A metafiction by Brian Randall
Disclaimer: Original source is Ranma 1/2, which is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Her paints, my easel, and the brush is borrowed without permission (hence this disclaimer) from Kenko and Chris Jones, as this metafic is inspired by 'Fair Warning' and 'The Tomboy Solution'.
Note: Fans of the above fics will probably not enjoy the effects of this one. Consider yourselves warned. Divergence. You'll know it when you see it.
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"So," Ranma began, once she regained her composure, "Auntie Saotome, to introduce everyone properly, uh..." She indicated Kodachi with one hand, saying, "This is Kuno Kodachi, who I guess you already met." The dark-haired and currently very young girl offered a smile with only a hint of her elder self's dark malice about it; Shampoo found the effect to be painfully cute.
"She's a wonderful child," Nodoka opined, smiling gracefully, and gently smoothing a stray hair out of Kodachi's face.
Then Ranma indicated her, and she offered a smile to Ranma's mother of her own. "This is Shampoo, er... Shan-Pu, actually," she said slowly. "She's from a village in China, and her people call themselves the Joketsuzoku."
"Shampoo is alright for a name," the Joketsuzoku warrior added with a tiny giggle. "I don't mind!" Though, she was secretly grateful for the improved Japanese before meeting Ranma's mother. Poor language skills could easily set her off on the wrong foot. Not that Shampoo needed Ranma's mother to approve of her; they could still marry by her laws regardless of what the woman said. But she seemed likable, and other than Tofu's warning about Ranma being killed if he wasn't manly...
"A lovely girl! And so lively, too!" Shampoo struggled to keep the radiance of her smile to non-lethal levels.
"And, uh, you've met her, too, but this is Kuonji Ukyou, a childhood friend of ... Ranma's," the shorter redhead concluded, wincing slightly.
"It's nice to meet you," Ukyou said quietly, a tiny blush showing on her cheeks as her accent showed through.
"A southern girl," Nodoka murmured, a smirk playing about her lips. "But you run a restaurant?"
Ukyou blinked in surprise, but nodded. Shampoo wondered how Nodoka could tell. "W...well, yes," she allowed. "S...sometimes Ranchan helps, and Shan-chan helps all the time, now that..." She trailed off lamely and gestured to her cane.
"Where are my manners?" Nodoka chastised herself again, rising to her feet, and pushing a stool over toward Ukyou. Ranma helped her sit, and took her cane to set aside. "You must all tell me how you met Ranma, of course!"
Shampoo thought about her options for a moment before deciding that the other girls needed to know what was going on first; trying to explain things now would make Ranma's life even more complicated, something it simply didn't need at the moment. "Is a lot of story," Shampoo warned. "Maybe tell next time? Would love to visit again -- maybe even get Ranma to come along!"
"Well..." Nodoka hesitated, then glanced at a clock. "It is late," she admitted. "What a pity; we've only just met. Will I see you here tomorrow, if I come along? I'm going to be visiting Kodachi-chan anyway."
"That's ... great," Ranma managed, forcing a dazed smile, panic barely hidden in her eyes.
"Isn't it just?" Nodoka agreed, clasping her hands together. "Tomorrow, then. Now, all of you take care, and have no fear; I'm confident that my son will set things right!" With that, she waved to the girls and padded out of the office.
Ranma sank like a hulled boat, until she was lying flat on her face. "Ooog," she moaned around a mouthful of linoleum.
Ukyou shook her head, frowning. "Explanation time," she warned.
"Explanation time," Shampoo agreed. "Tofu-sensei, is okay to talk?"
"She's gone," the man replied through the doorway. "Sorry about that."
"Right." Shampoo turned to glance at Ukyou and Kodachi. "Stupid panda," she began, before pausing.
Both Kodachi and Ukyou made faces and sighed.
"He make a promise with Ranma's mother that if Ranma is not manly, Ranma's mother kills Ranma!" The other girls gasped. Ranma moaned. Shampoo added, "And stupid panda."
There was a brief moment of silence before Kodachi sniffled, and whimpered, "How do we save Ranma-chama? It's not fair that he's so nice to us, and now his mommy... That's just not fair at all!"
Ranma allowed another noise to escape, then pulled herself slowly into a sitting position. "I'm getting used to it," she sighed. "Anyway, we should do our homework now. Let's worry about that first."
None of the girls disagreed with Ranma's suggestion as a silent glance passed a message between them: They needed to regroup again.
-1-
Ranma's mornings were typically occupied with waking Ukyou up -- which wasn't that hard, though he noticed that she'd become a deeper sleeper since he'd started helping her out. At first, he just had to touch her hand to wake her; now he had to put his hands on her shoulders and shake her gently. And usually, she just mumbled in her sleep and curled up around whichever of his hands he didn't pull back fast enough.
Still, it was an easier morning ritual than waking up halfway down to a koi pond. Or waking up in a koi pond, if he happened to be tired. But today, he didn't have to do even that, because Shampoo had come over early. And why not? Cologne didn't open in the mornings anymore.
So for the first time in a very long time, he woke up with no immediately demanding chores. He'd slowly adjusted to sharing a room with Ukyou, but still could only think of it as him staying in her room. So when left alone, he retreated to the rooftop to think.
Just his luck, for his mom to be involved, and that meant that like it or not, he was going to have to deal with her. He'd been trying to change the way things went after Akane and the dougi caused the mess he was in now, and it had gotten so involved he'd actually managed to forget about the seppuku pledge.
Of course, that was par for the course. Just as soon as he was getting a handle on things, they went crazy again. He rubbed at his eyes, looking up at the sky. Tofu had understood the situation, but hadn't had any suggestions, only sympathy. It was an option he'd previously gone out of his way to avoid, but once he thought about it... Why not ask Cologne for help?
Sure, the old woman had a bias, but he'd have to overlook that -- after all, wasn't he studying medicine with her? Blinking, he realized that he wasn't as alone as he had thought. Surely the old woman would have some idea of what to do. That thought in mind, he made a note to speak with her about it during the evening study session.
-2-
Kodachi was expecting Ranma's mother to visit. She wasn't certain how exactly to feel about that, now. Kodachi had really, really wanted to like Nodoka. And she was even highly likable! But the girl couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that Nodoka would kill Ranma if he wasn't 'manly' enough.
The easiest thing to do would be to take the information as unlikely in the extreme, and to try and figure out what Shampoo was trying to pull off. Except ... Ranma had been there, and hadn't said a thing to contradict her. And that meant that as little as she liked it, Kodachi had to believe her.
Of course ... Kodachi had to admit that she didn't want to think that Shampoo would lie to her about that. And that caused her eyes to tear as she realized that even though she did have friends, real friends ... that could only last so long. Eventually, even if they navigated past their current difficulty, only one of them could win.
Only one of them would marry Ranma, and the others would be stuck with the role of only being his friends. It would be a bitter experience; not having made any friends before, Kodachi was keenly disinclined to lose them. Especially with hard feelings. But she made herself look at the big picture: how gracious could she be if she won? After thinking about that until her head hurt, she started the entire cycle all over again:
Thinking about how messy things were going to be didn't help. She should focus on the immediate future for the moment. After all, Ranma's mother was coming to visit! But ... how to look forward to that?
She groaned, closing her eyes and wishing she could even rub them. At least if everything went according to plan, she would be free of the bed in a few more days. That would open up whole new worlds of possibilities.
Her agonized cycle of self-doubt, hope for Ranma, doubt of Ranma's mother, and hope for a happy resolution somehow was finally interrupted when Shampoo peeked around the corner. Ukyou limped past her and sat with exaggerated care on a stool, sighing as her eyes drifted shut.
"Ucchan? Shan-chan?" Kodachi smiled despite everything. "Aren't you early? And where's Ranma-chama?"
"A bit early, sugar," Ukyou said with a tired smile. "We don't have much time; Ranchan's mom is just around the corner. Tofu-sensei's going to distract her, but we weren't fast enough."
"When you can walk again, we will all stay at Ukyou's place together," Shampoo said quickly. "Call it a... A..." She finally furrowed her brow and looked at Ukyou inquisitively.
"A slumber party," Ukyou said, hiding a yawn. "We can talk more then."
"But, I'm supposed to get out of the frame today!" Kodachi protested, just as Nodoka came through the doorway. "Oh, um, it's Mommy-chama!" Again with the childish titles! Why couldn't she control her tongue?
"'Mommy'?" Ukyou and Shampoo asked together, unable to keep from smiling.
Nodoka giggled, blushing slightly. "Well," she said demurely, "it seemed to me that someone should help darling Kodachi-chan out, shouldn't they? And you sweet girls are far too young to try and take that role for yourselves."
"So says you," Shampoo mumbled. Then her eyes widened, as Nodoka turned a curious gaze at her. "Er, not to disrespect Saotome-sama's skills as mother," she added hastily.
"You're young yet," Nodoka chastised, smiling. "You should be able to enjoy yourselves, and time with my son, and not have to worry about children so soon."
"Well, it's not like we haven't thought about it," Ukyou said quietly, her cheeks darkening. "Um, Saotome-sama."
"My!" Nodoka exclaimed, her smile impossibly brightening. "Does my son bring these thoughts to mind, then?"
"Constantly," Ukyou and Shampoo deadpanned simultaneously, before exchanging guilty smiles.
"How delightful! You must tell me more about him!"
"Oh, um, well, he's always very thoughtful to me, and has gone so far out of his way to help take care of me after ... after..." Ukyou trailed off lamely and gestured to her cane with her free hand.
"Me, too," Shampoo added, ducking her head slightly. "And 'Dachi-chan, of course."
"Of course! I love Ranma-chama," Kodachi added. Not, she cursed inwardly, what she had meant to say.
Judging by Nodoka's radiant expression, it was good enough, however. Kodachi released a satisfied smile. Perhaps this would go some distance toward making Nodoka feel that Ranma was 'manly'?
-3-
The sky was bright, and Nerima's bizarre weather had calmed down to some point -- some point where the frequent squalls seemed less frequent, at least. A few fleecy clouds dotted the horizon, but they drifted very slowly away with no obvious warnings of rain. Around Akane, the other St. Hebereke students murmured to one-another, giving her space to be alone.
Which suited her well enough; she hadn't quite gotten to the point where she was sure she was ready to try and make new friends. She was still trying to sort things out, and while she'd gotten flustered, and her heart raced when Ranma had talked to her, that all crashed down when Nodoka's following visit reminded her of everything she'd done wrong ... yet again.
There was no real escape from it, which she supposed was why she was just as glad not to have made any new friends yet. They'd invariably want to know about the circumstances, beyond the vague rumors, and she certainly didn't want respect given only because she'd brutalized Kodachi.
In retrospect, as much as she disliked the school ... it was calmer in many ways than Furinkan could ever be. So she was grateful for the solitude.
As her gaze dropped from the bright, empty sky to the school gate, she realized that was probably why it couldn't last. Dressed in his usual style, carrying the standard bouquet of roses, was none other than Kuno Tatewaki.
She struggled for a moment, and then decided to greet him as, "Kuno-san," instead of 'sempai'. Even if he was an upper-classman, they weren't in the same social circle anymore. "What brings you here?"
The distant tittering of the other students quieted, and she sensed their total attention focusing on herself, stopped just inside the gate, and Tatewaki, standing just outside.
"You, of course, Tendo-san," he said, bowing low, extending the bouquet with a flourish. "As others are given to protect and watch over my family, which incurs upon myself a terrible debt, I am now given to protect and watch over you, in all ways that I may."
And she didn't want to encourage Tatewaki, but he deserved to be heard out -- everyone did, really. So with the eyes of the other girls on her, she hesitantly accepted the bouquet. "Um ... that's very kind of you, Kuno-san. I wish to apologize to you, though, so I don't know that you should be giving me--"
"I'll hear not a word of it," he declared, rising. "You seek to atone, and I seek to alleviate your suffering. Have we not all, in some way, been wounded by the events of late?"
She blinked, looking down at the roses. Not roses, she realized, once she was staring at them. Just red flowers -- rhododendron and weigela, she thought. Not that she was an expert. "W...what are these for?"
"For you, and to brighten your day," he explained. "I would like that we should talk, Tendo-san. Would you accompany me some distance, to discuss further?"
No, she thought. Never, not in a million years. She'd been grateful for few things aside from peace and quiet lately, and most of that peace from him! "Of course," she agreed. Well, as Nabiki had explained it, there wasn't any official binding agreement to keep Kodachi pressing charges. Best stay on his good side. That, and she wanted to get away from the stares of the surrounding students.
He nodded to her, and then they walked side-by-side, as he led the way clear of the other students, and beyond their hearing range. "I hadn't seen you in a while," she finally managed, when he didn't speak for several minutes.
"I had much on my mind," he said with a shrug. "I was given a most ... poignant insight recently. And much time to think on it. I apologize if you found me lax."
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," she mumbled, staring at the flowers. "Really, I haven't done anything worth... I'm terribly sorry, I made some terrible mistakes, and... Well, I'm touched that you're concerned for me. I am. But ... don't you think you're being too nice to me?"
"I might, had circumstances been otherwise," he agreed. "However, I was told when I paid concern to my sister that I should not ignore you, and your own circumstances. I have not heard, as it's been said, your side of the story."
Akane shivered slightly. "I try not to think about it," she said quietly, staring into the bouquet. "I... I got some bad advice. But it was my choice to act on that advice. And ... um ... after I fought Shampoo and Ukyou, your sister found me."
"Why did you confront them, then?"
"They... I was trying to help Ranma," she managed. Practice, she scolded herself, when a flare of temper tried to take control, to demand what business Kuno even had asking. There were plenty of reasons to be angry at Kuno, to complain that he wouldn't leave her alone... But could she just dismiss the brother of the girl who she'd nearly crippled? No, she told herself. She could admit these things to Kuno, if it would help her admit them to herself. "It was a bad idea. Martial arts aren't meant to be used to solve problems like that.
"S...so, since I wanted those girls to leave Ranma alone, I fought them over it. And when I was done, Kodachi told me she'd seen, and she wanted to fight me, too."
"She wished to fight you?" Tatewaki asked, surprise entering his voice.
"Y...yes. She said it was her best chance, I think. But... But I went too far."
"I think in this instance, we all have," he said with a sigh. "She in attacking you, you in attacking Kuonji and the Chinese girl ... and myself for setting the example that all Furinkan should follow. Blame is a chain, and we can all take part of it. Is not Furinkan's claim to greatness the prowess of its Kendo team?"
Akane blinked, looking at him sharply. No other students were within earshot, thankfully, but instead of staring at her, his gaze went to the sky. "I ... I think so," she agreed. Certainly none of Furinkan's other sports teams managed to bring the school trophies and win tournaments.
"And as the captain of that team, do I not have the solemn responsibility of demonstrating good conduct to those who would call me 'sempai'?"
She winced; her change in honorific had not gone unnoticed. "I suppose so," she managed meekly.
"And then, did I lead example in any other way than abuse of the skill I claim?"
"W...well..." She trailed off and said nothing, studying his face. It might have been carved from stone, or an ancient samurai mask; frozen in an unpleasant grimace.
"I encouraged the policy that, in turn, showed you violence and abuse of power was the righteous path. I assaulted without respect or consideration those who challenged my views. And then you," and here, his expression softened, shifting to one of hurt, and somehow also of relief, "showed me that my way was wrong."
"Y...yes," she agreed, turning away to stare at the bouquet again. "I was wrong."
"As was I. And my sister. And... Wrongness is not a virtue I wished to teach, but I believe I did in fact teach it. This reflects very poorly upon me -- upon the prided Kendo team of Furinkan, and indeed, my family. It pains me to admit that the most right person in all of this was..." He struggled, and when she glanced up, his face twisted into a grimace again. But Akane knew which name he couldn't say.
Putting a hand on his shoulder, she blinked the tears from her eyes. Damn, she swore to herself. Not again, not in public. "I know. He taught me, too. I... I didn't think of it, but I don't blame you. Even after everything you say, we all made our own mistakes ... and I, at least, have to try and make up for that."
"And that," he said, expression relaxing, as her hand found itself with a handkerchief in it, "is why I do not blame you."
She dabbed the tears from her eyes, nodding uneasily. "T...thank you, Kuno-san."
"Now, then," he said, familiar imperiousness entering his voice, "I, Tatewaki Kuno, no longer the Blue Thunder, would be friends with you, Tendo Akane."
And then she laughed, another of the tangled knots in her chest coming undone. That was why they weren't roses. But not yellow flowers, which meant friendship -- that would have been too obvious. But how he'd changed in the weeks since she'd seen him! In the weeks since his sister had been confined to a traction frame, because of her, she amended. "Kuno-san, I... I think I would like that."
"I am well pleased. I must go, now, to return to my home. It is ... difficult for me to see my sister in person, so must compose a letter to her. At the same, I wish greatly that perhaps on some afternoons, I might find you on your way home from school, and walk with you again."
"That would be nice," she agreed, smiling at him. For the year and more she'd known him, she'd never really managed to respect him, until her own fall had illuminated his failings to himself. Maybe, she thought, if she could work hard enough at making up her mistakes, some good might come out of this after all.
-4-
Teenage drama was the most annoying thing in the world. Going from a thoughtless, happy young man to a suddenly driven study-fixated sleep-deprived zombie who stuck himself with the responsibility of three (non-Tendo!) girls' well-being had been, in Genma's mind, a horrific change. And dramatic, probably needlessly so.
So it had to be approached from a careful position, considering a great deal of meditation, exercises in both thought and body, and for a few days (stolen between the times he was training someone else), training himself to new limits.
This meant that even though his right arm was numb and unresponsive, and Ranma's spin-kick flung him off the rooftop, Genma was actually pleased. For one thing, his son hadn't lost his edge.
For another, it meant that he'd stopped thinking about the drama well enough to focus on other things.
Which was a reassurance in many ways to Genma; he knew the damage done was severe, and Ranma was trying very hard to deal with it. That the boy had sought him out on his own and demanded, "Old man, you better get your ass in gear; just 'cause I'm not around is no reason to let yourself get out of shape and lazy!" Sure, it might have been better if the fight had begun with a dynamic entry -- perhaps a jump-kick, or a tackle.
Well, it spelled, after their practice escaped the confines of the Tendo home and took to the streets, that Ranma was actually feeling positive, not just putting on a front for the girls. And that was exactly what Genma needed to see. He took the punches and kicks in good nature, knowing that they all meant his son was back (more or less), and gave as good as he got; oh, the shiatsu was new, and he had some beyond-sinister Chinese sneakiness to fall back on now, but at the end of the day...
Finally, after a good two hours, the pair lay gasping on the top of some thirtieth floor skyscraper, collecting their breath. "Alright," Ranma finally conceded. "You're not hopeless."
"And medicine hasn't made you soft," Genma allowed, which they both knew was high praise from Genma regarding any non-Genma sensei. "So," he added, sitting up and peering at his son, "what prompted you to finally come back and talk to me? Are you ready to start training with Akane?"
Ranma blinked, already sitting up. "Not really," he said with a shake of his head. "Listen, Pops, it's about Mom."
"Ah," Genma said, nodding. And here, he'd wasted himself on the fight, and was too tired for any of the really good sneak-away tactics. Damn, the boy wasn't just getting better, he was getting smarter. Well, it wasn't as though he hadn't had time to think about things beforehand. Or the boy hadn't had coaching, come to think of it. "So, what's Cologne's suggestion?"
"The curse is one thing, and I don't know how Mom's going to handle it," Ranma answered, frowning. "But we've got to deal with that, first of all, and then the whole, 'me not marrying Akane' thing, second. You do remember the agreement when the girls were hospitalized, don't you?"
"You're not obligated to marry Akane. That doesn't mean you won't choose to."
"Pops," Ranma growled in warning. "Back to Mom."
Genma scowled. So much for the distraction ploy. "Alright. Your mother is training Akane in all the duties of a proper bride. Akane uses those lessons to reassure your mother that you're manly, and when it finally comes up, she'll tell your mother that the curse never made her see you as less of a man." He crossed his arms over his chest. "See? Problem solved."
"Oh?" Ranma asked quietly, one eyebrow twitching.
"Yes, and without any meddling from Cologne, or plan on her part."
"I think she did have a plan," Ranma countered. "And I think it was to let me see how stupid your plan is. Well, screw that -- hinging this all on Akane so that I have to use her--" He cut himself off, visibly restraining further outburst.
Genma blinked in surprise; it had been a brilliant plan, the best scheme Genma could assemble with the time he had to work with. Sure, it was a little manipulative, but medical knowledge was a far cry from the boy knowing what was best for himself. Still, he hadn't expected Ranma to grasp all the details so quickly. "Look," he said, "Akane's getting training, she's getting better, and all three of those girls are on the mend. In the end, no permanent damage done!"
"Ah," Ranma allowed, his eyes going distant.
Furrowing his brow, Genma added, "I'm looking out for you, Boy. I'm saving our legacy, your fiancee's pride, and the good name of our school!"
"How selfless."
About time the boy recognized it! "Damn straight! I've spent your entire life working for this, I know what I'm doing."
"I'm sure you do."
"Don't take that tone with me!" It bothered him too, when Ranma used proper grammar. Not that it was a bad thing, but it demonstrated to Genma how quickly the boy had moved on to learning other things. "I've let you stray, but you came back to me; you know who your teacher is--"
"I've got to get back to her, actually," Ranma snapped back, before back-flipping off the edge of the roof.
Genma blinked, stunned. "But," he said plaintively to the empty air where Ranma had moments ago been seated, "that's not how this is supposed to work!"
"Idiot," a wizened voice grumbled, prompting the man to leap to his feet.
"Master?"
"What a disappointment you are," Happosai said, shaking his head and sighing. Genma hadn't heard or felt the old man's approach, but now he was perched on the edge of the building, glowering upward while giving the impression he was staring down at his pupil.
"It's not like you offered to help!"
"I helped my best student, and my heir," the ancient figure replied loftily. "My duty is to my school."
"And I'm not doing my best for that cause?" Genma retorted angrily. "I tried my hardest to arrange things-"
"To end the way you wanted," Happosai completed, breaking off from his scowl long enough to peer into the bowl of his pipe and tap it out on the edge of the building. "Which is why I already arranged for anything Ranma learns to stay with the school. So, you've shown all your cards, and the old woman beat you. Leave the boy enough room, he starts to see that your plan isn't what's best for him."
"It is, too!"
"So you say. Obviously he doesn't agree. And what have you done? You pushed him away the first time he came to talk to you in weeks. Well done, Genma, very well done. You're so blinded by what you want, you can't see the damage you do to get it."
"This from a panty-obsessed freak?"
Happosai smirked, packing his pipe from a pouch and sparking it with a snap of his fingers. "I never made any claims to perfection, but my plan is still better than yours," he countered.
"Well, what's your plan to unite the schools?"
"Oh, Genma ... the principle of Anything Goes is continual improvement. You managed to teach that to Ranma without truly understanding it yourself. Ranma's improving himself in directions I never intended, but which still benefit the school. Akane's improving herself by becoming a genuine martial artist and setting aside her childishness. Her father's improving himself by becoming a tiny bit less of a spineless wimp. And what have you been doing?"
"I... Planning? Trying to fix things?"
"And improving yourself...?"
"When I'm not busy training Akane, I have been training, too!"
"I'm sure. And Ranma's upset with you, because...?"
"Because he's changed," Genma realized, grimacing. "And ... I haven't."
"Oh, give the man a prize, he finally gets it!"
"You could have saved me a lot of trouble, you know," Genma growled. "You could have warned me that he'd... That I was too late, that he'd already given up on me-- On us!"
"I don't think he has, yet, and if I had, you wouldn't have listened. And even if you did, you wouldn't have learned." Happosai took an expansive draw through the pipe, and puffed out a long stream of smoke. "Truth be told, by showing your hand and demonstrating that your petty little plan was yours, you helped Akane. Ranma won't think it's her idea, because it isn't."
Genma blinked, considering that. "Oh?"
"But all the same, leave well enough alone, eh?"
Glaring at the little old man, Genma shook his head. "I was trying my best," he growled.
"And look where that got you! Now it's the boy's choice in what happens next, and you've driven him to the one person you least want in charge of that choice."
"Cologne? Well, help me out -- you don't want her to win either, do you?"
"Hey, she's good for the boy. Better than you are, as far as he can tell."
Genma stared, slack-jawed. "B...but," he sputtered. "How could you say such a thing?"
"Because who Ranma marries has no bearing on the school in the end?" Happosai replied with a shrug. "Or maybe because it's time you started thinking about something aside from the school."
"It's not... The boy... He'll get over this, though. Won't he? I mean..."
"Genma, I think it's time to take a trip. You've got to learn a few things, too, I think."
He considered his options. He'd managed to infuriate his son, jeopardize the one thing he was trying to achieve above all else, and was in real danger of having the whole seppuku pledge called upon by his wife, once details became clear to her. And as mad as Ranma was, that seemed more likely by the minute. "A training trip might be good," he agreed. "Who's going to train Akane, though?"
"Don't sweat the details," Happosai said with a grin. "It's covered." Then the tiny old man reached over the edge of the building and hauled up Genma's bag -- fully packed. "Let's go."
Taking his bag, Genma wondered just how much of his plan had been anticipated by the old man. And if he had seen through it, how much of it did Cologne already know? Still ... the old man was right. He had to some serious training to catch up, now. "Yes, Sensei. Lead the way."
"Attaboy"
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Author's notes:
Another chapter completes.