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Extra special thanks to my pre-readers for helping me improve
this one!
Most of the characters in this piece and the setting
for it were conceived of by Rumiko Takahashi for her Ranma1/2
series of Manga. All such characters and the setting are the
property of Takahashi-san and her licensees. All other
characters, except those noted below, are purely fictional
and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, are
purely coincidental.
Jack Burton is the creation and property of W.D.
Richter, Gary Goldman, and David Z. Weinstein, screenwriters
for the movie _Big Trouble in Little China_. The role of Jack
Burton played by Kurt Russel. The movie directed by John
Carpenter.
Brief mention is made of Sensei Nobuhara Yagyu. Yagyu-
Sensei is the current and twenty-first headmaster of the
Shinkage-ryu hyoho. He is a direct descendent of Yagyu
Sekihusai Munetoshi, the founder of the Shinkage-ryu. The
Shinkage-ryu hyoho was the school of swordsmanship adopted by
the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Yagyu and their allied clans were
instrumental in assuring a Tokugawa victory at Sekigahara.
No insult of Yagyu-sensei or his renowned school is
intended by mentioning him and the Shinkage-ryu in this
story. Quite the opposite obtains. In this writer's opinion,
it would be a gross violation of verisimilitude to write of a
great Japanese Martial Artist and not mention the Sensei and
his school, at least in passing.
------------------
Comes the Cold Dragon: Part VIIa Rewrite 1
------------------
Ko Lon helped Xian Pu rush through the process of
setting three places at a table near the door, then they
worked like mad to set three places at a table near the
counter. Xian Pu laid a large towel on the back of each chair
at this table. Ko Lon stretched out a set of screens to
obscure this second table from the remainder of the
restaurant. The meal they set out at this table was smaller,
but more sumptuous than the one laid out on the table near
the door. This meal would be for herself, Kasumi, and Nodoka.
Ko Lon cast an eye upon their handiwork and decided that it
was satisfactory.
"All right, Xian Pu," Ko Lon said with a nod of her
head, "you may fill the foot pans now."
"Yes, Great-Grandmother," Xian Pu said, then made her
way rapidly towards the kitchen.
"Don't bring them out until the ladies are seated, my
dear!"
"Yes, Great-Grandmother!"
Ko Lon waited calmly while speculating on how things
would go. She could easily find herself knee-deep in
negotiations over Ranma's nuptials, or the whole thing might
turn out to be nothing more than a mere preliminary. It all
depended upon the state of the Saotome woman's mind. If
Nodoka was in a sufficient state of shock, she might well be
willing to accept a reasonable offer from the Joketsu. Given
the Japanese penchant for conformity, how many Japanese girls
would want to be burdened with a dragon for a husband? How
many Japanese women would want such a burden for a son?
Heroes and myths are always a good deal more comfortable when
viewed from a safe distance.
The door chimed as Mu Suu opened it, breaking Ko Lon's
reverie. One look at Nodoka told Ko Lon she could relax.
There were not going to be any serious negotiations today.
Nodoka's old-fashioned hairstyle and kimono spoke volumes.
The family sword she carried spoke even louder. Louder still
however were Nodoka's calm demeanor and steely gaze. Ko Lon
found a smile playing at her lips despite it all. A glance
was all she needed to understand where the steel in Ranma's
soul came from, not to mention the source of his adamantine
will. Nabiki's description of Nodoka as a formidable woman
was right on the mark. Razor sharp steel clothed in velvet is
this one. Such a woman would never allow herself to be drawn
into serious negotiations at the drop of a hat. The best Ko
Lon could hope for today was to open the preliminaries.
"This way, if you would, please, ladies!" Ko Lon
called out in a cheerful voice as she indicated the table
behind the screen. Both Kasumi and Nodoka looked greatly
relieved.
"I have warm, dry towels waiting for you, here," Ko
Lon added while maintaining her welcoming smile.
"Have a seat, gentlemen," Mu Suu said to the three men
in a low voice, indicating the table near the door. "I'll go
fetch some towels for you."
"Thank you, Mu Suu," Tofu said softly.
"That is very kind of you, son," Tendo said in his
friendliest voice.
"Ummph!" Genma noised around a mouthful of noodles.
"From father to son," Mu Suu muttered to himself in
Chinese as he stripped off his rain gear.
"Elder Ko Lon," Kasumi said, "Please allow me to
introduce you to Saotome Nodoka, Head of Clan Saotome and
mother of Saotome Ranma, now the Cold Dragon of Nerima."
Ko Lon found herself laughing inwardly at Kasumi's
proud description of Ranma. It was the one of the last things
she expected, even though perhaps she should have.
"Aunt Nodoka, this is Ko Lon, Honored Elder of the
Joketsuzoku, great-grandmother of Xian Pu, who claims your
son's hand in marriage by rite of combat."
"I am honored to meet you at last, Elder Ko Lon,"
Nodoka said with a polite bow. "Thank you most kindly for
inviting us in out of the weather."
"Not at all, Saotome no Mae (Dame Saotome)," Ko Lon
replied and bowed her head in kind, "We are deeply honored
that you grace us with your presence."
Both women bowed to one another again.
"Won't you have a seat?" Ko Lon asked.
Nodoka and Kasumi gratefully accepted the offer and
began patting their faces dry with the warm towels. Both
sighed with great relief.
"Warm water for feet, Honored Mother-in-law!" Xian Pu
said as she gently placed a pan of fresh, hot water at
Nodoka's feet. Ko Lon flashed a smile at Nodoka and Kasumi as
she served them tea.
"Thank you, child," Nodoka said, then flashed a smile
at Xian Pu. "That is very kind of you." Nodoka visibly
relaxed as she slipped her cold, bare feet into the pan of
hot water.
"I go get water for Tendo-san, now."
"You needn't trouble, Xian Pu!" Kasumi said as Xian Pu
left.
"Is no trouble," Xian Pu said cheerfully over her
shoulder. She quickly returned with a pan of water for
Kasumi, who despite her protestations found herself greatly
relieved by it.
"Try the tea, ladies," Ko Lon implored. "I think you
will find it most satisfactory."
"Thank you, Honored Elder," Kasumi said.
"Xian Pu?"
"Yes, Great-Grandmother?"
"See that Mu Suu is looking after our other guests,
would you please?"
"Yes, Great-grandmother."
Ko Lon joined Kasumi and Nodoka as they dug into their
meal, giving them a period of silence in which to recover
from their exposure to the vile weather and the shock of
Ranma's change in form. She had felt the powerful wave of ki
that washed over Nerima during the fight and did not need to
see Ranma to know what had happened to him. As she struggled
with a way to broach the subject, Nodoka surprised her by
unexpectedly breaking the silence.
"Tell me, Honored Elder. What is the exact nature of
your great-granddaughter's claim on my son? Is she with
child?"
Ko Lon was taken back a bit by Nodoka's last question.
The woman sounded positively hopeful. Was she really so eager
to have her son prove himself a man? Among the Joketsuzoku,
Ranma's behavior would be considered manly to the point of
frigidity. To the Joketsu, a real man did not throw himself
into the bed of any and every woman that crooked her finger.
Here in Japan, among his own people, Ranma was a peculiarity
and sadly, peculiarities were disliked and mistrusted in
Japan. Doubtlessly, the boy would be better off among the
Joketsu than among his own.
"Unfortunately, no," Ko Lon answered with a chuckle,
"and not because my great-granddaughter wanted it otherwise.
Your son has demonstrated incredible self-control and
constraint for such a young man. He has been quite chary with
his pillow."
Nodoka sighed while looking vaguely disappointed. Ko
Lon went on to explain the nature of Xian Pu's claim in
detail. Nodoka's face became a mask of great concern as Ko
Lon related the tale. By the time Ko Lon had finished,
Nodoka's eyes were glittering with anger.
"This is a most serious matter, Elder Ko Lon," Nodoka
said in a very quiet voice. "I am very sorry this has
happened."
"I am relieved to hear that you see it as a serious
matter, Dame Saotome," Ko Lon said, "but I cannot see it as
an occasion for unhappiness. The Joketsuzoku needs young men
like your son. We would be overjoyed to make him one of our
own."
The restaurant became quiet enough to make the soft
rain falling outside sound like a waterfall, as the men
ceased eating and talking. Nodoka leaned on the back of her
chair for a moment of silent thought before speaking.
"I am very flattered that you think so highly of my
son, but as you may or may not know, he has been away from
home training these past ten years."
"So I have been informed, Dame Saotome."
"Then you would understand when I tell you that I am
loathe to see him leave home again."
"This, of course, is perfectly understandable, Dame
Saotome."
Nodoka's eyes glittered with humor now instead of
anger.
"Would your great-granddaughter accept my husband's
head in lieu of my son's hand in marriage?"
Choking sounds came from beyond the ladies' screen,
followed by a series of rapid, hollow thumps.
"Don't worry, Saotome-kun," Soun said in a too-loud
whisper, "I don't think Xian Pu will settle for your head.
You are entirely too bald."
Ko Lon clamped down hard with her self-control in
order to stifle a belly laugh before answering.
"I would be more than happy to bring the offer to her
attention, Dame Saotome, although I think it unlikely that
she will accept such an inordinately generous offer."
"On the off chance that she should find it
acceptable," Nodoka said, raising her voice ever so slightly
for Genma's benefit. "Will she want it delivered, or would
she prefer the honor of taking it herself?"
There were more choking sounds heard from beyond the
screen and Ko Lon found it impossible to stop her face from
turning red.
"I will be sure to inquire as to which option she
prefers, Dame Saotome."
"Good," Nodoka said. "When may we expect an answer
from her?"
"Well," Ko Lon said in a speculative tone as she
derived great pleasure from the noises being made across the
room, "I think we should perhaps give her an adequate amount
of time to consider the matter. Would a fortnight be too long
for you?"
"She may take more time than that if she needs it,"
Nodoka said calmly, "We must not rush her into making a hasty
decision."
A loud gasp could be heard from the far side of the
screen, then at least one stifled chuckle. The chuckle
sounded as though it were Tofu's.
"Oh, I think that should be more than enough time," Ko
Lon said with a huge grin as her lips quivered on the edge of
a riotous laugh. "I will give you a call on that day and let
you know if she has decided or if she needs more time."
"Thank you, Honored Elder," Nodoka said, sounding
sincere. "Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated."
"If I may be so bold, I suggest we both give
consideration to other options during this interim," Ko Lon
said. "Just in case Xian Pu does not require such a heavy
price of your family."
"I find that a very wise suggestion, Honored Elder,"
Nodoka said, with a serious face and a nod of her head.
"Something shall be done to satisfy your great-
granddaughter's honor. You may rest assured of that."
Ko Lon instantly recognized Nodoka's genuine sincerity
and realized that unless she played her cards carefully, a
stuffed panda might well be all that the Joketsu ever
received for her and Xian Pu's efforts. Whatever offer they
made, it would have to be acceptable to this incredibly hard
woman. She wondered if it might be wise to simply adopt the
whole of the Saotome Clan as part of the Joketsuzoku. While
Genma might well prove to be a significant downside to such a
deal, Nodoka and Ranma would be well worth the price of any
trouble he might cause. Of course, they could demand such an
adoption as well as Genma's head. That might actually work
out quite well. She would have to think it over carefully
once the scrolls she had requested of Revered Grandmother
arrived and she had a chance to read them.
"We are humbled by your respect of our customs, Dame
Nodoka," Ko Lon said with a bow.
"And we by your forbearance, Honored Elder," Nodoka
replied with a carefully measured bow.
"It is still raining outside, dear," Ko Lon said in
less formal tones. "Would you allow me to call a cab for
you?" This was an overwhelmingly generous offer, given that
cabbies in Tokyo habitually charged at least double their
normal rates during bad weather.
"Oh that would be a godsend, Elder Ko Lon," Nodoka
said with great relief.
"So tell me, Tofu," Tendo said in the best of his hale
and hearty tones, "Have you tried Kirin's latest saki?"
"Well no, I didn't realize they brewed saki, Tendo-
san."
"Well it's the latest thing! And let me tell you, it
is the best stuff I ever drank! Would you like to try some?"
"Well," Tofu said, "it is a Friday night. Why not?"
"Good!" Tendo said cheerfully. "Bear a hand with Genma
here and we'll go knock back a bottle or two!"
"Good idea, Tendo-san!" Tofu said, doing his best to
sound enthused.
The three women snickered as they listened to the
sounds of the two men grunting, followed by the scraping
sounds of Genma being dragged through the door.
"Gerrower!" Genma noised when the rain invoked his
curse. Shortly after the men's voices faded into the
distance, a car pulled up outside the Nekohanten and honked.
"There's our ride, Aunt Nodoka!"
"Good night, Elder Ko Lon," Nodoka said. "Your
kindness this evening will never be forgotten."
"It has been a memorable visit," Ko Lon said with a
laugh. "Thank you for coming."
Mu Suu followed the two women outside with an
umbrella.
"Great-Grandmother?" Xian Pu asked in her native
tongue.
"Yes, child?"
"I have no need whatsoever for the panda-man's head."
"I know that, Xian Pu," Ko Lon answered in their
ancient dialect, "but make no mistake, Saotome-san would be
more than happy to cut Genma's head off and give it to you if
it meant her son could stay here at home."
"I don't want to stay here! It's too hot in the
summer, damp in the winter, and I hate the noise. I want to
go back to our mountains."
"We may not have a choice in that matter, child."
"Eh?"
"Things are changing at home."
"Why? Has something gone wrong?" Xian Pu asked
sounding deeply alarmed.
"Patience, child," Ko Lon said in a gentle voice. "I
am waiting on word from Revered Grandmother. Once I know what
her plans are, I will be able to tell you more."
"I hope this isn't going to take too long."
"No, it won't be too long, Xian Pu," Ko Lon said,
being careful to keep her gentle tone. "Now let's clean this
place up. I'll have Mu Suu make your deliveries on Forges
Street this evening."
"Yes, Great-Grandmother."
-------------------
Tatsu-Ranma polished off the side of beef, then
settled to the ground with a loud groan.
"Man, I needed that! Thanks, Nabiki," he said in his
Onna-Ranma voice.
"You're welcome, Ranma," Nabiki said. "How do you
feel?"
"Sleepy," Tatsu-Ranma said, then rewarded the girls
and Konatsu with a toothy yawn. "I feel like I could sleep
for a month."
"Think you could stay awake long enough to make it
back to the clinic, Ranma?" Akane asked. "I need to get my
coat."
"Sure," Tatsu-Ranma said, then struggled back up onto
his four feet.
His four companions started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Tatsu Ranma rumbled in his dragon's
voice.
"You're so full you look like a snake that just
swallowed a big rabbit, Ran-chan!" Ukyo said, then giggled.
"Huh?" Tatsu-Ranma noised, then craned his neck so
that he could get a glimpse of his midsection.
"Your belly nearly drags the ground," Akane said.
"I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" Tatsu-Ranma
rumbled, the gave out a window-rattling burp.
"It's almost as though he were pregnant," Nabiki said
with a giggle.
"Ah, geez!" Tatsu-Ranma said with more than a little
whine in his Onna-Ranma voice. "Did'ja hafta say that?"
The girls stopped giggling and broke up laughing at
him.
"We should be going," Konatsu said. "It's getting
colder and it will be dark soon."
"Ranma?" Akane asked.
"Yeah, Akane?"
"Can you go into the Umisen-ken while you are in this
form?"
"I think I can manage it. Why?"
"It might save us some trouble if people can't see you
on our way to the clinic."
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Akane," Tatsu-Ranma said,
then disappeared.
"Wow!" Konatsu exclaimed. He was deeply impressed by
this. He could vanish, but not the way Tatsu-Ranma had just
done it.
"Let's go, guys," Nabiki said. "My feet feel like
blocks of ice."
Tatsu-Ranma broke the Umisen-ken once they reached the
clinic, then slithered into the narrow green space between
the clinic and the low wall which surrounded it. Konatsu and
the girls ran inside and up the stairs to the living quarters
Ranma and Akane had been using for the past week. Akane
stayed only just long enough to throw on a coat then went
back downstairs to stay with her fiance.
"Go ahead and shower, Konatsu," Ukyo said. "Nabiki or
I will go next."
The ninja answered with a silent nod of the head and
disappeared into the bathroom.
"So how did the Cha No Yu, go?" Nabiki asked Ukyo
after Akane left.
"Perfect!" Ukyo declared, then explained how things
ended.
"Oh, no!" Nabiki said.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's settled!" Nabiki said.
"Sure it is," Ukyo said, clearly fighting for self-
control. "Ran-chan's free to marry whoever he wants, now. If
he asks me, I'll say no."
"But that still leaves the trouble over your dowry and
honor open to question, Ukyo," Nabiki said. "Neither Ranma
nor Akane is going to be happy with that."
"Well, you know, I think that really should be between
me and his dad, or maybe me and his mother."
"Are you kidding? Nodoka is ready to kill for a
grandchild. I know what they'll want you to do and I don't
think my baby sister will go for it."
"Don't worry, Nabiki," Ukyo said firmly, "I won't go
for that either."
"Are you sure, Ukyo?" Nabiki asked.
"Well, so long as Nodoka makes the offer while I'm
sober, anyway."
Nabiki gave Ukyo a crooked grin. Konatsu came out of
the bath wearing a dry yukata, interrupting Nabiki's train of
thought.
"Where did you find that?" Nabiki asked.
"Oh, I always carry one with me," Konatsu answered.
"You never know what you might need when you are a ninja."
"Go ahead and shower, Nabiki-san," Ukyo said, "I'll
start us something to eat."
"Why don't you shower before you start cooking, Ukyo,"
Nabiki said, "You must be freezing."
"And you aren't?"
"I can shower while you cook," Nabiki said, "There is
only one person in the world that cooks worse than I do."
"You're that bad?"
"Let's just say I'm a very distant second to Akane for
World's Worst Cook, okay?"
"You convinced me," Ukyo said. "I'll go next."
Nabiki waited for Ukyo to start the water running
before talking to Konatsu.
"So how is she holding up?"
"I'm not sure," Konatsu said. "Sometimes she won't
react to something like this for a couple of days, then she
goes to pieces."
Nabiki heaved a great sigh.
"You could be a lot more help to her, Konatsu."
"How? I love, Ukyo. I'm already doing everything I can
for her."
"Do you love her enough to stop cross-dressing?"
"I...I have thought about it. Do you think it would do
any good?"
"Trust me on this one, okay? You're around Ukyo day
and night. You are as good or better at the Art as Ranma is
... "
Konatsu shook his head no. "You're comparing apples
and oranges. I can't do some of the things Ranma does, but he
could probably learn to do what I know."
"Are you telling me you couldn't learn from Ranma?"
"Oh, well sure I could, but ... "
"What?"
"Ah ... well ... "
"Look, Konatsu, the only thing keeping you and Ukyo
apart is that she has never come to think of you as a man."
"Huh?"
"Well look at you! Look at her! Why do you think she
has never been able to get anywhere with Ranma? He thinks of
Ukyo as a boyhood friend. One of the guys to be exact."
"So you think Ukyo is the same way by me?"
"I'd give you very good odds on it."
"I'll ... it's a big change for me ... I don't know
what sort of ... "
"Tell you what, Konatsu. How about you and I go
shopping together Sunday? The first thing you need to do is
to change the way you dress."
"I don't know, I don't want to leave Ukyo by herself.
She might become depressed and you have never seen what she's
like while she's down."
"Is it bad?"
"I stopped her from hurting herself on accident twice.
She drinks a little too much when she gets depressed."
"I guess we'll take her with us then. I'll tease her
into helping you choose your new wardrobe."
"Do you think she would?"
"Once I get her started? You bet. She knows more about
guys clothes than I do anyway."
The water stopped running.
"Just let me handle it, okay?" Nabiki asked in a
whisper.
Konatsu answered with a nod of his head.
"Oh, that felt good!" Ukyo said as she came out of the
shower. "I had no idea how cold I had gotten."
Akane chose that moment to return from downstairs. She
was shivering very badly.
"How's Ranma?" Nabiki and Ukyo chorused.
"He's sound asleep," Akane said between chatters. "He
might be a dragon, but that fight took a lot out of him."
"Come on, Sis," Nabiki said, nodding her head towards
the bath. "I'll scrub your back, you scrub mine."
"Anything to get warm!" Akane said with yet another
involuntary clack of her teeth. Nabiki had to help Akane
remove her clothing once they were in the bath.
"Oh, God, that's hot!" Akane shouted as she stepped
beneath the shower stream.
"Do you want me to make it cooler?" Nabiki asked.
"NO!"
"So how's Ranma?" Nabiki asked. "Is he really asleep?"
"He might be," Akane said. "He's worried sick about
how his mother is taking all this. He might have been faking
sleep just so I would come inside."
"I can't blame him for wanting you to get out of the
cold," Nabiki said. "And I know he's worried about what his
mom thinks. You wouldn't think a dragon lady like Nodoka
would mind having a dragon for a son, but then she wanted him
to be a 'man among men', didn't she?"
Akane nodded her head.
"Now that he's an ambulatory myth, she wouldn't even
come over and congratulate him for winning."
"I don't think you can call dragons a myth anymore,
Nabiki," Akane said. "It's not like Ranma is the only dragon
we've run into. Besides, you spent what was it? Two hundred
thousand feeding one today."
"Well you've got a point there, I'll have to admit,"
Nabiki said thoughtfully. "How are _you_ holding up?"
"I don't know," Akane said. "I guess I'm more worried
that he might not be able to change back into his human form
than anything else."
"That would be a real shame," Nabiki said sounding
sad. "It looked to me like he had gotten control of the curse
during the fight."
"Ranma says he's thinks he might have, but he can't be
sure. He was pretty busy."
"Yes, he was!" Nabiki said. "At least our house was
spared this time."
"Hey, that's right! They didn't even do much damage to
the school this time," Akane said. "Are you ready for a turn
under the shower?"
Nabiki, like Akane, did not wait to be asked twice.
After luxuriating beneath the warm stream of water for a
moment, something occurred to her.
"Akane, what was the name of that place where Ranma
fought Safuron?"
"Jusendo."
"That was the name of the cave, right? What was the
name of the mountain the cave is in?"
"Oh, aah, Kenseizan."
"Kenseizan. Kenseizan, " Nabiki repeated to herself as
she recalled the kanji necessary write out the mountain's
name. The character for "ken" could be read to mean fist, but
it very often meant technique, especially when the use of
one's ki was involved. The character for "sei" could be taken
to mean "perfection" or "essence" or even both at the same
time, depending upon context. "Kenseizan! Of course!"
"What?"
"Don't you see, Akane? Jusenkyo is a training ground
all right, but it was originally intended as a training
ground where you were supposed to learn how to perfect the
use of your ki. That's why they named the source of the
springs Fist Perfection Mountain."
"Oh, my God!" Akane exclaimed. "Why didn't we see it
before now?"
"Because we never thought there might be any sort of
cure besides a contradictory curse, Akane," Nabiki said, "but
if Ranma has gotten even partial control of his curse, it's
the only thing that makes sense."
"Nabiki, it _is_ the only thing that makes sense,"
Akane said. "Those springs are painfully cold. The cold water
alone is more than enough incentive to do well in ordinary
training. The so-called curses are what makes the place
special."
"I see your point," Nabiki said. "Being dunked in
bitterly cold water several times a day would make just about
anyone want to improve their skill, but it's the curse that
must be mastered."
"The curses mean that whoever created Jusenkyo
intended it to be a place where only very advanced martial
artists would come to train."
"I'll bet that it was by invitation only in the
beginning and only the extremely talented were ever invited."
"Now all it takes is commitment," Akane said, sounding
a little bitter, "or the wrong enemy."
"It also explains why Ko Lon hasn't given up on Ranma
and gone home, Akane."
"Huh? Ko Lon? Ko Lon doesn't want to marry Ranma."
"You don't think Xian Pu would have stayed here all
this time without Ko Lon, do you? What would she have done
for a living? Rob people? Ko Lon wants Ranma for her tribe.
To her, he's prime breeding stock. It isn't just Ranma's
strength and skill she's interested in. She wants to breed
his talent into her tribe."
"Whatever you do, don't say anything like that to
Nodoka, okay? She might try to put him out to stud."
"Now, why didn't I think of that?" Nabiki asked in the
cheerful tone she that usually got when she had hit upon a
good moneymaking scheme. "We wouldn't even need to send him
to China to do that."
"NABIKI! Ranma is NOT a horse!"
"Oh? Why the funny name, then?"
"Grrrr!"
"Seriously, Akane, think about it. Ranma is Nodoka's
only child and the only heir to his school. Nodoka is
probably more worried about the continuation of her family
line than she is anything else. It would explain a lot."
"Including that stupid contract she's been all too
willing to execute?"
"Hmm, all or nothing," Nabiki said, "you're right.
That doesn't make any sense at all. There has to be more to
it than what we've discovered so far."
"It makes perfect sense if you view yourself and your
son as nothing more than breeding stock," Akane said glumly.
"Animal breeders very often kill their inferior stock to keep
the bloodline strong."
Nabiki tried to stop her gasp before it got out but
failed. She looked up at her younger sister. Akane had become
fascinated with the tiles of the shower floor.
"Akane, I could probably get you out of this
engagement if you want out."
Akane shook her head no.
"Are you sure, little sister?"
"He chose me, Nabiki," Akane said barely loud enough
to be heard above the running shower. "Ranma has chosen me
above all else, even The Art."
This took Nabiki back more than a little. Has she been
sharing Ranma's futon, Nabiki wondered? Why else would Akane
be so certain?
"What makes you believe that, Akane?"
"Because I tried to seduce him and he wouldn't let
me," Akane said in a tight little voice. "He said he wanted
to save that for our wedding night."
Nabiki's mind reeled at this.
"Did he say he would give up The Art so he could marry
you?"
"He said he can't teach me until he's licensed to
teach," Akane answered. "He said that if Happosai wouldn't be
fair about it, that he would quit the Anything Goes School
and go to one of the Koryu."
Nabiki gasped again. Koryu are the very exclusive,
very traditional and hard to get into schools of martial
arts. Most of them have been around for seven hundred years
or more. Strictly Japanese in tradition, they teach primarily
weapons skills, but Ranma's thinking was obvious, to Nabiki.
A license to teach is a license to teach. It need not
necessarily be from his own family's school. Once licensed,
he could teach the skills of both schools, so long as he did
not claim title to his family school. More importantly Ranma
could found his own school independently of his family line.
The license from a Koryu would give him all the credibility
he needed to found a completely new school and the beginnings
of a new tradition. Nabiki found herself placing one hand
against the wall of the shower in order to stop the world
from spinning. Who would have expected Ranma Saotome to think
that far ahead?
"Is he sure he could do that, Akane?"
"He has an open invitation to come back from more than
one sensei, Nabiki," Akane said with heartfelt pride in her
voice. "Most of them understand that Ranma is not anything
like his father."
"Where does he plan to go if things don't work out?"
"You don't need to know."
Now Nabiki was thoroughly impressed. Not just with
Ranma, but with her younger sister as well. Ranma the "dumb
jock" and her little sister, also "a dumb jock", had come up
with a secondary plan of action on their own, and had the
good sense to keep it secret. What's more, they understood
the necessity of concealing it. It made Nabiki's regrets that
much sharper. Ranma was now completely out of her reach and,
so long as Akane lived, he would remain that way. Mission
accomplished, girl! she thought to herself bitterly. You did
real good.
"Are you all right, Nabiki?"
"Ah ... I think I had better get something to eat,"
Nabiki said. "I'm feeling a little light-headed."
"What did you do, skip lunch?"
"Thanks to Tarou, yes."
"It must be the smell of Ukyo's cooking getting to
you," Akane said with her prize-winning smile. "It's starving
me to death."
"It does smell good. Let's go!"
-------------------
Within in minutes of arriving at Tendo-ke, Kasumi and
Nodoka found themselves happily ensconced in a furo of very
hot water. Well, perhaps more accurately they were
comfortably ensconced. Nodoka was not particularly happy. She
closed her eyes, then placed her cold towel over her upper
face in order to hide her tears.
"Are you all right, Aunt Nodoka?"
"Genma has made a monster of my son," Nodoka answered
as she began to shake. "Perhaps we should let Ranma return to
China with the Joketsu. To insist that he marry into your
clan would not be fair, nor reasonable."
Kasumi then had a most unusual and disagreeable
experience. She frowned.
"I cannot find it in my heart to blame my son for his
condition," Nodoka said, choking back a sob. "It is not his
fault."
"He is _not_ a monster, Aunt Nodoka."
"Please, Kasumi-chan, do not patronize me! What else
could you possibly call that scaly thing I saw gulping down
the pieces of a shattered statue?"
"Your son! Ranma Saotome, defender of home and kin."
Nodoka removed her towel and gave Kasumi a hard stare.
"You should be very proud of him, you know," Kasumi
said, meeting Nodoka's gaze without so much as batting an
eye. "Ranma became what he needed to become in order to
defeat a real monster and send it packing."
"You think I am being unfair."
"Yes, Aunt Nodoka. I do."
"Do you have any idea what our neighbors are going to
think about this?"
"I don't know," Kasumi said, "and I don't care. I
believe they should be grateful to him with the likes of
Pansuto Tarou roaming about. Tarou is a monster in both his
forms. Ranma is not monstrous in any form."
"How can you say that, Kasumi-chan?" Nodoka asked,
choking with emotion. "He became a long... scaly ... THING!"
"He became a dragon, yes. A monster? No. Ranma could
have easily killed Tarou while in that form, but he let the
boy live. Even though Ranma has good reason to want him dead,
he let Tarou live."
Nodoka put the towel over eyes, then leaned back
against the tub.
"Who is this Tarou fellow, anyway?"
"He is a very naughty, power-lusting little boy that
lives in China. He became that way because Happosai bathed
him in the waters of Jusenkyo the day he was born, and gave
him the name Pansuto. Unlike your son, Tarou allowed the
foolishness of others turn him into a true monster. Ranma has
faced every challenge thrown at him and managed to cling to
his humanity. I am very proud of your son, even if you are
not."
Kasumi quavered with anger by the time she finished.
Nodoka stared at the younger women in wide-eyed shock.
"Rest assured that my father will never release Ranma
from his promise to marry one of us," Kasumi said.
"How do you know that, child?"
"Because he knows he will spend his old age in hell if
he does," Kasumi said.
"And if both your sisters have doubts about marrying
him?"
"Then I will marry him!" Kasumi practically snapped.
"Tendo-ke will live up to this commitment. We would be a
shame to our entire clan if we did not. Ranma has done
nothing to deserve belittlement from our clan or the
Saotome!"
"You must have great faith in Akane's love for him,"
Nodoka said, in a quiet, sly voice.
"Yes, I do," Kasumi said, "and more than a little in
Nabiki's as well"
"Nabiki's?" Nodoka asked, sounding shocked.
"Hadn't you noticed, Aunt Nodoka?"
"Now that you mention it, I had noticed that she seems
fond of Ranma in a way, but what of you, Kasumi-chan?"
"He is everything I ever wished for in a little
brother," Kasumi said with a smile. "I love him dearly. I
would not choose to marry him, given a choice, but I will do
what honor demands of me and my family."
Kasumi paused and exchanged unflinching stares with
Nodoka.
"Besides," Kasumi said with a mild blush reaching her
cheeks, "I do not believe I would find being Ranma's wife
that much of a burden."
This was too much, even for the steely Nodoka Saotome.
She began to weep without restraint. Kasumi did her best to
comfort the older woman, even as she wondered what on earth
could have possibly made Nodoka into what she had become.
Kasumi could not know that Nodoka was feeling no shame, but
wept from relief instead. The Saotome had always lived under
harsh rules and in many ways Nodoka was the perfect product
of those rules. Nodoka's father had chosen Genma for her over
other prospects for his cunning prowess as a Martial Artist.
Other worries and considerations had been matters of
secondary or little concern at all to him. Insofar as the
grandson he would never meet was concerned, his decision was
now being vindicated. Genma's best had done well by Ranma,
yet he seemed impervious to the worst of Genma's flawed
influences. Ranma Saotome was indeed proving himself a man
among men.
-------------------
Mu Suu finished the night delivery run along Forges
Street without incident, returning to the Nekohanten shortly
after midnight. Ko Lon, much to his alarm, called him over to
a table and asked him to sit down.
"What is it, Honored Elder?"
"I need a favor of you, Mu Suu," Ko Lon said. "I want
you to understand that you should feel free to say no. I
would not blame you for refusing me in this."
"What do you need done, Elder?" Mu Suu asked, feeling
a lump of ice form in his stomach. Ko Lon NEVER asked anyone
to do anything. She either ordered it done, or suggested that
it should be done, or did whatever she wanted done herself,
without ever mentioning it. This could not be good and he had
little doubt that it had to do with Ranma Saotome turning
into a dragon earlier in the day. They had all felt the
powerful wave of ki as it washed over them when it happened
and Ko Lon had explained in detail, making no attempt to
obfuscate the facts.
"I need you to go have a look at Ranma Saotome," Ko
Lon said.
"Is that all?" Mu Suu asked, sounding surprised. "I
can do that in fifteen minutes or less."
"No! You cannot," Ko Lon said emphatically. "The
Saotome child is more dangerous than a troopship full of Musk
right now. You must approach him without alarming him or
arousing any additional suspicions in him."
This gave Mu Suu a bit of a pause.
"Saotome has always been dangerous, but he has always
had great control," Mu Suu said. "Why do you think him so
dangerous now?"
"As with any dragon, he is worried about something
happening to his treasure, Mu Suu," Ko Lon said. "And, to
make matters even more risky, this is his first night as a
dragon. He has yet to become familiar with his new senses and
power. He could easily do you great harm before either of you
realized what was taking place."
"Hmmm," Mu Suu said. "Then perhaps I should make an
open approach by simply walking up to the clinic wall. Any
attempt to be extra quiet would only alarm him."
"That is my thinking as well, Mu Suu," Ko Lon said,
sounding very pleased with the lanky Amazon. "Your ability to
think does your family credit."
"Thank you, Elder."
"If you go, you must be prepared to dodge any of his
strikes and retreat quickly," Ko Lon said. "You are not to
fight him, even if it costs you your life."
Mu Suu's jaw went slack.
"I am very serious about this Mu Suu. Muko-dono could
destroy half of Nerima before he became aware of what he was
doing. Should he become angry with us, we would never be able
to escape him," Ko Lon said. "You must understand how grave
the risk is."
"Why not just leave him alone then?" Mu Suu asked.
"I would prefer to do that," Ko Lon said. "If I
thought that the wisest course, I would leave him alone."
"You want to know what he is thinking, don't you?"
"Correct again, Mu Suu!" Ko Lon said. "I also want him
to understand that we will not harm him or any of his family,
especially she whom he treasures most at the moment."
"By that I gather you mean Tendo-ke as well."
"That I do. Be certain to tell him that we will not
harm any of them in any way."
"All right," Mu Suu said. "I think I'll walk rather
than ride the bicycle. I will look considerably less
threatening to him that way."
Ko Lon thought about the way Xian Pu so often
approached Ranma on a bicycle and nodded her head in
appreciation of Mu Suu's forethought.
"Whatever he does when you first approach him, Mu Suu,
remain calm. A sudden movement might trigger his reflexes and
they are far faster now than ever before, believe me."
Mu Suu nodded his head.
"If he shows himself, be sure to make note of how
large he is in this form."
"How big do you think he will be?"
"I would be surprised if he is as long as twenty
meters," Ko Lon said, "but he has not held to the usual
pattern according the information I have. He has made this
transition much sooner than I had reason to expect."
"You expected to hear from home before this happened,
didn't you?"
Ko Lon nodded her head. "Yes, I did. No one gifted by
the Cold Dragon has ever made the transition this quickly and
I haven't a clue as to why this has happened."
"Could it have been the fight he got into today?"
"Oh, I am quite sure that it was the trigger, but he
should not have been able to make this change because of this
single fight."
"You did not see him fight Safuron, Ko Lon," Mu Suu
said. "Saotome does whatever he thinks he must and the laws
of nature be damned for all he cares."
"You are that impressed by him?"
"I am scared spitless of him," Mu Suu said, "and have
been since we started our return trip from Jusenkyo."
"Then you understand the risks involved," Ko Lon said.
"Go with care, Mu Suu. I will wait up for you."
"One question before I go, Honored Elder."
"Yes?"
"Have you warned Xian Pu to stay away from him and the
Tendo family?"
"I have explained to her. You needn't be jealous of
Ranma any longer."
"You misjudge the gravity of my concerns, Honored
Elder!" Mu Suu said as he adjusted his glasses. "The thought
of a dragon falling into the throes of the Neko-ken gives me
pause."
Ko Lon paled at the thought of Ranma falling into the
madness of the Neko-ken while a dragon. The very idea of such
a thing fell into the same category as signing up to face the
Legions of Doom upon the Har Meggido. After a moment's
reflection, she decided signing up for Armageddon might be
the more attractive prospect. At least there you might have
the chance to enlist an escort for crossing the Styx. Such
would not be the case if you faced a maddened Ranma in his
draconian state.
Mu Suu threw on his foul weather gear and left. The
Nekohanten, normally a brightly lit and convivial abode,
suddenly seemed a cold and lonely place.
-------------------
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