Suteko took the right side of the seat next to the window. Ranma sat between Akane and his sister. “So have you avoided that fiancée thing?” Asked Akane.
“They don’t do things that way in America. Forced engagements fell out of fashion a century ago. Besides Grandfather Mikado said that I wasn’t worth engaging to anyone, being an illegitimate child.” She said the last part with loathing. It was obvious that there was no love lost between Suteko and her grandfather.
Akane was shocked. How cruel for a grandfather to say such things to his grandchild. It wasn’t her fault that she was conceived outside of marriage. “Is he the reason your mother moved to America?”
Suteko pulled her legs up and rested her feet on the seat. “Mother told me that she left Japan to get away from sad memories but I think that what you said is closer to the truth. Uncle Tanto always told me that his brother, Grandfather Mikado was a real hard line, old fashioned kind of man. He never forgave my mother for her slip but he never said anything to me the few times he visited his brother.”
“Pop caused a real mess of trouble, didn’t he?”
“You don’t know the half of it. After Grandfather died, we came to Japan for the funeral. She and Uncle Tanto were allowed to go but I had to stay away.” Her voice became very flat. “No non-family members allowed.”
“But you were family. You were your mother’s daughter.”
“Not in Grandfather Mikado’s eyes. But that doesn’t matter. He died three years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
Suteko stared out the window at the gathering rain clouds. “Looks like rain.”
Ranma shivered a little. “It rains a lot around here.”
“Must make life interesting, what with being cursed to change and all.”
Ranma answered. “Yeah.” He thought for a minute. “Suteko?”
“Hmmmm?”
“You seem awfully calm about my curse. Why?”
Suteko looked a bit sick for a minute. “I told you about how I followed you and Genma around for a year, right?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I found Jusenko.” She added, a slight blush creeping up her throat.
Ranma looked at Akane and she looked back. Together they said, “You didn’t?”
“Pool of drowned boy.”
“Oh, boy.” Suteko winced at the pun. Ranma apologized. “So when you get wet you turn into a boy?”
“Look just like you with blonde hair. Should have guessed you were related when I saw you but I wasn’t paying attention to anyone other than Genma when we met. Took Ukyo to tell me I had a little brother.”
“How’d it happen?” Asked Akane.
For a minute it looked like Suteko wouldn’t answer but she took a deep breath and told them how she stupidly jumped in. Stunned Akane and Ranma just sat staring at her with their jaws open. Suteko smiled weakly, “I know but we get claims of amazing things in America all the time. And the motto of every good New Englander is seeing is believing.” She chuckled. “I was being a bit of a stupid, arrogant jerk but well shit happens.” She turned back to staring out the window.
Ranma and Akane just sat stunned. “You jumped in?” Ranma asked incredulous.
“Yep. Stupid, I now know. So we have something else in common, little brother.”
For most of the trip back there was silence. Suteko sat staring out the window as the rain came down. Ranma and Akane just sat quietly next to each other. For once not arguing, a small miracle in itself. After a long while Suteko started to talk quietly again. “Ranma?”
Ranma looked up. “Yeah?”
“What’s your mom like?”
Ranma was a bit taken aback. He hadn’t seen his mom in a long time. “I haven’t seen mom since Pop decided to take me on his training missions, why?”
“Sorry. I was just wondering.” Suteko traced the path of a drop down the window pane with her finger. “I was wondering if she was anything like mine.”
“I remember her cooking and how she smelled.” Akane stiffened at the mention of cooking but didn’t do anything. Ranma wasn’t talking about her. “She always had a hug for me and stuff like that. You know she was mom like.”
“My mom was too, once.”
“Whatcha mean?”
“Remember I told you we came to Japan three years ago for Grandfather Mikado’s funeral?”
“Yeah.”
“After the funeral Mother went to talk with great-grandfather Ito. She left me with Uncle Tanto since he was the only one who would talk to me. She was gone for a long time.” She kept tracing patterns on the window as she talked. “After about six hours she came back. I was glad to see her. We had made plans to go to one of the bigger temples. She wanted to show me where she had grown up. But after her talk she canceled our plans. She told me it was time to go home. To say the least I was disappointed. I started to argue but she cut me off cold. The look she gave me.” Suteko shivered. “It was like I was an ant climbing up her leg. I shut up and went along with it. We flew home within the hour.” Suteko swallowed. “I don’t know what Great-grandfather did but she was changed. We stopped going on picnics and started training real hard. She kept at me to be the best. That and she suddenly decided that it was time to make Genma pay.”
Ranma listened to her outpouring. Something obviously wasn’t right. “Why the sudden change?”
“I don’t know but she made me quit all my clubs and only train. I lost a lot of friends that way. Uncle Tanto tried to find out what she was up to but she wouldn’t talk to him at all. Plus she started to spend a lot of time away from home. I think being home reminded her of all she had been missing. When Uncle Tanto died she told me that I had to find my father and make him pay for her dishonor. She wouldn’t even let me mourn him for a week before she pulled me out of school and sent me to find Genma.”
“That’s rough.” Akane looked past Ranma toward Suteko. She felt the pain the girl tried to hide in her words. Why was she telling us this? It seemed too strange to Akane to have the same girl who had challenged Genma to a duel this morning telling her about her family’s problems that afternoon. “Suteko, I know this isn’t the best time but..:
“What?”
“Why are you telling us all this? I mean we barely know you.”
Suteko curled her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. “I’m not sure, but well, Mother plans on being at the dojo tomorrow and I thought it might be important if you knew. She’s got something planned and I don’t think she’s told me everything.”
“That’s OK, Suteko, we’re used to trouble.”
She looked up at Ranma’s face, so like her own in male form. “Besides your the first people I’ve had to talk to in a long time. And your family.” She reached out and tapped Ranma on the arm. “Your my ‘little’ brother, right?”
“Hey, I’m not little!” Ranma groused half-heartedly. Suteko smiled. It was good to have someone to tease.
In a boardroom somewhere in Japan. Seated at the conference table were an elder gentleman and a beautiful woman in American clothing. The resemblance is striking.
“Granddaughter, tell me how the revenge is going.”
“My daughter has challenged the man. The battle will be at dawn, tomorrow.”
The old man looked thoughtful. “That is good.” He placed hands together and rested the fingers against his lips. “Where?”
The woman looked down at her notes. “At the Tendo Dojo, in Nerima.”
A slow, evil smile crossed the man’s face. “So he still visits his old friend. Good. We can take out two with one blow. Very good, granddaughter. You have my approval.” Pause. “The girl knows what she is to do?”
“Of course! I have trained her as is required. She will do as she is told.”
The old man flicked open a folder in front of him. “And what of my son’s influence?”
There was a quick flash of uncertainly in the woman’s eyes and a quick shake of her shoulders. “The girl will do what I say! I will have my revenge!”
With a slow, evil smile the old man said, “Good.”
To be continued
If you liked this story please send C&C to me at lprior@geocities.com
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