Faking It

Part 7a

By Philip Weigel

The Disclaimer is in the Prologue.

_______________________________________________________________________

"Damn," Ranma said. "That's bad. I'd like to help you..." Sheila tensed for a moment. "But I ain't gonna let you chase me around anymore." Sheila breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I understand that," Kodachi said. She continued in a panicky tone. "But there must be someway that you can help me. I can't keep on like this forever. I don't even know if I really am sane at times."

"Perhaps, we can give you a place to stay," Julia said.

"You mean..." Kodachi said, pausing in confusion. "Leave now?"

"Of course leave," Brianna said. "It's not like you couldn't take care of yourself on the road or anything, right?"

"But, I have to wait for school," Kodachi said.

"I'm sure we can arrange an education for you," Theo said.

"Your situation is untenable dear," Nodoka said. "You have to leave. The sooner the better."

"She can come stay at my place," Tirga said. Sheila and Brianna both leveled cool glares at the Weretiger for that.

"Now is not the time for that," Brianna said. "Come on, you could go to Jade if you want, or come to Atlanta with us. There's an excellent college there."

"I think I'll try Atlanta. I don't know if I could enjoy life on another world."

"I can understand that," Theo commented, "Not many people would like the idea of living on a completely different world."

"However, I would like to visit Jade at some point."

"THAT will not be a problem." Julia commented, "We make enough trips to Jade on our own. An additional passenger now and then wouldn't be a problem."

No one noticed Kodachi eyeballing Gar...

Also unnoticed by everyone else, Sheila had been dragged into the next room...

"C'mon, Sheila!" Nabiki pried, "Give us the details!"

"Uuh..."

"Out with it!" This time Brianna was the one talking, "I want every little yummy detail!!!"

"C'mon...Can't this wait...?"

"NOPE!!" They both shouted.

Sheila looked at Brianna and Nabiki, sweat-dropping at their request/demand for details. "Uuh, I understand Brianna wanting details...but why you Nabiki?"

"In all honesty I fancied Ranma myself, he is a good man, but considering the trouble that followed him I figured it'd be safer for my health to remain out of the fiancée bid."

Sheila nodded at that. Nabiki obviously wasn't a fighter or someone seeming capable of defending herself, so it was understandable.

"Well...since you two are so eager for details...." Sheila grinned wickedly. "I'll tell, but I must warn you it will invoke jealousy and I'm not adverse to derailing anyone who tries to nab my man."

Suffice to say the 'details' were leaving Nabiki and Brianna drooling, and making Nabiki wish she HAD taken a chance to make Ranma her own a long time ago!

While Sheila was giving Brianna and Nabiki details Ranma was talking with his mom, Julia and Theo. Julia spoke up first, "All right first thing I want to ask is are you serious about your relationship with Sheila?"

Ranma nodded and answered, "Yes. Yes I am." The tone of voice left no room for doubt. "Why do you ask?"

Julia nodded, "Good, and I asked because the last time I saw her, she had this rather lonely look in her eyes, and I don't want you to lead her on."

Ranma shook his head, "Don't worry about that. I'd never lead on the girl I like."

Nodoka raised an eyebrow, "But what about?"

Ranma turned to his mother, "Don't say anything about that, I wasn't sure how I felt towards them." Nodoka just nodded.

Theo spoke up, "I'm not going to ask about that, but how are you going to handle living in two different dimensions? It's not like you can just turn a corner and be on Earth from Jade."

Ranma blinked, "Why not? Ryoga does it all the time." Everyone sweat-dropped.

Nodoka spoke to her son, "Ranma, isn't that because that Hibiki lad has that directional curse?"

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, but it should be getting better. I mean, he only disappears for two and a half weeks at the most anymore."

Julia and Theo had really big sweat-drops on their heads thinking, 'No one can have that bad a directional sense.'

Ranma shrugged, "Anyways, I think I'll live with Sheila on Jade. I can always just visit if necessary." Ranma then shrugged and pulled out a mirror from inside his shirt. "I can always get home with this. Just as long as I don't take more than three people with me at a time."

Theo blinked as he felt magical energies coming off of the mirror. "What is that?"

"This? The Nan-ban Mirror. It allows a person to travel to any time and anywhere. Well, it used to, it's broken for the most part."

Theo frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I can use it to go anywhere I want to, but I can't time-travel with it." Ranma then shook his head; "I still don't know why that black dog and his pet human tried to get this from me two months ago."

Julia blinked, "You mean Peachbody and Benji?" Ranma looked at her and nodded. "Why would they want that?"

Ranma shook his head, "Poochy-boy said something about preventing Paradoxes or something like that. The thing about the mirror is that you can meet your younger self and not cause all of time to break apart." Ranma then frowned, "Damn attack boy, he broke my arm when he took his collar off. Still beat him though."

Julia was impressed, Ryan had told her how good Benji was without the collar, and if Ranma could beat him, well, let's just say that Julia wanted to test the boy when they got to Atlanta.

"I know that look in your eyes."

Julia blinked, "What?"

Ranma smirked, "You got this look that screams, 'I want to fight a worthy opponent'. Am I right?" Julia nodded, "Well I do know where we can fight. There's a soccer field nearby, where I've had a lot of battles."

Julia nodded, "That sounds good."

Theo sweat-dropped, "You just can't resist a good fight, can you?"

Julia turned to him and smirked, "Nope. Just like Gina can't resist a good scientific challenge."

Theo sighed; he couldn't win with his wife.

Ranma turned to his mom. "Mom, I really want to live on the Earth, but if I do, then all of my problems will keep coming after me."

Nodoka nodded, "Yes I can understand that, my unworthy husband has just created too many problems for you." She sighed, then smiled, "Just invite me to the wedding."

Ranma smiled and hugged her. "Sure, you'll be the first to know the date."

Julia spoke up, "Well Ranma, are you ready?"

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, just let me get Shechan and I'll take you to the field."

"NO WAY! HE CAN'T BE THAT BIG!"

Ranma blushed, "Maybe we should wait until they're done talking?"

Everyone nodded.

********

"Aiya," Shampoo said. "Is not only one with problems."

"What happened here!?" Akane demanded as they came to the site of what had used to be Uc-chans.

"What the #%&* do you THINK happened?" Ukyou demanded, standing up from the wreckage. "My store is gone! Konatsu and Tsubasa decided a went too far and blew up my store!"

"That why your face all red?" Shampoo asked.

"Yeah, were you too close to the explosion?" Akane asked.

"No, THAT happened," Ukyou said, "When Azusa found out I was cheating on her."

"Oh, I...WAIT!" Akane said. "You were sleeping with Azusa and didn't share with us?"

"That no way to be good friend," Shampoo agreed.

"To be honest," Ukyou said. "I don't care anymore. Do you know what our 'friendship' has gotten me?" She advanced on the other two.

"Mind-blowing sex," Akane said.

"There we have the pros," Ukyou said. "Or pro rather. Now, the cons: my shop's gone, my reputation is through the ringer, my best-friend hates me, the best girl I've yet met turned me into a punching bag and I still have the dishonor of Ranma's walking out on me to deal with! And do you know who's fault all that is!?!"

"Ranma's?" Akane asked weakly.

"Nooo," Ukyou said, stepping forward and jabbing a finger at Shampoo. "YOURS! 'No problem! Use Aireen for decoy, Shampoo been doing that for months!'" Then she whirled on Akane. "And YOURS! 'If we don't do anything ourselves we're not going against Kasumi.' And MINE!"

She took a pose down to one knee as if supplicating someone.

"'I swear, Azusa-chan,'" Ukyou said in a sugar sweet, sincere voice. "'You are my one and only consort from this point forward. I won't ever see any of those other girls ever again!'"

She stood up and angrily turned to each of the girls in turn.

"So, fuck off!" she shouted, shoving a double birdie in the Amazon's face. "And fuck off!" She whirled to give Akane the same treatment. "I'm taking my grill and heading somewhere they've never even heard of Nerima before."

So saying she slung her grill to her back and stomped off down the street.

"That could have gone better," Akane noted.

********

It was pretty silent on the grounds of the Kuno Estate. Tatewaki Kuno was currently away, having gone to Okinawa with the rest of the school's Kendo Club for a tournament. As for Principal Kuno, he was never home. In a fact, the school gymnasium had been reconstructed as a mock-up of Hawaii for his office, and in consequence, his new 'home'.

Still, there was the faithful retainer of the Kuno Household. The bootlicking, brown-nosing ninja-faced servant, Sasuke.

Sasuke was currently using a broom to sweep along a stretch of coddle-stone pathway. Leaves from the trees would fall occasionally, and it was one of his 263 duties to the Kunos, that he makes sure the place always looked neat and tidy, even when they purposely battled one another and destroyed parts of the estate.

But, Sasuke took it in stride. He would do anything for the Kuno Household. They had saved him from a fate worse than death at the hands of his old master, and he had spent the past thirty years as a loyal servant for them and a loyal worker that helped indulge them in their rather... 'Eccentric' ways...

"Must tidy, must clean, and all with creaky Ninja-feet!" Sasuke mentally chanted over and over again, making sure that everything was spic-and-span. "Yes. Once again, I take care of the fallen vegetation, and make everything as neat as it should."

However, there was then a sound, and a spark of light to the side. Sasuke 'eeped' and jumped out of view, and onto the roof, looking over the ledge he saw two figures. The first was some male foreigner with white hair and goatee in what looked like a black body suit. The second one was QUITE surprising for Sasuke. It was unmistakably a female Kitsune. A three-tailed one no less.

However, something was odd about the Kitsune. She wore a VERY familiar green leotard. And that hairstyle, a ponytail on the right side of her head, "No, that couldn't be," Sasuke though. "There's no way that that Kitsune is Mistress Kodachi."

Theo looked around the estate for a bit. It was quite beautiful. Kodachi had definitely come from a rich family. "Are you sure it's safe to be here, Miss Kuno?"

Kodachi nodded her head. "Yes. Father is never home, and my," Kodachi shivered, "Brother won't be back for at least another two days. He's on that trip with the Kendo Club."

Nodding his head to that, Theo asked, "Sounds good. So what do we need to bring with us?"

"Well," Kodachi began, "I would like to bring some of my botanical research. I was so close to making some great venoms and anti-venoms, as well as same rather nice perfumes. Oh, and can't forget Mr. Midorigame. He's my absolute bestest friend!"

"Mr. Green Turtle?" Theo asked.

"Why yes." Kodachi said. "So, would it be all right if I brought my pet, Diggers-san?"

Theo thought about it for a moment, and then nodded his head. After all, what's the harm of a girl bringing along her pet turtle?

Kodachi smiled at Theo. "Thank you Diggers-san."

Sasuke's eyes were wide with awe. He couldn't believe that his mistress was a mythical Kitsune. "MISTRESS KODACHI!!!"

Both Kodachi and Theo stopped at hearing that. They turned their heads and watched as the small ninja leapt up from the roof and landed near them. "Mistress Kodachi! How long have you been a Kitsune?"

Kodachi blushed. "A long while."

Theo made movements to perform a spell; most likely a sleeping spell mixed with a memory wipe, But Kodachi put her hand over Theo's. "Please, Sasuke. Don't tell my brother or father. They wouldn't understand. I have to leave for my safety."

Sasuke felt his heart drop with that. "Y, you're leaving!?"

"Yes." Kodachi said. "I have to go. They will live life easier if I just disappear and never darken their doorstep again. If they know what I really am, they will become obsessive and hunt be down so they can 'free' my soul of this 'farce' that I am."

Sasuke just stared at Kodachi. His Mistress... The only one of the Kuno family who EVER treated him nicely in some fashion, (never sold him out when she found out he wet the bed) and did things on occasion for him, (those cookies WERE rather delicious... When not poisoned) was leaving the Kuno Estate... FOR GOOD!

Sasuke leapt to Kodachi's feet. "Mistress Kodachi, you can't! Where will you go? What will you do? It's a big, scary world out there! Oh please Mistress Kodachi, stay here!"

Kodachi was dumb-founded. She had always been rather mean to the servant, as seemed to be the natural way to act for her family... But to see that he cared for her, even when it's revealed to him she's not human... It was a blow to Kodachi's conscience. "Sasuke... Don't do this. You know how the others are. Just forget you ever saw me."

"But mistress!" Sasuke tried.

Kodachi narrowed her eyes. "Listen, Sasuke! As your Mistress, then I am commanding you to leave me alone! You're fired!" She internally winced. Yes, it was harsh, but she HAD to get him to leave her be so she could leave.

Sasuke sighed and stood up. "I'm fired?"

"YES!" Kodachi said.

A small smile appeared on Sasuke's face. "Very well then, Miss Kuno." His smile widened. "Since I am fired, I'M GOING WITH YOU!"

"What!?" Kodachi asked.

"Now hold on," Theo began, "There is no real reason for you to go along. Kodachi has to leave because she's a Kitsune. You're just... A... ninja?" His words died on his lips as Sasuke had shifted his form.

Kodachi was wide-eyed. Sasuke was not human at all. He had shifted form to that of an animal/human hybrid. "Sasuke... You're a Nezumi?"

Sasuke smirked. It had been awhile since he was in his true form, and it felt good. "Actually, I prefer the term, 'Wererat'."