Disclaimer:
The characters in this story aren't mine, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and other publications… I'm only here so I can practice my writing…lol… I do not own any of the characters and gains no profit from writing this story… so again please don't sue!!!… I already have enough problems managing bill payments…..
I do not intend on making any profit from making this story but only a writer writing about one of her favourite character, namely Nabiki.
( ) Author's comments
Italics Thoughts of the characters
Warning: Slight OOC
Days have come and go. Everything was yet again in the same order. Or as normal as the day goes in Nerima. Everything was always set in motion. Anyone could have set their watch to it.
Early morning Ranma and his father Genma would spar against each other. Making them land in the abused koi pond. Nabiki often wondered how the fishes could survive the father and son morning rituals. Then at breakfast, the Saotomes' would inhale their food at an astonishing rate. That's right inhale is the word best describe the father and son's eating habits.
Then the "foot in mouth disease" will inadvertently be triggered. Sending Ranma over to LEO or give him a massive headache depending on Akane's choice of weapon's mode. It can either be table, mallet or punch. For a martial artist like Ranma, one would ask why he even let a below average martial artist like Akane even touch him. But then again, this is Nerima and nothing is left sacred for too long.
One person in particular is not following the subtle rules of this little chaotic universe. She is left on her guard at all times, creating a very low frequency "butterfly effect" so to speak. To be blunt. She was acting weird. Nabiki Tendo was being a bit too careful and a little bit over the edge. No one really knows why.
Some had began to notice her little changes in routine. Such as her morning ritual where she is meant to be at school before her sister and her fiancé arrives to deal with the betting pools. Nabiki now goes along with Akane and then fades into the background once the morning fights begin. Most shrugged it off. But there are people who had began to become suspicious.
One was the village idiot, otherwise known as the Blue Thunder. (Yes. I'm talking about Kuno.)
Tatewaki Kuno was not the most perceptive of the bunch, hell an ant can have more brain cells than this guy. Yet being around one as conniving as Tendo Nabiki; an exceptionally deceitful individual, one can learn many tricks and know one's daily routine. Though Kuno hates to admit it.
He is probably the one who knows Nabiki more since they conduct more business more often than necessary. He had learned most things from her through osmosis, though being as thick headed as he is, the feat is almost close to impossible. But then again this is Nerima where nothing is impossible.
Kuno had probably had the biggest shock of his like, almost enough to give a cardiac arrest. When Nabiki Tendo had no refused to sell anymore photos of his pigtailed goddess. At first Kuno was filled with unbearable rage.
"How could this mercenary come between him and his beloved?"
He never truly trusted Nabiki. He trusted her to a certain extent. At first he thought, her greed had gotten the better of her again as he tried to negotiate a price for his beloved pictures. But she remained unmovable. Like the Ice queen she is. He tried to figure out why the sudden change of heart? Or dare he say it, a change of yen?
Yet she continued to peddle her sister's pictures. A minor consolation. Still it left him to question why? A riddle he intends to solve. Using every miniscule of brain cell he has (Yes I mean every single brain cell!) he vowed to find out the sudden shift of the mercenary.
Another person who had noticed the subtle changes in the middle Tendo was Ranma Saotome himself. He had noticed the middle Tendo tends to get tensed every time he was near her or in the immediate vicinity. He still couldn't figure out why. Perhaps she is still in shock with the whole traffic incident? She became more aloof than ever. Ranma was left baffled. And intrigued.
Nabiki was annoyed. She didn't like how she was acting. Ranma made her nervous. She was still a little bit unnerved by him. The attempt on her life was just too big to ignore. She once thought it could have been a big misunderstanding but she isn't prepared to take a risk. Her safety is on the line. On false move and the next minute her family will be standing on her grave. The thought made her suddenly sad and depressed. She began to wonder what will be the repercussions of her demised.
Would they care if she passed away?
Would anyone grieve for her?
These thoughts invaded her mind and had thrown her to an emotional turmoil. She felt so alone. She felt tears well up in her eyes. She tried hard to stop the onslaught of tears she knew that would come next. She needed to be alone for a little while. She was no good whenever she felt like this. She didn't want anyone to witness her reduced into tears. With her mind made up, she decided to skip the rest of the day. She will instead go to the old park. No one would ever think of looking for her there.
Then again who would look for her?
And with that last thought. She left. Without a word to anyone about her where abouts. Unbeknownst to her that her actions had not gone unnoticed.
Ranma watched her from a nearby tree. Trying to decipher her. Her actions and behaviour. She just didn't make any sense. Since the accident she had began acting all weird.
"She has got to be planning something big." Ranma said to himself. As he watched her get up and leave.
"Who's planning something big sugar?" Asked a very familiar voice.
"UCHAN!" Ranma exclaimed in surprise as he nearly jumped out of the tree.
"Yes Ranchan it's me. Or where expecting someone else?" Ukyou replied back rather annoyed at the response she got.
"N-no." Ranma manage to reply back.
"Really now?" Ukyou replied back. Disbelief in her voice as she arched one of her eyebrows. While Ranma visibly began to sweat.
"So what are you doing skulking around in the trees?" Asked Ukyou.
"I was not skulking!" Ranma protested.
"Ok then. What are you doing Hiding in the trees?" Asked Ukyou.
"I was not Hiding!" Ranma again protested.
"That's not how I see it." Ukyou pointed out.
"Look Uchan I was not hiding or skulking." Ranma said trying to justify himself.
"So what exactly where you doing Ran-Chan?" Ukyou inquired. Now curious why Ranma was acting this way.
"I was merely observing…" But before Ranma could finish Ukyou interrupted him.
"You mean you were spying? SPYING ON WHO?" Ukyou exclaimed.
"Would you please let me finish?" Ranma said rather annoyed now.
"Sorry Ranchan. Do go on. Who are you spying at?" Ukyou asked now intrigued.
Ranma sighed in exasperation. He might as well tell Ukyou. She was his best friend after all. Even if she's out to marry him.
"Nabiki." Ranma managed to say.
"Why on Earth are you spying on Nabiki?" Ukyou said as she frowned. If Ranma was spying on her, she must have something on him. Something big she presumes.
"She's been acting all weird lately." Ranma replied back.
"What do you mean?" She clearly doesn't know what Ranma was talking about.
"You mean you haven't noticed anything strange?" Ranma asked.
"What do you mean?" Ukyou asked clearly baffled.
"I don't know. She's acting really weird though. I can feel it." Ranma said in a conspiracy tone.
"Riiigghhtt. Ranchan have you eaten one of Akane's lunches again?" Ukyou asked.
"No I haven't eaten any of Akane's toxic food! For your information I haven't eaten anything at all." Ranma said irritated and as if he needed to prove himself, his stomach began to growl.
"I see." Ukyou replied back. Now realising why Ranma was acting so weirdly. He hasn't eaten the poor boy. Well being the good fiancée that she is, was glad she had made him lunch.
"That's alright. Good thing I've bought extra lunch." With that Ukyou whipped out her bento and gave it to Ranma.
Ranma began to drool as the smell of Okonomiyaki reached his nose. He was about to reach out and take the offered bento when a sound of bell ringing was heard and a bicycle wheel wedge itself on his face.
"Nihao Airen!" Shampoo cried out in glee. While she back pedalled her bicycle to remove it from Ranma's face.
"S-shampoo what are you doing here?" Asked Ranma with tyre marks on his face.
"Shampoo bring Airen's lunch." Shampoo happily replied as she handed her package to Ranma.
Ranma drooled as the smell of delicious food assailed him.
"Drugged you mean." Ukyou said snidely. Which prompted Ranma to stop.
"What does Spatula girl mean? Shampoo not Crazy girl!" Shampoo frowned at being compared to Kodachi.
"What ever sugar." Ukyou replied back. Then began to glare at the Amazon, who glared back.
Ranma began to sweat drop as he watched the girls. He could feel the tension in the air thickened. And he was right smack in the middle of it. To make it worst another voice was heard.
"Ranma where are you?" Akane called out looking for her fiancé. When she felt the tension in the air that made her look up the tree she was standing near at. What she saw made her blood boil.
"RANMA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THOSE HUSSIES!" Akane yelled out from underneath.
Ranma automatically jumped down to sooth the irate Akane. Followed closely by Shampoo and Ukyou.
"It's not what it looks like Akane." Ranma tried to explain.
Akane suddenly stopped shaking from rage and look straight at him.
"I'm sure there is a logical explanation why you are with those two." Akane managed to say calmly as she pointed at the two girls.
"Yes there is." Ranma said. As he began to get nervous. She may look calm but her battle aura was showing!
"Well what is it?" Akane asked barely hanging on with rage.
"Well they brought me lunch…" Ranma told her. Which was the truth. As he looked at the other two girls who nodded. But was glaring at each other.
"I see… Well lucky for you I brought you lunch." Akane said to him as she gave him or rather shoved him a bento she was carrying.
"Did you make it?" Ranma asked as a sweat drop formed on his head.
"Does it matter?" Answered a very irate Akane as she glared at the three of them.
"I think it does sugar." Ukyou piped in.
"Aiya! Kitchen destroyer poison Airen with toxic food!" Exclaimed Shampoo.
"What did you say you Chinese bimbo!" Akane snarled at Shampoo.
"Shampoo said…." but before Shampoo could repeat her statement, Ranma interrupted her.
"Shampoo don't you have other deliveries to make?" Ranma said nervously.
"Aiya! Airen right. Shampoo see Airen later." And with that she bounded on her bike and sped off. Leaving Ranma and Ukyou to deal with a very angry Akane.
"Nice save Ranchan." Ukyou told him.
"What do you mean?" asked Akane.
"If Ranma didn't step in, Shampoo would have pulverised you if you attacked her. You know your no match for her sugar." Ukyou explained.
"I can so beat her!" Akane protested.
"What ever sugar. I'll see you later Ranchan." Ukyou bid her farewell and left Ranma in the hands of a fuming Akane.
"Akane let me explain." Ranma began as he knew Akane was angry.
"EXPLAIN IT TO THE HEAVENS!" Akane yelled at him before punting him to LEO. Finally releasing her anger.
The last thing Ranma heard while he soared through the air via Akane was:
"RANMA NO BAKA!!!"
Nabiki was in the old park. She was sitting in the swings. Still musing about her life in general. When she had reached the park she had a good cry. She thought about the person she had become and how lonely she felt.
She looked around the area she was in. This used to be the park her mother used to bring her and her sisters to. It was now quite old. Still the memories felt like it was not so long ago. It was not so long ago when she and Akane would race to the swings and the slides laughing merrily as their mother watched them as she sat at the nearby bench.
She was so care free back then. She was so happy. How she wished she could turn back time and be able to smile or laugh heartily. Its been so long since she had laughed. She was snapped out of her reverie when something landed in front of her in a heap.
Ranma groaned as he landed face first on the ground. Spitting out grass that he had accidentally eaten when he connected to the ground unceremoniously. He then looked around his surroundings and was greeted by a pair of gorgeous legs. He began to look up and followed his gaze.
The legs where long and very shapely, with just the right amount of muscle. He followed his gaze and rested on a very familiar skirt which looked like the Furikan school skirt and as he continued his perusal he had confirmed his suspicion. He also noticed the person's breasts which he quickly diverted his eyes to rest on the person's face. Which shocked him.
"Like what you see Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked sarcastically.
"N-Nabiki! What are you doing here?!" Ranma asked her.
"The question is what are you doing here?" Nabiki asked him.
"Akane." Ranma said as he got up and dusted himself off.
"What about you? Shouldn't you be at school?" Ranma asked her.
"I wasn't feeling well so I decided to skip my classes today." Nabiki told him.
"Oh I see. Then shouldn't you be at Dr Tofu's?" Ranma asked her.
"I feel better now." Nabiki told him.
"I see." Ranma replied.
Silence.
The wind blew, a stray strand of hair fell on Nabiki's face.
Ranma without thinking brushed it off. The contact of their skin sent small electrical currents throught them. Ranma stood there while Nabiki sat on the swing. Nabiki caught her breath as well as Ranma's.
They froze as Ranma's hand never left Nabiki's face. He suddenly felt queasy. Both unaware that Ranma began to slowly decend onto her. Their faces merely inches of each other.
"GRRR" Ranma's stomach grumbled.
That was enough to snap the two out of their trance. Ranma quickly moved away from her while Nabiki blushed.
"I take it you haven't eaten lunch yet?" Nabiki asked trying to fight down the heat of her cheeks.
"Yeah." Ranma answered her.
Nabiki got up from the swings and approached her bag and brought out her bento and held it to Ranma.
"Here." Nabiki handed her bento to him.
"Thanks… How much do I owe you?" Ranma said to her.
Nabiki frowned.
"I'll put it in your tab." Nabiki said to him. As she began to pack up.
"What is wrong?" Ranma asked her.
"Nothing. I just have to go." Nabiki told him with her back turned.Then left him.
Ranma watched Nabiki leave.
"Was it something I said?" He asked himself.
Author's Notes:
Finally updated. Hope you all like it. Like I said I know Nabiki is being OOC but Nabiki is not used to dealing with feelings of affections therefore she is interpreting her feelings in the most unusual way possible.
Don't worry they get together. Eventually. lol. Actually I'm also planning on the sequel called "The Secret is Out" but until then, I will finish this one first. Well hope to hear from you. Please review!
Ja Ne,
(",)