Insert Self Here
Chapter Twelve
The Black Rose Never Blooms
X X X"My fellow students!" Kuno shouted, despite the closed quarters. It wouldn't do to start a student council meeting with any less. "Yet another meeting for the sake of our noble school has begun!"
The fellow student council members rubbed their heads. How they wished they could be somewhere else... anywhere else. Most of them wondered how Kuno had come to be elected as student council president... but they also knew that money, power, and status attracted the voters.
They wouldn't put it past Nabiki to rig the votes, either.
"And so," Kuno continued, "I would like to call this meeting to order."
"Indeed," said a feminine voice. All eyes turned to the girl at the table, student council vice-president Yomi Tsuko. Short black hair and a mischievous grin were what set her apart from most girls. "Today's agenda, I believe, is the use of low-quality buttered rolls for school lunches, followed by the preparations being made for the baseball meet being held next weekend."
As the students began to converse among each other, Kuno cleared his throat, diverting attention to him once more. "That may be so," he began, "but I would also like to bring our attention to a more pressing matter."
"What could be so important?" Yomi asked. She didn't know why she bothered to ask; it was obviously just another Kuno example of idiocy in the making.
The kendo captain walked to the front of the room, where a covered presentation board stood. "This," he said, "is what is so important!" With a flourish, he pulled the sheet off from the board. It was, apparently, a pictured of two pigtailed youths, one male with black hair, the other female with red hair. "This vile sorcerer, Ranma Saotome!" He cleared his throat when the other began to roll their eyes. "According to Nabiki Tendo, the best source of information we have at Furinkan, he is the one keeping me from seeing my beautiful pigtailed goddess, also pictured! I say we fight to have Saotome expelled from this school!"
Yomi rolled her eyes. "Kuno, we don't have time for your games."
"Games I do not play, my dear Yomi." Kuno cleared his throat. "We of the student council can surely find a way to be rid of this Saotome boy. As your student council president, I believe it is in my best interest... nay, the best interest for all of Furinkan, if we simply get rid of this sorcerer from our school grounds."
Yomi rubbed her temple. It was time to keep their president in line once more. "Have you consulted your advisor on this yet?" She pulled out her cell phone. "It would be best before making any hasty decisions."
"Ah, yes, my wartime counselor!" After Yomi dialed a number, Kuno took the phone and held it to his ear. "I'm sure she shall give her assent!"
The rest of the student council wondered why Nabiki didn't just attend herself. They sighed as Kuno talked on the phone. Another day for the Furinkan High student council.
X X X
Ryonami stood by the door of her classroom, bored. Most of the students had left for the day, though a few lingered inside. A boy in glasses with dark brown hair and that red-haired loudmouth were conversing in a corner. Nabiki, too, was still in the classroom, pouring over some papers. Ryonami couldn't tell if it was schoolwork or gambling information, and she didn't really care. She never bothered with paperwork.
This was annoying. She didn't know if she needed to do anything after school unless Nabiki told her, and the girl was busy with something and had flat-out told Ryonami to wait until she was finished.
Even Kikuko, the fellow flunky of Nabiki with shorter hair, was busy, chatting on her cell phone, looking rather serious. So Ryonami didn't even have anybody to talk to...
"Hey, Ryonami."
The dark-haired girl turned to see the short first year girl, Kari, in the hallway by the door. "Oh, hello Kari. Come to pay Nabiki a visit?"
"Nabiki?" the young ninja asked. "Why would I want to see her?"
"Because you live with her?" Ryonami suggested.
Kari waved the comment off. "No, no." Looking her fellow go player in the eyes, she continued. "Daisuke was saying that he wanted to look over the latest Judan title match today. He was wondering if you'd be able to make it."
Ryonami looked unsure, glancing back at Nabiki. "I don't know Nabiki's plans for this afternoon. I don't know whether I'll be free or not."
"Ask her," Kari replied simply.
"She's busy," the older girl retorted.
Kari snorted and walked into the classroom, leaning against the wall by the door. "I'll just wait with you, then."
"Thanks," Ryonami said sincerely.
A few minutes later and Nabiki was still working, though Kikuko had apparently finished her phone call. She walked over to the door where the other two girls were waiting. "Hiya Ryonami. And... Kari, right?" Seeing the younger girl nod, Kikuko continued. "Why are you here?"
"Waiting for Ryonami," the young girl supplied, "who's waiting for Nabiki."
"Who were you talking to?" Ryonami asked, curious to who had kept the girl on her cell phone.
"My boyfriend," Kikuko replied.
Ryonami looked curious. "Your boyfriend? Ao, right?"
"That's right."
Ryonami rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I haven't seen him in a while... Where's he at?"
"He's on a trip to Kyoto," Kikuko replied. She began to go into details of his trip which, quite honestly, bored Kari. She didn't care about any historical sites or temples or whatever this girl's boyfriend was visiting.
While they were chatting, the boy in glasses and the red-haired boy left the room. Kari's eyes and the redhead's eyes locked. "Kaga," she hissed.
"Yo," he greeted, much friendlier than she had. "So I take it you're not going to be dropping by the shougi club any time soon?"
"Not really," Kari responded.
Kaga shook his head. "Just because of one loss?"
"Just because of one loss to a total jerk," the kunoichi responded evenly.
"Touché." The redhead shook his head again. "Well, if you ever feel up to a game, you know where to find me, boy-o." He laughed as he left Kari fuming silently.
X X X
It was dinnertime that night that Kari began a particular conversation with Ranma. "Really, Ranma," the young girl began, "you should look into a hobby besides martial arts."
Genma was the one who replied. "Preposterous!"
Kari silently applauded his use of such a big word.
The larger martial artist continued. "He needs to focus everything he has on his martial arts! He has no time for anything else!" He puffed out his chest. "This is the path of a true warrior." He narrowed his eyes, leaned over the table, and poked Kari in the cheek. "Not that I expect a little girl to understand any of that."
Kari calmly grabbed the offending digit and twisted it back as hard as she could.
Genma writhed in pain.
"Well, Kari," Ranma began, scratching his head, "I'm just not interested in any of that other stuff."
"You won't know unless you try!" Kari replied. "It's not like you can't. I mean, look at Hiroshi and Daisuke. They're both pretty dumb, and they're both in the go club with me. Pretty decent players, too!"
"I didn't know they played," Akane commented, sipping her tea.
Genma spoke next, suddenly overcoming his pain to stand and point an accusing finger at Kari. "You're in a go club? A weak girl like you?" He snorted. "A girl like you has no right to be playing such a noble game."
"Why is that?" Kari asked, suppressing the sudden urge to violently beat down her friend's father.
"I'll show you why!" he shouted, rushing out of the room. He entered again with a go board and stones. Roughly shoving aside Soun's shougi table, he set it down where he and the Tendo patriarch often played. "Come and play me, girl!"
Thankfully, the meal was mostly over. "Sure thing," Kari replied, calmly rising from her seat at the table and making her way over.
An hour later and Genma was sweating bullets.
Kari yawned lazily. "You ready to resign yet?" She had taken seven stones and was ahead by more. His stones on the lower corner and upper right were all dead.
The bald martial artist knew when he was beat. But he also knew how to make a comeback in such a situation.
It was time for his ultimate technique.
"Look!" he shouted, pointing wildly at the floor next to Kari. "A fifty yen coin!"
Kari idly turned her eyes to the floor. "Why, I think you're right."
Genma jumped and started frantically searching the floor. "Where is it!" he cried.
The blue-haired girl smirked. Counter-technique successful.
Ranma shook his head in shame.
Kari stood up and stretched. "Well, it's obvious who won this game, and it's not Genma." She was wearing a self-satisfied smirk.
Genma remained peacefully oblivious, too busy searching for the fifty yen coin to hear the girl's words.
Ranma and Soun were the only ones still in the room. Akane and Ryoga, apparently, had left some time during the game to get in some more training, while Nabiki was probably sleeping. The sounds from the kitchen told Kari what Kasumi was up to.
"Well," the young ninja began, "it's getting kind of late. I think I'll turn in now."
"Whatever," Ranma replied. "Good night."
"Good night." Kari quickly made her way upstairs to the bedroom she and Akane shared. As she opened the door, she immediately noticed something was wrong.
"Who the hell are you, and why are you on the ceiling of my bedroom?"
The black-haired girl snorted derisively and dropped from the ceiling onto the bed, futilely trying to hide the giant wooden mallet behind her back as she did so. "Oh, I'm sorry. You must be Akane Tendo. I just wanted to pay you a visit before our match."
"Kodachi Kuno, I presume." The young ninja remembered her well from the Ranma manga and anime she had been into in her past life. There were some things you could forget, but this lunatic wasn't one of them.
"You presume correctly, my dear Akane." The psychotic gymnast laughed a little, proving it was even worse than Kari remembered.
Kari rubbed her temple slowly. "And you presume incorrectly. My name's not Akane, it's Kari. Kari Umikage. I'm Akane's... roommate, I guess." All the idiots she had to put up with in one day... it sure was annoying.
"I see," Kodachi said slowly, looking down to the ground. "I suppose that it is a shame..." Then, suddenly looking up, she leapt toward Kari, swinging her mallet over her head. "...That I would never fall for such an obvious trick!"
Kari's reaction time was commendable. The mallet fell harmlessly to the floor, severed right above Kodachi's hand. The ninja, who had moved forward and was standing right next to Kodachi, slid the kunai back into her sleeve. "You'll have to do better than that, Kodachi."
The Kuno girl took a step back. "You harridan! I was only here to gauge your skill, no need to bring a weapon into this!"
Kari looked down to the severed mallet on the ground, then back up at Kodachi. She raised an eyebrow. "You... really are delusional, you know that?"
Kodachi snorted. "Well, I see there's no use trying to reason with you, you barbarian. And here I was hoping we could be friends."
Kari wasn't buying it.
The gymnast pulled out a ribbon and began twirling it. "Until our match, then!" And, with a laugh and a myriad of black rose petals, the girl disappeared into the night.
The ground and furniture were littered in the petals of Kodachi's departure. Kari sighed. This was going to be a real hassle.
The door opened with a creak and Akane, flushed from her training with Ryoga, walked in. "I thought I heard..." That's when she noticed the mess. "What the hell happened here?"
"Kodachi happened," Kari replied evenly.
X X X
It was the next day at school. Classes had just ended and people were beginning to either leave or head to their after-school activities. Kari was hanging out with Akane, Yuka, and Sayuri before they left for the day. She had go club, but that could wait. It wasn't like Daisuke and Hiroshi could ruin everything before she showed up; after all, they had all done remarkably well before she arrived.
"Hey," Yuka piped up, noticing a flier on the wall. The others looked over at it. It was a flier for the drama club, advertising the selection of plays they were considering and urging students to join if they wanted to help choose and put together the performances. "Weren't you interested in drama club earlier this year, Akane?"
"Yeah," the longhaired girl replied, looking over the flier. Romeo and Juliet, she loved that play. Hamlet? Macbeth? She wasn't too familiar with either. Peter Pan? "Hey," Akane said, looking over at Kari, "did you ever consider joining the drama club?"
Disguises and acting were a part of her ninja training, so Kari would probably do well in the drama club. In fact, she even enjoyed plays for the most part. But it's not like she could devote that much time to it. "I never considered it," Kari admitted, "but I don't think I have the time to spare for it, either."
"That's a shame," Akane said, turning back to the flier. "With your hair, I think you'd make an awesome Peter Pan."
Kari was mortified. It was bad enough dealing with her new haircut without that. She looked even more like a boy and even younger than she had before, she knew that much... but to have Akane come out and say it like that?
Akane suddenly realized the effect of her words when she turned and saw Kari's face. She was momentarily taken aback; she had forgotten how recent the bad experience of Kari's haircut was and how much she hated it. She also remembered how much she, herself, had resented being cast as the male lead back in grade school. "I'm sorry!" she said, apologizing immediately. "I didn't mean it like that!" She thought quickly for some reassuring words. "I mean, I think your haircut's cute! Really, it's not bad at all!"
Kari's expression turned from wide-eyed to a huge blush. "Y-You think it's cute?"
"Sure!" Akane replied with a smile.
Sayuri put a hand on Kari's shoulder. "Sure, your haircut looks good on you, Kari."
Kari tried to hide her blush by turning away. "Um, I think I should probably head to the go club now. I promised to play Hiroshi today, and I don't want to keep him waiting."
"I'll see you later!" Akane replied.
"Y-Yeah," Kari said, before rushing off to the go club meeting.
Akane looked thoughtful as Kari's form retreated around a corner.
X X X
It was the next day.
Ryonami made a move. She had to defend her upper-right territory.
Kari frowned, deep in thought. Her hand dipped into her bowl of white stones as she considered what move would be best to make.
"Kari! Ryonami!" The voice startled both girls, who turned to see a grinning Hiroshi. The brown-haired boy produced two fliers, handing one to each girl.
The ninja and her opponent looked over the fliers. There was a date on the top, proclaiming the coming Tuesday as the date for some sort of event. That would be two days after Akane's match with Kodachi. There was a large picture of a go board under the date. Under that were the words, "Come see the Judan title holder play an exhibition match against Urameshi 7-dan. Open to the public." An address and small map were on the very bottom.
"So you want to check this out?" Ryonami asked after looking over the flier.
Hiroshi's reply was quick. "I thought it'd be fun." His smile widened. "I mean, we haven't really done anything as a club yet. I thought it could be a good thing, all five of us out to watch a pro's game."
"Have you talked to Daisuke and Chitase about it yet?" Kari asked.
Hiroshi nodded, motioning toward the large girl and his friend as they played a game. "Yeah, they both thought it was a great idea."
Ryonami shrugged. "I guess I'm free, so I'll show up." It looked like the game was after school. It was likely they had scheduled it that way so that office workers would have a chance to catch the game as well.
Kari nodded, giving her assent as well. "It sounds like fun. I've never really had a chance to watch other people play before, so it'll be interesting."
"All right!" Hiroshi said, clenching his fist like a victory pose. "You can keep the fliers, by the way. I got one for each of us." With that, he pulled up a seat to formally watch Kari's game. "You don't mind if I watch?"
"Feel free," Kari replied, turning back to the game. A few moments of silence. "Um, it was my turn, right?"
X X X
Kari idly flicked the ribbon in her hand as Ryoga trained Akane. It really wasn't that entertaining. Ryoga was treating Akane just like a regular martial arts student, proving he wasn't harboring any crushes like he may have been, and the girl was improving. It still wasn't interesting to watch, though. Kari felt obligated to keep them company, however.
"Your match is tomorrow, right?" the young girl asked during their next breather.
"Yeah," Akane replied as she took a seat next to her young roommate. "We've been working hard, I'm sure I'll be ready for that girl."
"You'd better be." Kari looked to the ceiling. "I expect you to beat the crap out of that girl, especially after making that mess in our room." That had been hell to clean up.
"I will," Akane assured the younger girl.
Ryoga looked over to the two girls. "Akane, how about a practice match before we call it a night?" He twirled a ribbon around him expertly.
The young Tendo groaned. "I just sat down, too." Nonetheless, she picked herself up and walked into the middle of the dojo. She caught the ribbon that Ryoga threw to her and began to spin it into something resembling a circle, though not quite.
The match began and Kari watched, not very enthused. Ryoga was obviously still more skilled, though he held back to give Akane an even match.
The match ended when Ryoga's ribbon caught Akane's arm. With a jerk and a twist, Ryoga sent the girl flying overhead. Akane managed to right herself in midair, but, unfortunately, her landing spot was taken by a small blue ball.
Akane's foot twisted into an unnatural position and the girl fell to the floor with a cry of shock and pain.
"Are you all right?" Ryoga cried as he ran over, Kari also getting to her feet and rushing to her friend's side.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," the girl reassured the two worried fighters. She rubbed her ankle gingerly for a few moments before she tried to stand. She began to collapse before she was standing halfway, but Kari and Ryoga caught her and held her up. Akane was thankful as she took all her weight off that ankle. "Okay, maybe not so fine," she admitted.
The three made their way back to the Tendo living room. Ranma, who had been taking a catnap (ironically) on the Tendo family's dinner table, woke up as they entered. "Huh? What's going on?"
"Akane hurt herself," Kari responded as she and Ryoga helped Akane into a sitting position at the table before sitting down themselves.
"How'd that happen?" the pigtailed boy asked. "What about the match?"
"It was my fault," Ryoga said in response to Ranma's first question. "And... I guess we have to cancel the match."
Akane's response was immediate. "We can't cancel the match!" she cried. "The girls from the gymnastics team are counting on me! I can't let them down!"
"You're in no condition to fight, Akane," Kari chastised lightly.
The Tendo girl looked down, sadness on her face. "But I have to fight Kodachi. If I don't, who will get revenge for the poor girls Kodachi beat up before their match?" She looked determined now. "I can't just let her get away with that! Besides, I promised those girls that I'd help them out!"
"If you can't do it," Ranma began, "then that just means we need to get somebody else to do it, right?"
"You say that," Akane responded, "but it's not that easy. Where are we going to find a Furinkan student who can fight, plus look good in a leotard?"
The Hibiki boy knew just the candidate. "Why don't we get Kari to do it?"
Kari crossed her arms in front of her. "Oh, hell no! There's no way you'll get me in a leotard!"
Ranma was next. "Yeah, Kari would never work. I mean, come on Ryoga, didn't you hear what Akane said? We need somebody that looks good in a leotard!" His face became acquainted with the Tendo dinner table as Kari shoved his head into it.
"Why not get Ranma to do it?" the ninja asked. Ranma's cries of protest were muffled by the table Kari held his face against. "He's a good fighter, plus I'm sure his female side would look absolutely great in a leotard." Not that she was admitting he'd look better than her, of course.
"Because he's not a real girl," Ryoga replied simply.
"And you'd do a great job!" Akane added.
"Mmph!" was Ranma's contribution.
Under the constant badgering of her two best friends and roommate, Kari quickly relented. She knew she was going to regret it, though.
X X X
"I regret signing up for this," Kari said as they reached the gates of St. Hebereke.
The group of four, consisting of Ranma, his father, Ryoga, and Kari, were there for Kari's match. The school gates seemed intimidating to the young girl. Not that she was afraid of Kodachi... no, she could handle that. She was afraid of being in front of a huge crowd in a leotard.
"Come on," Ranma said, "let's get going."
"Yeah, yeah," Kari replied evenly. The group headed into the school.
Thankfully, there were some friendly students to help them to where they needed to go; apparently, not all of the girls in the school were like Kodachi and her cohorts. Not that Kari had ever seen the girl's cohorts, but they couldn't be nice people, not and hang around Kodachi.
When they found Kari's dressing room, the girl slipped inside while the others waited outside. The first thing Kari noticed was the batch of black roses, addressed to "Akane Tendo." She quickly shoved them in a nearby fish aquarium.
In short order, the girl changed from her usual green outfit into her new dark blue leotard, somewhat contrasting her lighter blue hair, but still matching. Kasumi and Akane had helped pick it out before the match. Both girls assured her that they would be there in time for her match, but Akane had wanted to get some more things done and had dragged Kasumi along with her. It was a shame, she could use the reassurances of the two girls.
A knock on the door. "Hey, Kari, you ready yet?" Ranma's annoyed voice called from the other side. "Just because you're a girl doesn't mean we're gonna wait all day for you to get done!"
The ninja let in her two friends, along with Genma. She shot her pigtailed friend a glare as he entered.
"What a horrible outfit," Genma commented. "Little girls shouldn't be wearing those."
"What should I be wearing?" Kari countered. "A pink frilly dress? Sorry, but that isn't happening during your life time."
"You look like a little kid." It wasn't Genma, but rather his son, who said that. "But, then again, I guess you are."
As Kari kicked Ranma in the face, Ryoga spoke. "Don't listen to him, Kari. You look good."
Ranma rubbed his nose, irritated. "Yeah, you'd say that, wouldn't you." He felt his nose to make sure nothing was broken. "Stupid tomboy. She'd rather have somebody tell her a lie than the truth."
"I'd rather if you had some tact," Kari responded in an even tone.
Another knock on the door. A female voice called through, "Your match will begin in ten minutes."
Kari blinked. That was quick. She briefly wondered whether Akane would be able to make it.
X X X
"Are you sure about this?" Kasumi asked as Akane sat down in front of her. "You really don't have to do this..." Her face expressed some doubt about what Akane wanted.
"I'm sure," Akane replied, turning to her older sister and showing her a big smile. "It'll be good for her, and besides, it's something I've been considering for a long time anyway."
"Well, if you're sure..." Kasumi took the pair of scissors and began.
X X X
Kari entered the gymnasium with some trepidation, Ryoga in tow as her manager. She hated this stupid leotard. She could practically feel the boys' eyes on her legs... This is why she always wore pants!
Contrary to her belief, however, most guys didn't bother staring at Kari. Not when Kodachi was already in the ring, and she was much better looking than Kari. Apparently, she felt no need to make a flashy entrance.
As the blue-haired girl entered the ring, Kodachi let out a laugh. "I see you decided to show your face today, Akane Tendo. A foolish mistake, and one I shall make you regret!" She punctuated her statement with a laugh.
Kari felt a vein on her forehead bulge. "I am not Akane Tendo. I am Kari Umikage."
"Even here, in the ring, you continue to deny it." Kodachi shook her head. "How pathetic you are, my dear Akane."
Ryoga decided he didn't want to know.
The announcer began, cutting off anything Kari was about to retort with. "Welcome to St. Hebereke! Today we'll see the first martial arts rhythmic gymnastics match of the year for St. Hebereke! All of the previous teams this year were won by default when the other teams forfeited, obviously afraid of our star athlete, Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose."
In the audience, Ranma snorted. "Afraid, right. More like she took 'em all out before the match."
"Anything goes," Genma said from beside him, nodding sagely.
From behind him, Daisuke and Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. They were there to see Akane fight, but apparently it had changed to Kari. Well, the view might not have been as nice, but they'd get to support a friend. "That's just called cheating," they said as one in response to the elder Saotome's statement.
"In one corner," the announcer continued, "is our star player. The gymnast who makes others quiver in fear! Our very own Kodachi Kuno!"
Kodachi, donned in a dark purple leotard, laughed with one hand held daintily (at least, she liked to think so) in front of her mouth while she waved with the other hand. She loved winning by default, but there was also something appealing about beating your opponent senseless in front of a crowd of adoring fans. Ah, she would enjoy this match.
"And in the other corner... this young flat-chested girl is apparently Furinkan's representative, Kari Umikage." The announcer sighed audibly. "It looks like the best they could muster is a little girl, probably recruited from a local elementary school. How pathetic Furinkan is."
Kari's eyebrow twitched. She wondered if attacking the announcer would get her disqualified.
Ryoga hoped his friend wouldn't do anything rash.
There was a pause as some laughter broke out, both on the Furinkan section and the St. Hebereke. Kari could see her friends laughing as well; she'd give them what's coming, oh yes she would. Her eyes, however, became drawn to the side as the door opened and two more figures entered, scanning the crowd.
Kari could easily recognize Kasumi, who was supporting the other figure. That figure, however... she couldn't immediately recognize her, not with short hair, but then it clicked. That face, the way she was taking her weight off one of her ankles, her familiar dress, those deep brown eyes... she was looking at Akane Tendo. Her hair was short now. Actually, it may have been a bit longer than in the anime and manga, but it was definitely reminiscent of the Akane of fiction. This girl was definitely Akane Tendo.
"Have you ever thought about getting your hair cut short?" How long ago had it been when Kari had asked that question? It had been a normal day. She was walking home with Akane. It had been sunny, maybe with a few clouds. She had been staring at Akane, but after blurting out the question, looked down at the ground.
Akane had simply smiled and looked forward as she replied. "Not really. I like having it long." Then, fingering a long strand of hair, she continued. "And I have other reasons, too."
A few traded words. Akane asked, "Why do you ask?" as she glanced at the younger girl.
Kari remembered blushing. "No real reason... Just thinking. You'd be a lot cuter with short hair, I think." It was the truth; Akane would definitely be cuter with short hair. Not that she was any less cute with long...
Akane had blinked. "Maybe. But I don't think I could ever do it."
Then why was it cut now?
"I mean," Akane had continued back then, "I spent a long time growing it out. How would you respond if somebody asked you to cut your hair?"
It was so obvious Akane would never cut her hair. Just like Kari would never cut her hair... Not even for Ranma. Not even for Ryoga. To change that... Kari'd do it for somebody she loved. That's it.
So why was Akane's hair cut?
Kari shook her head. It couldn't be her. It just couldn't. She had probably gone to Dr. Tofu to see about her ankle, then he would have commented on how he remembered her with short hair, and...
But that couldn't be it. There wasn't enough time for all of that!
Could it be... Akane... maybe she...
The wheels is Kari's head stopped when the announcer shouted into the microphone, "And it's time to begin our match!" A cheer from the crowd. "Are you all ready?" An uproar this time.
Kari scowled. She had to fight now. This was... this fight was important! It wasn't important for her own sake.. or even for the sake of the girls beaten by Kodachi.
No. This fight was important because... it was Akane's fight!
Kari wouldn't lose.
X X X
End Chapter Twelve
To be continued...