Well, a third of the way into this part, I trashed 80% of the history I had in mind for Shoki. I then reworked some other ideas I had and came up with this. I've also attached the reworked part 1 to the bottom of part two as I promised everybody that e-mailed me. Thanks again to Phil Masters, John McGinnis, Emily Siazon and everybody else that sent me C&C. I think it definitely improved on my idea. I also decided on a tentative name for the series. Well, here goes part two, let me know what you think!
The Shoki Saga
Chapter Two
Making Friends, and a Peak into the Past
The sun was just peeking over the horizon as four dark figures made their way from the Tendo house. Soun Tendo once again led Shoki, Ranma and Genma to the Dojo. Though school didnıt start for another hour and a half, the learning was about to begin.
³Okay Shoki,² began Soun ³there are many facets to Anything Goes. However there are two you must remember: One, Anything Goes means just that. If it doesnıt compromise your honor it can be used in your favor. Two, you must accept all challenges. Ranma here has accepted all sorts of unusual challenges from fighting Kendo champions, to Martial Arts figure skating to Martial Arts Downhill skiing.² Shoki turned to look at Ranma who was grimacing in memory.
³Alright, I can accept that. Do challenges really come around that often?²
³Not for most people,² answered Genma. ³But around here they seem to happen a lot! Tendo why donıt you show Shoki the first Kata while Ranma and I start our morning training?²
³Excellent idea Saotome! Okay Shoki, we begin like this....² Shoki concentrated on what he was being taught. The movements were not difficult, but required a little thought. He could see applications almost immediately. Outside the dojo he could hear the beginning of a fight.
³Whatıs that?² He asked while continuing to follow his instructor through the Kata.
³Oh, thatıs just the Saotome's training. They have a no-holds barred brawl every morning before Ranma goes to school. ³ The two continued the Kata through three more times while listening to the grunting, gasping and taunting going on outside.
³Okay, now here is a basic punch,² Soun demonstrated. ³Now you try it.² Shoki did as he was told. ³Excellent, now try this block.² Tendo showed a block then threw a punch at Shoki who barely blocked it. ³Good letıs work on that this morning.² The two continued to punch, block and counterpunch for the next ten minutes picking up speed as the went.
Suddenly a large figure recognizable as Mr. Saotome flew past the open door and landed in the Koi pond. After a moment a giant Panda stood up in his place. The panda held up a little wooden sign that said ³That was a dirty trick!² His jaw slack with amazement Shoki missed the next block and Soun tagged him square on the chin.
Shaking his head to clear it, Shoki watched the Panda in amazement as he leapt at Ranma. Ranma jumped backwards into the air while sticking his tongue out at the Panda. ³Youıll have to do better than that old man!ı Suddenly a bucket of water clipped Ranma from behind and doused him completely.
³Breakfast is ready you Jerk! Hurry up or we will be late for school again!² Yelled Akane. Shoki continued to stare. Ranma was gone and in his place was a red haired girl that looked very familiar. Soun came up behind him and placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder. ³Perhaps I should explain...² he began.
³Okay,² a visibly shaken Shoki said. ³When Ranma gets doused with cold water he becomes a girl. When he gets doused with hot water he changes back into a guy. His father is the same, except he becomes a panda. Are there any others?²
Soun looks uncomfortable at this. ³Well yes, at least two that I know of. They are friends of Ranma and Akane. Iım sure youıll get to meet them.²
³This happened at a place called Jusyenko you say?²
³Yes. The training ground of cursed springs.²
³Glad I canceled my flight there last year. Iıve seen that girl before, Iım sure...²something clicked inside Shokiıs mind. ³So thatıs what Akane meant when she said it was Ranmaıs fault! Pardon me Sensei, Iıll be back in a bit.² With that he got up and left.
³Um, Kasumi?²
³Yes, Shoki?²
³Could I please have a cup of hot water?²
³Certainly. Here you go.²
³Thanks.²
³Hey, Ranma!²
³Yo,² Shoki had to admit that Ranmaıs girl form was truly stacked. It almost made him regret what he was about to do. Summoning his courage he splashed the redhead with the hot water.
³Hey, what did you do that for!² Exclaimed a now male Ranma looking down at his wet shirt. He never even saw what came next.
Soun, Akane and the Panda came running at Ranmaıs yelp and the loud thud that followed. They rounded the corner to see Ranma in his male form sitting on the floor and rubbing his jaw. ³Okay Ranma,² declared Shoki in a even voice. ³That squares things with us. Here, let me help you up.² Shoki extended his hand and helped a stunned Ranma to his feet.
Turning to his audience, Shoki bowed to Soun and said ³Thank you Sensei, that punch you taught me this morning works very well.² With that he walked past the stunned group and back to the dojo.
³Serves you right Ranma! You shouldnıt have hid behind him in the first place!²
Though not used to being sucker punched, he was used to fighting with his fiancee and responded normally. ³Well if you hadnıt gone on that date with Ryoga, none of this would have happened!² Just then a clock chimed.
Akane looked furious. ³Come on Ranma weıre late again!² With that she grabbed Ranma by the wrist and sprinted out the door.
Mr. Tendo looked over at his companion, ³Well, Saotome, I guess we better go work with our new pupil.² The two sauntered out to the dojo with wry grins on both of their faces.
For a change, Ranma made it home well before dinner. It had been a pretty easy day all things considered. Heıd had to beat Kuno in order to get to class on time, but that was normal. During lunch Shampoo had shown up to make a scene, but that wasnıt unusual either. What was unusual is that only Mousse had shown up after school to try to defeat him. Though he had a new trick involving a rocket powered ball and chain, the fight didnıt set any endurance records. Ranma didnıt even have to resort to any special attacks. Of course it didnıt hurt that Mousse had lost his glasses and ran off chasing a guy on a motorbike screaming ³Now you die Saotome!²
In fact, the day had been easy enough that he decided he had better work out to retain his fighting trim. Dumping off his school bag in his room, Ranma walked out to the dojo. Looking in the door he saw that new guy, Shoki, practicing a basic punch against his shadow on the wall. He continued to watch without being noticed for about ten minutes. What he saw didnıt encourage him. The westerner was obviously strong, and definitely knew a bit about defense, but was using his strength all wrong. He needed some help.
³Your punch wasnıt that pathetic when you tagged me this morning.² Shoki started as he heard Ranmaıs voice right behind him. He spun around and dropped into a defensive crouch. Ranma ignored his actions. ³You are not giving that punch nearly all you have. That punch this morning actually hurt for a while!²
³Uh, thanks I think, I was a little torqued off,² Shoki temporized. ³Does this mean youıre not sore, I mean mad, about that little temper tantrum of mine?²
³Naw, I probably had that coming for pulling a stunt like that on an innocent bystander. Ryoga could have hurt you, if it werenıt for his rotten luck.²
³Ryoga, that the name of the guy I face planted yesterday? Do you think heıs gonna come back looking for revenge?² Shoki seemed slightly worried about the prospect. Though it had been explained to him that he had to accept all challenges, he didnıt feel he was ready yet...it was only his first day of training!
³He woke up before you did, and Akane explained it all to him. Naturally he blamed it all on me and came looking for me with blood in his eye. As usual he got lost. I figure we will seem him again in a week or so. I would watch him though if I were you. You never can tell what is going to set him off, and he can be very formidable. As to that, lets work on that punch of yours. Please try it again.²
Shoki nodded with relief and demonstrated his punch against the wall again. Ranma shook his head.
³No, try it like this!² With that he punched his hand completely through the wall. Shoki was dumbstruck. He knew how strong he was, and had a fair idea of how strong Ranma was after sparring with him the night before. What he had just seen was flatly impossible.
³How....how did you do that?²
³Nothinı to it. We just need to focus your power a little better. Come on outside and Iıll show you how itıs done.²
Soun looked up from the game of shogi he was playing against his friend Genma who was sitting in his panda form. He watched as Ranma led Shoki over to the punch trainer, a post in the ground with rope wrapped around the top. He tapped the panda on the shoulder before he had a chance to palm one of the pieces from the game board. The panda held up a sign with a question mark on it. Soun simply pointed.
As they watched they saw Ranma demonstrating a powerful punch. Ranma then coached his new friend through the move. Though slow and no where near as powerful as Ranmaıs blows, they were faster and stronger than the punches he had used during sparring that morning. Ranma then demonstrated how to alternate blows using both arms. When Shoki tried it, he could barely contain his enthusiasm. It was obvious he was enjoying what he was doing.
Soun decided that his new student might work out after all, and that the extra money from teaching him couldnıt hurt. Satisfied he looked back to the shogi board and saw that it wasnıt exactly as he remembered it. He glared at Genma who tried to look as innocent as a panda trying to palm half a dozen shogi pieces could....
³I was afraid I was gonna have to drag you away from that punch trainer, man!² said Ranma in between mouthfuls of curry chicken. ³Your punches have improved a lot, but you canıt do it all in one day!² As seemed to be normal for this household, everybody was gathered around the table for dinner. Again, the food was excellent.
³A martial artist trains as much as he can, when he can boy. Maybe youıve forgotten that!² Genma retorted. His son glared at him, but he decided not to make an issue of it. If he did, he might miss out on some of the food.
³Well, maybe your right Ranma,² replied Shoki. ³My arms are a little sore now. Iım using the same muscles, but Iım using them differently.²
³More efficiently actually. Just wait until we start the speed exercises!² Shoki simply groaned. Suddenly Nabiki, who had been eying the new arrival throughout dinner spoke up.
³Any luck on finding a place to rent Shoki?² Shoki looked at her quickly, but she just seemed to be making conversation.
³Uh, Iım not sure. Since I figured I would be busy training, I called Angus and asked him to do some looking for me.² For some reason, Shoki seemed a little embarrassed.
³Whoıs Angus?² Nabiki seemed a bit more interested now.
³Well, he is one of Grandpaıs retainers. He takes care of things so I can train.² Everybody at the table had stopped eating and was looking at him. ³Um, whatıs the matter, did I say anything wrong?²
³Are you like rich or something?² Nabiki was glad that Ranma blurted out the question. Though always trying to turn a profit, she didnıt like appearing like some goldigging schemer.
³Well, not really. Iıve got a bit of money invested that I got when my parentıs died, but Iım not a millionaire or anything. No, Grandpa Donovan is my dadıs father. He runs the McLaren castle in Scotland, and with it are a bunch of retainers to take care of the place. With the internet and everything now, Angus can check the want ads and let me know whatıs available. That will save me a bunch of time running all over the place.²
Shoki was relieved that everyone went back to eating at this. Everybody except Nabiki who continued to look at him thoughtfully. This made him uncomfortable and he began to fidget. Her gaze was a little different now, and he wasnıt used to beautiful women looking at him quite like that. It made him nervous....and intrigued.
The Shoki Saga
Chapter One
Enter the Searching Samauri
"Well, if Ryoga thinks he's gonna trick Akane into going out on a 'date' with him, he's got another think coming!" Ranma fumed as he busily went through Akane's closet for some suitable clothing. "Stupid tomboy should know better than agree to an idea of Uchan's when Ryoga is involved!"
Finding a suitably long, feminine dress, Ranma returns to his own room. Lifting a glass of water, he grimaces and pours it over his head. In place of the muscular, raven haired teen aged boy is a petite, yet voluptuous red haired girl of about the same age. "Stupid, stupid Akane doesn't even appreciate what I go through for her!" Stripping out of his, or rather her, now wet shirt and trousers, Ranma-chan puts on the dark colored dress. Furtively looking around, making sure no one is watching, Ranma reaches into the dresser and pulls out a long brunette wig and a make up case.
Grimacing again, Ranma puts on the wig and carries the make up case to the door. Sticking her head out the door, she sneaks down the hallway to Akane's room again. Reaching in Ranma grabs Akane's spare purse "Should have grabbed this the first time." Again making sure no one is around to see, Ranma hightails it down to the bathroom to put on the make up. "Don't see how girls can stand to put this stuff on everyday."
It takes twenty minutes of screwups and primping, but finally Ranma manages to get the make up on right. The results are spectacular. In the place of the red haired Chinese girl is a sexy looking brunette that bears only a little resemblance. Ranma admires the finished product. "Perfect, Ryoga won't recognize me when I pounce on him and pretend to be a long lost girlfriend! If that doesn't send Akane home, I don't know what will!" Whistling happily, Ranma walks out of the dojo for his 'appointment' with Akane and Ryoga at Uchan's.
Shoki McLaren was again marveling at how cramped the Nerima district of Tokyo seemed to him. Having been raised in the United States, he was more used to open areas and wider streets. It had been four years since he had left the states, but he still thought in American terms. He was an average looking young man of about 18, with black hair. He was dressed in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, carrying a hockey bag over his left shoulder. Turning a street corner, he took another step and heard the sound of a terrified girl.
"AAAAIIIGGGHHHH!!!! Ryoga, it was a joke, take it easy!"
"No way Ranma! Your not going to get away with it this time!"
Suddenly, a women jumped from the top of a building ahead, without even bothering to look down. Several yellow and black objects went whirling past her like shuirkens. Her long dress billowed up around her waist preventing a good look at the ground anyway. McLaren, however, got a good look at a pair of shapely legs and a pair of boxer shorts. This struck him as an odd combination. He also realized that the she was on a collision course with him. With out thinking he reached out and caught her just before she hit the ground.
"Huh?" Ranma said intelligently as she found herself looking into a pair of shockingly blue eyes, and held by a pair of strong arms.
"Hello, may I be of service to you ma'am?" He was surely gajiin, but his japanese was excellent. Trying to think fast, Ranma heard Ryoga's battlecry as he too leapt off the building.
"Oh, please mister, save me from that terrible man!" Ranma used her most girly voice and blinked her eyelashes fiercely.
"'kay," was all the stranger said as he slung Ranma to the ground and out of the way. Without bothering to take the bag off of his shoulder, he waited for Ryoga to fall to him. Reaching out, he grasped Ryoga's wrist with a thumb and forefinger and redirected his path. Ryoga's face met the ground at a high rate of speed and the pavement cracked under the impact.
Turing to the girl he had just 'saved', McLaren switched to his most proper Japanese manner. "Well now, what has such a pretty girl done to deserve such unkind attention? Pardon me, but where are my manners? My name is Shoki McLaren, what's your name?"
"Well, my name is Ra-"
"His name is Mud!" Screamed another female voice. Mac looked up to see another young woman leap from the building. This one however was holding a large, wooden mallet. Mac knew there was no way he could deflect the blow without hurting the girl. Shoving the first girl roughly behind him, he closed his eyes and cursed himself for getting involved in someone's domestic squabb-
"Geez, Akane, you don't even know who he is and you clobber him!" Ranma-chan taunted.
"Well, It's your fault for hiding behind a complete stranger!" She looks down at the fallen man. Biting her lip worriedly she says "do you think I hurt him too bad?"
"Naw, people always lay in the middle of the street unconscious! Well, the only thing to do is get him and Ryoga home and woke up." Ranma looked at the two prone figures thoughtfully. "It would sure be easier if we turned Ryoga into P-chan," she mumbled to herself.
"What was that Ranma?" Akane demanded.
"Nothing, we just better get moving."
"Well," Akane fumed, "don't think your off the hook for today!"
Shoki awoke with a splitting headache. However long practice taught him to keep his eyes closed and use his other senses to tell him a little about his surroundings. Tactile: he was laying on something that felt like a cushion on the floor and something cold was on his forehead. Smell: the mouthwatering aroma of home cooking, and the faint hint of perfume. Auditory: clinking of dishes, and a low voiced argument going on over his head.
"But Kasumi, it was Ranma's fault for hiding behind a stranger!"
"Yes Akane, but you were the one who struck him. Your dimensional hammer is a very dangerous weapon, and you must be careful how you use it. Especially since not everyone is as tough as Ranma."
Sensing no danger to himself, Mac slowly opened his eyes. Kneeling to either side of him were two very beautiful girls. The one on the right was older, with long hair. He guessed her age at about twenty, but she had an undefinable air of someone who was wise beyond her years. She had what looked to be a first aid kit in her hands. The girl on his left was a few years younger, with her hair cut shorter and was very cute. He also remembered her from just before his losing consciousness. She was the one who had given him this headache. Just then the older girl noticed he was awake.
"Oh, my. Your awake. I'm Kasumi. How are you feeling?" She smiled in a very real and reassuring way.
"Uh, I'm feeling better. At least so far." Just feeling like I've been hit by a freight train, he didn't add.
A beeping sound from behind momentarily got Kasumi's attention. "Oh, I need to get to the kitchen and finish dinner. Lie down for a while longer until the aspirin we gave you starts to work. If you need anything, please let me know." With that, Kasumi got up and walked out of McLaren's line of sight. He then noticed that the other girl was about to burst.
"I'm so sorry!" She blurted. "I didn't mean to hit you, I was aiming for Ranma. You just kind of got in the way." She turned red stammered on "could you forgive me? I'm really, really sorry..."
"Yes, I can forgive you, under one condition."
"Anything!" She almost shouted with relief.
"Promise you won't do that again!" Sheepishly she nodded and started to say something else when she was interrupted by a man's voice.
"Akane, why don't you help Nabiki set the table while I speak with our guest?"
"Okay, Dad." With that, Akane gave Shoki's hand a quick pat, got up and left.
Shoki decided that he felt well enough to sit up and did so. The man that entered the room was fairly tall, with long dark hair and a mustache. Striding over, he knelt next to McLaren and began to speak. "Very sorry about all the trouble my daughter Akane and her fiancee Ranma have caused you. My name is Soun Tendo, and I would be greatly honored if you would stay with us until you are recovered. You are?"
"I'm Shoki McLaren." At Soun's puzzled look he elaborated: "My mother was Japanese businesswoman, and my father was an Scottish-American Cop." Suddenly something the man had said sank into McLaren's brain. "You said your name was Tendo?"
The man looked surprised at the sudden interest in the boy's voice. "Why, yes it is."
"You wouldn't happen to know about the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts would you?"
"You have heard of my dojo?" Soun asked, with obvious pride.
"Yes, I have been looking for this place. I wanted to come here to study. Would you be willing to take on a new pupil?"
Later around the dinner table Soun introduced Shoki to the rest of the household. "Everybody, I'd like you to meet Shoki McLaren. He will be staying with us for a week or so, and you may be seeing him here as a student for some time to come." Shoki's stomach dipped a little when he realized he would have to prove something before he could become a student. Mr. Tendo continued with the introductions.
"This is my eldest daughter Kasumi. " Kasumi nodded her head and smiled reassuringly at Shoki. "Next to her is my middle daughter Nabiki," Nabiki looked at him with a speculative glance, causing Shoki to feel that she knew how much money was on him down to the loose change..."And this is my youngest daughter Akane, but you two have already met!" Soun chuckled and Akane blushed.
"And these two are my old friend Genma Saotome and his son Ranma. Ranma is Akane's fiance." Soun indicated a fat man in a gi and a black haired young man a little younger than Shoki himself. Soun leaned down and whispered in Shoki's ear, "when Akane and Ranma fight, don't get between them...it's not healthy!"
"DAD!!!?" Shouted Akane.
"Well, anyway lets eat!" Everybody, Shoki included dug into the veritable banquet laid out if front of them. Though appalled by the way Ranma and his father shoveled food in like vacuum cleaners and seemed to duel with their chopsticks, Shoki was thrilled by how good the meal was.
"This is delicious!" Shoki exclaimed, "my compliments to the chef!"
"Thank you, you are too kind," blushed Kasumi.
"Well, son, why don't you tell us a bit about your previous training and why you came to us to be schooled in Anything Goes Martial Arts?" Asked Mr. Tendo.
"Well, I've studied soft form Akido for three years with Master Yamata up in Yokahama." Soun and Genma both nodded in recognition of the name. "After that I studied Kendo for a year with an individual that is reputed to be the best Kendo fighter of our time." Ranma quit looking bored and perked up looking interested about then, as did Akane. "Throw in some sword fighting techniques learned from my Grandpa McLaren in Scotland, and knife throwing learned from one my sister's hollywood boyfriends, and you have the whole kit and caboodle."
"And why do you want to learn Anything Goes?"
Shoki grimaced, knowing that he would have to tell them, no matter how much it embarrassed him. "Well, after having trained for three years in Akido, I was walking around Yokahama one day when I ran into three street toughs. One of them carried a bokken and the other two were skilled in some form of martial arts I didn't recognize. They demanded a payment for walking down the street I was on. Being young and cocky, I refused. I held my own fine for a while, but my training was all defensive, not offensive. I couldn't mount an effective attack unless they were close enough to redirect their own kie. The guy with the bokken landed the first telling blow." Shoki's hand went to his ribcage as he winced in memory. "After that they beat me senseless. I woke up in a hospital with Master Yamata in the room. Right there I asked him to teach me hard form Akido, but he refused saying I would use it for revenge. That's not true, I can't change the past, but I can prevent such a thing from happening again. I took up Kendo after that, but I couldn't stand my instructor. I decided I needed a form without weapons anyway, so here I am."
"Well son, that definitely shows why you want to learn Anything Goes, now we just need to see if you have the capability to learn it. Genma, Ranma, would you two join Shoki and I in the Dojo to evaluate his skills?"
Soun led Shoki, Genma and Ranma over to the training hall. Akane tagged along too because Ranma was going. "Ranma," Soun instructed, "I want you to attack Shoki. Shoki, I want you to defend yourself from Ranma. From this I will judge if you can become a student of Anything Goes."
"Okay, just a sec." With that Shoki took off his long sleeved shirt, revealing leather armbands on each arm. Each band had three throwing knives in it. These too came off and were tossed onto the hockey bag Shoki had carted out to the dojo. "Ready!"
Akane watched carefully, it wasn't often she could watch one of Ranma's fights without worrying about the outcome. Shoki was slightly taller and more heavily muscled than Ranma. He was obviously a westerner, though he had black hair like Ranma and a slight Japanese air to his face and bearing. Most noticeable though were his vibrantly blue eyes and the lightness with which he carried himself. He seemed to balance like a...cat "Hmm," Akane thought,"better not let Ranma hear me say that!"
Ranma took a aggressive stance three steps from Shoki, who took a classic Akido defensive stance. Fast as a blur, Ranma took a leap forward and did a roundhouse kick at Shoki's head. Shoki ducked under and grabbed Ranma's ankle almost lightly with his right hand and redirected his path. Ranma was now flying feet first right at his father. Genma looked exceedingly surprised. Ranma simply adjusted his path and used his father's chest as a landing point. His legs bunched and he propelled himself back at his opponent. Genma squawked and fell backwards.
Shoki saw Ranma leaping back at him head first with his right arm drawn back for a punch. This time Shoki stepped to the side and grabbed Ranma's arm and forced his path downward, intending to face plant Ranma as he had the other guy earlier in the day. However, Ranma twisted in mid air and landed on his feet. He came up with an uppercut, but Shoki shifted out of the way. Ranma followed this with a chop at the neck, only to be completely spun around. Deciding it was time to get serious, Ranma upped the speed of his blows. Immediately he was rewarded with a solid blow to his opponent's ribs.
Heartened to know that he could get past Shoki's defenses, Ranma kept up the speed, but remembered to pull his punches so that he wouldn't cause in serious damage. The fight continued with Shoki getting thumped repeatedly, though he put up a good showing of defending himself. In fact, his defense was excellent, but his opponent was simply unchained lightning. Ranma remained untouched despite having his momentum turned against him on several occasions.
"Enough!" Shouted Mr. Tendo. The two combatants regarded each other levelly with respect in both of their eyes. Ranma had trounced Shoki with relative ease, but he was impressed by the young mans ablilty to retain his center even when knocked from his feet. Both of the young men's chests heaved with the exertion. Soun watched Shoki for a minute.
"You're slow boy!" Genma shouted at his son. "You could barely touch him!"
"Okay, pop's why don't you try him?" Ranma smiled evilly. Soun nodded. At that Ranma and Genma traded places. Genma took the exact same stance Ranma had at the start, obviously intending to use the same attack to show his son how to do it right. This pleased Shoki.
"Anytime you're ready Mr. Saotome," said Shoki. He then did something he hadn't done when he sparred with Ranma. He grinned at Genma and winked at Ranma. Ranma winked back and he began to chuckle.
Genma launched his attack with a battle cry. As Shoki expected it was the same exact attack Ranma had used first. Shoki also did nearly the exact same thing. However instead of just redirecting Genma towards the wall, he threw in some spin for good measure. As Genma flew towards where his son stood, Ranma calmly stepped aside and watched his father impact back first, head down against the wall of the dojo.
Soun looked at his fallen friend and stepped forward to shake Shoki's hand. "Welcome to the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts!"
Big Bore and the Nitro Express!