Quantum Destinies
A Ranma Fanfic
By Steven Thesken (jurai-knight@home.com)

Editor (as of Chapter 10): D.B. Sommer (sommer@3rdm.net)

This idea occurred to me after I finished the science-fiction novel 
"Paths to Otherwhere" by James P. Hogan.  Ranma and all other 
associated characters are owned by Kitty and the ever-creative 
Rumiko Takahashi.  Any new characters are the property of the 
author.  This is purely a work of fanfiction done for fun, so please 
read and enjoy.

Notes: Thoughts will be bracketed by a * on each end.  Any 
speech other than Japanese will be bracketed by < and >.



Chapter 14 - The Dragon's Apprentice

    Ranma looked around his lab area.  A couple of strange things 
caught his attention.  His device sat on the bench, unpowered, and 
his notebook was on the opposite end of the table from where he 
had left it.  He stared at the machine for several moments before 
shrugging his shoulders, picking up the notebook, and flipping it 
open.  *The error might be in my equations somewhere.  Where 
did I go wrong?*

    When Ranma opened up the notebook he received another 
surprise.  The page that greeted his eyes was different, but it was 
written in his handwriting.  He began to slowly flip through the 
pages.  There were extensive notes on equations that he didn't 
recognize, while the last several pages were devoted to 
investigating something that was called a 'quantum wormhole.'  
There were even notes on schematics for a portable device similar 
to the one on the table.

    The main equations made little sense to him at first.  They 
seemed to describe some sort of a relationship between 
gravitational flux effects and quantum mechanics.  With his 
curiosity piqued, Ranma sat down at the bench and tried to puzzle 
through the meanings behind the symbols on the page.  The few 
notes written in the margins were also rather enigmatically 
fascinating in their own right.  Phrases such as 'quantum 
resonance effect' and 'worlds without end' were bandied about.

    Ranma sucked in a breath when the true meaning of what he 
was reading finally sank in.  *What have I done?* he thought in 
wonder.  *Pathways to other timelines?  Parallel Earths?  Is it 
possible?*  Ranma stared at the proof in his hands, a notebook 
containing his handwriting that he had never written in.  
Overwhelmed by the revelation, he sat down and thought deeply 
for a long time.

    Ranma looked up when he noticed a bluish light appear in the 
basement.  He heard footsteps on the stairs, but he ignored them to 
stare in wonder at the rippling distortion effect that had 
materialized once more.  He stared at it for a long moment, then 
he looked in curiosity at his wristwatch.  Exactly thirty minutes 
had gone by.  *It couldn't be...,* he thought in wonder.

    "You'd better go through if you want to get back home," he 
heard from the staircase.  Ranma looked over and saw himself, 
dressed in an Imperial Academy uniform.  He stared at the other 
Ranma.  "Feel free to keep the notebook.  I really don't need it 
anymore."  The other Ranma smiled.

    Ranma didn't move.  The uniformed Ranma sighed.  He leaped 
down, grabbed Ranma by the shirt, and bodily tossed him into the 
distortion field.  Ranma felt that split second of acceleration once 
more and then slammed face first into the floor of the basement.  
The distortion faded away behind him with an electrical spark.

    Ranma lifted himself off of the ground, shaking his head, and 
slowly rolled over into a sitting position.  That strange notebook 
was still held in one hand.  He stared at it for a long time without 
moving.

    *What the hell have I just discovered?*

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

    Ukyou followed her parents as they walked through Tokyo.  Her 
meeting with Ranma Saotome was drawing near, and she was 
surprised that she felt a little bit nervous.  Her father had a smile 
on his face as he pointed out some of the sights that he 
remembered from his boyhood.  Ukyou just looked around with 
something akin to awe.

    Tokyo was a very large place, in Ukyou's opinion.  It made her 
feel more than a little like some sort of country bumpkin.  She had 
grown up surrounded by mountains and small villages with few 
people.  The immense city that surrounded her now was like 
nothing that she had ever experienced before.  It was actually 
rather intimidating.  *There are so many people,* thought Ukyou 
with a little nervousness.

    "We're here," said her father.

    Ukyou looked around.  The flow of people had faded off to a 
trickle as they wandered away from the commercial district and 
the local train depot.  The pleasant neighborhood that surrounded 
them now was almost peaceful.  They were standing next to a 
high wall that must have protected a good-sized yard.  A large 
wooden gate, with a simple brass plaque bearing the kanji for 
Saotome upon it, stood before them.

    "Are you nervous, Ukyou-chan?" asked her mother as she 
began fussing with Ukyou's outfit.

    "I'm not nervous, Mother," replied Ukyou, as she endured the 
fussing stoically.  *I just want to get this over with,* she thought 
calmly to herself.  She had been trying to imagine what Ranma 
Saotome was like, based on the description and photo obtained 
from the matchmaker.  She had imagined Ranma to be a rather 
dull sort, the type of man that held no interest for her.  *I want a 
life of adventure.  I doubt that Ranma Saotome has any interest in 
that sort of thing.*

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

    Nodoka kept looking at the clock on the wall.  The Kuonji 
family was going to arrive at any minute.  She stood like a fretful 
statue in the doorway that led to the kitchen area, and she only 
took her eyes off of the clock to briefly glare at Genma.  Genma 
sat in a relaxed pose at his usual place at the table, and the ease 
that he had in his manner irritated Nodoka.  *Honestly,* she 
thought with despair, *that husband of mine has no sense of 
propriety.  Doesn't he realize how important it is to find a good 
wife for Ranma?  He acts like he doesn't care.*

    Nodoka heard the jingling of the bell at the front of the house.  
After giving her clothes one last inspection, she went to answer it.  
Before opening the door, she paused with her hand on it.  Nodoka 
took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  She forced a cheerful 
smile on her face to hide her nervousness and slid the door open.

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

    Ukyou sat at the table with a neutral expression on her face.  
The introductions between the families had been very formal and 
proper.  The only surprise for her had been that Ranma wasn't 
there.  Ukyou had remained silent, and her face did not betray her 
feelings.  However, underneath the table, one hand was clenched 
into a fist, the only sign of her growing irritation.  The two 
mothers were doing most of the talking.  The two fathers had 
seemed to come to an unspoken agreement to let them do so.

    Finally, Ukyou had had enough.

    "Excuse me," said Ukyou quietly.  The four adults looked at 
her.  "Where is Ranma?"

    "Ahh," said Nodoka with an embarrassed look.  "He's not going 
to be available for...."  She looked at Genma helplessly.

    "My son is in the Arena right now," said Genma seriously.  "He 
won't be available to meet you for at least two weeks."

    "What?" asked Ukyou in surprise, a little louder than she had 
intended.  Ukyou's mother frowned at her.  *I've traveled for most 
of the day, and that... jackass... isn't even here?  How dare he do 
this to me!*  Her neutral expression had been replaced by an 
angry frown.

    *An interesting reaction,* thought Genma with detachment.  *I 
may be able to fend off Nodoka's plans yet, at least with this one.  
My son is too young to think about marriage yet.*

    "Why is your son in the Arena, Saotome-san?" asked Ukyou's 
father calmly.

    "My son has recently become quite skilled at martial arts," 
replied Genma in a diplomatic tone of voice.  "He was attending 
the Arena the other night with a young lady friend of his."  Ukyou 
twitched slightly.  "To make a long story short, he was chosen to 
fight one of the Arena's warriors, a Chinese Amazon named 
Shampoo.  He lost, and the price of his loss is at least a year of his 
time as a fighter in the Arena, unless he can emerge victorious in 
a rematch fight in less than two weeks."

    "I see," said Ukyou's father with a nod.  "Do you believe that he 
can win?"

    "Yes," answered Genma with assurance.  "With time to train, 
he will become good enough to win his freedom back.  Of course, 
he will also win Shampoo."

    "What?" asked Ukyou, her voice rising another notch in 
irritation.  Both of her hands were now clenched into tight fists 
underneath the table.  *He took some girl on a date to the Arena.  
If he manages to win his rematch fight, then he'll own a Chinese 
girl as well?  For a dull scholar type, he certainly has more than 
his share of women already.  If that's the case, then what am _I_ 
doing here?*

    "Your son certainly sounds nothing like his portfolio, Saotome-
san," said Ukyou's father with a slight twinkle in his eye.  "I came 
here expecting someone more... scholarly... in nature, not a young 
warrior as well.  He sounds like he might be just the man for my 
little Ukyou."

    "What?!" shouted Ukyou in irritation.  *He still wants to go 
through with this?  Papa, what are you thinking?*

    "What?" asked Genma in surprise.  This wasn't the reaction 
that he was expecting.

    "What?" asked Nodoka with a sigh of relief.  She was secretly 
favoring the Kuonji girl for Ranma's new fiancee.  She reminded 
Nodoka of herself as a girl, for some reason.  Ranma needed a 
strong woman to guide him, as she had tried to guide Genma.

    "I think my wife and I would be proud to have Ukyou become 
Ranma's bride," said Ukyou's father with a smile.  *The girl needs 
someone strong enough to stand up to her.  She takes after her 
mother that way.*

    "I see...," said Genma, somewhat at a loss for words.  "Perhaps 
we could make it a tentative agreement, pending their actual 
meeting?"

    "Nonsense," replied Ukyou's mother.  "I've seen enough to be 
satisfied.  I think Ranma will be a good match for my daughter, 
especially since my husband feels so strongly about it."  She 
smiled at the Saotomes.  *I've found a good husband for my 
daughter at last!  He sounds like a strong fighter, as well as a 
brilliant scholar.  I just know that he will father many strong 
children for the Clan.*

    Nodoka smiled as she nodded in agreement.  *This is all 
working out so well.  I just know that Ranma will be pleased to 
learn that he has a new fiancee.*

    Genma felt totally out of his depth now.  His plans to derail the 
agreement between the Kuonji and Saotome families had just 
blown up in his face.  His revelations about some of Ranma's 
recent activities had cemented the deal, and he had no idea why.  
Nodoka was pleased, the Kuonjis were pleased.  The only ones 
who didn't look totally pleased were Ukyou and himself.  *How 
did I lose control of this situation?* Genma thought in wonder.

    "Ukyou will be staying with some of our relatives in the area 
until the wedding can take place," said Ukyou's father with a 
smile.  "Her aunt runs an okonomiyaki shop, and I hear that it's 
quite popular.  Ukyou is a good cook, and the experience should 
do her well."

    "Okonomiyaki?" asked Genma weakly.

    "Yes," replied Ukyou's mother proudly.  "My sister-in-law uses 
the old Kuonji family recipes.  I don't believe that your son will 
ever taste a finer okonomiyaki than the ones made by my little 
Ukyou, once she learns the finer points of their creation from her 
aunt.  Ukyou hasn't had much of an opportunity to learn them, 
what with her duties at the shrine."

    "I see," said Genma.  He looked at Nodoka.  She looked back at 
him with a broad smile on her face.  *It's nice to see her happy.  I 
wonder how Ranma is going to feel about this?*

    Ukyou frowned down at the table.  *It looks like I'm stuck with 
marrying this Ranma guy now.  I guess I'm going to have to meet 
him soon and explain how things are going to be between us.  I'll 
try in a few days, after I get settled in.  After all, sneaking into the 
Arena shouldn't be any difficulty for a ninja of _my_ abilities.*

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

    Per Fum jerked awake when the plane touched down on the 
runway.  She noticed Khu Lon watching her with an amused look 
on her face.  Her neck felt painfully stiff, and it gave off several 
loud pops when she moved it in the lumpy passenger seat.  Her 
spine gave off several more distinctive pops and snaps when she 
straightened up in her seat.

    "<You are lucky, child,>" said Khu Lon with a smile.  "<I have 
never been able to sleep on aircraft.  They seem an unnatural 
thing to me.  I keep expecting it to fall from the sky.>"  The 
elderly Matriarch was looking a little tired.

    "<Have we arrived?>" asked Per Fum with a slight yawn.  She 
looked out the window at the bustling airport around her.  The 
plane was taxiing up to one of the small hangars.

    "<Welcome to Shanghai,>" said Khu Lon with a smile.  "<We 
will have to remain here until I can get our paperwork processed 
that will allow us to enter the main islands of the Empire.  It may 
take several days.>"

    "<That sounds fine to me,>" said Per Fum.  The plane stopped 
suddenly.  "<I have heard stories about this city, and I welcome 
the opportunity to explore it while we wait.  Is it truly as bad as 
people say?>"

    "<Shanghai,>" said Khu Lon with a knowing look.  She leaned 
closer to Per Fum, as if sharing a secret.  "<You will never find a 
more wretched hive of scum and villainy.  Anything can be had 
for the right price on its streets, so we must all be cautious.  That 
goes especially for you, Per Fum.>"

    "<Me?>" asked Per Fum in surprise.  "<Why me?>"

    "<The slave trade is a major concern in this city,>" replied Khu 
Lon.  "<A young and attractive girl such as yourself is a prime 
target for the many human jackals that prowl these streets.>"  The 
elderly woman leaned back in her seat.  Per Fum had a shocked 
look on her face for a moment, that was quickly replaced by cool 
assurance.

    "<I can take care of myself,>" said Per Fum.  She closed one 
hand into a tight fist and thumped it against her chest.  Her voice 
was full of pride.  "<I am a warrior of the Joketsuzoku Amazons.  
Not only that, I am the Enforcer.>"

    "<Just be cautious, child,>" said Khu Lon.  "<That's all I ask.>"  
She got up from her seat and looked around.  "<Where is that 
idiot, Mu Tsu?>"

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

    Shortly before dusk, Lime and Mint returned with proud 
smiles.  They stopped when Herb glared at them from her seated 
position beneath a tree.  Lime quickly bowed and Mint did so as 
well, a moment later.

    "<I hope by the idiotic grins on your faces that you have good 
news to report,>" said Herb grumpily.

    "<We found the entrance, Lord Herb,>" said Lime cheerfully.  
"<It lies to the north.>"

    "<Let us go then,>" said Herb with great dignity.  She rose up 
with grace and handed the container of cursed water to Lime.  
Lime led the way with Mint falling in behind Herb.  Despite the 
frequent warnings that she had given him, he spent most of the 
trek hoping to catch a glimpse of her shapely legs again.

    An hour later, they came upon the correct rock formation.  
Herb gazed upon it with a satisfied smile.  *It is just as my father's 
tales described.  Within lies the key to my destiny, and the world 
will soon know fear.*

    She walked forward and placed her hands upon the huge slab of 
rock.  A faint glow began to appear around each hand, glowing 
brighter and brighter, until faint cracks began racing across the 
length and breadth of the rock.  Lime and Mint ducked and hid 
their eyes as a vast explosion of powdered rock and greenish 
energy took place.

    As the dust slowly settled, Herb was revealed to be unharmed, 
her body surrounded by a coruscating aura of power that fluttered 
her cloak behind her as if it was suspended in a breeze.  She 
suddenly exhaled and the glow faded away to nothing, her cloak 
settling around her slender frame once more.  An expression of 
exhaustion briefly appeared on her face.

    "<Come,>" said Herb softly.  "<Our destiny awaits.>"  The 
white-haired girl vanished within the mouth of the revealed cave.

    Line and Mint followed along behind Herb as she walked into 
the gloom of the cave.  They stared around in wonder as their eyes 
adjusted to the dimness.  Their leader's figure resembled a faint 
silhouette against one rock wall.  She was leaning against it and 
breathing heavily.

    "<Lord Herb?>" asked Mint gently as the two approached her.  
"<Are you well?>"

    "<I'm fine,>" snapped Herb.  She waved them away from her, 
angrily.  "<I just need to remember that even my power has limits.  
I just need to rest for a few minutes.  The denizens of this realm 
should be arriving soon.  We will make camp here and wait.>"

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

    "Wake up, Ranma," said a male voice.

    Ranma blinked his eyes open, unsure if he was still dreaming.  
When he saw the face staring down at him, he still wasn't sure.  
After all, he'd seen that face in a movie just last month in the 
theater, 'Dragon Master IV'.  *Why is Jun Fan Lee sitting next to 
me?  Am I dreaming?*

    Ranma blinked his eyes again as a brief memory of a different 
name surged up from the other Ranma's memories.  *Bruce Lee?*

    Ranma sat up slowly.  The older man sat near him in a chair 
and watched him impassively.  Ranma rubbed the sleep from his 
eyes.  The clock on the wall told him that he had been asleep for 
almost seventeen hours straight.  His bladder was killing him, but 
his body felt fully recovered.  All of the pain and weakness was 
finally gone.

    "I can tell from the look in your eyes that you know who I am," 
said Jun Fan Lee.  "You are also obviously wondering why I am 
here."  

    Ranma nodded his head slowly.

    "I am here to oversee your training, Ranma Saotome," Master 
Lee said.  "I saw something in your fighting ability that I wish to 
cultivate.  During our time together over the next two weeks you 
will refer to me as Master Lee.  If things go as I hope in your 
upcoming conflict with Miss Xian Pu, then you will be free of this 
place.  I would like the opportunity to continue to teach you at that 
time.  I may also ask you for a favor in exchange for my efforts at 
a future time of my choosing.  Do you accept my offer?"

    Ranma thought it over for a moment.  An odd sort of eagerness 
filled him.  *One of the greatest living masters of the martial arts 
wants to train me?  I must still be asleep and dreaming.  Why 
would someone like that be interested in me?*  A possible answer, 
unlikely as it initially seemed to him, appeared in his mind.

    "May I ask a question, Master Lee?" asked Ranma politely.  He 
had remembered that Master Lee had an adopted daughter who 
was near his own age, named Chun-Li.  *He couldn't want what I 
think he wants, can he?*

    "As you are now my student for the next two weeks, you may," 
replied Master Lee with a slight smile.

    "You wouldn't happen to want me to marry your daughter in 
exchange for this training, would you?" asked Ranma as delicately 
as he could.  Master Lee facefaulted, then looked at him with 
surprise.

    "You are surprisingly perceptive, Ranma," said Master Lee 
with a serious look.  "The answer to your question is... yes."

    "I hope that the question did not offend you, Master Lee," said 
Ranma.  "It is just that your offer sounded... familiar."

    "I suppose that it did sound much like the plot for one of my 
movies, so I can understand why you would think so," said Master 
Lee with a sudden smile.  "However, I would still like to have the 
honor of teaching you, regardless of whether or not you agree to 
marry my daughter, Chun-Li.  I had hoped to bring her in as a 
sparring partner for you, so that I could better teach you.  She is 
quite an excellent fighter in her own right."

    "I suppose that I could use all the help that I can get," said 
Ranma.  "When do we begin?"

    "Right now," replied Master Lee.  "Wash the sleep from your 
eyes, and then come with me."  His fellow roommates continued 
to slumber as Ranma got up and used the facilities quickly.  He 
slipped on his shoes before following Master Lee to the training 
areas.

    "Do you really think I have a chance to become good enough to 
win my freedom, Master Lee?" asked Ranma as he kept pace with 
the older man.

    "Of course you do, Ranma," replied Master Lee.  "I think you 
have a very good chance of emerging victorious, actually."  He 
stopped in the middle of the hallway, and Ranma paused a 
moment later.  Master Lee reached out and placed his hands 
firmly on Ranma's shoulders.  

    "You need to believe in yourself though, Ranma," said Master 
Lee in a deadly serious tone of voice.  "I can train your body to 
take a hit or throw a punch, but the true limits of your abilities to 
be a warrior are determined by what lies here."  Master Lee's 
finger poked Ranma in the forehead.  "And also here."  His finger 
poked Ranma in the chest.

    "Believe in your mind that you have no limits, and I'll teach 
you how to do more wonders than you have ever dreamed of," said 
Master Lee with a sudden smile.  "After my time in the Arena, I 
returned to my native China.  I wandered the continent for three 
years, and I learned several powerful techniques.  I need a student 
that I can pass these techniques on to.  I grow older, and I would 
like to find a successor, to carry on my school of martial arts, as it 
were.  If you manage to win your battle against Shampoo, then I 
would like that successor to be you."

    "Me?" asked Ranma.  "But you don't even know me."

    "You don't seriously think that I would make such an offer 
lightly, do you?" asked Master Lee.  Ranma shook his head.  "I 
have done some research on you.  It has turned up some curious 
discrepancies.  For example, there is no mention of your obvious 
knowledge of martial arts in your public records, so I assume that 
you learned it in secret during your time away from Japan.  I also 
watched you closely during your fight with Shampoo, especially 
after you announced to the world the school of martial arts that 
you were using."

    "The Anything-Goes School?" asked Ranma.  "What about it?"

    "Ranma, the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts hasn't been 
taught outside of a certain family for almost a century," said 
Master Lee quietly.  "It is currently thought to be dead by the 
world at large, and I only know of its continued existence by 
chance.  You aren't a member of that family, so I am curious as to 
how you came to be trained."

    "It's a long, complicated story," replied Ranma.  He perked up 
and looked at Master Lee with bright eyes.  "What family teaches 
it?"  Master Lee paused and studied the hallway in both directions 
before answering Ranma.

    "What do you know of Shadowlaw, Ranma?" asked Master Lee 
quietly.  Ranma looked puzzled.

    "Not much," answered Ranma.  "I know that it's some sort of 
criminal organization.  I've heard the usual rumors that they have 
ties to many of the noble families in the Empire."

    "Those rumors are true," said Master Lee.  "They operate as a 
means of controlling the criminal elements in the Empire.  They 
even have the tacit approval of the Emperor."  Ranma blinked.  
He had never heard _that_ before.  "Shadowlaw forms an empire 
of crime that covers the globe, an empire within the Empire.  The 
family that heads Shadowlaw is the one that secretly passes down 
the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts, the Rasputin family."

    "Rasputin?" asked Ranma softly.

    "Grigorii Rasputin," said Master Lee in quiet tones.  "He was a 
mystic in Russia who was discovered by Happosai on one of his 
many journeys.  Rasputin followed Happosai when he saw the 
power that the man possessed.  He became a true disciple of 
Happosai in every way."

    "In every way?" asked Ranma in an even softer tone of voice.

    "Yes," answered Master Lee.  "Grigorii became a reflection of 
Happosai, but with one difference.  He lusted for power.  He saw 
the Anything-Goes School as a weapon that only he should ever 
possess.  He betrayed Happosai to the authorities while his Master 
slept in a drunken stupor one night."

    "Why would the government care about Happosai?" asked 
Ranma with surprise.

    "Happosai once molested the Empress over three years earlier," 
replied Master Lee.  "He was tried, convicted, and executed in a 
single day in the year 1901.  Grigorii Rasputin took the books and 
scrolls of Happosai's lore and vanished, and Shadowlaw was born 
within two years of the death of Happosai.  It has continued to 
grow and entwine its interests into the Empire ever since."

    "How do you know all of this?" asked Ranma in an awed tone 
of voice.

    "I was once invited to join Shadowlaw," answered Master Lee 
with a frown.  "It was almost three decades ago.  The man who 
was once known as Grigorii Rasputin now called himself the 
Master of Shadowlaw.  He told me the story of his rise to power 
himself, then I was given a simple choice.  I could either join 
Shadowlaw, or I could leave.  Leaving would require me to fight 
one of his children to the death.  I still bear the scars to this day."

    "So when I announced to the world that I was a practitioner of 
the Anything-Goes School...," said Ranma as he smacked his 
forehead with an open palm.  *I am such an idiot!  I never 
thought to research Happosai or the Anything-Goes School.*

    "I imagine that they will be monitoring you now," answered 
Master Lee.  "If you give a good enough show, then it is also 
possible that you will be given an offer similar to the one that I 
was.  I honestly don't know what might happen, but I'm going to 
do my best to train you to the limits of your abilities.  That will 
give you a chance to stand against Shadowlaw's evil, and the 
champion that they will no doubt send against you.  Be on your 
guard against everyone now, Ranma.  Shadowlaw has controlled 
the Arena for decades."

    "I'm ready to do whatever it takes," said Ranma, a strange 
burning had ignited deep in his soul.  "I'm not afraid."

    "You will be, Ranma," said Master Lee with assurance.  He 
leaned in closer.  "You will be."

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

    Herb looked up when the denizens of Phoenix Mountain came 
upon her and her minions.  Over a dozen heavily armed warriors 
seemed to materialize from several of the passages.  They were led 
by a child with white hair who carried a strange-looking weapon.

   "<Give me a good reason why I should not execute the lot of you 
immediately,>" stated the boy in haughty tones.  "<You have five 
seconds to comply, before I burn you to ashes.>"

    Herb blinked in surprise.  The boy began to generate an intense 
heat aura around himself.  Swallowing her immense pride, Herb 
bowed politely.  The boy paused in his actions.

    "<I am Herb, surviving heir to the Musk Dynasty,>" she said 
calmly.  "<I have come to retrieve that which was held in care for 
my people by the courageous folk of Mount Phoenix.  I come for 
the artifacts and relics of the Musk Dynasty.>"  She waited calmly 
as the aura of heat continued to flow around the boy.

    "<I recall the story, Herb of the Musk Dynasty,>" said the boy 
in proud tones.  "<I am Saffron, the lord of Mount Phoenix.  You 
and your party are welcome to my people's hospitality for a short 
time.  I will take you to that which you seek.>"  He dispelled the 
heat aura around himself in an instant.

    "<You have my gratitude,>" said Herb with a deep bow.

    "<Come with me,>" said Saffron arrogantly.  "<Tell your 
followers not to stray, or my men will execute them.>"

    Herb and the other two Musk Dynasty warriors fell in behind 
the strange white-haired boy.  They walked for a short time deeper 
into Mount Phoenix.  They passed many armed guards at regular 
intervals before finally arriving at a large vault door.  The boy 
paused and gestured to the guards on duty.  They snapped to 
attention and hurried to open the vault door.

    The door opened in a ponderous fashion.  Herb could feel a 
form of lust for the power that the treasures represented for her.  
Her two companions simply watched their surroundings with 
simple awe.  Saffron tapped his foot impatiently on the ground.

    Finally, it was open.  Many crates and boxes stamped with 
elaborate Kanji symbols lay within.  Saffron pointed at a single 
large box that sat by itself next to one wall.

    "<The treasures of the Musk Dynasty are contained within that 
box,>" said Saffron in a somewhat bored tone.  "<You may take it 
and examine it at your leisure, but you must do so elsewhere.  
There are no outsiders tolerated within Mount Phoenix, so take 
your inheritance and go.  My duty to the Musk Dynasty is now 
concluded.  Some of my men will see to it that you do not become 
lost on your way out.>"

    Herb walked over to the box.  She gestured at Mint, and he 
scurried over to pick it up.  It was much lighter than Mint was 
expecting, and he carried it with ease.  He followed Herb out as 
the vault doors began to close behind them.  Saffron watched them 
impassively as they left with two dozen of his men.

    The warriors of Mount Phoenix were silent on the journey as 
they led the members of the Musk Dynasty back the way that they 
had come.  Herb was lost in thought as her two companions 
followed along behind her.  They eventually reached the surface 
once more.  The guards watched the trio as they made their way 
away from the entrance.

    "<Where do we go now, Lord Herb?>" asked Lime politely.  
Herb was silent for a time.

    "<I will need a quiet place to study and master the artifacts of 
our ancestors,>" said Herb in calm tones.  Inside, she was seething 
at the arrogance of Saffron.  *The sheer nerve of that boy,* she 
thought in indignation.  *Treating me, _Herb_, in such a fashion!  
It is almost beyond intolerable.*  She studied her two companions.

    "<Lord Herb?>" asked Mint.

    "<We go east,>" said Herb.  "<We will head for Shanghai.  It 
will give me an excellent base of operations.>"  *That is where 
the dreams said I should go,* thought Herb as she began to walk 
in an easterly direction.  *They awoke me from the drugs that 
enforced the slumber of my captivity.  I will follow them to 
wherever the end may lie, and heaven help anyone who seeks to 
stand in the way of my destiny.*

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

    Shampoo paused in her workout to watch Ranma going through 
his training regimen.  For over fourteen hours each day, he had 
trained under the stern eye of his new teacher.  Most of the Arena 
fighters had expected a "weak" Citizen boy to collapse under the 
extreme pressure, but Ranma had instead grown stronger every 
day.  A grudging respect for his tenacity had begun to spread 
among his peers in the Arena.

    It had been four days now since the legendary Jun Fan Lee had 
begun to train him, and Ranma's martial arts skills had already 
seen some noticeable improvement.  His speed had increased, and 
that faint hesitation in his movements had finally faded away 
completely.  It was like a new Ranma was being forged from the 
bone and muscle of the old one.  What that new Ranma would be 
capable of at the end of his training was open to speculation.

    Some had been jealous of the special attention that Ranma had 
received.  Master Lee had a special reputation among Arena 
fighters.  To see him devoting his energies and time to teaching 
someone like Ranma had rubbed more than one ego the wrong 
way.  It was only out of this respect for Master Lee that Ranma 
wasn't murdered in his sleep.  

    Even Ranma's fellow Citizen in the Arena was jealous.  Ryuu 
Kumon considered himself to be a greater martial artist than 
Ranma Saotome could _ever_ become.  He had felt slighted to see 
Ranma chosen over himself, but he was biding his time to exact 
his revenge upon Ranma.  Ryuu intended to fight Ranma a few 
days before his match with Shampoo.  He wanted to show Master 
Lee that it should have been him, not Ranma, who should have 
received the fruits of Master Lee's teachings.  Towards that end,
Ryuu had redoubled his efforts at his own training, determined to 
maintain his edge over Ranma's growing ability at any cost.

    Shampoo got up from the weight bench and picked up a towel 
to wipe the sweat from her face.  She was wearing another one of 
her short-sleeved and short-skirted silk workout outfits, all in light 
blue this time.  It was strange, but she had found herself watching 
Ranma more often as time went by.  Shampoo suddenly felt 
irritation that she could have feelings for a weak man like Ranma.  
After all, he had yet to defeat her in single combat.  Shampoo 
shrugged her shoulders and rubbed the towel through her sweat-
dampened hair.

    Behind Shampoo, Running Deer was currently working out on 
one of the other weight benches.  A pale green T-shirt emblazoned 
with the Arena logo clung to her torso, contrasting with the black 
shorts that she wore.  Her sleekly muscular arms pistoned the 
barbell up and down in even motions.  Reaching the end of her 
set, Running Deer spared a glance at Shampoo and smiled when 
she saw the young Amazon watching Ranma again.  She carefully 
set the barbell in the stand and sat up.  Running Deer linked her 
hands together and stretched her arms up over her head.

    "Watching your handsome new boyfriend again, Shampoo?" 
asked Running Deer in a teasing tone.  Teasing Shampoo about 
Ranma had been a fun new game for the last few days.

    "Shampoo not watching Ranma," replied Shampoo in a rather 
dignified tone.  However, the sudden blush on Shampoo's cheeks 
betrayed her true feelings.  Running Deer smiled, causing 
Shampoo to frown.  "Running Deer should not tease Shampoo so 
much, or Shampoo tease back about Running Deer and Ryuu."

    Running Deer's face lost its smile and darkened in a deep blush 
of its own.  She felt awkward whenever she tried to confront her 
feelings for the other Citizen boy.  Running Deer could never 
seem to get the right words out whenever she had tried to talk to 
him.  To cover her embarrassment, she would pick a fight with 
Ryuu instead.  It had been like that for months.

    "You don't know what you're talking about," said Running Deer 
defensively.

    "Tell truth now," commanded Shampoo brightly, a smile on her 
face.  "Running Deer like other Citizen boy?"

    "It's not like that!" yelled Running Deer.  Her blush made the 
reddish-tan skin on her cheeks even darker.  "Take that back, 
Shampoo!"

    "Shampoo think Running Deer protest too much," she said 
brightly.  Running Deer squawked in embarrassed indignation.  A 
few of their fellow Arena fighters watched the two girls argue 
with knowing smiles.  A new voice suddenly interjected before 
their argument could progress further.

    "How sad," said Mina mockingly, as she stood nearby.  She was 
wearing her usual workout outfit, and she had just finished her 
kata practice.  Her tight T-shirt clung provocatively to her curves.  
"Two girls who can beat up most men, but are afraid to talk to 
one.  I guess cowardice can come in many forms."  Mina smiled 
in a knowing fashion.

    "Shampoo not coward!" Shampoo shouted at the Korean girl.

    "I'm not either!" yelled Running Deer.  She glared at Mina.

    "I can understand why a barely comprehensible, backwoods 
savage like Shampoo would be afraid of talking to an Imperial 
Citizen," said Mina as she examined her nails.  She smiled 
sweetly at both girls.  "What's your excuse, Running Deer?  Is it 
possible that that handsome Ryuu doesn't care for a gangly, 
frontier barbarian type?"

    Running Deer growled deep in her throat.  The urge to pummel 
Mina surged up within her.  She restrained herself from attacking 
the Korean girl by a supreme act of self-control.  Others were not 
so restrained.

    "Shampoo kill!" shouted the Amazon as she leaped at Mina.

    The two girls came together in a sudden whirlwind of punches 
and kicks.  Both of them were already tired from several hours of 
working out, but their mutual hatred for each other lent new 
strength to their limbs.  They were both superbly skilled, deadly 
fighters.  Each had trained for countless hours, honing their 
combat abilities, and those abilities were now unleashed on each 
other in full force.

    Other fighters paused in their workouts to watch.  A small 
crowd quickly gathered around the two battling girls.  Tarou stood 
by impassively, making no moves to interfere.  His eyes seemed to 
glitter as he watched the two girls fight.  A few fighters began to 
make moves to break the two apart, but a single glance from 
Tarou's eyes stopped them dead in their tracks.

    Running Deer made no move to help Shampoo, since it would 
not be honorable to double team Mina.  Instead, she shouted loud 
encouragement to her friend, cheering the Amazon on while 
hoping that Shampoo broke several major bones in the Korean 
girl's body.

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

    Ranma paused in his workout when the commotion began on 
the far side of the room.  Master Lee followed the direction of 
Ranma's gaze and beheld the Amazon and the Korean girl as they 
both seemed to be trying their respective best to kill each other.  
He smacked Ranma on the side of the head to regain his attention.  
Ranma turned and looked at Master Lee.

    "Never allow yourself to become distracted in a fight, Ranma," 
said Master Lee in a reproving tone of voice.  "It could easily be a 
fatal mistake."

    "I'm sorry, Master Lee," said Ranma with a slight bow of his 
head.  "I just...."

    "You care for the Amazon?" asked Master Lee.

    "In a way, I guess I do," admitted Ranma.  The sounds of battle 
on the far side of the room continued with unabated strength.  The 
urge to throw himself into Shampoo's defense was growing.

    "What is your gut level instinct to do at this time, Ranma?" 
asked Master Lee as he focused his attention on Ranma.

    "Defend Shampoo," answered Ranma instantly, while he took 
another glance at the fight.  For a moment, he saw Shampoo and 
Mina clearly as Shampoo scored a solid punch across Mina's jaw, 
only to receive a kick to the body in return.  The crowd moved 
back together and blocked his view once again.

    "Why?" asked Master Lee calmly.  "It is because of her that you 
find yourself in this place.  She is a very capable fighter.  Do you 
not think that she can take care of herself?"

    "It's not that...," answered Ranma slowly.  He kept shifting his 
weight back and forth from foot to foot.

    "I can tell that you won't be able to pay attention to me until 
this conflict is resolved," said Master Lee with a sigh.  "Go to the 
Amazon's aid, if you must."  Before he had even finished the 
sentence, Master Lee found himself speaking to empty air.  
Ranma was moving across the room like a blur.

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

    Shampoo felt her right cheek swelling up from one of Mina's 
punches.  Each girl had taken only a few strikes through their 
respective defenses so far, but those few blows had been solid.  
They had both improved significantly since the last time that they 
had fought each other like this.  Mina had a bruise on her jaw that 
must have looked as bad as the one that Shampoo imagined that 
she had on her own face.

    "I can take you this time, Shampoo," said Mina through puffy 
lips.  A faint trickle of blood worked its way down her jawline 
from a split lip.  "I'm better than you now."

    Mina hit Shampoo with a combination strike, a low punch into 
her stomach and a reverse spin kick across her face.  Mina 
grinned as Shampoo looked briefly staggered from the pain of 
both blows.  The grin only lasted for a moment.  Shampoo 
responded with a lightning fast counterstrike punch to Mina's 
ribcage that was followed by an offhanded punch up under Mina's 
jaw.  Mina narrowly managed to move her face aside, or the blow 
would have broken her jaw.

    "Shut up," ordered Shampoo in a slightly weary tone of voice.  
"Shampoo always be better fighter than Mina."  She savagely laid 
into Mina with a combination of punches and kicks that the other 
girl managed to block or dodge all but one of.  Mina took another 
punch into her body.  The two girls backed off from each other to 
regain their breath.

    "That's enough!" ordered a male voice.  A figure leaped down 
between the girls.  Tarou frowned.  Several of the male fighters 
who had been enjoying the sight of Mina and Shampoo bouncing 
around booed and catcalled.  Running Deer looked surprised.

    Ranma landed beside Ryuu a moment later.  The two boys eyed 
each other in surprise.  Each was a little confused to see the other 
one there.  *What is _he_ doing here?* thought each boy.

    "I can handle this, Saotome," growled Ryuu.  "I don't need 
_your_ help."  The two girls dropped their hands to their sides, 
confused at the sudden intrusion by the two boys into their duel.

    "What _is_ your problem, man?" asked Ranma in confusion.  
He couldn't figure out why Ryuu was giving him the "glare of 
death" like he was Ranma's mortal enemy.  "I just came to break 
up a fight between two cute girls.  I didn't want to see anyone get 
hurt."

    Shampoo suddenly felt her heart flutter a bit at Ranma's casual 
compliment.  Mina surprised herself, as well as many of those 
around her, by blushing lightly.  Tarou's expression darkened into 
a scowl.  Running Deer suddenly looked amused.  Ryuu looked 
confused.  Mina and Shampoo each noticed the other smiling at 
Ranma, and their expressions changed into fierce glares at each 
other.

    "Don't think that this is the end of it between us, Shampoo!" 
shouted Mina.  "I'll take you on another time!"

    "Shampoo ready for Mina," said the Amazon smugly.  "If Mina 
smart, then stay away from Shampoo."

    "All right, everyone," said Tarou suddenly.  "Show's over.  Go 
back to your training."  He walked up to the two Citizen boys and 
was surprised when they both went into defensive postures.  He 
put a smile on his face and waved his hands in the air innocently.  
"No need for that.  I just wanted to thank you both for keeping my 
girlfriend from getting hurt."

    Both Ranma and Ryuu exchanged wary glances with each other 
and then went back to watching Tarou.  Expressions of disbelief 
were evident on their faces.

    "Why didn't you break it up?" asked Ranma suspiciously.  His 
fear of Tarou had been fading with each day of training under 
Master Lee's guidance.  He noticed from the flicker of a frown that 
crossed Tarou's face that the Chinese boy wasn't used to getting 
spoken to like that.

    "Mina doesn't like me interfering in her affairs," replied Tarou 
in a stiff tone of voice.

    "You're _so_ well-behaved, Tarou dear," purred Mina as she 
smiled at him sweetly.  An undertone of menace was in her voice.  
She walked by Ranma and gave him a very seductive smile.  "I 
like men who can take the initiative, Ranma.  Remember that."

    Ranma backed up nervously.  He accidentally bumped into 
Shampoo and turned around to face her, starting to apologize.  
She glared at him, and the apology died in his throat.  Ranma 
looked surprised at the expression on Shampoo's face, and she 
suddenly decked him with a single punch.

    "Ranma never interfere with one of Shampoo's fights again!" 
she shouted at the fallen martial artist.  "Shampoo proud Amazon 
warrior and can take care of self!  No need _weak_ man to defend 
Shampoo!"  The Amazon turned on her heel and stalked off.

    Ryuu and Tarou both smirked at Ranma from their respective 
positions.  Mina favored Ranma with an enigmatic smile and 
walked off with Tarou following her.  Ryuu's smirk faded away 
when someone tapped him on the shoulder unexpectedly.  He 
turned his head to see who it was.  He was surprised to see 
Running Deer looking at him.

    "What do _you_ want?" Ryuu asked tiredly.  After their first 
few encounters, he assumed that she was looking for another 
fight.  They always seemed to start the same way.  The truth be 
known, he actually thought Running Deer was quite attractive.  
His nights were full of dreams of being wrapped in buckskins and 
a Deer that was far more vicious than her namesake running 
through his mind when he slept.  However, his training had 
covered martial arts to the exclusion of all else, so his abilities at 
dealing with girls were extremely weak.  Running Deer also 
always seemed to take what he said the wrong way, so the cycle 
continued to repeat.

    "I... uhh...," Running Deer started to say.  Her face darkened 
and one hand clenched into a fist.  *I just wanted to say thank you 
for trying to help my friend Shampoo like that,* she wanted to 
say, but the words never reached her mouth.  She could feel her 
frustration level growing at her own inability to say what she 
really thought.  As usual, Ryuu didn't help matters.

    "Well?" asked Ryuu.  His eyes dropped to look at Running 
Deer's chest for several moments.  An unconscious smile formed 
on his face.

    "I... I...," stuttered Running Deer.  She noticed the long glance 
that he gave her chest and the vaguely lecherous smile that 
suddenly appeared on his face.  She scowled, and her thoughts 
suddenly cleared.  "What are you looking at?!"

    "Nothing!" said Ryuu reflexively.  He snapped his eyes back up 
to her face.  "I wasn't looking at anything!  Besides, why would I 
look at yours if I wanted to look at a girl's chest?  Which I most 
certainly wasn't!"  Ryuu's mouth had seemed to run away by itself 
somewhere and left his brain behind.

    Running Deer's other hand clenched into a fist that matched the 
first.  Redirecting her frustrations into violence was an easy 
solution for her difficulties.  It was even rather satisfying when 
Ryuu was being a jerk to her, like now.  Luckily, their scuffles 
never seemed to inflict much harm on each other beyond bruises.

    Running Deer struck first, a solid punch that caught Ryuu in 
the face while he was still babbling about his innocence.  His head 
snapped back and his body shifted into a combat stance through 
instinct alone.  His return kick narrowly missed Running Deer as 
she danced aside from his blow.

    "You call that a kick?" asked Running Deer in a teasing tone.  
"_This_ is a kick."  She quickly moved in next to him.  Her right 
foot exploded upwards under Ryuu's jaw in a powerful strike that 
impacted with bone crunching force.  It lifted Ryuu clear off the 
floor in a high arc.  She ended with her right leg extended over 
her head, perpendicular to the floor, perfectly balanced.  Ryuu's 
body crashed to the floor a short distance away, and Ranma 
winced at the sight.

    Ranma was sure that Ryuu was down for the count from that 
one, but he managed to shrug it off and sprang back to his feet.  
Running Deer smiled coyly at Ryuu as she lowered her right leg 
back down with the grace of a dancer.  She extended her right 
hand and stood in a ready position.  She made a gentle flipping 
motion with her fingers to encourage Ryuu to approach her.

    "You want to play?" asked Ryuu with an amused look.  "Fine.  
Let's dance."  Ryuu came in hard and strong, and Running Deer 
looked hard pressed to keep up with him for a moment.  She was 
faster than he was, but not by much.  Then she quickly found her 
pacing and was countering Ryuu's moves as if they had practiced 
it that way.

    Ranma noticed an immediate difference in Running Deer's 
style.  She was using almost pure Wing Chun style Kung Fu now.  
It seemed to be an excellent counter for Ryuu's mishmashed style.  
Her technique was composed of aggressive, up-close fighting 
movements such as short punches, low kicks, and leg sweeps.  She 
tended to use her long legs more than her arms in her attacks 
against Ryuu.  Her arms were mostly used for defense.  Despite 
how fiercely they were fighting, Running Deer seemed to be 
enjoying her little match with Ryuu.  Ranma was amazed at how 
easily he was able to dissect her movements while being able to 
appreciate the esthetics as well.

    The fight slowly moved away from Ranma's position.  He 
watched it with interest, a grin on his face.  He sat there as Ryuu 
and Running Deer dueled their way across the practice floor.  For 
a few minutes it had distracted him from his own difficulties.

    Ranma slowly got up and dusted himself off.  *I tried to help 
out and it got me a punch in the face.  Fine.  If that's the way that 
Shampoo wants to play it, then I'll be glad to show her just how 
_strong_ I can be when I fight her for real.  I'll show her just how 
much of a man that Ranma Saotome really is!*

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

    Master Lee had watched the whole exchange with a thoughtful 
look.  It did much to confirm his initial opinion of Ranma when 
the boy leaped to the aid of another.  Ranma movements were 
classic examples of a practitioner of the Anything-Goes School of 
Martial Arts.  How he had learned them, but had managed to 
remain free of the corrupting influence of Shadowlaw, was a 
mystery.  Master Lee intended to study Ranma more closely over 
the remaining time before the boy's rematch against Shampoo.

    Master Lee became more and more convinced of the rightness 
of his actions, to train Ranma that the boy might be able to stand 
against whatever champion was sent by Shadowlaw to test his 
strength.  Ranma was a true student of the Anything-Goes School 
of Martial arts; his abilities left no doubt.  If there was a chance 
that the school could be returned to the path of honor, then he was 
duty bound to aid Ranma in that task.

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

    Ukyou finished pulling on her modified ninja nightsuit.  The 
snug outfit was designed to be worn under ordinary street clothes.  
It also had the added advantage of showing off her figure rather 
nicely, an important advantage if she ever got into a fight with a 
male opponent.  She sheathed her ninjato behind her back and 
adjusted the harness that it rode in.  A pair of sais were stuck into 
her belt, and a dozen shuriken were secreted on her body.

    Ukyou studied her appearance in the mirror with a critical eye 
before nodding.  Her mask was stuffed into her belt, and she 
pulled on a long coat for the train ride to the Arena area.  Her soft 
boots would not look out of place, and the coat hid all of her 
weapons nicely.  She did not anticipate any troubles.

    Ukyou looked at the gathering darkness outside of her window 
with a smile.  *The night is a ninja's friend.*  The smell of 
okonomiyaki permeated the small bedroom that she was given by 
her Aunt Miki.  Ukyou did have to admit, there was something 
almost Zen-like in the preparation of okonomiyaki.  She had been 
doubtful at first, but it was like discovering a hidden calling for 
herself when she had finished her first one.

    She was ready now.  She would see this Ranma Saotome with 
her own eyes, and find out if she was truly interested in marrying 
him.  Ukyou slipped open the window to her room and was gone 
in a flash down the side of the house.  Her aunt waved at her from 
the kitchen window.  Ukyou blinked in surprise, half-way down 
the wall.  She had forgotten that her Aunt Miki was an expert at 
ninjutsu herself.

    "Don't be out too late, Ukyou dear," said her kind-faced aunt.  
"I'll need your help early in the morning for the breakfast crowd.  
I expect you to be home by ten.  All right?"

    "Yes, Auntie," said Ukyou pleasantly.  She leaped off the wall 
of the house and vanished off into the night.