Well, the public has spoken and the message has come in loud and clear. You want more. All I can say is who am I to disappoint you. I appreciate all the feedback. Unfortunately, I can't have Ranma come for Nabiki at the Hinata inn. Why? You'll just have to read on and find out.
Before anyone complains, I have to say this. I have not read the manga for Love Hina. A buddy of mine on my ship has the first three volumes of the show and that is my only source of reference for the characters of Hinata. Please don't hold it against me. Anyway to that effect, at this point in the timeline, the gang has returned after the fiasco of Keitaro and Naru's trip to Kyoto. For my purposes, I have also made the change that Mutsumi has moved into the apartments as well in order to be able to study with our resident ronins.
As usual, the standard disclaimer applies. I make no money of these characters. It's all in good fun.
That being said, ON WITH THE SHOW!
TRIALS OF LOVE
Ch. 1: The Ice Queen of Hinata
Haruka paused from sweeping the front of her teahouse when she heard the yell of a young and very hyper Su approaching. This wasn't unexpected. After all, it was her normal way of returning home. She was about to return to the task at hand when her mind registered that something was amiss. It took only a moment of a second look to realize what it was. Running behind her was a young woman with short brown hair. It was amazing to Haruka the girl was able to keep up with Su. It took a minute for her to see that this was only possible because the bubbly blonde was dragging her by the hand. Looking beyond them, she caught sight of Shinobu trying her best to keep up. Finally Su and the newcomer arrived in front of her.
"Good afternoon, Haruka. Do you have any bananas?" Su asked as she released Nabiki's hand.
"You know I don't, Su," Haruka replied. "You'll just have to go up to the apartments and check the kitchen like always."
"Ok, I'll see you later, Nabiki." With that, she bounded up the stairs before Nabiki could stop her.
"Su…Wait…" Nabiki gasped as she struggled to catch her breath.
Finally, she was able to breathe normally. She stood up straight and regarded the middle age woman in front of her. There was something about her that reminded her of her father. It wasn't the fact that she was smoking a cigarette or that it was even her father's favorite brand. It was her eyes and the way they seemed to fix her in an appraising stare. It was one of the few features that Nabiki had herself inherited from her dad. Not one to believe in coincidences, Nabiki decided it would be prudent to once again become the 'Ice Queen'.
"Excuse me, but could I trouble you for some water? I'm afraid I'm a little drained from my unexpected run."
"Sure, come on inside." Haruka looked past Nabiki when she heard gasping coming from behind her. "You should probably rest up in here as well, Shinobu. I'll get you some juice."
Nabiki helped Shinobu as she followed Haruka inside. They sat down at an empty table and waited until their drinks were brought out. To her surprise, Haruka joined them.
"Did Su say your name was Nabiki?"
Nabiki picked up her glass and drained half of the water with one gulp, wetting her dry throat. "That's right, Nabiki Tendo. I just arrived from Nerima." Nabiki noticed a slight twitch in Haruka's eyes as she said this. If I didn't know better, I'd swear she recognized those names.
"So what brings you to our quiet mountain town?" Haruka asked as she used the cigarette she had just finished to light a fresh one.
"I just completed my registration at Tokyo University and my student advisor said I could probably find some affordable housing in the area."
"You're a Tokyo U student?" Shinobu asked excitedly. When Nabiki nodded, her smile got larger. "Maybe you could help Naru and Sempai. They're trying to get into Tokyo U as well, but they're having trouble with the entrance exams."
"I can understand that. They are kind of difficult." It had been a mind-numbing experience for her to say the least. "They shouldn't feel too bad about failing, though. Most people I know who registered today had to take it twice before they got in."
"Oh, well, I guess Naru will feel better after hearing that. It won't help Sempai, though."
"Why is that?" Nabiki asked as she took another drink of water.
"My nephew, Keitaro, has failed the test three times," Haruka replied. She then got up to get a towel to wipe her face after having had Nabiki spray it with the water she had been drinking.
"Three times?" Nabiki didn't even think someone was allowed to take the test that many times. If this guy was so desperate to get into Tokyo U, then she had a potential gold mine from tutoring him. Also, something about his name stirred an echo of something in her mind, but just as quickly it was gone.
Shinobu nodded as she looked down. It always hurt her to think about how hard Keitaro worked to get into the elite school only to have his dreams dashed each time the results were posted. It hurt her even more knowing he was putting in all this effort in an attempt to keep a promise to a girl he knew so long ago. Looking down at her watch, she suddenly gasped.
"Oh no, I didn't realize it was getting so late. I have to get back so I can start dinner."
"You make dinner for everyone?" Nabiki asked incredulously. "Aren't you awfully young to take on such a responsibility?"
"Not at all. I love to cook for the people I care about."
"If you're heading to the apartments, do you mind if I tag along? I still don't know where they are and it is getting a little late in the day to be looking for somewhere else to stay."
As they left, Haruka watched from the kitchen. She sighed to herself as she turned back and found her purse. Reaching inside, she pulled out an old photo of a young couple taken in front of the apartments. A young girl of about four or five stood in front of them, her long brown hair flowing behind her. The woman was holding in her arms a small baby not much older than a year old.
It was the final person in the photo that held Haruka's attention. Perched on the shoulders of the father was a two year old toddler. Her hair was cut in the same pageboy style as the young lady that had just left the teahouse. Despite the passage of 16 years, there was no doubt that they were the same person. Tears began to appear and run down her face.
"Oh, Nabiki, you have finally come home."
If I never see another set of steps again in my life, it will be too soon. Nabiki immediately banished the thought as she realized she would be climbing those same steps every evening if she did end up moving into the apartments. She was still trying to catch her breath as Shinobu led her to the building. When she was finally able to see it, Nabiki let out a gasp. Why does this seem so familiar to me? It's like I've been here before.
Shinobu heard Nabiki's gasp and turned to her with a look of concern. "Are you alright?"
Nabiki recovered her composure and turned to her guide. She was really starting to like this little girl, but it wouldn't do to have anyone see through her neutral expressions. It just wouldn't be prudent until she decided exactly what it was that was troubling her about this whole situation. She couldn't understand why she was feeling such a sense of déjà vu. To the best of her memories, she was sure she had never been here before. Nabiki put her thoughts away for the time being as Shinobu led her into the main living area.
"Well now, who do y'all got there, Shinobu?" Nabiki turned to the source of the question and found a short-haired platinum blond lounging on the sofa. She was holding a saki bottle in her hand which, based on her mannerisms, Nabiki guessed was probably three-quarters empty.
"This is Nabiki. She's looking for a place to stay while she goes to Todai." Shinobu frowned. "This is not the best way to greet a perspective tenant, Kitsune. Speaking of which, where did you get that? I know we were out of saki after the party on Saturday. Keitaro said we didn't have enough money for anymore until he collected everybody's rent next week."
Kitsune smiled drunkenly. "Now y'all know me, Shinobu. I'll always find a way to keep the party going." She raised her bottle in a mock salute and then took another drink. "What about you, Nabs? Are y'all a party girl?"
"Don't call me Nabs," Nabiki replied dryly. Her neutral expression turned sour as she regarded the woman in front of her. "To answer your question, I'm not opposed to having a good time though I don't see the need to alter my mindset in order to do it." To be honest, Nabiki found alcohol to be a totally distasteful habit. She had seen what it had done to her dad after her mother had died. Once Ranma's dad had joined into the mix, the binges had only become more frequent. She was just glad that her father had always been a docile drunk. She knew one or two students back in Furinken High that had occasionally come to school sporting a black eye or other marks from an abusive alcoholic at home.
"Shinobu, can you tell me where the manager might be so that I can talk to him about moving in here?" To her dismay, it was Kitsune who answered her.
"I think Keitaro is in his room studying for the Tokyo U exam."
"Did you say Keitaro?" Nabiki asked. She saw Kitsune and Shinobu both nod to her. "How is a guy the manger here? I thought this was an all-girl's dorm."
"It is," Kitsune answered, "but Keitaro's grandmother is the owner of the building. She's touring around the world right now and asked him to step in for her as the manager."
"And everyone is okay with this?" Nabiki asked suspiciously.
Shinobu looked down. "Well, some of the girls were a little uncomfortable at first, but Sempai's not a bad person."
"What she means is Keitaro's too much of a wimp to try anything. Besides, between Naru and Motoko, he's pretty much kept in line." Nabiki was about to ask Kitsune exactly what she meant by that when a new voice entered into the conversation.
"Shinobu, Naru and I were wondering what was for dinner tonight?"
Nabiki turned toward the voice to find a skinny looking young man with glasses peering around the corner. She guessed that this must be the infamous Keitaro that everyone was talking about. She allowed herself a slight smile as she regarded him. If things were as they looked, she didn't feel she would have any problem negotiating a lower rent for her stay here. The fact that she could offer her services as an accountant to the apartments as well as tutor him for the entrance exam made her smile grow bigger.
"I was going to make steamed rice and fish, but since it appears we may have a new tenant, I thought I'd make something special instead like teriyaki chicken." Shinobu gestured to Nabiki as she spoke. Keitaro finally registered the new face in the room and shuddered when he saw Nabiki's smile. He wasn't sure why she was wearing such an expression, but he didn't think it meant anything good for him. He watched as she walked over and offered her hand.
"The name's Nabiki Tendo."
Ten minutes later, Nabiki was sitting in the manager's room filling out lease papers while Keitaro busied himself putting up his study materials for the Tokyo U entrance exam. Paperwork was something that she had always hated but had found to be unavoidable especially in the world of finance. When she got to the part about the rent amount, she smiled as she set the papers down in front of her.
"Tell me something, Keitaro," she said as pleasantly as she could. Keitaro stiffened as she spoke to him. After suffering various forms of abuse from the other girls, he had come to be wary when anybody addressed him in such a friendly way. Nabiki grinned broader as she saw this. This was going to be too easy. "I hear you've been trying to pass the entrance exam to Tokyo University." She held up her hand and extended three fingers. "Three times if I'm not mistaken."
Keitaro paled. He did not like the way this conversation was going. Slowly, he nodded his head. Whatever was going to happen, he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"Good, then we have something to offer each other. You see, I am still the main breadwinner for my family back home due to some special 'enterprises'. To that end, anything I can do to lower expenses here will allow me to better support those I left behind. I offer you my services as tutor for the entrance exam as well as that of financial advisor to the apartments. In return, I get to stay here at half the usual rent."
Despite the thought that Keitaro had essentially been trapped by this woman, he had to admit that her deal was quite tempting. In fact, it was just what he needed right now. The next test was in a couple of months and he, Naru, and Mutsumi were going to need all the time and help they could get in preparing for it. The fact that Nabiki had already gotten in and on her first time made her a valuable asset. The decision was made in less than a minute. Keitaro straightened into what he hoped was a confident and dominating pose. Of course, he failed at this.
"You'll have to expand the deal to include Naru and Mutsumi in the tutoring and study sessions as well."
He thinks he's some kind of hot shot negotiator, does he. Oh well, might as well let him think that. It could prove beneficial in the future. Nabiki pretended to consider his additional terms before letting out a sigh and holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Looks like I don't have much of a choice, do I?" After all, it's not like adding two more students is going to change anything if I do all of them at the same time.
"As manager of the Hinata Apartments, I accept your offer of services in exchange for reduced rent." He moved to seal the deal with a handshake, but, as they usually did, the fates intervened. As he walked towards Nabiki, Keitaro tripped on one of his thick study guides and fell directly on top of the woman in front of her. The result was the two of them in a very compromising position. Naturally, things only got worse from there.
"KEITARO, YOU PERVERT!"
Nabiki immediately felt a weight being lifted off of her chest, mostly because said weight was now imbedded in the opposite wall courtesy of Naru's foot. As Nabiki rose to her feet she watched as Keitaro slumped to the floor, unconscious. Whirling around, she faced the person who had interrupted her delicate business dealing and found herself face to face with a light haired girl, her chest huffing up and down in anger. As she watched the girl calm down somewhat, Nabiki soon found herself being the target of an accusing glare as she heard several footsteps coming down the hall.
"What the hell is going on in here, Naru?" Kitsune asked as she arrived next to Naru. Su soon followed close behind and perched her self on Keitaro's unconscious form, poking him playfully.
"Now, now, manager. This is no time to be sleeping. You have to finish Nabiki's lease papers," she said, smiling.
Nabiki groaned as she watched the way Su was acting. I thought I was getting away from this kind of craziness. The next thing I know, one of these girls will turn into something when they get hit with cold water.
She turned back towards the other girls. Naru still held her in a look that would have melted the paint off the walls while Kitsune was still looking as confused as ever. Facing Naru, she returned the girl's look with a frown that showed she had no intention of backing down. "Now, would you mind telling me what exactly possessed you to barge in and cut my business deal short?" This only intensified Naru's irritation.
"Business deal?" Naru stormed. "Is that what you called it? You were using that pervert's urges to get a lower rent. I heard it."
Kitsune brightened. "Is that right? I didn't think y'all seemed like that kind of girl, Nabs."
Nabiki ignored the other girl and instead focused in on the source of her current situation. She felt a sense of satisfaction when she saw Naru deflate considerably. "Just what exactly is it that you thought you heard?" she asked her target.
"You seduced Keitaro into giving you a reduced rate in exchange for providing him with 'services'. It doesn't exactly take a Tokyo U student to figure out what kind you were offering. You may dress like some kind of business professional but it's clearly obvious what you were really up to."
Nabiki looked down at her clothes. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what was wrong with the way she was dressed. The white blouse she was wearing was certainly soft and flowing. After all, it was made from the finest silk money could buy. It was in no way very revealing, though. The light tan slacks and matching jacket completed the image of the perfect corporate executive in her mind. Nabiki smiled a feral grin as she realized the immediate fun she could have at this girl's expense.
"And here I thought you would be pleased with the arrangement. After all, Keitaro insisted that you be included in the services I would provide." She shot Naru a seductive look as she said this. "Not that I mind too much. From what I hear, it will be a real pleasure." Kami, I love doing this to people like her.
Naru blanched. "M-m-me… included in your services?" Nabiki could almost here the synapses in her mind snapping from the overload.
Kitsune came up behind Naru and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well now, aren't y'all the lucky one? I mean she does look like a frisky young thing."
"I'm so glad you think so," Nabiki told Kitsune as she put on a lustful face.
"W-what do you mean now, sugar?" Kitsune asked, her face turning to one of fearful confusion.
"Well, I just meant that Keitaro mentioned another girl named Mutsumi. I guess it's possible that I misheard him though. Nabiki smiled inside as she saw Kitsune let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, there's a load off my mind. Mutsumi is Keitaro and Naru's other study partner for the Tokyo U exam."
Oh, this is too rich. Living here is going to be so much fun. Nabiki turned from Kitsune to regard her original target. She frowned as she saw Naru's rage returning.
"I knew it," she screamed. "All those times he had both of us in his room for study sessions he really wanted to do perverted things with the both of us. Not only that but he makes a deal with this harlot to make it happen." She began stalking towards Keitaro's form just as he was beginning to stir. Su made a hasty retreat away from him.
Naru only made it halfway to her target before she found a very annoyed Nabiki blocking her path. The look she shot at the angered girl made it clear that she had no intention of backing down from her. "How sure are you that you have it all figured out?"
Naru didn't show any sign of walking away either as she stared hard at Nabiki. "Like I said before, it doesn't take a Tokyo U student to figure out what it was you two arranged."
Nabiki smirked. "Then I guess it's a good thing I AM a Tokyo U student."
Naru seemed to deflate at that statement as she actually took a few steps back. "You go to Todai?"
"That's right. I just finished my registration yesterday. Passed the test on the first time, too." She saw that the girl in front of her seemed to be at loss for words so Nabiki pressed her advantage. "Because of this and the current situation of certain tenants, meaning you and Keitaro, I offered to help you two and Mutsumi prepare for the next set of exams. Not only that but I've been supporting my family for close to ten years now. That being said I have a fair amount of business and accounting experience. As a result, you are looking at the new accountant for the Hinata Apartments."
At this point, Nabiki went in for the kill. She held up her left hand so that no one could miss the engagement ring on her finger. "As for my intentions toward your, well now our, manager, I think it is quite plain to see that he has little hope in that regard seeing as how I am already quite taken."
Nabiki was quite sure her point was made as Naru slowly began to shuffle backwards and out of the room. Kitsune seemed to be fixed where she was, gawking at the ring that had been displayed. Nabiki could tell from her face that she was trying to calculate the exact value of what she had seen. Su interrupted her observations as she bounded up and took hold of Nabiki's hand.
"Wow, that sure is sparkly? Almost as much as some of the things in my family's royal treasury."
Nabiki paled, but only slightly. "Did you say your family's royalty?" She had guessed that this girl was a foreigner but royalty? It didn't seem possible.
Su just nodded as she beamed brightly.
Nabiki's smile returned. "Kid, I think you and I are going to get along just fine." Already Nabiki was thinking of the advantages of establishing a repertoire with a foreign country's royal family. After all it was simply good business sense.
By this time, Keitaro had regained his senses and was stumbling back over to the table. "Ow, what did I do now?"
Nabiki moved to help him. "C,mon, let's finish up this paperwork."
An hour later, Nabiki was sitting in her new room. It was definitely preferable to the one she had left behind back in Nerima. For one thing, she had a lot more room. That would be useful as she was planning on acquiring a few more items of furniture in addition to what she was going to have moved from her house. The view was absolutely gorgeous. From her window she could look down on the hot springs below. Beyond that, the mountains lay spread out before her in all their pristine beauty. Just looking out over the scenery filled her with a great sense of peace, as if everything in the world she could ever want was here before her.
That last thought brought a tear to her eye. No, not everything I want.
Nabiki crossed her room over to the single large suitcase she had brought with her. Inside were several changes of clothing, bath items, school supplies, and other necessities to get her through the next week until her household goods arrived from home. These things she ignored as she dug down to the bottom and withdrew a foldable silver picture frame. Facing each other were two photographs. One showed a young man wearing a red sleeveless Chinese shirt and black pants. He was performing part of what was some kind of martial arts move, his arms extended in front of him. The opposite photo could have been his twin sister, a brightly expressioned red head who seemed to be having the time of her life as she happily took a big spoonful of an ice cream sundae. Nabiki couldn't help but laugh as she looked at the size of the bite she was planning on eating. Sighing, she clutched the frame to her chest.
Ranma, I miss you so much.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the same angry girl from before standing in her doorway until she knocked on the frame. Nabiki quickly composed herself and folded the frame so that only the picture of Ranma in his male form was visible. Turning around, she faced Naru and prepared herself for a confrontation, but relaxed somewhat as she saw the subdued look that she wore. Naru crossed the room, looking as if she was trying to say something but couldn't find the words. Finally her eyes fell on the picture Nabiki was still holding close to her.
"Is that him?" Naru asked hesitantly. "Your fiancé I mean."
Nabiki looked back down at the photo. "Yeah, this is Ranma."
"He's really cute." It was painfully obvious that Naru was trying to find a way to say whatever it was she had come to tell her. Nabiki decided to let her off the hook and lighten the moment just this once.
"More like a stud. You should see him with his shirt off." In both his forms, Nabiki added in her mind.
Naru laughed at this. Finally she looked into Nabiki's eyes and sighed.
"Look, I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I only heard part of what was said and jumped to the wrong conclusion." Naru looked down. This clearly wasn't something she was accustomed to doing. "Also, I wanted to thank you for agreeing to help Keitaro, Mutsumi, and me with the entrance exam. Kami knows we can use all the help we can get."
Nabiki allowed her a small smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Apology accepted. By the way, my name is Nabiki Tendo."
"Naru Narusegawa," she replied as a smile of her own crossed her face. Then she giggled. "Do you think I could have another peek at the stud?"
Nabiki handed her the picture frame before she realized that she had forgotten that it was a double frame. She was quickly made aware of her oversight when Naru turned to her questioningly.
"Uh, Nabiki, who is this in the other frame?"
Inside, Nabiki went cold. She really didn't think anybody here would understand about Ranma's curse especially since he wasn't around to prove that she wasn't crazy. Luckily for her, she was a quick thinker.
"Oh, that's Ranma's twin sister, Ranko." She notices Naru's eye twitch ever so slightly at the mention of Ranma's alias. Can it be that she's met Ranma before? I swear if she's another fiancée his father arranged, there's going to be one less panda on the endangered species list.
Naru, meanwhile, was lost in her own thoughts. I guess the Kami are on my side for once. It doesn't look like she knows. Oh well, they say turnabout is fair play.
Nabiki took note of the feral grin that had spread across Naru's face but before she could question her further, Su popped her head into the room. "Oh, there you two are. Shinobu says it's time for dinner."
"Thanks, Su," Naru said as she handed the frame back to Nabiki. With another quick smile to Nabiki, she took off towards the dining room.
Nabiki just stood there for a minute before putting the frame back in her suitcase. Something was definitely up with Naru. Nabiki was sure of this. Any further thought on the subject was interrupted as her stomach announced its desire for dinner.
Oh well. It's not like I'm going anywhere. I'll figure this out in time.
Dinner was an interesting affair to say the least. Between Kistune's drunken sake binge (which no one had as yet been able to figure out where she had gotten it) and Su's demand every five minutes for more food, Nabiki was beginning to wonder if she had traded one mad house for another. She couldn't believe how many aspects of her old life seemed to follow her wherever she went. As the meal progressed, she began to sort through the people she would be living with for the next few years.
Seeing as how Su was attracting the most attention at the time, Nabiki began to regard her first. Immediately thoughts of Shampoo came to mind. It wasn't just because she was a foreigner or the fact that she sometimes referred to herself in the third person. It was the almost the incessant amount of energy that the young blond seemed to possess that made Nabiki wary. It would explain all the food she was consuming, though. Nabiki decided that she needed to tread carefully with her, but still make an effort to become a good friend or, at least, an important ally. After all, if what she said earlier was true, she was a member of royalty.
The raucous that Kitsune was causing directed Nabiki's attention towards her next. Ignoring the fact that she was stone drunk, although she had always had her suspicions, the comparison that came to mind was that of Ukyo. The accent and mannerisms the two of them shared were simply uncanny. Besides that, Ukyo, like Kitsune now, Nabiki had always suspected to have a keen and calculating mind. It was plain from all the schemes that Ukyo had hatched in order to steal Ranma away. Kitsune's eyes told of a similar cunning that fit her name. Nabiki decided to keep a close eye on her as well.
It was Naru that Nabiki was having the hardest time figuring out. She had thought she had had her pegged after the incident with the lease signing. It wasn't hard, by any means, to see much of her younger sister come out in this girl. She obviously had a thing for Keitaro. The problem was that, like Akane, she also had some hang-ups with letting those feelings show. Because of this, all her emotions kept growing and growing until they were finally released by her jealousy whenever she saw anything that seemed to be an attempt to take him from her. Unfortunately, because she continued to deny the truth of what she was feeling, she made him the target of her explosions.
Yep, definitely like Akane. And the results are likely to be the same, Nabiki thought.
This is where Nabiki found herself with an internal struggle. After seeing her initial actions, Nabiki didn't see anything in Naru to make her feel any sympathy since the man that she loved had suffered the same kind of abuse that the brown-haired girl had inflicted on Keitaro. Things were a little different now. Naru had done the one thing that Nabiki had never known her own dear sister to do: she had admitted she had made a mistake and apologized for her actions. While Nabiki doubted that Keitaro had been the recipient of such regrets, it was still something that was to be considered. Nabiki wondered whether or not she should reveal all the facts of her past. Such examples may help them salvage a relationship before it was too late. The only thing that was stopping her was the fact that Naru was still keeping something from her concerning Ranma, or at the very least his female side. Nabiki decided to wait and see what happened before talking to her about Keitaro.
Keitaro. Now there was an interesting specimen. He seemed in many aspects to be the exact opposite of Ranma. He was obviously no martial artist or even a decent athlete from the looks of him. His self-confidence was close to zero. Yet there was one thing about him that reminded Nabiki so much of her beloved. Keitaro refused to give up on his dream. That much was obvious from the fact that he had taken the entrance exam for Tokyo U three times, failed three times, and yet still refused to pursue any other course of action. Tokyo U was where he was going and nothing was going to stop him from reaching that goal. Aside from the fact that he refused to let the girls and their abuse get to him, it was his only redeeming quality. His skills as a manager were mediocre to say the least. He may have kept the building from falling apart, but that was about it. Thanks to all the damage the girls caused through him, the apartments were almost broke.
Well, that's something I think I can work to change.
Nabiki was impressed with the quality of the food. She found it to be amazing that it had all been prepared by Shinobu. When she heard that she had learned all of her skills in her parents' restaurant, she decided it wouldn't hurt to get to know the young girl a little bit better. From what she could see, Shinobu also had a schoolgirl crush on the young manager of the hinata apartments. Nabiki knew, though, that such feelings would never be returned. Shinobu was just too young. Like Shampoo and Ukyo, Nabiki suspected that Shinobu had an idea of the truth, but still clung to some hope that she might be wrong. Sadly, Nabiki let out a small sigh. She knew she would have to help with this as well. She didn't want to see the resident chef hurt. She just reminded Nabiki too much of Kasumi.
KASUMI. I still haven't called to let her and the rest of them know where I am.
Nabiki thanked Shinobu for the meal and carried her plate into the kitchen. After depositing it into the sink, she walked upstairs to her room. After she pulled her cell phone from her purse (Gucci, of course), she walked over to her window. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching, she climbed onto the window sill and grabbed the overhang. With a little effort, she pulled herself up and onto the roof.
Another plus to my room, Nabiki thought to herself as she dialed home on the cell phone. If, no when, Ranma finally comes back for me, we'll have a way he can come into my room without causing any trouble. I doubt the girls could hurt him in anyway but it's best not to make a fuss if it can be avoided.
As she finished dialing the number and put the placed the earpiece into her ear, she sat down on the end of the roof and watched the sun as it set over the horizon. The sky was awash with a brilliant display of color, mostly a fiery red that reminded her once more of the man she wished was next to her to share in the dazzling display. It took her a moment before she realized there was an angry voice coming from her earpiece.
"I swear if this is another prank call about Ranma I'm gonna…"
"Chill, little sister, it's just me."
"Nabiki?" Akane exclaimed. "How are you doing? Where are you? Why didn't you speak up when I answered the phone?"
"Calm down, Akane. One question at a time." Nabiki sighed. Apparently her sister was still a bit flustered over Ranma even after three months of him being gone. "First of all, I'm just fine. I'm actually on the roof of my new apartment building. As for why I didn't answer right away, well, let's just say I was distracted for a bit."
"Okay, why are you on the roof, though?"
Nabiki flinched, thankful that Akane wasn't able to see her reaction over the phone. There was no way that she could tell her the real reason that she come up here. It had become a habit for her to sneak onto the roof back at home, one Ranma had got her started with and one she had kept doing after he left as a way to remember some of the nice times they had had up there, lying back, just looking at the stars and talking as they held each other close. Akane still didn't know that she was the girl Ranma had been sneaking off on dates with. They hadn't told her for two reasons. First, neither one wanted to see her hurt like that. They both knew that the youngest Tendo daughter really loved Ranma, no matter how much she denied it. Second, they also didn't want to see Nabiki hurt. While Akane might, and that was the key word, not hurt her own sister physically, she would certainly be mad enough to say something at school the next chance she got. Eventually, word would get back to Shampoo and Ukyo and they WOULD do something to hurt her. Nabiki had to think fast.
"I, uh, had to come up here to get a decent reception. This place is surrounded by mountains."
"Oh, I see."
"Listen, sis, I haven't got a lot of time to talk right now. Can you put Kasumi on for me?"
"Sure, just one sec."
As she heard Akane call for Kasumi, Nabiki turned back towards the sunset once more. She sighed sadly as she longed once again to be able to share it with her fiancé.
"Nabiki, is that you"?
Kasumi's voice brought her back down to Earth. "Yeah, it's me, Kasumi. I just wanted to check in with you guys and let you know where I would be staying now."
"Is it a nice place? Akane mentioned something about mountains."
"It's beautiful out here and really peaceful." With one or two little exceptions, Nabiki thought. "Look, sis. I need you to do me a favor. The movers will be arriving tomorrow to get my stuff. Would you mind supervising them for me? I have to finish up my registration back at the University."
"Of course. Where do I tell them to send it to?"
"I'm staying at a place called Hinata. It should be pretty simple for them to find my apartment building. It used to be a hot springs resort of some kind, but now it's an all-girl's dorm called simply the Hinata Apartments."
Nabiki jerked the phone away from her ears as she heard a loud crash come over the other end of the line. After another minute, she asked, "Kasumi, is everything alright over there?"
"Yes, of course, Nabiki. I'm afraid I just dropped the phone that's all. Did you say you were staying in the Hinata Apartments?" Nabiki could have sworn she heard a set of chopsticks snap on the other end of the line
"That's right. The weird thing is I get the feeling that I have been here before. There are things that just seem so familiar to me. Do you have any idea why?"
On the other end of the line back in Nerima, Kasumi was in a dilemma. What do I say now? Kasumi thought. Maybe just a little bit of the truth. She returned her thoughts to the conversation.
"Well, if I recall, we spent a vacation there, but you were so young, I'm not surprised you don't remember. It was just a year after Akane was born and you were only two yourself. I can't recall that much my self except…"
"Except what, Kasumi?" Nabiki asked, suddenly more interested. Something more was definitely going on.
"Well, there was this little boy there at the same time. I remember playing with him many times on the playground." Kasumi giggled at the warm memory. "We even made a pinky promise that we would go to Tokyo U together when we grew up." Had Nabiki's phone not been clipped to her belt, it would have been smashed to pieces after having fallen from the roof. As it was the conversation was paused for several seconds until she recovered from her shock.
"Uh, sis, you don't happen to remember his name, do you?"
Kasumi smiled. "Of course. It was Keitaro Urashima."
After a few more minutes of going over all the details for the movers, the two sisters said goodbye. As she hung up the phone, Kasumi couldn't stop a few tears from falling down her face. "Oh, Nabiki, I hope you are prepared for what you may discover." She wiped her face with her apron before rejoining her family in the dining room. It took another twenty minutes to calm her father down after telling everybody where Nabiki was living.
Nabiki hit the 'End Call' button on her phone and continued to watch as the sun faded over the horizon. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice a figure walking up behind her.
"It is a rather lovely view, isn't it?" a soft voiced asked from behind her.
Nabiki jumped slightly at the sound, but quickly composed herself. "Yes, it really is." She turned around and found her self face to face with…
"Kasumi?" Nabiki exclaimed as she looked back and forth between the phone still on her belt and the face staring back at her.
"No, my name is Mutsumi," she said with a warm smile.
Nabiki just continued to stare in shock. The resemblance was uncanny. Here in front of her was the spitting image of the older sister she had just got done talking to on her phone. Everything from Mutsumi's height and stature to the 'everything is so perfect' smile on her face made Nabiki think that she was looking at the person who had cared for her family ever since her mother died. Frantically, Nabiki worked to calm her mind and emotions.
"I'm sorry. It's just that you remind me of my older sister. Her name is Kasumi."
"Oh my." Mutsumi brought her hand to her mouth and giggled. She failed to notice the slight twitch that appeared in the corner of Nabiki's eyes at her words. "Isn't that strange?"
Nabiki shook her head. "Just how did you get up here anyway?" she asked, looking her up and down. She doesn't seem like a martial artist or anyone else who could make the climb from a window.
Mutsumi smiled and pointed to the other end of the roof. "I came from over the porch over there. It's only a small jump to get from the edge to…"
Her words faded as her eyes rolled upwards and closed. Nabiki barely moved in time to catch the fainting girl before she fell off the roof to the pavement below. After checking for a pulse and making sure she was alright for the time being, she laid her down on the roof.
"Great, how am I going to get her down from here?" Nabiki looked to the direction Mutsumi had pointed in. "Well, she had to get up here somehow herself and she did say something about a small jump from a porch." With that, Nabiki lifted Mutsumi into her arms and carried her to the edge she had indicated earlier. When she reached the end, she saw that there was indeed a porch that allowed easy access to the roof she was currently on. As she walked toward the stairs, Nabiki heard a voice from below.
"Hey, Nabiki, why don't you come down to the hot springs and relax for a bit."
Nabiki looked down and saw Naru waving at her from the water below. Looking around her, she noticed that Shinobu, Kitsune, and Su were down there as well.
"What about her? Nabiki called back, indicating the girl she was carrying.
"Oh, did Mutsumi have another fainting spell?" Kitsune asked. When Nabiki nodded, she continued. "Don't y'all worry your pretty little head. She has them often. Just put her down in her bed and she'll be fine."
After getting directions to Mutsumi's room from Naru, Nabiki carried her there and put the poor girl in her bad and covered her up. She then went to her own room, took off her clothes, and wrapped herself in a bath towel from her suitcase. Gathering up her bathing products, she headed down to the hot spring below. When she got there, Nabiki immediately noted the new face among the tenants. Naru handled the introductions.
"Hey, Nabiki, this is Motoko. She just got back with a training journey with our last tenant." Naru had a slight grin on her face as she said this last part. Nabiki was about to question her more on the subject when Kitsune stepped in with her own question for Motoko.
"So did y'all learn anything new from your sensei?" she asked, laughing.
"She is not my sensei," Motoko exclaimed, standing. When she saw everyone staring at her outburst, she sat back down in the water and lowered her voice. "We are training each other so no one is master over the other."
"Whatever y'all say, girl," Kitsune smirked.
Over the next half-hour, Nabiki learned quite a bit about the newest arrival. Motoko, it seemed, was a priestess of some kind from an ancient family with a long history of battling demons using ki attacks with her sword. In a way, her demeanor reminded Nabiki a little of Kuno. She had the samurai heart and mindset. She also seemed to have a commanding knowledge of the sword. In fact, based on what she was hearing, Nabiki believed this girl Motoko could give him a real run for his yen. Thankfully she didn't have any of his other 'eccentricies'.
Nightfall found Nabiki on the roof once again. She had gone through a very busy day. For sure it had been exciting. That being said, she had sought solace in the one way she had found to be best for her nerves. As she lay back and looked up at the stars, her mind wandered back to everything that had happened.
I'm actually starting a new life away from my home. I've proven that I can handle my own living arrangements as well as set myself up in a legitimate enterprise. I've made quite a few friends already and hopefully some future business contacts as well.
So why do I still feel like something is wrong here? Ever since I got here, I've had an uncomfortable feeling?
I wish Ranma were here. He always has a way of making me feel safe.
Tears ran down Nabiki's face as she thought on the man she loved. In her mind she could imagine his arms wrapped around her as they gazed into the heavens. Slowly, she stood up to go inside.
"Ranma, I miss you so much."
"Funny," a soft voice said from behind her. "I was just thinking the same thing about you."
Nabiki started as she felt a pair of arms envelop her waist. Very slowly those same arms turned her around so that she could face the source of the sweetest sounding voice in the world to her.
"Ranma?" Nabiki's hand came up and caressed his cheek. She felt the warmth his skin against her palm as he drew her in closer and kissed her lips lightly. Convinced it wasn't a dream, Nabiki engulfed him in a hug that would have made a certain Amazon look on with envy.
"Hey, Biki. It's been a while."
"I knew you would find me," she said, tears running down her face. "I knew you would keep your word."
Ranma laughed. "Actually it's the other way around. It looks like you kept the promise that I made to you."
Nabiki pulled back slightly. "I don't understand."
"Nabiki, I live here." Ranma moved quickly to catch her as Nabiki promptly fainted.
Author's Notes
Now do you see what I meant when I said Ranma couldn't find Nabiki at the Hinata apartments? Turns out Ranma's been living there for the past few months. I know it sounds like a great coincidence but hey this is Ranma we're talking about.
Anyway that's it for chapter one. I hope you all enjoyed it. Chapter two will come in about another month I hope. Until then, I appreciate all C&C.