Innocence of Mine Chapter 9 Dream Walker, Reality Fighter, 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 9 - Dream Walker, Reality Fighter

Kasumi Saotome slowly opened her eyes. The soft gray predawn light was visible through a crack in the curtains of her bedroom. The twenty-nine year old mother of two girls glanced at the clock and found that it was nearly 6 AM. Reaching over, she switched the alarm off and got up noticing as she did so that Ranma was not in the bed. That wasn't that unusual; her husband was likely out in the dojo working out this time of the morning.

Thoughts of the dojo brought her mind to her youngest daughter and her recent tribulations. 'Is that Nabiki-oneechan of hers really a blessing?' Sighing a little, she pushed away the errant thought about spirits and decided that she'd take the day as it came to her. At least, she took solace that Ranma was training Nabiki again, not Happosai.

The woman entered the living room on her way to prepare and set the table for breakfast only to find her husband there. He looked up at her entrance and put a finger to his lips before glancing down at the precious cargo he was holding - Nabiki snuggled against him, and very much asleep. Kasumi smiled at the sight.

"Ohayo, Ran-chan. I thought," Kasumi began softly as she came over to the pair, "That you'd both be training."

The pigtailed martial artist took on a sheepish look and scratched the back of his neck. "Heh... We were, 'Sumi-chan, but Nabiki went and asked me if I was gonna be as mean as ol' Happosai." He hugged the sleeping child and brushed a few stray hairs out of her face. "Then she gave me that sad puppy-dog face of hers and..."

"And?"

"Well," Ranma continued with a smirk, "I figure I've been taking the wrong approach. It ain't like she needs to be the heir or anything." Young Akane was coming along well in that regard. His grin expanded. "Besides, I figured if I tried to be like the old hentai, I'd be eating Akane's cooking for a long time."

"Ranma!" Kasumi scolded her husband. She quickly put her hand over her mouth. Luckily, Nabiki didn't stir.

# # # # #

Akane sneezed. That was what woke her up. The nine year old sat up and looked sleepily about her room. She made a mental note to put away some of her stuffed animals she'd left out. It almost looked like a child's room. She didn't need that idiot Ranma mocking her about it. Yawning, she pushed herself out of bed and promptly fell to the floor on her rump. 'What the...? Akane no baka.' She giggled and picked herself up. 'Kami-sama, what was I doing yesterday? That dream was really weird too.' Still bleary-eyed, Akane left her bedroom and padded down the hallway in her bare feet.

Stifling another large yawn, she wandered into the bathroom and closed the door. It took her a minute of reaching around in the dark to find the light switch. Grumbling, she shook her head stumbling a bit as she sat on the toilet, which seemed a bit higher than usual. "Ouchie!" Her butt felt a bit tender. "Kuso, I must've bruised it when I fell off the bed." It wasn't too much though. Because of her martial arts regiment, bruises and other minor scrapes tended to heal quickly. 'I just hope Ranma doesn't find out somehow or I'll never hear the end of it!'

"Great... What a way to start the day," she groused, especially after that strange dream. She remembered one nice part. 'Nabiki was a little kid!' she giggled then almost as suddenly stopped. 'And Kami-sama, Kasumi was scary! And...' Something was still off. 'Oh man, did Ukyo give me some bad okonomiyaki or something yesterday? I feel completely off-balance. Maybe I should go see Tofu-sensei before school. Maybe I have an ear infection.'

Finishing up, Akane was about to wash her hands when she realized for the first time that something was definitely wrong. Her hands seemed small almost pixyish. She squint her eyes but her hands didn't change. Frowning slightly, she blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then blinked again. 'Weird,' Akane thought as she gazed at her hands. She closed one eye and then switched to the other but again, nothing changed.

'Okay, this is just too strange.' She shook her head. 'I'm just not...' Her thought trailed off as her eyes came up and found a small, child-like face with long black hair looking back at her from the mirror. 'Who's that?' Her eyes and the child's eyes widened simultaneously as tiny hands snapped down to her sides. 'Kuso!' she cursed and tentatively reached out a finger toward the reflection. The child in the mirror did the same thing. Eventually, she made contact with the smooth surface of the mirror above the bathroom sink. She rapidly drew the digit back and stared at herself.

'It-It wasn't a dream! I'm a little girl!' Akane wanted to scream, "Ranma! I'll get you for this!" She wanted to stomp downstairs and give her so-called fiancé a piece of her mind (or even better, the business end of her mallet). However, memories of what had transpired the night before flooded back and drew her up short. 'Careful, Akane,' she warned herself, 'Gotta make sure that it's just not some weird side effects of those baka mushrooms or something.' Whoever regressed her obviously went to a lot of trouble. 'They even dressed me like a little girl.' Leaving the bathroom, she padded down the hallway. As she did, the new nine year old considered changing out of her childish pajamas. However, she decided against it. She didn't have time - she needed answers now!

# # # # #

"Ohayo, Akane-chan," Kasumi greeted her tween daughter as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Akane paused in mid-step. Her eyes observed her eldest sister (mother?) warily. Kasumi grinned. "Quite a night last night, ne?"

"Uh..." the girl began then stopped. She was still not 100 percent sure which Kasumi she was talking too - sister or mother. Given their relative sizes, the latter seemed the more likely.

"Well, Akane, don't dawdle. Go say ohayo to your father and imouto. They're out in the dojo. Then come straight back to the kitchen and help me with breakfast."

"Hai!" Akane replied with a little more energy. She turned and scampered happily towards the dojo. 'I just have to see Nabiki as a kid!' It didn't take her long to reach her destination. Once she did, she was startled to see both Ranma and Nabiki dressed in practice gis.

"Come on," Ranma was saying, "Up on your toes, Nabiki. Reach for the sky."

Akane couldn't stifle her giggle as the little girl who was her mercenary elder sister roll her eyes but nevertheless, stretched towards the ceiling trying hard to keep on the very tip of her toes. 'Kami-sama! Look at those pigtails! Kawaii!'

"Ohayo, Akane-chan," Ranma greeted taking her out of her reverie. It was replaced with a warm feeling swelling within her. It confused the nine year old for a moment. She blinked as he reached down and hugged her. Once Ranma let her go, Nabiki practically flung herself at Akane.

"Ohayo Onee-chan!" Nabiki squeaked, a bright smile on her face. The youngster wrapped her arms about Akane's neck and hugged her tightly.

Akane returned the hug for a moment. "O-Ohayo..." Her sister was so tiny. It had been a long time since they shared a real sisterly hug. Not since their mother had died... She decided to compliment the girl. "You know, Nabiki-ku-chan..." She paused and cleared her throat. She was taken aback by the sound of her own high-pitched voice. "You're kinda big for a five year old." 'And cute to boot.'

"O-nee-chan," the little girl whined while letting go, "Quit joshin'... You know I'm eight!" The youngster gave her invisible companion a sidelong look. Nabiki Tendo was looking younger yet again. She looked like one of the sixth-graders at school, perhaps just shy of twelve.

"Honto? You sure?" Akane asked while mentally comparing their size difference. As far as she remembered, Nabiki had never been small for her age.

"Akane," Ranma interjected in a warning tone, which made her blush lightly.

"You're nine and... I'm eight!" Nabiki affirmed while nodding in agreement with herself. It was a bizarre act.

"Oh... Gomen, Nabiki-chan." Akane patted the little girl gently on the head between her pigtails and smiled. "I was just ribbing my favorite imouto a bit."

"I'm your only imouto..." she pointed out. "So, are ya gonna train with us, Akane-oneechan?"

"Iie, 'Ne..." Akane cleared her throat again. "O-Okaa-san wants me to help with breakfast."

"Well, hurry up! I'm starved!" the younger girl complained. It was Ranma this time who rolled his eyes.

Baffled, Akane left the dojo, the entire time wishing she could get a handle on who was responsible for her predicament. 'I don't feel too sorry for Nabiki though,' she admitted to herself, 'I kinda like her being younger. Kawaii!' The girl broke out into a grin. 'I bet Ranma likes her that way too! Nabiki can't misbehave!' That thought made her stop. 'Nabiki misbehave...' A huge grin spread across her young face.

# # # # #

'Why did Onee-chan think I was five?' Na-chan huffed to her invisible teenage... preteen passenger. 'Not sure, kiddo,' Nabiki remarked. 'She said she was ribbing you. Still kinda weird. Maybe that funny mirror did something, ne Onee-chan? Maybe... It did make us look older. Hai! I wish I could see it again. So do I, Na-chan.'

"Nabiki!" The little pigtailed brunette jerked out of her thoughts at her father's stern sounding voice.

"Gomen nasai, Daddy!" she squeaked, eyes starting to mist over.

Ranma smiled and knelt down by his daughter. "Where'd you wander off to, Nabiki?"

"I was right here, Daddy."

Ranma sighed, shook his head, and then gave his youngest a soft smile. "Well, come on. I think we both need to wash up before breakfast and then, you can get your seifuku on and go to school."

"Hai," the eight year old agreed. She took her father's hand they left the dojo. She squinted in the morning sunlight that was just starting to sneak over the compound wall.

# # # # #

Akane Saotome, a short time later, was looking dubiously up at her mother. She knew that her cooking was bad. She just couldn't figure out why. She tried her best every time. HE always caused her to mess up. It didn't help that the jerk would only eat her cooking if she literally forced him too.

"Now, Akane-chan," Kasumi instructed, "You start the rice, and then you can set the table."

"Hai," Akane remarked. She hoped that breakfast wouldn't be as much of as disaster as she feared it might be. 'There isn't even any way that I can make that baka jerk eat my food!' Akane huffed to herself.

After filling the measuring cup, she turned to her mother. "Ne, is this good?" Kasumi peered at the amount as her daughter held out the cup.

"Hai, and two more just like that."

"Un..." Akane answered. Carefully putting the rice into the cooker, the new nine year old thought, 'I wonder if Ranma is nicer... He was training a girl.' That was certainly a major step up from his quintessential roughhouse behavior. 'It's nice to see him gettin' along with Nabiki.' The martial artist's typical reaction to Nabiki was wariness at the best of times and out and out fear at the worst. 'Maybe if she's naughty, Ranma will spank her.' She giggled imagining that image.

The youngster was prevented from following up this line of thought by Kasumi asking, "Akane, are you ready for the water?" The girl shook her head and started to get another cup of rice. "Ne, did you sleep okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm still a little sleepy, Okaa-san," was the reply. After the rice had been put into the cooker, Akane filled the measuring cup full of water and asked Kasumi if that was the right amount. When the woman nodded, Akane poured it in before getting more.

Once Kasumi had indicated she had done well, which caused the nine year old an internal sigh of relief, she closed the rice cooker and switched it on. "Now what, Mama?" Akane remarked naturally, and then blinked, tears suddenly coming to her eyes. 'Mama? Where'd that come from?'

"Are you okay, Akane?" Kasumi asked.

"Ha-Hai... I just bit my tongue," the girl mumbled, ducking her head.

"If you're sure you're all right, Musume." Akane nodded still misty-eyed. "Okay, you can go set the table. I'll fix your bentos for school."

"Hai... Mama." The raven-haired tween gave Kasumi a large hug before leaving the room to set the table. From upstairs, she thought she heard Nabiki complaining about the water being too cold.

# # # # #

"Do I HAVE to wear this, Mama?" Akane asked her former sister yet again. She was up in her bedroom changing after breakfast. Nabiki was there as well. Seeing the Grade 4 patch, yet another remainder of just how young she was, was bad enough but this bright orange sailor style uniform was simply hideous. Akane fondly remembered wearing a cute red and white uniform when she was little. Why couldn't they wear those? She was so proud of it then. It certainly hadn't been this colorful. 'Maybe it's a different school than before.'

"What's wrong? You wear it every day," Kasumi questioned.

"I'm wearing mine, see Onee-chan?" Nabiki spoke up timidly, "I like your fuku." Akane looked over and noted the Grade 2 patch on her sister's sleeve. 'Akane-chan is weird... Hai, and Daddy didn't make faces when he ate Akane's rice either.' The nine year old had been more than ecstatic when her father (Ranma she corrected) praised her cooking and hugged her afterwards. 'You would've thunk he got a present from Ukyo-oneechan or something.'

Nabiki Tendo frowned. 'Would've thunk? I think our grammar's going.' The eight year old shrugged as she watched her sister in front of the mirror putting her long hair up into pigtails.

'This is the ugliest school fuku I've ever seen!' Akane whined with an internal grimace. 'Bleh!' Yes, it was safe to assume she wasn't attending Furinkan High School. ''Na-chan' doesn't seem to mind.' She regarded the girl and smiled. 'I wonder why she's only in Grade 2 when we're only a year apart in age? She is awfully small for eight. Oh well... I'll just have to live with it.'

"Pigtails?" Kasumi asked her daughter. 'Arigato Akane-chan.' It was a nice gesture.

"My onee-chan is wearin' 'em," Akane quipped.

'You ain't wearing pigtails, ne Onee-chan?' Na-chan wondered regarding Nabiki Tendo. They completely missed the surprised look on their mother. 'I think,' Nabiki remarked dryly, 'That she was talking about us... you.' Na-chan blinked. 'Why?' The teen shrugged. 'Dunno... Who can figure out nine year olds? But I'll be nine in a few months! So? Then you can be just as weird as Akane.' This gave Na-chan considerable pause.

"Well, O... Nabiki-chan," Akane declared as she picked up her school backpack, "I guess we should go." She prayed that she hadn't forgotten anything. Little Nabiki gave a start, grabbed her hand, and started the down the hallway, not even stopping to say good-bye to her mother. Kasumi quirked an eyebrow but trailed her two young daughters down the hallway.

# # # # #

It was almost lunchtime and Nabiki's second grade class had just finished watching a nature program on lions. "Now," said the teacher, "Who wants to take the DVD back to the library?" Several hands went up including Nabiki's.

"Na-chan, what are you doing?" Ruri asked softly. Her eyes showed mild disbelief.

"Yeah, Masada-sensei said take back the movie, not go number one!" Minako hissed.

'Hey!' Na-chan, suddenly aware her hand was up, squawked to the older girl, 'Whatcha doing?' The pigtailed girl ignored Minako's poke. The blonde was a little put out at not being answered.

'I wanna see how Akane's doing,' Nabiki Tendo explained, 'She was acting funny this morning, almost like...' The teen trailed off, deep in thought.

"Hey!" the little ribbon-wearing blonde hissed, poking Nabiki a little harder.

Na-chan wasn't able to respond because her teacher, startled by the normally shy child raising her hand, walked over, bent down, and handed her the DVD case. "All right, Saotome-chan, you can take it back to the library." She turned her attention to the whole class. "Now remember, minna, since it's raining outside, so we're eating inside here." A collective groan went up from the class. "You can read quietly until lunch."

"Hai," everyone answered.

Nabiki hopped from her desk and turned to her friends. "I'll be back!"

"Okay," Ruri acknowledged and winked like she'd seen and heard Miko-chan do.

"I wanted to take it, Na-chan," Minako grumbled. Ruri rolled her eyes.

Nabiki leaned closer and warned, "Poke me again, girlie, and I'll poke you right in the nose." The blonde's eyes went wide in shock. 'ONEE-CHAN!' the younger Nabiki protested. 'Don't worry, I wouldn't really do it, Na-chan, but Minako was being mean.' The eight year old sulked for a moment. 'Ne, are you gonna get us out of here or what?'

Sighing, the youngest Saotome left the classroom. Once out in the corridor, she commented, 'I guess we could look for Akane-oneechan after we take the movie back. She was actin' weird.' Akane had held her hand in almost a death grip the entire walk to school. 'She didn't even walk on top of the fence. Then, she even tried to go to Furinkan.' Nabiki blinked and the small face screwed up into a look of concentration. 'Ne, Onee-chan, didn't you do that once?'

'Well,' the teenager inside the youngster's mind replied, 'I don't think I tried. I remember I just gave you a headache.'

'Hai, you did,' Na-chan commented with a smug expression on her face. Her teenage self rolled her eyes. 'I think though, Na-chan, that Akane was just doin' that 'cause we saw Ukyo and Yuriko. Oh, I wouldn't mind going there when we're big. Their fuku were pretty. Hai. I can see why Akane would wanna go with Ukyo-oneechan though. She is pretty nice. I hope I'm like her and you someday.' Ukyo always gave her candy when she and her father visit her okonomiyaki stand. 'Hai!' Na-chan agreed, feeling better. 'It would be fun to have Ukyo in class with us, ne? She could make us lunch sometimes.' Na-chan giggled imagining a little Ukyo carrying the huge spatula she always had.

Nabiki had just turned in the DVD into the school librarian when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Turning around, she turned to see Akane, long pigtails and all, strolling into the library. "Hi Onee-chan!" the eight year old remarked and moved to join her older sister.

"Nabiki-chan!" Akane exclaimed and hugged her sister hard. "Kami-sama, am I glad to see you!"

"Honto? You are?" Nabiki squeaked, eyes widening slightly. Usually her sister tended to avoid her at school. She never was quite sure why.

"You are my imouto, ne?" the nine year old commented while releasing her hug. She nodded. "Whatcha doing?"

"Brining back a DVD, Onee-chan. It was about lions!" Nabiki explained. "It's was okay... kinda scary though."

"Scary, ne?" Akane echoed. "My sensei is scary." Nabiki giggled.

"Honto? What are you doing, 'Nee-chan?"

"Um... uh... I was gonna eat lunch with you, Nabiki," the older girl answered, crossing her fingers mentally. Nabiki looked happy for a moment and then gave her a suspicious look. Again, this was atypical behavior for her sister unless...

'Did Onee-chan forget her...' "Where's your bento?"

"I guess it's back in my classroom," Akane commented before thinking silently, 'Wherever that is.' She'd been on her way back from PE and got sidetracked. 'Was it 4-3 or 4-4? Kami-sama, I wish I was in Nabiki's class.' Not that the Grade 4 material was difficult. Quite the opposite, it was pitifully simple. 'I wouldn't feel so alone. Everyone's a stranger in mine.' That gave her an idea. "I tell you what, Nabiki-chan, why don't we get my bento and then, I'll come eat with you in your classroom?"

"Honto?" The eight year old was looking as if she'd been picked for a guest starring role on the "Miko-chan and Niko-chan Show". When the older girl nodded was serious, Nabiki gave her a huge grin, grabbed her hand, and started leading her sister out of the library. The younger girl suddenly stopped and asked suspiciously, "You ain't joshin' me, ne Akane-chan?" Akane shook her head. 'Ugh!' Nabiki Tendo noised, 'I feel like we're on a rollercoaster sometimes.' Her host giggled. 'You're silly.'

"Listen, uh... Nabiki, is Cologne around?"

"Cologne-obaasama is at the Cat Café with Shampoo-oneechan, I guess."

"Good. I'm going to go see her."

"Can I come too, Onee-chan?"

"Hai, I guess so," the older pigtailed girl agreed.

"Sugoi!" Nabiki cheered happily and then asked, "When are we going, Onee-chan?"

"Now." The eight year old's eyes went wide, her face drained of blood, and her pigtails flapped back and forth, as she shook her head. "WHY NOT?" Akane demanded. Nabiki froze and her eyes began to mist over. Akane giggled nervously when she saw that other students in the corridor were giving her strange looks. "Gomen nasai... Why not, Nabiki-chan?" she asked in a softer less belligerent tone.

"Onee-chan! We'll get inta SOOOOO much trouble." The pigtailed youngster puffed up her cheeks before letting out a breath. "I don't want Mommy to be mad at me." Not after what happened last night.

"Guess you're right, Nabiki..." Akane appeared annoyed and worried at the same time. "But I got to fix this somehow!"

'She's sounding like you, Onee-chan,' Na-chan commented to her passenger.

'Hai, I think that mirror did something to Akane.' "Onee-chan, why don't we ask Happosai-ojiisama? He had the mirror and Mommy said we do gotta apologize."

"Mirror?" Akane questioned, "What about the mushrooms?"

"I don't like mushrooms," Nabiki remarked.

"Are you sure?"

The pigtailed girl gave her sister a dubious look. "Let's go eat. I'm hungry!" All of them liked that idea and the group headed off to Akane's classroom to retrieve her bento box.

# # # # #

Nabiki soon rejoined her friends in Classroom 2-2. Akane had told Nabiki she'd meet her there AFTER Nabiki pointed out it wasn't quite lunchtime yet and she didn't want her teacher to be mad.

"Minako-chan," Nabiki began, "I'm really REALLY sorry about saying I'd poke you in the nose. It wasn't very nice. Gomen nasai." The youngster blushed and bowed her head.

"I shouldn't've poked you either, Nabiki-chan," Minako responded. "Uh... Can we still be friends?"

"HAI!" the pigtailed brunette agreed, and gave both her friends a wide hug. Her eyes suddenly brightened as an idea slid into her head. "Ne, Minako-chan, Ruri-chan, what if you come over tomorrow? We gots lotsa mats in the dojo. You can show me how to do a cartwheel!" She placed her hands together and looked pleadingly at the little blonde.

"That sounds good, Na-chan," Ruri remarked. "I'll ask Mommy and Daddy if it's okay tonight."

"Me too... But we gotta study first though," Minako commented sourly. "Remember sensei told us today that we'd have a quiz in math. If I don't do good on this one, I'll catch it for sure."

At that moment, Akane appeared in the classroom doorway. Not only did her being a fourth-grader cause a little bit of stir but also her pigtails were the focus of many people's attention. Akane frowned; her own classmates had been acting strangely as well. She quickly looked around and spotted Nabiki who seemed the smallest kid in the class next to two little girls waving at her. "I'll be there in a second, Nabiki!" Akane called. She went in search of an empty desk to move next to the little group.

"I didn't think she'd come," Nabiki remarked.

"Why not?" Their friend shrugged. "Is she supposed to keep you outta trouble or something, Na-chan?"

Both Minako and Ruri took on mildly surprised and puzzled looks as Nabiki glanced hastily around and practically whispered, "Minako-chan, Ruri-chan, I caught it last night."

"NANI?" Minako asked, eyebrow cocked.

"No way!" Ruri exclaimed.

"Nani?" came a new voice. The trio of second-graders turned to see Akane towering above their classmates carrying an empty desk. "What are you planning?"

"Nothin'," all three answered and then giggled. Akane set the desk down next to theirs.

"Ne, Saotome-oneechan," Minako began, "Could you show us some martial arts stuff if we come over tomorrow?"

"I guess I could," Akane stated cautiously, "Nothing too fancy." She didn't want these little girls to get hurt.

"I'll ask Daddy and Mommy if it's okay if we can," Nabiki interjected. "Now let's eat."

"Itadakimasu," all three second-graders said in unison.

"Hey! Wait for me, minna," Akane complained as she rushed into the empty desk she'd brought with her bento box.

"Ne, Minako-chan, did you bring anything good?"

"Your mommy's cooking is ALWAYS better than mine, Na-chan," Minako admitted causing Nabiki to blush, "But I did nab a couple of extra okashi. Whatcha got to trade?"

# # # # #

"Bye bye, Minako-chan! Ruri-chan!" Na-chan called out as they left the classroom at the end of the school day. After a moment, the teen Nabiki asked, 'Where are you going? Need to pee. Do we? Hai. Huh.' The "duo" was outside the girl's bathroom when reality seemed to waver.

Suddenly, Nabiki Tendo found herself in control; her little friend was slumped sideways in a chair not responding.

"Konnichiwa, Nabiki-chan."

"Iiieeeyaaaa!" Nabiki yelped while whirling about. There standing in the corridor full of frozen children was Kaji. "Holy crud puppies!"

"'Crud puppies'?" Kaji asked, a wispy white eyebrow cocked.

"Well," Nabiki started and then stopped as she felt herself blushing a little, "Na-chan would be mad if I swore. And I don't want us to get inta trouble. I'd hate our mouth being washed out if Mommy found out."

"Right... I think," Kaji began with a small smile, "It's time to end this."

"NANI?" Nabiki yelped, "You can't!" Both of the demon's eyebrows rose steeply at this outburst. "I mean, not yet. It's not that bad and it keeps me out of your hair, ne? No way, Kaji, I'd wanna cross you now."

"That was never the point," the arbiter remarked sounding slightly put off.

"Wasn't it?" Nabiki asked, a pleading note in her voice, "I mean..."

"I am a demonic arbiter," Kaji declared. The demon snapped his fingers and Nabiki's Furinkan High School uniform appeared draped like a tent over her tiny frame.

"Please, Kaji, don't do this! If I go away, Na-chan will be very sad. Just gimme some time to fix things for her."

"When I shift things back to normal, 'Na-chan' won't be around," he pointed out.

"IIE! Na-chan can't..." Nabiki composed herself. "I mean it's even more reason to keep this normal, ne?" she offered trying to sound business-like. Her face betrayed her though. She had tears welling up and starting to flow down her small cheeks; her pigtails noticeably drooped. He seemed resolved. "You can't do this, Kaji-sama, please!" She bowed deeply. The old looking man peered with keen eyes at the cute little girl, former unscrupulous teen, before him.

"Honto. I thought you would want to go back to being seventeen, Nabiki-chan."

"I was wrong. I like it here, Kaji-sama. Ranma and Kasumi are great parents. I love having Akane as my onee... even if she is acting weird. Maybe she's got a crush on a boy and..."

The arbiter sighed. "I'm growing weary..."

She stood up and looked pleadingly up into his eyes. "Kaji-sama, you don't know how good this is for me. It's another chance for me. Another chance to honor myself and my family. Please..."

Kaji sighed and waved his hand replacing Nabiki's high school uniform back with her brightly-colored elementary school one. "Okay, little business partner..." The demon was startled when the eight year old hugged him about the legs. 'Just for a little while longer, Nabiki-chan,' Kaji promised silently. This reality was starting to strain him.

# # # # #

Nabiki Saotome was a little surprised to find Akane waiting for her at the end of the day. She frowned as Akane took her hand and started down the hallway. 'I'm not a baby...' Na-chan pouted. 'Iie, we're not,' Nabiki agreed. Na-chan regarded her elder counterpart and felt her jaw fall open. Her "big sister" looked only slightly older than Akane. Ten? She was noticeably shorter and her hair reached to her shoulder blades now. The younger girl decided not to ask about such things. If her older self wasn't worried, she wouldn't be.

Both pigtailed Saotome children were surprised when they spotted Ranma and Kasumi waiting for them outside the Oizumi Elementary School gate. They ran to their parents shouting, "Konnichiwa!"

"Girls," Ranma began with a grin when the pair of pigtailed girls reached them, "You two caused quite a stir yesterday."

"Nani?" Akane's eyes opening wide and worried.

"Eh?" was Nabiki's question.

"Cologne invited me over after supper to discuss what happened last night. That mirror you girls played with really ruffled some feathers. Even ol' Happosai was bothered. I'm just glad neither of you got hurt."

"Hai..." both children agreed, blushing and bowing their heads.

"Hopefully, both of you have learned something about playing with things that don't belong to you without permission," Kasumi lectured. Both girls nodded, blushing once again. "Good, now come on, Musume. We need to get home. Your otou-san and I have decided that tonight you'll eat supper, take your bath, and then go straight to bed." Her eldest accepted the punishment resolutely but her youngest pouted and looked ready to complain. "Ne, Nabiki, remember what I said last night before your bath?"

The little pigtailed girl swallowed hard and squeaked dejectedly, "Hai Mommy." The mother was a little disappointed though when the eight year old took her father's hand.

"That's it then," Ranma announced. "We'll need to get some practice in before supper."

"I can't, Daddy!" Akane protested. "I gotta help Mama with supper, ne?" Kasumi nodded. Smiling, almost shyly, Akane then took her mother's hand and the little family started walking home.

End of Chapter 9

Coming next in Chapter 10 - Rediscovery