The  characters  of the Ranma �  universe  are  the
creation   and   possession  of  the  brilliant   Rumiko
Takahashi.  They  belong  to Rumiko  Takahashi  and  her
licensees   (Shogakukan   Inc.,   Kitty-Fuji   TV,   Viz
Communications   Inc.)  No  copyright  infringement   is
intended.   

This fanfiction is somewhat grittier than my other works and
less WAFFY.  There are scenes containing violence and
death.



          Cats have no tears

Chapter 1

     She came awake slowly. Not a gentle slowness from
a good nights sleep. But the sick, wretched slowness of the
very old or very ill. Her mouth tasted like something had
crawled inside and died during the night, after first giving
birth to a horde of starving rats. Nasty, naked tailed beasts
which were even now chewing their way through her head
and belly. Her eyes were gummed shut with sleep and she
clumsily tried to paw them  PAW!? Her eyes snapped open
and she lurched to her feet, only to fall over on her side, 
furry forelegs splayed out in front of her. Almost sick with
terror she tried to scramble to her feet, calling for help. Her
unfamiliar body betrayed her, and she fell back, twitching
spasmodically as her wail of terror filled the air.
     *RANMA! HELP ME RANMA!!!*

************************************************
     Sayui reached for their take-out order and froze.
"I didn't know you had a cat? Well, except for Shan Pu."
She said looking at the young Amazon waiting a table across
the room.
     "We don't." Cu Lon replied, placing some napkins in
the bag along with the receipt. "That's a stray we found out
back. We're just holding it until we have a chance to take it
to the animal shelter."
     "Oh, poor thing." Yuka frowned. "It sounds terrified.
Maybe I could take it home?"
Cu Lon smiled at the two young girls. "That's very kind of
you.  Why don't you come back in a few days. If we haven't
found the owner I'm sure you could give it a good home."
Cu Lon continued smiling until the two girls left the
restaurant. Swiftly she turned from the cash-register and
went to the back. 
     "Mu Tsu! Where are you?"
     "Right here old owww! Why did you do that?"
Cu Lon loomed over the prostrate, blind-magician. "You
idiot. She could be heard out front. I told you to keep that
door shut."
     "You also told me to bring more fish from the store
room. How could I know she'd wake up. YOU said she'd be
out until " he fell back, clutching his side.
     "Don't think." Cu Lon glared down at him. "It
doesn't suit your talents." She pushed Mu Tsu inside the
store-room and pulled the door shut behind them. Moving
over to the small wire cage bolted into the corner she stood
looking down at the small grey cat writhing like a broken
backed snake. The shrill, terrified cries had  died to hoarse,
panting whimpers. Cu Lon stared down at the small helpless
creature.
     "Why do we have to keep 
     "FOOL." 
Mu Tsu dogged the half hearted swipe at his head.
     "We have to keep her eighteen days. Until the
transformation  has stabilized there is always a chance Shan
Pu could return to her cursed state. Or worse."
     "I meant, why keep her here?" Mu Tsu kept a wary
eye on Cu Lon's staff.  Why not just dump her at the animal
shelter?"
     "And if she were to escape?"
     "Where could she go? What could she do? She can't
change back. Not with hot water at any rate. And no cat's
going to be welcome at the Tendou's. She's a danger as long
as she's here.  When people find out Shan Pu's no longer
cursed. And see . . .well hear THIS cat.  And with Tendou
Akane missing  Even Saotome might figure it out. I 
think . . ."
     "I've warned you about thinking." Cu Lon faced Mu
Tsu who, strangely, seemed to have no trouble seeing the
Amazon matriarch even without his glasses. "At the proper
time Tendou Akane will seem to die, very publicly and far
from here. YOU do what you are told boy. Exactly WHAT
you are told, WHEN you are told. Do so and I will let you
have Shan Pu when I am finished with her. And with
Saotome." Her eyes blazed and Mu Tsu shrank back from
that barely leashed fire. "You will have what you want, or as
much as I see fit to give you. Shan Pu to wife, and your
curse removed. Defy me, fail me  She glanced down at the
crying cat. "There is room in that cage for two." 
Mu Tsu bowed submissively, his heavy bangs veiling the
fleeting expression in his eyes. When he straightened he
showed only the properly respectful visage of a dutiful young
male of the Amazons. Following Cu Lon, he carefully shut
the door, blocking the steadily weakening feline cries .
     *oneesama . . .ranma . . .i'm scared . . .*
************************************************

     "MU TSU! I thought I told you to FEED her."
     Mu Tsu stood sulkily beside Cu Lon. "I've BEEN
feeding her. Everyday. AND fresh water. It's not my fault if
she's not eating."
Cu Lon lay a hand lightly on Mu Tsu's shoulder. Almost
instantly he went white and collapsed to the floor under the
influence of Cu Lon's touch.
     "If she dies, Shan Pu also dies. And if Shan Pu
 dies . . .," Cu Lon turned a basilisk gaze on the spasming
boy. "you will pray for the mercy of hellfire."
     "I would NEVER" Mu Tsu forced words past a
constricted throat "NEVER endanger my beloved Shan Pu. I
would die for her."
Cu Lon tapped a release point and Mu Tsu shuddered in
relief. 
     "I'm not interested in your death boy, or your life. I
wouldn't let a dog piss on you if you were on fire, so don't
whine about how you'd die for Shan Pu." Her staff blurred
and Mu Tsu's head snapped back in a spray of blood as Cu
Lon neatly smashed his nose. "If she" Cu Lon pointed at the
cat lying in a pool of it's own urine. "doesn't eat something
in the next hour I'm going to feed YOU to her, a piece at a
time."
Mu Tsu blanched, then rallied a bit.
     "I'm doing the best that I can. All I can do is  pour
food and water through the wire. YOU wanted the cage built
without a door."
     "Idiot. If there was a door she would get out.
YOU'VE done it, so how hard can it be?"
Mu Tsu flushed angrily, thinking of all the times a small
white duck and been thrown in a cage. He smiled slyly as an
idea came to him suddenly.
     "I am only a man." He began, unctuously. "I beg for
the matriarch's instruction. What must I do?"
Cu Lon stared expressionlessly until his smile drained away
like dirty bath water. Satisfied that he remembered his place ,
she briefly considered breaking something. Radius, ulna,
spine. Remembering how loudly he whimpered she decided a
good nights sleep was more important.
     "There is more of her humanity left than I realized.
Enough to over-ride her cat instincts." Cu Lon stared at the
filthy matted cat. "I may have to use the shiatsu to erase her
memory." Cu Lon thought for a moment. "Prepare a beef
broth, lace it with these herbs." She pulled some packets off
the shelf. "The odor will stimulate her appetite. Hopefully
she will eat  and I will not have to use the shiatsu."
     "Why not just erase her mind now? Why wait?"
     "The techniques I have used are very powerful . . .
and unstable. The slightest change could disrupt the balance
and undo all that I have done. With fatal results."
     "But why don't you 
Cu Lon was beginning to understand why Shan Pu so often
hit Mu Tsu. It was not the insolence of a man-child
questioning an elder; the questions were not unreasonable. It
was his manner; sly obsequiousness and a cringing  falsely-
respectful manner that made her want to take a bath. She
resisted the urge to send him to his ancestors. That would be
needlessly cruel to the dead. Plus he, or at least his family,
had powerful connections with the central government.  And
their power was a useful counter to . . .other interests. So
Mu Tsu would live for now. And perhaps she could divert
him from her true intentions.
     "What do you think I have done to Shan Pu and the
Tendou girl?"
     "Huh?" Mu Tsu's mask slipped slightly at the
unexpected question. It was quickly replaced, again
presenting the world a bland harmlessness. 
     Cu Lon affected not to see, but inwardly was pleased
at the sign Mu Tsu could be knocked off his center. 
     "Uhhh, well you took Shan Pu's curse and put it in
Akane."
     "Wrong . . .boy." Mu Tsu flinched at the appellation
and Cu Lon smiled inwardly. Perhaps she couldn't kill him,
yet . . .but he could still provide hours of amusement. 
"Jusenkyo curses are permanent and fatal."
     "Huh? What do you mean permanent? You just took
away Shan Pu's curse. And what about the
spring_of_drowned_man or . . .FATAL!!!"  Mu Tsu's head
snapped around so fast Cu Lon thought she felt a breeze.
"What do you mean . . .fatal? You mean fatal as in fated? Or
fatal as . . .uhhh that is, fatal could mean lots of 
 different . . ."
     "I mean dead, deceased, NO LONGER LIVING. A
rotting, putrid pile of worm food." Cu Lon smiled sweetly.
"Understand?"
     "How? When?" Mu Tsu was doing a frantic self-
examination, looking for signs of decay. "I feel fine, I look
alright. Do I look alright to you?"
     "Relax boy. You're safe, for now."
Mu Tsu slumped in relief.
     "You've got months left. Maybe a year or two."
     "Gaaaaa!" Relief fled like a virgin from a political
convention. "Tell me! Wh . . .what's . . .I mean how? Why is
the curse fatal."
     "Think boy."
     Mu Tsu didn't even react to the gibe.
     "Why do you think they're called the CURSED
springs?" Cu Lon went on without waiting for an answer.
"Everything has a price. You gain on one hand." She held up
her left hand, palm open. "And you loose on the other." She
slowly closed her right hand into a fist, as if crushing
something. "From Jusenkyo you gain abilities strength,
stealth. . . flight." Cu Lon speared Mu Tsu with a glance.
"You lose . . .life, spirit, chi. Call it what you will. Each time
you change to or from your cursed form it drains you. Little
by little the change steals your life.  Until, finally it's all
gone there's nothing left but death and the curse."
     "B . . .but I feel fine." Mu Tsu brightened suddenly at
a thought. "That means Saotome will die too. OH happy day.
He doesn't know. His curse will kill him and I need do
nothing." In his happiness Mu Tsu grabbed the matriarch in
his arms and swung her around in a little happy-dance.  A
liberal application of staff-to-cranium brought him to his
senses.
     "Don't be premature. Son-in-law will out-live you
easily."
     "You said the curse was fatal!" Mu Tsu whined.
"Why isn't Saotome's curse fatal. He should die too. I want
him to die. It's not faiiiir."
     "The greater the distance of the cursed form from
humanity, the greater the drain on your chi. You change
from a large male idiot to a small stupid duck. Shan Pu from
a large human girl to a small feline. The difference is great.
Larger in your case as a fowl is further removed from human
than is a cat. Son-in-law is still human. In fact since his forms
represent yin and yang it might even extend his life a little.
And then there are idiots like that Taro boy. He's spending
his chi like water. The only thing that's saved him is that he
was cursed very young. There is more of a balance in his
case than if he'd been cursed as an adult. Still, I expect he
can't last more than three or four more years. Five at the
most."
     "NO! I can't die. I have to live. It's not fair. Saotome
should die. Shan Pu! Why should I die? I know. The spring
of drowned man. I'll leave for . . . Ooooow!"
     "Quit whining."
     Mu Tsu rubbed his ear resentfully but wisely kept
quiet.
     "Cursing yourself AGAIN is like putting makeup on
a corpse.  Spring of drowned man would just add
ANOTHER curse.  Draining you even faster. Your original
curse would remain, only hidden. The curse CAN-NOT-BE-
REMOVED!" Cu Lon grabbed Mu Tsu by the ears and
wrenched his head around to face her. "Do you understand?"
     "NO! I don't. You removed Shan Pu's curse. Gave it
to 
     "I did NOT remove her curse."
     Mu Tsu could only blink and point dumbly to the
small dirty cat that was Tendou Akane.
     "I did not. . .COULD not remove Shan Pu's curse."
The matriarch smiles slightly. " I could not remove the curse
. . .but I could give her the Tendou's humanity."
     "I . . .I don't understand."
     "There is no reason you should. The technique uses
fox-spirit magic. I replaced Shan Pu's 'poisoned' chi with the
Tendou girls clean chi. And when I pushed IN the clean chi
the poisoned chi naturally flowed OUT and into Tendou
Akane . . .with the results you see." Cu Lon nodded slightly
at the cramped wire cage and its terrified occupant.
     "If you had this cure all along why didn't you use it
sooner?"
     "It is NOT a cure."
     "But . . ."
     "It is not a cure. It is . . .justice."
     "Huh?"
     "You say that a lot boy. I suggest you try improving
your vocabulary."
     Mu Tsu flushed angrily but Cu Lon's look forestalled
any retort. 
     "What are the High Crimes against The People?"
     Mu Tsu looked blankly at Cu Lon.
     "Come boy . . .of ALL people YOU should be
familiar with the High Crimes."
     Mu Tsu blanched. She couldn't know . . .could she?
"Wha . . .what do you mean. Of all people I should know?"
     "Your mother was a judge. I should think you would
have learned at least a LITTLE about the law."
     Dizzy with relief Mu Tsu could only stutter
incoherently.
     "The High Crimes are . . ." Cu Lon enumerated.
"Treason, assassination by poison or magic and rape."
      Mu Tsu went absolutely white on hearing the last
word. Cu Lon noted this with approval. Contrary to what
outsiders might think, males of the Amazon nation were
treated with a great deal of indulgence; some might even be
considered spoiled. There was one area without compromise
or mercy rape, forcing a woman or a child . Centuries of
social conditioning made the act unthinkable, the word
painful to hear. Even so, it did happen. And the law was
applied impartially and inflexibly.
     "What does r . . .r . . .does that have to do with
remov . . .uhhh . . .with fixing the curse."
     "In cases of rape there is damage to the spirit that is
far greater than any physical hurt. A technique was
developed from the healing arts to replenish damaged or
depleted chi. In cases of rape the offenders life was already
forfeit. It was considered only just that his life be used to
benefit those he hurt.  In cases of assassination the technique
was used in a slightly different way, after it was discovered it
could  revive the recently dead or even move spirits from one
body to another. As you know," Cu Lon's expression
indicated she didn't care whether or not Mu Tsu knew. "the
spirits of the dead remain earth bound for three days. During
that time the spirit could be reunited with the body. If the
murdered ones body was too badly damaged or
unrecoverable it was possible for their spirit to be placed in
the body of their murderer. Of course the killers spirit had to
be dealt with. In most cases, as added punishment, the killers
spirit was placed in the body of an animal. There to suffer
out his days as his reason and humanity slowly slipped
away." Cu Lon's lids closed and she appeared to be looking
at a distant memory. "Everything dies, nothing endures. And
death in combat, in an open duel . . .far better to end cleanly
with steel in your heart and iron in your spine. Not old, sick
and useless. Not foully by poison or magic. She was very
beautiful." 
     Mu Tsu started at the sadness in Cu Lon's voice. It
never occurred to him that Cu Lon had feelings.
      " . . . short tempered, quixotic, generous, maudlin,
especially when she'd been drinking, selfish, spiteful . . .and
my friend." Cu Lon glanced at the slack jawed Mu Tsu.
"Don't you believe I could have a friend?" 
     Mu Tsu's jaw worked soundlessly as he tired to
formulate an answer that wouldn't get him smacked. 
     Cu Lon decided to ignore him . . .for the moment.
"Junko was all of these things . . .oh yes" Cu Lon answered
the question she saw in Mu Tsu's eyes. "Junko was
Japanese, at least partially." She corrected. "Also Chinese,
Korean, Tai and for all I know Dutch, French and Tibetan.
Her family had originally been gypsies, before being kicked
out generations earlier for some transgression. They retained
their wandering traditions even when they lost their fellow
travelers. And somehow ended up in China.  I met Junko in a
Shanghai bar while I was tending to some business for 
Mao . . .ummm for an official of the 'Peoples Republic'. She
tried to steal my money. I broke her arm. She slashed open
my belly." Cu Lon smiled in fond rememberance. "Ahhh she
was an artist with a blade. An ARTIST . . ." Cu Lon shook
off the past and continued. "Making a long story short we
became good friends. And she fit in well with The People.
Until she ran afoul of a . . ." Cu Lon paused as painful
memories flooded back. ". . .a jealous woman. Junko was
very striking. Full of fire and  passion. She attracted the man
of . . .of one who has no name. Junko and the man did what
a strong woman and a beautiful man often do. The nameless
one could have challenged Junko. A formal dual, even to the
death would have been acceptable.  Instead she put death-
cap mushrooms in Jukno's beer. It took Junko three days to
die. And by the time the nameless ones treachery was
discovered it was too late for anything except justice. I
performed the ritual myself. Moved the nameless one's soul,
her spirit ,out of her body and placed it in a more . . .suitable
place."
      Mu Tsu shivered at the venom in Cu Lon's voice.
He'd watched her kill a bandit once . . with no more emotion
than crushing a bug. But this . . .sixty years later and the hate
was still sharp in Cu Lon's voice. 
     "I watched . . .watched as the light of reason left her
eyes. Watched as a dumb animal suddenly became 
more . . .and less. I kept her in a cage. I built it myself.
Strong, comfortable. I kept her there and watched . . .day by
day, hour by hour then, finally, minute by minute. I watched
as her humanity slipped away like water from a cracked
pitcher. Until nothing was left except a faint memory of what
she once was. She knew, even at the last; She remembered
she'd once been something more. And then I . . .let her go. I
carried the cage into the forest, opened the door and walked
away. Perhaps she died quickly, under the talons of a hawk.
Perhaps slowly, frantically . . .small, alone and terrified."
     Mu Tsu shivered, terrified of Cu Lon. He'd always
been a little afraid of her. Now he suddenly realized how
badly he'd underestimated her.
     "But you want to know what all this has to do with
Jusenkyo, don't you."
     Mu Tsu was almost too frightened to breath. Jerkily
he nodded once.
     "One day I watched Shan Pu change. Seeing her
animal form I suddenly thought of those two techniques, one
for healing and one for something else and it occurred to
me they could be used to correct a Jusenkyo curse. The
curse could not be removed. But I could replace her
poisoned chi with clean untainted chi. Remove her animal
form, place it in another receptacle. That was the key. It was
not enough to just cleanse her chi, for the animal taint would
remain, slowly poisoning her again.  I needed someone,
someone strong with an unusual purity of spirit.  To provide
fresh chi and take on the animal form. There were several
possibilities ,but using Tendou Akane also removed another
problem." Cu Lon glared at Mu Tsu. "That is why we
MUST keep her . . ."Cu Lon pointed at the sick looking cat
laying on it's side. "MUST keep her alive for eighteen days. 
The working is entirely unnatural. Her chi, Shan Pu's cursed
form . . .they wish to return to their former state. This
collar"Cu Lon pointed to a gleaming gold circlet, faintly
visible under matted fur. "and the bracelet I placed on Shan
Pu tie the chi in place. At this moment there is a great strain,
like a rubber-band under too much tension. Tendou Akane's
death would be like cutting the rubber-band. The two of
them might just revert to their former states or the back
lash could smash Shan Pu like a rotten fruit . . .or worse."
     "W . . .worse?"
     "There are many things worse than death 
boy . . .much worse. After eighteen days the change will be
permanent. Shan Pu will be fully human and Tendou Akane
will be forever locked in a cats body. Her mind will not last
long, a few months at best. For fifteen more days she MUST
live. After that you may kill her or leave her to live out her
life, with only a memory of what she once was."
     "I'll start making the broth at once, elder Cu Lon."
Mu Tsu said very quietly.
     Cu Lon gave a slight nod of assent and watched as
Mu Tsu scuttled out of the room. Mu Tsu's new humility
wouldn't last long. But for a while Mu Tsu could be trusted,
or at least not as much mis-trusted.

************************************************
Cats have no tears. 
She'd never thought about that before. Never thought about
a lot of things. Life, death . . .love. Even after all that had
happened since Ranma had come. Even after Mt. Phoenix
she hadn't thought much about death. Maybe because
Ranma was always there . . .just in time. Maybe because
something was always happening; too much happening too
fast. Another crisis started before the last was quite finished.
But now it was finished. No last minute rescues. You
couldn't rescue someone if you didn't know they were in
trouble.
Cats have no tears.
She remembered going to the airport. Everyone was there to
see her off. Even Ranma had been nice for once. Well,
almost nice. She'd been so excited. Going to America,
Hawaii.  All expenses paid. She'd just settled in her seat
when one of the flight attendants spilled a drink in her lap.
Then in the bathroom ,cleaning her dress . . .a sting, like an
insect bite. Waking . . .here.
Cats have no tears.
She wished she could cry.
She wished . . .
She stared dully at the blood slimed wire mesh. There were
still damp patches where she'd tried to claw her way out,
slicing her skin and smearing the cage with her blood. Her
mind drifted . . .the blood dulled metal brought back a
memory. Sitting on her father lap as he showed her how to
examine a sword.
     "No, sweetheart. Not with your bare hand. You have
to use rice paper or wear gloves to handle the sword. It's
bad for the steel to touch it with your bare hand."
     "That's silly, daddy. Swords are used to kill ronin and
bandits and dragons and . . ." She hacked at imaginary
bandits with her imaginary sword. "How can just
TOUCHING a sword hurt it?"
     "Touching is bad. Blood is worse. If you don't clean
your blade right away blood can rust it to nothing. And
worst of all . . ."
************************************************

     "Eating now I see."
     The cat didn't even look up from the bowl. Mu Tsu
looked sourly at the small animal greedily buried in the food
it had previously ignored. And after he'd gone to all the
trouble of making a beef broth. Well, best not to waste it.
With a malicious smile Mu Tsu poured the still hot broth
over the cat. His smile slipped when the cat didn't even
pause in her eating. With a disgusted snort he turned and left
the store-room.
     Hearing the door click shut the small cat padded over
to one corner of the cage. The corner farthest from the light.
The corner most in shadow.
     "And worst of all . . ." Tendou Soun had told his
young daughter. " . . .is the damage from a thrust to the
stomach."
     Carefully she chose her spot, where only a single bolt
held the corner in place. Clenching her muscles . . ."
     "The acid from a stomach wound," Tendou Soun
instructed his heir. "can ruin the finest steel in just a few
minutes."
     The pop and hiss of dissolving metal was loud to cat
sensitive hearing.
Cats have no tears.
Predators never cry.


Chapter 1 of 7 
C&C requested
I am especially interested in knowing:
1) Is it a good read?
2)Is the story internally consistent
3) Are you (the reader) able to suspend disbelief
throughout the story or do certain parts bring you 
to a screeching halt