Faking It

Part Six

By Philip Weigel

The Disclaimer is in the Prologue.

_______________________________________________________________________

At the Tendo home, Kasumi was chewing Akane out, who in turn wanted to disappear from the Earth. At the Nekohanten, another confrontation was about to take place.

"Great-grandmother! Great-grandmother! Shampoo needs help, there's new obstacle to getting Aireen!" Not that Shampoo really wanted to marry Ranma, but she needed an excuse to keep away from the village.

Cologne was sitting at the middle table and looked at her heir. "So it seems Kasumi was right. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I guess I have no choice." Shaking her head she continued, "Xian-Pu, you have used and manipulated people around you, so that no one would suspect what you were doing with your time. In a way I'm rather pleased with you, but when you started to abuse the Amazon Laws to get what you want, that's were I have to draw the line."

"Great-grandmother what you saying?" Though Shampoo had a good idea what she was going on about.

Cologne closed her eyes and sighed, opening them and looking at Shampoo, she continued, "When I first came to Nerima, I made many assumptions and mistakes concerning Ranma and his whole situation. I had just thought that he was just a mere male, but after seeing his adventures and learning about his life he's become like part of my family. Do you know how long he's been with that new girl of his?"

Shampoo shook her head. "Then I'll tell you, around a year-and-a-half. When they got serious six months ago, he came to me and asked me to drop the kiss of marriage." Cologne smirked as Shampoo paled. "I asked him why he would want to do that, and why should I grant it to him, when he told me about what you were doing. Of course I didn't believe him. So I followed you around for a while to prove him wrong, but to my chagrin, he was right. Two months ago I wrote the council of elders and requested the marriage kiss be dropped. They'd only agree if he were at least an ally to the tribe, or adopted. I've talked to him for the past four months, but he won't agree."

Shampoo was visibly relieved, "So we no leave then?"

"Of course not, you can continue to have fun with your lovers, but a word of warning, you are not on the good side of a lot of the elders right now, myself included, if you try anything that makes Ranma mad at the Amazons, we will turn you over to him and his wrath." Cologne narrowed her eyes, "You have one chance Shampoo, you had better not mess it up, if Ranma becomes angered at the Amazons because of something you or your lovers did, the punishment won't be pretty. Now it's almost time for the evening rush, hurry up and get ready to serve people." Cologne shook her head, she needed to do something so that Shampoo could go back to the village with her honor intact, though it seemed Shampoo was trying her hardest to act like an honor-less dog.

Meanwhile in Atlanta. . .

Séance, Luan, Carla and a modified Hurt-Bot were playing pinochle when Gina came into the room. Luan spoke up first, "Hey, Gina, what's going on, and did you find out why Gar and Tirga showed up last night?"

Gina nodded her head, "Yep, apparently Sheila's had a boyfriend for over a year now, and now she's engaged."

Séance, Luan and Carla were wide-eyed, they knew that Sheila had guy problems, and finding out that she now had a fiancé was quite shocking. "Hoo boy, I bet Gar got depressed, or angry and wanted to kill the guy."

Gina nodded, "Yep, Luan he did, at least that's what Brianna told me."

Carla smirked, "Well it's about time that girl got some." Seeing everyone look at her, she elaborated. "I'm serious, up until a year or so ago, she was really depressed, and you didn't see how sad Sheila was. She didn't show it much, but her eyes were so depressed that it made me want to cry."

Gina, Luan and Séance blinked, when put like that, it was a good thing that she had a fiancé. Suddenly there was a crash behind Gina, turning to look; Gina and the others saw what looked to be a young man with a backpack with a pink-haired girl hugging him. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" And with that the guy ran down the hallway and disappeared around the corner.

"Well that was weird." Séance muttered. Everyone, including the Hurt-Bot nodded

********

Sheila took a deep breath as they approached the Saotome home. Immediately an odd look crossed her face. Then she rolled her eyes and sighed.

"She probably knows, Ranma," Sheila said. Ranma paused in knocking on the door to look at her with a little confusion.

"Huh, how?" Ranma asked.

"Gar and Tirga are or were here already," Sheila said. "Along with a human girl and...A Kitsune?" She blinked in confusion for a moment.

"So, do you want to save this for later?" Ranma asked nervously.

"No, no," Sheila said quickly. "I want to meet your mother, Ranma. I do." She repeated herself more calmly then. "I do."

"Okay then," Ranma said, raising his arm to knock on the door. It was only a few moments later when Nodoka came to the door.

"Hello...Oh! Ranma!" Nodoka declared happily. She turned to look over Sheila appraisingly.

"Hey, Mom," Ranma said hesitantly. He kept his eyes on her as he gestured to Sheila next to him. "This is Sheila, my uh...fiancée. My decision this time."

"Hi," Sheila said.

"So, when do you plan to get married to my manly son?" Nodoka asked.

Sheila flushed under her fur, at least she apparently passed Nodoka's test.

"Uh, as soon as I can..." Sheila said, slightly upbeat.

"Good," Nodoka said. "Oh, by the way, Ranma, one of those other girls stopped by."

Ranma frowned. "Which one?" he asked.

"The one with the fascination for roses," Nodoka said. "She fainted upon seeing my guests."

********

Dreams were the only time that Hikage and Kodachi were truly and completely separate, when they could talk to each other without getting confused as to which was which.

"I don't understand," Hikage said. "The histories say that all the Werecats except the Cheetahs left Earth thousands of years ago as the age of magic was dwindling to a close." The dark red Kitsune spirit paced about in the mental construct that she and Kodachi formed together for these conversations.

"So what are two of them doing sitting and having tea with Nabiki and Ranma's mother?" Kodachi asked.

"Okay, we have to wake up," Hikage said. "Sort out what's going on and decide whether or not we have to run for the hills."

"If they were going to kill us, wouldn't we be dead already?" Kodachi asked.

"Point," Hikage responded. "But we have to wake up anyway."

"Errr, I suppose," Kodachi said hesitantly. "You remember we helped destroy this house once, right?"

"Yeah, I didn't forget," Hikage said. "Why didn't we pay the damages on that?"

"Because we have no access to any of our money and have to borrow from the ninja," Kodachi answered.

"Right," Hikage said. "Okay, let's wake up now."

********

Kodachi's eyes fluttered open.

"Oh look she's coming out of it," Tirga said. Kodachi sat up and looked around at all the faces staring at her, including the rather grim faces of Ranma and, a cat girl?

Kodachi almost fainted again, but swallowed and firmed her resolve pointing to Sheila.

"Fiancée?" she asked.

"Any problems with that?" Ranma asked grimly.

"Just my family," Kodachi said glancing around at the various people around her nervously. Now it was coming to the scary part...telling the truth.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked. "What does your family have to do with me getting married?"

"Well, Ranma-sama...Ranma," Kodachi said, changing the reference as hostility increased by a few degrees with her original choice. "You see..."

********

Theo was in his room standing near the closet getting a teleport spell ready, all he had to do was lock in on either Gar's, Tirga's or Sheila's aura and both he and Julia would be able to go to Japan to speak with Sheila and her fiancé. Theo shook his head, he was happy for Sheila that was for sure, but he thought that the others were making too big a deal about it.

Theo looked up as Brianna and Genn entered the room, "Hello Brianna, Genn, what brings you two here?"

"Um, dad, can I come with?"

"Oh what for?"

"Well Sheila's one of my best friends and I want her to be happy, so I want to see if this guy is really up-to-par, so to speak."

Theo scratched his chin, "I see. I guess it's all right, just don't try and steal Sheila's fiancé away from her." Theo knew that Brianna more than likely wouldn't do that, but best to remind her.

Brianna nodded her head. She didn't tell, but she really wanted to see just whom it was that could make Sheila so happy.

Genn spoke up, "Umm, Dr. Diggers?"

"Yes Genn, what is it?"

"I kind of want to visit some of my friends on Jade and I can give a message to the Edge Guard about what Sheila, Gar and Tirga are doing right now."

"That's a good idea Genn." He walked over to his desk and pulled out a gate-scroll. He then went over and handed it to Genn, "That should get you to the door of Seer's Hamlet and from there, anywhere you need to go."

Genn nodded her head, "Thanks Dr. Diggers." Genn opened the gate scroll and tossed it by a wall, where a dimensional rift opened up and Genn walked through. Turning just before the doorway closed he yelled to his friends, "Thanks, I'll see you in a few days."

"Bye Genn." Brianna called out to her friend.

********

Genn turned to where the door was at that would allow her access to Seer's Hamlet from Seer's Desert. Walking inside and paying the fee, she set out to the Dragon's Maw Inn where the Edge Guard ate at occasionally. She stepped inside and looked around, she finally saw Thropan at a corner table eating a bit. So she went over to him and decided to tell him about Sheila. "Hey Thropan." Genn said as she neared the Werepanther.

"Hmm?" Thropan wondered who was talking to him when he looked up and saw Genn. "Hey Genn, what's going on? Any news about Gar and Tirga? They were supposed to have been back by now. Raphiel and Onoli are having to pick up the slack while they're gone."

Sitting down Genn just decided to tell Thropan the truth. "Well, you see Thropan, apparently Sheila's been going to Earth because she had a boyfriend."

Thropan interrupted, "Wait, what do you mean had a boyfriend?"

Genn smirked, "She's now engaged."

Thropan blinked his eyes in shock. "Sheila's engaged?!" The thought just blew his mind, Sheila, the one girl he had ever met that couldn't get a date had gotten engaged when no one was looking. "Well, that explains why they haven't been back yet."

"Yeah, she is. Well, I'm going to be going, can you give that message to the rest of the Edge Guard for me?"

Thropan nodded, "Yeah, I can do that Genn, thanks." Genn nodded and got up and left. "Hey, Genn, what are you doing here in the first place?" Thropan had asked before Genn had gotten too far.

Genn turned, "Oh, I'm just here visiting some friends." And with that she left.

Thropan shook his head; 'Well at least that explains why Sheila's so happy every time she comes back from vacation.'

********

Julia came into the room. "Sorry that took so long honey, but I was trying to find the person that wrecked the walls of the house."

Theo smiled at his wife. "It's okay Julia, by the way, Brianna is coming with us."

"Okay." Julia nodded at Theo and he cast a spell that transported the three of them by a corner in the Saotome home in Japan.

Brianna blinked as she took in the surroundings a bit. There was Tirga sitting in a chair, simmering in jealousy, it made her want to giggle. Then there was Gar, who was sitting to the right of Tirga and had his back to her. A girl with a bucket style of hair wearing a green shirt and denim pants that was sitting across from Gar. Glancing around a bit more she saw a red headed woman wearing a kimono sitting at a couch, across the couch she saw a red-brown Kitsune. The Kitsune was facing Sheila and some guy in a red shirt and black pants that had a pigtail hairstyle.

She blinked and smiled a bit as she saw that Sheila had her tail wrapped around the guy's waist and her arm was around his ribs, not to mention that her head was leaning against the guy's shoulder a bit and she was purring slightly. The guy she was resting against had his arm wrapped around her shoulder. The scene made her wish for a camera, and it made her slightly jealous as well.

Nabiki noticed them first, not surprising since she was facing them, "Ano, who are you?" Everyone turned to look at whom it was.

"Master Julia," Gar said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard about Sheila, of course," Julia said. "You called Brianna, she told the rest of us."

"And shame on you for not telling me and Genn about this," Brianna said. Then, she added in a conspiratorial whisper set for the Jagwere's hearing. "This means that Tirga's fair game now right?"

"Do you know these people?" Nodoka asked, turning toward her prospective daughter-in-law.

"Yeah," Sheila said turning an expression toward Brianna that was a mixture of sheepish and exasperated.

"Hello," Theodore said. "I'm Dr. Theodore Diggers, and this is my wife Julia Diggers. Our daughter, Brianna, is a close friend of Sheila's."

"But I don't really understand what they're doing here," Sheila said. "There's no emergency."

"We just want to talk to the couple and see how they plan to handle their future," Julia said.

"I see," Nodoka said. "Could it hold for a moment? This girl was about to explain why she's been harassing my son for months when she had no serious desire to woo him."

All eyes turned toward Kodachi, who was experiencing a lot more magic in a short time than she thought existed on Earth. She looked back and forth between all the people gathered around the room. There were all sorts of Weres; the older gentleman was obviously a mage. Kodachi and Hikage had seen more magic in one day than they had seen in their lifetimes. Both of them.

"Well, my dear," Nodoka said, in a gentle, but still demanding tone. "Would you please be as kind as to explain why you have been after my son, as well as been causing trouble?"

Kodachi nodded her head. "You see, Mrs. Saotome... First off, I would like to say that I am sane... Or at least, I think I am. I have been acting insane for so long, that I'm not sure if I'm still fully there in the head."

"So... it's really just an act then?" Ranma asked. "That still doesn't explain why you would chase me around. What is your 'reasoning' for THAT?" Ranma finished in a rather annoyed tone. Truth be told, Kodachi was not on his good side, what with the blackmail and the poisonings.

Sighing, Kodachi said, "I guess I should start at the beginning. I am two people rolled into one, that of a gymnast of samurai family, Kodachi Kuno and Hikage, a Kitsune."

Becoming rather tense, Kodachi said, "While I was growing up as Kodachi, I was rather abused. You see, unlike the rest of my family, I was NOT insane. And because of that, I tended to be a 'target' for my father and brother's illusions of grandeur. Their flights of fancy always lead to me being hurt physically, if not mentally."

Kodachi sighed, rubbing the side of her head with her hand. "Then came a family trip to Ryugenzawa. 'Brother dear' wanted to add one of the fabled animals to the house as a 'trophy', a 'testament to his magnificence' as he said." Shaking in both fear and angry, Kodachi continued. "Only he didn't find much. And the one animal he did find, made a full of him." Kodachi whimpered. "And then he turned on me..."

"Turned on you?" Ranma asked. He had a gut feeling that what happened was not at all pleasant.

"Yes." Kodachi answered. "He thought it to be my fault and 'punished' me for it. I did manage to break free and ran, and ran... Until I went through a patch of very tall grass and went off the side of a tall cliff and landed in a ravine." Kodachi looked at her hands, sighing wistfully. "It was then that Kodachi Kuno had died... And lived again."

"I take it that is when Hikage found you?" Theo asked, having listened to the conversation.

"Yes." Kodachi answered. "Hikage was alone for the longest time, most of her clan having moved onto the ethereal plain, for there was still much more she wanted to experience. She had found me, took pity, and decided to save my life by melding with me. Using me as a time-share of sorts."

Kodachi was silent for some time. "As for the insanity act... I was changed. My soul and consciousness were weak, and more, or less, were replaced by Hikage's. They would have noticed that, and I would have been found out. So, I decided that if acted just like them, then they would be very accepting of me."

"So to hide the fact you were a Kitsune, you acted insane." Sheila said.

"Hopefully, that was an end to your problems with your brother." Ranma said.

Looking Ranma right in the eyes, Kodachi said, in all seriousness, "No, that was not the end of my troubles. Instead of them using me as a scapegoat for their insanities, I had to go along for the ride. And it was just as bad... Especially when my brother's... 'Tastes' were for the 'forbidden fruit'..."

This caused the others to stare at Kodachi for some time. Ranma was the first to voice what everyone was thinking. "You mean that..."

"Yes..." Kodachi squeaked out. Looked at Ranma, she said, "That is when I started acting more 'violent' and really went into my insane act. I hated and feared Tatewaki more than anything. I was a slave to him as well. I could not leave the family, and even my share of the Kuno family fortune is out of reach to me, as long as Tatewaki still lives. Basically, I became a permanent inmate in an insane asylum..."

Managing to smile, Kodachi said, "And then you came along Ranma. If my brother knew that there was competition for me, he would back off. And in his deluded mind, he was accepting of the idea that you wanted me, especially since you were supposed to be engaged to Akane Tendo, whom my brother wanted. I had a chance to play on his delusions with that. As long as I chased you, my brother would think he had a great chance at Akane, and would also leave me alone as a side-effect." Sighing, Kodachi said, "Basically, Ranma, you became a life-preserver for me, in a sea of raging storms."

Kodachi's eyes hardened. "But without you, to keep up the charade that I had someone, my brother will be after me again. For once he knows you are out of the way of getting Akane, and are not with me, he will realize he has a chance of getting Akane, AND he will realize that he can also go back to chasing me as well... And I don't know how much longer I can hold back. He will find out I am a Kitsune eventually. And then he'll let his insanities play upon that. And I do not think I will survive."