Still they sat, still they debated, but some issues had
finally begun to be
resolved. They had
now determined exile to be an unnecessary punishment;
instead, he would remain a lame duck in his status as the
Matriarch's widow.
Sadly, it came at the cost of being considered anathema
by those who knew the
circumstances surrounding her death. The only saving grace of this existence
was the luxury of raising the two children--for the time
being, they would
remain in his household. The committee expected he would feel it was a worthy
sacrifice.
"Then it's decided," Chen Fang stated, looking
expectantly at the faces around
her, amongst which numbered members of the most noble
houses. Many of them also
had the distinct honor of being considered her most
trusted advisors. "This is
precisely the course of action we shall take to deal with
the matter."
A chorus of voices sounded in agreement, though some more
reluctant than others.
Not all members of their committee agreed with the conclusion
of their lengthy
debate. Nevertheless, they all felt that despite its possible future pitfalls,
there was no better option than the one they had
chosen. It alone managed to
preserve their village's honor and pride, and would not
punish any innocents for
the accident of their birth...
Descendants
(a sequel to Here Comes Neko!)
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction
by Luna Hinomura
Chapter 9: Tournament
The day of the tournament's opening had finally arrived,
but with no word from
her Japanese pen pal in sight. Perhaps it would have been wiser to have
avoided
raising the issue with the lady Chen, but it was done and
over with. The two of
them--Chen Fang and her apprentice Jie--still vehemently
disapproved of her
decision to include Hideo's presence at the tournament.
Well and so, what could be done about it now? There had been no reply from
Hideo, and she could not very well send another letter
retracting her previous
words. To do so
would be extremely inconsiderate and hardly diplomatic for a
young lady in her position. If Hideo attended, then he would attend. If not,
well, perhaps Jie's attitude would be somewhat mollified.
Anticipation enveloped her heart, and Lan could not cease
wringing her hands.
This event could quite possibly single-handedly determine
her entire future: she
suspected the tournament was scheduled a week to the day
before her sixteenth
birthday for a good reason. The exact details had never been fully
disclosed to
her, but she heard enough in the undertones of her
advisor's voices. Chen Fang
herself had provided hints and suggestions of the same
nature.
Her cousin Jie had already passed his own sixteenth
birthday nearly a year ago,
but no celebration was held. Few people knew the date of his birth, as the
circumstances surrounding it were not of the most
pleasant variety. It was
unfair for him to live in the shadow of his mother's
disgrace, and unlike so
many others, Lan had never hated him for it. Indeed, she still loved her cousin
as best she could despite the bitter relations between
them now.
A major factor of their falling out had been Hideo. Reflecting on it now, Lan
wondered if perhaps she were just as stubborn and selfish
as her cousin. After
all, even if she did want Hideo to visit in hopes that
two of the men she loved
best in her life would put their past to rest, it wasn't
the only reason. Truth
be told, she even felt a sense of romantic love for
Hideo, just a little. As
much as she valued her life's situation as it was now,
she envied Hideo's
freedom. From his
letters, she could sense the rebellious streak in his nature.
It mirrored her own sentiments, at times: the feeling
that all her destiny
encompassed was to simply become the Matriarch of a
backwards Chinese village.
Though she diligently performed all her duties as she was
assigned, she truly
cared close to naught of politics. Oftentimes, it even seemed to her as if the
villagers had no use of a Matriarch, for they'd handled
themselves well enough
without one these sixteen years past.
Still, even the occasional symptom of doubt could not
shake her resolution--she
was content to live her life this way, as eventless and
tedious as it could
often be, and usually was. Her obligation to her post remained stout and
unwavering. The
life she'd been given was the greatest gift her parents could
bestow upon her, and she would not allow that gift to
come to shame. Lan was
proud of her bloodline, though she grieved that her
mother died while giving
birth to her.
She and Jie shared that much in common, at least. Neither one of the two
cousins would ever know their own mother. However, while Jie had no interest in
ever learning anything about his exiled mother, Lan
wondered almost every day
and night about what her own mother had been like. It was sad that her father
had never really come to terms with her death, because as
a result, Lan had no
one to ask when she wanted to learn more about the woman
who should have been
Matriarch. Sometimes, Lan's very appearance reminded her father too much of his
deceased wife, and he could not speak for the tears
choking up his throat.
Lately, as his health waned and his mind deteriorated, it
had become steadily
worse.
Did the villagers also suspect Mousse's health would
reach this state, when they
chose what fate would befall her sixteenth year? Did they know that the grief
of losing his wife, the mother of his daughter, would be
so acute? Lan could
only wonder.
Standing in the lavish courtyard of her abode, she
transferred the straight
sword she held in her right hand to her left. The handle had become slick from
sweat on this hot day in late summer. Lan made a mental note to put sufficient
chalk on her hands before her performance began--it
wouldn't do if she dropped
the sword in the middle of it. Using the back of her right forearm to wipe
the
sweat from her brow, she breathed another sigh of mixed
anxiety and anticipation.
Thankfully, the tournament was scheduled to last several
days, with her
demonstration being one of the last events in the
schedule.
Though preparations for the tournament never seemed to
cease, she had made
certain to allocate sufficient time to practicing her
martial art every day that
she could. With
the straight sword being Lan's preferred weapon of choice, it
was the technique she hoped to show to her audience
today--the villagers: her
people. Its sleek
and subtle design often belied its hidden strengths.
Swinging the sword now, she could sense every subtle
vibration of its blade as
it sliced neatly through the air. When she held it, the sword became a part of
her in mind and body and spirit. Lan would not fail.
Adequate extravagance had been bestowed upon the
arrangements made for the
tournament, certain to impress even the most cynical of
her critics. This
year's tournament would be unlike any other, fit for an
Empress and her king.
Suddenly, a distant gong sounded, causing Lan to
start. The noise reverberated
in the still air, lingering for a while before gradually
fading into silence.
Feeling a little foolish, Lan chided herself on not
paying more attention to the
time. The gong was
to ring periodically throughout the day, as a signal for the
different events that would be taking place. It was now nearly midmorning, time
for her to make an appearance and initiate the opening
ceremonies. Her people
awaited her.
A myriad of faces stared back at her expectantly, eagerly awaiting whatever
news--good or bad--they would hear. Months had passed since the first rumors of
a birth had been whispered. Since then, they had never seen the supposed heir,
not even a glimpse. For reasons beyond their ken, the esteemed High Council had
chosen to keep silent, and all information regarding an heir hidden. In the
aftermath of grief following the Matriarch's death, a blessing of a new life
gave the villagers hope for the future. They had grieved long enough; it was
time for a new beginning.
She stood before them, having been the one chosen to make
the proclamation and
answer all questions. Let those who mistrusted her sudden very political rise
in status be suspicious; she had nothing to hide. From high on the balcony top,
her voice would carry and be heard by all. Those who were not present would be
told by their friends, family, or neighbors.
"My fellow villagers," she spoke, the words
ringing across the pavilion, strong
and clear. "In light of our loss, twice over, may our grief be eased by the
arrival of a new life. With it brings new hope. We have
been blessed with an
heir, the one who will proudly usher us into a new
era. In this modern world
that does not fully understand us, perhaps new blood
bestowed with our
traditional values is precisely what we lack.
"My fellow villagers, I am honored to present to
you: our future Matriarch. Her
name is Yilan." Here, another member of the council
passed the newborn baby into
her arms.
As she held baby Lan high and in plain sight, a sustained
cheer of applause
arose from the crowd.
It was obvious that people had already begun to immerse themselves in the many
festivities available to them, though the official opening ceremonies had not
yet commenced. Some of the people attending or competing in the tournament
lived a great distance away from the main village, and had traveled here by foot.
Family members and longtime friends exchanged embraces, always grateful for the
rare chance to see each other again.
A cheer rang through the air when Lan finally stepped out
onto the balcony-like
platform they used for most announcements. It was stationed somewhere near the
center of the village, having been considered a
convenient location for it
before being built. From this vantage point, most of the main village was
visible, save the very outskirts. In the midst of all the excitement, Lan
continued to scan the horizon with a careful eye, seeking
a familiar face. If
it was there, she did not see it. If it was not there, it mattered little--the
tournament would continue regardless.
Her gaze drifted past the crowds of cheering people to
fall on the official
fighting arenas. Most of the lesser arenas were simply square plots of land,
the dirt patted down firmly to prevent possible
injury. It hadn't been
difficult to set those up, as their design varied little
from year to year.
Nevertheless, Lan allowed a smug smile of approval to
cross her lips.
Additionally, she and her advisors had arranged for
several kiosks to serve food
or sell wares. Amongst those were weapon makers, eager to exchange the
commodities of their family's skills for coin.
Each day, competitors of different rankings would face
each other. Those who
lost were disqualified, while those who won would advance
to the next round.
Eventually, a final champion would be named. Only females were allowed to
compete, though men were allowed to challenge any winner
after a fight. Most of
the competitions that would go on for the first few days
were of little interest.
Later during the week, when the most skilled martial
artists of their village
competed, the men of their village would take their
chances at proving
themselves worthy to a future bride.
The final elimination rounds would take place not on the
ground, but suspended
in the air. In the
final arena, a large log hung suspended horizontally between
two equally large posts. There, they would fight while hindered in movement on
all sides but two--forward and back. The dangers of balancing on a swaying log
while fending off a skilled martial arts opponent was a
challenge worthy of only
the best in their village.
Though Lan would not compete this year, she would perform
her straight sword
routine there on that log, later this week. Year after year, tournament after
tournament, her mother had continuously won honor for
their house and their
lineage. Lan
intended to do the same, though not through competition.
As she stood there, admiring her work and basking in the
laurels, Lan felt a
presence approach to stand at her side. Before she could turn to identify the
presence, the deep and melodic voice that spoke betrayed
the woman's identity.
"It's time for your opening ceremonies speech, young
Yilan," Chen Gu'niang
informed her. "You know... sixteen years
ago, I stood in the very same place
that you are standing now. I had the honor of presenting you to the
people as
the Matriarch's heir, and our village's future
Matriarch. Soon, the time will
come for you to assume that role. I trust you will not disappoint us,
then?"
"No," Lan said firmly with resolution, her eyes
still focused on the cheering
crowd before her. "I will not."
End of Chapter 9
