William Morse wrote:

The Things We Wish For...
Chapter 3

"But my dear departed wife is no longer departed! I've missed her so much,
and now we're reunited. It's like a dream come true. It's not fair that
she's here and doesn't remember our lives together."

*I'm not sure if even Soun is this stupid. Impulsive and high strung yes,
but not a complete moron. Considering Kachi probably looks about as much
like "herself" as Akane does. I think the message would have gotten

through

his thick skull by now.

Ah, actually she's less than two years younger than when they first met. To
him, she looks the same as then, so the results, at least in his mind,
should be the same.

Besides, true love goes beyond mere appearance, doesn't it? ^_^

will eventually fall in love and get back together. Before you know it,
she'll be your wife, as well as our mother. And it'll be especially easy

for

you to win her heart since you already did it once before. It'll be

history

repeating itself."

*ignoring all of that fuss about marrying a minor.

More like the now huge age difference between them. That's as much a barrier
as anything.

 For the purposes of this

story are the gang assuming that Kachi is trapped here in the present.
Because otherwise your going to have some very entertaining paradoxes. *

Well, Akane made her wish, and there Kachi is. They have no reason to
believe  she'll go back. As for paradoxes, presumably if something bad were
to happen to the timeline because of her presense, it would already have
happened. Of course that's the optimist's POV, and the truth might not have
been borne out yet.

Four sets of eyes looked one another over.

"Maybe she'll figure it out on her own and we should comfort her then?"

Soun

suggested.

The three girls agreed.

*Soun's grasping at straws here. Perhaps you'd get better effect if the
girls shut him up with a cold stare.

Nah. They don't want to tell Kachi either. And the reality of that part of
the scene is me avoiding angst, since this is supposed to be a mostly
humorous tale. I'll mention at the start of a later chapter that Kachi
visited her parents'  gravesite to acknowledge she's aware of their deaths.

One additional thing about that that hasn't come to light is that she was
never close to either parent. They were very aloof people, and she always
hated that. One of the reasons she likes being excessive is because they
were so reserved. A form of rebellion on her part, as well as being
naturally outgoing/ That will be difficult to mention since she's the only
character that would know that, and she'd be blind to it in herself.
Probably could have fit more in there during her rememberance in the dojo,
and the obvious resentment she held for her own father's reluctance at
taking her seriously. I'll try to add some in a revision.

"I didn't ask you that," Ranma said.

Kachiko considered that. She then grabbed Soun by the shoulders, turned

him

around, and began pushing him towards the door, shouting, "Out! Out! Out!"

*Manipulative little minx isn't she?*

Oh yes. This is where Nabby gets it from. (You didn't think it came from
Soun, didya'? ^_^)

"Done." Kachiko released her hold on Soun. "Now for the rest of the rules
concerning my house. I'm taking my room back, so that means Akane has to
sleep somewhere else, except Ranma's room, which is off limits to everyone
but Ranma and his father. And that goes for the old perv too, since he

might

try to hit on Ranma's cursed form."

*I dread to see how she responds when the REALLY old perv shows up*

Yes, Happi will have to return eventually. When it's convient to the plot.
:)

"Comments like that are how you end up with a foot driven up your flabby
backside," Kachiko said in a flat voice to her oldest 'daughter'.

#Boy she really has Soun flustered if she's not getting the Demon Head

after

a threat like that.#

Kachi's Kasumi's mother (in his eyes) it's perfectly within her rights to
discipline a daughter. Besides, it's only a threat. She's not moving to make
serious on it.

"Now go to your room."

"What?"

Kachiko pointed upstairs. "You heard me, Daughter. Go up to your room

right

now for being mouthy to your mother."

*Oh NOW she accepts her predicament.*

Oh, I think you'll see early on she's quiet willing to use things to her
advantage when the opportunities presents themselves. Including her 'status'
which she complains about until it's useful to her.

Rather than press the point with the girl, Kachiko turned to the man next

to

her. Her eyes were full of tears as she sniffled and said, "Soun-chan, our
daughter's being defiant. I go away for a couple of years, and this is how
you let our children's behavior deteriorate, showing no respect for the
people that brought them forth into this world. I'm so ashamed." She

cupped

her hands to her face, hiding it from view as the sounds of crying filled
the room.

*Nice she handles gullible fathers with the best of them.*

Well, Soun's not exatly a hardcase either. :)

"I don't remember it being that bad," Kasumi said.

"You probably blocked out the memories. That happens with traumatic
experiences, especially when you're young," Soun explained to her.


*Great running gag.*

Thanks. I'll try not to overuse it, though. Just a little reenforcment in
the early stages so people remember.

Kachiko gave a disapproving noise as she looked at the prone figure before

her. "Geez, you're gullible. What sort of idiot calls out an attack before
she makes it? It's like saying, 'I'm going to punch you in the face. See

if

you can block it in time'. And I thought you were a tough martial artist."
She pulled up her pants yet again. "And I really got to get this problem
taken care of." She departed, leaving Ranma lying unconscious on the

floor.

*Other than making fun of "ultimate techniques" I don't see how Ranma

would

fall for a feint like that*

A number of reasons. He's going very easy on her, to the point of which he's
going out of his way to not leave a mark on her. He's very overconfident.
And he knows she likes him. What woman is going to nail someone she likes in
the groin for no reason? (Even when Ranma is a boor, he is aware of it at
some level, or at least that the girls aren't going to react well to it) The
last factor is, she's actually quite good and very quick. That will become
more evident later.

Nabiki's features softened, and she rose to embrace Kachiko. The two gave

a

quick hug, patting each other on the back before breaking apart.

*Nabiki softened? Is she feeling all right.*

It's a set up. Nabbi knows exactly why Kachi is there and setting her up for
a fall

nderstand Akane's bottoms are too big and you came here hoping I'd loan

you some of my clothes."

Kachiko made a strangled noise. "I'm that transparent?"

*Nice bit*

Thanks. For the complaints I had gotten about Nabby being outmanuvered,
you'd think that bit would show Kachi's obviously not perfect. Oh, she'll
win in the end this time, but not easily and not with the victory she had
imagined.

Akane's information on Nabiki had seemed accurate. Kachiko had certainly
known people like Nabiki in her time, and subsequently knew how to deal

with

them. Of course, Kachiko's 'middle child' would probably try something

else

and act like the top girl around here, which would mean Kachiko would have
to keep on her toes. But then, she was used to friends and family keeping
her alert and ready for anything at all times. Kachiko wouldn't have had

it

any other way. An interesting life was far better than a dull one.

*At the moment it seems to be a draw after all Kachi paid nothing for some
thing that was not Nabiki's*

Partially. Kachi uses the extra money to buy the clothing (although now
she'll need more since the one's she got from Nabby don't fit like she
planned.) That was one of the main reasons that Nabby face off needed to
happen now. Kachi needed the new wardrobe since she'll be going to school
next chapter. Likewise it mentions her new taste in clothing that's only
half there ^_^. The seeds of that were planted in the first chapter when she
watched girls walking around in the same clothing and liked it.

"Ranma, how do you think I'd look in a fig leaf?"

"Fine."

*Heh*

I've learned to give that answer myself. It applies to new hairstyles as
well. Women don't ask men for their honesty; they want an endorsement of
their decisions, and you'd better give it. Remember: They would never have
bought the dress in the first place if they didn't like it.

"Thank god!" Ranma was out of his seat and through the front door in the
blink of an eye.

*Only in Nerima*

There have been times when I would have loved in explosion to ruin a
shopping expedition as well.

"What movie?" Kachiko asked. "That really happened. Although it was trying
to kill Icky at the time instead of me. And it was a Germinator, since the
machines were based on plants material rather metal. It was some made of
some sort of funky bio-technology."

*makes all want to hear more stories about the first generation.*

Eventually, probably. Depending on if they don't break the story flow.

A barrel of Nannichuan shattered against the vortex.

"Nannichuan?! AHHHH! What did I just do?!" Ranma ripped at his hair in
frustration.

*Oops, Trying to make sure we're still paying attention I see ^-^*

Well, that and I thought it was humorous. Besides, you should know Ranma
would never get a cure that easily.

"Indeed, this time we shall rule the world. Nothing can stop us now.
Nothing."

A hand fell on each of their shoulders.

"Except that."

*Cute*

You just knew it was coming.

Kachiko laughed. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite pair of aliens
from Space Hunter Nebula X: Dipshit and Asswipe."

*My oh my. I bet she got invited to all of Lum's parties to*

Heh.

"Actually, you did not defeat it," As-Wype said.

*Oh so we're keeping score are we*

Well, that and the fact that Kachi's not as good as she likes to brag.
Another facet that should have gone against ANC syndrome in that of all the
robots she actually fought previously, the only one she really destroyed had
no offensive weapons. Of course the handicap to that is that we don't
actually see them, and it's only mentioned in passing, so its effect is
muted.

As-Wype said, "After the destruction of Designate: Mecha Moth, our budget
for world domination had run out."

*Isn't that always the case? very nice bit*

You usually don't hear about financial problems from alien invaders, do you?
:)

"Actually, you only stopped one of our schemes."

That earned Dippe-Shick a punch to the face. Kachiko cleared her throat,

"As

I was saying, I've stopped your evil schemes before, and I'll do so right
now."

*Oh you have got to write more flashbacks*

Right now I'll be concentrating more on the present and than the past.

And all of it impacted on the inside of the impenetrable forcefield.

*Nice*

Having the bad guys more or less beat themselves I thought would be
appropriate..

Dippe-Shick sighed. "It appears we will have to work our eight o' clock
shift after all. And here I was hoping to call off due to our conquering

the

world."

*Alien Invaders with a day job... cute*

Thanks.

"I didn't do anything with her!" Ranma insisted. "All we did was stop some
aliens from taking over the Earth. Just because we worked well together

that

does not constitute bonding."

*One of the only households on the planet where that excuse works ^-^*

"I never agreed to a date!" Ranma shouted.

*Well he did agree to a favor. . . the poor boy should really read the

small

print.*

Nope. She called in the favor to make him go shopping with her. He's in the
clear. The date thing was her being inappropriately presumptuous.

End Notes: A word of concern was given to me of Kachiko being too much an
ANC, and it probably best I respond now. Yes, she is very annoying at

times.

She's has to be, given the direction which the story will take.

#That I was about to say but I don't think designing a character to be a

bit

of a jerk is quite the same as an ANC.

I think the difference is most ANCs aren't supposed to be ANCs, they just
turn out that way. Kachi has to be very annoying at least some of the time,
otherwise what happens later on isn't going to work.

The parts that made me worry about

her fitting that catagory was where she started taking control of every
situation even getting the better of Ranma and Nabiki came close to that
though you threw in just enough flaws in her character and causing plenty

of

problems which help miss the true mark of ANC.

Thanks. That was what I thought, though having her come out on top 3 times
in the same chapter was a bit much, (as well as her dominating most of the
scenes) which is probably what made the comments come about. Last chapter it
was the opposite in that she casued the problem (releasing the demon panda)
and it was up to others to defeat it, despite the fact the key to victory
was taped to her forehead.

(Besides Nabiki probably

realized her pocket had been picked a whole five minutes later and the

only

reason Kachi thinks she got away with it is because Nabs doesn't get mad

she

gets even ^-^)

That and there was nowhere to fit it in. Nabby will be mentioning the
missing money early in the next chapter.

So far I like what I see. I'd like to see a little bit more

culture shock in Kachiko's part but since this story is more humor than
drama I wouldn't worry about it too much.

No. There won't be. Most of the changes she thinks are for the better
anyway.

 Going back to the ANC concerns you

might want to tone her down a little bit though currently she looks like

she

could take on Herb and Tarou.

Well, she was in essence the 'Ranma' of her day. She tended to win her
battles through battlefield wits and ruthlessness rather than brute force.
That hasn't become obvious yet, but she's not your average run of the mill
Ranma character.

Other than that I like the flaws that you've

given her. Obnoxious, Lousy sense of humor and a marvelous selective
blindness in various areas.*

Selective blindness is one of the stables of humor in this sort of thing.

 Tentative plans for next chapter are for Kachiko to finally end
up in school and meeting more of the fun loving cast at last as the others
start to adjust to her presence, and start to react to it. Should be
concentrating more on her presence in the present than what happened in

the

past for a while now.

So far it looks pretty good. I would recomend that the cast tones down the
whole Mother thing outside of the house. Have them pass her off as a

cousin

That's exactly what's going to happen when they go to school. Actually Kachi
is going to make a point early on that she doesn't like the girls calling
her mother and will try to get them to call her Kachi instead.

or something which gives you some interesting possiblilities if Nabiki

adds

some really embarrasing details into Kachiko's cover story as a way of
getting back at her.

She doesn't even have to do that. There's a much easier way to have someone
get back at Kachi for her. I still need to work out the details of the
scene, but I have it in my mind. I just have to figure out how to do it so I
can milk it for everything.

 You also have some good questions to ask to provide

more groundwork. For example, why are all of the records of Kachi from
before her wedding missing. And is whatever going to happen in this story
line responsible for a personality change to make her the Mrs. Tendo the
family remembers. Just a thought.

Actually those were already addressed, as The Apprentice pointed out. The
pictures being gone were indeed because Kachi didn't want to be reminded of
her past and what could have been, compared to what she had to live with.

Keep up the good work.

Will try. Thanks for the vote of confidence and the C+C. Glad she didn't
come off as being too abrasive to everyone.

D.B. Sommer

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