Quoting Loki-L <loki.laufeyjarson.ffml@gmail.com>:

                       Prisoner of the Iron Mask

Disclaimer:

Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi. Her intellectual
property is
used without permission, but also without the intent of making
money.

Author's notes:

This is the sixth chunk of original episodes 25-27 (of 30 that have
been
posted on the Addventure). It is very short and mostly has just
the
confrontation with Kunou.

Website:

In case you missed them, previous parts of the story can now be
found
here: http://www.angelfire.com/anime6/loki-l/PotIM.html
(Those are exactly the same files I posted to the list. They still
contain
the same typos, mistakes and errors. Revised versions that include
all
the helpfuly corrections and suggestions I have recieved will be
posted
soon.)


                             * **  ***  ** *

                   Metaphors and Food for Thoughts


"It is exactly as you described," Mr. Ryo admitted as he stood in
awe
watching the castle.

The Lichtenburger restaurateur had been starting to have his doubts
when
he and his son Ichiro entered the seemingly normal building, but
now that
they had stepped out of the elevator he was cured of all skepticism
and
second thoughts.

It was exactly as Ichiro had said. A medieval European castle had
been
erected inside the empty hull of the office building. From where he
stood
he could see Lichtenburger flags and banners waving atop the towers
and
turrets Guards in traditional armor were visible in the distance,
but they
appeared to take no notice of the new arrivals.

The guards probably ignored their presence because they had been
expected.
It was unlikely that they would have been allowed to get to this
point
alive without being invited.

Ichiro gasped next to him and Mr. Ryo followed his son
outstretched
finger.

A girl was running along the parapets clad in nothing but a veil.

parapets,

"It really is all exactly as you described!" he reaffirmed soberly

soberly,

without
taking his eyes of the heartwarming sight.

Father and son stood silently united in their aesthetic
appreciation of
the sheer beauty of the scenes.

scene

It was probably a good thing that none of the womenfolk had come
along.
Mrs. Ryo could sometimes be very intolerant about his purely
artistic
admiration of the female form. A character trait that was quite
dangerous
in a woman who often had a heavy pan or a rolling pin within easy
reach of
their hands.

Not long after the girl had disappeared in one of the upper story
windows

windows,

with an elegant leap another figure emerged from the castle-gate
beneath.

As the person came near it became clear that he too was exactly the
way
Ichiro had described him. 

As the person approached, it became clear he too was exactly as
Ichiro had described.   


An iron mask covered his face, gilded

armor
adorned his chest and a cape emblazoned with the royal crest of
Lichtenburg was flowing behind him.

Mr. Ryo frantically tried to remember the correct way of greeting
the
person who most likely was the rightful heir. 

someone who 


He had not really

kept up
with the languages and traditions of the old country; just enough
to come
up with suitable exotic sounding names on the menus. 

suitably

What if he

tried to
address the prince and insulted him by accident? Better to speak
Japanese
then instead of messing up. And what should he do? Bowing down
would again
be the Japanese way, but Europeans bowed too, didn't they? 

Bowing would be a safe choice.  

"Isn't it obvious? He called on us to make contact with all the
other
exiles loyal to the cause and now he wants recipes. He wants
information.
We will make a big list of people that can be trusted and bring it
to him.
You see?" He explained to his son.

he explained

When they left the building they were so proud of the
responsibility that
had been laid on their shoulders that they hardly took any notice
of the
disturbed young man with the wooden stick and the paralyzed ninja
going
the other way.


                             * **  ***  ** *

             Sir Kuno's arrival at the Castle of Maidens


Kodachi was shifting in her seat trying not to be to obvious about
it. It
really would not do to look as embarrassingly uncomfortable as the
Tendou
girl sitting next to her who kept squirming around and flinching
every
time she put some weight on her behind.

Of course all that wiggling around and bouncing sure is bound to be
eyecatching.  

It was really unbecoming of her. If she could not stand the mild
discomfort in the aftermath Akane simply should not have
participated in
baiting the stuffy nun. She should endure the slight pains and
embrace
them as part of the overall experience which Kodachi knew Akane
had
enjoyed.

The prince who was sitting opposite them would be well aware of
what had
transpired during their session with the nun and he was bound to
judge
them by their reactions.

Kodachi tried to project an aura of dignified attrition while
maintaining
a general air of spirited playfulness.

The prince liked strong-willed girls according to Akane. But on the
other
hand he seemed to enjoy having his servants dress and act very
submissively. This suggested to Kodachi that he liked strong-willed
women
because he enjoyed making them submit. 

Based on what she knows, very logical.  

The game likely was just no

fun
with girls who did not at least attempt to resist. And Kodachi was
trying
to get across that here was a girl sitting right across from him
that
promised to be many nights of highly enjoyable work properly
subduing
without either breaking easily or being totally unyielding.

Unfortunately for her he mostly had eyes for Akane, who in

Unfortunately, he 

Kodachi's
opinion was not only far less suited for his tastes but also
already very
much taken by someone else.

Kodachi only knew that she would have to participate far more
actively in
Akane's training sessions in the future if she wanted to keep from
ballooning, congealing or simply dying of heart-failure. 

Well, she could always start actually sparring with Akane.  Akane's
decrease in effective strength means Kodachi will be a real challenge
for her.  

Being girls they would not understand that Ranma had only been
motivated
by good intentions. 

extensive recap of the whole story to date deleted.  I recommend you
do the same, when you collect all these chapters together.  
If people need their memories refreshed they can just go back and read
the chapters.  

There was little Ranma could do about that and all of his attempts
to 
make Kodachi leave had just resulted in settling her more firmly in
place.

And if all that was not enough now her brother had appeared in
Ranma's
supposedly secret lair.

Tatewaki Kunou and Sasuke the Kunou family ninja had interrupted
the
dinner that Prince Wildpferd had been having with his two
prisoners. 

Ranma would somehow have to defeat Kunou without allowing himself
to be
unmasked. Akane and Kodachi could be somewhat stupid at times, not
realizing that what they thought to be two different characters
really
was a single victim of Jusenkyo, but they might very well figure
out that
Ranma and Wildpferd were one and the same if given enough hints.

Even the Blue Thunder might notice a similarity between Ranma and
the
prince and blurt out something that would allow the girls to
connected
the dots. Ranma would be done for then for sure.

Ranma could not allow himself to use any of his special moves. He
could
use no 'Hiryuu Shouten Ha' or 'Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken' to give
himself
away as somebody trained in secret amazon techniques. 

Of course Ranma never uses that kind of stuff on Kuno.  It would be
overkill.  Fanfic authors tend to overdo the use of such things
because it saves them having to write a real fight scene.  

or
fight with one to recognize his style. Ranma also had to admit that
he was
not nearly as good with weapons as he was unarmed another thing
that would
hopefully help to keep the girls from recognizing him.

Moving slowly and keeping to the ground instead of revealing his
speed and
mastery of aerial combat Ranma advanced on his enemy.

As he held the sword in front of himself he got his first good look
on the

blade he had taken from the wall of the dining room. It had been a
part of
the decoration and on closer inspection turned out to be
completely
blunted. A good thing in a decoration that was just supposed to
lend a bit
of atmosphere to a room, but a distinctive disadvantage in a
weapon.

This was bad.

Nonsense.  Given that Ranma isn't going to want to cut Kunou,
he's no worse off than he'd be with a sharp blade.  Kunou will 
treat him equally seriously either way.  On the whole having a blunt
edge is an advantage for Ranma because it means he doesn't have to be
quite so careful.  

Not that Ranma actually wanted to cut or slash Kunou, but the
kendonist
would think that Ranma had a real blade and fight accordingly. The
Blue
Thunder was an idiot, but he did know a thing or two about
sword-fighting.

Ranma's opponent had stopped sprouting poetry and insults and was
now
concentrating on a fight with what he assumed to be a deadly
opponent.

Could Ranma somehow manage to beat Kunou without getting himself or
his
opponent badly hurt or his identity revealed?

It would be a challenge, and Ranma Saotome never backed down from
a
challenge!

With a cry Tatewaki struck the first blow. Ranma parried only

parried,

realizing
too late his opponents intention. Steel met wood in a splintering
crash
and Kunou twisted his blade in an elaborate gesture. Had Ranma been
using
a real blade at this point it would have stuck in Kunou's wooden
sword and
the twist would have wrenched it out of Ranma's hand disarming him
easily.

Neither of them expected Ranma's sword to bounce of Kunou's
splintered
weapon like that and turn with the added momentum of Kunou's twist
directly towards his head.

                             * **  ***  ** *

From the balcony Akane and Kodachi watched in awe as Kodachi's
brother
passed out after the prince struck a single blow with the flat of
his
blade. It happened very fast -- a crash, a hollow 'THUNK' and
Tatewaki
laid sprawled in the courtyard.

OK, that's got to be worrisome for Akane.  The thing I'd be doing 
if I was her is asking "We're going to be fighting bare-handed, right?"

That's a lovely way to defeat Kuno, by the way.  It gives him due
credit for his ability and explains exactly how he could be so easily 
defeated, increasing Masque de la Fer's even more.  Perhaps the thing
that impresses me most about your series is how much respect you show
for the characters, considering the nature of the story.  Apart from
that, your spelling seems to be noticeably improving.  


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