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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 7
Konatsu sprang silently and swiftly across the rooftops, each
of the girls' last expressions still haunting him. From the strain on
little Selah's face as she tried to keep the water attack up, to Ukyo's
worried visage knowing she was helpless to do anything, to Yuri's
terrified gaze, fearful he wouldn't return.
He had to return, he just had to, and he needed to get as much
help as quickly as possible. He wasn't about to let Selah's actions be
in vain. The only question was where to go, but really there was only
one place.
The Tendo Dojo.
Through all the chaos and battles and dangers they had faced,
this structure stood, serving both as a meeting place and a
battleground. It also housed both the Tendos and the Saotomes, two
families of martial artists.
Though he had heard the Saotomes had moved back into their old
house, he had also learned that Ranma had been allowed to stay at the
dojo until his marriage to Akane, which had happened several days ago.
Also, the two parent Saotomes had been known to visit from quite
frequently as well.
With the Amazons gone, he couldn't think of anyone else who
might be able to help.
He just hoped Ranma and Akane had returned.
Soun Tendo studied the board for the umpteenth time, but for
once, his mind was not on the game. The marriage ceremony, and it's
preparation, had been a nice distraction from his own problem, but now
that it was over and things had quieted down, his dilemma had returned.
Sensing his old friend was growing impatient, the Tendo
patriarch reached out and picked up an apparently random piece, a pawn,
and moved it one space foreword. These days, it seemed, his only joys
were these never-ending games he played with his oldest friend. Though,
in the past couple of months, he had found someone else who was fun to
spend time with.
Genma immediately reached out and took advantage of Soun's
error, moving a rook three paces. "Checkmate!" he declared proudly,
finally pronouncing the words he knew he would utter eventually when he
won. Seeking to gloat over his latest win, he was instead troubled by
the expression on his friend's face. "Tendo? Are you alright?"
"Huh?" Soun's face came up, his hand ceasing it's stroking of
his mustache. "Oh, uh sorry there, Saotome. Looks like you win again. Ha
ha ha!" His right hand came to rest against the back of his head while
he attempted to laugh his loss away.
Genma sat back and folded his arms across his chest after
pushing his glasses up. "You can't fool me, Tendo. Something's been
bothering you. You're hardly a challenge at all these days."
"Why, whatever do you mean, Saotome?" Soun asked innocently,
hoping to avoid talking about his it.
Genma sighed, knowing a little about what was bothering his old
friend. "Kimiko was a good woman, Tendo. But she would not have wanted
you to stay single forever if another woman caught your eye."
Soun stiffened, then turned on the verandah to look outside,
presenting his profile to the man sitting across from the board. In the
sky, the sun had reached it's apex, and was now starting on its way back
down. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly,
frowning.
Genma matched the frown with his own, hoping this would go
easier that it appeared to be going. In the past couple of months, he
had noticed Soun spending time with that teacher from Furinken. A
gorgeous, curvy woman who appeared to have her own interest in his old
training partner.
And Genma was thankful for that, as lately he had been spending
more time with his own wife, rediscovering the love he had once shared
with her. It wasn't easy, and they still weren't back to normal, but
progress was appearing to be made. This meant less time to spend with
Soun.
But what he didn't know, was why Soun had cut off all contact
with the teacher, making no effort to get in touch with her. And she
hadn't called the dojo either. Had they broken up without his knowing
about it? Had Soun called it off because of his devotion to his dead
wife?
Genma thought it was the latter, and was trying to help his
friend rediscover the happiness of love he himself was rediscovering.
"Why don't we call and invite Hinako-san over for dinner, tonight?" he
suggested, demonstrating the legendary Saotome tact his son had
inherited.
"No!" Soun blurted. "I mean, Kasumi has already started dinner
and I'm sure she didn't plan for an extra person."
Genma sighed, but any reply was cut off as a blur shot over the
Tendo compound wall and resolved itself into a dark red bodysuit wearing
ninja. The figure was kneeling before the two men, it's forehead bowed
low enough to touch the ground.
"Saotome-sama, Tendo-sama, I respectfully beg your assistance!"
Konatsu spouted in a rushed, yet respectful, tone. "My friends have been
captured and I need your help to free them!"
Soun, grateful for the relief from his friend's probing,
reached down pulled Konatsu up to a sitting position. "No need for
kneeling, boy. Please, calm down and tell us what happened."
As quickly as he could, the young kunoichi summed up the
situation, then asked "Is Ranma-sama and Akane-sama her as well? I fear
we may need their help as well. The old woman, Zhao Len, is highly
skilled and whatever else has happened to Kenji-sama, has made him quite
deadly as well."
Genma coughed once to clear his throat. "I'm afraid Ranma and
Akane are still on their honeymoon. They were scheduled to return today,
though I don't know when. If the situation is as bad as you say, then
waiting for their return is out of the question. However, if the three
of us go now, we might stand a chance."
Soun nodded. "Quite right, Saotome. Three vs. two makes for
better odds. And if we can free the captives, we could increase those
odds enough to obtain victory."
"Going out, father?" Kasumi asked as she stepped into the room.
"I'm afraid so, Kasumi," he replied, standing up and stretching.
"Something has come up. If we are not back for dinner, you and Nabiki
should go ahead and eat without us."
"Ready for action, Tendo?" Genma asked, finishing his own
stretching to loosen his muscles.
Soun nodded. "If it's just the three of us, then let's go!"
Genma grunted acknowledgment, and the two older men followed
close behind Konatsu as he took off over the wall.
[No, not just three,] Nabiki thought to herself where she stood
at the top of the stairs. She had overheard the entire conversation, and
a part of her was worried. She had heard about this Zhao Len when Ranma
and Akane had talked about her, and knew the old woman was as crafty and
dangerous as Cologne. She was worried that her dad and Uncle Saotome
wouldn't be up to the task.
[If only Ranma were here,] she thought morosely. But he wasn't,
and worrying about that wasn't going to help. It was also too bad that
Natsume and Kurumi had picked that morning to head out for a three-day
training trip, visiting a dojo to the west where they had once trained
for a few months.
What would help, was getting reinforcements and soon.
Unfortunately, there were only a couple of other people she could think
of, and she wasn't sure they would be much help. But any help was better
than none.
For a minute, she suddenly swayed, bracing herself against the
wall as the call came to her again, and she fought her body's attempts
to move. "Stop it!" she hissed, and to her relief, it did.
It had been happening more frequently now, and it scared the
hell out of her each time. She knew the blade was calling her, from
where it rested in the dojo storeroom. Usually it felt just like a low-
level pull, but over a week ago it had practically been screaming at
her. That was when Genma, Soun, and Nodoka had gone to help with the
disturbance at the Nerima mental ward.
If there was one thing Nabiki hated, it was being controlled,
and this sword seemed to have that ability on her. It had been like that
ever since she used it to freeze those two gremlins a couple of months
ago. The pull had been growing stronger, too, by invading her dreams
with such intensity that she frequently woke up in a cold sweat to the
near silent call of the siren song.
"I am not a martial artist!" she declared hotly in a low voice.
"And I have no desire to be one, either." To her, the day Nabiki Tendo
had to win a battle with brawn instead of brain, was the day she gave up
on money and became a nun. One after another, she had seen the
encounters her baby sister and Ranma got into, all because they
preferred fighting with their fists.
But she instinctively knew all that would go away once she
touched the sword again, just like last time. No control and no
prerogative, except to fight until her opponents were defeated or dead,
and she wasn't so enthusiastic about that last option.
Shaking herself and applying her own calming techniques, Nabiki
dropped back into total control and the siren song dimmed to mere
ignorable whisper. With that, she hopped down the stairs, grabbed her
jacket, and bolted out the door, knowing time was of the essence.
He awoke.
"Hello, how are you feeling?" Kodachi asked as her patient
finally regained consciousness.
Pantyhose Taro froze, as his gaze met that of the girl in the
dark blue kimono kneeling beside the bed. His eyes then rapidly flicked
around the room, a girl's bedroom he noted with chagrin. "Where am I?"
he demanded to know. "How did I get here?!"
"In my room of course," Kodachi told him. "Don't you remember?"
Taro tried to recall. [I was fighting that fireball chick
again; why did she attack me? I was hit, I fell.] The memories got more
vague at that point, but he remembered hitting hot water, then looking
up to see a good-looking girl. A good looking _naked_ girl. Taro's hand
flew to his nose in an attempt to stifle the developing nosebleed.
Then it hit him.
The girl looking at him now WAS that same girl. He was in her
bed. He was naked. She was naked last time he saw her. "Oh God..." Taro
gaped as his eyes widened. He sat up and backed away from her, wrapping
the blanket around his mid-section. "I didn't... you didn't... and I
don't even remember it! AAUUGGHHH!"
Kodachi blinked, not understanding what his problem was. "Are
you alright?"
Taro's thoughts were in a whirlwind. [My first time and I don't
remember it! I was never able to get past giving my name to a girl, and
now I've gone all the way! Okay, be calm, be cool. You are handsome,
what girl wouldn't want you?] He stopped fidgeting and gave her a
confident smile. [She just couldn't help herself. Yeah, that's it. Maybe
if I just don't give her my name, we can... no, that will never work!
I'll just charm her and maybe she'll be up for seconds. Great plan!]
Kodachi blinked again as the strange youth blurred across the
room and held her hand, his eyes meeting hers, blanket still wrapped
around his mid-section.
"So, how shall I show my gratitude for your assistance?" Taro
tried to say in as suave a tone as he could muster. "I know, how about a
kiss?"
"I beg your par-mmmpph!"
Kodachi started as he locked his lips with hers in a clumsy
attempt at a kiss, then her eyes narrowed as she reached behind her
back.
*WHAM!*
Kodachi seethed and put the mallet away as the boy folded,
unconscious, to the ground. "Of all the nerve! I am not that kind of
woman!" [At least, not anymore,] she amended to herself. She then sighed
and realized he would know be out for the rest of the night.
Frustrated, she stood up and tightened her sash, sorely tempted
to toss him out right now. Absently, her hand went to her lips. It WAS
the first time a boy had kissed her, and it wasn't too bad, and he was
good-looking, and maybe...
Kodachi killed that line of thought right there, definitely not
ready to deal with it. Her ears picked up the sound of a doorbell, and
decided to shelve the current issue to see who was at the door.
Sasuke blinked in mild surprise at the person waiting for him
at the gated entrance to the Kuno mansion. "Tendo-san, are you here to
see Master Kuno? Please, come in and I will fetch him for you."
Nabiki allowed herself to be escorted into the foyer. "Please,
be quick. I have urgent business to discuss."
"As you wish."
The Kuno manservant bowed, disappeared in a puff of smoke, and
Nabiki smiled slightly at the retreating coughing noise. [Konatsu, you
aren't,] she thought wryly. [But you and Kuno-baby'll have to do.]
She didn't have to wait long.
Tatewaki's voice preceded his entrance. "What brings thee here
this night?" he asked in a carefully-guarded and neutral tone.
He hadn't seen her much since the Christmas party, as she had
apparently no wish to see him. He hadn't needed her services much
anymore, since he no longer bought pictures or information on either
Akane or the pig-tailed girl, whom he now knew to be Ranma. Also, he was
content to let her manage the house's investments on her own.
Nabiki sighed. This was not going to be as easy as she thought.
"Look, I'll give it to you straight. My dad and Saotome-san just left to
help a few of our friends who were captured by Zhao Len. You remember
her? She's the one who kidnapped Ranma, Akane, and Kenji and drew you
all into that battle with the Amazons you nearly lost."
"Preposterous!" Kuno snorted, the famous ego seemingly making a
comeback. "The Blue Thunder was never in danger! Everything was in
hand."
"Riiiight," Nabiki drawled, but decided not to argue that point.
"Listen, we could use your help as well. From the information I've
gathered, this Zhao Len could be at least as dangerous as, if not
moreso, than Cologne. And from what I understand, she's mind controlling
Kenji again, only he's more dangerous somehow."
Tatewaki raised an eyebrow. "We? I hardly think thy family
desires my presence, Tendo Nabiki."
Nabiki sighed heavily. "Alright, you got me. It's just me; I'd
feel better if you were there. I figure you can help me get in and
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah while my dad, Saotome-san, and Konatsu keep
the old witch and Kenji busy."
"So, you do nee-"
"Yes, I do, for now," Nabiki replied, cutting him off. She poked
his chest with her finger, giving Kuno a hard glare that was enough to
kill the smile that had begun to form on his face. "But let's get one
thing straight: You're still a pompous, arrogant moron. You're right
that my family still isn't too thrilled to see you, after all you've put
my sister and Ranma through. You still haven't outgrown your two-timing
ways either."
Tatewaki frowned. "You have a most peculiar way of convincing a
possible ally to fight for you, Tendo Nabiki."
"But," Nabiki continued in a slightly softer tone. "You are a
decent martial artist who's even given Ranma a challenge at times.
You're right, I do need you right now. Also, when you went with everyone
else to save my sister and Ranma from the Amazons, that went a long way
toward showing you were a different person than before. Maybe if you
started doing stuff like that for anybody else who was in trouble, you'd
convince more people, including my family, that you might be changing
for the better."
Nabiki finished her argument and waited, trying to gauge
Tatewaki's reaction. He used to be so incredibly easy to read, but these
days he had become more withdrawn, his emotions and internal thought
processes hidden. After several minutes of study, she concluded that he
wasn't going to help after all. [What a waste of time. I shouldn't have
come here.]
"I shall do it."
"I figured as much, I don't know why I even both-" Nabiki
stopped. "You'll do it?" She almost couldn't believe her ears
Tatewaki nodded. "You are correct, Tendo Nabiki. I have not
been the most virtuous of samurai," Nabiki laughed at that, "but that
does not mean I am bound to the path I traveled before. Perhaps it is
time for a change. Where did you say these fiends are holding yon fair
maidens captive?"
Nabiki blinked. "Um, okay. Konatsu said they were hold up in an
condemned office building in the Meji district."
"Sasuke!"
The little ninja popped out of a nearby potted plant to kneel
next to Kuno. "Yes, master?"
"Prepare for battle, we depart at once!"
Sasuke nodded fiercely. "Yes, master!"
"Ohohohohoho! Not without me, brother-dear!"
Nabiki planted her face in her hand and groaned. [Not her.
Please, Kami-sama, not her! The last thing we need is a wild card.]
Kodachi Kuno leapt from the second store railing, did a
graceful somersault, and landed beside her brother, her midnight-blue
kimono still wrapped neatly around her body.
"Sister, I do not think this a wise idea. You should be
resting."
Kodachi scowled. "I have done enough resting. I did enough
resting that I very nearly lost my mind again. And if you can go off and
start helping people now, why cannot I do the same thing? Besides, you
and Sasuke are the only family I have left now, I cannot let you go off
and face danger alone!" She was confident her 'sedative' would keep her
patient out of it for the rest of the night.
"These people mean business, Kodachi," Nabiki told the girl
flatly. "This isn't a rhythmic gymnastics match."
Kodachi leveled a gaze at the Tendo daughter. "I am more
capable of taking care of myself than you are, Tendo Nabiki."
"Touche. Fine then, if you want to come along, do so. Just try
not to get in the way."
Kodachi smiled slightly, and at first Nabiki thought the girl
would laugh or make some kind of snide comment. Instead, all she said
was, "Very well. Thank you for allowing me to help. I shall do what I
can."
Nabiki blinked, looking at the girl strangely.
"Then let us be off," Tatewaki declared, striding towards the
door. "Every moment we tarry here, is one which may prove to be our
friends' undoing."
And with that, the unlikely, and possibly unstable, quartet
headed off into the night.
"They're coming."
Zhao Len perked up from where she sat, looking across the room
to where Kae gazed out the second story window. The old woman could feel
the ki signatures approaching, but was unable to tell exactly who it
was. She took a sip of her tea and voiced that question to her temporary
partner.
"The effeminate ninja boy has come back, and if I'm reading the
memories of this body's previous host correctly, he's brought Ranma's
father and Akane's father with him."
Zhao Len frowned. That wasn't who she wanted, but she supposed
they would do for now. "Very well. Let's make ready to receive our
guests."
Kae stepped back from the window, gave the old woman a slight
nod, then faded into the shadows.
"This the place?" Soun asked the young boy, reading the
nameplate on the gate as the 'Nikaze Office Building.'
Konatsu nodded fiercely, mentally preparing himself. "This is
where they hold Yuri, Ukyo, and Selah."
"Well, it's safe to say we are expected," Genma added, noting
the six-tiered structure.
"Indeed, Saotome." Soun cast a grin at his friend. "Well, shall
we show them what two who trained under the Master of the Musabetsu-
Kakuto can do?"
Genma matched the grin. "We shall, Tendo. After all, not all of
it was panty-stealing."
"True," Soun agreed sagely. "There was the peeping, the running
out on bills, burglary, conning the villagers we came across,
freeloading..."
"Ahem," Genma coughed into his fist. "I think that's enough,
Tendo."
"Right, let's go!"
Kasumi finished her meal in silence, a little lonely due to the
fact that no one else was there. With Ranma, Akane, and their father's
gone, Kasumi figured she would at least have Nabiki, but the elder Tendo
daughter couldn't find her younger sister anywhere. She must have snuck
out earlier. Kasumi was tempted to give Tofu or Auntie Saotome a call
just for some company.
She sighed and placed her empty bowl down. She found delight in
others, in working behind the scenes to help them out. When there was no
one around, or no one to help, she felt more alone and depressed then
most.
Her internal thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of voices
and footsteps entering the foyer.
"...st drop it, Ranma," came Akane's weary voice. "I'm tired and
I don't want to hear anymore, okay?"
"Jeez, Akane," Ranma replied in an exasperated tone. "I was just
tryin' ta help. What's buggin' ya? You've been uptight since this
morning!"
"Just leave me alone, Ranma. I'm not in the mood."
"Feh, fine. Whatever."
"Ranma, Akane, you're back!" Kasumi greeted the newlywed couple.
"How was the honeymoon?"
A pair of blushes was the reply, as the two gazed shyly at each
other. Then the moment was gone and Akane was turning away from Ranma.
"I'm a little tired now Kasumi. If you don't mind, I think I'll head
straight to bed."
Kasumi nodded as she hugged her youngest sister. "Of course.
We've set up your new room in the master bedroom."
"New room?" Ranma asked, confused.
"Of course!" Kasumi replied with a smile. "You two own the house
and dojo now, so father moved into the guest room. We've set up a new
bed in his old room, which is now yours."
Ranma put a hand behind his head, the enormity of the change
now hitting him. "Oh, geez." He looked around. "Say, where's pops and
everyone else?"
"Oh, Father and Uncle Saotome went with Kenzen-san to help
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah-chan."
"What!?" was the stereo response.
"From who?" Ranma asked, his mindset switching to action.
Kasumi thought about for a second. "Someone named Zhao Len, I
believe."
"Oh, crap." Ranma dropped his pack and sprung back to the
doorway. The last time he had tangled with the old woman, he very nearly
lost. "Where?"
"Oh, are you going, too? Please be careful. I think it was a
run-down building in the Meji district."
Ranma nodded. "Gotcha. Come on, Akane. Let's go." He sprinted
out into the yard, then stopped when he realized his wife wasn't
following. Turning back around revealed her still standing in the same
spot, looking somewhat edgy and... there was another emotion on her face
he couldn't identify, but it couldn't have been fear, could it? "Whatssa
matter? You comin' or not?"
Akane shook her head. "No... You go without me. You can handle
it alone. I..." She stopped, then cast a sad look at Kasumi and rushed
into the house.
"Whatever." Ranma shrugged, then took off. Inwardly, he was a
bit confused. On one hand, he was glad that she wasn't going to put
herself in danger and he could fight without worrying about her, but on
the other, he had actually started to grow used to having her fight by
his side.
Not knowing what to think about it, he dropped the lone of
thought altogether, clearing his mind for the battle ahead.
"Is something wrong, Akane-chan?" Kasumi said from the doorway
to the couple's new room. Akane was already inside. She had apparently
dropped her pack inside, and was now laying on the bed, staring at the
ceiling.
"No, I'm... fine, Kasumi," Akane replied in a near-listless
voice.
The elder sister took a step into the room. "Normally, you
enjoy running off on these adventures, especially with Ranma."
Akane turned over to rest on her side, curling up and said in
such a quiet voice, Kasumi barely heard it, "He doesn't need me. I'd
just be in the way."
This time, Kasumi was moved to cross the distance and sit down
lightly on the bed. "I'm sure that's not true. You've been a big help to
Ranma-kun many times."
"Maybe," she said in a thoughtful voice, but then it went back
into her depressed one. "But that was then."
Sensing an issue here, Kasumi asked, "Something changed? Do you
want to talk about it?"
When she did not receive a reply, Kasumi took a closer look at
Akane, to find the younger girl trembling slightly. The elder sister
laid a hand on her sister's knee, and Akane responded by nearly throwing
herself into Kasumi's arms, shuddering and leaking tears. Then the words
came pouring forth, as if a dam had burst.
Akane talked about how she had been experiencing small bouts of
dizziness and weakness, but thought it was nothing, until she had been
accosted by a gang of boys early this morning as she was out jogging.
Normally, she would have been able to easily handle the seven or eight
that surrounded her, but after turning away the first few attacks, she
was hit with another weakness spell. Her strength nearly gone, she was
soon overpowered, unable to adequately defend herself.
And she would have been in trouble too, had not Ranma suddenly
appeared and tore into the attackers with a vengeance, only to carry the
sobbing Akane back to the inn they were staying at.
"He was following me!" Akane nearly wailed. "He had to have
been, in order to save me!"
"I'm sure Ranma-kun was just concerned," Kasumi offered.
Akane shook her head and pulled back from Kasumi, sniffling.
"No, I'm not upset that he followed me, just that he had to intervene. I
should have able to handle eight guys just fine, but I no longer have
the crystal heart that made me strong. I'm just a weak little girl now."
The last sentence came out in a bitter tone.
Akane turned away from her sister, and her voice became much
quieter and more filled with sadness and self-loathing. "It's just as
Ranma said once on our training trip. The super soba, the battle dogi,
the Tora Dokiken that the crystal heart provided -- they may have
happened to me accidentally, but the fact is I continued to use and rely
on them. I cheated. I wanted to be an equal to the other girls and Ranma
so much, that I took advantage of shortcuts. And now I'm paying the
price."
"Oh, Akane-chan..." Kasumi closed the distance between them once
more and hugged her sister tightly. "You were always the strong one of
us. I may have stepped in mother's role, and Nabiki may have helped with
the finances, but you were the only one who still carried the
enthusiastic spirit of our mother. You may not have done everything very
well, but you never gave up, always seeking to do something to help when
and wherever you could. And then you found martial arts and became far
stronger than any of us, including father. We always looked to you as
our protector."
"But I'm not like that anymore!" Akane protested, but not
pulling out of her sister's hug. "Even on the trip home, I was fatigued
more than once and had to stop and rest, or else we would have been back
sooner. I can barely cook or sew, and know I can't even fight anymore!"
Kasumi placed a hand on Akane's chin and lifted the younger
girl's tearful, brown eyes to meet hers. "Listen to me, imoutochan," she
said in a firmer voice. "You can do anything you put your mind to, as
long as you don't give up. When you wanted to learn to cook, you used
our mother's cookbook and Nodoka-obasama's help to be able to. You've
actually made several good dishes. When you actively pursued Ranma, the
other girl's didn't have a chance. When you wanted to become a better
martial artist, you convinced Ranma to train you and you became better.
You never gave up!"
"But, what about these bouts of weakness?" Despite the question
asked in fearful doubt, Kasumi detected a small spark of Akane's hope
and confidence in there as well.
"I don't know," Kasumi conceded, stroking her sister's hair.
"Maybe we can have Tofu take another look at you. From what you've told
me, I do not think that is normal. You were always a healthy and active
child, even before mother died."
Akane blinked at her sister in surprise, realizing the
statement was true. Her recently-surfaced memory of her mother entailed
how she gave the crystal to Akane before she died. If Akane wasn't weak
before that, maybe what was happening to her wasn't her natural
condition.
"I-I don't know, oneechan," Akane told her sister over a yawn.
"But thanks for trying. I'm just so tired right now."
Kasumi smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Now you should get some
rest." She helped Akane lay back down and pull the covers over her.
"You always do that," Akane mumbled, eyes closing. "Take such
good care of us, that is."
Kasumi retreated to the doorway and switched off the lights.
Akane couldn't see since her own were closed, but Kasumi's eyes suddenly
looked much older and wiser. "It's what I do. There are things you can
do that I could never hope to accomplish, and there are things that only
I can do to help. To each their own."
With a subtle shift, her eyes returned to normal. Kasumi then
closed the door, heading for the dining room to clear the table of
dishes and to prepare the leftover food for storage.
After all, her family would be hungry when they returned home.
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 7
Konatsu sprang silently and swiftly across the rooftops, each
of the girls' last expressions still haunting him. From the strain on
little Selah's face as she tried to keep the water attack up, to Ukyo's
worried visage knowing she was helpless to do anything, to Yuri's
terrified gaze, fearful he wouldn't return.
He had to return, he just had to, and he needed to get as much
help as quickly as possible. He wasn't about to let Selah's actions be
in vain. The only question was where to go, but really there was only
one place.
The Tendo Dojo.
Through all the chaos and battles and dangers they had faced,
this structure stood, serving both as a meeting place and a
battleground. It also housed both the Tendos and the Saotomes, two
families of martial artists.
Though he had heard the Saotomes had moved back into their old
house, he had also learned that Ranma had been allowed to stay at the
dojo until his marriage to Akane, which had happened several days ago.
Also, the two parent Saotomes had been known to visit from quite
frequently as well.
With the Amazons gone, he couldn't think of anyone else who
might be able to help.
He just hoped Ranma and Akane had returned.
Soun Tendo studied the board for the umpteenth time, but for
once, his mind was not on the game. The marriage ceremony, and it's
preparation, had been a nice distraction from his own problem, but now
that it was over and things had quieted down, his dilemma had returned.
Sensing his old friend was growing impatient, the Tendo
patriarch reached out and picked up an apparently random piece, a pawn,
and moved it one space foreword. These days, it seemed, his only joys
were these never-ending games he played with his oldest friend. Though,
in the past couple of months, he had found someone else who was fun to
spend time with.
Genma immediately reached out and took advantage of Soun's
error, moving a rook three paces. "Checkmate!" he declared proudly,
finally pronouncing the words he knew he would utter eventually when he
won. Seeking to gloat over his latest win, he was instead troubled by
the expression on his friend's face. "Tendo? Are you alright?"
"Huh?" Soun's face came up, his hand ceasing it's stroking of
his mustache. "Oh, uh sorry there, Saotome. Looks like you win again. Ha
ha ha!" His right hand came to rest against the back of his head while
he attempted to laugh his loss away.
Genma sat back and folded his arms across his chest after
pushing his glasses up. "You can't fool me, Tendo. Something's been
bothering you. You're hardly a challenge at all these days."
"Why, whatever do you mean, Saotome?" Soun asked innocently,
hoping to avoid talking about his it.
Genma sighed, knowing a little about what was bothering his old
friend. "Kimiko was a good woman, Tendo. But she would not have wanted
you to stay single forever if another woman caught your eye."
Soun stiffened, then turned on the verandah to look outside,
presenting his profile to the man sitting across from the board. In the
sky, the sun had reached it's apex, and was now starting on its way back
down. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly,
frowning.
Genma matched the frown with his own, hoping this would go
easier that it appeared to be going. In the past couple of months, he
had noticed Soun spending time with that teacher from Furinken. A
gorgeous, curvy woman who appeared to have her own interest in his old
training partner.
And Genma was thankful for that, as lately he had been spending
more time with his own wife, rediscovering the love he had once shared
with her. It wasn't easy, and they still weren't back to normal, but
progress was appearing to be made. This meant less time to spend with
Soun.
But what he didn't know, was why Soun had cut off all contact
with the teacher, making no effort to get in touch with her. And she
hadn't called the dojo either. Had they broken up without his knowing
about it? Had Soun called it off because of his devotion to his dead
wife?
Genma thought it was the latter, and was trying to help his
friend rediscover the happiness of love he himself was rediscovering.
"Why don't we call and invite Hinako-san over for dinner, tonight?" he
suggested, demonstrating the legendary Saotome tact his son had
inherited.
"No!" Soun blurted. "I mean, Kasumi has already started dinner
and I'm sure she didn't plan for an extra person."
Genma sighed, but any reply was cut off as a blur shot over the
Tendo compound wall and resolved itself into a dark red bodysuit wearing
ninja. The figure was kneeling before the two men, it's forehead bowed
low enough to touch the ground.
"Saotome-sama, Tendo-sama, I respectfully beg your assistance!"
Konatsu spouted in a rushed, yet respectful, tone. "My friends have been
captured and I need your help to free them!"
Soun, grateful for the relief from his friend's probing,
reached down pulled Konatsu up to a sitting position. "No need for
kneeling, boy. Please, calm down and tell us what happened."
As quickly as he could, the young kunoichi summed up the
situation, then asked "Is Ranma-sama and Akane-sama her as well? I fear
we may need their help as well. The old woman, Zhao Len, is highly
skilled and whatever else has happened to Kenji-sama, has made him quite
deadly as well."
Genma coughed once to clear his throat. "I'm afraid Ranma and
Akane are still on their honeymoon. They were scheduled to return today,
though I don't know when. If the situation is as bad as you say, then
waiting for their return is out of the question. However, if the three
of us go now, we might stand a chance."
Soun nodded. "Quite right, Saotome. Three vs. two makes for
better odds. And if we can free the captives, we could increase those
odds enough to obtain victory."
"Going out, father?" Kasumi asked as she stepped into the room.
"I'm afraid so, Kasumi," he replied, standing up and stretching.
"Something has come up. If we are not back for dinner, you and Nabiki
should go ahead and eat without us."
"Ready for action, Tendo?" Genma asked, finishing his own
stretching to loosen his muscles.
Soun nodded. "If it's just the three of us, then let's go!"
Genma grunted acknowledgment, and the two older men followed
close behind Konatsu as he took off over the wall.
[No, not just three,] Nabiki thought to herself where she stood
at the top of the stairs. She had overheard the entire conversation, and
a part of her was worried. She had heard about this Zhao Len when Ranma
and Akane had talked about her, and knew the old woman was as crafty and
dangerous as Cologne. She was worried that her dad and Uncle Saotome
wouldn't be up to the task.
[If only Ranma were here,] she thought morosely. But he wasn't,
and worrying about that wasn't going to help. It was also too bad that
Natsume and Kurumi had picked that morning to head out for a three-day
training trip, visiting a dojo to the west where they had once trained
for a few months.
What would help, was getting reinforcements and soon.
Unfortunately, there were only a couple of other people she could think
of, and she wasn't sure they would be much help. But any help was better
than none.
For a minute, she suddenly swayed, bracing herself against the
wall as the call came to her again, and she fought her body's attempts
to move. "Stop it!" she hissed, and to her relief, it did.
It had been happening more frequently now, and it scared the
hell out of her each time. She knew the blade was calling her, from
where it rested in the dojo storeroom. Usually it felt just like a low-
level pull, but over a week ago it had practically been screaming at
her. That was when Genma, Soun, and Nodoka had gone to help with the
disturbance at the Nerima mental ward.
If there was one thing Nabiki hated, it was being controlled,
and this sword seemed to have that ability on her. It had been like that
ever since she used it to freeze those two gremlins a couple of months
ago. The pull had been growing stronger, too, by invading her dreams
with such intensity that she frequently woke up in a cold sweat to the
near silent call of the siren song.
"I am not a martial artist!" she declared hotly in a low voice.
"And I have no desire to be one, either." To her, the day Nabiki Tendo
had to win a battle with brawn instead of brain, was the day she gave up
on money and became a nun. One after another, she had seen the
encounters her baby sister and Ranma got into, all because they
preferred fighting with their fists.
But she instinctively knew all that would go away once she
touched the sword again, just like last time. No control and no
prerogative, except to fight until her opponents were defeated or dead,
and she wasn't so enthusiastic about that last option.
Shaking herself and applying her own calming techniques, Nabiki
dropped back into total control and the siren song dimmed to mere
ignorable whisper. With that, she hopped down the stairs, grabbed her
jacket, and bolted out the door, knowing time was of the essence.
He awoke.
"Hello, how are you feeling?" Kodachi asked as her patient
finally regained consciousness.
Pantyhose Taro froze, as his gaze met that of the girl in the
dark blue kimono kneeling beside the bed. His eyes then rapidly flicked
around the room, a girl's bedroom he noted with chagrin. "Where am I?"
he demanded to know. "How did I get here?!"
"In my room of course," Kodachi told him. "Don't you remember?"
Taro tried to recall. [I was fighting that fireball chick
again; why did she attack me? I was hit, I fell.] The memories got more
vague at that point, but he remembered hitting hot water, then looking
up to see a good-looking girl. A good looking _naked_ girl. Taro's hand
flew to his nose in an attempt to stifle the developing nosebleed.
Then it hit him.
The girl looking at him now WAS that same girl. He was in her
bed. He was naked. She was naked last time he saw her. "Oh God..." Taro
gaped as his eyes widened. He sat up and backed away from her, wrapping
the blanket around his mid-section. "I didn't... you didn't... and I
don't even remember it! AAUUGGHHH!"
Kodachi blinked, not understanding what his problem was. "Are
you alright?"
Taro's thoughts were in a whirlwind. [My first time and I don't
remember it! I was never able to get past giving my name to a girl, and
now I've gone all the way! Okay, be calm, be cool. You are handsome,
what girl wouldn't want you?] He stopped fidgeting and gave her a
confident smile. [She just couldn't help herself. Yeah, that's it. Maybe
if I just don't give her my name, we can... no, that will never work!
I'll just charm her and maybe she'll be up for seconds. Great plan!]
Kodachi blinked again as the strange youth blurred across the
room and held her hand, his eyes meeting hers, blanket still wrapped
around his mid-section.
"So, how shall I show my gratitude for your assistance?" Taro
tried to say in as suave a tone as he could muster. "I know, how about a
kiss?"
"I beg your par-mmmpph!"
Kodachi started as he locked his lips with hers in a clumsy
attempt at a kiss, then her eyes narrowed as she reached behind her
back.
*WHAM!*
Kodachi seethed and put the mallet away as the boy folded,
unconscious, to the ground. "Of all the nerve! I am not that kind of
woman!" [At least, not anymore,] she amended to herself. She then sighed
and realized he would know be out for the rest of the night.
Frustrated, she stood up and tightened her sash, sorely tempted
to toss him out right now. Absently, her hand went to her lips. It WAS
the first time a boy had kissed her, and it wasn't too bad, and he was
good-looking, and maybe...
Kodachi killed that line of thought right there, definitely not
ready to deal with it. Her ears picked up the sound of a doorbell, and
decided to shelve the current issue to see who was at the door.
Sasuke blinked in mild surprise at the person waiting for him
at the gated entrance to the Kuno mansion. "Tendo-san, are you here to
see Master Kuno? Please, come in and I will fetch him for you."
Nabiki allowed herself to be escorted into the foyer. "Please,
be quick. I have urgent business to discuss."
"As you wish."
The Kuno manservant bowed, disappeared in a puff of smoke, and
Nabiki smiled slightly at the retreating coughing noise. [Konatsu, you
aren't,] she thought wryly. [But you and Kuno-baby'll have to do.]
She didn't have to wait long.
Tatewaki's voice preceded his entrance. "What brings thee here
this night?" he asked in a carefully-guarded and neutral tone.
He hadn't seen her much since the Christmas party, as she had
apparently no wish to see him. He hadn't needed her services much
anymore, since he no longer bought pictures or information on either
Akane or the pig-tailed girl, whom he now knew to be Ranma. Also, he was
content to let her manage the house's investments on her own.
Nabiki sighed. This was not going to be as easy as she thought.
"Look, I'll give it to you straight. My dad and Saotome-san just left to
help a few of our friends who were captured by Zhao Len. You remember
her? She's the one who kidnapped Ranma, Akane, and Kenji and drew you
all into that battle with the Amazons you nearly lost."
"Preposterous!" Kuno snorted, the famous ego seemingly making a
comeback. "The Blue Thunder was never in danger! Everything was in
hand."
"Riiiight," Nabiki drawled, but decided not to argue that point.
"Listen, we could use your help as well. From the information I've
gathered, this Zhao Len could be at least as dangerous as, if not
moreso, than Cologne. And from what I understand, she's mind controlling
Kenji again, only he's more dangerous somehow."
Tatewaki raised an eyebrow. "We? I hardly think thy family
desires my presence, Tendo Nabiki."
Nabiki sighed heavily. "Alright, you got me. It's just me; I'd
feel better if you were there. I figure you can help me get in and
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah while my dad, Saotome-san, and Konatsu keep
the old witch and Kenji busy."
"So, you do nee-"
"Yes, I do, for now," Nabiki replied, cutting him off. She poked
his chest with her finger, giving Kuno a hard glare that was enough to
kill the smile that had begun to form on his face. "But let's get one
thing straight: You're still a pompous, arrogant moron. You're right
that my family still isn't too thrilled to see you, after all you've put
my sister and Ranma through. You still haven't outgrown your two-timing
ways either."
Tatewaki frowned. "You have a most peculiar way of convincing a
possible ally to fight for you, Tendo Nabiki."
"But," Nabiki continued in a slightly softer tone. "You are a
decent martial artist who's even given Ranma a challenge at times.
You're right, I do need you right now. Also, when you went with everyone
else to save my sister and Ranma from the Amazons, that went a long way
toward showing you were a different person than before. Maybe if you
started doing stuff like that for anybody else who was in trouble, you'd
convince more people, including my family, that you might be changing
for the better."
Nabiki finished her argument and waited, trying to gauge
Tatewaki's reaction. He used to be so incredibly easy to read, but these
days he had become more withdrawn, his emotions and internal thought
processes hidden. After several minutes of study, she concluded that he
wasn't going to help after all. [What a waste of time. I shouldn't have
come here.]
"I shall do it."
"I figured as much, I don't know why I even both-" Nabiki
stopped. "You'll do it?" She almost couldn't believe her ears
Tatewaki nodded. "You are correct, Tendo Nabiki. I have not
been the most virtuous of samurai," Nabiki laughed at that, "but that
does not mean I am bound to the path I traveled before. Perhaps it is
time for a change. Where did you say these fiends are holding yon fair
maidens captive?"
Nabiki blinked. "Um, okay. Konatsu said they were hold up in an
condemned office building in the Meji district."
"Sasuke!"
The little ninja popped out of a nearby potted plant to kneel
next to Kuno. "Yes, master?"
"Prepare for battle, we depart at once!"
Sasuke nodded fiercely. "Yes, master!"
"Ohohohohoho! Not without me, brother-dear!"
Nabiki planted her face in her hand and groaned. [Not her.
Please, Kami-sama, not her! The last thing we need is a wild card.]
Kodachi Kuno leapt from the second store railing, did a
graceful somersault, and landed beside her brother, her midnight-blue
kimono still wrapped neatly around her body.
"Sister, I do not think this a wise idea. You should be
resting."
Kodachi scowled. "I have done enough resting. I did enough
resting that I very nearly lost my mind again. And if you can go off and
start helping people now, why cannot I do the same thing? Besides, you
and Sasuke are the only family I have left now, I cannot let you go off
and face danger alone!" She was confident her 'sedative' would keep her
patient out of it for the rest of the night.
"These people mean business, Kodachi," Nabiki told the girl
flatly. "This isn't a rhythmic gymnastics match."
Kodachi leveled a gaze at the Tendo daughter. "I am more
capable of taking care of myself than you are, Tendo Nabiki."
"Touche. Fine then, if you want to come along, do so. Just try
not to get in the way."
Kodachi smiled slightly, and at first Nabiki thought the girl
would laugh or make some kind of snide comment. Instead, all she said
was, "Very well. Thank you for allowing me to help. I shall do what I
can."
Nabiki blinked, looking at the girl strangely.
"Then let us be off," Tatewaki declared, striding towards the
door. "Every moment we tarry here, is one which may prove to be our
friends' undoing."
And with that, the unlikely, and possibly unstable, quartet
headed off into the night.
"They're coming."
Zhao Len perked up from where she sat, looking across the room
to where Kae gazed out the second story window. The old woman could feel
the ki signatures approaching, but was unable to tell exactly who it
was. She took a sip of her tea and voiced that question to her temporary
partner.
"The effeminate ninja boy has come back, and if I'm reading the
memories of this body's previous host correctly, he's brought Ranma's
father and Akane's father with him."
Zhao Len frowned. That wasn't who she wanted, but she supposed
they would do for now. "Very well. Let's make ready to receive our
guests."
Kae stepped back from the window, gave the old woman a slight
nod, then faded into the shadows.
"This the place?" Soun asked the young boy, reading the
nameplate on the gate as the 'Nikaze Office Building.'
Konatsu nodded fiercely, mentally preparing himself. "This is
where they hold Yuri, Ukyo, and Selah."
"Well, it's safe to say we are expected," Genma added, noting
the six-tiered structure.
"Indeed, Saotome." Soun cast a grin at his friend. "Well, shall
we show them what two who trained under the Master of the Musabetsu-
Kakuto can do?"
Genma matched the grin. "We shall, Tendo. After all, not all of
it was panty-stealing."
"True," Soun agreed sagely. "There was the peeping, the running
out on bills, burglary, conning the villagers we came across,
freeloading..."
"Ahem," Genma coughed into his fist. "I think that's enough,
Tendo."
"Right, let's go!"
Kasumi finished her meal in silence, a little lonely due to the
fact that no one else was there. With Ranma, Akane, and their father's
gone, Kasumi figured she would at least have Nabiki, but the elder Tendo
daughter couldn't find her younger sister anywhere. She must have snuck
out earlier. Kasumi was tempted to give Tofu or Auntie Saotome a call
just for some company.
She sighed and placed her empty bowl down. She found delight in
others, in working behind the scenes to help them out. When there was no
one around, or no one to help, she felt more alone and depressed then
most.
Her internal thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of voices
and footsteps entering the foyer.
"...st drop it, Ranma," came Akane's weary voice. "I'm tired and
I don't want to hear anymore, okay?"
"Jeez, Akane," Ranma replied in an exasperated tone. "I was just
tryin' ta help. What's buggin' ya? You've been uptight since this
morning!"
"Just leave me alone, Ranma. I'm not in the mood."
"Feh, fine. Whatever."
"Ranma, Akane, you're back!" Kasumi greeted the newlywed couple.
"How was the honeymoon?"
A pair of blushes was the reply, as the two gazed shyly at each
other. Then the moment was gone and Akane was turning away from Ranma.
"I'm a little tired now Kasumi. If you don't mind, I think I'll head
straight to bed."
Kasumi nodded as she hugged her youngest sister. "Of course.
We've set up your new room in the master bedroom."
"New room?" Ranma asked, confused.
"Of course!" Kasumi replied with a smile. "You two own the house
and dojo now, so father moved into the guest room. We've set up a new
bed in his old room, which is now yours."
Ranma put a hand behind his head, the enormity of the change
now hitting him. "Oh, geez." He looked around. "Say, where's pops and
everyone else?"
"Oh, Father and Uncle Saotome went with Kenzen-san to help
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah-chan."
"What!?" was the stereo response.
"From who?" Ranma asked, his mindset switching to action.
Kasumi thought about for a second. "Someone named Zhao Len, I
believe."
"Oh, crap." Ranma dropped his pack and sprung back to the
doorway. The last time he had tangled with the old woman, he very nearly
lost. "Where?"
"Oh, are you going, too? Please be careful. I think it was a
run-down building in the Meji district."
Ranma nodded. "Gotcha. Come on, Akane. Let's go." He sprinted
out into the yard, then stopped when he realized his wife wasn't
following. Turning back around revealed her still standing in the same
spot, looking somewhat edgy and... there was another emotion on her face
he couldn't identify, but it couldn't have been fear, could it? "Whatssa
matter? You comin' or not?"
Akane shook her head. "No... You go without me. You can handle
it alone. I..." She stopped, then cast a sad look at Kasumi and rushed
into the house.
"Whatever." Ranma shrugged, then took off. Inwardly, he was a
bit confused. On one hand, he was glad that she wasn't going to put
herself in danger and he could fight without worrying about her, but on
the other, he had actually started to grow used to having her fight by
his side.
Not knowing what to think about it, he dropped the lone of
thought altogether, clearing his mind for the battle ahead.
"Is something wrong, Akane-chan?" Kasumi said from the doorway
to the couple's new room. Akane was already inside. She had apparently
dropped her pack inside, and was now laying on the bed, staring at the
ceiling.
"No, I'm... fine, Kasumi," Akane replied in a near-listless
voice.
The elder sister took a step into the room. "Normally, you
enjoy running off on these adventures, especially with Ranma."
Akane turned over to rest on her side, curling up and said in
such a quiet voice, Kasumi barely heard it, "He doesn't need me. I'd
just be in the way."
This time, Kasumi was moved to cross the distance and sit down
lightly on the bed. "I'm sure that's not true. You've been a big help to
Ranma-kun many times."
"Maybe," she said in a thoughtful voice, but then it went back
into her depressed one. "But that was then."
Sensing an issue here, Kasumi asked, "Something changed? Do you
want to talk about it?"
When she did not receive a reply, Kasumi took a closer look at
Akane, to find the younger girl trembling slightly. The elder sister
laid a hand on her sister's knee, and Akane responded by nearly throwing
herself into Kasumi's arms, shuddering and leaking tears. Then the words
came pouring forth, as if a dam had burst.
Akane talked about how she had been experiencing small bouts of
dizziness and weakness, but thought it was nothing, until she had been
accosted by a gang of boys early this morning as she was out jogging.
Normally, she would have been able to easily handle the seven or eight
that surrounded her, but after turning away the first few attacks, she
was hit with another weakness spell. Her strength nearly gone, she was
soon overpowered, unable to adequately defend herself.
And she would have been in trouble too, had not Ranma suddenly
appeared and tore into the attackers with a vengeance, only to carry the
sobbing Akane back to the inn they were staying at.
"He was following me!" Akane nearly wailed. "He had to have
been, in order to save me!"
"I'm sure Ranma-kun was just concerned," Kasumi offered.
Akane shook her head and pulled back from Kasumi, sniffling.
"No, I'm not upset that he followed me, just that he had to intervene. I
should have able to handle eight guys just fine, but I no longer have
the crystal heart that made me strong. I'm just a weak little girl now."
The last sentence came out in a bitter tone.
Akane turned away from her sister, and her voice became much
quieter and more filled with sadness and self-loathing. "It's just as
Ranma said once on our training trip. The super soba, the battle dogi,
the Tora Dokiken that the crystal heart provided -- they may have
happened to me accidentally, but the fact is I continued to use and rely
on them. I cheated. I wanted to be an equal to the other girls and Ranma
so much, that I took advantage of shortcuts. And now I'm paying the
price."
"Oh, Akane-chan..." Kasumi closed the distance between them once
more and hugged her sister tightly. "You were always the strong one of
us. I may have stepped in mother's role, and Nabiki may have helped with
the finances, but you were the only one who still carried the
enthusiastic spirit of our mother. You may not have done everything very
well, but you never gave up, always seeking to do something to help when
and wherever you could. And then you found martial arts and became far
stronger than any of us, including father. We always looked to you as
our protector."
"But I'm not like that anymore!" Akane protested, but not
pulling out of her sister's hug. "Even on the trip home, I was fatigued
more than once and had to stop and rest, or else we would have been back
sooner. I can barely cook or sew, and know I can't even fight anymore!"
Kasumi placed a hand on Akane's chin and lifted the younger
girl's tearful, brown eyes to meet hers. "Listen to me, imoutochan," she
said in a firmer voice. "You can do anything you put your mind to, as
long as you don't give up. When you wanted to learn to cook, you used
our mother's cookbook and Nodoka-obasama's help to be able to. You've
actually made several good dishes. When you actively pursued Ranma, the
other girl's didn't have a chance. When you wanted to become a better
martial artist, you convinced Ranma to train you and you became better.
You never gave up!"
"But, what about these bouts of weakness?" Despite the question
asked in fearful doubt, Kasumi detected a small spark of Akane's hope
and confidence in there as well.
"I don't know," Kasumi conceded, stroking her sister's hair.
"Maybe we can have Tofu take another look at you. From what you've told
me, I do not think that is normal. You were always a healthy and active
child, even before mother died."
Akane blinked at her sister in surprise, realizing the
statement was true. Her recently-surfaced memory of her mother entailed
how she gave the crystal to Akane before she died. If Akane wasn't weak
before that, maybe what was happening to her wasn't her natural
condition.
"I-I don't know, oneechan," Akane told her sister over a yawn.
"But thanks for trying. I'm just so tired right now."
Kasumi smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Now you should get some
rest." She helped Akane lay back down and pull the covers over her.
"You always do that," Akane mumbled, eyes closing. "Take such
good care of us, that is."
Kasumi retreated to the doorway and switched off the lights.
Akane couldn't see since her own were closed, but Kasumi's eyes suddenly
looked much older and wiser. "It's what I do. There are things you can
do that I could never hope to accomplish, and there are things that only
I can do to help. To each their own."
With a subtle shift, her eyes returned to normal. Kasumi then
closed the door, heading for the dining room to clear the table of
dishes and to prepare the leftover food for storage.
After all, her family would be hungry when they returned home.