Interesting Times
By socchan
Chapter Five: Ryonen
Nabiki was contemplating things. She had taken a leaf from Ranma's book and did so on the roof, though since the moon was half full, it was of less peril than it might ordinarily have been. Finding herself unable to sleep, and deciding it was probably not a good idea to remain indoors in the state she was in, a fully anthropomorphic Nabiki had arranged her covers and pillows just so, and climbed out the window. There she sat in the dark, a luminous waning half-moon hanging in the sky. A multitude of tiny stars winked and glittered on her catlike form. She observed them, as they would not disturb her meditations.
Many thoughts had passed through her mind, but a great majority of them were about a certain recently cured Kendo captain.
He had come to school on Saturday in his usual Kendo gear, out of habit, Nabiki supposed, or a need to make his evident change gradual. He had, however, declined from challenging either Ranma or Akane at all that day, making the both of them suspicious. She was unsure of the events on Sunday, but Kuno had come to class on Monday in school uniform, something Ranma had yet to do. On Tuesday he managed to catch Akane alone for a few minutes and apologize to her for the whole 'hoard of boys' ordeal, and renounced his desire to date her. He said that she already had someone who loved her much more than he and he had neither the right nor the desire to destroy her happiness in such a way. This Nabiki had heard from Akane herself when she came to talk to her older sister about some of the more confusing things (of late) in her life. It appeared that this newest fiancée was really making her think. On Wednesday Ranma managed to get hit with cold water not too far from Kuno, but he all but ignored her, sparing her only a glance for the commotion. That morning, Nabiki had found a formal letter of apology on her desk, along with a copy for each of the other members of her family and one for Ranma. A quick scan showed that they all said basically the same thing, hers going into the most detail. The envelope also contained a check for a very nice amount for home and dojo repair funds.
Tomorrow was Friday, the day Nabiki went out to dinner with Kuno on something she had a hard time convincing herself was not a date. Nabiki sighed, and once again tried to make sense of her feelings towards the Kendoist. The past week he had smiled at her a lot more often. Sometimes in class, she looked up to meet his eyes across the room. Whenever either of these things happened, her heart did a strange little flutter, of whose cause she was uncertain.
One of Nabiki's unusually large ears flicked back as she contemplated this. "You know," she remarked, seemingly to no one, "hiding in shadows is the kind of thing a spy or a sneak would do, and I don't particularly relish the idea of someone moving in on my territory."
A chuckle followed this, and a slightly bent figure came out of the shadows. "You're a sharp one, girl. I was wondering if those ears were as good as they looked." The old woman's voice reminded Nabiki very much of autumn, dry and crackling like fallen leaves, with a strong grip on life. There was a bit of a snap to it, but it was overall warm and pleasant. Autumn also described the hunched woman well. She was old, but she didn't look as old as Cologne. Her hair was done up in a bun, and still had a few smoky black streaks to it. She was wrinkled, but not unpleasantly so, and her black eyes glittered with mischief. She wore a kimono printed with maple leafs, and her face was scarred, as if she had once been in a fire.
Nabiki was not fooled by her looks; a feeling of age and wisdom radiated off of the woman, and she knew instinctively that, appearances to the contrary be damned, she was much older than Cologne. If this woman was as old as she felt, Nabiki might have some trouble on her hands. "What can I help you with, respected elder?"
The woman approached Nabiki, and sat down next to her with a small 'oof'. "Your name is Nabiki Tendo, correct?" Nabiki's eyes narrowed slightly, and she nodded curtly. "My name is Ryonen; I hear you have something that once belonged to me."
Nabiki's eyes narrowed farther. "I still don't see how I can help you, elder Ryonen."
"They are called the Cat's Wishes. You have used two up so far. On is hanging around your neck; the other hangs around the neck of a boy you harbor deep feelings for."
Warning signs went off in Nabiki's mind, and she turned slightly to meet the woman's eyes. "If you think you can just buy them off me," she said, in dead monotone, "you are dead wrong." Claws she didn't know she had extended from her fingertips to grip the roof tiles, and her golden cat-eyes flashed dangerously.
Ryonen laughed at this, but Nabiki did not relax. "Don't worry, child, they've already chosen you to fulfill them. I just thought you'd like to know more about them, and perhaps where they came from."
Nabiki settled back a bit at this, but did not drop her guard. Now that the woman mentioned it, she was curious. "Speak on, elder," Nabiki said, her tone slightly mocking.
Ryonen caught her gaze, and her dark eyes glittered in good-natured humor. "I can tell you aren't going to relax, so I'll just tell you the story. You have yet to do anything to truly annoy me, so your worries are unfounded.
"It all started many many years ago, many more than you have seen, but not more than I. At the same time I was still young, and apprenticed to my master, Toryu Shen. He was a good teacher, if a bit stern. He had a pet cat named 'Tora' of all things that had seven claws on its right paw. He—the cat—was fat, lazy, arrogant, and a pest, but he had his uses. He could channel energy like nobody's business, and he was great protection. He was easy to understand, too. Hell of a dry wit, he had. Still, all good things come to an end, and Tora was no exception.
"One day, an old enemy of ours sent a beast in the night to attack us. Tora was awake, and fought to protect us. It was a courageous battle, and Tora won in the end, but at a terrible price. The beast had gashed his side wide open. Tora knew he had not much time left, so he awoke us and called us outside.
"We found him lying in front of the store, struggling to stay alive. He told us his last request. He wished to be useful in death as he was in life, so he asked us to preserve his body parts and turn them into magical items. With his remaining strength, he filled his body with magic from all around him, and throughout his life, and commanded it to stay, which is by no means an easy feat, even for a cat. Then, having used up his resources, he allowed Death to claim him. He died content.
"Master Toryu was heartbroken, but he did his best to carry out Tora's final wish. The claw you wear around your neck is one of the seven from Tora's right forepaw. Toryu came up with some truly ingenious spells for Tora's body, let me tell you. Tora's other sets of claws each have a slightly different use, and his whiskers created some truly potent Cursed Whisker powder. I can't say I remember everything that was done with his remains, but Tora was a fine cat, and it's well that you should know of him." Ryonen stood and stretched with a bit of a creek. "Now, I must be going. Give my regards to Carmella, would you?"
Nabiki nodded silently, and watched he woman walk back into the shadows, and then vanish. Exhaustion finally showing its mark, Nabiki went back indoors, and crawled into her bed. She drifted off to sleep, her thoughts swirling with Kuno, claws, and courageous cats.
=^-,-^=
I found this chapter really boring when I was writing it. I didn't like it, but I felt it was necessary for later. On the other hand, maybe I should just let you decide. I honestly have to say I never expected so many reviews. Thank you ^_^! For most of you who reviewed the previous chapter, the good stuff is coming up next time. Promise! After writing that chapter, I felt like I had syrup running through my veins -_-, but I guess I'll see if it was worth it when I post. As always, tell me what you really think, and don't water it down, please!
A special note to Anu-chan-san: Hi! Glad you like my writing, but sorry it made you feel like yours was crap. All I can really say is that I learned a lot from reading myself (mostly printed novels and stuff—not fics). It also helps that my mom is a Grammar Queen ^^;… Anyhow, if you're really interested in Ranma, you can check out the Ranma Scan Project ^^v. Also, there's a reason I don't use caps at the beginning of sentences in the guestbook. It has to do with philosophy. Ask me about it sometime. I'll see you later, Anu-chan-san!
Disclaimer: Ranma ½ is property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not mine. I make no claim of it, and this piece of fan fiction is written purely for entertainment, not for money. The Cat's Wishes and Cursed Whisker powder are my concepts, and Carmella is my character, so you'd better ask before using them—or at least give me some credit. Thanks much!
--socchan