>From Ampersand press...
The Will of Tendo.
Part II: Welcome to the Hotel Tendo.
******
"Relax," said the nightman
"We are programed to recieve...
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave!"
---From "Hotel California" written by the Eagles.
******
In Part I, The Tendos and Ranma learn that their fathers were killed in a drunk
driving accident when the car that they were in crashed into the Royal Family's
limoscene. Kasumi quickly decides that they should head up to Tendo, a city in
Northern Japan. Everyone else in Nerima quickly knows about the deaths and
consolances pour in. Ukyou and Shampoo themselves ask if the Tendos needed
anything. Naturally, they follow the Tendos and Ranma up to Tendo. Oh, yes,
somehow a panda survived the crash.
******
	Tendo city is not a very big city. It's much like a Green Bay, a city famous for
one thing. And in Japan, Tendo is Shogi. Some say it is where Shogi originated
from the poverty stricken peasants as a way to pay debts and earn a living.
	However, as Kasumi noted to herself as she got off the train, there is a
purity of this place. The dozen or so spas and hundreds of naturally occuring
hot springs would be well visited by Kasumi and Nabiki before the day was done.
Whether Ranma and Akane would like to hang around in a spa she didn't know, but
she guessed they wouldn't. And the mountains, oh, yes, couldn't forget the
mountains. They were always in the background. There wasn't much about them,
none of them singularly were as impressive as Mt. Fuji, but they made their
presence known. And yet they were far enough away so that the snows would not be
a burden. Tendo, according to the brochure, recieved less snow than anywhere in
the prefecture.
	However, this tiny little town of about 61,000 would grow to about
610,000 as the spring festival had begun. The train was full of people, mostly
ready for the weekend celebration to begin. Kasumi gathered her sisters and
Ranma and escorted them to a waiting taxi.
	"So, Nabiki, where are we going?"
	"Tendo hotel," replied Nabiki, who was wearing probably one too many
sweaters than necessary.
	"Isn't that rather expensive?"
	"It'll cost us about 35,000 yen, a piece," replied Nabiki. "It was
either that or the Tendosou, but that would have cost us 65,000 yen. And neither
guarntees that there would be any rooms."
	Akane and Ranma were looking over a map of the city.
	"I think Tendo Hotel is the closest, so we should go there first," said
Akane. As she cocked her head to the side, Kasumi noticed that Akane was wearing
her blue bow ribbon in her hair, the same kind of ribbon she wore at her
mother's funeral.
	Mother's funeral. And now Father's funeral. Kasumi looked down at the
sidewalk and sighed. How could she clean up this mess?
	"Kasumi? Kasumi?" Nabiki snapped her fingers at her oldest sister.
"Let's go to the Tendo Hotel, okay?"
	"Right." Kasumi replied. The taxi driver loaded their bags in the car.
Ranma sat up in the front with the driver while the three girls squeezed into
the car, with Akane sitting on the hump.
	
	Tendo Hotel was recently renovated a few years ago. In fact, it is the
biggest hotel in all of Tendo, with over 700 rooms, which is rather unusual for
a Japanese hotel. Only the really large cities like Tokyo would have anything
more than 1,000 rooms, usually for burly westerns whose clustophobic lifestyle
truly disturbed many Japanese.
	And, it was a very luxurious hotel, complete with a spa, three sizes of
party rooms, two convention halls, a restaurant, a bar, a Cocktail lounge, and a
wedding chapel. Yes, you could actually get married here.
	Not that other hotel places in the area had such admenities. About a
third of the hotels had a wedding chapel. All of them had spas, one hotel in
particular had its spas and baths shaped like Shogi pieces. (It also had four
restaurants.) Some had gardens (usually on the roof), and others had fireplaces
(Japanese style, of course. They couldn't possibly fit a Western style
fireplace, they'd would have to remove a Western style hotel room!).
	But, the Tendo Hotel had it all.
	And, it was in mourning. Dark blue ribbons were visible all over the
huge lobby as they entered. Everyone they met were sobbing and moaning in agony,
but still cheerfully doing their job. That was to be expected, this is the
Japanese way.
	A somber girl was at the check-in desk. She tried to smile, but to no
use.
	"Sorry, we are all mourning the loss of the founder of the Tendo
hotels," replied the girl. "How can I help you?"
	"We are wanting some rooms for the week."
	"Ah, yes," the girl said, flashing her blue-tinted hair, looking down at
the touch-pad monitor. She sighed before continuing. "Well, with the festival
and all, the only thing left are the really, really, yes-we'll-accept
-an-installment-plan, expensive, I-hope-you-have-deep-pockets, 35,000 yen rooms
on the top floor, which would be on the tenth floor."
	"We'll take it."
	The girl looked surprised. Usually, customers would like to haggle over
prices, especially in these rural parts of Japan. "Excellent. Can I ask what
names should you be listed under?"
	"Well, I'm Tendo Kasumi---"
	"Tendo...wait a minute...Kami-sama, no...waaaaaahhh!" The check-in girl
slammed her head on her desk a couple of times and shed big tears.
	"Um...what's the problem?" asked Ranma. The Tendo girls looked at Ranma
strangely.
	"Ranma! Be nice!" hissed Akane.
	"Oh, sorry," the girl said looking up like a forloan puppy, "but our
founder of the Tendo hotel was named Tendo. Do you know a Tendo Soun?"
	Whump! Whump! Whump! The Tendo girls fell over in a heap, with big wide
eyes.
	The girl blinked and looked at Ranma.
	"What's with that face-fault?"
	"Um, their father's name is Tendo Soun." The girl and Ranma looked at
the passed out girls.
	"Waaah! I'm so sorry!!! If I had known that you'd be here already, then
I'd would have already given your keys!!!" screamed the girl.
	"Did you say Tendo?" the boy said right behind them.
	"Ah, yes. And you are?"
	"Oh, forgive me. I'm Tenchi Masaki. My grandfather was in the car with
their father and a Mr. Saotome." Ranma immediately winces.
	"Oh. I'm Saotome Ranma...sorry about that."
	"Y...y.you're Saotome?" Tenchi said, blinking.
	"Yeah, my father's name is Genma Saotome. H-h-he was also in the car
with your grandfather and their father," Ranma pointed to the face-faulted
girls.
	"Oh. I...I don't know to say. Although, I have half a mind to kill you,
Ranma."
	"For my stupid baka father's mistakes?" quickly replied Ranma in a sharp
tone. "Sometimes, I think he deserved to die like that, so dishonorably." Tenchi
and Ranma quickly helped the Tendos up.
	The blue-haired girl quickly gave each of them a card to a "10th floor
penthouse suite" and escorted them to the private elevator. 
	"Oohh," groaned Nabiki as she rubbed her head. Ranma whispered something
into Nabiki's ears. She looked up at the short-haired boy. At least he had very
good taste in wearing a Gucci suit. "So, you're Masaki Tenchi, right?"
	"Yes. I...I would give my consolances for the death, if it wasn't for
the fact that my grandfather was among the passengers in that car along with
your father."
	Nabiki nodded.
	Kasumi looked rather concerned as she could see that the situation was
getting more and more messy.
	Akane looked at the elevator. The numbers were going up very, very
slowly.
	"So," continued Nabiki, "what can I offer to you to keep our incident
quiet?"
	"I'm afraid I really don't need much, unless you can get a couple of
girlfriends off my back. A scientist, a pirate/demoness, a goddess, and a couple
of princesses, including one who defeated the Sailor Moon group last week. Oh,
yes and a cabbit."
	"Cabbit? What's a cabbit?" asked Kasumi.
	"It's a beast that's part rabbit and part cat. And sometimes can become
a human too."
	"Will it attack me?" nervously asked Ranma.
	"Ryo-ok-hi is worse than a lot of friendly dogs. She's a real pain in
the cloisters."
	"Oh, my!" affirmed Kasumi.
	Nabiki hummed for a moment. "Well, I don't know what I can do about the
girls, if you have the same problem that Ranma does."
	"Five finacees, no waiting," groaned Ranma. He looked over at Akane, who
was pouting.
	The elevator dinged to indicate they were on the second floor.
	"Dang, this elevator's slow," said Nabiki.
	******
	"So, this is where they are staying. 'Tendo hotel.' Interesting," said
Cologne. She, Mousse, Shampoo, Ukyou, and the Kunos looked up at the modern art
wonder that is the Tendo hotel. It looked like it was floating in air, which
they knew it couldn't have. Ukyou was looking at a lcd display of where Tusbasa
had placed the homing device, which was in one of the suitcases.
	"Somehow, I'm not surprised," muttered Mousse. "Who knows where they are
at this point."
	"Well, the luggage is going up very slowly," said Ukyou. Suddenly she
slaps herself. "Oh, dear, I forgot that Tsubasa is still in the lugguge
costume!"
	"So, we'll have to find a way to get him out of there," yawned Kodachi.
She then squinted a bit. "Brother, is it just my imagination, but is there a
wedding chapel on the roof of this hotel?"
	"Forsoothe, it is so."
	"Good. I'm going to climb up the side of the building."
	Everyone else looked at Kodachi.
	"You've got to be kidding," said Cologne.
	"Excuse me," said Ukyou. "But have you lost your mind?"
	"Provided you had one to begin with," added Mousse.
	"Even I am not as foolish to try such a stupid quest," sighed Takewaki.
	"I am not just a gymnasts, but I am an avid mountain climber. In fact, I
was at the X-Games last year and finished 5th!" sniffed Kodachi. Everyone else
slowly circled their finger up in the air once. Kodachi glared back at the
group.
	"I'll show you! I'll climb the side of the hotel! It's no worse than a
grade five rock climb! I'll show you that I have more skills than martial arts
gymnastics!"
	And with that, she leaped up to the hotel side, where she was promptly
electrocuted.
	"Well, that was just great. Any other suggestions?" flatly said Ukyou.
	******
	The elevator had just cleared the third floor when it shook, stopped,
and flashed red lights.
	"Oh, great," muttered Akane. "We're stuck."
	"Miyaa!" A cabbit appeared out of nowhere from the top of the elevator.
	"Waaahhhh!" screamed Ranma as Ryo-ok-hi landed on his head.
	"G-g-gg-get that c-ccaa-aa-"
	"Cabbit," corrected Tenchi, "cabbit."
	Ranma nodded. "Thank you. C-c-c-cccabbi--i-itt get it off of my head!"
	"Miyaa!" screamed Ryo-ok-hi as hugged Ranma's head.
	"Ryo-ok-hi! Come here!" commanded Tenchi. Suddenly, Ranma felt on to the
floor on his hands and legs.
	"Meow!"
	Ryo-ok-hi stopped smiling and blinked.
	Tenchi looked at Ranma in amazement.
	"Oh, dear. Ranma has gotten into his neko-ken form," said a
worried-looking Kasumi. "Ranma gets this way when he comes into contact with a
cat. But never a cabbit, though."
	"His father, Mr. Saotome, forced him into a cage with some cats, fish
tied on Ranma. It's suppose to be an indestructible martial art technique, but
it kinda makes Ranma psycho everytime he does this," added Nabiki.
	"Miyaa?" Ryo-ok-hi jumped down to the ground.
	"Meow!"
	Tenchi looked at Ranma as he sniffed Ryo-ok-hi out.
	Akane looked at the cabbit and Ranma carefully. "I think Ranma's talking
to the cabbit."
	"Meow?" Ranma said again.
	"Miyaa." Ryo-ok-hi sat down like a cat should. Ranma did the same. Then,
Ryo-ok-hi leaned forward. Ranma did the same. They both started to purr.
	"Miyaa."
	"Meow." Ranma leaned closer. Ryo-ok-hi followed, and then they touched
noses.
	Suddenly, Ryo-ok-hi was a bathe in a blue light.
	"W-wwhat's going on?" whispered Akane.
	"Darned if I know," replied Tenchi.
	A few moments later, the blue glow subsided.
	Ranma blinked. He then got up, and hugged the cabbit.
	"Thanks," he said, and gave the cabbit back to Tenchi.
	"R-ranma...what happened?"
	"I...I'm not sure. But I...I'm not afraid of cats anymore."
	"Miyaa!" grinned the cabbit. She hopped on to Tenchi's shoulder.
	"She also loves to keep people happy. I think it also has to do with
one's energy level, but I'm not sure she does it," added Ranma.
	Tenchi blinked. "Well. That was interesting."
	"Oooh, Ryo-ok-hi is so cute!" grinned Kasumi, as the cabbit hopped from
Tenchi to Kasumi. As soon as Ryo-ok-hi landed on Kasumi, she grinned really wide
and sighed.
	"I think she really likes you, Kasumi," said Akane. Nabiki sighed and
started to push the red button on the elevator repeatedly.
	******
	"Kodachi, art thou okay?"
	"Oh...Takewaki...is that you?" groaned the Black Rose.
	Kuno picked up her sister. "Lo, sister, thou wert very foolish to try to
climb up an electrified side like that."
	"Well, I won't do that again. Say, where's Ukyou?"
	"They are inside the hotel. I was told to stay out here until you have
awakened, my dear sister."
	Kodachi nodded as a bunch of firefighters started to come inside.
	"W-wwhat's with that?"
	"I'm not sure, sister."
	
	"Waaaahhh! I'm haaavvviinnng a baaaddd daaaayyy!" screamed the check-in
girl, flaying her arms on Shampoo. Shampoo merely threw the girl back to the
wall, flinging her across the concerge table like in some American Western
movies. Japanese men love Westerns.
	"Shampoo, you know you're not suppose to do that on first contact,"
scolded Cologne.
	"Check-in girl a pain in the rear, great-grandmother," said Shampoo.
	Ukyou walked up to a firefighter.
	"What's going on?"
	"Well, little boy, these elevators got stuck when the power went out of
this building. They're trying to fix it, but it will be a while. Until then,
we're trying to open these doors to free the trapped passengers before they run
out of air, which should be within the next fifteen seconds," said the fireman
in an airy tone as he lurched over Ukyou.
	"Thank. Oh, one more thing."
	"Yes, little boy?"
	"I'm not a LITTLE BOY!" Ukyou pulled out her spatula and slammed him
into an elevator door, opening it up. Unfortunately, the elevator on that chute
came crashing down onto the firefighter, plunging him to his doom.
	Mousse, Shampoo and Cologne looked at Ukyou.
	"He insulted me! He should have died!"
	"Too bad you Japanese. You would make good Amazon," replied Shampoo.
	"Come on, let's use the stairs," sighed Mousse. He turned and left. The
girls went the opposite direction as Mousse.
	******
	"Oh, great, the emergency button isn't working!" growled Nabiki. 
	"So, we're trapped in the elevator, right?" said Ranma.
	"Maybe not. Ryo-ok-hi, would you check outside?" asked Tenchi. Ryo-ok-hi
nodded and disappeared. A few moments later, she reappeared above them, and then
landed on Kasumi's shoulder.
	"So? Are we okay?"
	Ryo-ok-hi looked at Ranma. "Miyaa?"
	Ranma's face pales as he said, "The cable's broke. Ryo-ok-hi, an
elevator suppose to have a cable attached to it."
	"Oh, my!" gasped Kasumi.
	"I...I'm going to call for help," said Nabiki, her voice quivering.
	"Ranma...are we going to die?" asked Akane.
	"With you around? I hope not."
	"Ranma!"
	Tenchi pulled out a sword.
	"Nice sword. Too bad you won't be able seperate those two with that,"
said Nabiki as Ranma and Akane started to get into an argument.
	"Don't worry, Ryo-ok-hi won't let that happen."
	"Miyaa!" said the cabbit as she landed on the fighting couple and pinned
them on the ground.
	Tenchi flipped a gem on the broadside of his sword and the handle popped
open to reveal a cornacopia of gadgets.
	"I've seen those things before," smiled Nabiki, "they're as useless as
a..."
	Pop! An blue umbrella popped open.
	"...dang, that's a new one."
	"Well, I think I have a screwdriver in here. We could pop open the panel
here and see if there's a problem here."
	"And if we need to weld something?" asked Nabiki.
	"My sword can generate enough heat to do the job. It comes with being a
Prince of a world no one has ever heard of," Tenchi replied.
	Nabiki blinked a bit. "Let's see what's wrong with the elevator."
	******
	Will they escape from the elevator alive? Will Ryo-ok-hi smother Ranma
and Akane to death with love? Will Kodachi show that her X-games experience has
merit? Has Mousse gone the wrong way, again? Will Tsubasa reveal himself? Will
he ever date Ukyou? Find out these and many more next time in "The Will of
Tendo--Part 3!"