Chapter 4

"What that supposed to be?" Ukyous fingers whitened on her bentou.

"Ummmm . . .well it was supposed to be 'perseverance' but now I think it's really nothing"

"Shan Pu agree, look like nothing."

"I believe." Came an icy voice, "That Akanechan was trying to write the CHARACTER for perseverance but upon reflection changed it to the character 'mu' or nothing. This shows very advanced skills and a keen zen understand . . ."

"Keen blade beat ink and brush. What warrior need sissy . . ." Ukyou took a bite of okinomyaki . . .strange she'd made it fresh , why did it taste like something scrapped off the floor of a movie theater?

"Actually, I just spilled . . ." Akanes voice was small and almost lost in the tumult.

"Sissy! Perhaps to an unlettered barbarian such as yourself. WE Japanese have long known that the COMPLETE warrior is a person of culture, refinement . . ."

"Maybe Shan Pu refine Kodachi upside her head with . . ."

"I don't know . . .maybe I should try a heavier paper, this keeps tearing. And a different brand of brush. These leak . . ."

"I would take you to task for your impertinence" Kodachi laughed slightly ". . .after Akanechan's lessons. I will allow nothing to interfere with her progress. She is really quite talented."

"HA . . .what you know? Akanechan MY student first. I see she make great warrior. One of best I ever see."

"Really!" Akane's excited voice cut across the school yard "OH, Shan Pu . . . do you really mean that? You're not just saying that because we're friends?" Ukyou looked down to see the broken halves of her chopsticks laying on the grass.

"Of course she is a consummate warrior. Any person of refinement could tell that from her calligraphy. . .the bold strokes, uninhibited use of ink and paper . . .the original placement of characters, unrestrained by tradition or convention . . .'

"Oh, I thought that just meant I was clumsy. My old teacher . . ."

"Imbecile , untutored ignoramuses all." Kodachi assured Akane. "The great Zen master Ryoukan frequently could not read his own writing."

"Well" Akane began doubtfully. "You're the sensei. But I don't want you to go easy on me, just because we're friends." The tortured scream of tearing metal jerked Ukyou's eyes to the twisted mass of metal in her hands. Cheap mail order junk she thought. Unbreakable titanium alloy my . . .Muttering imprecations under her breath she tossed the ruined spatula aside and stalked off to her next class.

******************************************************************** It wasn't fair Ukyou thought trudging back to her shop. Even the psycho had made friends. Dammit, her fiancé dumped her when she was six . . .she lost her family, her honor, her womanhood and now this. She'd made a deal with the devil, given up the only thing in life that was hers. The only thing that gave her life meaning; she had sold her future to buy a chance at regaining her past and even that didn't work. If she didn't make friends with Akane . . .and soon . . .SHE'D get the blame when Akane di . . .when Akane . . .when it happened she UKYOU would be left holding the bag. The best she could hope for would be to escape jail. A rumble of thunder jerked her out of her gloomy introspection and she looked up at the black thunder heads that exactly matched her mood. Great, she thought, And me with no umbrella. What more could happen?

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"I'm sorry Kuonjisan, with these old buildings sometimes they can't take the high wind."

"Sorry . . .SORRY!" Ukyou looked around at what used to be Ukyou's Okynomyaki. Before a gust of wind had peeled back part of the roof like an old sardine tin. Before a night of heavy rain had washed away . . ."

"I don't need sorry. I need to know what you're going to do about . . ." Ukyou waved a pale, shaking hand a the ruins. "About THIS!! EVERY THING I own is ruined. The booths, the storage area . . .all the cooking supplies. And MY room, my clothes, bed . . .everything is RUINED." Shaking from reaction, and the exhaustion of a long and futile fight to save something . . .anything. And now this pompous jackass . . .

"You OWN this building. I pay rent . . .what are you going to do? I have a business to run. I can't afford to close down . . ."

"As I've tried to explain, your lease doesn't cover "acts of god." We are not obligated to make good damages of this kind."

"Then what good are you? Why are you here?"

"Well, it is the first of the month." Ukyou stared at the man, uncomprehending.

"Your rent is due. In fact, because of inflation I'm afraid there will be an increase in the rent."

"get out."

"I beg your pardon?" The fussy little man couldn't believe what he thought he heard.

"get out. get out of my restaurant."

"But your rent? You must pay . . .or leave by the end of . . ."

"get out . . .of . . .MY RESTAURANT!" Even if the tone hadn't been perfectly clear, the shiny , sharp, (very very sharp he noticed) battle spatula that appeared suddenly under his nose crossed all language barriers.

"There are laws." the little man stuttered. "I'll have the police, I'll. . ." With a deep throated growl Ukyou dropped the spatula. The little man had a nano- second to feel relief before Ukyou grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and heaved him out the door. Unfortunately without first opening the door. Ukyou wasn't sure why that should make such a difference, but it did; to the little man, to the police and finally to the judge.

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"Kuonji . . .up and out." Ukyou struggled up from the thin mat on the floor. Scrubbing sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand she couldn't believe she'd dozed off . . .at a time like this . . .in a place like this. Still, she thought bitterly, maybe she should get used to jail. She'd lost everything . . .Ranma . . .her restaurant . . .

"Ukyou! Are you alright? What did you DO to her!" Ukyou jerked up right. NO! It couldn't be . . .

"I've heard about what goes on in prison." Ukyou groaned. Perfect. She'd rather rot in jail than . . .

"Now Tendousan, I assure you that Kuonjisan has been treated with . . ."

"Ukyou should NEVER have been in jail. Why can't you put real criminals in jail. Like that panty thief?" The jailer gulped. The panty thief was a sore point with the police. Thousands of complaints and not a single clue.

"Ukyou . . .are you alright? I came as soon as I heard. It took a little while . . .I've never been in jail before . . .well I have but that was being kidnaped and doesn't really count." She turned to the jailer for conformation. "Kidnaping doesn't count as really being in jail does it?" Given a choice, Ukyou would have remained in the small cramped cell, sharing bathing facilities with some large mustachioed woman named Fujii rather than be rescued by Akane. Ukyou wasn't given an option to remain in jail but was remanded into the custody of one Tendou Akane. Glaring at the police Akane made sure that all of Ukyou's possessions were returned and waited while she changed from the prison coverall into her street clothes.

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"I'm sorry I didn't think to bring you any fresh clothes." Akane apologized as they walked along. "I was so ANGRY that they would take you off to jail. I mean people get thrown through the wall all the time. What's one little door. If they took everyone to jail . . . Look at Mu Tsu, and Ryouga. And Ranma, he goes through more walls and ceilings and . . ."

"Would you just SHUT UP!" Akane stopped, stunned. "U . . .ukyou? What's wrong. What . . ."

"Are you happy now? Are you?" Akane stared bewildered.

"Well, I'm NOT a charity case. And I'm not your friend. I'd rather rot in hell than be your friend." She wouldn't cry. Not in front of Akane. She wouldn't cry . . .that would be . . .she just couldn't stand it if she . . . Whirling suddenly Ukyou ran off, leaving Akane standing pale and shaken.

******************************************************************** Banging and clattering noises from downstairs awoke Ukyou. Groaning she slowly sat up, trying to stretch out the stiffness from sleeping on a damp futon. Her teeth felt furry and she could FEEL her eyeballs. Something tinkled as she moved and she winced as a bottle clattered across the floor. Oh yes . . .the sake . . .the special bottle she'd been saving. Saving for her wed . . .Hastily she cut off that thought, wishing she could cut off her head. Then maybe it wouldn't hurt. Pulling on an old robe that was the least damp and dirty of her surviving wardrobe Ukyou stumbled down stairs. At the foot she froze . . .all of Japan, or at least most of Tokyou was in her restaurant. Hammering, nailing, cleaning, bailing . . .hoards of boys and girls . . .from School, Ukyou recognized some of them.

"What . . .what's going on?"

"Ah . . .Kuonjisan." A girl, Ukyou recognized her as being on the volleyball team but couldn't remember her name, came up holding a steaming cup of coffee. The rich caffeine roast aroma assaulted her taste buds like the Huns assaulting Chin. And like the Chin, when rape is inevitable . . . Ukyou would have sold her soul but the angel disguised as a school girl didn't even haggle, only handed her the life giving nectar. Ukyou inhaled two mugs before enough synapse's were firing to produce a coherent thought.

"What is going on? Why are you all here?"

"We're fixing up the damage. We should be finished by the end of the week."

"But I didn't . . .I can't afford . . ." Confused, Ukyou stumbled to a stop.

"Oh, that's not a problem. Ukyou's Okinomyaki is a landmark . . .it wouldn't be the same without you." Ukyou's face grew warm at the thought of how much she meant to everyone, then cold at the next careless words from one of the carpenters.

"Plus Akane said she'd pound anyone who didn't . . ." One of the girls mopping up clouted him over the head, then turned to bow to Ukyou.

"Please, don't listen to this idiot" she clouted the idiot again. "Ukyousan. Akane just spread the word that you needed help."

"Yeah, and when Akanechan speaks . . .boys listen." Another girl , one scrapping mud off the wall quipped.

"What they mean is" Put in a boy carrying a load of trash out back. "Is that Akane is . . .well . . .you just hate to disappoint her. She's so enthusiastic. And you know she'd help YOU if you needed it. So if SHE asks for help . . ."

"And too, she's captain of the tennis club . ."

"And volleyball . . ."

"Baseball, and archery clubs don't forget." Chimed in several voices.

"We couldn't let our captain down when she . . ." Ukyou tuned out all the chattering voices. This couldn't be happening Not after . . .

"OH! I am so STUPID. I was supposed to give you this when you came down." Ukyou took the note that was thrust under her nose and read it. Turning pale she crumpled the note in her hand and stalked for the door.

"Wait . . .Ukyousan . . .wait. I was supposed to give you this too." Turning furiously Ukyou automatically took a bundle . . .of clean clothes . . .that was thrust into her hands.

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"One special, coming up." Ukyou flipped the okinomyaki off the griddle and sent if sailing across the room to land neatly on a plate.

"Two orders Dim Sung? Yes sir. Right away . . ."

"Mr. Part Time . . .stop talking to the plants and bring some more fish from the back."

"Oh yes. Only freshest ingredients. Okinomyaki? Yes, that new. >From best okinomyaki cook all Japan." Ukyou felt like Alice . . .and she was still falling down the rabbit hole.

"Certainly can have any kind okinomyaki . . .Ukyousan fix right at table if want."

"Certainly sir, madame." Ukyou said, moving to the couples table in response to Shan Pu's hand signal. ********************************************************************

"You are very lucky, young one." Cu Lon said during a lull in the lunch crowd.

"Well, yes. I really do want to thank you for letting me run Ukyou's from the Nekohaten while repairs are . . ." Cu Lon held up a hand. "I am not the person who should receive your thanks." Ukyou's lips tightened, imperceptibly she imagined, forgetting who she was with. Thinking of the note from Akane, telling her she could work out of the Nekohaten until her shop was repaired made her stomach churn. Thinking of the clothes from Akane, the helpers from Akane, made her shake with rage. Thinking of all the hand lettered signs, . . .there was no mistaking Akane's broad enthusiastic brushwork telling of Ukyou's Okinomyaki 'renovation' and temporary relocation in the Nekohaten, made her blood boil. Akane must have stayed up all night making, then posting those signs. Ukyou had heard they were posted far east as Shibuyaku. Akane had saved Ukyou's Okinomyaki . . .and Ukyou hated her for it, hated Akane so much her bones hurt. Akane had taken her fiancé . . .her honor . . .now her restaurant and her pride.

"Yes . . .yes . . .I must thank Akane for everything she has done." Cu Lon's eyes narrowed. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew her great-grand daughter was involved in some scheme. And this one, and the other girl. All three of them were up to something.

"Well, she was very persuasive." Cu Lon added. "Pointing out how small business owners must stick together. How adding okinomyakai to the menu could only help business." This was all true. Cu Lon had found Tendou Akane to be amazingly persuasive. So much so that she was afraid she had underestimated the girl. But the real reason was curiosity.

"I have lived many years, too many years some would say." Ukyou frowned down at the tiny Amazon, wondering where this conversation was going. "And in those years I have learned that friends are the most important thing a person can have. You are very lucky to have such a good, such a true friend as Tendou Akane."

"Friends." A sudden smile lit Ukyou's face as she remembered the old adage; keep your friends close and your enemies closer."Yes, friends are very important. And Akane is such a close friend."

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