This is Part 1 of "Tiger Claw", revised. Yes, I know I said that it was
already in its final form.
Well, I lied. :P
After working on Part 2, I really needed to go back and make some changes to
Part 1 in order to make the two parts fit together.
Any C&C is deeply appreciated.
^_^
======================
TIGER CLAW
======================
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic
All rights and privileges to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and
associated parties. The characters of her series are used without her
permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is
not meant for sale or profit.
All original characters are the creation of the author. All copyright
privileges to these characters are reserved for the author.
---------------
Author's Notes:
This story is based primarily on a slightly modified version of the
manga (although it also borrows from the anime series) and takes place
several months after Vol. 38. The one major change involves the wedding at
the very end of the manga storyline.
Only a limited number of the main characters have actually SEEN the
Neko-ken (the Tendos, Genma, Shampoo, Cologne, Gosunkugi (or Sasuke), and
Kuno), although others may have heard rumors about it.
---------------
Text Conventions
( ) -> thoughts
> < -> sound fx
<" "> -> Chinese
================
The present...
Standing just a few meters from the entrance to the Tendo compound,
Nabiki saw Mousse running down the street toward her. It had already been a
profitable morning. Now she sensed another money-making opportunity. Nabiki
briskly stepped through the gate to fetch her camcorder... and stopped dead
in her tracks.
Blood was everywhere, lying in puddles and splattered all over the
entranceway. Deep claw marks scarred the stone walkway and nearby walls. A
stunned Nabiki struggled to take in the scene before her.
Ukyo stood over a nude, oddly familiar man who was sprawled face down on
the ground. He was still and unmoving, pinned under the shattered remains of
a large tree. In her hands, Ukyo nervously clutched what looked like a torn
piece of striped blue cloth.
Ryoga's naked and bloodied body lay on the walkway, surrounded by the
shredded remains of a yellow tiger skin. A very subdued-looking Shampoo
knelt beside him. Mrs. Saotome was only a few steps away, clutching a
familiar katana in her hand. Kodachi stood off to the side. She stared at
nothing in particular, strangely oblivious to her surroundings.
"...." Nabiki opened her mouth but found she couldn't utter a single
word. For a bemused second, she wondered if Ranma's fiancees and/or the
sword-wielding Mrs. Saotome had been responsible for all the carnage. Then
she caught sight of her sister.
"N-N-Nabiki!" stammered a pale-faced Akane.
Lurking just behind her was Ranma, crouched in a familiar four-footed
Neko-ken stance. He ignored Nabiki. Instead, he stared fixedly at Ryoga's
body.
Losing her usual icy self-control, Nabiki blurted out the first thing
that occurred to her.
"Akane, what the hell set him off THIS time!?"
Raising her voice was not the wisest thing for Nabiki to do but it
definitely caught Ranma's attention. He suddenly snapped his head around.
She flinched when she saw the fresh blood smeared on his face and the fierce,
predatory gleam in his blue-gray eyes.
(What the hell...?)
Ranma's eyes suddenly narrowed and he bared his teeth ever so slightly.
An ominous growl, then he lunged at Nabiki.
As Nabiki frantically backed up, her only thought was, (Oh shit...!)
===================================
Part 1: No More Pussyfooting Around
===================================
--------------------
Part 1a: Cat's-Paws
--------------------
The night before....
A beautiful, russet-haired sorceress named Yonoko was busily preparing
for her upcoming battle. After two years of constant surveillance and
planning, she was finally ready.
She glanced through her operatives' reports to confirm the delivery of
all the messages. One for the fathers and one for the old pervert, to
prevent any interference. Four messages, one for each woman, to sow
disharmony and confusion. And now for the target....
Yonoko pulled out a recent photo of Ranma Saotome and smiled
appreciatively. The picture had been taken just a few days ago by her source
inside the Tendo Dojo. It showed Saotome standing in the courtyard, one arm
thrown up in a block. His body was perfectly poised to either defend or
attack. Even with just a profile view of his face, she could sense the
intense focus, the unusual strength of both mind and body. Her fingers
slowly trailed over the photo. She traced the broad shoulders and the
strong, sleek lines of the chest and arm muscles exposed by his tank top. In
less than two years, since his arrival in Nerima, Saotome had changed from a
mere boy into quite a handsome and formidable young man.
(If only....)
Yonoko sighed and shook her head to clear the wistful fantasies from her
brain. Pulling out a magical ward, she focused her power and uttered a soft
phrase. The ward vanished in a puff of smoke. The sorceress then inspected
her altered appearance in the mirror. Yonoko grinned dangerously. She
picked up two tiger skin belts lying on a nearby table and murmured, "Now to
round up the two challengers. Get ready, boys. The Tiger Lily is coming to
pay you a visit."
----------------
It was midnight in a forested mountain area, not too far from Nerima.
Ryoga Hibiki stared into his campfire, brooding about the overwhelming
injustice of the world. After the first wedding fiasco, Ryoga had finally
given up on Akane. Instead, he had chosen to devote his attentions to Akari.
However, as weeks and months passed, it hadn't been enough for him. Oh,
Akari was pleasant, understanding, and certainly affectionate. More
importantly, his Jusenkyo curse didn't bother her. He liked her a good deal,
but his 'liking' for Akari was only a pale shadow compared to his burning
passion for Akane Tendo. He had firmly intended to leave Nerima and the
people there far behind him. However, Ryoga eventually ended up spending
more and more time back at the Tendo dojo and in Akane's arms.
He had found out that even sweet-tempered Akari had her limits. Faced
with Akari's tearful demand that he pick either her or Akane Tendo, he had
chosen Akane.
Ryoga muttered, "And when I finally get back to Nerima, what happens?
Ranma runs me over and grinds my face into the dirt. Like he always does!"
Ryoga had naturally retaliated. However, as usual, his opponent had
gone straight for his weak spot. A quick splash of cold water and instant
victory for Ranma. After all, what could harmlessly little P-chan do?
Ranma's absent-minded attitude during yesterday's fight made the incident
even more infuriating for Ryoga.
He shook his fist in the air. "How dare he mock me like that! When I
get back to Nerima, I'll show him that he can't ignore Ryoga Hibiki!"
But for now, Ryoga sat hunched over a lonely campfire. He was
hopelessly lost, as usual. That was annoying enough, but in the last couple
of months, his utter lack of direction had become a true source of torture.
It was all because Akane had started to act as if she actually liked
Ranma. He could see it in her face and hear it in her voice. Ryoga could
only hope that it was a temporary phase that would soon go away.
(After all, a terrific girl like Akane could never really lov... care
about a rude, insensitive pervert like Ranma, right?)
However, a single nightmarish vision continued to haunt him. He could
just imagine himself staggering back into Nerima after long months of
wanderings, only to find Ranma and Akane married. Then Ranma would laugh and
whisper something into Akane's ear about P-chan....
A soft, sultry woman's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Ryoga Hibiki."
He stiffened in surprise. (Huh!? How did she sneak up on me?) He
looked around, catching a flicker of motion overhead in a nearby tree. He
leapt back from his campfire and his simmering meal. Away from the glare of
the firelight, he saw the shadowy form of a woman perched on a low branch.
Ryoga couldn't make out her face but he could tell that she was on the small
side and had a very nice figure. A stray wind gust sent long strands of red
hair floating in the breeze.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Perhaps a friend.... You have an opponent called Ranma Saotome?"
"What about him?" Ryoga was definitely suspicious now.
"Enough. I know that he's a superb fighter. He has the woman you want.
And you're at his mercy regarding your secret identity as a little black pig
called P-chan." She seemed to float, not jump, down from the branch and
landed a few steps away from him.
Ryoga's eyes bulged in surprise. "You... you know about that? How...?"
She chuckled softly. "I have my sources. You've had very little
success against Ranma, haven't you? Oh, you've occasionally come close to
beating him in combat. You may have actually won once or twice. But
fighting doesn't help, does it? No matter what you do, he still ends up with
the real prize, every time. Isn't that right?"
"Grrrr." It was true. No matter what Ryoga did, Ranma always ended up
with Akane.
The fluttering of the woman's long red hair suddenly caused an angry
suspicion to flood through Ryoga's usually dense brain. Red hair. Short.
Big breasts. Surely it could only be....
"RANMA! I've had enough of your STUPID disguises!" He grabbed his
ever-present kettle of hot water and dumped it all over the woman.
Who stayed a woman. A very wet, very ANGRY woman.
< WHACK!!! >
"You fool! What did you do that for!?" She slapped him again for good
measure.
Faced with a beautiful, enraged woman clad in a wet and now nearly
transparent gown, Ryoga did what came naturally. He had a nosebleed.
"Uhhh...uhhhh.... It was an honest mistake! Ranma's always trying to
trick me by disguising himself.... It's all his fault!"
"Isn't it always?" The woman glared at Ryoga, then waved off his
babbled apologies. She suddenly shed her 'mysterious lady' pose, then gave
him a cold, hard stare. "That's not important now. Let's get down to
business."
Ryoga shivered a bit. Now she reminded him unpleasantly of Nabiki Tendo
on the prowl for a REAL big deal....
"You want to defeat Ranma Saotome, once and for all. And you want Akane
Tendo for yourself, correct?"
Ryoga mutely nodded.
"I want Ranma Saotome punished for his crimes against me."
He blinked and asked, "What did he do to you?"
"That's none of your business. Suffice it to say that I want him to
suffer, all right? I want to see him humbled and broken! And the best way
to do that is to make sure he's totally humiliated in combat AND also loses
his precious fiancee."
"I...I...see."
"There's no way that I can do either of those things myself. However, I
can help YOU to do them."
"How?"
"With this." She held up a wide belt in her hands.
"It looks like...."
"...tiger skin, yes. Saotome's strong points is his speed and
dexterity. With this belt, the agility and speed of the tiger can be yours.
Combine those abilities with your superior strength, and he won't stand a
chance."
She smiled wickedly at Ryoga and added, "The belt will also help you in
another way. You know about Saotome's little cat problem?"
Ryoga scratched his head. Thought a bit. "Oh yeah, Ranma's always
freaking out when he sees a cat. He either freezes or runs off screaming."
He smirked. "It's pretty pathetic, but kinda funny, too."
The woman gave him a sinister smile. "I'm sure it is. Anyway, this
belt will give you the aura of a cat. You'll be able to dominate and defeat
Ranma completely."
Ryoga hesitated briefly, then suddenly grinned. He could just imagine
himself standing triumphant over a battered Ranma. Saotome would be
grovelling in abject terror. Akane would be looking on in complete disgust.
He thought dreamily, (Oh, Akane, I'll finally be able to show you what a
pathetic coward Ranma really is. He doesn't deserve to be your fiancee.) He
then pictured Akane booting Ranma far, far, far away. And then she would
rush over to embrace HIM.
Ryoga eagerly grabbed the tiger skin belt and asked, "How does it
work?".
"All you have to do is wear it in your next fight with him. Tomorrow
morning at the Tendo home."
He blinked. "Why tomorrow morning?"
The red-haired woman smiled grimly. "Oh, didn't you know? Saotome's
planning to secretly marry Akane at that time."
"HE'S WHAT!?!?!?! Why...why that miserable, conniving bastard!" Ryoga
smashed an innocent nearby tree into splinters. "He probably bullied her into
this wedding, too. And I'm sure those two old fools they call 'fathers'
helped!" He then turned to face the direction directly opposite of Nerima
and prepared to march off that instant in the true 'victory or death' spirit.
The woman whipped out a pail of cold water and dumped it over Ryoga's
head. She then pulled P-chan from the pile of loose clothes. Holding him
up, she gave him a good shaking.
"Where do you think you're going!? If you try to get to Nerima by
yourself, you won't arrive until after the honeymoon's long over. Your
precious Akane will probably be two months pregnant by then!"
P-chan went rigid. Blood gushed from his nose as he pictured a naked
Ranma and Akane lewdly cavorting in a tacky honeymoon suite.
(NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!) he silently screamed. Then he fainted.
The woman stared at the limp piglet in mild disgust. "Hmmm. I think I
overdid it. I guess the reports weren't exaggerating about Hibiki's
hypersensitivity about females." She went to refill her bucket.
P-chan slowly revived after the woman repeatedly dunked him in cold
water. He dazedly wondered, (What...what was it...about Akane? Pregnant?
That means, she... she and Ranma... they had to... they were... oh,
nooooo....) Everything started to go black again.
When the woman saw P-chan passing out again, she smacked him none too
gently across the muzzle. "Get a grip on yourself, you idiot! How are you
going to help Akane if you keep fainting like that?"
P-chan blinked huge, tear-filled eyes at her. He squealed pathetically.
The woman sighed. "Now listen to me. It hasn't happened YET. It won't
happen IF you do what I say!" She held a braided black and red cord in front
of his face. "See this? Tie this around your wrist. It will guide you to
wherever Ranma Saotome is. Now, are you prepared to stay awake and listen to
my plan?"
The little piglet slowly nodded his head. "Bweeeee...."
----------------
That same night at the Kuno family mansion....
Kuno awoke to the sound of a soft rustle in his room. He grabbed the
bokken lying beside him, then suddenly sprang from his bed and bellowed, "Who
dares invade the chambers of Tatewaki Kuno, he who is known as Blue
Thunder!?" A distant rumble echoed in the night.
There was a soft, frightened yelp, followed by a long silence. Then a
meek yet sultry woman's voice whispered, "A lady in dire need of help."
In the moonlight from the open window, Kuno could see the shadowy form
of a young woman. She was petite and undeniably gorgeous, with long, red
tresses falling to her waist. He blinked and whispered hopefully, "Pig-
tailed girl?"
His mysterious visitor sadly shook her head. "No, I am not the woman
you love. But I am trying to aid her and others in their quest for freedom."
"Freedom? You... you don't mean... from that foul sorcerer and enslaver
of women, Ranma Saotome!?"
The woman nodded, sniffling pathetically. "Just so. I have come to beg
your aid! You are my only hope! All others have turned away from their
plight, content to allow your beloved pig-tailed girl to lie in vile bondage
to the dark Saotome. To be so enchanted that she is deprived of her very
identity and name!"
She sagged to her knees and uttered a heartbreaking sob. "And what of
the brave Akane Tendo, who hates him and curses him for the foul villain he
is, yet still cannot free herself from his evil grasp?"
Kuno dropped his bokken and grabbed her hands. "Speak on, fair maiden.
Please, how may I help my two loves! I implore you!"
"Saotome..." she shuddered before continuing in a faint whisper. "...is
planning to secretly wed Akane Tendo tomorrow morning...."
Kuno froze in shock. Recognizing the signs of an imminent explosion of
rage, the woman hastily tried to finish speaking.
"...and intends to use both Akane Tendo and the pig-tailed girl
immediately thereafter in foul acts beyond description to satisfy his vile
lusts...."
"WHAT!?!?!?" Slight flickers of reddish energy began to drift off
Kuno's body. "Saotome! You fiend! Not just one but both. And at the same
time! I would rend your curst heart from your maggot-riddled flesh before I
would allow my loves to suffer such lecherous tortures at your hands!
Saotome, prepare to DIIEEEE!!!" He swept up his bokken and leapt for the
window.
The young woman grabbed Kuno with amazing strength and hauled him back
into the room. "NO! You must not do it that way, noble sir! Do you not
understand? He is the only one who knows where the pig-tailed girl is! If
you kill Saotome before the wedding, YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR BELOVED PIG-
TAILED GIRL AGAIN! She will be bound to the darkness forever!"
Kuno stared at her for a long moment before her words slowly oozed into
his brain. "Say... again...."
Satisfied that Kuno was actually listening to her, the woman relaxed her
grip slightly. However, taking no chances, she poked him on a pressure point
that left him frozen in place. "You must challenge the evil Saotome AT the
wedding ceremony, not before! Only then will he summon the pig-tailed girl
forth from her imprisonment so he may gloat and taunt her with the terrible
torments that await her."
Kuno gurgled in incoherent rage.
"And for all your great skill, you cannot defeat him unaided!" She held
up a tiger skin belt and shoved it into his hands. "The evil Saotome fears
cats beyond all reason and this belt will evoke that terrible fear in him.
Wear it into battle and he SHALL cringe before you like a mindless beast."
Even in his seething fury, Kuno hesitated. He frowned at the belt in
his hands and in low, strangled tones, reluctantly whispered, "But...but a
true warrior... does not rely on arcane... trickery to overcome his
opponents...."
The woman slowly recoiled from him and sobbed, "So... you ARE no better
than any of the others! I thought you were strong enough to do whatever was
necessary to save your loves. But I was WRONG! Your pride is more important
to you than the women you claim to love so much!" She slapped him hard.
"Yes, let them suffer degradation and unspeakable misery at Saotome's hands!
What do you care? I hope that you survive your battle with him so that you
can see for yourself what you've...you've...wrought."
She broke off with a heart-wrenching cry, grabbed the belt from Kuno's
hands and turned to leave. A step away from the window, she heard Kuno's
anguished voice shout, "No! Forgive my momentary weakness! Please, I beg
you! You are quite right, Saotome must die by fair means or foul! Nothing
else matters!"
As she stood with her back to the still paralyzed Kuno, a bone-chilling
grin of satisfaction momentarily touched the woman's lips. The faint grin
was instantly replaced by a timid smile as she turned to face him.
She gently touched his reddened cheek where she had struck him and
murmured, "Please...please forgive me. It's been such a struggle....
Saotome is so powerful, so vicious.... I had nowhere else to turn and when I
thought you didn't care...." She pulled out a delicate silk handkerchief and
dabbed at her eyes.
Placing the tiger skin belt back into Kuno's hands, she moved toward the
window. "I'm very sorry about your current immobility but I was desperate to
keep you from premature action. You will recover full motion in a few hours,
my hero, in ample time to prepare for your duel. Remember, noble Kuno. At
the wedding ceremony at 10 AM at the Tendo dojo and not a moment before.
Otherwise, both Akane Tendo and the pig-tailed girl will be lost to you
FOREVER!" She then slipped out the window and disappeared like a wisp of
mist.
Kuno forced his fingers to close around the furred belt.
"Yes...yes...tomorrow.... Tomorrow morning, Ranma Saotome! I shall SMITE
your filthy presence from this earth! DEATH! DEATH TO RANMA SAOTOME!!!"
In the Tendo house, Ranma sneezed loudly in his sleep.
--------------------------
Part 1b: Setting the Stage
--------------------------
Early the next morning, Yonoko took up her position in a building near
the Tendo compound. The room she occupied was an interesting combination of
high-tech electronics and ancient magic. Television monitors nestled side-
by-side with brittle parchment scrolls and packets of herbs. She called one
of her surveillance teams to check on the current location of a certain
panty-stealing pervert. Fortunately, all signs indicated that the old man
would be happily occupied for next few hours.
"Good. But warn me immediately if Happosai heads back toward Nerima."
The sorceress then placed the tools of her art on the table. Two hand-
sized cat figurines. A long silver pin. A small straw doll that had a few
black hairs and a scrap of bright red cloth sticking out of it. An
assortment of magic wards written on paper strips.
Her preparations complete, she turned her eyes to the closed circuit
monitor and waited.
----------------
At 8 AM, Sasuke went to wake his master. He opened the door to Kuno's
bedroom, took a quick peek inside, and cringed. Kuno sat cross-legged on the
floor with a tiger-patterned belt around his waist and an unsheathed katana
in his lap. His face was frozen in a mask of pure hatred. An incredibly
intense red aura danced around his body.
----------------
A young lady in Nerima was putting the finishing touches to her
appearance. Finally satisfied, she set off for an eagerly anticipated
meeting with the love of her life.
Two other young ladies in Nerima were making similar preparations.
----------------
A mature but elegant-looking woman left her house. In her arms, she
carried a long, thin bundle.
----------------
Following the tug of the braided cord around his wrist, Ryoga soon found
himself in the vicinity of Nerima and the Tendo dojo. He patted the tiger
skin belt around his waist and cracked his knuckles. "Ranma, victory will be
mine at last!"
In a much more dreamy voice, he added, "Oh, Akane, soon Ranma will never
be able to hurt you again.... And then, maybe, I'll be able to tell you
what's in my heart."
The braided cord urged him toward the left. Ryoga set off with a
decidedly nasty grin of anticipation on his face.
----------------
After finishing her usual early morning jog, Akane went upstairs to
change her clothes. Instead of entering her room, she walked over to the
window at the end of the hallway. Luxuriating in the bright morning sunshine
and the cool breeze coming through the open window, she murmured, "Spring
break's been really nice so far. I hope this weather lasts."
Movement below caught her eye. She leaned forward slightly to see Ranma
just finishing up an intricate tai chi exercise behind the dojo. He paused
to take a few deep breaths, then stepped indoors. He soon emerged with a
wooden staff. However, Ranma didn't start practicing his usual fast and
aggressive combat style. Instead, he began a slow and elegant staff kata.
As Akane watched his graceful movements, she recalled the first time she
had ever seen him performing something so slow or formal. She had been very
surprised. With Ranma's usual impatience and his incredible competitive
streak, tai chi or stylized forms didn't seem to fit him at all.
However, Akane had soon realized just how important they were to him.
Like the times he spent alone on the roof or under his favorite bridge, those
techniques were his refugee, a small island of calm in a hectic life. When
something really bothered him or after particularly bitter arguments, Ranma
could often be found quietly working through a series of complicated kata.
Ranma paused briefly to hold a crane stance before flowing into another
complicated series of staff strikes.
(What's bothering him now? Ranma and I haven't had any really serious
fights for a while. Well, except for the usual stuff about my cooking or P-
chan but even those have been pretty minor.)
She frowned slightly. At first, the fighting and bickering had been an
easy, comfortable way of keeping Ranma at a distance. But the constant
arguing had gotten old and tiring. A lot of times, she ended up feeling
somewhat guilty for over-reacting. The guilt only made Akane more annoyed at
him, which made them fight even more. And so it went, on and on. But then,
things changed.
Her thoughts drifted back to the events of that fall, as it had many
times before. Back to that unforgettable moment at Mount Phoenix....
He had wanted to tell her that he loved her. When he thought she was
dead, Ranma cried and actually said that he loved her. Her hand tightened on
the windowsill.
(If Ryoga and the others hadn't shown up and completely broken the mood,
I would have.... Oh, I don't know WHAT I would have done. But I didn't even
get the chance!)
And ever since the return to Nerima, the idiot had acted as if the whole
thing never happened. Whenever she tried to talk about it, Ranma either
changed the topic or ran away.
(But,... at least he hasn't DENIED saying it. I guess that's
something.)
Akane sighed wistfully. On a couple of occasions, she could have sworn
that Ranma had been almost ready to admit his feelings to her. However,
something had always interfered.
(Someone's always butting in! His fiancees, the other guys, our
parents, just to name a few! How do they expect us to make any decisions if
they never leave us alone long enough to figure it out?)
Of course, things weren't perfect. They still argued a lot. He still
called her a violent tomboy. And he just would NOT quit with the stupid
remarks about her cooking. The window sill creaked under her white-knuckled
grip and she forced herself to relax
(But I've got to admit that he's really been trying to be nice to me.)
She had finally noticed that Ranma had stopped using those annoying 'uncute'
and 'unsexy' insults of his.
Akane stared pensively down at her hands. In a way, she had always
hated those insults worst of all and now... now she wasn't sure what to make
of their absence.
(Does that mean that Ranma's starting to find me... cute?) She felt
herself blush at the prospect of being Ranma's 'cute fiancee'.
(...instead of Ukyo....)
Her gaze returned almost involuntarily to Ranma. She couldn't help
admiring how his body carried him effortlessly and precisely through every
move. She never would have admitted it aloud but the annoying boy/girl who
had arrived at the Tendos' house, slung over a panda's shoulder, had
definitely changed. A lot. Nearly two years of growth, combined with
constant fighting and training, had given Ranma a special combination of
strength, skill, and grace that no other martial artist could match.
Akane sighed quietly. She couldn't deny that Ranma was good-looking,
even... handsome.
A creak of a stair startled her, then she heard Kasumi's voice from
downstairs.
"Father, didn't the message say that you're supposed to meet Councilman
Motatsu at 10 o'clock?"
On the stairway, Soun Tendo replied, "Oh no! I completely forgot that
he wanted to discuss the panty thefts ... again! Arrgghh! Saotome, you
aren't leaving me alone to deal with this! He's your master, too!" There
was the sound of rapidly receding footsteps.
Kasumi called up the stairs. "Akane?"
"Yes, Kasumi?"
"I'm going out to do some shopping. Do you want anything?"
"No. Thanks, anyway."
Akane walked back to the stairs. She saw her father dash out the door,
dragging a VERY reluctant Mr. Saotome along. Kasumi gave her a little wave
and followed them out in a much more sedate fashion.
She breathed a faint sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted to do
was to give her father the impression that she was 'drooling' over Ranma.
Akane grimaced. (That makes me sound like Kodachi. Ick!)
(Truthfully, Dad and Mr. Saotome would use the smallest excuse to drag
us in front of the altar. Again.)
She flushed but this time it was with anger. She remembered the first
try at a Saotome-Tendo wedding all too well. Her father and Mr. Saotome, in
their infinite wisdom, had decided to hold a secret wedding right after Mount
Phoenix.
It had been an indescribable disaster.
(Secret wedding, what a joke! That wedding must have been the most
publicized SECRET in the history of Nerima! It's a miracle that Ranma and I
managed to survive all the trouble that stupid wedding caused. And in
Ranma's case, it was WAY too close.... I'd never seen Dr. Tofu so mad!)
However, in spite of all the turmoil, nothing had really changed for the
two of them. He STILL had two extra fiancees. Kodachi was STILL after him.
Ryoga, Kuno, and Mousse were STILL constantly fighting him for all sorts of
crazy reasons.
(Unless something significant happens, a wedding's totally out of the
question right now. Even eloping wouldn't help. The same mess would be
still be waiting for us....) Her thoughts ground to a sudden halt.
(Why am I thinking about weddings? I'm in no rush to get married!
Let's face it, Ranma's no prize! He's rude and insensitive. He's such a
troublemaker. He makes P-chan's table manners look good. And he's always
letting those other girls hang all over him!)
But Akane's anger soon fizzed out. Ranma had a few good points. He
took his honor very seriously. He didn't hold grudges. He didn't like
hurting people. He'd help almost anybody -- it didn't matter if the person
had tried to kill him or if the person was a nasty pervert like Happosai. He
does NOT give up.
And Akane KNEW that Ranma could be remarkably kind.
(Okay, so he's got a lot of good points....)
"Which makes the times when he acts like a stupid, arrogant jerk even
more infuriating! What's wrong with him?" She flung up her hands. "Is he
TRYING to drive me crazy!?"
There was one other thing about Ranma that always lingered in Akane's
mind, even in her most angry moments. She didn't exactly know what to call
it but she knew what it was.
Supporting her, protecting her, fighting for her -- whatever it took,
whenever she had needed him, Ranma had always been there for her....
And what had she ever done to deserve that?
Akane's musings were interrupted by a knock on the front door.
------------------
Behind the dojo, Ranma steadily worked his way through the complicated
kata, letting the rhythm of the movements calm his mind.
Block. Feint. Block. Strike. Parry.
It had taken a lot of yelling and more than one battle, but he had
managed to get his father off his back for a few days.
(I really needed the time to think about a few things.)
His eighteenth birthday was coming up in a couple of weeks. Senior year
was fast approaching. And although he would have died before admitting it,
he dreaded the thought of going through another year of total craziness --
the craziness that passed for his life in Nerima. However, it was the stupid
mess involving Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi that really bothered him.
(It's a no-win situation. If things don't change, somebody's going to
get seriously hurt. And if things do change, somebody's STILL going to get
hurt!) He bit his lip. (And I'm not just talking about hurt feelings!)
Ranma wasn't too worried for himself. He worried about Akane, though.
Shampoo and Kodachi had already gone after her more than once. And Ukyo...
well, Ukyo was a dear friend but a girl who dedicated over ten years of her
life to revenge wasn't exactly the forgiving type.
He reluctantly admitted to himself that he couldn't put anything pass
Ukyo. It had been a shock to find out that she had been one of the many
people dosing him with weird magic potions after the news of the 'secret'
wedding hit the streets of Nerima. He EXPECTED Shampoo and Kodachi to try
sneaky tricks like love potions. But Ukyo? Ranma had always considered her
to be 'safe'. It had hurt to find out differently.
He went into a strike with too much force and had to fight for his
balance.
Ranma couldn't exactly remember when he had decided that the only
fiancee he wanted -- had ever wanted -- was Akane.
(I mean, we argue a lot. She clobbers me for no reason. She blames me
for stuff that ain't my fault. She hardly ever listens to me. She calls me
a pervert....)
He broke his form long enough to sigh deeply.
(But when we're not fighting,... When we're working together,... When
she's laughing or smiling,... It just feels SO right.)
(And how does Akane feel about me? Does she...really care? She's
gotten herself into real danger helping me....)
(...but she's the type who would do it for just about anybody. She'd
probably do the same thing for a dog,) a cynical inner voice countered.
(And I've kinda been getting the feeling that she's trying to control
that crazy temper of hers....)
(...or are you just getting used to her pounding and yelling at you all
the time?) Ranma's cynical side snidely asked.
(Care.... No, that's not the question. The real question is... love.
I want to know if she... loves me.)
(...how can she love you when your own mother...,) his inner voice
whispered nastily before Ranma brutally squelched that train of thought.
He sighed again and muttered, "But it really doesn't matter how Akane
feels, does it?"
He wanted...no, NEEDED to protect Akane. He really hated to hurt her in
any way. He missed her when she wasn't around. And he simply could NOT
tolerate even the possibility of losing her. Ranma's thoughts skittered
wildly away from those horrible moments at Mount Phoenix when Akane had been
lying there so still in his arms.... He shook his head violently.
(Enough about Akane! She's not the problem here. It was the other
three that I've gotta to worry about...especially Ukyo. What am I gonna do
about Ukyo?)
------------------
Akane opened the door to see Mrs. Saotome standing on the porch, her
ever-present katana on her arms. She sometimes wondered why Mrs. Saotome
persisted in carrying the sword around. After all, Ranma's mother had
already decided that her son was 'manly', even with the Jusenkyo curse.
"Auntie Saotome!" Akane greeted her cheerfully.
Nodoka smiled at her. "Hello, Akane. Where are Ranma and my husband?"
"Uh, Ranma? He's still doing his morning workout. I think Mr. Saotome
went out with my father to a meeting."
Nodoka pulled out a note. "How very strange. Ranma should have been
expecting me. After all, he asked me to come here for a formal meeting."
"Meeting?"
"Regarding his engagement."
"Engagement?" Akane felt a strong twinge of anger. (Why didn't that
jerk mention anything to me? I'm his fiancee!)
At that moment, Ukyo arrived at the Tendos' front door. She had
obviously taken great care in dressing that morning. The chef wore a nicely
tailored outfit. She was even wearing high heels.
"Mrs. Saotome! I hope I'm not too early."
Nodoka looked startled. "Early? For what?"
"For our meeting, right? Ranma sent me a message saying that you wanted
to discuss our engagement."
"But Ukyo, I didn't ask Ranma to send you any such message."
"But...." Looking around in confusion, Ukyo noticed Akane standing in
the doorway in her T-shirt and shorts. "Uh, what are you doing here?"
Akane acidly replied, "I LIVE here, remember?"
Shampoo stalked through the front gate. For once, she was wearing a
tasteful silk dress, one that didn't look as if it had been painted on her
body.
Akane scowled. (Oh great. Now Shampoo.)
"What is Akane and stupid spatula girl doing here? This suppose to be
private meeting with mother-in-law."
"Now wait a minute, you Chinese hussy...."
"Who you call hussy, spatula girl!?"
"Ho ho hohoho!" A familiar eerie laugh filled the air. A few black
rose petals drifted in the breeze as Kodachi strolled into the Tendo
compound. She gave Mrs. Saotome an elegant bow.
"Mrs. Saotome, it's such a pleasure to see you again! Our last meeting
was so brief but I'm sure you remember me, Kodachi Kuno, otherwise known as
the Black Rose of St. Hebereke High School." She uttered a coy giggle.
"I'm so glad to finally have the opportunity to become better acquainted with
the gracious mother of my darling, darling Ranma."
She then noticed Ukyo, Shampoo, and Akane who were all angrily staring
at her. "What are you little tarts doing here? How dare you intrude on a
private conference?"
Akane gritted her teeth. "As I said before, I LIVE here."
"Hey! It's a private meeting, all right, but it's MY meeting, not
yours! Butt out!"
Kodachi whipped out a piece of paper. "My darling Ranma specifically
asked me to come here to meet his mother and discuss our engagement!"
Ukyo yanked out a piece of paper of her own and snarled, "Well, I've got
one too!"
Akane marched out the house and confronted Kodachi, "And what do you
mean by 'our engagement'?"
"Husband send message that he want Shampoo to meet his mother." The
Amazon scowled angrily at a now familiar-looking piece of stationary.
Kodachi, Ukyo, and Akane turned on Shampoo and shouted in unison, "HE'S
NOT YOUR HUSBAND!"
"Yes he is! Amazon law say so!"
"Do you want to know where you can stick your Amazon law!?" Ukyo
snapped.
"There's no way I will allow some half-witted barbarian harlot to lay
claim to my dear Ranma!"
"Spatula girl and crazy girl want to fight for Ranma, they got it!"
Shampoo smirked and went into a combat stance.
Ukyo pulled out her throwing spatulas. "You asked for it, you bimbo!"
With her ribbon twirling, Kodachi giggled and said, "Nobody crosses the
Black Rose! Suffer and learn!"
Nodoka coughed and firmly said, "Excuse me, girls. Why don't we try to
settle this in a more lady-like fashion?" Akane quietly fumed in the
background as the other three women instantly assumed a more demure attitude.
"Sorry, Mrs. Saotome..."
"Please forgive my unseemly behavior...."
"Shampoo apologize...."
"Now, girls, about those notes...?"
--------------
Back at the Neko-hanten, an irate Muu-muu was clutching a throwing knife
in his bill. He had been struggling to loosen the latch on his cage for the
past hour. Before leaving for the Tendo dojo, Shampoo had taken the
precaution of locking him up. However, Muu-muu had no intention of letting
his beloved Shampoo sneak off to some sort of secret meeting with Ranma.
(I don't know what you're up to, Saotome, but I'm not going to let you
touch Shampoo!)
The latch gradually started to move....
--------------
Just as he had completed the kata, Ranma heard a faint commotion near
the front door of the compound. He decided to investigate but had no idea of
the trouble awaiting him. Then again, his usually fine-tuned sense of danger
didn't have much luck with his fiancees.
He carelessly jogged around the dojo and hopped up onto the walkway
fence, only to freeze in surprise when he saw his four fiancees (real and
self-appointed). His fiancees were engaged in a fierce but excruciatingly
polite argument while his mother looked on, a slight frown on her face.
Ranma felt chills run down his spine as they all turned to stare up at him.
(Oh great! All the problem women in my life. Mom included.)
His instincts told him to run for it. He actually took a step back when
Nodoka said, "Ranma, could you come here for a moment?"
He sighed, straightened his shoulders, and hopped down off the fence.
(Why do I have the feeling that things are about to get REALLY ugly?)
His mother gave her son a stern look. "Can you please explain these
notes?"
He stared at the four messages. They were all basically the same, each
inviting the addressee to a 10 AM meeting at the Tendo house to discuss the
matter of his engagement. He looked up to see everyone, Akane included,
glaring furiously at him.
He held his hands up as if trying to fend a physical assault. "Hey!
Don't look at me! I didn't have anything to do with this!"
"Ranma honey, you'd better be telling the truth or else you're going to
get HURT."
"Husband no lie about this?"
"Darling! How could you have possibly forgotten such an important
event?"
"Ranma, are you... absolutely sure?" his mother asked in a firm voice as
she absently picked at the strings holding the wrappings on her sword. Akane
saw him flinch at his mother's question.
He stared at his mother for a long moment. Ranma bitterly thought, (Why
is Mom on my case so much? What did _I_ do to make her believe that I'd lie
about something this serious? I'm not like Pop!)
After his mother had learned about and accepted his Jusenkyo curse, he
had been so happy... for a while. Then it had started....
(And I thought it was bad when I was pretending to be Ranko! She
pounces on every little thing that she considers 'unmanly' or dishonorable.
The slightest mistake, the smallest slip-up.... It's like she's LOOKING for
an excuse to use that stupid sword of hers!)
Things had only gotten worse after his mother's house had been rebuilt
after nearly being destroyed by his rampaging fiancees. His mother had moved
out of the Tendos' home as soon as the house was finished. Ranma and his
father had not. It didn't take a mind-reader to figure out that his mom had
NOT been pleased.
In response to his mother's question, Ranma leaned forward slightly and
said very emphatically, "Yeah, I'm sure. I didn't write those notes and I
don't know anything about them. OKAY?" It was bordering on outright
rudeness to his mother but he couldn't help it.
Suddenly, behind him, Ranma heard an all too familiar voice yelling,
"SAO-TO-ME!!!!"
(To be continued in Part 1c)
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madamhydra@aol.com /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E