Sasameki Koto and Ranma ½: Martial Arts Mix
Chapter Five
Sumika stomped her way across the yard of the Tendo home, then swerved before going into the dojo. She was angry, and Sumika didn't want to take out that anger on someone else. Instead she took up a stance and began to practice karate katas, concentrating on what she was doing so hard she felt the anger start to slip away.
'I'm not even that angry over being beaten,' Sumika admitted as she gracefully shifted to a North Pole Fist kata, 'but over being tricked.' She could feel 'cold' ki gathering around her as she moved, a shimmer of silver on the air.
Kasumi wad finished lecturing both Ranma and Akane, her temper surprisingly short with both of them. It was bad enough that Sumika had been hurt, but she was a guest! Poor Sumika wasn't part of the usual Nerima craziness, and it wasn't fair to do this sort of thing to her.
Looking around Kasumi didn't see Sumika out in the yard. Hearing sounds coming from the dojo she walked over there. Sliding back the door she looked inside, only to freeze as her eyes widened in wonder., "Oh my."
Sumika seemed almost like she was dancing as streams of ice swirled around her, the temperature in the dojo substantially cooler than outside. As she moved a eerie blue glow swirled around her hands, reminding Kasumi of some of Ranma's crazier attacks.
Sumika finished the form, puffing out a breath as she realized she wasn't alone. "Kasumi?" she blinked, "How long have you been there?"
"Just a few moments," Kasumi answered as she walked over towards where Sumika stood, then yelped as she hit a icy patch on the floor.
As Kasumi started to fall Sumika nearly leaped across the room, catching the other woman in her arms. "Are you all right?" Sumika asked, staring down at her gently.
Kasumi stared up at Sumika breathlessly a moment. Like any young lady she had read fairy tales where a girl was saved by a prince, but she had never expected it to happen to her. And even stranger it felt perfectly comfortable in this woman's arms.
"Kasumi?" Sumika looked worried.
"Ah, sorry," Kasumi smiled as Sumika gently helped her up. "I was just coming to see if you were all right," she said gently.
Sumika walked with Kasumi out of the dojo, pausing to put her shoes on by the door. "I'm fine," Sumika said as they walked together, "I'm even over my mad, too."
Kasumi gave her a skeptical look, "Really?"
"Well, mostly," Sumika admitted wryly. They paused outside as a breeze ruffled their hair and Sumika mused, "Akane could tell I held back against her, I guess. And that sort of thing can be offensive to a martial artist."
"I suppose so," Kasumi said, "but they shouldn't have tricked you like that."
"Thanks," Sumika smiled as they walked in, the smell of cooking food wafting by.
"Oh, excuse me,' Kasumi hurried to the kitchem, even as Sumika slipped her shoes off and walked into the living room.
Sumika smiled as she saw Soun and Genma in their seeming eternal game of shogi, and walked over to watch. "I understand you fought Ranma,' Genma noted as he moved a piece.
"Ranma?" Sumika blinked and Genma looked uncomfortable.
Nabiki Tendo took pity on the older man as she told Sumika, "Ranma and Ranko are one in the same person."
"Crossdresser?" Sumika wondered, thinking of one of her friends. She was surprised by how much she missed Akemiya and the others, even though she'd only been gone a few days...
"It's a bit more complicated than that," Nabiki said, looking amused.
Sumika decided to ask about that later as she respectfully addressed Genma, "Mr. Saotome, I was wondering if I could spar against you?"
Genma looked up at her, his expression thoughtful. "Why not spar with Ranma?" he asked her curiously.
"He's very good," Sumika confirmed promptly, "but he's not a teacher like your are." Deciding flattery was good she added, "I'm hoping you'll show me where I'm going wrong."
Genma seemed to swell with pride, "Of course, I would be glad to help. Tomorrow morning?"
"Thank you," Sumika bowed slightly.
Akane Tendo came down the stairs, hesitating as she saw Sumika talking to Genma. Steeling her courage she walked over, "Sumika, could I talk to you a moment?"
"Sure," Sumika nodded, a trace of reserve in her stance.
The two women excused themselves, walking through the house and slipping on their shoes before heading outside. They stood together in the darkening twilight for a long moment, then almost together said, "I'm sorry."
Sumika chuckled and Akane flashed a smile. "I should never have agreed to tricking you," Akane said, "I'm really sorry. The only excuse I have is that it sounded like a good idea at the time."
"And I shouldn't have held back as much as I did when we sparred," Sumika said quietly, "it wasn't fair to you." She made a face, "Hell, it was insulting to you as a martial artist."
"Give me another match?" Akane smiled, putting her hand on Sumika's shoulder.
"I'd like that," Sumika said. Wryly she added, "You can have a shot at me after Mr. Saotome gets done with me tomorrow."
"That should be interesting," Akane said, smiling.
"Oh," a voice boomed out of the shadows, "ho ho ho ho!"
"What the...," Sumika whirled around, then blinked to see a rather well endowed older woman perching on the roof of the dojo, dressed in a leotard.
"Oh lord, not her," Akane winced. Quietly she muttered to Sumika, "That's Kodachi Kuno, sister of the nutcase we fought earlier."
Kodachi laughed again as she said, "So, you're the mysterious woman temping my Ranma!"
Under her breath Sumika muttered, "How do people keep hearing I'm here?"
Inside the Tendo home Nabiki sneezed suddenly, blinking. Shrugging it off she went back to calculating her ill-gotten gains.
The crazy woman dove for Sumika then tossed a hoola hoop at her. Instinctively Sumika dodged, then yelped as the metal weighted and razor sharp hoop nearly cut her. "Hold still," Kodachi yelled as she swung a weighted club, "this will only hurt a moment!"
"Rather not," Sumika ducked under another blow, then cried out as Kodachi blew a handful of powder into her face.
"Look out!" Akane yelled as they dodged and weaved, "She likes to use poisons!"
"You could have told me that sooner," Sumika growled, hoping the powder she had breathed in wasn't too toxic.
"You are very good," Kodachi conceded as she used a gymnastic style kick to try to take Sumika's head off, "but not good enough!"
"She's doing quite well," Genma Saotome said as they looked across the yard at the two women fighting. Not as well as his son could do, oif course, but better than most martial artists might.
Soun Tendo frowned slightly, "Do you think she needs help?"
"Against her?" Genma raised a eyebrow in surprise, "I would be insulting her to offer."
A wire reinforced ribbon tangled around Sumika's arm, and Kodachi tried to yank her off balance. As Sumika struggled not to be moved, she found herself getting frustrated by how crazy this place was. Half invulnerable martial artists, super fast fighters, crazed mobs seeking dates, strange Chinese women and friends pretending to be villains, it was all getting too much to take!
Kodachi cried out in shock as Sumika twisted, yanking the other woman off balance and sending her crashing to the earth. With a burst of speed Sumika reached her before Kodachi could fully recover and struck with a powerful blow.
"Ugh!" Kodachi yelped as she staggered back, the palm strike bloodying her nose.
"I have had about enough of this," Sumika said, the blood rushing through her veins as she took up a battle stance.
"You... hit me! You dared!" Kodachi was looking at her own nose, cross eyed, as she said that indignantly.
"I'll do more than that," Sumika closed with her again, striking hard as she delivered fast kicks and punches. Already off balance Kodachi gave ground, blocking where she could and taking the hits on her arms.
"You will die for this," Kodachi yelled furiously, leaping away as a swirl of black rose petals obscured their view.
Once the storm of flowers was gone so was Kodachi, the yard empty except for a suddenly wobbly feeling Sumika. "Oh," she staggered and would have fallen as whatever Kodachi had dosed her with earlier finally kicked in.
Akane caught Sumika trhen rushed her inside, calling for Kasumi as she did so. A few moments later Sumika was once more laid out on the couch while Kasumi looked her over.
"And where were you?" Nabiki asked Ranma curiously.
"I was helping Kasumi in the kitchen," Ranma said as he helped check Sumika over. Addressing Kasumi he noted flatly, "Kodachi don' usually use anything too lethal. The crazy likes ta see people hurt, not killed."
"Pulse is fine, and I don't see anything odd in her ki," Kasumi noted, sighing in relief. "Looks like some kind of knock out powder."
"Well, that's good," Soun said as he and Genma started to walk off.
Kasumi fixed her father with a disapproving look, "And why didn't anyone go help her?"
"That's not entirely fair, Kasumi," Akane protested, "sometimes interfering in a fight could make things worse." She made a face, "Trust me, Kodachi has crazier things in her arsenal, and she might have used them if we joined in."
"I...," Kasumi looked down at Sumika, her expression troubled.
Soun and Genma exchanged thoughtful glances. "I think we'll have to start toughening her up, tomorrow," Genma mused, "don't you agree old friend?"
Soun nodded, "I think so too."
Meanwhile...
Ushio Kazama gave the car a furious look, the brown haired girl kicking at the fender. "I can't believe it broke down!" she growled.
Tomoe Hachisuka and her lover Miyako Taema stood nearby, the shorter Miyako muttering, "We're lucky to be alive."
Tomoe ignored the commentary on her driving as she briskly said, "We're not too far, anyway. We can wait with the car or walk."
The women noted the falling night and the bad neighborhood around them. "Stay with the car," Ushio sighed.
To be continued...