Chapter 14 - The Winds of Change
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Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom admiring his physique. He traced the muscles on his arms, chest and stomach. Having just returned from his morning bath, he only had a towel wrapped around his waist at that moment. So he let his gaze skip down to his toned calves. ‘Truly, I am the paragon of manliness,’ he thought, fighting the urge to laugh manically.
Instead, he made his way to his drawer and carefully pulled out his best hakama. He set the samurai garb on his bed and began to undo the carefully made folds. Kuno’s thoughts were on how he would greet his fierce tigress, one Akane Tendo, that morning at school. ‘And if the rumors are to be believed, the foul sorcerer will not be with her.’
At about the moment his mind began to imagine Ranma Saotome, his most hated enemy and the enslaver of his loves, he noticed something that caused him considerable consternation.
“Sasuke!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, and waited rather impatiently for the little ninja to appear. When the man finally did enter the room, he immediately began to cower.
“Y-Yes, Master Kuno,” Sasuke stuttered.
‘Good,’ Kuno thought. ‘He needs to learn his place.’ He then indicated the hakama sitting on the bed.
“Do mine eyes deceive me?” Kuno thundered. “What, pray tell, is that?”
The diminutive ninja slunk over to the bed and examined the article of clothing closely. He then looked back at his master with questioning eyes.
Fighting to keep in his exasperation, Kuno pointed to a spot on the hakama. “Are you blind man?”
Sasuke looked again and then his expression became aghast.
“Exactly,” Kuno said with smug satisfaction. “How can a samurai be expected to maintain his honor when his hakama has a wrinkle in it? I expect it to be corrected immediately!”
“O-Of course, Master Kuno,” Sasuke responded. He gingerly took the clothing and began to leave the room. Kuno thought he heard the ninja mutter something about “wrinkled anyway” and “get your ass beaten,” but the man was gone before he could inquire further.
Moving over to his dresser, Kuno began to work on his hair for the day, but was interrupted when his sister came in. He tried to ignore her, even though he was aware of how impossible that could be.
“Oh brother dear!” Kodachi called, her voice sounding musical.
To say he was shocked at her mood was an understatement. “You are certainly seeming much better than I expected, sister mine.”
“And why would you think anything different?” she responded with a mocking tone.
“Well,” Kuno responded carefully, “after what happened yesterday...”
“Oh, that! I’m not worried brother dear. I already have a plan for that.”
Despite himself, Kuno narrowed his eyes. “What, pray tell, might that be?”
“I will simply tell Ranma dear that I won the fight.”
“What about the witnesses?”
Kodachi’s laugh immediately put his nerves on edge. “Nothing to worry about. After I deal with the other witnesses, and you and Sasuke confirm my version of the story, Ranma will be forced to believe me.”
“How exactly do you plan to ‘deal’ with them?” Kuno asked worriedly.
“Let’s just say that neither will be telling Ranma any such stories again.” Her threat, and the tone in which it was delivered, was truly frightening. Kuno was faced with a significant challenge to his meager intellect.
‘If she fails, she’ll bring down the Kuno clan with her. And even if she succeeds, and someone finds out, it will be a terrible stain on our house. Also, she’s asking me to impugn the honor of my pig-tailed goddess. Surely my love would discover that I had done so. It cannot be allowed!”
“No,” he replied firmly. “I refuse to go along with your scheme.”
The predatory look in her eyes became even more dangerous. Kuno knew that it was perilous to cross Kodachi, but he was resolved to do so. He nearly flinched, though, when she slowly stalked up to him and stood looking into his eyes. In a smooth motion, she reach down and grabbed little Kuno through the towel. He tried to struggle free, but her grip was quite firm.
“Understand me brother,” she said in a low, menacing voice. “I will have your cooperation on this matter, one way or the other.”
After an extremely painful squeeze, she let go of him and left the room. Kuno rubbed himself in an effort to alleviate the ache he felt. As he stared at the door Kodachi walked through, he couldn’t help but worry.
‘This is not good. Not good at all.’
 |
Akane Tendo, who was in the midst of walking to school, was not the happiest person in Nerima at the moment. It was bad enough that she’d worked so hard on breakfast that morning, only to find the house deserted when she’d tried to gather everyone to the table. That alone would’ve been enough to put her in a foul mood. However, Akane found that she had even more important things to worry about. ‘I wonder what Ranma and Kasumi are doing right now?’ she asked herself for about the tenth time that morning. Having her sister off alone with Ranma in the wilderness was difficult in itself, not knowing what was happening was even |
As she walked, Akane was so wrapped up in her little conundrum, she didn’t notice the gathering at the gates of the school until she heard the first shout.
“There she is!” a male voice yelled enthusiastically.
A confused Akane stopped in her tracks, looked up from the ground where she’d been focusing her attention, and beheld a sight she hadn’t seen in well over a year. A group of at least twenty boys were waiting at the entrance to Furinkan High. Most were dressed in one sort of athletic gear or another, and they were all looking at her. Once again, the Hentai Horde was alive and well.
“Oh Kami-sama,” Akane moaned.
“Akane!” a different boy yelled. “Now that you’re not engaged to Ranma anymore, that means you’re free to date us.”
“But, I...” Akane stopped, realizing she had absolutely no chance to get through to the sex-crazed boys. Instead, she took her book-filled bag, which she had been holding across her chest, into one hand to use as a weapon. Assuming a defensive stance, she waited for them to come.
Apparently seeing her posture as an invitation, the boys all charged at once. Akane let them close the distance, choosing to conserve her energy. She gauged what she knew about each boy quickly, and created a mental list with the most dangerous at the top. Once they were nearly on her, she leapt over several and landed in the middle of the throng.
The first swing of her bag managed to take down three of the more dangerous boys in a single shot. A quick snap of her leg landed a kick in the midsection of another, and suddenly four were down. The boys, apparently having forgotten how dangerous Akane could be, hesitated. It was all she needed.
In under a minute, she tore through them like a tornado. When she was finished, every boy was either unconscious or laying on the ground moaning in agony. Surveying the carnage, Akane shook her head in disgust.
Heading past the gates, she couldn’t help but think one whimsical thought. ‘Not having to deal with these idiots is one thing I really miss about the engagement.’
“Surely, they are a boorish lot,” said Tatewaki Kuno, who had suddenly stepped out from behind a tree. He was blocking her path to the school entrance, and she was in no mood to deal with him.
“You really do not want to mess with me today Kuno,” Akane said, her tone almost weary.
“Oh, my fierce tigress!” Kuno said, obviously ignoring her. “It is truly a great day. You are free from the foul Saotome, and together, you and I shall free the pig-tailed goddess so that you may each date with me.”
Reminding Akane that she was no longer engaged to Ranma was probably the worst thing Kuno could’ve done. She didn’t even bother trying to speak further to him. Instead, she stepped forward, preparing to strike. The older boy must’ve thought she was going to embrace him, for he threw his arms wide.
‘Talk about the perfect opportunity,’ Akane thought. In one smooth motion, her fist connected with Kuno’s jaw, resulting in an impressive cracking sound. Continuing without a backward glance to see where Kuno landed, Akane entered the school and headed towards her class. All the way, her thoughts kept returning to the same place.
‘Oh Ranma. Please. Please don’t fall in love with Kasumi!’
Nabiki watched from the window of her classroom as Akane made her way into the building. ‘Poor sis,’ she thought with genuine concern. ‘I’m going to have to figure out some way to help her.’
After her sister was inside, Nabiki looked to where Kuno had landed with a terrific thud that she’d heard all the way from her current perch. Her mind was in a quandary about what to do about him. ‘I could just leave him,’ she thought with a grin. ‘Or I could go help him.’ She weighed each option carefully before making her decision.
‘Helping him means that I can charge him. It will also give me the chance to inquire about his sister.’ Her mind made up, Nabiki told her teacher that she was going to go help Kuno to the nurses office. This being a regular practice because of how often the boy got beaten up by Ranma, the teacher didn’t care one bit.
Making her way down the stairs and out of the school, Nabiki noticed all of the late-comers and how they simply walked around both Kuno and the remains of the Hentai Horde. She was about to laugh at the whole concept, but then she realized how much this current predicament might hurt Akane.
‘I’ve got to get it through to these guys that this is a really bad idea,’ she thought, allowing the wheels of her well-tuned mind to work. In the past, in the pre-Ranma era, the fights had been rather amusing in addition to being a good source of income. However, right now she knew this was the last thing her sister needed. As different possibilities presented themselves, she finally reached Kuno. The kendoist was contorted into a rather uncomfortable looking position and moaning quite loudly.
‘Well,’ Nabiki thought wryly, ‘at least he’s somewhat conscious.’ The thought of having to drag him all the way to the nurses office wasn’t too appealing.
Kneeling down next to him, she poked him on the shoulder. “Come on Kuno baby. Let’s get you to the nurses office.”
To his credit, Kuno was able to actually straighten himself out most of the way without screaming. He even managed to stand after a few moments, which Nabiki found to be rather amazing.
“I do not need your assistance, Nabiki Tendo,” he said, trying to use his high and mighty tone. Nabiki merely stood up and gestured towards the school. Kuno nodded and began to walk in that direction. After only two steps, he fell face first onto the ground.
Kneeling once again, Nabiki grabbed him by the back of his hakama, as if she were grabbing the scruff of a cat. She dragged him up so that he was in a kneeling position. “Still don’t think you need my help?” she asked smugly.
“I believe on this one occasion I shall humble myself and request your assistance.”
“Uh huh,” she said simply. Helping Kuno stand, she took one of his arms around her shoulders and helped support his weight as she led him to the nurses office. It was a short walk, and when the two were finally there, the nurse took one look at them and gestured to an empty bed. Nabiki nodded and practically dumped the kendoist on it.
Within a minute, the nurse had already given the young man something for the pain. With all of the violence surrounding the school, she had quite the collection of medicinal remedies. After about two additional minutes, Nabiki saw that Kuno was feeling much, much better.
‘He practically looks drunk,’ she thought with satisfaction. ‘Perfect.’ She knew that his mind wouldn’t be quite as suspicious in this state, so she would be able to get the answers she needed. It also amazed her that whenever she used this tactic that his penchant for waxing poetic disappeared.
Bending over the young man, she quietly began to interrogate him regarding his sister. “So Kuno baby,” she said softly, “how is your sister doing?”
“Quite... well,” he said, his words coming out slowly and somewhat slurred because of the painkillers. His response wasn’t exactly what Nabiki had been expecting.
“Isn’t she upset about loosing to the pig-tailed girl?”
“Not... at all. She has a... plan to deal with the sit... situ...”
“Situation?” Nabiki prompted. At the smile and nod from Kuno, she continued. “And how does she plan to do that?”
“She’s going to... silence the two... witnesses and she wants me and Sa... Sasuske to lie. But I... told her I wouldn’t do it.”
“Why not?” Nabiki asked, genuinely surprised.
“Because... it would bring... dishonor to the Kuno house. And it would... also bring dishonor to the pig-t... the... to my goddess. I can’t permit that.”
Despite herself, Nabiki was impressed. She didn’t figure Kuno the type to go against his sister. She was about to tell him something to that effect when he spoke again.
“But she has... threatened me if I do not help her, and I... need to find some way to stop her.”
‘Most interesting,’ Nabiki thought. ‘Now I’m really glad I made that tape. Fortunately with Ryoga and Mousse out of town with Ranma and Kasumi, I have some time to figure out how to use it.’ A wicked thought suddenly occurred to her.
“I’ll tell you what, Kuno baby,” she said. “What if I were able to help you find a way out of this predicament without anyone getting hurt, or allowing the honor of your clan, or that of the pig-tailed girl, to be damaged? Do you think that might be worth something to you?”
Kuno’s eyes, which had been sort of glazed over, cleared instantly. He reached forward and grabbed both of Nabiki’s hands into his own. “My dear Nabiki... Tendo, if you are able to do that, then I... would owe you a great debt.”
“Oh,” Nabiki said, struggling not to laugh at the irony of the whole situation, “we’ll work out an acceptable price. Don’t you worry.”
Kasumi sat by the river that resided near their camp, and proceeded to wash the dishes from breakfast. She was very glad that she had borrowed clothing from Nabiki for this trip. ‘All of my dresses would’ve been ripped out here,’ she thought. Looking down at the warm-ups that she was wearing, she made a mental note to thank her sister when she got home.
Once finished, Kasumi went back to the camp and stowed everything. Afterwards, she went through the lesson plans that she’d received from Ranma’s teachers. She sorted through them and came up with what she thought was the logical order to go through them.
‘What now?’ she wondered with a sigh. There wasn’t nearly as much to do here as there was at home. She started some of the prep work for lunch, even though she knew that it was still quite early for that. That activity went by quickly, so Kasumi went into her tent and pulled out some reading materials that she was very happy to have brought along.
As she sat against the rock that was near the fire pit and began to read, Kasumi listened intently in an effort to hear the sparring that she knew was going on in the distance. She wasn’t able to hear anything, but she was also aware that they were quite a distance away in an effort to not destroy the camp in their zeal.
‘Maybe I’ll go with them after lunch to watch for a bit,’ she thought, hoping it would provide a distraction from the boredom she was already beginning to feel.
| Ranma, currently in female form, stood in a defensive stance watching Mousse. The visually impaired young man was standing about twenty meters from her in the clearing where they were training. She was waiting for Mousse to attack again, and she didn’t have to wait long. He jumped up and sent two chains flying in Ranma’s direction, which the girl was able to dodge with ease. Mousse immediately followed up with several throwing knives, suitably dulled he’d said, that forced Ranma to backpedal. The two continued their dance for another half hour, with Ranma able to dodge every attack sent her way. It was then time for Ryoga to take Mousse’s place. They had decided to begin |
 |
When time for lunch finally arrived, they headed back to camp. Ranma ate quickly, and then continued training while Mousse and Ryoga took an extended break. She took the barrel they had brought along with them and carried it to the river. After filling it up about halfway, she strapped it to her back and began jogging around the edge of the clearing where they were camping.
‘Enhanced speed, strength, and stamina are gonna really help,’ she thought as she ran. ‘But it ain’t gonna be enough. We’ll have ta work on some new techniques too.’
While continuing her jog, Ranma bent her mind to the problem at hand, once again demonstrating an intellect that few would’ve guessed possible.
As he ate lunch, Mousse couldn’t help but stare at Kasumi. ‘What in the world is she doing here?’ he wondered again. ‘I know why she said she’s here. But is that really the only reason?’
He’d watched how Ranma and her interacted, and whereas before he’d been concerned about Ranma’s motives regarding Shampoo, Mousse had to admit that even if Ranma wasn’t in love with Kasumi, he certainly treated her better than he ever had Shampoo. Normally the thought of someone treating Shampoo poorly would fill him with rage, but when it came to Ranma, the thought just made him happy.
“Mousse,” Kasumi said, breaking his train of thought.
“Yes?” he responded with a blush, finally realizing that he’d been staring.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Well,” Mousse said, trying to figure out how to respond. He decided that when it came to Kasumi, honesty was probably the best policy. “I know you said that you’re here to help, but I was wondering why.”
Kasumi closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again and giving him a warm smile. “In order to help satisfy the honor of our families, I am the one who talked Ranma into letting me take over the engagement. Because of that, he has had to put himself into harms way in order to protect me. When he told me about this latest effort, I couldn’t help but want to come along and assist in any way I can. Even if it’s just moral support. Do you understand?”
“Indeed I do,” Mousse said, indicating a small bow from his sitting position. “I would like to thank you for your assistance, and I must say that lunch was quite good.”
“You’re most welcome,” Kasumi said, favoring him with another smile.
“I think I’ll go meditate for a while,” Mousse said, standing up and walking away to find a calm spot.
 |
Ryoga sat through the small conversation between Mousse and Kasumi without saying a word. He hadn’t believed Ranma when he’d said that Kasumi was the one who had pushed for the engagement. Without believing that, it called everything that Ranma was currently doing into question. ‘But Kasumi herself just confirmed it,’ he thought, unsure what to think. That doubt had been there that morning, which meant he’d thought about actually trying to injure Ranma. Now, he didn’t know what to do or think. What was worse was the fact that Kasumi was practically ignoring his presence. When she did acknowledge him, it was always with a blank look that was far from the smile that he was accustomed to. ‘How can I blame all this on Ranma |
Deciding that he needed to do some meditating of his own, Ryoga stood, said a small thank you, and went into his tent.
Later that evening, after one of the most intense training days of his life, Ranma took a quick bath in their barrel after dinner. The hot water, in addition to turning him male again, helped to loosen up his muscles, and he wished he didn’t have to get out. However, both Mousse and Ryoga were waiting for their turn, and he also had studying to do.
Once out, he sat down near the fire with Kasumi, who had taken her bath before they had returned from dinner, and began going through the lessons she’d prepared.
‘I really don’t wanna be doin’ this,’ he couldn’t help thinking. One look at Kasumi though, and her determination to help him, was enough to drain any such thoughts away. In an effort to please her, Ranma tried as hard as he could. In fact, he found that her explanations were helping him tremendously.
“Wow Kasumi!” he said sincerely. “You really oughta be a teacher.”
“Oh stop you,” she responded with a smile, punching him lightly on the arm.
“I’m serious. The teachers at school never helped me learn this good.”
“This ‘well’ you mean,” Kasumi corrected.
“Huh?” Ranma asked.
“Never mind. I’m just glad that I’m able to help you Ranma.”
“You are Kasumi. Thanks.”
As the two continued, both Mousse and Ryoga finished their baths and each decided to turn in. After a while, Kasumi decided that Ranma had done enough for the evening.
“Excellent work, Ranma,” she said, beaming with pride.
“Thanks Kasumi,” he responded with a sheepish expression.
“Are you going to turn in for the night?” she asked.
“I was thinking of watching the stars for a little bit,” Ranma said, indicating the boulder near the fire.
That sounded like a fine idea to Kasumi. “Do you mind if I join you?”
“Course not,” Ranma said, even though he did manage to sound a little nervous.
The two shifted their position so that both were leaning with their backs against the rock, with Kasumi sitting on Ranma’s right. They sat there for a several minutes, each enjoying the beautiful star-filled sky.
Even with the fire going a meter away, Kasumi still felt the slight chill in the air. She was about to go get something to cover herself with, when Ranma excused himself. She allowed herself a slight smile as she imagined where he was going.
Confirming her suspicions, Ranma returned a few moments later with a blanket. He sat down next to her and tried to hand it to her. She gave him a coy look, and Ranma responded with a small smile and a blush. He unfolded it and proceeded to place the blanket over the both of them.
As the two resumed their vigil, Kasumi couldn’t help but be amazed at her fiancé. ‘After an unbelievably rough day, he still managed to stay awake to study. And here he is, spending time with me, and being a perfect gentleman as always.’
“So how do you feel the training is going so far?” she asked.
“Tiring,” he said with a laugh, before focusing. “Seriously though, it’s only been a day, but it was a good day. If we keep it up, and I’m able ta develop a few new techniques, then I think it’ll be okay.”
‘He’s trying to be so brave,’ Kasumi thought warmly. ‘But I can tell that he’s worried about Elder Cologne.’ Under the blanket, she reached out with her left hand and took his right hand into her own, causing the young man to tense up.
“I believe in you Ranma,” she said quietly. “I know you’ll be able to do it.”
“Thanks,” Ranma replied just as softly.
Continuing to hold on to his hand, Kasumi noticed he still seemed anxious. “Are you alright Ranma?” she asked, still amazed how shy he could be.
“I’m fine,” he said, his voice squeaking somewhat.
“Do you want me to stop?” she asked, her tone both gentle and serious at the same time.
Ranma stared off into the distance for a while. Finally, something seemed to resolve within him and he shook his head.
“Are you sure?” Kasumi asked.
“Yeah,” Ranma said, his voice under better control now.
Giving his hand a squeeze, Kasumi relaxed against his side. The two stayed that way; holding hands, chatting quietly, and watching the stars together for over an hour.
Thank you for taking the time to read Aijou & Aitou. I hope you have enjoyed yourself. I would love to hear all feedback, positive or negative (as long as it’s constructive). Please take the time to leave a review on fanfiction.net or send me an email letting me know your opinion. Thanks.
