It wasn't like he expected when the next morning food was ready on the table, his wife was gone to practice the art of war and the solid muscles in his body were replaced with a girl's curvy form. Ryoga didn't like this one bit and it seemed like the day aimed from bad to worse.
"Good morning daughter!" Said the proud mother who never saw the transformation as a transition for the boy. She, like most mothers, had eyes for her baby and gender was never an issue. .. Besides, most women think is better to raise a girl than a boy under most circumstances.
Slowly but surely, little Ichiro and Michi-Chan made their way to the table as soon as Akemi and Kenta prepared the rest of the things for the first day in their daughter's life. "Listen Ryoga, what you are about to work on is something that has never passed through you mind, don't sweat it though since I'll be there and someone else who has helped us in the past will be there as well."
Ryoga noticed how Natsume's itinerary consisted mostly on scouting and tracking abilities, leaving the girl into one of the lower clans for what the girl could gather. Breakfast was done in a matter of minutes and Kenta left to the back of the house with his children after Akemi took her daughter to work.
The fields sure looked beautiful with the glow of the sun and the early dew on the green patches of grass and although these little things were what made her wonder about the paradise she lived in, she realized those same details were wasted on the other habitants.
The area where they lived composed of the new citizens in the city and unlike the Elite and Amazon warriors, these were usually people with no skill whatsoever or cursed like how the fanged girl became. The next set of fields showed vast lands of well treated grounds.
They look ready for the harvest but the crops looked somewhat young still for them to be picked. From a small hut in the center of the fields, a beautiful woman with purple hair waved at her mother while both made their way in.
"Akemi!. . .So nice to see you in time. . .This must be you daughter Ryoga isn't she?" The girl bowed respectfully without taking her eyes from the pretty emerald looking orbs and how slender she was. For a moment the woman noticed the stare and smiled her way with a nod directed to the other, older woman.
"I see she has some male qualities after all. Tell me Ryoga-Chan, do you think I'm pretty?" The fanged teen could do nothing from the nervous attitude but the woman understood the behavior when she nodded shyly.
"Well, thank you dear. . .I think you are very beautiful yourself and to make matters worse. . ." The woman moved closer with an extended hand as a sign of secrecy over their mouths, relying a statement Akemi had to agree at some point it was the strangest topic at hand.
"I think that's why those Amazons are so jealous of "us". . .Males cursed into women. . ." The comment brought a cold sweat on the teen's forehead and the pale face didn't help one bit when both women laughed heartedly at her.
"I knew you wouldn't recognize one of your own. Well, we are the only ones stuck in this hell." Ryoga was taken by the shoulder by the purple haired woman inside the hut where no less than eighteen babies wailed desperately for nourishment.
"Your first job and the grossest I have ever endured is this." The woman carefully lifted one of the babies, leading him into her now released bosom. Ryoga saw how the tiny creature latched immediately and the baby-sitter showed no signs of discomfort.
" Amazonians believe breastfeeding is an offense only a mother could do. They think men should be in charge of it and when they found a way to cursed them into female counterparts, that dream came true."
"Now, all the men rejected the idea as unnatural and objected to the treatment, gaining the hidden hatred from their wives. There was a battle near ten years ago where they forced the idea through the elders in charge of the village. . .At that time I was the city's shaman and only healer dedicated to take care of the wounded."
The woman finished quickly with the tiny bundle, depositing him back on his crib while leading the girl on to the next while she kept telling her story. Ryoga remembered how Natsume showed her about the procedure with her children so it really wasn't that big of a deal.
The problem was when the baby latched and she felt the demanding askance the child forced through a part she had never used before. The sensation made her face flush in a deep red tinge as she tried to avoid the puzzled eyes of her mother.
"Don't worry Ryoga-Chan, feeling aroused by their suckling is something natural and hopefully you will learn to dominate that feeling in time." Said the woman when she went to get another wailing baby. "Anyway. The men chose me to represent them against the Elders ruling the land and I did the only thing left from their demands."
"I was challenged to fight the strongest or warriors with the pretext to demonstrate how weak men were. . .I won every single round with my own techniques and ability, thing that made them enrage more against men, forcing the curse and locking me in it ever since."
Akemi sighed by how society would always prey on a specific gender either against women out there or men in this rustic civilization. The sigh followed a smile and a woman who understood what her daughter was going through, admitting this would be too much for her, walked close to the pair and grabbed a third child while they kept talking.
"It will be easier if three take turns on six babies than nine each" Exclaimed the woman to her daughter who received the help with a smile. Chao accepted the help as well but made sure this would be a daunting experience with or without help.
"Ryoga. . .A baby feeds every half an hour from the youngest to a few times the older ones. . .I hope your mother can help you every single day 'cuse this is a full time job until the warriors come and get their offspring on the afternoon."
Ryoga gaped by the chore and after some shuddering moments thinking how hard it would be, she swallowed dryly as a nod escaped his nervous head. "O-Ok. . .Eighteen babies fed every half an hour or so. . .Sounds like a good practice."
Her timid laughter did nothing to calm her mother over the possible mental state she might end with after that challenge and the only hope she had left was to pray silently for her good health. Both mother and daughter latched the next set of babies while Chao kept talking about how all this came to be.
"After they used me as a guinea pig, I was sent to the outskirts of the city as a reminder to all males never to cross an Amazon and they stated breastfeeding among other manual chores as part of my punishment." The woman stared at the horizon with a tear on her eye and a smile Ryoga found difficult to decipher before she could declare. . .
"I have learned many things a man never could and I guess, I would do it all over again Ryoga. You see, being a healer and understanding your opposite gender has its perks. . ." She let the baby down, peeked to each side of the window and spread her hands over the rest of the children.
Her fingers began to glow and that vivid green aura started to envelop the tiny children, giving them a sense of well rest and gently sending them to nap.
"A mother is more than a woman giving birth. . .A mother nourish more than a baby's physical needs like the planet does us. . .Let them sleep for a moment while I show you something." All three women walked silently out of the hut and into the fields where the same glow in the woman's hands began to spread the moment she grabbed the dirt.
Ryoga's smile grew like a child staring happily when the glow mingled with the sprouts and crops until they began to dance at the pace of Chao's heartbeats. "Chi in a healer's body does more to the soul than to the people Ryoga-Chan. . .We use our inner strength to cure from within until the wounded regenerates by himself."
"The same applies to the earth. We healers can help move forward that whose been stuck by time. We can accelerate their rhythm and give them purpose to a dead object. The Amazons can keep all the fighting spirit they want. . .What I have learned over the years in this farm is more precious to me."
Ryoga followed every instruction quietly letting the woman explain her technique while Akemi smiled knowing from before what her daughter was capable of. Chao saw how the girl knelt on the ground and grabbed the same dirt, infusing it with her own Chi.
This time, the glow became an intense green spreading far and wide all over the lands, even beyond the limits the older woman managed to affect with her own power. Chao gasped this time when Ryoga took a deep breath and muttered a series of words not aimed at her but at someone else invisible to the present spectators.
The crops grew at a faster speed and the seeds the woman planted gave birth fully, developed fruits and vegetables the size she hadn't seen before. "H-How!? . . .It took me ten years to practice and I can barely affect the land closest to me. . .How are you able to release so much Chi?"
Akemi and her daughter started their own story about an old man who learned and used his own Chi to cover from an atomic blast and the repercussions he bestowed over his children. "I have my own set of skills and my children have their own as well. . .It has taken me a lot of hardships to master them, but I feel like I can do better. . ."
The yawning sounds coming from the hut alerted them to go back and finish what they started a few hours ago. Akemi, Chao and Ryoga found this new so called hell a promising way of life and they seemed to enjoy each others company until the afternoon called for the inquisitive looks from the Amazon warriors.
As the might of the Amazons arrived for their kin, Ryoga noticed how they looked at her and Chao with demeaning intent, at first she ignored when her own children walked in by the hand of a mute Kenta. She forgot everything else and focus her existence solely on them.
"I must admit Akemi, you have a very powerful daughter. . .Let's hope Elder Wu won't feel threatened by her." Chao bowed and left them as she made her way to a nice afternoon alone. The Hibiki family decided to stay a bit longer when the younger girl took her two little children into the camp.
She began to move into a slow paced kata which was then followed by Ichiro and later on Michiko. The three began one stance and moved into the next in such a synchronized motion, Akemi and Kenta questioned how the children were able to read their mother.
Their surprised face lit when Ryoga displayed the same high powerful green glow a few seconds before Ichiro released a Red glow of his own. Michiko narrowed her eyes for a moment, but after some strenuous effort, the little girl released a purple aura encompassing the other two.
"What is this Kenta?. . .Is my daughter teaching them her own ways?" Kenta nodded his head agreeing with his wife when the three colorful shades began to fill the air, the land and the dancing wave slowly reached the city walls.
The kata kept going for the space of ten more minutes and at the end of it, the family saw a tree sprouting taller than any other on all the land. This tree certainly was different from all the other foliage in the forest but what made the older couple jump back was when the giant moved around, taking form like a man.
"I see. . .I see you have awaken me from my slumber little ones. Tell me. . .Who are you?" Ryoga and the kids stopped the exercise only to stare at the giant new addition to the tribe. "My name is Ryoga Hibiki and these are my seeds. We felt your aching thoughts through the land and decided to rescue you from the loneliness plaguing your kind."
The treant formed a strange slit across the upper side of his torso they figure it would be a mouth. "I see. . .My kind talk through the forest, but a mouth must be in order to talk with you humans. Tell me, am I to be the guardian of your people?"
Ryoga stared at her father puzzled by the request but when the patriarch shook negatively, she understood the Amazon pride would never accept such favor. "Not at the moment old one, stay on this valley and enjoy the soothing calm my family can bring you."
The treant bowed and moved back, taking the form of a normal, planted tree. Ryoga asked her father to help her with the kids and they left for that day hoping the girl would meet her other half. When they arrived home there she was, waiting at the door impatiently while the fanged girl rushed at her side.
"Took you your sweet time Ryo. . .Where were you?" Ryoga's eyes stayed emotionless as she walked into the house. "What is it?. . .Didn't the elder gave you a set of chores for you to work on?" That's when the fanged teen's eyes grew in size when she realized her mate had no idea what was going on in the lower area of the city.
"She did, and it took me some time to understand my chores, but I'm getting there. . ." The next part became more like an strategic dance of chess where Ryoga would offer dinner and the Amazon warrior would act with other assumptions.
Ryoga tried to lighten the mood, maybe even take her to see their children but Natsume's hands grabbed hers, leading the nervous girl into the bedroom. Both girls laid on the bed and hands reached places the fanged teen wasn't ready to feel.
When the warrior reached for the vase of water on the stand, ready to transform her mate into the man, Ryoga managed to hold the vase before it was emptied on her. "N-No!. . .Wait. . ." Natsume frowned questioningly but understood something was wrong. . .After all, she was a girl now and maybe the Amazon was moving too fast.
They moved to the edge of the bed where Ryoga stared at the wall trying to piece the missing feelings forcing back what she wished as well to release. "What is it Ryo. . .Am I too pushy?" Ryoga shook nervously but never it crossed her mind talking honestly with her mate until the bandanna girl decided to open up.
"It's not you Natsu. . .It's me. . ."Him" and everything in between. . ." That she didn't expect after all the effort Ryoga did to forget Ranma and move on with her life at her side. "Ok. . .Tell me. . ." Ryoga tried to find the order in which she should start but the feeling killing most of her soul popped in every thought.
"Ok, I'm going to tell you a story about how Ranma acted despite my best efforts to help him. Some memories are gone and Inner has filled me in but in the end, I am not who I should be." Ryoga needed to be clear. This was the moment she had to mention every crevice and secret she went through with the pigtailed boy.
The conversation escalated from what exactly happened under the rubble, to how she used all her senses to cure him from a doomed existence. She talked about how her consciousness woke up from a slumber lost in her mind and the incident involving Ranma's erected part with a whimper she let out every time the boy would push her into embarrassing situations.
The talk kept going into high tones about how dominant he had become over her and how he enjoyed torturing her in that way. Natsume's face kept turning redder by the minute but it wasn't embarrassment, but hatred. . .Pure, unadulterated hatred towards the boy who made her mate into a living hell.
"Natsume. . .I am not a man. . .I feel like I never was one to begin with. He found ways to humiliate me, to chip down a piece of my manhood and whatever self-esteem I had long ago. . .And the worse part is how he did it with his curse. . .That damn redheaded curse."
That was the moment when Ryoga broke silently in tears held tightly closed by her wife who tried to console her as best as she could. "But you left him for good!. . .Ranma will never come here and you have me. . .Me, mom, dad and the children. We are here to rebuild what that bastard took from you."
Her fist flew into the air as her own tears intermingled with Ryoga's for the rest of the night. "There are many challenges ahead but your family is here to help you every step of the way . . .Husband." Ryoga blinked several times when the title brought nice memories she had forged over the travels.
A chuckle escaped and both girls began to rejoin to the same passion filled with kisses and hugs. Ryoga refused to see herself on her male form but when you love someone, gender isn't exactly an issue so, they fell on bed and spent the rest of the time cuddling until the first rays of the sun called for their daily chores.
The bandanna girl tried to get up only to be pulled back into bed by a lazily, tired woman. "B-But, what about your duties as Amazon?" Natsume shrugged defiantly, smiling at her mate with a coy look. "I want to know what do you do, I don't care if they get mad at me or not."
Ryoga blanched at the thought but there was no time to loose in explanations. Food ran onto the table, kids and parents ate and left just as time escaped the fanged girl's fingers with no intention to wait. The field looked amazingly full with all manner of produce picked by all the males living on the second zone.
Ryoga and Natsume walked near Chao and an old woman Natsume recognized from afar. The Amazon knelt, bowing as the other men and Chao did. . .All except Ryoga who stared angrily at her. "Well, well. . .Dear Akemi, you daughter certainly is a feisty one."
The elder looked somewhat close like Cologne with the exception of her staff and the seashells around her neck. The older woman studied Ryoga carefully trying not to miss either her human limitations of her Chi or the angry stares she threw at her.
"Tell me child. . .How did you developed these crops so fast? . . .Old Chao doesn't have the level of power or the time to teach you the ways in one day. . ." Ryoga ignored her questions as she quietly walked into the hut where the babies waited impatiently for their food.
Elder Wu chuckled at the reaction but understood how a male would act after the humiliating chore given by a woman. "I am a wise and patient woman child, but if you don't face me and respond my questions I will take you as a washer in front of my Amazon girls. . .Maybe that can help you be more respectful?"
Ryoga said nothing but kept feeding and switching to the next in line with not a care about the ranting woman. "Fine. . .Have it your way. Fen, Hua!. . .Take this girl with us. . .There are lots of clothes in need of attention."
Natsume tried to intercede only to be stopped by the fanged girl with a endearing smile she interpreted as trust. "Let them Natsu. . .Chao taught me more than just techniques."
All the warriors left the zone leaving the rest of the babies to Chao and Akemi while Natsume followed right behind Ryoga and the other Elites. Everyone murmured how the girl all the males knew it was really a guy was escorted to the higher area as a fugitive.
Ryoga saw several women laughing and pointing fingers while load after load of dirty clothes were thrown on a pond in front of the Arena. "There my child. . .This should keep you busy until the afternoon. . .Girls?. . .Don't be so rough with her."
All the Elite laughed disrespectfully at the bandanna teen making Natsume lunge and help with it but Ryoga simply smiled, stared at the giant mountain of clothes, focusing her mind into it. Elder Wu noticed the wind picking up and pooling its force in the center of the pond.
All the woman stared at Ryoga, some angrily others quietly trying to figure it out what she was doing until a gust of wind took form around the girl, enveloping her and the clothes into a mass of leaves and water. No one could see a thing except for the elder woman who felt the massive Chi merging with the natural energies around the pond.
When the leaves dissipated and the wind went calm, Ryoga laid on the grass near the pond while the mountain of clothes had disappeared into three stacks well lined up. Wu skipped close and saw with amazement how clean the linen were.
"If you don't have anything else for me to do "old ghoul" I need to go back to my babies." Said the girl as she started to walk towards the last region in the city. "Hold it!. . .I don't know who you think you are Missy, but there are rules in this tribe and I am the one upholding the law!" Wu clearly seemed angry but the way the girl handled the situation sure talked volumes about her.
"From now on you will be at my side and whatever you do I will be at yours. Now, is there any other surprise I need to know before we start your training?" Ryoga scoffed disgustingly, shrugging her shoulders carelessly at her.
"Do what you will you shriveled mommy, but I got better things to do than baby-sitting you. . ." That did. This time Wu flared with an aura no one had seen before. The Amazons stepped back while the birds and even the trees shook by the winds rippled by her Chi.
"Call me any of those names once again and you will pay for it!" Although it was a sight, the fanged girl never left her stance or her defying smile until the same trees she managed to move began to move aside, giving pass to the treant no one had noticed until now.
Wu gasped at the sight. A living creature she had never seen in her nine-hundred years of life walked in their direction and that was a precedent no one valued from her tribe. The Amazon warriors jumped into gear, dressing their weapons and armor just in time to fight the beast but the Elder shouted energetically at them.
"No!. . .My children. . .Do you know who he is?. . .An ancient from long ago has graced our city!" The Elite gaped fearfully when the elder bowed to the wise creature who stood in front of the valiant warriors. "Oh great tree of life!. . .It is an honor to have you among us!"
Slowly, the rest of the Amazons began to bow respectfully when the image represented something beyond the authority Elder Wu possessed. "Where is my savior?. . .Have you harmed her in any way?" Shouted out loud the indignant treant, searching all the tiny humans scattered around its feet. Finally he tracked her, offering her open palm and his shoulder. "There you are little one. Come. . .There is much you need to learn. . ." Elder Wu observed how Ryoga nodded obediently, stepped on top of his shoulder and left the proud first region of Joketsozuko behind.
The rest stared at a puzzled leader who smiled at the scene with a shaking head. "Well. . .It seems we have a diamond in the rough. You sure know how to pick them Koron. . ."
Many citizens ran all over the place after the rare tree had come and gone through the same path with the difference of a passenger this time. They talked like any other normal pair carelessly roaming the city and when the treant vanished from the male only area to the last circle in the tribe, those many agreed times were about to change.
"Tell me Eon, how could you allow an ancient tribe like the Amazons take charge over Jusenkyo?" She knew there was no real difference between genders now that she walked on both sides of the road, but just as the male population in the exterior decided to rule mostly over women, the Amazonian race adapted the exact opposite way.
"Oh little one. . .My kin had nothing to worry about humans seven thousand years ago. We were a proud race who let the ruling of this world to others and agreed to pursue only its survival. . .The only humans capable to make a difference back then were the good old Musk king and his kingdom."
Before they continued talking, Eon stopped briefly near Ryoga's house waiting two even smaller humans who ran happily on to his branchy hand. "Dad!. . .Wait for us. . ." The fanged girl saw how intrepid were Michiko and her son as they mounted the treant without any difficulty.
When everyone was set on his shoulder the old tree began to rant about his good old times. "As I was saying little ones, men ruling the lands or their female counterparts are of no concern to us. . .What we need to supervise is our mother and her four sons."
Akemi waved them good bye, going back to cover for her daughter while the girl and her sons were needed elsewhere. Eon walked a few more feet pass the main walls dividing Joketsozuko from the mysterious Jusenkyo pools, stopping only a few meters close to a big rock.
With a bit of effort, the giant managed to pull the heavy boulder aside, discovering in its place a cave leading downhill. "Well my little savors, this is the place I need to guard. . .Go on and give my regards to mother, I'm sure she'll be happy to welcome you in."
Ryoga bowed before the mighty tree and left into the cave with her two children, moments later, the cave was sealed by a very old Oak tree who no one would suspect it was Eon.
"Dad?. . .Is too dark in here, I can't see a thing." Asked Ichiro, but Michi was ahead of them both when the little girl focused the same purple glow she had practiced over the last year. A "Wow" left the boy's lips when he smiled at her proudly and after reflecting on the skill, his red aura flashed all over the dark tunnel turning it into a self-sustained lamp.
They walked for almost an hour downhill until the gap connecting out showed an enormous area almost as big as the city above. Ryoga and the children saw different creatures uncommon to them as possibly anyone out there could recognize.
They didn't seem threatening or even interested in them but minding their own business as they roamed far and wide. The cave could very well fit Joketsozuko loosely and more with expansions for a bigger land to be farmed and areas she felt a strong Chi in them.
They decided to follow those vibes several miles into the chamber and at the end, a beautiful woman glowed with golden rays splashing the environment around.
"Come my children. . .It is good to finally meet the little ones who may give me another chance." Spoke with certain echo across the walls and the ceiling. The fanged girl noticed how the closer they walked to that figure, her size turned bigger and bigger, almost as big as the treant she had met before.
Just a few steps were required for them to meet face to face when four blazing pillars fell from atop the feminine stranger. High above her, a new type of creatures descended forcibly pushing any other familiar aside.
"You humans have no right to be here!. . .Desist and leave before our wrath befall on you!" Ryoga immediately took a stance and her green Chi flared into the cave encompassing the same golden aura the female giant displayed on her own.
"I have come because Eon asked me to. . .Let my children and I leave peacefully and I will not fight back. . ." The enormous woman waved tensely at the four large animalistic figures, requesting a cease to their hostilities while at the same time, smiling calmly at the little girl who somehow recognized her from somewhere.
Michiko ran away from Ryoga and into the giant's open palm resting on the ground like she was part of the family. When they made contact, the four creatures stopped any provocation towards the girl and the boy, keeping their steady descent to where their master rested.
"Come children. . .I am no threat to you and we must make haste for what's to come. . ." Ryoga tempted her luck when she didn't feel any negative energy from them and when her daughter decided to sat besides the golden woman, she felt the need to run at her side without leaving Ichiro behind.
When they finally met, the obvious question left the girl's mouth with riddling curiosity. "May I ask who might you be?" Asked as respectful and politely as she could. The feminine being smiled at her recognizing the effects Jusenkyo had dotted her with and understanding all the predicaments she had to go through.
"My name is Ma-Tsu or most widely known as Mazu, goddess in charge of the ocean and protector of this planet. . .The four guardians jealousy challenging you from above are the four dragon kings. . .Guang, lord of the east sea. . .Qin, guardian of the South sea. . .Run, king in charge of the West sea and Shun, dragon of the North sea. . ."
Ryoga watched as the larger than life dragons covered with orange, yellow, blue and violet morphed into human form with only their heads wearing the dragon formation as a helmet.
"We have protected this land from its beginnings and even though there are forces risking its demise, humans! Are the sinners taking this world apart." Declared with an angry tone the king with the yellow helmet.
Ryoga jeered back at them trying to defend herself and all the things she had sacrificed for the good of mankind and the land itself. She really tried to argue, but Mazu intervened before she could muster a word.
"Guardians!. . .This little child has given us the chance to defend ourselves from immediate evil and at the same time, gave humanity a fighting chance to redeem themselves. . .You will not pass judgment until she knows what's to come. . ."
The dragon king bowed apologetically and rejoined the other three who stared firmly at the human girl. The goddess smiled in Ryoga's way, pleading with her eyes to get near where they could speak in a more equal manner, if that could even be possible.
"Little one, I know the hardships you have endured but I'm aware of the good you have healed for your kind and the land itself. . .Eon and the fields in the Amazon land spoke in your behalf." Her looks felt sad and heartbreaking when her eyes pointed at the little children who were mesmerized with the dragons and the glow emanating energy from their helmets.
"Not too far into the future mankind will try to play their hand as gods and will take what mother earth has created for thousands of years into their limited hands, turning it into nothing. . .Ryoga my child. . .You are the link capable to survive and reclaim what those humans are about to unbalance."
The girl considered at this point the conversation aimed at things she could not possibly understand on her own, but Mazu made sure Ryoga could understand her mission was of vital importance. "There needs to be harmony all over the world before we could accomplish such feat and for that reason, you will be my representative out in the lands of men when this event come to pass."
The four kings gathered around somewhat undignified after their respective colors glowed in harmony around the golden Aura the goddess emanated. To their surprise, little Michiko's facial expression tightened and her Indigo colored Chi manifested, mingling with the dragon kings.
Ryoga and Ichiro followed as well and when their respective green and red aura matched perfectly with the rest, a powerful rumbling vibration shook the cave from ground to the roof.
"I-Impossible. . .No mortal can assimilate Chakras given to the guardians of this world!" shouted the king with the blue aura but Mazu felt the impressive wave after wave of energy bathe the rather dead cave she had to use from the outside world.
"Oh, but it is true. . .Young Ryoga Hibiki is the descendant of a man who listened and practiced the teachings of a master who everyone else ignored and threw away like trash. He survived an earth shattering event a few human decades ago and passed the talent to this girl's father."
"And now, another cataclysm is about to cover our beautiful home, something much more powerful that will have deathly repercussions over mankind." Ryoga kept seeing how the goddess ran the same explanation in a loop, understanding maybe how important this even was going to be.
"How can I stop that from happening? . . .I don't even feel prepared to withstand something like a nuclear bomb falling on me like my grandfather did!" Her chest swiveled up and down from the excessive panic she felt but soon she calmed down by Michiko who seemed to be more in control.
"Don't worry mom. . .We can survive it here, can we?" Asked the little girl with questioning looks the giant agreed with. The fanged girl still had some loose ends before her new training would start though. If there was to be something so strong that could take apart the planet, she made sure those who she considered friends and family would be safe from that incident.
"Tell me Mazu-san. . .Is there a way for me to warn Japan. . .Specifically, the Nerima ward?" The woman knew she would be concerned about her other relatives even when the girl had part ways in not so good terms.
"Yes child. The same guide who supervises the magic pools high above reported to the Amazonian elder about a spring connecting underground to that place you cherish the most. . .I will protect your friends and loved ones from here and I will accommodate Joketsozuko in this place after I made myself another cave, deeper into this world."
Ryoga felt the term "loved ones" a bit strong when Talking about Ranma and the Tendos, but she had to admit there was still some affection and after all, he and Akane were her children's biological parents.
"In the meantime we need to prepare you for what's to come. There is no specific way I can describe the means they will use, but as they did in the past, so they will to the point where total devastation will rule the earth."
"You need to understand how your chi works in harmony with your children and the right choices you take along the way. . .I have felt something troubling you and your son that compel you from mastering these human treats."
The golden glowing female displayed a mirror like image on top where Ranma's past lit before them. Scenes from her mind illustrated every step she and Ranma took as a possible couple until the very end where Ryoga sighed at the idea of loving him in return unconditionally.
"Little one, I sense doubt in you. Doubt about your loyalty to that girl you live with. . .Doubt that if you ever meet this boy, you will fall prey to his charms. . .Doubt that makes your Aura weak and defenseless." She turned around to stare at the nervous little boy who rubbed his arm nervously from her impregnating gaze.
"Tell me little one. . .Shouldn't you share with your creator who keeps you dragged back from happiness?" Ichiro's eyes trembled with supplicating tears begging the deity not to force "that" in front of her father, but the feminine figure just stared back with the peaceful demeanor in her.
With all the courage he could collect, Ichi-kun spun around facing the quizzical eyes in the fanged girl. "It's mom, dad. . .I heard you that night you cried to Natsume-Chan how my real mom humiliate you and took you away from me all this time."
His little arm flew to his redden eyes filled with tears who began to spill freely, rubbing them in apparent distress. "I. . .I hate her!. . .I hate mom for what she did to you and I wish I had never known I had a real mother. Natsu. . .I mean, "my" real mother has raised me and loved me since I can remember and she loves you very much. No!. . .I will never forgive the monster who gave me this!" Finished as he pulled firmly from his red mane.
Ryoga broke inside at the sight of her son blaming everything on Ranma from her last outburst, compelling her to run at him, hold him tightly close and spill just as freely her anguished tears. "No son, don't hate the one who gave you life. Sure, Ranma had some shortcomings but she is your mother and she needs to redeem herself to you. . .I am a different case that will resolve itself with time, but you need to give "her" a chance. . ."
Michiko felt a pang pressing her little chest when both her brother and very feminine father laid on the ground trying to solve something she could barely understand. "Dad!. . ." Was the only thing she could said as her own wailing cries muffled everything else during her rushing race to meet her family.
There was it again thought Mazu when the Orange colored dragon threatened to leak a tear from the scene, which she considered a step forward between human kind and the guardians of the seas. The moment left a bit later and both father and son composed themselves before holding each others during the rest of their training.
"Good little ones, I'm glad your Auras have been cleansed now." The woman extended her hand in an orderly fashion, signaling to her guardians where to go from here. "Take that route my kings, and lead me to my new home, deeper into the ground."
The four kings bowed respectfully, flew into the ample sky within the enormous cave and began to breathe their relentless fire making a tunnel through dirt and stone.
She returned to the matter at hand, asking her human guests to slowly follow her as the tunnel opened up ahead. "Do not blame your son for what he so desires little one. Unlike him and your daughter, you have something very special in you."
"The Chi flowing through your soul, that green glow, is more than just an intense life energy. It is called the "heart Chakra" or Anahata which rules the center of your body, bridging the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds. Mastering the heart chakra allows a dragon king or a human in this case to love more, empathize and feel compassion beyond his or her understanding."
She then gently rested a hand on top of the girl as her eyes darted to her blushing face. "That is why when that incident made your subconscious gain a life of its own, filled you in a way you weren't prepared for and thus, accepted every bit of humiliation that boy did over you."
"I should point out as well how the heart chakra molded your personality into accepting your female state a lot easier and even embraced it, turning you into a real girl instead of that same boy who only tries to emulate one. . ."
That made a lot of sense to Ryoga when every embarrassing moment Ranma forced her to experience. . .Those strange feelings he had all his life as a boy and even how shy he had become since childhood were side effects from a much stronger type of Chi he would discover now.
"Little Ichiro-kun has the base or root Chakra, known as Muladhara. The mastery of his chakra resides in his spine, allowing him to be grounded and connected to the universal energies. Trust, belonging and loyalty imbue him with the solemn need to protect you as his main creator and closest loving being."
"He will defend you with his life if possible, giving away any fear and feeding any hatred for those who wish ill or demean you away from pride and self-respect. . .So, don't blame him child. . .He is your guardian and constant companion in conjoint effort with that girl living with you."
Her gazing sight moved again, this time aiming at the happy go around girl who shied away from those penetrating eyes. "Little Michiko. . .You posses an Indigo hue energy unlike I have ever seen on a human before. Your color is the Chakra of the brow or the third eye also known as Ajna firmly linked to the universal unconsciousness. Mastering this Chakra can aid in clear sight, intuition, integrity and lessens feelings of despair."
"That's why I can talk with my twin sister when I need her?" Asked the little girl just as a second shadow in indigo popped from her silhouette splashed on the ground. "Yes!. . .She is here too!" Mazu smiled attentively when the interpretation the child had was not the right one, but innocently enough she believabled it anyway.
"No, my dear child. . .Just like your father, you too can talk freely with your subconscious, well. . .I guess you could call her a twin I guess." Let the goddess out with a chuckle when noticing how the tiny kid ignored her explanations and danced with her living shadow at her side.
By the end of her extended description everyone reached several miles downhill in a matter of minutes somehow. The luminosity encompassing her golden glow entered the new chamber just caved by the dragon kings when the only humans among the superior beings stared at each other with amazement.
Michiko pointed at Ichiro who ported dark hair just like his dad and his eyes had turned from the Hibiki prominent brown to bright red ones. The little boy did smile as well and he too pointed at Michiko when her eyes had turn from the same brown colored to an intense indigo hue.
They both suddenly turned around and saw their dad showing bright green eyes where her honey-brown existed.
"Why did our eyes changed Mom. . .I mean, dad?" Ryoga blinked surprised by the mistake but one big part of their training was opening up as a family, so she took the lead with her son and gave him all her undivided attention. "Ok Ichi. . .Be honest and tell me what's in your mind. . ."
He spun around hurriedly while his eyes twirled hoping Ryoga would forget the answer to her question, but after several tapping noises made by her foot on the ground, the girl stopped him and turned him to face her.
"What is it." Questioned again and this time Ichiro trembled when she held his shoulders firmly grasped with her grip. "S-Sorry dad." Said the child crying afterwards with pained sobs. "I. . .I see mom more like. . .Like you and I. . .I see you like a mom" finally let out, pushing her grasping hands away and falling on her chest with deep, painful cries.
Ryoga bared her teeth, showing partially her fangs when she realized all this feminine mood affecting her transformation and constant use of her female form were taking a toll in the boy's mind, giving him the idea Ryoga fitted more like the mother figure than the father's side of the couple.
"There, there Ichi. . .I don't care what you think of me. Call me mom or dad I will always be your parent and proud of it." Reassured him with a stroke on his darkened hair, fixing it back in place. "By the way, why did your hair change?. . .Is that part of our eye color?"
Mazu sighed at the question knowing the true desires in little Ichiro's heart but was afraid to tell her mom. "Your son is concerned with the girl who helped you give him birth Ryoga-Chan. I feel bitterness and the color red in his head remind him constantly that. . .So I decided to change it in your image."
Ryoga bobbed understandably and after everyone had no more questions except for the eye transformation, the goddess set the contract in order. "Very well, from today and forth Ryoga, Ichiro and Michiko Hibiki are the three guardians in charge of this world's protection."
"Usually the pledge comes with some type of special jewelry commemorating the significance of it. "The dragon Kings posses their respective Chakra stones in their helmets as you can perceive. . .Yellow dragon king has the amber."
The woman described their meaning and title according with their shades of hues. "Orange, Carnelian. . .Blue, Turquoise. . .And Violet, with a diamond. Now. . .Ryoga Hibiki, I gave you Emerald but not in a gem, I made the pact with another constant reminder." Mentioned as the girl bowed knowing the meaning of her green eyes.
"Michi and Ichi should port An Amethyst and a Ruby respectively but their human eyes make for a better deal. Now, for the what's to come. . ." The seven Chakra representatives gathered closer to the goddess as she began to rely every piece of information mother earth had researched over the last months.
Ryoga gaped, trembled and some times even squirmed when the giant woman described what a normal human being would call the end of the world. Despite the bad news, they all agreed to leave the children in charge of the Dragon kings while their mother needed to leave the city in search of certain parts all over the globe with the end to heal it back to its original state.
They stayed deep in the second cave for hours until the grumbling tummy in Michiko made them realize the kids needed nourishment before continuing with the mission. "Human. . .Uhm, so weak minded. . ." Said The dragon of the west with a smug face Ryoga could not take one more second, lunging at him without caring who he represented.
"I don't care who you were but if you don't apologize to my daughter I will make sure you stay dead this time." Both began to power up and even though the Dragon King had superior Chi output, the fanged girl never retracted from protecting her children.
Ichiro's eyes bulged by the sheer amount of spiritual energy her mom could push with ease and his smile clearly noted the pride he felt to be her son. Run, the king from the west ignored Mazu's prying eyes to stand down with the goal to teach the only human girl who she needed to bow in respect.
Little did he know a force greater than his pushed him all the way to his original position and when he growled menacingly looking for the culprit, little Michiko's shadow were at the base of the impressive force.
"Get this Dragon King of the west, these humans represent me, and it doesn't matter if they are a child or a teenager. . .They have my full power to work with. . ." Run understood the offense but with bitter eyes he just retracted his challenge and looked away from the new addition to their group.
Michi's eyes almost fell from their sockets when the little shadow ran at her side faking innocence and getting a hit on her transparent head. "Don' you ever scare me like that!. . .The man looks mean. . ." Said the little girl to her own silhouette before rushing back to her mom.
"Very well then, Please let me take care of my Children and report to the elder in charge before I get in trouble. . .Can we come back tomorrow about the same time?" Mazu agreed with the time and she told Ryoga no to worry about anything else for the time being, she volunteered to fix her situation in the outside world.
By the time they left the second cave and surfaced on the outskirt of the city, it was already night and the three could see in the distance how a small group with lanterns moved erratically all over the fields. "Ryoga!. . .Ichiro!. . .Michiko!" Shouted loudly who Ryoga believed was Natsume and Akemi.
Kenta accompanied them as a chaperone but he knew better than to worry when her daughter was one of the strongest fighters in the world. "Mom!. . ." Akemi heard her daughter yell and she promptly hurried towards the tone until they met in the middle of the land field.
"Ryoga!. . .Are you Ok dear?. . .I tried to wait for you and even I asked that giant living tree but he just kept singing something and ignoring my questions. . .Oh, I was so worried for you and the kids." Little Ichiro and Michi ran at her grandmother when Natsume walked closer to her mate with an angry face.
Ryoga swallowed nervously and winced the moment she ran at her side, expecting a slap or a scolding but instead the girl hugged her and Ryoga could feel how her wife shivered in her arms. "Please Ryoga. . .I know you are the toughest around, but don't you ever play games like these with us. . .We were really worried you know?"
Ryoga said nothing else but keep the hug and walked back understanding how distressed she had left her family during their special training. As they returned to their house, the area was far from quiet and empty as they hoped.
To Ryoga's surprise, Elder Wu, Cologne and some of the Amazons waited impatiently after the girl had missed her chores during the day. Mousse was as well and when The fanged teen tried to speak, the blind boy rushed past her, crashing against Natsume who had separated from her mate.
"There you are honey!. . .I am here to reclaim you at my side. . " Finished triumphal as his hand rubbed all around Ryoga's wife. "Who do you think you are talking to Mutzu?" The boy fixed his enormous glasses back in place and noticed a fuming Natsume ready to pound him into the ground when his hands firmly grasped her chest.
As if the girl was engulfed in flames, Mousse let go immediately of the girl, adjusting the spectacles once again until he found the target for his claim. "There you are Ryoga-Chan!. . ." he rushed again only to be stomped against the sole of a foot, dropping on the ground in a thud.
"Better behave Mousse or I will take you apart you hear?" Ryoga blinked comically when Shampoo talked in a very fluent language she could clearly understand. She tried to think how she had done it until it made sense, she of course was speaking in Chinese instead of the Japanese they had to communicate on Nerima.
"Oh Hi Cologne. . .I didn't know you were back, what's going on?" Asked Ryoga puzzled by how fraternal Mousse was acting with her. The old woman hopped several steps until meeting the girl almost face to face and explain what she may had forgotten by now.
"Remember what we discussed when I gave you the antidote for the pig curse and the contract to protect your family my child?" How could she forget when the pledge had sacrificed her son turned into a girl like her and how humiliating she had turned as a slave for the Amazon tribe.
"I remember. . .What about it?" The old woman peeked away, stealing a glance to no other than Elder Wu who waited to see how this game of Chess would take its course. "Well, If I remember correctly you swore to find an Amazon man to betroth you and make your family into our tribe officially."
"Natsume is your first wife and only official woman to share intimacy with, but you need a male that can put you in the map of our society to say it that way. Since there has not been any progress on your part, I have decided just like we agreed, to leave Mousse as your husband and official male mate."
In that precise moment the boy in glasses took the girl by the waist with such surprise Ryoga could do nothing but let a tiny whimper out. She hated that ever since Ranma had forced her to show weakness in that manner, but could do nothing after she had promised it to the older woman.
"F-Fine. . But he will be my husband as a title right?. . .No cuddling or any intimate stuff. . ." Despite the duck boy's disappointment, he went along with the contract accepting the added bonus he had over the stronger Ranma Saotome with the only person he could never have as a woman.
Still not out of trouble, Wu realized the well planned strategy from her colleague had worked but she needed to reassure the Elder's status of leadership after the rebellious display the fanged girl did in front of the Elites.
"That is all well and all, but Mutzu's wife has failed as an Amazonian and must pay for her wrongdoings. Tell me child, are you ready to receive your punishment?" Ryoga sneered at the smirking old lady with the desire to fight her, but there were more pressing matters she had to deal with first and the Amazon tribe wasn't one of them.
"Elder. .. I swore loyalty to this city and I have sacrificed my son's well being with a curse he never deserved. I will never question your authority if that's your concern, but I must be ready for my training and you're not helping one bit."
Cologne's mouth hanged open when she saw how despondent Ryoga had treated the oldest of the surviving elders in Joketsozuko. She hopped in the girl's direction and readied her staff to knock her out when a golden glow emerged from within the group.
Everyone gasped by the intensity but after a few seconds, the glow resided and in its place, a beautiful yet enormous woman stood besides the bandanna girl. All the Amazons and the Elites who heed the call were ready once again for the fight, but the elders stopped them with apprehensive haste. The group stopped at their orders and waited while the two oldest Amazons contemplated someone who they read in ancient books and legends.
"Koron. . .Is she who I think it is?" Asked the oldest woman in charge while Shampoo's great-grandmother hopped slowly in front of her. The big sized woman wore a red robe holding a jeweled staff on her right hand.
Cologne dared to speak more out of curiosity than fear with the next question that made the woman smile. "Lin Moniang. . .Is it really you my goddess?" Ryoga frowned disconcerted by the very earthly and human name but the laughter from the deity made the girl wonder even more.
"Well. . .I haven't heard that name for a long time. It's so refreshing to know I'm still remembered after all these years. . .Tell me Elder, why would you impede the freedom my Child Ryoga needs to fulfill her pact with me?. .. Is it maybe you race is in need of more warriors? Or you just want to rule over them unconditionally . . .?"
Wu had no idea what to answer and Cologne tried to but she wasn't even in China while all this came to be. With apologetically bows, the two elders showed no disrespect for the woman and let slide whatever crime Ryoga seemed to be in.
"There is no such problem Mazu. . .There are guidelines we all need to follow and she apparently missed some but I believe with reasonable excuse. . .I will let the girl go for today, but she has an obligation to this proud tribe."
Both goddess and Elder bowed once again more like in a respectful manner than in good terms and the old woman hopped away while the enormous deity vanished from sight. Concerned by what just happened, Natsume walked close to Ryoga with the firm desire to solve one more problem she thought her mate didn't need now.
" Ryo. . .About Mousse. Would you feel Ok if I accept him as second husband?. That way you can focus on that training without being disturbed by him and maybe. . .I don't know. . .Maybe would help you feel more in control of your male gender."
The fanged girl could see clearly the worried look on her wife and hoped the reason she had in mind could be enough to satisfy her trust over their marriage. "Don't worry Natsu. . .I need Mousse as my husband. . .That way, if in the future Ranma comes to see his child, he won't try anything with me."
"Besides, there are a lot of other things we need to discus right now. It seems something big is coming our way and no matter our efforts, it cannot be stopped. . .Don't worry, we'll talk about it later." She kissed her wife tenderly on her forehead and left briefly trying to ask one last favor with the recent arrived Elder.
"Cologne!" Shouted the girl trying to reach the old woman as she made her way back to the first Amazon area. When she heard her name, a hopping staff stopped from moving forward while the owner tucked a smirk away unnoticed.
"Ryoga. . .My Child, is there something I can do to help you?" The question sounded so hollow, almost empty of any real interest making the bandanna teen raise her brow quizzically even when knowing she had stepped into a trap. "You know it old ghoul. . .I swore and here I am. . .What about Ranma?. . .Is he going to try and follow me here even when I have Mousse as my male husband?"
The smirk reappeared into a snickering contorted smile when the plan she had forged for so long was finally taking shape. Cologne's fake sadness obliged Ryoga to be ready for the thing she feared the most. . .A possible re-encounter with her most powerful enemy.
"Indeed my child. He asked me to give him six months to resolve unfinished business back in Japan and when I come back, he would contact me to come and reclaim you. . ." Ryoga slouched defeated when she knew how it didn't matter how strong she would get, Ranma would always find a way to pass her guard and that scared the girl the most.
Natsume heard what the Elder said and her own frown made Ryoga see how the pigtailed boy would not be welcome near her family. She decided to forget everything for now and let those six months come while she prepared everything for Mazu's plan to save the planet.
On their way back to the house, the sleepy children barely had any time left to eat properly when their heavy lids began to fall. Akemi and Kenta Hibiki carried each one of them to their respective rooms when Natsume finally noticed something she hadn't before.
When everyone went to sleep for the night, the girl with the carpet beater set on her back led Ryoga into theirs, spinning her around suddenly. "Ryoga?. . .What's with my children's eyes and why does Ichiro's hair is jet black?"
The fanged girl propped her wife on the bed, positioned her own self on the opposite side and began to explain all what went on down on the cave. When most had been explained, she started to reflect in points she hadn't take into account before.
"Natsu. . .I. . .I want to stay as a girl for the good of Ichiro. He refuses to see me as a male role in this family and has grown accustomed to my presence as a female. I will train under Mazu's supervision with them and when the time comes, you will take my place with Ichi and Michi while I go out there in search of "the others". . ."
Natsume reflected every bit of information carefully, specially after hearing how Ryoga was about to leave them again. She wanted to protest, to fight back for her family and husband, but Ryoga made certain what was going to happen would be bigger than any of them.
"I need to travel on my own and according to her, Inner is going to take charge of my body while doing so. There will be many changes Natsu-Chan and I must be prepared." With that last warning, the fanged fighter kissed her intimately, pulled the blankets and went to sleep tired from the initial training.
Natsume could not close her eyes the entire night, until the bright rays of the sun hitting through the window told her the day had come. This time everything changed once again. There was no food ready on the table or a family ready to part their way. . .This time, Akemi and Natsume stayed at home while other women offered to breastfeed their own kin and Ryoga with her children were dispatched into the cave.
Moments before they entered into the tunnel under the supervision from Eon, Cologne and Wu arrived hurriedly trying to warn the girl. "Ryoga!. . .Wait!" The bandanna wearing mom stopped patiently until the two older women hopping from afar reached them in time.
"Daughter. . .There has been a new development and we need your presence among the council. Ryoga nodded at Ichi and Michiko who bobbed their heads and went along into the cave without their mother.
"Ok. .. Let's go. . ."
An hour later, The Elders and Ryoga arrived to a clamoring scene where close to fifty Amazon warriors she had never met before lain on the floor screaming in agonizing pain. The girl saw how many of them missed limbs and the wounds they had taken were deep into their flesh.
There was nothing more important for Ryoga now who launched at them while ignoring the condescending looks from the Elite guards. Elder Wu waved for the jealous Amazons to step down as the fanged martial artist began to power up.
Everyone gaped astonished when Ryoga's eyes lit a bright shade of green which began to encompass her whole body. Within a few minutes, she was passing from bedroll to bedroll instantly healing and even regenerating the lost limbs from the fallen warriors.
When midday arrived, all the female wounded had been cured and after the healer dropped to the ground exhausted, The gathering came to be. She stared how more and more Elders began to hop from different places, all rejoining Cologne and Wu in the center of the hall.
Ryoga counted twelve in total. . .Twelve Elders just as old if not older than Wu who fixed their position around the girl.
"So. . .This is Koron's new addition to the main branch. . .Interesting." Ryoga was sure they all were leaders somehow and her doubtful eyes reached to Cologne who forced a tiny chuckle from Ryoga's thoughts.
"Indeed daughter. . .There are other tribes out there and these are their Elders in charge. The problem rising now is the strange occurrence of the Musk initiating war against us. . .That had never happened before and we don't know why they began, but we must defend ourselves and our way of life. Will you fight along the Amazons?"
Ryoga wanted to bow and declare her loyalty for the ones who protect her family, but this was part of a greater plan she needed to implement now. With a shaky voice she told the Elders how Mazu allowed her to intervene.
"Cologne, all this is the prelude for something worse. I have strong information about the future destruction of this planet and its way to be saved from it. You need to escape their armies and retreat to a place designed for the Amazon country."
Elder Wu urged at the rest to convene inside the hall and they listen attentively while Ryoga laid down all the information the goddess had relied on her. After they agreed, the alarm called for all Amazonian to be ready for the evacuation of the city.
Ryoga asked Mousse to intervene in her behalf with the exterior world. The boy tilted his head puzzled and when the fanged girl asked what was the problem he said. "I'm a man Ryoga. . .My words don't count here so. . .What could I possibly accomplish without you being at my side."
Ryoga swallowed nervously but she decided to play her cards now, before a certain pigtailed menace could have the chance to win her over. "Mousse, I am your wife and I treat my mates as equals. . .To me you are as strong if not stronger than any proud Elite, and besides. . .I need to keep you at my side against you know who."
Mousse softened his eyes when he contemplated the truth in Ryoga's own orbs. He was always depicted as a weak, unworthy male who would never be more than a stepping mat for the prideful Amazons and here he had met someone who valued him for who he really was.
With a bow and a smile, the duck boy agreed with the girl and took her message outside the city.