Ojichan paradokkusu: Monday = formerly "okay, untitled"
(Crossing fingers, hoping there isn't a problem with this
title :)
Greetings, I must apologize for how long it has taking me to
get this out. Between RL and attempting to fix a problem I caught
just as I thought I was ready to post it earlier, I have had to
push this off. (Serves me right for using someone who has no
interest in anime as my only proof reader.) I still feel I am
drifting OOC, so please please, and C&C would be greatly
appreaciated.
For those who might not have guessed.
None of the characters in this story belong to me. That being
said please don't tell Nabiki, as I really can not afford what
price she might set. All of what is set forth here, is meant to
honor and praise those stories that have meant so much to me.
Thank you Takahashi and Matsumoto Izumi, for without your fun and
wonderful stories, I would have had far few reasons to laugh and
smile.
For those who missed or forgot:
Previously: It has been one week since the failed weding
attempt when two strangers [an older man, Kasuga, and young girl,
Hikaru (not KOR)] show up on the tendo doorstep late at night,
asking to speak to Kasumi. When Nabiki and Akane attempt to
listen in on the conversation in the kitchen, they find no one
there. Akane then drags a simi-conscious Ranma out the back into
the streets of Nerma in search of Kasumi.
Monday:
The next morning, a tired and ragged Ranma and Akane returned
home.
"I can't believe we couldn't find anything." Akane said
dejectedly. 'This is all your fault, Ranma. If you hadn't just
sat there and let him take her . . ."
"If a certain Tomboy hadn't knocked me into next week . . .
Hmm, something smells good!" Ranma said, perking up and jumping
to his place to the breakfast table. 'At least things are getting
back to normal.'
"Aaaggh, how can you think of food at . . . Hey, who's
cooking breakfast anyway?" Akane turned toward the kitchen just
as Kasumi entered the dining area followed by a certain girl in
an unfamiliar tan and brown school uniform, Hikaru, carrying
breakfast.
"Breakfast is ready!" Kasumi called out.
"Boy am I hungry Kasumi," Ranma called out feeling better now
that he was about to be fed. "Hey, you don't look to kidnapped to
me." He said with a grin, more toward Akane than Kasumi.
Akane just stood there staring at Kasumi and Hikaru.
"Oh my, was someone kidnapped?" Kasumi replied.
"There you are boy! Skipping out on our training this
morning." Genma said with a large grin on his face as he raced
into the room. "At least I see you and Akane are making up."
"We did NOT make up!" Akane replied.
"Oh, Akane! You and Ranma out to all hours, You make your
father proud!" Soun said appearing from nowhere to hug his little
girl.
"I said WE DID NOT MAKE UP!"
"Sure, sis." Nabiki said as she took her place at the table.
Akane glared at her. "They walked back out shortly after you
left." She finished with a shrug.
"Who is this?" Genma said after noticing Hikaru and while
trying to make a grab for something from Ranma's plate.
"As if you didn't know," Nabiki said with an evil grin.
"I, uh . . . have never seen her before." Genma said looking
real nervous as Soun glared at his old friend, thinking fairly
obvious thoughts. "Honestly!"
"Akane, I really think you two are to young to be out so
late," Kasumi chastised Akane with a soft worried look.
"I . . . was worried. When you weren't in the kitchen . . ."
Akane trailed off.
Kasumi almost had to force a smile. "We had a lot to talk
about, last night." Turning to face everyone, "This is Hikaru,"
Kasumi announced. "The daughter of . . . a dear and close friend.
Her mother is very sick." Nabiki wondered at the pause
accompanied with a quick glance to Ranma and Akane. "A friend
whom stopped by last night and asked if we could watch over her,
just for this week."
"Whew," Ranma let out his breath, 'Not another fianc�e.'
"B-b-but you can't be serious. I-I mean were would she
sleep?" Genma sounded out, receiving a cold stare from Nabiki.
"She can stay in our room." Ranma jumped in.
"What! You pervert! And just what are you thinking of . . ."
Akane was up and ready to clobber Ranma.
"Why don't you just get it over with and hit him?" Nabiki
asked, interrupting Akane.
"Me and pops can sleep in the dojo, after all we're use to
ruff'n it, right old man." Ranma tossed in. "And Nabiki, she
already hit me, remember?"
"They did make up!" Genma and Soun sang in near unison
"No, please. I don't want to trouble you all." Hikaru began
"No trouble, right Pops." Ranma broke in. Genma looked back
and forth between everyone then nodded his head. "After all, any
friend of Kasumi . . ."
Hikaru beamed a bright smile at Ranma.
"Come on Ranma, we're going to be late for school." Akane
broke in.
"Oh, wait! I'll just take a second." Hikaru started up the
stairs.
Akane and Ranma glanced at each other, then to Kasumi.
"She was registered . . . yesterday." Kasumi replied. "Oh,
this has to be a bad time for her, so would you both, please
watch out for her?"
"A bad time for her!?"
"Uh, Kasumi. Do you think that's wise? . . . I mean if she
shows up with me, everyone is bound to get the wrong idea." Ranma
spoke up.
"And just what idea is that?" Akane bounced back at Ranma.
"That's why you both should walk with her." Kasumi broke in,
saving Ranma, before he could bury himself with his next remark.
"Oh, that'll work sis. " Nabiki said making her way toward
the door. "Just don't be too late."
The first few blocks found Akane leading the group still
fuming at her plight just being tossed aside by her entire
family. 'What about me! I am the one who's hurting here.' Akane
glanced over her shoulder.
Hikaru was following behind, watching Ranma walking
nonchalantly on the fence. "How do you do that?"
Ranma shrugged. "Easy, I just don't think about it! If you
do, you start trying not to fall," he said with a knowing smirk.
"You make it sound easy."
"You wanna try?"
"I-I don't think I could."
"Come on, I'll help you."
Looking hopeful, Hikaru walked toward the fence. Akane turned
around and watched glaringly. 'Does she have to act like a child!
She's as old as I am.'
"No, no, no . . . Here, let me help." Ranma said as she
attempted to climb up the fence. With what looked almost like a
single fluid motion, he was on the ground, had scooped her up,
and was back on the fence. She wobbled back and forth a little,
but Ranma held her steady. "Try walking, that's a little easier
than just standing."
'He doesn't have to be that friendly with her.'
Akane turned to storm off when she heard Hikaru call from
behind her, "A-Akane, please help me try this."
"Yea right, a Tomboy like her couldn't do this if she had
too." Ranma quipped.
"Oh, yea!" She turned on them, with a determined look in her
eye.
"Then you'll do it" Hikaru chimed. Her face was full of hope
and something else Akane couldn't quite identify. Suddenly all
Akane's determination drained away. 'Sure I have balance, but . .
. I am a martial artist, I should be able to do a simple
balancing walk.' Closing her eyes, summoning up her courage, she
jumped up on the fence.
Ten seconds later, they were all drenched in the canal. Akane
and Ranma stared at each other waiting for the first remark,
while Hikaru instantly starting laughing. They both turned to
look at Hikaru. Slowly, the infectious thing that laughter is,
caught the both of them.
"That was fun, mother." Hikaru said after trying to catch her
breath. Both Ranma and Akane froze. Hikaru looked at both of them
then realized what she had just said. "I . . . I'm sorry Ran . .
. ma. Seeing your girl side . . . you reminded me of my mother.
She . . . you, kinda look like her . . ." Hikaru finished,
floundering.
"You knew about Ranma's curse?" Akane asked, the question
only now dawning on her.
Hikaru nodded solemnly. 'At least I thought I did.'
"Come on, we better hurry if we're gonna to get school on
time." Akane supplied. 'Of course Kasumi would have told her, so
she wouldn't be surprised. With her mother so sick, that was
probably a shock she didn't need.' With that, Akane began
thinking about her mother.
The trio was in a dead run now, trying to make up time. Just
as they reached the schoolyard, Kunou stepped out from behind his
tree.
"Tis a bright day that shines upon his this merry morn. A
beautiful day for final retribution upon that foul sorcerer,
Soetome. Now he shall pay for all his evil and wicked ways."
Looking up now to see the three girls running toward him. Ranma
and Akane glanced at each other. Hikaru, not knowing what to make
of this, turned toward Ranma to ask only to be interrupted. "But
soft, what golden ray has hence forth brought its attention
before the great Blue . . ." Kunou never got a chance to finish
as two feet were planted simultaneously on his forehead. Ranma
and Akane continued on, dragging a confused Hikaru toward class.
'Another beautiful flower as deemed to bloom into my life. I must
move to make sure that The Foul Soetome is defeated before he can
spread his evil magic upon her as he has done with both the
fierce Akane and the innocent and fair pig-tailed princess.'
Kunou thought as he faded into unconsciousness.
Nabiki frowned as she watched the exchange from classroom.
'Who is she, Kasumi?' Nabiki thought to herself. Nothing was ever
simple where Akane and Ranma were concerned.
As soon as Nabiki could get herself excused, she headed to
the principal's office. Pausing at the door to prepare herself,
her excuse clearly worked out in her mind, she then proceeded
into front office.
Nabiki smiled politely to Ueki-san, the Principal's
secretary. Since the Vice-Principal was usually caught up in some
plan of Principal Kunou, that dropped most responsible for
keeping the school running on her shoulders. "Excuse me, I think
I left . . ."
"Oh, Nabiki. Just the person I needed to talk to." Nabiki jus
t looked at her. "What can you tell me about Hikaru?" Ueki-san
continued.
Nabiki blinked. "What do you mean?"
"She is staying with you right?"
"Yes."
"It's just that . . . well . . . I seem to be having trouble
tracking down information on her. It seems there is some
confusion over her school records." She finished, waiting for
Nabiki to respond.
"I am sure it's just some clerical error. Everything has been
so happening so fast for her. With her mother in the hospital and
all. Do you have her file?" Nabiki attempted, knowing most people
tended to let their emotions run over their logic.
"Oh yes, I guess it must be . . . but if she is going to be
attending here, we need to get her records straightened up."
Ueki-san looked apologetically. Nabiki's play had worked; which
saddened her a little; she really did respect her more than most
of the so-called adults here.
"Well, let me see her record and I'll see if I can't get it
all straightened out." Nabiki finished with a calculated smile.
Normally no student would be allowed to go through the
student files, but she was an exception. After getting into
trouble a couple of years ago, she had be handed to unusual
punishment of decorating all the teachers desks in the teachers
office with flowers. Not a very effective punishment, but she had
not really been a troublemaker at school. That was when she first
really met Ueki-san. She had been facing a losing battle between
all the paper work, scheduling, etc. Nabiki had then volunteered
to help out with the filing. Back then, she hadn't had any
ulterior motives; she just wanted to help. And she had felt like
she had let Kasumi down. She had learned a lot about the other
students, but hadn't taken advantage of it. She did try to help
sometimes, dispelling ridiculous rumors here and there, getting
assistance to those who had been over looked by the system;
however, most of those students would never know the role she
played in their lives. That was how she had wanted it. Everyone
respected her, and generally thought her a little wise for her
age. 'Have I really changed that much?' She silently asked
herself.
"Well . . ." Ueki-san said after a thoughtful moment, "I
guess it wouldn't hurt. Here take a look."
Nabiki looked the document over. A very bad copy but looked
authentic enough at a glance. She had caught a few forgeries
since she had started helping. Now the computer systems could be
used to verify most of the records. "Kouryou Secondary School,
ne?"
"Yes, you have heard of it, haven't you?" Nabiki looked at
her questioningly. "It's one of the experimental elevator style
schools. There, just as one can graduate from junior high into
high school, graduation from high school guarantees acceptance
into its associated college. Of course one can almost write their
ticket to any university," Ueki explained.
Nabiki looked the paper over again. Ueki continued, "Kasumi
had been accepted, but turned it down because of how far away it
was." Nabiki closed her eyes, trying to control the
unexpected emotions that news brought.
"Have you tried calling the school?" Nabiki asked, trying to
refocus using her thoughts on the subject at hand.
"No, not yet. That was what I was going to do just as you
walked in." Ueki smiled.
"Let me talk to Kasumi first. If she can't help, then we can
always call tomorrow."
"That would be very irregular." Ueki began then stopped when
she saw the pleading look in Nabiki's eyes. For as long as Ueki
had known Nabiki, she had always been aloof, now it was easy to
see that something was getting to her. 'They must be closer than
I would have guessed, probably due to having lost their own
mother. It's good that Hikaru have such good friends at a time
like this.' "But, I don't waiting a day will cause too much
trouble." Ueki tried to give an understanding smile, but she had
never felt a loss such as the three Tendou girls had. She had
watched how each of them had changed, unable to help them. 'Maybe
this would be good for them too."
"Thank you Ueki-san. I'll talk to Kasumi first chance I get."
With that, Nabiki left the office with much on her mind.
Hikaru watched as Akane pummeled the defenseless practice
dummy. The walk home had been quiet enough. Akane had been very
upset about something and Ranma had apparently run off as soon as
school ended, leaving Hikaru with Akane. When Hikaru had asked
Akane's friends when Ranma left, they only smiled and said
something about Akane sending him on ahead. At first, she thought
Akane had wanted to get to know her better, which had made her
nervious, but it soon was appearent that Akane was in no mood for
conversation.
"Why do you do that?" Hiakru asked tentitively.
"Practice," Akane managed between punches.
"Is that also how Ranma practices?"
"No." Akane was getting more and more annoyed as this
conversation went. 'Ranma, you dummy,' Akane thought as she
continued. 'I would do anything to see mom again, and now there
is nothing to stop him, he still didn't want to see her.' Akane
renewed her vigor.
"Oh." Hikaru watched for a few more moments before
continuing. "How does Ranma pracitce then?"
"His dad," Akane breathed between punches.
"Do you practice with your father?"
Spinning around to face Hikari, Akane yelled "Does it look
like it!" Watching Hikaru flinch and the hurt in her deep brown
eyes melted Akane's anger. 'How dose she do that,' Akane absently
wondered. "I'm sorry, I'm just alittle upset right now." Hikaru
noded softly.
"I just wondered what it was like to have a dad." Hikaru said
after a few moments.
Akane tried to smile, "Well, we use to practice all the time
. . . then after mom . . ." Akane took a deep breath, "well, our
practices became less and less . . . uh, involved until he just
stopped all together."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Hikaru watched Akane, not sure
what she should do.
"What happened to your dad, if you don't mind my asking."
"I don't know." Akane was alittle taken back by the bitter
tone in her voice. "Mom never spoke of him."
"It must have been hard raising you without a father. Did her
family help?"
"No. It was just us two and the Master at first. Then later
Kasuga-san helped alot. Kyouske-san is nice, but I don't think
Madoka-san likes me very much."
"The Master?" Akane asked.
"Yea, mom worked in an American style Jazz club, waiting
tables. He is the owner of the club and everyone always called
him Master, I don't even know his name." Hikaru explained with a
thoughtful sigh.
"Who is Madoka-san?"
"She's Kyosuke wife." Hikaru looked down, "The're always
fighting, though." After an awkward pause, she asked tentatively,
"Would you show me some moves?"
"Sure."
In the dojo, Hikaru fidgeted in one of Akane's spare gi.
"This doesn't feel right," Hikaru said while again adjusting her
belt. Akane shook her head. "And this training bra, it's way too
tight."
"Thats enough!" Akane yelled.
"Wha . . ." was all the startled Hiakru could manage.
"I swear, your almost as impossible as HIM!" Akane continued.
"Who?"
"Never mind," Akane said trying to calm down. 'I'm not going
to get angry. I'm not going to get angry. I'm not going to tear
her head off.' "Okay, first lets try a simple kata to warm
up, then we'll spare a little so I can see what you can do."
Hikaru nodded.
Akane began the motions she had practiced since she was a
little girl, the kata her father had taught her. She stopped when
she realized Hikaru wasn't paying attention. Breathlessly, Akane
watched her. Hikaru's body moved to a symphony that only she
could hear. Balancing on one foot, while shifting her body
and hands, bending down till she was almost a ball. Rolling over
and back up, this time on her other foot. Several small jumps and
ariel flips, double kicks. Throughout, Akane found herself
completely immersed. She had caught several miss timings and
false steps, when a thought struck her. Akane felt she knew this
kata, somehow. Not the whole thing, there were many differences,
parts changed or added to. But she felt she knew this kata from
somewhere.
Hikaru suddenly stopped when she saw Akane just staring at
her. Her eyes dropped to the floor, her face slightly flushed.
Akane smiled, "That was pretty good."
"Really?" Hikaru looked up shining like a 6 year-old. "I . .
. thank you."
"Shall we begin?" Akane asked.
Hikaru smiled and took up a basic beginning stance.
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kit
========= ========= ========= =========
We the unwilling, led by the unknowing,
are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little
we are now qualified to do anything with nothing