Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Herbie's Drive Through Nerma ❯ Hello Tokyo! Nabiki opens up and Mousse's meeting with Herbie ( Chapter 7 )

Right after school, Nabiki was about to head home when she spotted everyone gathered around Herbie in the parking lot, still talking about his victory.

"HEY, HERBIE!" Nabiki yelled.

(Oh, hi Nabiki.) Herbie beeped. (Excuse me everyone.) Herbie then drove slowly, giving everyone a chance to move out of his path and stopped when he pulled up to Nabiki. (You, Ranma, and Akane need a ride home?)

"No, no. Home's not that far, but I need a ride to Tokyo." Nabiki said. "But first, I heard you got into a fight with Kuno."

"Oh, you should have seen it!" Yuka said excitedly.

"This little car out smarted Kuno every step!" Hiroshi said.

"Yeah, it was amazing." One student said. "Kuno tried to slash his front trunk, but then Herbie dodged very fast…"

"…but then Kuno tried to strike from the side…" Another interrupted.

"…then Herbie opened his door causing Kuno to reel a bit and…" Another interrupted.

(Guys, guys, I'm about to blush again.) Herbie beeped.

"I wish you would have let me known ahead of time, so I could take bets." Nabiki said. "Well, come on, there's a movie I want to see in Toky…" Nabiki said, but was shocked when she found that Herbie locked his doors. "…o. Ok Herbie, what's going on?"

(Bets? As in who'd win and loose to gain money?) Herbie beeped.

"Yes, what's your point?" Nabiki flatly said, but was starting to get angry that Herbie wouldn't open the door.

(So you'd exploit the fact that I got a mind of my own just to get some extra Yen?) Herbie beeped. Then, realizing what Herbie said, Nabiki laughed.

"That's why you won't let me…" Nabiki said and then laughed some more.

(What's so funny?) Herbie beeped.

"Uh… Herbie, we may not like the way she gets money sometimes," Daisuke said. "But it goes towards her family and whatever repairs their home needs."

(It does?) Herbie beeped.

"Herbie, I may exploit people, like Ranma and my sister at times," Nabiki said. "But I love my family unconditionally and my talent is to extort money. You've seen what an emotional wreck my dad has become? It was be…" Nabiki then looked around and realized she was opening up in the wrong place. "Uh, Herbie? Can we continue this on the way to Tokyo?" Herbie then opened his door.

(Ok, but I'm warning you, if I don't like it, you can walk to and from Tokyo.) Herbie beeped.

"Fair enough." Nabiki said as she got in to Herbie's driver side and they drove off. Figuring that nobody can hear her anymore, she continued. "Anyway, you've seen what an emotional wreck my dad has become?"

(Oh yeah.) Herbie beeped. (My transistors are still recovering from his yell.)

"It was because my mom died." When she finished that sentence, her Ice Queen persona disappeared for a bit and she became depressed.

(I take it you all loved her very much?) Herbie beeped.

"Oh, she was a great woman." Nabiki said. "She had a great heart and cared for each and every one of us deeply. When she died, we all went through a change."

(Akane's temper, Kasumi's cheerfulness, and your Ice Queen persona?) Herbie beeped.

"Very observant for a little car." Nabiki said, feeling a bit better that she's finally talking to someone about it. "Anyway, when my dad lost control of his emotions, he lost his students. I wanted to help the family somehow and then I found out that one of my elementary school teachers was purposely flunking this one kid because he didn't like his dad. I blackmailed him and that was the first time I got money and I found out that I was good at it."

(Oh.) Herbie beeped, but still curious. (If you love your family so much, why the pictures?) This caused Nabiki to think for a moment.

"It started in middle school." Nabiki answered. "Kuno developed an obsession with my sister and when both he and Akane started their freshmen year in Furikan, he would have raped her if I didn't supply the pictures."

*SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*

(HE SAID THAT?!) Herbie beeped after coming to an abrupt and surprising halt.

"No, no, no!" Nabiki stated. "It was that look in his eyes… he looked like a monster." Herbie then started again as Nabiki continued to drive.

(Oh. So the pictures combined your ability to make money…) Herbie beeped.

"…and protecting my family." Nabiki said smiling. "So everything cool between us?"

(Very cool.) Herbie beeped. Nabiki then realized something.

"You know this was the first time in awhile I dropped the Ice Queen persona for anybody, or that I felt good talking to somebody about my problems." Nabiki said. "Were you a therapist in a past life?"

(No, but I think I was a model T once.) Herbie joked, causing Nabiki to laugh. Just then, they spotted Mousse walking towards their destination. (Is he walking all the way to Tokyo?)

"I don't know, lets ask." Nabiki said as she pulled up to Mousse.

(Hey, you!) Herbie beeped trying to get Mousse's attention.

"Hmmm?" Mousse said when he looked beside him. `That's Nabiki's chi? It looks different somehow… not so cold.' Mousse thought as he recognized her with an ability that not even Cologne knew he had. `And that car she's driving… it has one too. Does she know? Better play along until I find out. Don't want to look insane.' To Nabiki's surprise, he already had his glasses on. "Oh, Ms. Tendo." Nabiki then rolled her window down to talk to him.

"Please, call me Nabiki." She said. "Walking to Tokyo?"

"Oh, I'm used to long walks." Mousse said. "Before I got cursed, I even swam all the way from China to Japan."

"That's some exercise." Nabiki said. "Well, I'm heading there myself, why don't you get in?"

"Thanks, but I'm a few Yen short right now and I have to meet some of the elders." Mousse said. "Actually, that's not until tomorrow, but I want get there early enough to check the hotel and get to the airport early the next day."

"Oh," Nabiki said, hurt by the money comet for some reason. `Probably because of my talk with Herbie.' She thought.

(Oh come on, I can get there quicker.) Herbie beeped.

"You must love that horn Nabiki." Mousse said.

"Uh… yeah." She replied, but then she remembered her talk with Herbie and decided something. "Why don't you get in? I won't charge anything."

"Well…" Mousse said while considering getting in or not. "Ok Nabiki, you win." Mousse said with a smile as he got in Herbie's passenger side. "So, where are you heading?"

"To the movie theatre in Tokyo." Nabiki said. "I want to see `Sky Captain.'"

"Oh?" Mousse said. "I've been dying to see that my…"

*SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHH*

"…SELF! WHOA!"

Hearing that, Herbie did a wheelie and high tailed it to Tokyo.

"Herbie! Stop!" Nabiki said trying to get him to stop.

"Herbie? That's his name?" Mousse said, causing Nabiki to be astounded.

"YOU KNOW THAT HE'S ALIVE?!" Nabiki said.

"I'll tell you later." Mousse said. "But judging by the fact that what you're doing won't stop him, I think he's taking us to see the movie."

`You got to be kidding me.' Nabiki thought with a look that matched. "You're buying."

*************************************************************** *********

A couple of hours later, at a Tokyo movie theatre, Sky Captain got out and Nabiki and Mousse and the look of two people who really enjoyed the movie.

"It's nice to finally see something original from the States." Nabiki said.

"I liked how the whole thing felt like it was one those old `30's serials." Mousse said.

"Oh? To me, it felt like a whole movie from the `30's." Nabiki said as Herbie opened his doors and Mousse and Nabiki got in. "Ok, now that the movie's over, tell me, how did you know Herbie is alive?" Shortly after Nabiki asked the question, Mousse sighed and took off his glasses and looked at Nabiki.

`Wow, those are some eyes…' Nabiki thought, but then mentally slapped herself for it. `I don't even know this guy very well, calm down.' She said to her self.

"You know how near sighted I am, right?" Mousse said and Nabiki nodded. "It was the side effect of some training that not even Cologne are Shampoo know about. I can sense chi from anything that has one from people to things with an inner life, like Herbie here."

"And a side effect is you loose a lot of your eye sight?" Nabiki asked.

"Yes." Mousse stated just before putting his glasses on. "Its one reason I keep mistaking Akane and Ranma for Shampoo: All three have a battle chi of great warriors. If I took it further, I could easily tell whose chi belonged to whom…"

"…but you would be totally blind." Nabiki finished.

"Exactly." Mousse said. "My master wished that I would stop as his last request, so I did." Herbie then stopped because they arrived at the hotel the elders were going to stay in. "Well, this is my stop." Herbie then opened his door and Mousse got out, but not before turning around to talk to Nabiki. "I had a great time at the movies Nabiki and…"

"If you're wondering about a good night kiss, I'm sorry but we don't know each other that well." Nabiki stated.

"Actually, I was wondering two things." Mousse said. "If you want to do it again sometime, just as friends after all. I'm still after Shampoo. And would you accept this?" Mousse then pulled a red rose from his robe and handed it to Nabiki. "From one friend to another. Ja mata." As soon as Mousse was inside the hotel, Nabiki smelled the rose.

(Friends, huh?) Herbie mischievously beeped.

"Quiet Serrano." Nabiki said.

(First off, Serrano was in love with the girl he was trying to get the other guy to hook up.) Herbie beeped as they drove back to Nerma.

"And second?" Nabiki asked.

(My hood isn't that big.) Herbie beeped.

"Yes it is." Nabiki jokingly said.

(Is not.) Herbie beeped.

"Is too." Nabiki stated, but was still thinking about her time at the theatre with Mousse.

(Is not.) Herbie beeped.