Hi All!

Shoki Saga Chapter 9 is almost done, so I figured I'd post Chapter 8 again
with it's revisions to kind of remind everyone what has gone before.  All
Forms of c&C are appreciated, public, private, MST, I appreciate them all!

Ranma 1/2 belongs to R. Takahashi, Viz, Kitty and a bunch of others.  I
borrowed them without permission for a quick story or two.....

Shoki Saga
Chapter 8
Yet Another Abduction

	Shoki and Ryouga arrived at the Tendo Dojo just before noon the
next day.  Both were dead tired from lack of sleep and in Shoki's case from
being bombarded with flying boulders.  They were greeted by Kasumi and
Nodoka.
	"Oh, hello, Shoki, Ryouga,"  greeted Kasumi in her usual manner.
"You made it back.  Would you like some tea?"
	"Um, hello Kasumi, we'll take a rain check on the tea,"  responded
Shoki.  He and Ryouga left their packs by the door and walked toward the
living room.  When they got there, they saw that a circular section of the
wall had been cut out and was missing.  The room was slightly messy, but it
was obvious Kasumi had been trying to tidy up.  On the table was a single
piece of paper, with a map alongside it.
	Shoki was reaching for the paper when a shadow fell across the
table.  He looked up into the eyes of Nodoka Saotome.  "Hello Nodoka,"
Shoki greeted carefully.  He was still a little worried about her reaction
to the fight he had recently had in the Tendo living room with Kuno.
Though she carried the long parcel that held her Katana, that was not what
was on the woman's mind.
	"They took  Akane and Nabiki.  They took them and left a challenge
for my son."  Her voice was almost brittle, but her gaze was daggers of icy
cold rage.  Fortunately, the anger was not directed at him.
	"Who?"  Asked Ryouga.
	"Read the paper."

	Ranma Saotome:
		Greetings!  We returned to continue your punishment for
your crimes
	against Jusenkyo.  However, since you weren't here, we have taken your
	fiancee and her sister to ensure you will come to us.  Meet us at
Jusenkyo
	at noon, in two days time.

	Cordially Yours,
	Kenny  CMS

	"Okay, who is this Kenny?"  Asked Shoki.
	"Maybe Mr. Panda knows," replied Kasumi helpfully, "he's in
father's room keeping him company."
	"Right."  Shoki stood and walked towards the elder Tendo's room.
	Nodoka simply watched with a very puzzled expression on her face.

*********

	Genma Saotome sat in his cursed form next to the prone body of his
best friend.  Soun Tendo had just managed to cry himself to sleep,
bemoaning the fact that two of his daughters were missing.  What was even
worse was that Ranma had still not waken up from his drug induced sleep at
the hospital.  Who would rescue his daughters now?
	Quietly, Shoki opened the door and tapped the panda on the back.
The panda started then turned around and held up a sign.
	[Yes?]
	"Okay, Genma, who is Kenny, and why does he want Ranma to go to
Jusenkyo?"   Asked Shoki.
	[He is from Jusenkyo.  He was sent to punish Ranma and the rest of
us once before]
	"I take it then that Ranma beat him, and now this guy want revenge?"
	[Yes, and to punish Ranma for breaking the Jusenkyo code]
	"Is Ranma any better?  Will he be able to go in two days time?"
	[We don't know]
	"Mighty fine.  Thanks.  By the way Nodoka is downstairs, so this is
probably a safe place for you right now."
	[Thanks]
	"Oh, he signed the note 'Kenny CMS' what does that mean?"
	[Kenny is his name, and he is from the Cult of the Muscle Sword]
	"Arigato.  I better get back downstairs before Nodoka comes up."
With that, Shoki strode from the room.

***********

	Kasumi met Shoki at the bottom of the stairs.  "Oh, Shoki, I was
just coming to get you.  A gentleman just showed up, and insisted on seeing
you."
	"Wonder who that could be?"  Shoki asked puzzled.
	"He's waiting for you with Nodoka and Ryouga," smiled Kasumi.
Shoki was amazed at how well she was taking all of this.
	"Thanks Kasumi,"  said Shoki as he walked past her and into the
Tendo living room.  A tall, distinguished looking gentleman in a kilt was
waiting for him there.  Shoki took one look at the gray haired man and
broke into a grin.  "Angus!  So good to see you!  But you didn't have to
come yourself, you could have sent it," Shoki said in English.
	"It's good to see you too laddie," replied Angus.  "'Twas the
fastest way we could get this to ye.  Your great uncle Conner sends his
regards, and his private airplane."
	"So that's how you got here so fast!  Hmmm...."  Shoki stopped to
think for a moment.  "When does he need his plane back?"
	"He's spending a week with your grandfather.  He said it was yours
until then."  Angus looked at him somewhat archly.  "And what will ye be
needin' this for, laddie?"  Angus held out a long packaged wrapped in plain
brown paper.
	Shoki reached out and took the deceptively heavy package.  "Well,
that girl I said I liked was kidnapped by a guy.  I thought to set it
right."
	"What is that Shoki?"  Asked Ryouga, who knew enough English to
catch the gist of the conversation.
	"Well, you know how Nodoka has her family sword with her?"  Shoki
asked  as he began opening the package.
	"Uh, yeah?"
	"Well, now I have mine,"  as he finished speaking, Shoki pulled the
last of the wrapping off  the sword.  He pulled the massive Claymore from
it's sheath and inspected the edge.  It was free of nicks and sharp as a
razor.  "I heard Nabiki say something about a guy with a sword before we
were cut off.  I figured this might come in handy."  He spun the sword
about his wrist with almost no effort.
	"So that's why you handle a katana so easily!"  Remarked Nodoka.
"If that is what you had to train with!"
	"Angus," Shoki said as he resheathed the blade, "call the pilots
and have them warm up the plane.  We'll be flying to China."
	"Aye laddie, twill be as you say."  Angus pulled a cel phone from
his pocket and stepped out to the porch to make the call.
	"Just what are you planning on Shoki?"  Inquired Nodoka.
	"Um, well, since Ranma is, Uh, unavailable, I figure I'll take his
place."
	"I'm going with you Shoki," declared Ryouga.  "You'll need help.
This guy is good."
	"Thanks Ryouga.  I was hoping you'd say that since you've been to
Jusenkyo before."
	"I'll be going too Shoki,"  said Nodoka.  When Shoki looked at her
funnily, she asked "do you doubt my worth in a fight?"
	"No not at all Nodoka,"  Shoki thought furiously.  If Ranma woke
up, he was going to come hell bent for leather to Jusenkyo.  If his mom was
there, it would be problematic since she didn't know of her curse.
"However, it would be better if you waited here.  If Ranma and Genma show
back up from their training journey, then they will need directions.  Mr.
Tendo is in no state to help them right now, and Kasumi has to stay with
him."
	"That makes sense, but how will we get to Jusenkyo if they show up?"
	"I'll send Angus back with the plane.  If Ranma doesn't show up by
the time of the fight, they can meet us in China to pick us up."
	"All right.  Good luck you two."  Nodoka smiled hollowly as Ryouga,
Shoki and Angus left the room.

*****************

	Ryouga whistled as he Shoki and Angus walked from the terminal to
the jet.  "I thought you said you weren't rich Shoki?"  Asked Ryouga.
	"I'm not.  This is my great uncle's plane."  Shoki was also very
impressed.  It was a different aircraft than the one Conner McLaren had
three months before.  "When did Conner get this plane, Angus?"  Shoki asked
in English.
	"Last month.  'tis the latest model Falcon Executive jet.  Does
Mach .92, and I don't  want to know how much it must have cost."  Angus
looked at his young charge a moment then asked, "now, laddie, would you be
tellin' me what is goin' on?"
	"Sure Angus.  You see it's like this...."

****************

	A few minutes later the Falcon was climbing like a homesick angel,
and inside Angus was shaking his head.  "Now how does the lady at the house
figure into this?"
	"When you take the plane back to Japan, watch for Ranma.  If he
shows up, make sure his mother doesn't see him.  Unless he is in his girl
form."  By necessity, Shoki had had to come clean about Ranma's curse.
"Make sure she doesn't come with him to China, but his father, the panda
can."
	"I can handle all of that laddie, but it is a might strange.  Never
thought I would be seeing people changing into other things like that.
'tis a strange bunch you've fell in with."
	"Maybe so, but that's life.  Now, if you don't mind, I haven't
slept in a long time.  Wake me when we get to China."

***************

	Shoki and Ryouga shouldered their packs and watched the sleek jet
disappear into the Chinese sky.  Shoki had his GPS in one hand, and the map
in the other.
	"Okay, Ryouga.  Judging from the map, we will be able to camp a
couple miles from Jusenkyo tonight, and be able to easily get there in time
for the duel tomorrow."
	"Okay," said Ryouga dubiously, "if you say so."
	"Just follow me Ryouga, if you get lost I'll have to kick your butt."
	"You wish!"  Snorted the bandanaed boy.
	Shoki started off with an easy, practiced stride in the direction
the GPS said was correct.  "Ryouga, why don't you tell me a bit more about
Jusenkyo."
	Ryouga thought for a moment before speaking.  "Well, it's in a
really pretty valley.  There are springs and pools everywhere with bamboo
poles sticking in them.  In quite a few of the pools people or animals have
drowned.  If you fall in a spring, you get a curse.  You turn into whatever
has drowned in that pool."
	"Okay, I'll try to keep from getting wet.  Is there anything else I
should know?"
	"Well, there is a guide there that can tell you everything about
the place.  He's pretty nice, even if he did try to cook me once."
	Shoki goggled at Ryouga for a moment.  "He tried to cook you?"
	"Well, I was in my cursed form at the time.  He apologized later."
	Shoki marveled at how unusual his life had become.  Here he was
marching off to a deadly challenge that was meant for someone else.  His
traveling companion turned into a pig when wet, and he was  headed for the
training ground of cursed springs.  What was next?  Calling for take out
and getting a goddess instead?

	Thanks for Reading!  Let me know what you think!

Big Bore and the Nitro Express!


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