"…Things are pretty quiet here…" Ane noted, leaning back now that she was finished with her food.
"It's a rare thing…" Nabiki admitted lazily.
The blonde shrugged, putting her hair into a ponytail.
She'd just arrived a while ago, and had eaten after asking where Akane had gone.
Kasumi assured her that she was out somewhere with Ranma, and that they'd be back soon.
She had on a baggy purple t-shirt that covered her rather sizeable bust, and cargo pants, along with 'ninja sandals'.
At least, that's what her mother called them…
Sighing, she perked when a strange rumbling and screaming reached her ears…
With a yawn, she stood and walked off to the side with Nabiki…
There was an explosion, and the wall was blown wide open, showing a boy, Ranma she guessed, since she'd seen him before her youngest cousin chased him, and Akane on the opposite wall.
Confused by this strange occurrence, she looked up with green eyes at the strange black and red shadow-creature, tilting up her baseball cap.
"WHOA…And mom said this place would be peaceful…"
The shadow shrunk, dissipating to show an elephant…
"Oh, he's so cute!" Kasumi noted.
"It is no ordinary elephant."
Ane turned to see an old woman and another group, probably Cologne and the others from China.
Her mother had made her memorize names and faces, saying there might be no time for introductions.
NOW she knew what her mom meant…
"What we thought of as his body is actually the aura of his formidable fighting spirit."
Akane woke up.
And punched Ranma in the face…
"Hey, Akane. Still punching boys, I see…"
"ANE!"
The short-haired girl smiled, hugging her cousin before noticing the elephant.
"Are you alright, Akane?" Another boy asked.
Ane paused, feeling strangely self-conscious, and only noted that there were a lot of names to learn…
The elephant's eyes locked on something, and sucked an old man into its trunk.
SMASH!!!
CRASH!!!
BOP!!!
"…I don't think that elephant likes him…"
"Yeah…Wait, who are you?"
Ane smiled lazily.
"The name's Ane. I'm visiting from America thanks to a trip to China."
"Why? What happened in China?"
It seemed the old man getting beaten up by an elephant wasn't as high-priority as them finding out about her…
"Complications…Shouldn't we help him?"
"Nah, he'll be fine."
"It's nice to meet you, Ane. I am Ryoga Habiki."
"I could say the same."
"She's my close cousin. Her mother moved to America when she was old enough, but Ane always comes for visits. She'll be staying here for a while, though." Akane explained.
The old man was thrown, horribly dazed, to the wooden floor, and she quirked an eyebrow.
"Cool elephant…" She noted, voice carrying a lazy drawl…
There was a whistle, and the giant happily went to help a young red-head down from a tree.
She was NOT happy…
"Is she an elephant trainer?" Akane wondered.
"Good girl, Jasmine…Good girl."
The girl seemed Chinese, her accent seemed to confirm it, and she patted the elephants head before turning to them.
Actually, to the old man, Happosai…
"I find you, Happosai! You pay for what you're doing to me!"
She chucked what seemed to be half a scroll, and it bounced off his head to land in Akane's hands.
"It looks like a scroll…"
"Half of one, at least." Ane agreed, fidgeting with something in her pockets…
"This scroll supposed to be lucky! Has been in family for generations! Happosai, because of you, Lichi-Lichi…Lichi…Give Lichi back her childhood!"
There was a flash of thunder, which the blonde found a bit of an exaggeration, but then there were lights outside.
'Oh gosh…What now?' She thought lazily, peeking out with her hands in her pockets.
The clouds were dark as the strange blimp-boat descended, and Ane shook her head a bit in amusement…
'First twenty minutes here, and something cool is going to happen…I must have two curses…'
Seven people appeared on the deck, darkened by flashes of light.
"Who the heck are you guys, anyway?" Ranma demanded.
"Behold, the king of the impeccable school of Seven Lucky Gods Martial Arts. His name is…Kirin!"
"…Show off…" Ane muttered, metal already covering her knuckles and glittering in the light.
"My prince! He come!"
"You can go ahead and take him then. Have a nice life."
"At long last, Kirin has found the one foretold of in our legends. The woman chosen by the Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artists. Fair one, you shall come with us."
"At last he come! Prince come make Lichi happy forever!"
"Who are you?"
THAT ruined her good mood…
"Kirin has no business with you, foolish woman. You do not possess the scroll."
"What?"
"Scroll? You mean…? Uh oh…"
Ane could already tell this wouldn't end well…
"Epiten!"
"Yes, sire."
His fishing line wrapped around Akane's wrist, pulling her through the air.
"AKANE!"
With a flash, the girl was in the Chinese man's arms, and Ane's eyes hardened to emeralds.
"I'll get her."
"How-?"
Ranma was cut off as the blonde made a powerful leap up into the air.
She made it up an inhuman height, and dug her spiked knuckles into the wood to flip herself up.
"ANE!"
"You put my cousin down!"
Her foot was blocked by his chopsticks, but her other foot came up, catching him across the face.
The hold on her ankle slipped, and she flipped away onto the edge of the deck, ready for an attack.
"Where do you think you're going with Akane?!" Ranma demanded, jumping up to help.
Ane turned to the others, eyes narrowing…
"Bunny Barrage!"
Darting forward too fast to see, she caught the squirt in the side, the woman in the chest, the twins in the gut, and disarmed the naginata-wielding man with her knuckles.
As it clattered to the floor, she skidded back and away from any retaliation.
"You are good, little girl…" Epiten admitted, standing…
"But we are better!"
His fishing line threatened to wrap around her, but she leaped into air again, far above his line.
"Can't catch me that easily!" She growled, flipping and landing squarely on his shoulders.
Jumping off, she was caught in a bear-hug by the largest of them.
Struggling, she gave a growl of annoyance.
"For kami's sake!"
Her foot smacked into anyone trying to approach her, and she even bit the arm restraining her.
There was no cry of pain, and she didn't even leave a mark…
Ranma had already been knocked off, landing on someone below, and she was getting a bit anxious.
"AKANE! ANE!"
"A little help?!" She shouted.
Completely tired of playing around, she brought her foot up and caught the large man in the face.
Well, not really the FACE…
More like the EYE…
There was a slow yelp, and the grip was gone.
Lunging forward, she came in low…
"Bunny Barrage!"
Her fist was caught this time, and she would've caught her feet on the ledge if he hadn't tripped her…
'CHEATER!' She thought instantly, tumbling over the edge…
"ANE!!!" Akane called, heart pounding in worry.
Pulling out her manriki, the blonde threw them up, lodging them into the ship to stop her descent.
Unfortunately, they were dislodged, and she was plummeting straight for the pond as the blimp flew away…
"Whoa, there!"
No one caught her in time before the cold water enveloped her…
A small form came up, floundering and coughing, and it dragged itself onto the stones.
"Is that a…rabbit?" Ryoga wondered, crouching beside the shivering little creature.
It had golden fur, ears tipped a chocolate brown, and the most innocent, almost hypnotic green eyes…
"That is Ane." Kasumi explained.
The non-family members looked up in surprise.
"She's cursed?" Genma asked.
"Yes. She was on a field trip in China when someone pushed her in. When my sister heard of it, she suggested Ane come stay with us until she has learned patience."
"She's impatient?"
"At times…And at others, she has the patience of a saint."
There was a rabbit chatter, and she shook herself off before reaching into the pond with little arms to grab her clothes.
Ranma managed to gather them without getting wet, teasing her for the bra and underwear.
In a flash, he got a whole rabbit in the gut at light speed, so he decided not to mention it again as Kasumi poured water over the little creature.
She returned to normal, and there was silence…
"HOLY SHIT-!!"
Embarrassed, Ryoga turned around, face red, as she grabbed her shirt to cover up.
Lichi had already ridden off on Jasmine once Ane was fully clothed again, and she apologized for not being able to save Akane.
"I was right there…" She muttered to herself.
"Damn cheater…Tripping me up…I'll show him a thing or two once I find him!"
"I'm with you on that one!" Ranma agreed.
It was sunset by the time Happosai came around enough to think coherently…
Soun, however, was PRETTY out of it…
"Here, Ranma. You all better now." Shampoo stated once she finished bandaging his arm.
"Curse them all! Who were all those people, anyway?"
"And what was this Ultimate Technique they were after?" Mousse agreed.
"Hiya, gramps…Call me stupid, but I think you know more about that girl with the elephant and the scroll."
"Gee, Ryoga…I'd love to help, but-."
"Don't give us any bullshit." Ane said darkly, grabbing the old man by his shirt front.
"If you don't tell me what you know, I'll kick your ass six ways to Sunday, got it?"
"..."
When he didn't answer, she was perfectly ready to start making some pain…
A disgusted shiver as her nuzzled her breasts…
"They're so soft!"
Her eye twitched, and her fists clenched.
"YOU PERVERTED OLD MAN!!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"
There were crashes, and she stood over Happosai's crumpled body panting as she tried to reign in her temper…
"…Was this her problem, Tendo?"
"In fact, it is, Saotome…"
She glared at both of them, making them straightened their backs.
"I do NOT have a problem! It's not my fault men are perverts and are always touching my boobs, okay?!"
Both nodded quickly, not wishing to anger her further.
Once Happosai regained his bearings AGAIN, he explained that he'd stolen the scroll a long time ago.
Ane was only half-listening, sitting in a corner and trying to vent her rage silently.
She was normally a very laid-back girl, but JEEZE…
Why did men have this strange obsession with her breasts?
Touching, nuzzling, groping…
For God's sake, she was going stir crazy!
Of course, when discussion on how to save her favorite cousin came up, Ane was happy enough to join in.
"So they're gonna make Akane into some kind of sacrifice…"
Silence, and the green-eyed girl stood up.
"I don't care what they're planning. They crossed the damn line."
"Then its decided! I'll go to Nekonron, too!"
"With you two, it would take you years to get to China." Ranma pointed out.
"I'll go with you. I've still got a score to settle with that Kiren guy…"
"If Ranma go to China, Shampoo go too! Is okay?"
"You haven't been back in a while."
"If Shampoo is going, I too shall go." Mousse stated.
"Oh, this is true friendship!" Soun congratulated, looking teary-eyed as Ane sweat dropped…
"Does Uncle Soun do this a lot?"
"Every day…" Ranma replied.
"It's decided! We're going to Nekonron, China to fight those Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artists!"
"…How are we going to get there?" Ane wondered.
"…I don't know…"
The others did anime-drops…
"Maybe you should've thought of that first…" The green-eyed girl noted.
"I, Tatewaki Kuno, offer my unconditional assistance!"
A wall fell down, and she quirked an eyebrow at the boy coming through the hole.
"I suggest the Kuno vessel, Sud-Dragon the Third, for this perilous journey."
There was a pause, his eyes trained on Ane…
'What now?'
"Beautiful angel! Have you fallen from heaven?"
Her eye almost twitched as he pulled her into a strange embrace…
She prickled when he 'accidentally' groped her ass…
SMACK!!!
SMASH!!!
BAM!!!
"JUST GET THE DAMN BOAT!!!"
"You have fighting spirit! It makes women lively-!"
STOMP!!!
"JUST GO, YOU PERVERT!!!"