This is my last posting before returning to college. They will get rarer now, I am sad to say.
"Tendo-san?"
Akane jerked back to wakefulness as the teacher called her name. "Wha? Huh?"
The math teacher, a boring middle-aged man who had a collar perpetually stained with sweat, wiped his brow for what must have been the five hundredth time and frowned at her. "Tendo-san, you are remarkably inattentive today – have, in fact, been that way all week long. Perhaps you have finally crossed the line and spent a little too much time with Saotome-san?"
Akane rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, sensei, it's been a... tough week."
The teacher sniffed. "If you are experiencing difficulties at home, you must have your parent or guardian call in and inform us of them. As it is, you have no excuse. Now, would you perhaps like to answer this question? Please, Tendo-san, enlighten us as to what x is in this triangle."
Akane starred blankly at the chalkboard for a full five minutes before the teacher called on another student in disgust. Sitting back down, Akane tried to pay attention but found it impossible; her thoughts just kept wandering.
Normally she'd be mortified by her inability to answer the relatively simple problem, but school seemed so distant right now, so... unimportant. She'd gone through a similar phase before, back when her father had first started teaching her the specifics of the Tendo School. She'd gotten through it then, and she'd get through it now, but at the moment she couldn't focus on anything but the new techniques she was learning. It was just so, so... so special, so different from what she had begun to expect out of life. She had always claimed to be a martial artist, but she didn't often feel like one – and she had never felt more empowered than she did right now. Her father teaching her was the best thing to happen, well, ever.
She did have problems, though. She would be the absolute last to admit it, but she'd been, well, certifiably insane for the last six years. She might pretend to herself that it was different, but a voice in your head was not a sign of a healthy mind. Not that anyone had ever gotten the slightest hint that a voice was telling her to do things – she was perfectly in control of the situation, thank you very much. Or at least, she had been.
The voice was gone now. That, in and of itself, was such a huge shock that she'd have been unable to focus on school if they started teaching surefire ways to make your cooking delicious. She'd gotten used to battling against the urges and suggestions it gave her – never strong, but always, always there. Now, those urges had almost disappeared; they hovered at a comfortable distance, where satisfying or denying them was a simple, effortless task.
It was very strange. For the first time in a long while Akane felt the need to catch people's attention, felt the need to be attractive not only to her fiancé, but just in general, without the need to stuff that urge into a corner far, far away, where no one would ever find it. The worst part was, she didn't know if her previous behavior was right and moral, or if her current situation was better. She was, after all, insane. She knew that. Was ashamed of it – had been ashamed of it? Was the fight finally over? Could she possibly afford to hope for such a thing?
The bell rang, and Akane sighed in relief. She didn't even bother to pretend to be civil, and rushed out of the classroom. The teacher gave her a dirty look, but she didn't care what he thought – she didn't care what anyone thought, as long as she could continue learning martial arts.
Her long time friend Yuka managed to catch up, concern on her face. "What's wrong, Akane? The math teacher was right; you've been acting odd all week."
Akane smiled back, a little embarrassed. "Well, my father's started teaching me martial arts again. It's kind of distracting."
Yuka blinked for a second, and then nodded vigorously in understanding. "Oh, right, I remember what you were like back in primary school. For a while there you constantly announced that martial arts were way better than education whenever a teacher challenged you on your grades. How'd long it last, two months?"
Akane nodded, blushing. "Yeah, about. It's embarrassing, but no matter how I look at it, I'm acting the same way now. Hopefully I'll get out of it sooner rather than later."
The two continued chatting about Akane's martial arts while they made their way outside, Akane trying to explain what made the Tendo School special without revealing any particulars, as her father had forbidden that. The conversation came to a halt, however, when they reached the yard, finding Tatewaki Kuno standing between them and the gate.
Akane stepped forward, growling. "I've been wondering when you'd act, Kuno. Ever since you found out about Ranma I knew you'd eventually announce your intentions to me."
Yuka gasped. "He figured Ranma out?! Say it isn't so!"
Kuno stood tall. "It is, indeed, the truth. My dear sister brought me the news, and while I was hesitant to believe at first, eventually the evidence overwhelmed me."
Akane smirked. "Considering it's you we're talking about, there must have been a mountain of the stuff.
Kuno frowned and took a stance that was halfway between chivalry and idiocy. "My faith in the Pig-Tailed Goddess was strong, but my faith in my sister in such a matter as this was greater. In the end, my faith was false, and my love falser still. Now, however, I can finally declare my uninhibited love to you, Dearest Akane!"
Akane groaned. "Why do I not like the sound of that?"
Kuno removed an envelope from his kendo gi, and opened it to reveal a lot of pictures, easily over a hundred. From the quick glance Akane got at them, it was clear what they were: risque pictures of her, doubtlessly courtesy of Nabiki and a bunch of cash. "My love, now that I can once again dedicate all of my glorious being and frighteningly impressive willpower towards dating you, it is only fair that others be driven similarly. I have decided that the best way to remind the commoners here of your beauty is by showing them your true self, the self you show when you are alone and uninhibited by the barriers we put between ourselves and others. Thus, today is the day that Furinkan High is shown the true brilliance of the Angel that is Akane Tendo!"
Panicking, Akane dashed forward, but couldn't even get close before he had thrown the envelope into the air, pictures instantly spilling out and fluttering everywhere. When she saw Kuno start to pull out another folder, she became torn; she desperately needed to stop people from seeing those pictures, but she also needed to stop Kuno from pulling out more – the single glance she had gotten of them had shown them to be of her in just a bra and panties, if that. Pick up the pictures and let Kuno throw worse ones out, or accept the unacceptable and let people see the relatively less risque ones?
The familiar tension she'd been living with for years came back as she shoved her embarrassment as far down as it could go and rushed towards Kuno. The nice balance she'd achieved disappeared in her rage against Kuno, and she desperately moved to stop him; swordsman that he was, Kuno could move his hands very fast, and only her immediate action prevented him from tossing the second batch of pictures into the air – 'immediate action' being one hand to the envelope and one fist to his jaw, which sent him to the ground unconscious. Fumbling the envelope slightly, she spilled the pictures onto the ground, but she had them up in seconds before anyone could see them.
There was a deathly silence while Akane did this, and she put on a strained smile. Oh, crap. They must have been worse than I thought.Turning around, she braced herself for the leering stares and hungering gazes. "I-"
There were no pictures. Everything had been gathered up while they'd still been in the air, and everyone's shocked gazes were directed towards her – or rather the other her.
Staring straight at Akane was Akane, perfectly copied down to the rip in her school uniform she'd hastily repaired that morning. The doppelgänger was wearing a huge smirk that looked completely out of place on Akane's face, and the way she held herself could only be described as 'slutty'. Kuno's pictures were packed into the envelope in the doppelgänger's, and her copy was holding onto them tightly.
Akane was surprised, but it wasn't the first time she had faced herself – or even her second. "Who are you, and what do you want?" she asked with hostility in her voice.
Yuka sidled over. "She came out of you, Akane. You just, well, split into two, and while you punched Kuno, she gathered the pictures."
The doppelgänger's smirk grew even wider. "That's right, Akane. I'm a part of you. I just had to gather up these pictures, delicious as they are; I couldn't just let them fall in the dirt, now could I?"
Akane gasped in horror as a hint of the truth came to her. "Ranma!? Oh my god, it's you! No, no, no, you can't be let out!"
The doppelgänger laughed wickedly. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again, Akane – I'm not Ranma, I'm you!" With a quick motion, she ripped open her blouse. "Does this look like Ranma?!"
The boys in the yard began hooting, and Yuka gave Akane a worried look. "What's going on, Akane?"
Akane snarled. "You know how I'm always complaining about how there's no one my skill level to spar with around here?"
Yuka nodded, giving out a terrified whimper at the frenzied expression on the real Akane's face.
"Well, I just found my self the best punching bag in the universe."
Yuka winced at the pun and turned away – which was good, because what Akane proceeded to do to herself was unmentionable violent. Even the boys turned away in disgust.
Today was not a good day to be Akane.
Konatsu watched as Akane commenced beating herself up in the most vicious manner the ninja had ever seen. Truly, he didn't know which was good and which was evil, if the second Akane was indeed an evil twin like he thought she was. It always goes that way in those wonderful comics that Ukyo-sama gives me.
Thinking of Ukyo reminded him of the progress he had made with Ryoga. To think, that developing a God Seed had not only been within the grasp of people like Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo-sama and, it seemed, Akane, but himself as well! Ukyo-sama will be so proud! Or she would be, if she ever found out, but Konatsu wasn't planning on letting her do so. With his skills as finely honed as they were now, enhanced by his new abilities, it would be a long time before Ukyo managed to figure out that Konatsu was secretly following her.
These God Seeds are fierce indeed, though. First Ukyo-sama's amazing life-giving ability, then Ryoga's frightening power, and now even Akane has developed this ability. Konatsu looked closely. They're like my clones, but much more real and independent. This could bear study.
In his search for his master he'd checked at the restaurant first, but Ukyo, along with all of her creations, hadn't been present, so Konatsu had checked several other places before heading to the school, the last place he could think of where Ukyo might have been. Now, at a loss, he'd decided to go back to the restaurant and wait, in hope of her quick return. He wasn't that worried about her safety – Ukyo-sama wasn't so weak as to fall victim to a bunch of gingerbread man, even if they were Ki-imbued paragons of evil – but she might be inconvenienced, or hurt, or unhappy. And, of course, the predictably unpredictable could happen and she'd become the target of some martial artist bent on revenge against Ranma. If that happened, Konatsu would have to defend his mistress, and then cater to her every need in reparation for her failure as a ninja. He'd been practicing his massage skills on Ryoga in preparation, and was proud to say that he'd succeeded in slightly loosening the muscles of, without a doubt, the tensest boy on the planet.
Arriving at the back entrance like a silent gust of wind (carrying the gently fragrant scent of green tea), Konatsu ghosted into the restaurant – only to find Ukyo there, stirring a pot of boiling water with focus on her face. Breaking his stealth without thought, Konatsu charged in, crying. "Ukyo-sama!"
Ukyo looked up and rolled her eyes when she saw Konatsu weeping openly. "It's only been three days since I told you to leave, idiot."
Konatsu continued to cry. "I'm so sorry, Ukyo-sama. I wasn't skilled enough to watch over you in secret, so I was forced to hone my skills with the help of Ryoga over the past three days. I was so worried that something would happen to you!" Pausing, Konatsu looked around. "Are, are those horrible gingerbread men gone now, Ukyo-sama?"
"Oh, those. No, they're in my pocket here." Ukyo patted her apron.
Konatsu got on his knees. "Please, Ukyo-sama! Dispose of them immediately! They are deceiving you!"
Ukyo sniffed. "Of course they are. I knew that from the beginning."
Konatsu blinked. "You, you did? Then, why did you ask me to leave?"
"Because you were getting uptight about my creations. I heard that conversation you and that first gingerbread man had; how dare you speak as if you had the right to judge whether or not my creations should be destroyed!" Ukyo's gaze was smoldering.
Prostrating himself, the ninja quaked with shame. "Oh, Ukyo-sama! Forgive me! I'll never presume upon your judgment again!"
"Good," Ukyo said simply. She returned to the concoction she was brewing, a soup of some sort. What looked like a variety of grasses and, possibly, herbs, floated around, giving the otherwise clear water a tint of green and blue coloring.
Raising himself slowly, Konatsu looked up at his master. "Ukyo-sama, if I may be so bold, why did you keep the gingerbread men if you knew they were so foul tempered?"
"I wanted to see if I could change their personalities. Unfortunately, while everything I make seems to be completely loyal, they also all seem to be maniacally homicidal in their attempts to carry out my orders. I found a good use for them, though."
Konatsu raised an eyebrow. "What is that, Ukyo-sama?"
Reaching into her apron, she pulled out a gingerbread man, who was struggling furiously but futilely.
"Please," it said pitifully, "please, no!"
Ukyo ignored it, and raised it up. Konatsu stared in horror as she casually bit off its head, instantly stopping its struggles.
"U-Ukyo-sama! You, you just bit off a sentient creature's head!"
Ukyo shrugged. "Spend three days with these things and sentience no longer seems like such a great thing. They taste great, though. Maybe it's just that I hate them that much, but feeling them go limp as I bite through them feels so good. Like I'm fulfilling some primal carnivore instinct." She finished the rest of the little man, and then pulled out another. "Want one?"
Fighting back bile, Konatsu shook his head vehemently.
"Your loss." Ukyo bit off the cookie's arm's and legs, making it give out pathetic screams, before swallowing it whole. Konatsu could hear it's cries suddenly get cut off as Ukyo closed her mouth, grinning like a cat. "It's immensely satisfying. Those things tried to burn my hair off, you see." Ukyo's expression suddenly turned fiercely angry. "My hair! My hair's one of my most important facets! Without it I'd be half the woman I am now!"
Konatsu bowed low again. "As you say, Ukyo-sama. I will make sure to be extra careful with your hair from now on. Would you like a massage?"
Ukyo gave Konatsu an odd look at the sudden offer, but nodded. "Yeah, I would. This herb tonic still has to boil for another thirty minutes, so I've got time. It's amazing what kind of properties these Chinese herbs have if prepared properly; Shampoo knows so much lore, I'm amazed that she's jealous of me for having such a lame God Seed!"
She continued on to explain what the soup was made of and what each herb did, in great detail. Konatsu didn't really listen as he began to massage Ukyo's shoulders; he was too busy imprinting a new rule into his ninja code.
Never Harm Ukyo-sama's Hair, Never Harm Ukyo-sama's Hair, Never Harm Ukyo-sama's Hair...
Ranma dragged his tired self down the street as the sun set. His tired self, finally, but tired nonetheless. It had taken three days full of nothing but meditation to finally figure out how to control the toggle for his curse, but he'd finally managed it, and was he grateful!
Not that he really minded being female, now. It was a natural extension of himself; whether his comfort with it was due to magic or to an acceptance of his curse didn't really matter. No, he'd just missed being a guy. Yeah, people expected different things of girls, but they also expected different things of guys, too. For some reason, his pops had started expecting him to be cleaner, as if becoming a girl would suddenly make him want to be clean. A demonstrably homosexual girl, even. Stereotypes ran deep in some people, even if they were fighting against them.
Even his pops had been surprised, though, when Ranma had figured out that his God Seed's qualities weren't fueled by deific energy, like everyone else's, but by magic. That hadn't taken that long, actually; what had been difficult was figuring out, on his own, how to create magical energy. In the process, though, he'd found out that his transformation between male and female was less of of a switch and more of a 'groove' in a much larger surface – easier to stay on the established path, but if he managed to move himself out of that groove, who knew what would happen? It was definitely worth investigating.
Speaking of things to investigate... Kodachi had left after that first day and hadn't come back. She'd seemed really spooked; by what, Ranma had absolutely no clue, but he hoped it wasn't his fault. If she dropped martial arts because of something he did, he'd feel terrible. Ah, well. She was a Kuno. No matter what, she'd rebound sooner or later.
Now it was finally time to take a break, a real break. His last visit to the Tendo house had, while comforting, been more of a constant errand run than anything else. Now, though, he could relax. Well, he could if people would let him. As long as no one challenged him/tried to seduce him, Nabiki contained her ambitions, and Akane her temper, he'd be good.
Right.
It was with a heavy and hopeless heart that he approached the door to the Tendo House. Strangely, he could hear music from inside, as well as a lot of people moving around. What, are they having a party or something?
He knocked on the door, and cringed inside when Akane was the one who opened it. Somehow, I'm going to get hit. My instincts tell me so. "Hey Akane, what's going-"
He trailed off, stunned to see another Akane behind the first. The one at the door was smiling sweetly, the kind of expression that made him remember why he hadn't run out on the arranged marriage already. The one behind her, though...
...was dancing. Or at least, was trying to dance. It was some fast-paced thing, and she held a rose in her mouth with enough bravado to fool almost anyone into thinking she had it mastered, but her moves made it obvious that she was still learning it. Aside from her lack of skill, she was clearly mimicking some sort of training video on the TV.
Thenanother Akane came out of the kitchen, humming to herself as she enthusiastically placed a pot on the table. Black steam broiled out of its top and spread over the table (how Akane managed these impossible feats he didn't know), while yet another Akane followed the third, looking thoughtful and holding a notepad, which she was madly scribbling on.
Ranma looked at the first Akane helplessly. "What the hell is going on!?"
Akane maintained her gentle smile, strongly reminding Ranma of Kasumi. "It's wonderful, Ranma. I've developed a God Seed too, and it lets me split myself up. Let me guide you to who's who. Oh, by the way, I'm the gentle part of Akane that wants to be a good housewife. You can recognize me by my blue pin; we'll get something more permanent made later."
As he was pulled inside, Ranma shook his head, attempting to clear the fog of confusion that his exhaustion was only making denser. "Wait, you're what? A part of Akane? And, you, you got a God Seed? I, I..." Ranma realized his voice was cracking and took a deep breath. "Could you, uh, start from the beginning?"
Akane Blue nodded calmly. "The day that you found out you had a God Seed, everyone else found out that they were close to getting God Seeds as well. I was delighted, and Nabiki helped convince daddy to teach me, so I started getting some actual training. It was wonderful. But this afternoon, Tatewaki tried to do something awful, and I ended up splitting myself in two in order to deal with the problem." A troubled expression grew on Akane Blue's face. "That ended up being quite the problem itself, as I accidentally split into my repressed sex drive and my furious anger. I still remember the shock when my two halves became one again, and I suddenly experienced all of that violence from the other perspective. I can't believe I was so horribly brutal..."
An Akane yelled out from the dojo. "Hey! There's no need to reveal information like that!"
"I would have done it anyway," Nabiki said, appearing from upstairs. "Akane Pink, as I've taken to calling her, is right now furiously taking pictures of herself. The amount of money I'm going to make is staggering."
Ranma was even more perplexed than before. "Huh? Why would Akane accidentally split into her sex drive?"
Akane Blue's smile seemed to encompass everything as she patted him on the shoulder. "You don't need to worry about that, Ranma. Anyway, when we came home, I immediately started practicing, and found I could split into aspects of myself. Akane Orange over here," she said, drawing Ranma's gaze to the dancing Akane in the living room, "is the part of me that always wanted to pick up interesting hobbies, while Akane Green," she continued, pointing toward the Akane who had been handling the 'food', "is the one who wants to cook. Akane White is the scholastic side of me, and she's taking notes on cooking, in case that helps."
Akane Blue gently led Ranma to the dojo. "Aside from Akane Pink, the last two are these: Akane Red and Akane Yellow."
Two Akanes were sparring, one enthusiastic taking the offensive and the other cautiously defending. The defending one's eyebrows furrowed, but she didn't take her attention off her opponent as she called out, "I thought we'd agreed that I wasn't Yellow!"
Akane Red, Ranma assumed, smirked as she drove forward even harder. "It's what you are, so get used to it!"
Akane Blue nodded amicably. "Yes, Akane Yellow is sort of cowardly. She's very cautious, though, so she's a good training partner. Akane Red, as you can see, is my anger. I'm still trying to figure out how to isolate one part of my personality without turning my real self into a simplistic aspect, but it's still very useful. I'm getting so much work done!"
Ranma nodded cautiously. After spending so much time training with deific energy, he could recognize it at a glance – and while Akane's deific energy was different, as it should be, it was certainly there. She did, indeed, have a God Seed. In fact, everyone but Akane Blue was a construct made of the stuff. "Have any of your clones touched anyone yet, Akane?"
Akane Blue blinked. "Well, no. I'm surprised you believe me. It took me hours to convince Nabiki."
Smirking, Ranma approached the two sparring Akanes. "I've been training with my God Seed for a week and a half. It'd be stupid of me not to believe you." He stopped in front of Akane Red, who starred at him oddly. "Hey, Red. Stop fighting for a second."
Akane Red paused, and then gave him a feral grin. "Make me!" she said as she charged him.
As she got close, Ranma sidestepped and placed a hand firmly on her side. A little too close to her butt for comfort, but she was moving pretty fast. Focusing, he confirmed that she was, indeed, a portion of Akane's Seed cut off from the source, and then he dispelled it with a burst of his own deific energy, sending the fraction hurtling back into Akane Blue
Akane Blue, of course, immediately became furious. "How dare you touch me there, you pervert!" With a cry, she leaped at Ranma, who barely dodged it before dashing over and dispelling Akane Yellow as well.
Akane Red (Purple?) jerked in response as another piece came back, but still stayed angry. Ranma fled into the dining room, where he dispelled Orange, White, and Green, before heading upstairs to get Pink with a still-furious Akane on his tail.
He had the sense of mind to change into a girl before charging into Akane's room, as Akane Pink might be embarrassingly clothed; even though she had lived with Ranma's curse for a long time, Akane would still feel better about being seen in such a state if a girl saw her rather than a boy.
Akane Pink wasn't embarrassingly clothed, though. She wasn't clothed at all. Ranma couldn't help but blush at the sight of a completely naked Akane posing in front of a timed camera. Akane Pink turned around and smiled seductively at Ranma. "Oh, hello Ranma. I've always wondered if I would be attracted to you as a girl. Now's a good time to find out!"
Nose bleeding, Ranma quickly dispelled Akane Pink just as Akane came bursting into the room. She looked confused for a second, but no longer angry, so Ranma gave a sigh of relief as she wiped her nose and tried to make it stop bleeding through pure willpower. "Feeling better, Akane?"
Akane blinked. "Y, yes. Did you just see me naked?" She blinked again. "You did. Why am I not angry about it?"
"Probably because you became whole again. I'm sure you'll figure it out. First, though- you shouldn't use your God Seed so recklessly! Your copies were made of deific energy, and deific energy is intensely poisonous to anyone but yourself. If you touched anyone, you'd... I have no idea what could happen. At best, nothing. At worst, you'd kill them. Or explode, or something."
Akane frowned. "What's deific energy?"
Ranma sighed. This is going to take a while...
Mary yawned as the history teacher monotoned on and on about the American civil war. Aside from already knowing more about it than the teacher thanks to being an American herself, the St. Bacchus school, despite being an expensive private school, had terrible teachers. All the students learned the material with private tutors, who taught far more efficiently; school was a place for students to compete with each other, not to learn, and the teachers knew this, so they put zero effort into their jobs. It was an absurd system – but then, everything these so called 'nobles' did was absurd to one degree or another.
Since not all families prescribed to home tutoring, the school provided tutors to those who requested them, and this was what Mary did. That was how she was learning so many languages. As a boarding student the school gave her a generous allowance, and she was using most of that to pay for the tutors; the rest she spent on the few necessities she required and the occasional luxury. If Kodachi pulled through, Mary might be able to sign up for a few more classes. She might even be able to get her high-school credits early and start working on her supplementals.
That was only if Kodachi was happy with her work, though. And since she hadn't appeared for three days, that was starting to look questionable. Mary was much more focused on what her plans would be if Kodachi decided she hadn't fulfilled her part of the bargain. She was currently debating the 'rough' approach that had worked last time, versus just running. Kodachi might have a romantic image of the 'gutsy commoner', but that would only work so many times.
The door to the classroom suddenly opened, and the teacher paused to look over. He opened his eyes for a moment in shock, and then shrugged his shoulders and waved the intruder in. Mary nearly laughed out loud as she watched Kodachi walk in, dressed in a stylized gothic version of the student uniform; a couple of students weren't as restrained, and drew cold glares from Kodachi as they burst into hysterics.
The current uniform (it got changed every other month, as students with particularly powerful pull on the school requested this or that fashion) was supposed to be a navy blue knee-length skirt with a white blouse and lighter blue jacket on top of that. Kodachi's skirt was black, with thin white stripes in the cracks and folds to draw the eye, and the blouse was black as well, with white buttons and various geometric stitchings. The jacket was a vest, about half white and and half black. The way it was arranged the black clearly dominated, the white only serving to be the in the places you weren't looking. Kodachi herself had thick eyeshadow, was wearing black pearl earrings, and had black face paint drawn from her eyes as if an inky tear had crawled down her cheek. Black nail polish, white socks and black high heels completed the picture.
While she was beautiful – Kodachi wasn't ever not beautiful – it really didn't suit her. Well, the colors did, but the mood it was attributed to jarred really strongly with what Mary knew Kodachi was like – arrogant, bull-headed, and crazy, but never the victim. Apparently Kodachi thought differently, because right after she glared at those who had laughed, she threw back her head and brought a hand to her forehead. "Oh, even here I am mocked and belittled!" she cried out melodramatically. "Will I never find the peace my heart cries for?!"
The teacher hunched his shoulders and sighed. "Please, Kuno-san, take your seat. A lesson is in progress."
Kodachi did so, flouncing down the aisle. Snickers accompanied her movements, but she seemed to absorb them, as if they only reinforced her beliefs and made her stronger. For the rest of the class Kodachi just stared out the window, occasionally sighing loud enough to make the teacher pause in his toneless monologue. No one listened to the teacher (not that they would have anyway), instead opting to chatter and gossip among themselves. The teacher seemed to take this in stride, and kept speaking anyway, not bothering to call on anyone to answer.
After class was over Kodachi went tearing outside, carrying a carefully, and poorly, constructed air of gloom with her. Mary, wondering what she had gotten herself into, ran up. "So, I take it things went badly with Ranma."
Kodachi slowly shook her head in a sad negative. "No, my meeting with Ranma was failed from the start. He is destined for one more worthy than I, and I... I am destined for no one." A tear rolled down her cheek, glistening over the sturdy waterproof paint she had applied to her face.
Mary rolled her eyes. "Please. No one's falling for this 'the world hates me' junk, so cut the crap and tell me what happened." At least she doesn't seem to be blaming me.
Kodachi blinked. "Is this not the proper attire and attitude for one when everything goes wrong with one's life?"
"What the heck are you talking about?"
"Alas!" Again Kodachi swept her hand to her forehead. "On that fateful day, I discovered the truth of this dark, cruel world, and I-"
"Enough. If you don't stop, I'm going to have to knock some sense into you so that I can remedy your situation. Give it to me straight."
Kodachi stood straight, hands at her sides, and nodded. Then she glared, annoyed that she had obeyed without thinking. "As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted, I came to some disturbing revelations while watching Ranma meditate."
"He's got a fat butt?"
"No, fool! I began to ponder my love for Ranma, and found doubt within myself – not only for my love, but for my place in the world as well. When I brought my concerns to my father, he rebuked me most harshly, saying I had let the words of a commoner distract me from my true purpose." Kodachi seemed torn between anger at her father and genuine concern. "While I have never considered the advice of my father truly worth listening to, this time his incompetence only serves to deepen the rift growing within myself."
Mary crossed her arms, feeling tired already. "If I'm going to help you," and get my money, "you'll need to tell me what the problem is."
Kodachi looked at her askance. "I'm not sure I trust a com-" She stopped, and the restarted, looking slightly confused. "I'm not sure I trust you with a problem of this magnitude."
Oh, geez. How am I- Bingo! "How about this: You upgrade me to your general advisor, and I promise to dedicate myself to solving all your problems, not just your love related ones." Kodachi looked doubtful, so Mary tried a simpler approach. "If you pay me more, I'll definitely be more loyal, right?"
Kodachi nodded. "I see. We will discuss the particulars later, but first let us find someplace more... private."
Walking off at a brisk pace, Kodachi looked nervous as she led them to an isolated and empty classroom. "Well," Mary asked impatiently, "what's the fuss about?"
Kodachi sighed. "I have... begun to doubt the worth of aristocracy and the existence of nobility by birth."
Mary's eyes nearly jumped out of her sockets. "What!? The indomitable Kodachi, the most aristocratic of aristocrats, doubting the very societal construct that raises her above everyone else? What brought this on!?"
Kodachi glared. "I am superior to others for many other reasons, thank you very much!" Then she looked downcast again. "However, in exploring my love for Ranma, I came to the realization that it was his nobility that attracted me. In pondering this, I came to the realization that this was because I did not see the nobility in myself, nor did I see it in my family. My father, of course, did not take me doubting my family's nobility lightly, and has suspended my allowance. Thus, I am cut off from what is most important to me." She struck a dramatic pose again. "Without money, what can I do? One needs resources to accomplish anything of worth!"
I hope this means I'll still get paid. "So, what? This is just a problem of money? That's it?"
Kodachi nodded. "Of course. Why would I bother to announce my meanderings on the nature of aristocracy? At best it would make me a target of ridicule."
Mary leaned against the wall in exasperation. "So do you actually need anything from me?"
"Well," Kodachi said slowly, frowning as if her thoughts were strange and foreign, "I would, uh, appreciate a second opinion."
"On what? How terrible it is that you don't have money? Don't worry, Icompletely agree. How long is you allowance suspended?"
"Insolent fool!" Kodachi said, smiling despite herself. She was starting to appreciate this commo- this girl's spunk. "I meant my ideas on nobility. And my allowance returns in a week, barring any further remonstration on my father's part."
"I don't know exactly what you've come up with," Mary said bluntly, "but 'nobility' has never seemed that important to me. And even if it was, I've never thought of it as something that's passed down through family. Americans think about these things a little differently than you Japanese do. Equal opportunity and all that."
Kodachi nodded. "Ranma thinks similarly, from what he had told me. I am not convinced of such a viewpoint, but I am starting to agree that nobility is an internal thing, cultivated by the self and not given to you by others. This changes everything, though. My life is never going to be the same."
"I thought I told you to stop being so melodramatic."
"This is not melodrama!" Kodachi slapped a hand down on a desk, her face a mix of anger and worry. "Do you know for what purpose I have been raised? I have always viewed it as my duty to marry another noble and keep the nobility of the Kuno line strong. Ranma seemed worth breaking that duty, for some reason – perhaps because I saw the nobility in him from the start – but I am not sure I would have gone through with marrying him if it had come down to it. My duty as a noblewoman is a refrain that I hear in my head at all times, so strongly has it been hammered into me – but now it no longer is applicable. Right after he told me my allowance was suspended, my father told me to stop chasing Ranma, as I would marry a rich nobleman once I came of proper age. I didn't even think to doubt such a future until hours after I had left his office – that was how strong these viewpoints have been drilled into me, how heavily I relied on them, and now they are gone! I have no idea where to proceed, what else can possibly take their place!"
Kodachi sat down, looking tired, and Mary did so as well, thinking on how to respond. After a few minutes, she spoke carefully, choosing her words. "I don't know much about you, Kodachi, but I do know that you have worth besides your nobility. You're intelligent – you should try relying on that to solve your answers. That's what I do. That's what most people do, really. Usually, the only reason you lean upon assumed viewpoints is because you aren't smart enough to figure out the answers yourself. Since you are smart enough, you should take advantage of it."
"But that's..." Kodachi's face was weary, and her gothic make up seemed to fit her now. "That's exhausting. How can you bear such heavy responsibilities every day?"
"Look, Kodachi, this might surprise you, but when you don't have nobility by birth to base your sense of self on, you have to find something else. That's the way the world works. Get used to it, and move on."
Kodachi snapped her head up, the weariness disappearing as anger lifted her spirits. "You have no right to speak to me like that! I am Kodachi, and nobility or no nobility, you will address me with respect!"
Mary smirked. "That's better. See? Just persevere. You'll figure it out."
Kodachi's mouth was thin as her frustration was held in check by a small bit of gratitude. "Hmph. I suppose I should discuss your new position as High Advisor. Your pay will be 500,000 yen a week, but you will have additional duties as well. Since you will be my representative in all things, you will be required to attend me at all times, and while you are not a servant, I will require your wardrobe to be of sufficient quality and style as not to embarrass me..."
As Kodachi continued listing off additional items, Mary closed her eyes.Think of the money. That's almost 5000 dollars a week. Aweek. This is going to be worth it, even if I have to spend half of it on clothing.
"...You will also need to be capable of taking Mr. Green for walks, as it would be undignified for me to do so in public when I have a retainer at my side who is capable of the duty. I will take you to meet him this afternoon; I'm sure you'll get along wonderfully, just like my martial art instructor."
Geez, I have to walk the dog, too? This better be worth the money. Who names their dog Mr. Green, anyway? Probably some poorly dyed poodle...
Happosai hummed as he made his was across the rooftops, collecting precious lingerie. Wonder if the message's been delivered yet? Of course it has; that fool's probably run off for the vacation he so desperately wanted already. I wonder what kind of guy they sent next? And what the hell are they thinking, pushing their luck like this? They've never challenged me so openly before...
He halted as he sensed something moving towards him through the night. Making sure his precious items were securely fashioned, he put them down and prepared to meet the intruder. When he caught a glimpse of who it was, though, he completely forgot about the lingerie.
It was a woman, dressed in the barest of leather clothing, so tight fitting that it should have cut off the circulation on a lesser being. But this was no human; the black bat wings that swept off her back told him as such, and her aura confirmed it; this was a demon, a succubus. "Why, hello there! What's a pretty thing like you doing in this part of town?"
The succubus smirked. She had long black hair and pure white skin, the two contrasting so well that her hand seemed to glow when she used it to arrogantly brush her hair back. "Old man, rejoice. You have been chosen to be my target, and I will pleasure you until your body can no longer handle the stress. It is a pleasant way to go; your last moments will be the greatest in your entire life."
Happosai cackled. "Girl, I'm the Demon of Lust. Haven't you heard the stories?"
The succubus seemed taken back. "The, the Demon of Lust!? Not the same creature that was targeted by a succubus and survived to tell the tale!?"
"'Survived'?" Happosai threw back his head and laughed. "Is that what that little minx told everyone? Truth is, I didn't just survive – I won. I worked that succubus to death and forced her back into hell, and let me tell you, seeing her disappear in a burst of smoke was one of the most depressing moments of my life!"
Blinking, the bat-winged woman stepped forward. "The Demon of Lust, huh? I hear you are perverted beyond belief, even by a demon's standards."
Happosai nodded eagerly. "That's right. If you can think of it, I've taken it to the next level with two people at once. Three, for some."
The succubus grinned. "That is good. I am Amath, of the highest level of succubus, and my kind survives on and takes pleasure from the perversions of mortals; as long as I am fueled, I will never fall. My only order is to keep you 'distracted'. I suppose my master will have to survive without my services for a while."
As the demon walked forward seductively, Happosai couldn't help but grin. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me! Oh, yeah! I wonder why this 'master' wants to keep me pinned down? The only reason I can think of would be so he can get his claws on Ranma and the others. Well, whatever. If a chick like this is going to do the pinning, I don't mind in the slightest!Those little punks can go to hell for all I care!
In the future, whenever he remembered that thought, Happosai would laugh at the irony, and ponder if he should have, perhaps, resisted falling into the trap.
Then he'd go find Amath, and forget everything again.
