Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ Courting Disaster... ( Chapter 13 )

Nabiki 1/2

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

Two women sat alone atop the roof of a house in the Nerima district, facing out towards the Tendo Dojo, which was visible in the distance. The two women--young teenaged girls actually--were dressed in similar Chinese-style silken outfits--colorfully embroidered Mao suits at that--and their long hair was done up similarly into a pair of ball-like knob-like Odangos, from which it hung down on both sides of their faces--held in place in the front by matching sets of (thingies). One girl had hair of chestnut brown color, while the other had an even less conventional coloration. The two had sat side-by-side for a very long while before the Lavender haired girl finally acknowledged the presence of the other.

<"What do you want, Cousin?"> she asked in their native Chinese.

It was an informal term, actually. They were not really literal cousins, except by adoption of one into a cadet branch of the family of the other. Cousin was also a lot simpler than, say, calling her "The granddaughter of the aunt of my third cousin's nephew on my mother's side, and I'm not too sure about my father," and it served the point of conveying a sense of familiarity. Besides, coming from a small village such as they had, everyone knew everyone else, and they could all trace their roots back to common ancestors dozens, even hundreds of generations back. Besides this, in all senses but by blood, they were closer to being sisters anyway, even friends after a fashion.

This time, however, the business between them was anything but friendly.

<"You know why I am here, Cousin,"> the brown-haired girl said simply, <"Great Grandmother wishes to know what progress you have in your quest, if any.">

<"Tell her I will resolve this matter when I am good and ready,"> the first girl declared firmly, then sighed as she anticipated the immediate answer.

<"You know what she will say to this,"> the other girl pointed out, <"Time is not on your side, and already there is talk about you in the village.">

<"Talk never won battles,"> the first girl declared with a haughty disdain that she did not actually feel at the moment, <"This is not a matter to rush into. Things are more complicated than I ever imagined.">

The other girl looked at her with a note of confusion, <"Complications? What could be simpler than the choice that is facing you? Either marry him or kill her. That is the law. Do that and you can return to our village.">

<"I thought that way, too, when I first arrived,"> the first girl declared, <"I wanted to hate her for what she did to me. I was ready to go down there and burst through the walls, lay down my ultimatum then fight her if she refused to accept my terms. That is why I followed that Keiko person to this village. I have been studying them ever since.">

<"Since when have you ever been so scrupulous about a hunt?"> the other girl snorted in disbelief, <"I thought you were the direct one, not me.">

<"Some other time, perhaps,"> the first girl sighed, <"This time I decided to wait and see what would happen. I saw the barbarian, Keiko, attack my Airen and thought about revealing myself then. I almost did, but Nabiki defeated her with ease, so it proved unnecessary.">

<"So?">

<"She accepted her defeat,"> Shampoo almost said with scorn, then added, <"And Nabiki accepted her into her house, even after she proved herself weak. At first I was disgusted…">

<"I don't blame you.">

<"Then I became jealous,"> the first girl continued, <"But then I found out Nabiki was not interested in Keiko at all. She has a boyfriend…a man she is betrothed to…">

<"Disgraceful!"> the other girl declared, <"She should be punished!">

<"It gets worse,"> the first girl's tone became bitter, <"The boy she is promised to is weaker than her, yet fights well for a male. He got angry when another man approached her improperly…">

<"She lets him fight her battles?">

<"No,"> came the toneless reply, <"Only this time she did, and then she punished him afterwards for risking himself against the other fighter. It was the correct thing to do, were he truly her husband.">

<"No question of that.">

<"And then…"> there was a long hesitation before the next words were tonelessly whispered, <"He kissed her after apologizing.">

<"He what?"> the second girl's tone was disbelieving, even more so when she heard the first girl's next words:

<"I didn't like it.">

The second girl studied her in evident confusion, <"So what's the problem? Go down to her and punish her for bringing such disgrace on both you and our family?">

<"You don't understand at all, Cousin,"> the first girl said sadly, <"I don't want to hurt her.">

<"But you let her do this to you?"> the second girl all but shouted, <"Have you no pride? You are an Amazon! It is your duty to make this Changeling girl suffer!"

<"Cousin,"> the first girl said, <"I want to settle this on my own terms. I am thinking about how I am going to confront her, to make her understand the situation into which we are both locked. I will act when I am certain of my own intentions in this matter. I want you to promise me that you will not interfere. You must give me a little more time, and I promise I will do what is right for our people."

<"You know that I cannot promise you that,"> the second girl said simply, <"Great Grandmother will decide how much time you can be allowed before our rivals in the village decide to exploit your hesitation. They already call you weak for not immediately dispatching this outsider.">

<"Then tell Grandmother…tell her I will make her proud of me…once I know how to make everything right again,"> the first girl sighed, <"Tell her she will not be disappointed.">

Pur-Fum looked towards Xian-Pu thoughtfully, trying to decide if her longtime sparring partner had gotten soft during her time abroad, or perhaps was growing up from the spirited young girl who had been Champion in their village. Xian-Pu was brash, strong willed, and determined, the best fighter of their generation to whom only Pur-Fum herself was a possible equal. They had trained together under the same teacher, knew each other's moves intimately and trusted each other with secrets that they would never share with another. Given all of that it was hard to reconcile the haughty, cheerful girl she knew with this sad and thoughtful looking specimen who sat beside her thinking instead of reacting. Whoever this Nabiki girl was, she had definitely had an influence, and not one for the better, in Pur-Fum's estimation.

I should hunt this Nabiki down and punish her myself for doing this to my Cousin, she thought with a certain bitter humor. Xian-Pu might resent the intrusion, but in the end she would probably thank her. Kho-Lon as well, though it was always difficult to tell with Great Grandmother.

Aloud what she said was, <"I will tell her, but she is an Elder. If she decides that you are hesitating to avoid having to make a decision, I will have no choice but to do whatever she tells me.">

Xian-Pu well knew this. In their village old age was not just a sign of respect, it meant you had survived that long, which meant you were a lot more powerful than the young does who fought every year to advance on the ladder of hierarchy. Old age meant you were that much harder to kill, and no one was older--or harder to kill--than Kho-Lon the elder, who had very few peers and absolutely no equals in the village of Joketsuzoku. Whatever Kho-Lon would decide carried the weight of the entire Amazon society. Small wonder that Pur-Fum the Enforcer had absolutely no intentions whatsoever of going against her wishes, even to help her only friend and off-times sparring partner.

<"I know, Cousin,"> Xian-Pu softly replied, <"And I thank you.">

<"So tell me honestly, Cousin,"> Pur-Fum asked in a more confidential manner, <"Just how soon are you going to wait before taking action?">

<"I was thinking of tonight,"> Xian-Pu replied, <"Please abide me for that long before making your report to Great Grandmother.">

<"All right, Cousin,"> Pur-Fum nodded, hoping that she would soon have good news to report, because she quailed at the thought of bringing bad news to this particular Elder…

"This is nuts!" said Nabiki as she scanned herself in the mirror, "No way am I going out there looking like this! Especially not with Ranma…"

"Why not, Nabiki-chan?" asked Kasumi, "You look very good in a dress, and I know Ranma-kun will be delighted to see you in something so feminine that displays your…best qualities to full view."

"It's also a guaranteed trip to disaster city the first time I get splashed with water," Nabiki griped miserably, "No way would Kaneda get caught dead wearing a thing like this! And I can just imagine how humiliated Ranma-kun would be if he was seen walking with a drag queen."

"At least you'll have the Queen part right," said Akane brightly, earning a very unpleasant look from her older sister.

"You're just being paranoid, dear," Nodoka assured her, "Ranma will take one look at you and be very glad to have you for his iinazuke."

"Yeah, whatever," murmured Akane.

"Ranma," Nabiki sighed as she looked at the stranger staring back at her from out of the mirror. On the surface that person did look like Nabiki, but a Nabiki who had never been cursed, never went on a ten year training Mission to master the Anything Goes School of martial arts, and who stayed at home to do nice, normal things that girls her own age took for granted. She sighed and softly repeated, "I'm just asking for trouble wearing a thing like this in public…"

"Stop fretting," Nodoka urged her, "I know my son will feel like a very lucky man among men to be escorting a beautiful young woman such as yourself. Your father will be so proud that his little girl has grown into such a mature reflection of your mother…"

"Daddy will probably break down in sobs the minute he sees me, you mean," Nabiki corrected, "Then he'll probably get all fatherly and protective and threaten to cut off Ranma's allowance if we're so much as one minute late back from this fiasco in the making."

"Care to make a wager on that?" Akane asked, trying her best to imitate Nabiki's normally smug mannerisms.

"Father knows that Ranma-kun will be a perfect gentleman the whole evening," Kasumi assured her, "Please stop trying to talk yourself out of enjoying this night, Nabiki-chan. Go down and meet your iinazuke."

"All right, don't push!" Nabiki growled, giving Kasumi a wary glance as if expecting her wayward eldest sister of hiding a glass of water behind her back. That would be a great way to begin this evening! She was already a bundle of nerves, and the last thing she could endure was to see disappointment in the eyes of her Ranma.

Her Ranma.

She rather liked the sound of that, as if he were an investment or a stock option, or some valuable commodity that accrued in worth with the passage of time. She had only known him a few weeks, yet somehow the rascal had charmed his way into the center of her existence. Now a day could not pass without her wondering where he was, worrying about what he was doing, and maybe sneaking a peak over her shoulder in hopes of catching him spying on her without realizing that she knew it.

If only she could be sure that he felt the same way about her. This was so frustrating, trying to figure him out! One minute he was swaggering and overconfident, so full of himself that she just wanted to slap him silly…and then he could turn around and do something that made her feel like crying for joy. This was nothing like what she had bargained on coming back to the family she had not seen in so long, yet here she was accepting things that once were utterly unthinkable. She was seventeen years old, full of the promise of life, eager to conquer the world, and already engaged to be married.

She swallowed again. Thinking like that was the reason she felt so tied up in knots whenever she was alone with Ranma!

Meanwhile downstairs an equally nervous Ranma was tugging on his collar, fidgeting in his rented suit and wondering what Oni had possessed him to go along with his father's crazy idea. He had never been on a date before, let alone with someone as Mercurial as Nabiki. Who knew what he was letting himself in for? Anything could happen, and with his luck it probably would wait until he actually started to relax and enjoy it!

"Would you stop pacing, son?" Genma asked for the forth time in the evening, "Your iinazuke will be down at any minute. You look just fine, stop fussing like a woman!"

"Yeah, Ranma," said Keiko, who was looking very amused about the whole deal, even though Ranma was certain that she was jealous as hell about Nabiki's decision to go out with him this evening, "People go out on dates all the time. Just show Nabiki a good time and get back home before we start to worry."

"Who's worried?" Ranma asked with a note of challenge, although a challenge was the last thing he wanted to start up at the moment. Keiko would probably take him up on it, and his rented suit had cost a small fortune!

"Ahem," a voice coughed politely at the top of the stairs, and everybody whirled around to gaze up at the vision that was Nabiki.

She was wearing a low-cut red dress that highlighted her brown hair to nice effect, and she had a pearl necklace that had once belonged to her mother. The dress was Western style rather than the Kimono that Nodoka had first suggested, Nabiki insisting that she was not that traditional a girl (and besides which, the bloody things took forever to put on and get out of!) and it went down all the way to just about a foot above the floor yet allowed full freedom of movement and had a slit along the side that allowed Nabiki to show a little leg for added effect. The gown had once belonged to Kasumi, but it fit Nabiki now rather nicely (all except around the chest, and thankfully the low cleavage allowed her to breathe easily. She was barefoot at the moment but held a pair of sandals in her hands that would complete the effect when she put them on outside. She wore a white corsage above one breast and a matching carnation was in her hair, giving her an added element of the exotic to her otherwise natural and understated beauty.

Ranma looked up at her, his mouth hanging open. Standing in his rented tux he looked so handsome that Nabiki felt a similar reaction. She blushed when he finally smiled up at her, then descended the stairs, extending one arm as he responded by offering his own for linkage.

"You look…great," Ranma managed to say, and for once did not spoil the effect in speaking plainly.

"Thanks, Ranma-kun," Nabiki gave him a dazzling smile, "And you look real…manly."

"Right this way," Genma said as he opened the door for them, while Keiko just stood to one side looking at Nabiki as if she were looking at a stranger. She had to shake her head in order to clear it, then stared again as if her eyes were magnetically drawn to a lodestone.

Just behind her Ryoga was giving Nabiki a similar examination, but his eyes drifted back up the stairs and saw Akane in her plain yellow dress, and to him it was as if he were gazing up at a princess.

Outside Ranma and Nabiki headed for the gate, unaware that other eyes were locked on them as a figure crouched in a tree across the street tensed briefly, conflicting emotions warring in her as she considered a preemptive strike, then decided to wait and follow them a little.

Unnoticed by anyone a long black limousine was just then pulling down the street, coming to a gradual stop in front of the Tendo estate as the driver obeyed his instructions to the letter. The chauffeur got out and moved at once to the passenger's side door, opening it before standing to attention. A large, portly man wearing a fine business suit stepped out and studied the sign in front of the dojo, nodded to himself in satisfaction as he combed fingers through his well-trimmed black beard and smiled a little. Time to settle a long unresolved matter of personal business…

Kasumi had retired to the kitchen to prepare a fresh pot of hot tea. Nodoka was busy knitting a shawl while her husband and Soun started playing Shogi, which was to say that they were both cheating. Akane was upstairs with Kodachi chatting away about schoolgirl matters, having concluded their practice in Rhythmic Gymnastics for the day. Ryoga and Keiko sat on the porch catching up on old times and discussing recent occurrences before drifting on to discuss what had happened to them both since their parting in Middle School many years past. Everyone except these latter two were in very good spirits about the date Nabiki and Ranma were on, but even they were looking forward to a quiet, uneventful evening.

"Well, Saotome-kun," Soun remarked, "Our children are finally on their way to uniting our Houses, just as we have always prayed."

"Hai, Tendo-kun," Genma replied, "And soon we can both retire and enjoy the good life, secure in the future of the Anything Goes school. With our two best students bound in holy matrimony there is nothing we cannot face, no adversity that can hope to stand against us."

"I must say, I've had my doubts about you, husband," Nodoka smiled, "But you came through as good as your word. Nabiki is a very fine girl and she'll make an excellent wife for our son."

"That should show that you never should have doubted me, Nodoka-chan" Genma beamed broadly, "That little promise you made me signed turned out to be unnecessary, hai?"

"What promise was this, Saotome-kun?" Tendo asked as he carefully counted the pieces on the Shogi board. He could have sworn there were a few more there only two turns ago…

"Oh, it's nothing, Tendo-kun," Genma said dismissively, "It's just that when I left on that training mission Nodoka was worried that I might not be able to serve as a good influence on Nabiki. She thought the girl should be raised at home in a sheltered existence, but I knew the only way to forge greatness was to give her the experience of the world, to go out and find the great masters who live in seclusion, shunning the limelight of lesser Martial Artists…"

"That is very wise, Saotome-kun," Tendo nodded, "I, too, would have thought that a hard way for a daughter of mine to be raised, yet somehow it has made Nabiki stronger than she might have…"

That was when the knock came to their door. It caused everyone to turn a glance towards the front entrance, it having been too since their departure for Ranma and Nabiki to have wandered back.

"I'll get it!" called Akane, who had come down from her room to get some snacks for herself and Kodachi. She answered the door and found a heavy-set, well-dressed stranger standing there bowing politely as he set eyes on her and said, "Ohiyo. This is the Tendo residence, is it not? I was wondering if a man named Saotome Genma could be found here?"

"Hai," Akane said politely, "May I say who is calling?"

"An old business acquaintance," the man replied, as he bowed again and presented a card, "Kuonji Akira at your service."

"Tendo Akane," Akane replied, impressed with the man's manners as she turned around, studying the card with a glance and called out, "Ojisama? You have a guest!"

"Oh?" Genma looked up, "Well, tell him to come inside, if that's all right with you, Tendo-kun?"

"Hai, Saotome-kun," Tendo acknowledged as he once again counted the pieces, finding even fewer there than before, "Any friend of yours is welcome in our house."

"I can't imagine who it might be," Genma frowned, "I don't know anyone that I would have invited, but I suppose it could not hurt to find out this fellow's business."

"Father and Uncle say to come in," Akane said to the man, stepping aside to clear the way as this fellow was very wide around the waist and looked rather well fed, which befit his prosperous image.

Once the man saw Genma he broke into a broad grin and said, "Saotome! Long time no see! It's me, your old friend Kuonji Akira!"

Genma's reaction was anything but welcoming as his eyes got very wide in clear recognition of this fellow. His shocked expression caused Nodoka to look at her husband, already hearing alarm bells ringing like a house on fire.

"K-Kuonji-san!" Genma gasped, "Imagine meeting you here? It has been so long…what…nine years?"

"Almost ten," the broad man said pleasantly, "I was hoping to find you in good spirits. Is your son about? I think it's long since time we got down to discussing that item of business we left unfinished."

"Business?" Soun looked puzzled, looking from this man to his friend in deepening confusion.

"Ah…Ranma is not here," Genma replied, "He's…out with a friend. You remember little Nabiki-chan? She's all grown up into a beautiful young lady."

"Ah, I well remember Nabiki-chan," Mister Kuonji said brightly, "A very bright, capable girl and a good friend to my darling Ukyo-chan. In point of fact it is on behalf of my daughter that I have come here…"

"That's very interesting, Kuonji-san," Genma replied, getting to his feet with great alacrity, "But I just remembered another pressing bit of business that I must immediately take care of…"

He did not get two paces before Nodoka's hand closed on his collar and held him motionless, in spite of the fact that his feet were running as fast as a man of his years could manage.

"My daughter and your daughter became friends?" Soun asked with matter-of-fact curiosity, "Odd that no one has mentioned you until now."

"I'm not a bit surprised, actually," Mister Kuonji replied, "They were both so little at the time, barely a year apart in ages, but they played together so often that they almost became inseparable in the two months that they were together. I think they met again a few years later during Middle School, but I was not able to find Genma-kun at the time to discuss the business we had not entirely concluded."

"Business?" Nodoka asked, still restraining Genma from his attempted flight.

Keiko and Ryoga had gotten up to corner Genma, their own suspicions beginning to form at the mention of their old childhood friend. Ryoga eyed Genma curiously and said, "Just what is bothering you, old man? Is there something you forgot to tell us about Ucchan?"

"Yes," Keiko frowned, "It's always bothered me that you pulled Nabiki out of our school shortly after Ukyo enrolled with us. It was almost as if you were trying to avoid him or…" Keiko paused, blinked her eyes then looked up at Kuonji Akira and asked, "Did you say Ukyo was your daughter?"

"Hai," Mister Kuonji replied sadly, "But I am not surprised at your confusion. Ukyo has long made a habit of concealing her sex. She started pretending that she was a boy shortly after your departure, Saotome-kun, even to the point of enrolling in an all boys' school about a year ago. She has run away from home on occasion, but I received word the other day that she was here in Nerima seeking you out. I had hoped that I would be able to find her by coming here, but obviously I was premature. I would ask that you forgive my intrusion and please inform her that her father is looking for her should she turn up anytime in the future."

"Oh, right, of course," Soun seemed to relax just as suddenly as he had gone into a panic, "You're concerned about your child, and rightly so! It's not a safe world for a young girl to be on her own without adult supervision…"

"Oh, I have few fears of her coming to any harm," Mister Kuonji smiled, "I trained her well in the Martial Arts, and Ukyo has always been a highly motivated student. In point of fact I would have been unable to restrain her had I chosen to do so. She is very headstrong and determined, if not always obedient to the wishes of her parents."

"Children are often rebellious and not always willing to respect the wishes of their parents." Soun agreed, "I can't blame you for being concerned. I have had similar experiences of my own of late…"

"Dad!" Akane glowered.

"What exactly was it that Ucchan was rebelling against, Kuonji-sama?" Keiko asked curiously, taking note that Genma was sweating again while Nodoka redoubled her firm grip on his collar.

"Hai," said Kasumi as she came into the room holding the tea tray, "It must have been very important if she would be willing to leave home so early."

Kuonji sighed, "I fear it is my fault, good lady, in trying to push her into an arranged marriage that was not of her making. She has never met the boy I pledged her to and is resentful that I did not allow her to choose her iinazuke."

"Really?" Nodoka eyed Genma suspiciously, "Why does that sound so familiar?"

Genma swallowed and clapped his hands in prayer, hoping against hope that no one would think to ask the next question, but when it came he nearly fainted.

"And who was this fellow that she was promised to?" Soun asked.

"Why, Genma-kun's son, of course," Kuonji said bright, "Saotome Ranma…"

Continued

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