Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or Inu yasha.
Chapter 14Nabiki leaned back in her chair and absently leafed through her new notebook. The one she had designated for any business she might do with demons. It had a little of the background information she had gotten from Ranma and Akane in it, but other than that it was empty. Sighing thoughtfully, Nabiki put the book down and took up another one. This one listed the names of all the people she had done business with over the years. There was no question in her mind that the first thing she had to do was find out whom among her fellow citizens had any youkai blood. It was necessary to any future business she might have. Yes, a demon could greatly affect the outcome of any event she was taking bets on…. But…she thought, comparing the two notebooks, is that the only reason?
Nabiki thought back to her short confrontation in the dojo with her sister and Ranma. He had growled at her… because she was threatening them. She was threatening to everybody though, so why did it bother her now? Maybe it was because before she knew that they were different, she would never have considered threatening her sister. Their blood shouldn't change things, she looked at the two notebooks, but it does. Why did it change things between Akane and herself? Maybe, because I'm letting it…
Nabiki shook her head and shoved the books in her drawer. It was time for breakfast, she could think about this later.
"Pack up, boy. We're going on a trip."
Ranma opened his eyes narrowly to glare balefully at his father, who was currently hefting a large backpack.
"Why?" he asked, his voice cold. He wasn't going to leave Aka – he wasn't leaving for no good reason. Genma was stuffing Ranma's clothes into another pack as he answered in a rush.
"Training. Not a moment to spare."
Ranma groaned and rolled his eyes, flopping back onto his futon and pulling the covers over his head. "Don't need more training," he mumbled audibly. Genma booted him off the bed unceremoniously, and, grabbing Ranma by the wrist and stuffing another pack under his free arm, dashed down the stairs.
Ranma watched the house and its occupants fall behind him in mild tolerance. He won't get far. Just as Genma's sandaled foot touched the front walk, Ranma pulled him back, using his father's grip on his wrist. Genma fell backward onto the pavement, and Ranma executed a neat flip, turning to his effectively stunned father in slight contempt. The expression on his face turned to one of surprise as a postcard fluttered to the ground. He picked it up and read the words: 'Greetings, I am coming to visit now. Sincerely, Nodoka'.
"What's this?"
Akane examined the woman seated at the table with her. Nodoka was beautiful, and Akane didn't need her sense of smell to know that this woman was Ranma's mother. She looked just like Ranma's girl side, only older and more delicate. Actually, she looked almost like a doll, with her hair bound and braided at the nape of her neck, her pale skin, and her traditional kimono. The only thing that ruined the fragile effect was the way her eyes remained hard and distant, despite her cheerful smiles. And maybe the fact that she was a full youkai with a wrapped sword in her arms.
Once Nodoka showed up, Ranma and Genma had disappeared. Akane had a feeling Ranma was still around the house, but out of range of his mother's senses. Are they scared of her? Akane wondered as her father explained that, unfortunately, Genma and Ranma had left on a mission just recently and weren't around to meet her.
"I see…" Nodoka said, absently fingering her katana. Akane couldn't keep her eyebrows from rising just slightly.
"So… Mrs. Saotome… the whole time that Ranma and your husband have been traveling, you've been home all alone?" Akane's father asked, after an uncomfortable pause.
"Yes… I was waiting at home. Genma… explained to me that… a mother's love would soften Ranma too much. And so, I entrusted my son into the care of his father. In order to do what was best for Ranma." There was something about her halting explanation that didn't sit well with Akane. Her father and sisters seemed to be buying it though, as Soun nodded tearfully and Nabiki exclaimed: 'what a sacrifice.' Akane frowned and Nodoka passed her eyes over her before she continued.
"But before he left on his journey, he also made me a vow. That if he failed in raising Ranma to be a true man amongst men, then they would have to commit ritual seppuku, and take their own lives."
Akane stared at Ranma's mother with disbelief on her face. Nodoka seemed unaffected by the various looks of shock she was receiving, and sipped her tea quietly. Then an almost inaudible thump sounded from the second floor, and Nodoka raised her eyes in the direction.
"Are you sure that Ranma has not yet come home?" she asked demurely, though her cold eyes flickered to Akane, revealing, only to her, that Nodoka was anything but demure. Akane began to sweat nervously as more thumps and shuffling noises drifted to her ears. It was loud enough now for the rest of her family to hear, though they were clearly pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary. Ranma, what are you doing? She glanced at Nodoka, only to find that her face was the picture if innocent curiosity as she turned her eyes to the stairs, and more importantly her son, who was coming down them. Idiot!
"Uh…" Ranma looked almost nervous as he cleared the stairs and scratched the base of his pigtail in a way that doused the fire in Akane's worried anger with only the endearing childishness of the gesture. "Mom?"
Nodoka smiled at him, in a way that was no different than she had been smiling at them throughout her visit, and she gestured for him to come to the table with them. Once he was seated, she looked him over appraisingly. "You seem to have grown into a fine young man, Ranma." Ranma didn't seem to know what to make of that. "Where's your father, dear? I'd like to see him, too. Or is he still out on that mission?"
Akane could have sworn she heard a note of humor in Nodoka's voice as she asked that last question. Ranma's eyes widened. "O-oh, yeah, the mission… well, he might be back a little later," he said. Nodoka only nodded.
"Alright, then. Be sure to tell me if you see him."
Her friendly demeanor and distant eyes had not changed since she arrived. Not when she laid eyes on her son for the first time in over a decade, not when she spoke of her parting from Ranma, and not when she announced her intention to take the lives of her son and husband if Ranma was not a true man. It didn't change when she asked Ranma about himself, and he tried to give answers that would push him further from the edge of her blade. Nodoka questioned everyone present about the manliness of her son, and it went on for a time – a time during which Akane could see Ranma tense every time his mother shifted her katana. Finally, when Nodoka seemed satisfied, she looked at Ranma and asked him: "Shouldn't you and your father stop imposing on the Tendo's and come back home?"
Akane could only blink in surprise. She wasn't sure what she had expected from Ranma's mother, but this was not it. It had never occurred to her that Ranma even had another home. Or that it might be away from her. She could hardly imagine, now, what her life had been before him. She noticed Ranma sending her a cautious glance, and her eyes met his, but – and she didn't know why she found this strange – she wasn't completely sure what he was thinking.
"Oh! Of course Akane is welcome, too," said Nodoka, and maybe her smile was a little bit brighter, "I understand that Ranma wouldn't want to leave his fiancé behind."
Akane and Ranma exchanged surprised looks before Ranma cleared his throat. "Could… you give us a little time to make a decision?"
"Yes, of course. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find your father," Nodoka said, rising to go. She bowed to the Tendo's and thanked them graciously, before announcing that she would be back tomorrow.
As soon as the front door was closed behind her, Akane's father and sisters began to speak. Soun was overjoyed that Ranma cared so much about his daughter, but was heartbroken over the fact that she might leave home. Nabiki was all for the both of them leaving: to save on replacement dummies, cinder blocks, food, and maintenance in general. Kasumi felt that they should decide on their own, since it affected their lives the most. Ranma and Akane decided to follow her advice.
It was early afternoon when the two of them left the gates of the Tendo home behind and began to walk the streets of Nerima. Neither one of them spoke for a while, only glancing at each other casually and continuing at a leisurely pace.
Akane turned her eyes from Ranma, for a moment and watched the canal go by. She didn't know where they were heading, just that they were moving, and she doubted that Ranma had a destination in mind either. Idly, she wondered how far Nodoka's house was from her own. If he went to live with Nodoka, and she stayed behind, when would they see each other? Maybe at school, or on the weekends sometimes. What would it be like not to have him around, to talk to, to spar with, just to be with…. Akane watched him and asked herself if this would be the last night that they would spar together, just before dinner.
They reached the school gates, and stopped. Furinkan High was closed and gated for the weekend, and the large building was lonely and deserted. Strangely, Akane was reminded of her own home as she looked at the school, and she turned both her thoughts and her eyes from it. Neither one of them had spoken, so Akane took it upon herself to start the conversation.
"What do you want to do?" she asked Ranma, who was watching the school as she had been watching it moments ago. He faced her, and looked as thoughtful and melancholy as she had ever seen him. What he was about to say, Akane would never know, because at that moment the scent of a full-blooded youkai, and the sound of swiftly moving feet reached them. It was not Nodoka.
Ranma was the first to move, as he leapt off the sidewalk, and into the school grounds with Akane close behind him. They made their way to the open field and stood back-to-back, waiting.
At the edge of her senses Akane could feel something coming their way, and apparently Ranma could too, because they both leapt away from each other and whirled to face the sword that embedded itself in the ground between them. For a brief moment their eyes met over the weapon, and then Ranma ducked the kick that was heading towards the back of his head and let Akane flip their attacker onto his back with his unused leg.
As soon as the demon touched the ground he shot back over Akane and swept up his sword. Akane watched in a little bit of apprehension as the weapon disappeared up one of his gaping sleeves and he faced them both with a look of boredom on his face.
"So. I can see why Shampoo might have trouble with you," he said, his voice was cold and confident. "I am Mousse. And to prove myself to Shampoo, I will have your lives!" Prove himself to…Shampoo!? Akane frowned as a scythe appeared from each of Mousse's sleeves. But…he's a demon!
A/N: Wow, a cliffhanger. Sorry, I wasn't going to end the chapter this way, but… this is just how it worked out. Yes, Nodoka is cold, but that will be explained later. Mousse isn't as much of a joke as he was in the series, and I wanted him to be that way. Anyway, I love all my reviewers, they're so nice! Just wanted to tell everyone, thanks for reviewing. You don't know how much I appreciate it! If you have any comments/suggestions (or even if you don't) please REVIEW! Okay, that's all. C ya next chap.