent figure floated through the walls of the dojo, drifting over the garden as she followed the trail of the anguished Akane.

Peorth looked on in anguish as she saw the young human girl hunch down over the koi pond, staring down forlornly as she hugged her knees and wept softly. The sight of the child that she had helped give birth to and later abandoned was in such distress that it wrenched her immortal heart and made her softly curse the destiny that had kept her from attending to her maternal duties. She could see the effect that nearly ten years absence had wrought upon the girl whom she very much thought of as her own, for Akane had grown bitter with the sense that no one cared for her the way she wanted to be loved and cared for. It was more than the pain of her recent romantic troubles, the pain Peorth sensed was the longing of a child for her mother.

Peorth had never consciously gone against the will of Kami-sama, at least not when challenged directly. One did not get to be a Goddess First Class by disregarding the orders of the hierarchy above you, not that she had any illusions that the Trinity were infallible or incapable of error. That she had overstayed her leave the last time on the flimsy excuse that no actual recall order had been given during her time within Kimiko was simply a case of bending the rules rather than outright rebellion, and when ordered to comply she had dutifully erased all traces of her time as the wife of Tendo Soun. She had not, however, erased her own memories of what it was like to be loved and cared for by a husband and three daughters, nor could she bring herself to forget those needs that worked two ways in such relationships. As they had relied upon her, so had she come to depend on them as a family who loved her.

It was not really her family…at least not in a technical sense. She had merged for a brief time with Kimiko and extended the mortal's life for a few brief years, laying dormant within her and only occasionally rousing to consciousness when there was need for her to manifest. She had dreamed the dream of another woman and lived through Kimiko's eyes, seeing and experiencing mortality first hand within her Avatar, and as such she had come to appreciate how precious a mortal life could be.

Like she could ever forget four months of pregnancy and nine hours in a delivery room, she sniffed softly, undergoing the trials and agonies that were the lot of mortal women, all to give birth to the very child who now she studied with the wonder that some might pay to a work of rare art. This was her child…she could feel the essence of her divine spark beating within her. Akane was mortal, yet her soul was more than mortal, and she bore a curious supernatural twist to her make-up that was part curse and part blessing. Such a fierce, indomitable spirit this girl had, how very much like her real mother was at the exact same age. The child might believe herself a failure, but in fact she had exceeded her parents in ability and potential…all she needed was the proper hand to guide her, and until now the only ones who had offered to teach her had been surrogates and suitors. What she needed was her mother!

"Mother," Akane whispered into the night, as if Peorth's very presence had triggered memories in the girl that had lain long dormant, "I…I miss you so much…"

Those words had firmed Peorth's resolve. If Kami-sama or her father himself ordered her to leave right then and there she would refuse them. This was her child, HER daughter, and no one could ever make her willingly abandon her again! Peorth had ignored her duties for far too long, and she had a promise to be fulfilled, the promise that she would always be there when she was most needed by her daughters!

That being said, she did have one slight problem in how exactly to go about approaching Akane. If she just manifested as herself the child would be terrified, nor did Peorth relish offering to her the sorry same excuses that she had used with Nabiki. It was fortunate that Akane lacked the perceptiveness of either of her two sisters or she might have sensed Peorth hovering nearby, but as the girl obviously was more mundane in her perceptions, it gave Peorth some hope that she might cloak her essence and assume a guise that the child would find acceptable under the circumstances.

Thus decided, Peorth altered her outer appearance resemble that of her Template, Silk, and set foot on the ground before manifesting visibly next to Akane and murmuring softly the words, "You mother knows how much you miss her, Akane. Please stop crying, you'll make your mother sad."

"Oh?" Akane started, glancing up with a haunted look in her eyes, and for a moment Peorth thought the child had penetrated through her disguise, but seconds later Akane sighed and said, "You startled me, Silk…I didn't hear you approaching."

"You seemed to have something on your mind," Peorth sat down on the rock next to Akane and leaned forward, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"N-No…not really," Akane went back to sulking as she stared at the surface of the koi pond.

"You know," Peorth commented as if making conversation about the weather, "A young girl should never make a frown unless she wants to look old and bitter, like a grown up."

There was a slight pause before Akane asked, "W-What…what did you just say?"

"I was just thinking how grown up you look, and how much you've matured from the little girl you must have been when your mother…left you," Peorth tried to keep her voice even and steady as she continued, "And those words just popped into my mind. Is something wrong? Did I disturb you?"

"N-No," Akane half-turned to regard the woman beside her, "It's just…for a moment there…you almost sounded like my mother."

"May I take that as a compliment?" Peorth smiled gently, "Your mother was a fine woman, and it's all right to grieve, but life is too short to spend it all on tears. You should be smiling and laughing more often so that your mother can hear you and know that you are well. You wouldn't want to make your mother feel sad about…abandoning you. It's not like she wanted to go…after all, who would want to live in Heaven rather than stay here with such a beautiful daughter?"

"Thank you," Akane did smile at that, "It's…nice of you to say these things, but…"

"But you doubt my word?" Peorth asked in mock-offense, "I'll have you know that I come from the best authority on the subject of Heaven, and if I say your mother is looking down at you right now and smiling, then you ought to believe it."

"I guess I do," Akane replied, "It's just…sometimes I feel so lonely…I wish mother were here so that I could talk to her and let her know what's in my heart…"

"So why don't you?" Peorth asked, pointing to the largest of the stones that encircled the koi pond, "Why not pray to that stone? It's sacred, and sometimes the kami can hear you if you call them by name. If your mother knew that you were visiting it often then she would make it a point to stop by now and then so that she can listen in and hear everything that you have to say. Do it often enough and your prayers will be answered."

"You really think so?" Akane asked.

"I know so," Peorth winked in a conspiratorial manner, "Your mother will want to hear everything that you have to say to her, so wish for her to hear you and I will make it happen."

"I wish…" Akane clapped her hands together and closed her eyes as she turned towards the stone and said, "I wish that mother could hear me when I talk to her…and maybe give me some sign that she's heard me…and maybe come and visit?"

"Your wish has been heard," Peorth smiled, then closed her own eyes and allowed the light to briefly illuminate her features. The peculiar markings on her face grew bright as Akane gasped and turned to look at her in surprise, and then a single beam of intense radiance shot skyward, briefly illuminating the night and banishing the shadows for miles all around them.

Then the light faded out and Peorth lowered her eyes to smile at the astonished Akane, her facial markings still visible for several seconds before fading out behind the cover of her illusion.

"Your wish has been granted," Peorth informed her, "Pray to her often and you eventually will see your real mother."

"Akane!" came a voice from the house itself, "Are you all right? I felt something go off…"

"N-Nani?" Akane's head whipped around as she saw Silk standing on the back porch looking towards her with a much-concerned expression.

"Oops," Peorth murmured to herself and hastily sank down into the rock upon which she was sitting, vanishing entirely by the time Akane turned her head back in her direction.

"Oh dear," Silk murmured, having caught the end of this exchange in time to realize that she had just blown the goddess's cover. There would have to be some hasty explanations made if Akane were to make sense of what had just transpired here, and Silk softly cursed her own impulsiveness, having rushed without thinking to the sense of supernatural power in close proximity to one of the Tendo sisters. She and Peorth were going to have to exchange words before the night was over, at least to establish a few ground rules for visitation. Being impersonated by a goddess was, after all, a kind of flattery, but Akane deserved to know the truth no less than Nabiki. To do anything less would simply not be honest.

"Silk…?" Akane gasped, looking from her back to the rock again, "Who was that?"

"Ah…who did you think it was, Akane-chan?" Silk replied in mild evasion.

"I-I thought…no…it can't be…" Akane whispered, "I must be going insane…"

"You're not insane, Akane," Silk replied as she walked up beside her, "At least no more than the rest of us. The world is a very strange and wonderful place, and you can take it from me that almost anything can happen."

"Was it…could it be?" Akane murmured, whispering into the night, "Mother?"

Peorth heard her, of course, but kept her head bowed down. Give the girl time, she mentally counseled herself, don't try and rush things. Keep your good intentions from becoming rash impulses, like that mess you made with Keiichi. When the time is right you can explain yourself properly, but for right now…

She mentally sighed, patience sucked! She wanted to hold her daughter in her arms and give her the comfort and support that Akane needed…that Peorth needed from Akane! Given time they might even heal the rift that remained between them, and then maybe one day Akane could give Peorth her forgiveness, but until that time she would have to lay low and intervene only when it could be justified. She would not abandon her again, though, not even if ordered to do so like the last time.

There were forces at work that even gods did not dare to stand against, and most powerful of these forces were the bonds of mother to daughter, bonds that could never be broken, however much they might be strained by time and circumstances. She had much to do and much work ahead of her if she were to be the proper sort of mother Akane needed, and there was still so much to learn about what had happened over the past nine-and-a-half years of their separation. Akane needed a friend and an ally almost as much as she needed the return of a parent, and Peorth intended to be that ally until such time as when it became necessary to reveal that the Tendo family indeed had friends in some very high places…

"Look, I'm telling you, Comb," Atsuko said to her longtime nominal rival, "There's something really weird that you should know about Nodoka. She's not the same shy little girl with a katana that we knew twenty years ago…"

"Hah, you're telling me?" Comb replied as she continued to stack dishes at the Nekohanten, adding in soft undertone, "I could figure that one out when we were on the beach and she…ahem," she did not continue the sentence.

"Played you like Sitar?" Atsuko finished for her, "Or was it the part where you two screwed each other's…?"

"Do you have a point for dredging this up?" Comb asked in a testy manner as she quickened her pace, stacking five trays full of dishes one on top of the other, "I know she's improved a lot with that damned meat cutter of hers, and she made us both look like rank amateurs when we tried to confront her a month ago…"

"It's not just her fighting skills that have improved," Atsuko murmured in an unusually thoughtful tone of voice as she watched Comb continue to clean up in the kitchen, "Haven't you sensed the other changes about her…the ones less physical than spiritual? And I don't just mean that she's one of the coolest customers I've ever fought beside when we were going up against those lawyers. Did you know that she can also see right through some of my illusions?"

"So what?" Comb replied as she dunked more dishes into the hot water and began scrubbing the pots and pans clean, "Even I can see through you half the time…"

"I don't just mean that," Atsuko replied in a testy voice of her own, "I mean that she's got the power of Clear Sight, which extremely rare in mortals. In fact…lately I've begun having my suspicions about our dear Ms. Saotome, or should I say Tsukino?"

"Or Masaki," Comb said in an idle voice as she furiously scrubbed away at a particularly stubborn piece of fried-on noodles, "That's the clan she originally belonged to, or rather her father did before her, before she and her brother parted ways over her marriage. Which reminds me…I wish grandmother would get back from her trip to visit our kin at that Masaki shrine…who would ever have believed that she'd take an interest at her age in the local Japanese religion?"

"I don't mean to pry into your business," Atsuko began.

"Never stopped you before," Comb finished before the Oni could complete her own sentence.

Atsuko did not even frown as she continued, "But are you sure it's just a casual interest she's got over there? You heard her call that old guy her father, and that Tenchi boy is her nephew, which makes him your cousin, and since he's also a Masaki…"

Comb dropped the plate she had just finished cleaning and it clattered back into the soapy water. She whirled around and gave the Oni a hard glare before saying, "Are you trying to tell me that Nodoka and I are RELATED??? That's-That's…!"

"Disgusting, I know," Atsuko nodded, "But I'm sure 'Doka's over it if she was willing to bed you."

Comb was just searching around for something sharp to fall into her hand when her husband looked up from the meal that he was cooking and said, "Play nice, you two. You start anything up this time and I'll have you both cleaning dishes."

"It had better be the hot water she works with," Comb frowned as she got control over her temper, "Or the vixen here will need special claws to keep from spilling the merchandise…"

"Comb," Hairbrush raised his voice ever so-slightly and the tall purple haired woman subsided.

"Yes dear," the Amazon verbally responded, trying to make it sound as if she meant it.

Atsuko chuckled softly and slowly shook her head, "You are sooo pussy-whipped."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Comb's eyes narrowed dangerously as she eyed the brown haired Oni.

"Nothing," Atsuko smiled innocently, which on her was about as convincing as the face of an honest merchant.

"Oh good, you're both here. That saves me a lot of time and explanation."

Both Oni and Amazons turned to see Yumi standing in the doorway with her trademark baker's peel strapped across her back, arms folded over the bandoleer of throwing spatulas that she was also wearing, her sleeveless shirt and loose-fitting pants, her attitude entirely one of business.

"Why are you decked out like that?" Atsuko asked.

"Are you looking for trouble?" Comb added with a hint of raw suspicion.

"Don't need to look for it, Sugar," Yumi arched her voice in a fair imitation of her niece, "Trouble's about to find all of us, and it all revolves around the Tendo dojo."

That got their attention as Atsuko straightened up off of the counter and said, "What about Soun's place?"

"There is a real estate developer sniffing around the area," Yumi replied, "And I think they may have their eyes set on Soun-chan's property," Yumi added in deadly seriousness, "I've made discreet inquiries around the neighborhood and found out that some of the local merchants have also been approached with generous offers. I think something suspicious is going down, and the three of us may have to band together with Silk if we're going to do something about it."

"The three of us…and Silk?" Comb eyed the former ninja warily.

"You feeling okay?" Atsuko asked solicitously, "I can still remember a time when you vowed to take her head and stuff it…"

"That was then," Yumi insisted, "This is now…and besides, it's not just Soun I'm thinking of, it's also my niece. Ukyo hasn't heard the news yet…in fact I haven't been able to find her at all this afternoon, but if what I suspect is true, then it's only a matter of time before someone tries to buy out her restaurant, and we only just got the place up and running the other day."

"Can't you an appeal to your brother?" Hairbrush asked as he joined in on the conversation.

"He's still too ill to concern himself with the business," Yumi replied, "And even with the backing of the full board members we wouldn't have the resources to stand up to the company that's making the play. Ever heard of Genutek?"

"That company that's doing all the weird biological experiments?" Atsuko whistled, "Even I've run across them in my travels. They do some pretty deep shit in the gene-splicing department…"

"Sounds almost like the rumors I've heard about the government back home conducting forbidden experiments with political prisoners," Comb remarked in a wary tone of voice, "What do they want to do, come in here and set up some secret laboratory producing Frankenstein-like monsters?"

"I wouldn't put it past them," Yumi replied, glancing around before adding, "Where are the children? They may need to be warned about the sorts of troubles we could be headed into."

"Shampoo is out visiting her airen," Hairbrush replied, "The twins…well…what do most young girls their age do when they haven't yet found boyfriends?"

"My sympathies to the local male population," Atsuko smiled, "You've got a couple of real heart-stoppers there, and if they're anything like I was at that age…" she shook her head in dismay at the implications.

"They are growing up much too fast for my liking," Comb said in a wistful tone of voice, but then she turned to Yumi and her tone was serious, "What do you propose we do? It's Grandmother who handles the business end of this restaurant."

"Then for now we bide our time," Yumi reply, "Until the Matriarch gets here, and then she'll need to be briefed on all of the particulars which I have so far gathered."

"Then count me in," Atsuko smiled, "My son's looking to marry a Tendo, and there's no way anybody's buying the property out from underneath him."

"Probably because it's the only piece of real estate that either of you has been able to find on a consistent basis," Comb remarked, "And you're right that we need to have Silk with us on this. If push comes to shove, it would be a good thing to have on call the services of a Lore Master."

"Are we really that desperate?" Hairbrush murmured to himself as he sagely returned to the stove and continued with his cooking, leaving the women to plan their war council, which was how things had always been with his fellow tribesmen (if only by adoption).

The property wars were about to fall upon Nerima…

"Damn all men," Makoto sighed as she stared at the emptiness of the space all around her, having come home to the house that had once belonged to her late parents, but which now was her abode alone and no other's, feeling slightly worn out from the emotional roller coaster that had been a day starting out with so much promise.

The irony of what she had just said would have amused her had she been able to think objectively about it. In passing token of humor she corrected her speech and said, "Damn all women pretending to be men…or who turn into men and behave like such jerks. Damn all cross-dressers while we're on the subject, and maybe include me in the deal for having fallen in love with one…"

She caught herself. Had she just said that last part? In love…with Ukyo? That was a pretty surprising revelation!

Not that Makoto was any stranger to instant and ephemeral infatuations, of course. She had a roving eye for the male sex and was always quick to spot the cute guy in any crowd. She was second only to her good friend Minako in her ability to flirt, but unlike the blonde dynamo, who could justly be compared with the goddess Venus, Makoto had much less success in her flirting, being the awkward and ungainly tomboy among her close-knit circle of inner senshi. She tended to frighten most boys away by coming on a bit to aggressively, whereas Minako tended to drive the boys away by acting flighty.

Makoto thought wistfully of Minako with a certain fond expression. The two of them so often commiserated over their failures at starting relationships that some people even teased them and claimed that the two of them were dating. Sure they hit the malls together and often bought dresses in the same salons, and even critiqued and played each other's fashion critics, and they shared everything, each one taking turns crying on the shoulders of the other. But aside from all that they were still both interested in finding a guy to keep them happy, and it wasn't like they actually were Lezzies…not that Makoto did not find Minako to be highly attractive, and Minako was just about everything that she could ask for in a girlfriend…

A mental image of Minako in her Sailor fuku briefly floated into mind, playing off the length of her best friend's long and well-shaped, tapering legs, even riding up a tight rear end that often got embarrassingly exposed at odd moments..

Makoto caught herself in the act of "checking out" and mentally undressing Minako, behavior that she would normally associated with some perverted creep like that Happosai guy, not at all the sort of thing that she would believe herself capable of until rediscovering her interest in her "Senpai."

"I need a drink," she said to herself, even though there was not a drop in the house, nor could there be one as her guardians had a strict policy for her living alone while attending high school in the Juuban district.

Why on earth was she so powerfully attracted to Ukyo anyway? Sure the cross-dressing girl had been her first crush, but crushed was how Makoto had felt upon learning the truth from Ukyo's own lips. For over two years she had carried the pain of that perceived rejection with the unconscious fear that she was a closet lesbian, and she had been reluctant to make friends until approached by Usagi, who had taught her to open up again and care about people. It sometimes appalled Makoto to realize that most of her best friendships were with other girls her own age (well, there was one man whom she was particularly fond of, but he was more like a brother to her, and then the boy who was her second biggest crush at the arcade…but he turned out to have another girlfriend, which scotched that romance in the bud!), so maybe she was like that deep down…or at least capable of switching both ways, as had recently proven to be the case with Rei and Usagi…

She paused to consider two of her other best friends who-for the longest of periods-had acted like blood enemies, until the edges softened between them. The recent revelation that Rei had a vision of herself being a future consort to Usagi and Mamoru was a bit odd, yet not quite so startling when you thought of how the young shrine maiden tended to act these days around Usagi. Rei's sharp edged tongue could still be heard whenever Usagi did something particularly stupid, but there was more teasing affection to her barbs, and Makoto had often seen Rei stealing looks towards Usagi that did not seem so angry or resentful as in the old days. If anything Rei had turned into Usagi's staunchest defender, and quick to take exception with anyone else who criticized their future "Moon Princess," as if Rei had staked out the title role of "Her Majesty's Chief Defender," and no one dared dispute her that title, even among their fellow senshi.

Okay, so maybe it was possible for a girl to look both ways, but that did not mean that Makoto was ready to totally give up on men…in fact, Ukyo's ability to turn into a man made it at least seem possible that a relationship between them could be fulfilling. It wouldn't be as if Makoto was giving anything up to be with Ukyo after all, and from all indications even children would not be out of the question…

Again Makoto reined back the direction of her thinking. Here she was wrestling with the question of her own sexual identity, and already she was planning out the details of their future together, including children! What was next? Naming the kids after planets and constellations, or possibly even the moons that encircled her guardian planet?

I really do need that drink, Makoto thought to herself as she lay back on the couch with her bare feet propped up on a pillow, her long legs stretched out as she stared absently at the ceiling.

And things had been going so well between her and Ukyo that very afternoon! Makoto had surprised herself by acting more flirtatious than she had ever even considered behaving around the sex changing okonomiyaki chef. The first kiss between them had melted all of her objections and left in her a resolve to make certain that Ukyo would think of her and no other, and it further surprised her to realize just how far she had been prepared to go to make this happen. The very idea that she was prepared to surrender her virginity to another woman was enough to confirm the worst of her suspicions about herself, and yet Makoto could not regret having made the effort, or feel bad about herself for coming to close to succeeding!

If only they had not been interrupted by that foul tempered tomboy, Makoto thought with no sense of irony on the subject. And then that other girl who popped up out of no where and accosted Ukyo…that was all it took to send Makoto fleeing for home feeling enormously foolish and fuming at being once again misled by her baser impulses. And to think that she was beginning to trust Ukyo again after so much disappointment…

The doorbell rang, disturbing Makoto out of her blue funk. Her first impulse was to tell whoever it was to go away and leave her to sulk in her romantic misery, a condition that was becoming all too common of late, but she checked that impulse, knowing full well that it might relate to senshi business. She had a duty to think of the needs of others besides herself, though it could just as easily be Minako stopping by looking for a shoulder upon which to cry. It was with these sour thoughts in mind that Makoto got up and went to the door, briefly pausing to undo the latch without bothering to take a look through the peep hole to see which of her friends was waiting on the other side. After all, it could just as easily be one of their cat guardians who would not show up at eye level.

So imagine her surprise when the person she encountered was none other than a nervous looking Kuonji.

"Ah…hi," Ukyo said hesitantly, "I was just in the neighborhood and…can we talk?"

"Talk?" Makoto asked, the direction of her thoughts momentarily disrupted.

"Yeah," Ukyo said, her manner as tentative as the taller senshi, "About Akane…and stuff, like what happened back there…if you want to talk about it, that is…"

Makoto frowned, remaining aloof for a moment longer, "Who was that girl glomping onto you, Senpai?"

"That was no girl," Ukyo replied, "That was Kurenai Tsubasa."

There was a faint clicking in Makoto's memories as the name did ring a bell, "Kurenai? No…wait…wasn't he a…?"

"Master of disguise," Ukyo replied, "And a cross dresser."

There was a slight pause, and then Makoto said, "I didn't know you were seeing him on the sly."

"I wasn't," Ukyo assured, "Look…it's a long story, and do you want to hear my side of it or not? Because if you'd rather I leave…"

Makoto thought about it for all of a second then stepped back and opened the door, "Okay, we can talk…but you'd better be on your best behavior, Senpai, or I'm throwing you out."

"Why?" Ukyo asked in a playful tone, "Don't you trust me?"

"We'll see," Makoto said with slightly arched tones, though her expression was not as stern as had obviously intended.

Ukyo smiled impishly as she caught the undertone of soft humor in her friend's voice and took it as a hint that all would be forgiven, provided her explanation was sufficiently satisfying, which she fully intended it to be. Her talk with Ranma had bolstered her courage to think the unthinkable and to finally take Makoto as seriously as she so obviously deserved.

There would be no more holding her friends at arm's length while she tried to sort out the nature of her own feelings. Far too much hurt had been unintentionally inflicted that way, and now Ukyo had to make amends to repair the breaches. It would not be easy to repair things between them, but Makoto meant more to her than she had imagined, and she was not willing to let her go without a fight. A similar confrontation would be needed with Akane as soon as she could arrange it, but first she had to confirm for herself that there really was a future between her and Makoto. No sense burning any of her bridges just yet, even though she had a strong sense where her sentiments were headed.

One thing was for sure, she would not be leaving this room until she had worked out a basic understanding of their relationship with Makoto, to which end Ukyo was prepared to do whatever it took to convince Makoto of her sincerity and commitment. No way would she allow the issue of Tsubasa to loom large in her life and possibly screw up the best deal that she had been given in a long while. One way or the other, she would know where she stood with at least one of the two women currently seeking her affections, no matter the consequences…or whatever price might need to be paid in order to assure that Makoto knew the true depths of Ukyo's affections.

And the oddest thing of all, Ukyo realized, was that she no longer desired to avoid confronting that issue. No matter what else the night might hold for them both, before the night was out they would both have an answer to that long unasked and all-important question…

Nabiki's Journal Resumes:

Ranma called last night and apologized to me, saying he would not be able to get away from his parents, who wanted to discuss with him some details about the wedding. I was disappointed, to say the least, about not being able to see him that evening, but thankfully Shampoo still put in an appearance, and…well, the details of what we did for the remainder of the night is nobody's business! Let's just say that I was VERY content come the next morning.

Of course the first order of business for the day was uncovering the identities of the persons or parties who had hired Hibiki Kennou to go after Ranma. I'd put my people to work uncovering a list of names the previous day, and now my factors related to me the facts pertaining to those fellow students whom had each contributed something to a pool of funds that went to hiring Kennou out, beginning with Gosunkuji. That worthy was all the more cooperative when I asked Shampoo to "encourage" him to divulge all that he knew on the subject, and before long we compiled a very interesting profile that read like a "who's who" on our fair campus.

I then put the word out that said parties were never to consider resorting to such fouls means again, on pain of incurring my wrath and that of Shampoo, who of course felt obligated to make a few rather spectacular examples of the worst of the offenders. Needless to say the word got out and a lot of our fellow students went home early that day pleading ill health, whether feigned or genuine. Those who were not so ill-fortuned to cross the path of my Amazon bride were seen to be glancing nervously both ways and over their shoulders as if fearing that a sword of Damocles was about to drop over their heads.

They should be so lucky if Shampoo gets to them before I do, for while she might do damage to their bodies, I have it within my power to destroy entire reputations.

Of course Ranma himself was not a party to any of this, being too much of a boy-scout to even think of retaliating in such a base and dishonorable matter. Shampoo agreed with me, however, that he was much too softhearted for his own good and that it was better not to trouble him too much with the sordid details of our activities on his behalf. Needless to say, those who did see Ranma coming were noted to turn around and head the other way or go to great lengths to avoid him as if he were indeed the source of all their current troubles.

I wonder about Ranma, though. He seemed to have something important on his mind that he wanted to share with the two of us when we saw him around lunchtime. His attitude was unusually serious, and from the way he was looking at us I could tell that he was trying to summon the nerve to say whatever it was that was bothering him, but wouldn't you just know that before he could get it out we had another one of those annoying untimely interruptions that have been making life so interesting of late, so I never did get to know what it was that he had to say to the both of us. I hope he brings it up again tomorrow because I hate not knowing what is going on in his life. If only that blind fool, Mousse, had not put in an appearance at exactly the wrong moment…

"Okay," Ranma said, taking a deep breath as he scanned across the space of the open field to the tree under whose shade Nabiki and Shampoo currently sat enjoying their lunches, "I can do this…no problem. Just walk up to the girls and hand them their rings and ask 'em to marry me. Sure…no sweat, just treat it like any other kind of martial arts problem…"

Vocalizing his thoughts like this was not normally his way, but at the moment he needed some encouragement to steady his nerves and keep his focus on his mission. He had given his word to deliver these rings to the right girls, and he would not fail in this endeavor. Just hand them the rings and ask them the question. It wasn't as if he didn't already know how they would answer him, of course, so there was no real mystery there and no reason to fear for rejection.

Now if only he could convince himself that it would be that simple, yet experience had taught him repeatedly that life was rarely simple, which was no doubt why his heart was racing. Undoubtedly his instincts were anticipating trouble even in the absence of any evidence of same, which certainly made for a more reasonable explanation than to suggest that he was scared about something. After all, he was Saotome Ranma. What did he have to be scared about? Nothing was going to stop him from proposing to Nabiki and Shampoo, so all he had to do was walk across the grass and ask them the question.

Right…simple. Now all he had to do was do it!

Ranma stood his ground as he considered the implications. It was just a stupid lawn, no more than fifty yards between him and the two objects of his affections, a yard that was currently occupied by dozens of other students all consuming their own lunches. The girls were waiting for him to be a man among men and to claim them both for his wives. In theory it was a simple and natural thing to do, especially in light of the fact that he was going to be married to them in a couple weeks anyway, and that one of them was going to have his baby. What he was doing was the honorable thing, the right thing, and the thing that he wanted very much to do, so there was no conflict in his heart, no doubt that he wanted to go through with this…so why was he hesitating to take the first step forward?

He considered both women, Shampoo and Nabiki, recalled everything he knew about them, what they had been through together, weighed all the plusses and minuses in both girls and concluded for a fact that he genuinely liked them and desired them for his life partners. Okay, so marriage was a heck of a big commitment, but wasn't making out like they had for the past several weeks a big commitment too? All he was doing was making it official and giving it the stamp of a proper marriage. Nabiki was so charming and clever, so beautiful and intelligent that she sometimes took his breath away…and Shampoo…what words were there to describe her? So loyal, strong and supportive, she made it easy to think about sharing a future together, and she was beyond beautiful in his eyes. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that he wanted to commit himself to them, to be a good husband, as opposed to becoming like his father.

So what was there to be afraid of…not that he was afraid, of course! No way, not him, not Saotome Ranma! He was just gathering her nerves-his thoughts-to make sure he didn't mess things up on the first try. He had to get the words just right, after all, it was a make-or-break moment. Ah, that was to say that he did not want to say the wrong thing and spoil the moment…yeah, that was it. Just go over to Nabiki and casually hand her the ring-box, then give the other box to Shampoo…provided he remembered to give the right ring to the proper fiancée. No sense upsetting Mister Tendo by giving Nabiki's ring to Shampoo, or vice versa…

He stood his ground a bit longer and thought about it some more, then mentally berated himself for acting like such a woman. Holding back when he should be moving forward was the sort of thing he'd expect from Ryoga! Be a man about it already, he mentally cuffed himself, and just give Nabiki his proposition so he could ring her for a…no, wait a minute! That wasn't right…

"Aiyaa," Shampoo noted as she looked up from where she had been quietly eating her Ramen beside Nabiki, fretting that the rest of her lunch was getting cold, including the lunch that she had brought for their airen, "Why is Ranma stand over there when he should join Shampoo and Airen?"

"Hmm?" Nabiki looked up from her own lunch to see where the Amazon had indicated, and sure enough there was Ranma keeping his distance from the both of them, "That's strange. What's the baka doing standing around there like a doofus?"

"Is very strange," Shampoo agreed, only to turn with a note of concern to her fellow iinazuke, "Aiyaa…you think maybe he hear we put fear of gods in…in…what word for stupid boys who pay for stupid girl to beat up Airen?"

"Malefactors," Nabiki answered, "And I hope that's not it. Ranma can be awfully stuffy on the subject of his honor, and we only did what we had to do to look out for his welfare."

"Shampoo hope he no mad at us," Shampoo noted in an unusually subdued manner, "Only break a few bones in Male Factors, dislocate few tendons, no like do actual damage. Maybe Ranma want to be one who punish stupid boys?"

"Not really his style," Nabiki murmured, "Well…whatever's eating him, he should come over here and get it over with. I don't like being kept in suspense."

"Shampoo go get him," the Amazon put down her lunch and stood up, "No way spend lunch letting food get cold when no have to."

"Go for it, girlfriend," Nabiki encouraged, "Just make sure you drag his sorry ass over here, he's starting to make a spectacle of himself making out like a lawn ornament."

Ranma saw Shampoo start to get up and he almost panicked. No, he thought furiously, this wasn't how it was supposed to go at all! He was the one who should be making the first move rather than make Shampoo come to him! He had to break loose from this weird paralysis and take the initiative like he was supposed to! He squared his shoulders and ignored the butterflies kick-boxing in his stomach and began to force himself to take a step forward…only to experience that tell-tale sense of impending disaster loom up without any other kind of warning.

"SAOTOME RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!"

Even as Ranma moved to take evasive action he was silently cursing Mousse for choosing now of all times to make his dramatic entrance. Ranma ducked low and raised his guard as a series of chains and hurled objects whizzed by his head without doing any damage. Ranma tracked the direction from which they were coming and turned to meet the perceived threat, only to see Mousse bounding away towards the school gate, pausing to glance back over his shoulder while pulling out a megaphone from seeming no where.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE MAN ENOUGH FOR SHAMPOO, SAOTOME? I SAY YOU'RE WEAK AND A COWARD, AND IF YOU WANT TO PROVE DIFFERENTLY THEN COME AHEAD AND FACE ME!"

"Oh man," Ranma averred softly, "Doesn't he ever give up? And what kind of fool does he think I am talking to me like that? Like I'm gonna be dumb enough to fall for some lame trap he's probably got set up somewhere, like I'm baka enough to just walk into his ambush."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said as she came up to join him, "What Mousse want this time? Airen no go after him?"

"Naw," Ranma sniffed, "I'd rather let him come to me sometime when I don't gotta get back to my classes. Let him talk all he wants, I ain't buying."

Mousse suddenly reappeared, as did his bull horn, "WHAT'S THE MATTER, SAOTOME, ARE YOU CHICKEN? DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE AFRAID TO MEET ME LIKE A MAN, OR WOULD YOU RATHER JUST STAND THERE AND LET ME CONTINUE TO INSULT YOU?"

Ranma's eyebrow twitched and he scowled intensely, "Geez, why does he gotta say stuff like that in front of everybody?"

"No doubt he's expecting you to rise to the bait," Nabiki herself offered as she walked up to join them, "He's just taunting you because he thinks you're fool enough to take him at his word."

"Right," Ranma scowled, "Nobody here's that foolish…"

"HEY EVERYBODY, RANMA IS AFAID TO FIGHT ME! HIS LIVER IS AS YELLOW AS THE STRIPE DOWN HIS BACK! HE'S CHICKEN, BUCK-BUCK-BUCKAW!!!"

"Why that-!" Ranma finally lost his temper and went charging off after Mousse, who turned and fled across the wall, the two of them vanishing down the streets of Nerima while the rest of the Furinkan students blinked their eyes in wonder.

"Nabiki," Shampoo said softly, "Why Shampoo think she see this one coming?"

"Who knows, Kitty-cat," Nabiki sighed, "Come on, let's go follow the baka. This ought to be worth a few laughs."

"Mousse never learn," Shampoo agreed, and the two of them hurried to catch up with their errant boyfriend…

Continued

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