I Want a Refund!

Chapter 3: The Battle Begins

………

………

His adversary stood beneath a tree and laughed at the joke of an unworthy underclassman boy. Nabiki Tendo, a most sinister foe. Cold fury frosted in Kuno's belly as he gripped the handle of his sword. Once he had considered her to be a friend, but she had betrayed him and now he would strike at her where it hurt the most: her wallet.

Rays of light trickled down, down through the leaves; the hapless underclassman spoke again, and Nabiki's eyes glinted. In that instant her nature was revealed: sharp eyes, sharp for profits, like the glowing eyes of a tiger that could pierce midnight itself. Nabiki was stalking her prey, but Kuno would not allow it. She opened her book bag, and he charged. With a mighty war cry, Kuno sprang between the two and held his faithful sword steady in front of the face of the terrified underclassman.

"I will warn you now," he said. "Nabiki Tendo is an unscrupulous merchant who will do anything to get her hands on money. I am calling on the school to boycott her. If you persist in buying goods from her, I will have no choice but to unleash the wrath of Blue Thunder upon you."

"Uh, Kuno-baby." Nabiki tapped him on the shoulder. "This isn't a business transaction. He's asking me out on a date, and I was giving him my phone number."

"Ha! Even worse," Kuno said. "You think I do not know, Nabiki Tendo, how profitable your 'dates' really are. They are nothing but elaborate schemes to make money. You!" He jabbed his sword at the trembling underclassman. "Never try to date with Nabiki again. If I see you asking her out, you will be severely punished."

The underclassman fled, and Kuno turned to his adversary.

"And so it shall be every time, Nabiki Tendo," he said. "Whatever deals you make, whatever goods you sell, I shall be there to interfere. There will be no escape. Surrender to me now."

Nabiki crossed her arms. "Really, Kuno-baby, boycotting me is bad enough, but you have no right to interfere with my love life."

"Love?" Kuno laughed. "You are incapable of that. I told you, Nabiki Tendo, until you relent, no profits shall fall into your hands. Whether they take the form of cash, presents, or dinners makes no difference to me. You shall know the true horror of what it is to challenge the Blue Thunder to battle."

"So, let me get this straight," Nabiki said. "You're saying I can't go on any dates, and you'll beat up any guy that asks me. Is that about right?"

"You are correct. Let it be known, here and now, that I, Tatewaki Kuno, forbid any man to date with Nabiki Tendo."

A flash of light from behind. An ambush! Kuno whirled around to meet—a skinny underclassman girl with a camera in her hand. He blinked and the camera flashed again. Then, all around him, erupting from the bushes, more girls with pencils stuck behind their ears and pads of paper in their hands. Nabiki smirked.

"There you have it," she said. "Kuno doesn't want me to date. I have it right here on tape if you didn't catch it." She pulled a mini tape recorder out of her pocket.

"Nabiki Tendo, what is the meaning of this?" Kuno said.

"Just a little publicity," Nabiki said. "Always good for business."

He flushed. The photographer girl snapped another picture and now the reporter girls began circling him, leaves poking out of their hair.

"Would you care to explain why you forbid other men to date Nabiki?"

"Is it true that you asked Nabiki on a date and she refused you?"

"Would you like to respond to the rumors that you have unrequited feelings for Nabiki Tendo?"

"My feelings for Nabiki are nothing but the deepest hatred. I have never asked her on a date and I never will. I have forbidden her to date in order to deprive her of funds." Kuno glared over them. "Nabiki Tendo, is there no depths to which you won't sink?"

"Nabiki, would you care to comment?" the girl closest to her said.

"Not at this time, but I'll give you an exclusive interview later on." Nabiki tilted her head at Kuno, causing her hair to slide down. "You were the one who declared there was a battle between us, Kuno-baby."

"But these insinuations—"

The reporter girls leaned forward.

Kuno stepped out of their circle and walked over to the other side of Nabiki.

"These insinuations that I have feelings for you," he resumed. "What do you hope to accomplish by spreading such disgusting rumors about me?"

"I didn't come up with that," Nabiki said. "I just told them you were going to stop me from dating and let them draw their own conclusions. But if rumors bother you, I can make them stop…for a fee."

"These rumors are nothing to me," Kuno said. "You have trampled on my pride and dashed my very heart to pieces. And, therefore, you cannot move me, but I will stand resolved. Such weak ploys, such minor humiliations, certainly will not defeat me. I'm actually surprised that you, Nabiki Tendo, could come up with no better scheme than this."

She smiled. "Kuno-baby, I haven't even gotten started yet."

………

Another day, another drama, another dollar to be made. Nabiki had a stack of school newspapers under her arm and a swarm of ideas buzzing in her head. Life was good. She slipped off her shoes and came into the house.

"I'm home," she said.

"You're late." Akane was sitting in the living room with a first aid kit on her lap. "I couldn't find you after school. What were you doing?"

Nabiki heaved the newspapers onto the table.

"Extra, extra. Read all about it. 'Nabiki Tendo and Tatewaki Kuno feuding.' 'Kuno declares no man to date Nabiki.' "

Akane frowned. "I heard about that," she said. "Rumors mostly. Is it true?"

"Yep. We're fighting."

"About what?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. Makes life interesting though." Nabiki took a small orange from a bowl of fruit on the table and began to peel it. "Where's Ranma?"

"He got into another fight. Something about a martial arts jumping-off-a-large-building-without-getting-hurt contest. I can't believe he actually accepted that stupid challenge."

"Well, you know Ranma."

"Yeah, I know Ranma." A faint smile crept across Akane's face. "But actually, Nabiki, there's something I think you should know. I found out—"

"I'm home," Ranma said.

He stood in the doorway with his chest puffed out. He was covered with dirt and had multiple scratches on his face. His clothes were in shreds.

"How was the fight?" Nabiki asked.

"Ha, piece of cake," Ranma said.

He took a step forward and fell flat on his face. Akane sighed, dragged him to the living room, and opened up her first aid kit.

"Honestly," Akane said. "Of all the idiots. You don't have to accept every challenge that comes your way."

"I have my pride to think of," Ranma said, from the floor.

"Here's what I think of your pride." Akane bopped him lightly on the head.

Nabiki divided her orange into separate segments. Being married had softened her sister. Akane wasn't as angry as she used to be, and she seemed more relaxed around Ranma. It was nice, but it was also… well, it was still kind of weird. Her little sister married. Her little sister growing up.

"So what was it I needed to know?" Nabiki said, popping a piece of orange into her mouth.

"Well, I'm not actually sure if it's true," Akane said. "I heard it from some girls who said they heard it from their boyfriends, but…well, I found out some guys were buying pictures of you this afternoon."

"Really? Of me? How much were they going for?"

"Nabiki! Doesn't this bother you at all?"

"Of course it does. Photographs are my market, and if someone thinks they can come in and take it from me, they'd better think again. I'll show them. Whatever they produce, I can do it better and cheaper."

"What did I tell you," Ranma said, looking up Akane. "She has ice in her veins."

"Stay out of this, Ranma," Akane said, putting a Band-Aid over his mouth. "Nabiki, this is serious. Do you have any idea what it's like to have a group of perverts trailing your every move? It's not fun."

"Their interest won't last," Nabiki said. "Look, the only reason they like me now is that I've suddenly become 'forbidden.' Guys want what they can't have."

And that was precisely what she was counting on.

"So then, it's Kuno's fault they're after you," Akane said. "He's the one who forbid you to date." She looked down at Ranma.

"Yeah, all right," he said. "Do you want me to kick his butt for you?"

"No," Nabiki said. "Ranma, Akane, I appreciate your wanting to help, but this is my fight. Kuno challenged my ability to make money. My reputation is at stake. I'll battle him on my terms, and believe me, I won't lose."

"I didn't know you felt so strongly about this," Akane said softly.

"I do," Nabiki said. She took another orange from the bowl. "Besides, there's nothing like a good drama to make people open their wallets. Kuno doesn't know it, but his little challenge is going to make me very rich." She peeled the skin from the orange in one long spiral. "I'll make sure of it."

………

Kuno ran up the stairwell. Nabiki Tendo was not in the final homeroom class; Nabiki Tendo had eluded him. Since that morning, she had carried a bulky canvas bag on her shoulder, wearing a secretive smile on her lips. What plot, what dastardly scheme had taken root in her brain he did not know, but he would find out and put an end to it. For he was Tatewaki Kuno, age 18, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan, and he would not be diverted so easily from his vengeance.

At the top of the stairwell, he searched but did not see Nabiki Tendo among the maidens in their green school uniforms. Did she hide from him? Ah, but let her hide, let her cower in fear, for he would scour the world to spite her. And so, Kuno ran through the hall, passing two boys holding a photograph and speaking to each other in a tone of excitement.

"Let's go then. We should hurry."

"Yeah. I can't wait to see what Nabiki is—"

Nabiki! With a screech, Kuno came to an abrupt and graceful halt in front of the boys, fluidly pointing his sword at them at the same time.

"You know of Nabiki Tendo's whereabouts?" Kuno said. "Tell me!"

These boys—for they were boys, sallow freshmen with limp black hair—paled to the color of lilies and dropped their photograph to the floor. A picture of Nabiki. She wore her gym uniform, her long legs exposed, and she was leaning back against the sunlight, eyes closed. In the pit of his stomach, anger flared.

"Fiends!" Kuno cried.

But they were already running, slipping and pushing their way through the halls. Kuno gave chase. They dared hold a token of Nabiki's love! They dared defy him! Turning a corner, one boy tripped. Kuno pounced, seizing him by the shirt and forcing him to his feet. The boy flinched and covered his face with his hand.

"So, you would pursue Nabiki Tendo after I forbade it?" Kuno said. "Then prepare to suffer the unending pain of the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High."

"Please, please don't hurt me."

Kuno was disgusted. "Coward!" he said. "If you wish for mercy, then answer my question. Where is Nabiki Tendo? Speak, cur, or I shall unleash my might upon you."

"She's holding a photo shoot in the woods behind the school."

"A photo shoot?"

So that was her scheme. To take pictures of herself and then, what, to sell them to these fools, these cowards? Kuno's stomach clenched. Photographs were meant to be cherished possessions, given only to ones worthy of their love, not sold indiscriminately to whoever was willing to pay. Had Nabiki no scruples?

Like a deer Kuno ran, down the stairs, out of the building, into the forest behind the school. Cherry trees crowned with snow-white blossoms mixed with bare maple and evergreen pine. There, in front of him, a crowd. Was it Nabiki? Sword clenched in hand, Kuno charged. People to his left and right dashed madly out of his path. Yes, there she was, he glimpsed her face, the startled expression in her eyes. He raised his sword.

"Nabiki Tendo, I will put an end to your evil scheme!"

Kuno's sword was a bladed wind, a silent shriek that cut into the screams of terror and pattering of fleeing footsteps. Many there were and many he felled. Yet—it tugged at the back of his mind—why were there so many? Nabiki Tendo had never been this popular before.

The battle ended quickly and soon the wood was quiet once more. Kuno stood aloft, triumphant among the prone bodies and abandoned book bags. He lowered his blade. Now to face his enemy.

"Oh, Kuno-baby. What's the problem now?"

Nabiki Tendo stood under a cherry tree, white petals falling in her hair. She wore a light red sundress with no sleeves, which drew attention her round white shoulders, her long neck, and just below…. Kuno blinked. Wait. This was Nabiki Tendo, the merchant queen of Furinkan. She was not supposed to be pretty.

Nabiki crossed her arms. "I thought," she said, "that you were just stopping me from dating. But now I'm not allowed to have my picture taken either? Or is it my new dress you object to?"

"Do not play innocent with me," he said. "There was a sizable crowd of boys surrounding you."

"And?"

"And—"

He had to stop for a second and think. Kuno did not of course care that the sight of Nabiki in a semi-revealing dress had like the pied piper of Hamlet brought all the rats of Furinkan out, detestable boys who preferred to leer at her from afar rather than court her properly. No, there had been some other reason for his anger. Oh yes, Nabiki was trying to make a profit from this somehow.

Kuno slung his sword over his shoulder. "Do you take me for a fool, Nabiki? I have known you all these years, long enough to know that you do not ordinarily have yourself photographed at school or even wear sundresses. The only reason you would do so is to make money. And I have foiled your effort."

"It's probably just as well," Nabiki said. "I didn't expect so many boys to show up and most of them were kind of perverted. Thanks for rescuing me, Kuno-baby."

"Rescu—I did not rescue you, Nabiki Tendo, I was merely destroying your evil plan. You are trying to confuse me."

Nabiki walked over to a tree, where her canvas bag lay, and pulled from it a yellow sweater. "Boy, I can't say anything to you, can I?" she said. "You're just bound and determined to twist my words."

She slipped on her sweater, covering her white arms, and buttoned it from the bottom up. Slowly the front of her dress disappeared: the tight bodice, the slim straps, the skin just below her throat. He shook himself. He, Tatewaki Kuno, was not some kind of pervert, and she, Nabiki Tendo, was not a cute girl, but his most despised mortal enemy!

"You are the one trying to twist me," Kuno said. "You wish to manipulate my emotions, turning my own feelings against me, but it will not work."

"Manipulate you?" she said. "How am I doing that?"

But he was not so foolish as to reply.

………

If she played her cards right, Nabiki could make all the boys of Furinkan come crashing down on Kuno with one simple gesture. She held the application for the school's speech contest in her hand and walked to the teacher's office to drop it off. The problem was it was risky for her as well. Her heart thumped in her chest. It was exciting, to know she could make Kuno's world tumble at his feet—or bring her own world crashing down just as quickly.

"Hey Nabiki."

She turned. "Oh, hi, Ranma. What's up?"

Ranma's hands were stuffed in his pockets and he looked rather embarrassed. "Nothing much. Well, Akane wanted to know—see, there are some guys saying some stuff about you, and I'm sure it's nothing, but Akane's worried so, uh—you want to walk home with us?"

Nabiki smiled. It was nice to know her sister cared.

"Actually, I've already got someone I'm walking home with, so tell Akane she doesn't need to worry. You guys go on ahead."

She delivered her application. Then it was just a matter of waiting. Kuno's kendo practice didn't end until five. Nabiki wrote up her speech in the library and sold some pictures and checked her business accounts online. Her profits from girl-Ranma merchandise were still on the rise. So much the better. At quarter to, she logged off and walked to the field where kendo club members met every afternoon.

Even with his body armor on and a mask covering his face, Kuno was easy to spot. He was the only one still standing. Everyone else were in various tangled heaps on the grass, their swords bent, their armor mangled. Kuno was strong. Second strongest guy in school by a wide margin. And that was a good thing for her.

Nabiki parked herself under a tree, in the shadow where it was harder to see her, and waited for the other kendo club members to limp and groan their way back to the locker room. Kuno stayed behind. He stripped off his body armor until he was down to his usual blue kendo outfit and continued practicing strokes by himself. She had noticed before, he was always the last one to leave practices. He must really enjoy it.

When the last of the kendo club members were gone and Kuno was alone, Nabiki made her way onto the field.

"Hiya, Kuno-baby."

"Nabiki?" He lowered his wooden sword. "Why do you disturb me at my practice? Ah, but we are enemies now, so this must be some insidious plot against me. Tell me now! What is your purpose? Why have you come?"

"I was wondering if you'd walk me home."

"If I'd what?"

"Walk me home," Nabiki said. "I don't know if you've noticed, but there are a lot of perverted guys who've been watching me lately. I'm worried they might try something, and I'm not strong like Akane, so I can't just fight them off myself."

He frowned. "Then why not walk home with your sister then? Or perhaps with Ranma Saotome?"

"They already left," Nabiki said.

Kuno went over to his kendo bag and began rummaging through it. It was a warm day and he was covered with sweat from his practice, so he was probably looking for his towel. Apparently, he had misplaced it.

"I am not responsible for your well-being, Nabiki Tendo," he said, still shuffling through his bag. "You are my mortal enemy. Tell me why I should help you."

"Because I'm a girl and I'm in trouble and I'm asking you nicely." Nabiki opened her bag and handed him her own towel. "Here, take mine. It's clean."

Kuno stared at her towel as if though it were a bomb. His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by this?"

"I'm just asking if we can hold a truce this one time," Nabiki said. "Look, I know you hate me, but do you really want to see a gang of perverts attack me on my way home?"

Kuno face darkened and his eyes glazed over. He was so susceptible. Nabiki could see the fantasy rolling through his head. Helpless Nabiki Tendo walking alone down a dark alley. Helpless Nabiki Tendo gasping as perverts oozed out of the shadows. Helpless Nabiki Tendo falling to her knees, a scream stuck in her throat, as the perverts reached down to—

Kuno flushed. "Very well, I will help you once, but let it be known that nothing has changed between us. We are still enemies, Nabiki."

"Of course we are."

He took the towel from her, coloring slightly, and proceeded to wipe himself off.

They walked home together, side by side, without speaking. The light scent of flowers hung in the air, and they passed a park where a couple boys played baseball. It was the same park Nabiki used to visit in her junior high days, sitting on a swing, eating ice cream and looking through magazines. She used to see Tatewaki there too, always practicing, practicing, practicing with his kendo stick. He was short and his head was shaved and no one really thought of him as handsome back then. Just scowling and dorky. She'd liked him though.

She glanced at Kuno, now grown tall and strong and good-looking. His jaw was clenched, his hands clamped onto his sword, and his eyes darting around like he expected an ambush. He thought of her as his enemy. And maybe there was some truth to that. Because she'd never really forgiven him for falling in love with her sister or for the way he treated Akane afterwards. And so she had deceived him about Ranma. She had hurt him.

They came to the front gate of her house.

"Thanks Kuno-baby," Nabiki said. "I can take it from here."

"Is that it?" Kuno said.

"Did you want something?"

"I have walked you home, Nabiki Tendo. The least you can do is tell me how you intend to use it against me. Were there photographers lurking about that I did not see? Are you planning to further besmear my reputation? Or is it something less subtle, such as unleashing the villainous Ranma Saotome upon me?"

Nabiki smiled. "None of that. I just wanted to see if you'd actually do it. And you did. So, thank you. Tomorrow I'm going to destroy you."

She waved at him as she stepped into her yard. "Bye, bye, Kuno-baby."

………

The morning came like any other, a gathering of clouds in the sky, a light drizzling of rain. In the time of calm and ease before the first bell rang, while the other students gossiped like sparrows, Tatewaki Kuno sat rigidly in his desk and watched his adversary: Nabiki Tendo, her head resting on her hand, her eyes focused on something he could not see. Tomorrow I'm going to destroy you. Did she think to strike fear into his heart with such a vague, feeble threat? He had laughed in the face of death a thousand times and would laugh a thousand times more. Mere words would not cow him.

And yet… it was Nabiki. Her cunning was legendary; she was not an opponent to be taken lightly. Kuno would know her intent. But study her as he may, her bored expression revealed nothing. And when she tilted her head towards the window, even her face was lost to him, hidden behind a curtain of short, glossy hair.

"Man, I never noticed before, but Nabiki is cute."

"Yeah, and Akane's married now."

"They're sisters anyway. Must run in the family."

Kuno's stomach tightened. He had not been alone in staring at Nabiki, no, it seemed that all the boys in the room had their dew-filled eyes fixed upon her, some Cleopatra to be marveled at. Unfathomable. From whence did this affection spring? Had Nabiki overnight grown so lovely that she should now ensnare, with the exception of himself, all the men in their homeroom class?

One boy, still looking at her, leaned back and gestured to his friend.

"Hey, what do you think it would be like to #%# her?"

Kuno slammed his hand on his desk. "Do not speak such vulgar words about Nabiki in my presence."

The eyes of the entire classroom were instantly upon him. Nabiki's eyes were upon him. They glinted, and her lips pressed into a small, evil smile. Kuno felt cold. What spells, what charms did Nabiki have that she could make him say those words aloud? She had transmuted his emotions against his will, reaching long coils into his inner being, coaxing from his bitter hatred this feeling of… protectiveness…

After homeroom, there was a special assembly.

It was not until he was seated that Kuno realized it was a speech contest and not until she was called to the stage that he learned Nabiki Tendo was one of the contestants. His insides stiffened up. At the podium Nabiki adjusted her microphone.

"My Challenge," she read.

Her eyes, piercing the crowd, locked onto his for a moment and one moment only.

"Lately," Nabiki said, "there are a lot of things being said about my relationship with Tatewaki Kuno. And I would just like to clear it up. We have only ever been friends. At least, that's how I've always perceived it. But I can't say I understand his sudden change in attitude towards me. He claims to hate me, but he also says he doesn't want any guy in school to date me. In fact, I can't so much as wear a new dress without causing him to have a fit.

"Well, Kuno-baby, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not yours to control. You say you'll beat up any boy who tries to take me out on a date. Well, here and now, I'm issuing a challenge to all the guys at Furinkan: fight back! If you want to date me, defeat Tatewaki Kuno in combat. In fact, I promise you, I will go on a date with any guy in school who can beat Kuno for me."

Nabiki smiled. "And after our date," she said. "I'll do… anything."

The wave of battle energy that instantly crashed upon him from all directions was nothing—a tickle—compared to Nabiki's last word. Anything? Did she hate him so much, with such an icy fury that to see him destroyed, she would risk her own virtue, let some hungry wolf press up against her, pawing and sniffing at her? "Anything." Kuno trembled as Nabiki sat down besides him, and when she smiled triumphantly, the rage that welled up within him nearly made him sick.

"Nabiki Tendo, what have you done? Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, no touch of bashfulness? To promise to some strange man that you'll… you'll…"

"Why, what are you thinking?" she said. "I only meant a hug or a kiss on the cheek."

"Then you should not have promised anything!"

"I'm so glad you care about me so much," Nabiki said. "But don't worry. There is one little stipulation. He has to defeat you first."

Her eyes were sparkling, laughing at him.

"You expect me to fight for your honor?" Kuno said. "For you! My most despised enemy. I shall not! I will not do it, Nabiki Tendo."

"Why, Kuno-baby," Nabiki said softly. "You'd let one of those perverted boys do… anything… to me."

Kuno winced as the image returned, the wolf slavering as he groped for the zipper of Nabiki's dress… No! It was another trick, a spell. He would not be manipulated by her! Let her deal with the consequences herself, let her suffer her own fate, let her try and push the wolf away saying, "No, stop, I didn't mean for this." And the wolf laughed as he pulled the zipper down with such violence it tore the fabric of her dress. "Anything." Fear filled her eyes, and the wolf lunged, forcing her small body down upon the bed…

"I suggest you get to school early," Nabiki said. "So that when your path is blocked by a couple hundred opponents, you won't be late for classes. And, oh, by the way. This is revenge for my sister."

………

Author's Note: Well, there goes my Golden Week. I devoted four days of my five day weekend almost entirely to writing and rewriting this chapter. I hope you like it. I do. :) By the way, Kuno's line, "Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, no touch of bashfulness?" is actually from A Midsummer Night's Dream. I always wanted to make him quote Shakespeare.