Hello, I'm back. For those of you waiting with baited breath for the
next chapter of my story (I knwo there has to be at least one of
you)here it is. I'm sorry it took so long. Lots of crazy problems with
weather, power outages, lose of internet access, sickness, etc. I hope
that this comes off ok. It is very beta. You folks are the first to
see it. No proof readers so please be kind. As always C&C gratefully
accepted and responded to.
************************************************
All characters copyright of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Inc. and
Viz Communications. The character of Suteko Saotome is mine.
SINS OF THE FATHER
CHAPTER FIVE
Brother an Sister Talk
or
Suteko’s history
by LPrior
Ranma turned back to Akane. He started to ask her if she minded but she
looked at him for a moment and then shook her head. She wasn’t going to
leave Ranma with an unknown young woman, even if they were related.
They had been through too much together, plus she wanted to hear this
girl’s story. Suteko may have said that she didn’t want to challenge
him, but with Ranma’s luck she would just wait until Akane and Ryouga
had left. She stepped closer to Ranma and spoke to Suteko. “I’d rather
go with him.” It was short and simple but Suteko understood the tone.
This girl was going to stay close to her fiancé.
“OK, Akane,” Suteko smiled. All right, she could talk to him with the
girl around. It wasn’t as if she was going to tell him any big family
secret. She looked around, she still wasn’t quite sure were everything
was in a city this size. “Um, which way is it to the airport? I left
my pack there.”
Ryouga spoke up first, stepping away from the others. “We go this
way.” As usual he was facing the opposite of the way they needed to
go. Ranma snorted and grabbing his arm turned Ryouga around the right
way.
“Wrong again, lost boy. The airport’s this way.” Ranma stepped away
quickly as Ryouga took a quick swing at him. Akane snorted and started
to say something when Suteko cut in.
“Let’s not start up again, boys. I need to get my stuff,” she looked
around at the devastation around them. “Besides, this part of town
looks like it can’t take much more damage.”
Ranma and Ryouga looked around in a bit of amazement. There wasn’t a
wall anywhere within sight without a hole punched through it. “She’s
right, guys.” Akane said to the two. She turned back to Suteko, “the
best way would be to take a bus to the airport. We can pick one up a
couple of blocks from here.” Akane proceeded ahead of the guys and
Suteko fell in next to her. Akane’s natural friendliness was tempered a
bit by her caution with this unknown, but she was trying to be polite.
So she asked, “Suteko?”
“Hmmm?”
“Are you here all by yourself?”
Suteko walked without speaking for a minute. Then she sighed. “I’ve
been traveling alone for a year, now.”
Akane was amazed. Traveling all alone for a year. A girl, alone?
Sure, Ryouga ends up traveling alone all the time, but he was a guy.
Girls had dangers that guys didn’t have. Suteko was small and delicate,
like Ranma in girl form. She must be tougher than she looked. “Must
have been lonely.”
“At first it was an adventure, you know. No grownups around telling me
what to do, but after a while I just wanted to find him and get it over
with.” Suteko spoke to Akane without looking at her. Her attention
focused on where they were going; her mind only half on talking with
the girl next to her. Memories of the past year and the troubles of
traveling alone in a part of the world that considered girls too weak to
take care of themselves had been a real trial. In America, Suteko had
had enough trouble with guys wanting to take care of the tiny girl.
They always seemed to think that if they acted macho she’d fall all over
them. But after a while, they got the message. Suteko had been
training with her staff since she was old enough to walk.
“Do you hate him?” Akane asked. She could understand if Suteko did.
To have been a child grow up knowing her father would never be there had
to be terrible.
Suteko shot a look over at Akane. “Hate him?” She thought a moment.
“Not really.”
‘em
Ranma and Ryouga were following closely behind the two girls. Each boy
was deep in thought. Ramna was thinking about Suteko. Having a sister
-- he wasn’t sure if he liked the idea or not. On one hand, it meant he
wouldn’t be an only child anymore. On the other hand he wasn’t alone
anymore. They could spend time together and talk. A girl who wasn’t
interested in him as a fiancé. That itself was amazing. Plus she was a
marital artist. They could train together. That staff work she pulled
on Pop earlier looked different. He hadn’t seen anything quite like it
in his travels. But on the other hand, she was here to challenge Pop
and get revenge for what he did to her mother: for causing her to be
born. She grew up without a father, just like he had grown up without
his mother. He continued to ponder these thoughts as they walked toward
the bus stop. He only interrupted them when he caught what Akane had
asked Suteko.
“Not really.”
She didn’t hate Pop? “Wait a minute.” Ranma pushed up next to Suteko’s
other side. “You challenged the old man and you don’t hate him. I’d
think after chasing us around for so long you’d want to waste the old
man.”
Suteko just gave Ranma a cold look. “I don’t hate anyone. Genma had
his reasons for dumping my mother, I’m sure. Anger and hatred have no
place in true revenge.”
“What!” Ranma was shocked. Anger had nothing to do with revenge?!
“Try telling that to Ryouga here.” He pointed his thumb over his
shoulder at the other boy. Ryouga just glared at him. “He always seems
to mad about something.”
Suteko stopped walking for a moment. She looked Ranma straight in the
eye and explained her clan’s view on revenge. “Little brother, the
Fukushuu clan has made a fine art out of revenge. All members are
taught at a young age that anger and hatred can cause a warrior to lose
focus and take the revenge beyond that which is truly due.” She turned
toward the lost boy and spoke directly to Ryouga. “Anger can make a
warrior do things he would regret upon later reflection. In modern
times, revenge is best if the focus of the act is left alive to suffer
with the knowledge that they were bested. To remember that what
happened to them was true justice.” She then took Akane’s arm and
walked on.
Akane took a quick look at Suteko’s face, she was surprised. Once
Suteko was facing away from the boys, she broke out into a big grin.
Suteko shot a quick glance over at Akane, her eyes dancing with
merriment. She leaned over to whisper in Akane’s ear. “That little
speech was one I heard from great uncle Tanto every first day for
sixteen years. Pompous wasn’t it?”
Akane smiled and repressed a giggle. Suteko was pulling her brother’s
leg. Ranma looked shocked at the tone and speech. The girl had sounded
just like an elder priest. “You’re certainly confusing Ranma. He
wasn’t expecting that at all.”
“Well, never give them what they’re expecting. That’s my motto.” With
in moments they came to the bus stop. Suteko looked at her watch. It
was just after one in the afternoon. “When do the buses usually run,
Akane?”
“There should be one along any minute, now.”
‘em
Ryouga was stopped in his tracks by what the strange girl had said.
“Anger and hatred make a warrior lose focus.” Why didn’t he think of
that before? He thought back to all his battles with Ranma, each ending
with Ranma besting him when he lost his temper. Maybe she had something
there. Ryouga still wanted his revenge on Ranma for all he had done,
but he wasn’t doing so well getting it. *It can’t be that easy. How
could anyone not get mad at Ranma? He’s arrogant and cruel, calling
Akane uncute and hurting her all the time.* Ryouga’s thoughts started
their usual spiral. The more he thought about Ranma and revenge, the
more angry he got. This girl may be able to hold her anger at Genma
down to a tolerable level, but then he hadn’t shamed her repeatedly in
front of someone she loved.
Ranma watched Akane and his sister talking quietly. They were giggling
over something. Sheesh, even his sister was girly. After traveling
alone for a year you’d think she would be more adult. Just as this
thought came into his head the two looked over at him.
“So, Ranma, Akane tells me you train with Genma everyday.” Suteko asked
with a glint in her eye.
“Yahhh...every morning before school. Why?”
Suteko smiled. “Got any pointers?” Ranma stood there shocked. Could
she be asking for help in defeating Pop in an honor battle. Suteko
took pity on him after a moment. “Just kidding, Ranma. I wouldn’t ask
for help in an honor battle. I was raised right.” Ranma let out his
breath in a whoosh. “Besides, I think I can take care of myself.”
That came out a tad smug. She sounded just like Ranma.
After a few minutes the bus arrived. The teenagers piled aboard and
headed for some open seats. Akane and Ranma sat together, leaving
Ryouga to sit with Suteko. Suteko took the window seat and sat staring
out the window. She was amazed at just how big Tokyo and the
surrounding area was. This much land covered lots of towns back in New
England. Why the eighty miles of the city proper would have included
Boston, Lowell, Nashua NH and all the way down to the Cape back home.
How did anyone get from place to place here? She turned back to face
her brother. “So, what was it like growing up with Genma?”
Ranma started to make a snide answer but the look on Suteko’s face made
him change his mind. “Well it was an adventure.”
“An adventure?”
“Yep,” Ranma went on to tell about some of the places his father had
taken him in their years of training. Suteko nodded as she listened.
It was interesting to hear his side of the Ukyo story. Not too
different but just enough. Occasionally Ryouga would break in, adding
depth to the story but also causing Ranma to start arguing and Akane to
join in. Suteko smiled. This seemed to be a normal part of their day.
Maybe their fighting wasn’t what it seemed on the surface. They were
getting loud though.
“Hey, guys. It’s not that important. I just wanted to know what it was
like to grow up with a dad.”
“Akane would have been the better one to ask. Her father was more a
normal father,” Ryouga said.
“You know, I agree,” added Ranma. He turned to face Akane. “Why don’t
‘cha tell her about growing up with Mister Tendo, Akane?” This lead to
more conversation about families until the bus pulled up to the
airport. They got out and Suteko led them to where she stashed her
pack. It looked much like the one Ryouga usually carried with him.
They headed back out toward the buses but got separated from Ryouga in
the crowd.
“Ryouga!! Where are you!!!” Akane called out, trying to spot him in
the crowd.
Ranma shrugged as he leaned against a nearby wall. “You know that ain’t
goin’ to work. He’s lost again. Probably won’t see him for another
week.”
“Well, your no help. Why didn’t you keep an eye on him anyway? You
know he gets lost so easily.”
“Aww, Akane, why should I? He can take care of himself.”
Akane took out her mallet and prepared to bonk Ranma on the head.
“Because he was your responsibility! That’s why!”
Ranma moved away, holding his hands up. “Since when is he my
responsibility?”
“Since you were standing next to him at the time!” Her battle aura was
coming up now. Suteko couldn’t believe the size of the mallet Akane had
pulled out of no where.
“Um, Akane?” She tried to get the girl’s attention before she committed
some dire act on Suteko’s newly discovered brother.
It must have worked because Akane turned and politely asked, “What is
it, Suteko?”
“Ranma was talking to me when your friend wandered off. I’m sorry. I
didn’t know he had such a bad problem.”
Akane calmed down a bit. “That’s OK, Suteko. It’s hard to belief just
how lost Ryouga can get without meaning to.” Her aura changed back to
normal and she stowed her mallet away, without using it for once. Ranma
breathed a sigh of relief.
“Does he know how to get back to the dojo?”
Ranma and Akane looked at each other and smirked. Ranma answered, “Oh,
yeah. He should show up sometime next week. He always seems to.”
“Well, let’s go catch a bus back to Nerima. It’s getting late and your
family must be wondering where you two are.” Akane looked down at her
watch. It was now half past four. “Plus I told Ukyo I would be back
for dinner at her place. Don’t like being late.”
“Ranma, why don’t you and Suteko get the tickets and I’ll call Kasumi
and tell her when we’ll be home?”
“OK, Akane.” He smiled at his fiancée. It was nice to avoid being hit
by the mallet just once. “Meet you by the Kiosk.” The teenagers
parted.
****************************************
Suteko was glad that she got Ranma alone for a moment. She studied him
while he talked with the ticket agent. She could she a faint
resemblance to her uncle Tanto around the chin. She really missed him
and even though she would be glad that her quest was over she didn’t
think she’d be seeing him soon. Mother wanted her to stop by the family
estates before leaving Japan. Something about meeting her
great-grandfather and telling him that the family honor was restored.
She was a bit afraid of that moment. Uncle had told her all about his
father and he sounded very intimidating. She was lost in thought when
Ranma finished with the tickets and spoke to her. She jumped and pulled
out her staff in reflex.
“Whoa! Easy Suteko it’s just me.”
Suteko pulled her staff back from Ranma’s face. She hadn’t touched him,
due mostly to Ranma’s speed. He had ducked back, just out of range of a
close attack. “Sorry Ranma. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
Ranma pushed the end of the staff to the side. “Did I surprise you?”
Suteko nodded. “What where you thinking about so hard?”
“My great-uncle Tanto.”
“He must be important, you where out of it there.”
Suteko smiled, “Yes, he is.”
“Your pretty fast with that stick there. Where’d you learn that?”
“Uncle Tanto taught me the style and technique and traveling this past
year has built up my reflexes. I’m sorry I swung at you. I didn’t hear
you and my reflexes took over. Too much time alone I guess.” She
fiddled with the leather wrapping the end of the staff. “Uncle always
said that my single-mindedness would cause problems. I tend to focus
too tightly on one thing at a time.”
Ranma understood. He had that problem once. That and Ryouga had that
problem bigtime. “This Uncle sounds like a smart guy. He live back in
America?”
Suteko got a pained look on her face for a moment. She took a deep
breath and spoke. “Uncle Tanto died just before I left to find Genma.”
Ranma felt a wave of sympathy wash over him. He barely knew this girl
but to see the pain in her eyes he knew that the man had been someone
special to her. He moved forward and awkwardly put an arm about her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
Suteko wiped a single tear from her eye and straightened. “It’s all
right. I should be over this by now. Uncle would think I was acting
childish to let it bother me this long. He had a long life and he
enjoyed almost all of it. Thank you for being concerned, though.”
Akane came around the corner then and saw Ranma with his arm around a
girl. Her first reaction was to blow up, like always. She pulled her
mallet out and said, “Ranma” in her deadly voice. As she got nearer she
realized it was Suteko and she cooled down but not before Ranma saw her.
He pulled his arm away from Suteko and raised his hands to defend his
head. He was amazed to see Akane back down for a second time this
afternoon. Maybe having Suteko around was going to be better than he
thought.
“What’s going on?” Akane looked from Ranma to Suteko and back again.
“Nothing Akane. Ranma was just being nice. I was telling him about
someone I lost recently.” Suteko smiled weakly. Akane sure got mad a
lot. She slid her staff back into staff-space and shook herself. “We
should probably go meet the bus back to Nerima now. Yes?”
Akane nodded. “Kasumi said she’d hold dinner until we got back,
Ranma.” She turned to Suteko. “She also told me to ask you to dinner.”
Suteko looked surprised. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,
Akane. Genma would be there and I shouldn’t see him again until the
time of our challenge.”
“I told Kasumi that but well....”
“She’s a bit different.” Added Ranma. “She doesn’t seem to understand
battles and the like, right Akane.”
“Yes. I told her that you probably wouldn’t come but I promised her I
would ask. Have you found a place to stay the night yet?”
“Ukyo offered me crash space at her place. So I’m taken care of for the
night.” She leaned up against the wall as they waited for the bus. “I
never did get that explanation about the fiancée thing. Ukyo told me
you have four?”
Ranma looked stricken. He had hoped she would have forgotten that.
“Um....” But before he could say anything Akane broke in.
“He only has three ‘official’ ones. Me, Ukyo and Shampoo. Kodachi just
latched on to him for no reason.” Akane send a viscous look Ranma’s
way.
“Hey, it wasn’t my idea. Besides she’s no worse than Kuno.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Akane turned to Suteko with an evil look on her
face. “Then there’s Kuno. He has a real thing for Ranma.”
“Akane!” The two started to toss insults at each other again.
Suteko could see that Akane was enjoying making Ranma squirm so she
broke in. “Does he want Ranma as a guy or a girl?”
The two broke off and looked at Suteko. “As a girl, of course. What
kinda guy you think I am?”
“Oh, don’t worry I understand. Must be tough having a guy fawn all over
you when your a guy.”
“You don't know the half of it. Besides he loves Akane.”
“Kuno is such a jerk. He couldn’t make up his mind...”
“If he had one.” Ranma snorted. Then Akane and Ranma got to explaining
just exactly who was or thought they were engaged to Ranma. There
explanation was just short of an all out war but Suteko got the gist of
the story.
“So, Akane, you have first claim on Ranma, right?”
“Yes, not that I want to.” Akane answered with disgust. “He’s a
pervert, girl chasing pain.”
“How’s he a pervert, Akane.”
“Well, he’s a cross dressing, window peeping......”
“Akane!”
“Does he dress in women’s clothes when he’s a guy?”
Akane thought a moment. “No....”
“Then he’s not a cross dresser.” Suteko said smugly. Sounded like
Akane just wanted to find something wrong with Ranma. She knew she
shouldn’t jump to conclusions but Suteko trusted this younger brother of
her’s for some reason. She turned to Ranma. “So do you have a
favorite?” Ranma didn’t answer that one. He was still torn. Besides
he didn’t want to say anything in front of Akane. After a moment Suteko
continued. “Do either of you have a problem with me staying at Ukyo’s?
If you do I can find somewhere else to sleep.” Ranma told he didn’t and
after a quick thought Akane didn’t either. “OK. Look I don’t know
anything about this Shampoo but her claim doesn’t sound as valid as
Akane and Ukyo’s and this other girl, um, what’s her name?”
“Kodachi,” answered Akane.
“Thank you. She sounds like a real problem. We had someone like her
back in Boston. She finally got put away for her own good. Poisoned
the boy she had her crush on. Better watch out for that one.” Just
then their bus pulled up. The three got on board and took the back seat
since it would sit three.
Suteko took the right side of the seat next to the window. Ranma sat
between Akane and his sister. “So have you avoided that fiancée
thing?” Asked Akane.
“They don’t do things that way in America. Forced engagements feel out
of fashion a century ago. Besides Grandfather Mikado said that I wasn’t
worth engaging to anyone being an illegitimate child.” She said the
last part with loathing. It was obvious that there was no love lost
between Suteko and her grandfather.
Akane was shocked. How cruel for a grandfather to say such things to
his grandchild. It wasn’t her fault that she was conceived outside of
marriage. “Is he the reason your mother moved to America?”
Suteko pulled her legs up and rested her feet on the seat. “Mother told
me that she left Japan to get away from sad memories but I think that
what you said is closer to the truth. Uncle Tanto always told me that
his brother, Grandfather Mikado was a real hard line, old fashioned kind
of man. He never forgave my mother for her slip but he never said
anything to me the few times he visited his brother.”
“Pop caused a real mess of trouble, didn’t he?”
“You don’t know the half of it. After Grandfather died, we came to
Japan for the funeral. She and Uncle Tanto were allowed to go but I had
to stay away.” Her voice became very flat. “No non-family members
allowed.”
“But you were family. You were your mother’s daughter.”
“Not in Grandfather Mikado’s eyes. But that doesn’t matter. He died
three years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
Suteko stared out the window at the gathering rain clouds. “Looks like
rain.”
Ranma shivered a little. “It rains a lot around here.”
“Must make life interesting, what with being cursed to change and all.”
Ranma answered. “Yeah.” He thought for a minute. “Suteko?”
“Hmmmm?”
“You seem awfully calm about my curse. Why?”
Suteko looked a bit sick for a minute. “I told you about how I followed
you and Genma around for a year, right?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I found Jusenko.” She added, a slight blush creeping up her
throat.
Ranma looked at Akane and she looked back. Together they said, “You
didn’t?”
“Pool of drowned boy.”
“Oh, boy.” Suteko winced at the pun. Ranma apologized. “So when you
get wet you turn into a boy?”
“Look just like you with blonde hair. Should have guessed you were
related when I saw you but I wasn’t paying attention to anyone other
than Genma when we met. Took Ukyo to tell me I had a little brother.”
“How’d it happen?” Asked Akane.
For a minute it looked like Suteko wouldn’t answer but she took a deep
breath and told them how she stupidly jumped in. Stunned Akane and
Ranma just sat staring at her with their jaws open. Suteko smiled
weakly, “I know but we get claims of amazing things in America all the
time. And the motto of every good New Englander is seeing is
believing.” She chuckled. “I was being a bit of a stupid, arrogant
jerk but well shit happens.” She turned back to staring out the window.
Ranma and Akane just sat stunned. “You jumped in?” Ranma asked
incredulous.
“Yep. Stupid, I now know. So we have something else in common, little
brother.”
For most of the trip back there was silence. Suteko sat staring out the
window as the rain came down. Ranma and Akane just sat quietly next to
each other. For once not arguing, a small miracle in itself. After a
long while Suteko started to talk quietly again. “Ranma?”
Ranma looked up. “Yeah?”
“What’s your mom like?”
Ranma was a bit taken aback. He hadn’t seen his mom in a long time. “I
haven’t seen mom since Pop decided to take me on his training missions,
why?”
“Sorry. I was just wondering.” Suteko traced the path of a drop down
the window pane with her finger. “I was wondering if she was anything
like mine.”
“I remember her cooking and how she smelled.” Akane stiffened at the
mention of cooking but didn’t do anything. Ranma wasn’t talking about
her. “She always had a hug for me and stuff like that. You know she
was mom like.”
“My mom was too, once.”
“Whatcha mean?”
“Remember I told you we came to Japan three years ago for Grandfather
Mikado’s funeral?”
“Yeah.”
“After the funeral Mother went to talk with great-grandfather Ito. She
left me with Uncle Tanto since he was the only one who would talk to
me. She was gone for a long time.” She kept tracing patterns on the
window as she talked. “After about six hours she came back. I was glad
to see her. We had made plans to go to one of the bigger temples. She
wanted to show me where she had grown up. But after her talk she
canceled our plans. She told me it was time to go home. To say the
least I was disappointed. I started to argue but she cut me off cold.
The look she gave me.” Suteko shivered. “It was like I was an ant
climbing up her leg. I shut up and went along with it. We flew home
within the hour.” Suteko swallowed. “I don’t know what
Great-grandfather did but she was changed. We stopped going on picnics
and started training real hard. She kept at me to be the best. That
and she suddenly decided that it was time to make Genma pay.”
Ranma listened to her outpouring. Something obviously wasn’t right.
“Why the sudden change?”
“I don’t know but she made me quit all my clubs and only train. I lost
a lot of friends that way. Uncle Tanto tried to find out what she was
up to but she wouldn’t talk to him at all. Plus she started to spend a
lot of time away from home. I think being home reminded her of all she
had been missing. When Uncle Tanto died she told me that I had to find
my father and make him pay for her dishonor. She wouldn’t even let me
mourn him for a week before she pulled me out of school and sent me to
find Genma.”
“That’s rough.” Akane looked past Ranma toward Suteko. She felt the
pain the girl tried to hide in her words. Why was she telling us this?
It seemed too strange to Akane to have the same girl who had challenged
Genma to a duel this morning telling her about her family’s problems
that afternoon. “Suteko, I know this isn’t the best time but..:
“What?”
“Why are you telling us all this? I mean we barely know you.”
Suteko curled her arms around her legs and rested her head on her
knees. “I’m not sure but well Mother plans on being at the dojo
tomorrow and I thought it might be important if you knew. She got
something planned and I don’t think she’s told me everything.”
“That’s OK, Suteko, we’re used to trouble.”
She looked up at Ranma’s face, so like her own in male form. “Besides
your the first people I’ve had to talk to in a long time. And your
family.” She reached out and tapped Ranma on the arm. “Your my
‘little’ brother, right?”
“Hey, I’m not little!” Ranma groused half-heartedly. Suteko smiled.
It was good to have someone to tease.
***************************************
In a boardroom somewhere in Japan. Seated at the conference table were
an elder gentleman and a beautiful woman in American clothing. The
resemblance is striking.
“Granddaughter, tell me how the revenge is going.”
“My daughter has challenged the man. The battle will be at dawn,
tomorrow.”
The old man looks thoughtful. “That is good.” Placing his hands
together and resting the fingers against his lips. “Where?”
The woman looks down at her notes. “At the Tendo Dojo, in Nerima.”
A slow, evil smile crosses the man’s face. “So he still visits his old
friend. Good. We can take out two with one blow. Very good,
granddaughter. You have my approval.” Pause. “The girl knows what she
is to do?”
“Of course! I have trained her as is required. She will do as she is
told.”
The old man flicks open a folder in front of him. “An what of my son’s
influence?”
A quick flash of uncertainly in the woman’s eyes and a quick shake of
her shoulders. “The girl will do what I say! I will have my revenge!”
With a slow, evil smile the old man says, “Good.”
**********************************************************
So what cha think? Here ends chapter five. In chapter six I think(I
hope) to get to the battle and just what Suteko's mother has planned.
Thanks again for reading and anyone who C&C's. If this is too OOC let
me know. Still trying to keep them IC.
--
Lisa
*************************************************************************
check out my web page at
www.geocities.com/athens/2968
writer of fanfiction, fantasy, science fiction and other wierdness
