Hello, Again!
	Here is chapter two of the Shoki Saga.  This chapter's revisions
are also relatively minor, mainly tense corrections and spelling.  Later
chapters have more extensive changes
	All forms of C&C, public, private or MST are encouraged and
appreciated.

	Ranma 1/2 and all characters are property of R. Takahashi and a
whole slew of other people.  I make no claim to them.

	The Shoki Saga
	Chapter Two
	Making Friends, and a Peek 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 didn't start for another hour and a half,
the learning was about to begin.
	"Okay Shoki," began Soun "there are many facets to Anything Goes.
However there are two you must always remember and abide by:  One, Anything
Goes means just that.  If it doesn't 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."  Shoki turned
to look at Ranma who grimaced in memory.  "Failing to accept a challenge is
failure period, and all who study Anything Goes will renounce you."
	"Alright, I can accept that.  Do challenges really come around that
often?"
	"Not for most people,"  answered Genma.  "But around here they seem
to happen a lot!  Tendo why don't you show Shoki the first Kata while Ranma
and I start our morning training?"
	"Excellent idea Saotome!  Okay Shoki, we begin like this...."
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.
	"What's that?"  He asked while continuing to follow his instructor
through the Kata.
	"Oh, that's just the Saotome's training.  They have a no-holds
barred brawl every morning before Ranma goes to school. "  The two
continued the Kata through three more times while listening to the
grunting, gasping and taunting going on outside.
	"Okay, now here is a basic punch,"  Soun demonstrated.  "Now you
try it."  Shoki did as he was told.  "Excellent, now try this block."
Tendo showed a block then threw a punch at Shoki who barely blocked it.
"Good let's work on that this morning."  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 "That
was a dirty trick!"  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 wonder as
he leapt at Ranma.  Ranma jumped backwards into the air while sticking his
tongue out at the Panda.  "You'll have to do better than that old man!'
Suddenly a bucket of water clipped Ranma from behind and doused him
completely.
	"Breakfast is ready you Jerk!  Hurry up or we will be late for
school again!"  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.  "Perhaps I
should explain..." he began.

	"Okay,"  a visibly shaken Shoki said.  "When 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?"
	Soun looks uncomfortable at this.  "Well yes, at least two that I
know of.  They are friends of Ranma and Akane.  I'm sure you'll get to meet
them."
	"This happened at a place called Jusyenko you say?"
	"Yes.  The training ground of cursed springs."
	"Glad I canceled my flight there last year.  I've seen that girl
before, I'm sure..."something clicked inside Shoki's mind.  "So that's what
Akane meant when she said it was Ranma's fault!  Pardon me Sensei, I'll be
back in a bit."  With that he got up and left.

	"Um, Kasumi?"
	"Yes, Shoki?"
	"Could I please have a cup of hot water?"
	"Certainly.  Here you go."
	"Thanks."

	"Hey, Ranma!"
	"Yo,"  Shoki had to admit that Ranma's 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.
	"Hey, what did you do that for!"  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 Ranma's 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.  "Okay Ranma,"  declared Shoki in
a even voice.  "That squares things with us.  Here, let me help you up."
Shoki extended his hand and helped a stunned Ranma to his feet.
	Turning to his audience, Shoki bowed to Soun and said "Thank you
Sensei, that punch you taught me this morning works very well."  With that
he walked past the stunned group and back to the dojo.
	"Serves you right Ranma!  You shouldn't have hid behind him in the
first place!"
	Though not used to being sucker punched, he was used to fighting
with his fiancee and responded normally.  "Well if you hadn't  gone on that
date with Ryouga, none of this would have happened!"  Just then a clock
chimed.
	Akane looked furious.  "Come on Ranma we're late again!"  With that
she grabbed  Ranma by the wrist and sprinted out the door.
	Mr. Tendo looked over at his companion, "Well, Saotome,  I guess we
better go work with our new pupil."  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.  He'd 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 wasn't 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
didn't set any endurance records.  Ranma didn't even have to resort to any
special attacks.  Of course it didn't hurt that Mousse had lost his glasses
and ran off chasing a guy on a motorbike screaming "Now you die Saotome!"
	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 didn't 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.
	"Your punch wasn't that pathetic when you tagged me this morning."
Shoki started as he heard Ranma's voice right behind him.  He spun around
and dropped into a defensive crouch.  Ranma ignored his actions.  "You are
not giving that punch nearly all you have.  That punch this morning
actually hurt for a while!"
	"Uh, thanks I think, I was a little torqued off," Shoki temporized.
"Does this mean you're not sore, I mean mad, about that little temper
tantrum of mine?"
	"Naw, I probably had that coming for pulling a stunt like that on
an innocent bystander.  Ryouga could have hurt you, if it weren't for his
rotten luck."
	"Ryouga, that the name of the guy I face planted yesterday?  Do you
think he's gonna come back looking for revenge?"  Shoki seemed slightly
worried about the prospect.  Though it had been explained to him that he
had to accept all challenges, he didn't feel he was ready yet...it was only
his first day of training!
	"He 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."
	Shoki nodded with relief and demonstrated his punch against the
wall again.  Ranma shook his head.
	"No, try it like this!"  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.
	"How....how did you do that?"
	"Nothin' to it.  We just need to focus your power a little better.
Come on outside and I'll show you how it's done."

	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 Ranma's 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 couldn't hurt.  Satisfied he looked
back to the shogi board and saw that it wasn't 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....

	"I was afraid I was gonna have to drag you away from that punch
trainer, man!"  said Ranma in between mouthfuls of curry chicken.  "Your
punches have improved a lot, but you can't learn it all in one day!"  As
seemed to be normal for this household, everybody was gathered around the
table for dinner.  Again, the food was excellent.
	"A martial artist trains as much as he can, when he can boy.  Maybe
you've forgotten that!"  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.
	"Well, maybe your right Ranma," replied Shoki.  "My arms are a
little sore now.  I'm using the same muscles, but I'm using them
differently."
	"More efficiently actually.    Just wait until we start the speed
exercises!"  Shoki simply groaned.  Suddenly Nabiki, who had been quietly
eying the new arrival throughout dinner spoke up.
	"Any luck on finding a place to rent Shoki?"  Shoki looked at her
quickly, but she just seemed to be making conversation.
	"Uh, I'm not sure.  Since I figured I would be busy training, I
called Angus and asked him to do some looking for me."  For some reason,
Shoki seemed a little embarrassed.
	"Who's Angus?"  Nabiki seemed a bit more interested now.
	"Well, he is one of Grandpa's  retainers.  He takes care of things
so I can train."  Everybody at the table had stopped eating and was looking
at him.  "Um, what's the matter, did I say anything wrong?"
	"Are you like rich or something?"  Nabiki was glad that Ranma had
blurted out the question.  Though always trying to turn a profit, she
didn't like appearing like some goldigging schemer.
	"Well, not really.  I've got a bit of money invested that I got
when my parent's died, but I'm not a millionaire or anything.  No, Grandpa
Donovan is my dad's 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
what's available.  That will save me a bunch of time running all over the
place."
	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 wasn't used to beautiful women looking at him quite
like that.  It made him nervous....and intrigued.

Whew!  Read the whole thing?  Congratulations!

Thanks for sticking it out.  Again, please email me with any comments you
might have.

Later!

Big Bore and the Nitro Express!


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