More, just for the heck of it.

			FULFILLMENT
			by Scott K. Jamison
			(Takahashi disclaimer)
			Part II

	There was a little niggle of worry at the back of Kodachi's 
mind.  This was very unusual.  The Black Rose of Hebereke Girls' School 
did not normally experience the worries of mere commoners.  Mere mortals, 
even.  But something was not right in the Kunou manor.  
	It had begun a bit over a week ago, when she had come home from a 
flower show.  (She'd won first place with her Ebony Beauties, as usual.)  
The maid (What was her name again?) reported that Ranma had come to visit 
her brother.  Remarkably, their conversation apparently had not resulted 
in combat, a true rarity, but her brother had remained in meditation in 
the garden all day.
	For the next day or so, Tatewaki had seemed distracted, but had 
been non-committal in his remarks, giving no clue to what he was up to.  
(Very unusual for someone who so loved to hear himself talk!) 
	Then Daddy had taken her on a trip to Tokyo Disneyland to see the 
new Hawaiian Pavilion.  Her brother had actually smiled and waved them 
off!  The trip itself had been a success, and they'd enjoyed themselves 
immensely.  (Though there were a few Disney employees that would be 
waking up screaming for several weeks.)	
	When they returned, though, Kodachi had begun to notice something 
amiss.  Her brother was wearing his hair in a pigtail, in obvious 
imitation of her beloved Ranma.  All but one of the pictures of Akane 
Tendou in his shrine had been removed, and that picture had been moved to 
the side.
	The next day, that annoying pig-tailed girl had suddenly appeared 
in the house, wearing Tatewaki's Hakama and wielding a bokken.  Kodachi 
had chased her until she vanished in the hot springs room.  Her brother 
had been in there, and insisted she no longer attack the minx, but 
Kodachi had ignored that order as usual as the redhead kept popping up.  
	Her behavior had been odd as well.  Instead of dressing exactly 
like Ranma, as she usually did, she was now favoring Tatewaki's form of 
outfit.  She seemed quite adept with her blade, a talent heretofore 
unshown.  And while her speech was still masculine, it was no longer the 
slangy tones Kodachi was familiar with, but more gentlemanly, almost 
pompous. 
	It was becoming increasingly obvious in the last few days that the 
pig-tailed girl was actually living on the estate.  Last night, Kodachi 
had heard feminine groans and sighs coming from her brother's room.  When 
she'd knocked, there'd been splashing, then a barely dressed Tatewaki had 
come to the door, sopping wet, and let her know in no uncertain terms 
that he did *not* want to be disturbed. 
	So.  Her brother had finally succeeded in prying the pig-tailed 
girl loose from Ranma and winning her submission to his lust.  She'd 
probably jealously insisted that he dump Akane, no big loss as far as 
Kodachi was concerned.  And this was definitely good news for the Black 
Rose, since it eliminated one of her rivals for Ranma's heart. 
	It was true, perhaps, that Ranma did not love her *yet*, but with 
time and effort, Kodachi was sure she could wiggle her way into his 
heart. 
	Still, why hadn't Tatewaki been boasting of his conquest?  He'd 
seemed so subdued...  There was something else Kodachi didn't know.  
Which was why this morning she had not attacked the pig-tailed girl the 
moment she saw her.  Instead, she was following her to the front gate.  
There the redhead met...Nabiki?
	"Good morning, Kunou-chan." 
	"Greetings to you also, Nabiki Tendou." 
	"Ready for our shopping trip?"
	"I must admit to some trepidation, but I must have outfits proper 
to my new situation." 
	"That's the spirit!  Ranma was never this agreeable about 
shopping."  Nabiki grinned, and Kodachi almost, almost, felt a tinge of 
fear. 
	"Saotome never fully appreciated what he had.  I like to think I 
do.  And you are well known to have excellent taste...so long as someone 
else is spending."
	"Point."  The two girls headed for the bus stop. 
	So, thought Kodachi.  Nabiki now calls the pig-tailed girl 
"Kunou."  Since the money-grubbing girl *always* had the best information, 
it meant that the redhead *was* a Kunou.  Tatewaki had married her!  
Obviously, a secret marriage, when she and Daddy had gone to Disneyland.  
Had her brother no self-control?  She would have to have it out with him, 
when she returned from her ABA meeting.
		*			*			*
	"Anyone But Akane" meetings were held at neutral restaurants just 
outside Nerima.  Shampoo and Kodachi's reputations for adulterating food 
were grossly exaggerated, and Ukyou professed to be above such tactics 
(the "secret sauce" episode aside, and that was really Ranma's own fault, 
honest!)  Still, caution was deemed the only reasonable way to handle 
this, so today's randomly chosen site was a yakisoba joint. 
	"Noodle texture is a little off, wouldn't you say, Shampoo?" 
asked Ukyou, running one of the strands between her fingers. 
	"Yes.  Shampoo think they use cheap brand flour, save money.  
Also, too much salt in sauce."
	Kodachi stifled a yawn.  To her, all fast food was fast food.  
She preferred to concentrate on the fine cuisine end of the spectrum.  
Still, small talk was essential to these meetings.  Since they all 
despised each other, establishing some kind of common ground kept them 
safely distanced from their real desire to rip throats out. 
	"So, it's definite.  The coming-out party is tomorrow." said 
Ukyou, getting to the main business of the meeting. 
	"Coming-out party?"  Kodachi wondered what they were talking 
about.  Her own debutante ball had been indefinitely postponed, though 
she hoped to talk Daddy into it soon.
	"Ranma's mother is finally going to get to meet him!"
	"Ranma's mother?  For real this time?"  Kodachi remembered the 
first time she'd heard about Mrs. Saotome.  It had turned out to be a 
case of mistaken identity, though Happosai had taken the opportunity to 
crossdress and order the fiancees around.  The old freak was definitely a 
sneaky so and so. 
	"Yes!  Shampoo make good impression on mother-in-law!" 
	"Your impressions usually leave people with large bruises, hon.  
But that is the general idea.  My plan is, we all make nice while we're 
at the party.  No fighting, no surprises.  After the party, when we've 
got a better idea of what Mrs. Saotome's like, it's every girl for 
herself."
	"Spatula girl's plan sound okay.  Shampoo agree, make nice until 
after party."
	"It's sensible enough.  But I am curious.  Why haven't Ranma and 
his mother met before now?  Happosai's story was obviously a fiction.  So 
what happened?"
	Ukyou and Shampoo looked at Kodachi for a moment, then recalled 
that the gymnast had never been let in on Ranma's little secret.  They 
got nasty grins on their faces.
	"Well, hon, y'see, Ranma's dad made a promise when Ran-chan was 
just a wee tot to his wife.  And Ranma couldn't come home until that 
promise was fulfilled.  And because of Osage, Ranma couldn't fulfill that 
promise."
	"Osage?"
	"Pig-tailed girl!  One who defeated Shampoo in China, so she 
chase all same way to Japan."
	"I thought her name was Ranma Saotome, at least that's what she 
claimed."
	"It was, until the ceremony.  Now she's Osage Kunou." 
	"Ceremony?  You were there?"  So there had been a wedding! 
	"Yep, Ranma gave Osage to Kunou forever.  Kind of moving, 
really." 
	"So Ranma no have pig-tailed girl as problem anymore, and can 
meet mother!"
	"And to think, my own brother wouldn't even tell me he'd 
married!  Watch out, Blue Thunder!"
	Ukyou and Shampoo managed to stifle their giggles long enough to 
have it established when the party was scheduled, and the meeting was 
over. 
		*			*			*
	Kodachi was in a mixed mood when she returned home.  She was 
excited at the prospect of meeting Ranma's mother, but angry at her 
brother for concealing things from her.  She tried his room, but he 
wasn't in.  There were, however, numerous signs that a woman was now 
sharing his suite.
	"Pig." she thought.  He wasn't anywhere else in the mansion, 
either, nor was Osage, though the latter was probably still on her 
shopping trip.
	Ah well, she could assuage her anger by cooking, and tonight she 
most assuredly *would* be adding extra ingredients.
	She was halfway through the Surprise Souffle (and no, you *don't* 
want to know what the surprise was) when her father dropped in. 
	"Aloha, Kochi!"  For her, he always put on a relatively sober 
face, though she'd come to realize it was not the one he showed her 
brother or the rest of the world.
	"Good Afternoon, Daddy.  Have you noticed anything ...odd 
...lately?" 
	"You could say that, my precious wahini.  You're talking about 
Tatchi, right?" 
	"Yes.  How could he *do* that?"
	"A very good question.  But this does change a few things.  There 
is something I need to tell you."  He actually looked serious. 
	"Go on, Daddy."
	"Many years ago, when I was young, I had to look after our 
investments in Southeast Asia.  The Vietnam War was going on at that 
time, and I got caught in the crossfire.  I was badly wounded, but one of 
my fellow investors carried me to safety and stayed with me until I was 
out of danger.  In gratitude to him, I promised that our two families 
would be joined at some future date."
	"An arranged marriage?  I don't mean to sound ungrateful, Daddy, 
but you've never mentioned it before now."
	"I lost track of the man shortly after we returned to Japan, and 
then I took that long business trip to Hawaii, and we all know how that 
turned out..."
	"I see.  May I ask--"
	"His name was Hojou Sanzenin.  He has a son named Mikado."
	Mikado Sanzenin?  Oh, the skating star.  He was reputed to be 
very handsome, and something of a playboy.  Kodachi had the distinct 
displeasure of meeting his partner Azusa once.  If Ranma didn't work 
out...maybe...
	"But I already have an intended, Daddy." 
	"I know.  Fortunately, our pledge can be interpreted that young 
Sanzenin gets his choice of my daughters." 
	"But Daddy, I'm your only daughter."
	"Not any more."  And the Principal left before Kodachi could get 
him to explain further, laughing his head off. 
	"Is it just me, or is this whole family insane?"

			THE END (for now)


SKJAM!
"Hey, you know how *hard* it is to write Kodachi fics?"