At long last, chapter 4 is here. Feel free to cheer.
The inhabitants of the FFML:<Bored tone of voice> Yay
C&C is welcome as long as it doesn't mind crashing on the couch,
-Komodo
"Top ten reasons to Procrastinate:
1. "
-A T-Shirt worn by Bruce Villanch on Hollywood Sqaures
*********
Nabiki Tendo was the stuff of which conspiracy theories were made. To have
her angry at you was much like having the Yakuza angry at you. Suffice it to
say that having the Yakuza angry at you was preferable.
Bearing this in mind, it is understandable why Ukyou was afraid. After all,
Nabiki was a force to be reckoned with. Factoring in the fact that she had
somehow acquired a superpower made her terrifying. Helpless as she was, Ukyou
took the only option she could think of and opened her mouth to scream but by
then Nabiki had already reached the bed and was clapping one hand over the
martial artist's mouth and holding her free hand to her own mouth in the
universal request for quiet.
"I just want to talk," Nabiki said quietly. "Promise not to scream if I take
my hand away?" Ukyou nodded and Nabiki removed her hand before sitting on the
side of the bed.
"Interesting day today," Nabiki said, giving Ukyou a small smile.
"Why can't I feel my arms or legs?" Ukyou whispered back. Nabiki winced ever
so slightly.
"The painkillers," Nabiki said, not really sounding very convincing.
"No way," Ukyou shot back. "I've been on painkillers before. This isn't like
that." Nabiki seemed to hesitate. "Please," Ukyou said. "I have to know.
What's wrong with me?"
"I overheard some doctors talking. They said that when you. . ." Nabiki
trailed off. Then she took a deep breath. "They said that when you went
through the trees, you took most of the impact on your back. It . . .it broke
your spine."
"You mean, I'll never be able to walk again?" Ukyou asked.
Nabiki nodded. "Barring a miracle, yes."
"What about my arms? Why can't I move them?"
"Broken shoulders. They'll heal."
"It's over isn't it? Ranchan would never choose a cripple." Tears were
running down Ukyou's face. "I'm finished."
Nabiki wanted to say something, anything. But there was nothing she could
say. Instead, she reached out and laced her fingers with those of the other
girl and sat with her until the storm of tears passed and she was claimed by
sleep.
Only then did Nabiki stand.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It's my fault."
Moments later, a raven flapped its way out of the room and into the night.
================
Kasumi was waiting when Nabiki returned to her room.
"Out practicing?" asked the older girl.
"I went to see Ukyou," Nabiki said, sitting on the bed and grabbing Mister
Pen-Pen. "And I overheard the doctors talking. She's never going to walk
again."
Kasumi wrapped an arm around Nabiki's shoulders as the younger girl's tears
stained the top of Mister Pen-Pen's head. "If I had only been faster, then
maybe that thing wouldn't have knocked me for a loop with it's Baksai Tentsu
or whatever the hell it was!"
"Perhaps it is what awoke the Guardian?" Kasumi suggested.
"Yeah, anything that looks like a spider and an octopus grafted together has
to be a threat to Nerima," Nabiki agreed sourly.
"Is that what you saw? Akane said it was a giant blob and Ranma said he saw
the tiger that saved him from Kodachi and one that had to be three or four
times bigger." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Then he went into the
Nekoken."
"We each saw something different?" Nabiki asked.
"You each saw your worst fears," Kasumi corrected. "Ranma's worst fear is
cats, so he saw a cat and you have been afraid of spiders and octopuses since
that show and tell day when you were four."
"And Akane's afraid of losing, which manifested as a giant blob?" Kasumi's
response was a nod. "That makes no sense," Nabiki said, giving her sister a
sidelong glance.
"I suppose not," Kasumi agreed. "But, what is the phrase? 'Do you have a
better idea'?"
================
Like the rest of the so called wrecking crew, Ukyou healed fast. In a matter
of mere days, the casts were taken off and her arms placed in simple slings.
Since her father had disowned her some time back, she was placed in the care
of the Tendos.
Perhaps a day or so after her arrival, Ranma answered the door to find Kuno,
bushel of flowers in hand, standing there.
"Kuno?! Whaddya want?"
"Though the sight of you sickens me Saotome, I come not to do battle this
day. It is my understanding that Ukyou Kujoni is recovering from her injuries
here. I wish to pay my respects."
"Out back," Ranma said, jerking his thumb in the proper direction. "The Doc
said she should get some sun." Nodding, Kuno stepped into the house, eyeing
Ranma warily.
"Ranma? Who is it?" Asked Nabiki as she came downstairs.
"Kuno. Came by to see Ukyou," Ranma said, heading back to read the manga he
had been looking at before Kuno arrived.
"Follow me Kuno," Nabiki said and led him through the house to where Ukyou
had parked her motorized chair near the koi pond.
Kuno opened his mouth to deliver a carefully prepared speech that would lift
her spirits and give her the will to fight on when he felt a lightly
restraining hand on his arm.
"Less is more Kuno-baby," Nabiki said quietly.
For a moment, Kuno considered this and then returned his attention to Ukyou
and then cleared his throat, When she looked up, Kuno handed her the flowers.
"A token of my hope that you will feel better soon," he said simply.
"Thank you Kuno," Ukyou said, smiling sadly.
"Oh my, flowers for Ukyou?" Kasumi asked, seemingly materializing at Kuno's
other elbow and plucking them from his hands. "I'd better put these in
water." Then she was gone again.
"A most, fascinating woman," Kuno noted.
================
It was later that night that Ukyou was waiting in front of the bathroom when
Nabiki opened the door to exit and found it blocked.
"Nabiki, about last week," Ukyou began.
"What about it?" Nabiki asked trying to get by.
"I mean we need to talk about it," Ukyou replied, moving her chair forward to
block the other girl's escape. "I don't know if this shape shifting shtick is
something you've had for years or if it just appeared out of the blue and
quite frankly, I don't care." Her expression softened. "But I do know you're
blaming yourself for what happened to me and I want you to stop it."
Nabiki stiffened as though she had been slapped.
"I'm a martial artist Nabiki," Ukyou continued, "and what happened is part
of the risk I take every day in pursuit of the Art. Yes, what happened to me
is tragic, and yes, I'll spend my life wondering if I could have done
something else that would have averted this, but all I can do from now on is
hope that this is truly the will of the Kamis and move on." She smiled wryly.
"'Ukyou Kujoni, Mistress of the Anything goes-Wheelchair Martial Arts School'
whaddya think?" Nabiki smile was slight and Ukyou returned it as she moved
her chair out of the way. "Goodnight Nabiki," she said.
"Goodnight," Nabiki said as she left the bathroom and went down the hall to
her room. But once she was there, she sat on the bed and cried. In between
sobs, she told Mister Pen-Pen what happened.
Mister Pen-Pen said nothing, he never did. But he was a very good listener.
================
The next day Nabiki was sitting alone in a classroom adding up the day's
profits when she was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Looking
up, she saw Ayako and Nyoko, her twin second in commands flanking a young
boy. He was slender with spiky brown hair, large glasses and an almost
feminine look to him and her eyes widened as she recognized him as the boy
the blob had been chasing.
"And who's this?" Nabiki asked as she stood.
"Nashumira Okasa," the boy replied, straightening as though coming to
attention.
"And what does he want?" Nabiki asked, frowning slightly at the desire to
protect this boy that had started as soon as she had laid eyes on him.
"I want to work for you," Okasa said. "I'm very good with numbers."
"So am I," Nabiki replied, forcing herself to dwell on the matter at hand.
"I know how to build things, like, better cameras, and I can probably put
together a computer for you if you need one."
"You still haven't said why you want to work for me," Nabiki pointed out.
"I just . . .want to," He replied.
Nabiki said nothing for a moment, her attention distracted by the insistent
sensation that she recognized as the part of her that was the Guardian
insisting that she hire this boy.
'Forget it,' Nabiki thought, directing it at the Guardian. 'You've already
caused me enough grief.' "I don't need anyone right now," She said and went
back to the desk she had been sitting at.
"But-but-"
"That opening behind you is a door," Nabiki said without looking up. "Use it."
================
Fate was playing with a Rubik's cube when Chance burst in.
"What is the meaning of interfering like that?" she demanded.
"Won't you come in," Fate asked acidly.
"Why did you interfere with the Kujoni girl? You know you're supposed to keep
your hands off of Nerima right now!"
"You're asking the wrong person," Fate replied levelly. "My interest is in
the Hibki boy. It was Chaos who broke the girl's back."
Chance said nothing, instead turning around and storming out of the room.
"She's so tense," Fate remarked to the empty air. "She really needs to learn
to take things in stride like Kasumi Tendo does." Not for the first time, his
eyes fell on the small framed portrait. In it, Kasumi Tendo smiled out at the
world.
Chuckling, Fate blew it a kiss and then went back to the Rubik's cube.