Just as she was murmuring a few choice words on the subject of having to self-train, Nabiki's voice was heard coming into the Dojo, along with the rest of her. "Akane! Father wants us to have a family meeting! Something to do with an old family friend and her son.."
Nabiki debated needling her sis on the boy part, but decided she was already moving out of the rut she'd buried herself in these past few months. She felt bad about the nature of her schemes at times, but it was twofold. She needed to provide a stinging reminder of consequence and a sense of responsibility to Akane, she felt, along with challenges to face. Kami knows their father never would, that was fairly certain by now. Besides, Kasumi had the Motherly part down cold. Which left the stern act to her. And after all--the money DID come in handy at times.
Akane raised a eyebrow as she turned, expecting another jab from her sister, but wrote it off as she answered "Good! Be nice to maybe make a new friend after all this time. Heck, maybe they could shame the old fart into training again!" She knew that was nothing like the way she described him before, but after her recent self-examinations, she'd realised the feelings of abandonment had kinda abcessed in there since he dropped the Art--and her--years back.
Nabiki didn't even blink, but her lips tensed just a bit. Then she shrugged to herself as she said "Bitter much, younger sis?" The light smirk, flat look, and minor pain showing in her eyes before she got it under control answered clearly. "Well, Akane, that's not any business of mine, is it? Really, you need to thrash that out with Dad." She left the point hanging, that being her veiled encouragement of just such a clearing of the air. She also left a palm out.
Akane sighed in minor (and exaggerated) disgust, stopping by her room to pay off Nabiki her 1000-yen 'advice fee' before entering the common room. After all her remembered pains involving family, this was exactly what she didn't want to contemplate, but Nabiki seemed to think the timing good. Maybe Nabiki knew a bit more about yesterday than I thought?
Her line of thought stopped so she could listen to Soun's announcement. After he told them about the engagement, she just sat there thinking about things, as her sisters had their say. Then she spoke up.
"Father.. You said you were arranging this marriage to rejoin the schools?" She wanted to be very sure of this point, as it had bearing on a hassle she had.
"Yes, Akane. My friend and I each specialised in a seperate division of Indiscriminate Grappling." Soun waxed proud, Akane was already showinbg a interest!
"Then I have to ask you formally to once more train me in the Tendo School, Father." Akane's voice didn't lose its respect, the other girls noticed, but she sounded and looked far more formal, indicating that this was no passing fancy. "You see, Father, if I do not know and practice the School I am putative Heir to, how can any joining occur?"
Nabiki was primed to find some way to soften this very firm probe, when Kasumi beat her to it, by asking in her oh-too-innocent way "Yes, Father, I was wondering that myself, it's hard to join schools that don't teach, isn't it?"
Soun just looked shocked, then his face paled and he trembled a lot while saying "But Akane.. Surely you don't expect a old man like me to go and fight you like a punk in the streets?" He couldn't believe this, his daughters wanted him to hurt Akane!
Akane's voice went a *bit* colder still as she asked again. "No, Father, but I expect you to train me in my family Art, so I can truly join the schools, not to mention avoid being hurt like a mugging victim. You do know I'm attacked daily at school, don't you?"
Soun started wailing "WAAAAH! My daughter is being beaten by bully girls!" while Nabiki just slapped her forehead. Akane didn't know the Soul of Ice, of course, but the air around her DID cool off a degree or five.
Akane barked out a bit this time "Father! I am being attacked by boys, under the direction of Kuno Tatewaki, the principal's son, since he wants to box me away from all others interested in dating me. TRY to keep track." She was struggling to maintain her composure, but it took effort.
Which came to no avail, as he cried harder and shouted "No. Akane, you're grounded! Girls who are engaged shouldn't do dating other boys!" Akane clenched her teeth at her Dad's constant evasions from comprehension, which she was starting to believe were deliberate.
"Father!" Despite her anger and dismay at the situation, a note of pleading was slowly starting to creep into Akane's voice as she continued "I didn't ask for the fights, I wasn't dating anyone, and I didn't know I was engaged, you just now told us. All I want is to learn the Tendo school and be a worthy Heir, be able to defend myself!"
Soun went from over-weepy to furious in a heartbeat. "NO! No daughter of mine is going to be a sadistic fighter! I just *said* I am joining the schools, and Ranma will defend your honor, all you need do is be a good wife!"
Akane felt like a lightning bolt had struck her heart.. or a glacier, given the cold shock flowing thru her. "Father. I am the Heir to the school, I'm the only one even tries to study it, tries to learn it anymore.."
Soun was on a rant, things were not being the way he wanted! His wife had all the diplomacy, after she died he lost the ability to relate to others. He showed why now, calling upon the Demon Head to shout down his daughter, flames showing in the Ki-projection's eyes. "No. My Daughter is a good girl and doesn't fight, You're to stop fighting and just tell this Kuno boy you're engaged, that will stop that, and Ranma will be the Heir. He's sure to be more worthy, he's been trained since he could walk."
Kasumi and Nabiki were shrinking back, only in part as the Demon Head was very intimidating, but Kasumi managed to ask in a trembling tone "But.. you've never even met him! You mentioned it, how can you be sure.."
Soun said with a case-closed intonation "None of that matters, he Schools will be joined, Akane will cease fights, and.. Akane? Where are you going?"
Akane looked behind her. "I am going, Father, to fetch, break, and burn the Dojo sign. The school has not been taught for over 7 years now, and it's clearly evident you'll use ANY excuse to avoid teaching, even destroy the School in 'joining' it to another gauranteed to absorb it without trace, and kicking out your last student." She had pointed at her own chest as she said that. "I'm just going to finish the job and make it official!" Had the T-1000 been dipped in her voice, it would have frozen even harder than the Liquid Nitrogen incident. As it was, both older Tendo sisters backed away. This was not a confrontation either one wanted to get into--and neither one thought it could possibly be stopped now.
Soun's face went ashen. "But Akane, I'm just making sure to fulfil the sacred oath I and Genma swore! We swore the Schools would be rejoined as we joined the families together!"
Akane was totally merciless as she said softly, so softly "Fine. I'm going to follow thru on this then." She held up a hand to prevent Soun's imminent happy-dance, adding "And THAT means you will train me, every Kami-damned DAY, until I am honestly worthy of passing on the School. ONE failure in allowing me to train and in training me, and that sign is kindling, Father. I'm not joking."
She went back to the Dojo after that, not even bothering to hear her Dad's stupid words. Besides, the tears needed to come and that way they could be mistaken for sweat. She trained hard for that reason while crying silently at yet another familial betrayal, right up until;
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by CrystalBlaze
(Posted Wed, 14 Apr 2004 02:46)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.