Innocence of Mine Chapter 7 The New Trainee, a ranma fanfic

Innocence of Mine

By Douglas Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl

Those characters that are original and the story "Innocence of Mine" are copyrighted ©2006 ShoujoFiction .com by Douglas Helm and Will Wolfshohl. Ranma ½ characters are copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi.

This story and our many other stories reside at our Shoujo Fiction dot com domain. Comments are welcomed and encouraged.

Chapter 7 - The New Trainee

Unseen Kaji followed the Saotome Family home deep in thought. It bothered him that his little business partner was being harassed. Some harassment was good and desirable, but this last incident pushed the envelope too far. Another thing that bothered the demon was that he had overlooked one crucial point about Nerima - the number of expert martial artists and other types of fighters was extremely high compared to other places in Japan.

Nabiki Tendo had pointed out said concern. Kaji was concerned because he wanted her to learn; he did not want her hurt. Hurting her physically would not have the desired effect. Besides, if he had simply wanted the mercenary teen hurt, he knew several demons who would have been more than accommodating.

After some thought, Kaji decided that perhaps Ranma should start training his youngest daughter. Certainly, some good hard, yet tempered, martial arts training would do Nabiki good... both of them. After toying with this thought, the demonic arbiter was satisfied with it and he set about making the necessary changes.

# # # # #

Sunday began badly for Nabiki Saotome. She was awakened by an unceremonious dunk (bunny pajamas and all) into the icy waters of the koi pond in the backyard thanks to Happosai. Akane tried, but failed to, feel sympathy for her younger sister. She had done her best to rouse Nabiki before her sister's five o'clock appointment to begin her martial arts training.

Things went downhill for the little pigtailed girl from there. No amount of pleading, crying, or cuteness could garner Nabiki any better treatment from Happosai. Nevertheless, the grandmaster conceded that allowing his new student to catch a cold would be suicide. Akane pointed out to him that if Nabiki got sick, Kasumi would be out for blood. To that end, Happosai agreed that he'd let Nabiki run 100 times around the inside of the dojo instead of outside in the chilly air.

Much to Akane's annoyance, the old panty-thief sent her away to continue her own training with her father. He pointed out that she was Ranma's student and not his. By breakfast time, Nabiki had given up wasting any more of what little energy she had left trying to get some leniency out of her "sensei" (as Happosai insisted on being called).

# # # # #

"Ne, Na-chan, how did training go?" Ranma asked his youngest daughter as the Saotome's sat down to breakfast. She gave him a death glare that was more reminiscent of the normally enraged Akane Tendo.

"Fine, Otou-san," Nabiki answered before shifting about so she had her back to him. Ranma flinched and then flinched again when he observed his wife give him the same look; now there was something truly unnerving.

Kasumi having decided that she would not win the battle over training in the dojo decided to fight on her home turf, i.e. the kitchen. Happosai suddenly found himself politely but firmly excluded from the family meal. After all, it was only for family and Happosai was certain not family. The Saotome matriarch, however, had been kind enough to make him something and set him up in the kitchen. Soun was even less fortunate since as family, he was required to attend breakfast.

The middle-aged Tendo man was near tears as he ate the breakfast that Kasumi had insisted that Akane prepare for him. Soun only hoped he'd live long enough to make it to Dr. Tofu's clinic for treatment.

Akane was, for the moment, safe. The nine year old knew which way the wind was blowing and had wisely followed her mother's directions to the letter without complaint. In fact, the experience wasn't as horrible as she thought. It was normally Nabiki who "helped" Mom in the kitchen. What did irk Akane was the fact that Nabiki was being treated as if she'd won a great honor.

Nabiki Saotome for her part was grumpy and not in the mood to talk with anybody including Nabiki Tendo. That was fine because she found herself almost as drained as her young host.

'I know this was tough, Na-chan. Kami-sama knows that I didn't think it would be this bad...' the teen tried to explain to the grumpy youngster, 'But this is good, ne? I mean you want to be friends with Naomi-chan and this is a good way to do it.' Inside her mind, Na-chan snuggled into Nabiki's lap and closed her eyes. 'I'm going to sleep now, Onee-chan. Ja,' the eight year old murmured and promptly did so. 'Iie! Hey wait!' There was a short pause and then, 'Ow! Crap that hurt!' The sleeping form of her host had slumped forward and struck the table before her soundly.

"Na-chan, are you..." Ranma began. Nabiki Tendo, alarmed that she would need to move the small body on her own while its normal owner dozed, flinched away. Ranma looked stunned.

"Oh my poor baby," Kasumi soothed while starting to gather the child into her arms. Nabiki Tendo did not want to be cuddled. She didn't need that crutch.

Jerkily, she stood up and said in a stern tone, "Let's get this over with." She marched unsteadily off to find Happosai. 'I'll get this kid into martial arts even if it kills me! Kami-sama, I sound like Daddy.'

The teenage Tendo knew some martial arts; all the Tendo Family did. She had barely managed a blue belt (Yonkyu rank) by age twelve, a feat Akane had accomplished by age nine. Their mother's untimely death caused Nabiki to let her practice of The Art slide after that, even though it was obvious to any observer that Akane was by far the most skilled of the three Tendo sisters. 'Akane wears a brown belt (Nikkyu rank) here,' Nabiki had noticed feeling some pride. In this reality, Akane was apparently even more skilled due to Ranma's instruction. 'She's not so mad at everybody all the time either.' Nabiki knew that Happosai was not one to coddle anybody when it came to The Art and at that moment, Nabiki thought that Na-chan needed some UN-coddling.

# # # # #

Lunchtime only found the three Saotome females present - the males had disappeared. Ranma had gone to Ukyo's for some okonomiyaki, i.e. give his wife some space. Happosai had dragged Genma and Soun off somewhere. This left Nabiki, Akane, and Kasumi to eat lunch by themselves.

"Do you have any homework?" Kasumi asked her children as they ate lunch mostly in silence.

"I'm done mine, Mommy," Nabiki announced. 'Ne Onee-chan? Hai!' Na-chan had woken up from her nap feeling much better. 'Now, are you going to be silly about this?' Nabiki asked the little girl sternly. 'OUR onee-chan is very proud of us.' The little girl couldn't argue that point. She'd seen Akane encouraging her throughout that morning's seemingly endless training session. Happosai was becoming increasingly impatient with her lack of skill. Both Nabikis wished he'd just give up. Na-chan was hoping she'd be allowed to give up martial arts completely. She wanted to be like her mother. On the other hand, her older counterpart was just hoping to go back under Ranma's instruction whom she was sure would have more patience.

'I think this is my fault, Na-chan,' Nabiki Tendo remarked to her host. 'Nani? Well, I think I'm being punished for being pretty mean to Ra... Daddy. But I wasn't mean! I don't mean you, Na-chan. I mean me. Oh...'

"Akane?" Kasumi asked.

"Hmmm?" Akane asked, her mind being pulled away from a review of that morning's training.

"Do you have any homework left to do?"

"Iie, Mommy, it's done!" the nine year old answered promptly, mentally crossing her fingers. 'I'll do it tonight after supper.' She was not going to miss any chance to help Happosai... or learn from him if it came to that. Even Ranma conceded the ancient master was the best martial artist he'd ever seen.

# # # # #

That evening, Ranma walked down the hall toward his own bedroom. First, he looked into his youngest daughter's room but found it empty. Puzzled, next he poked his head into Akane's room. The nine year old was sitting at her desk, tongue firmly stuck in a corner of her mouth, her long hair hanging over the back of the chair, pencil in hand. She was dressed for bed but didn't look as if she would be headed there anytime soon.

"Akane-chan," Ranma said coming over to his daughter, "What are you doing?"

Akane glanced up and then turned back to the page before her. "Homework, Daddy."

Ranma frowned. "Ne, you have that much homework?"

"I just forgot it," Akane fibbed before scribbling out an answer.

"You know, Akane, you're supposed to have it done BEFORE you train," Ranma chastised gently. He knew he had never been a scholar but the gender-changing martial artist wanted both of his children to be more book smart than he was. "Where's your imouto?" Akane shrugged. "Well, don't stay up much longer, Musume. School comes early tomorrow."

"I won't, Daddy," Akane mumbled without looking up. Ranma, grinning slightly, bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug before leaving the room. Still puzzled, he went into his own bedroom and found Kasumi tucking a sleeping, and lightly snoring, Nabiki into their bed.

"Na-chan's staying with me tonight, Ranma," Kasumi commented before he could.

"Kasumi-chan," Ranma began gently, "Coddling her isn't helping. Look at her grades, how her friends treat her..." His wife's lips thinned. "She needs this." The mother of two said nothing. She just stalked past him and headed down the hall. Ranma watched as she froze outside of their eldest daughter's room.

'Kuso!' Ranma thought as a storm cloud flashed across Kasumi's face. He watched with some trepidation as his wife entered Akane's room. Moments later, there was an explosion of noise that made Ranma jump slightly. The pigtailed man ran forward and into his eldest daughter's room to find Kasumi scolding her.

"Bu Oka..." Akane was trying to mouth in explanation but wasn't having any luck.

"You fibbed to me, young lady!" Kasumi thundered. "No training until your homework is done and you have to show me your homework first!"

"That ain't fair, Mommy!" Akane hissed boldly but shrank as Kasumi's eyes flashed.

"She just forgot, Kas..." Ranma interceded.

Kasumi turned and commanded Ranma, "You put her to bed." Turning back to Akane, she continued, "When I come back upstairs, Akane Saotome, you had better be asleep... Or you'll be one sorry little girl." With that, her mother scooped up Akane's textbooks and marched from the room.

# # # # #

Later, Ranma found his wife in the kitchen tenderizing meat with a wooden mallet. "'Sumi-chan... I know this is hard for you." Kasumi's hammering increased. "'Sumi-chan, don't worry. Happosai will get bored. The old coot doesn't have the patience for unranked students. He'll hand Nabiki back over to me in a couple of days at most I promise."

Kasumi stopped in her pounding to ask in a deceptively calm tone, "You approve of his abuse then, Ranma-KUN?"

He felt his temper rising. "Kasumi, do you honestly... How could..." He couldn't find the words; it was as if his wife had kicked him in the stomach.

"Anything for 'The Art'. Just like my father," she almost sneered, tossing the wooden mallet on the counter and turning to glare at him fully.

Ranma crossed the room and caught Kasumi's hand in his own. "'Sumi-chan, I love our children. I would never let anything happen to them. But... let's face it... coddling Nabiki hasn't done any good."

"Happosai..."

"Will, get, bored. He'll hand Nabiki back to me to train and I give you my parole that I will be as gentle as possible." His normally demure wife didn't appear the least bit mollified. "Listen, 'Sumi-chan, Happosai is only worried about one person's wrath in this house, and that's yours. He won't hurt Na-chan."

"Hmmm... I admit he does act differently when he's around kids," Kasumi conceded. "Akane..." She trailed off as her husband held up his hand.

Disapproval was washing over Kasumi in waves so large that it was palpable. "I have an idea, Kasumi," Ranma declared after a moment.

"Nani?"

"An exchange of students." The woman didn't respond but grunted and pulled her hands out of his so she could fold her arms over her chest. "While Happosai has Nabiki as his student, you can take on Akane as your student."

"Oh my... I have no 'art'," she offered.

Ranma's eyes widened. "When you can put the fear of the Kami into the Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts?" He was happy to see a smile play across her lips. "Besides, 'Sumi-chan, I think a couple of days not being able train in the dojo will be a nice reminder to Akane not to lie." Also, it might keep his daughter from becoming a tomboy.

# # # # #

Monday was not a happy day for either of the Saotome children. Once again, Nabiki had been tossed into the koi pond by Happosai after failing to wake up in time for morning training. Akane, on the other hand, found out about her parents' plan to "exchange students", i.e. no martial arts training for a while.

While little Nabiki was yet again trying to wring some compassion out of Happosai, the nine year old future heir to the Saotome Dojo was putting up her own desperate and defiant struggle. Akane protested so much that Ranma threatened a spanking. This pronouncement shocked both Akane and Kasumi. So much so, that tomboyish girl meekly set about helping her mother without further complaint. Kasumi was only startled because her husband rarely punished the girls, instead choosing to leave their disciplining to his wife.

This was not to say that Ranma tolerated bad behavior. He just tended to exercise it out of Akane. It was a non-issue for Nabiki. Nabiki was so well-behaved that Ranma had lamented on several occasions that his youngest child was a complete milquetoast.

The threat worked. Akane capitulated. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and set to work helping make breakfast as her mother instructed.

Both children were late for school that day. Akane was late because Nabiki (complaining about her stiff body) simply refused to move faster than a snail's pace. "Hurry up!" Akane insisted yet again, although with less vigor than the previous times. She'd all but given up hope on getting to school on time. The eight year old beside her walked head down, feet shuffling, mouth occasionally going wide in a yawn. "Ne, Na-chan, don't you like doing martial arts? I think it's the coolest." NOT being allowed to train with her father that morning was distressing.

"Ojii-sama is REALLY mean," the second-grader pouted, her pigtails drooping.

"So? Do you or don't you?"

'I want to sleep,' Nabiki Saotome whined to her invisible older self.

'So do I,' Nabiki Tendo agreed with a yawn. 'I wish we could curl up in Mommy's bed.' Waking up next to Kasumi had been nice. 'I think Onee-chan is talking to us.'

"Nani?" Na-chan asked her older sister.

"Are you okay, Na-chan?" Akane asked in concern. "Maybe I should take you back home."

"Hai... I'm..." Nabiki noised then yawned. Both children walked on in silence for a few moments. "I guess it's okay, Onee-chan."

Sometime later found Nabiki Saotome dozing quietly in the corridor outside Classroom 2-2 with a sign around her neck reading, "I was tardy". When the teacher came out to get Nabiki before the start of the next lesson, she found the petite girl sound asleep. This was such an aberration that she took the still groggy Nabiki down to the Infirmary.

"Hi," Na-chan managed to mumble out as she passed her sister. She was standing in the corridor outside her classroom wearing a similar sign around her neck.

"Are you okay, Imouto?" Akane asked worriedly.

"She's fine, Saotome-chan," Nabiki's teacher remarked and gave Akane a stern look when the fourth-grader started following them.

# # # # #

The last fuzzy memory that Nabiki Saotome had was of being tucked into one of the beds in the school infirmary by the school nurse. The youngster awoke with a start feeling refreshed. She puzzled at first about where she was. She looked around and recognized her room. Shafts of late afternoon sunlight washed in through her window making the pinks and whites of her room glow.

The youngster searched inside her mind for her older self. She found the teenaged Nabiki peacefully sleeping in an open meadow. It was odd in a way. Rubbing her eyes, she got out of bed finding herself dressed in her bunny pajamas.

Yawning, she padded out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the bathroom. It was while she was midway through relieving herself that Nabiki Tendo woke up.

'Nani? Where are we? This isn't school,' Nabiki asked Na-chan sluggishly.

'Home,' Na-chan replied.

After washing her hands, the little girl (and her passenger) padded down the hallway and down the stairs. The first floor was quiet. She continued further down the hallway until she reached the living area. There she found her mother sitting in a chair sipping tea quietly reading a book.

"Konbanwa Na-chan," Kasumi said when she looked up and saw her daughter standing there. She held out an arm and Nabiki came over and snuggled onto her lap. "Feeling better?"

"Hai!" Nabiki chirped. "Mommy, how did I get here?"

"Happosai-ojiisan brought you home," Kasumi answered. Both Nabikis blinked. "He feels bad about making you so tired, Musume." The teen Nabiki snorted.

'More like he's scared of Mommy. Why? Mommy ain't scary. 'Cause he was naughty. Oh...'

As if the thought of Happosai was a summons, the old man appeared looking warily at the mother of two. "How are you feeling tonight, Na-chan?"

"Sugoi!" 'Ask him about the present.' "Ojii-sama, I got a sugoi score on my math test." When Happosai expressed interest, Nabiki ran off to get her math paper to show him. Moments later, Happosai studied her test and then smiled and patted Nabiki on the head.

"Very good, Na-chan. Now if you'd put that same effort into training..."

"It's too hard, Ojii... Sensei," Na-chan pouted.

"No, it's not. You did well on that test. You can do well in training. Just give it a chance. This too shall pass. Kay sera sera..."

"Happosai-ojiisan," Kasumi interrupted, "My musume is not used to martial arts training."

"I see..." the old man started but trailed off when he remembered that he was talking to Kasumi. He walked around the little girl while nodding and grasping his chin as if he were inspecting her. Finally, he appeared to make a decision. "Go and change, Nabiki-chan. I suppose we'll need to get you into shape first."

# # # # #

When Akane got home from school, she was sent upstairs to change so she could help her mother with the evening meal. The girl was thrilled when her mother assigned her the task of preparing part of both Happosai and Soun's meals. 'Just a little bit... I'll be done!' Akane thought as she chopped tomatoes. She had her long hair tied back in a ponytail (like Kasumi taught her) to keep it out of her way. Akane tried to ignore the cute pink apron with playful puppies on it that she was required to wear. It was something more akin to Nabiki's tastes than her own. Not that she would want to wear boy clothes. Boys were icky.

Akane hurried as much as she could since she wanted to go watch Nabiki practice. She also wanted to tell Nabiki the news about Naomi. Apparently, the bully had been sent to live with an aunt in the country. Rei, however, didn't seem to mind not having her kid sister around. This bothered Akane somewhat. Anytime she tried to picture not having Nabiki around made her antsy.

To the nine year old, the younger girl was not only a playmate but also an unquestioning supporter. Nabiki was childish and meek but she always came to comfort her when Akane was feeling down or after being punished. It didn't matter what Akane had done, her sister was always willing to hug her and listen to vent. She promised always to be there for her little sister in return.

Finally done, Akane took off her apron, pulled her hair out of its ponytail, and asked, "Okaa-san."

"Hmmm?"

"Why doesn't Na-chan get into trouble?"

Kasumi blinked. "Nani?"

"Well," Akane began before pausing for a moment, "I mean she puts up a stink about having to train but if I put up a stink..." The nine year old trailed off at her mother's disapproving look.

"First, Saotome-chan," Kasumi explained in a wintry voice, "If your father was teaching Nabiki, I might not have as much of a problem."

"But Happosai-ojiisama is the Grandmaster! It's an honor..."

"So I should start tossing you into ice cold ponds then, ne Akane?"

"I could take it." Akane remarked confidently. Kasumi cocked an eyebrow and then started removing her apron. "Where are you going?" Akane asked. Her mother didn't answer. Instead, Kasumi neatly folded her apron. "Mommy?"

"WE'RE going to the pond," the woman remarked nonchalantly, as if they were headed to the store.

"Hey!" the child protested. "Okaa-san, I was only kidding!" Much to her surprise, Kasumi picked her up, hefted her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and started for the door. "Iie! Gomen nasai!"

"Nani? Gomen for what?" Kasumi asked puzzled while easily carrying her nine year old daughter. Akane made a wild grab for the doorjamb and grinned as she managed to nab it.

"Okay, so nobody would like being dunked in really cold water... Nabiki shouldn't make such a big deal about it. It's just a part of training."

"So is this," Kasumi answered matter-of-factly.

"Nani? Is what?" Akane squirmed around so she could see over Kasumi's other shoulder and saw her father standing in the hallway; he had an amused look on his face. "Going somewhere, ne Akane-chan?"

"Da-ddy, Mommy's gonna toss me into the pond!" his eldest complained.

Much to her disgust, he simply replied, "Need a hand, 'Sumi-chan?"

"Daa-dee!" the girl complained.

"I don't think so, Ran-chan," Kasumi said and deftly detached her daughter's grip from the doorframe. "Arigato."

"I get it!" the eldest Saotome child declared desperately. "Ne, what about supper? We aren't done with it yet and I wanna see if Na-chan is okay." Much to her relief, Kasumi righted her onto her feet. "Daddy, why does Na-chan get to train with Happosai-sensei?"

"HE decided to do it, Akane... It won't last."

"Why?"

"Na-chan is too new a beginner," Ranma explained. "He doesn't have the patience for unranked students." 'Either that or he'll spy a new set of panties.' He walked up and tickled her tummy causing the child to giggle. "Even you, with your brown belt, would bore him silly soon enough, Musume."

"Let's go finish, minna," Kasumi suggested. The nine year old nodded in agreement happy to have escaped a chilly fate.

# # # # #

'Ne? Nani? Ask Happosai about our present.'

"Sensei?" Nabiki asked looking for any excuse to pause. She stopped the movement she was doing which caused the ancient master to scowl.

"Nani? You aren't getting out of training yet," Happosai declared with a growl. 'Even those two lazy fathers were never this bad!'

"Didn't you bring me anything back?"

"Nani? Like what?"

Before Na-chan could reply, Nabiki whispered, 'The mirror! Nani?' The teenager sighed. 'Just ask him about the mirror, Na-chan.'

"Are you okay, Na-chan?" Happosai asked with a narrowed eyed stare. He thought he sensed another presence for a moment but disregarded it.

"Hai!" the eight year old answered, "Ne, did you bring back a mirror?" Happosai's eyes narrowed even more. "You said I could have a present for getting a good math score." She hoped her older self was telling the truth about that.

"Well, not the mirror," the old lingerie thief replied.

"Why not?" Na-chan answered stoutly. ''Nee-chan, you'll get us in trouble! I won't! Go on, tell him... But...'

"Nabiki Saotome?" Happosai questioned, "Have you been snooping in my room?" The little girl shook her head vigorously. "So how do you know about the mirror?"

"Umm... Somebody told me."

"Who?" Nabiki shrugged. At least, she didn't fib. "You wouldn't want that mirror. It's old and not very shiny at all. I'm sure I can find you some..."

"I still want it, Ojii-sama!" Na-chan exclaimed, "It's 'portant!" At least, that what her older self insisted. She didn't understand why nor remember anything about any old mirror.

"I said IIE, Nabiki." There was a flash of that presence again. The old man quickly looked around the dojo and saw nothing unusual. He felt another more familiar presence and smiled. "Now let's get back to our training, student."

"Hai Happosai-sensei."

Outside, Akane, who had come to call Happosai and her little sister to supper, stepped away from the door to the dojo and frowned. If Happosai didn't want to give her sister some mirror, but Nabiki wanted it... 'It has to be magical!' That seemed like a logical conclusion. Otherwise, he normally caved in to her sister. 'I wonder what it does?' After a thought, Akane couldn't think of anything that would be of importance to Nabiki but her curiosity was piqued. Turning, she decided that hunting down the mirror would be easy and she'd likely not get a better opportunity.

End of Chapter 7

Coming next in Chapter 8 - Make Me What I Am