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.   
	
I would like to thank my pre-readers, B. Na and Angel de la Hoya. I would
also like to thank the many other readers who offered C&C.  Thank you. Your
efforts have made this story immeasurably better.  As always, any errors or
omissions are mine. 
	
On advice of some pre-readers I am providing the following warning. This
fanfiction contains scenes of extreme violence and may be considered DARK.



		Cats have no tears
Prologue
	"Nekohanten, how may I help you?"
	"Cu Lon, how delightful to hear your voice."
	There was a faint tightening of her hand on the telephone that even three
hundred years of martial training couldn't completely hide.
	"Zhu." The naked cognomen acknowledged the deputy ministers existence and
was not, quite, an insult.
	"I have business in Tokyo on the seventeenth. I though Shan Pu could come
back with me when I leave."
	"Impossible. Shan Pu is already married."
	"Ahh . . .but it was my understanding that her groom was . . . reluctant
to acknowledge the marriage."
	Cu Lon speared a glance at Mu Tsu busily serving won ton to a potted plant. 
	"You have been misinformed. Shan Pu is happily married.  You will have to
make other arrangements to fulfill the old agreement."
	"Perhaps. Still I believe I will stop by. It may be Shan Pu's �marriage'
is not as strong as you think.  I may have a chance to win her heart." With
a click the line disconnected.
	Mu Tsu, you fool. Cu Lon had a brief savage thought of adding duck to the
dinner menu. Mu Tsu thought to force her hand; believing Cu Lon would
rather Shan Pu wed Mu Tsu over Zhu Liji. In truth Cu Lon would cut Shan
Pu's throat herself before she let her great grand daughter fall into Zhu's
hands. Marriage to Mu Tsu was better, marginally. Cu Lon could probably
restrain the worst of his excesses. But knowing Zhu as she did, Mu Tsu
would probably suffer a tragic accident shortly after his wedding, leaving
the way clear for Zhu.  No, Ranma was the best choice, the only choice to
keep Shan Pu safe.  But she needed time . . .time to overcome his childish
fears . . .time to replace his affection for the Tendou girl with Shan Pu .
. .time�Cu Lon's racing thoughts slammed to a halt. Replace Ranma's
affections or�
	"Mu Tsu!"
	The blind magicians head snapped around at the crackled command.
	"I have an errand for you."

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 black 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. Recalling how loudly Mu Tsu
whimpered she decided a good nights sleep was more important than the
fleeting pleasure of bending him around the edges..
	"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 Zhu, and
others. 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, gone-to-your-ancestors." Cu Lon smiled sweetly.
"Do you understand?"
	"What? How?" Mu Tsu was doing a frantic self-examination, looking for
signs of his impending demise. "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 some time yet. Perhaps a year or two. More if you're careful."
	"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 . . .retribution."
	"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."
	"What 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. Since the offenders life is already
forfeit it is only just that his life be used to benefit those he hurt.  In
cases of assassination the technique is used in a slightly different way.
It was discovered it could  revive the recently dead or even move souls
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 sous could be reunited
with the body. If the murdered ones body was too badly damaged or
unrecoverable it is possible for their soul to be placed in the body of
their murderer. Of course the killers soul has to be dealt with. In most
cases the killers spirit is placed in the body of an animal, to suffer out
his days as  reason and humanity slowly slip 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. 
	 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 remembrance. "Ahhh she was an artist with a blade. An ARTIST . . ." Cu
Lon shook off the past and continued. "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 . . .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-cup
mushrooms in Jukno's beer. It took Junko two weeks 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 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 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 and 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 for Shan Pu and take on
her 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 alive
. . ."Cu Lon pointed at the sick looking cat laying on it's side. " alive
for fifteen more 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. In fifteen 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 after that, a few months at best. But for
fifteen more days she MUST live. After that . . ." Cu Lon made a gesture as
if tossing away something.
	"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.
	"I would not have done this if my need were not great." Cu Lon looked down
at the small figure in the cage. "Shan Pu is the last of my blood and I
love her very much. I could not let that . . .man . . .take her." One
wrinkled hand reached out with uncharacteristic hesitancy and brushed inky
fur through the wire mesh. "I promise that I will do what I can for your
sisters and your father. And for Ranma."

************************************************
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 stomach muscles she opened her mouth . . .
	"Acid from the stomach," 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.