Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
Broken Mirrors, chapter 30
Wednesday, December 23rd. The Saotome estate, 6:00 PM.
It had been an interesting and exhausting couple of days for Akane and Ukyo. Some of the exercises that Ranko had been teaching them seemed odd, to put it mildly. Breathing, meditation, esoteric exercises and practices. It seemed that every time that they thought that they understood what Ranko was trying to teach them, another layer was added. Another bit of complexity, without rhyme or reason.
Monday night, Akane had finally asked the question that had been lingering in her head since they had started in earnest on what seemed a mad-cap dash towards understanding something that didn't make any sense at all. "Ranko dear? I'm curious how...all of this… leads to what you are trying to accomplish?" Akane asked as she stood in one of the odd postures that Ranko had carefully talked her through, while holding steaming bowls of soup. To be exact, egg drop and broccoli and cheese soups. One in each hand, the broccoli in the right, the egg drop in the left. And Ranko had been very adamant about what soup was held in which hand.
"Well, I am trying to teach you two how I was taught, just, without some of the stupider and more dangerous things that, honestly, I never could figure out how they were meant to help." Ranko said as she observed the other two intently.
"It just seems so…. Random." Ukyo said with a laugh as she also followed along with the red headed Saotome's instructions.
Ranko sighed as she called a break. "Okay you two, you can return to a rest position. Sit and meditate on the soup." Ranko watched as the other two sat down and assumed the lotus position, each bowl of soup placed carefully on small wooden trays in front of them. "As you both know, my parents were crazy idiots. That said, my father somehow got results, sometimes I think in spite of himself. So, I am teaching you two the same way that I was taught, just… Without traveling all over Japan and China to do it. Now, I need you two to commit to this, each week whether I am here or not, you have to do the same exercises on the same days. I had to go through each and every sequence I am putting you through, but I did them one at a time. I honestly think that this way should work, and it might be faster, at that." She said as she gazed almost fondly at the bowls of cold soup.
"Ranko dear? Why the rush? You seem… Driven… To get results as fast as possible." Akane asked as she tried to slip into the introspective meditation that Ranma had been trying to teach them.
"Focus on the soup." Ranko instructed before she sighed again. "Honestly, I don't know. I had years to do this, to become the best martial artist of my generation. I don't know why, but I… I don't feel like we have that kind of time. And, I need you two to instruct my brother on exactly what I am teaching you. I, obviously, can't do that for him, but I know that he will need it as well." Ranko goes quiet for a while, as she cups her hands and lets them fill with warm light.
After fifteen minutes of introspection on the nature of two kinds of cold soup, Ranko calls them to stop. "Okay, now that we have properly contemplated the nature of soup, let's go eat. Something hot, and not the cold soup we have been contemplating for two hours." She said with a wink as the other two repositied the bowls of soup on a tray. Akane walked around and placed her hands on the handles of Ranko's chair, while Ukyo took the trays and followed a bit behind, giving the two lovers a chance to spend some time together.
"Why do I get the idea that you ate a lot of cold soup?" Akane asked her diminutive partner.
"Because I spent six months eating a lot of cold soup." Ranko replied with a grin.
"Six months? You did this for six months?" Akane asked in disbelief.
Ranko laughed. "Yep, just six months. The last student to complete the training before me spent five years meditating on the true nature of two kinds of soup, before they mastered the principles of the technique it was to teach them."
"Five… Years?" Akane said as she felt a pit form in her stomach. She couldn't imagine doing this kind of training, if you could call it that, for the next five years… But since they were doing it once or twice a week, wouldn't that make it fifteen to thirty years?
Ranko nodded. "The thing is, turned out I didn't need the technique itself. I needed the chi reserves and nuances of manipulation that it taught me. The actual technique is… Well, mostly useless."
Akane felt a stirring of some form of existential dread as she asked. "And what, exactly, does the technique do and what did you learn from it?"
"You learn that the soup is not cold. The soup is soup, neither hot nor cold. It simply is soup. And you learn to manipulate the temperature of those two kinds of soup. Just, those two kinds of soup. So, they are always as hot or cold as you want them to be, because you are running your chi through them to manipulate their temperatures. Like I said, almost useless except for WHAT it teaches you to do. And I learned to do that in a month. The rest of the time was learning how to do it without just freezing the soup or boiling it to nothing." Ranko said like it was the most natural thing in the world to talk about.
The other two ladies just slowly open their eyes and stare at Ranko oddly for a moment before they look at each other. "It really is like some strange martial arts anime or manga, isn't it?" Akane said in a comment to Ukyo.
Ukyo just nodded and shook her head. "Sugar, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I would want to visit your world. You know, they always SOUND interesting, at least until you are neck deep in it."
Ranko laughed and rubbed the back of her head and shrugged. "It seemed normal enough to me, to be honest? But, I guess I didn't really know anything else, so… Yeah. I still like it better here… It's nice to have a real family that doesn't want to potentially kill or maim you in the name of being the best. And, well, having someone to share my life with me?" Ranko turned to look at her lover and rested a hand on Akane's. "That was worth the price of admission, if you ask me." She turned back and sighed. "As much as I miss walking, running, and practicing the Art like I used to… I don't think I was really living, you know?"
Akane and Ukyo shared a silent look, then nodded at each other before Akane leaned down to kiss the top of Ranko's head. "Well, we are both glad that you and Ranma are here, dear. Our lives are much stranger now, but they are better. Fuller."
"If it wasn't for you being here, I wouldn't have Ranma in my life, sugar. Neither Ranma, Akane, or you. I didn't realize just how much I was missing until I ended up with all of you crazies." Ukyo said with a grin.
Ranko rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "I'm glad that we keep your life interesting, Ukyo. I will make sure that I add that to my letter to Ranma." Ranko said cheekily.
Ukyo laughed and grinned. "Go right ahead, sugar. I'm sure I can make it up to him somehow."
Akane groaned and looked down at Ranko. "Please dear, don't give her more reason to be noisy."
The three ladies shared a laugh as they made their way into the house, and went to go clean up before supper.
While they were getting dressed after each had a chance for a quick shower, Ukyo broached a subject that had been on her mind. "So, Ranko hun? Your world, the one you came from? Magic, chi arts… All of that was normal? It wasn't anything strange, sugar?"
Ranko paused and shrugged. "It was not common, not really. That said, it wasn't super rare, either. 'Course my upbringing was not a good example to go off of. I imagine for a lot of people, they were unaware of what was out there. I know that most of the non-martial artists we ran into were pretty surprised by what I considered normal. So, take that as you will."
The other two women let that soak in for a moment while they made their way to the dining room, and once they were seated and their meal brought to them Ranko grinned at them. "Oh, and I will be joining you for your morning jog from now on. I finally got clearance from the good doctor to step up my exercise. It could be that the infusion of chi is finally letting me regain some of my old strength and endurance."
Akane and Ukyo shared a hopeful look before Akane gently broached what could be a delicate subject. "And.. Does he think you will be able to walk again soon?"
Ranko sighed as she put down her chopsticks. "He thinks the damage is still too much. Nerves, bones, muscles… All of them were severely damaged in the exchange. Ranma had a good deal more mass to absorb the damage, and since I lost the chi reserves and manipulation that let me absorb and disperse damage, much less reinforce my body and cause it to heal quicker? The outlook isn't good. That said, I should be able to do more, and I will take that. I might not be able to keep up with our runner here yet, but give me time and I will be leaving Akane in my dust!" Ranko said with some of her usual energy.
Akane smiled and took her lovers hand in hers and gave it a loving little squeeze as Ukyo nodded. "Well, then I will be looking forward to going on our morning jogs with you, sensei." Ukyo said with a grin.
"Oh, you do for now. Just wait, I have so many wonderful ideas based off of some of my training…" Ranko said with a maniacal little gleam in her eye.
Both of the other ladies swallowed as they nodded, as a feeling of dread slowly settled over them.
Friday, December 25th. The Saotome estate, 7:00 AM.
It was Christmas Day, and the entire household had gathered in the main hall. The previous night had been a large, formal party. This, though, was a much more personal event. The Ono's and the Watanabe's were present, along with the entire staff of the house. The Hibiki's were due to be over later, once they finished their families events for the morning. Sadly, Master Kase would not be able to attend, since he had taken the chance to go to Hokkaido to visit his son and his family, and to see his first grandson.
The morning of the 24th had been the first time Ranko had joined them for their morning run, and she had kept up pretty well at first in her racing chair. Doctor Ono had told her later that she would start to regain her strength and stamina as long as she didn't push herself too hard.
Needless to say, that had not gone over the best, but she had accepted it with a bit of encouragement from Akane. All in all, Akane had to admit that Ranko had changed so much since she had first met her. As she gazed lovingly at the diminutive redhead in her jade green dress as she talked animatedly with Ono and Akiko Watanabe, she could hardly believe all the changes that had happened already, and could only think about all that lay ahead of them down the road they had chosen.
"A yen for your thoughts, sugar?" Ukyo asked as she sat next to Akane.
Akane laughed. "You have spent far too much time around my sister, Ukyo." Akane said fondly, then smiled softly. "Just thinking about all that has happened in the last year. Heck, in the last few months. It's all still kind of surreal. Not that I am complaining, mind you. I like this life. I like having all of you as part of it."
Ukyo nodded and bit her lip as she looked sideways at Akane. "Would.. You be okay if we added a bit more to the craziness of everything?" she asked hesitantly.
Akane laughed and looked at her friend. "Why, did you find more strange family members we didn't know about?"
Ukyo blushed and looked down as she swirled the tea in her cup. "Well, you know that Ranma and I have talked about getting married, right? And starting a family…"
Akane smiled and nodded, as she wondered just where Ukyo was going with this.
"I think I want to start trying as soon as we are married. Ranma and I… I don't know why, but… It just feels right? Like, it was meant to happen?" Ukyo hedged.
"Ukyo, you know that I am okay with that, right? As long as I get to be Aunt Akane and spoil them rotten, it's okay. Really, it is. And with how you two are going at it, I imagine it will happen sooner rather than later. Honestly!" Akane said as she shook her head with a mocking little smile on her lips.
"Thanks sugar, you really are the best, you know that?" Ukyo said as she leaned against Akane.
"And don't ever forget it, Ukyo. As far as I am concerned, all of you are family. And I don't mind having more family, anytime." Akane said before she got up to walk over towards Ranko.
"Thanks, Akane… I know that this is not easy for you, but… There is no way I could do this without you." Ukyo said softly, unaware of the beady little eyes that peer out of the corner of the mirror on the wall to watch her.
Akane smiled back at Ukyo as she started to talk to the small group that Ranko had been talking to, then motioned Ukyo over to join them.
It was a pleasant rest of the night for all those in attendance, made even more festive when the Hibki's finally made it over, as a laughing Ryoga explained that they had gotten lost on the drive over.