Ranma 1/2: "The Will of Tendou" (Revised)

Part I: How Nabiki Came to Disliking Money.

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	Author's Note: Yes, I had written a version of this story some time ago,
but it got old and I didn't like the way it was going. Besides, I've noticed
that my writing that I've sent out to the mailing list hasn't been up to par.
So, I've decided to work on making my writings to be far better than I've ever
have tried before. This starts with a reworking of this fic. I'd like to know
what you all thing about this work. Be honest. I can take genuine criticism.
(Really.) Thank you, and please enjoy this work.

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	The evening was very uninteresting. Ranma, Akane, Kasumi & Nabiki were
sitting down and watching television while their fathers were out getting drunk.
No one dared to bother to look after them this night, nor wonder where did they
go. It was because of the fight earlier in the evening.
		
	"Father," Akane said while Kasumi served a dinner of rice, rice, and
more rice, "Ranma and I have decided that we are not going to get married."
		
	"What?!" shouted Soun, slamming his fist onto the table. His bowl of
chicken and rice leaped from the table and into the waiting mouth of Genma
Saotome.
		
	"Daddy, the love isn't there. We don't love each other."
		
	"Akane, you will love Ranma or else I'll make you love him!!!" Soun's
demon-head-like face poked Akane's face. "Why don't you love him?"
		
	"W-w-we don't." Nabiki raised her eyebrows, her eyelids half-closed,
concentrating on the response. This should be good.
		
	"Is that all you can say, that 'you don't?!' " screamed Soun, seemingly
towering over the trembling teen.
		
	"Yes!" Akane screamed back, causing the father to cower in fear. "I just
don't find anything about Ranma attractive at all to me! I don't understand why
you want me and him to get married anyway? This forced engagement thing really
sucks!"
		
	"Besides, she is uncute," Ranma added. Genma decided to stand up. He
looked tense. "I rather Mom considered me unmanly than hafta to marry that
tomboy," Ranma added, pointing to Akane. Genma noticed that Akane didn't flinch
at that statement. He licked his lips and looked as thoughtful as one could in
this sort of daily fiasco.
		
	"Soun, I believe we need to get out here."
		
	Soun nodded. "Agreed. Genma and I are going out for the night. If by the
time we return both of you still will not agree to marry each other, we will
disown you! Did you hear me? Disown you!" With that, Soun stormed out of the
house, leaving a hole where his body would be on the wall. Genma exited,
slamming the door, tripping across P-chan, and falling into the Koi pond. The
panda got out of the pond and ran after his best friend. Nabiki and Kasumi both
turned and looked at Akane.
		
	"Well, that was different. Usually you four would argue half the night
away," Nabiki tactily said.
		
	"Eh, it's nothing. They'll get drunk and forget about the whole thing,
right Akane?"
		
	"Right. Then we'll move onto phase two."
		
	"Phase two?" asked Nabiki as she stood up.
		
	"I'll go on a date with Gosunkurgi and Ranma will go out with Kodachi,"
Akane replied, still glaring out at the distance images of her father bawling
away.
		
	"Why would you want to do that?"
		
	Ranma looked at the confused Kasumi with a delicate look in his
eyes."Partly to see how Pops'll react. It would definately shock them."
		
	"I hope your father gets a heart attack," muttered Akane. Ranma
half-glared at his fiancee.
		
	"Gee, Akane, if you want me to cause heart stoppage, you should let me
wear my leather dress we picked up during our recent trip with the Kunos in
down-town Tokyo."
		
	Kasumi cleaned up the table. She couldn't find anything to say, partly
because something other than cleaning and cooking had entered her mind.
Something about that entire conversation did not make sense to her. So, she kept
quiet while she did her usual chores of cleaning, washing clothes, and preparing
for the next day's chores of cooking, washing clothes, and cleaning.
		
	Nabiki sighed as she walked upstairs, getting ready for bed. "I can't
understand any of this. Nothing makes sense anymore, especially my family." Of
course, she didn't care if it made any sense. As long as she had a stream of
money coming from Ranma & Akane, she didn't care. She muttered something about
wishing that her father actually had a honest job instead of teaching fighting
techinques that were outdated by the time the Chinese invented gunpowder. Then,
she didn't have to work so hard of keeping the family afloat.
		
	So the evening went along unusually uneventful. Ranma, Akane, and Kasumi
watched a soccer match. It was rather late, since the match had gone well past
the "Golden Goal" stage and into the shoot-out portion of the tie-breaker rules.
Somehow neither the United States nor the Chinese women couldn't score a goal.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. At that moment, Mia Hamm scored a goal.
Game over, man.
		
	"Oh, my! Guest at this late hour!"
		
	"Kasumi, it's probably Dad," Akane groaned, glancing at the cheery
facade Kasumi's face put up. She went to the closet to get the portable futon.
		
	Ranma muttered, "Pops will probably be drunk, too."
		
	"He can sleep outside next to the pond," Akane replied as Kasumi opened
the door.
		
	A policewoman showed up. Her partner came up behind her. "Um, ma'am, is
this the Tendou residence?" Nabiki walked downstairs while Akane and Ranma stood
behind Kasumi.
		
	"Yes, this is," Kasumi said. "Would you like to have something to drink
or eat?"
		
	"Well...not yet. This is rather important," the policewoman's partner
said as she pushed the policewoman inside the home. "I'm Kobayakawa Miyuki and
this is my partner Tsujimoto Natsumi. I'm sorry to report that your father was
found dead tonight."
		
	The three girls gasped. Ranma walked up and looked at the girls.
		
	"Y-y-you're joking!"
		
	Miyuki shook her head. "And you are?"
		
	"Saotome Ranma. My father left with him at the time. Is he okay?"
		
	Natsumi looked at Miyuki. "Do you think we can skip going to the Saotome
residence? I mean the boy's here."
		
	Ranma glared at Natsumi. "H-how dare you dishonor my mother like that!"
		
	"Sorry, kid. It's just that we had assumed that you were at your mom's
house. That's all."
		
	"So, Pop's dead?"
		
	"Yeah, kid. He's dead."
		
	Akane started to grit her teeth. "How did they die?"
		
	Miyuki spurted out, "I don't think you're ready---"
		
	"How did they die?" Akane screamed out, she lurched towards Miyuki. She
grasped the girl, and if Ranma didn't grabbed her at that moment, Miyuki would
have been crushed by Akane's hands.
		
	"Alcohol poisoning. The hit and run accident didn't help matters,"
Miyuki said very quietly. Natsumi nodded as she noticed the survivors wincing a
bit.
		
	"Hit and run?" Nabiki asked.
		
	Natsumi replied, "We think someone threw the bodies towards the car. The
Emperor died."
		
	"H-h-he died?" gasped Nabiki.
		
	"Well, it was the Emperor's car your fathers both were slammed into,"
added Natsumi.
		
	Ranma frowned.
		
	Akane cried.
		
	Nabiki started to whimper.
		
	Kasumi looked very thoughtful, as if things might have fallen into
place. Miyuki, however, was not pleased.
		
	"Natsumi, you have alot to learn about breaking bad news to people,
especially children," sternly lectured Miyuki.
		
	"We don't know why it is that they got thrown like they did, but we do
expect foul play."
		
	Kasumi decided then that it would be a good idea to have chicken
tomorrow, even through that was very expensive...no scratch that. She would not
be cooking tomorrow.
		
	"Well, my sisters, Ranma, and I do thank you for your help. Can you, ah,
make sure none of this leaks out to the press?" Nabiki was a little disappointed
with her sister, who did not like to stand out even in good news.
		
	"I'm afraid that has already been done, but we've got the agreement of
all Japanese television, radio and newspapers not to interview you for a while.
At least a month," Natsumi said. "So sorry about that. My condolances, Mr.
Saotome, Tendous. If you need anything, anything at all, here's our cards. We'll
keep in touch."
		
	"We are really sorry," Miyuki smiled. 
		
	Kasumi nodded as she took the business cards. Then, the policewomen
turned to leave. At the door, Natsumi turned and softly asked, "I've often heard
that families here in the Nerima district are at odds with each other. Did...did
you like your fathers?"
		
	Only the sounds of a bweeing piglet could only be heard as the girls
looked at each other. Ranma looked up from the floor and said, "Well, I guess
we'll miss them, but I don't seem to know how."
		
	"I understand, but as much as we've argued, if my father died, I'd
probably miss having him to argue with," smiled Natsumi. "It's hard arguing with
yourself sometimes." The policewoman bowed to the widowed children and left,
shouting and arguing over what was the best way to telling someone, "Sorry, your
father just died! I hope you aren't shocked and appauled by us telling you
exactly how he died!"
		
	****************
		
	It takes only a few deaths for a house to grow old. One day, it's a
brightly painted house with height marks, and posters of rock stars, and
eveyone's watching HBO. The next, it's a couple of completely plastic-wrapped
shrines to fallen family members; faded pictures put in frames that haven't been
used created the Civil War; and the television set can only get the local
channel, and it's usually too loud for even punk rockers to handle. The Tendou
House grew old very quick. Ranma, regardless of how many pillows he tried to
stuff on his back, couldn't felt as comfortable as the furry, scratchy side of a
certain Panda he knew. Nabiki thought about quitting school all together. After
all, there was no way she could afford to even take cramming school classes, and
there was even a doubt she could even get into the best schools in Japan, let
alone the rest of the world. Akane simply cried that night. She kept mumbling
"It's my fault. It's my fault. I'm sorry," in her sleep. Kasumi calmly finished
reading the final chapter of _1,001 Ways to Circumvent a Living Trust_. She then
held up a piece of paper, all neat and clean. It detailed the plan she would
have to take, something that was needed to carry out her father's wishes. She
blinked slowly and sighed. 
		
	Kasumi hated this role. Not the role of Mother, nor of the Host, but of
the Leader. She hated leading anyone to do anything. The last time she had to
take on the Leader's role, it was for just one man. Her sisters were too young,
and too resiliant to really need to bother with. "That, was a mistake," Kasumi
said outloud to herself "I should have done something for my sisters. Father, I
hope you're with Mother, and Mother, I hope you are enjoying Father's company.
However, since that's not likely, I just would like both of your blessing on
what I am about to do. I am not going to be simply Kasumi anymore."
		
	Eventually, everyone got the proper seven-to-ten hours of sleep. Kasumi
had been awake for a good while, calling various attorneys, ministers,
detectives, FBI agents (Agent Mulder shared a lot of Tofu recipes with her) and
other lackeys. She finally finished a very long call with Lara Croft, consenting
for Lara to take her on a South Pacific island adventure (making a mental note
to see if Dr. Tofu would like to come along). She looked at the time: two
o'clock in the afternoon. It had been long enough.
		
	Kasumi looked at the television. She examined it carefully, looked at a
diagram that Soun had drawn and looked at it again. She screamed, ran to it and
started to beat up the television with well placed karate chops. The others
jerked themselves up from their dreamless slumbers and zoomed downstairs,
fearing that Kasumi was trying to commit suicide. Instead, they looked nervous
in that big-sweat kinda-of way as the prim and proper nineteen-year-old woman
took out her anger at a very old television set.
		
	"Um, Kasumi, I know how hard this is for you as it is for the rest of
us, but t-that's the only television we've got!" screamed Nabiki.
		
	 "Sisters (grunt) you'd better start packing (grunt) IEE!" The telly was
destroyed. Sparks flew as the monitor popped out and flew towards Ranma. He
ducked as the screen flew behind him and crashed to a mounted picture of the
three sisters as youngsters, before their mother's death. After the commotion
subsided, a very heavily breathing Kasumi looked at the thunderstruck family and
commanded, "Sisters and Ranma, I can tell you that we are going to be leaving
here pretty shortly to the City of Tendo. I expect our father's bodies to be
moved there after the autopsies are complete."
		
	Ranma looked at Kasumi, somewhat puzzled. It was admirable how well
Kasumi was taking this, but the fact she announced where they were going before
consulting with him was not normal. Glancing at the faces of absolute shock,
Kasuni did tell anyone about this, which was even more astounding. It was a
well-established habit of Kasumi to tell someone where she was going, expecting
some sort of tacit approval from the other person. This sort of new demanding
Kasumi left Ranma in somewhat of a stupor. He had never thought that Kasumi
could take any sort of leadership role, and actually envied her place as a
behind-the-scene girl.
		
	 Nabiki stared at the metal frame that was formerly the boob tube. A
secret compartment on the right side of the television popped open revealing a
dozen keys, a large pile of credit cards, and a nice sum of cash. A very nice
sum of cash. She promptly erupted, producing a very bright red aura around
herself. "W-w-what's the meaning of this?! Father had horded money away to
himself while keeping the rest of the family poor?!"
		
	"Nabiki...Nabiki, stop it!" Kasumi screamed. Nabiki jerked a bit as
Kasumi started to glow herself and looked rather furious at her sister. Kasumi
hadn't been this angry since Nabiki broke a vase over Kasumi's head when she was
three.
		
	Kasumi closed her eyes. "Father had told me many times where he had
placed emergency funds in such a case as this. In fact, he talked to me about
this yesterday, while you were at school. He came to me while I was in the
living room and said, 'Kasumi, do you know what to do if I die unexpectedily?'
		
	" 'Yes, father, beat up the television, smash the alarm clock in your
bedroom, and then take the sisters, Ranma, and Genma to Tendo.' He nodded and
then asked me what to do if he and Genma both died? I said the same thing,
except I added that Mr. Saotome hid all of his personal belongings in his
knapsack."
		
	Ranma blinked very slowly, almost wanting to not believe any of this.
		
	"Pops actually saved some money? And he never told me about this?"
		
	"I doubt it's worth that much," Kasumi replied. She then glanced at some
of the credit cards. Her eyes grew a bit wider on one card. "Hmm...I didn't know
Father had a Swiss Bank Account. What would he needed for?" The other three
children face-faulted. She reached back and pulled out a rolled up paper.
		
	"Ah, the floor plans. Now, Father hid a lot more of these keys, money,
and cards all over the house, and we must get them all. Akane, you and Ranma go
out and smash open all of the places marked on these floor plans. Nabiki, you're
going to make arraignments for a week's stay in Tendou."
		
	"Um, Kasumi, where is this Tendou...?"
		
	"Northern Japan. It's really not that far away from Tokyo. Father
instructed me to have him buried there. We're also suppose to move Mother's
grave out there as well."
		
	"What about Pops?" asked Ranma as Akane looked over the plans.
		
	"I don't know, but your mother might know where he wanted to be buried.
She should be arriving any moment now---"
		
	Nodoka promptly crashed through the door and smothered Ranma in a bear
hug.
		
	"Oh...my son. My manly, manly son. I'm so glad you're alive!" she cried.
Ranma hugged her as well. Akane glared at him.
		
	"Lucky you, you have a mother," she grumbled to herself.
		
	"Who needs a mom when you have this?" whistled the middle sister
gleefully as she kept counting the stack of bills that was hidden in the
television. She glanced over to Kasumi and realized she shouldn't have. Kasumi's
staring was just enough to cause a deep hole to erode in her heart where money
usually went. Her grasp of the money slipped away, slamming her head down to the
table and she started to bawl. It wasn't going to work anymore.
		
	*****************************
		
	Ukyou Kuoji was in an awkward, but comfortable position. Awkward because
she was sleeping with Tsubasa Kurenai. Comfortable because it was a hammock. She
had reluctantly accepted Tsubasa's gift of a hammock on the condition that he's
stay overnight with her. She'd figure now that Ranma was now firmly locked in
with Akane, she'd had to find somone else. And quite frankly, Ukyou kepted
pointing out, Tsubasa was just as lonely as she was. So, why not, she figured?
Go ahead, take the plunge. 
		
	He had brought another hammock with him and the two slept in hammocks
like one would sleep in bunkbeds. However, Ukyou fell out of her hammock and
landed on Tsubasa. Now, it could have turned ugly and dangerous, since both of
them never slept with any clothes on at all. However, Ukyou was pleasantly
surprised how naturally warm Tsubasa's body was. Maybe it's from the countless
number of disguises he wore or he was genetically programmed to be a heater, but
Ukyou actually enjoyed sleeping with Tsubasa and promised herself to do so
again. Tsubasa just hoped he didn't get Ukyou pregnant.
		
	The phone rang. Ukyou reached up and grabbed it. Tsubasa moved his hands
up around Ukyou's thin waist, which was way higher than they were that night.
		
	"Hello?"
		
	"Ni hao!"
		
	"Ah, Shampoo. Hello."
		
	"Did you hear what happened over at Airen's place?"
		
	"What?" Tsubasa quickly held up the phone while Ukyou reached over for
some paper and a pencil.
		
	"Airen's idiot father and violent girl's father dead."
		
	"What?!" Ukyou arched up a bit. Tsubasa's face got squished from Ukyou's
rather large mammory glands; however he did enjoy the merely hinted natural
waffing smell of chemicals that weren't tested on pigs, ducks, or cabbits.
		
	"Yes, both father's died after Airen and Violent girl got into argument
with them," said Shampoo, who happened to be sitting in a waiting room in a
hospital. Mousse had the unfortunate misfortune of having all of his hidden
weapons slip out from their hiding places and slid right down and slicing his
male organ into something that resembled salami. So, he was having his penis
reconstructed, and while they were at it, they'd go ahead and do laser
corrective surgery on his eyes. Shampoo was there waiting for Mousse's surgery
to be complete because Cologne was over at the police station being questioned
by the authorities. At the time, she was reading about breast reduction surgery
and whether it was right for her or not (in Chinese, of course).
		
	"Really? How do you know?"
		
	"Great-grandmother is still down at the station...no, she's not a
suspect. She was there at the bar when the entire incident happened."
		
	Ukyou sighed, feeling a bit guilty she had let Ranchan down like that.
However, everything up to that point seemed as if it looked very likely that
Ukyou would just be a bridesmaid and not the bride, which is why she was more
receptive of Tsubasa's gift than she'd could have been any other day.
		
	"Spatula girl?"
		
	"Yes, Sugar?"
		
	"As soon as Mousse is out of hospital, let's go and visit Airen and
offer him food."
		
	Ukyou nodded. "Fine. How about tomorrow?"
		
	"Tomorrow fine for Shampoo," she nodded. She tilted her head towards her
left arm while being utterly fascinated by a picture showing a photograph of all
of the gooey fat that's inside of the breast. She'd never look at a twinkie the
same way again. "Will see you tomorrow, okay?"
		
	"Okay."
		
	Ukyou hung up the phone, which was just enough spin to cause the hammock
to wrap itself around the naked couple. The not-quite boyfriend gulped.
		
	"Ah, will this change what happened last night, Ukyou-sama?"
		
	"Well...probably not," smiled Ukyou, "besides, I never knew you were
such a comfortable thing to sleep on! You are so soft and warm! I could probably
sleep here for hours, too."
		
	Tsubasa smiled, although he was careful not to say anything. Countless
observations from men trying to hook up a date with his mother told him how not
to say things to girls. He just smiled and pecked a kiss on Ukyou's face-cheek.
He'd settle for that right now.
		
	*********************************************
		
	Nodoka watched as the north, cold winds started to gust. She had been
informed of her husband's wishes, from Kasumi which were consistent with the
letter he'd had given her a few days ago. She sipped her warm tea while examing
the deliberate wreckage that Akane and Ranma made in finding all of the hidden
safes, and crevices where Soun hid his wealth.
		
	"Interesting that your father would be such a miser," she quietly said.
"Don't you find this all rather odd?"
		
	"Odd? Finding a freshly erected tombstone in a grave with nothing on it
is odd. This, this is rather pecular," Kasumi said, attempting to say something
that had nothing to do with death or dying. Nodoka did not notice Kasumi wince a
bit. 
		
	"Well, I believe that this is all planned from the start. After all, you
did say that that night, my son and your sister admantly stood up and told them
that they would not marry each other, right?"
		
	"Yes, they did," Kasumi replied. "But Auntie Nodoka, I have a hard time
believing that this was just a planned attack from the start."
		
	"My dear Kasumi, look at it this way. The two old fools have been trying
for years to get them to love each other, and failed. On all counts." Nodoka
pointed her half-filled up of green tea at Kasumi and smiled. "Now, suppose they
actually get a clue that perhaps if they were somehow taken away from the
equation, the situation would change. There's no force that would drive them to
marry each other. What do you think would happen?"
		
	Kasumi shook her head. "I-i-it's too messy to think about the future at
this point in time."
		
	"I'm more steamed about the money," shouted Nabiki, who stomped down the
steps wearing nothing but her nightie and showing her five-o'clock shadow legs.
		
	"Nabiki! You haven't shaved?" gasped Kasumi.
		
	"Why bother? Why bother when your father hasn't really helped you to do
anything at all," she grumbled. "If he doesn't care about me doing well, why
should I care about him rotting in a grave far, far away from Tokyo?" Nabiki
suddenly had a craving for some sake, but a bottle of whiskey would do just
fine. Nodoka took it away before she could even get a drop on her tongue.
		
	"Hey! That's my misery! Get your own!"
		
	Kasumi bit her lip. "I can not believe that my own sister would give up
being the girl that she was. Yes, I am mad too about the whole thing, but
there's nothing we can do about it now." Nodoka gave the bottle to Kasumi, who
would promptly give it to Happousai. Happousai had been weeping none stop,
wearing just a sack cloth, and putting hot ashes on his bald little head.
		
	"Right. Like if you knew," Nabiki growled as she lunged for the bottle.
		
	Kasumi would not let it go.
		
	Nabiki screamed, "Come on! Dad paid for that! It's the least I can do
for him!"
		
	The cold metallic whooshing sound of air being released from a cylinder
stopped the two sisters from arguing. Nodoka had somehow sliced the bottle with
her sword in a nice clean cut. The alcohol oozed down both girl's fingers,
warmly reminding them of what they had once were, and how acidly they'd are now.
		
	"Girls, stop fighting," Nodoka glared. "Fighting will not solve anything
today." Both of them released the neck part of the bottle. It harmlessly dropped
towards the ground. Nabiki simply walked outside towards the sunshine. Kasumi
followed her, dispite Nodoka's protest.
		
	Nabiki stopped walking out in the clearing where the koi pond was. She
looked down at herself. If she was a man, she'd have a five o'clock shadow to
match, but she looked haggard enough.
		
	"You know," Nabiki began as Kasumi came up behind her, "when Mother
died, I tried to trust Father, but I quickly saw that I couldn't do that. I
couldn't depend on him, and I knew that sisters might not be so dependable
either. I then learned, basically from watching you buy groceries, that money
was the only thing dependable." Nabiki laughed.
		
	Kasumi shook her head as Nabiki continued her ranting. "Boy, am I wrong
now. Now that I see that Father's been hoarding his money away and seeing that's
he's deliberately kept us poor, I know now that I can't trust anyone. And if I
can't trust anyone...if I can't depend on anyone, who can I depend on? Huh?
Answer me that, smarty pants! Why? W-wwwhy?"
		
	Nabiki fiercely grabbed her big sister and hugged her as a child would
hug a life-size pet totoro during a fierce thunderstorm. The two of them cried
and cried for a while, both of them admitting to each other their worst fears of
loneliness, suspicion, and distrust. Nodoka watched from the inside, while she
went through a couple boxes of tissues herself not caring who'd notice. This was
the essence of being womanly.
		
	*********************************************************
		
	The next day was more orderly and more Nermian like. Apparently, there
was a major run on flowers yesterday because the entire Tendou backyard was
littered with flowers, half of them were from Takewaki and Kodachi Kuno
themselves. Ranma never knew there were so many varieties of roses. Nodoka never
realized how allergic she was to roses.
		
	Later on, Cologne hopped on by for a visit.
		
	"Well, hello, ladies and Son-in-law," she said.
		
	"I understand you were at the bar where my husband and Mr. Tendou came
in before they died, correct?" Nodoka asked, folding her arms. Her sword was
sheathed, but was really close by.
		
	"Yes, they did come in. It was awful. I never could guess two grown men
could get so drunk like that. I couldn't even understand why they'd even let
them drink any more," she frowned. "But I noticed something, something I hadn't
figured out since."
		
	"What's that?" asked Ranma.
		
	"The bar I was in is known as Street Fighter sort of place. So, Mr.
Tendou gives a sign to a young fighter, I believe Sakura."
		
	"Sakura, one of those up and coming fighters," Ranma replied.
		
	"She starts the fight between her and these girl scout troops that are
trying to sell cookies."
		
	"Cookies?" asked Kasumi.
		
	"Yes, I even bought at least five boxes of every kind they have. Care
for some mint?" Everyone obliged, stopping a bit to eat the classic Mint Girl
Scout Cookies.
		
	"As everyone stopped drinking and started fighting, I noticed Sakura
whispering something to Plum."
		
	"Plum, the Jusenkyou Guide's daughter? What's she doing here?" Ranma
asked, looking more puzzled than before.
		
	"I'm not sure, but she whispered something to some huge thugs and they
came over to your fathers. The goons bought your fathers a drink, they collaspe
a few minutes right after the last sip, and the goons throw Soun, and then Genma
outside onto oncoming traffic," concluded Cologne. "And if you're wondering, the
only reason I didn't stop them was because I was haggling with the HMO over the
cost of Mousse's operations."
		
	"Mousse's operation?" suspiciously asked Ranma.
		
	"His hidden weapons all fell out. The doctors reconstructed his yang and
I'd agreed to laser surgery on his eyes while we were at it." Cologne grinned
while Ranma winced.
		
	"So, why were you and the HMO haggling at a bar?" asked Kasumi.
		
	"Apparently that's where the committee meets to discuss claims."
		
	Nabiki nodded, figuring that they really didn't meet in board rooms to
discuss important things. Board rooms were so much the American way of deciding
the fate of nations. A bar was a much better way of deciding. And if they're
drunk, the better.
		
	"I see. Well, we really need to be going here soon," smiled Kasumi.
"We're going to move the bodies to their burial spots up north to Tendou."
		
	"Tendou?" asked Cologne. "Is there a reason?"
		
	"My father wanted that way."
		
	"And what about that old panda?"
		
	"My father insisted that Mr. Saotome be buried there too. And I really
can't go against my father's wishes," Kasumi said.
		
	"Nonsense, child, what can they do to us anyway? They're dead!"
		
	"Even so, I will carry out my father's wish."
		
	"Alright, but I want him reburied in Tokyo as soon as the whole thing is
over." Nodoka said.
		
	"I believe that can be done," Kasumi smiled. Quickly, she frowned, not
exactly liking the mess she'd got herself into.
		
	Cologne nodded. "I wonder if your fathers ever had any enemies?"
		
	Ranma humpfed. "I wouldn't doubt it."
		
	Cologne nodded again, "I understand that, Son-in-law, but did they have
anyone that would wanted to kill them?"
		
	Ranma thought about it for a moment. "You know, I don't know enough
about Pop's life to know if he had any mortal enemies or not. Mom?"
		
	Nodoka shook her head as well. "I don't either, Son. Is there a point to
this?"
		
	Cologne shrugged. "There is a lot that I do not know, if you could
believe it. I would strongly advise you all to be very careful. Who knows who
would try to take advantage of you at this weak time." Everyone nodded in
agreement.
		
	The next day, the Tendous and the Saotomes left for Tendou. Thanks to
the money, Nabiki was able to arraign to have a first-class car all to
themselves, all the way to Tendou. Everyone was wearing something very formal,
and nice. By request, everyone else who had wanted to tag along agreed to wait
for at least a week. Nodoka was pleased that everyone complied with the request,
since she and Ranma had a lot to deal with themselves. The girls, however, were
a different story. 
		
	Nabiki did not look very well.
		
	"I can't believe the nightmare I had last night," she groaned, "I was
being attacked by all of these bills, yen, dollar, franc, Euro, Baht...and all
of those coins...heck, I was drowning in 'em. I couldn't escape. I couldn't do a
thing."
		
	Akane nodded. "I feel mad. This can't be nothing more than a final ditch
effort to get me and Ranma married. It's not gonna work. It's not!"
		
	"Do you at least feel sorry that they're dead?" Nodoka quietly asked
Akane.
		
	"Absolutely not!" screamed Akane. "I'm glad they're dead and they don't
have to bother me anymore! And don't you even think about trying to fulfill
their wishes! They're dead! As soon as we bury the bastards, I'm gonna go out
and celebrate in style!"
		
	"Akane Tendou!" gasped Kasumi. "You will not do such a thing. You will
join us in everything we do for this entire week! I will not have you drinking
yourself to oblivion, and that goes for you two, Nabiki."
		
	The younger siblings glared at Kasumi.
		
	"What a prude," muttered Nabiki. "You, you can't even see that they've
been manipulating us for all these years! Especially to Ranma and Akane! Ranma's
been away from his mother for years now! Just think what could have happened if
Ranma hadn't been away from her like that! You are so old-fashioned, and you're
only nineteen."
		
	"Nabiki, I do not like any of this as much as you do, but---"
		
	"But?!" laughed Akane. "Nabiki's right, oneechan. Face it, Kasumi,
Father has turned you into an old hag." Kasumi started at them, and then she
tried to push the younger siblings into the wall. Ranma was amazed at how she
could get this angry, since she'd never had gotten this angry before. However,
the two younger girls fought back, and had pinned down Kasumi, Nabiki
particularly slapping Kasumi in the face. Akane even hit her oldest sister.
Suddenly the train inadvertantly stopped and the fighting sisters fell over,
landing on the carpeted ground with a resounding thud.
		
	Nodoka examined them for a moment. "Well, they're unconscious now, son.
We can have a private moment while they sleep."
		
	Ranma nodded, never expecting any of them to fight one another like that
before. For once, he was glad he was an only child.