I do not own Ranma ½ or any characters part or parcel of that great work, nor lay claim to any of the incredible ideas expressed by Rumiko Takahashi, or Viz video. This is just a labor of love from one fan to the rest.
Chapter 20.. Final notice on collection.
When Nabiki opens her eyes, she becomes all too aware of the pain, a burning, hungry pain that seems to fill every vein with pulsing agony. She fixes her gaze on the blurry shape next to her, managing to croak out "Ranma" through the parched wreck of her throat. She groggily reaches towards the figure, feeling her hand being grasped lightly. "Ranma…" She says again, softly.
"I'm sorry, Nabiki Tendo, but Ranma...Is not here." The woman says softly.
"W..what do you mean...She isn't here? Is..is she dead…." She says as the hungry pain seems to flare more.
"No, Ranma is not dead. She left, thinking that she was putting you in more danger. Honestly, it makes me wonder just how many times she was hit on the head. My name is Akiko Watanabe, and I will be helping you put yourself back together. You were in the hands of a sadist who loved torture and drugs for enough time for her to do some damage to you. It's going to take some time, but we will get through this, together."
"I..I want Ranma…." Nabiki half sobs, trying to curl in on herself.
"I know, and if possible, we will help you find her again. But first, we need to get you better. You have quite a few people that want to see you, once you are able to handle visitors. For now, I want you to take this and rest, please." The unusually pale woman with violet eyes says gently, holding a foul-smelling cup to Nabiki's lips.
After a moment, Nabiki drinks it, shuddering at the taste. "T..That is vile…"
"Oh, I know it is. I make it that way. Now, get some rest and one of us will be here when you wake up. You know it's odd, you seem oddly familiar to me." Akiko comments as she gently tucks the middle Tendo in.
"Yeah...you….too…" Nabiki mumbles as she slips once more into a dreamless sleep.
The next month is rough, to put it nicely. While Nabiki tries to deal with the mental issues that being a sadist's plaything left behind, her body is dealing with withdrawal from the various drugs she was injected with. She cries herself to sleep more often than not, but there is one of the ladies of the Teahouse with her at all times.
The month after that is better, mostly because there was not much room for things to go downhill. She no longer feels the need to shy away from people that she doesn't know, and loud noises no longer send her into fits. The bodily aches are slowly fading, as the lacerations that criss-cross her body mend.
She is finally cleared to see her family, with Akane and Ukyo being the first ones to come see her, spending hours talking to her, consoling her and giving her the encouragement that she needs. The fact that Akane seems more than willing to hunt Ranma down and kill her for what she did is an odd sort of comfort.
One of her guests is unexpected, as Kyo Tanaka makes his way into her room, accompanied by none other than the Mother of the House, who sits quietly in a corner and doesn't watch them as they talk.
"Greetings, Tendo-san. I have heard that you are on the mend? I imagine that the ladies of the house are taking good care of you?" Kyo says as he sits at her bedside.
She nods wearily, smiling softly. "They have put the broken toy back together into something that loosely resembles A Nabiki Tendo, yes. And yes, I can't complain about anything but the taste of Akiko's concoctions. So, what brings the head of the Tanaka here, of all places?"
He nods as he accepts the cup of tea that is offered to him. "I actually came here looking for you. I have a business proposition."
She shakes her head, giving him a look. "I have no interest in dealing with any more illegal activities or criminal organizations."
He holds up his hand, smiling sadly. "I understand, and I would never think of putting you in that kind of position. My father, before he died, wanted the Tanka to start to look into legitimate business, not just as a way to launder money, but as a separate dedicated enterprise. He thought that one day we might have to give up our old ways, or at least have a way to survive without them. You're honest, smart, tough and you have integrity. I want your help, I need someone I can trust completely to monitor the books, to make sure that this business stays on the up and up at all times. I have a bit of money that is not directly related to our usual enterprises, and I want you to oversee it. Take your time, think about it and let me know, if you would."
"If...I do this.. Will you help me find Ranma?" Nabiki says, not looking at him.
"I would be willing to do that. The thing is, I don't know if Ranma wants to be found, Miss Tendo." Kyo says softly.
"She doesn't. That is all the more reason for me to find that idiot and beat some sense into them." Nabiki says, staring at the ceiling.
"Remind me to never upset you, Tendo-san. I think you might be scarier than our dear little firecracker." Kyo says as he stands. "When you make up your mind, let me know." He bows slightly and walks out of the room, leaving Nabiki to her thoughts as Konatsu makes her own exit.
Nabiki sighs as she goes back to contemplating the ceiling. She needed information, and she knew of only one person she could ask for it. No matter what it cost her.
"I need to talk to Gosunkugi." She says, looking towards the wall.
There is the slightest noise of affirmation and she lays back down, knowing that soon enough Akiko will be back in with one of her vile concoctions.
Soon, she would have the answers she needed, and then she would confront the idiot directly.
A few days later, she had the most unsavory guest of all, one who was present before she even knew he was there. The information broker, looking even more deathly than normal without his gothic lolita hanging around.
"You asked for me, Miss Tendo?" He says in that quiet voice of his.
"I need information, and I'm willing to pay to get it." She says, eyeing him disdainfully.
"You want to know something that no one else will tell you, hrm? Like who was behind the scenes, pulling the strings, perhaps? Who was responsible for what you went through?" He says, looking even more ghoulish.
"I want to know where Ranma is. I know you know, you are in the business of knowing things that no one knows." She says, gripping her bed sheets tightly. "I'm willing to pay...an hour."
He cocks an eyebrow and blinks. "An hour? Are you sure about that, Miss Tendo?"
"One hour is what I'm offering for the location of Ranma." She states again, staring at him.
"Then...We have a deal, Miss Tendo….Can I call you Nabiki? I like to use the names of all my...Special clients. Makes it all feel more….Personal." Gos says with a leer.
She nods, watching him then sighs and looks towards the ceiling. "I can't pay you right now, you understand…. But I always pay back my debts."
"Oh, I am aware, and I will call in the debt when it is a bit more….Convenient." He says.
She looks towards him, and the odd little creep is gone just as silently as he came.
"Ranma, you really owe me for this…." She mutters.
It has been six months, and she finally has a clean bill of health along with the information from Gosunkugi. It seems that Ranma has been holed up on some private island in the Mediterranean to heal up. She is glad for that, it will make beating him up a bit more satisfactory.
She makes the arrangements, calling in her favor from Kyo to arrange transportation. She even gets herself a quite unexpected bodyguard, compliments of the Teahouse. Everything is in place, it seems. Now, all that is left to do is find the stupid idiot and beat some sense into him or her, depending on the weather.
A week later, on a secluded private island that is little more than a speck on a map, Ranma is laying out on the beach topless, wearing a pair of men's swim trunks. She watches the sea plane coming in to land with a cocked eyebrow as she checks on the gun strapped underneath her beach chair.
When the plane pulls up to the dock, the pilot hops out to tie them off, followed immediately by a tall woman who would fit the bill of being a classic beauty, if not for the simple eye patch that covers her left eye, and the fact that the right sleeve of her kimono hangs empty. At her hip is an elegant sword in a delicately lacquered sheath. She sweeps the area with her one eye, then turns and holds her hand up to the passenger who is climbing out next.
Ranma feels her breath catch in her throat as he chest is suddenly tight. Nabiki steps out of the plane wearing a simple backless dress, the elaborate phoenix tattooed across her back visible for a moment as she turns to look back into the plane before walking purposefully down the dock and towards her.
She doesn't even really notice when Akane and Ukyo get out of the plane, watching the events unfolding with an intense look in their eyes. She finds herself standing without thinking about it, moving towards Nabiki before her mind can stop the actions of her heart.
"Nabiki! What...what are you doing here? Why did you come here?" Are the words that slip from her lips without thinking, as she cringes.
Nabiki pins Ranma in place with a piercing stare as she strides towards her former bodyguard. The slap that follows sounds like a gunshot, and probably feels like one to the dumbfounded redhead. The kiss that follows almost immediately afterwards definitely leaves Ranma stunned as she finds herself looking into intense brown eyes.
"If you ever do something this stupid again, I'm going to let Akane kill you. No, I will let her COOK for you, THEN kill you." She says in a low, dangerous tone of voice.
Ranma swallows hard, unable to move as she feels those intense brown eyes boring into her. "Now, you can say one thing. It better be the right thing, or I'm leaving." She says.
Ranma hesitates, then squares her slim shoulders, ignoring the fact she is giving everyone a very good show as she takes Nabiki's hand in hers. "Nabiki, I'm sorry I was an idiot. I won't do it again. Please….Don't leave." She looks down, knowing the tears that are escaping her eyes are all too real.
"You are an idiot...But...that said..I want you to be MY idiot. You have no idea what I had to go through to get to you. You owe me, Ranma." She says as she looms over the smaller woman.
Ranma almost meekly nods, swallowing nervously.
"Seriously, never again. We get through things together, or we don't get through them at all, got it?" Nabiki pokes Ranma hard in her ample chest.
"Yes, Nabiki….Whatever you want, Nabiki…." Ranma says, backing off just a bit.
Nabiki sighs and pulls Ranma in for another soul-searing kiss, then rests her forehead against the shorter woman's. "Never again, Ranma. I mean it."
"I know 'Biki. Never again, I promise." Ranma says as she wraps her arms tighter around the taller woman.
"Good. Now, let's go talk to Akane before she comes over and kills you on principle. And please, put a top on. I don't need the pilot to be unable to fly." Nabiki says as she laces her fingers into Ranma's after the busty redhead puts her top on.
"You're not leaving, are you?" Ranma asks quietly.
"No, but I think that we might want Akane and Ukyo to be able to get back to the mainland. I, for one, want to have a very loud, very intense conversation with you. Hot and cold water might be involved." Nabiki says, not looking over at the suddenly blushing redhead.
It was good to be back together.
/Fin!/
*A/N*
This ends Ying, Yang, Yakuza!
But, expect more of this tale, and of this world!
Like Fallen Leaves, the Willow Weeps is just the first!
I have plans for others set in the Y3 world, including the further adventures of various characters, and the future for our little pair. Expect fights, feuds, and family!
I want to introduce his daughter with Shampoo soon….
Probably in a split piece.
We shall see!
Thank you again for reading! I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I did writing!
PS-I might eventually be tying this more fully into my multiverse-spanning tale that starts with Broken Mirrors, and includes Reforging the Broken Sword (which is it's OWN continuity)
Stay Frosty!