[Ranma][FanFic] Hengeyokai, parts 3-4
Luke Thrythlind Green
district in the area of the Tendo dojo as a well-known scene was
taking place.
************
"Why are you female, boy?" the panda's sign demanded.
"I gotta train up this form, Pop," Ranma said. "I keep telling you
that."
"Listen boy," Genma signed. "There aren't enough demons in this world
to remain a serious threat to it. Get over this delusion and..."
"Meanwhile the delusion turned my hair red and got me outta my curse,"
Ranma pointed out. "Listen, Pop, I'll turn back before we see this
friend of yours, but I'm getting in the training that I can right
now."
Ranma felt nervous. It had been two months since they had left the
Amazon village and he hadn't seen anybody he considered worthy
prospects for bringing over to the spirit realm. He was certain that
by now the demons had at least as many on their side, as he did on
his.
What was more, his ENEMIES all knew about what was going on and what
they were doing. He had some fragmented clues, and his allies?
His "allies" only knew that a red-haired girl had kissed them and two
days later would have woken up discovering that one of them could
become a cat and the other a bat, with respective hybrid forms. They
probably felt drawn to her as well, but she couldn't say that for
certain.
That was another reason for being female, to leave behind rumor of her
passage. That way the Amazons would be able to follow her even if
there was no mystic bond directing them.
The way she things were going right now, they were going to lose
before they started. Just like the spirit that had helped him. And in
the middle of all this, his Pop wanted him to go get engaged or
something.
"This ain't the time for fiancees though, Pop," Ranma said. "I'll see
what your friend has to say, then I have things I need to
do..."~Somehow.~
"You're not in a position to be picky, boy," Genma's sign noted. Ranma
blinked.
"Oh really, Pop," Ranma said. "I'd say that I got about four times the
chance anybody else does, ain't like I'm picky about anybody anymore."
Genma blinked at the comment and worked around until he came up with
the implication. Then he turned green.
"That is entirely beyond the pale, Boy," Genma demanded through a
sign. "You cease to even consider that this instant."
"It ain't exactly a choice, Pop," Ranma said, narrow eyed. She
forebear to mention that she had really seen no interesting men yet.
She didn't want to give her Pop any comfort. Ranma paused in her walk
and glanced around, almost seeming to sniff about.
It was weak, but that would change. A place nearby was drawing power
in. It would be a stronghold eventually, quickly in fact. Perhaps
staying in the area would be a good idea after all. Assuming she could
live within whereever this power was going.
Suddenly the panda stopped, and grabbed Ranma, pulling her off to the
side. The panda gestured at the grand estate before them.
"Here it is, Boy," Genma's sign said. "Now let's get in out of the
rain." He moved forward, trying to draw his son, currently daughter,
in.
Ranma winced as she was dragged forward through the gates. Something
was pushing him outward, and as she moved closer forward, it was as if
her strength was getting taken from him.
While she still could, Ranma slipped out of her father's grasp and
jumped back past the gates. Instantly her strength returned to her,
though she could still sense the force that had kept her at bay.
"What are you doing, Boy," Genma demanded through a sign. "Get in
here."
"Ain't good manners, Pop," Ranma said. "Maybe we should ask them to
come out here to meet us." The panda started to complain. "I ain't
going in to meet them Pop, unless you want me to stay like this."
"Deal," the next sign read. "But I don't see why you want to stay out
in the rain later."
"Err..." Ranma said, looking at the gate. "Just want to show good
manners."
************
"So, Daddy," Nabiki said. "You've engaged us to a boy you've never
met."
"It was decided long ago," Soun said. "Before any of you were born."
"And that makes it right!?" Akane demanded angrily.
"Well, it shouldn't matter," Soun said. "We'll find out all we want to
know about him in soon, they should arrive today."
"Hey, Pops, don't just barge in like that," a voice shouted from
outside.
"That must be them now," Soun declared happily.
"Ohhh, I hope he's cute," Nabiki declared, running towards the door,
just a little ahead of her father.
"I hope he's not too young," Kasumi sighed.
"Boys," Akane muttered, following along last.
They soon found Nabiki and Soun pelting backward away from the door.
Akane and Kasumi cleared the center of the hallway to let them pass
and watched them, confused.
"Pops, you're scaring them spitless, get back her," that voice
shouted.
Kasumi and Akane followed the responding growfing and roaring to see a
panda standing in the genkan and arguing with a red-haired young man
standing at the gate with a large pack.
A moment later and the panda was out cold. This tends to happen when
one throws a brick into somethings head at near bullet velocity.
"Hey, sorry about Pop," the young man called out. "He ain't got no
manners sometimes." Kasumi stepped forward cautiously as Akane stomped
ahead.
"What are you doing travelling around with a vicious beast like that!"
Akane demanded.
"Experiencing hell in small doses," the young man said succinctly, not
disagreeing with any of Akane's description of his father. A strange
look came over the young man's face and he glanced from Akane to her
sister and back, spectatively. Akane growled and stepped protectively
closer to Kasumi.
"Are you Ranma Saotome?" Kasumi asked, noting that Ranma was standing
just outside the bounds of their land.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout this," Ranma said.
"Perhaps we should handle this somewhere..."
"Awwww Ranma my boy!!" her father yelled from the door. "We've been
waiting for you. Please come in!" Ranma suddenly blinked in surprise,
and then was immediately stepping through the gates, smiling brightly.
Kasumi watched him pass her, and then shook her head.
"I have been reading too many gothic novels," she whispered to
herself.
************
"Well, he is cute," Nabiki said, practically drooling. ~And he
certainly is interested too, just look at how he's looking me over.
Mmm mmmm.~
"Cute, hmmph," Akane said. "If he's supposed to help teach her, he'll
have to be more than cute. Maybe you'd like to spar a little, so I can
see if you're worthy to claim the schools name?"
"Sure," Ranma said, a little hesitantly. Akane smirked at that,
obviously he wasn't certain of himself.
************
Ranma had almost asked if he could change first, but stopped himself.
He shook his head a little irritably. He needed to train his girl
side, but he couldn't show that off without tripping off a lot of
suspicion. Maybe he should have come as a girl, then at least he could
have imitated a Jusenkyo curse for a while. But no, he just had to do
this the right way.
~I guess it's training my girl form in secret then,~ Ranma said. Ranma
sighed and shook his head as he returned his thoughts to the present.
"So, do you do Kempo?" Akane asked. Ranma shrugged.
"A little," he said. "You want to limit it to that style?" Akane
blinked a little at that comment.
"Errr, sure," Akane said, confused. ~What does he mean limit it to
that style.~
"Okay," he nodded, doing his best not to get on her bad side. "Let's
start."
"Be careful, Akane," the elder sister said, from where she was
watching them worriedly. Ranma glanced at her and looked nervous.
~She's nervous about,~ Ranma thought. ~I guess she should be.~ He took
a deep breath and sighed.
"Don't worry, Kasumi, I can handle this loser," Akane declared. Then
she was all business. "Okay then, FIGHT!"
The fight went as predictably as his battle with Shampoo, until the
very end.
~This time it's for real!~ Akane promised herself angrily, launching
forward in an all out attack. Suddenly her opponent just wasn't there
and her hand was embedded in a wall. Akane blinked in disbelief.
"Damn, didn't expect that," someone behind her said. She ripped her
hand out of the wall and turned to see Ranma standing there looking
sheepish. "Your round I guess."
"Huh?" Akane said, surprised that he was conceding after she hadn't
been able to hit him. "What? How!?"
"You limited the match to Kempo, Akane," Kasumi reminded her. "And
Ranma's last maneuver was...Wu Shu?"
"Capoeira," Ranma corrected, sounding embarrassed. "My Wu Shu gets
more air than that."
"Oh, I see," Kasumi said, still looking cautious.
"Hey, Kasumi," Nabiki called out. "Do you know who that guy is in
there with Daddy?"
"Hmm," Kasumi said, reluctant to leave her watch over the strange
young man. "What man is that?"
"He just sort of appeared out of nowhere," Nabiki said.
"Oh?" Kasumi said, trying not to sound nervous. "I suppose I should
see about that." Kasumi glanced at Ranma and then left to investigate
this new mystery.
"So, Sis, how'd you do?" Nabiki asked, smirking.
"I'm still trying to figure that out myself," Akane said.
"She won," Ranma said, unequivocally. Nabiki looked over Ranma, noting
that he wasn't breathing heavily and hadn't a mark on him.
"How?" Nabiki asked.
"That was my question," Akane said, still trying to get over someone
claiming they lost when they dominated the match.
"I broke the terms of the match," Ranma said shrugging. "I think I
should go talk to my Pop, now. Tell me when you guys are done with the
bath, its been awhile since I had a hot one."
Then Ranma left the room, hiding a rather depressed and nervous look
on his face as he left the dojo.
************
"So, Ranma," Soun said. "Your father has explained about his curse and
your trip, now onto business."
"Yeah, let's get this over with," Ranma muttered.
"And no complaints, Boy," Genma snapped angrily. "You'll choose a
fiancee and like it!"
"He said he'd do it, Saotome," Soun said, questioningly.
"Huh?" Genma blinked. "But on the way here he was...and then...what?"
"What do you mean, 'get this over with?'" Akane demanded. "We aren't
good enough for you?" Ranma looked around and scratched his head.
"Hey, I ain't stayed in one place for long, Pop," Ranma said. "And
maybe I care more about family honor than you do." He almost winced at
that as he thought something else. ~Or maybe I want to make these
three girls very sick for a couple of days so they can help me fight
some demons and maybe get them killed in the process.~
Besides, the longer he stayed in Nerima, the more it felt like this
was where everything was going to happen.
"I'm sixteen years old," he said, as if that explained everything. He
held off on saying a lot of things he'd LIKE to say. He had to keep
them from disliking him, needed to take this somewhat slow. As slow as
could considering the situation. "I'm willing to give this a try, but
it ain't exactly what I would call the right age for me to be choosing
who to spend the rest of my life with."
"That's why I'M doing the choosing, Boy," Genma said. Ranma gave him a
sidelong glance.
"You don't have to live with the consequences," Ranma said. "I'll
choose within the limits your giving me, or I ain't doing this."
"So which of my daughters do you want...."
"That would be me!" Nabiki called out, drawing all eyes toward her.
Ranma blinked for several seconds, confused and surprised.
"Umm, sure," Ranma said finally.
************
"Congratulations, Nabiki," Kasumi said, hesitantly. "I just hope you
aren't making a rash decision."
"Oh please," Nabiki said. "Ranma's right, we're really too young to
get married, and as long as Daddy and Mr. Saotome see we're willing to
go along with this, they won't pressure us. It's really sort of like
having a steady boyfriend when you think about it."
"Yes," Kasumi said. "But there is something...odd about Ranma."
"Yeah, red-hair, flaming red-hair," Nabiki said. "His mother must be a
gaijin or something. Oh well, that just makes him exotic."
"There seems to be something else," Kasumi said quietly.
************
Ranma woke up in time to turn his headlong flight through the air into
something controled as the morning festivities began. Last night he
had managed to fight the urge that time was of the essence and NOT
sneak into any of the girl's rooms to give them his little gift.
Ranma shivered as he fought Genma. He actually had a name for it now.
That wasn't good. His distraction cost him as he was tossed into the
koi pond.
"You're sloppy boy," Genma declared.
"I'll show you sloppy, Oyaji," Ranma growled, eliciting a shiver from
his father as Genma remembered the two times he had tried to spar
Ranma in either hybrid form. Before each time, Ranma had sounded like
that. Still, Ranma seemed to be trying to hide what he was, so he
wouldn't resort to that.
Not in broad daylight at least.
"Breakfast," Kasumi called out. "The food is read...oops!" The sound
of something falling came to Ranma's ears, and he turned to see Kasumi
in the middle of a fall and dropping a container of race.
Ranma moved to her side so quickly that Genma could barely follow his
motions.
"Are you all right, Kasumi-san," Ranma asked, catching Kasumi and
helping her stand up.
"Yes," Kasumi said, catching her breath and looking surprised. "I'm
sorry. I seem to have spilled the rice." Kasumi glanced down and Ranma
followed the look.
"Well it ain't cooked," Ranma said. "An it's just on the floor, which
is spotless, so I think it's okay. Want me to help clean it up?"
"No that's fine," Kasumi said, uncertainly. "I can handle it, just eat
your breakfast." Ranma shrugged and sat down with the rest of the
family as Nabiki gave Kasumi a inquisitive glance.
Kasumi bent down to pick up the rice, indicating for the others to eat
as she did so. Watching Ranma as she was proceeding with the task, she
noticed a hint of surprise before he went back to eating.
"Gah!!!" Akane coughed out. "Kasumi, what's with the garlic in all of
this?"
"Oh," Kasumi said, embarrassed. "I just thought I'd spice things up a
little."
"Wow, look at the time," Nabiki said suddenly. "Come on Ranma, we
gotta go."
"But..." Ranma said, pointing at his bowl before Nabiki dragged him
off.
Kasumi returned the rice to the kitchen and looked at Ranma's plate
herself. He had eaten all the meat right off and had barely touched
the vegetables. Though he had been working on that when Nabiki pulled
him away.
"Kasumi," Akane said. "I can barely believe it."
"Hmm?" Kasumi looked up inquisitively.
"Your sister is right, Kasumi," her father said. "As long as the
engagement remains between Nabiki and Ranma, you should not interfere
in their relationship."
"Excuse me?" Kasumi said. "You think...oh my."
************
"Errr, Nabiki," Ranma said to his new, and bright-eyed, fiancee.
"What's with the huge collection of idiots in sports gear?"
"Oh, that's the hentai squad," Nabiki said. "My sister will be by to
clean them up soo...what's wrong with you." Ranma stood straight up
and scanned the crowd.
"You don't feel that?" Ranma asked before mentally smacking himself in
the head. ~Duh, of course she doesn't feel that. She's still human.
Damn, looks like things are already speeding up on me.~
"Feel what?" Nabiki asked.
"Nabiki Tendo," a voice said. Nabiki felt a chill wash over her, then
she turned around and saw that it was only Kuno.
"Oh, Kuno-baby," she said. "It's only you."
"Perhaps you could introduce me to your friend," Kuno said superiorly.
"Oh this isn't my friend," Nabiki said with a smirk. "This is
my...Ranma, what's wrong with you now?" Ranma was practically in
stance as he faced Kuno.
"Nevermind, it is proper to introduce one's self first," Kuno said. "I
am the rising star of the high school kendo world. The Blue Thunder of
Furinkan High. Kuno Tatewaki, age 17."
"And perhaps you can tell me your other name too," Ranma said,
growling in an ancient language.
"That would be telling," the other said. Nabiki backed up looking
between the two nervously. "I didn't think there were any of you on
this plane of existence little fox, I'm glad I was wrong. I thought
that that bitch we killed this summer would be last of your kind I
could taste for a long time."
"I ain't going to be as easy to take out as you think," Ranma growled.
"What are you two talking about," Nabiki said crossly. "And what are
speaking?"
"It is an ancient precursor to our modern Japanese," Kuno explained.
"....Families like mine and your...friend's keep the knowledge alive."
"I see," Nabiki said suspiciously. "And what are you talking about?"
"I believe it came down to a challenge," Kuno said, smirking. "But I
don't think either of us is willing to...endanger bystanders at the
moment. Another time perhaps."
"You can count on it, voidling," Ranma growled. Kuno nodded.
"You can tell your sister that I won't be engaging in this plebian
attempt to acquire her attention any longer," Kuno said.
"But you're the one that set the challenge," Nabiki said, confused.
She looked to Ranma and back to Kuno. "If you were a cat....What are
you doing up there?" The moment she had said cat, he had leaped to the
nearest tree.
"Long story," Ranma said, then muttered under his breath. "Bad enough
I'm gonna have to work with one..."
[I'm not sure, but I believe that Hengeyokai means "shape-changing
demon" Hen is there which I suspect is transformation, and yokai is
demon/ghost/monster]
------------------------------
Part 4
"So, when did that guy start being so creepy?"
Ranma asked, coming down from the tree to stand next
to Nabiki.
"Oh, Kuno's always been like that, I have classes
with him," Nabiki said before frowning in thought.
"You have classes WITH him," Ranma said, whirling
to face her. ~That is NOT good.~
"What's the matter jealous?" Nabiki smirked a
little before going on to voice her doubts, mostly to
herself. "There was something a little off about him,
though. What was that last comment about 'voidling?'
you threw at him."
"Errrr..." Ranma looked around trying to come up
with a credible answer. "Oh, well, his kind sorta
come from outside, ya know, the void.
Ain't...natural..." He shrugged nervously.
"Interesting comment coming from someone with your
obvious ancestery," Nabiki noted with an arched
eyebrow. ~I hope he's not a bigot. Because if he's
still worried about outsiders back to a day when there
Japanese hadn't developed...~ Her mouth quirked
angrily and then was still.
"This ain't a bloodline thing," Ranma said
hurriedly, shaking his hands in denial. "Trust me on
that one, it's more like...what's in that head of
his."
"I suppose it's as good a term as any to describe
Kuno's mind," Nabiki said. "Well, we have some time
yet. Shall I show you to your room and then take my
normal seat for upcoming spectacle."
"How about showing me to the nurses' station
first," Ranma asked, glancing after Kuno. "I gotta
feeling that I'm going to need to be there quite a
bit."
"Get on Kuno's bad side and I can understand how
you'd think that," Nabiki said smirking. "Though with
how you took my sister yesterday, I don't see where
you should be worried."
"I think he's picked up a few secrets you don't
know about," Ranma said simply as they walked into the
school building.
"Not likely," Nabiki said, smirking. "And this, is
the glorious nurses' station. Not much, but it keeps
the students healthy." She glanced back to her fiance
to note him looking about the empty hallway with a
hint of paranoia.
"He's not going to jump out of the walls, Saotome."
Ranma merely arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah, well," Ranma said. "Things are happening
quicker than I expected."
"What do you mean?" Nabiki asked, wondering if
maybe this whole engagement thing was going to get
tedious. Ranma's cheeks flashed a cute shade of red
to nearly match his hair before he leaned over towards
Nabiki.
Nabiki's eyes widened in surprise as Ranma moved to
kiss her. On the first day of their engagement no
less. No wonder he was looking about the hallway so
carefully. Nabiki smiled a little as she leaned
forward to meet him, wrapping her arms around him
lightly.
When the kiss hit her she was totally unprepared.
Her arms quirked out as if she had just kissed an
electrical outlet, which was something a little weaker
than what she was actually feeling.
Like Shampoo and Mousse before, she stayed
conscious long enough to hear Ranma say. "Sorry 'bout
this. But I gotta do this."
************
"Really," Akane said. "Just where was Kuno after
all that. If he's going to make all this trouble for
me, the least he could do is at least show up." She
walked into the building feeling irritable.
"Akane," Sayuri shouted, coming her way. "Your
sister!"
"Nabiki?" Akane asked. "What about Nabiki?" ~If
that...Boy...did anything to her...~
"She passed out or something," Sayuri said. "The
nurse asked me to come get you. Come on." Sayuri
hurried back down the hallway, Akane close behind her
in a shock of worry and suspicion.
When they reached the nurse's station, they found
Nabiki lying in one of the beds, shaking and
shivering, her eyes closed in a semblance of sleep.
Sitting next to her was an apologetic looking Ranma,
and Akane swiftly rounded on him.
"What did you do to her?" Akane demanded, noting
Ranma's wince with vindication.
"She just collapsed," Ranma said hesitantly,
shrugging. "I got her here as quick as I could."
"Tendo-san," the nurse said, coming into the room.
"This is hardly the boy's fault. As far as I can tell
your sister seems to have developed some form of
epilepsy or something similar."
"Epilepsy?" Akane repeated. "Is that bad?"
"It can be," the nurse said. "In this case it
doesn't seem as if she is in danger for her life, but
she hasn't come out of the seizure in the last ten
minutes, and that worries me." Akane paled.
"Ten minutes," Akane said. "She's been like this
for ten minutes?"
"Uh, yeah," Ranma said. "She says there's some doc
nearby that you can lead me to that might know what to
do."
"Dr. Tofu!" Akane exclaimed. "Of course, he'll
know what to do."
************
Dr. Tofu had spent a rather boring morning so far.
Nothing had yet happened that truly required his
attention. It had even been a few days since Akane
last injured herself. He tried not to wish for some
sort of pick up in activity, knowing that such times
of peace and good health were few and far between.
Unfortunately it seemed it was already too late.
"Dr. Tofu," Akane's voice called from the front of
the office.
The doctor quickly stood up and hurried to the
front of the clinic. The secretary there was trying
to calm down Akane, who was standing next to a rather
striking red-haired boy holding Nabiki Tendo.
"Dr. Tofu my sister..." Her voice was on the verge
of breaking into tears. It didn't take but a glance
to see that Nabiki was unconscious and shaking
violently.
"Oh dear," Dr. Tofu said. "What happened to her."
"She sort of passed out, Doc," Ranma said. ~Damn,
too old and strong, he'd either fight it off or die.
Could be a strong ally though.~
"The school nurse thinks its a type of epilepsy,"
Akane said worriedly.
"Bring her over here, and I'll see what is wrong,"
Dr. Tofu said. "Though I doubt epilepsy." The doctor
lead them into the examination room and directed Ranma
to lay Nabiki out on the table.
"There doesn't seem to be much pain," Tofu said
right off the bat, noting the relief on the part of
both teens. "Her face is peaceful at least, that
could mean nothing, however." He lay the back of his
hand against her forehead and then pulled it away.
"Something the matter?" Akane asked nervously.
"She's burning up," the doctor said seriously as he
scooped her up. "Akane..."
"Ranma," the young man supplied.
"Start filling buckets of ice from there," he said,
indicating a machine at the end of the hall. As he
was speaking he carried the shaking Nabiki into a full
bathroom near the back of the building, and slipped
her into the empty tub.
As Tofu was taking Nabiki to the tub he kept in
case of emergencies like this, Ranma and Akane walked
down the hall. Ranma glanced towards the doctor's
office and winced as he caught a reflection of himself
in hybrid form in one of the small mirrors inside. He
started glancing around the ceilings, looking for any
mirrors he had already missed.
"Okay now," Tofu said as Akane and Ranma first
started arriving with ice, which he piled around
Nabiki. "That should help the fever some, yes, she's
down a little already. Heartbeat is rapid, but strong
and regular. It's almost as if she's just running her
body to it's limit."
He settled back to get ready and look at his
patients chi next. As he opened his senses to view
Nabiki's aura he received two shocks.
The first came from Nabiki, as the embroiled state
of chi was revealed. He couldn't quite figure out
what was happening, but knew that her aura was
changing in response to something. And her body was
probably changing with her aura.
Then he turned to look at Ranma and saw the boy's
easily mutable aura. There were many things constant
about it, honor, duty, determination, remorse, but it
was hard to pin down. The boy's aura was also
strongly tied to the natural world around him, and not
bound so rigidly as other people's aura. It was the
aura of someone remarkably talented with chi
control...or of someone not altogether human, or both.
He looked from Ranma to Nabiki for a moment, and
then to Akane. Better not to voice his concerns in
front of her, if he was wrong it would just cause
trouble.
"You were with her when this happened?" Tofu asked
Ranma.
"Err...yeah," Ranma said nervously. "She
was...uhh...showin me around places in the
school...and then collapsed...so I got her to the
nurse's office and she said to bring Nabiki here." He
shrugged and looked back at the Doc nervously.
"Akane would you stay with your sister," Tofu
asked. "I need to ask your friend some questions."
"He's not my friend," Akane said. "He's Nabiki's
fiance." She almost spat the term. "And he better
not have done anything to her."
"Fiance?" Tofu asked curiously.
"It was our parents idea," Ranma said irritably.
"She didn't seem to mind though."
"Well," Tofu said. "Let's have that talk."
"Sure Doc," Ranma said. They both stood up and
started walking out the of the bathroom, back to the
office.
"Nothing strange happened at all before she fell,"
Tofu asked.
"Well there was that Kuno guy, but he didn't do
anything," Ranma said. He stopped short of entering
Tofu's back office though, almost growling in
frustration. "Damn it! I can't do anything about
this kinda stuff!" ~Except cause it anyway.~
Ranma stamped his feet into the floor, hard, and
the sound of things falling and glass breaking came
from the Doctor's office. Ranma winced at every noise
and looked at the doctor sheepishly.
"Sorry Doc," Ranma said. "Guess I don't know my
own strength."
The doctor meanwhile opened the door cautiously to
see his office in mild disarray, and all the
precariously placed blessed mirrors fallen and
shattered.
"That's okay, Ranma," he said, thinking. "We can
just brush the glass aside for now, and I'll clean it
up later. Now can you tell me something about
yourself?"
"About me?" Ranma repeated, blinking his eyes.
"How's that going to help Nabiki." ~It's a little late
for that, Doc.~
"Well, it will get you relaxed," he brushed aside
some glass from a pair of chairs and gestured for
Ranma to sit down. "And maybe you'll think of
something you want to tell me."
"Okay," Ranma said, hesitantly as he sat down.
"Whatcha want to know?"
"Well, first of all," Tofu said. "I'm curious,
how'd you get that red hair? It's almost beyond the
range of human hair color."
"Errr..." Ranma glanced around the room cautiously,
trying to think of something to say. "I sorta changed
my hair color..." he looked decently embarrassed.
Tofu glanced at him and considered. It didn't look
like a dye job, but, then again, he supposed there
were some good ones out there.
"Maybe you should have chosen a more subtle color,"
Tofu suggested. "How long have you been studying the
martial arts?"
"All my life, Doc," Ranma said. "I still don't see
how this is going to help you with Nabiki, unless you
think I did something to her."
"Did you?" Tofu asked.
"If I can, Doc," Ranma said firmly. "I'm going to
see to it nobody gets hurt around here." He didn't
answer the question though.
"And you think there is reason people might get
hurt," Dr. Tofu asked.
"There's a bad bunch around," Ranma answered.
"First met 'em in China, and looks like they got here
ahead of me."
"Anything like you?" Tofu asked. Ranma hesitated a
bit.
"Yes and no, Doc," Ranma said. "I ain't got it all
figured out myself."
"I should see to Nabiki now," Dr. Tofu said after a
long moment.
"I'll come by ta see her later," Ranma said
nervously. "I gotta do that much at least, if this
whole engagement thing goes anywhere, I gotta watch
her at a time like this."
"That sounds like a wise decision, Ranma," Tofu
said. ~And a smart one if you mean harm.~
************
"Kasumi," Akane called out as they came home.
"Kasumi, it's terrible!" She barely noted the prayer
papers liberally pasted to the walls.
"Akane, are you home already?" Kasumi said, coming
out of the kitchen. "And Ranma? What are you doing
here? Is Nabiki at least still in school?"
"Nabiki...she...there's something wrong with
Nabiki," Akane said finally. "The nurse said it was
epilepsy."
Kasumi blanched. If it was epilepsy in truth then
Nabiki would have to deal with it for the rest of her
life. She hoped it truly wasn't something so
debilitating.
"But Dr. Tofu doesn't know what it is," Akane said,
obviously worried and wanting Kasumi to assuage her
fears. For the moment she was a little child about to
lose a family member again. "He says her chi is out
of control."
"Oh my," Kasumi said, and looked to Ranma.
"He said her heartbeat was strong and the beat was
regular," Ranma said. "She's got a fever, but he's
keepin that down by keeping her in ice."
"I'm certain Dr. Tofu knows what's best," Kasumi
assured Akane. "Did something strange happen at
school?"
"Nope, after that Kuno kid talked to us, she showed
me around and then she collapsed," Ranma said. It was
the truth as far as it went.
"Kuno," Akane growled. "I bet he did something to
Nabiki. Maybe he finally realized she was ripping him
off all the time or something."
"Don't try to take Kuno," Ranma snapped in response
looking up. Kasumi took note of the grim and
forbidding tone and looked up curiously.
"I can take Kuno easy," Akane said. "I do it
everyday, he's nothing."
"I don't think the Kuno you know is the same Kuno I
saw today," Ranma said, still serious.
"What's the matter," Akane asked. "Don't you think
a girl can take care of herself?"
"I think a girl can take care of herself just fine
if she knows when to hold off," Ranma said. "Whatever
he was before, that guy's been making deals, and he
isn't someone to take on lightly now."
"Perhaps you should listen to Ranma for now,"
Kasumi said. "Besides, this isn't the sort of thing
that you have described Kuno as doing, now is it."
"I suppose not," Akane said glummly. "I just hope
its not like...you know..."
"Oh, Akane," Kasumi said. "That was a lot
different than this. Mother's illness didn't happen
all at once."
Ranma sneezed and shook his head. As he reached
out to grab one of the prayer papers and use it for a
kleenex he looked around the room.
"Where's Pop and Tendo-san?" Ranma asked.
"Oh," Kasumi said, watching Ranma blow his nose on
her morning's work. "They're out celebrating the
engagement. Father is going to be so heartbroken."
Ranma winced at that.
"Gah, that father of yours is a bad influence,"
Akane said. "I can just imagine what bits of him
YOU'RE hiding from us."
"Yeah, sorry 'bout this," Ranma said sheepishly.
"Why," Kasumi said watching him closely. "You
didn't have anything to do with this."
"I just don't like bringing the news, you know?"
Ranma said. ~You know, it's a lot easier to fool
people when ya don't actually answer the question.~
"I suppose not," Kasumi said. "I suppose we'll
just have to wait and pray. By the way, Ranma, what
religion are you?"
"Never really thought about it," Ranma said,
shrugging. "I guess they all got their strong points,
an' their weak points. Though I've really been
leaning toward Shintoism these last coupla months."
"I see," Kasumi said.
"What are you talking about religion for at a time
like this?" Akane demanded. "I swear Kasumi, it's
like you've gone insane recently!"
"It probably had something to do with the wedding
plans," Ranma said sullenly. "Sounds like she's sure
Nabiki'll be fine."
"Yes," Kasumi said. "Yes, everything is going to
be fine."
"I wonder," Ranma said under his breath.