Okay, part 6 of more than 6 parts. I cut this one off before my planned end, because it would have been another huge chunk like part 5. I was going to try and get all the way through the fight, but... it's easier to finish and post in smaller chunks.
I got so many nice comments on part 5! I only hope I can please people with the way I finish this!
Monkey Head Butting!
m a davis/miko [email protected]
fan fiction at: http://listen.to/bell/
This story will be more than 6 parts total. Probably 8 at this point, maybe even 9. I have sections of the rest of the story written -- my method of writing is not linear; I tend to write the first scene that occurs to me, and as scenes accumulate I string them together and put them in some semblance of order, and at some point I go back to the begining and start writing from there, filling in everything that I haven't already written yet and working out all of kinks and problems.
I'm not going to apologize for the title anymore. ^_^
Characters are copyright Takahashi Rumiko, no infringement intended. This is a fan work only, not for profit.
Monkey Head Butting
PART SIX
***
It was Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the fight, and Nabiki was on the phone. She had orders to make, deliveries to schedule, and plans still to be laid. Standing in the downstairs hallway, the phone cord idly wrapped about one finger, she rechecked the list of things to do in her head. She was, admittedly, overextending herself and her finances, but as they said, it takes money to make money, and without question Nabiki expected to make money.
At times like this she wondered whether it wouldn't make sense to have a private phone line, if not her own office.
"Yes. I'll need everything there and set up by 9 a.m.. I want time to prepare everything. Don't worry, I'll make sure someone's there to meet you. Yes, timing is very important; if you're late then I reserve the right to terminate the contract. Oh, until 3 p.m. or so, that should be plenty of time. That sounds great! It's been a pleasure doing business with you!"
Nabiki hung up the phone, her mind racing.
*So much for the stand,* she thought. *Now I need to contact the food venders and distributors. Let's see, Midori and Kyoko are putting up the flyers... am I forgetting anything?*
Well, she still had to maneuver Ranma into helping her, but that wouldn't be hard. The boy-girl was clearly desperate to increase her cooking skills in any way possible, and desperation was a key that opened doors.
Nabiki smiled to herself. She hadn't known what to do about Ranma's sudden cooking fetish last night, but all it took was a little thought and a good night's sleep. Now, with any luck, she would see a nice side profit tomorrow, on top of all the bets.
Which was not to say that Nabiki believed in luck, or left anything to chance.
***
Ranma stepped into the dojo, dressed in her new gi. She'd practiced for an hour in the morning, and it had felt good. An hour of practice before she began dinner would be even better, although, if she really wanted to improve, she was going to have to find a way to get in more than two hours of practice a day.
Earlier this morning she'd been so wrapped up in her planned visit to the Nekohanten, and her need to fool Cologne, that she'd completely forgotten her mother's request of the day before. But Ranma had made a promise, and her word was always good. Now she leaned back against the dojo wall, watching Akane practice, and wondered how, exactly, she was going to be nice to her.
Akane's movements were very fluid. This was in great contrast to how she'd been when Ranma first met her; when she'd been all strength and brute force, and lacking in grace. She'd known the basics of Anything Goes Martial Arts, but not the more complex katas. But Ranma had spent years in intense training with her father, while Akane had practiced an hour or two a day, if that.
Now, as she watched, Akane moved through her most difficult katas with the grace of a ballet dancer. Ranma had been teaching advanced maneuvers to her for six months now, and it clearly was paying off. As Ranma had put it, if she were to someday help run the dojo -- and she wasn't saying she would or wouldn't -- then she should at least be familiar with all of the moves, if not an expert at them.
But she was good. She was not a match for Ranma or Ryoga, but she was very much improved. Training with a master -- even a young and arrogant one like Ranma -- tended to have that effect. She was a match for Ukyo at this point, or even Shampoo, and would soon be a match for Mousse, if Ranma had anything to say about it. True, she lacked Ranma's speed, but she'd adapted maneuvers to fit her strengths, which were, basically, strength. She would never master the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken -- the chestnut fist -- but she understood the principle, at least.
She was making progress on a variation of the chi blast. Ranma had always been convinced that Akane's formidable battle aura could be translated into a powerful chi blast, but when she'd first suggested basing it, not on depression or self-confidence, but on anger... well, Akane had become angry. Ranma smiled at the memory. Akane was well on her way, now, to mastering a technique nearly the equal of Ranma's Moko Takabisha or Ryouga's Shishihokoden. When she had that down, she would be Mousse's equal.
Ranma took a great deal of pride in her first, and so far only, student. Now, if Akane could only master the Hiryu Shoten Ha... but her anger worked against her with that technique.
Akane finished her katas, and, heading towards the door, noticed Ranma for the first time.
"Konichiwa, Ranma," Akane said. "How long have you been waiting?"
"Good afternoon, Akane," Ranma said in return. "I haven't been here long. You... you look... nice."
There. She'd said it.
Akane looked surprised, and then annoyed. "Right after a workout?" she said. "You must be joking; I'm all hot and sweaty."
"No," Ranma said, "I mean that. You look nice, Akane."
"Are you okay Ranma? Oh, wait. You want something, don't you?"
"No, nothing," Ranma said, becoming irritated. "I'm just trying to be nice to you, that's all. Why's that such a big deal?"
"What did you do?" Akane said. "I'm going to find out eventually, you know. You might as well just tell me now, and get it over with."
"I didn't do nothin'!"
` Akane rolled her eyes as she walked past him. "Sure, Ranma, sure. Well, I suppose I'll find out soon enough."
Ranma stared after her. "Why, that uncute tomboy..." he muttered.
***
Kasumi descended the stairs, dressed in Ranma's loose silk top and pants. Despite her bold proclamation of the evening before, she was feeling anything but confident in her ability to battle Mousse. She was well aware that the Joketsuzoku amazon tribesman was a more brutal opponent than Ranma's other friends; only Mousse used deadly weapons as a matter of course. In fact, he attacked with little else but his weapons.
She stepped into the kitchen, rather than heading straight to the dojo. She wasn't looking forward to practice, one of her last before the fight. She wondered idly if Ranma was going to help her again, in exchange for her help with dinner. She hoped so. Cooking had a calming, soothing effect on Kasumi, and right now she needed that.
A notebook lay open on the counter. Kasumi glanced at it. The top page contained a hand-written recipe. She picked the book up and flipped through it, her brow furrowing in bewilderment.
Bon-Bon Chicken? Three-Flavor Soup? These were Chinese recipes... Szechuan recipes, in fact, or from that part of the world. And this handwriting... it was Cologne's, if she weren't mistaken. The Joketsuzoku amazon village was somewhere in the Bayankala mountains of the Xinghai Province, so maybe these recipes came from there. Would they be so similar? Xinghai was near Szechuan, right? But those provinces were huge, and Kasumi wasn't sure where the Bayankala mountains were.
She studied the notebook some more. They were interesting recipes, unlike anything she'd made before. Special recipes from Cologne? Father had said something about Ranma being gone much of the day. Ranma had claimed to be shopping, but clearly he/she had dropped by the Nekohanten to talk with Cologne. What could Ranma be up to now?
Some of the recipes called for a special Chinese stock. Kasumi checked the refrigerator and found a small jar labelled "stock, Joketsuzoku style". That was also in Cologne's handwriting.
It was common knowledge in the Tendo household that Nabiki knew all, while Kasumi was clueless. But the truth was more complex, for Nabiki advertised her knowledge, while Kasumi remained quiet. The truth was that very little occurred on Tendo property of which Kasumi was not aware.
With a knowing smile, Kasumi set the notebook down where she'd found it, and headed for the dojo.
***
Nabiki skipped down the stairs, finally satisfied that all of her plans were in order. Now she was hungry, and she didn't want to wait for dinner like she had last night. She checked the kitchen, and was happy to find the refrigerator stocked with delicious food left over from Ranma's culinary struggles. She fixed herself a quick plate and headed into the family room.
Her father and Mr. Saotome were huddled over the dinner table, carefully sorting through a huge pile of trash. Shredded paper lay scattered all over the table, with several large piles rising out of the main mass like volcanoes rising from the Pacific.
"What's this?" Nabiki asked, kneeling. "Have you traded in your games of shogi for a jigsaw puzzle? Or have we joined a recycling program where you sort scraps by size and color?"
"This," Soun said, "is what is left of Tofu-Sensei's book. Somewhere in here is the key to restoring Ranma and Kasumi to normal."
Nabiki's eyes went wide. The two were actively doing something to resolve the problem, finally. Well, wasn't that a surprise? Perhaps she should have disposed of the scraps somehow...
"Where's all of this been the last two days?"
"In a safe place," Soun said.
"We were hoping to avoid all of this..." Genma said.
"I can see why," Nabiki replied, studying the piles of scrap paper. "What a mess. And you're going to put it all back together? All the king's horses, and all the king's men, if you ask me."
Genma frowned. "All the king's horses...?" He stared at her blankly.
"Famous Western nursery rhyme," Nabiki said, popping a sushi roll into her mouth. "Oh, I suppose you're not familiar with nursery rhymes, are you? Too much wandering the globe, doing the martial arts thing, I suspect."
Genma shook his head, already focused again on the task before him. Nabiki watched the two of them work for several minutes, not sure whether to be relieved or annoyed. On the one hand, she didn't want them to solve Ranma and Kasumi's problem before noon Saturday. On the other hand, she realized that she did want them to find a solution, eventually. Ranma as an older sister, and Kasumi as a sex-changing martial artist, just wasn't right. Besides, she wanted to know how the secret technique worked herself. It held some fascinating possibilities.
"Is this your best idea for a solution?" she finally asked, exasperated. "It's going to take you years to sort through this mess, you know, and you don't even have a clue what the original looked like."
"It's our only hope," Genma said. "Neither Tofu-Sensei nor the Master can remember a thing."
"What about Cologne?"
"We can solve this without involving that woman," Soun Tendo said with finality.
Nabiki sighed. "I hope you realize, there are thousands of scraps here," she said.
"Indeed," Genma said. "The book was over 1,000 pages, and Tofu-Sensei did a thorough job of destroying it."
"His skill in the craft is evident," Soun said. "No normal human could hope to shred such a thick book so completely."
"He'd make a fine son-in-law, don't you think, friend Tendo?"
Soun nodded. "Believe me, Saotome, the thought has crossed my mind. It's no secret that he and Kasumi are interested, although getting them together... well, you know my first focus is to see Ranma and Akane wed, and the future of the dojo secured. After that, perhaps I can see to my eldest daughter's happiness."
"Good luck on pulling that one off," Nabiki said. It was true, everyone knew of Dr. Tofu's feelings for Kasumi, and her feelings for him, but getting either of them beyond that point was not a task she envied.
"You forget, Nabiki," her father said. "I'll see Akane and Ranma wed first. Anything else will be easy in comparison."
Nodding absently, Nabiki picked up a small scrap of paper. It contained one-half of an unusual black and white photo. She turned it over, wondering why it had caught her eye.
It was a picture of a piece of jewelry -- a metal broach of some sort. It wasn't a very pretty broach either, made of a dull gray metal and containing an odd, contorted caricature of what she could only assume was meant to be monkey's face. Now where had she seen this before?
Carefully palming and pocketing the scrap, Nabiki wandered into the kitchen, the rest of her meal forgotten.
There, on the windowsill. She was certain she'd seen it sitting right there, only a day ago. She crossed to the sink and began a search of the entire area, but failed to turn the odd broach up.
*I wonder if Ranma took it,* she thought. *He can't know what it is, surely...*
Nabiki allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. *Monkey head-butting,* she thought. *Who'd have suspected it? But I'll wager money that I'm right -- and when I bet, I win. Always.*
***
Early Saturday morning, Kasumi stood in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing out her bright red hair. She was already dressed in Ranma's silk top and black pants. She had a growing knot in the pit of her stomach, and she dearly wished that the day were already over, or that she somehow didn't have to go through with this. But, deep in her heart, she knew it was the right thing to do. She was resolved to see it through, no matter the cost.
She heard the soft pad of barefooted footsteps, and turned to see Akane, still in her pajamas, coming up behind her.
"Ohayoo, Oneechan," Akane said. "Here, let me braid your hair."
"I was thinking of leaving it down, like this," Kasumi said.
Akane shook her head. "Sis, if you're really going to fight Mousse, then you need to show up, not just as Ranma, but as male Ranma. That means braiding your hair like he always does, otherwise people are going to wonder."
"I suppose you're right," Kasumi said. She stood still while Akane gathered her hair and began weaving it. It was odd, standing next to Akane like this, because Akane was currently a little taller than her. Ranma's female self had always been shorter than Akane, and despite several days, Kasumi wasn't quite used to it.
"I wish Ryoga had been here last night," Akane said. "He's much better to train against that Mr. Saotome or I am."
"Well," Kasumi said, "at this point it's not going to matter too much. Besides, you know how he is, always getting lost."
"P-chan disappeared last night too," Akane said. "I wonder if he's with Ryoga?"
A mysterious look crossed Kasumi's face. "I... um, I suppose that could be..."
"Although I don't know," Akane continued, "I can't remember whether he's mean to P-chan like Ranma is. For some reason, I think Ryoga and P-Chan get along better than that."
Kasumi nodded, not wanting to pursue the conversation further. "In any case," she said, "I'm glad you helped me, and Ranma and Mr. Saotome. Father couldn't even bear to watch last night, let alone help out. He's really concerned for me."
"We all are, sis. Mousse isn't just another open-fist fighter; he's a barbarian who uses deadly weapons. You might get hurt, or even..." she paused, her voice choking, and suddenly she grabbed her eldest sister in a fierce hug. "Kasumi, you don't have to do this! Forfeit the match! Everyone will understand! I don't know what I'll do if I... if you..."
Kasumi turned to embrace her sister in return. "Akane, we've been over this," she said. "I do have to do this. I realize that I can't win, but I have to go through with this. Don't worry, I have all of Ranma-kun's speed and his reflexes. I may not be able to fight, but I can avoid Mousse's attacks."
She pulled back, and smiled. "Look, it's a few hours before the fight, but I want to get some last-minute practice in. I think it's time for me to become male Ranma now. As much as I'm not looking forward to it, it's probably best if I showed up that way."
Akane nodded woodenly. "I... I'll get the hot water started," she said.
"Wait." Kasumi paused to pin something to her shirt. "How does that look?" she asked.
"A broach?" Akane asked. "What's it for?"
"It's just a broach I found the other day. It's kind of cute, don't you think? Ranma must have washed it off and put it on the kitchen windowsill. I was thinking of wearing it for the match. You know, I'll be completely male, and I'll be doing something violent... I just thought this would help. It's a reminder of who I am. Regardless of what I look like or what I'm doing, I'm really Kasumi Tendo, not a martial artist, and not a man."
"It's not a good idea to wear jewelry in a fight," Akane said, "but if you really want to..."
***
"You want me to what?"
"Look," Nabiki said, "you want to improve your cooking skills, right? Well, here's an excellent opportunity to do just that. I'm doing it for you, Ranma."
Ranma Saotome stood at the edge of the open, grassy lot that was the usual site for a Nerima battle. She stared at the fast food booth sitting front and center, stocked with all of the raw materials and equipment necessary to churn out mounds of sushi and grilled squid. The signs very clearly stated that it was Kasumi Tendo's food being served, and Ranma was not a big enough fool to miss that little detail.
"Kasumi has quite the reputation in our neighborhood, doesn't she?" Ranma said. "After all, she's taken food to social functions before, and we've had friends and neighbors over for dinner. People talk. I'm sure it's a well-known fact that she's a very good cook..."
"I wouldn't know," Nabiki said smoothly. "I'm just here to help you train, Ranma. You want to beat Happosai, don't you?"
Ranma sighed. She was almost to the point where she did whatever Nabiki said without argument. Nabiki always had her bases covered. Ranma was, as always, in her debt, Ranma needed all the cooking practice she could get, and... well, Nabiki could probably supply a dozen more reasons if asked.
"Okay, Nabiki," Ranma said, "but for this, I want to see my debt reduced. Deal?"
"Whatever you say, Ranma-chan."
"Okay then. What do you want me to do?"
***
When Ukyo showed up two hours before the fight, she was surprised to find a food stand already there, right where she wanted to place hers. The offending vendor was not a Chinese amazon matriarch, but the eldest Tendo sister, Kasumi. Ukyo frowned, not quite sure what to make of this development. She sensed the hand of another Tendo in this.
Ukyo glanced back at the three burly men who stood behind her with huge bundles in their hands. Behind them a beautiful girl -- or someone who looked like a beautiful girl -- also waited patiently.
"Over there," Ukyo said, pointing to a spot not far from the Tendo booth. The men dropped their bundles in the chosen spot and began assembling a booth, under the watchful eye of Konatsu. Ukyo smiled, still amazed at what a free meal could accomplish.
She strolled over to inspect the Tendo booth.
It was large. Kasumi was in the back, busily assembling sushi rolls. A refrigerated display case, already half-full, dominated the left side of the booth.
"Sushi?" Ukyo asked, raising an eyebrow. She took in the already sizzling grill on the right side and the large tank of squid near it. "Squid, too? Are you running this by yourself, Kasumi, or is Nabiki helping you?"
"Hmmm?" Kasumi said, distracted. "Oh, Nabiki's helping, and Midori and Kyoko are supposed to help too, but it's mostly my show. Want a squid?"
Ukyo shrugged. "Sure," she said.
Wiping her hands, Kasumi stepped quickly to the large tank, swimming with small squid. Already the water was beginning to turn black from their ink. "Which one do ya want?" Kasumi asked.
There was something odd about the way Kasumi moved and spoke, but Ukyo couldn't quite put her finger on it. She pointed to a squid at random, and Kasumi's hand darted in and out of the water. Ukyo blinked, amazed at how quickly the eldest Tendo sister had nabbed her pick.
In one fluid motion Kasumi sliced open the head of the squid and slide it onto the hot grill. She brushed it with a thick, sweet soy sauce, flipped it over, coated the back, and deftly skewered it on a stick. She handed the squid, hot and dripping, with it's legs flopping about, to Ukyo.
"Wow," Ukyo said. "I'm impressed! You've been practicing that, haven't you?"
"A little," Kasumi said with a smile. Already she was back working on her sushi. She slid another batch into the display case. "Hope you enjoy it!" she said, without looking up.
Just then, Nabiki appeared. She glanced at the squid in Ukyo's hand and frowned.
"Giving away the merchandise?" she asked Kasumi.
"Well," Kasumi said, "since it's just to help me practice..."
"Forgive me if I didn't make myself clear," Nabiki said. "I'm helping you, yes, but I expect to turn a profit. This booth and all of the supplies did not come cheap."
Ukyo bit into her squid. It was, in fact, quite good.
"So," she said, "you're competing against me, are you?"
"Something like that," Nabiki replied.
"Now I know why you wanted a non-competition fee. I thought you were talking about the two amazons, and I didn't see how you could stop them from doing business here...."
"I made you a reasonable offer," Nabiki said. "You refused to pay, so here I am."
Ukyo took another bite. "Somehow I doubt you made the same offer to Cologne."
"Do I look stupid?" Nabiki said. "Even the yakuza leave that woman alone."
Ukyo fingered the spatulas in her bandolier. "I'm not exactly a pushover myself," she said, then let it drop. "Well, the squid's very good. There ought to be a large crowd here, so I doubt you'll cut into my business too much. But if you plan on making this a permanent thing..."
Nabiki shrugged. "Maybe," she said, "maybe not. My fee still stands, so if you want to avoid this next time, you know what to do..."
***
By eleven a.m. there were three food booths set up. The Tendo booth occupied the center of the spectator's area, while U-Chan's and the Nekohanten flanked it on each side. Nabiki and Ranma were already so busy that they almost didn't notice when their fathers showed up, with Akane and the now-male Kasumi.
"Ran-chan!" Ukyo called out from their left.
"Airen!" Shampoo called out from their right.
Ranma flinched, but her second and third fiancées were headed away from her.
Ukyo reached Kasumi-kun first, and launched herself head-first at him. She narrowly missed a head-to-head collision as she wrapped herself about him. "Ran-chan!" she exclaimed. "You're going to win, I just know it!"
"Airen! You beat Mousse for sure!" Shampoo exclaimed. She grabbed Kasumi's free arm in a fierce hug.
"Um," Kasumi said, trying to remove the pair. "Girls, I... could you let go? I need to get ready for the fight..."
Trying to ignore the whole scene, Akane walked on, past Ukyo's booth to the one in the center. She stopped, reading the sign over it, then glanced at the two people managing it.
"Nabiki?" she said. "Ranma? What are you two up to?"
"Just a little extra business!" Nabiki said, flashing her most innocent smile. "Nothing more!"
"Wow!" Akane exclaimed, looking the operation over. "A Tendo food booth! Can I help?"
"No, no," Nabiki said quickly. "We've got enough help, thanks! Besides, Kasumi is going to need your support, right?"
Akane glared at her sister, then back at Kasumi, who was still struggling to remove Ranma's two "cute" fiancées. "Well..." she said.
"I knew you'd understand, Akane!" Nabiki exclaimed. "Here, have a squid, half off!"
Akane shot her another glare. "Half-off?" she asked. "Nabiki, I'm your sister..."
"Hey, I can't make money if I give them away, can I?"
***
A large crowd had gathered to watch the event. To most, Ranma's victory was a foregone conclusion, but with money riding on the outcome, few were inclined to miss it. There was always good food -- in fact, all three food booths were doing a brisk business -- and even if Ranma won, these fights always had some interesting twists and turns. All-in-all, they were better entertainment than an afternoon at the ballpark.
At the stroke of noon, Kasumi and Mousse walked to center of the field. They were met by Nabiki, who stood to the side, not quite between them.
"Are the two fighters ready?" Nabiki called out loudly, so that everyone could hear.
"Ranma!" Mousse growled. "When this day is over, Shampoo will be mine!"
"Shampoo agree to no such thing!" a voice called out from the nearby ramen stand.
"Very well!" Mousse continued, never breaking stride. "Ranma! When this day is over, you shall no longer stand between Shampoo and I..."
"This fight has no bearing on Son-In-Law's engagement with Shampoo!" a second voice called out.
"Ranma is engaged to my daughter Akane!" a third voice yelled. "How many times must I repeat it?!?"
Mousse looked flustered, but rallied for a third try. "Ranma! After I've beaten you, you'll be..." he pause, searching for the right phrase. "...you will be defeated!"
He glanced over at the ramen stand, as if daring anyone to contradict him. When no one did, he glared triumphantly at his opponent.
Kasumi-kun looked momentarily perplexed, then he smiled sweetly. "Good luck to you too, Mousse!" he said. "May the best person win!"
This seemed to confuse the Chinese boy. He took a step back, and adjusted his glasses. "Don't try to trick me, Ranma!" he said. "If you don't take this fight seriously, you'll pay!"
"Let me ask again," Nabiki said. "Are you two quite ready?"
She got a firm nod from Mousse, and a far more tentative one from Kasumi. "Okay, then," she continued, in a much louder voice. "Bow to your opponents, please!"
The two bowed simultaneously, their heads nearly colliding. Mousse had to make a quick grab to keep his glasses from falling to the ground.
Nabiki placed a hand to her forehead. "Whenever you're ready, Mousse," she said. Mousse adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Okay, then." In a loud voice, she yelled out, "Let the fight commence!"
Nabiki leapt back. The battle started immediately.
"Hakuchoken!" Mousse screamed, striking so quickly his hands were a blur. "Fist of the White Swan!"
Kasumi-kun didn't have time to blink. Mousse caught him squarely under the chin, and he was lifted up, off of his feet. He tumbled backwards a dozen feet and landed in a heap.
Mousse looked startled. It was clear that he hadn't expected to land his first blow so quickly and easily.
"Airen!" Shampoo exclaimed, from behind her booth.
"Ran-chan!" Ukyo exclaimed, from behind her booth.
"Kasu... Ranma!" Akane yelled, running onto the field. She fell to her knees beside her sister/fiancée, grabbing his hand. "Are you okay? Ka... Ranma, are you okay?"
Kasumi-kun lay flat on the grass, a dazed look on his face. "I'm... I'm okay, Akane, I..." he sat up abruptly, just as Akane leaned in. Their two heads met with a crack.
Both collapsed to the ground. Mousse, standing nearby, frowned impatiently. "Is the fight over already?" he asked. "Come on, Ranma! At least make this look good! I can't beat you if you don't fight me!"
Soun Tendo ran onto the field, water flowing from his face. "Kasumi, I must put a stop to this! Kasumi! I won't allow you to continue this charade!"
In front of the Tendo food stand, Ranma's friends Daisuke and Hitoshi exchanged glances.
"Kasumi?" Hitoshi asked. "Do you see Kasumi out there?"
"That looks like Ranma to me," Daisuke said.
"Oh my! I'm right here!" Ranma said from behind the stand. She smiled sweetly. "Oh my! Father must be really confused! Would you like another squid? Oh my! Oh my!"
Daisuke looked at Hitoshi. He raised and eyebrow, then shrugged.
"Sure, Miss Tendo!" he said. "I'd love one!"
On the field, Kasumi and Akane were sitting up. Their father hovered over them, tears rolling down his cheeks and dripping from his chin. "Kasumi!" He exclaimed. "My poor Kasumi! Tell them you'll forfeit! Please!"
"Dad?" Akane asked. She glanced over at Kasumi, and froze.
The person next to her wasn't Kasumi. It was a young girl with short, dark hair in a page cut. She wore a light yellow dress, and she was looking very confused.
Akane glanced down at herself. She was wearing a red silk Chinese-style top, and black pants. Her chest was flat and muscular. She reached behind her head, and found the pigtail that she knew was there.
She glanced back at the girl next to her... at herself... at Kasumi, in her body.
With Akane's voice, Kasumi said, "Oh, my!"
Meanwhile, behind the counter of the Nekohanten stand, an old amazon with white hair was studying the center of the field intently. She glanced back at the stand nearby, and the eldest Tendo sister running it, then back to the field, where Son-In-Law was slowly getting up.
"Why Tendo-san yell out 'Kasumi'?" Shampoo asked. "Kasumi not on field! Is he blind like Mousse?"
"I thought something was odd yesterday," Cologne said, half to herself. "Could it be? But it's been a hundred years since I last heard of that technique! I wonder..."
***
END PART SIX
Remember, if the world hands you lemons, fight back! Write something different!
Thanks to everyone who's written to me. Hi to KaraOhki, Joseph Palmer, Ukyo Kunoji... the beginings of this story came after I read her "Floating Soul", although I could have just as easily borrowed from Kimagure Orange Road, or Gilligan's Island, or...?
Enjoy! And if you don't, write me anyway!
M.A. Davis aka "Miko"
[email protected]
http://listen.to/bell/
Monkey Head Butting Part Seven
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