Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

[UY/Ranma/SisPri][FanFic] Lonely Souls - Part 4, "C" Side (2/4)

1 view
Skip to first unread message

pye...@gmail.com

unread,
Sep 1, 2007, 7:19:27 PM9/1/07
to
"You can't access them at ALL?!"

Genma shook his head. Despite it being well past midnight, the
lights in the sitting room shone. Kasumi and Nabiki were both in bed,
though Souun could sense Akane was awake. "I've tried everything,
Tendou-kun! Much that I am VERY wary to call upon the Sen-ken forms,
the fact that the boy memorized them, then passed them on to those
infernal mirror-twins of his . . .!"

Souun sighed sympathetically. Yes, the Sen-ken techniques,
especially the Yamasen-ken forms, WERE dangerous. One need not look
past the example of Kumon Ryuu's father to see that. But Ranma was
more responsible than THAT! After all, had Ranma used them for
personal gain? Of course not! Since Ranma DID know them, they would
have been copied into the mirror-clones . . .

A shudder shook the Tendou patriarch as he remembered Toshiko's words
to him about that incident. Why did Ranma disregard what Souun had
decided about those two, STEALING that compact from Nabiki to let them
go free? Why?! Did that mean . . .? That Ranma had long come to the
point where he no longer really cared about what Souun wanted? It was
very clear that Ranma had reached that point concerning Genma! Which
meant . . .

No!

The schools HAD to be united! No matter what happened, the schools
HAD to be united. If what was happening with Nodoka and her relatives
bore fruit, then everything his friend had done over the last decade
and more will be lost. And though Souun didn't appreciate the idiot
stunts Genma pulled concerning Ranma's training, he knew Genma had
trained a very fine martial artist. That outcome had to be protected
and nourished under their guidance. It could NOT be lost to a family
of greedy bastards like the Asagayas, much less a wandering family of
cooks like the Kuonjis, a family of deviants like the Kunous and
ESPECIALLY a clan of female chauvinists like those Chinese Amazons!

"Dad?!"

Both turned as Akane stepped in. A smile was on her face as she
twirled, modelling the now-restored Densetsu no Doogi. Souun's eyes
widened before he nodded. "I see you wish to continue to press your
claim for Ranma-kun."

"I've no choice!" The smile faded from her face as she glared at
him. "I don't know what the hell you were thinking earlier by saying
that fake was going to marry Ranma! If she wants him, she has to come
through me first!"

The fathers gazed on her, and then exchanged a look before Genma slid
his glasses on his nose. "Perhaps we were too hasty about moving the
engagement from you, Akane-chan." He waved the youngest Tendou sister
to a floor mat. "Please understand that this is something your father
and I've dreamed of for a very long time. To come so close to making
it happen, then have it snatched away . . . " He shuddered. "It
galls me. I . . . " He stopped. Then, to Souun and Akane's
surprise, he prostrated himself before her. "Tendou Akane, I only can
but give you my sincerest apologies for the trouble my mistakes in
raising my son, your fiancé, have brought you. Please, know I will be
honoured to call you my daughter-in-law when we finally make my son
see some reason."

"I . . .!" Akane's cheeks reddened. "Uncle . . .!"

Souun's jaw dropped. "Genma . . . "

Silence fell as Akane considered the older man's words before she
nodded. "Thank you, Uncle. That really meant a lot to me."

"You deserve it." Genma sat up to hold up a finger. "Now, before we
press on, I must ask you this: Do you love my son?"

Akane nodded. "Yes!"

Hearing that, Souun moaned, "Oh, Akane . . .!"

"Very well." Genma squeezed his friend's shoulder. "Unfortunately,
given what happened on Tuesday, the boy seems to think he has no
obligation to you. That HAS to be corrected. And it's best corrected
by you, Akane."

He pointed to her. Akane sighed. "You mean I have to challenge
him?"

"It may be the only thing we can do to make Ranma-kun come back,
Akane-chan." Souun nodded understandingly. "That he's gone out of
his way to pay back the debts he accumulated with the Kuonji girl and
that China girl is fine enough. That Kuonji's dowry has been returned
to her is also a good thing. As far as I'm now concerned -- and I
hope, Saotome-kun, that I speak for you as well . . . " He glanced at
Genma, who nodded in return. "We have no need to concern ourselves
with their troubles anymore."

"They may disagree with that, Dad," Akane warned.

"Indeed, given their actions in the past, I suspect they will."
Souun indicated the Doogi. "Well, isn't it fortunate that you have
this now?"

Akane nodded. "You have a point." She then gazed intently at her
father. "What about that double of mine?!" she demanded.

Souun sighed, bowing his head. "Akane-chan, I'm sorry that I said
those things after Kimiko-chan had her *fight* with Saotome-kun
here." He indicated Genma. "I admit that I've become desperate as of
late to see this whole agreement through to its rightful conclusion.
That Nabiki-chan is capable of pursuing the Art again fills me with
joy. And your own desire to progress in the Art has never abated.
Please . . . " He bowed low. "Can you forgive your foolish father
for what he did to hurt you?"

Akane smiled at him. "It's okay, Dad." She reached over to rub his
shoulder. "We just wanted you to be yourself again!"

He straightened himself. "So," Genma spoke up. "The time has come
for us to plan on what we must do to bring the boy back."

"Negako-san said he'll be in Nerima by tomorrow," Akane reported.

"Good." Souun nodded before he gazed intently at her. "Do you
intend to press your challenge against Kimiko-chan, Akane?"

The youngest of the Tendous considered that for a moment before she
sighed. "I have to make sure of it, Dad," she admitted. "I don't
want to deal with another rival and I know Ranma doesn't want to deal
with another fiancée."

"Understandable, but remember . . . " He held up a finger to
emphasize his point. "Ranma-kun DID name Kimiko-chan after your
mother. Certainly if he did that, it means he does care for what
happens with our family, Akane-chan."

Akane sighed. "Yeah, that's true." She then nodded. "Alright, if
you want, I'll ask her if she has any feelings for Ranma. If she
does, I have to challenge her then, Dad! But if she doesn't, I'll
leave her be."

Souun nodded. "Fair enough."

"Then you have to challenge the boy himself," Genma warned.

Silence.

"Do you think I have to go THAT far with him, Uncle?" Akane asked.

Genma sagely nodded. "Yes, I do. Remember, Akane-chan, the boy is
extremely stubborn. That has its good and bad sides. The good side
is that he will never give up when faced with a challenge. Much that
I would not want to remind you of this, but how did he manage to save
you from Saffron?" Seeing Akane tense before she relaxed with a nod,
he added, "I'm sorry, child. I didn't mean to hurt you. But the boy
has to face his obligations. And if he runs around willy-nilly
thinking he can avoid it . . . " He shrugged.

"Indeed, you have a point." Souun gazed on Akane. "Child, I know
you might hesitate before facing something like this, but you MUST
challenge Ranma-kun to force him into acknowledging the agreement.
And you must also focus the challenge to ensure he no longer defers to
his other would-be suitors . . . " A pause, and then he shook his
head. "Not to mention his mother."

"What if he refuses?" Akane asked. "His mother means a lot to him."

"He won't," Genma warned. "I won't allow it. If he does, I'll
disown him on the spot and declare that he can no longer practice
Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu. He certainly doesn't wish to face THAT."

Souun nodded. "Indeed. And Ranma-kun's NEVER refused a challenge.
You must use that against him if you're to bring him back."

Akane sighed. "I don't like this." She squeezed her fingers into
fists as a determined nod twitched her head. "But he's my fiancé.
I've no choice now." She then nodded. "Alright, I'll do it. On one
condition." She pointed to Genma. "You vow right here and now that
when I bring him home, you'll NEVER do what you did to Ranma when he
was a boy. I want him as my fiancé, but I don't want to marry a
scholastic roonin."

Genma tensed. "But . . .!"

"Please." She held up a hand. "I know you wanted to make sure he
would become a fine martial artist. Uncle, you succeeded beyond your
wildest dreams. But in other situations, he's hopeless. I don't want
that anymore. I'm sure he doesn't want it. If you try to put that on
him again, HE might be the one who makes himself roonin and walk away
from ALL of us! Do you want that?"

Genma shook his head. "No."

Akane nodded. "Alright. If Negako-san can fix up what you did, not
to mention rid him of his ailurophobia, let's let it happen."

Souun nodded. "Agreed." He then nodded upstairs. "You best get
some sleep, child. You'll have quite the busy day tomorrow."

"Hai! Good night, Dad, Uncle."

Akane headed upstairs. They watched her go. "We're close, Genma."
Souun chuckled, raising his teacup. "We're so close!"

"That, my old friend, we are!" Genma returned his toast.

* * *

Ranma sighed, sitting on the doojou roof as she gazed on the swirling
clouds of gas and fire overhead. It was the late "morning" of the
sixth "day" she had stayed in Sanctuary. Not two hours before -- at
least, Ranma believed it to have been two hours -- Negako pronounced
her healed from the neural damage Genma's actions years ago provoked,
not to mention the recent damage taken on thanks to Akane and all the
other people in Nerima. Come "tomorrow," the healing from the damage
the Neko-ken training caused would start in earnest. The final step
before she would learn if Chikage and the Jusenkyou guide were right
about how the Niángniquán curse would ultimately affect her.

Now she had a decision to make.

"Ranma?"

Ranma gazed on Negako. Damn, even without using the Umisen-ken
cloak, she could pretty well sneak up on anyone! Taking a deep breath
on sensing what the grandmaster wanted to know, she sat up. "Before I
say 'yes' or 'no,' can you answer me something, Negako?" she then
asked.

Negako's eyebrows arched. "Why Ataru?"

Ranma nodded. The grandmaster stared towards the tower in the heart
of Sanctuary. "You were four years old. Genma took you on a small
training trip to get you used to various changes in weather conditions
while camping on the road. That trip took you to Sendai. Ataru's
uncle Komeru owns property in the area. From what I have been able to
deduce, Genma tried to sneak onto the property to steal food. He left
you alone in the camp you made outside the property line. And you,
being so young and alone . . . "

"I got scared?"

"Very," Negako replied. "Fortunately, you were found by Ataru, who
was then visiting his 'cousin,' Nokoko. You know the real story about
her."

"Yeah! She's really his older sister, but Kinshou sent her up to be
raised by Komeru after Ataru's twin brother Kaeru died."

The grandmaster nodded. "Ataru and Nokoko found you, and then they
invited you to the house. By then, Genma had been spotted by
security. He managed to evade them, but when he got back to the camp,
he found you gone. Tracing down where you went, he found you playing
with Ataru and Nokoko. Naturally, that displeased him, so he tried to
take you away."

"What happened?"

"Nokoko and Ataru were both very pleased to see you as a new friend,
so it naturally displeased them when Genma tried to take you away.
They tried to follow Genma through the snow to 'rescue' you from him.
Nokoko fell behind, but Ataru stayed on as best he could."

Ranma's eyes went wide. "Really?!"

"Yes. At that moment, things become unclear. Security later found
you and Ataru at the camp. Genma . . . " A smirk turned her lips
before she continued, "Was thoroughly beaten down. It looked as if
both a person and some wild animal had their way with him. As to who
it was that dealt with Genma, no one was able to properly ascertain."

"Do you have an idea?"

"I do. Clearly, whoever it was, he or she is not native to Earth.
The animal's footprints and the injury marks on Genma indicate a . . .
" She glanced at Ranma. "Type of animal you would not presently like
to hear of."

Ranma gulped. Negako sighed. "There is something else. As of now,
there is a psionic bond connecting you to Ataru. A bond that, I
believe, could only have been forged by a high-order telepath or
broadcast empath."

Silence.

Ranma gaped. "What . . .?!"

"It is true. You cannot access it at this time due to the damage
your mind incurred from the Neko-ken training." Negako ignored
Ranma's shiver. "And because you are 'silent' in that regard, Ataru
cannot consciously access it, either. Even if both of you could
access it, I do not believe it will allow you to communicate 'in the
clear' to each other. But it will allow you to understand the other's
feelings." A pause. "And before you ask, I do not believe that bond
can be severed. Not without killing you both."

The ninjutsu grandmaster fell silent as Ranma took that in. The
younger woman then stared toward the tower in the centre of
Sanctuary. "Who would do something like THAT to us? WHY would they
do it? I don't get it!"

"I cannot answer that question. The only one who can . . . "

"Is whoever bonded us," Ranma finished. "Does Ataru know?"

"I have not told him that you are the one he is bonded to. Not yet.
But he does know he has a bond with someone. His 'Other' as he likes
to refer to you as. When the repairs on your mind are complete -- IF
you want me to complete them to that extent -- the truth can at last
be revealed."

"Can't you try to dredge up my memories and put this puzzle together
that way?" Ranma stared curiously at her. Seeing Negako shake her
head, the younger woman sighed. "Damn. All because of the N-n-n-Neko-
ken, r-right?"

"Exactly."

Ranma took a deep breath. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't."

"You need not look at it that way, Ranma."

"What do you mean?"

"Would it not be better to learn the truth? Instead of always living
in fear and uncertainty? There are those in this existence who would
take gross advantage of that. Do you wish to leave yourself
vulnerable to that, Ranma?"

Ranma shook her head. "No."

"Then you have only one choice before you."

They looked on each other before Ranma nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

"Journal Entry, Day 7 of Sanctuary visit (I think!),
"Dear Diary,
"Well, it's started.
"This morning, Negako kept me in the furo for an hour or so as she
did the first shiatsu treatment to help me be rid of my ailurophobia.
Man, it's easier to think of that Latin term instead of using the 'N'
word. And believe me, the idea of finally being rid of that fear and
the madness that comes with it when it gets triggered just fills me
with joy. Still, the . . . "

Ranma paused. She then sighed as she continued to type:

" . . . the idea of facing what the Jusenkyou guide and Chikage told
me MIGHT happen when I'm mentally back 'in shape' sends chills down my
back.
"Part of me, even with what I feel now for Ataru, still wants to BE a
man in my heart and soul. Would it really matter when this is all
over? What would happen to me if I came out of this at the end and
still felt I was a guy? What would happen between Ataru and me? I
mean, when we slept together, he didn't do anything I'd consider
perverted."

A giggle ran through her.

"Oh, jeez, if any of those morons from Tomobiki heard that Moroboshi
Ataru did NOT do something perverted in close company with a pretty
girl like me, they'd probably think the world was coming to an end.
"What a bunch of jerks!
"Just like Akane would think about me, I guess.
"Stupid, ignorant tomboy.
"Rinrin was right about that, I guess. Who the HELL gave Akane the
right to judge what I could feel? If I feel anything about that idiot
now, it's a desire to get back to Nerima, then use a soulsword and
make that tomboy's precious 'Dou-chan' go bye-bye. The look on her
face when that happens . . . "

She stopped typing. Gazing at the screen for a moment, Ranma then
took a deep breath before putting fingers back to keys.

" . . . happens would be priceless!
"That requires that I actually LEARN how to make a soulsword. I've
seen Ataru and Negako do it, but for some reason, I can't picture in
my mind how they can manipulate their own body's ki into doing THAT!
Heh! Isn't that something? Me, Saotome Ranma, who can pick up
martial arts techniques on the first try -- and I can't get the knack
of THIS one!
"Maybe it's because the soulsword's a KILLING technique?
"I guess so.
"And I suppose I can see why learning the soulsword's the last major
thing one does in learning the basics in Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu.
"Oh, well, I can wait. Lots of other things to do first."

Ranma stopped again to read through what she had written. A few
spelling corrections later, she moved to finish the entry:

"Thinking on Ataru and what's going on between us, I guess Chikage
was right about one thing, though. Love, in all its many ways of
being expressed, really doesn't recognize a person's gender. And
I . . . "

She paused.

" . . . I miss him.
"And I miss the sisters, too.
"I wish they were here.
"Hell, I wish I was back on Promised Island right now.
"I miss them all.
"What does that mean for me?
"I suppose I'll figure it out soon.
"I hope."

Reading that over, she nodded before saving the entry.

* * *

"No day OR night, Aniki?"

"And no way to keep track of time? Man, that's rough, Anii!"

Ataru shook his head. "No, it wasn't too rough." The futon Sakuya
brought into the room was laid out. Mamoru had brought a second futon
-- "Just in case!" the athlete explained -- while Rinrin brought her
alarm clock -- a miniature Mecha-Rinrin with a "02" on the chest; she
called it the "Prototype Robot Number Two" -- to set up on Ataru's
nightstand. A CD player played nature music. Hinako, asleep, was on
the futon, her head resting in Mister Bear's lap. Kaho was asleep
beside her. Sakuya was with Karen on Ataru's bed. "You know, they
say time flies when you're having fun. I guess Onee-chan's gonna be
keeping Ranma so busy, she won't have *time* to notice the time."

Rinrin shook her head. "I just can't imagine what sort of temporal
dynamics must run that place, if at ALL!" she asserted.

Mamoru groaned. "Rinrin, ain't there ANYTHING you've never looked
at?!"

She gazed in exasperation at the teen scientist. Rinrin shrugged.
"I haven't studied the Tarot," she quipped.

"Who said the magic word?"

Everyone gasped as Chikage stepped out of the shadows, she draped in
the black nun's habit she normally used as pyjamas. "Chikage-chan,
for the love of Heaven, do you MIND?!" Rinrin snapped as the young
sorceress sat beside her.

"Huh . . .? Is Onee-tama back . . .?"

People stared at Hinako. The youngest sister was blearily looking
around the room. "Go back to sleep, Hinako-chan." Ataru waved her
down as he gave the sorceress a look. "Chikage just came to visit and
Rinrin got upset."

"Huh . . .?" Hinako tried to focus on Chikage. Moaning, she leaned
once more against Kuma-san. "Silly Chikage-chan. 'Night . . . "

The others giggled while Chikage tried not to look annoyed.

* * *

"So what do you think?"

It was the ninth "day" in Sanctuary. As part of her training, Negako
decided to teach Ranma how to express herself in a classic way: Ukiyo-
e painting. Making the woodblock carving for the prints was easy for
someone who required an exacting sense of distance to help in combat.
Once a "test" print was made to ensure her work was the way she wanted
it, Ranma quickly produced her first coloured painting. Inspecting
it, Negako quickly noted Ranma was a reds and blacks lover. "A decent
interpretation of the energy matrices overhead," the grandmaster
stated. "I would dare say that with practice, you will equal if not
surpass some of the classical masters of this art."

Ranma chuckled. "I bet you met some of them."

"Personally, no. Several of my hosts did meet some of the known
experts. People like Hishikawa, Hiroshige, Utamaro and Hokusai." A
hum escaped her. "I do not remember if any of my hosts ever met
Sharaku, though."

Ranma chuckled. "Anyhow, I'm going out to do some sketches of the
city." She picked up a sketchpad and pencils. "Be back later."

Negako nodded. "Take your time."

Stepping out, Ranma looked around, and then she headed up the street
towards the city wall. Arriving there, she hopped up to the flat
surface, and then she sat down to gaze on the city. The silence froze
her for a moment. Unlike other urban zones, Sanctuary was not haunted
by "normal" city sounds like cars, trains, birds or children.
Shuddering, she laid the sketchbook on her lap to do a detailed
drawing of the city. Time became meaningless to her as she glanced at
a particular building, and then moved to capture it on paper. Soon
enough, the sketch was done. Taking a few minutes to inspect her
work, Ranma smiled with satisfaction. "Maybe I should follow Hokusai-
sensei's example and make thirty-six views of Sanctuary . . . eh?"
Her eyes widened on noticing an odd colour in a vacant lot nearby.
"What the . . .?"

Hopping off the wall to the roof of a nearby building, Ranma bounded
over to the next street before dropping back to ground level. Walking
towards the city centre, she stopped before an empty lot on her left.
Looking at it, she noted the absence of plant life save a trimmed
layer of blue grass. She then stepped off the street. She only had
to take a couple of steps before realizing what was there.
"Graves . . . " she gasped.

There were eleven mounds. Given the very nature of Sanctuary, Ranma
could readily assume that they had been here since the day this place
was created by the Questors billions of years ago in "real" time.
However, the simple wooden poles acting as markers had some of their
bark taken away. The underlying wood had been smoothed into a flat
plate. Etched on there were several lines in kana and kanji. Leaning
up to one of those posts, Ranma read:

Here likes a soldier of the Union of Uru
Who died not knowing the truth of why she fought.
Though we were made enemies by Fate and Circumstance,
I, the unwilling vessel of her Judgement,
Do wish her peace and happiness
In the embrace of Eternity.

The two kanji at the end of that invocation sent chills down Ranma's
back. "'Moroboshi' . . .?" she whispered. "That means . . .!"

She straightened herself, turning around to leave. She halted on
seeing Negako standing on the roadway. Ranma blinked before walking
onto the street, and then she looked back on the graves. "They're the
group that . . .?"

"Some were," Negako confirmed.

"Ataru said there were twelve of them," Ranma said. "There're only
eleven graves here. What happened to the last one?"

Negako nodded towards the city wall and the timeless void beyond.
"He boasted too much about what he did. Foolish thing to do. After
Ataru ripped his horns off, then slit his throat, he pitched the fool
over the wall. In front of their very own eyes." She pointed to the
graves. "Whatever illusions those fools might have had towards Lum's
'Darling' vanished in an instant."

Ranma paled. "Man, I can see why Ataru doesn't want to talk about
things like this to the girls." She shook her head before turning
toward the doojou.

"This could easily have been you, Ranma."

The martial artist stopped, gazing on Negako. "What do you mean?"

A knowing grin crossed Negako's face. "I will allow you to
contemplate on that. But know this. I told Lum's cousin Jariten this
before he left Earth: 'Wars do not make one great. Wars normally
make one *dead.*'"

She leapt away for the doojou. Ranma watched her. She then looked
nowhere in particular as Negako's words echoed in her mind.

* * *

"Journal Entry, Day 10 of Sanctuary visit,
"Dear Diary,
"'Wars do not make one great. Wars normally make one dead.'
"What did she mean?
"Ever since I could remember, I was always taught something by Oyaji
that, even now, I agree with: 'Martial artists live to protect those
who can't protect themselves.' That's something I've always strived
to succeed in. It's a good theory. It's decent. Hell, it's RIGHT!
"Or is it?"

Ranma shifted her hands from her keyboard. Taking several deep
breaths to calm herself as her mind roiled over what Negako said to
her the previous "day," she returned to typing. As a new string of
characters appeared on the screen, her eyes started to glisten with
tears.

"No. I haven't succeeded in doing that at ALL! Yes, I've been there
when people needed help, but most other times, I've fought for the
sheer joy of fighting. And what has that ultimately done for me?
"Nothing.
"NOTHING!
"All it's got me is more enemies and rivals than I want to deal with,
a pack of 'fiancées' who are just impossible to handle, no real
respect from those of my peers I don't fight on a day-in and day-out
basis and . . . "

A pause.

" . . . and no real friends."

Another pause.

"Yesterday, I saw the graves of eleven of twelve Oni warriors Ataru
and Negako killed here in Sanctuary. Some of them were involved with
what really happened to Ataru's grandmother. One of them, according
to Negako, boasted about what he did so much that Ataru lost it, then
pitched him over the wall.
"Well, I suppose that bastard had it coming.
"But the rest got a beautiful farewell note from Ataru. Yes, he
killed them, but he showed them RESPECT for what they went through.
"Now, I understand another reason Ataru doesn't want anything to do
with the idiots in Tomobiki. Those people see him in a certain way.
But because Sanctuary let Ataru do a heck of a lot more things in the
six weeks he had been gone from that place than most others could
suspect, he . . . "

Another pause.

" . . . he simply outgrew them.
"Fate and time forced him to grow up.
"And that's something people in Tomobiki probably just wouldn't know
HOW to deal with, I think. And with twelve sisters on Promised Island
to worry about, Ataru doesn't want to take the CHANCE of mending
fences with people like Miyake Shinobu and the rest of them. Can he
trust those people after what he's been through? Can he trust any of
them with the knowledge that he had sided AGAINST Lum and her people?
Can he trust them to understand he had all the right reasons in the
world to stand against the Onis?
"For the sisters' sakes, he can't.
"And regardless of what he really feels for the people in Tomobiki --
and what he really feels for Lum -- that decision hurts him.
"Badly."

Ranma stopped, staring at the words she had written. Wiping her
eyes, she made some spelling corrections before carrying on:

"Now I face the same decision.
"Which path do *I* choose now?
"I can't be what Oyaji tried to make of me. I DON'T want to be what
Oyaji tried to make of me. I can't be what Mom wants me to be. And I
don't want to be what Akane wants me to be. That doesn't mention what
Ukyou, Shanpú or Kodachi might want, too. It's MY life. And I want
to live it.
"Should I do what Ataru did?
"Will I have a choice in that?"

Another pause.

"No. There is no choice now. It IS my life.
"And if they got a problem with that, that's just too bad.
"And if I hurt them?
"Then they get hurt."

She looked at the diary entry before saving it.

* * *

"The Sun? What does that mean for Anegimi-sama?"

"This is the card that marks enlightenment." Chikage held up the
card for Haruka's view. The sorceress and the martial artist had
moved into the dining room to enjoy some tea. The Rinrin Viewer was
on, Rinrin verbally directing the Viewer's Internet link to click on
some favoured web pages. Aria slept on the couch, leaning into
Michael's side. She came down to be with the others in Ataru's room,
and then promptly fell asleep on the futon. Haruka had carried her
into the dining room. "At this time, it appears that Ane-kun has made
some profound discoveries about either herself or someone she cares
for." A shrug then rolled Chikage's shoulder. "Ani-kun perhaps?"

Haruka sighed. "We may be pushing her too hard, Chikage-chan."

The sorceress shook her head. "Perhaps, if this was anyone but
Saotome Ranma. I believe the one thing all those who interact with
Ane-kun agree on is this: She lives to face challenge. No doubt,
Negako-anekun is doing her best to force Ane-kun into new types of
challenge."

Haruka nodded. "I believe the one thing Anegimi-sama has to learn is
to separate the good challenges from the bad ones."

Chikage sipped her tea. "Experience has taught her that, not to
mention the many betrayals Ane-kun has faced in her lifetime."

She set the cup down on the table. The slight vibration was enough
to let the top card on the Tarot deck slip off. Chikage gazed on that
before flipping the card around. The Emperor, upside-down. Chikage's
eyes narrowed, a thoughtful hum escaping her. "Is there something
wrong?" Haruka wondered, and then she gazed on the card herself.
"What does that mean?"

"It's hard to say," Chikage whispered.

* * *

"Journal Entry, Day 12 of Sanctuary visit,
"Dear Diary,
"So far, I've completed ten ukiyo-e blocks of Sanctuary. When I told
Negako that I wanted to emulate Hokusai-sensei's thirty-six views of
Fuji-san with thirty-six views of Sanctuary, that got me a big smile.
"I guess she does have feelings after all.
"Training in Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu is going ahead. I've got the
main 'seishin' attacks -- the Psychic Laser Beam, the Psychic Shuriken
Storm and the Psychic Kusarigama -- down pat. All it takes to do them
is to visualize what you want in your mind, implant that desire onto
your ki energy, and then focus it on the target. I think learning how
to do the Kusarigama is a necessary precursor, if not THE necessary
precursor, to learning the soulsword, but I haven't asked Negako about
that just yet.
"I think I got the basic philosophy of the Art down. It depends on
using your TOTAL willpower to make something happen. Now, in a fight,
that's often next to impossible, especially if you wind up facing
multiple opponents, which is normal for me. And thanks to Oyaji, I
couldn't think too much beyond the fight before me at the time.
"Well, now I can evolve from that.
"I'm going to spend the next while on some meditation, try to stretch
my ability to sense things beyond the obvious direct threat. Heh! If
I can do that, then I won't need Negako's shiatsu shield to avoid the
tomboy's tantrums. Won't she be surprised? Not that she doesn't
deserve it, of course."

* * *

The "afternoon" of the thirteenth "day" found Ranma sitting on the
apex of the tower in the centre of town. She was in lotus position,
her breathing shallow and highly regulated as she focused her mind's
eye on herself. Every step of the way, she pulled her attention away
from parts of the outside world onto herself. Every step, parts of
her she never really paid attention to in the past came into focus.
Her vital organs, muscles and skeleton, physical senses, heartbeat,
breathing, thinking, her very soul.

Her soul . . .

Wait a second.

Ranma clenched her fists, and then she relaxed herself as her battle
aura began to flare. At first a brilliant crimson shade, it then
faded in colour, morphing to pure gold, and then a brilliant white.
Taking time to regulate her breathing, Ranma shifted into a one-knee
stance. She let her arms reach out. Slowly, they came together as if
she was grasping the scabbard and handle of a sword. A sword . . .
yes. Think of a sword . . . a sword . . .

Her ki flared. On feeling something fill her hands, she screamed:

"***KONTOU!***"

Her eyes snapped open as she mimed the unsheathing of a katana. Then
they focused on what was in her right hand. They widened in stunned
shock on seeing her ki form something that looked like a sword.
Unfortunately, it was leaking energy to the surrounding air like water
flooding the "Titanic" after she brushed past the iceberg! In several
heartbeats, the proto-soulsword faded into nothingness. Turning her
hand to gaze on her palm, Ranma sighed.

"I did SOMETHING wrong . . . "

She returned to a sitting position, and then she tensed on feeling
someone standing behind her. "That was a remarkable first attempt."

Ranma looked up to see Negako standing behind her, a bemused smile on
the grandmaster's face. "What did I do wrong?"

"You focused on only one thing, Ranma."

"Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?"

"No. Now try it again."

Ranma blinked, and then she closed her eyes as she assumed an
unsheathing position. Her battle aura flared, soon melting into pure
white as she focused on her hands. "Good. Excellent form." Negako
nodded. "Now draw."

"***KONTOU!***"

The soulsword blazed to life as Ranma got to her feet. Then it
started to flare as ki leaked from it in torrents. Negako shifted
around to place herself beside the blade. One hand reached for the
tip. She pushed in. Ranma watched as the soulsword MELTED as
Negako's hand advanced. In two seconds, what little was left
vanished. Silence fell as Ranma stared at Negako. "Willpower without
context is pure, blinding ego, Ranma," the ninjutsu grandmaster
declared. "THAT can get you killed if you are not careful. You need
not have to see beyond Akane's example to understand that."

With that, she leapt off the tower. Making a perfect landing, Negako
turned to calmly walk back to the doojou. Ranma remained atop the
tower, a lost look on her face. "'Willpower without context' . . . "

"Why do you think it's called 'the Way of the Supreme LIFE?'"

Ranma spun around to see whom she at first thought was Negako. The
martial artist then stopped herself as the newcomer's older looks and
more plain clothes came into focus. Her nose then picked up a salty
tang in the air around the newcomer. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Nokoko, what are you doing here?" echoed from below.

Ranma looked down to see Negako standing by the base. She then
looked back at the newcomer. "Nokoko?" she whispered.
"You're . . .!"

"Ataru-chan's older sister." Nokoko nodded approvingly, she giving
Ranma a very intense look. "My, I have to admit, Ataru-chan's taste
in girls is superb. Even if you were born a boy. Eh, Ranma-chan?"
Her eyebrow cocked.

Silence fell over the tower.

* * *

"So you don't know who it was that bonded Ataru and I, right?"

Ranma, Negako and Nokoko sat in the living room by the doojou,
teacups in hand. "No. I fell behind Ataru-chan when he was chasing
you and your fool father back to your campsite outside Uncle's
property. By the time I got there, I had half of Uncle's security
people protecting me. In the long term, I know as much as anyone
else." The eldest-born of Muchi's and Kinshou's children sighed, she
giving Ranma an apologetic shrug.

"So what happened to you after Oyaji took me home?" Ranma asked.

"I stayed with Uncle Komeru until I turned six. As a birthday
'present' to me, he finally told me about my relationship with Ataru-
chan and his so-called 'parents.' Well . . . " She looked down. "I
didn't like hearing that. The next thing I knew, a voice echoed in my
head, asking if I'd want to meet some new friends and try to have a
real family to call my own for a change. So I left and wound up going
to another dimension."

"Another dimension?! You mean here?"

"No. The dimension I'm talking about is a place most people in our
galaxy calls 'the Outland.'" Nokoko smirked. "It's a quantum hyper-
warp pocket, between normal warp space and transwarp space. Only
access point in the Milky Way galaxy is near planet Elle." Her smirk
turned sarcastic as her eyebrow arched. "Did Ataru-chan tell you
about their queen?"

"The bitch with the hundred thousand guys in deep freeze?"

"That's her. I've stayed in the Outland ever since, save for the odd
trip to Elle or back to Earth. Brief visits, of course."

Ranma blinked. "Why?"

Nokoko sighed. "For Ataru-chan's sake and especially for our
sisters' sake, I can't come home, Ranma-chan. Not for some years to
come." Sensing Ranma about to launch into a protest, Nokoko held up a
hand. "Please! There's a reason I made that choice, Ranma-chan.
Will you hear me out first?!"

Ranma relaxed herself. "Why?"

"You know how succession works in our family, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what might happen if I do suddenly appear alive?"

"You'd be the next Matriarch. Matter of fact, I'd say you're over
twenty now, so you'd be able to take over right away."

"What happens to Sakuya-chan and the others, then?"

"Well, they can still be cared for, can't they?" Ranma wondered.
Seeing Nokoko shake her head in response, she demanded, "Why not?!"

"All were born out of wedlock, remember? In fact, according to
Negako, those girls have been either abandoned or orphaned by their
birth mothers and stepfathers. Do you really think people who
associate with our family would choose a girl like Sakuya-chan over
me, the *legitimate* blood-descendant of Moroboshi Nagaiwakai?" Nokoko
wondered, and then she shook her head. "No. Even if my family has
welcomed orphans left, right and centre into the overall family, the
CORE of the family has to remain as 'pure' as possible."

"Even if our clan, not to mention the others forming the Tenchiaiki
Juukazoku, were founded to shield 'illegitimate' births from public
outcry in the first place." Negako lightly smiled before sipping her
tea.

"What does that mean?" Ranma asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Empress Shootoku?"

Ranma shook her head. "I don't know the name."

"She was one of the last of the Nara monarchs," Negako explained.
"In fact, Shootoku was one of the rare rulers of Japan who spent two
separate periods on the throne. The first time she ruled, she went by
the name 'Koken.' It was the second time that influenced the early
history of our clan, Ranma. Thanks very much to Shootoku's passionate
interest in a fellow named Dokyou."

Ranma held up a finger. "Oh, wait a sec'! He was a Buddhist priest
who . . . " A pause. "I remember now! Damn, I should've paid more
attention in history classes! Dokyou was the guy an empress --
Shootoku, right? -- fell in love with. It came to the point where she
wanted to make him the emperor, but folks hated the idea, so they
kicked her off the throne. Right after that, they shifted the capital
to Kyoto, right?"

"Exactly. But what has never been mentioned in a history book is
that prior to her reported death, Shootoku managed to . . . " She
sipped her tea before she gave Ranma a look. "Consummate her
relationship with Dokyou."

"They had a baby?"

"Yes," Negako replied. "A girl they named Mihei. In fact, according
to the old tales that were preserved in the psychic database that
eventually evolved into me, Mihei was said to be so beautiful, those
who wanted to see her dead because her existence threatened the
Imperial succession vowed they'd rather kill themselves than raise a
knife against her."

"So what happened?"

"It was decided by Shootoku's successor, Koonin, that she, Dokyou and
Mihei would be permanently banished from the court. To the public at
large, Shootoku and Dokyou would be dead. No mention would EVER be
made of Mihei. But in private, they would be allowed to live in peace
as long as they never revealed their affiliation to the Imperial
throne to anyone else. To better facilitate that, Shootoku and Dokyou
were adopted into a low-rank noble family, the distant ancestors to
the modern-day Moroboshi Clan. And they lived to the promise they
made to Konin for the rest of their days."

"What happened to Mihei?"

"She married the young heir of the family and eventually bore him ten
very healthy children. For the time period, it was seen as the
greatest of miracles that none of them succumbed to the many illnesses
rampant then. That brought Mihei to the attention of Master Hosan,
who at that time served as Emperor Kanmu's personal inspector for the
noble houses."

Ranma blinked. Almost EVERYONE involved in the more esoteric of
Oriental martial arts these days knew the story of Master Hosan
Hirosuke. Believed to have been born five thousand years ago, Master
Hosan gained his immortality -- as to what sort of immortal he was,
that remained a mystery -- very young in life. Gaining an
appreciation for the martial arts, Master Hosan, over the centuries,
came to develop his own personalized school of ninjutsu, the Tensei-
ryuu. A servant of the Japanese throne since the days of Prince
Shootoku in the seventh century, Master Hosan was the one man EVERYONE
trusted when it came to the paranormal. That is, until the rise of
the militarists in the early 1930s. Horrified that his homeland was
being forced towards an apocalyptic war with the Americans, Master
Hosan demonstrated his disapproval in a way that would deny the
militarists the chance of using Tensei-trained warriors against their
foes: By allowing himself to be killed and bestowing his millennia of
martial arts knowledge to his last student, Major Dean Raeburn of
Canada.

"Did Kanmu know about Mihei being Shootoku's daughter?" Ranma asked.

"Master Hosan discovered that soon enough. He persuaded Kanmu to
allow things to stand. In fact, Kanmu and Mihei came to maintain a
lively -- albeit top secret, of course -- correspondence for the
remainder of their lives. It was during that time that Mihei came up
with an interesting idea. Since many children were being born out of
wedlock among the noble houses, why could there not be a place where
they ALL could go to live their lives in peace? A place where they
could also learn to be active and productive assets for Japan as a
whole? Kanmu was intrigued by the concept -- I believe Master Hosan
persuaded him -- so the agreement that created the Tenchiaiki
Juukazoku was made. All of Mihei's children, sons and daughters, were
the founders of the Ten Families."

"So that started the whole idea of your family adopting people who
were orphaned or abandoned because they weren't 'pure,' right?"

Negako nodded. "Exactly. Over the years, the Juukazoku have been
forced to conform to some set standards imposed on them by outside
society. But the primary mission remains. In fact, in this day and
age, with there being so much of a struggle between 'traditional' and
'modern' values, our clan's primary mission becomes more paramount.
How better to symbolize it than by allowing those who were not of
'pure' birth to take control of the family's future? If Nokoko
returns . . . " She indicated her adopted sister.

"What happens to the sisters?" Nokoko finished.

Ranma considered that. "Don't you miss Ataru?"

Nokoko's eyes hardened. "Yes, I DO miss him! I miss him very much.
Before Negako got pulled out of his head, my fondest dream was to go
back to Tomobiki and pull Ataru-chan away from Muchi and Kinshou. I
couldn't do it at the time though; I was stuck in the Outland dealing
with other matters. By the time I DID get to Earth, what did I find?
Ataru-chan brainwashed, Kinshou just waiting for the chance to get her
hands on the family fortune, Muchi following along with whatever
Kinshou decided, Uncle off who-knew-where, and . . . " She shrugged.
"There was Nagaiwakai on Rishiri-tou, acting as if it was totally
BELOW her station to go down and straighten this whole mess out
herself."

She sipped her tea. "Didn't you offer to handle this mess?" Ranma
asked.

Nokoko stared at her. "And what would that have done?"

"But Ataru was . . .!"

"Suffering?" Nokoko's eyebrows arched, and then she shook her head.
"Not exactly. Yes, he was being lied to and manipulated to a certain
extent, but not suffering, not like you did under Genma. And Negako
was planning to go back to him sooner or later, regardless of what she
'promised' Kinshou. We wanted to wait or the right time to move in.
Well . . . " She shrugged before taking a deep breath. "Lum's
arrival complicated matters."

"Not to mention Nagaiwakai's death," Negako added before sipping her
tea. "Plus the many questions hovering over the sisters."

Ranma sighed. "You guys wanted to do it in such a way that didn't
wind up hurting the ones you really wanted to help, right?"

Nokoko nodded. "Exactly. Ranma-chan, if I went back when she was
still alive, Nagaiwakai would've made me the Matriarch-in-Waiting, and
then abandoned Sakuya-chan and the others without a second's
hesitation or remorse. Yeah, she could've used the sisters to break
up Muchi and Kinshou's marriage, but what would that have done? It
would've put those girls through an eternity of pain and misery for no
real benefit whatsoever. And you know how Ataru-chan eventually came
to think of what Muchi and Kinshou did to him."

"Nagaiwakai's death cleared matters since Nokoko never bothered to
reveal she was still alive to anyone, not even Komeru or any of
Komeru's wards like Yumoa Reigi," Negako added. "For the sisters'
sakes -- and in some ways, for Ataru's as well -- Nokoko must remain
'dead' until well after Sakuya turns twenty and is made the new
Matriarch. After that, it will be of no concern."

Ranma considered that for a moment. "And because you've obviously
got access to some powerful stuff -- if you didn't, how the hell could
you've come to a place like Sanctuary, eh? -- you felt it was more
proper to stay away even if Lum was busy making hash out of Ataru's
life, right?"

Nokoko nodded again. "Yes. I'm not fully human, Ranma. I was
transformed the instant I entered the Outland. These days, in part,
I'm of a race that calls themselves 'the Great School of the Nendo-
kata.' Socially, my Great School is very advanced and we do our best
to bring peace -- what we call 'Unity' -- to other species without
forcing any of our core beliefs on them. We don't want to provoke
something that would bring misery to others. It's wrong. It flies
against our core beliefs." She sipped her tea. "Ranma-chan, if we
tried to set matters aright concerning the Urusians and their interest
in Earth, what might've happened? I'm sure Ataru-chan's told you
about all the fun he had dealing with Uru's Imperial sects while he
was busy learning the Art. Do you really think they'd tolerate
something like *that?*"

"After they helped kill Ataru's grandmother?" Ranma grimaced. "No."

"It hurts me to do this, Ranma-chan." Nokoko then reached over to
squeeze Ranma's hand. "But for my brother's and sisters' sake, I have
to do this. It doesn't mean that I won't stay away forever. I will
come back to be with you guys. It just can't happen at this time."

"Does he know you're still alive?"

"He knows," Negako replied. "And it hurts him. The sisters do not
know, though Chikage may come to suspect it sooner or later."

Ranma took a deep breath. "You don't want me to tell them anything
at all, right?" She stared concernedly at Nokoko.

Nokoko shook her head. "No, not now. Let them feel they're in
control of their lives, Ranma-chan. It's what they deserve in the
long term." A snide smile then crossed her face as she added, "And if
they have that, then everything the rest of those fools tried to force
on them will be nothing but hot air. After all, they say that living
well IS the best revenge, ne?"

Ranma laughed. "True!"

* * *

0 new messages