Chapter 7: Raining Women
Hsiao had fallen asleep again, only this time it was intentional. Though healthy he was quite advanced in years, if he was going to be at his best when he met Ranma he felt a nap would be a good idea.
Again he knew he was dreaming but this time he didn't find himself on top of a mountain. This time he was lying on his own futon at the shrine, the same place he knew his body was sleeping even now.
Rising from his bed he could see that everything was in its place, same as in the waking world.
Opening the door that separated his personal quarters from the rest of the shrine, he felt a breeze blow across his face. It was cool and carried the scent of rain. Listening he could now hear rain falling on the front portico and the stones of the patio outside, the sound easily invaded the serenity of the shrine for the great front doors were spread wide open. Walking closer he watched the rain fall, could see the individual drops with a clarity that was impossible in the real world. Studying this fascinating dream phenomenon, he discovered that he was seeing more than just falling water as his eyes caught flashes of color in the drops. Drawing his focus back from the individual drops to look at the rain as a whole, he realized that he was seeing another place. It was like each clear drop was a tiny window in the walls of reality, allowing him to gaze upon more than just the puddles gathering on the front walk.
Once he realized that, it was easy to make out the image within the falling curtain of water. He could see a beautiful young woman with soft brown hair. She was wearing a rather plain house dress and apron, but somehow the mundane nature of her clothes only made her look all the more noble. She was standing before an old stove, stirring vegetables in a wok. He didn't know how he was seeing it for surely it wasn't with his physical eyes, but somehow he could sense the essence of a gentle spring rain within her, its loving caress nurturing all that it touched.
Turning his head he saw through another rain window, his gaze falling upon yet another girl, maybe a year or two younger. On the surface she looked much like the first, enough so that they could be sisters. Her hair was a darker brown in color and cut short, the way it lay letting him know that she sought control, even over her own beauty and she was just as beautiful as the other. Were the woman at the stove radiated an aura of gentle joy, this one had a cool demeanor and quick eyes that spoke of a sharp intellect. If the white shorts and orange shirt she wore were typical for a teenage girl in this day and age, her current activity wasn't. She was kneeling beside a traditional Japanese table. In one hand she held a pencil, while with the other she was working a calculator. Spread out on the table before her were ledgers and what Hsiao recognized to be typical household bills. In her he could sense the presence of a winter snow storm. Implacable and relentless even though its softly falling flakes come with little force. While the snow falls quietly, its spreading sheets of white dominate the landscape long after the storm itself has passed.
Turning once more he found a third young lady as beautiful as the others. Hsiao couldn't say for certain, but if asked he would guess that she was the youngest of the three. She too looked so much like the others that they could all be sisters, but where their hair was brown hers was black and so dark it was almost blue. She wore a yellow martial arts gi and on her face was a look of fierce determination. She was performing katas and while Hsiao wasn't an artist himself, he knew enough to recognize that the style she practiced was rooted in strength and stability. In her he sensed the power and fury of a fall storm, filled with thunder and lightning, threatening all who stood before it with destruction beneath its pounding rains and driving winds.
A small black pig appeared at her feet and she stopped her exercises to sweep it up off the floor and into a loving embrace. The fierce scowl left her face to be replaced by a stunning smile, so brilliant it was like the sun peaking through dark clouds.
"Beautiful are they not?"
The voice came from Hsiao's right and it took him by surprise for there had been no one there before.
Now there was, a tall and powerfully built man with long black hair and flashing eyes. His face was clean shaven, his long hair pulled into a thick braid after the fashion of the Chinese. His age was impossible to determine for Hsiao could tell that time had no hold on this man. He was wearing robes and armor of an ancient design, with an empty scabbard at his side. The long straight sword it was meant to hold was no where to be seen. His robes fluttered around him, dancing in a wind that only existed for him.
He carried an aura of power that let Hsiao know that this was no mere man, but an immortal kami.
"You haven't answered my question." The stranger said, a momentary bout of anger flashing in his eyes. "What do you think of my girls?"
Bowing in apology, Hsiao answered with all the sincerity he could muster. "They are very beautiful my lord."
The kami's anger disappeared, his mood changing like quicksilver as he gave forth a laugh that coincided perfectly with distant rolling thunder.
The kami looked with affection upon the girls in the rain. Then with a self depreciating smile, something Hsiao never thought would be on the face of a god, he addressed the priest with a quieter voice.
"I once gave my sister five sons and considered myself the greater for having created boys were she gave me only daughters," As he said the last Hsiao noticed that the kami's hand had absentmindedly moved to rest upon his empty sword sheath. "but when I took a wife, all my line has produced since are daughters."
His smile filled again with pride and affection as he looked upon his girls.
"I haven't regretted that for a moment." A look of consternation then appeared on his mercurial features. "Though I have often regretted their choices in husbands."
Stepping past Hsiao, the kami reached out into the rain, his hand moving as if to caress the cheek of the girl standing before the stove. "She has chosen a good match. Though he knows the warrior arts, he has the soul of a priest. Their daughters will never know a lack of love."
He gave Hsiao a fierce smile as he pointed towards the second girl with her ledgers. "This one hasn't chosen yet, but when she does he will have to have a will strong enough and a mind sharp enough, to match her blow for blow. Theirs will be the relationship of rivals with the passion of lovers."
The kami walked out into the rain, coming to stand behind the last girl who was now sitting on an endagawa feeding chips to the pig in her lap. The rain somehow failed to touch him as he knelt down beside her with a smile that was filled with both pride and sorrow.
Seeing them, their faces so close together, Hsiao realized that the girl in the gi was born in the very image of her divine fore bearer.
"As for this one, her match was chosen for her by her father and by fate. She reminds me so much of myself, it can be said that at last my line has produced a son. I have watched my girls closely since their mother died and this one has garnered much of my attention. Especially after I saw her chosen wife."
The proud kami rose to his feet once more, his eyes still on the girl who's image was seated by his feet, a wistful smile on his handsome face.
"I must admit, after I realized who her future bride was I would often send my rain just so I could see her face once again."
Until this point Hsiao had been able to understand this vision, but once the kami started talking about his daughter's future bride he became hopelessly lost.
"Apologies my lord, but is that why the skies of Tokyo mourn? Are you the one who visited this shrine before?"
The kami's voice was tight with emotion. "The day my daughter takes her bride the heavens and all within them will rejoice with a fervor not seen since … not seen since I was banished from them."
The kami gave Hsiao a stare so intense it seared his very soul.
"Understand priest, our relationship may have had its difficulties and the heavens know we were plagued by misunderstandings, but never doubt my love for my sister or the pain I felt when she fell."
Hsiao shivered with cold and fear. The images in the rain vanished as the drops of water turned to ice, shattering on the stones beneath the kami's feet.
Seeing the mortal's fear the kami stepped back into the shrine, placing his hands on Hsiao's shoulders in a gesture of friendship. "I see it is now my turn to apologize. Do not be afraid young Hsiao, we are well pleased by your service to us and your fellow man. I mourn for her pain and for that of my daughter. Understand Hsiao, there is a limit to how much we can interfere in your mortal plane. To break those limits is to invite a war that would destroy all that you know. It is for this reason that I must now humble myself before you and ask for you to act in my stead, to do what I cannot."
Hsiao found himself looking deep into the eyes of an immortal, eyes that saw to his very soul.
"My sister is in great danger for she did not return alone. When she last fell your people suffered a period of darkness that you still struggle to escape. All of the senseless wars and horrors your people have known for a thousand years, none of it would have happened if she had still been with us. Now that she has returned there is a chance to create a future brighter than your histories remember, but if she falls again, the darkness that will come in her stead will devour all hope and there will be nothing we can do to protect you."
Now Hsiao felt true fear, the thought that so much could rest on his old shoulders.
"If I may ask my lord, why did you choose me?"
A smile returned to the kami's face, his chuckles coinciding with more thunder. "I did not chose you priest, she did. This task became yours the moment she visited your shrine. Do not be so filled with fear Hsiao, you are well prepared for your task."
Hsiao cringed thinking of the kami's likely reaction to his words, but he felt it his duty to say them.
"I'm sorry my lord, but I am just an old priest not a warrior, I don't see how I can protect your sister from this darkness that threatens her."
Instead of the divine wrath he expected, his words brought forth mirth.
"I do not call on you to be a warrior my friend, there are plenty of others to fill that role. You Hsiao, are the spiritual guide for your flock and my sister is now a member of that flock. I have not come to ask you to do anything you were not already set to do. I have come to express my appreciation for your efforts and to warn you. The task ahead of you will require not only an open heart but an open mind as well, for you are about to enter a world of myth and magic. Forget the world of men priest, for you are about to enter the world of the kami."
Hsiao's eyes opened and he gained his feet with a speed he hadn't shown for twenty years. He was back in his room, the dream was over. Looking over at the small clock on his table he saw that he had less than an hour before his meeting at Suginami High, not enough time to seek the advice of his fellows. He debated canceling his meeting with Headmaster Hasegawa's troubled student.
'No', he said within the confines of his own mind, 'it is my duty to serve as a guide to men as well as kami. If I fail to aid this poor girl then I will have failed in my duty. I will just have to pray that the kami are understanding.' That decided, Hsiao began his physical preparations for meeting the Saotome girl.
Akane didn't know how long she would have continued, or how far she would have gone with Ranma if they hadn't been interrupted by an exasperated "Oh my, Akane!", but it made her heart race just thinking about it. What happened next was as much reflex as embarrassment. The two girls practically leaped to opposite sides of the room, their mouths opening and closing silently as they struggled with excuses and explanations. In the end the only thing that came was the bright red blushes across their faces.
Kasumi looked at her little sister and blushing Ranma-Chan with amazement and shock. She had long known that Akane loved Ranma, even if she couldn't admit it to anyone including herself, and she knew that in spite of her volatile temper Akane was a very compassionate individual. Her little sister would never abandon Ranma while she needed her, but what Kasumi had just witnessed was not compassion. What she had seen, Akane and Ranma locked in an embrace, was a passion so hot she could feel their heat from across the room.
Kasumi stepped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her so no one would see what she had seen. She gave the girls a shaky smile, trying to put them at ease before in their embarrassment they did something to make things worse.
"Ranma" she said in a squeaky voice, then paused to clear her throat with a gentle cough.
"Ranma, your mother is waiting downstairs to talk to you."
Ranma's blue eyes disappeared behind her red bangs as she bowed her head in shame.
"She's mad at me isn't she? Because I left school."
Kasumi stepped forward and took the smaller girl by the hands. She ignored the mussed state of her clothes and hair, putting the shock of what she had just witnessed out of her mind.
"Aunty Saotome isn't mad at you Ranma, but she is worried. It would be best if you came down stairs and spoke to her yourself." Taking Ranma by the chin, Kasumi lifted her head to look her in the eyes. "Your mother loves you Ranma, don't ever think otherwise, and she only wants you to be happy. Now you two come downstairs and let's hear what aunty has to say."
Kasumi gave Ranma her sweetest smile, the one that turned Tofu's knees to water. The effect on Ranma may have lacked the passion, but it was just as strong and Ranma couldn't resist smiling in return.
Ranma, Akane, Kasumi and Nodoka knelt around the low table in the Tendo dinning room drinking, of course, tea. Ranma squirmed under the weight of her mother's disapproving stare. Normally Ranma didn't give much consideration to the way she dressed, she did wear only three or four outfits for two years after all, but right now she was all too aware that her hair was mussed and her uniform wrinkled from being slept in.
In spite of what Ranma thought, the look Nodoka was giving her wasn't so much disapproval as worried exasperation. Nodoka may have a seventeen year old son, now daughter, but she had very little personal experience at being a mother. She went from bandaging scraped knees and kissing boo boos to teenage angst without going through any of the stages in between. Add in Ranma's severe identity crisis and she was out of her depth.
Kasumi, who had plenty of experience with child rearing and two years of dealing with Ranma, was quietly sipping her tea while her mind raced trying to find a way to bridge the gap between mother and daughter.
Akane was flustered, mind lost in the confusion of her emotions. Her skin was hypersensitive and her heart raced with the memory of what happened upstairs in her room. Her face was blushing a bright red with embarrassment at having been discovered by Kasumi and a cold weight of fear had settled in her stomach as she worried about how aunt Nodoka would react if she found out. After two years of Ranma being such a big part of her life, his absence had left her feeling empty inside.
In the end it was the peacemaker, Kasumi who broached the uncomfortable silence.
"Ranma, I hope you know that you are a part of our family and we've missed you."
The little Nabiki in her wanted to add a comment about how some had missed her more than others, but Kasumi was too sensitive to the feelings of others to do that to Akane.
Hoping that Nodoka wouldn't be offended by her presumption of speaking for her, Kasumi reached across the table to hold Ranma's hand.
"Ranma Chan, your mother isn't disappointed in you or angry, but she is worried."
When Kimiko Tendo died, leaving her oldest daughter to raise her sisters in her stead, Kasumi had been woefully unprepared. In her panic she read every book on child rearing she could get her hands on. Most of them came from their family doctor, which is how she meet his young intern Tofu Ono.
In time as Kasumi and her interests both matured, she moved on to books on child psychology and medicine. Kasumi didn't hold a degree and had little experience with infants or toddlers, but when it came to teenagers she was more qualified than women half again her age.
After two years of dealing with the chaos of Ranma's life, she understood exactly what was going on inside the boy turned girl's head. The brash arrogance that was all most people saw was in truth a thin barrier hiding the fear and insecurity that lay within. She knew that more than anything Ranma craved acceptance, scrounging for whatever scraps of affection she could find. Both had been in small supply in the boy's life, Genma gave little affection and had kept his son isolated from anyone who might compete for the boy's attention and distract him from the art.
She had witnessed that when Ranma became locked in his cursed form, or when he felt his strength was lacking, he became especially desperate. Not only fearing rejection, but expecting it so strongly that he saw it whether it was there or not. She wondered if Grandfather Happosai realized how cruel he was being with the moxibustion weakness point, she wondered if he cared.
She had seen the despair in Ranma's eyes that day in the dojo. She should have expected her to try to take the honorable way out, seeking in death the approval denied her in life. Ranma couldn't see it but Genma had shown during those earlier episodes that despite his obsession and cruel teaching methods he wouldn't abandon his son, even if he refused to accept what had happened. As for Nodoka, Kasumi never doubted a mother's love, but Ranma did. Kasumi could see it in the girl's troubled eyes. Ranma was watching for the appearance of disgust in her mother's face, she was waiting for Nodoka to cast her off. Kasumi knew that if Ranma looked long enough she would find what she was seeking, whether it was there or not.
At Kasumi's words Ranma cast a shy glance in her mother's direction, looking for signs that what the Tendo girl said was true.
Still not sure how to deal with her child and grateful for Kasumi's efforts, Nodoka gave her daughter her most loving smile. Ranma gave a tentative smile in return.
Nodoka took her daughter's hand in a comforting grip. "Ranma, I'm worried about you. You've been closing me and everyone else out and I don't know how to help you. Now I know you won't try to hurt yourself but there is more to being healthy then your body."
Ranma straightened up, doing her best to look strong.
"Don't worry mom, I'm okay. I can handle it."
Nodoka gave her a reassuring smile before she disagreed. "I know your strong Ranma and I'm very proud of you, but after what happened at school this morning Headmaster Hasegawa isn't so confident. He insists that I take you to see a counselor."
Ranma's response was exactly what she expected.
"I don't need to see no head doctor, I'm fine on my own."
"Baka." Akane couldn't sit by and watch anymore. If possible she was even more worried then Nodoka. "Don't try and tell us you're fine, we know better."
"I'm not a Kuno! I'm not crazy!"
"You baka! No one said you were crazy!"
Ranma and Akane yelling at each other wasn't going to help the situation, so Kasumi acted to head them off before it got worse.
"Enough!" She yelled.
Kasumi yelling was something only Akane had heard before and even she couldn't remember the last time it had happened. Everyone, even Nodoka, stopped to stare at her, shocked into silence.
Kasumi rewarded their attention with a gentle smile. "Ranma, you don't have to be crazy to see a counselor. For most people they are simply someone who will listen to them when they are confused or experiencing a difficult time."
Ranma looked at her, confusion on her face.
"Why can't I just talk to you or mom?"
"Because we are too close to you. Sometimes a person needs someone who, well, who doesn't really care. Someone who can listen to them without being personally involved."
Ranma had a stubborn pout on her face.
"I won't play the role of freak for some stranger, they wouldn't believe me anyway."
Nodoka couldn't let Kasumi bare the burden alone, Ranma was her child and her responsibility.
"Ranma Chan, you don't have to tell them about the curse. You can talk about what is going on without giving details. As far as the counselor is concerned you are just another..."
"Girl?" Ranma finished for her in a despondent voice.
Everyone at the table let out a sigh. That was the heart of the problem.
Nodoka leaned as close as she could to her child.
"Ranma, I know you don't want to admit it but you are a girl now, you have to learn to accept that if you are ever going to be happy."
Ranma fought against it but she was clearly on the verge of tears. "So I have to accept being weak?" She asked in a small voice.
Akane was also struggling with her emotions, only in her case it was her temper.
"Ranma, being a girl doesn't make you weak."
Ranma's response was to raise her hands before her, holding them palms open about four inches apart. She was focusing her will on the space in between and Akane recognized that she was trying to form a ball of chi. She tried for several minutes until one lone tear was sliding down her cheek, then gave up, dropping her hands into her lap.
In a voice so soft the others could barely hear it, she said "But I am."
Then in an even softer voice, she added "I can't even perform a Shi Shi Hokidan."
No one knew what to say to that. The absence of Ranma's chi was a puzzle not even Cologne understood.
Akane decided to take a different tact.
"Ranma, the school called the police and if you don't go to see the counselor than aunt Nodoka, your mother, will be in trouble. They might even decide you can't live with her anymore. Promise me you will do what they ask, for your mother if not for yourself."
It was approaching lunch time when Nodoka and her daughter left the Tendo's to return to their home in Suginami. Ranma wasn't happy about it but she promised Akane and her mother that she would see the counselor. The rumble in her stomach reminded her that there was someone else she needed to see.
"Mom, can we stop by Ucchan's? I haven't seen her since..." She hesitated, still not able to talk about that day in the dojo without being overwhelmed by pain and disappointment. "I don't want her to think I've forgotten her, she is my oldest friend."
Her request brought a smile to Nodoka's face. Even as upset as she was, Ranma still thought about the feelings of her friends. It was proof that her little boy was still there, in spite of all the changes.
"Of course we can dear."
Ucchan's restaurant hadn't changed any since the last time Ranma had been there weeks ago, all though to her it felt like an eternity. It was still a little early and the lunch crowd had yet to arrive so the only people in the restaurant were its regular occupants, Ukyo and Konatsu.
Ukyo was behind the counter pre-heating the grill, mixing and preparing batter for the lunch rush. The kimono wearing kunoichi was fluttering about the dinning area, arranging menus and colorful bottles of topping sauce. The cross dressing boy had such feminine grace and beauty that even knowing the truth it was hard to believe he wasn't really a girl. A wave of bitter resentment passed over Ranma, why couldn't Konatsu be the one turned into a girl? He wanted to be one, or at least he already was in his mind.
The small bell above the door announced their entrance, drawing the attention of the restaurateurs.
Well trained in their craft, Konatsu was already moving towards the door and Ukyo part way through her customary greeting before either recognized who had entered. Once they did the practiced smiles grew genuine, while in Ukyo's case a tenuous shadow of pain momentarily passed over her face.
"Ranchan!" she cried, racing around the counter to greet her friend with a quick hug.
Ranma at first cringed from the affectionate gesture, unconsciously expecting another girl to explode in jealous competition for his attention. She had to remind herself that the fiancée wars were over and no one won, least of all him. Forcing herself to relax, she did her best to return her friend's embrace. She found that without the fear and pressure that it might be misconstrued as something else, being held by the other girl was surprisingly pleasant. Allowing her to forget her loss for just a moment.
For the second time that day, she heard a question she never wanted to hear.
"Ranchan, what are you wearing! Is that a sailor fuku?"
The afternoon spent with Ucchan was one of the most pleasant Ranma had enjoyed with the girl since they were small children. For the first time since they were reunited the two sat and just talked like friends, without the burden of their fathers' broken promises and engagements. Ranma could have happily spent the afternoon talking but the arrival of the lunch crowd drew their time to a close. Now Ranma and her mother were riding a bus back to Suginami. Nodoka had yet to tell Ranma about visiting the headmaster after school and took the opportunity to do so during the trip. She was pleasantly surprised when her daughter accepted the need to do so without complaint. The visit to Nerima, seeing Akane and talking with Ukyo, had left her feeling a little drained and for the first time in weeks, relaxed. It also helped that she was distracted by the memory of Akane's lips pressed against her own. Touching her pouty lips with light brushes of her fingertips, she couldn't help but wonder if the tomboy could still love her even as a girl.
Fifteen minutes before classes were scheduled to let out, priest Hsaio arrived at the headmaster's office for his first meeting with Nodoka's daughter, Ranma. He was dressed not in his finest robes, but in his most comfortable and least intimidating. He felt a casual approach would best serve to put the troubled teen at ease. The rain hadn't started up again and the sun was shinning through a break in the clouds providing a much appreciated reprieve from the perpetual damp that had enshrouded Tokyo for the last two weeks, so he had taken a gamble and left his visitor's umbrella at the shrine.
When he arrived it wasn't the headmaster who waited to greet him, but assistant headmaster Fumio Ikeda. With a bow and a friendly smile, Mr. Ikeda informed him that Headmaster Hasegawa was currently busy with first of term business but he promised to join them as soon as possible. In the mean time he directed Hsaio to a seat in the outer office and offered him some tea while he waited.
What Hsaio really wanted was access to a phone so he could call his brethren of the cloth to discuss his most recent dream vision. He was anxious to figure out who the kami in his dream was and find this 'sister' he was supposed to help. It was all so far beyond his comprehension and he hoped the others could help make sense of it.
That is what he wanted, instead he accepted the offer of tea and sat down to wait. For now he would have to be content with his own meditations on the subject.
His thoughts were soon interrupted by the arrival of a familiar face.
Nodoka and her child arrived at Suginami High mere minutes after classes ended and the halls were filled to capacity with students rushing to and fro to different clubs and after school activities, both on and off campus. Exchanging their street shoes for slippers, Ranma had borrowed Akane's running shoes, they then began the difficult task of wending their way through the rushing crowds to the headmaster's office. When they arrived the secretary Ms. Ishii wasn't there, instead the assistant headmaster was waiting to greet them and he wasn't alone.
Ranma didn't spare even a moment of attention on the assistant headmaster, the entirety of her focus was aimed at the other man seated in the room. He was an old man with only a fringe of gray hair left encircling his crown. She could tell he wasn't an artist or even an athlete by the way he moved, though his thin frame was clearly quite fit and strong for his advanced years. He radiated an aura of benevolent kindness and his priestly raiment was well lived in, marking him as a humble and unassuming man. There was nothing intimidating or threatening about him.
He scared the hell out of her.
Nodoka was neither surprised nor offended to find the headmaster's assistant waiting for them instead of Mr. Hasegawa himself. She understood that the headmaster would be busy on this the first day of classes and Mr. Ikeda was easy on the eyes with a boyish charm she found appealing. She cast a speculative look towards her daughter, hoping beyond hope that somehow Ranma had noticed as well. She didn't hold out much hope and wasn't surprised to find her daughter wasn't paying the handsome young man the slightest bit of attention. Instead of seeing the subtle signs of a young girl faced with a desirable man, her child's manner and face bore signs of suppressed fear. Nodoka had been so focused on Fumio that she didn't even notice the other man in the room. It wasn't until she followed the line of Ranma's intense gaze that she saw a familiar and unexpected face.
"Priest Hsaio, this is a pleasant surprise." She greeted the old man with a bow.
"This is my child, Ranma. Ranma I would like you to meet Priest Hsiao, he is the keeper of the Kandagawa shrine and an old friend."
When Nodoka entered the room Hsiao was pleased to note that the headmaster had been right, she wasn't carrying her sword anymore. He then turned his eyes towards that for which the sword had served as a surrogate, her child. Hsiao had known Nodoka for years, since before she married and seeing Ranma he now knew the headmaster was right about two other things as well; Ranma was definitely a girl and she was clearly Nodoka's child. The little red head was a near perfect replica of her mother at that age. He gave the girl his warmest smile and at Nodoka's unspoken invitation was stepping closer, when to his dismay he saw the teen shrink back in fear hiding behind her mother.
After her experience at the shrine the presence of a Shinto priest, no matter how non threatening, was enough to make Ranma nervous. Learning that this priest was the keeper of that same shrine was enough to terrify her. Without consciously meaning to she placed her mother between herself and the old man.
Showing her his teeth, he bowed and said "It is an honor to meet you Miss Saotome."
Then he had the audacity to add "I mean you no harm, there is no reason for you to be afraid."
That did it.
"I ain't afraid of nothing." She bit out. The unintended insult was enough to stiffen her spine and bring her out from behind her mother.
"Don't be rude dear." Nodoka chastised her. "Priest Hsiao is an old friend, you can trust him." She couldn't understand why Ranma would be threatened by the clergyman, was this something Genma had taught him?
She bowed to Hsiao, her manner apologetic.
"I must apologize for my child's rude behavior."
She held that pose, waiting for the priest's response.
Seeing her mother's shame left Ranma feeling guilty. Not for the way she responded to the priest, but for causing her mother shame. She too bowed before the priest, though she never took her eyes off of him.
"I'm sorry if I have caused offense. My mother is not to blame for my actions, it's my fault not hers." She too held her pose, waiting for her mother to act first.
Hsiao looked upon the bowing women, not sure what to do. He didn't know why Ranma was so threatened by him, but if he was going to help her he would have to gain her trust. Trying hard to look and sound friendly, he quickly acted to reassure them.
"There is no offense. Please, forget that anything was said."
He reached out, directing the women to rise from their bowed position. He was more than a little disturbed by the way Ranma flinched back, the spark of fear in her eyes when it looked like he might touch her. 'What could cause her to be afraid of a priest?' He wondered. Only a few possibilities came to mind but they made up for their small number with their terrible nature.
Standing on the sidelines, watching events unfold from the outside, Headmaster Hasegawa was equally disturbed by Ranma's reaction to Hsiao. He worried that maybe inviting the priest's aid was a serious mistake. He had hoped that she would find a priest to be less intimidating than a therapist, and given that Hsiao was already known to her mother had felt safe in his presumption. Now it seemed like she would have found a policeman's uniform less threatening than the priest's simple robes. Hasegawa was an educator and did his best to stay in touch with what was happening in his field, both in Japan and the world at large. He knew about the problems and scandals being suffered in the West, cases were priests had abused the trust placed in them to victimize children. He didn't want to believe such could ever happen in Japan but after dealing with children for so long he knew that things he didn't want to believe in were happening all of the time. Could Ranma have been hurt by a man of the cloth in the past? If so then he feared she was in worse shape than her mother or even he himself had suspected. He decided that as soon as they left he would have to call Dr. Kimura and describe what was happening to her. Hopefully she would have some idea of how to approach the potential problem, or even a better idea of what the problem might be. For now, maybe it would be best if he separated the two.
"Miss Ranma, could I speak with you in my office for a moment?"
Ranma was embarrassed by how quickly she took him up on his offer of escape, she nearly ran him over in her rush to leave the priest behind. She wasn't afraid to leave her mother alone with him, she wasn't the one the shrine tried to take away.
After seating her in his office, the headmaster offered Ranma a cup of tea but she told him she didn't want any. Growing up Ranma had little experience with the little niceties of society like drinking tea, so she didn't find it to be a source of comfort the way so many others did. Deciding that it would be rude to drink in front of her, and having imbibed more than enough already that day, Hasegawa decided to forgo pouring a cup for himself and just took his seat on the other side of the desk. That monolithic piece of furniture might seem intimidating at first glance, but he had found that placing such a large obstacle between himself and a student gave the children a sense of security, as if it was protecting them from him.
"Ranma," he asked, careful to modulate his voice, keeping a neutral tone. "can you tell me what happened this morning?"
Figuring that she was already apologizing to everyone for no good reason, Ranma decided it would probably be best to continue the trend.
"I'm sorry I disrupted class and left school grounds."
Hasegawa could tell that she wasn't really sorry, nor did she care what he thought, but he was exercising great patience with her. It was something he was very good at, after all these years he had better be.
"Your mother told me that you returned to the home were you had been staying, the Tendo's. Why couldn't you wait till after classes ended?"
Ranma routinely stood unflinching in the fires of combat, keeping his cool when threatened with physical harm. He had never been good at dealing with social or emotional pressure and permanently becoming a girl hadn't changed that. Faced by the headmaster's questions she floundered, her mind drawing a blank. Not having a clue what to say had never stopped him from speaking out in the past and she was no different now.
"I...what do I need to know about dead guys who talked funny? I'm a martial artist, all this school stuff won't help me in a fight, so why should I bother?"
Ranma was still a lousy liar and for someone as used to dealing with teenage subterfuge as Mr. Hasegawa, her attempts at diverting him were as transparent as freshly cleaned glass. While he could tell that she did carry some of that attitude about school, he could also tell that she didn't want to tell him the real reason she had fled in such a panic. He decided that a soft approach would be best.
"Ranma, I understand that there has been a lot of changes in your life recently but you can't disrupt class, it's not fair to the other students."
A bitter chuckle escaped before she could succeed in squelching it. 'A lot of changes', if he only knew.
When the headmaster took Ranma into his office, leaving Nodoka and Hsiao alone, she bowed once more to the priest.
"Again Hsiao, I am sorry for my child's behavior. I don't know why she would treat you so disrespectfully. Please, forgive me."
"Mrs. Saotome, Nodoka, there is nothing you need to apologize for. Your daughter is going through a difficult time right now, we have to forgive a certain amount of inappropriate behavior. Besides, she wasn't actually being disrespectful."
"How can you say that, she nearly attacked you." Nodoka quailed in shame.
"Nodoka, I don't know why but your daughter is genuinely afraid of me. She wasn't going to attack me, she was waiting for me to attack her. Do you have any idea why she would feel so threatened by a priest?"
He was almost too afraid to ask, you never knew how a proud woman like Nodoka would respond but he felt this was something that couldn't be ignored.
"I know this might be too private to discuss but did something happen to Ranma, maybe giving her a reason to be afraid?"
Nodoka was older and more experienced but Ranma was very much her daughter and while Nodoka might be better at keeping up a proper facade, her emotions were still easily read by those who are sensitive to such things. People like Hsiao. He could see the pain and regret she felt when he asked her about her child and he knew what her answer would be.
"Nothing that I know of, I will ask..."
She hesitated and he knew her admission came with some shame.
"There are others who would know better than I, I will ask them."
Hsiao placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I know how much you have missed your daughter,"
She flinched at the word daughter, he wondered if she was ashamed that she couldn't provide her husband with a son like Hasegawa thought.
"I only want to help her and you. Something weighs heavily upon her, dimming an otherwise bright spirit. I had hoped to speak with her directly, but after seeing her reaction I am not so sure that would be appropriate."
Nodoka had known Hsiao for most of her life, had even been friends with one of his daughters in school. Visiting his shrine had brought her comfort during her long wait for Genma and Ranma's return. She had looked forward to introducing him to her son and considered asking him to preside over Ranma's and Akane's wedding, if doing so wouldn't put him in danger or embarrass her too much. She wanted him to be a part of her child's life and believed he could help, if they could get past Ranma's fear.
"Hsiao, maybe if she met you in a more comfortable environment. I would be honored if you would join us in our home for dinner tomorrow night. I can even invite the Tendo girls, if Ranma doesn't feel safe in their company then I don't know what else we could possibly do."
He bowed to her in return.
"It is I who would be honored Mrs. Saotome."
At that moment they were interrupted by Mr. Hasegawa opening his door and asking Nodoka if she could join them in his office.
Hsiao and Nodoka said goodbye and he promised to come over the next evening before leaving.
Nodoka joined the headmaster and her daughter in his office. She could tell that Ranma wanted to leave, she was tense with pent-up emotions. When Hasegawa asked her if she had spoken to Ranma about seeing the counselor, he carefully avoided the word psychiatrist, she told him that she had and that while Ranma didn't want to she promised to go. When he asked Ranma herself, she told him that she never broke a promise. She spoke with an emotional intensity that let him know she meant it. Giving the ladies the particulars of Ranma's appointment with Dr. Kimura, along with his assurances that she was someone they could trust, he bid them good day and saw them out.
Author's notes:
I know some are going to feel that I am reaching with the Tendo girls, creating a tenuous connection just to keep Akane with Ranma. All I can say is that it is fate and part of my story.
Does anyone know why the document manager is now erasing all of my attempts to mark a page break?