An Honorable Lie
By: Jaqui K

Chapter 3: Spin

There was complete silence in the Tendo family room as Nodoka stayed frozen in place, katana held out in front of her, head remaining down so she wouldn't have to look her daughter in the eyes at the moment. Silently, she gave a prayer to any kami that might be listening at that moment.

"Heir," she heard Ranko say, her voice barely above a whisper. "So does that mean…"

"Yes," Nodoka managed to get out, still focusing on the ground in front of Ranko. "I would formally adopt you, as my daughter." It was a rather elegant solution when she thought about it, and one doubly beneficial. After all, changing the sex marker on one's existing registry was not something allowed. Adding a poor ronin girl with no record onto the registry? Now that was a different matter. And of course this girl would in no way be held responsible for some foolish honor pledge made for a young boy.

Even without raising her head, the worried mother could practically feel the conflicting emotions playing across her child's face. "Can…can you give me a moment to think about it?" Ranko asked.

Nodoka looked up, seeing in her daughter an eagerness slightly tempered by hesitation. "Of course, dear," she said with a reassuring smile painted on her mask. "Take whatever time you need."

Ranko nodded, then stood up and went out the back door, to the dojo. Akane, after a quick glance around, got up as well and followed after her.

"So…" Nabiki said, "I know there's a whole formality to this entire thing and all, but do you have to stay like that until you get an answer?"

Nodoka blinked at the question, before realizing she was still holding her family katana out in front of her. She pulled back, sheathing the sword and setting it down at her side. "Right," she said, noticing the stares she was getting from the two remaining Tendos in the room. "Shall I make us some tea while we wait?" she offered with a smile.

After properly preparing the tea for everyone, she gave the perfect impression of calmly waiting at the table while occasionally sipping from her cup. Voices could be heard from the direction of the dojo, a bit too quiet to make out. One time, Akane managed to get loud enough that she could hear, "-chance to be with your-" before she got quiet again. Shortly after, Ranko's voice managed to raise high enough for her to make out the words, "-her son-".

Nodoka carefully held her grip on her cup and used her discipline to avoid cracking it in the slightest. Soon, Ranko marched back into the room with Akane close in tow. Her daughter had an aura of determination which faltered only slightly as their eyes met.

"Before I give my answer," Ranko said, her words slow and deliberate, "there is one thing I need to ask."

"Of course, Ranko," Nodoka responded, turning to face her child again. "Please, go ahead."

"Okay, it's just that…" Ranko paused a moment before quickly blurting out the rest. "Are you really gonna only teach your style to your heir?"

Nodoka blinked a couple of times. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if you got this whole special martial arts style, it seems a little silly to only pass it down to one person."

"Or barely teach it at all so someone has to try and figure it out on her own," Akane grumbled out while giving a quick glare to her father.

"Oh, it never really occurred to me to try to teach others. Perhaps if it works out well between us, I could consider it," Nodoka replied. "Although, there are a few things I would want to pass on specifically to my heir," she quickly added.

"Right, that does make sense," Ranko said. "And your daughter would be the one that would become your heir."

"That's correct," Nodoka said with a smile, satisfied that she managed to make the carrot enticing enough.

"Okay…" Ranko took a moment, appearing to gather her courage before continuing. "I want to learn from you…but…I'm not ready to become your heir yet."

"That is acceptable," Nodoka responded, masking her disappointment with the knowledge that her plan was being delayed only slightly. After all, their time spent together, just the two of them, bonding as master and student would be a quick path to them finally connecting officially as mother and daughter.

"I agree to become your student," Ranko declared, pausing briefly before quickly adding, "but only if you train Akane too."

Out of everyone in the room, the one that seemed to be the most shocked by this announcement was Akane herself. "What?!" she cried out.

Nodoka was able to use the youngest Tendo's outburst to hide her own surprise, managing to keep her calm exterior. "I see. Is there a reason you want me to teach her?"

Ranko hesitated for a moment, apparently not expecting the question. "I mean…she really needs all the help she can get," she quickly blurted out.

"Why you…" Akane growled out as she started to get up, her fist clenched.

"Akane, sit down," Nodoka said sternly. Akane, taken aback by the somewhat harsher tone, did so. Nodoka then addressed her daughter. "Ranko, dear. Perhaps it would be wise to rephrase what you just said."

"Oh. Oh right," Ranko said, taking a deep breath. "What I mean is that Akane don't got anyone to help train her. Her dad stopped doing it years ago. And me…I'm really good at fighting and stuff, but I don't know anything about teaching. You can do it though, can't you Auntie?"

Nodoka gave a sigh. "Ranko…"

"I know she can do it," Ranko interrupted, her voice pleading. "You saw her swing the shinai around. Plus, she whooped all the boys at school at kendo. So this won't be a waste of your time or nothing. Please, Auntie."

"Ranko!" Nodoka called out, a bit louder than she would have liked, which caused her daughter to flinch slightly and then bow her head. She quickly continued in a calm, but authoritative tone. "From now on, you will make sure to address me as 'Sensei', understood?"

"Huh?" Ranko asked, looking up again. "Wait, d'ya mean that…"

"Mind your speech, dear. And yes, I also accept Akane as my student."

"Yes!" Ranko yelled out, jumping to her feet. "Thanks so…" She quickly composed herself and gave a deep bow. "I mean, I am grateful and I look forward to your teachings…Sensei."

Akane stood up and also bowed. "Yes, I thank you as well, Sensei Saotome."

"Just 'Sensei', dear," Nodoka corrected, as she wasn't currently all that eager to be associated with the man that abandoned her child. "Or, if you must, please use 'Sensei Nodoka' instead.

"Yes, Sensei."

"Very good," Nodoka said. "Now that we have that settled, I would like to make a suggestion."

Once again, Nodoka found herself spending the night at the Tendo house, sharing her daughter's bedroom. Although this time, it was just the two of them, as Ranko's pet panda was still missing. She hoped her display from earlier didn't scare off the poor animal for good, although when she voiced her concern everyone was quick to reassure her that Mr. Panda would make his way back eventually.

She laid there in the dark, listening to the slow rhythmic breathing coming from the futon next to her, trying to will sleep to take her. The whirlwind of thoughts in her head not allowing that to happen. Her plan was moving forward, even if it wasn't going in the exact direction she hoped. Unfortunately, her idea of having Ranko move in with her wouldn't really work now. She couldn't make the offer to just her daughter without risking the truth and, after talking it over, it was decided that having Akane move away from her home and family wouldn't be fair to her. So she would have to accept the two of them visiting her house for training and try to find good and proper excuses to have some private time with her child.

"Nooo…"

Nodoka was broken out of her thoughts by the cry of her daughter. She sat up and looked over to see Ranko fidgeting in her sleep, distress on her face. "Nooo," the girl repeated, fear present in her voice.

In a flash, she went over and scooped up Ranko, cradling the teenager in her arms. The words spilled from her lips almost before she even realized she was saying them. "Hey now, it's alright. Everything is alright now. Mommy's here." She gently rocked her child and soon the fidgeting stopped as Ranko leaned into her with a contented sigh and settled into a gentle slumber. Nodoka gave a smile and hummed a soothing tune, one she hadn't thought about for more than a decade. She closed her eyes and allowed the memories of nicer times to flood into her mind.

"Alright, children, let's hurry along now. There is still much we need to do," Nodoka said as she led her two new students through the mall towards their next destination.

"Huh?" Ranko asked in confusion. "Ain't we just…I mean, I thought we were only here to get our Iado uniforms today, Sensei," she finished much more formally while indicating the bags she and Akane were carrying.

"Purchasing that was the most important thing, and it is true that the two of you will not begin your training quite yet. However, I do have a couple of extra things planned for us."

"What things?"

"You'll see." Nodoka turned and gave a reassuring smile to Ranko, noting once more the outfit the girl decided to wear today. When she announced this morning that she and her students were going on a shopping expedition, Ranko said she was ready to go while wearing that extremely baggy Mao suit she had on the last time they were in public together. It reminded Nodoka of the explanation about 'stealth moding' given to her during her trip to Ni-chome. Of how it was sometimes necessary to do in public, especially around neighbors, friends and…family that knew of them, but didn't know who they really were.

Conversely, they would be going outside of Nerima for their shopping, which meant it would be the perfect opportunity for her daughter to express herself as the young woman she now was. So Nodoka gave subtle encouragement for Ranko to change into something more feminine, and she did so. The pink overalls with the word 'China' emblazoned on the front were very adorable, and the little heart over the 'i' may have been the cutest thing Nodoka ever laid her eyes on. However, it was obvious that they were borrowed as the outfit was clearly too tight for her daughter in the chest area. Not that she would ever say such a thing in front of the person that lent Ranko the outfit. It wouldn't be proper after all, even if it was to give praise for how well the medications were working for her child.

Soon they reached the next store and Nodoka made a proper and controlled beeline towards the section containing the first thing she knew her daughter needed. She looked through several shelves, checking items until she managed to find one that she believed would be the correct size. She turned back, only to pause at the sight of Akane covering Ranko's eyes. "Is something wrong?" she asked, a small amount of concern slipping through her voice.

Akane looked up at Nodoka and blinked before letting go of Ranko and backing away slightly while blushing. Ranko's face also had a red tint to it as she made an effort to look anywhere except the items on display. "Ya know, we could…I mean, perhaps it would be better if Akane and myself could go and wait somewhere while you do your…um…underwear shopping, Sensei."

Nodoka maintained her peaceful expression, not letting herself dwell on why her daughter would be so nervous to be seen in the women's underwear section. "Actually, Ranko, I'm here to get something for you," she said, holding the garment out to her.

Ranko hesitantly took the article of clothing, but then had a bewildered expression as she looked it over. "Um, Sensei, I think half of this tank top is missing."

"That is a sports bra, dear," Nodoka corrected. "I've recently discovered that they are a good deal more comfortable than wrappings while one is training."

"Oh," Ranko responded before looking at the sports bra again. "Do I really gotta…uh…what I mean, Sensei is that…I have been able to perform my regular training without a bra, so I do not believe I need one."

"Yes you do, dear. I can easily tell, which means so can everyone else." Nodoka then put a reassuring hand on Ranko's shoulder. "I understand why you would be nervous about this, sweetie, but you are well past the point where proper support is required. As your sensei, it is my duty to look out for your well being, even in matters such as this."

Ranko paused a moment before giving a small bow. "Yes, Sensei, I understand," she said with a tiny hint of resignation. She then examined the garment once more. "Sensei, there's not a clasp on this thing."

"That is correct. You pull it down over your head as you would a shirt. Would you like some assistance with trying it on?"

"Um…thanks, but I can probably figure it out by myself."

"Oh, I insist, Ranko. I remember putting on a sports bra for the first time, and admittedly the whole experience was a bit cumbersome."

"I…alright, Sensei," Ranko quietly said as Nodoka started to lead her to the dressing room.

"Oh, Akane," Nodoka said, realizing she almost forgot about her other student. "Do you need to get one as well? You are still a growing girl after all."

Akane looked to be caught off guard by Nodoka's words. "Oh! Um, y-yes I suppose I should, Sensei. I don't need help trying it on, though," she quickly added.

Nodoka gave a smile to the girl. "Yes, of course, dear."

A little while later, the three were heading off to their next destination. "Now, Ranko, doesn't it feel much nicer walking around when you actually have proper support?" Nodoka asked, making sure to mask her motherly tone as one of a teacher towards their student.

"Yeah, I suppose," Ranko said. Nodoka couldn't help but notice how her child's slightly petulant tone was offset by the additional bounce in her step. "So, what are we doing next?"

"Next, of course, will be you finally getting some more feminine outfits."

"Hey! I already got lots of girly…I mean, thank you for the offer, but I already have plenty of feminine outfits already, Sensei."

"Perhaps, but can you name me any that were not borrowed from Akane or one of her sisters?"

"Sure. There's the…umm…well…" Ranko stopped and looked down in thought. "There was the bunny…no wait, that was Nabiki's. Um, I guess the…no, that was also Nabiki's. Took me forever to pay her back after Mousse wrecked it, too. Oh, there's the cheerleader…no wait, I got that one from Kasumi. Um…" Ranko's face got redder and redder as she tried to come up with an answer.

"Exactly. It is very nice of the Tendo girls to be so supportive and lend you their things, but wouldn't you feel much better having a dress of your very own?"

"Yeah, Ranko!" Akane enthusiastically joined in. "Our sensei is getting you your very own dress. Make sure to show her how grateful you are."

"Right. Thank you very much for your generosity, Sensei."

"Very good. Now let's not tarry any longer. Come along, students."

The three made their way to the next store and Nodoka quickly set to work looking through racks of various dresses. "Oh, this is perfect!" she declared as she found a gorgeous forest green dress with the cutest puffy shoulders and adorable little patterns throughout. It even had a white collar with a beautiful broach built in. Plus, it was her daughter's exact size, making it doubly perfect. "Ranko, dear, you must try this on."

Ranko walked up, but seemed to hesitate after seeing the dress. "Um, that's…"

"Do you not like it?"

"Oh no, it's wonderful," Ranko quickly responded, taking the dress and flashing a big smile. "I'll try it on right now."

"Do you need me to help-"

"No! I mean, I've worn tons of dresses before, so I'll be fine." Ranko then dashed over to the dressing room area.

Nodoka stared in that direction for a few moments, then turned to her other student. "Akane, is Ranko not being honest with me?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Well, with the way she looked when I offered the dress to her, I'm wondering…does Ranko not like wearing dresses?"

"What? Oh no. Believe me, that is definitely not an issue for her at all. It's just that she's really into martial arts and she likes to avoid practicing it in a skirt unless she has to."

"I see. That is something I'll need to deal with soon."

"Sensei, I'm not sure about-"

"No, I insist, Akane. Being able to fight in feminine attire is something every girl should know. In fact, a proper woman should be able to defend her home and family while wearing a full kimono. Oh, that reminds me. We'll need to schedule another shopping trip for you two before we get to that part of your training. Ah, Ranko should be changed by now. Let's see how she looks."

Nodoka went over to the dressing room her daughter was in. "Well, Ranko, How does it…" She looked down to find Ranko sitting on the floor.

"Oh, Sensei!" Ranko exclaimed, quickly standing up. "Um, I was…"

"Ranko dear, that dress looks so adorable on you!"

"Oh, you really think so?" Ranko asked with a smile that seemed just a bit forced.

Maybe a little push is all she needs. "Oh, absolutely. Give me a little twirl."

"Huh? Why?"

"To show off the dress of course. Do a quick spin in place."

"Um, alright," Ranko said, slightly confused. She then did a full 360 degree rotation. "So what's the point of…" she trailed off as she noticed how the dress flared out and then settled back down again.

"There, you see? Isn't that just so lovely? …Ranko?"

If her daughter heard her, she didn't show any sign of it. Instead, she went over to the mirror and did another twirl, looking closely at how the skirt spun around with her, not saying a word.

"Is everything alright, dear?"

There was a moment of silence, before Ranko quietly answered. "I…I don't know."

Nodoka walked up behind her child and gave a comforting smile. "Ranko, look into the mirror and tell me what you see."

Ranko paused for a good while before speaking. "I see my Sensei standing behind a girl."

"Not just any girl, though," Nodoka said while gently placing her hands on Ranko's shoulders. "You know exactly who that young lady is, right?"

"That's…I'm…" In the reflection, Nodoka could see Ranko lowering her head, her red hair covering her eyes. She felt her daughter's body start to tremble, and as she spoke again, her voice did as well. "Sensei, I…I'm sorry. She's not…I'm not…not really…a girl."

Nodoka quickly spun her child around and placed a hand on the girl's chin, tilting her head up and looking her directly in the eyes. "Yes you absolutely are, Ranko. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

"But, Sensei…"

What Ranko was going to say next was smothered by Nodoka enveloping her in a strong hug. Ranko returned the embrace as the two slowly lowered to the ground. "Ranko, dear, listen to me. You are a beautiful, smart, talented young woman. Even if the rest of the world refuses to acknowledge that, please know that I will always believe you and accept you for who you truly are."

The two didn't say anything else, remaining in the embrace until they were interrupted by Akane coming into the dressing room.

"Hey, what's taking so long in…oh."

"Ah, Akane," Nodoka said, letting go of Ranko and standing up. "What do you think of the dress? Doesn't it just accentuate the young woman that Ranko has become?"

"Yes, I think it looks absolutely perfect on her," Akane said with a big smile.

"I guess," Ranko mumbled out, uncertainty still in her voice.

"Here, why don't we make a little deal," Nodoka said. "If you accept this outfit, I'll let you pick out the other ones. I'm sure Akane can help you with whatever is considered hip and groovy amongst girls these days."

"Well, maybe…"

"Plus," Akane added, "afterwards, we can take you out for ice cream."

"Really?!" Ranko immediately sprang to her feet, her eyes sparkling. "Alright, let's do it!"

A full week later, Nodoka found herself still thinking about that shopping trip. It was certainly an eventful experience, as was the next day when she had her two students at her home to get a proper test of their current skills. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that her current home wasn't the one her child grew up in, so neither of them got distracted and instead focused strictly on the evaluation.

Ranko indeed proved herself to be highly talented with the blade, showing impressive feats and even immediately picking up on the katas that Nodoka demonstrated. Unfortunately, her impulsiveness made itself known as well as she seemed to have an aversion to actually following the forms to the letter. Instead, she often ended up straying into improvising several different moves that varied wildly from the intended kata sequence. She ended up having Ranko practice an elementary form repeatedly while she tested her other student.

Akane once again showed her spirit and passion from the other day, and once again it ended up working against her. The girl's feet almost seemed to move several steps before she did, making her stumble on more than one occasion and causing her frustration to build. Yes, patience would indeed be needed for this one. On a positive note, Nodoka learned that it was actually possible to fell a tree by hurling a wooden bokken into it out of anger. Additionally, the time it took for the workmen to repair the side of her house gave her enough time to work out a proper lesson plan.

Now was the day for her student's first actual lesson and she was heading back from the market with the supplies needed to prepare a nice celebratory meal for the occasion.

"Sensei!"

Nodoka paused and looked around. It sounded like someone trying to get her attention, but the voice was not of anyone she knew, certainly not her students. Although she could swear she heard it once before…

"Sensei!" a new voice called out, one she was very familiar with. Looking over, she saw her daughter run up to her.

"Oh, Ranko," Nodoka said, before frowning slightly at seeing that the girl was clad in only a black tank top and shorts. Well, she could also tell that at least she was wearing her sports bra too. "Now dear, it is not very ladylike to be out in public like this."

"Heh. Sorry, Sensei," Ranko said with a sheepish grin. "I sort of got caught up going after…oh! There's someone important I want you to meet." She looked around a bit before seeming to spot someone. "There you are, sweetie!" she cooed.

Nodoka looked in that direction and blinked as she saw a roughed up figure slowly crawling away on the ground. Ranko skipped over and picked them up off the ground, carrying and depositing them right in front of Nodoka.

"Ranko, dear, you most certainly should not be getting involved in street fights," Nodoka chastised while silently judging the boy in front of her.

"Oh no, it was nothing like that. Ryoga and I were just doing some sparring. Isn't that right?" Ranko said while nudging the boy in the side.

"Ah, yeah. Definitely. Just a friendly little spar," the boy said with a laugh, showing the sharpened canines in his mouth.

"I see," Nodoka said, using her discipline to properly avoid scowling in front of her daughter. This boy showed all the signs of being a complete ruffian and someone her child was better off not associating with. No, she did not like this young man in the slightest.

"Um, have we actually met before?" the ruffian decided to ask.

"Oh right, I still need to do introductions," Ranko said with an extra bubbly demeanor. "Ryoga, I would like to introduce you to Nodoka, my Sensei."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Nodoka pleasantly lied with a performance that she knew would put Takarazuka performers to shame.

"Sensei, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you Ryoga…" Ranko continued before stepping slightly to the side and holding out her arms to present the ruffian boy with a flourish.

"My boyfriend!"