Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ Devoted Sisters... ( Chapter 54 )

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.

If there was one thing that Hinako Ninomiya could not stand it was a disorderly and smart-alecky student. In her world there was only one kind of student, the quiet and obedient kind. Any other kind was a disruptive influence to be purged from the school environment. In her years as a teacher she had faced many kinds of challenging problem makers, but none quite so challenging and problematic as this Tendo Nabiki who seemed to lead the students of Furinkan like a minor Obuyun working from within the shadows.

Well, actually her activities seemed to be pretty much out in the open, which made her that much of an example that was sorely in need of being made with her fellow students. She and that gang of Premier Martial Artists that everyone referred to as the Tendo Posse, each one a troublemaker of a different sort in sore need of correction.

The problem for Hinako-Sensei was that Tendo Nabiki was cunning and shrewd in her approach to organizing the vice problem on the high school campus. She had recruited a tight-knit band of like-minded followers who organized the betting pools and collected graft from their fellow students, and woe betide anyone--student or faculty member--who did anything they did not approve of, for Nabiki had very creative ways of bringing down the arrogant and mighty. Everyone either feared or respected her because she was reputedly the best martial artist in Nerima, and quite recently she had impressed this fact with the student body by taking down a large organized gang of thugs who had tried moving in on her territory.

Hinako did not have many of the details but she knew from the reports that some students had been badly injured in the crossfire between the Posse and the gang, and several gang members had even been killed, while the Posse itself escaped with only minor injuries. The police had refused to prosecute Nabiki and her people, even for the alleged weapons use violations, and no one in the school administration had similarly been inclined to take action, which struck Hinako as a shocking example of the negligence that had prevailed on the campus before she had been hired by the Assistant Principal to restore some semblance of order to the Furinkan environment.

Hinako felt that she was more than up to the challenge, except for the problem that she had gone head-to-head with Nabiki that one time and came off the worse for the encounter. It had been a surprise to learn that they both shared the same teacher…or rather that the old man who had taught Hinako the use of her Happo Coin method was none other than the founder of the Anything Goes school to which both she and the Tendo family belonged. The master had turned out to be nothing more than a scheming pervert who stole women's lingerie for a hobby, and the one time she had confronted him on that and used his Happo method against him, Master Happosai had then turned around and taught Nabiki the counter technique that could neutralize it. Nabiki had faced her down and managed to apply the touch-pressure technique, and in so doing had left Hinako relatively powerless for the span of a single day, an experience that she was not eager to have repeated.

Of course, to make the technique permanent it would need to have been applied every day for an entire month, a fact that had dismayed Nabiki and elated Hinako since it meant that they could have a needed rematch, which she had every confidence of winning. Unfortunately Nabiki had shown great reluctance to again engage her, so a kind of uneasy stalemate had presided ever since with neither party altogether eager to press the matter.

Still, Hinako was looking for an opportunity to use her Good Girl Method on the arrogant Tendo witch, provided she could do it under justifiable circumstances where there would be no question of the propriety of her actions. In the meanwhile she was considering what to do about the members of the Posse itself, each of whom had given her great cause for concern in a different respect. If she could whittle down Nabiki's inner circle of troublemakers she might have an easier time bringing the Tendo girl into line. They were guilty of everything from fighting on campus to carrying weapons on school grounds, which was not only a bad precedent but simply not to be tolerated.

She was pondering how exactly to effect this point when she stopped off on the way home from Kuonji Ukyo's restaurant to buy some sweet snacks to munch upon so she could do her thinking on something other than an empty stomach.

She would have purchased an Okonomiyaki from Kuonji's place itself except that she had a cool disdain for the way that Ukyo flaunted school regulations dealing with students who earned an outside income. Kuonji may have obtained permission from the previous school administration but that did not make it right, even if she was able to balance work with a full time schedule of classes.

She had a similar policy towards Nabiki's use of her illicitly gained funds to keep her own family financially solvent as well as operate the dojo that she and her father ran during her off-school hours. This class was being used to recruit more martial artists to her cause, which made it a clear and present threat to public order…

"Stop thief!"

"Eh?" Hinako looked up from her private reveries to see a fast-moving figure approach in her direction. An angry merchant who screamed something about having been robbed of his fish sausages was chasing the figure, which Hinako's trained eye picked out to be a young-seeming girl moving incredibly fast and coming right at her.

Rather than move out of the way she raised her hand with a five-yen piece and started to pronounce her chant that would activate her Happo Five-Yen Satsu attack, but before it could be completed the girl suddenly appeared fully in her vision with a most surprised look on her face. This was quickly replaced by a too-intimate look, which itself was followed by an explosion of stars as Hinako found herself a moment later stretched out flat on her back with a very concerned look on the face of that same girl looking down at her from a close inspection.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl hastily apologized, "I didn't mean to run into you…"

"Get off me you…delinquent!" Hinako said to her with as much dignity as she could manage from her horizontal position.

"Kurumi-chan," another more mature voice called out, causing the girl to flinch as she said, "Hai, Oneechan. I'm so sorry…she just popped up in front of me with no warning…"

"That may be so," said another girl who appeared in Hinako's vision, much taller but not too much older looking than the first, "But it is rude and improper behavior just the same. I've told you repeatedly that your escapades were going to lead us both into trouble," she sighed in exasperation.

The one named Kurumi hastily sat up and looked at Hinako very contritely before assuming a more formal bow as she said, "I am very sorry that I did not see you in time. It was inexcusable of me, but I beg your forgiveness."

"Well," Hinako found it very hard to stay mad at this other girl for very long, even if she did appear to be no more than a few years older than Hinako's own deceptively young appearance, "I am not injured, but you should take greater care where you are going. Someone else is bound to be hurt if you rush like that through crowded places."

"We are both very sorry," the taller girl said as she knelt down and bowed her head to Hinako, "My sister means well, but she has of late acquired a very bad habit that I am trying to break her of. It was never our intent to inconvenience you, young girl…"

"Sensei," Hinako corrected as she got back to her feet and dusted herself off.

"Eh?" this other girl looked at her in mild confusion.

"Hinako-Sensei," she repeated, "I am a teacher at Furinkan High School. Do not be fooled by my appearance, I am much older than you both and will expect you to remember this."

"I…see," the older girl said dubiously, then politely added, "I am Natsume, and this is my younger sister, Kurumi. We are…pilgrims on a mission to train ourselves to be first rate Martial Artists."

"Indeed?" Hinako asked, "To what school do you belong?"

"Anything Goes school, Hinako-Sensei," Kurumi brightly responded, then with a more subdued tone added, "We are also seeking the whereabouts of our father, who we have not seen in many years…"

"Kurumi," Natsume chided, "It is not proper to speak of such things with total strangers…"

"Maybe so," Hinako squared her hips and held her arms akimbo as she replied, "But I am a teacher of this district, sworn to uphold the interest of young people, such as yourselves, be they students or mere pilgrims. If you are trying to locate your father then perhaps I cam help you. What is his name?"

"Tendo Soun," Natsume replied with a hopeful expression, then saw recognition in Hinako's eyes and gasped, "Do you know him?"

"I know of him," Hinako said as she recovered her bearings, "Tendo Soun, eh? I might have guessed this would involve that clan of his…"

"Excuse please?" Kurumi looked at her in confusion, "Have you some problem with our father that we should know about?"

"Not him specifically," Hinako replied, "But I have been meaning to have a chat with him regarding another one of his daughters. Perhaps it is at last time that I did so."

"Daughters?" both girls chorused, sharing an exchange of looks before Natsume asked, "We have sisters we have never yet met?"

"More than one, or so I am told," Hinako nodded sagely, "Come with me, the both of you. It is time I paid a visit to the Tendo estate, and I am certain your father will be more than anxious to make your acquaintance…"

If there was one thing that Nabiki dreaded more than a confrontation with Hinako-Sensei it was going to see Principal Kuno in that dilapidated shack that he laughingly called his office.

As she considered the palm-tree lined façade located behind the school building itself she had a moment of dread during which she reviewed the several previous visits she had made to this so-called office. She had, of course, read up about Principle Kuno when he was no more than an accomplished industrialist and multi-millionaire, the head of a successful pharmaceuticals outfit that specialized in the use of herbal medicines and natural plant extracts, which complimented the lesser business outlets in a chain of floral shops that presently were being held in trust in Kodachi's name. To see the man now one could never believe that he had ever been even remotely that normal.

Of course, the casual stranger did not know the Kuno history half so well as she did. Kuno Senior had spent most of his adult career in the blind pursuit of wealth and had ignored the growing tragedy that was taking place on the domestic sphere almost literally beneath his notice. He had been neglecting his emotionally distraught wife, which had driven her to an emotional breakdown that she in turn took out upon her son and daughter. Both Kuno children were left emotionally shattered from years of humiliation and abuse to which their mother's eventual suicide had all but been a relief, and since that time they had been raised in the care of trusted servants without proper parental supervision. Kuno Senior had been even more emotionally devastated by the realization of his guilt and eventually left his company in the hand of its shareholders while he inexplicably took up a position as Principal of Furinkan in some twisted notion of finding restitution for his lack of parental skills. Two years later he disappeared on a sabbatical and left a jubilant administration behind, who had chaffed in despair at his period of misrule.

Four years later and his children could barely recognize the man, who apparently had spent his time on a deserted island almost literally going "Native." He now had an obsession with Hawaiian and Polynesian culture in general and insisted on having his office made out in the very image of the hut he had lived in while slowly going bananas.

Nabiki stared at the bamboo ladder leading up to the hut on stilts and took several deep breaths in order to steady her nerves before making the ascent. She had no doubt that the Principal himself was in his office as he almost never left it--even to go home to his family, and he was currently playing the ukulele. With a sense not unlike the character from the novel by Lewis Carroll, she began her climb until she reached the outer ledge, then she knocked three times on the door and said, "Principal Kuno? I'd like to speak with you if you have a moment."

"Come in!" she heard him cheerfully reply, and with a last effort at maintaining her resolve Nabiki forced a smile onto her face and entered the office, at once feeling as though she had stepped out of Japan itself into some fantasy notion of a South Seas paradise. The whole office had been done up with that thought in mind, being composed of bamboo and palm trees in such a makeshift fashion that one could easily believe that Kuno himself had been his own interior decorator and designer.

The Principal himself was reclined in a hammock playing his instrument and wearing a pair of sunshades indoors. He had on a Hawaiian shirt with Bermuda shorts and a pair of thong sandals on his feet, which was the only thing he ever seemed to wear these days, regardless of the weather or fashion. Nabiki was gratified to note that he was also wearing a straw-hat top his head, thus sparing her the disconcerting sight of the miniature palm tree he normally had growing there. He had a perpetually cheerful expression on his face as he continued to play without sparing a glance towards Nabiki as though utterly unconcerned with any purpose she might have for seeking him out.

"What's on your mind, Tendo-san?" he asked in a tone that seemed to confirm his general lack of real interest.

"Sir," Nabiki tried to sound as deferential as she could manage, "I need to obtain permission to go on a field trip with my friends. It will require our absence for at least a good part of the week…"

"Whoah!" now she had his interest as could be told by the way he stopped playing and sat upright in his hammock, "That's a pretty serious request, Bubba. You got a reason for skipping so many classes? I already got Hinako-Sensei on my case because of the time you have missed."

"I have a good reason, Sensei," Nabiki replied, having thought one up on the way to the school, "Like I said it's a field trip, sort-of like a fact finding mission that only needs your approval to become official…"

"Fact-finding, huh?" he resumed his smile, "Not a bad idea. I went on one myself and I sure picked up a lotta good stuff during my vacation."

"Ah," Nabiki was starting to wonder if it was really such a good idea to go through with this, but having already committed herself she had no choice but to plow on ahead, "I'd like to outline the details of what we're hoping to accomplish, sir. You see it's occurred to me that there are not enough palm trees in Japan."

That really got his interest, "Palm trees, huh? Yeah, I kinda noticed there aren't enough of them myself. Glad to see somebody else appreciates the value of good vegetation in our surroundings. Too much of this pink stuff that falls all over the place after summer…"

"Cherry Blossoms?" Nabiki managed to keep a straight face, even though she knew full well that the man before her had once tried to abolish them from school grounds until voted down by the school board. She had no intention of dragging that up again and quickly decided to change the subject, "I just thought you might like some evidence that you can present before the board in your campaign to beautify our campus."

"Not a bad idea," he grinned, speaking in the oddly slang-filled tones he usually adopted, "Of course coming from you, I gotta wonder what's up. Folks here seem to think you run the place and now you're taking a hike? There's gotta be something else involved…"

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, "Can't I be interested in the welfare of my own school? Surely you don't think that there's a profit motive behind my seeking to beautify this place?"

"Hmm, probably not," he shrugged, "Butcha gotta admit you get away with a lotta stuff that ain't too fit for a role model like yerself, Kahuna, like the way you flaunt the school dress code…"

"Oh, that," Nabiki had to stifle the urge to wince at his comment. Her style of dress was mandated by the circumstances of her curse, as was her frequent absences from class. Her tendency to turn into a guy at odd moments and without hardly any prior warning forced her to usually adopt clothing that fit in either of her two genders. Similarly, she could not even wear regular shoes because of the way her feet expanded, so soft sandals were the norm on those occasions when she did not prefer to go barefoot.

He continued on as though she had not spoken, however, and touched on the next sensitive subject, "Also that pony tail you wear down your back…I still think it should go," and to emphasize his point he pulled out a pair of his pocket scissors and made several snipping sounds to get her reaction.

He got it in spades this time as she could not keep herself from wincing on the subject. She had always made a point to maintain a neat grooming with her hair trimmed short up front but allowed to grow long in the back and held in place by a Dragons Whisker chord that had been a gift during her travels. As odd as it might seem to be vain about something like that, Nabiki prized the distinctive quality it loaned to her overall appearance. Besides that, a side effect of the whisker was that its removal would cause her hair to suddenly grow long and out of control. Wearing it meant her hair remained an even length, which was how she liked it. No matter what other compromises she would make with this principal, the subject of her hair was an inviolate issue.

"Sir," she attempted to be reasonable again, "Surely you don't mean to suggest that a humble student such as myself could affect school policy that greatly? Have I ever done anything that was strictly against the best interests of Furinkan and its students?"

"Not in so many words, no," he shrugged, still holding up the scissors, "Still it would be nice if somebody was on my side about this. You got clout, that's no laugh, so maybe you find what I need to convince the board of my wisdom and I could give this trip of yours my authorization."

Nabiki had to keep her smile of relief under wraps as she bowed, "Thank you sir, you won't regret this…"

"On one condition."

Nabiki halted in mid-motion, slowly looking up again with suspicion in her eyes as she asked, "What condition is that?"

"A field trip needs a teacher's supervision to be official-like," he grinned, "I want you to take Hinako-Sensei with you for a week justa keep things honest."

"Nani?" Nabiki felt her expression screw up into a reflection of his dismay. That was exactly the last thing she wanted, short of a haircut. Having Hinako around would complicate things beyond all description, and there was very little likelihood that Guile would agree to it. Besides that, she had been looking forward to a week without Hinako's continual harassment. She opened her mouth to utter an immediate protest and heard the snipping sound of his scissors, which shut her up abruptly.

"Glad we see eye-to-eye on this," the Principal smiled, "How soon do you leave?"

"Ah…tomorrow?" Nabiki asked, realizing that it was the Principal who was seeking an escape from the harassment of Hinako-Sensei. Crazy or not, the man was far from completely stupid.

"Tomorrow sounds good," the Principal said as he lay back on his hammock and started playing his ukulele again, "Have a nice trip and bring me back a pineapple."

"Sure thing, sir," Nabiki bowed as she took her leave, thinking privately to herself that the only sort of pineapple she would like to give this principal was the kind that had a pin in it. It galled her to think that she could be so effectively out-maneuvered by a certifiable fruit-basket, but she saw no way to argue herself out of the pit. She only hoped Hinako herself would refuse to go along with the matter because the idea of bonding with her would likely put her in the nut house before the week was over...

The Kuno Mansion was a product of the post-occupation when Barons of the old military system had become literal Barons of capitol and had adapted to a life that resembled the Aristocracy of Europe. The place was vast and worth the ransom of several Kings, yet seemed quite humble in its charms as that it was not entirely built like a fortress, let alone the Feudal Castles that once had housed the Kuno family in its days of earlier glory.

Presently, the house had a new architectural addition that had been ordered constructed by the Mistress of the Manor. At that precise moment this new feature was being used by a small four-legged furry creature that an observer would have identified as a black ferret, a creature that entered through six-inch wide holes cut through the walls along a wooden ledge that ran close to the roof above the notice of anyone not looking up to see it. The ferret moved down a ramp and eventually came to an interior chamber adjoining one of the bathrooms and from there descended by means of a specially made ladder until it could reach one of the sinks, which too had been so constructed that even a ferret would have no trouble working the handles.

Once it had turned on the hotwater tap, it jumped into the sink and waited for the water to reach the right temperature, at which point its dimensions immediately expanded outward. A moment later a very nude Kuno Kodachi stepped onto the padded throw rug upon the floor, turning off the water as she flipped her long back hair over her back, reaching into a drawer to pull out a barrette. She smiled as she glanced at the reflection of herself seen in the mirror and deliberately posed her body as though to flaunt herself at her own reflection.

A tapping on the skylight window overhead made her look up to see the creature posed there looking down at her expectedly. Kodachi reached up to pull the handle on the chain connecting to this skylight that opened it along a spring mechanism, and then in flew a ruddy vulture, which wasted no time in alighting next to her, making a squawking noise as though voicing an opinion.

Kodachi smiled as she patted the head of the winged creature, heedless of any thought that it might try to peck at her as she said, "Just be patient, darling. I'll test your bath for you in another minute."

Kodachi knelt down beside the bathwater, checking to see that it was indeed kept warm, as per her instructions to Sasuke. Satisfied that it would do she made a kissing noise to the vulture, which spread its wings and jumped into the bath with no further preamble, and a moment later a naked Arigami Keiko appeared to throw her own long-braided red hair down over her back and smile at Kodachi, patting the water with a meaningful expression.

"I'd love to," Kodachi cooed from the furro as she more properly washed herself off with a sponge before dousing herself with a warm bucket in preparation for joining her friend in the bathwater. Once they were immersed together Keiko wasted no time taking Kodachi into her embrace and kissing her passionately. Kodachi returned the affectionate gesture--and the kiss--but parted briefly to say to her friend and sometime lover, "Your father is quite an extraordinary fellow, but I noticed that you did not introduce me as anything other than your very good friend. You wouldn't happen to be embarrassed about our relationship, are you?"

"Who, me?" Keiko responded in surprise, "Nobody's ever accused me of modesty before, but…well …I hope you don't mind if I wait to tell him that? We haven't seen each other in over ten years, and I'd… like to hear his full opinion on that subject before I tell him that his little girl is a skirt chaser."

"So now I'm just a skirt, is that it?" Kodachi mock-pouted, but she was watching Keiko carefully as she added, "You are embarrassed about me, aren't you?"

"What?" Keiko blinked, "No, that isn't it! Honestly, why would anybody be ashamed to admit to having a great looking girl like you for her steady? I just want to give him time to get to know me better. You know Americans and how uptight they get over sex…"

"True," Kodachi murmured, forming a cute pout, "Not directly, of course, but I have read articles on the subject. I understand that the sight of a bare breast is totally banned over nearly all commercial channels of their television programs, excluding only Satellite and Cable. I just meant that I hope that you aren't implying that I personally am someone you would feel awkward about introducing to your father and mother?"

Keiko considered her answer before replying, sensing that there was more than just her usual coquettish wit involved in Kodachi's tone, and after a few seconds of thought she believed she had come upon the answer.

"Are you thinking maybe of joining my family?" she said, wording it as a tease while studying Kodachi carefully to measure her reactions, "Like maybe you'd like to call my Daddy your father?"

"Considering the alternative," Kodachi said without humor, "That is hardly an unwelcome suggestion."

Keiko winced a bit before she sighed, "As opposed to the guy who claims to be your father? Yeah…I can see how that might not be such a bad idea…"

"Far from it," and now Kodachi's tone implied extreme distaste, "That…man is not the father I once knew. I don't know what he is, but he is not my father. I would rather my father had died at sea then come home to us as such a…stark raving ninny. Even Tatawaki finds his behavior extraordinarily obtuse, which ought to say something about the level of insanity that we are dealing with here."

Keiko nodded, "I wish there was some way of denying it, "Dachi-chan, but like it or not he's still your father. I think you guys are stuck with each other, and believe me when I say that I don't envy you that. First day he saw me at school he tried to cut off my braid."

"He tried to shave me to a boy's length," Kodachi shook her long black hair meaningfully then sighed a heartfelt sound of grief, "My own father…"

"Maybe they should have left him on that deserted desert isle where they found him," Keiko said, then saw the expression on Kodachi's face and said, "What is it?"

Kodachi tried to stifle the grief she was feeling but could not, "It's just…we were never really close…he was always working, even when he wasn't at the office. He spared very little time for me, but in a way I always did look up to him and hoped one day that I could be someone he could be proud of. He let our mother do what she would with us and…and…I'd rather not talk about it."

Keiko wordlessly embraced Kodachi as the other girl shivered for a moment then finally succumbed to burying her face in the other girl's shoulder. Kodachi fought her own tears, but the sense of warmth that came with close contact made it impossible to maintain her normal barriers against the outside world. Keiko held her closely and allowed her trembling to subside at last before finally saying, "For what it's worth my life hasn't been a picnic either. My mother was born to good surroundings, though probably not as good as this. She gave it all up when she got involved with my father, and her parents cut her off completely. At least you still have a home…such as it is."

"I would rather be a penniless vagabond like you than have dwelled in such empty luxury as this," Kodachi whispered, and it was a side of Kodachi no one--not even Akane--had ever seen before, a Kodachi who felt very much alone in the world and needed the reassurance that came with knowing that someone cared about her for herself and not her looks or wealth. This was not the aristocratic Kodachi who sometimes bullied people she felt superior to, or even the one that had once called Keiko a peasant.

After a moment of sharing their closeness without the need for doing anything but hug Keiko finally murmured into Kodachi's ear, "Wanna trade?" which caused them both to chuckle softly.

"You are the world to me," Kodachi said as she pushed away, looking Keiko in the eyes before adding, "You and my Akane-chan, who I know I must one day give up to the embrace of her Ryoga. I hope you do not think me silly for wondering if what we have might not be of other than a transitory nature?"

"Could be," Keiko smiled, "Time will tell. After all, you might still meet some cute guy you'll want to go out with, and I'm sure some day you'll want to have children…"

"That might not be such a good idea," Kodachi said with great delicacy, averting her eyes for a moment before looking up again and saying, "There is a madness in my family that seems hereditary. I have it, my mother had it, my father and brother most unquestioningly have it…and I dread the responsibility of passing it along to yet another generation. Although I fight against my demons there are times when I feel as if they are winning. I used to be so afraid…afraid of even looking at myself for fear that I would see a stranger in my own reflection. Since you and Akane have shown me another way to live…I have found it easier to resist the call of my inner demons…"

Keiko reached up to caress Kodachi's cheek and leaned closer as she held her gaze and said, "I know you'll always win that battle, you've got more strength than you're giving yourself credit here, 'Dachi-chan. I know what loneliness is, believe me, but you don't have to be alone…not while I'm here, and never around Akane."

"I know," Kodachi murmured, tears in her eyes though she was smiling in happiness. A moment later her smile became somewhat more predatory, "But I just hope you never have cause to regret getting close to me, because I am the sort of woman who takes as much as she gives…and sometimes more than she is given. Right now I have no doubt at all what I want from you, my dear friend…"

"I know," Keiko said as she leaned in to kiss Kodachi, "And I give it gladly. Anything you want from me, just ask."

"Good," Kodachi reached around and grasped Keiko by the base of her braid, tilting her head back as she leaned forward to smile at her with their noses almost touching, "Because I want you to tell your father all about us at the first opportunity. I won't hide what we have from him or anyone else who matters, do you agree?"

"Ah…" Keiko considered the point well, along with the Minx-like stare in Kodachi's eyes and felt rather much as if her throat were being bared to the ferret, "I guess I could try to tell him…"

"Not good enough," Kodachi said firmly, "I want you to tell him without hesitation. Choose the moment that you like but do not wait too long or I will tell him for you."

"Eep," Keiko yelped, feeling the tightening of Kodachi's grip, along with the possessive hunger Kodachi's other hand displayed by caressing her right bosom, "All right…I'll tell him!"

"Good," Kodachi smiled as she brought her lips up to kiss Keiko's cheek, then slowly nuzzled lower while her hands began roving over the redhead's body, both above and below the level of the water…

"Yes?" said Kasumi as she looked down to see three new guests on their doorstep, "How may I help you?"

"This is the Tendo Training Hall, correct?" Hinako asked as she stared up at the nice-looking girl in the flowery dress.

"Yes of course," Kasumi replied, wondering why the young girl had answered her instead of the two older ones who hovered nervously behind her, "I'm Tendo Kasumi, can I be of any service?"

"Is one Tendo Soun in residence?" Hinako asked, "I am Hinako Ninomiya, a teacher at Furinkan High school."

"Oh," Kasumi looked down at the girl dubiously. A teacher? But she looked even younger than Akane! Still, it was not polite to point this out, so instead she directed herself to the question by replying, "Oh yes, I remember hearing about you. You teach my sister and brother-in-law's home class. Tendo Soun is my father…"

"Oneechan!" the second youngest girl present declared happily before the oldest said, "Kurumi., behave yourself. Is this any way to make a first impression on our family now that we have at long last been reunited?"

Kasumi has grown accustomed to dealing with strange and unusual circumstances of late, but this one was a new chapter that caused her to blink then reply, "Excuse me? There must be some misunderstanding here…"

"You are Tendo Kasumi, the daughter of Tendo Soun who is the head of this household and lord of this estate?" Hinako asked directly as if to restate her earlier question, "There is no mistake, these two claim to be your sisters, Tendo Natsume and Kurumi. May we speak to your father briefly?"

Kasumi blinked her eyes several times as she took all of this in, and for several reasons, one of which being that no one in her memory had ever referred to her father as the "Lord of the estate." The part about these two young girls being her sisters was another thing entirely. One looked to be about Akane's age, the other a little older, perhaps Nabiki's age or thereabout. Both were looking at her with earnest and hopeful expressions as if seeking confirmation of deep and fond expectations. The last question, of course, was the easiest to answer, so she stepped back from the door and replied, "This way, please, and I'll introduce you to father."

Hinako was the first to enter as though expecting this as her natural privilege, the other two girls following more modestly in her wake as Kasumi tried hard not to stare at them, wondering what in the name of her mother's spirit could be going on at the moment.

Hinako-Sensei was wondering very much the same thing as she allowed Kasumi to show her the way into the house that she had been hearing so much about since beginning her tenure at Furinkan. By rights it should have felt more like walking into the Lion's den--not that Hinako had much to fear from lions, of course--but instead it felt almost like…a home. There was a very nice feeling to the place, a very old feeling, as though it had been around a long time, like a distinguished gentleman who gained only dignity and wisdom with the passing of the seasons. It was a very nice feeling, one that reminded her much of her own home, which she had not visited in so very long, and Kasumi reminded her in some odd way of her own foster mother. It was hardly the feeling she had come to expect, knowing this home had ushered in so many troublemakers who made life very difficult for an honest teacher.

It was also reputedly the home of the Master, the old man who had visited her in that hospital so very long ago and taught her the Happo Five Yen Sutra. The memory of this made her scowl a little as she firmed up her resolve to confront this Tendo Soun and give him a piece of her mind about his shortcomings as a parent.

All this passed through her mind in the space of a few seconds before they arrived at the main living quarters, which were currently occupied by a very tall man with long black hair and a mustache who was sitting across a Shogi board studying the pieces while a panda bear was lounging on the other side sipping his tea…

A PANDA BEAR???

Hinako had to do a double-take as she found that it was indeed a full grown giant panda sitting upright and scowling at the board in front of him, and when the mustached man looked up the bear moved a paw and quickly rearranged the pieces. Hinako was about to grab for her coin when she heard the mustached man say, "Ah, Kasumi-chan, who are these young people?"

"Some more guests who have come to see you, father," Kasumi replied, hesitating to introduce the two older girls, so instead she turned to Hinako and said, "This one claims to be a teacher at Furinkan High School, a Miss Hinako Ninomiya…"

"Ah," the man brightened, "You teach in my Akane's home room, am I right? Akane said you looked rather young but are an excellent disciplinarian."

"I…" Hinako was taken aback by the friendly manner and praise of the man, but more by the fact that the panda held up a sign that bore the words, "Isn't she a bit young to be a teacher?" She caught herself thinking that Tendo Soun had a very nice smile, then furiously wondered whatever could have made her think such an inappropriate thing? She was groping to find the words to make a proper introduction when the two girls accompanying her stepped forward to confront the man with eager expressions.

"You are Tendo Soun?" the older girl asked hopefully.

"I am," Soun replied with a puzzled expression, "And you are?"

"Poppa-san!" Kurumi cried as she rushed forward and embraced the astonished Soun, even as Natsume dropped her own severe demeanor and knelt down at Soun's other side to likewise embrace him, crying, "Father! We have found you at last!"

Soun froze up as if he had become an instant statue, staring straight ahead as he was enthusiastically hugged from both sides while the panda reversed his sigh to reveal the words, "What's this all about?"

"Excuse me?" another voice politely asked as a distinguished looking woman in what appeared to be her late thirties entered, further startling Hinako, "I thought I heard more voices. Kasumi, did you let more guests in despite what I told you?"

"Hai, Auntie," Kasumi replied, "But I had good reason this time. This young lady says that she is one of Akane's teachers from school, while these other two girls…" her voice trailed off as she looked at them and her father in confusion.

Natsume turned towards this older woman and smiled broadly, "I am Natsume and my sister is Kurumi, and we are the daughters of Tendo Soun, at long last reunited with our father…"

CRASH! The tea tray held by this older woman slipped from her hands unnoticed as she looked on in dismay and repeated the words, "Your…father?"

"N-no!" Soun finally broke out of his paralysis, "There must be a mistake! I don't remember fathering any more children, and certainly not illegitimate ones at that…"

The panda held up his sign again, which now read, "Are you sure? The do seem to know you."

"Quite positive, Saotome-kun!" Soun protested, "You think I would not remember a thing like that? Nodoka, Kasumi-chan…you do believe me?"

Hinako blinked her eyes they started at the panda that had been referred to by the name Saotome. So this was Ranma's father, eh? Raised by wild animals…that did explain a lot about that boy…

"There is no mistake," Natsume said happily as she pulled out an object that she had kept close to her bosom, "You see here? This photograph is all the proof we need that we are Tendos. See that? That's us when we were both only six and seven years of age."

Kasumi and Hinako moved around to get a better look at the photograph, which did indeed show two young girls in one side of the picture while someone else's back was to the photograph wearing a faded Gi that bore the letters spelling out the Anything Goes School logo.

"Oh my," Kasumi was the first to remark as she turned to the pale-faced woman named Nodoka, "It does seem as if someone from our school is in that photo, but you can't really tell who it is without seeing their face."

"Of course, you're right!" Soun brightened up like a drowning man who had just found a life preserver, "How very clever of you, Kasumi! Now do you believe your father is innocent of fathering two other girls without anyone else's knowledge?"

"Turn the photo around," Natsume said calmly, and when Soun did so he revealed handwritten lettering that declared that the two girls in the photograph would inherit the Anything Goes School when they came of age and became great martial artists.

It also bore a signature spelling out the name Tendo Soun.

Natsume nodded and said, "Now do you believe us?"

Soun just stared at the photograph as he stared at the lettering on back, gripping it hard until his knuckles whitened. His expression was ashen while Kasumi said, "Oh my…that could be your handwriting, father. You never were very good at calligraphy."

"But…!" Soun started to declare when suddenly a tea tray got smashed down upon his head, bending it at a very sharp angle. Everyone turned to see a furious Nodoka pivot on one heel as she stalked angrily back towards the kitchen.

There was silence for a moment and then the panda once more held up his sign, which said in hastily scrawled letters, "Nailed you good that time."

"Nodoka-san?" Soun asked wonderingly as he turned his head to look at the empty doorway, unconscious of the fact that the bent tea tray now resembled a rice hat.

"Are you all right, Pappa-san?" Kurumi asked him anxiously, seeing the tray rise as a lump started forming.

"Oh sure," Soun said faintly, "I've never felt better," and then he passed out…

Nabiki arrived home a short time later, having regathered her flock after having informed Cologne of their present situation. Ukyo had closed her restaurant early with the Elder's express urging and now they were intending to convene a war conference on the Madam Lao issue. Cologne's withered face bore a serious look of intense concern as she lead the way, skirting around the house moving towards the dojo, but before they arrived Nabiki saw the two strange girls sitting on the back porch with her father and halted in mid-step and blink in confusion.

"One moment, Elder," Nabiki urged, and at once headed off to find her father, whose expression was unusually distressed and pale. She could see evidence of tears having been quite recently shed and wondered what had set him off this time. She was about to ask him directly when she was unexpectedly headed off by Kasumi.

"Neechan," she said, turning towards the two girls, "These are Natsume and Kurumi. They will be staying with us for a while until we can determine if their story is genuine or not. They claim to be our long-lost sisters come to claim their share of father's inheritance."

"Nani?" Nabiki blinked, giving Kasumi a startled look before turning back to regard the earnest expressions of the two newcomers, "You've got to be kidding."

"I am afraid not, Oneechan," the older of the two girls said politely, "We are the daughters of Tendo Soun. I know this may be hard to accept but we have been searching for so long, and now at last we are restored to the family we have sought for all of our lives. Please accept that it is not our intent to cause you any distress, but this man is indeed our father."

"Daddy?" Nabiki blinked, seeking confirmation of this disturbing revelation.

"I swear to you, Nabiki-chan, that I have no idea what they are talking about!" her father protested, "I don't remember fathering children with anyone but your own blessed mother, and I'm pretty certain I would remember their mother if I had. I am not that virile!"

Nabiki studied the two girls kneeling at her father's side. The older one had a severe yet proper quality around her, not striking her as the dishonorable type who might concoct such a far-fetched story, though it was plain from the look in her eyes that she was desperately eager to find confirmation of her deeply cherished beliefs. She had--of all things--a rub-beater slung across her back as though it were a staff or sword, and something about her erect bearing suggested that she was in excellent physical condition, quite probably a Martial Artist.

The younger one was a very Kawaii looking girl with a large red ribbon tied in her auburn colored hair, roughly Akane's age or younger. She seemed the more honest of the pair and had a different kind of anxious quality about herself, as if fearing rejection or that the entire dojo might disappear into a dream at any moment. There was also a highly animated feature about the way she was sitting as though she had a lot of energy that she barely contained through inaction. She also had the sort of robust aura that suggested a seasoned martial artist. She was about to interrogate them directly when a voice called out to her, shattering the entire focus of her concentration.

"Tendo Nabiki!"

"Mou," Nabiki faintly whispered as she turned and said, "Hinako-Sensei? What brings you to my humble house?"

"I have been having a very serious discussion with your Aunt Nodoka," Hinako replied, indicating the older woman standing just behind her at the doorway to the kitchen, "Concerning your activities of late. I warned you that I would bring this up with your family if you persisted in your delinquent ways. Perhaps now you will show proper respect for your teachers…"

"Yahoo!" cried a voice coming to Nabiki's immanent rescue, making Nabiki at once silently take back a good third of all the nasty things that she had ever said about Happosai. The old man came bounding past the patio with his usual sack of ill-gotten goods declaring happily, "What a haul, what a haul…!"

That was all the distraction Hinako needed. This time she did not hesitate to draw her coin and begin chanting her spell, forming a pentagon in the air as the Happo Five Yen Satsu took effect, immediately draining off the energy of Happosai's lustful glee with the result that Hinako started to grow by two feet and fill out in all sorts of interesting places.

"Gaaah!" Happosai cried as a crumpled shadow of the man hit the ground, looking even more wrinkled than was usual in his case. The now-adult Hinako smiled and casually tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder then said in contentment, "Perhaps one of these days you will finally learn from your errors. A man of your years should not be taking advantage of helpless young girls to fulfill his lustful fantasies."

"An interesting technique," said Cologne in appraisal looking down almost with a smile at the fallen Happosai, "I take it this is one of your pupils who did not turn out quite the way you imagined?"

"To my eternal shame I bear that burden," Hinako said in her now-husky voice, then smiled at the various astonished faces turned in her direction, "He will recover soon enough. My Good Girl technique drains battle auras, not life force. A side effect of this power that the old man taught me how to use is that I spend most of my time looking like an innocent young girl, but in reality I am fully adult I assure you."

Natsume and Kurumi said nothing, just stared in blank astonishment. Nodoka was staring too, although her expression was more difficult to read. What caught Nabiki's eye, however, was the look on her father's face as he stared up at the vision of incredible beauty that was presently before him in a tight-fitting yellow dress. Nabiki could hardly blame her father for having a very male reaction to the sight of such a fascinating wet dream, but there was something about his gaze that worried her too. And then she caught a look in Nodoka's face out of the corner of one eye and wondered in growing amazement if she were sensing the beginnings of a new form of domestic trouble on her horizons. Nodoka's glare at Hinako had gone from guarded to angry.

"Hinako-Sensei," Nabiki thought fast, "I have been to the school and had a personal interview with Principal Kuno that briefly had your name in it. He has authorized a field trip that is to begin early tomorrow, and he would like you to supervise…a fact-finding mission of sorts…"

"Wait a minute," Hinako glared at her in suspicions, "This has palm trees in it somewhere, am I right?"

"Well," Nabiki shrugged innocently, "It has been a concern of his that there are not enough palm trees in Furinkan, and I may have mentioned that we could maybe find some on the way…"

"What. Are. You. Up to this time?" Hinako slowly and carefully pronounced each word, not bothering at all to hide her hostility and suspicion.

"Nothing dishonest, I assure you, Sensei," Nabiki raised both hands as it to show by their emptiness the sincere quality of her statement, "I'm merely trying to help a friend who is looking for her mother. Surely you don't see anything sinister in that? And maybe, while we're on our way, you and I might be able to…well, you know…bond a little, as in teacher to student?" she added the last part with a hopeful note, hoping that Hinako would take the bait at face value.

"I will have to consult with the Principal myself to see if you are being on the level with me this time," Hinako said with a clear hint that she did not relish going to face the Principal, "But if I learn that this is another one of your schemes…"

"Word of honor," Nabiki raised one hand, "It's not. I'm just doing what's right for a friend, which I'm honored bound to do as the heir to the Anything Goes tradition…"

"You are the heir?" asked Natsume with interest, "How very interesting. I assume that you are the best martial artist of this household?"

"I do well enough," Nabiki said modestly, frowning slightly as she added, "Is that a challenge?"

"Perhaps," Natsume smiled, "When you get back from your trip you may care to spar with me so that we can see which of us is better?"

"Oneechan?" Kurumi looked at her sister in confusion.

"Sure thing," Nabiki narrowed her eyes, "If you think you're good enough to be a Tendo, I don't see why not. I'll look you up when I get back."

"And I will be counting the moments until you return…Sister," Natsume emphasized the word, clearly relishing the idea of a confrontation.

Their alleged father clearly did not, as he started to weep again while Hinako looked down at him with evident concern, and Nodoka's normally pleasant expression darkened even more until she almost resembled Akane. Nabiki noticed the absence of Genma from all of this and suspected that there was as much significance in this as everything else she was so casually observing.

She turned away to follow Cologne towards the dojo, but she paused to glance back over her shoulder at the house them softly murmured in undertone, "There's life to you yet, Daddy…I just hope you're ready to lie in the bed you're making…"

Continued

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