Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Genmas Daughter ❯ 09 ( Chapter 8 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Imported From: RAAC
From: Deborah Goldsmith <dgoldsmith@mac.com>
Subject: [Ranma][FanFic] Genma's Daughter, Chapter 9: A Different Art

As always, all rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and
Shougakukan

Genma's Daughter
Chapter 9: A Different Art

By Deborah Goldsmith
Original concept and parts of Chapter 1 by Steve Pardue

Deborah Goldsmith <dgoldsmith@mac.com>
Steve Pardue <spardue@zebra.net>

http://www.zebra.net/~spardue/anime

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"How could you?"

Nodoka was still boiling mad as she sat across from Genma in the Tendou
living room. Ranko had pleaded with her not to hurt him, and she had
reluctantly agreed to sit down and talk. The Tendous had gone out to a
movie to give them some privacy, except for Akane, who had stayed to
lend Ranko support. The whole story of how Ranko had become a boy had
come spilling out as Nodoka looked on, implacable resentment etched on
her face. Ranko watched them both, her nerves frayed.

Genma winced. "I told you, it was an accident. I didn't mean to..."

"I don't mean that! Insanity like that is a given where that perverted
freak is concerned! How could you have even thought of taking her to
him, no matter how drunk you were?! Our precious baby, our only child!"
Tears started to fall from her eyes. "And then you did the worst thing
of all. You took her away from me! Do you think I wouldn't have loved
her just as much as a boy? Girl or boy, you took my baby away from me
for twelve years! On a training trip, no less, when I told you I didn't
want you to push her into the Art. You knew full well that she was never
interested in it the way Akane-chan was." Those two girls' jaws dropped
at that.

"I might have been able to forgive you for being idiot enough to take
her to the Master. How could I ever forgive you for taking her away from
me..." She put her head in her hands and sobbed. Ranko got up and went
over to embrace her.

Genma didn't think he could feel any lower than this. He had been sure
Nodoka would kill him for getting Ranko turned into a boy. In his haste
to escape, he had committed an even worse crime. He put his head in his
hands.

After a moment, Nodoka hugged Ranko back, then released her and
straightened up again. Her eyes were red but her face was tightly
controlled. "Do you know how betrayed I felt? Do you know what it feels
like to have your own husband, the man you trusted with your life, the
father of your child, abandon you and steal your only child away? Can
you imagine what I went through?

"I was beyond devastated. It tooks me four months before I could even
function again. Two years before I stopped crying every single day,
before I started to take any sort of interest in life again! And on top
of that, Kirara died not long after you left. I didn't even have the
Tendous to fall back on. If my sister and my cousin had not been there
to take care of me, I might not be here right now." Akane and Ranko
looked on silently, both crying, holding each others' hands tightly.

All Genma could do was whisper hoarsely, "I'm sorry..."

Nodoka shook her head. "Sorry won't do. There is nothing you can say,
nothing you can do that will make up for what you did to me, what you
did to our child. You are not fit to be a father!" Genma cringed. "Thank
goodness she is old enough not to need protection from you; I only wish
I had been there to protect her from your folly earlier." Nodoka shook
her head. "She used to love cats, now look at her. And that's only one
thing out of many that you did to her."

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze intent. "You listen to me. From
now on, you are not making any decisions in her life. Not where she goes
to school or college, not what she does with her life, not whom she
associates with, not whom she marries. Those will be between me and her."

Genma boggled. "But... but Nodoka... you can't do that!"

Nodoka glared. "I most certainly can, and I will. I've checked with my
cousin's husband, the lawyer, and if I pressed charges I could have you
sent to prison. What court would sympathize with a man who would throw a
child into a pit of hungry cats? You've proven your judgment is awful.
But I won't do that if you stop hurting her."

Her voice softened. "I... I won't keep you away from her. I know she
loves you, and I know," her voice faltered momentarily, "I know you love
her. You took a curse on to free her from hers." She bowed her head and
put her hand over her eyes. "It's just that you are a fool, Saotome
Genma, and I cannot stand seeing our child suffer from that, not one
more minute. I cannot let you guide her any more." Genma was speechless.

Ranko felt that she had to say something. Anything. "Mother, I... you...
you don't have to do this. I know he has stupid ideas sometimes... well,
OK, a lot of the time," Genma winced, "but I know when to ignore him."
Genma winced again.

"I'm glad you have learned to ignore your father's foolishness, dear,
but I want him to know he cannot boss you around. I will not allow it.
Do you want him to come up with another crackpot scheme like the
engagement to Akane-chan? Suppose he decides you should be engaged to
that Kunou boy? The boy is rich, after all, something your father is
easily swayed by. He could engage you against your will, just as he did
before."

Ranko shook her head, shocked. "He... he wouldn't..." she trailed off,
and looked at her father; he smiled sheepishly. "Oh, my..." breathed
Ranko. Akane's glare could have wilted a good-sized stand of trees.

"So I am sending him the message, loud and clear: he is not making any
decisions like that about your life. He is not making *any* decisions
about your life." Nodoka turned to Genma. "I would rather handle this
informally. I prefer to stay married for the sake of convenience.
However, you are not welcome in my home, and you are not welcome to
meddle in our daughter's life. If I get even a hint that you are doing
so, I will have you in court. Believe me, my cousin's husband is ready
and waiting. He saw what you did to me first hand." Genma paled.

Ranko looked back and forth between her parents, her face pale from
shock. "But... but Mother... what about our family? Won't... won't we
have a family?..."

Nodoka's face was stone. "We may still be married, but I cannot live
with this man."

Ranko stood up, tears streaming down her face. "No... no... please,
Mother, not this... please..."

Nodoka shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear. I..."

"NO!" shouted Ranko, then spun and ran from the room. She ran up the
stairs, and a door was heard slamming.

Nodoka glared at Genma one more time, then turned to go upstairs. She
went to her daughter's door, and paused when she heard the sobbing
inside. She knocked gently. "Ranko... Ranko, dear, it's me. May I come
in?" She heard a noise that sounded like assent, and slid the door open.

Her daughter was face down on the bed, her face in a pillow, sobbing
deep, hard sobs. Nodoka sighed, and went over to sit down. She put her
hand on her daughter's back, which stiffened, then relaxed. Ranko sat
up, still sobbing, and accepted Nodoka's embrace. Nodoka stroked her
hair as she cried. "It's all right, baby... it's all right..."

Eventually Ranko spoke. "Why?... Why d-does our family have to fall to
pieces? Why? I... I want to have a family..."

Nodoka sighed. "Dear, I... I just can't accept your father as my husband
any more. I can't ever trust him again, after he stole you away from me.
I've tried, but I don't think I can forgive him."

Ranko pulled back a little while still in Nodoka's embrace, and looked
up into her mother's eyes. "Are... are you sure? Won't you give him a
chance?"

Nodoka looked down at her and smiled. "Why are you defending him like
this, after what he did to you?"

Ranko shook her head, slowly. "Be... because he's my father, and I love
him. I can never stop loving him. Yes, he did all those things, but...
but he loved me."

Nodoka frowned. "How can you forgive him when he taught you the Nekoken?
When he engaged you to Akane-chan? When he did all of those other
things?"

Ranko flinched. "He... well, all right, he's an idiot sometimes. Maybe a
lot of the time. Maybe he *is* too irresponsible to be a father. But he
still loves me, and he's still *my* father." She took a deep breath.
"I'd rather have an idiot father than no father at all."

Nodoka shook her head. "That's precisely why I can't trust him to have
any say over your life. He *is* an idiot, and he'll just hurt you
again." Ranko nodded, reluctantly. "He ruined my life, and worse yet, he
ruined yours. Maybe things are more or less set aright now, but I still
don't think I can forgive him."

Tears spilled from Ranko's eyes again. "But... our family..."

Nodoka smiled sadly. "Ranko, dear, nothing will change, really. We don't
have a family and haven't for twelve years. You have your father, and
you have me, but he and I are almost strangers."

Ranko swallowed. "Maybe... maybe you should try to get to know him again
first? Give him a little time?"

Nodoka sighed, a little exasperated. "It won't change anything."

"Please? For me?"

Nodoka bowed her head. "If I could do it for you, sweetheart, I would."

*****

Dinner was a very subdued affair. Genma and Nodoka were both grim, and
Ranko was terribly depressed. Kasumi tried valiantly to cheer everyone
up, to little effect. Afterwards, Akane and Ranko sat out by the koi
pond, trying to enjoy the last of the summer evenings before fall's
chill really took hold. Nodoka had gone into the kitchen with Kasumi,
and Genma and Souun were trying to concentrate on their shogi game, with
limited success.

Ranko looked on morosely as a koi leapt out of the pond, then fell back.
Akane had an arm around her, and was trying to do anything she could to
cheer her up. "You know, things... things aren't really going to change
that much. Your mother and father live separately already. You've
learned to ignore your father when he has those crazy ideas. You can
still see him just as much as you ever did, and now you've got your
mother, too." She smiled, hoping desperately that it was catching.

Ranko picked a pebble up and tossed it into the pond; the fish
scattered, then resumed their torpid swimming. "I just hoped... we could
be a family again. The three of us." She drooped further. "In a year and
a half, I'll be going to college." She snorted. "Especially now that I'm
paying attention in school. Unless it's really close, I'll be moving
out. I hoped I could just have this one last chance at having a normal
family." Her eyes grew wet, and she leaned her head on Akane's shoulder.

"But... but Mother can't stand Father, and the Ministry of Education
says I have to live here. I guess I could do my senior year at the high
school in Mother's district, but... I could never leave all the friends
I have now at Fuurinkan. I... I guess my wish isn't going to come true."
Akane hugged her tighter.

"Look at it this way, Sis. At least you're you again. At least you have
a mother again. I... I think it's a miracle that you survived what
happened to you, and you're not even cursed any more. And we're like
sisters again, the way we were when we were little. So many good things
have happened to you."

Ranko nodded. "You're right. I... I just wanted life to be perfect." She
laughed. "I guess it doesn't work that way, does it?" Akane smiled. For
a while they sat, until the gathering chill drove them indoors.

Ranko looked around the living room. Her father was playing shogi, but
still looked grim. A dismal mood still hung in the air. "I... I haven't
practiced my violin yet. I... guess I'll go do that." She turned to go
upstairs.

"Ranko-chan, won't you practice down here?" She turned, and Kasumi was
standing at the doorway to the kitchen, smiling, a dishtowel in her
hand. "I'm sure everyone would love to have your company." Nabiki looked
up from her magazine and tried not to smile. Kasumi could be quite
clever at times.

Ranko stared a second, then nodded. "O-OK. I'll go get my things." A
minute later she came back down, her violin case in one hand, her music
stand in the other, and her books balanced on her head. She set up the
music stand, and placed her books on it. She opened one of them to a
page covered with Kobayakawa-sensei's handwriting.

The Tendou sisters and Nodoka watched, fascinated, as Ranko got out her
violin and prepared it for play. The fathers appeared to be engrossed in
their game, but they watched out of the corners of their eyes.

Ranko tuned up her violin, turning the pegs and plucking the strings.
Finally satisfied, she started on some warmup scales, then moved to her
practice pieces. She tried to lose herself in her playing, as she did
with the Art, and to put her feelings to music. She started to relax as
her playing crowded out everything else in her mind. Her eyes were
closed, and her music was her world.

Everyone in the room couldn't help but notice the melancholy undertone
in Ranko's playing. The pieces in minor keys practically radiated her
sadness. Nodoka sighed. Her daughter had suffered so much, to finally
find happiness again, but now that happiness was being eclipsed by the
dissolution of their family. She happened to glance towards Genma, who
had forgotten about his game as he watched his daughter play. She could
see the guilt on his face, mixed with hopelessness; knowing that
ultimately he was responsible for the sadness that Ranko was feeling,
and that there was nothing he could do to make it better. She sighed,
and thought, Genma, if only you weren't such a fool...

Ranko would pause between pieces, flipping the pages in her music books
to find new ones. As she did, she noticed the attention she was getting,
and hoped that the music would be as cathartic for them as it was for
her. Her music allowed her to express her feelings, both her sorrows and
her joys, far better than words could.

It came time to practice the pieces she had committed to memory, and she
simply closed her eyes and played one after another. Everyone watched,
rapt, even Nabiki, who was constantly amazed at the progress Ranko was
making. Finally, Ranko's bow drew the last few notes. She paused for a
moment, her eyes still closed, then opened them and lowered her violin.

Everyone in the room applauded, and Ranko turned bright red. "Oh quit
it, you guys! This isn't a concert hall, and I'm just playing beginner
pieces!"

Nabiki shook her head. "They may be beginner pieces, Ranko, but they
don't sound that way when you play them. Your sensei is right, you have
a gift."

Ranko was stunned that Nabiki would make such a comment to her.
"Th-thank you, Oneechan..."

Somehow, the mood in the Tendou living room had lightened, as if the
music had absorbed some of the sadness that permeated both families.
Ranko thought back to what her mother had said; the situation hadn't
really changed, except now her father couldn't force her to do anything
stupid. Her parents seemed to be settling into an uneasy truce, though
their interactions hovered barely above the minimum level of civility.
Maybe... maybe things could only get better from here. Maybe some day,
if they were still legally married...

She looked at her father and Uncle Tendou, who had suspended their shogi
game to attend to her playing. Her father smiled back at her, and she
ventured a small smile to him. The two men turned their attention back
to the shogi table. Ranko went over and sat with her mother and Akane on
the sofa. At least her parents were in the same room now. She wondered
how long it would take before they could look at each other without
glaring, and sighed.

Her mother knew what was on her mind. "Things will be all right, dear.
You'll see. I don't want to sound like it's not important, but I hate
seeing you so caught up in our disagreements. You have so many wonderful
things happening for you right now: your new life, your new friends,
your violin. I hate to see you distracted from those when they make you
so happy. And aren't things better now anyway, now that you have both of
us instead of just one?"

Ranko nodded, slowly. "I... I guess..." She didn't sound convinced.

Akane thought a change of subject was in order. "Sis, where would you
like to see things go with your violin? Have you thought about it? Would
you like to be a professional violinist?"

Ranko smiled sheepishly. "I guess I don't know, really. I really like my
violin, and I've only just started to see what I can do with it. I... I
guess I was so focused for so long on being a martial arts sensei, I...
I mean, I've never really thought seriously about doing anything else.
But now... now I don't know if I want to be a martial arts sensei any
more... Maybe I could be a violinist... or maybe something else..." She
sighed. "Now I'm all confused."

Her mother smiled. "Don't worry, dear. Most young people your age don't
know for sure what they want to do with their lives. Give it time,
explore your talents, and see where they take you. I would be very proud
of my daughter Ranko, the martial arts sensei, or my daughter Ranko, the
world famous concert violinist." Ranko blushed, and Akane giggled.

Nodoka continued, "Or my daughter Ranko, the office worker or housewife
or professor. Because I'm proud of you, period." She reached over and
hugged her daughter, whose eyes were more than a little teary.

Akane made a face. "Or your daughter Ranko, the world famous martial
arts concert violinist!" Ranko burst out laughing, and Nodoka looked
confused. Akane continued "Hey, if there are martial arts rhythmic
gymnastics and ice skating, you never know..." Nodoka decided she'd
better not ask.

*****

Ranko reached blearily for her alarm clock, and managed to swat it on
the third try. She buried her face in her pillow and moaned "Mmmmmm...",
protesting to the world in general over the terrible tragedy of having
to get up in the morning. She lay there for a second, tempted to go back
to sleep, but she knew she'd be late for school if she did that. She
smiled into her pillow; at least some things about her hadn't changed.

She tried to remember which classes she had today, so she could decide
whether she was prepared or whether it was time to panic. As she went
over her schedule in her mind, she winced in realization and groaned;
today was Saturday, and she'd still set the alarm! She sighed and rolled
over on her side to go back to sleep, and found herself face to face
with a cross-eyed stuffed panda.

Oh, right. She had promised her father to spar with him this morning.
With a long weary sigh, she pushed her comforter aside, and forced
herself to swing her legs over the side of the bed and sit up. After
briefly wondering if she could fall asleep in that position, she opened
her eyes again. Her mother's futon was rolled up and put away; she must
be downstairs already. Ranko smiled; having her mother sleep in the same
room last night had been a great comfort after the day's stressful
events.

With another groan, she forced herself up, and stumbled over to the
closet to get her gi.

She was doing a little better by the time she staggered into the dining
room, where Akane and her mother, always early risers, were just
finishing their coffee.

Akane looked her over. "Sparring with your father?"

Ranko nodded. "Where is he?"

"I think he's already in the Dojo waiting for you, Sis." Ranko nodded
again, and turned to go.

"Dear, are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to anymore, you
know."

Ranko turned back. "I know, Mother. I told you last night: I still care
about Father, and training with me means a lot to him. It means
something to me, too. I... I want to spar with him."

Nodoka bit her lip and didn't say anything. Ranko stood there for a
moment, then said "Would you like to come watch?"

Nodoka smiled. "Yes, dear. Thank you."

Akane looked between the two of them, and decided she'd better come too.

They walked down the connecting walkway to the Dojo. Ranko shivered; it
was starting to be chilly in the mornings. She slid the door open, and
all three entered.

Genma was performing a kata. He glanced over, and his face clouded when
he saw Nodoka, but he said nothing and continued.

Akane and Nodoka sat down against the wall, and Ranko bowed to the Dojo
shrine, then started her own kata. Nodoka had not seen her daughter do
this before. She watched in fascination; Ranko's petite, lithe build
coupled with her skill made her motions seem like a graceful dance.

When Ranko finished her katas she found her father watching her from the
center of the Dojo. She walked over to face him.

He looked her over. "Are you ready?"

Ranko felt a little intimidated by her father's penetrating gaze, but
nodded. They bowed to each other, and began.

Genma grinned. "Let's see how rusty you've gotten, Boy! Er, Girl..." He
attacked suddenly with a kick, and was pleased to see that Ranko had
indeed been practicing. She was not going to be a pushover.

She wasn't where she had been, though, and after a minute or two he saw
an opening. He delivered a mighty kick, and Ranko flew over to hit the
wall of the Dojo, hard. She slid to the floor. He smiled. Some serious
practice would do her good. He waited for her to leap back into the
fight.

Except she wasn't leaping, just lying there. Finally, a moan came:
"Owwwww...", as she pushed herself up into a sitting position with one
hand. Nodoka jumped to her feet, anger in her face, but Ranko held up a
hand. She had clearly had the wind knocked out of her. "S... S'OK,
Mother. I'm OK. Really." Nodoka sat back down, but still didn't look
pleased. Genma looked on, astonished.

Ranko pulled herself up the wall so she was standing again, and turned
to face her father, pain and confusion on her face. "Father? Why... why
did you hit me so hard? Yes, you penetrated my defense, but... but you
didn't have to hit me that hard to let me know that!"

He looked at the pain and hurt in her eyes, and flinched. She... now he
understood what he had seen yesterday, what had bothered him when she
and Akane had sparred. His daughter was not fighting like a warrior, she
was sparring like an athlete. It was no longer an all-out, life-or-death
battle for her, but a sport, something she did for enjoyment and
exercise. She hadn't expected him to hit her hard, because... it wasn't
a sporting thing to do.

He spoke. "Ranko... if you were in a fight with a powerful enemy... they
would be trying as hard as they could to hurt you, to kill you. You have
to be ready for that, and the only way to do it is to experience it when
you're training, by fighting as if your life depended on it; some day,
it will. This is something I taught you when you were young; have you
forgotten it?"

Ranko looked pained. Yes, her father had taught her that. But she had
gotten used to the sparring with Akane, and she was no longer used to
the no-holds-barred approach her father took. Suddenly, she remembered
Ryouga's face when he had attacked her on the beach. The anger, the
aggression... the hate. She shivered. "I... Father, I... I'm not sure I
want to fight like that any more. I... I don't like it." She looked
down. "I never really liked it. I like sparring, I like doing katas, but
I don't like fighting..."

Genma's mind flashed back a dozen years...

Nodoka looked on with pride as her husband showed Ranko the basics of
the Art. She didn't want him to train her as a martial artist, but
thought it appropriate that Ranko understand this important aspect of
her father's life. If her father was an aspiring martial arts master,
she should learn a little bit about it. Akane-chan was already eagerly
learning from her father.

Genma went through the motions of several attacks, each time showing
Ranko how to defend herself. He repeated this several times, then smiled
at his daughter. "Now, sweetheart, are you ready to try it for real?

Ranko nodded and smiled a huge smile. "Uh-huh! I'm ready, Daddy! I can
fight good, now!"

Genma attacked as gently as he possibly could, moving slowly so she
could react. Things went well for a few minutes, and then he broke
through her beginner's defenses and hit her lightly on the side, just
enough so she would feel it a little. He stepped back, expecting to
explain to her how she had left an opening, but was stunned to find that
she had collapsed on the mat and was sobbing. "Sweetheart... what's
wrong?"

She looked up at him. "You... you hit me, Daddy! You really hit me!
It... it hurt! Why did you hit me? Did I do something bad? Are you mad
at me?" Genma's heart twisted in knots.

Nodoka hurried over to her daughter and scooped her up. "No, sweetheart.
Daddy was just showing you how to fight like a martial artist. When you
practice that, sometimes you hit each other. Daddy was just practicing
with you; he's not mad. He loves you." Ranko kept sobbing, as Nodoka
gently held her. She looked up at her husband. "Dear... I just don't
think she has the temperament for this. She's too sensitive, and she's
not as aggressive as Akane-chan. You know she never starts a fight."

Ranko looked up. "I hate fighting, Daddy! I don't wanna do it any more!"

Genma swallowed, and walked over to his daughter where she stood,
looking down at her feet in embarrassment; he put a hand on her
shoulder. "I understand, Ranko. We'll... we'll just spar today, OK?" She
looked up at him in relief and nodded, and they continued.

Genma focused on keeping it to the level of aggression she was
expecting. As they fought, he worried. She was plenty skilled enough to
defend herself against any common criminal or attacker, even another
martial artist, even if they were a black belt. But Ranma's enemies had
never been common. And his child was no longer following the path of the
warrior. His heart sank.

After an hour or so, they stopped. He supposed he should be proud of
her; she was very skilled and an excellent student of the Art; she could
likely teach at an ordinary Dojo. But... he was comparing her to Ranma,
her previous self, and by that measure, she fell far short.

Still, he couldn't make her into something she didn't want to be any
more; he would have to settle for what she was willing to give. The
thought of trying to drive her to do better occurred to him, but then he
remembered Nodoka's ultimatum, and sighed. At least this way, he and his
daughter were still together, and... his head and his torso were still
together.

He made his decision. "You did very well. I'm glad to see you have been
conscientious in keeping up your training."

Ranko beamed. "Thank you, Father. That means a lot to me." She blushed
slightly. "Thank you for sparring with me. I'm still trying to think of
how to manage to spar with both of you, without spending a lot more time
on it. I guess I could spar with Akane on weekdays and you on the
weekend. What... what do you think?"

I think it sucks. "Maybe that would work, child."

She smiled. "OK! I'm going to go wash up now. See you at breakfast!" She
turned and bowed to the shrine again, then walked away from him.

And Genma couldn't help feeling she was walking away from the Art as
well.

*****

After breakfast, Ranko and Akane hung out in Akane's room as they tried
to plan out their weekend. Akane sat on the bed, and Ranko sat on the
floor, leaning on her knees, which were drawn up. Quiet music emanated
from the small CD player on Akane's desk.

"It's too bad Yuka and Sayuri are busy..." sighed Ranko.

"Well, we have Yuka's birthday party next weekend. We'll see them there.
How about Ukyou?"

"I called her already. She says she's too busy with her restaurant
today. She thought maybe we could go see a movie together tomorrow."

"Shampoo?"

"Same thing. Cologne is off somewhere tracking down some herbs, and she
and Mousse are up to their ears holding down the N-n-nekohanten."

Akane nodded slowly, then suddenly brightened. "I have an idea! Why
don't we have lunch there? That way we can at least say hello."

Ranko smiled. "That's a great idea! Maybe we'll have a chance to talk
after the lunch rush." She got up and started to wander around Akane's
room, her eyes settling on Akane's manga collection. She started looking
over the titles.

Akane smiled. "Do you like to read manga, Sis?"

Ranko shook her head. "No... not really. You know, shounen manga never
really appealed to me that much, and... and reading shoujo manga was out
of the question." She grinned.

Akane snickered. "I guess I could understand why you wouldn't like
shounen now, but why then?"

Ranko sighed. "I guess... they're mostly full of fighting, and killing,
and impossibly voluptuous girls, and... that kind of stuff. It was
boring, and it didn't really interest me. There were a couple of sports
manga I did like to read." She giggled. "Anyway, my real life was weird
enough. I didn't need to read anything to get that!"

"But... I thought you liked to fight back then?"

Ranko was still looking through the titles. "Well, it's not that I
*liked* it for its own sake. When I was the one fighting, it... it was a
matter of pride, of the values Father raised me with. In the heat of a
battle, I was totally focused on winning; I ignored the fact that I was
trying to hurt someone. And it felt good... to be so good at something.
To know I was one of the best."

She became somber, and stopped her browsing for a moment. "And it... it
helped me feel like a man, when... when that was what I thought I was
supposed to be. It was about the only way I could feel good about myself
when I had all these feelings inside." She sighed. "Even so, when it
wasn't one of *my* fights, I... I never really cared for it. I never
enjoyed watching people get hurt. And now I don't like it at all. When I
fought Ryouga at the beach, and I hit him, it... it hurt. It hurt to
hurt someone, to see the pain in his face. I have a hard time doing it
now unless I have to, to protect myself, or fend off some pervert like
Kunou or Happousai." Akane nodded thoughtfully.

There was a knock at the door, and Kasumi popped her head in. "Akane,
could you help me for a moment? I need to move some furniture and Father
and Uncle Saotome are out."

Akane got up, smiling, and turned to Ranko. "I'll be back in a minute,
OK?" Ranko nodded.

When Akane returned ten minutes later, she found Ranko lying on her
stomach on the bed, feet in the air, and deep into one of her shoujo
manga. She looked very intent. Akane peeked; it was "Hana Yori Dango".
Akane smiled. "You can borrow them if you want."

Ranko didn't seem to hear for a moment, then finally stopped and sat up.
"Did you say something?"

Akane laughed. "I guess you like it. I said, you can borrow them if you
want."

Ranko smiled, embarrassed. "Sorry to be a space case. Thanks, Sis!" She
got up, and collected the next few volumes from Akane's shelf.

Akane glanced at the clock on her desk. "Wow, it's getting close to
lunchtime already! I told Kasumi we'd be eating out. I guess we should
get going."

Ranko had an arm full of manga. "Let me drop this off in my room and
grab my purse, OK?"

Twenty minutes later, they walked into the Nekohanten. Shampoo spotted
them from the cashier's station. "Akane, Ranko, hi!" They walked over.

Ranko smiled. "We thought we'd come have lunch and visit, since you were
too busy to leave."

Shampoo's face lit up. "Thank you!" She shook her head. "Place is crazy
today. We very busy." She hurriedly made change for a customer.

Ranko's mind drifted back several months, and suddenly she smiled. She
turned and whispered in Akane's ear. Akane grinned and nodded.

Ranko turned back to Shampoo. "Would you like two extra waitresses for
lunch today?"

Shampoo laughed her musical laugh. "Would I ever!"

Two hours later, Akane, Ranko, Shampoo, and Mousse sat at a table
upstairs, finally getting a chance to eat their own lunches. The lunches
were on the house; they had definitely earned it.

Ranko tried to unstiffen her neck, stretching it first one way, then the
other. "Wow, that was harder than I remembered..." She went back to
slurping her ramen. Was she hungry!

Akane nodded. "I don't think I've ever worked so hard in my life." She
shook her head. "You guys have it harder than I thought. I... it just
amazes me you can run a place like this with just the two of you."

Shampoo giggled. "You right, not very easy. I glad great-grandmother be
back soon!" She smiled. "Thank you so much. Today very crazy, you help a
lot."

Ranko grinned. "And we got a lot of tips, too!"

Akane swatted her on the arm. "You're just saying that because you got
the biggest ones!" They all laughed.

Mousse shook his head slightly as he listened to the three girls chat.
To look at them, you would never have guessed that three months ago one
of them was a boy and the other two were ready to kill each other
fighting over him. He couldn't help it; he chuckled.

They turned to look at him. Ranko looked embarrassed. "What?" she asked,
blushing.

He smiled. "You three. I was just thinking back a few months. Things
sure have changed." He shook his head again.

Shampoo laughed. "Do you miss it?" She ran around the table and hugged
Ranko. "Oh, Airen! You come take Shampoo on date?"

Akane stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Ranma! How can you let
her hang all over you like that?!"

Ranko tried to look embarrassed but was grinning. "Hey! It isn't as
if... I mean, it ain't like I want her to!"

Akane said "Ranma no baka!", summoned her mallet, and tapped Ranko
lightly on the head with it. They all burst out laughing, Mousse
included.

"No, I can't say I do. Thanks for the flashback, though." They laughed
again, and Shampoo went back around to sit down. Akane, Ranko, and
Shampoo exchanged glances, and smiled.

Shampoo shook her head. "I always wonder where mallet come from." She
giggled.

Akane saw Ranko's eyes lose focus. I wonder what she's thinking about...

*****

Later that afternoon, Ranko and Akane stood facing each other in the
Tendou Dojo.

Akane asked, "Are you sure you want to learn this today? We worked
pretty hard at lunch. Learning a new move is hard work."

Ranko nodded. "Yes, Sensei. I... I have always admired this technique of
yours. I would like to learn it, if you will teach me."

Akane inclined her head gravely in acknowledgement. "Very well, Student.
You realize that this technique is only to be used sparingly, in
response to the worst transgressions? It can be dangerous if misused."

Ranko nodded solemnly. "Yes, Sensei."

Akane went over to the Dojo's storage closet, and reemerged with the
practice dummy. Ranko noted that the clip-on pigtail had been removed,
and black circles had been filled in around the eyes, along with two
triangular ears on top. She suppressed the urge to laugh.

Akane placed the dummy in front of her. "OK, let's say this is your...
target." Ranko nodded.

"Now, I want you to concentrate. Remember what I told you while we were
walking home. Envision it in your mind, OK?"

Ranko nodded, and closed her eyes. She held out her right hand, and
furrowed her brow in concentration. There was a brief flicker of ki in
her hand, then nothing. She blew out her breath in frustration.

Akane smiled. "That was very good for a first try!"

"I could feel it, but... but I couldn't get it quite right."

Akane pondered that. "It helps to be angry. Let me think a moment." She
thought, then nodded. "OK, let's try this. Close your eyes. Let's
pretend the dummy is your father." Ranko nodded, and closed her eyes.

Akane dropped her voice as low as she could and used male speech.
"Ranko, on the honor of the Saotome family, I have promised that you
will marry Kunou Tatewaki! It's for your own good!"

Ranko's battle aura flared, and the ki in her palm began to take shape.
Sweat popped out on her brow, then her battle aura flickered out and the
ki disappeared. She dropped her head, dejected.

Akane gave her a hug. "Don't give up, Student. That was very close.
You're doing very well." She put her hand to her chin in thought, then
snapped her fingers. "OK, let's try again." Ranko nodded, and once more
closed her eyes, concentrating.

"Ranko, on the honor of the Saotome family, I have promised that you
will marry Gosunkugi Hikaru! It's for your own good!"

Ranko's battle aura glowed brightly, and ki grew quickly in her hand and
took form. She strained, as if reaching for something, then blew out her
breath as her ki flickered out again. She looked at Akane sheepishly.

Akane shook her head. "You almost had it that time. You forgot to use
the words, though."

Ranko blushed. "Oops. You're right. OK, one more time." She prepared
herself.

"Ranko, on the honor of the Saotome family, I have promised that you
will marry... the Master! It's for your own good, and he promised me a
keg of sake!"

Ranko felt ki take form in her hand. This time she remembered the words.

"Panda no baka!"

WHAM!

Ranko opened her eyes. In her right hand was a mallet, which had just
smashed the practice dummy into the floorboards of the Dojo.

"YATTAAA!" She and Akane high-fived, then started jumping up and down
and hugging each other.

Genma was sitting on the porch reading the newspaper, when he heard
shouts of "I did it! I did it! I did it!" coming from the Dojo. What are
those two up to now? he wondered. Akane and Ranko walked out a minute
later, arm in arm.

Akane said, "I knew you could do it! You were always a quick study."
Ranko nodded and blushed. They walked into the house.

Genma stared after them, then shrugged.

On Monday morning, as Ranko and Akane walked through the gates, Kunou
was waiting for them. "Fair Akane! Beauteous Ranko! Today will surely be
the day that you open your bosoms to my love! Come, let me embrace you!"
He ran forward.

The two girls gave each other an evil grin.

"Kunou no baka!"

WHAMWHAM!!

In the second story hallway window, as the other students looked on in
shock, Nabiki nodded in appreciation. "Whoa, pretty good. Stereo."

At lunch that day, Ranko and Akane were headed outside; the weather was
starting to get chilly, and they wanted to enjoy the last days before
they had to start eating indoors. They found Hirota waiting by the
doorway, and stopped.

He looked very anxious. "Have you... thought long enough?" He bit his
lip and waited.

Akane looked at Ranko, who blushed and looked down for a moment. When
she raised her head, she was smiling. "Hirota-kun, I *have* thought
about it. And I think that... before I could think about you as a
boyfriend, I have to be able to think of you as... a friend. Considering
what's happened between us in the past, I feel like I need to see your
friendship before I can think about dating you."

His face fell, but he nodded. "I guess that's fair." He looked up and
grinned at both of them. "So, can friends all go out for ice cream
together after school?"

Akane and Ranko looked at each other, and smiled. "Sure!"

*****

Days passed, and then weeks. Akane watched, bemused, as Ranko steadily
devoured her shoujo manga collection. Ranko's mother still came over
most weekends, though relations between the two elder Saotomes were very
frosty. Sometimes, Akane and Ranko would spend the weekend at Nodoka's
house, and Akane would enjoy her home away from home. Ranko's skill with
the violin continued to grow, and she was starting to practice real
compositions, not just practice pieces.

The weather grew cold as fall took hold in earnest; winter was fast
approaching. Ranko was glad for the switch to the winter uniform at
school, for she had a new problem that had never worried her as a boy:
she was cold. She was so petite, her body lost heat quickly, and as the
temperature dropped she found herself shivering. Her wardrobe grew a
little more as her mother took her to buy a hat, a warm coat, warm
tights, a warm scarf, and some gloves. She found herself, for once,
envying the boys their trousers.

She and Akane were walking home one day, both bundled up against the
unseasonable cold spell that had gripped Tokyo that week, and talking
about the day's classes.

"Can you believe that novel we read in Western Literature today?"

Akane stuck her tongue out. "The one by Kafka, about a guy who turned
into a giant cockroach? Ewwww!"

Ranko nodded. "You know, the scariest part was thinking, 'This could be
someone I know!'" They both laughed as they turned a corner. At that
moment, a shadow flashed across the sidewalk and someone landed in front
of them: Kodachi.

Akane and Ranko exchanged glances. "Talk about surreal..." They dropped
their briefcases, and assumed their ready stances. But Kodachi just
stood there and stared at them. She scowled.

"You're not who I was looking for. Do I know you?" She furrowed her brow.

Ranko and Akane relaxed their stances, confused. "Kodachi? I... I'm
Saotome Ranko..."

Kodachi continued peering at her, no recognition in her eyes. "Saotome?
Saotome... Oh, yes. You're that peasant Ranma's sister, now I remember.
Pah, I cannot believe I was once so enamored of him. Well, I can't stay
and chat. I must search for my Toshi-sama!" And with that, she leapt to
the rooftops and ran off, the dying echoes of her mad laughter coming
from all directions.

Ranko and Akane both stared after her. "I... I can't believe her!"

Akane nodded. "I guess... she has a new, um, victim. It sounds like
she's just about forgotten you."

Ranko shook her head. "No, I mean I can't believe she runs around in
weather like this in a leotard! Why doesn't she freeze?" She shivered,
and Akane giggled.

"Come on Sis, let's go home."

Kasumi paused from the dinner preparations when she heard the front door
open. "T-t-tadaima!" She giggled, and went down the hall to greet them.

"O-kaeri..." She smiled; all that was visible of Ranko were two mournful
blue eyes peeking out from between her scarf and her hat. Kasumi helped
Ranko unbundle herself, and soon she was back down to her winter
uniform. She hugged herself to warm up.

"Would you like to take a bath, Ranko-chan? It's hot." She found herself
speaking to empty space, and laughed. Akane smiled and went to follow
Ranko.

She finally caught up with her in the bath. Ranko was sunk down to her
chin in hot water, her eyes closed and an expression of utter bliss on
her face. Akane smiled, and went to wash off. "And you used to make fun
of me when I said I was cold all the time."

Ranko smiled. "I guess I'm being punished... It's karma."

Akane giggled as she soaped herself. "It looks like you don't have
Kodachi to worry about any more, doesn't it?"

Ranko nodded, her eyes still closed. "One less crazy thing in my life."

Akane was struck by a thought. "You know, things have been awfully...
calm around here, lately..." She rinsed herself off. Brrrrrrr...

Ranko opened her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Akane walked over to the tub and got in, shivering as the hot water
drove the cold from her body. She relaxed, sagging against the side of
the tub. No wonder baths were considered an essential of civilized life
here...

She collected her thoughts. "Well, before this summer, your life was,
how do I say it, complete anarchy. You know, crazed martial artists
coming to challenge us constantly, me getting kidnapped all the time,
ridiculous contests, the new-fiancee-of-the-month club, some crazy
scheme by our fathers to push us together." She furrowed her brow. "I
can't remember the last time something like that happened. This is what
it was like for me before you showed up. You know, quiet." She shook her
head. "We never had martial arts takeout races around here before you
came."

Ranko nodded, lost in thought. "You're... you're right. I wonder why?"

"How long has that kind of thing been happening to you, anyway?"

Ranko tilted her head as she thought. "Hmmm. I... well, as long as I can
remember. The whole time Father and I were on the road, at least." She
shook her head. "It's odd to have things be so... normal. I'm not used
to it."

Akane grinned. "Do you need some craziness in your life?"

Ranko shook her head violently. "No, believe me, I'm not complaining."
She smiled. "It's... nice."

That evening, Ranko had to practice her violin while sitting in the
kotatsu, but Mother Nature showed mercy as the cold spell broke the next
day. She enjoyed the relative warmth as she and Akane walked to school.

As they walked up to the entrance, they noticed that Kunou hadn't been
there to meet them. At the door, as they changed into their indoor
shoes, they noticed a poster plastered to the wall: "Special Assembly,
All Students. First period."

Ranko looked at Akane. "I wonder what it could be?" Akane shook her
head, bewildered. They headed for the auditorium.

There weren't too many seats left, so they had to sit in the first row.
As the bell rang, Kimura-sensei and Vice Principal Takano walked out to
the podium. Kimura-sensei turned on the microphone.

"Good morning, everyone. The school has an announcement to make this
morning." She pulled a paper out of her pocket. "We have received word
that Principal Kunou has been seriously injured in an accident with a
pineapple canning machine on Maui. He is expected to make a full
recovery, but the Ministry of Education has placed him on indefinite
Medical Leave." Akane noticed that Kimura-sensei was struggling mightily
to keep from smiling.

"Vice Principal Takano has been named the new Principal of Fuurinkan
High School." The Vice Principal bowed deeply to the assembled students.
"I hope you will join me in giving him your support. And now, Principal
Emeritus Kunou's son, Tatewaki, would like to say a few words."

Kunou rose to his feet; he had been sitting a few seats to the right of
Ranko. He turned to face the crowd, his face grim. "It is with great
emotion that I received the news of my father's injury. I humbly implore
you all to join me in expressing the proper sentiments on this fateful
occasion." He thrust his arms into the air. "Banzai!"

The auditorium erupted into cheers.

*****

At lunch, Ranko, Akane, and their friends were having an animated
conversation when Shampoo walked up. "Hi, Shampoo!"

Shampoo smiled. "Hi, everyone!" She sat down and listened as she
unwrapped her lunch.

"You know, Akane, this is getting positively eerie. Not only has nothing
weird happened lately, but the weirdos are dropping out!"

Akane nodded. "It *is* kind of... strange, isn't it?" Ukyou, Sayuri, and
Yuka all voiced agreement.

Shampoo's interest was piqued. "What do you mean?".

Ranko thought for a moment. "Well, yesterday Akane and I ran into
Kodachi. She acted like she barely knew me; it was clear she had latched
on to some new guy -- poor thing -- and was busy forgetting her
'Ranma-sama'. We were talking about it last night, and realized that
none of the crazy things that used to happen to me -- you know,
challenges, kidnappings, et cetera -- have been happening lately." She
shook her head. "Then today, poof! Principal Kunou is out of the
picture. And you know, the school has been pretty... normal this term."
The other girls all nodded.

Shampoo thought for a while as she ate her lunch. "Ranko, how long this
kind of craziness been going on in your life?"

"As long as I can remember. It was happening all the time on the road
with Father."

Shampoo finished chewing. "Hmmm. Maybe great-grandmother will know. Do
you want to stop by Nekohanten on way home? I think she maybe have an
idea."

Ranko and Akane looked at each other. "Sure, why not?"

That afternoon the two of them walked Shampoo home to the Nekohanten.
They found Cologne busy fiddling with the thermostat. She paused to
smile at them. "I wish the weather would make up its mind... What brings
you here, girls?"

Ranko and Akane explained about the strange normalcy in their lives,
including Principal Kunou's retirement as Principal of Fuurinkan that
morning. Cologne listened and nodded. When they were done, she thought
for a while. "It sounds like the level of chaos in your life has
decreased tremendously."

Ranko nodded. "You know, this kind of thing has been going on as long as
I can remember. I don't think I've ever had such a long normal stretch
in my life."

Cologne thought some more. "I wonder... Wait here a moment, girls." She
hopped off on her stick.

Ranko looked at Shampoo curiously. "Do you have any idea what she's
thinking of?" Shampoo shook her head, confused.

Cologne returned a minute later, with a large reference book. She placed
it on the table and started leafing through it. She spoke in a
distracted way as she searched. "You know, Ranko, I've been trying for
some time to figure out just what spell it was that Happousai cast on
you. I couldn't think of anything that would do the trick, and it was
nagging at me." She looked up and smiled. "I hate to have the old goat
be one up on me." She went back to looking. "What you've just told me
has given me an idea." She kept flipping, then stopped. "Ah. Here we
are."

She read for a few minutes, then her eyes widened. "I can't believe even
*he* would use that!" She shook her head.

The three girls looked at each other. "What do you mean,
Great-Grandmother?"

Cologne leaned back in her chair. "Ranko, it appears that Happousai used
a spell which was... how do I explain this?" She thought for a few
moments. "Well, the best analogy is it's a spell like a very old house
with lots of drafts... or, a rattly old used car that leaks lots of
oil." She frowned; this was a hard concept.

Ranko's eyes were glazing over. "Huh?"

Cologne sighed. "Magic is, essentially, controlled chaos. That's a gross
oversimplification, but it will do. I couldn't find the spell Happousai
used because I never thought he'd use a spell like that. But here it is,
right here." She pointed to the page. "No one uses these types of spells
any more, because they... well, leak."

Three pairs of eyebrows shot up. "Leak?"

Cologne nodded. "Yes, they leak... chaos. Magic is controlled chaos, but
these spells don't control it very well, and they leak. You were leaking
chaos everywhere you went, and it made your life... chaotic." She
thought again. "You know, like an oil spill. Or Chernobyl."

Ranko was flabbergasted. "You mean... not only did he turn me into a
boy... his stupid spell was what was causing all the insanity in my
life?! A challenge every other day, ten thousand fiancees, Akane getting
kidnapped constantly -- even Principal Kunou?"

Cologne smiled. "Very good, child! That's exactly right." The three
girls turned livid as Cologne continued. "Now that I know which spell he
used, it's no wonder it disintegrated so easily when I used the
Chiisuiton water. It's like one of those cheesy umbrellas that turn
inside out the first time you try to use them." Her face grew
thoughtful. "Actually, I'm amazed it stood up to the Nyanniichuan at
all. I'll bet given another few months it would have fallen apart on its
own. I just gave it a push."

Ranko blinked. That would have been a shock, if she hadn't already found
out about her past from her mother. Would her father have had the
courage to tell her what was going on?

Cologne shook her head. "Anyway, now that it's gone, you're not leaking
chaos any more, and so your life is becoming... sane."

Ranko put her head in her hands. "I don't believe this. He turned me
into a boy, and he turned my life into... into... " She groped for
words, then remembered Western Literature class; "into a Kafka novel!"
She slumped on the table, her face buried in her folded arms. Akane was
busy shredding a paper napkin into microscopic bits. Shampoo had a very
dangerous look on her face.

Ranko sighed, then laughed. "Well, at least he didn't turn me into a
giant cockroach." Suddenly she looked up at Cologne. "Please tell me
there isn't a spring of drowned..." Cologne nodded silently, and Ranko
shivered. Maybe Kafka had visited Jusenkyou...

Shampoo smiled a nasty smile. That sounded like a good idea to use on
the old freak.

*****

Ranko pulled her violin case from her locker, and hurried down the hall
towards the music room. She dodged and weaved through the crowd of
students in the hallways, all of them going in different directions and
all of them hurrying to avoid being late.

As she entered the music room, she glanced at the clock on the wall, and
sighed in relief; thirty seconds to spare. She went over and took her
seat next to Sayuri.

As the bell rang, Kobayakawa-sensei put down the papers she was grading,
got up from her desk, and threaded her way around the somewhat
worn-looking grand piano which stood next to the windows. She faced the
class and smiled.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Before we get started on our first opera,
'The Marriage of Figaro', today, I have an announcement. I've been asked
to hold a recital as part of the annual school talent show, which is
held just before the New Year's holiday. I'd very much like it if those
of you who have been practicing an instrument this term would
participate. Would anyone like to volunteer?"

The students all looked at each other warily. No one moved for thirty
seconds or so, then, tentatively, Sayuri and Hiroshi raised their hands.

Sensei smiled. "That's wonderful!" She turned to Ranko. "Ranko-chan,
don't you want to play at the recital?"

Ranko blushed and fidgeted in her chair. "I... I don't know if I'm good
enough to play in front of an audience, Sensei."

Sayuri blurted out "Ranko-chan, don't be silly!"

Sensei smiled and shook her head. "Ranko-chan, this is a talent show.
Everyone can participate. Besides, your playing is more than good enough
to play in front of an audience."

Ranko blushed again, and thought for a while. "I guess... it might be
fun..."

Sensei smiled. "That's the spirit! I'll talk to the three of you
individually about what pieces I want you to play. Ranko-chan, we'll
talk about it at your individual lesson after school, all right?" Ranko
nodded.

When she arrived for her private lesson after PE that day, she had
another surprise waiting for her. With Kobayakawa-sensei was a short,
pudgy, middle-aged man, wearing a rumpled suit. His hair was a bit
disheveled, and he had a friendly smile on his face and a twinkle in his
eye. They turned to look at her as she came in the door.

Sensei stepped forward. "Ranko-chan, this is Murata Ichirou. He is a
professor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where
I studied. He's on the music faculty, and after I told him about you he
wanted to meet you."

Murata-sensei wasted no time. "So this is our budding violinist! I'm
very pleased to meet you, my dear." He bowed slightly to Ranko, who
bowed politely in return, and answered the greeting.

"Kobayakawa-kun has high praise for you. I hope you don't mind if I sit
in at your lesson?"

Ranko was starting to feel nervous from all the attention. "Of... of
course not, Sensei." He nodded, smiling, and went over to sit down on
the bench of the grand piano, observing her through the open case.

Ranko felt a little self-conscious, but soon forgot that Murata-sensei
was there. She played her practice pieces, and Kobayakawa-sensei
commented on her progress and introduced a new piece to work on for the
next week.

As the lesson neared its end, Kobayakawa-sensei said "Ranko-chan, I'd
like to discuss the recital now. I was thinking of having you play that
short piece by Tchaikovsky."

"No," called out Murata-sensei.

Ranko and her Sensei both turned to stare at him; they'd almost
forgotten he was there. He got up, and walked over to join them; he
seemed very excited.

"Sensei... what do you mean?" asked Kobayakawa-sensei.

He shook his head. "It's not challenging enough. Ranko-chan has only
been playing for two months or so, but she plays like someone who has
been studying the violin for a year."

He turned to address Ranko directly. "Ranko-chan, you have a great gift
for the violin. I've been teaching young people to play for many years,
and someone like you only comes along once in a decade. I've never heard
of someone starting at your age doing so well. Usually the best talents
start at a very early age."

Ranko was somewhat shell-shocked by this. She had been willing to accept
praise from her Sensei, but this man was a professor at a prestigious
university! The idea that she might be *that* good made her head swim.

"Sensei... I... I did train from a very early age, but it was in martial
arts, not music..."

His face lit up; he seemed to take delight in this. "Really? How very
interesting! Do you think that could have anything to do with it?"

Ranko couldn't help smiling at this jovial man. "I... I guess, maybe.
Many of the martial arts techniques I've learned require very fine
control of the body and the hands."

He nodded enthusiastically. "Perhaps that's it!"

Kobayakawa-sensei cleared her throat. "Sensei, what kind of piece did
you have in mind?"

He thought for a moment. "I think a part of one the Bach partitas for
solo violin might be good."

Kobayakawa-sensei paled. "Sensei... Those are quite advanced! I'm not
sure she's ready for something that difficult yet."

Murata-sensei nodded. "Maybe. But I think that maybe she is. I didn't
see her really pushing herself here today. I would very much like to see
her try."

Ranko felt like she was watching a tennis match. "Push myself?"

Murata-sensei smiled. "Yes, Ranko-chan. I was quite serious about your
talent a little while ago. If you pursue the violin seriously, you could
be a very talented soloist, the kind of violinist who travels all over
the world to perform with orchestras in different countries, who does
her own recordings. If I'm right about you, and I think I am, I would
like you to come to our University to complete your studies when you
finish high school." His face grew serious. "To reach that kind of level
takes a lot of devotion, a lot of practice. If you want to be the best,
you have to throw yourself into it with dedication."

Ranko felt her knees starting to give way; startled, both the adults
moved to catch her. They helped her sit down. Kobayakawa-sensei spoke,
concern in her voice. "Ranko-chan, what's wrong?"

"I... I guess I've only thought about my violin as something I enjoy for
myself. I haven't really given any serious thought to it as a career."
Her voice grew fearful. "And when you talk about being the best, about
devoting myself to it, about traveling all over the world..." she
trailed off.

Kobayakawa-sensei was startled to see tears in Ranko's eyes, and sat
down to put an arm around her. "What is it, child?"

Ranko tried to collect herself. "My father said very similar things. He
wanted me to be one of the best martial artists ever. I spent twelve
years on the road, traveling all over Japan and China, away from my
home, away from my mother. I... I didn't even recognize her when we met
again!"

She took a deep breath. "I did become a great martial artist. But the
cost was that I didn't really have a childhood. I didn't have friends, I
didn't have a home, I didn't have a mother." Her voice dropped to a
whisper. "It was too high a price to pay." She bowed her head, her lips
a thin line.

Murata-sensei gazed sympathetically at the teenager. "Ranko-chan, have
you ever heard of the Greek poet Archilochus?"

Ranko shook her head at the non sequitur. "Huh?"

He laughed. "A fragment of one of his surviving works contains a cryptic
line: 'The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.'
There's no explanation of what he meant, though many have tried to guess.

"But I like to think that he was talking about two different kinds of
people in the world. There are the kind who focus almost entirely on one
thing, who plumb it in great depth. They're the hedgehogs. The other
kind of people are the foxes: they try to broaden themselves, to not get
too wrapped up in any one thing. They approach life in different ways,
and they complement each other."

He leaned forward. "I understand what you are saying, Ranko-chan. I have
many students with similar fears. They don't want their lives to be
solely defined by their art. They want friends, family, outside
interests. It's not because they're lazy; they're the kind of people who
need that balance in their lives. Then there are the other students, the
ones who live and breathe their work, who are at it hour after hour." He
shook his head. "They reach great heights, but at a personal cost. A
very few people somehow manage to do both." He laughed. "I haven't
figured out how to do that myself."

He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "If you don't want to make the
violin your life, that's OK. You could still be a very good violin
soloist. You could be a violinist in an orchestra instead of a soloist.
You can even choose another career and keep it as your interest on the
side, maybe play in a youth or community orchestra. You have a great
gift, but you're a person, not a gift. You just have to decide whether
you are a fox or a hedgehog." Ranko was even more shell-shocked, but
nodded, slowly. She sort of understood.

He stood up, and rifled through his bag, pulling out some sheet music.
"Here. Take this home, and try it. It's the Bach Partita for solo violin
in E Major. Don't try to play the whole thing." He flipped through it,
looking for something. He pulled out a pencil and made a mark on one of
the pages. "Work with your Sensei, and try this part here, the third:
the Gavotte en Rondeau. It's only three minutes or so in length, perfect
for a recital, and it's a popular piece."

Kobayakawa-sensei and Ranko both looked at the music. Ranko blanched as
she saw rivers of notes far beyond what she had attempted so far.
Kobayakawa-sensei shook her head slowly. "Sensei, I'm just not sure
about this..."

The impish grin returned. "Trust me. Try it. I know what I saw this
young lady doing; I think you may be surprised." He shrugged. "If you
can't master it in time, play something easy. I don't think the parents
will know the difference." His eyes twinkled. "And Ranko-chan, don't
worry. You don't have to decide yet. It's something to think about a
year from now, when you're deciding on where to go to college. Keep
learning, keep working with your Sensei, and enjoy it. And I'll make
sure she's keeping you sufficiently challenged." He winked, and it was
Kobayakawa-sensei's turn to look shell-shocked.

"Well, I think it's time we were all going. I'm very much looking
forward to hearing you play that Bach piece, Ranko-chan." He bowed
again, and was on his way. Ranko and her Sensei watched him leave.

Sensei turned back to her student. "He's right, Ranko-chan. I was a
student of his, and I decided I did not want to be a performer; I wanted
to teach. I wanted to have a family, too. Your gift is yours; you don't
owe the world the right to experience it." She smiled. "But think of how
nice it is to share it with others, as much as you can."

Ranko nodded slowly, then looked at the sheet music that Murata-sensei
had left behind. "I... I don't know about this, Sensei..."

Sensei thought for a moment. "I'm not sure either, but he's right; it
doesn't hurt to try. If you are the kind of person who can respond to a
challenge, you might surprise yourself."

Ranko thought to herself, Saotome Ranma was that kind of person. But is
Saotome Ranko?

*****

End Chapter 9