Nabiki watched with a wry and slightly lustful smile as the busty redhead that had become her only real friend floated down into the furo and disappeared, the aftereffects of last night’s dream still echoing through her. Shaking off an idle daydream, she quickly but thoroughly washed herself off and dressed in her school uniform, grabbed her school supplies, then rushed to the family room. She arrived just in time to see Akane headed out to school, and Kasumi waiting for her with an unusually large bento.
“You’re too late for breakfast, so I made you twice as much as usual for lunch,” Kasumi said with her usual serene smile firmly in place, then glanced at their father, still sitting at the table reading the morning paper, and walked with Nabiki to the front door. In a low voice Kasumi asked, “Ranma headed back to China?”
“Yeah, she said she needed to get back before her father got too curious about where she’s been. Barring more rain we probably won’t see her until tonight.”
“I see. Well, you had better get going before you’re late,” Kasumi replied, and watched pensively as her younger sister strode off in Akane’s wake. It really isn’t proper, sleeping with a naked girl like that, even a nature spirit — especially when the girl is actually a guy. And if I’m right about the way she swings ... Still, she seemed unusually cheerful this morning. Kasumi sighed, then stiffened. What was that? She glanced around subtly — nothing. I could have sworn for a moment I felt a presence, a powerful one. I must be getting jumpy. Kasumi closed the door and with a small sigh turned back to the breakfast dishes and the day’s cleaning.
***
Outside, twenty feet up in the air, two goddesses hovered and watched as Kasumi closed the door, then turned and watched Nabiki stride off toward the school. “Urd, you should be more careful,” Belldandy gently chided her older sister. “You left my obscuration field for a moment, Kasumi sensed you.”
“Well, I expected you to follow Nabiki,” Urd grumbled. “So why aren’t we?”
“Because my task is complete, big sis, it is time to go home,” Belldandy replied serenely, smiling as Nabiki vanished from sight.
“What, already? But you hardly did anything, how can you be done? You sure you just don’t want to get back to Keiichi?” Urd responded, glancing slyly at her younger half-sister.
Belldandy blushed slightly and sent a small frown Urd’s way. “No, as much as I’ve missed Keiichi he has nothing to do with this. It is simply that the mission is complete.”
“Just like that, huh? And why was I sent along to watch, anyway?”
Belldandy sighed. “Kami-sama sent you along to observe, big sis, because while you have a good heart you lack subtlety and flexibility. Remember that English saying Keiichi used the last time you tried your potions on us: ‘If all you have is a hammer, all your problems look like nails’. Urd, there are situations for which your potions are neither needed nor helpful. Nabiki needed a true and honorable friend to steer her from the path she was following, and thanks to my minor and occasional interference with her summonings she now has one. And no, not ‘just like that’. They are very different people, and will have their rough moments. But they are both also very lonely, and unlikely to let those rough moments get in the way of their friendship, and perhaps eventually a stronger bond.”
“Really?” asked Urd doubtfully. “Even when Mara takes notice that the wheels are coming off her nice, tidy seduction and starts working to break them up or turn this to her advantage?”
“Even then,” Belldandy replied serenely. “Mara is unlikely to be able to overcome their need for each other or corrupt Ranma. But even if she does, that will be their choice — I have given them a chance, now it is up to them to accept it or not. Now, come sister, let’s go home.” She blushed again. “You are right that I’ve missed Keiichi these past few weeks and am eager to see him again.”
The two goddesses moved unnoticed into the Tendo household, and Belldandy watched Urd vanish into the TV, then eagerly headed to the furo and vanished into the mirror there, returning to her beloved Keiichi.
Nabiki walked down the street toward the school, memories of last night’s dream passing through her mind, an image of the black-haired, muscled, slightly taller hunk and what he’d done to her playing on the screen of her mind’s eye. Wow, girl, when you get frustrated you really get frustrated! Still, it was a bit odd — Mad King Ludwig’s bedroom was no surprise, but finding a young hunk in a battered, dirty gi instead of the usual older prince sure was. And the way I had to take charge was a bit different as well. I wonder if Ranma had anything to do with that? She’s certainly confused enough! She was so cute this morning.
For a moment, the black-haired hunk from her dream morphed into the tiny, naked redhead she’d spent the night cuddling up to, before Nabiki jerked to a stop and shook her head to dispel the image. Whoa, watch it, girl — you’ve got a great thing going here, so don’t go getting ideas! As shy as she is, you make one pass and she’ll bolt. The fact that she’ll get bounced back to you whenever she — he — gets wet won’t help either. She’ll end up feeling trapped and resent it like hell. Nabiki glanced around, and was disturbed to find herself a block past the entrance to the school grounds. Watch it, girl, you haven’t zoned out like that in years. Just because you have a friend now doesn’t mean you stop being careful. She turned and strode back toward the entrance as the image of a redhead sinking down toward the furo rose up into her mind.
***
Yuka stood beside Sayuri at the school building’s main entrance, the two watching a panting Akane standing over and scowling down at a once again unconscious Upperclassman Kuno. Yuka sighed deeply. “You know, Sayuri, these morning brawls are getting really old. Leaving aside that it’s impossible to get a date now, I really don’t like what it’s doing to Akane.”
Sayuri idly nodded. “Agreed, but what can we do about it? There isn’t much point to complaining about Kuno, and so long as the underclassmen are afraid of him nothing is going to change.” Sayuri’s gaze wandered over the groaning and/or unconscious boys scattered around Akane and up toward that gate and froze as she stiffened in place and her jaw dropped.
Yuka glanced at her shocked friend. “Sayuri, what’s up?”
“It’s Nabiki, she’s smiling!”
“What!?” Yuka whirled to face the gate and stared. “I don’t believe it!”
Sayuri shook herself out of her shock and strode toward Akane through the morning battle’s debris. “Hey, Akane, what’s up with Nabiki?”
Akane looked up at one of her two best friends, her scowl fading to be replaced with confusion. “Nothing that I know of, why?”
“Turn around.”
Akane turned and stared at her older sister, approaching them with a gentle smile on her face and apparently oblivious to everything around them. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nabiki look like that!”
Yuka joined the other two, also watching the approaching Nabiki, and grinned. “I’ve never seen that look on Nabiki, but I’ve definitely seen it before — on my older sister during her last big crush. Have there been any boys hanging around the Ice Queen you haven’t told us about?”
Akane glared at her other best friend, and growled, “No! If any of those perverts had come around I would have sent them packing.” The glare faded to a concerned look as her gaze shifted back to Nabiki and in a worried tone she added, “She hasn’t been out of the house enough in the last week to meet any pervert somewhere else, when she hasn’t been in school she’s been in her room playing on her computer or working on her calligraphy.” She strode to meet her sister and reached out to grasp her shoulder.
Nabiki jumped at the touch, and her smile faded as she focused on Akane. “Akane, what’s up?”
“I think that’s my question.”
Nabiki stiffened and shrugged. “Nothing’s up, why do you ask?”
“You seem a bit different today. You aren’t somehow meeting one of those perverted boys, are you?”
With a laugh, Nabiki shook her head and gazed around at the human detritus surrounding them. “One of these gutless wonders? Please! I have better taste than that.” Just then, the bell signaling the beginning of the school day sounded and she shook off Akane’s hand and moved toward the school entrance, calling back over her shoulder in a sarcastic tone thick enough to cut with a knife, “Come on, girls, time to once again brave our marvelous halls of academe!”
The other three exchanged confused looks and gave a group shrug, before following Nabiki into the school.
“I’m home!” Nabiki called out, stopping just inside the front door to remove her shoes.
“Nabiki, you’re late!” Kasumi called from the kitchen.
“Yeah, one of my teachers asked me to stay after school. For some reason, he thought I seemed distracted and wanted to make sure nothing was wrong.”
Kasumi appeared around the corner. “Nabiki, it is such a beautiful day, and dinner will be simple enough that I can take a short break. Would you care to join me for a short walk in the park?”
Nabiki frowned slightly and sharpened her gaze at her older sister for moment, then nodded. “Sure, will Akane be joining us?”
“Oh, no! She’s busy practicing the Art and I would hate to interrupt her.”
Nabiki’s frown disappeared into her usual calm poker face and she nodded. “I see. Just let me drop off my school bag in my room and change out of my school uniform, and I’ll be right back down.”
***
Nabiki gazed at Kasumi walking along the park path beside her, and then looked around — nobody else was within earshot. “All right, sis, what did you want to talk about sensitive enough that we couldn’t discuss it at home?”
Kasumi seemed to struggle for words for a moment, then sighed. “Nabiki, last night you said that nothing was going to happen if Ranma spent the night in your bed.”
Nabiki stopped and stared at her sister in confusion. “But nothing happened, what makes you think differently?”
“The calls I’ve received today from old friends still in school asking who the lucky boy is that’s melted the Ice Queen’s heart.”
“What!?” Nabiki shouted, then blushed and looked around to see if her outburst had attracted anyone’s attention. She started walking again and Kasumi hurried a few steps to catch up. “I’m telling you, Kasumi, nothing happened except the best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages, and I’m not about to ruin a good thing by trying to change that.”
Kasumi nodded, then glanced sharply at her sister as she caught a low mutter of “Only in my daydreams.” She frowned again slightly. “What was that, Nabiki? I didn’t quite hear you.”
“Only in your dreams!” Nabiki hurriedly said, and thought quickly. “Kasumi, last night when you said we still had things to talk about, you emphasized the name ‘Saotome’ as if I should know it. Why?”
Kasumi continued to frown thoughtfully at Nabiki for a moment longer, then sighed and accepted the change of subject. “I take it you don’t remember Auntie Saotome?”
Nabiki stared at her in shock. “Auntie Saotome? No, I don’t.”
Kasumi nodded. I suppose there’s no reason you should, really. She was one of mother’s best friends and used to visit regularly, but stopped coming by after mother died. She didn’t spend much time talking to any of us but mother, and I seem to remember that she seemed sad, even ... pained whenever she’d look at us children. Perhaps it had something to do with her son, she stopped by briefly a few years ago to ask if we’d seen him or his father — it seems they went on an extended training trip and she hadn’t heard from them in a number of years. I told her that neither had ever visited, of course.”
Nabiki found she’d come to a stop again as she stared at Kasumi and quickly resumed walking as she thought. “You know, I am coming to really detest Ranma’s father. Are you sure that it’s the same two?”
Kasumi nodded. “I cannot remember the first name of either that Auntie Saotome asked about, but I find the coincidence unlikely.”
Nabiki nodded herself. “Agreed. What was Auntie Saotome’s first name?”
“I can’t remember her’s, either,” Kasumi admitted reluctantly. “All that I can recall is a tall, regal woman with fading red hair dressed in a formal kimono carrying a katana.”
“Sounds like I have my work cut out for me locating her,” Nabiki groaned.
“Are you sure that’s wise? Ranma’s father could have a good reason for his decision not to visit.”
“From what Ranma’s said I seriously doubt that,” Nabiki remarked dryly, “but nothing says that I have to let Ranma know about her when I find her. I’ll do a little research, see what I can learn and let you know before we tell her.”
Kasumi nodded, then glanced at her watch. “Oh my! I completely lost track of time, we must get back home immediately so I can finish dinner.”
Nabiki sighed softly in relief, and the two turned back toward home.
Nabiki, dinner long over and her homework complete, sat back in frustration and glared at her computer monitor. Amazing how many Saotomes there are in Japan. There’s no way to whittle the list down without making assumption on assumption, and if any of my guesses are wrong the entire exercise will be a waste of time. She gazed out the window at the moonless night, then glanced at the clock. Hmm, it should be getting on to nightfall around where Ranma should be in China, I’m surprised she hasn’t shown up yet. Then she grinned as the long (Nabiki tried to pretend not ‘and anxiously’) awaited curvy redhead popped into view, floating above the bed. “Ranma, good to see you. I’m surprised you didn’t get here sooner.”
Ranma rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “Aw, I didn’t want ta make Pop any more curious than I had to.”
Nabiki nodded as she shut down her computer and started changing into her night clothes. “Sensible. Well, come one, it’s been a long day, let’s get to sleep.”
“Ah, Nabiki, I-I really think I ought t-ta spend the night on the lawn,” Ranma stuttered, blushing.
Nabiki paused in the middle of pulling on her top and frowned at her naked guest, trying to keep an appreciative gleam out of her eyes. “Now, Ranma, it would be an insult to have you sleeping on our lawn, and we can’t have that! Now, be a good girl, ah, boy,” Nabiki quickly corrected when Ranma flinched, “and come on!” she stated firmly as she finished dressing for the night. She turned out the light, strode to the bed, and threw back covers and climbed in, motioning for Ranma to join her.
Ranma reluctantly again lay down on Nabiki’s outstretched right arm, then stiffened as both Nabiki’s arms encircled her waist and pulled her up against Nabiki’s front so that they were spooned together, then slowly relaxed as nothing else happened. Just as she started to drift off, Nabiki murmured something in her ear. “Huh? Whazzat?” Ranma asked drowsily.
“I asked what you remember about your mother,” Nabiki replied more loudly.
Ranma came back awake a bit and shrugged. “Nothin’ really. Just a few memories of a nice woman with red hair.” Ranma chuckled sleepily. “Guess we know where my red hair comes from.” After a moment’s hesitation she added, “Pop never talks about her, and when I used to ask he’d just ignore me and come up with another stupid trainin’ method.”
Ranma felt the soft air from Nabiki’s snort blow on the top of her head. “Figures,” Nabiki said. “You don’t even remember her name?”
Ranma shook her head. “Nah, ‘fraid not. Why d’ya ask?”
“Oh, just curious,” Nabiki said, then yawned. “Good night, Ranma, sweet dreams.”
Ranma felt her face warm as she blushed beet-red. “G’night, Nabiki,” she replied, and the two quickly drifted off to sleep.
A half-hour later, the two were so deeply asleep that neither stirred when a beam of light fell across the bed as Kasumi cracked open the door and peeked into the room. She gazed at the two for a moment, sighed to herself, then yawned, quietly closed the door, and headed off to her own bed.
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(Posted Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:45)
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