Chapter 7 - Touchy Subjects
"How much?" Kagome screamed as she slammed the book shut. Nabiki smirked.
"Why don't we talk more privately, hmm?" Kagome gathered the book up and followed Nabiki outside the classroom.
When Nabiki gave her a price, Kagome's eyes grew wide with horror. "That much?"
"Hey, it's a powerful secret. There are a lot of people out there who'd be desperate to get their hands on it." Nabiki looked thoughtful for a moment. "Besides, without your boyfriend InuYasha, how are you going to defend it against the evil hordes?"
Kagome felt faint hearing his name spoken so blatantly. "H-how do you know about him?"
"You told us yourself, and the book told me the rest. Except for the boyfriend part." Nabiki's smirk grew more pronounced. "But you should've seen the look you got on your face when you were talking about him."
Kagome blushed. Had she been that obvious? Well of course she had. Kagome stared out the window for a minute. Nabiki was right. She did have a powerful secret. Her arrows weren't enough and without InuYasha's strength, her secrecy had been the only thing protecting herself and the jewel. Kagome handed over her money.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you, you'll be making these payments weekly."
For the rest of the day, Kagome was utterly depressed. She stared miserably at the ground and moped. Akane was worried. Whatever Nabiki had done, it hadn't helped Kagome at all. Akane took a deep breath and steadied herself for what she was about to do.
"So wanna hear about the rest of Ranma's fiancées?" Akane had been right. That did take Kagome's attention off the ground.
"He has more fiancées?" Kagome choked out.
"Uh-huh. Two more besides Ukyo and I. There's Shampoo and Kodachi Kuno."
"Shampoo? What kind of name is that? And Kodachi Kuno? As in sister of that creep from this morning?"
"Shampoo's Chinese," she said, like that explained everything. "And yes little sister Kuno."
Kagome looked disgusted. "Why the hell do you put up with that? I couldn't even handle one dead-" Kagome stopped abruptly before starting again. "How did he get engaged to those two? Don't tell me he actually likes someone else!" I sound like Eri and Yuka, she thought.
"Shampoo is a Chinese Amazon Warrior - Ranma defeated her in a fight so now according to law she has to marry him. Kodachi is just crazy. She thinks Ranma and girl Ranma are two different people so she gets all jealous of Ranma when he's a girl." Akane looked at her cousin, congratulating herself on her ingenious idea. No matter how much she herself hated talking about it. "Come to think of it, Kuno - guy Kuno- is the same. He's in love with girl Ranma, calls her 'The Pigtailed Girl' and he's completely jealous of guy Ranma."
"You're right. This is completely screwed up," Kagome agreed, now knowing why it was Ranma seemed to hate Kuno so much.
Kagome and Akane came home to find a panda sitting in the middle of the living room, quite happily working his way through a mountain of food. Kagome started laughing. "I don't think I'm going to get used to that anytime soon. He looks ridiculous."
The panda held up a sign. 'You try falling in a cursed spring then. Lets see how you like it.'
"Sorry, Mr. Saotome," Kagome said, still laughing. Beside her Akane was frowning.
"Where'd you get that food?" The panda held up another sign. 'From the lovely people at the Cat Café.'
Akane exploded. "From Shampoo? And I don't suppose you paid for any of it? What did you promise her then?"
'A date with Ranma of course! He's out with her now!'
"I knew it!" Akane yelled. Kagome got struck with a brilliant idea.
"Well then lets go Akane! We can't just let this Shampoo get all over him!"
"Sure we can. It's not like I wanna marry the jerk." Kagome rolled her eyes. That definitely explained her little tantrum before then - not.
'Go get your man.'
Akane growled at the panda shaped man. Kagome pulled on her arm and dragged her out of the house. "Hey! Let go!"
"Aw, come on! Don't spoil my fun!" Akane relented. If it made Kagome happy…the things she did for the sake of family.
Akane led the way to the Cat Café; it was a good as place as any to start the search for Shampoo and Ranma. A shrivelled old woman, about the size of Happosai (which was about the equivalent of a two-year old) hobbled their way. "Miss Tendo, you ought to leave Ranma and Shampoo alone, let them be happy together." Akane's expression was murderous. But instead of yelling like Kagome expected, Akane just introduced her to the woman through gritted teeth.
"This is Cologne, Shampoo's grandmother. This is Kagome, my cousin."
Throwing an amused look Akane's way, Kagome spoke up. "Nice to meet you, and we're not going to interfere, I just really want to meet Ranma's fiancée!" she lied.
"Hmmm, well they're at the mall if you have to know. But don't get in their way."
"Wouldn't dream of it! Bye!" She tugged Akane from the café.
The two girls raced to the local mall. Kagome had to admit, this was a lot more fun than sitting around crying. It'd been a long time since she'd done anything that wasn't schoolwork, and it was incredibly refreshing.
Ranma and Shampoo were sitting in the food court, drinking milkshakes at one of the plastic tables. Shampoo was grinning like a Cheshire cat and chatted away, while Ranma poked at his drink with a straw and made non-committal noises.
Kagome smiled at Akane. "See! He isn't interested in her!"
"But he's there isn't he?" Akane looked doubtful.
"Doesn't mean he doesn't want to be. I've agreed to dates I didn't actually want to go to." Thinking about it now, she realised that she'd been a bit unfair to Hojo. Kagome wrinkled her nose. It hadn't been her fault…if her friends hadn't kept setting her up than she would never have strung him along like that. If he hadn't been quite so dense either.
Kagome turned back to where Ranma and shampoo were to see they'd gone. She stepped away from the pillar they had been hiding behind to search for them frantically. Catching a glimpse of Shampoo's long, bright hair, she led Akane around the corner of a shop. With Akane following her obediently, Kagome ducked into a clothes shop. She stood just behind the metal doorframe and peeked her head around so she could watch. Akane did the same - making an angry noise when Shampoo threw her arms around Ranma and kissed him.
Kagome could tell that Ranma wasn't really enjoying the kiss, but knowing Akane, she'd have a hard time selling the idea. She placed a comforting hand on her cousins arm. "I know it looks bad but don't worry over it - this is all Shampoo." Akane looked crushed anyway.
"Let's just go home." The girl's voice sounded so defeated that Kagome felt bad. She was acting just the same as Kagome had when she'd found InuYasha with his precious, dead priestess.
Kagome nodded and walked out of the shop - and straight into Ranma.
"Agh! Akane! Um, what…what are you doing here?" Ranma seemed terrified, and Kagome thought she knew why. She replied for her cousin who was just staring at the ground.
"Oh hey Ranma! We were just shopping, but we're about to go home."
"Oh." He shifted uncomfortably and Shampoo glared at Kagome.
"Who are you?"
"Kagome! I'm Akane's cousin, you must be Shampoo, I've heard so much about you."
"Like how me and Ranma get married? We much in love." Shampoo's words were accompanied with a smug smile and a pointed look in Akane's direction. Kagome was left in no doubt that the kiss had been a free show for Akane.
"Doesn't look that way to me." Kagome took Akane home.
After dinner Kagome lay by the pond, watching the stars. She felt awful. She knew from experience how awful Akane must be feeling right now. Ranma slammed the porch door - shutting P-Chan in the house and himself out. Kagome sat up. Ranma saw her and came to sit by her side.
"What's with the pig?" She asked.
"Trying to kill me for Akane's sake. She saw Shampoo kiss me, didn't she?"
"It was quite the eye-full. I tried explaining that it didn't mean anything on your part but I don't think she got it. Sorry."
Ranma's eyes widened. "What are you apologising to me for? It's not like I care or anything!"
"Yeah right. You two are so in love."
"I don't love her!'" he yelled. Ranma looked away for moment, thinking. "You think she loves me?" He asked shyly. Kagome laughed.
"See? You just proved it! You love Akane so just admit it."
"No I don't."
"Oh come on, I'm not going to start telling people, and I won't tell Akane either if that's what you want. Besides which, I'm an expert at these things, you should be begging for my help."
"Your help? When did I say I wanted help?"
"I thought it. So, do you love her or not? I know the truth so you can't lie to me."
"If you know the truth then I don't need to say it."
"Yes you do. If you can't admit it to a third party, how are you ever going to sort through your problems? Let alone tell Akane?" If only InuYasha could've been a bit more honest, with her and himself. Then maybe…but whatever the case she wasn't going to let her cousin end up miserable like she did. She felt determined to see Akane and Ranma blissfully in love before she went home.
Ranma looked furious and terrified at the same time. He took a deep breath. "I love Akane." He flinched and brought his hands up to protect his face. After a moment he opened his eyes again and lowered his hands. He blinked. "I…I said it and …I'm okay! None of those freaks trilled to kill me for one…" Kill him? Does he mean his other fiancées? Kagome disregarded his comment and applauded him.
"Good boy! So, where to start?" Ranma looked apprehensive. "Right! First of all stop insulting her, you can be nice to her without her knowing you're in love with her. You don't have to act so defensive."
"I'm not defensive."
"Yes you are, and a hypocrite to boot." Kagome chewed on a nail, thinking. "You can't-" Kagome was cut short when a boy came running to attack Ranma.
"Damn you Ranma Saotome! You are such a jerk!" He swung wildly at Ranma, who dodged easily. "How dare you toy with Akane's feelings like that?"
"What makes you think I did anything?" Ranma kicked the other boy's legs out from under him.
"It's always your fault!" The boy leapt back up and punched Ranma in the stomach.
"You don't know what you're talking about Ryoga!" Ranma flipped back, out of reach while he caught his breath. Kagome stood silently, watching the boy's fight. It was like watching Koga and InuYasha fight over her.
"I know what I saw! Akane crying over you, you half-man!" It was exactly like watching InuYasha and Koga in fact.
"Me? A half-man? You're one to talk!" Ranma leapt through the air to land a kick directly in the middle of his opponent's chest - which sent Ryoga flying into the pond. A few seconds later a pig resurfaced.
"P-Chan?" screamed Kagome. Akane's beloved pet piglet; the one she cuddled to her chest, took with her to bed and kept with her while she dressed … was a cursed teenaged boy? "You perverted creep!" Ryoga the pig squealed.
Ranma snorted. "It's about time someone besides me realised it." Ryoga made a sound that may have been a threat before running away. Back into the house to Kagome's displeasure.
"How long have you known about that?" Kagome demanded.
"Since Akane adopted the freak."
"And you haven't done anything to protect her?"
"Well, it's complicated, when I try then Akane attacks me and I can't tell her that P-Chan and Ryoga are the same."
"Why not?"
"He won't let me tell and it's not my secret."
Kagome was furious - surely her cousin was more important than some creep's pride. But Akane would die of embarrassment if she ever found out…maybe there was a way for her to get rid of Ryoga without Akane finding out.