TIMELINE
--------
Title Note
----- ----
The way out.............This kicked it all off - Ranma
Autumn Leaves : Part 1..Shortly afterwards - involves Shampoo and Ukyo
Genma's Decision........The same day - Genma (+ Nabiki & Kimiko)
Such things as Dreams...The night of Kimiko's arrival - involves Akane
are made of
Consultations : Part 1..[T + One day] - Akane, Tofu and Cologne (+others)
Family Business.........Nabiki's diary, days 1 to 8.
Autumn Leaves : Part 2..[To be written]
Consultations : Part 2..[T + One week] Akane, Tofu and Cologne (+others)
Night Encounters........[To be written] Approx. T + 1 week. To include the
spamfic 'Reasons to be careful'
A New Face [NEW]........[T + 1 week, ? days] First day of new school week.
================
Keeping Up Appearances..[T + 2 weeks] Kasumi & Kimiko
[Ranma][Fic] A New Face
Part of "World Without A Ranma."
What has gone before:
Ranma's better nature and a Chinese-Amazon artefact have combined to
return Akane's mother to life - in Ranma's body. Nabiki has turned
a new leaf, Soun has re-opened the dojo and Akane ... isn't doing so
well.
A New Face
Kuno strode majestically towards Furinkan high school. His heart
soared when he saw Akane was also walking down the street ahead of him.
Now that she was free of the untrustworthy Saotome* she would, at last,
agree to date him!
[* - Consultations part 1, Kimiko Tendo protests that she's a married
woman and Kuno leaps to all the wrong conclusions.]
He overhears part of her conversation as he approaches.
"Three, no four tiers on the wedding cake," Akane said beaming at her
friend.
"A Western style wedding then?" Sayuri asked.
"Yes, don't you think it's romantic? I've narrowed down the dress
to three possibilities but I can't get Ranma to choose yet," Akane stated.
"Akane! What wedding are you talking of?" Kuno asked in shocked
confusion. If Ranma had married Kimiko (his beloved pigtailed goddess
who he _would_ free) then who else was getting married. It sounded almost
as if ... couldn't be.
"Upperclassman Kuno, haven't you heard yet? I'm marrying Ranma," Akane
said in a matter of fact tone of voice.
Kuno froze, unable to contemplate the horror. Ranma was going to marry
AGAIN? What sort of unspeakable deviate would seek to marry two women?
Kuno's heart pounded within him, sounding like the thunder of shoes on
tarmac with cries of "For Akane!" and "Kuno - Prepare!".
Akane watched, smirking, as the male population of Furinkan High piled
into Kuno.
A couple of minutes later the shock of Akane's news was beaten out of
him - mostly by hocky sticks and baseball bats. "I fight on!" Kuno cried
and soon the bruises were being dealt in the other direction.
Kuno puffed out his chest and stood proudly amidst the scene of
devastation, as Akane looked on.
"You idiot, Kuno!" Akane shouted. "You've made me late to school
_again_!"
"Go on - weren't you impressed at all?" Sayuri asked.
"Hah! I used to do that in half the time," Akane boasted, "Still I must
admit it makes me a little nostalgic..."
Kuno was left behind, swaying slightly as the initial beating he had
taken took it's effect. The last thing he heard was the fading comments
of the girls as the entered the school building.
"So, why did you stay to watch then?" Sayuri queried.
"Are you kidding? I couldn't bear it if he lost to the horde o' hentai
and I wasn't there to see it." Akane replied.
...
Nabiki fretted as she set off to school - late.
Mom had just finished a kindly, but firm, chat with Nabiki on the
subject of truancy. The parting comments still rankled. "Cologne has been
very kind to me over this last week," she had said, "and you know how well
Dr. Tofu spoke of her aid with Akane. I'm sure if she was going to try
something she would have done it by now. Really, Nabiki! You're just
going to have to learn to trust people a little more."
Maybe she was right, but Nabiki didn't like it - didn't like it at all.
...
Kimiko waited anxiously in the dojo for her afternoon training session
with Cologne. From what Nabiki had said the going had been unusually easy
this last week, at least in terms of 'explosive martial arts mayhem'. In
emotional terms it had more ups and downs than a trip through 'Space
Mountain'. Cologne was one of the first new people she had met since her
arrival - and she was also the first new friend she had made. Oh, she
could be abrupt. She had a face that only a head hunter could like - it
looked like it had already been pickled and shrunk. But she and Dr. Tofu
had introduced her to something amazing.
She wasn't a total novice, of course. In fact martial arts had been one
of the first things that attracted her to Soun, but she had always known
she wasn't on the same level as him and his rough friend Genma. Now
though, the art flowed through her with an ease it had never done before.
While she was practising the whole world fell away, while perversely
coming into sharper focus.
Akane, Soun, the whole unfamiliarity of what should have been a familiar
place - it all faded into the background. At the same time her mind
focussed more clearly than it ever had, her surroundings presented her
with tactical possibilities - the slightest uneven footing was as obvious
as a brick on the path. The best part though, the best part was sparring
with her opponent - Cologne was a tough teacher and Tofu a gentle one but
they both brought out an exhilaration second to none. Well, to be honest,
she thought - blushing a little - it came a long way second to one
activity. One she hadn't been able to indulge in for several months, or
about 10 years, depending on how you counted.
At last the door opened and a small figure walked in, supported in her
extreme age by a gnarled oak staff.
"Welcome, sensei," Kimiko greeted her, hiding her amusement at Cologne's
show of 'infirmity'.
"Child." Cologne inclined her head towards Kimiko in acknowledgement.
"Have you thought more on what I said before the weekend?"
"Yes, I have not yet come to a conclusion," Kimiko stated.
"The source of all raw ki attacks is the spirit - driven by a powerful
emotion. Not just any emotion will do, and the techniques required to use
them are individual, tricky to find and difficult to learn," Cologne
re-stated.
"I understand, sensei," Kimiko said, "the emotion must be an expressive
one. Confidence, depression, something that comes from within but is
spills out - apparent to everyone around ... I'm sorry, I don't know that
I feel anything strongly enough."
"No matter. Tofu's training in shiatsu points will compensate, to some
extent, and not every technique relies on the brute force application of
ki," Cologne consoled her student, "but I see we are one short today."
"Yes, sensei. Nabiki's school work was suffering, so she will not be
able to watch our training sessions," Kimiko explained, feeling a little
embarrassed that she had not seen through Nabiki's excuses before.
"Oh, my!" Cologne exclaimed, "That reminds me, there is someone who
might prove a useful sparring partner for you. How silly of me, I must be
going senile* in my old age."
[* - Hand's up who believes that - I've got a nice bridge in London I
can let you have cheap.]
"Don't be silly, you're good for another hundred years at least," Kimiko
joked.
"I'll be back before you know it," Cologne promised.
It would be nice to have someone she could actually beat, Kimiko thought.
Dr. Tofu (and to a lesser extent Cologne) held back when they took a break
from katas and drills for freeform sparring - but Kimiko always knew they
were still far better than she was.
She spent the time running through some of the basic forms of the Tendo
School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. It was a pity her husband wasn't up
to teaching her, she thought, but he did seem to be getting a little more
self-assured.
The minutes flew by, she had just started to work up a healthy sweat
when her teacher returned.
"Kimiko Tendo?" The young man asked hesitantly, looking to Cologne for
confirmation. "Ch-" (Cologne nudged him and glared) "I'm know as 'Chan'."
Kimiko looked at her new sparring partner, he was quiet tall in a
Chinese style robe and had long blonde hair. Well built, and he had
moved with smooth grace as he entered the dojo. Kimiko's gaze reached his
face and she blushed, realising that she was the focus of an equally
intense look.
"Hah, I apologise for the youngster. He doesn't mean to offend by using
a nickname - but he would be upset to have his real name known," Cologne
explained. "Well, 'Chan', bow to the mat and show Kimiko what you know -
fight the air for now."
...
Somewhat over ten minutes ago.
Cologne stopped at a public phone - Not that she thought Nabiki had the
Tendo's phone tapped, but she hadn't got to her age by taking unnecessary
chances.
"Nekohanten *sniff* closed. Customer to please go away."
"Pull yourself together girl. We've got stuff to do," Cologne stated.
"What point? R-Ranma D-Dead," Shampoo sobbed - her Japanese slipping
further under stress.
"Come now, child. Do you really think I'd give Ranma something that
could kill him?" Cologne asked, grateful at that moment for the poor
quality phone line.
"Ranma's alive?!"
"Get cleaned up and wait for me - make sure Mousse isn't still hanging
round the restaurant," Cologne ordered.
A short while later, Cologne placed four items on the table in front of
Shampoo. Two large silver flasks, a small packet of some powder, and a
bottle of shampoo with the number '58' written on the side.
"What are you going to do with those?!" Shampoo asked in some shock.
"Think about it girl, what has changed since Ranma 'died'?" Cologne
asked.
"Spatula girl gone, Violent girl gone crazy, Kodachi not want female
side Ranma and male Ranma not seen often... This _planned_?" She asked
incredulously.
"Let's just say that I can see an opportunity. Akane will have to give
up when she's sane again - and nobody else seriously wants a 'girl'
Ranma." Cologne explained.
"Great-Grandmother forget Tatewaki Kuno," Shampoo said - and withered
under Cologne's look, "No, _nobody_ want him."
"So what do you _think_ I'm going to do with these?" Cologne asked.
Shampoo gulped nervously and indicated the packet and said, "Temporary
boy curse form for Shampoo." Touched the flash with a ladle etched into
it's surface. "Lock cursed form," she said looking at Cologne desperately.
Cologne knew Shampoo was hoping to be told she was wrong, but she simply
motioned her to continue.
Shampoo's voice quavered - but she pointed at the other flask, the one
with a kettle etched on to the surface, and spoke on, "Un-lock curse after
Shampoo and Ranma move to China when personality back normal."
"Something like that, I'm glad to see this last week's education on
Amazon tradition hasn't been lost on you," Cologne said, "but what of the
shampoo?"
"Shampoo '58'? Ermm... Is berserk shampoo." (Cologne shakes her head)
"love shampoo?" (shakes head) "shampoo for pets?" (shakes)
"It's a secret, ancient, Amazon, fast acting, bleach for blonde hair."
Cologne stated.
"Hey!" Shampoo protested, "Shampoo not want thought stupid blonde
bimbo!"
After the preparations had been made, and some of Mousse's clothes
borrowed Cologne sent Shampoo off first.
Cologne waited awhile, alone in the room, her heart was probably as old
and withered as her outward form - she thought. She looked at the flask
containing just enough water from the kiifuiton to unlock one curse. Her
heart had taken many blows in its time, from acts prompted by love, honour
and pride - but the greatest damage had always come from cursed necessity.
She uncorked the flask and poured the contents down the sink - a single
tear flowing similarly down her cheek. The temptation, she had decided,
would be just too much.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Author's notes.
What can I say? Except all hate mail from Shampoo fans can be sent
to saotome_genma@hotmail.com
Oh, on the technical side. It's well established that you can't use the
kiifuiton to _cure_ a curse, but I don't see why a temporary curse can't
be locked by the Chiisuiton. This _can't_ be used as a true cure because
it's always the cursed side that is locked by the magic ladle. All you
can do is swap one curse for another one. Admittedly it's got PLOT DEVICE
written all over it ...
Why didn't I use real water from the 'spring of drowned man' ?
a) I don't think Cologne has any to hand (she would have almost certainly
tried to bribe Ranma with it if she had)
b) Normal cursed water may have 'mixed' effect (Tarou's octopus tentacles)
[In which case having instant curses, _not_ mix with true curses is
also a plot device, but not totally implausible - I think]
c) I'm deliberately leaving it open for Shampoo to return to 'normal' -
and 'true' curses are notoriously difficult to get rid of.
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