For someone who had made use of the truth like a toy, Nabiki found it awfully cutting when turned back at her. Ranma looked like something out of some horror film, like some demon come to earth - and he was heading her way. She tried to find her voice, tried to make her tongue work right...
“I... About a week before you disappeared, someone I hadn’t seen before came by asking for information on Ranma. I figured it was another fiancee or someone who owed Genma something.” Tears started to fall from her eyes; she tried to will them back, but couldn’t. “I... I didn’t know...”
For a few seconds, the only movement in the park involved the impotent writhing of shadows. Even as they were covered in black, she could see the indecision in Ranma’s eyes. This worried her even more; what had they done to him?
What had she done to him?
Black faded to sapphire; Ranma let the shadows dissipate. For a moment, Nabiki wished for that relaxed smile to come back, but knew it wasn’t. He let out a long sigh, and sat back down on the park bench.
He looked tired - more tired than she’d ever seen him. “Nabiki... the games are over. The engagements... I don’t think they could happen now.” Upon seeing Nodoka begin to open his mouth, he continued. “Akane couldn’t be a part of my life, Mom. None of them could. This is out of their league.”
Nodoka raised an eyebrow. “And just what is ‘your league’?”
Ranma didn’t look at anyone; his eyes were seeing something else. “I’m transferring to another school, one being set up by the Yashida clan. No, they weren’t the ones who kidnapped me, though they were related to the people who got me out of there.” Ranma shivered for a moment, and Millia put her hand on his shoulder.
Nabiki’s mind started putting the pieces together. The Yashida clan ran a large conglomerate of industries - but were also rumored to have an arm in under-the-table dealings. Light and shadow... just like Ranma. For them to be willing to train Ranma - and for Ranma to mention them specifically - meant that Ranma had, quite literally, gone out of their league.
Ranma continued. “There are a set of schools in the United States - ones designed for people with... special abilities.”
And, in that moment, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place for Nabiki. Ranma’s insane learning curve, his martial arts abilities, his gift at manipulating ki... his comment about everyone being out of his league. “Mutants.”
Ranma nodded, his eyes narrowing. “The people who kidnapped me... they wanted my girl-side for a... breeding program.” Nabiki shuddered; she knew it had been bad, but this... Ranma continued. “Fortunately, the X-Men showed up to bail us out of there. We spent a couple of weeks in America... then came back here.”
Nabiki turned her eyes to the left. Nodoka was near tears, her hands tightly gripping the wrapped blade in her hands. “So... just because you get kidnapped... all of the agreements and promises are done now?”
Ranma pointed his arm out in a strange manner, arm fully extended, wrist bent backward, with one palm splayed out. It looked vaguely like he was about to do a ki-blast, but didn’t look like he was generating any effort. He moved the arm around until he stopped with it facing a particularly large tree.
Nabiki may not have been able to tell, but the energy that came from his hands wasn’t ki. She wasn’t sure whether it was a plasma blast or some extremely focused form of light. Whatever it was, it made an impression; the tree trunk exploded, showering the nearby area in splinters, twigs, and leaves and toppling the mighty tree to the ground.
Ranma lowered his hand, and sighed. “If I thought Akane could survive it, I’d bring her along. But this... this game is for keeps - and the consequences of failure are worse than death.” His head tilted slightly. “Now do you understand?”
Both women nodded their understanding.
***
Cologne gulped at the remains of the tree she’d used for her blind. If she’d hesitated another second, she wouldn’t have survived. As it is, she’d be picking splinters out of herself for a week.
She hadn’t thought Ranma’s value to the tribe would go up, but it had - by leaps and bounds. If they could get mutant genes into the tribe... even the PRC would find it difficult to stop them!
She looked over to Shampoo and Mousse, and gave a signal. Once the opportunity presented itself...
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(Posted Wed, 20 Nov 2002 18:46)
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