Chasing the Rainbow
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any related characters in any way, shape or form.
Author's Notes: It's been a long time since this was updated, and for that I apologize; real life got in the way of both our writing it, and our beta getting back to us on what needed to be changed. Now that this is here, though, we should resume our former regular updating and I hope people still want to read this. To just answer some concerns/points brought up in the last chapter's reviews, I'm not intending to go "pairing crazy" with this story; in fact, after the last chapter, I've decided that any 'sub-romances' will be strictly background material, though the polls from the last chapter will remain open until chapter 10. The poll in my profile has also been closed now that this story is "reopen for business", so to speak, but if you want to let me know which girl you want to see as the official winner of this story, leave a review saying so.
Chapter 7: Lunch Date
It was a quiet, lazy day at the Tendo dojo, and Ranma was the only person in the house. Happosai, thankfully, had vanished to who-knew-where on a panty raid, Akane was out with some friends, Nabiki had tennis practice, Soun and Genma had made vague comments about investigating some flyer and left. Ranma had persuaded Kasumi to go out and enjoy this nice day, firstly with genuine promises of doing the housework for her, and finally by the simple expedient of gently-but-firmly pushing her out of the gate and closing it behind her. He was just finishing up the final task, mopping the floor, and sighed softly to himself, his thoughts now turning to the matter that had been so close to him recently: the other fiancées.
"I guess those two have had long enough to stew. I should probably think of a way to let them know I'm ready to give them a second chance. Come to think of it, maybe it's time I went and spoke to Kodachi...?" He murmured to nobody in particular. Then he stopped; something felt…. Off. Out of place. Like he was being watched… Thinking for a few moments about the possibilities, he then tapped his mop handle on the floor. "You can come out, Sasuke." He called, and then winced at the audible crack of bone against wood. Ranma addressing him directly had clearly startled the ninja manservant of the Kunos, evidently having assumed he was undetected in his favorite eavesdropping spot beneath the floor.
A few moments of pained silence later, Sasuke was kneeling on the edge of the small verandah overlooking the koi pond. "How did you know I was there?" He asked, clearly probing for information despite the submissive tone of his words.
"Do you know how often people are spying on me?" Ranma retorted casually. This wasn't the whole truth of the matter, but Ranma was a very secretive person (doubtlessly a result of living with his father, his various fiancées would have insisted) and so revealing how he had sensed Sasuke was not something he felt inclined to do.
Sasuke bowed his head in acceptance of that fact. It was true; he spied on Ranma a lot, and he was sure that several others also did so on a semi-regular basis.
"So, why did Kuno send you this time? What crackpot magical trinket has he come up with this time that makes him want to call me out?" Ranma asked off-handedly.
"What makes you think Master Kuno would need a magic item to be inclined to challenge you?" Sasuke asked sincerely.
"Because he never calls me out unless he thinks he's found something that'll make him strong enough to beat me. Otherwise he just gets his ass handed to him at school - and even then, he only shows up when he's feeling particularly feisty, it's not like it's an every day occurrence." Ranma pointed out.
"More like two days out of three." Sasuke muttered, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth and looking abashed. "I-I didn't mean!" He stammered.
Ranma waved his hand dismissively. "I won't tell him if you won't. So, as I was saying, why are you here?"
"Why...?" Sasuke repeated, looking somewhat confused himself (not that Ranma could really blame him; that whack on the head had sounded nasty even by his standards), then lit up with recognition and pounded a fist into his open palm. "Oh, yes, now I remember!" He reached into his ninja outfit, pulled out a letter, and held it out to Ranma. "Mistress Kodachi sends an invitation to you to join her for a private luncheon at the Kuno estate, and humbly requests that you proceed there with all due haste."
"...If you were going to tell me that, why did she bother writing it down?" Ranma pointed out, then ignored Sasuke's sheepish expression and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was true he had sworn to give all of the girls a fair chance, and that included Kodachi... yes, it was somewhat risky to go, but, really, no riskier then it had been to go on those dates with Ukyo and Shampoo -- if anything, less risky, as this time everyone was out of the house and nobody was likely to ever find out... unless Kodachi decided to make a big fuss and drama over the matter, but he was pretty sure he could charm her into keeping it on the low. Finally, he nodded his head. "Alright, I'll come."
"I knew you would." Sasuke chirped happily, at which Ranma looked at him askance; something about that tone and that choice of words bothered him...
A few minutes of roof hopping soon brought the pair to the Kuno estate, Sasuke turning to Ranma momentarily, "Please wait here for a moment, I'll be back shortly." Ranma nodded; the last time he had 'visited' the Kuno's mansion, the front path had been filled with enough traps to turn aside a small army and seriously inconvenience him for the several minutes it took to disable or outright destroy them, so now there was no telling exactly what sort of new hazards were now in place, probably nasty ones if Ranma guessed correctly. Meek and subservient Sasuke may be, but history taught that discounting a ninja, even one like Sasuke, was often bad for your health.
That and living in Nerima had ensured that Ranma had a very well developed sense of paranoia.
Meanwhile, Sasuke nimbly skirted around the traps and opened the door, expertly navigating the hallways to find his mistress waiting for him, an expectant expression on her face, "Well Sasuke? What is my darling Ranma's reply?"
Sasuke bowed. "I have delivered the message, and Saotome is waiting at the gate at this moment."
Shock rippled across Kodachi's face before she schooled it into a more pleased expression. "Well don't just stand there, bring him in and take him to the room overlooking the outside gardens, the one with the view of the natives should suffice. I'll be waiting there." Sasuke bowed and left as Kodachi went to her own preparations.
Ranma was leaning against the gate and whistling softly to himself as Sasuke returned. The diminutive ninja bowed respectfully. "Please follow me; the Mistress awaits you."
So Ranma did as he was told, taking care to copy Sasuke's actions exactly so as to avoid the various pitfalls and boobytraps he knew were scattered around. As they walked in silence, something that had occasionally bothered him about this place occurred to him and he decided that there was nothing to be lost in asking. "So, tell me, how do you look after this place on your own?"
"Pardon?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.
"Well, you're the only henchman I've seen Kuno with, so that means you've got to take care of this whole huge estate all by yourself. How on earth do you manage?" Ranma explained insistently.
Sasuke looked at him in disbelief, and then burst out laughing. "I-I'm sorry, forgive me, but that's the funniest thing I've ever heard!" He managed to stammer out amidst his hysterical humor attack. "No, I may be called upon to perform many services to my masters, but I am not the sole servant here. I am the representative of the Sarugakure Ninja called to this estate; my duty is to attend to the Master and the Mistress personally, while theirs is to oversee the estate as a whole. I may perform menial tasks as the Masters demand, but the majority of such work is handled by those beneath me."
"So, what, you mean this place is swarming with ninja gardeners?" Ranma asked curiously.
"Oh yes, as well as ninja chefs, ninja electricians, ninja accountants..." Sasuke added happily.
"Ninja accountants...?" Ranma repeated incredulously.
They walked on in silence for a few moments more as Ranma digested that tidbit, then Ranma realized something else. "Hey, is Kuno going to be here as well? I don't think he'd like it much that I'm eatin' lunch with his sister."
"Master Kuno has his own residential quarters in a different wing of the house. He is unaware of your presence here." Sasuke reassured him. Any further questions or doubts Ranma might have had were cut off as Sasuke stopped and pompously swung open a set of doors. "Mistress Kodachi, your guest has arrived." He declared, still in the same "butler-lite" manner.
Kodachi rose from her seat with a lightly surprised smile, "Ranma-sama, welcome, I'm so glad you were able to accept my invitation. Please, have a seat."
A glance was sent to Sasuke, who nodded and left, closing the doors behind him as Ranma strode in, taking in Kodachi in detail. She was dressed in a formal, and rather pretty kimono, decorated with flowers and trees of various kinds in a rather eye-pleasing combination of blue and green, and it looked ridiculously expensive, but that was par for the course with the Kunos.
A glance at the table and Ranma suppressed the urge to whistle at the food laid out, from what he remembered and from what he acquired from the Eye, Kodachi was a skilled cook in her own right and the sight before him only confirmed it as he took in the dumplings, noodles and cakes there; it looked like this wouldn't be too bad a day at all.
Ranma politely walked over and took the indicated seat, trying to avoid showing any sign of nervousness now starting to well up from within. Though he knew there was more to Kodachi then he had previously thought, it was hard to deny the fact that many situations like this had proven dangerous or just plain mistakes - he had to fight to avoid recalling that time that Kodachi had offered him lunch spontaneously, and promptly poisoned it all with paralysis powder- which would have got him if it hadn't been for Mousse bungling in and eating it himself. This was one of the reasons why he didn't say anything; the other was that he wasn't exactly sure what to say. Luckily for him, Kodachi either noticed or felt it was her place to speak first after he had sat down.
"I apologize for that incident with the paralysis powder." Kodachi's expression seemed genuinely abashed as she said this, "Looking back on that, I can understand that what I did was foolish, and I assure you that this cuisine is untainted." She indicated the food, "But there's plenty to time to speak, let us enjoy lunch first."
Ranma wondered how she had known what he was thinking about, and instead eagerly began eating. One might think that he was hesitant, sensibly tasting minute doses and ascertaining whether or not Kodachi was telling the truth... the reality was that Ranma was never one to let previous experiences with poisoned meals deter him from enjoying excellent food (he found himself momentarily wondering why Akane, the most outwardly normal of his romantic circle, was the only one to be terrible at cooking) and so he ate and drank heartily.
True to her own words, Kodachi said nothing, instead enjoying her handiwork and occasionally giving Ranma deep, romantic meaning-filled stares when she thought he wasn't looking. Finally, the two finished and politely pushed their empty plates away, Ranma wondering if Sasuke or one of the Kuno family's "ninja maids" would clear them away and deciding to keep one eye on them if possible, in an attempt to see if Sasuke had really been serious or not. The other eye - well, really, half of his attention in general, he kept on Kodachi, who broke the silence they had previously been enjoying.
"Whoever said that good food is better in company was certainly correct." She looked to the side slightly, "Thank you for accepting my invitation; I hadn't actually expected you to accept." She clapped her hands together with a smile. "But I'm so glad that you did come, thank you." A blur took the plates and Ranma could only barely make out a masked female figure wearing a maid's uniform before she vanished. Another blur, a male one this time, delivered drinks as Kodachi leaned forward, completely ignoring them.
"Tell me Ranma-sama, I've heard that you've all but openly declared your intention to end your engagement with Akane Tendo. What led you to that decision?"
"And where did you hear that?" Ranma asked quietly, neither confirming nor denying its accuracy.
Kodachi smiled slightly. "Why Ranma, who else in my family's employ would be sent to keep an eye on you, and report back any unusual activity from you? Of course, my brother rejoiced about this, going on and on about how Akane was free from your clutches." A dainty snort, "If anything, from the reports Sasuke has sent back it seems that you were one liberated, not Akane."
Ranma ignored that bite against his Tendo fiancée. So, Sasuke had overheard him after that first day back, eh? Well, he really deserved that, and it wasn't as if he could begrudge the poor little guy - he was just doing his job. "I don't know if you've heard anything about a certain incident a little while ago? Involving the Joketsuzoku and a magical brooch?" Ranma began, casting out the first hooks of misinformation.
Kodachi leaned back in her chair, "Some but no real specifics, apparently a jewel that reversed or amplified certain emotions depending on the manner in which its worn, an interesting item but the inherent dangers..." She trailed off, attempting to look uninterested, yet unable to hide a certain stiffness in her spine and arms. "Regardless, you apparently had some trouble involving it, but Sasuke was unable to discover how you solved that situation. Likely you used your usual quick wits and cleverness to do so. Why do you ask?"
"Let's just say that, when everything was over and done with, I had a lot of time to think to myself." Ranma said grimly. "And not much else to think about other then my... uh... 'relationship' with Akane." He added. "I guess, in the end, it came down to the fact that I just couldn't get over how that final incident with Akane was a metaphor for our whole engagement; all sweetness to me one moment, and then hitting me and telling me to stop living in a dream world when I tried to stop and think about her actions the next. I just can't see myself living my life like that, always walking on tiptoes and knowing that there's an explosion coming." He concluded.
Kodachi nodded, "A logical conclusion to come to with time, but then...you've never exactly had time to yourself, have you?" Her eyes were slightly shadowed at this.
"Not... precisely. Usually it's more waiting for the next boot to drop." Ranma answered, somewhat wary of Kodachi's tone and body language.
Kodachi stiffened slightly. "Ah, I suppose I deserved that. I may not have given you good reason to believe me in that regard, but today there is no plan to force you with me. I...simply wish to be with you today, that is all."
"It's not that." Ranma hastened to say; he never could stand girls crying or getting upset, and Kodachi was one of the most emotionally vulnerable of the girls he knew. "I was just wondering what the words you chose meant - seems like everyone I know likes to say one thing and mean two or three other things..." He said this last part in a somewhat sour tone, remembering all the times that this had gotten him hurt, into trouble, or both.
Kodachi sighed, "It seems to be that way with us isn't it? The Chinese girl, the Osakan tomboy, myself..." She shook her head, "No, I mean only one thing this day, and that is to be with the lord of my heart; nothing more, nothing less. And regardless of the turn of our conversation, it feels good to be with you. Indeed, unless that red-headed witch shows up my mood couldn't be better."
At that, Ranma went quiet. Not just from what Kodachi was saying, but from the reminder of something that had been roughly planned out for the future, the refresher that if he was going to give Kodachi a chance, he should truly make her on equal standing with his other fiancées. Besides, this would see if they would even be compatible; all of those timelines he had seen where he had gotten together with Kodachi had resulted from the secret coming out early. Would she take it anywhere near so well when he had been hiding it for so long?
"Kodachi... there's something I need to tell you about the 'pigtailed girl'..." He began.
"Hmm?" Kodachi blinked in surprise and made a show of cocking her head curiously, wondering what Ranma had to say, though it was easy to see the way she had physically tensed at Ranma's words, a cold light glittering in her hardened eyes.
"It's... how do I say this..." Ranma muttered to himself. "...Have you ever wondered why she and I are never in the same place at the same time?" He tried.
Kodachi thought slightly, before nodding, "It is rather strange, you do vanish whenever she shows up."
"And have you ever noticed that we always seem to know things that, logically, only one of us should know?" Ranma pressed on.
Kodachi searched her memory and then blinked with the realization, "Yes..." she said slowly.
"Why that is... is because... well..." Ranma slowly admitted, trying to build up his courage and spit it out at last. Finally, he blurted, "We're the same person." His eyes fell, unable to meet Kodachi's stare, while he waited for her reaction.
Kodachi's reaction, whether Ranma was expecting a laugh, disgust or some kind of anger, was not what he expected.
"What?"
Ranma blinked at the sheer flatness of that word, and decided maybe emphasis would help get his point across. "I am she and she is me," he added.
"And we are all together, goo-goo-gachoo. I know the song Ranma-sama, everyone knows the Beatles."
"Who're the Beatles?" Was the only thing Ranma could think to ask, wincing as Kodachi promptly slipped off of her seat and fell with an audible thump onto the floor. "I don't know what else to say, this is as blunt as I can be." He complained, though his words were directed more at life in general than Kodachi.
Kodachi recovered quickly, shooting a glare at a nearby corner, before taking a breath, "And if what you're saying is what I think it is, you're telling me that you and that annoying, interfering little bitch are one and the same." She shot a small glare at Ranma, "You'll forgive me Ranma-sama, if I don't exactly believe you."
"How can I prove what I'm telling you?" He insisted.
"That is up to you, Ranma-sama." The flat tone was a sure indicator that Kodachi was starting to get annoyed.
Ranma sighed; this was not going as he had expected. Seeing a glass of cold water close to hand (had that been there a few moments ago?), he decided to prove it in the ultimate way. He picked up the glass and poured it down his back, shivering at both the unpleasant tingle of ice down his spine and as his body shifted into an entirely new form. Blinking the last of the water clear with long eyelashes, she stared sympathetically at Kodachi. "Now do you believe me?" Was all she said.
Kodachi froze rock-solid in that instant, her face wiped of all expression, her eyes taking on a glassy hue. Silently she stared at Ranma, the boy-turned-girl feeling nervousness creeping up from within herself. The silence dragged on, until Ranma felt that maybe she should break it, but just as she was opening her own mouth to speak, Kodachi's eyes narrowed and she spoke.
"Get out." She said, her word a tremulous whisper that even Ranma barely caught.
"Kodachi…" The heir to the Saotome family began, then ducked as the glass Kodachi had been using came whistling through the air to shatter against the wall.
"I said get out!" Kodachi screamed, bolting upright. "How dare you! How long? You! Laughing at me!" She shrieked then, words having deserted her in her fury, grabbing the underside of the table and then heaving it up with such strength that it pinwheeled madly through the air, Ranma leaping back as it came crashing down on the floor hard enough to shatter.
"This way, hurry!" Sasuke insisted, materializing as if from nowhere and grabbing hard onto Ranma's hand, tugging her insistently in the direction of the door.
Ranma needed no encouragement; Kodachi was clearly getting more and more furious, and Ranma's instinct in situations like this was to run like all hell was behind him. She just made it out through the door as Kodachi's ribbon snapped at her heels like a bullwhip. On and on they pelted; Ranma was sure that some of the traps went off behind her in their wake, but she was too busy on getting out of the Kuno mansion; the sound of Kodachi crying out incoherently in her rage and betrayal – and the sound of her taking those feelings out on her surroundings – was all the encouragement the boy-turned-girl needed to go as fast as possible. It ended with both of them standing at the gate to the estate, panting hard as they tried to quench the burning in their lungs with great gulps of cool air, Kodachi's rampage still faintly audible even out here.
"Oh, man, she really freaked out. I mean, I knew that she mightn't take it so good, but I wasn't expecting her to act anything like this!" Ranma gasped.
"I think it would be best if you left and did not think of coming here for some time." Sasuke told the red-haired girl flatly.
Ranma did not argue; she was hardly in any position to do so. Still, she winced at a particularly loud crash that caught her attention, and couldn't help but ask. "Is she going to be alright?"
Sasuke merely stared at her, then gestured pointedly at the road beyond the gate. Ranma nodded in resigned acceptance and began walking slowly away, the gate closing behind her with a strangely loud, dramatic noise. She didn't look back, instead sighing softly to herself.
"The path of a true martial artist is fraught with peril. Or, at least, that's what the old men always say. I don't know if this counts or not… Ironic. Barely a fortnight ago, I would have been perfectly happy about this. Now, I feel kind of guilty…"
And thus the chapter ends. I'm wondering how many of you were expecting this and how many of you were expecting us to have Kodachi just shrug it off…Anyway, will Kodachi decide to keep trying to win Ranma now that she knows she has no "pigtailed rival"? Or will she leave the race the same way that she entered it, of her own free will? You'll have to wait and see to find out.
For the folks who have been waiting for her, and folks who've been terrified of how we're going to mishandle the canon this time, the next chapter will see the introduction of Miss Hinako Ninomiya.
Just to refresh people's minds, the "polls" I started in the last chapter consist of two separate questions: Should we have Mousse and Nabiki end up as a couple? And should Ryoga end up with Kasumi Tendo, or Anna Brown?
For those wondering who Anna Brown is, she's kind of the anime counterpart to Akari Unryu, an original character introduced in the 20th episode of the 5th season, dubbed "Ryoga, Run Into The Sunset!" in the English dub.