I've committed a felony, I murdered my VCR. What's the use of
living now? So that's what the 'WARNING' is for.
---------------
The Leper
Part 7
"The Plot Sickens"
by Nikholas "NomaD" F. Toledo
Ranma 1/2 is the property of Kitty, VIZ and the omnipotent Rumiko
Takahashi. I am a property of Switch (so you know who to sue).
I am NomaD... I am coming... I am near...
Don't expect any summaries...
Names and spellings have been explained in part 1...
-----------
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
Men can live without sex as much as pigs can fly...
-----------
This dreary Tuesday morn, this side of the world seemed to be
enveloped in a blanket of silence. No birds sung their morning tunes, no
wind swept the now still waters of pools and ponds - the very earth was
hushed, still, waiting. It's as if the world was holding its breath,
anticipating something important about to happen.
----------
She woke up with a start. Her face was covered with sweat and
hands had turned clammy. It was just a dream, a really bad... wait...
She ran towards her desk and grabbed her wallet. In front of her, she
tried to avoid her gaze on the mirror. She was looking very haggard,
brought about by the stressful event the day before. She opened her
wallet and her suspicions were confirmed. In the place of money were
little pink pieces of paper. A knot in her tummy began twisting.
"I've got IOUs."
Only then did she begin to grasp reality... and insanity.
"NABIKI TENDO'S GOT IOUS! NOOOOO!!!"
The entire Tendo household woke up an hour earlier than usual.
Akane stayed in her room a bit longer, listening to her sister's
remonstrations. Ranma got up and stretched. He looked up at the
ceiling.
"Serves her right."
Kasumi got out of her room already tying her apron around her
waist.
"Oh my! It sounds like Nabiki is a bit upset."
----------
<SNIP>
"Oh no. Oh god, no!"
"Oh, will you please grow up!"
Kiiroi whimpered like a child as Ukyou did her best to even out the
burnt hair. But every time she cut one side, it always appeared shorter
than the other side. But she did have Kii's constant complaining to
blame.
"Oh shit."
"What? What the hell did you do this time?"
"Hmm? Oh nothing. Nothing you'd worry yourself about... well, not
that much anyway. There we go, all done."
Kiiroi got up from the stool he was sitting on and went to mirror
on the wall. He never got to shout though: before he thought of
screaming his lungs out, his brain decided to faint. The world was going
horizontal.
"What the...? Oh, geez, Kii! Get up! We're running late
already..."
----------
Shampoo was up early this morning for she could not contain her
excitement. Her plans were beginning to unfold before her very eyes.
Never did she imagine that the answer to her prayers would very much
resemble a man she most despised. Or at least she believed she did. But
that wasn't the point. What was the point? Oh, yes, the point was, she
had in her hands the key to eliminate Akane for good.
----------
Mousse was up early this morning for he could not contain his
excitement. His plans were beginning to unfold before his very eyes.
Never did he imagine that the answer to his prayers would very much
resemble a very good-looking man, a very handsome guy, indeed. But that
wasn't the point. What was the point? Oh, yes, the point was, he had in
his hands the key to eliminate Ranma for good.
----------
Nabiki was up early this morning, against her will. Her financial
stature was beginning to crumble before her very eyes. Never did she
imagine that the vex to her flawless, foolproof schemes would be ruined
by what else... a mere fool. But today was different. Today would be
the day that Nabiki Tendo will rise from the ashes like the immortal
phoenix and claim her place once more as one of the most powerful forces
to deal with in the whole district of Nerima. Her luck was bound to
change - it had to or, by the name of everything that was holy, she would
take Fate by the neck and choke it 'til it gave.
"Today begins the day of Kiiroi Niwatori's downfall..."
... and whoever thought that she had in her hands the ability to
eliminate Kiiroi for good... which was Kiiroi Niwatori himself.
----------
The day was so far uneventful...
"POOM!"
Then again...
"POOM!!"
"What the...?"
But Ranma was all too familiar with the sound. He grabbed Kii by
the arm and pulled him underneath the table.
"Get down."
"POOM!!!"
Just then, the west wall of the cafeteria exploded and left in its
place crumbled concrete and a gaping hole.
"Hey, isn't that...?"
"Nihao!"
As soon as the wall burst into pieces, Akane flared up. She
readied herself for whatever barrage the Amazon girl had planned. Ranma,
on the other hand, got up, crossed his arms and just gave the Amazon a
smug look. This, however, did not affect Shampoo's sunny disposition.
She just approached the group with a gigantic lollipop in one hand while
holding a delivery box in the other.
Akane leapt in front of Ranma and poised herself.
"Have you finally run out of tricks up your sleeves, you've already
done - ?"
But Ranma quickly interrupted the tomboy and faced Shampoo himself.
"Hey, look Shampoo, I've got no time for thi- "
But Shampoo just passed by Ranma as if he was made of thin air.
Even Akane was struck off-balance by this. Shampoo's smile widened in
satisfaction.
"Stupid Ranma, this not for you. This for Kiiroi, specially made
ramen."
Now it was Ukyou's turn to explode. Akane just blinked while Ranma
was giving himself a moment for all of this to sink in.
Three types of "WHAT?!?" were heard from the trio of confusion.
"Hey! What's the meaning of this?"
*blink, blink*
"Here you go, Kii, special ramen with exotic spices..."
"For me? Thanks..."
"Get your filthy hands off him!"
"Shampoo? What's the meaning of this?!?"
"Is it just me, Ranma, or are you... JEALOUS!!!" *WHAM!*
"Shampoo like new hair, not make Kiiroi look like stupid person no
more."
"Hmm, smells good."
"Don't eat it, it's poisoned!"
"How dare you accuse me, stupid spatula girl."
"All right, what's going on? Get up, Ranma."
*slurp!*
All fell silent while the entire cafeteria waited for whatever
potion or poison to take effect. Kiiroi paid no heed to the attention he
was getting. He closed his eyes while savoring the taste of the ramen.
After finishing the noodles in one continuous slurp, he leaned back and
rubbed his belly in satisfaction.
"Mmm, now that's one darn good bowl of ramen."
Shampoo jumped and gave Kiiroi a smiling embrace. Ukyou and Ranma
twitched in shock.
"Aiya! Shampoo glad you like. Next time, I make you again special
ramen, maybe in date, yes?"
Kiiroi was about to say yes to her when the whole cafeteria
exploded in a blinding purple light. Ukyou glared at Shampoo with
murderous eyes but the Amazon still didn't let go of Kiiroi. She even
squeezed him a bit and gave the flaring Ukyou a meaningful smile. Ranma
suddenly stopped twitching when he noticed that Akane was just smiling at
the whole scene.
"What's so funny?"
"Hmm? Oh nothing. It's just that I never thought I'd see this
setup happen to someone else. So this is what I'm like when I'm..."
"Jealous?"
Ranma didn't even notice himself answer nor did he notice that
Akane had turned into a deep shade of red and was staring at her feet.
----------
The place was dark and barren. The lazy afternoon got to her and
she began to curl into a ball. She started suddenly when he heard the
creak of the door. Her head immediately shot up and her ears perked.
She leaned over from where she was standing. The elevation gave her a
clear view of the entire room. She saw the tall man enter. Her heart
leapt when she gazed at the man's features. With extreme silence, she
descended the shelves.
"Hmm. Now where could it be?"
Mousse adjusted his glasses and peered at the entire room. It was
dark but he couldn't risk turning the lights on. But all attempts of a
silent entry collapsed when he felt something furry brush his leg. He
jumped back and noisily landed on the metal grill.
"Mew!"
*huff, huff* "Sh-sham...? No. Hey there, kitty, you gave me
quite a scare, there."
The cat just gave him a questioning stare. Mousse moved about the
restaurant, trying hard not to disturb his surroundings.
"Now where the hell is that book?"
"Mew!"
Mousse twirled around and faced the fluffy, gray feline once more.
Ishi jumped on the grill and went to the inner side of the counter.
Mousse followed the moving hairball and found what he was looking for.
He carefully placed Kiiroi's backpack on the grill and started searching
for the book.
Ishi just stared at her master. There was something wrong,
something that was unfamiliar with but she still couldn't point it out.
As she watched Mousse fumble with the stuff inside, she then realized
that her master had shorter hair just this morning. Furthermore, the
bandages around his fingers were gone.
"Ngreoowww! Hsss!!!"
The gray fluff arched in agitation. Ishi jumped on the intruder
and started clawing Mousse's hands. Mousse got scratched but not before
he got the book out. Before the cat could lunge at him again, he clicked
on his sleeve and a set of razor-sharp claws appeared. He bared his
arsenal and the cat scurried to the stairs. Seeing that the cat probably
wouldn't bother him anymore, he turned the pages with great care and
started reading while sucking on a bleeding finger.
----------
Kiiroi's gaze fell into the blue horizon without a care for the
world. His mind wandered somewhere else, a happy place perhaps, that he
never heard someone creep up behind him. But he flung around when he
felt his breeze being blocked. He was ready to receive any form of
attack but the purple-haired Amazon still caught him off-guard.
"Sham..."
"Nihao!"
Shampoo leapt at the waiting (immobile) arms of Kiiroi. It was
then that Shampoo noticed the crutches.
"Huh? Oh no. What happen to you? You not feeling well?"
"Actually, I've been like this since after the fight. But I'm
feeling better now, could you maybe stop embracing me now?"
"Oh, Shampoo so sorry, didn't notice hug was still there."
"Anyway, what brings you up here?"
"Well, Shampoo thought we could do date one day earlier. Better
Ukyou don't know. What about you, what you doing up here?"
"I like it up here. It's quiet and the view's nice. And I get to
see what's happening in the whole school."
"Hmm, Shampoo see. Kiiroi still have some blood of spy in him."
"Well, you could say that. For instance, did you know that there's
this freaky, old man who raids girls' gym shorts every afternoon?"
Shampoo nodded.
"Oh. Oh well. So, what do we do now?"
Without saying a word, Shampoo drew out a picnic basket out of thin
air. She spread out a blanket across the rooftop and sat down. She
tapped the space beside her and motioned for Kiiroi to sit down beside
her. Kiiroi approached with great reluctance (well, not that great).
Shampoo set the food down on the ground. There was ramen and a wide
array of dimsums and dumplings.
"Shampoo, I've got to be honest with you..."
Shampoo swiped a dimsum, dipped it soy sauce and stuffed in
Kiiroi's mouth, all in one swift motion.
"Uh-uh! Eat first, talk later."
Amidst his full mouth, Kiiroi began to protest but the intoxicating
taste of the ramen subdued him. And so it went on, bite after bite,
Shampoo would feed Kiiroi. And only once did Kiiroi ask himself, "Why is
she being so nice to me?"
"Shampoo need to ask favor."
"Wha- ?"
"You wond'ring why Shampoo do this to you?"
"Actually, yeah."
"Good. Shampoo don't want to play games no more."
"So I take it that you're not doing this coz' you find me an
attractive piece of male specimen..."
"Bwahahahaha... oops! Now look what you made Shampoo do. Now
don't be embarrassed, Kii. You look nice and not so stupid but Shampoo
already engaged to Ranma."
"Ranma? I thought that Akane..."
"Maybe Shampoo tell you everything now."
"Please do."
----------
"Where the hell could he be?"
"Hey, Ucchan! Aren't you going home yet?"
Ukyou turned and saw Ranma and Akane by the gate. Ranma was waving
her over while Akane tugged on Ranma's arm.
"C'mon, Ranma."
"Well? You comin'?"
Ukyou looked at the two but her gaze wandered elsewhere. She felt
alone somehow.
"No, you guys go ahead. I'll just look for Kii."
Ranma just scratched his head in response.
"I thought she was against this engagement. So how come she's all
worried about him?"
"You DON'T have to get jealous, Ranma. Those two are still very
good friends, unlike some people... hey, Nabiki!"
The elder Tendo turned but her expression seemed ghostlike. Akane
stepped back as she was swept by a sudden wave of fear. But the fear
went as soon as it came.
"Um, Nabiki. Where are you going? The house's this way."
"You go ahead, Akane. I just have to run an errand somewhere.
Don't worry, I'll be home by dinner."
With that, she turned and left. Akane tried not to think about her
sister's disposition anymore. It was clear that she was still very
upset. But the trip back home was unusually quiet. Apparently, Ranma
was wondering about certain things, too.
----------
"So to make long story not so long, Shampoo also Ranma-darling's
fianc�e but difference with tomboy Akane is Shampoo very willing to be
wife of Ranma. Shampoo is better than everything compared to Akane.
Shampoo cook better, Shampoo fight better, and if it come down to it,
Shampoo probably good in bed..."
"Yes! Okay! I get the point! I think I can help. There's a
technique, but it's used for..."
"Oh no. Shampoo no want Akane to die (yet). Just want Ranma to
dump Akane. That way Ranma be one fianc�e less. Can Kii make Ranma hate
Akane?"
"I could but I don't think I should..."
"Pretty please?"
And to add more to her pleading, Shampoo inched closer to Kii and
toyed with his cheeks.
"O-okay, but only for a little while."
"That good enou..."
Without warning, the door leading to the rooftop flung open to
reveal a very flaring spatula girl.
"Get your filthy hands of him, you bitch!"
Shampoo matched Ukyou's glare. Kiiroi thought that the two would
charge at each other. But at the last moment Shampoo leapt to the far
corner of the building.
"Shampoo would love to fight you, Ukyou, but now Shampoo need to
deal with more pressing matters."
And with that, Shampoo leapt from the rooftop down to the ground.
"And you!"
Ukyou began but after her first two words she seemed to have lost
her train of thought. She just felt so hurt and alone. Tears began to
well up. She tried to force them back but she couldn't. But rather than
let Kiiroi have the satisfaction of seeing her break down, Ukyou ran
towards the door in short whimpers. Kiiroi was left there, all alone in
the Furinkan High rooftop. He didn't have a clue on what to do. He was
too full to get up and he was too slow to follow Ukyou in crutches.
"Times like these..."
And so he decided. For just that brief moment, he wouldn't care.
He'd just admire the sunset and this whole thing will probably figure
itself out by then... he hoped.
----------
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
She eyed all the estates in this part of the district and what she
saw impressed her.
"I wouldn't mind shacking up in this type of neighborhood."
At last she reached the door of the one estate that towered above
all. The gate. Immense yet simple, something she could easily get used
to. She admired the scene for the last time and finally gave the gate a
knock. After a few moments, she heard footsteps approach and the huge
barricade creaked in protest. A gap opened and from inside she saw the
features of a short, balding figure.
"Sasuke."
The ninja servant was taken aback by this sudden visit but
immediately regained his calm.
"Miss Nabiki Tendo. What brings your presence to the Kuno Estate?
Shall I inform the master of your arrival?"
"Oh, no need. I'm not here for your master. But please inform
your mistress that Nabiki Tendo would like to make a purchase from her."
Nabiki Tendo stepped in and Sasuke gave the door a slight push and
once more the great barriers held their place.
----------
"What the hell is YOUR problem?"
"What's my problem? You have the nerve to ask me that? She was
all over you and you didn't even do anything! It's as if you were
begging for it to happen."
"Look, that's the way she is, I can't help that. And you know I'm
not one for shoving women..."
"Don't give me that excuse! How dare you do this to me?"
"Ucchan, please, be reasonable."
"You want me to be reasonable? Fine, I'll be reasonable... Get
the hell out of my house."
"..."
"YOU HEARD ME, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE! TAKE YOUR STUPID BAG,
YOUR STUPID CLOTHES AND YOUR STUPID BAG OF TEA WITH YOU! AS FAR AS I'M
CONCERNED, OUR ENGAGEMENT NEVER HAPPENED!!!"
"Ucc-"
"GET OUT!!!"
*SLAM!*
"Well. That's that, I guess."
And with that, Kiiroi slung the backpack on his shoulder and
cradled the bag of tea. He walked on with his brain apathetic of what
the rest of his body was doing. He just walked on, crutches and all,
not knowing where his steps will take him.
----------
"Oh, hello, Kiiroi."
"Hmm?"
Kiiroi turned his head and found a face that would calm down an
earthquake. Kasumi Tendo stood in front of him with a bag of groceries.
"K-Kasumi. Let me help you..."
Kiiroi reached for the grocery bag but the crutch under his
shoulder slipped and fell to the ground. He made a grab for it with his
hand but the tea bag slipped from his other hand. Kiiroi managed to
balance himself with the other crutch but his pride seemed to land just
after the tea bag. Kasumi's disposition faltered for a moment but
regained it quickly.
"Oh my, it looks like I'm the one who needs to help you."
Kasumi bent down and picked up the crutch and tea bag. She gave
Kiiroi the crutch. She placed the tea bag with her other groceries.
Kiiroi started to protest but Kasumi hushed him.
"Would you walk with me instead?"
"S-sure."
Kiiroi didn't know why but he couldn't find the proper words to say
in front of the eldest Tendo. It was as if he was facing someone of
great reverence and purity. But he immediately shook out the sensation
when Kasumi began walking.
"So where are you heading at this time?"
"No where in particular, really..."
Kasumi noticed that Kiiroi was trying to avoid her gaze.
"Kii, is something wrong?"
"Well, um. Ukyou and I... had a little argument."
"Oh my. Hmm. I have an idea."
Kasumi beamed with satisfaction when a thought came to her. Kiiroi
fell a step back for Kasumi seemed to radiate an aura of divinity.
"Why don't you have dinner with us, then? And I could ask Father
if you could stay over for the night. I'm sure he won't mind."
Kiiroi just gave Kasumi a shy smile and a reluctant nod.
----------
"Almost done..."
With nimble hands, Nabiki mixed a purple, powdery substance into a
vial of clear liquid. She quickly plugged the vial with a stopper before
the concoction released its fumes. The vial began to cloud but the
stopper held its place. Nabiki heard the groan of their gate just as she
placed the vial in her pocket.
"I'm home..."
Nabiki went over to her window and saw Kasumi enter with a bag of
groceries.
"Hello dear sist- well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in."
She eyed him with great scorn. She did not feel even a bit of pity
as he inched his way in crutches. She smiled. This was all too perfect.
"'Come in to my parlor', said the spider to the fly."
----------
"Welcome, welcome, Niwatori-san - here, sit down, would you like
something to drink?"
"No, thank you, sir. And, please, just call me Kii."
"Father, Kiiroi has no place to stay for the night, could he stay
here for the meantime?"
"Of course! We would not allow this young fellow to be homeless
for the night. Err, why ARE you homeless?"
Kiiroi just stared down. Soun held his tongue as he finally
understood. Akane crept beside Kiiroi. She overheard the conversation
and placed her hand on Kiiroi's shoulder. She could see his eyes
beginning to swell.
"Shh. Later... when you're ready."
"Thanks, Akane."
Ranma emerged from the yard in his gi. He smiled when he saw
Kiiroi beside Akane.
"Hey, Kii! Whatcha doin' here?"
Ranma sat at Kii's other side.
"So, where's Ucchan?"
Both Kii and Akane turned to face Ranma. From behind Kii, Akane
made a face at Ranma. Ranma just returned Akane's gaze with a weird
look.
"Never mind."
"Mr. Tendo? I really appreciate your hospitality and all. But if
I may, I want to repay your kindness by treating you all to dinner."
Ranma couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
"Sure, go ahead!"
In an instant, his face met with Akane's elbow.
"Geez, Ranma. Be a bit more subtle, why don't you."
"But the guy's loaded!"
A feint smile appeared on Kiiroi's face watching the couple argue.
He picked up the bag of tea and went to the kitchen.
"Kasumi?"
"Oh, hello, Kii. I was just about to prepare dinner..."
"Don't do that anymore, I'm gonna treat you guys to dinner. But
you could boil some water for this."
Kiiroi gave her the tea and she thanked him for it.
"Could I use your phone?"
"Go right ahead. It's right down the hall."
----------
"Special Delivery! Ten orders of teppanyaki!"
"Tendo Residence? I've got a dozen orders for some spiced-up
ramen."
"Delivery! Ten orders of teriyaki and assorted dumplings!"
Ranma, Soun and Genma had gigantic grins painted on their faces.
Akane looked at the pathetic bunch.
"I'll get it!"
"No, son, let me do it!"
"You two are guests in my household. Stay in and let me be the
one!"
"You men have no shame."
"Now, young lady, we cannot insult this honorable young man by
refusing to accept his token of appreciation."
"Give it up, dad. You guys salivate here all you want, I'm going
up and get P-chan."
"Akane? Please call Nabiki down while you're at it."
Under all the hubbub, nobody noticed Kiiroi slip out into the
garden, well, almost nobody. The night was silent, but there were no
stars.
"Bad omen..."
At least that was what Kiiroi believed. The stars were his guide,
they were the angels that watched over him in his travels. And somewhere
up there was a star that was for him. His star, and his alone.
"Oh, Ucchan, what have I done? You'd probably be better off
without me ruining your life. I feel sorry for you. Only the bond which
tied us as friends keeps you from hating me right now. I'll make it up
to you, I promise. Somehow, I will..."
"Don't feel sorry for yourself..."
"Huh?"
----------
*creak*
"Bwee?"
"Come here, baby, it's time to eat."
*skitter*
"Uncle Kiiroi's downstairs you know."
"Bwee?"
"That's right, baby, he's gonna be treating us to dinner. It seems
that he and Auntie Ukyou are having some kind or argument. But I'm
sure... hey, P-chan! Wait!"
But the pig was too fast for her. P-chan had been acting strange
lately ever since Kiiroi arrived. She let the pig go, knowing that it
can get itself downstairs without getting lost, which shows that she
didn't know that much at all. She walked to the door with her elder
sister's duck hanging on it.
*nok, nok*
"Come in."
"Hey, Nabiki, it's time to eat. Now, Kiiroi's downstairs so don't
give him that attitude again. He's treating us to dinner and it wouldn't
be polite to..."
"Okay."
Akane was taken aback by Nabiki's reply.
"What?"
"Okay, I said."
A pause. "Are you feeling all right, Nabiki?"
"Oh, I'm feeling perfectly peachy. Since when did Nabiki Tendo
refuse a free meal anyway? Now you go run down and I'll follow and will
be in my best behavior."
Akane eyed her sister for a moment, hoping to penetrate the mask
she was putting on. But besides the attitude, she didn't find anything
else suspicious. She eased herself down the stairs and looked around.
Funny? She couldn't find P-chan. She heard the three men surveying and
fighting over the food in the kitchen. Good. At least she could go and
talk to Kiiroi now. Where was he anyway? Oh, there...
"Kasumi?"
----------
"Kasumi?"
"Hello, Kii."
"What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be..."
"Oh, don't worry. Father and the others are seeing to dinner...
for a change."
She gave him one of her winning smiles. Her smile was pretty darn
contagious. Somehow, he felt a bit better with her here. He was glad.
"I've been watching you, Kii, ever since we met this afternoon.
Something's upsetting you. Now, I'm not going to force you to talk about
it - that would be rude on my part. But I have a vague idea what it's
about. Somehow, it involves Ukyou and your engagement to her, am I
right?"
Kiiroi just gave her a nod and a surprised expression. He was
about to ask but she cut him off.
"I've seen it happen... a lot of times."
"Ranma and..."
"... and Akane. I know it's hard... well, not first-hand, of
course. But it is. It's hard to force one's love to somebody who isn't
ready. Akane was the last one who wanted this engagement among the three
of us but she was the most fitting. It was all for the best, for our
family and for the school... at least, that's what Father said. At
first, they hated each other's guts. But as time went by, each one found
something in the other, something that made them whole when they were
together, though neither of them would admit it. Whenever those two are
together, though, it seems that all they do is fight. But that's just
the wall they put up. Neither one would give unless the other would
admit how they feel. But those two can get pretty stubborn."
She smiled again.
"And you can see most of the time that Akane's angry at Ranma and
is doing all sorts of painful things to him. Well, that's only because
my little sister can only express how she feels through aggression. She
can't help it. Ever since mother died, the chances for a male heir were
impossible. Neither I nor Nabiki showed any interest in the arts while
Akane was still at a very impressionistic age. As for Ranma, he may seem
thick-headed sometimes and he keeps insulting Akane. But when she's in
trouble, it's as if by reflex, Ranma would run to her aid. I have never
seen a love as strong as Ranma's. Many times he has conquered death.
And for what? An engagement he never wanted in the first place? If he
didn't want this to happen, then why would he risk his life for her?
It's because no matter how many times he tells himself, deep inside, he
knows it's worth it. Those two have gone a long way. Bit by bit,
they've lowered their defenses down. And someday..."
Kasumi stared up. It was such a beautiful night. She could see
the moon that's but a haze under thick clouds. But there were no...
wait. The clouds in front of them started parting and revealed the first
set of twilight's jewels.
"Look, stars."
Kiiroi looked up. There they were. Did she conjure them by
herself? It didn't matter, he knew all would be well. How, he had no
idea, but that didn't matter either. Kasumi slipped her arm on Kiiroi's
and leaned on his shoulder. Normally, Kiiroi would gulp, heat up and
turn red, but not tonight. Tonight, somehow, this felt right.
"You're lucky."
At first Kiiroi didn't respond. He thought that it was the wind
that whispered sweet nothings to him. But he realized it was not and
immediately shot out from his reverie.
"Hmm? Why?"
"Because... unlike my sister and Ranma, you and Ukyou don't have to
put up walls. You two are true to each other. You have been very good
friends before the engagement. But Kii, before you planned the
engagement, did you ever consider how Ukyou would feel?"
"No. I guess, I was probably being too selfish. I just didn't
want to lose her. I knew she was already engaged and it took hell and
high water before my mom convinced Ukyou's father to consider my
engagement. But I guess I can't force her to do this - I love her too
much to hurt her, though I think I'm a bit late for that. Maybe I'll
just wait for her to cool down a bit."
"Yes, that would be a good idea... but, for now... let's eat."
Kiiroi replied with an affectionate smile. So this is how having
an elder sister felt like.
----------
"Hey, Akane, whatcha doin' standing out there for?"
Akane never noticed Ranma sneak up behind her. She stepped back
and looked at him in the eyes.
"Ranma... I... I..."
But she didn't know what to say. She could feel all the blood rush
up to her face. Ranma just looked at her dumbfounded. He scratched his
head not knowing how to react.
"Hey, Akane, you sick or something? You're a little red... oh no."
*gulp*
"RAAANMAAAA, YOU JEEEEEERK!!!"
Akane's wallop flung Ranma towards the pond. After a second, the
bustling red-head emerged cross-faced.
"Whaddya do that for?"
But Akane just fumed and stomped to dinner.
"What's the matter with her? Must be her period or somethin'..."
But Ranma immediately forgot about Akane and the rest of the world
for that matter when dinner began. From Genma Saotome's aggressive
dinner approach, one would know where Ranma got his... vigor. Soun Tendo
ate with glee and tears in his eyes. Kasumi served Kiiroi's tea to
everybody while Akane barely touched her food. She concentrated her
stare on her food trying not to make eye contact with Ranma for fear of
repeating what happened earlier.
The merrymaking ceased when footsteps were heard from the second
floor. Nabiki Tendo descended the stairs with sure and unnerving steps.
She scanned the dining area and found him sitting between Kasumi and
Akane.
"Hello, Kii. Thank you for dinner."
Did she smile? Kiiroi wondered at this but he dared not meet her
gaze again. But not because he was afraid of her but more of being
afraid of upsetting her.
Dinner eventually ended uneventfully. Nabiki was the first to
leave while the others made idle chitchat. Ranma for his part kept on
eyeing Akane, who'd been very quiet after she propelled him into the pond
a while ago. He'll just have to talk to her later... that is if she'd
let him... *blush*
----------
Dinner was uneventful and very quiet. She never thought eating
alone could be this... lonely 'til he came to her life. Ukyou played
with her fork for a few more minutes until she finally bored herself.
She cleared the counter and dragged herself to her room. She was
terribly tired but more emotionally than physically tired. She changed
into a pink nightshirt and proceeded to her bed. She lied down but then
found herself wide-awake. She wasn't sleepy after all, just plain tired.
"What have I done? No. It's his fault. But why am I jealous?
It's not like I'm falling in love with him or anything..." A pause, then
a sigh. "What an absurd thought."
After staring at the lighted ceiling for some time, her mind
started wandering elsewhere.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ucchan, please forgive me."
"How could I? After you and that slut pawed each other..."
"But she was nothing to me. You think I'd initiate something like
that? You know me, Ukyou - would I do something like that?"
"Well, you're right about that."
"Besides, you're a whole lot prettier than that hussy."
"You're right about that, too."
"Oh, Ukyou, after I met you, I never looked at any other girl
again!"
"Really?"
"Yes. Really."
"Oh, Kii. Stop that. Get up, this is embarrassing. Hey... hey!
Are you kissing my feet? Stop it, it tickles... oh, Kii. *giggle* Stop
it, oh... oh..."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh, Kii... mmmm... that feels nice..."
"Mew?" *lick*
"Oh, Kii. Huh?"
"Meow."
"Gyaaah!"
Ukyou's mind leapt to consciousness as reality began to grab on
her. She recoiled back from the gray lump of fur that was licking her
foot.
"... Ishi... were you listening in on me?"
The cat just eyed her then grinned as if it understood.
Ukyou looked around and blushed.
"I hope nobody else heard me."
Ukyou crawled towards Ishi and took it in her arms. She held it
closed and nuzzled its snout.
"What's the matter, little thing?"
The cat meowed then gave her wide, sad eyes.
"That's right. You haven't eaten yet. Poor baby..."
She held Ishi to her bosom and let the warmth invade her.
"Looks like as long as you're here, then I'll never learn to hate
Kii. If I do that, then I'd have to hate you, too..."
"Mreow!"
"... that's right. There's no way I could hate a precious little
thing like you. C'mon, I'll find you something from downstairs."
----------
The clock at her desk announced that it was way past midnight.
Everybody should be asleep at this time, that is, everybody except her.
"It's time."
Suddenly, the room was filled with the theme for Mission
Impossible.
"What the...? Shh! Keep it down!"
Pause. Sorry.
Nabiki handled the door without making a sound then sneaked out and
tiptoed. She crept passed her two sisters' rooms. Listening first
before passing each door to make sure that neither was awake. The stairs
would be tricky. She tested the first step and the creak startled her.
She paused for a moment, half-expecting the entire household
ganging up on her.
Nothing.
Fine then, she made her first step wide, near the side of the
stair. Good, it worked. She eventually reached their room.
One thing about that family. For a bunch of martial artists, they
sure are heavy sleepers. But then again, HE was not them but that was
her risk.
She slid the door open by a mere inch and peered inside. Three
futons laid side by side. The first was occupied by a burly panda with a
snore to wake up a hibernating polar bear. In the second laid a
mannerless redhead. Nabiki was almost tempted to make a profit off
Ranma's figure but there was no time for that now. On the third futon
laid a silent figure. He almost looked like a corpse, lying straight
with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked asleep, that was good
enough.
Nabiki dug into her pocket and got out the vial of mist. She
unplugged the top and blew in the vapor. Soon enough, the entire room
was filled with the misty fog. Nabiki slid the door back and covered her
nose and mouth. She just had to wait now.
Then, she heard her cue. Who could ever believe that Mr. Saotome's
snore could get any louder. But it did, and so was Ranma's.
"Let us begin."
With the agility of a cat, Nabiki slipped into the guestroom and
was beside Kii in an instant. She reached out and stroked his cheek then
gave it a slight pat.
"Sleep tight... it's my turn now..."
----------
"Oh no, what am I doing? Did I really think I could reach her in
one day? I'd be lucky if I could go back to the Tendo's within the
week... Damn it. Another intersection..."
He reached the intersection and paused in its very center. He
looked left, then straight, then right. They all looked the same to him.
Finally, he looked up, the stars were particularly bright this night.
"Maybe I should just give up... but Ukyou, I have to know if she's
all right..."
But it didn't matter anymore. He just picked a direction at random
and kept on walking. He didn't even know if he went back from the road
he came from, his feet just kept on running but his entire body was numb.
Each step grew heavier, his mind was starting to float away. He reached
out for anything to hold on to...
"No..."
----------
*CRASH!!!*
"Huh? What the hell was that?"
Ukyou just got out a bowl of milk and a plate of left over fish
parts from the kitchen when a noise erupted outside. She quickly laid
the dishes down on the floor and reached behind the counter for her
spatula. Ishi skittered across the floor and began devouring the food.
"Wait here, Ishi..."
Ukyou crossed the restaurant and reached the back door. She peered
outside. She couldn't see anything but she could hear heavy breathing.
"U...ky...o..."
"Huh? Is that...?"
Ukyou stepped outside. Lying parallel the wall was a man who just
knocked down a couple of trash cans. She approached the collapsed
figure, laying the spatula beside him. She gently stroked his cheek
until he rose to consciousness once more. He stared at her with pleading
eyes. Ukyou smiled back at him with great affection, greater than she
thought she was capable of giving.
"Ukyou..."
"Ryouga, I'm here..."
Ryouga paused, then his face grimaced as a burning pain racked his
system. Ukyou panicked but held him firm.
"Ryouga? What's wrong?"
"Ukyou... I'm... I'm..."
"What is it?!?"
"I'm... hungry."
--------------
end of part 7
--------------
I just had to make it this long. I am most definitely running out
of gas. So, I'll try to rush this before I get a total writer's block.
For comments and suggestions please write to the "Nikholas F. Toledo Zu"
at niftol@i-manila.com.ph, care of NomaD.
I'd like to thank the following people :
Switch, the official Deputy Bastard Taskmaster from Hell, hope he gets to
post the new site soon.
Nomadess, whom I've missed insanely. Need to see her... badly.
Elf, who looks surprisingly kawaii in a sailor fuku... so I've heard.
Aiya, writing fanfic starting to give me gas.
Life is just long term death.
-NomaD-
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
The Nikholas F. Toledo Zu @ WWW: The Entertainment Capital of UP Village
Vector, Switch, Yebah, Rain Man, goo, Pervert, Scruples, Hollie, NomaD,
Blitz, Gee, Datzo, Jewel, elf, Radler, Pinball, Mayhem, Chaos, Father,
Attar and Llewe @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/mezza9.html
Fanfiction Page @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/fanfics.html
Warp Zone #13 @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/thirteen.html
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