Chapter # 12
Nerima District, 1990's-
The walk to school wasn't so bad. It gave Kenshin a chance to explore his new surroundings. How Japan had changed! The tall buildings, streets, cars, people, everything! It seemed the sun and sky were the only two things which remained the same. The thought made Kenshin slightly homesick making his visage slump.
The sudden change in his expression caught Akane off guard. She looked to the man walking beside her. * I think something's really wrong with him. He would normally be stolling on the fence. Plus he's been acting so oddly…so nice! I bet he's hiding a secret.* She jogged ahead slightly and began walking backwards so she could face him.
Kenshin looked up meeting her concerned gaze. He immediately changed his face to look happy once again. * She can tell I'm different!*
The cheerful appearance didn't fool Akane. She said softly to him, "Ranma, don't even try to fake being happy. I see your furrowed brows." That was one thing he'd forgot to relax. "What's wrong? You should know that you can talk to me about anything." She continued looking up at him with her wide, worried eyes.
Kenshin thought frantically, * Maybe I should tell her. She does have a right to know that a stranger is living in her house, pretending to be her boyfriend. I think I should-*
"Ranma?…"
* No. No I can't. I don't think that Ranma, whoever he is, would want Akane to think he wasn't with her. Always. For as long as I have to hold on to this identity, I can still protect her just as he might. Then hopefully, I'll be able to undo this whole catastrophe.* He noticed Akane still waiting eagerly for a truthful answer. Having decided not to tell her, he had to make some sort of excuse, "Akane-dono, I-"
"Akane-dono?" a shrill voice interrupted making the two search for its source. Suddenly, there she was—a silhouette in the sharp sunlight: Kodachi Kuno. She let out a maniac's laugh that made Kenshin cringe. She then spat elegantly, "My darling, Ranma, why would you refer to this, this, abhorition of a lady with 'dono'?" she gestured threateningly at Akane with her ribbon. "Especially when you have myself to serve as your perfect wife?"
Kenshin gawked at the skimpily clad newcomer. He could feel her insane aura circling around her, seeming to pollute anything that got too close. He wasn't sure who she was, but he was positive he didn't like the way the tides were turning. He saw the evil glare she gave Akane and quickly pulled the blue-haired girl behind him. He leaned back not taking his eyes off Kodachi and whispered, "Akane, I don't trust this girl. She seems dangerous."
Behind the warm back of the Battosai, Akane's mind was racking. It was if time stood still while she took in the heroic moment. Heroic? Was that a good word to describe it? No, it was more than that; it was powerful. Akane strained as she tried to focus on feeling out the ki of her protector. * It's different somehow…Ranma's ki feels different than what he normally does. I can't place it, it feels very…emotional!* surprise overwhelmed her and she forced herself to look up to his face. * Stern.* she thought. * Not so much love, but out of duty and moral!* After coming to this conclusion, time again began to flow where it left off not leaving a trace of lag.
With ribbon raised high above, Kodachi pranced over twirling in a sort of weird dance. She laughed as she went about with a look in her deep eyes like one of a predator.
Kenshin motioned for Akane to leave. She took a step backwards, perhaps not out of obedience, but amazement. How unlike Ranma to act like this! He actually said that he didn't trust Kodachi, and was protecting her safety! What was this?! But what stood out most was the fact it didn't seem like it was out of love; the love that she normally felt from Ranma whether she was in mortal danger or was sitting on the porch with him. That untold love seemed to have disappeared within the last few days. Sure, he was acting nicer and more polite than usual, but Akane couldn't kid around anymore! She wanted her old Ranma back!
With a newfound fire burning within her, Akane shoved Kenshin away while he did a classic bug-eyed fault nearly falling over from the force. While he struggled to get up, the girl said resolutely, "You don't have to fight my fight, you know! I'm a martial artist, too, if you haven't forgotten."
On his feet once again, Kenshin said confused, "Oro? That is, I just didn't want you to-"
" 'Didn't want me to-' what?! Defend myself? Don't you think I could?! I don't need you to hold my hand all the time, so don't be getting the idea that you can!"
The abrupt change in behavior totally bewildered Kenshin. Why was she so mad all of a sudden? Trying to do this girl a favor was as hard as bathing a bobcat! * This must be the kind of fighting the family spoke of that happens between Akane and the real Ranma.* Kenshin thought.
"You dare challenge me, weakling?" cried Kodachi. With her chin turned up she looked quite snobby making her words pierce deeply.
Akane assumed a fighting stance and urged, "Come on, Kodachi. It's high time we fought evenly!"
"Hohohoho! How the tables have turned! Now the little girl is protecting my love?" Akane twitched at the thought. "Ha! Well don't worry Ranma dear. I won't let this winch or any other stand between us!" She threw a pose—one hand holding the cutting ribbon and the other holding shooting darts. "Let's go little girl so that we can get this over with!"
For once it was Kenshin who was a bystander in an amazing fight! Kodachi started throwing her darts. Akane dogged and attacked with a phoenix fist combo and side kick, barely missing the target. The wind of her kick licked Kodachi's pert face making it grow into hatred.
Jumping back, the gymnast shouted, "Why you! You nearly bruised my face! You'll die for that! GAAA!" With a quick flick of the wrist, a twirling ribbon shot after Akane's head. The young Tendo rolled out of the way and jumped back up delivering a crescent kick. This one connected sending Kodachi winding back. She caught herself before hitting the ground gracefully, rebounding with a flip. She gritted her teeth and let loose another round of ribbon trapping Akane's arm. Kenshin gasped in alarm and took a step forward, beginning to unsheathe his sword.
But, before he could, Kodachi saw his advance and threw him the hankie filled with her potion-filled cookies. Kenshin forgot himself for a moment and caught the sack clumsily. When he looked up, Kodachi told him, "That, darling, is for our victory over this little witch!" With that she yanked on the ribbon ensnaring Akane's arm, making small incisions over her flesh. Akane clenched her teeth and unexpectedly charged her opponent. Kodachi, surprised, watched as the girl kicked the ribbon wand out of her hand.
With a quick flick, Akane unraveled the band and shouted, "Ha! And now you've used up all your darts and lost your ribbon! I think this fight will finally be fair!"
In a haughty tone, Kodachi laughed at her, "Hohoho! Wouldn't you wish so! But the final victory is mine!" She glanced over to Kenshin who was inspecting one of the baked cookies. Innocently, he lifted it up and raised it to his mouth. Then, in a bolt of speed, Akane raced over and smacked the cookies from his hand.
"What the heck do you think you're doing?!"
Kenshin said, "Ah, I thought I should eat one since she went through the trouble of baking them for me."
"You BAKA! Those are laced! Haven't your learned by now that Kodachi never bakes with normal materials?!!"
Kenshin didn't answer. Then, he looked beyond her, appeared to be shocked, and sputtered, "If that's so, then you probably shouldn't have thrown them into that person's okonomiyaki cart."
"Oh no." Akane turned around. There, heading straight for them was Ukyo in her typical cross-dressing attire. Behind her she pulled her entire okonomiyaki stand. To her dismay, Akane saw that it was true, the cookies had landed in on the sauce jars she kept. She grimaced and said, "Ranma, I know Ukyo's your friend, but you got to be careful. I think some of Kodachi's cookies fell in one of those canisters, so you probably shouldn't eat anything from the cart." Kenshin nodded in agreement.
Ukyo screeched to a halt on her bicycle-driven cart. She jumped off in a chipper way and walked straight to Kenshin. She gave Akane the heads up, and the blue-haired girl waved back. Despite all odds, when Ukyo wasn't trying to steal Ranma away, she was pretty nice. Out of all Ranma's fiancées, she got along best with her.
"Ohayo de gozaru." Kenshin greeted. The person approaching him appeared to be friendly enough. She hugged him heartily, which made Akane steam some. *Is this…a really close male friend of Ranma's?* he thought. But, when their bodies touched, and when she squeezed a bit tighter, he could have sworn he felt the soft—
"Ranchan! Since when were you one to talk in old Japanese! Haha!"
Judging by her voice, Kenshin decided that she must be a girl, only impersonating a man. Why she would do that, he had no idea. However, Akane said she was a friend, and she used the suffix "chan" on Ranma's name, so he would play along. "Ukyo-dono, how nice to see you again."
* 'Dono'?* the chief thought to her self, * Why is he being so formal? Oh well! He said he was happy to see me!* She glanced over her shoulder to find Akane bubbling with anger. * I wonder why she's so short tempered today?* But, she decided it wasn't her concern and shrugged the matter off. "Wait here, Ranchan. I've got something special to give you!" She watched as Kenshin's eyes lit up with curiosity.
She fiddled with something back at her cart and returned with a fresh piece of okonomiyaki garnished with her ancient love sauce in the shape of little hearts. She looked down on it and paused, * I didn't remember cookies being part of the ingredients…Oh well, my ancestors made it, not I.* Giving the thought up, she handed it to Kenshin.
The ex-assassin was eager to have it. It had been a long while since he had okonomiyaki, and he wondered if it would still taste as good. The last time was three months ago, when Kaoru had spotted a mobile okonomiyaki cart. It was excellent! But, he couldn't remember the family's name. It was something like Kuji, or Koniri, or—he looked up at the cart rested in front of him—Kuonji! That was it! And by sheer coinincidence this girl was also from the same family! * I guess they were really serious about their business.* he thought and brought the warm food to his mouth.
Akane saw the danger and tried to stop him, but it would be too late! Then, from the sidelines, a shot of ribbon struck out and whapped the treat from his hands. Kodachi stood, catching her breath, her wand in hand. "You're not going to poison my darling Ranma so easily!" she sneered.
Kenshin was a little shock to say the least about what was going on. What was with these girls? He didn't have time to contemplate for long before he heard from behind him a small splash sound, much like a pebble hitting the water. He turned.
Barreling towards the group, a purple-headed girl on a red bicycle held up on one hand a large bowl of soup. To Akane's horror, half way hanging from the bowl was the okonomiyaki. Kodachi must have flung it into the air, and it had fallen into Shampoo's dish!
The perky girl hopped off her bike and bounded up to Kenshin, glomping him on sight. She pressed her body ever harder against his and said with an accent, "Nihao, Ranma!"
Buried under the girl's silky hair, Kenshin was mortified by her behavior. * Surely all women don't act this way in the future!* he told himself. Suddenly, a flood of memories and images rushed into his head. Images of sweet Kaoru and memories of her dainty demeanor. Even though she didn't always act it, it came natural to her to act lady-like and cultured. Kenshin sighed as he thought of the meek girl that he left behind, only to be accosted by multiple violent girls. He pushed the teen off of him in a very nonchalant manner with his eyes cast down.
Shampoo, as well as the others, was stunned. Normally, Ranma fought and shouted and flailed about in attempts to get clinging girls off him. This time, he seemed dejected and gently yet forcibly pushed Shampoo away.
Although it had only been a few short days since he'd been swept away from his former life, Kenshin felt the separation from his friends in the measure of years. It wasn't merely that he hadn't seen them for a couple of days, but in the present time, they were all dead. They had been dead for many, many long years. It wasn't like he could get up and visit them if he didn't make it back home.
