merry xmas/winter solstice/hanukkah or nondenominational
event, people.
there were a few complaints about Mirrors Reflected being
dark, and as that isn't usually how i *try* to do things,
here's a brighter alternate. on an unrelated note, does
anyone know why the alternate Archives apparently stopped
being updated back at the beginning of the month?
insert standard disclaimers 1 & 2.
ALTERNATE ENDING FOR MIRRORS REFLECTED: SHADOWS ON THE MOON
----Mimir's Well-------------
Edema went over and changed the "channel", bypassing the
armored figure of her depressed friend. "Honestly, can't we
find something a bit more cheerful here!"
<CLICK>
Label: RN-30701
Cologne watched as Shampoo was knocked from the Challenge
Log and landed on the ground. The Outsider Girl was declared
the winner, but was looking a bit sad.
Shampoo, no doubt conscious of all the Elders watching,
gave the Kiss Of Death to the Outsider Girl. This naturally
shocked all of those present, as someone with less pride
would have come up with a different solution. Once done,
though, it was pretty much set in stone.
The Outsider looked shocked for a moment, then began to
tremble. Then, to the complete and utter shock of everyone
present, launched herself at Shampoo to engage in a brief
RETURN kiss and a heavy glomp.
Cologne noted that the Outsider was babbling in Japanese.
That finally someone accepted her, that she finally had a
friend, that somehow Shampoo had known that she was really a
guy (?!), that all her life she had been unwanted and alone
except for her stupid father, that getting cursed and all
had just been too much for her to handle, and that this was
the happiest moment in what had been a horrible horrible
life.
Cologne also noted that Shampoo was turning blue and
gasping for air as the Outsider was apparently not aware of
how tightly she was gripping the Amazon. "Uhm, pardon me,
young lady."
"Oh, you speak Japanese," the Outsider didn't let loose of
the glomp but turned a happy tearful face towards Cologne.
"My name is Ranma. Ranma Saotome. This has been just so...
and then this wonderful wonderful girl..."
"Uhm, young sir," the Guide had apparently finally
recovered enough to speak. "That one just give you Kiss Of
Death."
"Excuse me," Ranma said, her grip loosening and the smile
and life draining from her face. Shampoo collapsed in her
arms, apparently unconscious. "What?"
"That one just give you Kiss Of Death. Is promise to track
you to ends of Earth, and KILL." The Guide sounded a little
reluctant. Cologne couldn't blame him. It was along the
lines of finding a friendly previously abused puppy and then
beating on said puppy. Chinese delicacy or not, a lot of
Amazons didn't eat dog meat due to similar squeamishness.
Cologne wasn't the only one to take a few steps back at the
howl of despair and look of betrayal on the redhead's face.
She hadn't heard such a "lost soul" wail in quite a few
years, the level of grief there communicated even across the
language barrier quite effectively. Cologne caught the
dropped Shampoo before she hit the ground, but when she
looked up, this "Ranma Ranma Saotome" was a speck running
down the road with her panda.
The other Amazons were still standing around trying to
figure out what had just transpired.
"Tigar! Track them. Sugar, that was the Jusenkyo Guide, go
check his registry and if he ends up back there, be sure he
knows that I want to speak to him immediately. Spice, get
Lilac, I'll want Shampoo checked before I let her go chasing
down those two." Cologne silently added that this was also a
stalling tactic. If what she was suspecting was true, then
Shampoo would have to change which Kiss she had given.
Besides, she had to check the Laws herself.
What did it mean when the Amazon was defeated by an
Outsider Girl and gave the Kiss Of Death only to get the
Kiss Of Life in return? And if the Outsider Girl was an
Outsider Boy? And (again just a suspicion) an *abused* child
such as could be adopted into the tribe?
This could be complicated.
-------------
"Hmmm, not quite," said Edema. "How about..."
-------------
<CLICK>
Label: RAN-SM 547146
"Fiancee? Pfeh, I ain't got time for fiancees!" The
redhaired girl made a rude gesture to her companion. "I've
got to go back to China."
"But it's been arranged since before your birth! A pledge
of honor made between your family and hers. Your mother and
her mother made the pledge when they were in high school!
It's a matter of honor and duty!"
"I. Don't. Care!"
"She's cute."
"I said I don't... How cute? NO, this is just gonna be
another lame plot of yours, ain't it?"
"Cute and graceful, talented, strong but feminine."
"Really?" The redhead had stopped her trudging away. "No. I
gotta get back to China and find a cure. That crazy chick's
liable to have stopped chasing us by now."
Time to use the trump card. This might not be accurate, but
he knew what had to be done. "She's a good cook too."
"A good cook?" Ranma stopped, hair dripping from the cold
rain.
"We can go back to China AFTER you've met her. That also
gives us more chance of missing Shampoo."
Ranma looked back to his longtime companion. "What's your
real motivation, Artemis?"
"Well, she's one of the Princesses we've got to help
protect. Her name is Minako Aino."
---------------
Edema blinked. "Artemis was one of the cats thrown into the
pit? Well, it's closer at least. Let's try..."
Label: RAN-SM-MK-SF 547148
-----September 20,1992-------
"NO! If I can't bring Tenma into this, you can do without
Sailor Jupiter. He lives with me, he trusts me, he's my
sensei! I will *not* continue lying to him," Makoto slapped
her hand onto the table and glared at the cat. "Do you have
any idea how much this is tearing us apart? I can't even
deny all the rumors that are going around the school because
he might figure it out. Either let me tell him or find
someone else for the job!"
Luna, for her part, wasn't backing down. "It's entirely too
dangerous, Jupiter. This boy isn't even of the Silver
Millenium, how can you trust him? If you *did* tell him, he
would want to get involved, wouldn't he? And what good could
he do against a youma?"
Makoto faltered, the image of Tenma being ripped apart by a
youma's claws unsettling her. "I..."
Ami mustered her courage, and instead of remaining silent
as she had on a neighboring timeline, spoke up. "The henshin
pens and other tools we have. These are the result of long
periods of R&D, are they not?"
"Well, yes," Artemis allowed. "It took vast amounts of time
and energy to create and empower them. The same with the
Mercury Computer and Moon Sceptre."
"Then," Ami said, taking a deep breath before continuing,
"there are other Items Of Power. Any Development project
would have turned out lesser prototypes and tools. The Moon
Kingdom was a matriarchy, but any similar governmental setup
will have had advisors, councillors, even bodyguards. You've
also stated that while the Senshi were the Moon Princess'
guards and servants, that there were the corrupted generals
from Earth Kingdom who served Endymion in a like capacity."
"Which is why you can't trust males!" Luna quipped.
"Beryl, our principal opponent in all this, is not of the
male persuasion. Unless you're suggesting she's a
crossdresser? No." Ami's voice developed a certain degree of
strength as she continued, treating this as a scientific
debate or essay was helping. "So, there were other servants
besides the Senshi. And more tools than we currently have."
"Mercury has her computer, Usagi has her sceptre AND Luna,
shouldn't *I* have some gadget or weapon too?"
"You've got me, Venus!"
"The way you keep ragging on Tenma, whom *I* consider a
close personal friend, that isn't nearly as much of a plus
as you consider." Minako frowned prettily at the white
mooncat. "I was thinking more along the line of a Venus
Hurt-You-Real-Bad Cannon."
"What kind of servants would we have had in the Moon
Kingdom?" asked Usagi in a quiet aside of Ami.
Ami blinked and started typing furiously on her keyboard.
"No such thing," said Artemis of Minako's cannon request.
"Honestly, I..."
"Got it," said Ami, turning her Mercury Computer around so
that all could see the display. "I ran a search routine. The
SENSHI had their own servants, mainly to do the 'scut work'
around the palace and their high level servitors had to be
able to act with some degree of autonomy. I just now finally
found a trigger phrase to pull up a display of Jupiter's
'seneschal' and look what I found."
Artemis and Luna gulped and attempted to look innocent. Of
course, this made them look more guilty.
There, standing behind Princess Jupiter, was an old man in
simple clothes who wore bracers emblazoned with the symbol
for Jupiter.
"What about him? Is he around nowadays, too?"
"He would have died when the Kingdom of Jupiter fell. Prior
to the Millenial Spell being cast with the Crystal." Luna's
own feline curiosity and desire to seem the wise advisor
overwhelmed her desire to remain silent. "The bracers are
obviously magical but wouldn't have nearly the power of a
Senshi transformation."
"So, I'm suggesting," Makoto said sweetly, "that we let
Ranma know about our little group, and if he wants to fill a
role similar to Tuxedo Mask and mainly act as support, we
get him those bracers."
"But..." Luna said in reflexive protest.
"He'd do almost anything for Makoto, you know," mused
Minako. "I think we've got to at least TRY to salvage their
relationship."
"But..." Artemis began.
"Okay, maybe he doesn't have the power level we do in
Senshi form. That doesn't make him useless, does it? And how
many times in these fights could we have used some help?"
Ami nodded at her own summation of the situation.
"But..." said Artemis and Luna simulaneously.
"Hmmmm," Usagi said thoughtfully. "You know, while that
Tenma guy isn't *nearly* as cute as Tuxedo Mask-sama, it
would be nice to have someone else available to do rescues.
On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice to have someone ELSE
go fight youma for a change?"
"But the Senshi are most effective fighting as a team,
reliant on no one but each other! As the Senshi your lives
are completely devoted to the Princess," Luna was trying her
best to project convincing. "Outside lives, commitments,
friendships, these would all have detracted from your
duties!"
Usagi seemed to consider something. "Luna. If we don't have
anyone we can love, no outside friends, no life, wouldn't we
be nearly as bad as the Dark Kingdom?"
"No! Don't even think that!" Luna was aghast at the very
thought of such a thing. "The Dark Kingdom are energy
vampires, who would conquer the world and set up something
along the lines of a military dictatorship and..."
"Well," Makoto said, her glare cutting Luna off. "I'd say
we need to make some changes so that the Dark Kingdom isn't
able to cause any rifts in the Moon Kingdom THIS time."
Makoto held up her right index finger. "When we find the
Princess, we'll serve her, but we DO get to keep our
boyfriends!"
Minako held up two fingers. "We get to keep friends and
outside interests!"
Ami reluctantly held up three fingers. "I still want to be
a doctor, so we can have careers outside of guarding the
Princess."
Thinking of Naru and Umino, her newest non-Senshi friends,
Usagi held up four fingers. "We get to keep our friends."
All four said the same thing in unison. "Or in the name of
the Moon, we'll punish you!"
Artemis and Luna agreed that for some reason it didn't
sound nearly as silly directed at THEM like that.
-------September 21, 1992---------
Sailor Jupiter waved her hand in front of Tenma's eyes. No
blinking. "Oh my."
It took five minutes before a grin slowly spread on Tenma's
face. "It *wasn't* another guy like Hiroko said."
"No," Makoto agreed, knowing that many of her classmates
had been giving Tenma this misinformation.
"It wasn't a mass lesbian love affair like Akemi and
Kensuke said." Tenma relaxed slightly. "They were so
convincing..."
There was a synchronized blink at that.
"Akemi's the one who uses the plaid ribbon in her hair,
right?" Minako looked thoughtful.
"And Kensuke is the guy who's got the 'Lyonsflare'
cloissone pin on his school uniform, right?" Makoto likewise
looked thoughtful.
"Man, those two laid out quite a case, even photos of you
four sneaking off to the gym supply room," Tenma gave a deep
sigh. "I am *so* glad they were wrong. Heck, even Umino and
Naru were beginning to have..."
"AHHHHH! If that sort of rumor reaches my parents!" Usagi
looked stricken.
"Hurt," suggested Makoto.
"Oh my," remarked Ami.
"Kill," indicated Minako, half-seriously.
"Actually, that was pretty much the case in the Silver
Millenium," said Artemis from where he was hiding.
"Who?" Ranma looked around.
"My cat talks," warned Minako. "That's him in the closet."
Then her eyes widened as she considered what the mooncat had
said.
Ami and Rei exchanged a glance that said that here was
something ELSE to change from the Moon Kingdom days.
"AAAAAAA! C-c-c-cat?!"
"Ranma, we've really got to work on that problem of yours."
--------December 31, 1992----------
"Ten-chan, you know we're being followed, right?"
"Yes, Mako-chan. One who's pretty good at remaining hidden,
and another one a little further back."
"What, two of 'em?" Makoto started to look back but caught
herself.
"Positive on that," Ami agreed, using a useful skill of
walking and typing on her laptop at the same time. "No
indication of Dark Kingdom energies, but they may be martial
artists or supernaturals concealing their abilities."
"When we turn this corner, continue on. I'll duck into the
alley, wait for the second one to go by. That way, I should
get a good look at both." Ranma silently vowed that if they
WERE supernatural types, they wouldn't get a chance at
Mako-chan's friends.
"Think they're after us? They might be tracking YOU,
Ten-chan."
Rei was a recent recruit, and was bound and determined to
show her usefulness. "I'll hide. If they're after the
Senshi, then they might not expect me. If they're after you,
they won't even notice me."
"No," Tenma said simply.
"We're not fragile, you know! Luna tells me that the Senshi
did just fine before you got involved!" Rei glared at Tenma,
sure that this was just pure male-foolishness.
"True, but I'm the one who's been going to the various
matches. If they're in the streetfighter circuit or their
among the supernaturals, I've got the best chance. If it's
gonna be a Senshi, I'd say Ami would be the best choice."
"What?!" Ami blinked, looking up.
"With your computer, at short range, you could get much
more accurate readings." Tenma nodded. That he felt like
protecting them was beside the point and he really didn't
feel like having them do that transformation thingie and
start demonstrating how UNfragile they were. Not again. At
least not this week.
Though Tenma thought that was preferrable to Makoto giving
him the Hurt Look. Or worse, the Hurt Look & The Speech. A
hissatsu waza (finishing move) if ever there was one.
"Sounds good, Tenma," Minako agreed. "Think they're working
together?"
"Don't think so," Tenma said as they turned the corner.
"Now!"
The girls continued forward, walking forward as if nothing
was unusual, and that the boy with them hadn't leapt up and
caught himself on a ledge on the second floor of the
building.
The first pursuer eased around the corner a moment later
and stopped to look for something.
Tenma noticed this and figured the jig was up. HE was the
one being stalked, and he recognized the one doing the
stalking. He dropped, noting that the stalker was moving
into a defensive position the moment he did so.
"Ranma," said Shampoo quietly, repeating it louder a moment
later.
"The name is 'Tenma' now," corrected the boy confronting
her.
Shampoo wasn't sure what to do now. She'd gotten lucky and
ran across him at a martial arts match, but now what? "You
listen. Shampoo need talk to you."
"RRRANNNMAAA!" The bishonen fellow who had been tracking
Shampoo came running forward as soon as the overheard name
penetrated. "FOR TEN YEARS OF HUNTING..." <KER-THWACK!>
Shampoo shook her bonbori and the assailant staggered back.
"Ou smished by node!" The fellow with the large spatula
held his nose and glared at Shampoo AND Ranma now.
"Let me guess, you're now with the Dark Kingdom, here to
get revenge on me?" Tenma looked at this boy and tried to
figure out why he looked familiar.
"Huh? Beah bat's wight! Cwose enuff."
"SUPREME THUNDER!" <SNAP CRACKLE POP!>
Shampoo and Tenma looked down at the fellow in the
smouldering clothes with the partially melted large spatula.
"Oh wow, Sailor Jupiter! So good to see you again!" Tenma
frowned at the seifuku clad warrior. The sarcasm was thick
enough to cut. "Don't you think this guy was a little too
much of a pushover to be a Dark Kingdom general?"
"Urkle," agreed the boy, realizing that "no" would have
been a much more reasonable response. He made a mental note
that: "when someone asks you if you're a Dark Kingdom
general, you say NO!"
"Shampoo not understand any of this, but Shampoo really
need to talk to Ran...Tenma."
"Iblle!" The twitching boy on the ground made this
announcement, but was having a bit of a hard time with the
aftereffects of even a low power lightning bolt striking a
metal spatula.
Tenma sighed. "Look there's a kissaten over there. Why
don't we go take a booth, you can talk to me, then we can
find out why the guy with the spatula fetish wants to kill
me. Honestly, I think I need to get one of those 'take a
number' gadgets sometimes. 'To kill Tenma Kazeno take a
number and stand behind the red line.' I'll bet this is
something that Mister Saotome did, no doubt." Tenma's voice
went to muted grumbling briefly.
"Uhm, sorry, citizen," Sailor Jupiter recovered. "I was
just passing through and heard something about a Dark
Kingdom general. Err, uhm, I'll just be going now. Youma to
fight and all, y'know."
A small group of untransformed high school girls groaned at
the display. Makoto was getting to be a worse actor than
Ranma...
-----January 6, 1993------
"Shampoo! How could you break our confidence like this!"
Artemis glared up at the Amazon.
"We asked her to," said Minako after a few moments. Usagi,
Rei, Makoto, Tenma immediately nodded in agreement. Ukyo
shrugged as she hadn't been in on it.
"WHAT?!" Artemis would have turned white if he hadn't
already been.
"Look, you and Luna REALLY seem to be way too stressed out
and busy, so..."
Cologne chuckled as she watched the two cats go into a
"kitten fit." Yes, this *would* be interesting. Hardly
anyone at the Village ever asked her advise or much anything
anymore. Here she had just arrived six hours ago and had
already found three things that had delighted her.
1) They listened. She spoke of tactics and Amazon lore,
and special martial arts manuevers, and a rapt audience had
developed. Admittedly the boy was more interested in the
special manuevers than anything else, but each of the girls
showed enormous interest in one or more of the Arts that she
had learned. Cologne had often delighted in the role of
teacher, and here were students of Great Promise.
2) It had been YEARS since she had been invited over
for dinner or had people trying to be friendly towards her.
That Usagi may be a bit of a ditz, but was quite friendly
and nice and respectful (well mainly) towards her. Maybe she
was just being flattered to convince her to be an advisor,
but it warmed her heart nonetheless. Besides, that girl
wasn't sufficiently clever to be doing this out of
subterfuge.
3) There was a Cause here, and it was a worthy one. She
was playing a part in a life or death struggle that could
determine survival for thousands at the very least. Cologne
wasn't sure how many years she had left in her, but was
quite taken with the idea that if she had to go - she'd do
it in proper Amazon fashion. In a blaze of glory so bright
that her enemies would still be looking over their shoulders
a decade after her death, just in case it had been a trick.
Jon Talbain watched her from his position across the room.
The werewolf wasn't quite sure what to make of the dried up
old troll, but when she recognized his curse and told him of
methods to control the Beast and mute its bloodlust... Well,
he was a sucker for a sob story anyway. And if the
werewolf's bloodlust was sated on these youma creatures,
then innocents wouldn't be harmed.
Frank grumbled slightly. This was mainly because he'd
fallen asleep again.
-------------------
He knew exactly where he was. A martial arts dojo where he
could fight the current champion, win, and then get lodgings
for the night. Not that he recognized this particular one,
but there were so many of these little family dojo, and he
had proven himself against so many of them. As to where he
was otherwise, he was lost.
"RANMA SAOTOME, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Hmmm, as far as
battlecries went, it was lacking a little but it would do.
It *did* have an oddly satisfying ring to it.
"Ranma Saotome?" The dojo's owner blinked. So did the panda
on the sidelines. "You know Ranma Saotome?"
"Thanks to him, I have been through HELL!" Righteous
Declaration Stance, one, two, switch to Pose Of Barely
Controlled Fury. (Hmmmm, that Martial Arts Interpretive
Dance stuff is pretty addictive.) "I shall make him suffer
before he dies, no matter WHAT he is calling himself
nowadays!"
"You've seen him recently then?"
Ryoga Hibiki glanced towards the speaker and appreciated
the girl's beauty for a moment. Though there was something
about her that spoke of danger, just not a physical danger.
"Why, has he destroyed your lives too?" (More to hold
against that damn Ranma! The list grows endless!)
"He abandoned his father and his fiancee!" Soun Tendo began
weeping copious amounts. "I would have gotten them married
by now!"
A frying pan flew from the house to impact upon Soun's
head. "THERE'S NO WAY I'D MARRY A COWARD LIKE THAT!"
"Akane's in the kitchen," Nabiki noted aloud.
"Saotome!" Soun shook his head as he picked himself off the
ground. "We must hurry without delay to fetch your wayward
son! We'll have the wedding as soon as we drag him back."
The panda growfed and held up a backpack.
"Uhm," Ryoga started to run things through in his head. A
panda? Where had he seen a panda like this before? "But he's
in Azabu Juuban..."
"No time to waste," Soun declared.
"Going somewhere, boys?" A short little man appeared out of
nowhere.
Soun switched from Cry#34 "The Schools Will At Last Be
United" to Cry #7 "My Youngest Daughter Is Fixing Dinner And
Wouldn't This Be A Good Time To Visit Out Of Town
Relatives?" It was hard to hear his voice under the sound of
running water but one got used to it around Soun. "Ranma is
in Azabu Juuban. Where did you say he was?"
"Crossroads High School. He's going by a different name
now." Ryoga looked around and wondered if this wasn't the
Addams Family Dojo again. No, it said "Tendo Dojo of
Indiscriminate Grappling" on the sign. (Hmmm. Sounds kinda
etchi.)
"We'll camp out in the schoolyard! Come on, Saotome!"
"Hmmm, young schoolgirls..." The little fellow seemed to
vanish in a blur of motion.
"Uhm," said Ryoga as the two older men vanished in a cloud
of dust. "But I wanted to challenge the dojo." Besides, he'd
never catch up with those two.
"I'll fight you," said a girl's voice. Ryoga tentatively
identified it as the one who'd thrown the frypan.
Ryoga turned and looked over this new girl. Going through
dojo challenges had allowed him to assess this girl's threat
potential quickly. "Hmph. Pathetic."
"Pathetic?!" The girl stopped in shock at the door of the
dojo.
"Pathetic," repeated Ryoga. "Don't waste my time. Not even
a decent warmup."
"You'd better take me seriously," said Akane angrily as she
took a basic stance. "I'm no pushover."
"I don't fight girls anyway. Why don't you go back to
cooking and leave the fighting to men?"
"You see women as weak and fragile, then?" Nabiki smirked
as she watched Akane.
"Well, of course," agreed Ryoga, glad that one of the girls
was being reasonable. The other had gotten angrier at the
question and still angrier at the answer. Girls, who could
figure them?
Nabiki nodded. "Begin."
Ryoga gave way as the angry girl began an appropriately
furious assault. Before long he realized that he would
*have* to fight back. He lightly struck the girl over the
head with his umbrella, and was satisfied when she went
stiff and glazed in the eyes.
"Timberrrrrr," said Nabiki, clearly unable to resist. As
soon as Akane hit the floor in almost exactly the same
manner as a felled tree, Nabiki was checking on her sister.
"She should be okay. I held back. Now, as I have defeated
the dojo's champion, I get the dojo sign. Or, you can keep
the sign, but I'll expect room and board for the night."
"Is that how this works?" Nabiki shrugged.
"You cheated!" Akane groaned. "I wasn't ready. You used a
weapon. Let's try that again."
<WHAM> <CRASH> "Owie!"
"That was just a simple grappling throw, but then she's not
much of an opponent," said Ryoga sadly. He needed strong
opponents otherwise he'd lose his edge and he'd need every
edge he could get to defeat Ranma.
"T-take that back!" Akane slowly got to her feet. "You
won't beat me this time! NOW I'm ready for you."
<KA-POWIE> <THUD>
"Please stop. I don't enjoy picking on the weak."
"Aaaaaaaa!"
<WHAM><BANG><BOOM>
Nabiki looked at the holes in the dojo wall. "I declare the
challenger to have won. Hmmm. She's out cold. Hey, Mister
Challenger, can you help me move her inside? I'll see if
there's anything edible in the kitchen."
----January 7th, 1993--------
"THERE! That's got to be him, Tendo!"
"You sure about that, Saotome? He looks taller, more
muscular, more..."
"Of course, Tendo. Don't forget, this is our chance to
unite the two schools!"
Soun was a little bit cautious. "Who are all those women
with him?"
"Sh-Shampoo?!" Genma's eyes bugged as he noticed the Amazon
huntress chatting amiably with another girl. And was that a
troll on a stick hopping along behind the group?
"What kind of loose morals have you taught your son,
Saotome? Look at the way those two are hanging onto each
other's arms. I may puke just from the warm-and-fuzzy levels
here!"
"HOTCHA!"
Soun flinched. Genma flinched. Both hunkered down a little
further into their concealment.
"Maybe we should wait, Saotome."
"Indeed, Tendo. Information IS the first principle of any
conflict."
Soun's eyes widened as he watched from between the leaves.
"Saotome? Isn't that an Anything Goes stance?"
"IT'S A DEMON!" One of the girls was busy proclaiming at
the top of her lungs.
Genma felt a moment of relief at the girls breaking stance
and fleeing, but then the little troll-on-a-stick started
fighting the Master.
The appearance of several girls in cheerleader outfits
distracted the dreaded Master. "Whoa momma, come to Happi!"
"BURNING MANDALA!"
Happosai dodged easily to the left. Genma's eyes bugged.
"SUPREME THUNDER!"
Happosai flipped quickly up over the lightning. Soun's jaw
dropped.
"VENUS LOVE ME CHAIN!"
Happosai danced back and gathered himself for the remaining
few yards.
Just as they'd rehearsed for dealing with fast opponents.
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"
Genma and Soun began to cry as they saw their dread Master,
the founder of their style of martial arts, get slammed into
a wall by some magic frizbee. The statements about how
terrible this was seemed at a distance from the way they
were dancing around.
Of course, that meant that they had left their concealment.
Unnoticed by them, Tenma saw his father, scowled, and
entered school while the Senshi changed back. He felt, not
without some justification, that he had enough problems
without having to deal with HIM again.
Tenma also felt, again not without some justification, that
this meant that Genma Saotome would be trying to run his
life again.
Or should that be *ruin* Tenma's life again?
Tenma began to consider ways to negate these little plans.
One, something he'd thought of a few times, seemed a near
perfect way to make sure he wasn't married off to someone he
didn't know.
----------------
Happosai moaned, pulled himself out of the rubble he'd made
out of a segment of the outer school wall, and considered a
change of tactics.
Those girls, that shriveled monkey, those girls, those odd
attacks, those girls, that boy that those two useless pupils
had indicated was Ranma, but especially those girls!
Beautiful long-legged young maidens. Taut, well rounded,
lithe, an eyeful even when they were trying to blast him to
a fine red paste.
Time for Happi to do what Happi did best. Sneak, steal, and
ogle. He needed a recharge.
-----------------
"Shampoo no want go school. Want to find powerup!"
"I told you, Shampoo, we need to do this... Excuse me?"
The thickly built man and the dark haired one were blocking
the entry to the school. After studying them for a moment,
the portly fellow adjusted his glasses and spoke. "Uhm,
where to begin?"
"You were with Ranma, weren't you? We need to find him
immediately, it is a matter of the *utmost* importance."
Soun rushed in where Genma was cautious.
Usagi spoke first. "We gotta get to class!"
"But we..."
The tall girl rushed between the two, and the remainder
followed. One girl apologized as they sped into the
building.
"Well, Tendo?"
"We'll just have to go from room-to-room, won't we?"
Genma looked at the three story building. "Maybe we should
wait. We can attack when they leave."
"And he'll marry Akane just like we planned!"
"Of course, Saotome, we simply have to convince our errant
children that Father knows best."
----------------
Tenma looked at his friends, nodded, then opened the door.
He was a little surprised not to be immediately pounced on,
but wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Cologne hopped out of the bushes, not having any idea what
these two were doing other than they were talking about
ambushing HER pupil. That would be fine and good, but the
two cats had told her (however reluctant they were to trust
outsiders, they were discovering that the ancient Amazon was
capable of basic military strategy) of some youma problems.
First things first. THEN these two fools could help her
train her charges, however unknowingly on their part.
What was of more concern to Cologne was the presence of her
old "friend" Happosai.
One can choose one's friends. Relatives, neighbors, and
enemies were more difficult propositions. Perhaps he had
gotten better with age, like red wine? Or like white wine,
had he merely turned to vinegar?
Happosai himself, bounding across the courtyard with what
looked like the Girls' Tennis Club in hot pursuit, was
sufficient answer. No help from that quarter after all.
------------------
"Perhaps we should get the girls," said Soun after finally
awakening.
"Why involve them? I'm sure that between the two of us, we
can drag my ungrateful son back." Genma groaned as a
familiar "pins-and-needles" sensation shot through the leg
that had been pinned under him. "After we've had a chance to
recover."
"Because this *does* involve them." Soun frowned. "Besides,
do you remember the days when the Master sent us into the
mountain villages to forage?"
"So that while they were beating on us, the Master could
slip in and out and raid everything. I remember it well,
Tendo." Genma grinned. "Perfect, while everyone is beating
on your daughters, we can capture my errant son."
"Beat. On. My. Daughters?!" Soun went from speculative to
full demon-head mode without approaching any state in
between.
"B-b-but, Tendo, you said..."
"I was speaking ONLY of having them distract the other
girls. HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST WE SEND THEM INTO DANGER?!"
"Errr. I was just kidding?"
"Actually, boys, if you want to know where to find that
boy," Happosai dropped down onto Genma's head, "I happened
to see where he went with his friends."
"Ah, perfect, Master! How wonderful."
"Yes, Tendo, this time for sure. We'll force our stubborn
children to marry!"
"Of course, Nabiki DID say that Akane had announced at
school that 'she would rather marry Kuno than that coward
who had fled in the middle of the night' so maybe we should
choose Nabiki or Kasumi." Soun broke off to look thoughtful.
Actually he was just trying to figure out what Happosai's
motive was for being helpful.
"I thought she was just making the point that she'd rather
remain celibate for the rest of her life than have anything
to do with my son. Which, of course, makes them the perfect
couple." Genma considered this. Certainly all the chances
Akane took to protest the arrangement and the male gender in
general indicated that she was the passionate sort. Reminded
him of his own relationship with Nodoka, or the way *his*
parents had laid into each other. Ah, the tears Genma's
mother had shed when she realized that she had beaten his
father into a ragged red pulp - proof of their great love.
"True, Saotome, quite true. Why, I remember when I'd leave
change on the floor, and my dear wife would use the
shinnai," a fresh bout of tears erupted from the Tendo
patriarch. "The way she wielded common kitchen implements as
instruments of torture. How I miss her!"
Happosai looked askance at his two pupils. Had they figured
out that he wanted them to go in and kidnap the boy so that
he, their Master, would be able to go in and fondle the
young ladies without any outside interference. Why that tall
one with the ponytail, or the one with the purple hair, or
even that one with the bow in her hair! Sweeto!
"So, Master, where did you say my boy was hiding?"
-----------------
"Fight it, Tenma!" Sailor Jupiter held her lover close,
feeling him tremble in her hands.
"Give it up, Stupid Senshi, now he belongs to the Dark
Kingdom!" Zoicite postured from his position, on the roof of
a midsized sedan. "He will serve the Dark Kingdom as well as
Tuxedo Mask does!"
"No, Tenma, don't do it." Jupiter felt him begin to shove
her away.
"He's now MINE!" Zoicite began the Maniacal Villain
Laugh(tm) as it was apparent that Tenma was under his
control. He stopped as something momentarily entered his
mouth.
"Oops. Shampoo really sorry about that. Will try to put
next arrow lower. Oh, that one too low. Very sorry, but
Shampoo just not that good at this 'violence' stuff."
Even a few of the genderless youma were wincing at where
that last arrow had struck.
"Impossible," squeaked Zoicite, from his new position
curled up on the pavement. "Normal missles can't penetrate
my defensive field..." He pulled the arrow out, discovering
at that time that the arrowhead was barbed. He immediately
summoned energies to regenerate, which caused some of the
summoned youma to vanish.
"Shampoo know trick for charging weapon with chi. Make
cloth like razor, make bonbori strike like wrecking ball,
think maybe make arrow go through Dark Kingdom defensive
field." Shampoo spared a glance at where Jupiter and Tenma
were cuddled together. "Not that Shampoo is violent chick or
anything like that!"
Ukyo looked over at Tenma and briefly entertained a thought
of beating him up while he was collapsed like that. She was
actually standing next to him when Fate took her life in a
different direction.
"Moon, Mars!" Cologne called out from the sidelines, hoping
they remembered some of her advice about combining attacks.
"Combination: Moon Exorcism."
"Moon Princess Halation!" "Akuryo Taisan!"
A burst of white magic hit Ukyo, Tenma, and Jupiter at the
same time.
---------------
"Here they come, just as the Master said!" Soun shifted
further into the shadows.
"Ranma's unconscious! This is a Heaven sent opportunity."
Genma gloated, thoughts of the boy's inheritance (when Ranma
married) finally being within his reach. Then, if the boy
died afterwards, his mournful father would have to take
control of the money. Despite that the money being left to
Ranma after marriage had been to specifically exclude Genma
from the process.
Sure enough, their position outside what Happosai had
insisted was Ranma's new home was proving accurate. A blonde
girl and a purple-haired one were carrying Ranma, another
blonde and a dark-haired girl were carrying some pony-tailed
girl, and some older pair of guys were carrying some
spatula-wearing girl.
"You sure they'll be okay? They've been out of it for a
half hour or so now." The girl with the long dark hair
seemed concerned.
"They're unconscious due to the conflict between the dark
energies and the purification. They should be fine with a
good night's sleep. Though maybe we ought to practice
combining attacks a bit more before we use them again." A
short haired girl stated, bringing up the rear with some
troll.
"I've got the keys here, somewhere," said Minako, putting
her burden down to search.
"Mako-chan's unconscious right? Well, did Tenma ask any of
you about IT?" Usagi couldn't hold back any longer.
"What's 'it'?"
Genma blinked. He could have sworn the voice came from a
little black kitty cat.
"He's getting ready to propose to Mako-chan!" Usagi hoped
that this would give certain OTHER male associates of the
Senshi ideas. Well, as soon as he was rescued, but Cologne
had a Plan. That was a heckuva lot better than what Luna had
come up with lately.
Makoto's eyes shot open as if an electrical charge had just
been pumped into her. "REALLY?!"
"Nice going, odango-brain," Rei commented with her usual
tact. She'd actually been the one to find the ring for
Tenma, and she thought it would do fine. For now.
"Well, he wanted to know if I thought the ring was too
plain..."
Makoto was still feeling weak, but was ready to go over and
check Tenma's pockets. If she hadn't been firmly held by two
of her friends she might have tried. Of course, she didn't
realize that Rei was the one holding onto it.
"NO!" Luna groaned. Just what she needed. Now ALL of the
Senshi would be getting all misty eyed and concentrating on
other things than the fight against the Dark Kingdom.
Everyone was distracted, this was the perfect time to
strike! Genma prepared to signal, noting that one of the
guys was suddenly sniffing as if he smelled something
suspicious.
"Sweeto!" Happosai crashed through the door to Makoto's
apartment, carrying a large sack of something. He flipped
past Minako (still fumbling with her purse), around Shampoo,
bounced off Rei, and tumbled past Amy. Grabbing a quick feel
or pat on each of the girls as he did so.
"YOU!" Cologne immediately began her pursuit of Happosai, a
battleaura snapping into place around her. The two men
shrugged and began their own pursuit.
Minako dropped her purse, staring off into space as if in
shock. Shampoo took a deep breath. Rei reached into her
sleeves and drew a set of spirit wards. Ami blinked.
"Dead man." "Shampoo no tolerate this." "Demons deserve no
funeral." "KILL!"
Everyone conscious briefly stared at Ami before deciding
that she had the right idea.
They were even more distracted. Now was the perfect time.
"NOW TENDO!"
They dropped as one. Genma casually knocked aside the tall
girl, who looked pretty unsteady anyway, to scoop his son up
and begin running off with him. Soun did a quick legsweep,
and followed his old friend a moment later.
"They got him, that was his father." Minako groaned as she
picked herself up. "They're going to go back to that house
he told us about."
"But I filled out all the paperwork, he's no longer legally
a Saotome. He even has a different hanko now." Ami was
slightly upset. There was no real choice here, though she
would have liked to have gone after that pervert.
"Heck, the way Tenma sounded about his ex-father, he might
not even wait for him to wake up before he marries him off
or sells him again." Minako stopped as she heard a broken
sound from Makoto.
"Someone help me up. I am not giving up without a fight."
-------------------
Tenma came to. Slowly. He was aided by the sound of a
girl's voice raised in complaint.
"...coward and a pervert. I will *not* marry him!"
"I couldn't agree more," groaned Tenma as he lifted himself
up.
"You *must* marry, it is a matter of family honor!" Soun
glared at the awakening boy.
"Oh dear," Kasumi said from the sidelines, trying to cope
with the situation.
"Yeah, right. Well, I got news for ya. I ain't a Saotome
anymore." Tenma quickly explained the legal name change and
change of status.
"This cannot be tolerated! As your father I will simply
change your name back." Genma glared at his son. How dare he
do something like this? What if Nodoka found out?
"Nope. Besides, there's a girl I already like..." Tenma
said as he finished getting into a ready position.
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Someone came rushing into the room to
perform a glomp on Tenma's right side.
"Who?"
"I'm Minako Aino, Tenma's cute fiancee!"
"WHAT?!" Three voices raised in astonishment.
"Oh miai!" Kasumi exclaimed a beat later.
"Th-this is of no consequence," Soun stated, shooting a
glare at Genma. "The Saotome-Tendo engagement is a matter of
family honor and has been..."
"Oh, TENMA-SAMA!" <GLOMP!>
"WHO ARE YOU?!" Akane squealed at someone who looked like a
wimpy version of herself, with short hair, glomping Ranma's
left side and calling him some strange name.
"I'm Ami Mizuno, Tenma's smart fiancee!"
Soun rounded on Genma. "WHAT KIND OF LOOSE MORALS..."
<GLOMP!> "TEN-CHAN! I'm so glad you're okay!"
Nabiki blinked from where she had been watching all this.
"Let me guess. You're 'Tenma's' TALL fiancee?"
"Don't be silly. I'm Ten-chan's wife!" Makoto cuddled up
against a Tenma who seemed to be paralyzed right at the
moment.
"WIFE?!" Genma's jaw dropped and he started looking for
someplace to hide.
"WIFE?!" Soun began to manifest his demon head attack.
"Wife? Congratulations," Akane said brightly, glad that she
was off the hook.
<CRASH!><KISS!><GLOMP!> "Airen!"
Nabiki blinked again and her mouth opened and closed twice
before she could speak. "You wouldn't happen to be..."
"Tenma's cute AMAZON wife!"
Kasumi started to say "oh my", decided the situation was
beyond such a phrase, and tried to think of something
inoffensive she could say. "That must make for very crowded
evenings."
A girl in Shinto priestess garb, and another girl (dressed
in a seifuku with spatulas) grabbed a part of Tenma not
currently covered.
Akane blinked. "When I said 'pervert' earlier, I was
displaying a gift for understatement that appears almost
criminal in level."
"Tenma's spiritual advisor." Rei winked at the girl who was
trying to fill a cup of tea with what was apparently an
empty teapot.
"Tenma's childhood buddy and other fiancee. Hello, Genma, I
have something to discuss with the person who ran off with
my dowry!" The seifuku clad girl rested a finger on one of
the spatulas in her bandoleer suggestively.
"Huh?!" Tenma said with a gulp.
"I'm not a fiancee, nor do I play one on TV," Usagi
announced, trying to step in from the backyard and tripping
over the steps. "Aaaaa" <Insert facefault impact sound
effect>
"Sa-sa-sa-SAOTOME?!" Soun was too shocked to even summon
the "demon head" effect.
<SPLASH!> [I'm just a cute little panda.] The sign flipped.
[Besides I've never seen any of them before in my life.]
"Oy vey," commented Kasumi, not entirely sure what the
phrase meant but trying to branch out a little. She noticed
that the tea she had been pouring was from an empty pot. "Oh
darn."
"Daddy." Nabiki tried to be calm, collected, and in control
of the situation. That her hair was now sticking up in wild
cowlicks kind of blew the effect. "Exactly how many girls do
you expect to marry Ranma?"
"SAOTOME! How many girls did you engage your son to?!" Soun
wasn't sure what to look at, so found the familiarity of the
panda to make for a good choice of target.
[Eh-to...] Sign flipped. [Recently?] Sign flipped again.
[It must have slipped my mind.]
"Dozens," suggested Rei, happy to assist Makoto in this
endeavor.
"Hundreds," indicated Minako, who also wanted to get even
with the man who had slammed her face into the doorframe
while kidnapping her friend's lover.
"More arriving each day," said Ami with a blush. It wasn't
true. Hugging Tenma like this, though, felt... kinda nice.
She happily snuggled a little closer.
"eep" said Tenma in a small voice.
Soun Tendo went past the level of maintainable
shock-ability. He fainted.
"Saotome-san," said Tenma as he tried to pull himself back
together. "I am no longer a Saotome. If it should prove
necessary, I will join a monastery and swear the oaths that
cut all ties of family and honor to become a Buddhist monk.
If you attempt to interfere with my life, I will consider
you my enemy."
[Stop speaking nonsense, boy.] The panda's sign flipped.
[You're going to marry Akane and that's final!]
"Come on, Mako-chan. Let's get out of here." Tenma started
to disengage himself from the various girls latched onto
him, having to gently pry Ami off. Amazing how she was
getting into her role!
"No rings," noted Nabiki. Her BS meter was indicating heavy
levels of dishonesty. There was some real affection between
the tall girl and Ranma/Tenma but *nobody* was wearing a
ring. What to do about this? She wasn't too sure about two
of them, she was getting the impression that her usual
blackmail wouldn't work too well here. She needed more info
first.
"Ai caramba." Kasumi was getting into this mental game now.
It was something to think about that didn't involve the
mental picture of:
1 (one) Ranma Saotome, sometimes girl
5 (five) other girls (Makoto, Ami, Minako, Shampoo, Ukyo)
moaning, sweating, silk sheets, etc.
shaken, not stirred, and probably served regularly.
With a recipe like that, "oh my" just didn't cut it. Yes,
Kasumi was trying very hard NOT to think of that scene.
Genma attempted to get up and interfere, when a spirit ward
was slapped on his forehead. Nobody (even Rei!) was prepared
for the yelp of pain as the panda went running off.
------------------
"Father, you need to stop. You've been crying for four
hours, and Tenma left FIVE hours ago." Kasumi was a bit
concerned about dehydration of the father, as well as
warping of the wooden floor. It was weatherproofed but how
long could it hold up?
"But the joining of the schools!" Soun wailed to the
heavens. "Our family's honor - ruined! My lifelong dream -
destroyed! All that money - out of reach!"
<ZIP!> "Money?! How much are we talking about?"
"Well, my wife's mother's family had some wealth, but they
disapproved of our marriage," began Genma.
"Well, THAT I can believe," said Nabiki drily. "So they cut
you and her off from everything but a modest allowance?"
"Yes. Typical in such arrangements," agreed Genma, his own
tears flowing. "Our child, on the other hand, once married,
stood to inherit if he could prove himself capable..."
"Running the dojo would have done that," put in Soun. "And
now.... Waaaaaaaaaa!"
"How much money are we talking about?" Nabiki wanted
details.
"My wife's maiden name is... Otomi," Genma wiped crocodile
tears away.
There was dead silence in the room.
"THAT boy is directly related to one of the Ten Families?!"
Nabiki recognized the name, the chairman of the Bank Of
Tokyo was an Otomi.
"Aiyah, so he can trace lineage back to the Imperial
Family?" Kasumi considered the boy who had briefly been
present and who had gone stalking off. Yes, it was possible
that there had been a certain nobility in him.
"He's been kept intentionally ignorant of all this, so that
he could become a skilled warrior, just like MY father,"
Genma's eyes misted over as he remembered his dad. How he'd
get beaten on for any infraction by the loving hands of his
father. He'd tried to keep up the tradition, but clearly he
hadn't been lovingly harsh enough.
"Hmmmph. So your wife grew up in luxury, samurai and
daimyo, of noble blood. And she falls in love with YOU?!"
Akane offered a silent prayer to the kami that SHE had the
good taste to have a crush on someone like Doctor Tofu. Here
was a powerful reminder that there were worse alternatives.
"Well... yes," Genma said, not seeing what her point was.
Nabiki pondered a moment. "Daddy. Twelve thousand yen for a
solution to your problem."
"Eh?!" Both of the males in the room stopped weeping as if
a switch had been thrown.
"A Saotome-Tendo joining of the Houses may *still* be
possible," Nabiki said slowly. "Twelve thousand yen for me
to research it."
"Waaaaaah! The family honor is dead and my daughter's
trying to make a quick buck off the funeral!" Soun went back
to crying.
"Nabiki. Father doesn't have that sort of money. You know
that."
Nabiki sighed, knowing it was true. Still, she couldn't
help but try to wrangle for the best deal she could. "Twelve
hundred yen, then. He's got that stashed away for his
cigarettes."
"DONE!" Soun exclaimed and placed the money on the table.
Nabiki used her confident "I've got all the answers" smirk.
"You've just been scammed. He was telling the truth about
changing his name, but as he's a minor there's only so much
he could do. He'd have to know someone fairly important to
overcome THAT obstacle. Therefore, Mister Saotome can get
his name changed back without any trouble.
"Second. None of those girls was wearing a ring. From what
I saw, most of them were a little uncomfortable being that
physical with him. Most of whom looked a little guilty as
the were looking at that tall girl. The tall girl looked
VERY comfortable with him. So did the 'smart fiancee' and
that girl with the red bow in her hair though they started
out looking uncomfortable. The Amazon - MAYBE. The tall
one - POSSIBLY. The rest I'd expect to turn out to just be
friends who were out to pull one over on you."
"You hear that, Tendo!" Genma pulled himself up, a fire in
his eye. "We can still drag the boy back here to unite the
two houses!"
"Ahem." Nabiki held up a finger to caution them against
this course of action, figuring that their chances of
success as being less than 1%. Of course, by then it was too
late and the two fathers were already out in single-minded
pursuit of their goal. "Oh well. They can pay me later when
that fails."
"You don't think they'll be able to beat him?" Akane was
willing to admit that he was skilled, he had beaten her in
that little dojo challenge. Even though it was likely some
trick. But a few matches with Mister Saotome had impressed
her with HIS skill level, that is, when he could be
motivated to spar with her seriously.
"Even if they do, what then?" Nabiki regarded her empty
teacup for a moment. "Suppose they do beat him unconscious.
He has a home with friends who care about him at least
enough to go through that little skit. Did you notice the
way that the tall girl leaned into him? Well, unlike with
all the others, he leaned BACK with her."
"I see," said Kasumi, setting a fresh kettle on a burner.
It looked like it was going to be a long night.
-------------------
The train had been crowded, and everyone had noted Tenma
nervously twitching most of the way back to the Shrine.
"You know they'll be after you again," said Ami as they
cleared the door, guessing that this was why he was nervous.
Tenma straightened slightly and nodded. "That's why I'm
going to do this now. I would've preferred a better time and
place. Even now he's running my life."
"Tenma?" Makoto glanced sideways at him. (Why is he acting
so distant?)
"C'mon, Usagi, I've got the newest compilation manga of
'Bishonen Senshi Tuxedo Tenchi' and you don't need to be
psychic to see this coming." Rei sighed and motioned the
other girl towards the door.
"Huh?" Usagi didn't get it but she loved the little
moon-cabbit in that story.
Ami and Minako shared a sad look and stepped outside.
"Guys?" Makoto looked around at the suddenly empty area.
She could hear Ukyo and Shampoo exchanging heated words with
Cologne. Who was probably being backed by Jon and Frank if
their talk on the train was any indication.
"Mako-chan, I've got something important to ask you..."
Tenma got a startled look and started searching pockets.
"Pssst!" A hand with a small box came in the window, Makoto
guessed it was Rei from the nail polish.
"Oh. Arigato yo. Uhmmm, Mako-chan."
Makoto Kino's eyes grew round. Tenma was on one knee he was
holding a box out. She could hear her heart beating so loud
that anyone right outside the room could have heard it. He
was...
"Mako-chan, sukii da. Kekkon-shite kureru? As Kazeno isn't
a real family name, I'd have to take yours..." Tenma came to
a stop. (Why is she just standing there? She probably hates
the ring. Or is this too much for her?)
-------------
Rei winced as a "YES!" echoed from the top of the shrine.
(May have to replaster the walls.) Her eyes went down to
Usagi, who had apparently found something more interesting
than the manga for once. "C'mon, Usagi, we need to give 'em
some time ALONE!"
"Aw, but I wanna..." Usagi ran out of steam under Rei's
glare. "Okay, okay."
"That's right, we have to plan on how to take our battle to
the Dark Kingdom!" Luna put in. "We can't afford to take
time off for mmmmmfffff!"
Usagi carried Luna off, still holding the mooncat's mouth
shut. "Yup, we need to make some plans alright! For a
wedding!"
-------------
<sniff sniff> The werewolf's head came up. (prey? no.
enemy. two. one has prey smell. bear? where? there.)
"ArwooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOO!"
"Saotome?!"
"Tendo?"
"What the HELL was that?"
"I'm not sure I want to know, Tendo."
(prey scent? unclear. kill? threaten? on packmate
territory. advise trespasser.)
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."
"Errr, Saotome?" One of the bushes inquired of another.
"It wasn't me, Tendo."
"Then that isn't *your* furry legs behind me? I was also
going to advise you to use a breathmint."
"No," the fat bush said to the thinner bush. "Could it be
Ranma?"
Soun reached behind him and felt the furry powerful legs.
Swallowing heavily, he turned slowly to regard the white and
blue limbs. His eyes tracked up past the Chinese drawstring
pants (a borrowed pair from Tenma, thickly muscled chest,
ending his visual survey with the snarling wolflike head and
golden eyes that regarded him as if deciding what he'd taste
like.
Soun swallowed again. "Uhm... Saotome..."
"Hush Tendo. My son will soon be here and we must strike
quickly and decisively!"
"Grrrrrrrrrrrr." The werewolf opened his jaws slightly.
"Tendo School Of Martial Arts Final Technique! Run For The
Border!" <Zooooom!>
"Huh?" Genma stuck his head out of the bush to regard his
friend's departure from the scene. "What got into him?"
"Grrrrrr!" (territory encroached. trespasser not fleeing.
pack threatened. secondary scent is of bear? puzzle later,
defend territory now.)
Genma turned physically around, followed by turning as
white as his gi (and as it was one freshly laundered that
morning by Kasumi, it was a great deal whiter than one of
those he had been wearing for days-at-a-time.)
"Saotome School Final Attack: Run Away!" (But I'll be back
as soon as I convince the Master that this apartment needs
raiding. With the Master either dead of the werewolf, or the
werewolf defeated, there will be NOTHING to keep me from
uniting the two schools!)
(Territory protected. Pack defended. Hunt not needed. Will
remember scent.) <sniff sniff> (Packmates return. Horseboy,
pfeh... ?! Scent of girl different? Heh.)
Jon returned to human form with the information being
passed on to him from the wolf, who was becoming much more
wolf-like as opposed to simply savage with Cologne's help.
His knowing smirk told the couple nothing.
Though when Frank showed up a few hours later, well, he
could tell Frank. Oh, and he couldn't WAIT to tell that Ukyo
person. (Call me a mangy fleabag, will she?! Heh.)
-----------------
Morning, when the light of day disperses the cloaking
illusion of night.
Or, looked at another way, when the sarariman and OL and
factory worker is forced to get up and spend another day's
energy mostly doing things that have no real significance.
And, if you were to look into a certain room in a certain
household, in a certain ward known as Nerima, you would find
two bodies locked in combat. Sweaty, writhing, struggling...
Oops. Wrong household. Three houses down. That's the one.
Genma looked like some bespectacled Buddha (if you didn't
know him better) and proclaimed the newest Unite The Two
Schools Plan: Operation Yujo Wa Wakare (Break Up
Friendships). Yes, he and Tendo would go find the various
girls that had come to Ranma's defense earlier. One by one
they would frighten the silly girls (they were just young
girls, how hard could this be?) and tell them all about what
a loathsome person Ranma was. IE: they would threaten,
intimidate, and lie their heads off. Once he had lost the
support of his newfound friends, Ranma would have no choice
but to return!
Nabiki groaned and shook her head. The two had come up with
this one based on ONE idle comment from her. Even SHE
wouldn't take odds on this one working. In fact, she would
be willing to bet that if the two succeeded in frightening
his friends, Ranma would be after the two with a vengeance.
She knew that if it had been HER, that someone trying
intimidation tactics and a smear campaign against her would
have resulted in a terrible vengeance.
Akane grumbled, complained, griped, and *almost* got to the
point where she was threatening her father. She pointed out
that he was a pervert who had looked at her when she had
come to use the tub. She pointed out that he was a coward
who had not only refused to fight her, but he had fled into
the night rather than face her. She pointed out that all men
were jerks and perverts and stupid.
Akane was about to go on when an idea popped into her head.
Something that Nabiki had said earlier about how "Kasumi
wasn't getting any younger but..." Akane had tuned it mainly
out because it didn't really involve her, but maybe she
could use this to shift this away from her.
"Besides, Mister Saotome, Dad," said Akane with an
unfamiliar sly expression. "Wouldn't Kasumi be a better
choice?"
"Akane?!" Kasumi blinked and looked startled.
Nabiki studied her sister for a moment before smirking.
Akane obviously had a plan. About time.
"She's the firstborn, Ranma's the firstborn. I'm clearly
the superior martial artist (why else would the coward have
fled) so a match between me and Ranma couldn't possibly
work."
"We'll consider this AFTER we bring that damnfool son of
mine back," agreed Genma, though any input from the girls
was beside the point. Akane WOULD marry Ranma. Then the
Legacy would be complete!
"Akane, this isn't appropriate..." Kasumi said with a
betrayed look.
Akane didn't pay any attention. No WAY would they force her
to marry some cowardly pervert! Kasumi thought the Houses
should be joined, then let HER do it. "Besides, Mister
Saotome, you compliment Kasumi's cooking but won't even TRY
mine. What are you going to eat if you do force us to
marry?"
Genma stopped. He'd tried Akane's cooking before. He had to
admire her inventiveness, as certainly HE would have never
thought of such dishes as curried watermelon with eel. Squid
souffle, and with crunchy bits he wasn't sure he *wanted* to
identify. Hmmmm. "You know, Tendo, she's got a point."
"Huh?!" Soun wasn't ready for the shift in Genma's opinion.
"Akane and Ranma have a great deal in common, and Kasumi IS
the firstborn. Maybe we should make it an engagement between
Kasumi and Ranma." Genma tried to look thoughtful.
"Father...no!" Kasumi looked on in horror as her fate was
being decided. After all, Ranma was three years YOUNGER than
her. Not so bad if it was the other way around, but this was
most improper. The image that occurred to her earlier,
involving Ranma and several of those girls from earlier,
popped into her head. This resulted in a furious blush and
her inability to look at anyone present.
Soun saw and misinterpreted the reaction entirely. "Kasumi
*would* seem the wisest choice then."
"Oh dear."
Soun and Genma shared a look, then nodded in unison.
"Kasumi Tendo, I choose you!"
Kasumi opted for fainting, though she did so in as ladylike
a manner as she could.
-------------
Tenma, the martial artist once known as Prin... er, Ranma,
leapt from his bed as if nearly jet propelled. The morning
was bright and cheerful, the possibilities nearly endless
and beckoning him onward. He had a great deal of energy this
morning, feeling that he was taking positive steps towards
controlling his own destiny AND reaching for future
happiness.
He looked in Makoto's room briefly, spending a moment in
tender reflection, before heading to the kitchen. (It's
strange, I've only known her a few months. Now, now I can
hardly picture life without her.) Without thinking about it,
he began fixing pancakes - having learned that his Mako-chan
enjoyed the odd breakfast food.
The door exploded inward.
"To protect our futures from devastation,
a long retirement sought with elation,
To denounce dishonor and lies like love,
To unite the families by the stars above,
Surrender now or prepare to fight,
Team Panda with its righteous might!"
Tenma sighed, turned down the burner, and looked towards
the guest they had sleeping in the living room. "Frank, you
want to do the honors?"
"Just use the catfist stuff, Tenma," came the sleepy
response. "Jon kept me up last night with talk about how you
and Makoto had apparently been close enough that you had
each other's scent rubbed all over each other."
Tenma blushed. The two fathers' jaws dropped.
"Saotome!" Soun turned towards Genma.
[I'm just a cute lil' panda!]
"Saotome, could you at least transform before trying that
excuse?"
"Oops." <SPLASH!> [NOW I'm just a cute lil' panda!]
Makoto glided in, hand held up, the ring in full view. It
wasn't so much the ring, only worth a thousand yen- a plain
gold band, it was what the ring symbolized that fascinated
Makoto.
Soun's eyes locked on a ring, on THAT finger, with an
audible click. In an instant he was across the room and had
grabbed the girl's hand. "I'm sorry, but Ranma cannot be
married to you, that ring is for Akane!"
[I thought we were agreed on Kasumi.] The sign wielded by
the panda was ignored though, as other things were going on.
Tenma had been working on the cat phobia, and could now
tolerate being within a few yards of Artemis OR Luna. As
long as they didn't hiss or meow. Threatening his Mako-chan,
on the other hand...
Genma's eyes widened as Ranma hissed like a steam engine,
baring teeth and glowing a fitful blue that seemed to
brighten with every second.
Frank, not wanting to see this lovely apartment splattered
with the sort of blood and gore that MIGHT occur if either
of these two actually hurt Makoto Kino (though if they did
that the two parents might well find more than one opponent
ready to rend them into tiny little shreds) was already
acting.
Soun found that the view of his grip on the offending
jewelry, was obscured by a massive hand that covered his own
hand, the girl's hand, and a fair amount of both forearms.
"Leave. NOW." Frank said. He preferred the simple and
straightforward approach.
Genma was being simple and straightforward himself. The
attack was a crippling pressure point attack on the big
fellow's unprotected back. When it failed to produce any
results, Genma became a little concerned.
Tenma calmed as Frank started dribbling a panda as if it
were some large hairy basketball.
"Errrr," noted Soun Tendo at the sound of a panda being
bounced out of the room, down the hall, off the balcony,
down the stairs, and what sounded suspiciously like the
third floor balcony.
"Tendo-san," said Tenma calmy and gently, as if speaking to
a child. "Makoto is my fiancee. Touch her again, and I will
kill you." It wasn't a heated declaration, spoken in battle
or anger. The sincerity came across.
"Well, I..."
Makoto got tired of having this person holding onto her.
She put a snap kick out where it could do her the most good.
------------------
Three more mornings, a Dark General named Zoicite being
beaten into hamster food, two really interesting (Usagi
would add painful) training sessions, the gaining of another
ally (someone that nobody really trusted except Cologne and
Usagi) named Morrigan Aesland, and twice having to haul Sash
away from the Azabu Juuban "Manga No Mori" (her protests
that the manager had defeated her in combat and she was just
spending time with her airen were dismissed as wishful
thinking) followed. There was also a brief attempt by
Shampoo and Cologne to convince Makoto that if Shampoo
didn't have a previous claim, then a proper Amazon marriage
was at least worth considering.
Besides, it looked as if Shampoo was getting along rather
well with that Talbain fellow. Therefore the loss of Tenma
to Shampoo was seen as less of a problem than it could have
been.
There were also three attacks. Ukyo was attacked by a
mailbox. Since this was obviously some youma attack, Rei had
used a Fire Soul on it. The mailbox managed to escape
somehow, but Rei was still checking around for any
suspicious postal containers. A Chinese fellow named Mousse
had shown up, yelling something about rescuing his precious
Shampoo. Wrapping chains around Sailor Jupiter was not
terribly clever, especially when he was still holding one
end of the chains as she threw a lightning bolt along the
metal links. Finally there had come another attack by the
mysterious panty thief. Ever since Sailor Moon had tagged
him with a Honeymoon Therapy Kiss, the little fellow had
been hospitalized and mumbling something about bean jam.
Makoto was with Usagi when a timid-sounding knock at the
door came. Upon opening it, she was surprised to find that
it was not two fathers out to ruin her happiness. (Though
they usually didn't knock, being more fond of sudden
attacks.)
"You're one of Tendo-san's daughters, aren't you?" Makoto
looked her over a little critically. She didn't *look*
violent or hostile, but neither did a few of the youma
before they transformed.
"Yes, my name is Kasumi. May I come in?" The nervous girl
at the door half bowed. "I really must speak with you
regarding the matter of my family's honor."
Makoto considered briefly, then allowed the eldest Tendo
in. "As you like, Tendo-san. We may talk."
-----------------
"There he is, Saotome." Soun pointed out the boy training
in the yard of the Shrine. He was apparently listening to
the instructions of some old woman. Now was their chance!
[He doesn't have a chance!] The sign flipped. [This time
for sure!]
"Kasumi will convince that tramp he's been staying with to
let go, and we will crush his friends one by one. There will
be no interference with the marriage!"
[Our headstrong children will be married before they know
what's hit them!] The panda chuckled as he edged forward
from concealment.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrr."
Soun felt the unpleasant sensation of some sort of muscle
twitch right along the right hand side of the spine.
"D-d-did you hear that, Saotome?"
The panda nodded, and shifted into a defensive stance.
(Intent: hostile. Actions: furtive. Scents familiar. Not
packmates. Not outsider-who-is-not-to-be-attacked. Enemy.)
The werewolf grinned. (Prey.)
Soun managed a strangled sound as a "Beast Cannon" manuever
threw him the length of the shrine and into a tree on the
far side. He groggily got up, started staggering back to the
fight, and knocked over the pushcart of an ice cream vendor
named Matoko Kitsunagi.
Unfortunately for Soun, Matoko was a practitioner of Ice
Cream Vendor Martial Arts. A strange but effective style
using popsicle-stick shuriken, scooper-nunchakus, and
special attacks like the "Thirty Onederful Flavor Blitz."
--------
Genma was finding that werewolves seem to have a bit of eel
in them. He was having considerable difficulty landing a
blow.
[Go away!] Genma was trying to hit the unwanted opponent
with the signs, since Anything Goes style meant you ignored
whatever rules were inconvenient at the time. So someone who
disdained weapons would use them if it gave them a momentary
advantage. [Look! Alpo!]
The portly panda practitioner of perverse pummelling
practices was practically perplexed. Where did this werewolf
keep coming from? Why did he keep showing up when all Genma
wanted to do was unite the two families, get wealthy, live a
long retirement, and get rich off his son's insurance money
and inheritance?
Jon in werewolf mode was no longer the savage, but thought
more like an actual wolf. Cologne being able to correct the
imbalance between Man and Beast that caused the Bloodrage to
erupt. (No fear scent? Anger scent? Prey not concerned? Play
with prey?) "Rawwwrrrrr!"
Genma stared for a half second at his forearm. Where a
black and white pattern of fur had four rapidly reddening
slashes across it. "B-b-b-blood?!" Something clicked at the
back of his head and the "inner panda" saw clearly that
there was a large carnivorous predator in front of it.
The seals were coming off the hidden techniques. Vaccuum
blades were followed by the Heartseeker. The panda would
have been more comforted if the werewolf hadn't dodged both
attacks, then GRINNED in a manner that suggested he was
beginning to enjoy this. [Can't we just be friends?]
(Special techniques? Fight now serious. Fear scent from
prey. Reply in kind.) The werewolf had been fast. Fighting
youma and training under the Elder Cologne had increased
that speed. He slashed and danced and tumbled as a high
speed blur that made a quick orbit around the massive panda.
(Wolf pack attack. Ah-ta!)
The pain receptors relayed their message. Genma howled. His
fur was now covered in what looked like hundreds of little
papercuts.
It wouldn't be until later that Genma discovered his back
had a set of deeper cuts that spelled out kanji reading
"Wolves rule, pandas drool" in sloppy but readable
calligraphy.
Being an Equal Opportunity Employer of techniques, the wolf
decided to finish this quickly. That Heartseeker had looked
like a deadly technique, so it was perfectly fine to strike
back at the same level.
Instead of a clawing slash, this technique had the werewolf
summon forth vast chi reserves and unleash them in a manner
similar to the Beast Cannon. This, however, was termed the
"Dragon Cannon" by Cologne. That the "head" of each of the
seven chi-comets looked like a hungry wolf's head was
ignored by practically everyone.
Genma's eyes widened as he desperately blocked.
-------------------
"So I gotta maintain this 'soul of ice' thing for the
technique to work?" Tenma tugged his ponytail. "I dunno.
Mako-chan says I'm pretty passionate."
Tenma, of course, had no idea why Ukyo and Shampoo acted as
if they had just been slapped upon hearing that.
Cologne chuckled and hoped that the girl Makoto took up the
offer of tribal membership. As an orphan, she could be
adopted. Not only would it further justify all this
training, but there were traits other than simple strength
that the Tribe could well make use of. Strong fighters were
always welcome. Strong, smart, fighters were the sort that
the Amazons wanted dragged into the gene pool even if it
required kicking and screaming. Both Makoto Kino and Tenma
Kazeno qualified. Any children the two had would be
considered an asset to the Tribe.
Besides, Cologne had heard the girls and their cats arguing
about the New Moon Kingdom and the improvements that the
girls wanted. The idea of being an Amazon Advisor to the
throne, sticking in the background and dispensing ancient
wisdom and watching over large number of Amazon children -
with the Tribe being an integral part of this new kingdom -
well, Cologne found the image had a great deal of personal
appeal.
The musing was interrupted as a slightly smouldering, badly
cut up, panda slammed into the ground nearby.
"Geez," Tenma exclaimed. "What's he doing HERE?"
"Stupid panda!" Shampoo glared at the figure lying splayed
out on the ground. "If not for him, Shampoo would have
chance to work on prior claim to Ran...Tenma."
"That panda has caused TOO much suffering in his life,"
Ukyo agreed. "Get in line, sugar, ten years of vengeance has
just located her target!"
"Maybe you ought to push up the date for the wedding if
they're tracking you that effectively," suggested Cologne,
earning her glares from both Ukyo and Shampoo.
"You may be right," Tenma allowed. "Damn old man, he's
still finding ways to run my life!"
--------------
Mimir's Well
"So, is this at least happier?" Edema asked, forwarding it
past a wedding scene where three aged martial artists
attempted to break up the nuptials. Past where a certain
younger martial artist, goaded by her father and his
houseguest, attempted to crash the same wedding only to find
her elder sister had been recruited and that even a superior
martial artist like herself had some problems dealing with
odd special techniques like "Venus Love Me Chain."
Edema paused at the mayhem that occurred when the bridal
bouquet had been tossed, wincing at the mad scramble.
Edema fast forwarded to the end. "Hmmm. Looks like Cologne
got her wish after all."
Grey nodded. While not everyone ended happily ever after,
nor did Makoto and Tenma Kino see eye-to-eye on all issues,
it was sufficient.
-----------------------------------------
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