The characters of the Ranma 1/2 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-reader Angel, without
whom this would be a much poorer story, if it existed
at all.
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Yellow Dragon, Black Tiger
Epilogue
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Nabiki screamed and ducked as three horned
demons zipped past her, tentacles lashing the air.
"Dammit," She clouted the overly handsome
boy who was carrying her on the ear. "I thought I
told you to bathe them with the waterproof soap."
"I'm sorry," he stumbled on a water slick
rock, "I didn't think-----"
"BAKA!" Nabiki clouted him again. "I didn't
marry you because you can think-----" She ducked as
the three creatures zoomed past again, mooing
gleefully.
"Oh? Why mercenary girl marry then? Not for
money?"
"It's obvious. I married him because he's
beautiful. MY brains and his . . .errrr . . .attributes
should have made the most beautiful children in the
world. They would have made a _fortune_ in
commercials. Then later as idol stars." She clouted
the beautiful boy again. "If some _IDIOT_ hadn't
gotten it into his head to take them skinny dipping in
the cursed----"
"But sweetheart, it makes them much
stronger fighters----" He flinched, expecting another
blow. When none was forthcoming he opened his
eyes. "Ummmm, you aren't mad?"
"I'm still mad. This is just a slick section and I
don't want you to drop me. I'll take care of you after
we set up camp."
He frowned, then blushed as she ran a hand
inside his tunic. "W . . .what are you d . . .d
. . .doing?"
"Hmmmmm," Nabiki hummed, looking up at
him through slitted lids. "Did I make a mistake when
I had Happy rename you Mr. Lovemachine Taro?"
"N . . .n . . .no! But what about the kids?" He
pointed to the three figures swooping and darting
among the ripples and riffs of the rock.
"No problem." She put two fingers in her
mouth and whistled. "Shoukin! Genkin! Kinkai!" The
three little monsters swooped low, circling around
their mother. "Grandpa Happy is going to play with
you ALL day." She pointed behind her.
There was a brief scream of protest, then a
splashing sound as if a small animal were fleeing in
terror down a slippery slope. The three flying
creatures dropped onto the speeding master of
perversions like hawks on a particularly plump rabbit.
With gleeful bleating cries they carried him off to the
top of the rock.
"See Taro-chan," she pressed her lips to his
chest, circling his nipple with her tongue. "Don't I
always take care of things?"
"Y . . .y . . .yes." Taro's eyes started to roll
up in his head.
"Baka!" Nabiki clocked him on the head
again. "Don't drop me." She looked around. "We're
here. Set up camp. I expect my tea in fifteen minutes.
And dinner on the table by five."
"Ye . . .yes, Nabiki-sama." She smiled up at
him and he wriggled like a puppy getting his tummy
rubbed.
"Sister-by-law do good job train man." Shan
P'u glared down from her perch atop the huge
pack-with-legs stumbling through the only slightly-
above-freezing water. "Have smart, hard-worker
man. Not good-for-nothing-worthless-lazy-stupid-
slow-poke-----"
"Camp is ready and I have your tea, beloved."
"What take stupid Mu Sz so long?" Shan P'u
hopped down and took the steaming cup. "Make sure
VCR set to record so Shan P'u not miss programs.
Also want sherbert for dessert instead apple pie. And
ask Akane-chan and husband if want change menu.
Have bath set up and ready by dinner time. Water
forty eight degree centigrade."
"Of course beloved."
Shan P'u smiled slightly. "If Mu Sz good,
Shan P'u let wash hair."
"Really!" At Shan P'u's nod Mu Sz's eyes
glazed over in bliss. Was ever a man so fortunate as
he?
"Well," Nabiki looked around, wrinkling her
nose in distaste. "We're here. Although _why_
Akane was so insistent on buying this stupid piece of
granite I'll never know."
"Not granite, is volcanic rock." Shan P'u
opined as she helped Nabiki over a rough spot.
"I've been meaning to ask you," Nabiki
grunted as she scrambled up a steep rise. "why you're
still talking like . . .ummm . . ." Nabiki tried to think
of a polite term.
"Nabiki-san want know why Shan P'u make
funny talk-talk," She grinned at her sister-in-law.
"instead of speaking normally, like this?"
Nabiki gave Shan P'u a sour look. "Exactly."
"Shan P'u make talk-talk, person no take
serious, Shan P'u learn many thing. Enemy no take
serious. Shan P'u have big advantage." She grinned
slyly. "Husband like Shan P'u talking. Make _big_
happy."
"Geeez, don't I know it. After that public
service announcement you did for the Japan-China
tourist board aired, I thought every man between six
and sixty was going to immigrate to China."
"China peoples very friendly." Shan P'u
pouted, peeping through her lashes. "You come
please visit China? Shan P'u like very much."
"Damn, it's that dimple that does it." She
glanced at Shan P'u's chest. "Assuming they ever
made it that far up." She thought a minute. "And
Akane's never said anything about your talk-talk?"
"Akane-chan like Shan P'u talking very
much." Shan P'u answered primly. "Make much
happy."
"I bet." Nabiki smirked. "You know, I've
always wanted to ask how the three of you-----"
"Beloved," a voice hoarse with strain came
around the rocks. "should you be doing that in your
delicate condition?"
Trotting around the rock Nabiki saw a
samurai standing in the middle of a forest of iron
spikes, staring up at the top of a bamboo pole.
"But Tati-chan . . .the view up here is so
nice." A very pregnant Kasumi stepped lightly across
to another pole, shading her eyes from the setting
sun. "Oh, look over there," she leaned forward for a
better view. "how pretty the sunlight is reflecting off
the water."
There was a groan, like a rusty hinge breaking
open and Kuno Tatiwaki turned a shade of green that
was usually seen only on July road kill.
"Oneesama, I think you should come down.
Your husband looks unwell."
"Oh no." Kasumi stepped off the pole, flipped
one in the air and landed lightly as a thistle.
"Don't _DO_ that!" Nabiki put a hand to her
chest to keep her heart from jumping out.
"Do what? Nabiki-chan." Kasumi asked,
puzzled, as she bent over her unconscious husband.
"Isn't Tati-chan cute when he's asleep?"
Shan P'u patted Nabiki on her shoulder.
"Nabiki-chan should be used to martial artists."
"Nabiki-chan _never_ get used to . . .to . . ."
She pointed helplessly to the high poles, surrounded
by lethal iron teeth. "And _Taro-chan_ wants to
teach MY children to----" Her mouth opened and
closed silently as she tried to come up with words to
describe what she felt about her weaker half.
"Don't worry," Shan P'u reassured her
seriously. "Taro is one of the best martial artists in
the world and he's a good teacher. He'll never let
anything happen to the children."
"But . . ."
"No can child-proof whole world." Shan P'u
observed grinningly, reminding Nabiki of her
attempts to do just that when the triplets had been
born. It had taken a note from the Emperor himself to
convince her it wasn't possible to put baby gates
across every street in Tokyo.
Nabiki blushed, but wisely kept silent.
"Make good try though," Shan P'u continued.
"Get Ukyou pad all sharp corners Nerima."
"Heh," Nabiki combined a grin with a grunt
as she scrambled over a rough spot in the trail.
"what's the use of being a close personal friend of the
Prime Minister if you can't get a few perk's."
"Why Ukyou not coming?"
"She's putting together a new peace program
to unite Koreeeee-----," With a squawk Nabiki slid
backward, arms windmilling, until Shan P'u snagged
her with one hand and lifted her over a pile of rubble.
"Korea," Nabiki gulped, clinging to Shan
P'u's arm until she was on firmer ground. "Probably
get another award to go with her first for bringing
Pakistan and India together. 'Life is like
okonomiyaki'!" Nabiki snorted inelegantly. "Geeez,
they'll give Nobel Prizes for anything nowdays."
"Ukyou still sing?" Shan P'u moved Nabiki
up slope with a firm push to her derriere.
"Nah. She gave up the Idol stuff after she was
elected to the Diet for a second term. She still sings
whenever a new restaurant opens. Last one was in
Copenhagen a couple of months ago." Dusting off
her rear Nabiki looked back at Shan P'u. "Don't you
ever read the papers?"
"Shan P'u not get out of house much."
Shan P'u not get out of bed-room much,
Nabiki thought cattily, looking at Shan P'u's firm
though pneumatic figure. She should at least have a
few stretch marks!
"Hey, you guys hurry up. You're going to
miss the sunset!"
Nabiki looked toward the voice, then glanced
back to see Kuno struggling to his feet with Kasumi's
aid. Satisfied her sister had things well in hand she
allowed Shan P'u to hurry her along.
"What's the rush?" she questioned the
powerfully built young man limping toward her. That
small impediment and a streak of grey in his hair were
the only signs of the fight that had almost killed him.
"Dachi-chan doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Ryouga confided in a whisper.
"Got you whipped already?" Nabiki laughed.
"What're you going to be like _after_ the wedding?"
"It's not like that," Rouga protested. "We're
just friends."
Nabiki smirked, but let him off the hook.
Linking arms the three hurried along, Kasumi and
Kuno bringing up the rear.
Rounding a high mound of sharp basalt they
came to an almost flat lip of rock that jutted out over
the sea. Iron poles rose tall against the sunset sky.
Nabiki looked at her baby sister and brother-
in-law dancing on the swaying poles high above the
wave covered rocks and sat down suddenly with a
thump.
"Hey," Ryouga put a hand on her shoulder in
concern. "are you OK?"
" i'm fine." Nabiki put her head between her
knees. "can you ask them to stop that?" She
whispered.
"Oh ho, Tendou Nabiki, can you not see the
glory that exists between sea and sky?"
"hello 'dachi. goodby 'dachi." Nabiki scooted
back away from the cliff, eyes screwed tightly shut.
There was a muffled double thump. Then
another hand rested gently on her head.
"Oneechan?"
"akane?"
"I'm right here."
"don't ever do that again." Nabiki opened her
eyes briefly, to look at her sister, then shut them
again quickly.
"Ummmm, OK." Akane agreed, not really
sure what she was agreeing to.
"Sunset very nice."
Nabiki opened her eyes as Shan P'u sat down
beside her.
"If you like that sort of thing." She said,
trying to ignore the clouds streaming across the
reddening sky.
"Akane get surgery now?" Shan P'u asked,
pulling Akane down between her and Nabiki as
Ranma sat on her other side.
"Oh, come on. I don't need----"
"Akane make promise give daughter to
Amazon Nation."
"But Akane has so many children now."
Kasumi put in.
"Yeah, almost a soccer team." Rouga said
from where he sat brushing Kodachi's hair.
"Team, hell. Another four and she'll have a
soccer _game_ . . .with cheerleaders." Nabiki said,
sighing as Taro arrived with her tea and started to
rub her shoulders.
"Adopted." Shan P'u dismissed. "Amazon
want child Akane body. Great fighter, good person."
She twisted Akane around to face her. "You go
doctor. Get fix. Have babies."
"Shan P'uuu!" Akane hissed, blushing
furiously. "We can talk about----"
"No talking." Shan P'u snapped, exasperated.
"Amazon Nation need new blood. You stopping
great Amazon warrior born." Grabbing Akane by the
ears she pulled her face to hers for a long, long
moment. Releasing the flushed girl she noted her
dazed, defeated look with satisfaction.
"Obstacles are for kissing."
"Oh my, and all this time we've been
translating it wrong?"
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End YD,BT
Thank you for reading.
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Notes
1) the names of Nabiki's children:
Shoukin: cash
Genkin: ready money, mercenary
Kinkai: solid gold
2)Oda is dead. Nabiki strangled him. ^_^
3)K'e Lwun, Genma, Nodoka and Soun
are all back home baby-sitting the
'soccer team' and Shan P'u's daughters. ^_^
4)Nabiki's kids are along because they
have a tendency to fly after mom & dad
if they get left behind. But mostly because
Nabiki is just a tad over-protective. ^_^
5)Getting shot in the head and surviving. This has
actually happened and been documented on several
occasions with both humans and animals. Hitting and
skidding seems to depend on velocity, shape of bullet
and angle of hit. (and a LOT of luck. ^_^ )
There has also been at least one instance of a person
(male) surviving a through-and-through shot to the
head where the round passed _between_ the
hemispheres of the brain doing minimal damage.
6)Shan P'u and Akane. ^)^
I've gotten several questions on this.
1)In the anime/manga Shan P'u _says_
"You I kill", but she never does. She also
saves Akane in the "One Flew Over the
Kuno's Nest" anime. Plus she goes on
almost as many save-Akane-from-kidnappers
trips as Ranma.
2)Historically warrior cultures (Spartan, Viking,
Samurai) encourage strong same sex bonding on the
theory it makes for better combat forces.
3)In my conception of the Chinese Amazon culture
they are always looking for new-blood to strengthen
the gene pool. If Shan P'u can bring Ranma into the
Amazon's that's good. If she can get the new and
improved Akane, who is a female capable of
breeding, that's even better. (see the scene early in
chapter three where Shan P'u is watching
Ranma/Akane doing forms).
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Due to what I've finally traced to a Registry
problem I've been forced to post in chunks.
(then basically reinstall my browser/mailer after
each posting) I apologize for the inconvenience.
{OTOH I'm learning a lot about computers. ^_^}
I _think_ I'm close to fixing the problem.
Either that or I'm going to slag my entire
OS. (You have to love Windows. o_o)
Also, if you have e-mailed me and I have
not answered OR if I've promised you
a reply and you haven't gotten it . . .
Please try again. :(
Thank you all for your patience.
*********************************************
This is a much expanded and revised version of a
story originally posted to FFML and submitted to
AnimeFEST as Chapter One, Yellow Dragon, Black
Tiger. The original Chapter One is _now_ Chapter
Two and contains an additional 1500 words.
Chapters One, Three, prologue and epilogue are
entirely new and never before seen on FFML.
The original, {award winning ^_^}, version of
Chapter Two YD, BT may be found on:
http://www.iguild.com/homes/kazama/
We soon hope to have _all_ of the winning stories
from AnimeFEST posted on this site. Currently we
have permission from two of the authors to post or
link their stories and are searching for the last two
authors.
Please sign the guest book. ^_^