Locket
By Ammadeau
Roy.Fokker@UNSpacy.org
http://members.tripod.com/~Ammadeau/fanfiction.htm
come check out my new web page.

Note: Please forgive the character�s name.  I was watching Patlabor 
at the time and it was all that I could think of.  Suggestions for a 
new name are welcome.

	It was already getting dark by the time the Tokyo express 
pulled into Nemira.  Izuma looked up at the setting sun as she left 
the train, large bamboo umbrella in one hand, its twin strapped to 
her back.  She was sixteen, but already mature for her age, standing 
a head above others, with dark brown eyes and long midnight black 
hair done up in a pony-tail.  She had a body that many a boy had 
leered at, though those who got too close got an instant and painful 
demonstration of her immense strength.  With a small smile on her 
lips, she headed off onto the streets of another unfamiliar town.
	Scratching her head, Izuma pulled out her map and 
directions, studying it intently for about the tenth time.  She had 
been able to follow them some distance from the station, but now 
she was stuck at an intersection, unsure of which street to take 
since the street signs had been knocked down and then mangled 
until they were illegible.  It was clear a fight of some sort had taken 
place there, though it looked more like a herd of wild animals had 
passed through.  Izuma hadn�t heard of a riot happening in Nemira, 
so she wondered just what caused all of his devastation.
	Suddenly she saw a short someone jumping up and down 
the street like a demented bunny rabbit, saying �What a haul! What 
a haul!� over and over in a decrepit voice.  The figure was about to 
pass her by when he suddenly stopped in mid bounce.  Getting a 
closer look, Izuma noticed that it was a short, almost tiny old man 
who didn�t even come up to her knee.  He was dressed in a ninja 
outfit complete with a ridiculous looking mask and was carrying a 
bag full of � panties?? What the hell?
	He turned to face her with a gleam in his eyes and a 
familiar leer that Izuma didn�t like one bit.  Suddenly he shouted, 
�Sweeto!� and made a power drive straight for the her chest.  The 
old guy had to be one of the bravest perverts she�d ever seen, so 
she planned to make sure his hurt wouldn�t be soon forgotten.  
Izuma brought up her umbrella, intending to send him into orbit, 
when a young man came out of nowhere and booted him for her, 
shouting, �Take that you old freak!�  He looked to be about her 
age, dressed in a bright red Chinese shirt and black pants, with his 
hair done up in a pig tail.
	�Thanks for the help, but I could have handled him,� Izuma 
told the boy.
	�Don�t be so sure, he�s a lot tougher than he looks.  Even I 
have trouble with the pervert most of the time.�
	Izuma didn�t like this boy putting down her skills, even 
unintentionally, but pushed the feeling away.  He had helped her 
out after all and probably hadn�t even realized that she was more 
than capable of taking care of herself.
�Who was he anyway?,� she asked, �And was his bag really 
filled with panties?�
	�Happosai,� the pig-tailed boy said as if the name was the 
worst possible curse that he could think of.  �He�s the evil and 
perverted master of Anything Goes Martial Arts.  He spends most 
of his time groping women and stealing their underwear.�  The 
boy�s expression clearly showed his disgust.
	Izuma consulted her directions once again and said, 
�Anything Goes?  You wouldn�t happen to know where the Tendo 
Anything Goes Martial Arts Dojo is, do you?�
	The boy was clearly surprised by the question.  �Yea, I live 
there.�  Then suddenly got a terrified look in his eyes and slowly 
asked as he inched away from her, �Wait, you don�t know my pop, 
do you?�
	Izuma was taken aback.  Why would knowing his father 
frighten him so?  The boy was practically cringing and he didn�t 
seem the type to be afraid of much.  �How would I know your 
father?  I don�t even know who you are yet.�
	�Oh sorry, I�m Ranma Saotome.�
	�You�re Ranma Saotome?!!�  Izuma practically shouted.  
She had never been so surprised in all of her life and with the 
things that she had experienced recently that was really saying 
something.
	Ranma flinched back.  �Whatever my father did, there�s no 
way I�m gonna marry you!  I got enough fianc�es already!�
	�What??!!�  Izuma screamed in anger, barely holding back 
the urge to drive him into the pavement with her umbrella.  The 
nerve of the guy, thinking she�d marry him just because he saved 
her from a pervert.  �I don�t even know your father and I sure as 
hell don�t plan on marrying a jerk like you!  What kind of pervert 
are you anyway?�
	�Who you calling . . . wait if you don�t know my father, 
how come you knew my name?�  Ramna silently cursed himself 
for jumping to conclusions yet again.  The situation was just so 
familiar.
	�Just about Ryoga talks about is �that jerk Ranma� and how 
he�s going to make you suffer for the crimes you�ve committed.�
	�You know Ryoga?� Ranma asked with some surprise.  
>From the way he kept showing up in Nerima, Ranma had the 
feeling that Ryoga didn�t know many other people.
	Izuma held up her red bamboo umbrella so he could get a 
good look at it.  �This look familiar?�
	�Hey that�s just like the one Ryoga uses.  So are you his 
sister or something?�
	�Or something,� Izuma replied with a chuckle, deciding to 
forgive the boy for his earlier outburst, and then said with a formal 
bow, �I�m his cousin, Izuma Normua, heir to the Normua School 
of All Weather Martial Arts.  Our motto is �through sleet, snow, or 
dark of night, none will prevent us from our appointed challenge.�
	�That sounds just like the motto of the US postal service.�
	�They stole it from us,� Izuma replied with a smile.  
�Ryoga helped my family out once so my father gave him a combat 
umbrella and trained him how to use it.  He shows up at our dojo 
every once and awhile for more training and news on his quest to 
defeat the bastard Saotome.�
	�Hey!�  Ramna said, not used to near strangers insulting 
him.  That right was reserved by old friends, enemies, assorted 
fianc�es, teachers, and his pop.
	�His words, not mine.  I think he may have exaggerated you 
traits just a little bit.  Ryoga has always been one for extremes, 
even when he was younger.  I can�t believe that he followed you all 
the way to China over a stupid bread feud.�
	Ranma swallowed nervously.  �Did he happen to tell you 
what happened to him in China?�
	�No,� she said with a smile, �but he told me what happened 
to you!� Skimming a nearby puddle with her umbrella, Izuma sent 
a sheet of dirty water Ranma�s way that he couldn�t dodge.  Instant 
girl.  Ranma awaited the typical taunts and insults when someone 
found out about his curse.  Izuma reacted the last way he expected 
her to.  She suddenly burst out laughing, so loud that it echoed off 
of the nearby buildings.  She would calm down, but take one look 
at a dripping wet Ranma-chan and breaking into another giggle fit.  
By the time she settled down she was breathing hard from laughing 
so much.
	�Are you done laughing at me yet?�  Ranma said in a tone 
that was clearly irritated.  At this point he would have preferred 
insults or a look of horror to laughter.  Ranma didn�t find anything 
funny about being cursed.
	�I�m sorry,� Izuma apologized, though it was hard for her 
to sound sincere between chuckles, �but that has to be the second 
funniest thing I�ve ever seen.  The fact that the guy who so many 
women chase and the person Ryoga is jealous of turns into a girl 
himself.  Or should I say herself?  No wonder men chase after you, 
you have such a fetching female form.  But you know what�s even 
funnier?� 
	�What?�  Ranma asked, still irritated.
	�Ryoga, the big, tough martial artist, turns into a cute little 
piggy!!!�  This time Izuma laughed so hard that she was knocked 
off her feet, rolling around on the ground in mirth.  After a quick 
look around to make sure neither Akane nor Ryoga was nearby, 
Ranma joined in and they were both laughing for a few minutes 
before they were able to calm themselves down.
	�So he told you about his curse?�  Ranma said, surprised 
that Ryoga would even mention his most hated weakness, 
especially to a cousin who laughed like a hyena.  She didn�t seem 
the like most sympathetic person in the world.
	Izuma shook her head.  �Nope, but after he told me about 
your curse and a bandanna wearing piglet started showing up, I put 
two and two together.  To someone who knows about the curses its 
pretty obvious.  The way Ryoga is afraid of water, the way he 
disappears after a storm, the way he leaves empty sets of clothes 
around, and especially the fact that Ryoga wears the same 
bandanna as the pig.  You�d have to be pretty dense not to notice.�
	Ranma looked really embarrassed.  �Could you not mention 
his curse when we get to dojo.  I made a promise to keep his 
weakness a secret and there are a few people who don�t know 
about it yet.�
	�But hates you!� Izuma said, surprised that Ranma would 
protect the weakness of an enemy who was constantly after him,  
�I�m sure he wouldn�t do the same thing for you.�
	Ranma looked nervous again and decided to change the 
subject, not wanting to mention that he had accidentally caused 
Ryoga to be cursed.  �If it doesn�t have anything to do with me, 
why are you going to the Tendo Dojo?  You�re not going to 
challenge Akane to a duel, are you?�  Ranma hoped not.  Despite 
laughing at him, Izuma seemed like a nice girl and he�d like to 
have a martial artist around that wasn�t trying to kill him or marry 
him.  It would be a nice change of pace.
	Geez what an ego, Izuma thought to herself, does 
everything have to be about him or one of his fianc�es?  And isn�t 
Akane the name of the girl that Ryoga was crazy about?  No 
wonder he hates Ranma.  �No, actually I�m going to be staying 
there for a time while Nabiki helps me with a matter of family 
honor.�
	�Nabiki,� Ranma snorted, �Bet she�s charging you an arm 
and a leg for her services.�
	It was clear that Ranma had some grudge against Nabiki, 
Izuma thought, probably over some past misunderstanding.  Ranma 
seemed the type to take things the wrong way or just too seriously, 
sort of like Ryoga in way.  He was cute though.  �Actually her rates 
have been really reasonable considering how helpful she�s been 
and how important the matter is.�
	Ranma wondered why Nabiki would be nice to a complete 
stranger and overcharge members of her own family.  �What�s so 
important you�d pay for Nabiki�s help?�
	It was Izuma�s turn to look nervous.  �I�m not supposed to 
talk about it unless I have to.  Shouldn�t we start heading to the 
dojo,� Izuma added, changing the subject, �Nabiki promised meals 
were included and I haven�t had anything to eat since breakfast.�
	�You�re right!�  Ranma shouted and looked ready to run all 
the way back.  When food is mentioned, everything else takes a 
back seat for him.
	�Ramna?� Izuma said in a softer voice than she had used 
before, stopping him in his tracks.
	�Yes?� Ranma replied tentatively, worried about what the 
tone meant.
	�Sorry about splashing you earlier.  You�re not nearly the 
jerk Ryoga makes you out to be.�
	�Umm . . . thanks,� Ranma replied, finding that strangely 
enough this was the biggest compliment anyone had given him 
recently.
	�As a gesture of good faith, take this.�  Izuma handed 
Ranma a thermos from her pack.
	�What�s is it?� Ranma asked suspiciously.  He had bad 
experiences with water in the past.
	�It�s a thermos!� Izuma shouted, exasperated.  Ranma 
might not be a total jerk, but he didn�t seem too bright.
	�I know that, what�s in it?�
	�Oh, some tea I brought with me.  It should be hot enough 
to change you back into a man.  Unless you like spending your 
time as a women,� Izuma taunted as she walked around giving his 
girl form the once over, knowing from conversations with Ryoga 
that Ranma�s gender was a sore spot with him.  �You can borrow 
one of my bras if you want, you look to be about my size.  Gotta be 
careful that they don�t sag.  Maybe that�s why you were chasing 
that old man, trying to get back a pair of your own panties!�
	�No way, I don�t wear stuff like that.  I�m a boy!!� Ranma 
shouted, but then realizing that Izuma was only teasing him, said in 
a much lower voice, �thanks.�  Then he poured some of the hot tea 
on him, becoming a man once again.
	�Well, let�s get going,� Izuma said, feeling her stomach 
rumble, �We can trade humorous Ryoga stories on the way.�
	�Sure,� Ranma smiled, �I�ve got a million of them.�

	Akane alternated between worry and anger as dinner time 
was fast approaching with no Ranma in sight.  She hadn�t seen him 
since after breakfast when she had booted him out of house for 
insulting her cooking once again.  Ranma would have been 
surprised to realize that Akane knew her cooking wasn�t very good, 
but she worked hard for hours to improve and all he did was insult 
her.  Could the great Ranma Saotome lower himself to offer to 
constructive criticism, at least something better than �toxic�, 
�poisonous�, or �I wouldn�t even feed Ryoga that pig slop!�  
What�s wrong with his head that he can�t learn that to insult her is 
a sure way to get a beating?  Was he some kind of masochist?  Did 
he actually get some kind of sick thrill when she hit him?  Ohh, 
that pervert!!  Here she was starting to worry about him when he 
was probably hanging out with Ukyo, Shampoo, or some of the 
other girlfriends he was always stringing along to fill his already 
huge male ego and bottomless stomach.
	Akane�s thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of 
laughter coming from just outside.  She homed in on the source 
like a missile and was stunned by the sight at  the doorway.  Here 
was Ranma, laughing out loud and hanging all over some strange 
girl who was also laughing as hard as Ranma.  Akane could feel 
her anger grow.  Three fianc�s weren�t enough for the pervert, he 
had to go out all day, worrying her, and pick up another one.  The 
way they were laughing they were probably drunk and who knows 
what else the pervert had done.
	Ranma�s battle hardened danger senses caused the laughter 
to die on his lips.  Izuma had just told him of a time where she got 
back at Ryoga for accidentally (or so he claimed) peeping on her by 
pretending to be getting ready to cook him in his pig form.  The 
image of a squealing piglet suspended over a hot wok was replaced 
by the familiar image of Akane, fists clenched, glowing a faint 
blue, and expression promising a great deal of pain to his person.  
Ranma suddenly realized that not only was he laughing with 
another girl, grounds for a pounding already, but he was also 
leaning on her for support.  It was only so he didn�t fall down, but 
he knew that Akane would see it as an intimate embrace.  Yet she 
hadn�t attacked him yet so there was still the remote possibility he 
could defuse the situation.  After all, it couldn�t get any worse.
	Izuma suddenly stopped laughing when she realized that 
she was laughing alone.  For the first time in many minutes she 
took in her surroundings to found she was in a well kept house that 
had many signs of patching and repairing.  We must have arrived at 
the Tendo Dojo, she concluded.  Wonder what causes all the 
damage?  Arm still around Ranma, which was quite nice, warm 
and soft like an electric blanket.  Then she noticed someone else 
standing there with them.  A young girl, about their age.  �Was she 
glowing?  No, must be seeing things, normal people don�t glow.�  
Suddenly remembering the descriptions of Ranma�s various fianc�s 
Izuma realized that this must be Akane.  �Doesn�t really look like a 
tomboy to me,� was her first thought about her.  Her second 
thought was one of the more outrageous stories about the girl and 
her �pet� P-chan, who for some reason was blind to the fact that it 
was really Ryoga.  Izuma just couldn�t help herself, she 
impulsively pointed at Akane and burst into another fit of laughing, 
knocking her right on her ass as she kicked her feet in the air and 
continued to point.
	Ranma looked down at Izuma, laughing even harder than 
before and pointing at Akane.  Oh no, I�m dead, Ranma thought.  
He slowly turned to face Akane to notice her charging towards 
him, mallet raised.  Yep, I�m dead, he thought and closed his eyes, 
waiting for the impact.
	�RANMA NO BAKA!!!!!!!!!� Akane screamed as mallet 
connected with a certain thick skulled martial artist and sent him 
on a collision course for the koi pond.  Akane stood over the still 
giggling Izuma, who seemed oblivious of the danger she was in, 
fuming and mallet ready to strike again.
	By this time the noise had brought the rest of the Tendo 
clan, including one overstuffed panda who was impatient for 
dinner to begin.
�Oh my,� quote Kasumi Tendo, �It seems we have a guest.  
I thought I heard Ranma.  I wonder what happened to him?�
	Nabiki, seeing Akane breathing hard with mallet in hand, 
had a good idea about what happened to Ranma.  �What did he do 
this time sis?�
	Before Akane could calm down enough to respond, Izuma 
had stopped laughing and stood up, quickly putting some distance 
between herself and Akane�s mallet.  She was a martial artist, but 
she didn�t want to take any chances with the jealous girl.  She 
could swing that mallet of hers with almost as much force as Izuma 
could with one of her umbrellas.
�I think there�s been some misunderstanding.  Ranma was 
helping me find this place and we were swapping funny stories 
about our lives to pass the time.  I would never have more than the 
most platonic intentions with someone who already has so many 
fianc�s.  It wouldn�t be worth the effort.�
	�So you�re Izuma Normua,� Nabiki said, finally figuring 
out why the voice sounded familiar, �It�s good to finally meet you 
in person.�
	Izuma bowed formally to Nabiki.  �And you must be 
Nabiki Tendo.�
	�Oh Nabiki, would your friend like to stay for dinner?�  
Kasumi asked with a smile.
	�Actually sis, she�s going to be staying with us for a while,� 
Nabiki replied.
	�Its nice for you to have your friend stay over,� Kasumi 
said, �but I really think we should get started on dinner.  We don�t 
want it to get cold.�
	�But what about Ranma?� Izuma asked, wondering why 
everyone was giving her strange looks for asking about him.  
Aren�t they concerned that he was sent flying through the air?
	�Not to worry,� Kasumi replied with a another smile, 
�Ranma almost never misses dinner.�

	Izuma was a little surprised to see a slightly damp though 
male Ranma come down the stairs just as they were about to eat, 
taking his normal place beside Akane without a word.  Izuma 
decided this would be a good time to get into Akane�s good graces 
since Izuma was probably going to be staying there for a while and 
the girl still seemed angry over what had happened earlier.  She 
was pretty confident about her own abilities as a martial artist, but 
she also didn�t want to make another enemy, especially one she had 
to share a roof with.  She needed Nabiki�s help so she didn�t want 
to alienate her sister.
�So Akane,� she said after a mouthful of some of the best 
food she had ever tasted, �I hear that you�re also a martial artist.  
What style do you study?�
	Ranma snorted at the question, but Akane made a point to 
ignore him and reply.  �Yep, I study the Tendo School of Anything 
Goes, but I know a few other styles.  So how about you?�
	�I know a few styles as well, but I�m heir to the Normua 
School of All Weather Martial Arts.�
	�All Weather?  Haven�t heard of it,� Akane replied with a 
confused expression.
	�Well, I hadn�t heard of Anything Goes until recently, but 
I�m not surprised that you haven�t heard of the All Weather 
School.  My grandpa, my pop, and me are currently the only 
practitioners and normally its only taught to family members.  It 
uses umbrellas as main weapons along with a couple others, but 
unarmed combat is part of it as well.  It�s a pretty versatile school.  
As the name clearly states, we�re used to practicing in all sorts of 
weather, using it to our advantage.�
	�Anything Goes is like that too,� Akane nodded in 
agreement, �though we don�t use weapons much.  Say, want to 
have a little match after dinner?  Just sparring, nothing serious.�  
Akane was grinning at the prospect of someone she could actually 
spar with and hopefully beat.
	�Well, I don�t know, I have some business with Nabiki . . .�
	Noticing her sister�s smile change to a frown, Nabiki was 
quick to say, �We can take care of that after you spar, or even 
tomorrow, it is going to be Sunday after all.  You�re staying here so 
there�s no rush.�
	�Sure then,� Izuma said, �By the way you knocked Ranma 
outside it should be a interesting match.�
	Akane grinned with the compliment, she grinned even 
wider when she noticed Ranma�s frown.


_________________________________________________________________________
Get Free Email, Anime News, and The Best Prices at http://AnimeNation.com