Takes place a week after the events in the second novel, except that Kitsune and Motoko are still in switched bodies. Yes, it's not the best premise, and the novels kind of suck, but the idea kept nagging at me to write it down.
Balancing act.
ôThis is a rather difficult situation, you two.ö announced the elder Aoyama as she reached for her tea.
Motoko squirmed in KitsuneÆs body. She might have been more comfortable if she was in her original body. A week had passed since the mix-up with the living souls exchange, and that worthless scroll failed to return her to HER body. Simply being in the same room as her sister was often enough to unnerve her, but the recent announcement of her failure had put her sister into a less amicable state of mind.
æSheÆs going to make me commit seppuku.Æ she thought. æNo! SheÆll return me to my body and THEN make me commit seppuku. No, thatÆs too easy. She WONÆT let me commit seppuku! No! SheÆll-æ
In contrast Kitsune was rather calm. It wasnÆt out of courage or stoicism, but from ignorance. She simply had no idea of how terrifying Tsuroko could be. Granted, Kitsune was still afraid of her, but without years of exposure to the demon slaying terror she was more unnerved about how uncomfortable MotokoÆs body was. Kitsune hadnÆt adjusted well to life in MotokoÆs body. Where MotokoÆs finely-tuned reflexes and superhuman strength would react with grace and flawlessness, KitsuneÆs movements were erratic and clumsy. Worst of all, Motoko refused to let Kitsune ôcorruptö her body with alcohol. Kitsune had not touched a drop of alcohol in the past week and at the moment she was parched.
ôI donÆt suppose you have anything stronger than tea?ö TsurokoÆs gaze fixed upon Motoko.
ôIÆm terribly sorry, Ms Konno, but I would prefer your mind to be as clear as possible for the rest of our little chat.ö
ôUm, IÆm over here actually.ö
ôI am aware of that Ms Konno.ö Tsuroko continued to stare at Motoko.
ôOh. Uh-ö
ôShinmei-ryu has more enemies than you are aware of, Ms Konno. If any of them discovered this mishap the results could be devastating. It is best that I keep up appearences.ö TsurokoÆs gaze hadnÆt moved. Motoko could scarcely breathe.
ôWell I guess that makes sense.ö
ôObviously.öreplied Tsuroko as she turned from Motoko. The younger sister took a single deep breath and shuddered before returning to normal. ôNow as for your æsituationÆ there are sadly very few cures. There is a surefire method. I believe that Motoko has a scroll which-ô
ôWe tried that, sister.ö TsurokoÆs paralyzing gaze now fixed on Kitsune, who was beginning to learn why Motoko feared her so much.
ôDid you? That is...odd. That technique is not supposed to carry the slightest chance of failure. Are you certain that you preformed the ritual adequetly?ö
ôYes, sister. We followed it to the letter!ö
ôReally? Who did you use as the sheath? I thought Mr. Urashima had left for Amereica.ö MotokoÆs mind backpedaled furiously.
ôI told you, we followed it to the-What did you mean by æwho?Æö
ôWhy the man, of course. Who did you use for...ö Tsuroko came to an unpleasant realization. ôDear sister, you did not follow it verbatim, did you?ö
ôThatÆs what I was trying to tell you!ö the elder Aoyama paused for a few moments to contain her frustration. The woman looked like a powder keg set to explode and neither Kitsune nor Motoko felt like adding a spark. After gathering her thoughts the older woman spoke.
ôYou are far to innocent for your own good dear. That manuscript was written in a more prudish age than ours and was intended to be symbolic. It actually refers to a manÆs-ö
ôI-it said to use the sheath of the sword used in the transfer! What does that have to do with...you know...ö
ôA Penis?ö suggested Kitsune. MotokoÆs, or to be more precise KitsuneÆs face flushed in embarrassment.
ôPrecisely Ms Konno. The answer to the question is simple though. Most mishaps in the past involved male and female students, or two males on occasion. In those situations the æsheathÆ is readily available. The first instance involving two women occurred after the scroll was written.ö
ôMotoko and I arenÆt going to have to have sex, are we?ö asked Kitsune TsurokoÆs nose wrinkled in slight disgust.
ôIf you must, but-ö Kitsune cut her off.
ôBelieve me, IÆd rather not. No offense, Motoko.ö
ôNone taken.ö Motoko eyed Kitsune suspisciously.
ôWhat? ItÆs a legitimate question!ö Kitsune exclaimed.
ôAs I was saying, I wouldnÆt recommend it. There were...complications when the first two tried to right themselves in that manner.ö
ôI canÆt believe this. DoesnÆt this method only work on the first night?ö Motoko was desperately looking for a way out of this.
ôThatÆs not what æfirst nightÆ refers to. It refers to a womanÆs...first night in bed..ö Tsuroko responded. ôMs Konno, have you ever been with a man?ö Motoko stammered. She wasnÆt expecting that response, nor was she prepared for it being asked in her direction. Kitsune was slightly more relaxed. To her the conversation was becoming more akin to locker room talk. That she could handle. Crazy-sister-to-sister death talks she was less adept at.
ôYou mean sex? Not unless you count some heavy petting.ö
ôAs long as your maidenhood is intact, then yes.ö Kitsune let out a sigh of relief.
ôWell, IÆm good then.ö
ôI see. And you sister?ö MotokoÆs brain locked up.
ôI-I-I would never! I-I h-have-ö Her head jerked side to side spasmodically.
ôJust checking Dear sister.ö
ôI believe that you think I would- That I would even-ö
ôI was just checking, sister. It is necessary for this to work; after all.ö
ôIsnÆt there any other way? There has to be!ö
ôWell, I suppose we could petition some of the lesser known kami.ö
ôShouldnÆt we try that instead?ö Asked Motoko, holding to the faint glimmer of hope that...that...process could be avoided, or at least postponed.
ôI wouldnÆt. Such kami are quite unreliable if not whimsical. YouÆd be lucky if they put you in a human body, much less your own.ö
ôYou mean like an animal?ö Kitsune inquired.
ôYes. For example, they may deem to place you in a turtleÆs body.ö Motoko blanched at the suggestion. ôIt seems a bit drastic to avoid copulating in my opinion.ö MotokoÆs glimmer of hope died out. If her sister hadnÆt mentioned the turtle, she might still try dealing with the kami. Her sister was correct though. With her luck sheÆd spend the rest of her life in TamaÆs body.
ôSo what happens now?ö Kitsune asked.
ôI am going to start searching in the Shinmei ryu ranks for a suitor. That is, unless either of you already have someone in mind?ö
ôSuitor! But what about becoming the head of the school? You said-ö
ôFirst off, marriage would hardly preclude you from headmastership. Secondly, do you really believe the elders would allow you to become headmaster after this incident? Why do you think I was asked to step down?ö Tsuroko argued. Motoko couldnÆt believe her ears.
ôThey asked you to do what?ö
ôWhen I was still being groomed for the position of headmaster they requested that I preform this technique on another student. To qualify for the position of headmaster a student must show the raw talent necessary to perform this right the first time. As you can tell I failed, and that is how I married your brother-in-law.ö
ôWow, thatÆs kind of a tough break.ö added Kitsune.
ôIÆm sorry, sister. I didnÆt know.ö
ôDo not mistake my situation, sister. I love my husband, even before I was asked to perform the test we were...attracted to each other.ö
ôI understand, sister.ö
ôVery good. Now, unless you have a suitor in mind, I must make some phone calls. In addition, I would like to have a few words with Ms Konno in private.ö
ôHuh? Why me?ö
ôThat will become clear to you. Now, if you donÆt mind, could you excuse us Motoko?ö
ôYes, sister.ö With that Motoko briskly exited the room and walked towards KitsuneÆs. Motoko began to understand why the fox-woman drank so much.
Balancing act.
ôThis is a rather difficult situation, you two.ö announced the elder Aoyama as she reached for her tea.
Motoko squirmed in KitsuneÆs body. She might have been more comfortable if she was in her original body. A week had passed since the mix-up with the living souls exchange, and that worthless scroll failed to return her to HER body. Simply being in the same room as her sister was often enough to unnerve her, but the recent announcement of her failure had put her sister into a less amicable state of mind.
æSheÆs going to make me commit seppuku.Æ she thought. æNo! SheÆll return me to my body and THEN make me commit seppuku. No, thatÆs too easy. She WONÆT let me commit seppuku! No! SheÆll-æ
In contrast Kitsune was rather calm. It wasnÆt out of courage or stoicism, but from ignorance. She simply had no idea of how terrifying Tsuroko could be. Granted, Kitsune was still afraid of her, but without years of exposure to the demon slaying terror she was more unnerved about how uncomfortable MotokoÆs body was. Kitsune hadnÆt adjusted well to life in MotokoÆs body. Where MotokoÆs finely-tuned reflexes and superhuman strength would react with grace and flawlessness, KitsuneÆs movements were erratic and clumsy. Worst of all, Motoko refused to let Kitsune ôcorruptö her body with alcohol. Kitsune had not touched a drop of alcohol in the past week and at the moment she was parched.
ôI donÆt suppose you have anything stronger than tea?ö TsurokoÆs gaze fixed upon Motoko.
ôIÆm terribly sorry, Ms Konno, but I would prefer your mind to be as clear as possible for the rest of our little chat.ö
ôUm, IÆm over here actually.ö
ôI am aware of that Ms Konno.ö Tsuroko continued to stare at Motoko.
ôOh. Uh-ö
ôShinmei-ryu has more enemies than you are aware of, Ms Konno. If any of them discovered this mishap the results could be devastating. It is best that I keep up appearences.ö TsurokoÆs gaze hadnÆt moved. Motoko could scarcely breathe.
ôWell I guess that makes sense.ö
ôObviously.öreplied Tsuroko as she turned from Motoko. The younger sister took a single deep breath and shuddered before returning to normal. ôNow as for your æsituationÆ there are sadly very few cures. There is a surefire method. I believe that Motoko has a scroll which-ô
ôWe tried that, sister.ö TsurokoÆs paralyzing gaze now fixed on Kitsune, who was beginning to learn why Motoko feared her so much.
ôDid you? That is...odd. That technique is not supposed to carry the slightest chance of failure. Are you certain that you preformed the ritual adequetly?ö
ôYes, sister. We followed it to the letter!ö
ôReally? Who did you use as the sheath? I thought Mr. Urashima had left for Amereica.ö MotokoÆs mind backpedaled furiously.
ôI told you, we followed it to the-What did you mean by æwho?Æö
ôWhy the man, of course. Who did you use for...ö Tsuroko came to an unpleasant realization. ôDear sister, you did not follow it verbatim, did you?ö
ôThatÆs what I was trying to tell you!ö the elder Aoyama paused for a few moments to contain her frustration. The woman looked like a powder keg set to explode and neither Kitsune nor Motoko felt like adding a spark. After gathering her thoughts the older woman spoke.
ôYou are far to innocent for your own good dear. That manuscript was written in a more prudish age than ours and was intended to be symbolic. It actually refers to a manÆs-ö
ôI-it said to use the sheath of the sword used in the transfer! What does that have to do with...you know...ö
ôA Penis?ö suggested Kitsune. MotokoÆs, or to be more precise KitsuneÆs face flushed in embarrassment.
ôPrecisely Ms Konno. The answer to the question is simple though. Most mishaps in the past involved male and female students, or two males on occasion. In those situations the æsheathÆ is readily available. The first instance involving two women occurred after the scroll was written.ö
ôMotoko and I arenÆt going to have to have sex, are we?ö asked Kitsune TsurokoÆs nose wrinkled in slight disgust.
ôIf you must, but-ö Kitsune cut her off.
ôBelieve me, IÆd rather not. No offense, Motoko.ö
ôNone taken.ö Motoko eyed Kitsune suspisciously.
ôWhat? ItÆs a legitimate question!ö Kitsune exclaimed.
ôAs I was saying, I wouldnÆt recommend it. There were...complications when the first two tried to right themselves in that manner.ö
ôI canÆt believe this. DoesnÆt this method only work on the first night?ö Motoko was desperately looking for a way out of this.
ôThatÆs not what æfirst nightÆ refers to. It refers to a womanÆs...first night in bed..ö Tsuroko responded. ôMs Konno, have you ever been with a man?ö Motoko stammered. She wasnÆt expecting that response, nor was she prepared for it being asked in her direction. Kitsune was slightly more relaxed. To her the conversation was becoming more akin to locker room talk. That she could handle. Crazy-sister-to-sister death talks she was less adept at.
ôYou mean sex? Not unless you count some heavy petting.ö
ôAs long as your maidenhood is intact, then yes.ö Kitsune let out a sigh of relief.
ôWell, IÆm good then.ö
ôI see. And you sister?ö MotokoÆs brain locked up.
ôI-I-I would never! I-I h-have-ö Her head jerked side to side spasmodically.
ôJust checking Dear sister.ö
ôI believe that you think I would- That I would even-ö
ôI was just checking, sister. It is necessary for this to work; after all.ö
ôIsnÆt there any other way? There has to be!ö
ôWell, I suppose we could petition some of the lesser known kami.ö
ôShouldnÆt we try that instead?ö Asked Motoko, holding to the faint glimmer of hope that...that...process could be avoided, or at least postponed.
ôI wouldnÆt. Such kami are quite unreliable if not whimsical. YouÆd be lucky if they put you in a human body, much less your own.ö
ôYou mean like an animal?ö Kitsune inquired.
ôYes. For example, they may deem to place you in a turtleÆs body.ö Motoko blanched at the suggestion. ôIt seems a bit drastic to avoid copulating in my opinion.ö MotokoÆs glimmer of hope died out. If her sister hadnÆt mentioned the turtle, she might still try dealing with the kami. Her sister was correct though. With her luck sheÆd spend the rest of her life in TamaÆs body.
ôSo what happens now?ö Kitsune asked.
ôI am going to start searching in the Shinmei ryu ranks for a suitor. That is, unless either of you already have someone in mind?ö
ôSuitor! But what about becoming the head of the school? You said-ö
ôFirst off, marriage would hardly preclude you from headmastership. Secondly, do you really believe the elders would allow you to become headmaster after this incident? Why do you think I was asked to step down?ö Tsuroko argued. Motoko couldnÆt believe her ears.
ôThey asked you to do what?ö
ôWhen I was still being groomed for the position of headmaster they requested that I preform this technique on another student. To qualify for the position of headmaster a student must show the raw talent necessary to perform this right the first time. As you can tell I failed, and that is how I married your brother-in-law.ö
ôWow, thatÆs kind of a tough break.ö added Kitsune.
ôIÆm sorry, sister. I didnÆt know.ö
ôDo not mistake my situation, sister. I love my husband, even before I was asked to perform the test we were...attracted to each other.ö
ôI understand, sister.ö
ôVery good. Now, unless you have a suitor in mind, I must make some phone calls. In addition, I would like to have a few words with Ms Konno in private.ö
ôHuh? Why me?ö
ôThat will become clear to you. Now, if you donÆt mind, could you excuse us Motoko?ö
ôYes, sister.ö With that Motoko briskly exited the room and walked towards KitsuneÆs. Motoko began to understand why the fox-woman drank so much.
h43r: 
