EDITOR'S NOTE: it isn't essential that you read it, but this story is linked to the fanfic "The More Things Change" and it's forthcoming sequel "The Pursuit of Happiness" (yeah, the fic I've been working on for, oh,
six, seven months . ) -
*******
Prelude *******
A woman sat at her desk and appraised her computer, the monitor seemed to shine rather blankly back at her. Papers cluttered the area and had been strewn about rather haphazardly. She perused the file in her hand,
which contained information on the most recent martial artist to arrive in Nerima. The file wasn't big at all.
The woman in question was Nabiki Tendo. She was an information broker,
and as such, she made it a point to know _exactly_ who and what was emerging in Nerima. Nabiki didn't get involved in Ranma's little problems, no, but if he had ever bothered to ask (and had the money to foot her service fee) she could have easily pulled up some interesting... facts. Facts that could demoralise and just possibly crush the fighting spirit out of Ryouga, Kuno, or any of the other many enemies Ranma had made over time. His fiancees weren't safe either, as careful drudging had netted Nabiki more than enough useful tidbits to keep her infinitely happy. She never pointed this out to Ranma (and given the current status of the fiancees and rivals, a little late), it was enough for her to know that she had at least a little leverage (or sometimes lots of leverage,
especially in Kuno's case) to make them bend to her will. Having several of the world's most powerful (and strange) martial artists in her pocket was a reassuring feeling.
This new arrival, though, was a mystery. Nabiki had very little to go on, and it annoyed her a bit. Again, this was mainly due to the fact that said person was a complete stranger to these parts. That, she decided,
would have to be fixed, and soon. Until then, she felt that she might as well start a file.
Name : Noori, Tanya Sex : Female Age : 16 Height : 5'3"
Weight : 80-90lbs?
Eyes : Hazel Hair : Light brown, semi-short Martial Art : ?
Associates : ?
Enemies : ?
History : ?
Personality : ?
She paused to appraise the screen and frowned, there were too many question marks, not enough answers. This was no good. She saved the information to a file and shut down her laptop. Nabiki shrugged off her disappointment. It really hadn't taken long to find a stool pigeon, and it was one who would talk for a fairly cheap price at that. A wry grin formed on Nabiki's face, as later this day her pidgeon would give her all the info she needed to fill some of those gaps.
In a cafe in the commercial part of Nerima, Nabiki looked thoughtfully at her notes. Meanwhile, a somewhat lanky young man rose from the table.
His long bangs fell loosely over his round-rimmed eyeglasses, concealing any emotion that may have shown there. At his side was a long case that appeared to contain some sort of musical instrument. The man looked as though he had just been payed, and rightfully so... as he now fingered through a small wad of yen to be sure it was all there.
"Thanks, Tendo-san," he said non-chalantly.
"Just remember, Megane-kun, if you hear anything more, let me know?"
"Yah." this came out a bit mumbled as the man finished his counting,
turned, and stalked off towards the door.
As he departed, Nabiki shook her head in disbelief. Just when she thought she'd do about anything for money, she meets Mr. Megane Muhoshin.
He was the very same one who'd previously sold out his family to her. She tsked, now he'd given her much of what she'd needed on Miss Noori.
Nabiki looked down at her notes, sipped some more of her espresso, and filled in a few more blanks.
Name : Noori, Tanya Aliases : O'Leary, Danny; Nory, Tanya Sex : Female Age : 16 Height : 5'3"
Weight : 80-90lbs?
Eyes : Hazel Hair : Light brown, semi-short Martial Art : Unorthodox Weaponry School of Martial Arts Division Housecleaning Subdivision Chimney Sweeping(?)
Skill level unknown, but rumored to be high.
Associates : Megane Muhoshin (ex-boyfriend), Oshimu Giichi (sensei)
Enemies : Ryouga Hibiki (Reason unknown)
History : Recruited by the UWSMA (reason unknown) from the United Kingdom, enrolled for 5(?) years as a student of the UWSMA.
Briefly involved with Megane Muhoshin (reason unknown)
Has arrived in Nerima with the intent to defeat (kill?)
Ryouga Hibiki (reason unknown).
Personality : Generally quiet, not talkative. Tends to pursue any goal she sets with some intensity. Has shown flashes of brashness and a penchant for scheming. Is quick to annoyance or anger. Has a high level of pride and a strong ego.
Nabiki frowned. That filled in the empty spots, but her history was definitely too short. In most circumstances, the history part of her subjects would generally be the largest and most interesting. Nabiki sighed, she had to wonder what Miss Noori could be hiding, what bits of her past were yet to be uncovered.
No sense frowning over it, she thought, and shut down her laptop computer. Standing slowly, Nabiki planned to waltz on over to Tatewake Kuno with some pictures in hand. If she played her cards, ah, pictures,
right, she'd even get Kuno to foot the bill for the lunch she just ate. And Miss Noori? Nabiki put that subject aside. All would be revealed in time.
-
First attempt at a Ranma fanfic... feel free to tear it apart at your leisure. I never once claimed to be good, just one with ideas. And here,
put to text, was one. Ranma 1/2 has shown us once or twice, not all martial artists are contemporary... nor are they all Asian. With this, I thrust upon you... a young girl who is neither. This is the story of Tanya Noori...
Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Mihoshi All characters depicted or mentioned in this story are the trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective holders with the exception of Tanya Noori... who's mine, dammit. :P Send all comments and bashes to Mihoshi
The Pursuit of Happiness: Side Story
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER
******
PART 1 Brutal Youth ******
Somewhere in Manchester, England... a young, well-kept police officer did his best to keep a rambunctious child under control as he made his way up the stairs to a large, forboding building... -
(It's not fair... they can't take 'er from me...) "Oh such a tragedy... the poor dear! Well, we'll take care of her." these words of false sympathy poured from the mouth of a frightening,
elderly woman as she stood in the doorway Shildly Orphanage. The young girl now squirming helplessly under the arm of a large bobby glared spitefully at the old biddy, who seemed every bit a liar to her. This woman just wanted to take her from her Mum, and she knew it. The old witch continued, "Her mother's been hauled to the institute then? Well...
the child is better off here anyhow. Ms. Nory was a raving looney, she was!" (You just WANTED t' take 'er away... so ya could make me sad! Well,
I'm not sad, I'm ANGRY! You'll ALL pay for taking 'er! Ya will!) The bobby, a young, strong-looking officer of law, nodded solemnly. Ms. Nory had never been quite right since her hubby had run off... at least, it looked as though he'd bailed on her. His disappearance occurred suddenly, only just months after the birth of the screaming child now being held. He was gone without a trace, and Ms. Nory took it... poorly,
"Aye, 'tis a shame. A charmin' lass, she was. Goin' off like that after four years... truely a shame, she'd seemed t' almost gotten o'er it, too. Ah well... nothin' t' be done of it now. Are ya sure y'can 'andle young Tanya 'ere?" (This man was our friend! 'ow could 'e allow them t' take 'er? 'ow could 'e? Mum TRUSTED 'im! Evil man!) Tanya Nory, the girl in question, could be a mean-spirited brat when she set her mind to it. This was one of those times. She just screamed and bawled, flailing like a wild animal in the officer's firm grip. Twisting like a snake, she managed to plant a foot firmly to his groin,
which resulted in a squeak and a wince. However, the bobby remained standing. He squeezed his arm around the child and she gasped, becoming stiller. She struggled weakly still, however, with the spirit of a devil. (You'll pay... you'll see! Ya can't keep me forever! If me mum sawr Dad... she sawr him! Dammit! I'll avenge you, Mum... wherever they 'id ya.) "Now... ya sure y'can 'andle the wee babe?" he queried, his voice a little breathless. "Of course." came a cold, almost offended reply. The biddy pointed down the hall a ways, "Just take her to room 9 and she'll be just fine." Tanya glared icily at this... this... evil creature who presumed to take over her life. An evil grin flitted across her face... just as she resumed her struggle. (You, lady, will regret th' day ya crossed me path! I'll get ya, I will! I'll get ya but good!) "Right then, ma'am." shuffling through the door, the Bobby dragged a kicking and screaming Tanya to her new room, pushed her in, and slammed the door as though capturing a raving wolverine, "Cor, she's a nasty one! She pro'bly drove the Missus to the bin 'erself!" A loud, resounding crash came from beyond the door... and another...
and yet another. The bobby sighed, "Sounds like she's tryin' t' bash th'
door in. Me thinks y've gotcher 'ands full wit' th' wee beastie." "Indeed. Well, Mr. O'Solin... I'll just be seeing you out now, if you don't mind." the hag shooed the policeman out the door, "Things to do,
don't you know. I haven't time to doddle." "Right then..." O'Solin tipped his cap politely as he shuffled out,
"Good day to you, Ma'am." he made his way down the stairs and out to the street as the door was slammed behind him. He grumbled, "Saints preserve us, but that's a wild one. May they 'ave the best o' luck wit' 'er... they're goin' t' NEED it."
"Young lady..." The girl in question sat quietly at her desk, staring in an absent-minded manner at wall nearest to her. Anything was more interesting than Miss Brambly's lectures on multiplication, and young Tanya was always the first to show it. "Young lady..." There it was again: that annoying, sharp, elderly voice which Tanya continued to ignore in favour of now counting the holes in a ceiling panel. Not particularly interesting, but again, far more important than anything this old nag of an instructor had to say. "TANYA!" Okay, that got her attention, but only just barely. Piercing hazel eyes gazed up rather sullenly through puffy, even bangs... they settled coldly upon a slightly unnerved educator, "WOT?" came the stiff, cut response. Miss Brambly sighed. Tanya Nory was the terror of Shildly... and well deserving of the title. She was mean spirited, unruly, and often unkept child... one that was missing at all times of the day, only to be found setting up some horrendous and often potentially hazardous prank. This diminutive waif of a girl had the entire orphanage terrorized, and Miss Brambly was no exception. She was clearly more irritated than frightened,
"Ms. Nory, you WILL pay attention in THIS class, I'll see to that!" The imputant child merely crossed her arms over her chest and sneered defiantly. She thought to herself in the standoff-ish silence, (You'll break, ya old hag, I'll be seein' t' that. I won't be leavin' here 'til I've made ev'ry last one o' you lot miserable.) finally shattering some of the tension, Tanya emitted a vaguely 'hmph' -like sound, "Wha'ever." The teacher flared! "You WILL learn what I'm teaching if it KILLS me,
damn you!" "It jus' might." By this time, every child in the class was silent. Dead silent. The teacher went -red-. She pulled out a wooden ruler, to which the general class body's response was a group cringe. She approached the delinquent slowly, "I have had just about enough of you, young miss!" "Right then!" this was as good a time as any for a hasty withdrawal. Tanya scampered from her desk and bolted out the door, "G'day Ma'am! One o' y're best classes t' date!" she remarked sarcasticly as she fled the classroom. Her impish giggling echoed from the corridor, then progressed to silence as Tanya got out of range. Some of the other children began to giggle in spite of themselves, only to be silenced with a glare. It was then Miss Brambly launched into a torent of cursing and loud mumblings, mostly to the effect of 'They aren't paying me enough to take this' and 'If I was her mum, I'd switch her silly' which served only to set off more giggling. -
Tanya cackled mischieviously to herself. Taunting Miss Brambly was always fun, and it was her biggest challenge to date. Tanya was now eight years of age, and in her four year stay at Shildley she had managed to scare off eight other instructors. After all, this was an orphanage, not a real school... few were willing to put up with her abuses, especially coupled with the meager wages. But Miss Brambly, the old bat, she'd stayed on for almost a year now. No call for that then! Tanya would often find herself pondering... debating wether the teacher was stubborn,
of just plain stupid. "Stupid." she assured herself, "Definitely stupid." With a shrug, she clambered up through a loose air duct screen and disappeared, pulling the grate shut behind her.
- Several Months Later -
Well, it had all finally paid off. Tanya was a clever lass, far more so than any of the faculty at Shildly orphanage could have ever imagined.
Although, the in-house staff experienced more turnovers than your average fast-food joint. Few were ever given the chance to understand her... not that anyone had the courage, patience, or desire to do so. Had any of the adults bothered to observe her, they might have noticed a cold,
calculating tone to all her mischief. It was her job to make all who acquainted themselves with this establishment a living hell, and she did a damn good job of it. Funny thing was, she could barely remember why. Now, Miss Brambly was gone. Barely a year there, and she had been the staunchest of the faculty. Tanya took a certain pride in knowing that it was indeed her who scared the wench off. "B-b-but Miss Brambly! Joan! Wait please! Shildly needs you!" this was from one of the paper pushers, a mousey man in a suit that always seemed several sizes too large. Tanya never knew or cared what purpose he served. The old cow ignored him. She -IGNORED- him! Oh this was too great! Tanya giggled wickedly from her window in room #9. She smiled almost cutely down at the ex-educator. Miss Brambly looked up at the wicked child, then clucked abrasively,
"You don't need me, you need a firing squad! And now... you need a lawyer. Mine will be contacting yours. Good day!" "But-but-but..." he just stammered, stunned. 'Lawyer' was not a word he wanted to hear. He gulped quietly, then sighed. He shook his head solemnly as he watched the woman go. The proprietors would -not- be pleased. Tanya cackled mildly to herself as she watched old Brambly hoof off to the Taxi like the cow she was. Tanya giggled in a fit of mirth as the door closed on a bit of Brambly's dress, leaving it to flap in the wind as the taxi tore off down the street. Smiling, the self-proclaimed 'Faculty basher' ticked off another mark on her wall. Yes, she even kept track. Brambly had been a toughy, alright. It had taken a year of blatant disregard and feigned ignorance in class, 12 waterbucket-in-doorway gags (she never did learn each month to watch the doors), multiple times of greasing the woman's shoes at night with lard to mixed effects, varied incidents with mildly poisonous bugs; and one nearly villianous prank which involved half a dozen hungry rats, a cannister of honey mustard,
oven mits, a rake from maintenance, and an externally locked bathroom door. Oh, but that was a good one, her pride in fact. Tanya puffed up triumphantly, it sounded like the old hag would sue, a bit of recognition for just how cunning that prank really was! A day of triumph indeed! Tanya gleed as she watched old paper-pusher slink back in through the entry doors. She knew where he was going, and wanted to watch him get chewed out. Quickly, she scrambled into her air duct and scampered along the passage with practiced silence.
"Well... that's it then." the voice seemed familiar, and rightfully so. Mrs. McTal was the only person who'd been a constant over Tanya's four-year stay. This was the woman in charge, not to mention the lady who had first taken Tanya in so many years ago. It wasn't devotion that kept the woman here, only that Tanya hadn't given her a reason to leave personally. Tanya wanted -someone- to see her in action at all times. McTal eyed the little man who had entered her office only moments ago,
"You're absolutely positive then? She's plannin' to sue? All over that waif, then, isn't it?" Somewhere in the air ducts, a giggle was stifled. "W-well... yes..." he stammered, no backbone at all here, "The Nory child seemed to have a hand in it, alright..." "Right. I think I have had just about enough. It has become apparent to me that the child is untameable. She is uncooperative, disruptive, has no desire nor shown any ability to learn, and has shown a distinctive tendency to mischief bordering upon violence. I don't care -who's- she was, I want her gone." (Uh oh.) was Tanya's thoughts, (I know where this's goin', and no sir,
I don' like it.) "I think it's time I took Officer Roler up on that military school offer. She's nearly nine now, and we can't be keeping her forever. Maybe the lads can beat sense into her." (This would be where I make my hasty retreat...) she paused only long enough to pick out minor details. "Get me Roler on the tele. I want her gone by Friday, no later, do you hear me?" "Right Ma'am!" "Dally, and it will be your head." "Right Ma'am, I'll get him right away..." (I've until Friday... easy. Luckily, I've made preparations. Time t'
blow this 'ell.) she crept soundlessly through the ducts, back to her room.
******
PART 2 On The Outside ******
It was several months after her daring escape from Shildly... well,
maybe it wasn't so daring upon looking back. Tanya grinned smugly at her cunning, as she had stolen her idea from a novel she once read, and was particularly surprised no one had thought of it sooner. It was a simple matter to crawl through the circulation ducts to the laundry room. So,
early Friday morning, she packed up her meager belongings and snuck off to where the laundry was kept. Upon reaching her destination, she hid in one of the laundry troughs just before they were carted off for cleaning. Laundry trucks came every friday, and that friday was no exception. It was a flawless plan, and no one seemed to notice (or care) that she was gone. By noon, Tanya was well on her way to London. She had pickpocketed enough money from the Shildly faculty to afford a train. She figured that London was far enough away to evade the bobbies... and there, she could start her life anew. As a petty thief. This didn't work out... at all. Sitting quietly in her hiding place, Tanya was very fortunate it was mid-summer, else the chimney she'd chosen to lay low in might have been in use. She took every care to maintain her silence, and would do so for hours, for she had errored severely and was now paying the price. Bobbies were after her, and she wasn't sure if it was due to the fact she was a runaway... or if it was as a result of her recently botched attempt at shoplifting. She was sure it was for the latter, but disliked both prospects either way. Narrowly eying the one item she'd managed to make off with, Tanya sighed. Today, her dinner would be a single orange. Hardly a meal at all. She actually pondered, ever so briefly, if she'd made a huge mistake running off. (No,) Tanya slumped a bit in her hideaway, (They were gonna send me t' milit'ry schoolin' anyway. Better off dead than that.) With a resigned shrug, Tanya peeled her orange and munched without a sound. Several hours passed like this, with Tanya slowly dozing off. For all the fight she offered, fatigue overwhelmed her. In order to get here, the girl had done an awful lot of running, and it was now beginning to catch up to her. She might even have fallen asleep, were it not for the distinct sound of foot steps approaching. Okay, now she was awake. Tanya was suddenly very still... and very frightened. (Oh bloody 'ell.) A face peered into the chimney, a dirty one at that, "Well! Wou'dja lookit that!" more words might have come if the man hadn't received a face and mouth full of soot. "ACK! *pfeh!Kaffkaff!*" he stumbled backwards,
rubbing his face. "GO AWAY!" "Wot the bloody 'ell was that?" it was a second voice, somewhat deeper than the first. So there were two of them out there... "There's a kid in there... *kaffkaff* no wonder th' soot washed down inta th' livin' room like that. *kaffwheeze* Prob'ly knocked it all loose, I bet!" the man didn't dare poke his face in there a second time,
"Go 'ave a look-see, why doncha?" "An' jus' wot kind of bloke do ya take me for? Get a faceful like you? I don't think so! " a long pause followed, then, "Eh, Donald... you okay?" "Bleah, *hackhack* yeah, jus' ducky." "Right then." They sure didn't sound like bobbies, not by a long shot. Then again,
bobbies didn't exactly have a designated voice signature. Tanya knew she was in a great amount of trouble, all things considered. What would they do with her now? (Well, I've come all this way for naught. I can't let m'self end up like this.) "Go 'ave another look then." the distinct sound of shuffling followed,
then some grumbling and footsteps. Tanya swallowed hard, this was it. She could run, but where? She'd done trapped herself but good in the narrow chimney of some London home. It was late now, Tanya had run an awful lot to escape, and she was very tired as a result. Almost too tired to offer any real resistance at all. A voice called out, "Come on out, lad, or I'm comin' in. And I'm supposin' that'd right be uncomf'table. Don't make me do it." (A warm room wit' a bed would rather suit me now...) the girl hunched a bit in her chimney, (But I've come so far.. I don't want t' go back.) then it dawned on her, ('Lad'?) "Come on out, now! I 'ave a job t' be doin'..." this was still the voice of he who had been called 'Donald'. Tanya growled low, acquiring a minor aura. She had been called 'lad'
or 'boy' by the other kids in the orphanage her first weeks there. This did stop after a while, once she beat the holy snot out of each and every one of them to prove them wrong. In most situations, this double negative would be proof positive that she was, in fact, a he... but no one dared make this joke least she smite them further. Either way, she hated be called a boy in any case, this time was no exception. The other voice added, "Come now, time is money..." Seething, she drew in a deep breath, finally going with the assumption that they were, in fact, not bobbies. The soot-covered visage which arose from the chimney was, at best, indistinguishable. The two men blinked, Donald managed, "Cor... 'e's a dusty one, ain't 'e though?" Two leering eyes peered out from the child's soot covered face... this,
accompanied by the noticeable red aura she now wore made the two men step back a bit. She intoned angrily, "I... am *NOT* ... a *LAD*" "Ah... no?" Donald quickly shoved his comrade forward, "Go talk t' th'
la-er..." very quickly did he note the voice... a girl? "...lady,
Jimmy-boy" "Er... right." *Cold glare*
"You talk t' 'er." he counter-shoved Donald forward none too gently,
"You found 'er." Donald was a tall, gangly-looking man. There was little more he could do than to stumble towards the girl, having been pushed by a guy who looked a good bit brawnier than himself. He tripped forward, then did his best to maintain some dignity while attempting to regain balance. Straightening up, Donald approached the now vaguely glowing child, "Now then, come on out, love, we won't be 'urtin' ya..." She thought about it for a moment, then looked the man over. He was very non-threatening, almost laughable in appearance as he seemed to wear a fine coat of soot over his clothes. He was dressed in a simple black shirt with grey jacket and work pants. Donald also donned a dirty red scarf and a soft-cloth cap which probably would have shaded his eyes, were the sun out. On his feet were steel-tipped shoes... a mark of a teddy,
but the soot smudged on his face and the brushes and brooms he carried were a dead give away. She resisted the temptation to giggle, it was a chimney sweep, and he looked like he'd stepped right out of a story book. For all her efforts, a grin broke on her face. She quickly noted the other was dressed similarly. Donald blinked, then melted into a somewhat silly smile, "There now,
see? We're friends, right?" Tanya finally giggled in spite of herself, then reluctantly climbed out of her chimney. She was still maintaining a mildly threatening glow, and thusly tried to stay wary of the two strangers, "Who're you? What d'ya want?" she was ready to bolt if need be... but on a rooftop, as it were,
she had no idea where she'd go. The gangly one took a bold step forward, but took no more when he saw the girl start to tense, "Um... I'm Donald, and me mate 'ere's James. We're not goin'ta 'urtcha, lass. What're ya doin' up 'ere this time o'
night?" She was really too tired for a snappy retort, but managed one anyway,
"I'm admirin' th' stars, I am." Tanya made sure this dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, I see..." Donald rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Won't yer parents be worried 'boutcha way up 'ere this time o' night? A lot o' strange ones roamin' 'bout, don'tcha know..." "That's right, a fine... er... lass such as yerself out by yer lonesome and all that. 'ardly seems proper." the other couldn't help but add. He never could stay quiet, a trait that occasionally found him in trouble. "Who're you to tell me wot's proper? "Um... well..." "And me parents'll ne'er know." "No?" "No." Donald pondered his next words carefully, still unsure what exactly the lass meant by this, "Come now... we'll be takin' ya 'ome now, afore someone misses ya." "NO! I'm not going back!" she'd yelled this in a rather frightened voice, one that betrayed the boldness of her appearance. Tanya had all but startled the chimney sweeps, and herself. The girl really was afraid,
far more so than she dared to let on. Regardless, this response certainly got their attention, as well as maybe drawing the attention of passerbys below, "Mebbe we should be takin'
this elsewhere. Won't you come wit' us an' talk a bit, lass?" the thinner of the two had noticed spectators below gathering... and didn't care for it at all, "We'll take ya t' th' van." "You're just trying to trick me!" (Really, wot do I 'ave t' lose? They can't be worse than th'
authorities.) James finally noticed what Donald kept glancing down at, "Lookee there... cor, we're drawin' an audience, we are." "Audience?" this WOULD be a good time to leave. And these two seemed nice enough. Besides, she could probably get away if she needed to,
"Okay, I'll go. But I warn ya, I'll run at first opportunity ya try t'
'arm me."
"We'd never dream of it, lass." Donald offered his hand forward to Tanya, "We'll getcha down from 'ere first. Then we talk, right?" James continued to look down at the gathering London folk. He even waved to them, smiling innocently. Tanya carefully took Donald's hand, her slight aura fading to nothing. Donald sighed, then dragged his idiot partner away from the side of the roof, "Cut it out, ya cad. Let's move. We'll get th' chimney on our way back. Jus' tell Corey somethin' came up, an' we won't charge 'im t' make up for it. 'e'll understand" "For free? Cor, damn right 'e'll understand." James grumbled, but nodded, "Right." Strapping his brooms firmly to his back, Donald gathered up the girl and nodded to James, "Short cut, Jimmy-boy..." James grimaced, the shortcut involved him climbing down and getting a bulky, *heavy* ladder from the van. It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough, not by a long shot, but it was mostly just a terrible hassle. He grumbled and disappeared over the edge of the roof, uttering a muffled,
"Right." as he went. Donald nodded solemnly, "E's a good lad, me finest friend. And I 'ope 'e 'urries it up..."
Three years had passed since Tanya's encounter with the chimney sweeps... and an interesting three years they were. They had taken pity on her, after she'd explained everything she'd been through. Not only had they not turned her over, they took her in as one of their family. Donald went through an extreme amount of trouble for the girl. He'd taken an immediate liking to her. Pulling a few strings - no, a lot of strings, he'd managed to see to it that nobody noticed as one London filing clerk 'misplaced' a few important records on a runaway orphan no one really wanted to find. That some new, false records mysteriously appeared in their place, regarding a young boy by the name of 'Danny O'Leary' who would be staying with his uncle Donald for a while... (In order to better conceal the girl, they had made her dress as boy. She cursed and hollered up and down about this, but finally had to admit: it was a great disguise, and... *grr* she so much looked the part.) The final touch was the local schooling. With a few called in favors, 'Danny'
was easily enrolled, 'his' papers mysteriously all in order. Tanya never knew or understood what Donald had done exactly, nor all the work he'd had to do following the trouble he'd gone through. She knew only that she was comfortable where she was. They treated her like family, and expected her to work with them to earn her keep as well. This was no problem, as Tanya grew to love the profession... getting payed to wander the roofs and pop about in the chimneys, that was the life. To say she loved her work was an understatement. Staying with her newfound family, Tanya learned a lot about the business history. It was a very small-time endeavor, and something of a family tradition. Donald had become a sweep like his father and grandfather before him. They were very traditional, and kept a small clientel who valued their services greatly. See, they did things in the old style, the old stereotypical brooms and cleaning equipment... no corners ever cut. Donald had a very important reputation to live up to,
being the only child in the family, it was a bit harder than one might expect. It was strictly a family thing, but when his father finally died,
he was forced to take on a partner to keep the business going. This was James. James had always been a class chum of Donald's. Old school pals and what not. James was a bit bigger than Donald, and not nearly so bright,
but he was always a true and loyal friend. They would goof off upon the roof tops while Donald's father would do whatever chimney maintenance was required of him. Needless to say, they got yelled at a lot. This,
however, kept James fairly close. And he was the first to offer his assistance when the elder had died. Donald gratefully accepted. With the business being so exclusive, it had a lot of close ties. Donald and James would often do favors and such, not the least of which was some basic maintenance other than chimney cleaning. This garnered many favors, most of which Donald called in the day he took on Tanya. This, she never fully realized. Tanya, again, knew only that she was content. And it was her staunch mission to make the both of them proud of her. In school, she made a lovely boy. And as 'Danny' she was never teased,
nor was her gender ever questioned as it had been back in the orphanage. This was both a relief, and very disturbing to Tanya... after all, what that told her was that she made a better boy, and that annoyed her to no end. Either way, she never complained, nor did the girl ever give away her secret. Her instructors found her to be a marvelously sharp child,
and often was she commended for her wit and cunning. Praise was rather alien to the girl, and decidedly, she rather liked it. Donald had planned to enrolled her in a sort of martial arts class. With her wandering the streets on occasion, he grew more and more paranoid. It took him a good year before he could work a favour out of the instructors there. Donald was one who didn't care to pay for things if he could labor for them. Tanya found herself enrolled in a Tai Kwan Do class, and she absolutely ADORED it. It was an EXCUSE to beat on someone if she ever felt the need or desire. Even now, she was still every bit the violent child she had been, only more in control. In her two years there, she had proven to be an excellent student, one who learned fairly quickly. However, her temper still tended to flair in combat, often hurting her opponent to unnecessary extents. Admittedly,
though, she was brutally efficient. It wasn't long before she'd convinced one of the teachers to train her in various weapons, not the least of which was the staff. By the end of that two years, she had achieved a red belt in the art. It was rightfully earned, as Tanya had become quite good. With staves,
she excelled. The very idea of extending the distance at which she could strike had caught her fancy. The reach was nice, and it felt very 'right'
in her grip. And, most of all, her sweep brooms were an awful lot like staves, only weighted to one end. Using what she'd learned, Tanya had soon trained herself to compensate for the uneven balance. Once she'd achieved that,
her desire was to incorporate her sweep tools into the art.
Tanya had initially thought this would impress her masters. It didn't.
There was the sound of a violent *CRACK* then a shriek. This was shortly followed by the sobbing of a 12 year-old boy. Tanya was always rough on the boys. Feh, they deserved it anyway. If they had any idea it was a girl stomping their arse... "DANNY!" She didn't respond immediately. Even after 3 years of having the name,
there were things that could still distract her from noticing. The punk child on the floor holding his now bleeding cheek was one of them. (Thought ya were pretty tough, eh, boy? i don't car 'ow much older'n me you are...) This thought was interrupted by a very loud *THWACK* to her skull. She winced, "'EY?! Wot's th' big idea?" "Mr. O'Leary! How many times have I said not to bring those...
_THINGS_ into class with you?!" this was barely short of a yell. Aye,
teacher was *miffed*. And the 'things' he referred to were two three foot poles ending in wire-bristle brushes which splayed out in a circle about the tip. She was now wielding one in each hand. Obviously, these brushes were sweeping tools, but the metal bristles were a bit of a curiousity. Actually, Tanya had custom made them to be weapons, and the iron fibers were her added touch. "Well, sir, they're technically short staves, right?" Whispering went on in the background. Something along the lines of "'ow did 'e get those in 'ere?", "Dunno... didn't see.", "Where would ya 'ide things like those?", "'e pulled 'em from thin air, 'e did!" this was silenced by another instructor who wanted nothing to so with the situation, and wanted his students to follow in suit. "STAVES?!" the enraged master bellowed this. Tanya honestly didn't see the big deal. She'd been at this almost two years now, and was rather surprised the inventive, modified staves didn't impress. But this was no matter. This had been the fifth or so time she'd used them in class, and now, it was a sort of defiance thing. "Staves? Indeed..." he helped the crying child up and examined the damage. It was rather serious, and he flushed pale when he could just make out bone through the badly ripped cheek. The towels they were using had soaked up much of the blood, but it was apparent an ambulance would need to be called, "Right... Gorden, call the paramedics. And you...
Daniel O'Leary, do not return here ever again." She shrugged, it really wasn't a big deal. She hadn't broken anything,
so the worse would be some scarring. No biggie. But oh well. Tanya nodded, and said in a largely mocking tone, "Aye, sir." on her way out. She'd learned all she could here anyway, though, Tanya was sure, Donald wouldn't be happy one bit.
It was hours later, and Tanya found herself walking along an alleyway just north of her home. She had been stalling herself all this time. (Donald's goin' t' be so disappointed.) was the thought for the passing moments. Rather than go home and tell them right away, the girl opted to wander, carefully pondering the words she would use. Whatever words would smooth things the best.
She didn't notice the men who happened to be approaching her swiftly from behind. They had, however, noticed her. And dressed in her sweep clothes, did she ever look the easy mark. Tanya mumbled to herself, "Two years at that lousy school... think they'd be teachin' me somethin' use-*" she was cut off when she heard the distinct shattering of glass, "Wot th'...?" she spun to face the noise. The 'noise' was one man wielding a broken bottle, with a second holding tight to an iron pipe. They were dressed in leather, with steel-tipped shoes. Teds for certain. They approached slowly, "All we wants is yer wallet, li'l boy. 'and it o'er." was the foul utterance of the one bearing the pipe. She backed up carefully, (Only two, but are they ever nasty lookin'
blokes. Right... shouldn't be too 'ard.) The men continued to approach, they didn't think much of the short staff sweep-brooms strapped to her back. And they thought even less of them when she drew both and held them forward defensively, "Wot? Gonna 'sweep' us t' death?" the two had a quick laugh at this. "I jus' might." Little to no time was wasted on words. She was gone suddenly, then several loud *cracks* were heard and a sickening *squidge*. With that,
the pipe man was on the ground shrieking. He looked a bit mauled, far worse than he actually was, holding his now blood-stained side and awkwardly bent arm. "'oly shi-*" was the cut response. There most certainly were other words he'd desired to say, but they were silenced as he caught the end of an iron rod with his jaw. This knocked him sideways, but didn't keep him from steadying and LUNGING for the girl, "Ah lad... BIG mistake!" he jabbed quickly, and only just caught Tanya's shoulder. It was enough to send the child reeling across the pavement. (Owowow... 'urt, that 'urt... damn... can't feel me arm...) she scrambled deeper into the ally, just barely ahead of the still slightly dazed teddy boy. "Now I'm gonna kill ya, ya li'l bastard..." he found himself alone,
"Come on out... no sense 'idin'! Y're dead walkin', ya are!" Pawing through a belt-pouch, she drew forth a small egg-shaped item. (Let's see then 'ow these chemicals work...) drawing aim on the punk,
Tanya threw the egg-thing as hard as she could. It hit its mark: face.
(BINGO!) The ted flailed, flinging his bottle in a random direction and hitting nothing. He grabbed for his face and eyes, where smoke was now rising from its surface. All he managed was an incomprehensible scream. It was then Tanya drew in for the kill, so to speak. Adrenaline kicking in, the blinded hood stood little to no chance as he was bludgeoned into unconsciousness. That done, Tanya found herself panting. Her bruised arm fell to her side as the adrenaline rush faded. She leaned against a wall, sagging into it. Sheathing her tools, she rubbed her shoulder, and tried to resist crying. A figure stepped out from the shadows, and eyed her narrowly. Bad timing, Tanya really wasn't in any shape for another fight. She only whispered, "Who're you?" The man bowed low and stepped forward. He was noticeably foreign,
Asian for certain. He only nodded, "You are Danny O'Leary? Or should I say, Tanya *Noori?" Tanya BLINKED! "Er..." (Cover... cover... no wait, 'e already knows who I am... oh 'ell. I'm caught.) "Ya don't look like a bobby..." was all she could think to say. "I am not." the man offered his hand to Tanya, "I am Giichi. Oshimu Giichi. You have a strong spirit, and we have some interest in you." "We?" "Hai." "Wot?" "Yes." "Ah..." well, that was fruitless. Tanya decided to query a bit further, this man was obviously not an authority of any kind, "Who's this 'we'?" "I noticed your fighting style at what was once your dojo only days ago. It is very interesting, to say the least. You use brushes and brooms... chemicals... unusual to say the least, ne?" "Problem wit' that?" "Iie, no problem. In fact, it is what attracted my attention." Giichi noted the surroundings with a bit of disgust, "I should like to talk to you further. Perhaps elsewhere would be more appropriate. I think I have a proposition for you." Finally catching her breath, Tanya nodded, "Right..." she was still wary of the stranger, "'ow about a bit o' tea? I know a nice dine-in." Giichi nodded. He was certainly dressed for nicer places. He worried that too much time in this alley might ruin his nice business suit. He didn't have many, after all, "Please, lead the way." Tanya nodded carefully, then made her way out of the alley. At no time did she take her eyes off the gentleman.
-
* Nory becomes Noori because in Japanese 'ry' doesn't exist.
-
It had taken 3 hours and a rather costly meal to finally sway young Tanya's trust, but it was worth it. Giichi had convinced the girl that her best course of action would be to join him in his journey back to Japan. He had been watching her over the last week, and her skill was wasted in such a conventional environment. Giichi was satisfied that this spry, tomboyish child would easily fullfil his obligation to the school. (Strong, spirited, and talented. Hai, she'll make a fine pupil. I need only convince her family now that this is the best for her. Her gift is wasted here... it can be refined at the dojo.) he had faded only ever so slightly with his thoughts, and Tanya's voice brought him back with little to no effort. "Okay... so... y're sayin' 'ere that y'll 'ouse me, feed me, and train me fer free then?" it sounded too good to be true. She'd never thought she'd have the opportunity to travel to the orient, much less live there,
"And y'll teach me t' better use me brooms better, right?" Giichi nodded solemnly. They'd gone over this part of the conversation three times before... and no, the answer wasn't any different. "And... " she continued on, counting the perks on her fingers, "I'll get t' spar wit' other blokes usin' me tools, as well as learn th' local language so's I can talk wit' 'em, right?" the learning of a new language part was easily the cincher. Contrary to popular belief, she did enjoy the prospect of gaining new knowledges. The sensei again nodded... this, too, had been gone over three times previous. "So... where do I sign?" "Ah, but we need the consent of your peers. I dare not worry them unnecessarily. I think they can be persuaded, however." Giichi stood,
leaving money and tip for the waitress who'd served them. He looked down at the girl and knew she had no way of understanding how financially bad off her 'family' was. He'd quickly realized it would be a simple matter to show them it was indeed for the best. He needed only first convince the girl of it as well. This went well, Tanya was more than anxious to go. Tanya stood and stretched. There had to be a catch somewhere, but if there was, she couldn't see it, "Okay. I 'ope you're right. I've never asked t' go so far away. I don't know..." The other thing of note about this exceptional child was her history... that, and the information his people had gathered on how she had become 'he'. The routes used for this were far less than legal. Giichi could use that if it came down to the wire, but he really loathed blackmail or strong arm methods. Willing was far more to his liking, and his diplomatic way with words would likely net his dojo a new student as well as prove convenient for all involved. (I don't know why the UWSMA wishes to have students from so far north, but I am pleased to have found one with so much potential. Now, If her rebellious streak can be shaped into obedience, there will be no problems. and she will excel in her learnings.) he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then stated in a calm voice,
"I have little time to waste. Take me to your family so I may converse with them?" "Okay! This'll be cool!" Tanya bounced from her seat and took off,
intent on leading the man to where she knew Donald and James were working at the moment. She halted long enough to inquire, "Do ya mind roofs much?" Giichi was the master sensei of the Housekeeping and Maintenance Dojo,
he'd done far more tedious things than roof-hopping... and all in a nicely kept suit as well, "Iie, I'll manage." Nodding, Tanya rushed off out the door. Giichi strolled out casually,
waiting for the door to close behind him before chasing off after the youth, "Chotto matte!"
It was after 20 minutes of bounding from rooftop to rooftop that they finally stumbled upon the two chimney sweeps. Donald, for one, was overly surprised at the appearance of a middle-aged Asian man in a white suit,
but seemed to handle it fairly well with all things considered. It was just a bit unusual to get such a well dressed visitor while on the job... especially three stories up at the base of a chimney. These things just didn't normally happen. James seemed oblivious to it, his only comment being, "Fancy that." as he disappeared into the chimney. Giichi approached the two carefully (More like one... James was far too busy with the chimney to be bothered, it seemed.) and stated in a proper,
delicate tone, "Gentleman, I believe I have a proposition for you that would be in the best of interests for all parties involved..." "Oh?"
******
PART 3 Turning Japanese ******
2 Years later
In a small, wooden, and very traditional tea house, two elderly gentlemen, both wearing kimonos, drank tea and chatted of various things. This was where they went to relax. "So, how goes the new student, Giichi-san?" said one of the two men,
idly perusing a newspaper he stroked his beard. The other smiled. "She progresses quickly, Miyaji-san, beyond my expectations." "What was her name again?" "Noori Tanya." "A gaijin, isn't she?" Giichi nodded and reached for the business section of the paper. "She was rebellious at first, indeed." He chuckled, thinking of how odd she looked. A little girl so full of stubborness and pride. "But after a while, with a little stern discipline and careful guidence, she's quickly become the top of her class." "Did you hear of her current relations? She is currently being courted by Mr. Muhoshin." Giichi paled. "Not -him-?" "No no no, not Ryo. The other one." Giichi sighed with relief. "Tell me, Giichi, was it your teachings or natural talent which elevated Noori-san in her martial art abilities?" queried Miyaji. "At first I had to get through her stubbornness. Difficult, that was. But once I overcame that, her progress was amazing. A natural martial artist, that Noori-san." "I was hoping you might enlighten me on dealing with -him-." "The eldest Muhoshin?" Sensei Miyaji nodded sadly. "In the martial arts, he is indeed sharp,
but he is not easily motivated. Once he established himself as the finest student in the dojo, he became content and lazy." "Surely he has something that motivates him. For Noori-san, it was the art itself, and the spirit of competition." Giichi wouldn't admit it, but he was feeling a little proud at the moment. "Oh, he is motivated... by forces I do not wish to use." he sighed,
"However, my fellow senseis have resigned themselves to it." Sensei Giichi's expression turned to that of concern. "Oh?" "If someone threatens to become talented enough to overtake him in his standing as number one student, _then_ he is motivated. But he does not stop at training, he faces his rival in a duel and tries his best to not just defeat, but humiliate his opponent. He is fueled by prestige and hate, it seems." Sensei Giichi nodded solemnly. "Good talent, but a dishonorable soul." Sensei Miyaji sighed. "I only hope that this plan that the others have used won't backfire." "Plan?" "Muhoshin-san is currently ranked at number two, and will stay there. He IS training harder, as a result, but I fear his hatred of the new top student will overshadow everything else." Giichi patted Miyaji on the back. "The way of the martial artist is fraught with difficulties, Miyaji-san." "So says the sensei with such a willing student," replied Miyaji. "I _did_ say she was stubborn at first, did I not?" replied Giichi,
"Believe me, Miyaji-san, that first year was very difficult. She had beaten up any student that she thought may have been insulting her, and would even presume to tell her instructors how things should be done! Did Muhoshin-san ever do that?" "No," muttered Miyaji, "he just found loopholes in our rules and took every advantage of them." "Oh. A warrior's skill and a lawyer's heart?" Miyaji just nodded tiredly. "Ah, well, Miyaji-san, I think it's time I check on my student about now. We are supposed to go on a small training trip some time later." "Very well then, good day, Giichi-san." "Good day, Miyaji-san."
Tanya yawned and stretched, (It's been a good day, then, 'asn't it?) she thought to herself, grinning widely at her achievement. It hadn't been more than two hours ago that she had finally perfected her Hyakuharisuru,
a technique involving the spinning of a chimney broom until bristles literally launched at a target. Not only that, she'd even managed to charge a bit of chi energy into it, sending the sharp needles hurtling that much faster towards a target about 70 feet away. This was a rather new thing for her all together and it was the first time any of her attacks actually utilized the inner power. Short of the pride she gained with the achievement, Tanya received a rather noteworthy score on the test she was taking and was rewarded with a day to kick back and rest. She was doing just that. (Wait until I tell me folks... they'll be proud for certain!) her thoughts drifted back to a rooftop conversation from long ago. One in which a saddened but understanding Donald agreed to transfer the care of Tanya over to a man he'd never before seen: Giichi, in effect, to the UWSMA. It was an excellent decision, one that had proven to do nothing but alter the child for the better. She frowned slightly, the girl did miss her family dearly, but was happier now than ever before that she had decided to join the Housekeeping/Maintanance dojo, (They'd be proud o' me now, they would! I know it! Gotta call 'em tonight.) Tanya smiled and sat up, looking down from her perch upon a roof beam in one of the sparring buildings. It had become something of a habit for her to hide away in the rafters on her free days, and today was no different. She had crept up there unobserved, and now watched the happenings unnoticed. Her attention was drawn to a duel between two of the umbrella fighters, "Hm?" squinting, she recognized them both. Ryo Muhoshin, Megane's brother. This caught her attention more than anything,
she'd always wanted to see her boyfriend's family in action. The other was Ryouga... something. The family name eluded her, but Tanya knew he was supposed to be some sort of fighting prodigy. (Oooh... this ought t'
be a good'n...) with that thought aside, she kicked back and watched silently, unnoticed. Well, she thought so anyway. The fight came to a rather climactic end, with several blows struck between both combatants. She had been observing the battle for quite some time now and, to her shame, found herself kinda rooting for the Ryouga boy. It seemed only right, Tanya always did cheer on the underdog... and to her eyes, the boy was losing. Besides, Ryouga was cuter. Her attention intensified as she watched Muhoshin whip his umbrella forward in a fluid motion, pressing the tip to the 'prodigy's' throat.
Tanya managed to stifle her gasp, thinking, (Ye gods, he's gonna kill th'
lad!) Her reflex was to jump down to join the fray, this was halted promptly as something struck her face, and suctioned there. A muffled 'eep' came from Tanya, who now worked to free a plunger from her face.
"Ah, my pupil... it is not your business to interfere. Sit and watch young one." he pulled the plunger free with a quick tug.
"S-sensei?" "Hai, now be still." "But... sensei. Will he not kill him?" Tanya's Japanese, though improving greatly over the years, still left much to be desired. Fortunately, her sentances were mostly passable, though hardly eloquent. "Shhh..." Sensei knew best. Among many things, a certain sense of obedience had worked its way into Tanya's persona. It wasn't programmed, however, it had built over time. She'd experienced time and time again that sensei was always right... well, mostly right anyway. And he could knock her silly at a moment's notice if he had to. Giichi's voice noted softly, "These two are the bitterest of enemies... spawned unknowingly by their dojo's senseis. One of them doesn't even know of the cold rivalry kindled between them." he nodded solemnly, "They are the finest of the Environmental Extremes Dojo, Hibiki Ryouga and Muhoshin Ryo." Tanya loomed on, exhaling gently as Ryo finally lowered his umbrella,
seemingly influenced by the protests from his sister. She nodded, "Ah... so they hate each other? Why?" "It is a hatred kindled by jealousy. Both are fine warriors, yet one is highly revered for his strength and ability to learn quickly, while the other is constantly chided for being less of a fighter." "Oh, is that so? Ryouga is the one who replaced Ryo as best, ne?" Giichi nodded solemnly. "That is rather unfair." her eyes followed Ryo as he stalked off,
looking rather peeved, "Megane had mentioned Ryo had a rival for who was better. He never went into depth on it though. Why didn't he kill Ryouga?" "Eh?" "That would have solved his problems! Then he would be best again." Giichi shook his head, "Who's to say why? Perhaps it was honor that kept him. Or maybe fear? It could be any number of reasons. I like to think it was a sense of honor." he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "To kill such a fine combatant in cold blood would disgrace his dojo." Nodding, she admitted, "I'm glad he did not, we would have to come in and clean up." she giggled. It was a joke, though poorly worded at best. "Ano... h-hai..." it was a joke lost to Giichi completely, "Anyhow. I had come to remind you, your new training begins tomorrow. Please, I would like a show of dedication, ne? I know this is your free time, but a bit of practice never hurts." "Hai.. *grumble* I will do that soon, sensei." "Very good. For now, I bid you good day." The words 'goodbye sensei' didn't make it from her lips before Giichi disappeared completely from sight, "Damn, he's so good..." thinking a bit further on it, she shrugged, "I will have to ask Megane more about it later." With that, Tanya turned her attention to some of the other fights. If nothing else, UWSMA was well known for battles which looked either terrifyingly deadly, or tragically hysterical. Her sights fell to a French battle mime dueling with an American fighting plumber. This was decidedly going to be entertaining.
******
PART 4 One Way Or Another I'm Gonna Find Ya, I'm Gonna Getcha...
******
It couldn't have been more than a week or two later, Tanya now found herself in friendly competition for a 'best of class' title. It was mostly for bragging rights, but it was far more to her, as no battle of any sort was ever friendly with Tanya. She fought to win, and that was that. This also happened to be the last step in her newest training, as well as the final bout in the minor tourney. Her opponent: A young Asian boy who'd seemed to have mastered the art of yard maintenance. Looking her enemy over coldly, she knew he was good. Damn good. She'd seen him fight before and knew his weapons of choice were generally a HUGE pair of hedge trimmers (Nasty at best) and various rakes and shovels. Luckily for Tanya, he never got his hands on a weedwhacker... The boy took up a defensive crouch, trimmer in hand. He snapped it open and shut for effect, and had he been trying to intimidate... it was successfull. The boy in question was known only as 'Kumade', and Tanya had never heard him called anything else. He stood about five feet tall, and really didn't look all that intimidating. Rather, almost on the innoffensive side. The huge hedgers belied this otherwise 'mostly harmless'
appearance. And, to reiterate, even she had to admit he was good. The bout was to 3 hits, and Tanya tensed nervously as she anticipated the call. This would decide her ranking and show her sensei that she really was the best. This wasn't just a tourney, it was status! And status was very important. She resisted the urge to jump as the word 'fight' left her sensei's lips. Kumade lept into action, lunging high with the clippers, then sweeping low at Tanya's feet. She was caught only slightly off guard and managed a clumsy, awkward cartwheel to avoid both. Tanya returned to her stance,
carefully twirling her sweep brooms. This was going to be a long,
grueling fight... -
20 minutes went by, and yet the bout still raged on. The two stood in their ready positions once more. Kumade had just scored a point, and it had been a good, solid point at that. Tanya held her now bleeding side,
where a rake had ripped across it like a tiger's claws. This was the point that brought Kumade's total up to two, tying him with Tanya's score. The other point had only grazed her arm, barely bruising the limb. Tanya's points had been a bit nastier, as one tore open Kumade's shirt and left uncountable deep scratches diagonally across his chest, while her first point gashed across his leg, leaving the boy with a slight limp. It amazed Tanya that, with his injuries, Kumade didn't surrender. But now, with the score tied, she knew for certain that was out of the question. (Owww... bugger got me one good there, 'e did... no matter.
'e'll be an easy win for certain now. 'e's limpin' far worse now than before, and that last point was jus' luck, 't'was...) she held her sweep-brooms to either side once more, again ready.
Giichi eyed the two carefully... it had been by far the bloodiest, and most dedicated fight he'd seen in some time. He watched carefully, the injuries so far were but flesh wounds, deep as they were, the two would easily survive the bout. That was, unless the last blow scored caused great damage. As he watched Tanya, he could see a bit of fury building,
unhealthy fury, perhaps even deadly. Giichi was concerned that she might lose it. He sighed, (And I am here to make certain she does not.) Kumade was far more disciplined, so Giichi didn't even give his demeanor a second thought. "Fight."
The combatants tensed at the word, then...
*Ka-BOOM! CRASH! CRASH!*
Suddenly there were screams of panic as rocks and debris flew EVERYWHERE.
Unable to resist the compulsion, Tanya looked up, "Wot th' bloody 'ell?" came her words... in english. "Wot is-* *ACK*"
It was over in a flash. Something swept Tanya's feet out from under her, and she found herself on her back, pinned to the floor. Opening her eyes, she could just make out the hedgers that now held her in place by her neck, one blade to each side.
"Full point! Victory to Kumade."
"WOT? But that's not fair! I was distracted, I was!" she screamed in her Brittish tongue.
A soft *thwack* was heard as Tanya again found a plunger suctioned to her face. Giichi spoke softly, "It is your own fault, Noori-san. You allowed yourself to be distracted. In a real battle, it would have been your downfall. Kumade did not allow the disruption to affect him. The point is fair. You are an excellent fighter, but you still have much to learn." he plucked the plunger free and finished more softly, "I am sorry."
Kumade pulled his trimmers free of the floor and offered his hand to Tanya.
Tanya snarled mildly and pushed herself to a stand. It had been a humiliating point, one that hadn't hurt her at all physically, but damaged her ego far more than anyone other than her sensei could see. The girl finally looked to see what had lost her the match. Her eyes settled... on Ryouga.
Ryouga had been lost, he'd suddenly remembered his vow to find and punish Ranma for all the suffering caused to him. Leaving the UWSMA had proven far more difficult than finding it to begin with. When finding doors came to be a problem, Ryouga had taken to busting through the walls.
This was one such instance, as he casually busted down one wall and made his way through the housekeeping/maintenance dojo. He managed little more than a muffled "'scuse me." as he plodded through.
Tanya glared icily at boy... and emblazoned him to her memory. She couldn't fault her opponent for being more focused, or her sensei for calling the point. But, she COULD blame the jerk who'd caused her the loss in concentration. Her voice growled very low, "Ryouga... I will not forgive you this indignity." and flinched only slightly as he continued on through the opposite wall, leaving her dojo in shambles, "Where ever you go... one day... Hibiki Ryouga, I WILL avenge this slight." Tanya always was just a bit intense.
Giichi saw the cold stare Tanya now wore, and looked on as the finest of the External Extremes dojo tromped off into the distance. He shrugged and thought to himself, (If what I have heard of him is true, the revenge she desires will never be fulfilled. How does one find a person who can not find himself? Ah well.) "Noori-san, we will begin your retraining tomorrow, when your wounds are less apparent. Both of you, walk to the health dojo and get the care you need. Kumade, you have proven your worth.
Your new training will begin in two days, use your rest well. Now go."
"But..." Tanya was furious, but could do little to nothing. She wanted to go beat the crap out of that Hibiki punk, but could not refuse her teacher, "Hai, Sensei." she growled heavily and managed a forced bow.
Kumade bowed deeply, holding his his chest and wincing, "Hai, Sensei."
They made their way towards the health dojo, with Tanya still seething.
Giichi shook his head and eyed his dojo narrowly. His gaze fell upon the stunned students who even STILL looked about in amazed bewilderment,
"Well?" he called out, "Why are you all gawking? Get to work on repairs immediately!" this was the housekeeping and maintenance dojo after all,
the students here were more capable than those of any other. The way Giichi saw it, repairs should be simple.
Four months came and went... and Tanya had found stalking Ryo to be a wonderful pastime. She had managed to drag out of Megane (Info that was hard-gotten, even if he was her Boyfriend) that his brother Ryo would be leaving to hunt Ryouga soon. Since then, she'd shadowed Ryo stealthily whenever she could. It had almost become her hobby over the last month.
And she was fairly certain Ryo was oblivious to her presence. Then again,
after observing him, she was of the opinion he was pretty oblivious in general.
Ryo wasn't anywhere near as inattentive as Tanya made him out to be, but pressing matters kept him from caring. He would soon have Ryouga in his sights, and he would avenge all his humiliation on the 'prodigy' who had removed him from his top ranking. And all else was unimportant. Ryo never noticed the dark-clad girl who now followed him, and he blatantly ignored any instinct which pointed it out to him. That, and Tanya was truely good at what she did.
Today, the tedium of shadowing Ryo had changed. This was the day Ryo was to leave in pursuit of Ryouga, and Tanya was ready for it. Perched in the rafters of the Environmental Extremes dojo, she craned ever so slightly to see the paperwork being handed to her patsy. She shouldered a modest pack of her belongings and was ready for the journey. Tanya thought quietly to herself, ( AlI need is fer Ryo t' lead me right t' Ryouga...
then I can take over from there! I 'aven't forgotten th' indignity and 'umiliation that jerk caused me! 'e's mine, 'e is! And rightfully so.
Such a loss of face b'fore me sensei is unforgiveable!) she looked on as Ryo pocketed the papers and stalked off, (Ah! Soon, I will be avenged.
This mission, by all rights, shoulda been mine.)
Pouncing soundlessly from rafter to rafter, she dropped to a graceful stand before the door and quickly made her way through it. She was on Ryo's trail, and most certainly would not lose him. Well, this would have been true had it not been for the familiar *thwack* and accompanied darkness, "Wot th'-*?"
Once more, Tanya found herself pulling at the plunger now hugging her face. Her words were probably not pleasant, not that anyone could hear them.
A voice spoke up, "And just where do you think you are going, Noori-san?"
Tanya found the plunger rather harshly yanked from her face.
"You weren't planning to leave with a word, now, were you? I had thought you a bit more responsible than that." Giichi showed no real emotion, but he made his disappointment more than apparent.
Tanya scanned the area, then the horizon, no sign of Ryo... at all. She cursed to herself in english, then managed in her best Japanese, "I lost him! I can not follow now! Why did you do this, sensei?"
Frowning, Giichi placed one hand on the girl's shoulder. He shook his head slowly, "Your duties lie here with your dojo, Noori-san. Would you shame your dojo by abandoning it?"
"But...! He's going fter Ryouga! That should be my fight!"
"Iie, it shouldn't be anyone's fight. Your failure that day was just that: your own. You allowed distraction to be your downfall. In a way, it was a valuable lesson. I suspect your concentration will never again be so easily shaken in the future."
Tanya stammered helplessly, "But... but... but..."
"I do not approve of this 'hunt' they've sent Muhoshin on, but it isn't my place to object. Those in my dojo, however, I have some say in their doings. You will stay and keep with your teachings." the sensei seemed to glare almost, he wasn't about to allow one of his prized pupils get caught up in what he viewed as 'foolish revenge', nor did he want her to have any dealings what so ever with Ryo. It was bad enough she was being courted by one related to him, "The mission they've sent Muhoshin on is mindless, and encourages spite. You will have nothing to do with it."
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Hai..."
"You had best mean that, Tanya. You're one of the finest." he didn't mind bolstering her ego, it wasn't a lie.
"Hai, sensei."
Giichi nodded, "Good. Now, join me in morning practice." the sensei walked away casually, knowing full well the girl's sense of duty would compel her properly.
Tanya did a final scan of the surroundings. Nothing. Ryo was just gone. She grumbled and followed her sensei, just as she was told. But her thoughts still lingered, (This ain't over, Ryouga. I'll find ya, I will.
Ya 'aven't gotten out o' this yet.)
The two disappeared into their dojo.
********
EPILOGUE ********
3 years later. Present day.
Nabiki frowned, looking at the Noori file. Somewhat unsatisfactory.
Just on a whim she flipped back to the UWSMA file and glanced it over.
-
Unorthodox Weaponry School of Martial Arts (UWSMA)
Membership: unknown Known Members in Nerima:
Hibiki Ryouga - (?)
Muhoshin Kyoko - student Muhoshin Megane - student Muhoshin Ryo - student Muhoshin Ryoko - student History: The UWSMA was founded hundreds of years ago as a school to train martial artists on how to use any sort of weaponry, and handle any sort of environment, mainly for the purpose of training guardians to men of great importance. As time passed, for unknown reasons, the UWSMA gradually faded from it's once prominent position, but still exists today.
Possible heavy influence on the strange techniques found in Nerima (i.e.
Handwriting Martial Arts, Tea Ceremony Martial Arts, Cheerleading Martial Arts). Reported to have been recently disbanded by unknown events but getting ready for a revival.
-
She quickly added in the names Oshimu Giichi and Noori Tanya, then closed the file again. Nabiki mulled over the possibilities on this case.
Why was Noori after Ryouga? Old rival? Fiancee? She laughed out loud briefly at that. _How Ranma-esque_ she mused. Still, there was no information yet that would bend Noori to her will. That was the entire point of her 'files'. No sense in lingering any further, Kuno was waiting and she had photos to deal, and had a feeling today she'd make a killing.
Meanwhile, across the street...
Tanya eyed the woman exiting the cafe with a measure of suspicion. She'd been patrolling around the neighborhood when she spotted her ex-boyfriend, Megane, talking to a girl down below. That was enough for her to be suspicious of what they were both up to. Or was it? Maybe she was just being paranoid. (Ah, s'nothin' to worry'bout) she reassured herself, then sprinted off across the rooftops. (Megs went 'bout this way,
methinks... 'ey oughta lead me straight't Ryo... who oughta lead me straight't Ryouga. 'An when I find'em...) Tanya grinned as she sprinted off in pursuit. She had a Hibiki to find, and had a feeling today she'd make a killing.
-the end... and the beginning-
========================================================================= WRITER'S COMMENTS:
Well, here it is. This is the first and only thing I've made public. I don't know how good it is, I guess it could be considered a first attempt. This isn't the first thing I've ever written, but all else I've done has been exclusive to a small writing club, or stories that have never been made public. Anyway, I owe a lot to RPM for this one, without his aid and persistant prodding... this wouldn't have been written at all. Just another idea on a back burner somewhere. Also, my thanks to him for the editing and critisism, and putting up with my procrastination ^_^;. It's not fully a Ranma 1/2 fic exactly, more of an introduction... and I gotta admit, I was rather afraid to put it out at all. Ah well, never know until you try, ne? ========================================================================== EDITOR'S COMMENTS: rebirth of a character.
Well, it started like this...
Several months ago I was in my Nth Total Rewrite of The More Things Change (N being a number higher than 20 but lower than infinity) and it was FINALLY flowing nicely. A few friends of mine helped me get unjammed from severe writer's block. One friend of mine, I was encouraging her to start writing. She had an old fic that I read, it read fairly good, and I thought she could certainly do some stuff now now.
And so she brings up an old character design. A girl that uses England Chimney Sweep stuff to fight, and has a grudge against a certain Lost Boy that was wanndering through her place and caused a mess.
That, by itself, was a fair plot. We both realized, thought, that she'd be a PERFECT candidate for the Unorthodox Weaponry School of Martial Arts.
That, and I needed another rival to make Ryouga's life hell. After ALOT of prodding, she started writing, and the final result is, imho, a pretty nifty character for the ranmaverse. I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly did =) C&C -very- much appreciated.
-rpm
btw, bonus points to whoever can name the artists that sang the titles to the story AND the four parts =)