Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ 'Dachi, My Kodachi... ( Chapter 41 )

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.

Perfume tried valiantly to remain on her feet this time, but her lack of control caused her to skate out of control, heading for the wall much too fast in spite of her desperate flailing of arms to try and prevent her forward momentum.

Ukyo came to her rescue once more, interposing her body in Perfume's way with hands outstretched to catch her. Perfume made contact, but then fell backwards as her feet continued forward, causing her to slide right under and between Ukyo's wide-braced legs, which in turn caused Ukyo to flip around so that she and Perfume briefly exchanged places, only to wind up with Perfume riding Ukyo all the way towards the wall. This allowed Ukyo to take the brunt of the impact, thus sparing Perfume more than a rude jolt, a fact about which neither one seemed particularly happy.

"Oh man," winced Ranma, "Why doesn't she give it up already? I should be out there with Ucchan as her partner. All Perfume's going to wind up doing is make them both look silly."

Shampoo looked at him with a cross expression, but inwardly she sighed in total agreement. With great reluctance she said, "Amazon not concede fight before at least trying. Give Cousin a chance, she make progress."

"With only four days until the competition?" Nabiki asked, "I think that might be pushing it, just a little."

Perfume crawled off of Ukyo to check on her condition. Ukyo waved a hand to signify that she was all right, then slowly started to regain her footing, in spite of Perfume's awkward attempts to assist her. It was not long, however, before Perfume lost her balance yet again and caused the both of them to fall down sprawling.

"Okay," Nabiki winced and amended, "Four days is pushing it a lot, especially against this Golden Pair you keep talking about, Ranchan."

"Man," Ranma shook his head in dismay, "How can somebody who seems so unstoppable most times have such a hard time just standing up right?"

"Cousin no want risk getting hurt," Shampoo explained, "No want look bad before Airen, so she try hard but different rules apply on ice. Perfume no used to ground that no remain still or go one way when try go another. No used to backward-forward direction blades on ice make, is whole new form of movement."

"What's the story about her being so sensitive to pain?" Ranma wanted to know, "How can a little scratch affect her like it was a major wound? It must be pretty hard folding up like that in the middle of a battle."

Shampoo just sighed, "Cousin no control pain like other warriors. Even as little child she hurt easily, no keep from crying. Other warriors make fun of her, call her weakling. Shampoo…Shampoo used to be one of them, but then Great Grandmother adopt Perfume into family, replace older Amazon who do very bad thing and get banished. Great Grandmother train Perfume hard, make her study with Shampoo, learn to be strong warrior, build strong defenses, no so easy to hurt as before. If Perfume have axes no one touch her. Amazons learn fear Perfume, she become tribal Enforcer."

"Only she can't use her axes in this battle," Nabiki sighed, "Poor kid. According to Cologne, Perfume lacks the normal ability to filter out pain. Her entire nervous system is hypersensitive to stimulus, which gives her an edge as a tracker, but she can't block out her pain receptors or ignore minor discomforts like the rest of us can. Doctor Tofu thinks maybe her brain chemistry is a little different from the rest of us, like maybe she doesn't produce the same pleasure endorphins we use to counterbalance our fear of unpleasant experiences such as this…"

"A succinct diagnosis on your part, Daughter-in-law," a familiar voice intruded on their conversation, and without the need to turn around all three sitting in the bleachers knew that Elder Cologne was once more with them.

"Good day to you, Elder," Nabiki managed as pleasantly as her mood allowed, "Is there something you need?"

"I just thought I'd come see how my other Daughter-in-law is managing her affairs," Cologne noted simply, "It will be a few hours until the restaurant opens and everything there is in readiness, so I thought my services might be needed here as an advisor."

"You mean you want to help?" Ranma asked, almost disbelieving.

"Is the notion that I can be as good an ally as an adversary so difficult for you to imagine?" she asked in almost rhetorical fashion, "Don't forget I have a vested interest in seeing things progress well for you all, in spite of our other difficulties, and I could not help overhearing your comments from a moment ago, Child. It seems that I have indeed been deficient in covering that aspect of your training."

"Great Grandmother," Shampoo said sheepishly, "Shampoo no mean criticize…"

"But you were correct in your analysis, child," Cologne said sagely, "The mere fact that I never anticipated this sort of theater of combat does not excuse my negligence in not preparing you for such an eventuality as this."

"Well, no one's perfect, and it's nice of you to stop by," Nabiki said, "Have a nice day and don't let the door hit your back when you exit."

"You needn't worry that I intend to pull rank and interfere in your personal lives this time, Daughter-in-law," Cologne replied, "I am merely here to satisfy my own interest, and it seems that your fellow iinazuke could use some assistance about now, provided she will permit me to help."

"Uh oh," Ranma followed the direction of Cologne's gaze and saw how Ukyo had been blindsided by another skater, who turned out to be none other than Azusa.

"Hey!" Ukyo protested, turning around with an angry glare towards the curly-haired skating princess.

"You're wasting your time," Azusa smiled prettily, "That one will never be any good for a partner. See? She can't even stop her own momentum!"

"Why you…" Ukyo stopped herself as she heard a frantic cry from behind, which caused her to whirl about, seeing Perfume once more moving frantically backwards.

"Help, Aiiiireeen!" Perfume cried, mere instants from going splat against the nearest wall.

"Easy there, I've got you," said Mikado, who appeared as if from seeming no where, "You really shouldn't be trying so hard. Skating should come naturally from easy, graceful movements."

"Perfume got point," Perfume said, relieved not to be moving backwards again, but finding herself swept up by Mikado's own motion, which was forcing her to glide along with him despite her own best efforts, "Can let go now…"

"Ah, but I am just savoring the moment of your company," Mikado smiled as he sniffed her hair and said, "How fragrant you are, a delicate flower, just like your name…"

Perfume was of two minds about this boy's ideas of gallantry. On the one hand he was very handsome and had some interesting manners that might at some other time have convinced her that his company was more pleasant than otherwise. On the other hand she had been warned about his predatory nature regarding all things female, and besides, she was not interested. Still, before she could say anything more to voice her protest she heard an angry cry from halfway across the rink.

"HEY!" the voice was definitely angry, and with some surprise Perfume realized that it belong to Ukyo, who was growling, "Get your paws off her, Mister!"

"Kuonji-san," Mikado acknowledged Ukyo as she came skating towards him with as much of a mad on as Perfume had ever seen her wearing. With hardly any effort, however, Mikado halted both himself and Perfume to avoid Ukyo's interception. Ukyo was going too fast to completely miss the screen that was behind them, but when she bounced off she managed to retain enough of her senses to glare at Mikado, balling her fists and shaking with anger.

"I don't know what your problem is," Mikado sniffed, "We were just enjoying a casual moment together, so there is no need for you to seem so jealous about it."

"J-Jealous?" Ukyo's anger drained away as her face took on a shocked expression, then flared up again with redoubled effort, "What the hell are you talking about? I just don't want a clown like you putting his paws all over my friend…"

"Pardon me, but I didn't see any owernship label that gives you proprietary rights," Mikado noted with a bland, deceptively calm look, "I would have thought a boy your age would be over such childish obsessions as imaging that every other boy had an interest in your sweetheart."

"N-Nani?" Ukyo blinked, "What are you talking about? We're just friends is all…"

"Humph," Perfume frowned, "Just friends, eh?"

"You see?" Mikado smiled as he turned back to Perfume, "There really is no reason for you to be angry, then as I find this girl very charming as a companion. Perhaps I shall bestow upon her tender lips my one thousandth-and-one kiss…"

"Urk!" Ukyo gasped as Perfume stared up in dismay, being held in such a way that she had no chance to free herself or resist this boy's advances.

Suddenly a golden figure came hurtling at Mikado and collided with his head using her knees. Azusa landed back on the ice and turned an angry glare at Mikado before saying, "Do your girl chasing some other time, Mikey. We've got to practice the Attack of a Hundred Foes."

Mikado sighed and set Perfume back down on the ice in front of Ukyo, "Stay here, beautiful, this will only take a moment."

"Attack of hundred foes?" Perfume gasped as Ukyo took her firmly in hand and guided her away from Mikado and his companion.

"You'll see in another moment, Per-chan," Ukyo replied, still glaring over her shoulder.

Sure enough, a hundred guys dressed up in hockey uniforms had been filing onto the ice in complete protective gear, including goalie masks and sticks. They surrounded the Golden Pair as Ukyo and Perfume gave them wide berth while Mikado and Azusa looked calmly on, then dramatically said, "All right, begin."

"What the hell?" Nabiki asked as she leaned over from the sidelines, just as the hockey players swarmed in to attack the unarmed ice skaters, but just as it seemed as though an impending bloodbath were about to ensue, Mikado threw his partner up to his shoulder and began to move, whirling about and using Azusa like a Billie club to hammer their assailants.

"Interesting," murmured Cologne as she watched the pair demolish the Hockey players, sending them two at a time crashing against the far wall while Ukyo did her best to keep herself and Perfume out of harms way. Ranma, meanwhile, had finished tying on his skates and was snorting dismissively as he murmured the word, "Showoff."

"Nine seconds," one of the Hockey players groaned as he looked at a stop watch, "A new record for the Golden Pair."

"Is that all?" Mikado asked as he took the time to comb his hair back into place, "We could do a lot better than that."

"Haven't changed a bit, Mikado," Ukyo growled, "Still the same arrogant bastard who put my own team on sick leave for two weeks and made us miss the Nationals."

"Well, if they had been better, or their Captain was any good, they might have stood a better chance with me," Mikado said, "Not that the outcome would have been any different."

"SENSENIN!" a new voice cried as a black shape came hurtling towards Mikado.

"Eh?" he asked, turning around just in time to see Kodachi arrowing straight at him, looking as mad as a hornet. With astonishing ease he avoided her thrust, but Kodachi had no trouble recovering as she arced about and stood glaring at him and his partner, Azusa.

"Who are you?" he asked, inclining his head to take in this new beauty.

Kodachi gave her trademark laugh, then assumed a haughty air, "I am the Black Rose of Saint Hebereke, Kuno Kodachi, and you are the fellow to whom I understand a certain rescue was effected…at the price of two kisses."

"Indeed?" Mikado asked, "And what is it to you?"

Kodachi produced her trademark ribbon and took a one-legged stance, "You exploited the concerns of two very dear friends to achieve your goal of one thousand kisses, and now I understand that you have a challenge match forthcoming in which one prize is a certain valuable animal that does not belong to you. I have come to ask that you change the stakes so that the ferret is not included in your deal."

"Charlotte?" Azusa gasped, "No, no! You can't have Charlotte! Charlotte is Azusa's!"

Kodachi flicked her ribbon and narrowly missed hitting the girl, instead slicing the ribbon in her hair so that it fell away, socking Azusa out of her tirade.

"There is no 'Charlotte,' you silly girl," Kodachi said coldly, "The Ferret is a valuable pet that belongs to no one but herself, and if you persist in this silly claim you will find that I am most adamant in my insistence."

"Jean Paul?" Azusa gasped as she stared at the fragments of her ribbon that had fallen to her feet, then she looked up at Kodachi and said, "You're a bad lady! How dare you do that to Azusa's Jean Paul?"

Kodachi twirled her ribbon again and said, "I am warning you, Shiratori-san, renounce your claims on the ferret or prepare to suffer worse humiliations."

"Kodachi?" Ukyo asked, only mildly surprised at the deadly serious tone the Black Rose had as she prepare to torment Azusa.

"Stay back," Kodachi warned her, "I have my own issues with you, Kuonji-san. You were supposed to be the recipient of what came upon me by mischance. I have not yet forgiven you for that, even though I do owe you some favor for my rescue."

"Charlotte?" Azusa said again, this time moving closer while Kodachi was thus distracted.

"Eh?" Kodachi flinched as she found Azusa now standing too close for her to effectively use her ribbon, "I said get back…"

"You're Charlotte, aren't you?" Azusa smiled as she moved in even closer, "You've got my sweet Charlotte's eyes! You're Charlotte! Charlotte!"

Mikado sighed, "Looks like she's finally gone over the edge this time…"

"I'd say she started out that way," Ukyo grimaced as she felt a twinge of sympathy for Kodachi's nonplussed reaction.

"Dachi!" cried Akane as she and Keiko suddenly appeared, dragging along a very reluctant Ryoga.

"Ah, the other beauties make their graceful appearance known to me," Mikado smiled as he turned to regard them, "I am surrounded by wondrous and fascinating creatures, which must ever be the lot of one so handsome as I."

"Heads up, Snot-face!" cried Ranma as he made his own appearance known with a straight punch that knocked Mikado sprawling.

Ranma gracefully caught his balance and pivoted around on the ice then said, "How about it, Sensenin? Like to pick up where we left off during our last match, just you and me right here, right now, and no quarter given?"

"Saotome," Mikado said as he got back to his feet, only slightly shaken by the blow he had taken, "Don't tell me you've got an interest in these affairs as well? And what, prey tell, is your interest in the ferret?"

"I just don't like the way you treat these girls, Mikado," Ranma, assuming a fighting stance, "Come on, put them up! I'm going to mop this place up with your lady-killing butt!"

"No!" Ukyo cried suddenly, "This is my fight! I'll be the one who puts this arrogant creep on ice!"

"But Ucchan…" Ranma began to say when suddenly he tripped and fell face-first onto the ice.

"Stay out of it, Son-in-law," Cologne urged as she retracted her staff, "Let Kuonji fight this one on her own terms."

"But…" Ranma started to say, but Ukyo was already launching her offensive.

Even minus her infamous fighting spatula Ukyo was a trained Martial Artist and could pack quite a punch in her fists, which she was now aiming at Mikado, only this time he was ready and could dodge her. She went right past him and struck the ice behind, doing a face-fall in the process as she skidded by until she collided with the wall and kept right on going.

"Pathetic," Mikado sniffed, "No grace at all in his attack, and only a fool launches a suicide strike so early in a battle."

"His?" Ranma blinked, "You mean he thinks Ukyo is a…OW!"

"Keep your mouth shut and watch, Sonny boy," Cologne urged without taking her eyes off Ukyo as she fought to regain her footing.

"I'm not through with you yet, Sensenin!" Ukyo growled, "I'm still going to pay you back for trying to kiss Per-chan."

"So," Mikado said, "You really do care about the girl, as I suspected."

"I…that's got nothing to do with it!" Ukyo sputtered, balling her fists in her outrage, "I'm going to take you apart just for saying that, you…creep!"

"Very well," Mikado replied, "Since it's obvious you can't be talked out of this folly, I might as well finish you off here and now instead of later."

He raised himself on one foot and lifted one hand to one side, then the other hand in a classic Crane stance. With a slightly melodramatic edge he said, "Behold the Dance of Death! I trust you appreciate the great honor I'm paying you since I hardly think it sporting to use against one so pathetic as yourself."

"Why you!" Ukyo said as she lunged forward.

"Wow!" one of the erstwhile hockey-player assailants cried appreciatively, "The Dance of Death! You rarely get to see him do it!'

"That poor guy doesn't stand a chance," another such masked opponent said with evident pity.

As Ukyo came charging at Mikado he began to spin like a top, and suddenly Ukyo was picked up off her feet and lifted into the Tornado-like funnel that her opponent created.

"Ucchan!" Ranma cried as he fought to regain his footing, wincing once again as Cologne rapped him on the head.

Ukyo was apparently being battered and bruised as she fought to get free of the funnel, and one of the masked hockey players was commenting, "No one's ever broken free of that before. The poor guy's a goner!"

Yet Cologne seemed strangely calm as she silently counted to herself while watching the match. Perfume was watching, too, so overcome with anxiety that she did not mind sitting with her bare hands and knees on the ice, her fear evident on her face as she cried, "Great Grandmother, do something!"

"Silence," Cologne replied, "Don't make me lose my count, child."

"Count?" Ranma gasped as he eased away from the range of her staff, then saw Ukyo suddenly go flying and cried out, "Ucchan!"

He made a sudden dash in a vain effort to catch her, but another form was already in motion to intercept Ukyo's trajectory. That form landed on the ice and absorbed the fall by huddling down so that her knees met the ice to brace against skidding.

"Ow," Ukyo winced, then looked up in surprise and said, "Nab-chan?"

"Hi," Nabiki said, "Sorry I had to wait. Ice really isn't my element, you know."

"Uh, so I see," Ukyo said as she slowly got to her feet, seeing that Nabiki was not wearing skates, having launched herself from the sidelines where Shampoo was still standing.

Mikado came to a complete stop and remained in one-legged position. Cologne came hopping up on her staff while Azusa went to check on her own partner while Ranma remembered the helpless Perfume and came over to lend his assistance her way, casting a furtive glance towards Nabiki.

"Well, Kuonji-san," Cologne remarked, "That was most impressive, but did you need to strike the boy five hundred and one times like that?"

"He got off lucky," Ukyo declared as she felt her numerous bruises with tender fingers and winced, "Ow! That Jackass…"

"Ucchan," Ranma said as he came up holding Perfume by one arm, "Are you all right?"

"Airen!" Perfume cried as she managed to overcome her own unsteadiness and dove fore Ukyo, wrapping her arms around her as she almost bubbled with happiness, "You fought for Perfume! You make Amazon bride so happy…"

"Hey, cut it out, people are watching," Ukyo declared, "I just didn't want him taking advantage of you…"

"And you made a very impressive show of defending Perfume's honor," Cologne noted, "You are a puzzling creature, Daughter-in-law, but your actions speak louder than your words. Still, it is those actions which define the sort of performance you will make during the actual challenge match. You lack finesse and skill in your attacks. That was most unworthy of the resourceful young girl whom I saw defend her claim against Mousse over a week ago. Ranma is a better opponent than you are."

"That's because I trained in Martial Arts Figure Skating," Ranma said, "Ukyo is a Hockey Player. It's a different kind of discipline…"

"So I have seen," Cologne said, "This is most unacceptable. If you do not improve your skills within a few days time you will bring humiliation on both of your heads, to say nothing of the discomfort you will cause miss Kuno when that strange Azusa girl tries to claim her for a pet."

"So what is your point, you old Mummy?" Ukyo grimaced, feeling several lumps upon her head along with several minor scratches that were causing Perfume to look at her with eyes nearly watering.

"You must practice with the boy," Cologne remarked as she indicated Ranma, "He can show you what you need to know in order to avoid further embarrassment. As for you, Perfume…stand up straight and face me."

Perfume got to her feet automatically and turned around without thinking.

"Now, was that so hard?" Cologne asked simply.

Perfume blinked, looking down at herself, then almost at once she began to lose her balance.

"I said stand straight!" Cologne said sharply, and Perfume immediately halted her wobble.

"Wow," Ranma gasped, "How did you do that?"

"It is as I suspected," Cologne replied, "Your self-conscious desire not to fail is what is making it hard for you to adapt to this new environment. We very seldom had snowfall in Joketsuzoku, and the thought of risking our lives training on ice was simply never taken into proper consideration. We must re-dress this egregious oversight by correcting your focus and balance. Once you regain confidence in your ability to move upon these curious blades that you wear on your feet, you will be able to master the rest in virtually no time at all. Fortunately, I have a great deal of experience in helping you overcome your quite natural reluctance to take injury. I offer my services to you now, if it is quite all right with your Airen?"

"I get it now," Nabiki noted, "She's more afraid of you than she is of falling."

"What are you up to, old ghoul?" Ukyo growled suspiciously, "It's not like you to offer something without expecting a return."

"That is hardly fair or accurate, Daughter," Cologne said sagely, "I want only for you to do well on your behalf and that of my great granddaughter. There is no reason for you to suspect me of ulterior motives."

"Except for your entire past history," Nabiki said, "I'm with Ucchan on this. I don't trust you either, but I also don't see any alternative. You obviously know the best way to help Perfume overcome her reluctance."

"So, what do you say, Kuonji-san?" Cologne asked Ukyo, "Would you be willing to trust me so far as to allow me to teach Perfume what she needs know in order to stand competently beside you? I assure you that you'll be at her side every step of the way to see that nothing is learned that does not meet with your approval."

Ukyo grit her teeth then said, "All right. But it's up to Perfume to decide this time, not me."

"I want to make Airen proud," Perfume said, "Teach Perfume what she needs to know, Great Grandmother."

"Very well," Cologne said, "Then the rest of you must withdraw and allow these three to train together. Ranma will stay to show what he knows about this form of Martial Art, and Miss Tendo there may assist if she wished to demonstrate the effectiveness of teamwork."

"Hey," said Akane as she and her group finally caught up with them, "What's up? Will Ukyo and Perfume be ready in time for the match?"

"They had better be," Kodachi growled, "There is no way I am going to wind up as some prize in your personal grudge match, Kuonji!"

"Hey, I'll do my best, all right?" Ukyo growled in reassurance, "And don't go blaming me because of that Shiratori and her wacky obsessions. It also wasn't my idea to go splashing you with Jusenkyo water."

"Ucchan means well, 'Dachi-chan," Keiko said reassuringly, not catching the look Nabiki gave the two of them in passing, "Besides, she's already shown that Mikado up once already."

"Hey," Ranma said as he glanced over towards the Golden pair and saw activity, "What's got those guys so excited?"

"Didn't you see?" Akane said brightly, "Ukyo hit him so many times he passed out. Azusa took out a felt tip pen and started doodling on him and then everybody else pitched in, including us."

"Oh man," Ranma grinned, "I want a piece of this action…"

"Later, " Cologne insisted, "Training comes first. Now I will say it again, off the court with everyone but Ranma, Perfume and Ukyo this minute!"

"Who made her the grand empress?" Kodachi asked as Keiko all but dragged her and Ryoga away.

"Akane-chan," Nabiki asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?' Akane paused to look at her, "What is it, Oneechan?"

"Ah," Nabiki glanced down at her thin-soled slippers then said, "I was…hoping that maybe you could…um…help me get back to Shampoo? I seem to have forgotten my skates…"

"Oh," Akane grinned mischievously, "That's right, you can't skate, can you?"

"Well…" Nabiki hesitated, "No, not really."

Akane relished the discovery that there was at least one thing in which she was better than her sister, but she graciously extended her arm to Nabiki to lend her support as she replied, "Just follow me and try to take it slowly. The ice isn't entirely smooth with all the skating that's carved the surface, so you ought to be able to find some traction."

"Hmm," Cologne said as she eyed Nabiki in passing, "Perhaps you and my other Great Granddaughter…"

"Don't even go there, old woman," Nabiki growled, trying not to give away the fact that the very idea was leaving her shaking in her non-existent boots…

Continued

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