Several folks have raised issues that are answered in this post or will
be answered later in the story. As you may have guessed, this is going
to be a long yarn. I have already written about a quarter of it, though
I have not posted anything like that amount. I frequently have trouble
maintaining control over a story. They sometimes take control of me so
rest assured, I do read and consider everyone's comments and criticism.
It helps me keep things on track. Sooner or later I will reach a point
where I can go back and clean up the problems so many of you have
raised, but for now I'll beg your indulgence and go with the flow for a
few more days. Please be sure to let me know abou the unbearably slow
spots. Hopefully, we are in for one helluva Nerimastorm.
My thanks to one and all for your help,
Don Granberry.
Most of the characters in this piece and the setting for it, were
conceived of by Rumiko Takahashi for her Ranma1/2 series of Manga. All
such characters and the setting are the property of Takahashi-san and
her licensees. All other characters in the piece are purely fictional
and any resemblences to actual persons living or dead are purely
coincidental.
Spreading Wings
Part I: The Burning Ring of Fire
Scenes 13 thru 16
Ko Lon stood on a hill overlooking the river, watching the sun go down.
It is going to be clear tonight, she thought. There will be frost on the
ground in the morning. I�m getting too old for this nonsense. There are
too many things going wrong at the same time. If she was any judge of
people at all, her prospective son-in-law seemed to have taken a genuine
interest in the Tendo girl. Even more problematical, the Chinese
government had taken a close interest in the marital traditions of her
tribe. The tribe had survived many emperors both good and bad. It had
even managed to somehow survive Mao. The current government was proving
to be a different matter. The usual subterfuge was not working with the
current regime. They had used most of the same ploys themselves to
survive Mao. They were not fooled. If her tribe was to survive as a
tribe, they would have to give up their ancestral lands and make a new
home outside China. This task was proving both difficult and expensive.
So far, only a quarter of the tribe had made it to Japan by sneaking out
in pairs or even one person at the time. More money was needed to fund a
large evacuation and Ko Lon might have a hard time making good on her
pledges thanks to the sudden appearance of the yakuza in Nerima.
�Ko Lon?�
�Happy?�
�Yep! Happy, that�s me!�
�You took your own sweet time coming. You�re late.�
�What�s five minutes between old friends.�
�Hmmph!� Ko Lon snorted at the old man. �Why did you ask to meet me
here.�
�I wanted to talk to you about the yakuza.�
�Oh, them,� she said derisively, �Why should you worry.�
�Because it�s my job.�
�Your job?�
�Sure. Haven�t you ever wondered why their kind haven�t been hanging
around before now?�
�Yes, I have. But what on earth should make me think you would have
anything to do with that?�
�Let�s just say that an old goat like me isn�t tolerated by the
authorities without good reason.�
�You aren�t the only reason they haven�t been around.�
�Oh, to be sure! They have been living high off the bankers and real
estate tycoons the last few years but that creek ran dry this summer.�
�Aha! The government gets them off the backs of the bigwigs so they
latch onto us again.�
�Yep. Only they never did hang around Nerima much. The place has always
been too unhealthy for �em.�
�Oh, really?�
�Really.�
Ko Lon began cackling.
�What�s so funny.�
�I just wondered what would happen if I started telling everyone your
little secret.�
�Nothing,� Happosai spat, �No one would believe you.�
�You�ve done a good job of seeing to that, haven�t you.�
�You�re durn tootin� I have!�
�So you don�t really like molesting young girls and stealing their
underwear?�
�I never said that!� Happosai said with a little vehemence showing in
his voice, �You are right though, I don�t like such things I love �em.
That�s why I steal underwear.�
�And they�ve let you get away with it all these years because you�ve
kept a damper on the yakuza.�
�More or less.�
�I should think it is more than it is less.�
Happosai made no answer beyond a smug grin.
�So what do you want from me?�
�Two things. I need someone to follow the bag man that picks up at your
place and the rest of your part of Nerima.�
�That shouldn�t be much of a problem. What are we trying to find out?�
�I can take all the muscle out in one day, but that doesn�t do us much
good. Their bosses will just hire more muscle. Muscle is cheap.�
�So you want to find the bosses.�
�Right you are! And you can bet the bosses will be where ever the money
piles up.�
�Makes sense. What�s the other thing.�
�You heard what happened with that big, ugly gaijin over at Ukyo�s last
night?�
Ko Lon laughed again.
�He isn�t easily intimidated that one.�
�No, but he may have caused poor Ukyo a world of trouble.�
�You want someone to protect her?�
�Nope. Just someone to watch and get word to me if something starts to
happen.�
�That�s dangerous. She could get hurt before you got there.�
�Well she�s got that little ninja friend of hers there.�
�Not enough. I�ll have Xian Pu take up the Kuonji School of Anything
Goes Okinomiyaki for a few days. We�ll use a Mu Suu as a runner.�
�Mu Suu? He�s as blind as a bat!�
�Not so long as he has his glasses. Besides, who is going to realize
that a duck is serving as a guard and runner?�
�Hmm!� Happosai noised as he rubbed his chin, �It just might work,
provided Ukyo and Xian Pu don�t try to kill each other.�
�No plan is ever perfect. They should be able to get along for a week
or so. They�ve done it before and ...
�...times are desperate!� They chorused.
�Who�s going to follow your bag man?� Happosai asked.
�I am.�
�Good! I�ll follow the one that works the other end of the district. We
have to follow the money until we are sure we know where and who the
bosses are.�
�Agreed, only one thing.�
�What?�
�I get to be in on the final phase.�
�Huh?�
�I don�t like them,� Ko Lon said calmly, �They have annoyed me at a bad
time and I want my money back.�
�Oh, everyone always gets their money back.�
�What?�
�Money isn�t my thing. Too much trouble, money.�
�So you just give it back, huh?�
Happosai nodded, �It�s part of the deal.�
�How do you know who to give it to?�
�Crooks keep better books than most businesses. A crook could lose his
life over a bookkeeping error.�
�Hah! I never thought of that!�
�Deal?�
�You�ll let me know before you strike?�
�I promise.�
�Then we have a deal.�
---------
For Mu Suu, the great mystery of his Jusenkyo curse was the
disappearance of the stones. In his bird form he had a gizzard and the
first thing that hit him after a change was an overpowering desire to
swallow a few small stones. An empty gizzard was more annoying than an
empty stomach. Once his gizzard was satisfied, he got the overpowering
urge to eat grass. If he had eaten just prior to the change, a few
blades satisfied his bird form�s hunger. If he was hungry just before
the change, he turned into a feathered lawnmower. He still did not know
what became of the stones after he changed back into his human form. He
had checked several times and knew that he was not passing them, yet his
gizzard would be empty everytime he became a duck. He had learned to
keep a double handful of suitable stones in his pockets at all times. He
had become a magnet for cold water after visiting Jusenkyo and knew that
he might have unexpected need of the stones at any time. Life with an
empty gizzard was nearly intolerable.
Not that it was all bad. Thanks to his curse, Mu Suu could enjoy
something that other people only dreamed of. He could fly and fly
freely. No trips to the airport. No licenses to qualify for, no flight
plans to file and no permissions for takeoff required. Just hop up into
the air and fly where ever whim took him. This part of his curse was a
great blessing.
Standing guard duty at Ucchan�s was not bad either. All he had to do
was watch, fly and eat. Better yet, he actually had orders to stay near
Xian Pu so she was not trying to shoo him away. Life could be and
usually was, much worse. By comparison to the norm, the last two days
had been heavenly. The only thing he had to watch for were yakuza and
some of the larger, neighborhood tom cats, which would occasionally get
brave enough to be tempted by a duck. So far, neither had been a
problem.
Things inside the resturaunt had gone fairly well . Though normally
rivals the two young women quickly reached a truce in the face of a
common enemy. Xian Pu helped by tending to the dishes and general
cleaning, freeing Ukyo and Konatsu the ninja to handle the needs of
customers. The new situation was liberating for Ukyo. Not having to
worry about the dishes meant that she could put more effort into her
cooking act and be more creative with the flirtatious patter she used on
her customers.
Today though was Friday. Her suppliers showed up at four in the
morning. Everything had to be unloaded, checked and stored. Then a major
clean up effort was required. One thing she had learned early on was
that dirty resturaunt shunned customers and made the food taste bad.
Once the kitchen and pantry was clean, she had to make a mad dash to the
bank for for enough cash to make change over the weekend. This took her
an hour because all the other merchants in Nerima were there doing the
same thing. When she got back it was time to do the windows and wax the
floors. Just as everthing became sparkling clean, the lunchtime rush
started. It was always extra heavy on Fridays.
She loved Friday lunch. There were always enough customers to put her
skills to their harshest test, yet not so many that the quality of her
food would suffer. It was one of the little things in life that she
lived for the most. Friday nights were often busy as well, but seldom
were they the challenge that Friday lunch was. Today she was right at
the peak of her form. Her technique was magical and her patter had the
customers rolling in their seats. Xian Pu helped out enormously by
horning in whenever an especially handsome customer sat down at the bar.
Ukyo just rolled with the flow and feigned outraged jealousy. The
customers loved it.
She did realize that one of her customers was new. He was wearing a
rather expensive suit but even so he sat down at the bar and took in the
show. He watched as Konatsu flitted about, appearing and disappearing as
he took and delivered orders. He was also quite taken with Xian Pu�s
juggling act with the dishes as she bussed tables and washed. But most
of all he was fascinated with Ukyo�s performance at the griddles. He
dawdled through the entire rush, soaking it all in. Once the crowd left,
Ukyo and Xian Pu both recognized who he was at the same time.
�Tetsuro Morimoto!� They chorused, �Iron Chef Japan!�
The man bowed to them with a laugh.
�This is the happiest experience with food I have ever had!� He said,
�I thank you from the bottom of my heart.�
Ukyo was so happy she began to cry. Xian Pu tore up the stairs to
Ukyo�s room and came back down with the eight by ten glossy of the great
chef, which Ukyo kept hanging on her wall.
�Stupid spatula girl!� Xian Pu said elbowing Ukyo in the ribs, �You
quit blubbering now and ask for autograph. Yes?�
Ukyo recovered enough presence of mind to ask and Morimoto acted as
though he were both embarrassed and flattered. Actually, it may not have
been an act. He really had been caught up in the atmosphere of the
noonday rush. He signed the photograph with a great flourish, then asked
Ukyo if she would sell him a quart of her sauce. Ukyo wanted to give him
the sauce but he insisted on paying for it. He bowed deeply to the girls
before he left. Ukyo followed him out the door and bowed to his
departing back as he walked down the street. The storekeeper across the
street saw what was happening, snapped to attention and used his broom
to do a present arms. Ukyo laughed and threw him a happy salute in
return.
Xian Pu and Konatsu were waiting side by side for her when she walked
back into the resturaunt.
�Congratulations, Sensei!� The said together as they bowed.
Ukyo involuntarily bowed in return then snapped to her senses.
�We gotta quit foolin� around! This place is a wreck!�
�Hai, Sensei!� Konatsu said.
�Ukyo-sensei?� Xian Pu asked.
�Yes, Xian Pu?�
�Xian Pu very happy for you. Is great honor to be visited by Iron Chef.
Even great grandmother will envy you.�
�Thank you Xian Pu.�
�Xian Pu like having you for friend.�
�Xian Pu I...�
�We clean up now,� Xian Pu said curtly as she brushed at a tear, �Must
be ready for evening rush.�
Ukyo decided that silence was just the right thing at the moment and
pitched in to her share of the work with one last, happy sniffle.
Word spreads fast in Nerima. As soon as a neighboring artisan got word
that Ucchan�s had been visited by Tetsuro Morimoto and that the Iron
Chef had autographed a photo for her, he set out for her shop. By two
that afternoon Morimoto�s photograph was neatly framed behind glass and
hanging in a prominent place above her cash register.
Once the excitement died down Mu Suu decided a little aerial
reconnaissance was in order. Two beats of his stout wings carried him
aloft and he found rising air above the Ucchan�s roof that let him
cruise. Before he could go very high though, he heard a familiar squeal.
Sure enough, it was Ryoga. A large cat had him hemmed up in the corner
of a nearby yard. Time to have a little fun, Mu Suu thought to himself.
Besides, it never hurt to have someone owe you a favor even if it was
the perpetually lost pig-boy.
The big tomcat had his tail stuck right straight up in the air and
fully bottle brushed. He was still hissing at the truculent Ryoga as Mu
Suu swept in for a silent landing behind him. Mu Suu bit the very
masculine cat right where it would hurt the worst. The results were
nothing short of miraculous. One second the tom was right in front him,
the next second he was in the very top of a tall pine, yowling like a
banshee. Dust was still settling around Mu Suu and Ryoga as the two of
the collapsed in squeals and quacks of laughter. After a few moments
Ryoga waddled over to his pack and pulled the cork out of thermos. The
water was just hot enough to reverse Ryoga�s curse. He dressed with
practiced speed.
�Where are we, Mu Suu?�
�Quack!�
�You want some hot water? I have some more in my pack.�
Mu Suu shook his head.
�Why not?�
Mu Suu pulled at Ryoga�s pants leg and waddled off in the direction he
wanted Ryoga to go.
�Oh, okay! I get it.�
The cat�s owner came out his back door to see what all the fuss had
been about. He stopped and stared at Mu Suu in open mouthed awe.
�Ah, good afternoon,� Ryoga said sheepishly. He was worried about how
much the man might have seen and how to explain it.
�Where on earth did you find that duck?� The man asked, still staring
intently at Mu Suu.
�Oh, him?� Ryoga said, still befuddled, �He�s just a friend of mine.�
�Friend?�
�Oh, well!� Ryoga was really struggling now,
�He...ah...we�ve...ah...had him for years!�
�I see,� The mad said with a speculative tone, �Do you have any more
like him?�
�Ah, well...I�m uh...not really sure,� Ryoga stammered,
�My...ah...grandmother gave him to me when I was little.�
�I see,� the man said and started to ask another question but Ryoga
decided it was time he and Mu Suu found another place to be.
�We...ah...have to go now, haha!� Ryoga laughed nervously, �See ya!�
The man stepped aside and let them leave, but cast his eye around the
yard until he found several white feathers embedded in the grass.
�I�ll have to take these down to the lab to be sure, but it likes like
I have found an extinct breed of domestic duck. The eagle eyed drake!�
He turned his head and stared at the departing Ryoga�s back.
�What I wouldn�t give to know where you live, boy.�
---------
It took considerable effort but Mu Suu did manage to steer Ryoga to
Ucchan�s. Ryoga was glad of it. He had not had a real meal for a week.
�Ryoga-honey! Where in hell have you been?� Ukyo called out as Ryoga
walked in.
Xian Pu looked around at the perpetually lost man with alarm. She had
no use whatsoever for Ryoga. She wanted nothing to do with any
incompetent male no matter how strong he was, but it was not his
presence alone that bothered her. She had lived in Nerima long enough to
recognize the signs of a gathering storm. The sort of storm that only
Nerima was capable of producing. She knew that the sudden appearance of
Ryog Hibiki was a sure sign of turmoil to come.
�Hokkaido, the pineapples are exceptionally sweet this year,� he said
producing four of the large, spikey fruits from his pack.
�Ooh! These will go great on a ham okinomiyaki!� Ukyo said
enthusiastically, �Thanks honey! You hungry?�
�Boy! You�ve got that right!�
�What�ll it be?�
�Anything without any sort of pork on it.�
Xian Pu laughed out loud at Ryoga�s order.
�One seafood special coming right up!� Ukyo said happily.
Ryoga sat in the warmth of the Ukyo�s cafe savoring the aromas wafting
off her griddle. He listened for a moment to the sizzling sounds and
watched Ukyo as she worked.
�We�ve got a cold front blowing in.� Ryoga said absently to no one in
particular.
�How do you know?�
�I could smell it earlier when I was outside?�
�Well gee,� Ukyo said, �We might get to knock off early tonight!�
She finished Ryoga�s okinomiyaki and slid it onto a plate in front of
him. He went at it with more than his usual gusto
�You gonna want another one?�
Ryoga stopped eating long enough to check his pockets.
�No, thanks. I might sit over here in a warm corner for a while though
if you don�t mind.�
�No, not at all. You�ve been on the road for a while?�
�Way longer than I should have. I was on my way to see Akari when I got
lost. Have you seen her?�
�Xian Pu call her just now!� The young Amazon said as she returned from
the back of Ukyo�s shop. �She say for you to wait here. She be here as
soon as she can.�
�Uh...oh...Okay.�
�Xian Pu not understand what she see in you.�
Ryoga had long ago accepted Xian Pu�s dislike for him and had found a
way to get her off of his back.
�What? You looking for a fight?� Ryoga asked with a lewd smirk.
�You dreaming!� Xian Pu said sharply as she backed away. Ranma Saotome
was the only martial artist she had ever seen defeat Hibiki and she
certainly did not want to take any chances by getting into a real fight
with him.
Outside, a chilly north wind began dancing with the autumn leaves.
Ryoga retuned to his oversized okinomiyaki with a knowing grin.
Xian Pu walked over to the sink. The dishes were done. All she needed
to do was run fresh dishwater and they would be ready for the evening
rush. She pulled the plug. As the water began to drain she turned and
stared at Ryoga.
Ukyo finished checking to make sure everything was right were she needed
it in order to handle a flood of orders then glanced back at the
dishracks. Xian Pu caught Ukyo�s eye. Ukyo picked up and came close.
�What�s the matter, Xian Pu?� Ukyo asked in a low voice.
�Did you tell Ranma about yakuza?� Xian Pu asked angrily.
�No. We agreed to let your grandmother handle it.�
�You no lie?�
�We were afraid Ranma-honey might do something stupid and gallant
remember? D�ya think I want him hurt? What makes you think...�
�Lost-boy only show up when Ranma need him.�
�Huh? What do you mean? The first thing they do when they see each
other is fight!�
Xian Pu nodded. The pattern was unmistakable.
�He Ranma enemy and he Ranma friend. He come fight Ranma over Akane
only when Ranma need help.�
Ukyo turned to look at Ryoga enjoying his meal.
�You know Xian Pu, I think you might be onto something.�
A few drops of rain rattled on the windows of Ucchan�s.