"Of Loss, Life, & Love."
by Luna12
Chapter 12: "Revelations"
Warning: Rated T for language!
Nabiki glared at Ranma. "You really fucked things up, didn't you?" she accused him.
Ranma glared back at her. It was one thing for him to inwardly think it, but it irked him to hear Nabiki put it so bluntly. "So, Akane told ya?"
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "As a matter of fact, she hasn't told me anything, but I'm not stupid. You went off to have dinner with Ukyo - oddly enough with Akane's blessing - only to come back with her angry and refusing to talk to you."
Ranma remained silent. There wasn't much he could add.
Nabiki sighed. "She's not in her usual jealous funk, either. You've pulled a lot of shit, Ranma, but you've never hurt my baby sister this badly before. What the hell did you do?"
Ranma gulped. Nabiki was in full big-sister-mode. It didn't occur very often, but it was terrifying to behold. She was already ruthless at getting what she wanted, but in times like these Nabiki transformed her usual selfish determination into merciless resolve to avenge those who hurt the ones she loved.
Ranma briefed Nabiki on the unpleasant circumstances of the previous evening.
Nabiki's obvious disappointment with him diminished. Not that Ranma knew, but she was feeling partly responsible for the fiasco. She had arranged for Ukyo to use the mirror, encouraging the determined rival to discover the truth on her own. Nabiki had been fairly certain the outcome would be Ranma inadvertently proving his love to Akane, but she hadn't predicted the chef would desperately throw herself into Ranma's arms and kiss him. Let alone for Akane to walk in on the whole mess. Damage control was going to be considerable.
Still, she wasn't about to let Ranma know how much of this mess was her fault. "I'll help you make amends with Akane, this time." Nabiki smirked. There. Let him believe he was in her debt.
Ranma felt his spirits lift, until he remembered who he was dealing with. Nabiki never offered her assistance for free. "What's the catch?" he asked suspiciously.
Nabiki smiled innocently. "Just go through with my plan."
Ranma's head sank.
Nabiki handed Ranma a bus ticket and a prepared list of instructions. "Follow this. Go to the station and leave the rest to me."
Ukyo was starting to think that her life was becoming fixated on the door to her restaurant. Again, she was waiting with tight nerves and a butterfly filled stomach for an expected arrival.
The restaurant door chimed pleasantly and Ukyo took a slow, deep breath to gather her resolve.
Nodoka Saotome stood at the entrance, elegant and serene in her traditional kimono.
Ukyo had spent the last evening wrestling with her emotions and desires. She loved Ranma. There was no denying that. Yet, Ranma loved Akane and had flat out rebuked her feelings last night. Worse, Akane was more-or-less openly returning Ranma's love.
Anyone else at this point would have a good cry, eat a box of chocolates, then move on - but Ukyo was not a quitter! She had fixated twelve years of her life on Ranma Saotome and was not going to give up now. In the end, it came down to the facts. Ukyo wanted the best for her dear Ranchan. In her mind, only she could make Ranma happy as a wife. Therefore, she would simply have to woo Ranma back. It was for his own good, not just her own selfish happiness...or so she kept reassuring herself.
It wasn't going to be easy. Which is where Ranma's beloved, long-lost mother came into the picture. If Ukyo could gain favor with her, it would give her the edge she needed to succeed.
"Saotome-san," Ukyo bowed politely to her prospective mother-in-law. "Thank you so much for accepting my invitation to chat."
Nodoka smiled politely, but not particularly warmly, back. Although she didn't know the details of Ranma and Akane's recent falling out, she knew it had something to do with Ukyo's behavior the previous evening. Neither Akane nor Ranma were willing to discuss it with her. It was very disappointing, especially since they had started to become so much more comfortable with each other as an engaged couple.
Ukyo escorted Nodoka to a table in the back of the restaurant, away from the prying eyes and ears of the other customers. It was only an hour before the main lunch rush, and only a few patrons dinned in the front of the building.
Nodoka took her seat and eyed the chef with great scrutiny. Ukyo felt her mouth go dry. She so desperately needed this woman as her ally, but already she was giving her a disapproving look.
Ukyo gave a polite cough to clear her throat and began. "Saotome-san, I want your blessing to marry Ranma." Ukyo felt a great burden leave her chest. There. The hardest part was out. Now, she had to wait and see how receptive Nodoka was to having Ukyo as a daughter-in-law.
Nodoka pursed her lips. "I see." There was an awkward silence, before she resumed speaking. "I'm afraid I cannot give that to you. Ranma is betrothed to Akane, since they were infants. That is the arrangement I have given my blessing towards, even though Tendo-san has passed away."
Ukyo felt her heart sink into her stomach. This was going to be even more difficult than she originally imagined. "But, surely you have to honor the arrangement made with my father. Your husband took my dowry, no such exchange was made with Akane. She still has the Tendo dojo."
Nodoka's eyes widened. "Genma took your dowry?" Nodoka's face paled. She knew her husband wasn't the most ethical man. He was known to cheat, and occasionally steal. Still, she never imagined him capable of ruining a young woman's chance at marriage and swindling her dowry! That breach of honor was appalling, not to mention unmanly.
Ukyo felt equally surprised. "Genma never told you?"
Nodoka shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. Genma had lied to her. He had claimed that Ranma had mistakingly taken his childhood pal's Okonmiyaki cart, not realizing that Ukyo was a girl, and somehow the child had become convinced she was engaged to Ranma. This changed everything. Her husband had besmirched Ukyo's honor. As his wife she was equally obligated to restore it, but she couldn't casually dissolve Ranma's betrothal to Akane, either.
Her eyes filled with genuine sympathy. "I apologize greatly on behalf of my husband. The first marriage arrangement was with Tendo-san. My husband had no right to arrange another marriage while the first was in effect."
Ukyo felt her hopes rise. Nodoka felt genuinely sorry for her state. She could only hope that sense of guilt and responsibility would work in her favor.
"Then you'll give your blessing and encourage Ranma to marry me?"
Nodoka cringed at the doleful look in Ukyo's eyes. "It's not that simple, child."
Ukyo felt her hands clench. That was the same phrase Ranma had used last night. "It is simple, Nodoka-san. We both want what is best for Ranma. His happiness and prosperity."
Nodoka gave a weak smile to the chef. She could sympathize with her, but her hands felt tied. Surely the first betrothal must be honored. Although neither Ranma nor Akane had directly admitted their feelings, she was a witness to their growing affection to each other. As for the best choice for her son's future, the Tendo dojo was hardly a factor to dismiss. Her son was a supreme martial artist, but as poor as she and Genma were, they could not provide his own private dojo. Uniting the two schools worked to benefit both families. "I am pleased to know that, Ukyo, but -"
Feeling desperate, Ukyo interrupted. "Please! Hear me out first!"
Nodoka was taken aback. Stunned, she nodded for Ukyo to continue.
"Shouldn't Ranma get a chance to say who he chooses? A fair chance, that is. I arrived long after Ranma began living in the Tendo residence. Of course he grew attached...", (Ukyo could not bring herself to use the word 'love'), "...to her. He probably felt honor bound, with the Tendos providing him room and board, after all."
Nodoka nodded thoughtfully, but made no verbal response. Ukyo took that as a positive sign to continue.
"Let me ask you this... have you ever witnessed Ranma and I fight or bicker?"
Nodoka's eyebrows rose as she seriously considered her answer. "Well, no..."
Ukyo smiled triumphantly. "While Ranma and Akane bicker and fight constantly."
Nodoka's brows furrowed. Ukyo was bringing up rather valid points. "Not that frequently...and it's natural for many couples to have disagreements," she defended.
"With mallets?" Ukyo challenged. "With physical violence?"
Nodoka shook her head. "They're both trained martial artists. It's how they...communicate. Akane is not as rough on my son as you think, and I must admit, he has quite the talent for saying the wrong thing to a girl's tender feelings." Ukyo gave Nodoka a look of judgmental disbelief. Nodoka felt the heat rise to her face. It was entirely improper for this young woman to question her opinion. "And Akane-chan has never destroyed my personal property."
Ouch. Ukyo felt that verbal barb as sharply as a slap to the face. Not only did Nodoka refer to Akane with reaffirmed affection, she also still resented Ukyo for her part in destroying the Saotome home.
Ukyo surrendered the last of her pride. "Please, please Saotome-san. I just want a fighting chance to win his heart. One month is all I'm asking. One month of Ranma not living with or seeing Akane. Your family owes me that much."
Nodoka sighed heavily. How could she refuse such a request? At the moment, a separation between Ranma and Akane might be the best solution. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, after all. Then, she could give Ukyo a fair chance as a way to amend her husband's dishonorable swindling.
Nodoka nodded slowly. "If my husband confirms your story, then I will agree. I will find a way to give you the month you ask and to give Ranma the freedom to choose between you and Akane." Hopefully my son has enough taste to never consider Shampoo or Kodachi, she added silently to herself.
Ukyo jumped out of her seat in pure joy. "Oh, thank you!" She bowed deeply, trembling with excitement.
Nodoka gently touched Ukyo's shoulder and had her rise. "Do not rest too much hope on this. I will not support you over Akane..." Ukyo's face fell. "...but neither will I directly support Akane over you. You will only have the fair chance you wished."
Konatsu stepped back from the shadows in dismay. He had purposely overheard the entire conversation. With his ninjitsu techniques, it was as easy as breathing to silently hide his presence. Oh, Ukyo-sama! His beloved mistress was still chasing after Ranma, even after the disastrous dinner and the revelations of the magic mirror.
He needed to get word to Nabiki. A month forcing Ranma and Akane apart? This was bad news indeed! Ranma would hardly be able to refuse a request from his mother. Oh, oh dear.
Konatsu looked at the clock worriedly. It was 11:45. The lunch rush hit after noon. He didn't have time to journey to the Tendo residence and back without being missed, but this was hardly news to sit on.
A desperate idea dawned. The Nekohaten was less than a minute walk away. If he could get a hold of Mousse, maybe the Amazon co-conspirator could relay the message to Nabiki.
Konatsu glanced at his mistress. Ukyo was beaming, practically glowing as she watched over the cooktop and greeted customers. After the devastating cry she had the night before, the transformation was incredible. She was full of hope. Could he really act against that?
Konatsu felt his resolve slip. He wanted Ukyo-sama's happiness above all else, so did that mean helping her get Ranma? Ranma didn't love Ukyo, not in the way she desired. A forced match like that was nearly doomed to failure. Ranma was so independent. He would simply grow to hate and resent Ukyo if tricked to be with her.
Konatsu twisted his hands in indecision. Should he keep silent?
Then again, could he let Ukyo risk getting her hopes raised, only to have them dashed yet again by Ranma Saotome? The situation was becoming too complicated for him. He would simply go to Mousse, let him know the details, and pass the message to Nabiki. If anyone could fix the mess, it was that sly businesswoman.
In the blink of an eye, Konatsu had left the cafe undetected.
Nabiki knocked gently at her younger sister's door. A muffled "Who is it?" answered.
"Just your most beautiful, amazing middle sister," Nabiki answered back playfully.
Akane opened the door for her. Nabiki critically examined Akane. There weren't any obvious signs that her sister was broken hearted. There were no indications she had been crying, for instance, but the plastered fake smile on her face was painful to behold. Her complexion seemed unusually pale, lacking her usual warm glow and exuberant energy. Akane was doing her best to pretend that nothing was wrong, but Nabiki knew better. It was just a shame her sis couldn't take out her aggression on a block of bricks or a horde of Furikan's high school boys, but with her sentenced to avoid most physical activity for a week, she was left to sulk in her room.
"So... in the mood for a date?" Nabiki chirped.
Akane gave her a look like she had sprouted two heads. "You mean with that perverted baka?" she shouted, finally revealing some of her hurt feelings.
Nabiki did her best job to look innocently surprised. "You mean Ranma?"
Akane huffed, but made no effort to explain further. She felt a jumbled heap of emotions, anger and frustration being the most prominent, but she was also horribly embarrassed. She had trusted Ranma, had started to show her true feelings, only to be shown how callously he regarded hers. Or worse, maybe he did feel something for her, but was too much of a playboy to ever be true to her? Either way, she couldn't bring herself to talk about it with anyone.
Nabiki continued. "I actually meant with someone else. You remember Gosunkugi-kun, right?"
"Yeah, the pale student from class F." Akane shook her head. "I'm really not interested, Nabiki."
Nabiki crossed her arms. A threatening gleam hit her eyes. "I need you to become interested."
Akane rolled her eyes. "What did you do this time, Nabiki? You can't just sell me off to go on dates!"
Nabiki did her best job to put on a wounded expression. "You think so ill of me? Your big sister?"
Akane simply glared. Nabiki was obviously after something. Akane sighed. "Just tell me what you want."
Nabiki smirked triumphantly. "Gosunkugi's father owns a very special bank in Tokyo. I needed his services."
Akane's suspicion and anger subsided, slightly. "You mean a loan for the household expenses?"
Nabiki waved her hand dismissively. "The details don't matter, but Gosunkugi personally helped out our family. He has a crush on you, and all he asked in return was one teeny-weeny date." Her mention of 'teeny-weeny' was in an exaggerated high-pitched, sing-song tone.
Akane frowned. She hated the idea of Nabiki using her (without permission or prior warning), but for once, it seemed like her selfish sister had started out with good intentions.
Nabiki took Akane's contemplative silence as a good sign. "So, it's agreed! One date with Gosunkugi this evening."
"Wait!" Akane protested. "I can't just go on a date. Even if Ranma is a cheating jerk..." she mumbled. Although Akane wasn't sure what her relationship status with Ranma was at present, dating someone else felt dirty. Even though Ranma had broken his promise, she didn't want to be unfaithful.
"Fine," Nabiki agreed. "Let's just call it an outing between two classmates. Very innocent."
Akane still looked conflicted. Nabiki knew she would have to give her sister just the right nudge. Nabiki placed her hand on Akane's shoulder, her face carefully crafted to look as sincere as possible. "It's been rough, with Daddy gone, taking care of all the bills by myself, sis. I know I should have asked you first, but I needed Gos-kun's help. I'm sorry."
Akane's defenses began to crumble. Nabiki was actually apologizing to her? Not just that, but she sounded so heartfelt. Akane could easily see how Nabiki might have gotten in over her head and - too embarrassed to ask directly for help from her family - had gone to Gosunkugi instead.
Akane squeezed Nabiki hand in reassurance. "It's alright, this time. I'll go on an outing, but nothing romantic, okay?"
Nabiki cautiously kept her inner enthusiasm and triumph hidden. "Thanks, Akane. I'll tell Gosunkugi to meet you at the ice cream parlor at two."
"Not there! That's...personal." Akane couldn't help but recall the fun times she had with Ranma over the years. Even if he usually joined her in female form to enjoy the "girly" parfaits, it had felt special. Those were the moments they spent without fighting, just being friends and enjoying each other's company.
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Alright, then. How about a show at the movie theater?"
Akane reluctantly nodded her agreement.
Noticing how lost her sister looked, Nabiki gave her a rare hug. "You won't regret it."
Akane rolled her eyes. "I already do."
"ACK!" Mousse yelped and nearly dropped the heavy pot of ramen he was carrying.
Konatsu bowed apologetically. "I did not intend to startle you, Mousse."
Mousse was breathing heavily, his hand over his racing heart. Although his eyesight was poor, it wasn't often that he was completely unaware of someone else's presence. Let alone someone who mysteriously appeared inches in front of his face.
Konatsu glanced around the kitchen cautiously. "Where is Cologne-san?" After some quick surveillance of the area, he knew that Shampoo was busy attending to customers in the front of the cafe, while Mousse remained in the kitchen. Cologne, however, was no where to be found.
Mousse's breathing had finally returned to normal. He readjusted his glasses. "I have no idea. Oddly, she hasn't been around all day." Mousse's mouth tightened in concern. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but he had a bad feeling about Cologne's sudden absence. It was rare that she left in the afternoon, particularly before the lunch rush. It was hardly easy to be the sole cook for an entire restaurant. The timing was especially horrible, with today being crucial to Nabiki's plans.
"I have vital news," Konatsu began. "Ukyo-sama has extracted a promise from Nodoka Saotome. She is to move Ranma-san out of the Tendo household for a month. He will be barred from seeing Akane-san."
Mousse frowned. "When? Why now?"
Konatsu shook his head. "I don't know the details. Nodoka-san did not seem very pleased to agree to this, but it is to give Ukyo-sama a fair chance to woo Ranma."
Mousse put a reassuring arm on the kimono-clad young man. He understood all too well the difficulties of seeing the one you love be obsessed with another.
Konatsu gave Mousse a pleading look. "We should tell Nabiki-san."
Mousse nodded. He reached into his long sleeves and pulled out a small, mobile phone. It was a nondescript model with cheap, gray plastic. "Here. Take this. Nabiki got us pre-paid phones to keep in contact. This one is for you."
Konatsu nodded approvingly. It was a very smart move. Untraceable phones would avoid future situations of having to quietly escape to physically exchange information.
Before Konatsu could respond, the kitchen door burst open with an irate Shampoo. She was dressed in her usual purple waitress ensemble that coincidentally matched the discoloration of her broken nose. "Mousse! Five more orders of -" Shampoo stopped mid-sentence, surprised at the scene in front of her. She looked back and forth between the feminine clad waitress and her unwanted paramour. "Mousse like cross-dresser now?" she asked, her voice still more nasal than usual. Try as he might, Mousse couldn't tell if she was pleased or, (he desperately hoped), jealous.
"Of course not!" Mousse defended instantly. "How could you ever doubt my love to you, Shampoo?"
Konatsu bowed to Shampoo as a woman would. "Please excuse me." Before he could rise, there was a melodramatic puff of smoke, and Konatsu disappeared.
Shampoo eyed Mousse suspiciously. "What going on?"
Mousse felt trapped. "We were just talking."
Shampoo crossed her arms. "Why? That servant of Ukyo, yes?"
Mousse's mind raced for a possible explanation. He couldn't lie to Shampoo, but he couldn't afford to blurt out the whole truth, either. "We're friends," he half-lied.
Shampoo studied Mousse. She had known him since they were children. Mousse wasn't lying to her, but he was certainly holding something back. There were many ways she could manipulate him to tell her all he knew. She would try the sweet approach, first. Grandmother always said more flies were caught with honey than vinegar. Hopefully, that applied for ducks as well.
"Oh Mousse, you no lie to Shampoo?" She batted her eyes affectionately, her voice dripping with trust and affection.
Mousse felt beads of sweat line his brow. Shampoo had edged ever closer, and she was now touching him! Her hands grasped his and gave a gentle squeeze. He was putty in those beautiful, deadly palms.
Mousse took a deep breath. He had to keep to the plan, but he couldn't deny anything from his lovely Shampoo. "Konatsu had some gossip to share," he confessed.
Shampoo's eyebrows sparkled with curiosity. What did Konatsu know that he felt so compelled to tell Mousse, and that Mousse was hesitating to tell her? It was so unlike him to keep secrets. "You tell Shampoo, yes?"
Mousse desperately grasped onto the last remnants of his mental reasoning, but it felt like gripping dry sand with parched fingers. "Of course, my Shampoo...after you tell me where Cologne is? It's not like her to be away before the lunch crowd."
Shampoo smiled mischievously, slightly impressed that Mousse would notice and take an interest in the matriarch's absence. He may be nearly blind, but Mousse certainly had good instincts. He was already resisting most of her charm. It wouldn't hurt to give in a little.
Shampoo shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh. Grandmother go downtown Tokyo. Quick trip." Shampoo did her best to keep her voice steady and dull.
Mousse's stomach nearly flipped. This was bad news. Had Cologne guessed Nabiki's double cross? She was going to ruin everything! He knew every tiny bit of Shampoo's body language, could read every inflection in her voice. She was hiding the full truth from him. Even now, he realized she was using him, was feigning her affection towards him, but he was helpless to resist her charms. He was in love, after all.
"Downtown?" he managed to stammer. "Why?" Mousse could barely keep his voice from trembling.
Shampoo's eyes narrowed. She was becoming annoyed with this game. "Grandmother have errand," she clipped shortly.
Mousse tried to push further. "What type of errand?"
Shampoo released her grip on Mousse's hand and purposely pulled away. She could hardly afford to tell Mousse about the blood pledge between Cologne and the sneaky Tendo sister.
"Why would Shampoo know? Now Mousse tell Shampoo gossip."
Mousse sighed, recognizing that his chance to find anything more was gone. Konatsu and Nabiki would be upset that he was sharing this information with Shampoo, but he made a bargain, and it shouldn't hurt, assuming Nabiki's plan worked today.
Reluctantly, Mousse told Shampoo all that Konatsu had told him.
Shampoo wasn't sure if she should frown or celebrate. Ranma being forced to separate from Akane, even on a limited basis, was wonderful news! If Nabiki failed to fulfill the blood pledge, then it gave her the extra opportunity to see Ranma away from the Tendos. At the Tendo household, there was always interruption after interruption, and few opportunities to seduce Ranma. A neutral location was ideal. Yet, having another rival with a chance to woo her airen was not something to cheer.
Then again, if Nabiki did succeed, as her grandmother had left this morning to make sure of... then it no longer mattered. They would be divorced, she would be sent back to China, and Ranma would be free to marry any other girl.
Shampoo smiled wryly. Regardless of the blood pledge outcome, she would leave her mark. This news gave her the best weapon to secretly get back at Akane.
"Damn!" Nabiki swore at the phone, momentarily losing her cool. Mousse remained on the other line, imparting bad news after bad news. She had no idea at present how to fix the arrangement between Ukyo and Nodoka. It would definitely set back her matchmaking plans, but at least it would also keep Akane away from direct harm. No one was likely to try to poison, injure, or otherwise harm Akane while she wasn't allowed contact with Ranma.
Her main concern was Cologne. This could ruin all her hard work. In her gut, Nabiki knew Cologne's disappearance and mysterious 'errand' were no coincidence. The safest course of action would be to plan for the worst case scenario; Cologne knew the exact appointment place and time. She was likely already there at the bank to oversee the entire procedure. Nabiki took a deep, calming breath. Actually, this could work to her advantage. Let the old crone watch all she wanted. It would only serve to convince her further. The only change now was to switch Mousse's role with her own.
She mentally groaned. Why did she have to do everything herself?
"Okay, Mousse. Change of plans," she rattled off to the phone, fully composed once more. "You're to report to Gosunkugi instead. Meet him at the Internet cafe and make sure he stays on track. I'll escort Ranma personally."
Nabiki grimaced and snapped the phone shut. She couldn't afford to have Mousse anywhere near the bank, or it would tip off Cologne to their conspiracy. Taking Mousse's place wasn't the ideal situation. She had planned on staying in Nerima so she could spy over Gos-kun's date with Akane, but that wasn't an option any longer. She glanced at the time on her watch. Shit. She had to run to the station to meet Ranma in time.
Ranma paced at the bus station, looking nervous and uncomfortable. He stared openly at the surprise arrival of Nabiki. The girl was panting, sweating, and feeling miserably out of breath, but at least she made it on time. Ranma gave her a puzzled look. "What are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to meet Mousse."
Nabiki gulped in the humid summer air. How the hell did her sister manage her daily jogs in this muck, with busted ribs no less? Nabiki gave her best reassuring smile between deep breaths. "He couldn't make it. I'm going instead."
Ranma shrugged. "I don't see why you insist I have company. I can get to some quack doctor's office without help."
Nabiki didn't answer, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. On second thought, doing some of the dirty work was a huge rush.
They boarded and took their seats, Nabiki directing him to the back area of the bus which had marginally more room. It wasn't the peak commuting time, so empty seats were still scattered throughout the bus. It wasn't until the vehicle departed the station that Nabiki answered Ranma.
"I'm here to make sure you go through with our deal."
Ranma rolled his eyes. "I said I'd do it. I keep my word."
Nabiki grinned. "Good. Then you don't mind me telling you it's not a conventional doctor's office we're going to."
Ranma frowned. Why the hell did he ever allow himself to trust Nabiki? "What? Where are you taking me, then?"
"Calm down. It's still a medical facility. You're still giving a biological sample."
Ranma was starting to get worried. "Just a blood test, right? You get them to fake the results, and we're all good."
Nabiki crooned her finger to beckon Ranma to bring his ear closer. She covered her mouth and delicately whispered.
"WHAT?"
Ranma's yell made several passengers jump and stare grouchily at the noisy youth. He was on his feet, ready to escape the moving vehicle via a window if necessary.
Nabiki grabbed his shirt and roughly pulled him back to his seat. "Be quiet, would you? You'd think you were raised by wild foxes."
Ranma glared heatedly at Nabiki. He brought his voice to an awkward volume of yelling while whispering. "No way am I doing this!"
Nabiki seemed nonplussed. Her voice was void of any emotion. "Yes, you are, Ranma."
"Like hell I am!" he whispered loudly. "You never said anything about-about that type of sample. I'm getting off at the next stop."
Nabiki gave a theatrical sigh. She expected exactly this reaction from him. "Fine, but before you do that, you should see these." Nabiki tossed Ranma a manila envelope.
Ranma eyed it with suspicion. What was Nabiki going to blackmail him with this time? Whatever it was, there was nothing worse than the humiliation she was trying to put him through. Curiosity got the better of him, though, and he warily opened the flap.
They were photos of bruises; nasty shades of deep purples, some nearly black, the skin swollen with internal bleeding. Many were close-ups, but some gave context to where they were taken. Like a macabre puzzle, the context of what he was looking at became clear. It was a female body's waist, ribs, shoulders and neck. A more distant shot confirmed the identity: Akane.
Ranma felt his fingers tremble. He never did get a look at Akane's ribs before Tofu bandaged them up. It made his stomach turn, and he quickly shoved the pile of photos back to Nabiki.
He always did his best to protect Akane. It was instinct, even though he knew she wasn't a typical damsel in distress. Akane beat up hordes of guys in melee battles at the high school. She could out-fence Kuno, national Kendo champion. Yet, Shampoo had seriously hurt her. That Amazon was a battle trained warrior who could even give him a run for his money. He had ignored the obvious threat Shampoo posed to Akane, and the result of his folly had been captured by Nabiki's camera.
Ranma's voice was low. "Akane...she let you take these?" It wasn't like Akane to let anyone see her look vulnerable. She had hastily hidden her bruises that day he walked in on her in the bath, had even made light of her 'soreness'. He should have known it was worse than she was letting on. Akane didn't go off to Tofu's for treatment lightly; she wasn't a hypochondriac, or a wimp when it came to pain. Even though he had overhead Tofu's diagnosis of fractures, it was different seeing the damage in full, blown up, vivid detail.
"She doesn't know I took these," Nabiki confessed. "Hidden cameras." Nabiki regretted having to replace roles with Mousse. The original plan would have an entirely more powerful impact with Mousse giving testimony to Shampoo's intentions. Now, Ranma would be distracted with suspicion of her motives.
Ranma looked at Nabiki in disgust. There was a large amount of skin exposed in these photos. "Wait, does that mean you have the bathroom..."
Nabiki wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Eww. We have a family bathroom. I don't want to ever see developed film of your father in the bath. These were from the cameras in Akane's bedroom."
Ranma did not see how her admission made her any less guilty of perverted behavior. If Nabiki had enough cameras to take high quality photos of Akane in a state of undress, what was she doing with them? Ranma knew Nabiki sold photos of his girl-form and of Akane to Kuno. He never before suspected that she would sell anything that truly violated Akane's privacy, until now.
"What kind of photos of Akane are you selling?" he angrily demanded.
"Why?" Nabiki responded flippantly. "You want some?"
Ranma felt appalled. "No! I just don't want Kuno or any other slob getting them. What kind of sister are you?"
Nabiki shook her head and laughed. "You really do think the worst of me, don't you?" Ranma continued to glare daggers, seeing through her ploy to avoid answering. "Sheesh, I don't sell nude photos or anything. Just pajama shots. I'm not a pimp."
Ranma couldn't help but think Nabiki really was one, but chose to remain silent. Soon as he got back, he'd help Akane scour the room for cameras and break every last one of them.
"So," Nabiki continued. "I didn't just show you these photos to turn your stomach. I'm trying to make a point."
Ranma clenched his fists. "You think I don't know it's my fault? I already feel like crap that I wasn't there to stop the fight."
Nabiki shook her head. "Self pity is not what I want. I need you to realize that Shampoo is trying to kill my baby sister, all so she can sleep with you and have genetically superior fighting babies." She paused to let her point sink in. "You coming with me to the sperm bank is the best way to get rid of the Amazons without bloodshed on anyone's part. All you have to do is swallow some pride, make a deposit, and I'll make sure the medical results show that your little soldiers can't swim."
Ranma remained silent, his expression unreadable. Nabiki couldn't tell if she had pushed him too far, or not far enough. Ranma was - quite understandably - touchy about his manhood. It was bad enough that he was cursed by the Spring of Drowned Young Maiden, but his mother was constantly hounding him to be a man among men. "Unless you want to get Shampoo knocked up? That's the other solution."
Ranma paled. "Never. Seriously, I'm not ready to be a father, and the last person I think should be a mother is Shampoo." Ranma sighed in resignation. "I'll make the, uh, deposit. As long as it never gets used and no one but the Amazons find out."
Nabiki beamed and patted Ranma roughly on the back in encouragement. "That's the spirit! Cologne will likely be there today to make sure it's really you going through with it, but I promise she won't get to use your stuff."
Ranma felt his face flush in embarrassment. "So, uh, how will you fake the results? You bribing a lab technician or something?"
Nabiki gave a secretive smile. "I have some inside help."
"I never knew you were a computer wiz," Mousse commented, mildly impressed. Growing up in rural China in an Amazon village gave him little exposure to modern technology. He watched with peaked curiosity at the foreign text Gosunkugi was entering on his laptop. Was that English? It certainly appeared to be a Roman alphabet.
Gosunkugi flushed from the compliment. "I'm not a real hacker. The only reason I can access the system so easily is because -' he stopped, his eyes lowered in embarrassment.
"Because?" Mousse prompted.
Gosunkug sighed. "Because my father owns the sperm bank," he admitted.
Mousse coughed politely and did his best to seem nonplussed. "Ah. I see." Mousse had found Nabiki's original claim to use Gosunkugi as a guide to the supernatural weak, especially as she ended up interrogating himself on all the possible potions and magical artifacts Cologne possessed. Turns out, Nabiki planned on using Gosunkugi's connections to the sperm bank the entire time! Mousse was begrudgingly impressed at Nabiki's sneakiness, but at the same time, a paranoid fear began to take hold. Nabiki wanted inside connections to a sperm bank before the formation of their little cabal. Did that mean she originally schemed to have Ranma artificially impregnate Shampoo? Mousse forcibly pushed aside his protective instincts and choose to simply be grateful that Nabiki Tendo was his ally and not his enemy.
Mousse pointed at the odd characters on the screen. "What is that?" He was familiar with using computers for email and balancing the restaurant's budget, but Gosunkugi's screen was void of colorful, friendly icons. It was a large black window with minimal text.
"That? It's a terminal, you have to use UNIX commands. Last summer I interned with the IT department at the bank. I'm just going to use some database SQL to manipulate the lab results after they're entered."
Mousse blinked. It was like hearing an alien language. He feigned understanding. Obviously, this pale youth knew what he was doing.
Gosunkugi smiled at the incoming stream of text on his screen and gave Mousse a victory sign. "We're in. Just need to wait for Nabiki to give us Ranma's donor ID code. Then I can digitally label his sample infertile."
Mousse nodded admiringly. He had to commend Nabiki for her plan. With Gosunkugi remotely altering the lab results, it avoided any suspicion on the part of the actual lab technicians, and Ranma could faithfully swear that it was his sample. Given how poorly the boy could lie or bluff, that was crucial. Ideally, Cologne and Shampoo would begrudgingly give up on Ranma, and Nabiki's part of the blood pact - providing Ranma's seed - would be fulfilled.
Mousse felt he was doing all in his power to protect Shampoo, but so many elements were out of his control. What if Ranma refused to go through with the deception? What if Cologne discovered their plans?
Sweat began to gather on Mousse's palms and he wiped his hands idly on his long sleeves.
It was a waiting game now.
Author's Note: My oh my. What could Shampoo be plotting now? I really struggled writing this chapter. For those of you who are Ukyo fans, I hope I've done a decent job of portraying her. I don't see her as evil or crazy or mean the way Shampoo and Kodachi often are. She's just a little unhealthily attached to Ranma. If I could, I'd create the perfect fictional character for her to marry, but I tend to HATE all original characters in fanfiction.
So, was my foreshadowing a little too heavy and predicable? Or was it too confusing and vague? Or did I actually do good? Let me know.
Also, are any of you interested in an audio version of this fic? I happen to enjoy audiobooks and am playing with the idea of recording my fanfic and providing the audio files to listen/download.
