Notes: In case people forgot with all the chapters being uploaded to this story...the disclaimer is on Chapter 1. It hasn't moved.
I do have a chapter after this written, and more in my head. The end of this story, I predict will be around chapter 22 or 23. It still could be more than that, if a character jumps in and I have to take care off something before that.
Last Chapter of this update. Enjoy!
Chapter 17
Ukyou fussed in the mirror, getting ready for the pageant's rehearsals. She hated this. Parading around declaring she was female and being judged on it! When she first saw the posters announcing the pageant the last thing on her mind was to go, for any reason. Fate wasn't going to leave it at that. Akane and Nabiki enlisted Ukyou's opinion with some of Akane's clothing. Next thing Ukyou knew, they were shopping for Ukyou's costumes as well! When Ukyou tried to stop them, Nabiki pulled her aside for a Talk. Even though Ukyou didn't owe Nabiki any money, Ukyou owed a couple of favors due to her pursuit of Ranma.
Which explained why she was fussing in the mirror, getting ready for the pageant's rehearsals.
Finally, Ukyou stepped away from the mirror. She left her large spatula and it's carry harness behind in her room. She had a few of her smaller spatulas hidden on her person, but she still felt odd leaving her favorite spatula behind. Akane was waiting outside the restaurant, and they walked together to the site the preliminary of the pageant was being held. They joined a disgruntled group of women waiting in line to register. The line was more or less informal, since no one was taking names. Ukyou and Akane spotted Yuna and Rikku.
"Hey! A little late aren't you?" Yuna asked.
Ukyou looked at the time. "It's like 5 minutes after. That's not late, not to something like this."
Yuna and Rikku shared a smirk. "Yah, whatever."
Akane glanced around, "So, has registration started?"
Yuna shrugged. "Rikku said they let a couple of people in. But someone came out and the staff went into the building for something."
"I heard that there was a scream!" another girl offered.
"Do you think there's something wrong? Are they going to hold the pageant?"
"My sister says it that serial thief that stole underwear from the pageant in Osaka!" a girl with a cellphone said.
"And where was your sister?"
"She was watching TV." She pointed to a news van. "Do you really think the serial thief has struck here?"
The group laughed. "What could some thief want with underwear!"
"Some pervert, certainly."
"That would be horrible…if in the swimsuit contest, suddenly not be wearing anything…" a serious girl offered.
Police sirens were heard. The group grew silent and stunned. If, the police was here, maybe all that ridiculous stuff was true! The sirens drew close and stopped. They weren't in view, but they were close enough to be answering a call for the pageant. The women whispered to each other, the dread growing. They were scared this would cancel the pageant. Ukyou was hopeful for the pageant to cancel, and it grew as a Staff member came out.
He was a shy, thin grey haired man. His grip was tight around the microphone, and feedback rolled out of the speakers as he inexpertly covered the microphone with his hands. He jumped back, as the pitch of the feedback grew. The women giggled a little, but concern for the pageant kept the mirth down.
"Um, hello. I'm sorry to announce the pageant will be delayed. The police want to investigate."
"Investigate what!" a woman called out. Several women seconded her question.
"Um… there seems to be a problem, with lost lingerie. Um... police don't want me saying too much.… Just go home, we'll announce a rain date for the pageant on the radio."
"When!"
The man eyed the crowd like he was debating fleeing from hungry lionesses. "Um…no sooner then next week…maybe later…Really, we're terribly sorry about this." The man ran into the safety of the building before any more questions could be asked.
Ukyou heard a lot of complaints and disgruntled comments but it didn't stop her from feeling relieved. Ukyou watched a couple of determined women pound on the door hoping to gain admittance or more information. A dour looking policeman came out and stared at the women. He shook his head, to their questions not offering a word.
Ukyou shook her head and looked around for Akane. Ukyou jogged to catch up with Akane. Akane was already headed back to her house.
"Um, Akane? Don't you usually hang out with Yuna and Rikku?" Ukyou asked once was she was side by side with Akane.
Akane stood straighter, "Hai. But since the curse…"
"Oh… more overprotective than normal?" Ukyou asked.
Akane smiled slightly, "Yes, very. Now Ranma escorts me everywhere. Dad wants to know what took so long to get back from school. Kasumi always has a pot of warm water, warming on the stove. With three cursed people, there is always someone that needs it."
Ukyou looked around, "Then where's Ranma?" She was careful to say his name and not her nickname for him. Asking Akane where Ranma was a dangerous business.
Akane only scowled. "Training trip, with my father and his."
Now Ukyou scowled, "Aren't they suppose to get the master? Are they running away again?"
Akane shook her head, "No, that…. Taro person went with them. Apparently Nabiki made sure he did, to keep the fathers in line."
"Well, with Ranma and Taro there, I'm sure Genma will be keep under wraps. Why aren't you all with them?"
Akane kicked a stone, "Too dangerous. Of course. They are going to the mountain. It recently had an earthquake, so footing is very unstable. As if I'm not a martial artist, and couldn't handle Walking."
Ukyou sighed. Ukyou was very familiar with Akane complaints about being treated like an untrained person. Ukyou was sympathetic, to a degree. After all, to be trained by her grandfather, she had to masquerade as a boy. The family art was for the male heirs. Never mind it was cooking and likely to be invented by a female.
"Akane? Why don't you train with someone?" Ukyou tried a new conversation track.
Akane turned to Ukyou, "I Do! I do the Katas! I…"
"No, Akane… that's great you do that. But you need to spar against people to gain any ground in the art."
Akane glared and snarled, "I spar with Ranma all the time."
Ukyou sighed and raised her hands in surrender. "You spar, he dodges. That's true." Ukyou fell silent. Akane was too defensive for Ukyou suggest anything. Ukyou should've known, more often they were rivals. It was hard to be Akane's friend because of that. Sometimes they managed, after all Ranma's group has drew a lot of interesting trouble to Nerima. Trouble that taken many of the Nerima martial artists to team up against it.
Akane quickstepped ahead and stopped right in front of Ukyou. Akane's battle aura wasn't up, but it wasn't very far off. "What are you saying, Ukyou?"
Ukyou stopped. Ukyou readied herself for an attack. She would have to fend off Akane by hand at first. Pulling a weapon now would only provoke the fight. Ukyou felt she could steer this from a confrontation, but decided not to try. There were some things Ukyou wanted to say, and she could handle Akane's wrath.
"I'm saying that Ranma isn't sparring with you. That you aren't going to get better the way you want with what you are doing."
"Why do you suddenly care about my fighting skill?" Akane's eyes flashed.
"Only that you constantly complain and gripe about it, every time I talk to you! I'm challenging you to DO something about it, instead of talking." Ukyou pointed out.
Akane looked like she wanted to throw a punch. Her fists were clenched. "I suppose you think that you could teach me?" Angry as Akane was, Ukyou thought she heard a little hope.
"No, hun. That would be a bad idea. We know each other too well. We wouldn't be able to have a proper student and sensei relationship."
Again, it looked like Akane was ready to hit anything. She took a few breaths and took a few seconds to calm down. Ukyou stood still, hopeful that this conversation's bad point was past.
"Then what do you suggest, Ukyou? I'm trying everything I can."
"Go to another dojo there's-" Ukyou started.
"What! But I would be betraying my own dojo!"
Ukyou glared at Akane for interrupting. "-there is plenty around here. And it's not betrayal. Your dojo isn't running. There are no classes, no one teaching you, Akane. That's the problem."
"But Ranma…"
"Ranma is too advanced to teach you. Akane… you are taking the wrong lessons from him. Even if you could speed up to hit him, there's the problem that he won't hit you. Learning the art is about taking the hits, as well as hitting."
"I know that! But he…" Akane trailed off.
Ukyou nodded. "If you want…you can look at it another way."
"How?"
"You'll be doing the same thing Ranma does when he fights. When he fights someone he doesn't know, he usually learns their best move and turns it against them right?"
Akane nodded.
"He learns so fast, that the fight is his training with other schools of art. You'll be doing the same thing by going to an active dojo, just a bit slower."
"Dad won't allow it." Akane said, finally saying something that didn't challenge the fact she didn't need this. They resumed walking to the Tendo's.
"Tendo-san? He doesn't stop you from practicing the art you do know."
"He can't. He knows I would still do it… I think Kasumi tells him I'm studying my school books in the dojo."
"And he never wonders about the sweat?"
Akane shrugged, "I change after working out. He really doesn't see how sweaty I get."
"Then, why don't you do the same thing for training? Take an extra set of clothing. Tell him you're seeing friends. Get Nabiki or your friends to cover for you?"
Akane sighed, "Ok, I'll think about it. Just… tell me something honestly?"
"Hai?"
"Are you setting me up? I mean so you can get Ranma, somehow?"
Ukyou laughed. "Hun! How is convincing you to get better training a plot to get Ranma?"
Akane replied sullenly, "I don't know. That's what is puzzling me. Blackmail, since you know I won't be telling my father?"
"Right. And if you decide I'm right, whether your father knows wouldn't change anything. You are a serious student of the art. Many people would've given up, or been content to reach the plateau you are at."
"Then why?" They stopped at the gate of the Tendo Residence.
"I've seen you fight Akane. You have potential. You've knocked Ranma out quite a few times. You may never be his equal, but I think you could make him take you seriously. Isn't that what you want?"
"Him and all of Nerima. Want to see if Nabiki knows anything about the pageant?" Akane invited.
"Sure." Actually, Ukyou couldn't care less, but she wanted less to return to the restaurant so early on her day off.