Journey From the West Chapter 2
A Ranma � /??? Fanfic
C&C welcome

Disclaimer
The Characters of Ranma � belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
I humbly bow before her brilliance.
Viz and Kitty market and distribute her work.
I've merely taken them out for a bit of a test drive.

All other characters are mine.
*This is not what you think it is

***
Tendo Dojo, Nerima Ward, Tokyo March 31st 1996 7:40 am

Kasumi stood smiling at the entrance to the kitchen, two freshly packed
obentos in hand.

"Now, don't forget your lunches, you two."

 Kasumi motioned Akane to wait a moment after she'd taken the plastic
lunchbox that had cute, little black pig stickers on its top.

 She reached into her apron and brought out a paper bag with 'Akane and
Ranma' sketched on it in kanji.

"This is a treat for you and Ranma to share after lunch."

She hushed her voice to a stage whisper.

"They're his favorite type of cookie."

She smiled warmly to her younger sister.

 I'm sure that you'll be able to use them to keep his attention if Shampoo
or Ukyo show up"

She winked at Akane as she handed her the bag.

Akane blushed, looked away, and hurried out the door, Nabiki hurried after
her waving goodbye to their older sister, her own lunchbox in hand.

The two girls settled into a brisk pace, patent leather shoes clicking
almost in time on the sidewalk, Nabiki looking ahead while Akane spent her
time studying the sidewalk surface immediately in front of her.

Nabiki smiled a small, amused grin and glanced at her sister out of the
corner of her eye.

"Sooooo, Akane, you haven't been missing Ranma too much, have you?", she
said, drawing the question out for maximum annoyance value.

Akane gave her sister a quick glare, though Nabiki did catch a little
embarrassment in the look as well.

"Me? Miss that jerk?"

Akane lifted her nose disdainfully.

"Hmph! Hardly. Like I care where that jerk spends his time."

Nabiki let the silence drag out a few seconds, then added knowingly, "Ahh, I
see"

Akane was able to keep her silence for all of thirty seconds.

"And what's that supposed to mean Nabiki?"

Nabiki waved at the air, in an offhanded manner, "Oh nothing..."

She paused, watching her sister fume a bit, out of her peripheral vision.

Just before she knew Akane's temper would boil over and demands for an
explanation would be made, she started talking again.

"I meant, well, this is the first full weekend that Ranma's spent with
someone other than you since you've known him. Well, outside of those stupid
training trips he takes with his father I mean. So far you've been 'Ranma
free' since Friday after school."

Nabiki looked her sister over, as though inspecting her for some stain on
her school uniform.

"I was just wondering if you'd started to go into withdrawal yet or
something."

Akane looked away, irritation plain on her face.

"Oh, Ha, Ha, Nabiki! I'll have you know that I haven't missed him in the
slightest."

Akane returned to studying the concrete in front of her shoes.

Nabiki smiled mockingly, unseen by her sister.

"Oh really?"

Nabiki pointed up the street dramatically.

"Hey, isn't that Ranma on the corner? I think he's waiting for you?"

Akane's head shot up.

"What? Where?!"

"Gotcha!"

Akane spent the remainder of the walk radiating a low grade menace in her
sister's direction, right up until they caught sight of Furinkan's gates.

***

Akane saw the red shirt in the sea of blue uniforms from a distance.
Immediately she picked up her pace, going from a walk, to a jog, in seconds.

 Nabiki watched her sister race ahead, seeing her going into a near sprint,
short blue-black hair bobbing, and dress snapping in the breeze.

Nabiki sighed slightly.

"Sheesh, Akane. You got it bad."

Akane wasn't sure when she'd broken into a run, but she didn't really care
at the moment. All she knew was that she saw Ranma ahead, waiting for her,
and she wasn't sure if she wanted to pound him for leaving her alone the
whole weekend, or hug him and tell him how much she'd missed him.

She, of course, settled for doing neither, and came to a stop less than a
yard, or so, away from him, blushing furiously.

***

     Ranma had caught sight of Akane just moments before she'd seen him. It
was a moment later that he found he'd somehow crossed the street between
them without even realizing it, and a moment after that they were nearly
face to face.

 As she came to a stop in front of him, he found that he'd suddenly acquired
a big goofy grin, and his posture had improved a bit from it's typical
loose, cocky, stance.

"Akane! Man I've mis. err... I ... ummm... I mean..."

He started scratching the back of his neck furiously in embarrassment.

 "Ummm .. I mean. it was weird not seein ya the whole weekend."

He looked upward, blushing faintly.

He gradually looked back down, hoping and fearing to see how she took his
words.

"So... umm. how ya been?", he finished lamely, noting that she was
concentrated her gaze somewhere around his shins.

Akane kept looking down.

She'd noticed that some of the other students were focusing their attention
on them. A fight between embarrassment and the desire to pound Ranma raged
in her.

Embarrassment was clearly winning, mainly because the number of students
gawking at them from across the street kept increasing.

Already, she could both hear the whispering of the school rumor mill as it
started processing this latest piece of drama.

"You jerk, why didn't you call?", she half whispered to him, "Not that I was
worried about you. But it would have been at least 'polite' to let me. I
mean...let my Dad know that you got to your mother's house okay. We didn't
even know if you'd gotten home safe."

Akane kept her eyes riveted downward.

"Ummm. it's kinda like this. Mom was waitin' for me at home when I got
there.And.uhh. she kinda took me to a couple of places outside Tokyo over
the weekend. Ummm.  She said that Pop had me for ten years all to himself,
so now it's her turn. I'd a' called if I coulda."

Akane looked up, a bit of anger in her voice, "Weren't there any phones
where you went? You still could have called."

Ranma shook his head.

"Nope, she wouldn't let me outta her sight more than a couple a seconds at a
time."

He laughed a little in embarrassment.

"I thought for a while she was gonna splash me so's I'd have ta use the
woman's bathroom and she'd be in there with me."

Akane shot him a dirty look that said 'Pervert', without even having to
voice it.

"Hey! Don't get like that, I was jokin' okay? Anyway, she said she wanted to
be all alone with me and talk about stuff, no interruptions, cuse she said
she felt like she didn't know nothin' about me. She said that that ain't
right."

He shrugged.

"I figure that she feels like a Mom needs ta get to know her son, and stuff.
It was kinda weird."

Ranma looked around with an odd look on his face.

"Ummm and, I gotta talk to you about that later. But it's gotta be after
school. I got some stuff I gotta tell ya."

Akane noted his expression, one that on anyone else she'd take for
uncertainty.

Ranma knew then  that he'd said too much, and tried to think of some way to
derail the conversation.

He noticed the paper bag, with their names on it, in her hand.

Trying to change the subject, he asked, "Hey! What's that?"

Akane held the bag up and smiled knowingly, he breathed a sigh of relief to
himself that the question had distracted her.

"Just some of Kasumi's cookies."

She opened the bag and held it near her nose, inhaling the scent.

"Mmmm, smells like those peanut butter ones she makes."

Akane noted the small drop of saliva running from Ranma's mouth, and smiled.

"She said she packed them so we could share them for lunch before we head
home."

Ranma reached toward the bag, which she pulled away quickly.

"Aww comeon Akane, lemme have one. Those are the best."

She backed away from him smiling as he advanced, hiding the bag behind her
back.

 "After lunch Ranma. In fact, maybe I'll make you wait until we're on the
way home."

Her smile evaporated suddenly as though something about the comment
disturbed her, and a small shadow of worry passed over her eyes.

"Kasumi called the school this morning and arranged for us to get out early.
So we have to make sure and get the homework from 5th and 6th classes before
we leave."

The sharp clicking of Nabiki's shoes announced her arrival.

"Hey there Ranma-kun. So, what's the holdup? Are you too busy playing
'lovebirds' with my sister to say 'hi'? I can come back later if you like? "

Ranma and Akane shot her an indignant look, which she waved off as Ranma
protested.

"Hey, it ain't like that! Like I'd be interested in some macho-"

Nabiki swiftly cut him off.

"Fine, fine, whatever Ranma. You do know there is such a thing as
'protesting too much 'don't you? So, did Akane tell you we're getting out
early to help with the welcoming party we're throwing tonight?"

 Ranma gave her a shrug.

"She mentioned gettin'out early, but didn't say why yet"

Nabiki nodded.

"Well, we're helping Kasumi out with a welcoming party for Cervantes-san, so
you two can get back to playing, 'cruelly separated true loves' at lunch
together or something, but for now, we gotta get going."

She smirked at their discomfort.

"Well, I'll let you two find your own way to class than.  I gotta run, debts
to collect, and bets to take you know,  Ciao!"

She waved as she left, and went through the gates.

Akane and Ranma spent the next few seconds looking at each other before he
broke the silence.

"Umm, we should get going huh?"

Akane nodded and moved along side him as they walked through the gates,
hands almost touching, reaching toward each other unconsciously, but not
quite bridging the gap between them.

***

Tendo Dojo, Nerima Ward, Tokyo March  31st  1996 9:23 am

"No!"

"But Master-"

"No! I say..No! No! No!. Absolutely not!.I forbid this, and that's all there
is to it."

He crossed his arms sternly in front of him, a petulantly stubborn look on
his face.

 "Genma, Soun how could you do this terrible thing?", he added with a quiver
to his voice.

Happosai was beside himself at the audacity of the two men before him.
Thinking they could do whatever they wanted while he was away on important
business. Wasn't, he the master of the their school?, master of the
Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu?

"How could you betray your old master?"

Happosai shook his tiny fist at the two men.

"You didn't even take the time to consult me before you ran off and did
this."

"But Master", Genma pleaded.

"No! I'll hear no more of this from you.  I'll not allow it!"

He pointedly looked away, turning his backs on their pleas.

"But we've already agreed-" Soun said plaintively

Glancing over his shoulder, Happosai snorted.

"Well I haven't. and am I not the master of this school?"

"Yes master, but-"

Wheeling around , Happosai skewered Soun with the pointing of his finger.

"'But' me no 'but's Soun. You and Genma are a pair of traitors as far as I
see this.  I know the truth of the matter."

Striking a pose of one unjustly wronged, Happosai cried to the heavens.

 "Oh Woe! Woe! How much sharper than a serpents tooth! When a student turns
his back on his teachings, his master, even the honor of his school. Oh, how
can I bear this shame?"

Facing them once more he glared accusingly.

 "You didn't even try to get a female exchange student, did you?"

The two men found themselves unable to meet his eyes.

Happosai nodded, his suspicions confirmed.

"I knew it!, Oh, the opportunities lost! It could have been some sleek,
supple. ever so flexible little co-ed.  Ooooh  yes, one with a nice soft
bosom that your tired old master could lay his head on."

 Happosai looked on wistfully, lost in his own imagination.

"But Master, you must listen to reason-"

Happosai broke out of his fantasy for a moment, looking at the two men he
shook with righteous fury.

"But no!, you chose to have it be some crummy, nose in a book, useless, male
 student."

 He promptly burst into tears.

 "Oh Soun, Genma, how could you!?"

Happosai seized Soun by the front of his gi, tears flooding down his
wrinkled cheeks.

"How could you deprive your old master of his simple pleasures like this?"

He released his grip, burying his face in his hands, weeping copiously.

After a moment he seized the cuff of Genma's gi, blowing his nose loudly on
it while wiping away his tears,

 "No, I'll not allow this student to live here, refuse him! Send him back.
Then get some nice sweet girl, maybe a nursing student. Oh yes!, that'd be
perfect, that or maybe a gymnast."

Genma looked at his sleeve with vague horror.

"Perhaps then I'll be appeased and you'll have redeemed yourselves."

"Master," Soun intoned sadly, "I'm sorry, but I cannot. I've already signed
the papers and he's on his way today. It's too late to stop it."

"But why?",  The greatest evil in all of JapanT asked tearfully, "All I want
is the soft, sweet, bosom of a innocent little exchange student to rest my
head on. Is that so much to ask for?"

He gazed up at them, pleading eyes full of faux-innocence.

Soun cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry Master, but you were not here to consult with, and the selection
was made by my middle daughter"

Happosai faced away indignantly.

 "Fine! Be that way. But even worse, how could you think for a minute that I
'd let some western devil learn the sacred ways of Anything Goes martial
arts? It's positively inconceivable. I'd be drummed out of the Ancient
Masters of Martial Arts Rotary club if anyone learned of this."

"But master," Soun offered a little uncertainly, "you were thrown out of
that, years ago. Something to do with trying to molest the coat check girl."

"Who cares? I hated that group anyway."

Happosai started walking away from them in a huff, climbing up on the table.

"But my decision stands. As founder of the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu  I command
that no one may teach this foreigner any portion of my school on pain. of.
of.. well on pain of pain I suppose."

"But Master."

"Silence!"

Happosai began pacing on the tabletop.

"Soun.Genma, you have greatly disappointed me today".

 Happosai carried himself with a severe manner.

 "I return from my annual scouting visit to the Kyushu beaches in
preparation for bikini hunting season, and what do I find? Two of my
students preparing to turn over knowledge of my school, MY school. to some
foreigner."

Casting a dark look down on them and seeming to swell in size, he again
shook his fast at the two cowering men.

 "As of now, I forbid you to even think of teaching this foreigner any
martial arts whatsoever."

"Master-"

Happosai quirked an eyebrow.

"I seem to remember telling you two not to even think about this anymore. I
know I couldn't be hearing protests from anyone. Right?"

Soun held his hands out toward the trollish figure.

"But Master, we agreed to include it as part of the-"

"Wrong answer."

 Genma cringed as he saw the diminutive old man bend his good friend into a
fair approximation of a pretzel, with a few sickening pops.

Sitting atop the near comatose Soun, Happosai asked,"How about you Genma?
Still thinking of teaching the foreigner?"

Genma pretended complete incomprehension.

"Thinking about teaching who, master? I don't know what you're talking
about?"

Happosai sat smoking his pipe, nodding.

"So, when is this barbarian invader supposed show up anyway?"

Genma sweated as he contemplated how to answer the question, deciding that a
direct answer was best.

"Later this evening master, his flight arrives at Tokyo at around 8pm, we
were planning on having a welcoming party."

"Feh!, well I'll see what sort of mettle this barbarian has then."

He snorted.

 "Not that I think he'd be worth teaching anything anyway, but I'd never
leave teaching someone up to you two bumblers anyway. We'd be the laughing
stock of International Exchange Student Martial Arts if I did."

He rapped his pipe against his knuckles.

"Now, get me a drink Genma, I'm thirsty, and be quick about it."

"Argh But master," Soun said, "you said we weren't to even think about-"

Happosai clouted Soun on the head with his pipe.

 "I said you weren't to think about it you idiot. I didn't say anything
about me. Now, where's that drink Genma? Better yet, let's go out and buy
some liqueur, we'll have a proper party tonight."

 Happosai leapt to his feet.

 "Get a'move on it Soun, what are you just laying around for?"

"Augh. At once master."

***

Japan Airline flight 61 nonstop to Tokyo from LAX, Crossing the
international dateline

Glancing out the window to his left, his view partially blocked by the
passenger next to him Dan Cervantes waxed philosophical.

"Ahhh, in all the world is there anything more wonderful than flying above
the clouds on a sunny day? Seeing the parade of clouds march along below
you, watching them break apart, and form anew as you sail through a vast
vault of azure sky. Ahhh, What could be better?"

He sat back in his chair again, and for the thousandth time he answered
himself with growing bitterness and anger.

 "Oh yes, that's right... the only thing better than 'flying above the
clouds, sailing through the azure sky etceteras... is doing it in 'first
class', like I god damn well paid for!"

     Dan had recently discovered something. He'd found out that being jammed
into coach class on an international flight, 5 hours earlier than he
expected to be on one, stuck between two men who could have made credible
sumo wrestlers (provided they gained some muscle, lost about a hundred
pounds each, and started bathing), created one very miffed Dan Cervantes.

     Months ago he'd planned it all out, and it was supposed to be perfect.

      He'd worked out every detail of the trip, preparing each stage of the
journey so that he'd arrive fresh, relaxed and ready to greet his home-stay
family. He knew that first impressions usually set the tone with the
Japanese, or so the books he'd read about the culture said.

He was all set to board the Japanese Airlines flight 65, nonstop to Tokyo
out of L.A. international, at a nice convenient  4:10 in the afternoon. He'd
have his first class ticket in hand, finally getting to experience the
decadent pleasure of high altitude pampering, with complimentary champagne
at his beck and call.

 Upon arrival he would have been fresh, relaxed, and ready for the first
meeting with the Tendos, where he'd politely introduce himself, and give
each member of the host family the gifts he'd prepared, as Japanese customs
said polite guests did.

     He even admitted to himself that he'd really been looking forward to
the flight and the novelty of first class luxury.

    Unfortunately not one part of his carefully laid plans had gone right.
Not one.

     Instead, after a single 6:00am call from Japan Airlines, everything was
shot straight to hell.

    He found that he'd been rescheduled to a noon flight and bumped down to
coach due to over booking and aircraft maintenance issues.

 "Sure," he told himself, "typical of the way airlines are run today."

 He sighed.

 "Well, at least I get the flight free because of the trouble. I'm sure I
can put the money I saved to good use when I get there, provided anyone's
even there to meet me."

       In the midst of his hasty and chaotic departure, Dan had made a
series of frantic calls to the exchange student program, getting an
answering machine each time.

This was the pattern right up until the last call. Finally, five minutes
before he had to leave to board the plane, on his  last quarter, he finally
got an actual, honest-to-goodness, person on the phone.

He asked that they call ahead to the Tendo family and tell them of the last
minute rescheduling.

 The person assured him that she'd get right on it. Right after she finished
her coffee break.

"I just know that they're going to mess this up, I just know it.", he
groused.

 "I should have called the Tendos myself before I left. Never leave
something important up to a bureaucrat."

 Sighing to himself once more, he reopened the book on his lap, making
another valiant effort at digesting more of  "Japanese for Busy People vol
 3", trying to stuff more vocabulary and grammar into his aching head.

"Man, what was I thinking? Offering to help teach Japanese high school kids
English. I hardly have a good grasp on their language. I gotta be nuts."

***

Tendo Dojo, Nerima Ward, Tokyo March  31st  1996 12:00 am

"She, what?!"

Akane's walked into the house, following Ranma, her mouth gaping open.

Ranma turned and looked back at her, he was carrying both of their
schoolbags.

"Sheesh, keep it down will ya. This is why I didn't tell ya till we almost
got here. Yer an uncute overly loud tomboy. You'da let the whole school know
about it the way you shout all a' the time."

Akane was apparently still too stunned to even notice the insult.

For once, Ranma got a chance to voice his side of the situation.

"Now before you get some weird idea that I thought any of this up, I'm
telling ya right now, none of this is my idea. It ain't my fault. I think
that she's crazier than my old man, coming up with an idea like this."

He paused, considering what he'd said.

"Hey! That'd explain a lot. Like how someone like Pop ended up with someone
as classy as Mom. Maybe she's nuts."

He hung their school bags on the pegs near the entryway and slipped out of
his shoes while Akane stood like a statue.

He nudged her and she slipped out of her shoes, putting on her house
slippers mechanically, while he went barefoot.

Nabiki pushed her way into the house past her younger sister.

"My my Ranma, I'm positively speechless that you'd confide in me with
information like this. I mean. goodness. I don't even know where to
start.Who will I sell this information to first? Why, the possibilities are
nearly limitless."

Ranma didn't even look surprised, he just moved in aggressively, invading
Nabiki's personal space.

"Nabiki. Look I almost didn't tell ya about this cus I thought you might do
something like that. But this is serious. Don't even think about it, I mean
it this time. This is bad enough as it is without you makin' it worse."

Nabiki smirked, Akane just continued looking shocked, staring blankly.

"Fine Saotome, I was only joking with you. I'll just put this on your tab."

She wagged a finger at him.

"But this one will cost you big."

She looked at his resigned expression, and laughed.

"That was another joke Ranma-kun. Lighten up. I'll help out this time, no
charge, this is my sister we're talking about after all."

Akane suddenly snapped out of her daze, waving her arms and shaking her head
as though to clear it.

"This can't be happening."

She turned to Ranma , grabbed the front of his shirt, and looked up into his
eyes almost pleadingly.

"You must have misunderstood Ranma, she can't be serious."

Kasumi wandered out of the kitchen a plate of freshly made cookies in hand.

"Hello everyone, welcome home. I hope that you getting out of school early
didn't cause too much of a fuss."

Ranma shook his head, resting a hand on Akane's shoulder as she sagged
against him.

"Nah, old pineapple head was actually happy to get us out of his hair today.
Whenever he's quiet like this for a long time, it means he's got another
goofball scheme cooking. He's probably gonna spring it on us right before
finals."

Kasumi seemed to consider what he'd said.

"Oh my, it sounds like the principal has become much more involved with the
students then when I went to Furinkan."

Nabiki snorted.

"You could say that. "

Kasumi offered them each a cookie off her plate.

"So, what were you all talking about? I didn't mean to interrupt."

Akane backed away from Ranma, conscious of how she must have looked just
then.

Ranma's shoulders slumped a little.

"I was tellin' Akane about what I overheard my Mom tellin' Pop, on Sunday."

Kasumi noted Akane's flushed face, and Nabiki's look of cool amusement.

"What happened, Ranma?"

"Well.Umm, let's go into the other room, I think ya need to sit down for the
whole story. I ain't told the whole thing yet, just the big stuff so far, so
it's okay if I start over I guess. "

The wandered into the living room, sitting around the table.

Ranma took a deep breath and let it out.

"Uhhh, like I was sayin' a few minutes ago; Sunday before last, Mom said she
wanted to sit down with Pop and me, and start goin' over stuff. You know,
stuff like where we'd been, what we'd done, who I was engaged to, so she
could start uhhh, 'makin up for lost time' like she said."

He noted Kasumi nodding.

"Anyway, Pop nearly had to be tied down to keep him from running away."

All the girls except Akane smiled, imagining the elder Saotome and how
uncomfortable he must have been.

"Well I didn't tell her about the Neko-ken, and some of Pops stupider ideas,
even though I think she kinda figured out I was keeping some stuff from her.
But, I didn't cus' I think she'da gutted pop right there if she found out
stuff like that. Not that he wouldn'ta deserved it r nothin'"

He snorted

"Anyway, Mom. well she's been really interested in spending time with me,
not that I mind or nothin'.  In fact its really kinda nice bein' able to
talk with her and stuff. "

Ranma's features had gradually become wistful while he was telling this part
of the story but he quickly shook it off, getting back to the discussion.

"So for the past couple' a weekends, she's asked me all about the stuff I've
been doing, all the rivals, and fights, but mostly about all the fianc�es."

He seemed to get a little uncomfortable.

"What's bad though is she's always goin it."

His eyes grew large, watery, and disturbingly sparkly.

"'Oh my manly son!' this, and 'Oh my manly son!' that."

He let the fa�ade drop, and sighed.

 "The problem is, she's actin like she's proud I got all these fianc�es or
something. And that's what the big problem is."

Kasumi looked puzzled.

"But Ranma-kun, I thought she said she wanted to get all the fianc�e
problems sorted out?"

Akane leaned forward on the table, hands flat on the tabletop, arms straight
with anger.

"She can't be serious She just can't be!"

Ranma yelled back, "I'm telling ya Akane, I heard what I heard."

Kasumi turned to Nabiki in frustration.

"Nabiki what in heaven's name are they talking about?"

Nabiki smirked and kicked Ranma under the table.

Ranma gave her a dirty look, then looked at Kasumi apologetically.

"Umm.Well I was telling Akane about this, and. well. it turns out that Mom
is gonna have each of my fianc�es come by the house. ummm for. a.. brible
mnntin.

Kasumi gave him an odd look.

"I'm sorry Ranma, I didn't quite hear you."

"A ridel meedng"

"Ranma, please mumbling is not a way to-"

"A Bridal Meeting, okay!?"

He threw up his hands in exasperation.

"She waited till I was headed up to bed before she talked with Pop, but I
was headed downstairs a bit later to get a drink, and heard them talking.
She said that it's her responsibility as my mother to help pick out the best
fianc�e. So, she said she wants to meet each one of em, even that nutcase
Kodachi."

Ranma found the words just kept rushing out of him.

"She's gonna invite all of 'em over, one at a time, so as she's able to 'get
to know her future daughter in law'
 She want's to do the full Omai and everything."

Kasumi wasn't quite sure how to take this piece of information, and looked
rather nonplussed.

"Oh my, Ranma-kun, this is all rather awkward isn't it?"

Ranma put his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his palm, looking
dejected.

"You don't know the half of it. Kasumi. The worst thing is that's not all."

Kasumi found that somehow she just wasn't surprised. She knew instinctively
that there was something still to come, that's just how things worked around
Ranma, but she played along.

"It's not?"

"Nope."

He sighed, looking more depressed than she'd ever seen him look. Even during
the moxibustion weakness episode, where he'd been as weak as a child, he
hadn't looked this defeated.

"She's so 'in love' with the whole damn 'multiple fianc�e' thing, that she's
gone nuts,  She said that she's so 'very proud' of me for being able to keep
so many women chasen' after me, that she's decided that if she thinks they'
re all 'suitable bridal candidates', that she's gonna acknowledge all of em.
She's got some lawyer guy looking into a finding some legal loophole to get
me married to all of em. Something about 'conch shell rinds' whatever those
are."

Kasumi summed it up in two words.

"Oh my!"

Ranma snorted in disgust.

"Ya got that right"

Akane just flapped her arms in the air ranting.

"This is insane, it's the 1990's for God's sake. You can't marry more than
one person, it's not legal. She has to realize that this is impossible."

Ranma just looked on with a defeated expression.

"That's what Pop said last night. But she's got this whole weirdo ancient
Japanese noble family thing going on with her, like we're in the Tokugawa
period or something. But, God, I hope you're right Akane, I couldn't take
having to deal with this crap for the rest of my life. I'd go as batty as
Kuno."

Nabiki smiled.

"Actually Ranma-kun, maybe you should pick out a flashy new name for
yourself and start practicing spouting bad poetry like he does now. At least
Kuno only wants Akane and his 'Pig tailed girl'."

She started giggling.

" If your mom gets her way, you'll be twice as bad as 'the Blue Blunder of
Furinkan', you'd have to deal with Ukyo, Shampoo, Kodachi, and lil' sis
there. Maybe you should go ask Kuno to take you on as a student."

Seeing the look on his face she couldn't keep going. Any more and she'd lose
her control completely.

"Damn it!  Nabiki, this ain't funny no more."

Ranma shook his head.

Nabiki just kept shaking with supressed laughter, unable to meet his gaze.

Kasumi sighed and tried to guide the conversation back into more serious
waters.

"Ranma-kun, did she give any indication as to how she thought she'd get
around the very real problem of something like polygamy being illegal in
Japan? I'm sure your father must have mentioned that to her."

"Nope, all I know is she was going on about how since she was a direct line
descendant of some noble house, and that maybe there was a law still on the
books or something. Like I said. she has some lawyer looking into it."

Nabiki, having regained a little control, looked at him bemusedly and
commented, "You don't say?"

Akane noticed the far-away, but speculative look in Nabiki's eye, she was
rapidly growing worried.

"Sis, knock it off. You're scaring me. I mean you don't think she might
actually be able to .. to."

 She couldn't finish her question.

>From where Akane sat, it looked like Nabiki seemed to be actually
contemplating it as if it was a real possibility.

"Well.. I don't know Akane. Maybe she has something there."

Hearing that, Akane ran screaming from the room, arms out wide and tearing
up the stairs, Ranma in hot pursuit.

"WAAAAAHHHH!  Ranma, you jerk, I hate you!"

"Akane, wait! It ain't my fault!"

Kasumi sat silently, a reproachful look directed at Nabiki.

"That was needlessly cruel sister, you know as well as I that Auntie Nodaka
hasn't a leg to stand on legally."

Nabiki shrugged.

"Maybe so sis, but you never know. Maybe there is some obscure law on one of
the books somewhere. You have to remember, concubinage is still kinda legal
in Japan. Hell, it was even a big deal, social status, thing back in the
1890s and that's not so long ago."

She gave her sister a significant look.

"You have to keep in mind how things happen around Ranma. I'd not put it out
of the realm of possibility that Auntie will find something if she looks
hard enough."

She nibbled at her cookie.

"Poor Akane..You'd figure she'd get some kind of a break at some point, some
chance to keep Ranma all to herself. Hmmph, well at least this beats the
alternative."

Kasumi furrowed her brow in thought, trying to see where Nabiki was leading.

"And what might that be Nabiki?

Nabiki cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, the 'letter' of the agreement between Father and Ranma's father was
to 'unite the schools'.  I don't remember anything about marriage in that
statement. As I see it, Ukyo might be the only one that has an honest to
goodness agreement with Mr. Saotome to 'marry' Ranma."

Kasumi wasn't sure where her sister was going with her line of reasoning at
first, then it dawned on her, she was shocked.

"You don't mean?"

"I'd not put it past her sis. Auntie might get the idea to marry Ranma off
to one of the others to satisfy honor, and have him keep Akane as a
mistress. But if Auntie Nodaka puts everyone through the whole bridal
meeting thing, no one has more of a claim than anyone else. But that also
opens up a whole new can of worms. If she's really serious about the whole
thing, Akane'll really have to compete against the others, and frankly, she
just doesn't have much in the 'bridal skills' training department."

Both looked at each other nervously.

Nabiki shook her head.

"I know I don't want to be the one to have to break that news to Akane. You
know how sensitive she is about her cooking and sewing. But if that's the
case, daddy might see that Akane doesn't have as good a shot at nabbing
Ranma as one of us, and then shift the engagement to you or me. He might see
it as a way to 'level the playing field', if you know what I mean."

Kasumi shuddered.

"Let's hope it doesn't go that far Nabiki, but in the meantime, we need to
get Akane out of the house for a while and keep her mind off this, I'm sure
we'll think of something later. So, why don't you take her and Ranma out
shopping for supplies for tonight's party, I still have a list of a few
things I'll need."

Nabiki nodded.

"Sure thing, I'll go get the two lovebirds."

She gave a predatory grin.

"I'm sure I'll be able to save us a little money if I do the bargaining. It'
s been a while since I've had a stab at some serious haggling. I need to
sharpen my skills a little."

Nabiki sauntered to the stairs casting a look over her shoulder to her older
sister.

"You know Kasumi. sometimes, every once in a while, I really envy Akane for
having Ranma there for her. Especially when he goes charging off to rescue
her. I mean she gets to play 'damsel in distress' anytime she wants to, and
Ranma's got a pretty cute butt for a 'knight in shining armor' you know."

She smiled.

"But then there are times like this. Times when I'm really, really glad we
left her holding the bag."

Kasumi nodded in agreement.

***
Japan Airlines flight 61 to Tokyo, approaching Japanese airspace. 3:35pm

     An interminable hour or so of study had passed when a soft chiming
sound could be heard throughout the passenger cabin, followed by a string of
Japanese fired off so fast that Dan only made out part of what was said. The
translations in English and French followed, and filled in the gaps where
his language skills failed him.

     "This is the Captain speaking. We'll be arriving in Japanese airspace
shortly. The local time is currently 3:35pm. We have fortunately caught a
tailwind that brought us here a little early. Unfortunately we have also
been informed that due to weather concerns about thunder storms in the area,
a number of aircraft scheduled to land as Osaka Kansai and New Tokyo
international in Narita, have been rerouted to Tokyo international. So while
they land we will be entering a holding pattern. We expect to be delayed
between thirty to forty five minutes. We humbly apologize for the
inconvenience and ask that all passengers please remain seated with trays in
the locked and upright position, while we wait for our turn to land. Thank
you very much."

      "Great, just great! Hell of a first impression this will make. First I
'm early, now I'm late for being early, I hate this."


****

     Far below, and some distance away, another person also expressed his
frustrations with the unpredictability of traveling, shouting it to the
heavens.

     "Where on Earth am I now!?"

     "Ummm, baggage claim?"

Ryoga turned and looked for the source of the reply, a helpful young woman
in a dark-blue Tokyo international airport blazer smiled back.

     "What?"

     "I said, 'Baggage claim' sir. This is the baggage claim area for Japan
Airlines international flights. Can I help you?"

     Ryoga Hibiki, looked around, "You mean this isn't the Ginkaku-ji
Temple?"

     The young woman shook her head, "No sir, that's in Kyoto. My boyfriend
took me there once. You're in Tokyo international airport."

She looked at him a bit puzzled.

 "Were you on one of the planes that got re-routed because of all the
thunderstorms sir?"

Ryoga blushed and started scratching the back of his neck.

"Ummm, not exactly. Ummm.did you say this is an airport?", He ventured
hopefully.

     "Yes sir"

     "Tokyo International?"

      She nodded.

    "Hey, that's great! Do you think you could tell me the way to the Tendo
Dojo in Nerima?"

     "Nerima?, Ummmm, I suppose you could just take the courtesy tram to the
train station, and ride one of the north west bound trains to Ikeburuka
station. That'd get you there, I think. Unless you were a passenger on a
flight of course.  Because of all the rerouting, the airlines are offering
free passes on the limo busses today to all rerouted passengers. I think the
351 bus goes to Nerima if I remember right."

     "Thank you miss.", he laughed a little nervously, "Umm, I don't mean to
trouble you, but.well..Do you suppose you could tell me where the train
station is? I'm a little. lost."

     The young woman, certain that this had to be some sort of customer
service test by her managers smiled.

 "Certainly sir."

She pointed off to a main throughway.

"Just go that way and take a right, follow the signs that show the train
symbol. It'll take you right to the tram, but if you'll wait one moment-"

 She rummaged in her purse and produced a folded sheet of paper.

"Ahh here it is, I even have a train schedule you can use."

She handed him the folded sheet of paper.

     Ryoga sighed in relief, bowing to her.

 "Thank you, Thank you very much, I thought I'd be lost again for weeks. I'm
sure Akane will give me a hand getting back to Akari when I see her."

Bowing to the woman a final time," Thank you so much.", and set off.

     Behind him the young woman shouted, "Sir, Sir!. you're going the wrong
way.that's the wrong way... Sir!"

***
   Dan stood in the middle of a teeming mass of people near the exit for
international flights

He had a cardboard sign hanging around his neck and looked rather disgusted.

 "I knew this would happen"

    He'd already disembarked, gone through customs with his various
packages, gotten his refund, and arranged for the delivery of the rest of
his luggage with the airport delivery service. Since then he'd been waiting
for someone from the Tendo family to find him at the exit.

He'd been a little surprised to learn that no one, other than passengers,
were allowed in the airport but figured that the Japanese had their reasons.

Shortly after exiting, and finding nobody there to meet him, he'd approached
a gate attendant for a piece of cardboard and a marker. He quickly sketched
the kanji for "Tendo family dojo" on it and held it over his head, hoping to
attract someone's attention.

End result of that idea: A few odd looks from passing Japanese businessmen,
nothing more.

Then he'd gone and asked at for some assistance at an information desk,
having his name and location repeated on the airport loudspeaker system.

 So far he'd been batting zero in the getting found department, and odds
didn't seem to be improving.

Finally, he'd hung the sign around his neck and started making his way to
the collection of payphones just inside the airport entranceways, to try and
give the Tendos a call.

 Seeing the phones were all occupied and that every one of them had lines of
people waiting to use them he sighed, grabbed a place in the queue, and
waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Of course, his queue, which seemed to be the shortest one, never moved an
inch.

"Dandy, Just dandy!" he muttered.

***

Ryoga wandered through the crowd.

 "This is wonderful. Imagine, ending up in Tokyo, finally, it looks like my
luck is changing. I'll get to see my dear sweet Akane again. I'm sure she'll
help me get back to Akari's farm."

He sighed, a faraway look in his eyes.

"She's so kind, gentle, and so helpful, and sweet."

His eyes assumed a glazed shimmer for a moment, imagining her holding his
hand, walking with him though a light shower of sakura petals. Completely
forgetting that his fianc�e, Akira, was one he was supposed to think  about
like that..

However, Ryoga wouldn't be Ryoga if he could hold onto a pleasant thought
for more than 10 seconds.

He clenched his fist tightly in anger while casting his gaze skyward,
getting a few odd looks from passersby.

"That womanizing jerk Ranma doesn't deserve someone as wonderful as Akane."

He sighed sadly, shoulders slumping a bit.

"Now, if only I can find my way to the Tendo house."

He looked around.

"Now, what did that nice woman say to look for again?"

Ryoga gazed about, but failed to see any signs bearing what looked like a
symbol for a train. However he did see something he didn't expect.

 Right in front of him was some foreigner, an American it appeared by his
manner of dress.

 This in and of itself wasn't anything remarkable, but what was odd was that
the foreigner was standing in line to use a phone with a sign for the Tendo
Dojo around his neck.

     Now, Ryoga wasn't what anyone would usually call a superstitious
person. However, he knew, deep down, that running into a coincidence like
this had to be the work of good spirits.

 He decided that if he couldn't find his way to the Dojo himself, he'd see
what this foreigner was doing with a sign hanging for the Dojo around his
neck. Maybe if he was lucky he'd get some directions out of him.

***

Dan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned, in front of him was a rather
burley looking young man with a shock of black hair pinned back by a yellow
and black spotted bandana.

It took him a moment longer to catch on that this person was speaking to him
in accented, but entirely understandable English. It took yet another moment
to decipher what he was saying over the din of the crowd, but when he
figured it out, he suddenly felt a lot better.

"Are you looking for the Tendo Dojo?"

Dan sighed in relief, "I was wondering when one of you would find me. I'm
sorry I got here so early, the airline rebooked me suddenly."

Ryoga looked puzzled, "Umm I'm not sure what you mean."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you'd be Ranma Saotome right? Sorry, I'm Dan, Dan Cervantes"
, he extended his hand to Ryoga.

Ryoga narrowed his eyes, thinking; "How dare this person mistake me for
Ranma!"

"I am NOT, Ranma Saotome" Ryoga answered with more than a bit of anger in
his voice.

Dan looked nonplussed, unsure why this person seemed so mad all of a sudden

"Umm, sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

 The apology seemed to mollify the young man somewhat.

 "Umm. So, if you aren't Ranma, who are you?"

"Ryoga Hibiki, I'm a friend of the Tendo family"

 "But not of Ranma Saotome it sounds like, huh?

 "Ranma is the bane of my existence. Because of him, I've seen hell."

Not sure what to make of that last comment Dan answered a bit nervously,
"Uhhh I see."

"Well it's nice to meet you Ryoga."

He re-extended his hand, which Ryoga took this time.

"Like I said, I'm Dan, I don't suppose you've seen any of the Tendo family
around here have you?"

They shook hands and Dan picked up his packages as the line moved forward
suddenly.

"Nice to meet you too, and no, I haven't."

Ryoga considered how best to ask for directions, and opted for stalling for
time.

"Actually, Ummm I was a little curious why you had a sign for the Dojo
around your neck."

Dan laughed, "Oh, that.I'm the student they're hosting this year. I applied
for the exchange student program, and. well, one thing led to another, and
here I am."

  Ryoga looked confused, "Exchange student?"

Dan nodded, switching to Japanese, "Ummm yes, I'm a college student, but I'
ll be living at the Tendo home as a guest, to help me learn more about Japan
and it's people."

  Ryoga cringed a little at his inflection and the obviously prepared
phrase, "It's okay, I know English pretty well, let's stick to that for now
okay? So, what happened? I'd think that they'd be here to meet you."

Dan sighed.

"Got rescheduled to an earlier flight. I tried to get a message to them,
telling them what happened. But I guess they didn't get it. Damn, typical
isn't it?"

  Ryoga smiled in understanding and nodded.

"I know what you mean, I don't like to travel too much myself, not like I
have much choice in it though. Well, I guess we're both in luck, I need to
go there too. Do you know how to get to the Dojo from here? I'll go with you
if you want"

   Dan shook his head.

"Not in the slightest, think you can show me how to get there?"

Ryoga considered for a moment, sweat drops dotting his brow.

 "Well. you see."

 He thought furiously, trying to find a way to save face and not have to
tell Dan about his problem with getting lost.

Giving up he sighed, "Sure, why not, I'll give it a shot."

Dan smiled widely.

"Hey this is great, and it's perfect timing too, looks like the phone just
got freed up, I'll give them a call and let them know we're on our way. We'
ll be there in no-time."

Off in the distance some thunder happened right on cue.


End of chapter 2

To be continued.


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