Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Okonomiyaki Muyo! ❯ Prolog ( Prologue )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: SoftRogue 
Please C&C...pretty please???
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.13.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Completed
Please C&C...pretty please???
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.13.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Completed
Okonomiyaki Muyo!
Prolog
By SoftRogue
Disclaimer: The characters from Ranma 1/2 and Tenchi Muyo! belong to other people. Not me. This is a work of Fan Fiction, and if by some way the events in this work describe real events, it is purely unintentional (plus I'd be really amazed). So please, please, please don't sue.
Night had fallen over the Nerima Ward of Tokyo. Business closed there doors and locked up for the evening as a relative hush came over those who were able to get through the day without any incidental property damage. Not that everyone had noticed, however.
Inside of Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, the proprietor and owner didn't notice the time, nor did she truly care anymore. Kuonji Ukyo had closed her restaurant several hours ago after her sometime friend/sometime fiancée Saotome Ranma had left. She had shut everything down after he had gone, unable to face the crowds that normally filled her business.
Ukyo was leaning over her counter; as she had been for the past several hours. The only sound in the restaurant that could be heard was an occasional hiss as her tears struck the surface of her cooling grill. Today had been the final straw that had broken the proverbial camel's back, but she was at a loss as to what had gone wrong.
It was the same as always, it seemed to Ukyo. Her Ranchan had come in to eat as always, and as always she had made her special Okonomiyaki for him. Ukyo wasn't sure what it was that he had said (with him it could have been any one of countless things) that had set her off; not that she had done an Akane on him mind you. No, she had just smiled and nodded until he was done eating and had left. But once he was gone she locked up for the day, unable to go on.
It was the same viscous cycle over and over again. Ranma and Ukyo. Ranma and Akane. Ranma and Shampoo. Ranma and all the other fiancés (real and imaginary) and the hoards of people (male and female) who were chasing after him/her. Not that those jackasses were her main problem. No, her real problem was the 'Uncute Tomboy' and the 'Amazon Bimbo'.
"No. That's not fair" Ukyo thought to herself. "They're trapped in this just like I am."
Was it Shampoo's fault that the laws of her village required her to marry the man who defeated her? No. Was it Shampoo's fault that she had a curse that sent Ranchan into fits? No. Was it Shampoo's fault that she had actually fallen in love with the baka? No.
And Akane...was it her fault she was trapped into her engagement by her Father? No. Was it Akane's fault that she had built in triggers that Ranchan would unintentionally push? No. Was it Akane's fault that she was also in love with the baka, yet never had the chance to say the words? No.
Ukyo had looked over the facts time and time again. In a perfect world she knew that she would make an excellent husband for Ranma. She could cook better than the others, although it was by a narrow margin with Shampoo (lets not talk about that activity that Akane somehow thought of as cooking). As a fighter she was as good as, if not better than Akane (though nether were on Shampoo's level). And she was the only one that truly cared about what Ranma thought and felt. And looks...well, truth be told the three ended up balancing out.
But...as hard as she tried, she couldn't hate them. Ukyo had long ago realized that had the three met in a totally different situation, they would be friends...perhaps the best of friends. Shampoo always lived by a 'seize the moment' philosophy and she would always look on the brighter side of things. Akane on the other hand was (almost) always bright and sunny and was always full of energy. If only...if only...
"If only there wasn't Ranma." Ukyo thought as she choked out a sob.
Saotome Ranma. If only he would make a choice then everything would be so much better. He was constantly hemming and hawing back and forth about this whole fiancée thing. He refused to make any sort of commitment. This whole situation was his fault, and those were the facts. He would say something that would send her heart all aflutter, then the next moment act like a complete jackass. And he would do the same things to Akane and Shampoo. Always. If he would just choose, Damnit!
"But...but he would pick Akane." Ukyo thought as she felt her knees go weak.
The way that he would talk to her, like they were two old friends, about Akane made that fact all the more obvious. In truth, he would rather have nothing to do with Shampoo and her Great-Grandmother (not that Ukyo could blame him on that last point) and Ukyo would never be more that his 'best buddy'. The fact that he was collecting frequent flier miles because of Akane was his own fault; he could never keep from saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. But how his face would occasionally look when he was talking about Akane...it made Ukyo's heart contract in pain.
"I...I can't take it anymore." Ukyo thought as she absently grabbed her Bakers Peel and walked towards the door. "I...just can't take it anymore."
* * *
"...yo?...kyo...?...an you hear me Ukyo?" a gentle voice asked.
"wha?" Ukyo groaned softly.
"Oh, good. You've come to." The gentle voice said with relief.
"Wha?" she groaned again.
Ukyo slowly opened her eyes as the light sent needles of pain into her brain. Placing a hand onto her forehead she felt a damp cloth there. Looking up, Ukyo saw the face of a angel looking down at her with concern...no, wait, it wasn't an angel but the closest thing to an angel she would ever meet this side of heaven. Tendou Kasumi.
Ukyo had gotten to know the eldest Tendou sister very well when she stayed at the Tendou Household while she was getting over the disappointment she had over her failed Secret Sauce. In many ways, Kasumi had reminded Ukyo of everything she had lost when her mother had passed on so long ago. Kasumi was the nicest, kindest, and gentlest person that she had ever met in all her life.
"Kas...Kasumi?" Ukyo said weakly "Wh-where am I?"
"Your in our house." Kasumi said tenderly. "Kuno Tatewaki found you last night and brought you here."
"Kuno?" Ukyo said as the image of the slightly deranged Kendoist came to mind.
"Yes. He's such a dear, sweet boy." Kasumi said with a small smile. "He found you wandering around Nerima and brought you here. You were in such a bad state he was worried about you."
"Wandering...around?"
"Yep, that's right." Another voice said from beyond Ukyo's sight.
Ukyo lifted her head up slowly and noticed the middle Tendou sister leaning up against the doorframe, her right eyebrow raised slightly.
"Yea. Wandering around. For about three days as near as I can tell." Tendou Nabiki said as she pushed herself off of the frame and entered the room. "Sis. Why don't you check on Ukyo's stuff and I'll fill her in on what's been going on."
"Well, if you think it's best." Kasumi said as she stood up. Looking down a Ukyo she said, "Your clothing was such a mess, I put them in the wash. I'll be back in a bit with something for you to wear."
Ukyo finally mustered up enough strength to lift the sheet over her, and blushed as she noticed that she was completely naked. By the time she had covered herself again, Kasumi had left the room and Nabiki had sat down next to Ukyo's head.
"Three...days?" Ukyo said slowly as she looked up at the 'Ice Queen of Furinkan'.
"Yep, three days. Look, before I begin I'd better tell you that Akane and Ranma left for a week long training mission with Dad and Saotome-san."
"...oh..."
"To tell you the truth, I've had people looking for you for some time. After all, when one of the best food joints in town closes down for no reason, it can be bad for business for me." Nabiki said with a shark-smile. "Anyway, I had no idea where you went till Kuno-chan half carried half led you here."
"Why...why here?"
Nabiki's smile took on a humorous list as she continued. "Well, since Tofu-Sensei is out of town the only place he could think of taking you to get help was either getting Kasumi to take care of you or..." Nabiki's smile grew wider "have his sister look after you."
Ukyo shivered at the thought of falling into the hands of Kuno Kodachi, who made her older bother look like the picture of sanity. "Ah...I see." Ukyo said.
"Well, that and he knows about your connection with Ranma. He came here looking to avenge you against that 'Foul Sorcerer Saotome' since Kuno was under the delusion that Ranma had something to do with your condition."
"Oh..." Ukyo said weakly, thinking that maybe Kuno wasn't too far off the mark. "Um...what 'condition' are you talking about?"
"Well, you see..." Nabiki said as she reached behind her and lifted up a familiar object.
It was Ukyo's third favorite Bakers Peel...or to be more precise, what was left of her third favorite Bakers Peel. It was twisted and bent and dented and scratched. There were gouges along its side and the leading blade was nicked. It was also covered in filth and there were reddish-brown stains on it.
Ukyo could only stare at the stains with a growing sense of dread. "...no..."
"Don't worry. I've already checked with the local hospitable. Several gangs were checked in with a variety of injuries. But nothing life threading and no fatalities." Nabiki said with reassurance as she put the Bakers Peel back behind her.
Relief flooded Ukyo as she relaxed back onto the futon. "Thank the Kami."
Nabiki fixed the chef with a piercing gaze. "Look, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. This has something to do with Ranma. Doesn't it?"
Ukyo looked up at the ceiling, refusing to meet the middle Tendous eye. "um...well...ah...you see..."
"You don't have to tell me." Nabiki said, "I can pretty much guess what he said to you. After all, he's my chick that lays the golden egg. I know what he's liable to say and do."
"Well...you see..."
Nabiki sighed, "Look Ucchan. Maybe you need to get away from all the craziness here in Nerima for a while. You know, get your head on straight and all that."
"But...but what about Ucchan's?"
With a gleam in her eye, Nabiki pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Ukyo. "I was thinking about that. I'll lease the restaurant from you. At a reasonable rate, of course." Nabiki flashed a smile. "That way you don't have to worry about losing any income."
Using her business sense and knowing Nabiki's way of doing things, Ukyo carefully looked over the contract. "Wait a second. What's this last clause?"
"Oh, that. It's simply an option to allow me the possibility to purchase the restaurant from you at a later date."
"WHAT! WHY WOULD I DO THAT?" Ukyo exclaimed as she found the strength to rise up on her elbows.
Sighing again Nabiki said, "Listen Ucchan. In a weird, twisted sort of way, your like family. And no matter what people say about me, I care about family." Nabiki shook her head slowly, "And, well, speaking of family. I care about my little sister and in some sort of twisted way I think Ranma's right for her. And Ranma cares for you...just not the way you want."
Ukyo could only close her eyes in pain as Nabiki continued. "I know it's not my place to force a decision, we've already been over that when I was Ranma's fiancée. What I'm giving you is a way out if you find some better situation. Basically what I'm saying is I know you'll come back unless you find a better reason to stay away. This way, you have all your bases covered if something does happen." Nabiki finished softly.
Ukyo leaned back and closed her eyes as she absorbed everything that Nabiki said to her. While it's true that you could say many things about the middle Tendou daughter (and all of them true) one thing she didn't do was say an outright lie. After all, there wasn't any profit in it. Realizing the truth of the matter, Ukyo had only one choice.
She reached out for the pen that she knew that was being presented to her.
* * *
{So...here I am. Pulling a Ryoga.} Ukyo thought with a wry smile as she tightened the straps on her backpack.
Its been over a week since she had left Nerima. At first, Ukyo didn't have any particular where to go, so she just wandered around Japan. She knew that she couldn't go back home to Kyoto. No...not there. Her father, Kuonji Akari, wouldn't allow her back if he found out that she hadn't either gotten her revenge or married Ranma. And how she was feeling right now, neither was an option for her.
Then the answer had come to her out of the blue. Perhaps...perhaps there was one place she could go. Maybe, just maybe there was one person she could talk to about her problems. Perhaps HE would be able to take her in for a little while so she could work her problems out. Of course, it's been almost 12 years since she last been there.
The first two times was with her late mother. The second time wasn't a happy occasion, a funeral service if Ukyo remembered correctly. The third and last time she was brought by her father shortly after her mother had passed on. From what Ukyo could remember, it was a strained affaire between her Father and Him. But aside from the unhappy memories with those last two visits, Ukyo knew she had felt...welcomed somehow.
So, with no other place to go, Ukyo found herself heading there. Finally she arrived, and from what she could remember, there were very little had changed in the 12 years since she had last been here. The lake was still clear and the smell of the pine trees hung thick across the valley. And the old house was still falling apart.
But the steps. Yes, she remembered the steps very well. There seemed to be an endless number of them, but they seemed smaller than she remembered. "Well, it has been over a dozen years since I was here last." Ukyo thought.
Mid-way up the steps, Ukyo paused. Her eyes seemed to be pulled to a worn dirt path that led away from the ancient stone stairway. She knew where it would lead to, what was at the end of that path. Even though she had seen it only three times, the memory was still crystal clear in her mind. She had often thought of it over the past dozen years, and each time she had been filled with an overwhelming sense of peace. That strange tree with the miracle stories hanging from it that never changed the color of its leaves.
Ukyo almost followed the path...almost. She knew that she could visit it later, if everything went well. But first she had something to do. With a sigh, she readjusted her straps and continued up the steps with a heavy heart.
* * *
"Honored guests, though we welcome
you, please refrain from putting your feet
up on the table top."
The man known as Masaki Katsuhito looked at his latest masterpiece with a frown. "Hum...definitely not my best work." he said to himself.
The elderly looking man placed the rice paper and the brush down on the table and looked out the opened door of the Masaki Shrine office. He always enjoyed quiet moments like this when his grandson was off taking care of the chores, although sometimes he wished that something exciting would happen.
To Katsuhitos' surprise, he saw a hansom young man cresting the steps of the shrine. It was a surprise since he had worked hard to keep the Masaki Shrine from becoming a 'tourist trap', unlike many other shrines he knew around Japan.
"No, wait..." Katsuhito mused as the person removed the heavy backpack that they were wearing and set it on the ground as they looked around. "That isn't a young man. That's definitely a young woman."
Just because he looked like he was in his late 70's (although he was actually around 725 years old) didn't mean anything. He was still in the prime of his life, and he definitely still had an eye for the ladies. As the young woman wiped her brow and looked around, Katsuhito got a good look at her. She was cutting a fine figure in her masculine style clothing, with her long dark hair done up in a ponytail. It was obvious that she had bound her ample breasts up for some reason, perhaps it had something to do with the bandoleer she was wearing across her chest. Although he couldn't make out what was being carried in the bandoleer, he could clearly see the giant spatula that was across her back.
"No...it's called a Bakers Peel." He thought as a frown crossed his face. "How did I know that?"
As he studied the young woman's profile, a memory that he had pushed away several years ago stirred. In the first time in over 300 years, Katsuhito found himself truly surprised. He unsteadily got to his feet and walked down the steps of the office and slowly moved towards the young woman.
As the young woman saw Katsuhito walking slowly towards her, her eyes went wide and she let out a little gasp. She remained rooted in place as he came to a stop several meters before her, her body trembling slightly.
"U-Ukyo?" Katsuhito said softly.
"Gra-Gramps?" she said just as softly, to which Katsuhito nodded slightly.
"GRAMPS!" Ukyo yelled out, with tears in her eyes, as she launched herself at Katsuhito and embraced him.
Prolog
By SoftRogue
Disclaimer: The characters from Ranma 1/2 and Tenchi Muyo! belong to other people. Not me. This is a work of Fan Fiction, and if by some way the events in this work describe real events, it is purely unintentional (plus I'd be really amazed). So please, please, please don't sue.
Night had fallen over the Nerima Ward of Tokyo. Business closed there doors and locked up for the evening as a relative hush came over those who were able to get through the day without any incidental property damage. Not that everyone had noticed, however.
Inside of Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, the proprietor and owner didn't notice the time, nor did she truly care anymore. Kuonji Ukyo had closed her restaurant several hours ago after her sometime friend/sometime fiancée Saotome Ranma had left. She had shut everything down after he had gone, unable to face the crowds that normally filled her business.
Ukyo was leaning over her counter; as she had been for the past several hours. The only sound in the restaurant that could be heard was an occasional hiss as her tears struck the surface of her cooling grill. Today had been the final straw that had broken the proverbial camel's back, but she was at a loss as to what had gone wrong.
It was the same as always, it seemed to Ukyo. Her Ranchan had come in to eat as always, and as always she had made her special Okonomiyaki for him. Ukyo wasn't sure what it was that he had said (with him it could have been any one of countless things) that had set her off; not that she had done an Akane on him mind you. No, she had just smiled and nodded until he was done eating and had left. But once he was gone she locked up for the day, unable to go on.
It was the same viscous cycle over and over again. Ranma and Ukyo. Ranma and Akane. Ranma and Shampoo. Ranma and all the other fiancés (real and imaginary) and the hoards of people (male and female) who were chasing after him/her. Not that those jackasses were her main problem. No, her real problem was the 'Uncute Tomboy' and the 'Amazon Bimbo'.
"No. That's not fair" Ukyo thought to herself. "They're trapped in this just like I am."
Was it Shampoo's fault that the laws of her village required her to marry the man who defeated her? No. Was it Shampoo's fault that she had a curse that sent Ranchan into fits? No. Was it Shampoo's fault that she had actually fallen in love with the baka? No.
And Akane...was it her fault she was trapped into her engagement by her Father? No. Was it Akane's fault that she had built in triggers that Ranchan would unintentionally push? No. Was it Akane's fault that she was also in love with the baka, yet never had the chance to say the words? No.
Ukyo had looked over the facts time and time again. In a perfect world she knew that she would make an excellent husband for Ranma. She could cook better than the others, although it was by a narrow margin with Shampoo (lets not talk about that activity that Akane somehow thought of as cooking). As a fighter she was as good as, if not better than Akane (though nether were on Shampoo's level). And she was the only one that truly cared about what Ranma thought and felt. And looks...well, truth be told the three ended up balancing out.
But...as hard as she tried, she couldn't hate them. Ukyo had long ago realized that had the three met in a totally different situation, they would be friends...perhaps the best of friends. Shampoo always lived by a 'seize the moment' philosophy and she would always look on the brighter side of things. Akane on the other hand was (almost) always bright and sunny and was always full of energy. If only...if only...
"If only there wasn't Ranma." Ukyo thought as she choked out a sob.
Saotome Ranma. If only he would make a choice then everything would be so much better. He was constantly hemming and hawing back and forth about this whole fiancée thing. He refused to make any sort of commitment. This whole situation was his fault, and those were the facts. He would say something that would send her heart all aflutter, then the next moment act like a complete jackass. And he would do the same things to Akane and Shampoo. Always. If he would just choose, Damnit!
"But...but he would pick Akane." Ukyo thought as she felt her knees go weak.
The way that he would talk to her, like they were two old friends, about Akane made that fact all the more obvious. In truth, he would rather have nothing to do with Shampoo and her Great-Grandmother (not that Ukyo could blame him on that last point) and Ukyo would never be more that his 'best buddy'. The fact that he was collecting frequent flier miles because of Akane was his own fault; he could never keep from saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. But how his face would occasionally look when he was talking about Akane...it made Ukyo's heart contract in pain.
"I...I can't take it anymore." Ukyo thought as she absently grabbed her Bakers Peel and walked towards the door. "I...just can't take it anymore."
* * *
"...yo?...kyo...?...an you hear me Ukyo?" a gentle voice asked.
"wha?" Ukyo groaned softly.
"Oh, good. You've come to." The gentle voice said with relief.
"Wha?" she groaned again.
Ukyo slowly opened her eyes as the light sent needles of pain into her brain. Placing a hand onto her forehead she felt a damp cloth there. Looking up, Ukyo saw the face of a angel looking down at her with concern...no, wait, it wasn't an angel but the closest thing to an angel she would ever meet this side of heaven. Tendou Kasumi.
Ukyo had gotten to know the eldest Tendou sister very well when she stayed at the Tendou Household while she was getting over the disappointment she had over her failed Secret Sauce. In many ways, Kasumi had reminded Ukyo of everything she had lost when her mother had passed on so long ago. Kasumi was the nicest, kindest, and gentlest person that she had ever met in all her life.
"Kas...Kasumi?" Ukyo said weakly "Wh-where am I?"
"Your in our house." Kasumi said tenderly. "Kuno Tatewaki found you last night and brought you here."
"Kuno?" Ukyo said as the image of the slightly deranged Kendoist came to mind.
"Yes. He's such a dear, sweet boy." Kasumi said with a small smile. "He found you wandering around Nerima and brought you here. You were in such a bad state he was worried about you."
"Wandering...around?"
"Yep, that's right." Another voice said from beyond Ukyo's sight.
Ukyo lifted her head up slowly and noticed the middle Tendou sister leaning up against the doorframe, her right eyebrow raised slightly.
"Yea. Wandering around. For about three days as near as I can tell." Tendou Nabiki said as she pushed herself off of the frame and entered the room. "Sis. Why don't you check on Ukyo's stuff and I'll fill her in on what's been going on."
"Well, if you think it's best." Kasumi said as she stood up. Looking down a Ukyo she said, "Your clothing was such a mess, I put them in the wash. I'll be back in a bit with something for you to wear."
Ukyo finally mustered up enough strength to lift the sheet over her, and blushed as she noticed that she was completely naked. By the time she had covered herself again, Kasumi had left the room and Nabiki had sat down next to Ukyo's head.
"Three...days?" Ukyo said slowly as she looked up at the 'Ice Queen of Furinkan'.
"Yep, three days. Look, before I begin I'd better tell you that Akane and Ranma left for a week long training mission with Dad and Saotome-san."
"...oh..."
"To tell you the truth, I've had people looking for you for some time. After all, when one of the best food joints in town closes down for no reason, it can be bad for business for me." Nabiki said with a shark-smile. "Anyway, I had no idea where you went till Kuno-chan half carried half led you here."
"Why...why here?"
Nabiki's smile took on a humorous list as she continued. "Well, since Tofu-Sensei is out of town the only place he could think of taking you to get help was either getting Kasumi to take care of you or..." Nabiki's smile grew wider "have his sister look after you."
Ukyo shivered at the thought of falling into the hands of Kuno Kodachi, who made her older bother look like the picture of sanity. "Ah...I see." Ukyo said.
"Well, that and he knows about your connection with Ranma. He came here looking to avenge you against that 'Foul Sorcerer Saotome' since Kuno was under the delusion that Ranma had something to do with your condition."
"Oh..." Ukyo said weakly, thinking that maybe Kuno wasn't too far off the mark. "Um...what 'condition' are you talking about?"
"Well, you see..." Nabiki said as she reached behind her and lifted up a familiar object.
It was Ukyo's third favorite Bakers Peel...or to be more precise, what was left of her third favorite Bakers Peel. It was twisted and bent and dented and scratched. There were gouges along its side and the leading blade was nicked. It was also covered in filth and there were reddish-brown stains on it.
Ukyo could only stare at the stains with a growing sense of dread. "...no..."
"Don't worry. I've already checked with the local hospitable. Several gangs were checked in with a variety of injuries. But nothing life threading and no fatalities." Nabiki said with reassurance as she put the Bakers Peel back behind her.
Relief flooded Ukyo as she relaxed back onto the futon. "Thank the Kami."
Nabiki fixed the chef with a piercing gaze. "Look, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. This has something to do with Ranma. Doesn't it?"
Ukyo looked up at the ceiling, refusing to meet the middle Tendous eye. "um...well...ah...you see..."
"You don't have to tell me." Nabiki said, "I can pretty much guess what he said to you. After all, he's my chick that lays the golden egg. I know what he's liable to say and do."
"Well...you see..."
Nabiki sighed, "Look Ucchan. Maybe you need to get away from all the craziness here in Nerima for a while. You know, get your head on straight and all that."
"But...but what about Ucchan's?"
With a gleam in her eye, Nabiki pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Ukyo. "I was thinking about that. I'll lease the restaurant from you. At a reasonable rate, of course." Nabiki flashed a smile. "That way you don't have to worry about losing any income."
Using her business sense and knowing Nabiki's way of doing things, Ukyo carefully looked over the contract. "Wait a second. What's this last clause?"
"Oh, that. It's simply an option to allow me the possibility to purchase the restaurant from you at a later date."
"WHAT! WHY WOULD I DO THAT?" Ukyo exclaimed as she found the strength to rise up on her elbows.
Sighing again Nabiki said, "Listen Ucchan. In a weird, twisted sort of way, your like family. And no matter what people say about me, I care about family." Nabiki shook her head slowly, "And, well, speaking of family. I care about my little sister and in some sort of twisted way I think Ranma's right for her. And Ranma cares for you...just not the way you want."
Ukyo could only close her eyes in pain as Nabiki continued. "I know it's not my place to force a decision, we've already been over that when I was Ranma's fiancée. What I'm giving you is a way out if you find some better situation. Basically what I'm saying is I know you'll come back unless you find a better reason to stay away. This way, you have all your bases covered if something does happen." Nabiki finished softly.
Ukyo leaned back and closed her eyes as she absorbed everything that Nabiki said to her. While it's true that you could say many things about the middle Tendou daughter (and all of them true) one thing she didn't do was say an outright lie. After all, there wasn't any profit in it. Realizing the truth of the matter, Ukyo had only one choice.
She reached out for the pen that she knew that was being presented to her.
* * *
{So...here I am. Pulling a Ryoga.} Ukyo thought with a wry smile as she tightened the straps on her backpack.
Its been over a week since she had left Nerima. At first, Ukyo didn't have any particular where to go, so she just wandered around Japan. She knew that she couldn't go back home to Kyoto. No...not there. Her father, Kuonji Akari, wouldn't allow her back if he found out that she hadn't either gotten her revenge or married Ranma. And how she was feeling right now, neither was an option for her.
Then the answer had come to her out of the blue. Perhaps...perhaps there was one place she could go. Maybe, just maybe there was one person she could talk to about her problems. Perhaps HE would be able to take her in for a little while so she could work her problems out. Of course, it's been almost 12 years since she last been there.
The first two times was with her late mother. The second time wasn't a happy occasion, a funeral service if Ukyo remembered correctly. The third and last time she was brought by her father shortly after her mother had passed on. From what Ukyo could remember, it was a strained affaire between her Father and Him. But aside from the unhappy memories with those last two visits, Ukyo knew she had felt...welcomed somehow.
So, with no other place to go, Ukyo found herself heading there. Finally she arrived, and from what she could remember, there were very little had changed in the 12 years since she had last been here. The lake was still clear and the smell of the pine trees hung thick across the valley. And the old house was still falling apart.
But the steps. Yes, she remembered the steps very well. There seemed to be an endless number of them, but they seemed smaller than she remembered. "Well, it has been over a dozen years since I was here last." Ukyo thought.
Mid-way up the steps, Ukyo paused. Her eyes seemed to be pulled to a worn dirt path that led away from the ancient stone stairway. She knew where it would lead to, what was at the end of that path. Even though she had seen it only three times, the memory was still crystal clear in her mind. She had often thought of it over the past dozen years, and each time she had been filled with an overwhelming sense of peace. That strange tree with the miracle stories hanging from it that never changed the color of its leaves.
Ukyo almost followed the path...almost. She knew that she could visit it later, if everything went well. But first she had something to do. With a sigh, she readjusted her straps and continued up the steps with a heavy heart.
* * *
"Honored guests, though we welcome
you, please refrain from putting your feet
up on the table top."
The man known as Masaki Katsuhito looked at his latest masterpiece with a frown. "Hum...definitely not my best work." he said to himself.
The elderly looking man placed the rice paper and the brush down on the table and looked out the opened door of the Masaki Shrine office. He always enjoyed quiet moments like this when his grandson was off taking care of the chores, although sometimes he wished that something exciting would happen.
To Katsuhitos' surprise, he saw a hansom young man cresting the steps of the shrine. It was a surprise since he had worked hard to keep the Masaki Shrine from becoming a 'tourist trap', unlike many other shrines he knew around Japan.
"No, wait..." Katsuhito mused as the person removed the heavy backpack that they were wearing and set it on the ground as they looked around. "That isn't a young man. That's definitely a young woman."
Just because he looked like he was in his late 70's (although he was actually around 725 years old) didn't mean anything. He was still in the prime of his life, and he definitely still had an eye for the ladies. As the young woman wiped her brow and looked around, Katsuhito got a good look at her. She was cutting a fine figure in her masculine style clothing, with her long dark hair done up in a ponytail. It was obvious that she had bound her ample breasts up for some reason, perhaps it had something to do with the bandoleer she was wearing across her chest. Although he couldn't make out what was being carried in the bandoleer, he could clearly see the giant spatula that was across her back.
"No...it's called a Bakers Peel." He thought as a frown crossed his face. "How did I know that?"
As he studied the young woman's profile, a memory that he had pushed away several years ago stirred. In the first time in over 300 years, Katsuhito found himself truly surprised. He unsteadily got to his feet and walked down the steps of the office and slowly moved towards the young woman.
As the young woman saw Katsuhito walking slowly towards her, her eyes went wide and she let out a little gasp. She remained rooted in place as he came to a stop several meters before her, her body trembling slightly.
"U-Ukyo?" Katsuhito said softly.
"Gra-Gramps?" she said just as softly, to which Katsuhito nodded slightly.
"GRAMPS!" Ukyo yelled out, with tears in her eyes, as she launched herself at Katsuhito and embraced him.