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:
For Love and Money, Chapter 27. Mending your broken wings.
Yaayaa smiled down at the small form that was curled up next to her head on her pillow. Hina had come to visit every day since that first night. Sometimes it was the full sized version being dropped off by Amaya, other times the odd man that she had come to know as Gosunkgi would bring the doll and give Yaayaa a strange look before he left.
Hina had explained that Gosunkgi was more than a little protective of her, and didn't really like leaving her with Yaayaa.
That honestly made Yaayaa wonder how he would handle it, if they did switch places.
The more time that Yaayaa and Hina spent together, the more Yaayaa thought about accepting Hina's offer.
Even if at times it almost seemed like Hina had been trying to convince her to not give up. To not succumb to the despair and depression that welled up inside of herself.
If Yaayaa was honest with herself, it only made her want to accept the offer more. To give them both a new chance. A body that can move for Yaayaa, and a body that could feel for Hina.
And maybe then Qiang Pu would be able to see her again. Even if she was in the doll.
Yaayaa nodded to herself then gently nudged Doll-Hina. When the little being opened her eyes and looked at Yaayaa, the young girl smiled and relaxed.
It was going to be okay.
"Hina? I want to make the trade. You can have this body, as long as I can walk again. I… I don't want to be like this forever. I want to be free again. Please, Hina?" Yaayaa said as tears started to run down her face before a tiny figure wiped them away and hugged the young girl.
"If that is what you want, what you really want, then I will go along with it. And… If at any time you decide you want your body back…" Hina started to say before Yaayaa shook her head.
"No, you said this won't work unless I am sure. Unless I really, truly want to be free of this broken body of mine.". Yaayaa said in an almost scolding tone of voice, then looked at Hina. "Please… Please don't take this from me?"
Hina hesitated for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "I won't, Yaayaa. I promise."
Yaayaa smiled and settled in as much as she could, and looked up at the ceiling. "So… When do we do this? And… How do we explain it to my parents?"
Hina sat up and twiddled her fingers. "I… Still need to finalize all the arrangements. But about your parents, I have a doctor all lined up to talk them into it, and to accept things when I go back."
Yaayaa took a shaky breath and looked at the ceiling again. "Will.. Will I ever be able to see my parents again?"
Hina hesitated. "If and when you do, you will be a stranger to them. Someone unknown, who won't know them except what you have heard from others. It… might be best to wait for a while before you see them again. I will do my best to learn to act like you, but they might recognize you somehow from your habits. I'm so very, very sorry. I don't want to take them from you, it's just .."
"Neither of us… Can't have people asking too many questions?" Yaayaa asked quietly.
Hina nodded sadly. "The world just isn't ready to know that there are things out there that you can't explain away with science or logic."
Yaayaa bit her lip and nodded as Hina moved to comfort the young girl. She felt the surprisingly warm doll start to stroke her hair in a comforting manner.
The odd pair sat together quietly for a while until Yaayaa fell back asleep and Hina sat and watched her for a while as she dealt with her own guilt.
In the end, it would help Yaayaa regain her agency and life. Even if it cost her much of what she had ever known.
And it wasn't like she was throwing Yaayaa out into the world on her own, after all. Hikaru would be with her, after all. He might seem like a let her and a pervert… Well, if she was being honest he was… But his loyalty to her was unquestionable, and he would keep Yaayaa safe for Hina's sake, if not the girls.
And Hina would make it up to Yaayaa anyway she could.
Hina nodded to herself and settled in next to Yaayaa as she gently stroked the young girl's hair and kept her attention on the door.
Best to not scare the doctors and nurses, after all.
Akane smiled at her wife as she settled their precious daughter down for the night. Kaya had spent a fair amount of time with her Auntie Tachi, and was pretty worn out. Akane gently shut the door as she exited the room and slipped her arm around the waist of her wife. They shared another happy little smile before they made their way out to the living room and settled in together on the couch with Ukyo curled up against Akane's side. The pair sat there quietly for a time while they let the television play some american romantic comedy in the background. Akane softly stroked the hair of her wife as her mind processed all that had happened. Akane looked down when Ukyo reached up and gently stroked her cheek.
"A yen for your thoughts?" Ukyo said as she moved a little bit so she could more easily look up at Akane from where she lay with her head in her wife's lap.
"I don't know if they are worth that much." Akane said with a soft laugh and laid her head back for a moment before she looked down at Ukyo. "So much has happened, and I just don't know where to start. In my youth, if there was a problem I hit it until it went away. I'm not quite that bad anymore, but I still tend to take a rather…. Direct approach to solving problems. And this one… You can't do that. We have a niece that we hadn't met before from a woman that I've only met once. Ranma is off in China risking his life for people that he owes a debt to, and to help the mother of his child while his wife is here taking care of everything, including that same child. So much has happened already, and I can't help but get the feeling that we haven't seen it all yet."
Ukyo nodded and continued to gently stroke Akane's cheek. "We both knew that things would not stay peaceful and quiet forever. Our family doesn't work like that. Think of it this way, we have a new family member to get to know. A wonderful, diligent and thoughtful young lady who needs all the advice and guidance that we can offer, and more than likely has not ever been shown the kind of kindness and gentleness that Kaya knows. Ranma is making sure that the people who did this can't endanger our families anymore, and to make sure that Qiang Pu has a home to return to when she is done visiting her family in Japan. And we will handle it just like we have handled everything. Together. It's why you proposed, and I said yes after all. Because we need each other, and when we are together nothing can stand in our way."
Akane laughed and looked down into the smiling face of the woman she loved and gently kissed the knuckles of her wife's hand. "You know that Kaya is asleep right now."
Ukyo smiled and nodded. "She is."
Akane shifted a little bit. "She is likely to sleep through the night."
Ukyo nodded again as she shifted a little to get more comfortable with her head in Akane's lap. "She should, yes."
Akane let out a little frustrated whine. "You're going to make me actually ask, won't you? You will make your sweet, innocent, embarrassed wife say it, won't you?"
Ukyo grinned as she looked up at her blushing wife and nodded as she crossed her ankles and looked into the eyes of her wife. "Tell me what you want, 'Kane."
Akane squirmed some more and let out another little whine. "Please… Please take me, Ukyo…"
Ukyo laughed as she got up and kissed Akane before she offered her hand. "Was that really that hard to say?"
Akane blushed and bit her lip as she looked down at Ukyo's hand after she had gotten up. "Ukyo… Can you use… THAT… Tonight…"
Ukyo arched an eyebrow as she thought about teasing her wife some more before she swatted Akane on her firm rump. "Only if you are in the room and ready for me when I get there."
Akane jumped and ran as fast as she could while being quiet into their room as Ukyo shook her head and chuckled a little as she made her way into the bathroom to get herself ready as well.
As Ukyo finished attaching the last strap and made sure that things were situated correctly, she closed and locked the little box in the bathroom and made her way to the bedroom with her robe closed. She eyed the wonderful vision before her and grinned before she let her robe drop and went to play with her wife who had managed to get herself all tied up.
It was probably going to be a good thing that Akane liked the gag. Ukyo was feeling just as frisky as her wife after the week they had had.
Xaph Ti Pyn looked up at the polite knock on the door. The young lady carefully placed the silk bookmark into the book and gently closed it before she called out. "Come in, please."
The door quietly slid open and one of Xaph Ti Pyn's favorite geisha politely entered the room. Amaya was dressed perfectly, as she had always been. The smile on the young girl's face was as genuine as ever as she hurriedly rose from where she had been seated and bowed deeply to the African-American Geisha.
"I am so glad to see you, Amaya! I have just about finished that book you recommended, and it is wonderful! Thank you so very much for your consideration in suggesting it!" Xaph Ti Pyn said happily as she bowed deeply to the tiny Geisha
"This One is most pleased that you have found her humble suggestion to your liking, most honored guest." Amaya said with that soft, serene expression she always wore around the young lady.
Xaph Ti Pyn giggled and smiled as she sucked her head demurely. "You are teasing me again, Amaya." She said with a happy smile.
Amaya looked at her with an utterly Serene and placid look on her face. "This One has no idea what you may be implying, most honored guest."
Xaph Ti Pyn bursts into light, musical laughter and impulsively hugged the small geisha before she blushed brightly and hurriedly pulled back. "I'm so sorry, I… don't know what came over me…" She said in an embarrassed tone of voice.
Amaya laughed before she hugged the young girl back before she led her young charge back to the table to sit again. "It is quite okay, Xaph Ti Pyn. This One does not mind, just remember to ask first in the future."
The young lady blushed and nodded before she seated herself once again and bowed deeply to Amaya. "I will remember, thank you most honored elder."
Amaya looked the young girl Over and nodded to herself. Amaya had made a decision, and she decided that she would support the young lady as much as she could. "When it comes time for you to leave our house, this One will make sure you arrive safely Xaph Ti Pyn."
Xaph Ti Pyn smiled happily and nodded as she settled in for tea with one of her favorite geisha.
After they had enjoyed their tea and taken their customary walk afterwards, Amaya gave Xaph Ti Pyn a speculative look, and made up her mind to speak to Mother Konatsu about something that had been on her mind.
But perhaps she had finally made sure that what she had thought of was a good idea.
In a secluded meeting room, a variety of figures from the shadier side of the law sat in conference…
"Has there been any word from… Our business partner in China?" An older gentleman asked, as he looked towards a younger man.
"None lately, there is a good chance that we might have lost our asset. There were, honestly, too many variables in play to make this a good bet." The younger man replied as he took off his glasses and wiped them reflexively.
The older man grimaced and nodded before he turned to look at the overly pretty man that sat next to him. "So, what do we do with the collateral that was left with us? They are nice enough specimens, it would be a waste to just dispose of them."
The dandy smirked, and his good looks transformed into a dark glee. "Oh, I have already found buyers for most of them, the last couple I figure that we can keep them for gifts and bargaining tools. They are all rather pretty, after all."
Once again the older man nodded and turned to the lone woman in attendance. "And? How is it going on breaking down and analyzing the drugs that we got from them?"
The woman took a long drag from her cigarette before she answered. "It's going slowly. Natural compounds are harder to analyze fully than the synthetics that we usually work with. It would have been much easier if that stupid nut job Kodachi hadn't managed to get herself killed." She said before she took another long drag.
"And what of the promise that was made to take care of that thorn in our collective side? Do you think that they at least managed to take care of that Tendo bitch's little enforcer?" He asked the room in general.
The young man with glasses folded his hands and sighed. "I certainly hope so, or letting the heir come to Japan was worthless."
"If they took care of Ranma, then we can get rid of Qiang Pu at any time. Even if she is hiding out in that blasted den of nuts and perverts. She can't stay there all the time, or we can at least take care of Nabiki." The dandy said with a smirk.
The older man nodded as he looked around the room. "Keep me updated, and we will take care of this. We have time, they haven't made a move on Kyoto yet. In time, we will have all of Tokyo in the palm of our hand."
Once the others had left, the older man settled back with a cup of sake and brooded a bit. "It's a shame you aren't with us anymore, Saotome. I'd love to have seen the expression on your face when I destroy your little family."
The old man chuckled as he looked out over his empire, and dreamed of the day when he would own it all. He looked up as his secretary opened the door to his office and cleared her throat softly.
"Master, the young ladies you requested have arrived and are waiting for you in your suite." She said before she bowed her way out of the room.
The old man cackled and grinned as he took up his pipe and his cup of sake and got down from his seat and started to head for the door to his personal suite. He adjusted his finely cut suit as he opened the door and smiled at the young ladies gathered for his enjoyment.
"Hello, my silky darlings. Happi's come to visit." He said before he shut the door behind himself.