Spread Wings - Revealed.
------------------------

The members of the house-hold plus Ryouga all sat in the dining room
facing Kohane. Gathering them there had taken little time. They
tried not to show their eagerness for the promised explanation.
(Genma and Ranma appeared in their natural forms.)
  She detached the long package from her pack and slipped the sword
out. Handing it to Soun, she said to everyone, "Tell me what you
think of this."
  Soun drew the weapon a few inches. There seemed to be a reflection
of the golden glow on the awed faces as they collectively gasped.
The man looked at Kohane, she nodded. He slid the scabbard off,
placing it on the table, and held the katana up for inspection.
  "Wow," Ranma and Ryouga both breathed.
  "It's beautiful," whispered Akane.
  "Beautiful, and elegant, yes, Akane-kun." Genma addressed Kohane
politely, "But isn't using gold for the blade... impractical?"
  "Oh, it can't used as an ordinary weapon - it would be destroyed
on the first swing," Kohane smiled. "Ordinarily, gold is too soft
for any useful purpose. However, under certain circumstances a
martial artist's disciplined inherent chi power can be amplified or
channelled through metal. The effect depends on what form the metal
is in - sword, axe, spear etc. - and the martial artist's natural
propensity for the instrument."
  "This is a spiritual weapon?" Ranma inquired.
  "Essentially. It is only effective when my chi is focused through
it. This makes it indestructible, and capable of cutting anything,
or nothing, as the case may be. It can't be used by anyone else."
She grinned. "That's why its made for me. See - my name on the
guard. You see, gold is the best chi conductor, so it takes the
strongest chi to activate. Unalloyed copper is good too, but quite
weaker."
  "That's remarkable," commented Ryouga. "But it doesn't go very far
in explaining you. Er... I mean..."
  Kohane smiled again, taking back her katana. Standing, she said,
"If there's one thing I've learnt, it's not to rush. Take the time,
if you wish, to be dramatic." Gripping firmly, she took a stance
and concentrated. The lighting in the room gradually changed as a
tight white aura faded into visibility on the glittering blade.
  "Oh my," said Kasumi with surprise on her face.
  After a moment Kohane swung it in a slow, wide, descending oblique
arc. Licking white chi trailed thinly then quickly dissipated when
Kohane picked up the scabbard and gracefully sheathed the sword.
Her powerful gaze was steady. "This kinkatana was forged as a gift
for me in the year Christian calendar 1244. I have been alive for
nine-hundred and twenty years. I am immortal and cannot die."
  Expectedly, there was silence. Finally Ranma shifted his crossed
legs. "That does sound pretty amazing, Kohane-san," he said, "but
it is not as unbelievable as it might seem."
  Kohane's enigmatic smile drooped, her mouth opening in a 'wha--?'
shape.
  "Indeed," Soun stated, sitting straight, "the old master of
Saotome-kun and I has lived a far time and, despite our utmost
efforts, cannot or will not die."
  Akane interposed, "And isn't Cologne over a century old?"
  "That's true..."
  "Hey!" shouted Kohane when she saw the dialogue begin to veer from
the main issue. "How many old people you know look as young and
active as me?"
  They saw that there where none, and apologised for interrupting.
  Kohane sighed mentally in relief. Almost had me thinking there
were _others_ around, she thought. "I've settled down a few times
over the past, and now I want to do it again."
  "In Nerima?" asked Kasumi as she served some tea.
  Kohane showed a little smile. "It seems to be a nice, albeit
surprising place. Besides, I've already enrolled at Furinkan."
  Soun sat in a posture of self-assurance. "So," said he, "You are
a nine-hundred and twenty year-old immortal human who has travelled
Asia, honing your own powerful style. Now you want to find a new
home and get a modern education."
  She shifted to face him directly. "Ojisama, may I request to be
put up for a few days while I find a place for myself here? In
return, I am willing to teach my Tamashiitou to the Tendou dojo.
That's how I usually do it," Kohane added.
  "What a good idea!" said Akane brightly. Ranma and Ryouga
indicated their agreement.
  Soun nodded, saying, "The Musabetsu Kakutou style always leaves
room for improvement. It would be our pleasure to have you stay."
  "Thankyou Ojisama!" Exclaimed Kohane, and she looked happily at her
new students.


The teenagers and Kohane were up early next morning for the first
formal lesson. Kohane dressed in the small spare room (evacuated of
Happousai's dubious possessions) in the gi lent by Akane. She led
them out to the garden and after ten minutes of sparring (where
everyone tried to land a blow on the immortal girl in vain), a half-
hour was spent in a meditative stance in the garden. Eventually,
Kohane announced to her relaxed, focused friends that she would
attack each of them. "But don't alter your stance," she instructed.
They were amazed when the strikes had no effect. She gave the word
and they warmed down and shook themselves out.
  "When a martial artist puts himself in the state of mind you just
experienced," she explained, "his body becomes invulnerable to
almost all conventional attacks. You can't even pick him up or move
him. This principle is used widely in Shaolin kung fu."
  "Hey, that's like what Oyaji did the other day." Ranma thought for
a moment. "Actually, I think I remember something. He once showed me
some movements from a style that some guy founded a few centuries
ago... um, Akedou..?"
  Kohane's face became one big joyous smile and she clapped her
hands happily. "You mean Ueshiba Morihei, the creator of Aikidou."
  Akane, Ryouga and Ranma stared curiously at her.
  "He was a dear friend of mine - what I showed him provided some
of his inspiration," she concluded explainatorially. "Aikidou is the
most refined mortal application of the peaceful aspects of
Tamashiitou."
  Kasumi opened the outer door and called, "You had best leave for
school soon. "The bath is ready so you can clean off after your big
work-out."
  Time was limited, so Akane and Kohane moved down to the bathroom
together. Akane had only known the other girl for a day, yet she
did not have the time to feel uncomfortable about sharing her bath.
Kohane entered the changing room, Akane followed her and shut the
door. Akane did not want to be late, but by the time she hung her
uniform up and pulled her gi top off, Kohane was already walking
into the bathroom.
  Kohane gasped as she tipped the cold water over her head. Akane
approached the seated immortal and slowly sat on her own nearby
stool. She had her eyes on Kohane the whole time. But she was not
admiring her extremely slim waist or the gentle musculature of her
limbs. What held Akane's attention were the distinct scars which
adorned her otherwise 'young' body.
  She drenched herself, unable to remove her gaze from Kohane. The
grey-haired girl was swiftly lathering the sweat from her skin,
seemingly oblivious to the scrutiny. Several healed cuts were
evidence of severe lacerations on her flat belly. Three raking white
lines of healed tissue ran down from her shoulder to her buttock.
There were two faint puncture wounds above the back of her other
hip, and one matched a scar on her front where the weapon presumably
pierced all the way through. Adorning her thigh on the other side of
her body up to her waist was a nearly invisible burn mark. Smaller
scars were visible, though Kohane's smooth arms and legs seemed to
have been spared.
  Kohane washed the soap off, stood, and splashed into the bath. She
faced Akane and let her stare settle on the young Tendou. "They're
pretty noticeable, huh?"
  Akane quickly finished up to join her in the water. She sank in,
saying, "Well,  I didn't expect to see..."
  "It's okay, Akane-san. If you're gonna live for nine-hundred and
twenty years, a girl's gotta expect to pick up a few 'momentos.' I
can't go to the seaside or to public baths, but at least I have my
figure." She winked.
  Akane chuckled uncertainly. "It must've hurt, though..."
  "Well..." Kohane's eyes lost a lot of their amused gleam. "It
might not kill me, but I reckon being run through with a daito or
having mine-shrapnel pierce my skin is just as painful as normal."
  Akane could only grimace.
  "And this," she sat up to indicate the burn, "guess where I got
this."
  "...Ahh... In a burning castle?"
  Kohane stood to exit the bath. She replied, "No. It was when I
sheltered from the atomic blast in Hiroshima."
  They left the bathroom together, dressing in silence. The immortal
opened the outer door and said, "A few years later I went to a
doctor to get most of the scar fixed with skin grafts. You should
have seen his reaction when I told him where it was from, not
knowing my true nature."
  Akane smiled at that, and followed Kohane out.
  Ranma was given five minutes to finish and dress, and he came
bounding down the hall, just as the girls were leaving the house.
Ryouga, after telling Ranma that he would stay in the living room
for the day, was nowhere to be seen.
  Ranma caught up to the girls, who were giggling about something.
He opted to walk on the hand-rail.


That day passed more or less uneventfully. Once again Ranma met
Kunou's challenge, but this time he treated it as a chance to put
into practice some of what Kohane had demonstrated. With
concentration etched on his face he leaped over Kunou's swing and
plunged his palm onto the upperclassman's head.
  "KUDARIKI SHOUTEN HA!"
  Kunou frowned up at the hand. "Your behaviour verges on amusing,
Saotome Ranma. Once again I resist your utmost efforts!"
  He made to attack again, but Ranma mumbled, "Aw, crap," and
resorted to his conventional method.
  Kunou slumped, out for the count.
  Ranma looked at Kohane with eyes which asked the question: "More
training?"
  Kohane smiled and nodded.
  She was not willing to reveal her identity to everyone else, but
Kohane was still a hit with the class. Everyone treated her with an
air of cautious admiration. She spoke little about herself. Most
conversation was met with a smile.
  They introduced Kohane to Ukyou, who had turned up that day. The
group headed straight for the Ucchan after school, before it began
to fill with the afternoon customers.
  Ukyou was first stunned by Kohane's stare, but the unusual
explanation helped her to feel surprisingly comfortable. Ukyou
also did not doubt it; she could see the hints of many things in
the piercing eyes. A lifetime of patience, unresting attention, the
harmony of body and mind, and relentless confidence. Ukyou certainly
felt relieved after Kohane had ended the contact, but her exact
frame of mind left her confused.
  Konatsu's reaction was more dramatic. Somehow he averted his eyes
after a moment, then just dropped to the floor to bow down low.
Kohane smiled kindly and knelt beside the male kunoichi. The others
took their places at the counter.
  "That's not necessary, Konatsu-kun," she said.
  "Your eyes... your power..."
  "Please try to ignore your ninja instincts. Whether my spirit
overwhelms you or not, I just want to be friends."
  Konatsu lifted his feminine face, avoiding eye contact. "O...
okay." He raised himself and proffered a stool to the immortal.
  Kohane tucked in to the okonomiyaki while Ukyou asked questions
out of curiosity.
  "Have you been all over the world?"
  "No. Asia is the only place to study martial arts," Kohane replied
while eating. "Also, international travel has been hard up 'till the
middle of this century. Going overseas would have been tricky and
ultimately a waste of time. Mmmmm! I swear, this is the best
okonomiyaki I've had in over nine-hundred years!"
  "Th-Thankyou."
  "Oh, I mean it."
  "Thanks, really," Ukyou said, looking down and blushing slightly.
  Ranma heartily agreed with Kohane, getting a bigger blush from his
friend. Akane concurred too. These two resumed eating and listened
to Kohane's tale for the second time.
  "I sailed to China the first time when I was thirty-five years
old. It was obvious to everyone in my village well before then that
I must be some sort of demon. My father, the headman, died before I
was born, and my mother was well off and raised me properly. It was
a little village up in Echigo province, by the way. Gone now, but
anyway, I grew up surrounded by such contentment and love that when
they all realised, the villagers could not decide what to do. They
didn't want to kill me, or give me to someone who would. Actually,
my immortality did not surprise me - what I couldn't figure out was
why all thes old folks kept dying. Oh, where was I?"
  "Your villagers couldn't decide..." Konatsu prompted.
  "Yeah, they were real torn up about it. So I just packed my little
bag, said 'farewell' and left."
  Ukyou asked, "When did this happen?"
  "I was twenty-eight, with the body of a sixteen-year-old. I only
went back once to see my mother and bury her."
  "...And you walked the Musha Shugyo, developing your skills all
over Asia? Nine-hundred and twenty years... you must be _really_
good."
  "Yes, Ukyou-san. The knowledge of fighting is ingrained in my
spirit."
  "She's quite amazing," Akane said. "In fact, she's even giving us
lessons at the dojo."
  "Ah."
  "Can I have another of those? Great," Kohane spoke as Ukyou
flipped one onto the plate. "Anyway, I made lots of friends -
teachers and students - got caught up with feudal lords and ninja
clans, all the while perfecting my mastery of Tamashiitou."
  "'Spirit fighting'..."
  "Yeah. And that's another plus for immortality: if you get in
serious trouble you can just wait 'till everyone forgets then carry
on like normal. Besides, who could blame anything on this young,
innocent face?" She pointed to herself, grinning. They all laughed
at that.
  Kohane sighed. "I just trekked around, gaining knowledge and
skill. Most of my friends are or were in China. I'd solve problems
for small villages and they'd remember me even when I returned
decades later."
  "So, many people know what you are?"
  "Two- or three-hundred, but not many know the whole story."
  Ukyou stared past at the street under the low curtains, then
turned her head to see that same depth in Kohane's eyes as before.
"Did anyone ever tell the authorities?"
  "Try to turn me in the hope of some sort of reward? No. Well,
there was one guy who thought he was in love with me. I spurned
him, so he threatened me with what you said, but I talked sense
into him and he gave up. I mean, it would sound ridiculous, right?
It was unfortunate... he was a promising student." She finished off
the dish.
  "So, all over China, eh?"
  "And Korea, Tibet, Thailand and the east of the former USSR,
Ukyou-san."
  "Have you been to the village of Joketsuzoku? Or Jusenkyou? You're
not cursed too, are you?
  "Joketsuzoku... Oh, you mean the Chinese Amazons. Been meaning to
go there... I will one day."
  Ranma pondered. "Didn't think of that. Kohane-san, if you visit
there, take my advice and stay out of any fights."
  Kohane turned to him and asked, "But how could I gain anything,
or demonstrate what I can offer them?"
  "Trust me," said Ranma. "It just ain't worth it."
  Kohane hmmed then nodded. She turned to Ukyou. "I'll go to
Jusenkyou too, though up 'till now I've never met anyone with that...
experience. Which reminds me, Ranma-kun. You haven't shown me your
cursed form."
  "Heh-heh. Well, you'll probably see it - _her_ - pretty soon."
  Now customers were coming in under the door curtain to be welcomed
by Konatsu, and the okonomiyaki cook left temporarily to fill
orders. The place was quickly filling up.
  "Take my advice about the cursed springs, too," Ranma said. "Take
one look, then leave."

Take Anything You Want.
-----------------------

Akane, Kohane and Ranma got home well before dark. The immortal had
regarded Ranma's balancing on the rail with an amused look on the
way to school, and finally joined him up there after leaving the
Ucchan. After much joking and convincing, Akane got up too. It
shortly escalated into a balancing-race home. When Ranma a jestful
comment about Akane's co-ordination, she happily malleted him into
the canal.
  "So _that's_ what you look like!" Cried Kohane, looking down at
the red-head.
  Ranma dragged herself back up to the road. The cheer seemed to
have slightly worn off of her. "...Now my clothes are soaked...
*sniff*" Water spayed when she shook her head.
  They resumed their course.
  Kohane laughed. "How could you call it a curse? You look so cute
like that... Ranma-chan."
  Akane giggled. Ranma covered her eyes and groaned.
  At the Tendou's, Kohane announced that she would not train them,
but cook dinner tonight instead. Kasumi accepted the offer gladly,
being very curious of what the immortal had to show in that area.
  Akane offered to help, prompting a fearful look from her fiancee.
She would have passed one of her convenient comments, but with
Kohane around she realised, for once, that personal injury would
ensue if her mouth opened any wider.
  
  
  With nothing else to do, Ranma moseyed into the garden to practice
her basic strikes on the padded post. She kept her exerted power
low, so that her punches and roundhouses would not inadvertently
break the piece of equipment.
  Presently, Akane walked out in her gi, with a boiled kettle and
towel. "Why don't you try to hit something that'll fight back?"
  She relaxed and contemplated the post, said, "Thanks for the
offer, but I don't feel like it. Maybe 'cause Kohane-san ain't doing
it tonight. Hey, I thought you were helping her..."
  Akane put the water down in front of Ranma. "Kohane-san is so
down-right _good_ at cooking, she doesn't even need Kasumi-
oneechan's help! Makes sense though, if you've been doing it for
nearly a thousand years. Um, I just realised that you didn't pay out
my cooking when I made that offer before."
  "Your right. Must be Kohane-san again, making me think quicker."
Ranma hung her shirt over the post and poured the kettle's steaming
contents. The water dripped thickly; he hurriedly towelled it off his
body.
  Akane stood, pretending not to watch. Idiot or not, that was
definitely a _man's_ body.
  He slipped the clothing back on. "Thank heavens for Kohane-san,
eh? If not for her, you might be making dinner now, and then--"
  WHAM! "Look's like your not close enough to her, idiot." Akane
removed the hammer.
  Ranma recovered. "Hang on - do that again." He assumed the stance
that Kohane showed them that morning.
  It was not as satisfying when he actually asked her, but Akane
complied. However, the mallet impacted on his head with a low thud,
and Ranma was left totally unaffected. He looked at his fiancee, then
laughed.
  "It works! Now I--"
  WHAM! His gloating face was flattened, he toppled sideways. "That
spirit focusing must've collapsed when you took your mind off it.
Too bad!"
  Ranma was stuck for a reply. Uncute? Tomboy? He just wasn't in
the mood for hurling abuse at her. Then he thought about the
physical pain he would avoid. That made his mind up. "Ah, blow." He
walked into the house; Akane, curious, following.


Dinner was unbelievably diverse and delicious. Genma managed, whilst
cramming as much in as possible, to opine that it was fit for Kami-
sama himself. Kasumi did not stop commenting on the wonderful
preparation she had witnessed, as well as the product, which no-one
stopped agreeing with. "I never dreamed of some of the things she
did with this food." Kohane said not a word, and smiled as she ate.