-Disclaimer – A haiku in English.
Writers wither like cherry blossoms
Creator's lawyers like glare of sun
Hah! Exactly 17 syllables. I didn't say it was good.
I have many apologies to make this is not the chapter I promised at the end of last chapter, in fact it isn't even close. But I swear it just jumped out and started bugging me, 'Write me! Write me!' after a couple of days of that I had to give in and do as it asked. To give you some idea of how much it wanted to be written my normal release schedule is somewhere around a month for a 7-11 thousand word chapter; this one is 14-15 thousand words long and took 4 days, go figure 'cos I give up. I hope no one's too disappointed with me, if it's any consolation I think this is probably one of the better pieces I've written so far. Not that that's saying very much. Of course if you agree or disagree let me know in a review. I'd love to hear your opinion of this chapter.
Okay for those wondering what's going on; the timeline for the story so far stands like this. The council of war (chapter1) was held on Saturday, Ranma escaped (chapter2) on the Sunday and the next day the Tendo family duped Xian Pu into following Shuichi Itsunagi. Cologne spends some time using her limited magic to scry for Ranma's where-abouts (but there's a brief section about that in another chapter) and upon finding him sets out to follow (who she's following you'll have to read and find out) arrives at her destination on Thursday and attempts to sort out the mess caused by her family. Ranma arrives on Kanakita on Thursday as well, challenges Ayu Dekisugi and fights her Friday morning.
Phoenix Ascension
Chapter 3H
NERIMA-Late Sunday
Akane stared at the gate in stony silence, she'd been staring at it for hours as if daring it to open and reveal the man she loved, but it never did. He'd walked out onto the engawa and had faded before her very eyes as he used his advanced umi-sen-ken to make his way out of the ward.
She knew him better than anyone else, for at least the last two years she'd been deluding herself, denying the traits that made him almost perfect for her. Sure he was prideful and sometimes an arrogant jerk, but she'd come to realize that was only his external armour, the face he showed the world to protect who he truly was. He was honest while those around him were not, he was hopeful when all others gave up in despair. His compassion knew no bounds encompassing both friend and foe alike.
If she were honest with herself she knew deep down that he wasn't as stupid as she often called him either, he'd just been trained to be ignorant. Genma Saotome had much to answer for, not that 'he' ever paid the price.
The one thing that she could see now that made the other traits of Ranma pale in comparison was the fact that he'd loved 'her', not the others. Xian Pu for all her glomping hadn't been able to hold him, and Ukyo for all her cuteness hadn't been able to buy his love not with all the okonomiyaki she'd given him. Like they say, "that was then, and this is now."
She'd finally done the one thing she feared most, she'd lost him, no not lost, but driven him away. In her fear of losing him she'd released all her pent-up anger, the anger she felt at her mother and father for abandoning her, but denied in her confusion. The anger she felt at Nabiki for using her the way she did. The pure unadulterated rage she felt towards the hentai brigade who'd attacked her for three months before Ranma came. And again at her father for not being the man she remembered him to be and protecting her from 'them'. The list of things that made her angry had grown the longer she'd known Ranma, but right at the top of the list was the fact he had other fiancée's who could claim his heart even if they never had. And now he was gone.
"Gone." She whispered to her self.
The first sob caught her unawares as tears began to roll from the corners of her eyes shaking her shoulders with its power. When the emotional pain became too much she released a wail of anguish that echoed back from the compound walls, and still the feeling of desolation grew. She never heard the sound of running feet but she felt the arms that encircled her as she was drawn into a hug. Even though it had been such a long time she recognised those arms and turned into her father's chest and held on as the waves of anguish rolled through her soul. For the first time in her life she allowed herself to grieve for all the loss she'd suffered. After what seemed like hours another pair of arms hesitantly surrounded both father and sister as Nabiki joined them in grief. Soun Tendo released his youngest daughter briefly so that he could draw both of them into a crushing hug, he felt their pain as keenly as he felt his own, and then as only Soun could the pride he felt in each of his strong daughters. They'd waited a long time for him to come back to himself and now he could be the man they needed once again.
Time passed and the sun sank beyond the horizon, the flame touched clouds changed colours passing through orange, red and purple as the sky darkened and the first stars appeared and then back to an orange tinged grey as the lights of Tokyo lit them once again in a pitiful imitation of the sun. Still Soun held his daughters even though their pain had eased. Finally Akane's tears slowed and she fell into an exhausted sleep. Soun lifted her limp form into his arms and rose to carry his youngest to her bed.
Nodoka sat silently as tears of compassion slid down her face as she watched Soun Tendo be a father for possibly the first time in over a decade. As he disappeared up the stairs with his youngest child she sighed wondering how her son was doing on Kanakita Island. They still hadn't heard anything from her grand-father, and with the directions she'd given him he should have arrived early this evening.
-Upstairs-
Soun Tendo balanced on one leg as he arranged his daughters quilt so that he could place her on the mattress.
Gazing down at her he realized just how much she reminded him of her mother. Her spirit had seemed so indomitable all these years, now he knew it for the sham it was. Both mother and daughter loved with everything in them, holding nothing back. The only difference he could see was that his wife had been honest with him about the way she felt. Ranma had never even guessed that Akane held a torch for him; she wouldn't let down her defences enough to trust in the man she knew him to be. As such things go, Ranma had stayed much longer than he could have, or maybe that was should have.
But then he was a little biased where his daughters were concerned, what father isn't. Soun knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that all three of his children were beautiful, talented individuals. He also knew that they could be mule-headed about the things they deemed important, even Kasumi had a stubborn streak at least a couple of miles wide it just took a great deal of adversity to bring it out. No one would believe it, but it took massive resolve and a core of iron for a ten year old to take on the management of a household the size of the Tendo dojo. Nabiki had perhaps paid the highest price in his opinion, but then again it was wrong for him to try and quantify their suffering. They had all paid a price when he, Soun Tendo had retreated from the world.
It took an event of cataclysmic forces to put him in that state and it had taken another to draw him back into the world of the living. Now that he could finally see his daughters again there was no chance he'd return to the shell of a man he had been.
Looking down he watched his youngest turn on her side and snuggle up to her pillow, crushing it in a sudden embrace as she dropped deeper into sleep.
"Rest well my little warrior, for tomorrow is another day." He gently reached down and pulled her comforter up from the foot of the bed tucking it around her he kissed her forehead and smiled as he left the room. Oh yes tomorrow was indeed another day.
Coming out into the hall way he found Nabiki waiting by her bedroom door. Knuckling her eyes as she tried to stay awake, crying like she hadn't done in years had been far more draining than she'd like but now she felt a lot lighter. Watching her father come towards her she dredged up a smile for him. This was the man she loved; the man who held her heart, at least until she found his equal. She knew deep down that she would never find his better.
"Na-chan, why don't you go to bed? You look like you're ready to fall asleep where you stand."
"I will father, I just wanted to say good-night to you, and that I've missed you."
"Would you like me to tuck you in? Maybe read you a story like I used to?" Soun smiled as her eyes opened wide in shock at his joke.
"Dad! Don't you dare, I'd never live it down." Nabiki put her fists on her hips in unconscious imitation of her mother.
"It could be our little secret you know. I know how good you are at keeping them."
"Well maybe you could tuck me in?" She asked with a hopeful note in her voice, they had a lot of time to make up for. She watched as her father approached then squeaked in surprise as he picked her up as he had Akane and cradled her against his chest.
"I can walk daddy! Put me down this instant!" Her indignant cry didn't stop her from wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him as close as he held her.
"Well O.k. if you insist." Soun Tendo made as if to put his daughter down, and when she released his neck he launched her quietly shrieking person across the room and onto her bed where she bounced once or twice. Nabiki started to laugh even as her heart continued to pound with the adrenaline released during her unexpected flight.
"That's not funny daddy!" Torn between indignation and the almost hysterical laughter that was causing her body to curl up in the middle of her bed.
"Oh be quite you. There all tucked in." He reached down and pulled her blanket from the bottom of the bed and covered her up, tucking the blanket under her body and neatly trapping her in a tangle of bed linen.
"Daddy you let me out this instant!" It took Nabiki a few moments to get enough leverage to release herself, when her head emerged from under the blanket she found her nose almost touching his. Looking deep into his eyes she read a message she hadn't seen for a long time. Then his words matched his expression.
"You know I love you Nabiki. Like your sisters, I love you." The tears flowed down his cheeks as he truly felt the emotion for the first time in ten years, not the overwhelming need to protect them from the woes of the world that he'd felt for so long and failed to do so miserably.
"I know daddy, I love you too." She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace of her own holding on for dear life as another piece of her pain broke up and dissolved after all these years.
As she lay back and rested her head on her pillow to watch her father make his way to the door she thought about the things they'd need to do in the following days.
"Daddy," Soun Tendo turned back to his daughter and raised his eyebrow in silent query, "get some sleep, we've got a busy day tomorrow."
"I will daughter, for the first time in years I feel I can sleep in peace. Goodnight Nabiki." He went out into the hallway and quietly closed the door leaving her with only the light that filtered under the door and what little could get through her heavy drapes.
"Goodnight father. I think maybe I can sleep well tonight as well." She sighed as her head again settled on the pillow and in a few breaths the sleep that normally came so hard to her claimed her and dragged her down into dreamless slumber.
-Downstairs-
Nodoka Sat watching the steam rising from her tea as it cooled in the night air. Looking up every so often she checked the stairs to see if Soun was coming down again. Then even as she was beginning to give up and start to make her own preparations to go to bed she heard the heavy tread of a man upon the stairs.
Soun stepped into the doorway to the family room and watched Nodoka as she took a sip from her cup.
"I thought you might have gone to bed already Nodoka, it's getting rather late."
"I know, it's just so quiet. They're both gone, after all these years of mistakes they've both left me again." Nodoka refused to look up at her companion as tears slid down her face.
"No Nodoka he hasn't left you, you know that. Ranma was so happy when he learned you still lived, that his father had lied to him all those years. Then Genma tried to keep you separated with even more lies. In a way I feel sorry for Genma, in the end there was no one for him and everyone against him."
"He made his own bed Soun; I can't feel sorry for him, not after all the years he stole from my child and me."
"I understand, but he was my training partner for many years under Happosai and that forged links between us that I'm not sure can be broken. Even if he isn't the man I thought he was. I didn't know it was possible to feel both compassion and utter contempt for the same person, but he has always been good at manipulating others."
"And what of Ranma?"
"Oh you know Ranma, strong as iron, thick as brick."
"That's not quite fair you know Soun."
"I know, forgive my poor attempt at humour. To be honest I don't know, Ranma is resilient in so many ways, but fragile in so many others. I know one thing though."
"What's that?"
"Now that he's found you he will never leave you for long, and he will always return."
"That's comforting to know. I'm so proud of my son, not for the fact that he's such a strong man even when he's a girl. But for the fact that he's overcome so much and still he's a decent person."
"Sometimes that surprises me as well, but I've known him longer than you have and I've seen the way he used Genma as a role-model in the last few years. Someone must have given him some good advice when he was younger."
"So what are we going to do now?"
"Well first we're both going to bed…." Soun blushed as he realized the implications of what he'd just said. "…Er that is…."
"I know what you meant Soun, don't worry." Nodoka had a soft smile on her face as she was highly amused at his slip of the tongue.
"It's not that I wouldn't….." Soun stopped again and slapped his face as he tried to gain control of his wayward mouth. By this time he was bright red and Nodoka was almost hysterical with laughter as she watched his expression.
"So you find me attractive huh?" Soun started to hope the ground would open up and swallow him as Nodoka began to have fun at his expense. Then he firmed his spine and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Nodoka, I'm a man and I still have a pulse, you know it's been a long time since Kimiko….You're an attractive woman, I can't deny that, but I don't think either of us is ready to move on in that direction. My children need me, now more than ever and I don't think they're ready for me to make that kind of move anytime soon. There's also the fact that you're still a married woman, I couldn't be the one to come between man and wife. I'm sorry." Nodoka had stopped laughing almost as soon as he began to speak and by time he was finished she was completely back to normal, after all it wasn't funny anymore, there were more hearts involved than just the two of them. She flushed as she began to understand something about herself.
When she'd first returned to the life of her son she'd been happy that her husband had finally returned. Over the next year or so she'd come to understand that he wasn't the man she had married all those years ago, in fact he wasn't even a shadow of that man, but she was a member of an old family and it was hard to admit that she'd made a mistake in her judgement of him. Divorce wasn't unheard of in Japan, in fact it was a lot easier than it was in the West all one had to do was admit that one had made a mistake and find witnesses to countersign the documents. Then one had to live with the loss of face for admitting to the whole world that you'd made the mistake in the first place. Even after a year she hadn't been ready to face that, and then there was the fact that her son was a Saotome and after she divorced Genma she would have no further claim on him so she had been doubly unready to face divorcing Genma. Now things had changed, drastically for the better. Ranma was a ronin and could choose any way of life he wanted, Genma was in a coma at the local hospitals ICU ward, not that she'd wish that on anyone it was just convenient. Just as Soun said neither of them were ready to do anything other than lick their wounds and pick up the pieces of their lives. But…..
"It's something to think on though; I won't be married to him much longer. I can't, I won't live my life through my child Soun, don't choose to do so with yours. You deserve better than that and so do they."
"There's truth in what you say Nodoka but not yet, none of us are ready to move on just yet."
"No, not yet, but maybe some day." Nodoka smiled as she rose from the cushion she'd been seated on and made her way to the door. "Goodnight Soun I'll see you in the morning." Then she was gone, just a slight flicker of the hem of her kimono as she disappeared through the doorway and then the quick soft steps as she ascended the stairs to her room.
"Goodnight Nodoka." Soun also rose and made his way to the master bedroom, tomorrow would be a long day.
NERIMA-Monday
The next morning Akane woke with her heart in her throat as she heard a crash from the backyard. 'Ranma! It's got to be Ranma, only he could make that much noise this early in the morning.' She threw back the covers on her bed and ran to throw open the window, for a second the scene before her failed to register. There in the empty garden stood her father, standing in one of the starting stances of the third variation of an advanced kata for the Tendo style. She watched as he flowed into the first moves and then winced in sympathy as he stumbled as the kata became more complex. The next step, a lightning step caused him to disappear and then reappear just as abruptly plastered against the far wall as he'd failed to control the acceleration. That was the crash she'd heard earlier and her accelerated heartbeat crashed almost as fast as her father had into the compound wall. Then the thought that her father was practicing the Art after all these years struck her and she bolted to get changed into her gi. There was no way that she'd let this opportunity get away from her, who knew if her father would teach her after all this time but she'd be damned if she didn't ask him. She threw open her door and charged down the hallway almost running over Nabiki in the process.
"Hey sis what's the hurry?"
"Daddy's out in the yard practicing, I'm going to get him to teach me if it's the last thing he does." Akane set her jaw in determination; no one would talk her out of this.
"Way to go Dad, don't spend too long at it though. Kasumi's coming out of the hospital at ten, and we're all going to be there. Then we've got to plan for the fiancée brigade."
"Okay Nabiki!" Her eyes sparkled with the joy she felt, her father practicing again. Nabiki shook her head as her sister charged down the stairs sounding for all the world like a herd of stampeding elephants. Which was a distinct possibility if a school tour ever went to Jhusenkyou. Then she headed for the kitchen to find a cup of coffee.
"Good morning Auntie."
"Ah good morning Nabiki, was that your sister just then?"
"Yeah, she's gone out to corner father into teaching her now that he's back to normal."
"That's good to hear. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Yes I think I'll have some breakfast if you don't mind Auntie."
"I don't mind at all dear. If you don't mind me saying you look rather well rested, you normally look like you're in desperate need of caffeine." She was smiling as she said it and Nabiki had to admit that she was feeling better than she had in years. Then very quietly so that Nodoka had to strain to hear her.
"I think I actually slept last night." She looked down and stubbed the toe of her sandal into the floor drawing patterns in her embarrassment at admitting to anything that resembled a human weakness.
"Hmmm, that's good to hear. Are you and Akane going to school today?"
"No, we're going to get Kasumi from the hospital and then plan out deception of the fiancée brigade."
"I'd like to be there too; I hope Kasumi is doing better. I hear that young doctor of hers has hardly left her side since she went in."
"Yeah who would have thought he could hold it together for that long." Nabiki had always been amused at the antics of Doctor Tofu Ono, she'd watched as the new doctor to Nerima had become smitten with a young Kasumi. The difference in their ages wasn't so great that many would even raise an eyebrow now, but she'd only been thirteen at the time and Kasumi hadn't even known he existed other than he was the man who took care of her sisters injuries and acted silly when she came to see him.
Nodoka passed a cup to Nabiki who paused for a second to smell the coffee before taking a sip. Her body shuddered at the taste of the almost pure caffeine that rushed into her bloodstream. Then she pushed the cup away and moved to make herself some tea. When she returned to the table Nodoka had left to get the days washing together.
-Outside
Akane stepped off the porch as she headed towards her father. He was frowning fiercely as he tried to remember a complicated cross step pattern that led to a feint and then a thrust with the small wooden practice blade he'd taken out of storage. For a moment he seemed to blur and then…
"Ouch! Daddy that hurt!" Akane picked herself up off the ground as she felt the lump forming on her head as the knife that had slipped from his grip had flown through the space that her face would have occupied if she hadn't almost seen the blade and ducked to get out of its way. Soun Tendo panicked as he saw his daughter fall over then sighed with relief when she yelled at him. If she was yelling coherently then it couldn't be that bad.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. You should know better than that Akane."
"Hey I was a good ten feet away, I should have been safe!" She leveled an accusing glare at her father who had the grace to blush.
"Who am I kidding? I can't do half of the things I used to be able to."
"Maybe if you taught me the basics then the more complex stuff would come clear to you again?"
"Hmmm, I suppose it is often easier to learn while teaching." Soun pondered the situation then smiled at his daughter. "Are you sure you want to learn from a rusty old relic like me? OOoomppphh!" The air was expelled from his lungs as his daughter tackled him in a hug that would have caused Xian Pu to sigh in envy, Akane was much stronger than he'd expected and she took him totally by surprise.
"You're not a relic."
"But you didn't say anything about rusty, huh?"
"Talk to the bump on my head father, it knows more about it than you do!" Then she broke down in laughter.
"Okay, I guess I have to relearn the foundation so that I can get to the advanced levels again. I don't want to hurt you if I do something wrong though."
"Father, learning the Art is to take risks, but also to learn from them, I can't learn anymore the way I am, and Ranma wouldn't teach me anything."
"Akane, Ranma has been teaching you all the time he's been here. Even I know that."
"No he hasn't, all he does it dodge and insult me!"
"But daughter you're much faster than you used to be, and your attack is much stronger and sure than before. You still need to work on your defense and you've always been strong. But Ranma insults have pushed you to speed up and they've also built your endurance. When you first started sparring with him you barely lasted five minutes, the last time I watched you spar with him you kept pushing at him for the entire hour and a half, and some of the moves you made were almost on a level with that Xian Pu girl."
Akane glowed at her fathers words; she was nearly on a level with Xian Pu? When did that happen? Could it be true that Ranma had pushed her to excel further than she'd thought? Then she remembered some of their sparring matches and had to agree with her father, he had been training her, not as his father had taught him but in the only way he could figure out without actually giving in and hitting her. "He really was training me wasn't he Daddy?" Her voice held an edge of excitement as she considered the current situation, only to crash around her ears as she remembered the insults she'd thrown at the pig-tailed martial artist all these years for not training her right. He'd said it himself, everything he did was training, she'd just let herself forget that for the longest time.
"Yes he was Akane, and he'll continue to train you when you return. After all he is the Grand-master of the 'Anything Goes' style now.
"Yes he is isn't he? But in the meantime I can teach you Akane-chan, and you too Soun me boy!"
"H-H-Happo-osai!"
"Yes S-S-soun?"
"But you were sealed away."
"No I went to holiday in the South of France and spent a few months watching the fillies on the beach. It was my ki techniques that relied on draining female ki that were sealed, but that doesn't mean to say that I can't enjoy watching young women now does it?" Happosai chuckled at the shocked expression on his students face, then frowned as he spotted Akane hiding behind her father. "Now, now Akane I won't hurt you, I got a little carried away while testing Ranma and I did a lot of things that I'm ashamed of now that he opened my eyes."
"What do you mean you were testing Ranma?"
"To see if he could put an end to my wicked ways, I tested your father and Genma the same way. But when they finally had me beat they failed to capitalize on it and I was able to escape on my own."
"What do you mean capitalize?" Soun asked, he remembered the day quite clearly, they'd stolen enough alcohol to float a battleship and then started drinking early in the morning, Happosai had the constitution of an ox when it came to sake and took a long time to become even tipsy. As the night progressed he'd slowly begun to fall under the onslaught of alcohol and by the next morning he was comatose when they chained him up and threw him into a cave with some dynamite then blocked the cave. What was to capitalize on?
"I realized you had beaten me as soon as I woke with the mother of all hangovers, might have had the father and a few other relatives involved as well. If you'd have approached me at the time I would have done the same for you and Genma as I did for Ranma and bowed to you as the new Grand-Masters of 'Anything Goes' after all a win is a win. Instead you ran away and left me to rot in that hole in the ground. I can see you're going to ask me why I had to test you. Remember I always called you both my heirs? So I had to test you to make sure you had the moral fortitude to handle the power of our style. Unfortunately you both had the spine of a limp noodle. When I came back you both cowered and let me do anything I chose, but Ranma, he attempted to stop me every time I did something wrong." Akane was frowning as she thought about all that the midget had said; she still wasn't coming out from behind her father though.
At that point Nabiki and Nodoka came out onto the porch to see what the commotion was about.
"You! What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be is a dark cave somewhere mouldering!"
"Waaaah! Nabiki doesn't love me anymore." Happosai wailed as he looked at the young woman before him, he was only joking but Nodoka seemed to be preparing to split him in two with that sword of hers. "Hold on a minute, I'm here because Ranma told me if he left the dojo in the next year or so that I was to come and protect everyone from any hostile martial artists that came to challenge the dojo."
"Yeah that's as maybe, but who protects us from you?"
"You don't need protection from me child, I'm here only to protect the dojo and those who live here you know."
"Well we had to redecorate your room; we burned your panty collection and repapered the walls." It had taken a lot of work to remove all those posters from the wall and half a day to remove the underwear from every surface in the room.
"That's all right, I planned to do it myself as soon as I arrived so I should thank you for your help." The family face vaulted as that was the last thing any of them had expected to hear from the little hentai. "You forget that Ranma sealed my ki draining techniques so they're of no use to me now. And I have to admit that I think better now that all that stuff is out of the way. Damn hormones clouded my mind so much on occasion that I think I owe everyone here an apology." Soun was half way to his feet when he attempted to break his nose for the second time in under thirty seconds. "Where is the fat panda by the way, I'd like to say hi to my number two student." Happosai chuckled as he thought about the titles he'd always used for his students, Soun was number one because he was a tall streak of piss, and Genma was number two, well for obvious reasons.
"Umm well there's been a lot happen here in the last few days; if you like we can explain it to you over sake?" Soun waved towards the door to the living room, it wasn't much of an olive branch but it was still more than he'd expected to give the old man who seemed to be behaving himself.
"It's a bit early in the morning for sake don't you think Soun, though if you'd make us some tea Nodoka I'd surely appreciate it." By this time everyone was becoming used to the surprises that Happosai was throwing their way and they only stumbled slightly as they followed him into the house.
Half an hour later Nabiki finished telling her Triple G-father as they'd called him when they were children all that had happened at the Tendo home in the last couple of days, even explaining the things that had led to the situation when he asked her to clarify several points
"So he finally left did he? Good for him, I knew it would only be a matter of time before he did. As for that fat fool, if he wasn't already in the hospital I'd put him there myself. I still can't believe that you expect me to believe that gentle little Kasumi could punch like that. Even if he had been hit with the 'Ultimate strength sapping moxibustion'."
"You think you're having a hard time with it? We saw it and we still can't believe it. Pow! Right in the kisser." Nabiki enthused as she attempted to imitate her older sister's punch.
"So she's in the hospital as well huh? Well I'm sure I'll see her later when we figure out what to tell the others to make them chase…Shuichi was it?" Then he smiled as Nodoka nodded hesitantly. "Well I'm going to my room, I've been on a plane for twenty-three hours now and I need to sleep. Could never get used to the seats, they're just too big for me to sleep in, and that stewardess kept asking if I was sure my mommy was going to pick me up at the other end. Hah, my mommy indeed!" He walked to the door and made his way down the hall to his room where he let out a muffled shriek.
"Do you think he likes it?"
"PINK! Who painted my room pink?"
"Umm I'll take that as a no then, shall I?" Nodoka looked at everyone else in the room as they attempted to keep straight faces. When the ex-Grand-master of their style came stomping back into the front room it was to find the inhabitants of the Tendo dojo rolling on the floor laughing. He waited patiently for them to settle down before he spoke, but Nodoka beat him to it.
"You can have my room if you like Happosai until we can redecorate your room."
"No that's all right Nodoka I can live with it for a little while I suppose. Though I have to say the ruffles and bows were a little too much even for retribution." Then he joined them as he laughed harder than he'd had reason to for a long time.
NERIMA-General Hospital
Soun led his two daughters and Nodoka to the room occupied by Kasumi. He hated hospitals with a passion, but couldn't deny the necessity of them especially when his child needed one. The thing was that the memories of her were always stronger here; the last memories were not pretty, the spark gone from her eyes as she died a little every day. When she finally passed away after nearly a year he'd been guilty that he'd wished her to die so that she could finally be at peace and out of the constant pain that the doctors couldn't completely mask even with the strongest drugs they had available. He'd stopped taking his children to see her when she no longer had the strength to hold them in her arms; she'd begged him until he'd given in against his own better judgement. Now he hated the smell of the place which hadn't changed much at all.
Turning into the final hallway they saw Dr. Ono sitting in the TV. room waiting for them.
"Hello everyone, how are you?" He noticed Soun's rigid stance and the slight grey tinge to his skin, things that told Tofu about the amount of stress the older man was currently under.
"We're fine Ono-sensei, and you?"
"Oh I'm doing alright. Kasumi kicked me out so she could get changed, but she said she'd be out soon."
"Come on Auntie, Akane let's go see if she needs a hand." The three women walked off to Kasumi's room chatting amongst themselves.
"Tendo-san? Um, I don't know how to say this, but. I asked your daughter to marry me last night, and she said yes. I need to ask you to allow me the honour of marrying her."
Soun stood like he'd been cast in stone as the words he dreaded washed over him.
"So you think you're good enough for my daughter do you? You think that you love her as she deserves? I know you can support her, but can you give her the support she needs? Do you think your love is enough to make this alright with me?" Tofu Ono stared at the man he hoped to call father in law and then nodded his head once decisively once.
"Yes, I think I can do all of that and more Tendo-san."
"Father! You leave Tofu alone." Kasumi stormed up to her father, her steps assured him she was fine and the sparkle in her eyes and blush on her cheeks showed that she was in the best of health. The only thing that looked out of place was the plaster cast on her arm that immobilized it from her fingers all the way to her shoulder. They weren't taking any chances that any of the fragments they'd placed so carefully in her wrist would move and heal incorrectly; Dr Ono had made it very clear what would happen to them if it didn't heal well. "You're scaring him!"
"If I am then he's not the man for you." His stern expression quivered ever so slightly
"But…." Kasumi trailed off as she glanced at her father suspiciously.
"But I suppose I'll have to say congratulations son. You make sure you take proper care of my daughter." Soun finally let out the grin that had been lurking just beneath the surface
"I will sir; I couldn't do anything else even if I wanted to. I love her more than words can express."
Nabiki, Akane and Nodoka exchanged looks as they came into range just in time to hear his last sentence then they looked at each other and squealed in excitement. Then they carefully hugged Kasumi who was blushing profusely.
"Oh and I want lots of Grand-children to coddle."
"Daddy!" Kasumi blushed even harder; in fact it was surprising she hadn't fainted with the size of the blush she was currently producing.
"Sir, while both Kasumi and I would like to have children someday, we've decided to wait for a few years." Soun frowned for a moment then asked.
"Why?"
"Well Kasumi has spent a lot of time looking after her family for the last few years and to be honest I'm more interested in making her happy than I am with producing an heir. I didn't want her to go from looking after her sisters to looking after our children; she's still young and should be allowed to live as much as she wants."
"In that case I thank you." Tofu looked surprised to be thanked for that until Soun Tendo continued. "For giving her something that I was too weak to give." Soun bowed to the young man who managed to hold his daughters heart.
NERIMA-Late morning, early afternoon.
Ukyo stood behind her grill watching as Konatsu bustled around the tables making final preparations for the afternoon trade. She'd come home early as school had proved to be a bust, Ranma hadn't shown, in fact no one from the Tendo residence was seen at school. She had to admit she was curious as to what was happening now. Then she felt a sense of impending doom, as if the thought of her fiancé had summoned it. She could see a red glare coming through the window and Konatsu had stopped what he was doing to watch the door.
Akane approached the Uchan's as fast as she could, she didn't know how long she could maintain this act so she had to make it in and out fast. The door was locked, but that had never stopped anyone in the Nerima crew before, and this was no different as the door buckled around her foot and then snapped to send one half flying across the room. Ukyo rose from behind her grill while picking splinters out of her hair, that had been a little too close in her opinion. She looked at the doorway and saw that Akane was as angry as she'd ever seen her, then she reached for her battle spatula and prepared for the onslaught.
"Where is he you hussy?" Akane pounded into the room cracking floor tiles as she came, the damage bill was rising rapidly and if Ukyo didn't do something pretty soon she'd have to take the gorilla down the hard way.
"What the hell are you talking about now?"
"Ranma where is he?" Akane was halfway to the counter when Konatsu tried to gently restrain her. That was when he found out just how much she'd improved, he'd taken her lightly and paid the price as she sent him sailing across the room to land in a crumpled heap against the wall.
"Hey! I ain't seen Ranma since he was in school on Friday!" She was nearly as shocked as Konatsu had been, 'When did Akane get that strong and fast?' She'd barely seen the move that had sent him flying.
"You're lying, we haven't seen him since yesterday, he didn't come home for dinner and Nabiki says he didn't have any money to eat out so that leaves you and that purple haired bitch." She was drawing on all the anger she'd felt over the last three years to maintain the anger aura that was threatening to singe the ceiling tiles.
"I just told you I haven't seen him." She backed up a little more, Ukyo hadn't seen Akane this angry since that farce at the first wedding attempt, not even the second or third had seen this much anger. Though she hadn't personally been anywhere near either of those two events. She learned her lesson when Ranma had refused to even talk to her for months.
"Then you won't mind me checking will you?" She slammed past Ukyo and headed for the stairs.
"Um, er sure be my guest?" She found she was talking to an empty room as Akane reached the top of the stairs and began to charge from room to room calling out for Ranma. A minute later she came back down her aura undiminished and the scowl still in place. "He's not here, damn where could he be?"
"I told you he wasn't here, now get out!" Ukyo had grabbed her spatula and was holding it in a guard position. She wasn't sure how much good it would do, this was a totally different Akane to the one she knew when she first arrived in Nerima. Akane stormed over and pushed the haft of the spatula into Ukyo who found herself pushed back several feet against the wall, as she felt the air being pushed from her lungs she began to panic.
"If you see Ranma, you hear about Ranma or even get a feeling about where Ranma is you call Nabiki on this number. She's organizing the search." She hissed the instructions directly into Ukyo's face causing her to flinch with every other word.
"But what happened, why'd he leave?"
"His father disowned him yesterday and we haven't seen him since. Remember you see him call Nabiki." She pushed hard one more time on the spatula and Ukyo grunted as Akane stormed out of her restaurant.
"My god, that fool! Why'd he have to do something so stupid?" Then she snorted, 'Yeah right, damn baka panda!' Her knees finally gave out as reaction caught up with the events of the last five minutes. Had it only been five minutes, it had felt like much longer, somewhere just this side of eternity. At least she knew who to contact to find out what was going on, the price might be steep but it would be worth it.
Fifteen minutes later a similar scene played out in the Neko hanten. Though
Akane was much more circumspect in the premises of the Amazon Elder.
"What can I do for you child?"
"Umm, Elder have you seen Ranma anywhere in the last couple of days? There was a problem with his father the other night and well he disappeared sometime yesterday. No one's seen him since and he hasn't come home for a meal either." Khu Lon watched as the youngest Tendo child played the part she'd been assigned, 'So that's the way they're going to play it, is it?'
"I'm afraid we haven't seen him, he came here on Friday as he always does and then he left. Tell me, what happened to Ranma to make him run?"
"His father disowned him; I don't think he could take the shame of being ronin. It's got us all worried the way he looked before he left he might do something stupid."
"YOU LIE! Airen never run away!" Xian Pu darted across the room and attempted to grab Akane to make her tell the truth. Only to find an iron grip around her wrist and her arm being twisted, she attempted the counter to this arm lock but found that Akane was much stronger than she was as her arm continued to be pulled in a direction she didn't want. A split second later her momentum was used to pull her off her feet and she slid face down across the floor with Akane kneeling in the small of her back still holding her arm in that damn lock. Khu Lon looked on impassively as her Grand-daughter learned not to rush in and underestimate her opponent, better to learn it here where she didn't think Akane would kill her. Then she turned in time to intercept a white blur as it moved to attack Akane from behind. Two more steps and Mu Tse became visible as a stumbling soggy duck that flopped to the ground wings outspread and totally unconscious from the staff strike to the top of his head.
"I apologise for this Akane, if I see him who should I contact?"
"Umm Nabiki is the one organizing the search, this is the number she's using." Akane placed a small card on the table. Xian Pu was fuming at the humiliation of having been taken down by the 'Violent kitchen destroyer' but at least she knew who to contact to find out what she needed to know, in an uncanny echo of Ukyo's earlier thought, the price might be steep but it would be worth it. Then her head snapped around as her Grand-mother continued.
"Oh and Akane there's no need to worry about the kiss of death over this," she waved her hand at the prone Xian Pu, "the Tendo family is absolved of all past, present and future kisses. Any Amazon who gives one will be charged with attempted murder, so have I Matriarch Khu Lon spoken, and so it shall be.
NERIMA-Early Tuesday morning
Nabiki sat and counted the money she'd been paid for the crucial information on Ranma's probable location. She'd staged it almost perfectly and the only slip she'd made had been missed by a frantic Xian Pu who was heading for the airport at the time. The problem was that while Ukyo paid for the information she didn't buy it. She knew there was more to it than she was being told and waited around until the purple haired hussy had disappeared into the distance.
"Okay Nabiki the truth. Where's Ranma?"
"I already told you all that I know Ukyo or are you calling me a liar?"
"In this case? Yes. I think you're not telling me everything and I want to know the truth."
"Look Ranma was disowned on Saturday, it took him until Sunday to figure out how he felt about that and then he ran off to try and discover who he is now. If you have any problems you can try to talk to his father, but that could be a problem as he's in the hospital in a coma. If I were you I'd go home and visit your father and explain the current situation to him."
"Which is?"
"Let's see, Ranma, a man who can level mountains has been pushed to the edge of sanity. He is no longer a Saotome so the deal the fathers made is no longer valid, I see you understand what that means; the only way for you to become a Saotome now is for you to be adopted by Genma or to marry him after his divorce becomes final. Then there's the fact that Ranma's mother is getting angry at the situation and may decide to step in and rectify matters and I guarantee that you won't like that."
"Nodoka Saotome doesn't concern me, there's nothing she can do to my clan."
"True, Nodoka Saotome probably can't do much but Nodoka Itsunagi can. It's still my advice that you go home to see your father and explain things to him. Then tell him that Nodoka Itsunagi would deem it a personal favour if he took his agreement up with Genma Saotome and to leave her son out of it."
"And how much is your advice worth?"
"Fifty thousand yen." Nabiki didn't even blink as she named her price.
"That's outrageous! Your advice ain't worth that much to me sugar!"
"Suit yourself Ukyo, but you know the saying, you get what you pay for. The price isn't based on what I think the advice is worth, it's based on what the advice is worth to you. All I know is that your father won't want a dispute with Clan Itsunagi. Anyway it's your choice what you do, I just sell the advice." Nabiki's smirk left Ukyo feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
"Okay sugar, I'll think about it." The following day found Uchan's closed for the duration and Ukyo herself on a train heading for her home in Osaka.
ELSEWHERE-Thursday afternoon
For a brief moment the hot humid air did battle with the over taxed air-conditioner as she stepped through the doorway into the airports terminal. Then with a roar the A/C unit won the tussle as the automated doors closed, and a blast of frigid air penetrated the gap between her collar causing goose-bumps to rise all over her body and her tiny frame to shiver uncontrollably. She'd been in transit for twelve hours and had had to change planes to reach this her final destination.
She'd been warned what to expect, but as is usually the case she'd hoped that they were wrong, that they'd made an error in their judgment. Now she bore silent witness to their predictions and the last hope she held had come crashing down around her. It was time to pick up the pieces and figure a new way forward for that to happen she had to find her quarry quickly and then leave as soon as they were able.
Walking through the terminal rather than using her normal mode of transport proved to be taxing, but she hoped it would give her the advantage of surprise, the sound of her cane striking the marblene (1) floor would be a dead giveaway to anyone who knew her. There! Across the foyer she could see him standing there waiting; now it was time to go over and claim her family and return to Nerima. She stalked closer using every trick she knew, there was little chance of being spotted in the crowded room, even if she was the only three foot tall Trollz doll (2) anyone there had ever seen. Not that anyone would dare to point that out to her, there was just something about her that warned people not to go there. Carefully positioning herself behind her target she cleared her throat.
"Hello Son-in-law." Then she cackled as the object of her current merriment whirled around in surprise. 'Yep, still got it!' She chortled a little more as she took in the expression on his face.
"Old Ghoul what are you doing…." Her words finally caught his attention. "What did you just call me?" He stumbled over the question as his mind began to catch up with events.
"You too silly Mousse, that Grand-mothers idea of joke, yes?" Xian Pu turned faster than Mousse had to look askance at the Matriarch of the Amazons.
"Do you see me laughing child? I have come a long way in a short time and I'm not in the mood for jokes. Now answer my question, where's your Airen Xian Pu?"
"He's on ship that dock here in next week. We wait for him here." She frowned at the Elder, 'Surely she can't be getting that senile that she'd forget something as important as that?'
"Hmmm, then it seems that the council was right and I was wrong. I didn't want to believe it of my own flesh and blood, but the very words you speak give there assertions more credibility. While we're on the subject of speaking you will return to using Chinese now, at least you can try to sound intelligent."
"But Great-grandmother tell Xian Pu to speak language of Airen."
"Exactly, so I expect the next words to leave your mouth to be in your native tongue. Do you understand warrior?"
"I understand Honoured Elder but I hope to hear an explanation as to why."
"As of Tuesday your unconsummated marriage to Ranma was annulled as per the agreement you made with the council after your punishment."
"What? They gave me permission to catch my Airen for as long as I needed."
"True, true, but maybe you should have stuck around to listen to the remainder of the terms and conditions. The very day that Ranma left I sent a letter to the Council of Elders proclaiming your marriage to Mu Tse, warrior of the Amazon tribe."
"You can't do that! You don't have the right without my permission or the express order of the…." She trailed off as the only other way it could happen crossed her mind.
"Exactly child, a majority vote of the Council. There were no dissenters, after you left without listening to the rest of the conditions and consequences of the agreement you made."
"No! I won't marry him!"
"It's too late for that grand-daughter, you have been married for two days already and as per the agreement, that you still have not asked about, there is only one way to dissolve the marriage to Mu Tse."
"I made no such agreement, there's no way I would, I don't love him." She stamped her foot, cracking one of the tiles with a loud report that sent the other patrons of the airport diving for cover.
"Yes you did actually, if I remember rightly, and I know that I do, you heard that they were allowing you to continue the chase for Ranma for an indefinite period of time and then you danced from the Council chambers smiling and calling out your gratitude. They decided to teach you the folly of not waiting to hear all they had to say and that is why you are in the situation you're in now. Would you like to see the document, the one you should have read over at the time and put your personal chop on or argued or bargained with them at the time? Now it's too late to bargain, but it's never too late to learn what other things will happen to you because of this."
"Why Grand-mother, why are you doing this to me?"
"You truly can't figure it out? You who would claim to be my heir, the successor for my council seat can't understand why I would do this? Something as simple as this escapes the person who would expect to be in a position to adjudicate disagreements, arrange trade agreements and lead her people into the next century. I was warned but I chose to disbelieve that any blood relation of mine could be so narrow minded. You two are indeed a perfect match, both blind in your obsessions." Khu Lon, Elder and Matriarch of the Amazons waved a casual seeming hand over her shoulder and neatly picked the descending body of Mu Tse out of the air with a concussive chi blast that sent the blind hidden weapons master crashing into the far wall of the terminal some 30 feet away. He hadn't even had time to voice his usual war-cry as he attacked the Elder for insulting his Xian Pu. "Fool, I never could understand why he won't accept his place in the tribe."
In response to the gunshot sound of Xian Pu striking the floor the 'Indian Rapid Response Unit' began to suit up in preparation to apprehend the terrorists invading their airport. At the sound of Khu Lon's chi blast they poured from their ready room screaming their orders to cease all movement or they'd open fire. Coming forward through the crowd they leveled their weapons at the offending trio, or in Khu Lon's case lowered their weapons so that they could cover this unlikely looking terrorist gang.
"Sonny you have about three seconds to put those guns somewhere other than in my face, or you're going to have such a political stink on your hands with the Chinese ambassador that you'll wish you'd never been born." Khu Lon reached into her robe slowly so as not to startle anyone and pulled out her passport, a passport encrusted with official seals and a letter of political immunity (3) issued by the Chinese government which she handed to the man who had the most piping on his uniform, who promptly handed it to a man across to her left. She turned to him immediately and bowed in apology.
"I'm sorry I assumed that the man with the most decoration was the leader, when I should have asked who's in charge here." The man in question raised an eyebrow as he scrutinized the passport in his hands then turned to the rest of his squad and barked an order in Indian. Suddenly the troops that had seemed so menacing a moment before in their heavy personal armour and facemasks shouldered their automatic weapons and stepped back to form a cordon around the Chinese trio.
"It seems that you're in command here." The sardonic smile on the officer's face belied any real rancor at the situation but Khu Lon chose to be polite about it anyway. "Please could you tell me if this is an official visit?"
"No it's not, I have come only to collect these two Chinese nationals and return them to Japan where they are supposed to be. I apologize for the disturbance, sometimes the only thing these young people understand is superior force."
"Ah I see," Though clearly by his expression he didn't have a clue what she was talking about, "I hope that in the future you would choose to have your disagreements some other place. Only earlier this week there was a failed hi-jack attempt, understandably the men are a little jumpy. Many more explosions like that and they may do something rash before I can stop them." As threats went it wasn't particularly subtle or smart but the Elder chose to resist comment on what had been said.
"Again I apologize and I hope that you can direct us to an open space near here so that we can continue our discussion?"
"There is a car-park outside and to the left of the terminal that should be mostly empty at this time. It is my hope that your 'discussion' doesn't damage any of the cars that are there though." He pulled a plasticized map from a pocket on his fatigues to show her where they could hold their meeting.
"Again I thank you for your forebearance, and hope that we cause you no more trouble than we already have." She cast a stern gaze over the two teenagers who were with her.
"If you need an escort to your plane please don't hesitate to ask, we'd be more than happy to see you safely to your aircraft."
"I'm sure. At this time we need to resolve a few issues between the three of us or there may be problems. If you could have someone locate my bags and bring them to me I would be very appreciative." Elder Khu Lon smiled at the captain of the Rapid Response team; at his slight return nod she described her luggage for him.
"I'll have someone bring it to you immediately Miss Lon." The Elder raised an eyebrow at the western form of address even as she watched him turn on his heel and walk away to join the rest of his team.
"Outside now, the two of you! Don't even think of answering back Mu Tse." He'd opened his mouth to protest only to receive a pounding upside the head from her cane which was in the case she'd chosen as carry on luggage. She'd held onto it as it was the most dangerous artifact she possessed and not just because it could leave a dent the size of the Grand Canyon in his skull either. She raised an eyebrow and waited to see if Xian Pu would need a similar demonstration to do as she was asked.
Outside in the car park they found a relatively unused section to continue their talk.
"So child will you answer my question. Where's your husband?"
"I told you, he's on a ship bound here, he'll arrive in just under a week. I plan to be here waiting for him!"
"So you're going to challenge me are you? Do you think you're ready? I didn't think so." She watched the body language of her grand-daughter change from aggressive to passive in a split second. "When you say he boarded a ship, you mean to tell me you fell for a simple 'Ooh look there he goes!' trick? I thought I trained you better than that."
"I checked, eyewitnesses saw him board the ship Great-grandmother! Do you think I'm actually that stupid?" Khu Lon noticed that Xian Pu had inherited the stubborn Lon family jaw-line, as the youngster ground her teeth together.
"I'm beginning to wonder about that child. Did it occur to you that it might be a look alike, that the young man who boarded the ship might be a close relative perhaps?"
"It wasn't, there are no close relatives that could take his place!"
"So you checked his family out did you, so you'd know that his mother has extensive family in the Tokyo area. Did you know that?" At the blank expression on her Grand-child's face she had to go on. "So you're telling me you checked for family on his father's side but failed to check the mother's family, even though she has been around now for over a year? Don't bother to answer that Xian Pu I can already see the answer in your eyes."
"But…."
"You realize of course that this is all academic? That your fate was sealed the moment that Ranma left without telling you where he was going, with the sole intention of getting some space for himself; or will you 'dare' to attempt to tell me that he informed you of his destination? Of course you don't know it's academic, because you haven't seen this." She slipped a scroll from her sleeve and waved it under Xian Pu's nose. "Go on take it! You should read it and make sure that all is as I have told you. You should probably learn the other few important things that the scroll contains." Xian Pu hesitantly reached for the scroll and then pulled it from her Grand-mother's unresisting fingers. She unrolled it and skimmed the preliminary description of her disciplinary hearing and the sentence they'd chosen to mete out for the crime of her disobedience. There near the middle of the document she found the clause that would allow her to continue her pursuit of Ranma using any means necessary, beneath it the personal chops of all eight members of the Council of Elders.
She remembered the day vividly now that she was away from it, at the time it had all been too much, her curse and then to find that she was still to gain Ranma for the tribe. She remembered the giddy feeling. Now that feeling turned sour as she continued to peruse the scroll. The next item was the item that was currently causing her so much frustration.
'In the event that Ranma Saotome should leave Nerima without Xian Pu or Khu Lon having prior knowledge of destination, in a matter that does not relate to training trips, schooling, holidays, business, some form of challenge or a rescue that is related to family or one of his many fiancée's or rivals the un-consummated marriage of Xian Pu to Ranma Saotome shall be annulled.' Again there were the eight chops of the Council of Elders, including her Grand-mothers.
"Why did you support this Grand-mother? What did I do?"
"It's not what you did Xian Pu that led me to this; it's the many things you failed to do, the things you didn't take advantage of. You should continue reading there is more that pertains to your current predicament."
'As Xian Pu is of age to bear children and has made no serious attempt to gain a mate the council chooses to exert its authority and choose a likely candidate for her. The only name put forward by the Council is Mu Tse. Therefore after due deliberation this Council will consider the couple as married and the tribes records will be changed to mirror their change of marital status. Only in the case of Xian Pu providing an heir of her body for each line, the Lon family and the Tse family shall the Council consider dissolving the marriage between Xian Pu and Mu Tse.' The first chop beneath the clause always told the reader the person who had suggested the clause, to Xian Pu's shock the first chop was that of her Grand-mother.
"You! You are the reason they chose Mu Tse?" Words failed her for a moment as she watched the expression on the face of her relative. Mu Tse fell backwards off of the folding chair he'd pulled out of sub-space even as a smile spread across his face at the vote of confidence that Khu Lon was showing in him.
"Yes it was I who made that suggestion. Before you ask I'm getting old child, too old to be playing silly games waiting for you to gain the love of a man who would never return your feelings."
"He would too, if his other fiancée's hadn't proven to be such obstacles."
"Yes, yes I'm sure that's true, and we all know your opinion of what should be done with obstacles even if Ranma would hate you for harming one of them. Answer this for me Grand-daughter, how important do you think family is within our tribe?" Xian Pu was puzzled at the turn of the conversation
"Family is everything; it is a deciding factor in almost all areas of Amazon life." She used a condescending tone of voice that let Khu Lon know that her Grand-child considered her to be going senile.
"If that is the case why is it that you asked Ranma to give up his own, do you consider his feelings in the matter of family to be inferior to your own? You ask him to give up everything he has and make no concessions and offer no compromise. A good leader should try to understand the feelings of those she would control; she would also understand the importance of compromise. You have consistently shown me that you are incapable of taking into account any other thing than that which you desire. You were told to use any means necessary to bring Ranma's bloodline into the clan, you could have seduced him in a manner that didn't leave him to be punished by his other fiancées and when you had his child then you could have controlled the situation better. You were not told to bring him back to the tribe, you were told to bring him into the tribe, you could have chosen to stay with him and raised his children as Amazons."
"But he is a male…"
"That's as maybe, but his bloodline would have been of extremely high value to the Amazon nation. Then there is the fact that you could have offered to share him with the other fiancées as is common practice with males of high potential, in fact you will more than likely find yourself in that position with Mu Tse."
Mu Tse looked up at the Elder and asked, "You consider me to be a male with high potential?"
"Of course, do you think that I would have tolerated someone with no use to me messing with the plans I made to the extent that you have over the years? If you had no potential you would have been shipped back to China in a small urn after a week, even if your parents would mourn your loss they would understand that it was merely the consequence of ruining an Elders plans." Mu Tse glared at the threat that was contained in her statement but then went white as the full implication of it hit him.
"The tribe is welcome to him I certainly don't want him." She waved a dismissive hand towards Mu Tse.
"Oh no, it's not that simple before any other may approach to share him it must be proved that you have consummated the marriage and that you carry his first child."
"Then no one shall share him because he will not share my bed!"
"You are wrong about that. You will consummate the marriage this very night and in the morning we shall return to Japan. Mu Tse you will show me to the hotel you are staying at."
"Mu Tse you will not do any such thing!"
"Umm Xian Pu the Matriarch of the tribe has spoken and I must obey her."
"Yeah right, you just want the chance to sleep with me." She glared at him down the length of her nose which was only possible because he was still seated; when he stood he towered over her by nearly a foot.
"Well that too, but you have to realize that while I have pushed the meaning of some of the orders she has given me, and while I have chosen to not be in a place where she could give me an order I have never actually failed to do exactly what she has told me when she gives me a direct order. I'm sorry but I can't do any less now."
"Don't even think of running Xian Pu it would prove very unfortunate for you to do so, I would have to return you to the Council of Elders for judgement yet again and you would not like the results of that."
"I do not run from anything but I'll have you know I would prefer to die than be forced like this!"
"You forget child that there are many punishments that are worse than your curse or death, don't push me into a position where I have to choose between family and the law. You won't like the results." Xian Pu slumped onto the chair Mu Tse had provided for her as a sense of defeat took her over. "Now Mu Tse go and get my cases, I'm sure that young porter who has been standing over there wilting in the sun would like to return to the air-conditioning in the terminal. Ask him to get us a taxi as well please." Mu Tse walked over and relieved the porter of the case and rucksack that Khu Lon had brought with her then leant over to speak to the young man who smiled and nodded quickly as a small pile of rupee. Less than five minutes passed when a taxi screeched to a halt with the passenger side door facing the Matriarch of the Amazons, who promptly gestured for Mu Tse to come forward.
"Mu Tse the taxi is facing the wrong way, could you turn it around for me?"
"Certainly Elder Khu Lon." Then reached through the open windows and applied steady pressure to lift the car.
"What are you doing? Put me down!" Which Mu Tse did when the car was pointing in the direction she'd chosen. The taxi driver found himself facing the diminutive form of the aged Amazon warrior.
"You wouldn't attempt to take advantage of a poor defenceless old woman would you?" She tried to sound querulous but the steely look in her eyes told the young Indian driver that it would be a big mistake to think that she was any of those things.
"N-n-n-no lady, I wouldn't do that to you!"
"It would be my hope that you wouldn't do that to anyone. Mu Tse in the front, we'll take the backseat
The short trip to the hotel was conducted in blessed silence, none of them choosing to talk to the others. Xian Pu stared at the document that sealed her fate as though it were a snake. She'd thought being forced to marry Mu Tse had been bad, but the last clause caused that one to pale into insignificance.
'In the case that Xian Pu proves to be faulty in her judgement in regards to her Airen Ranma Saotome she shall forfeit all rights pertaining to title of heir to the family of Lon. Any inheritable titles shall pass directly to her firstborn child or in the case that she fails to produce an heir, they shall pass to a member of the Lon family in good standing.' The implications were clear; she was no longer a member of the Lon family in good standing. Again it was a clause that was forwarded by her Grand-mother; the shocks were coming faster and faster as the day progressed. This was something that she would never live down, being passed over for another member of the family even if it were to be her child would be the worst shame she had ever faced. She continued to read the scroll for a few minutes more looking for any loopholes in the wording. She should have known better, the Elders of the clan would never let her get away that easily. Each new clause that she read closed one of the few loopholes she'd found in the main clauses and her hope died a vain death as she realized her fate truly was sealed.
"I won't give him up you know."
"Ah so you'll choose the path of multiple males, that is a hard way to go Xian Pu. As you are I don't think you're strong enough to hold Mu Tse and Ranma." She was alluding to the law that stated only the strongest could hold more than one high potential male, and that all other interested females could challenge Xian Pu for her second husband. In this case that would be Ranma.
"I'm the best warrior of the Amazon nation Grand-mother, who would dare challenge me?"
"Correction Xian Pu you were the best warrior of the Amazons in your age group. That is no longer true. Over the years you have failed to practice the new skills you needed to remain the best, in the interest of gaining Ranma, you have squandered the time you spent in a different country. You could have learned so much, but you were so busy looking down on the heathen Japanese to see that they had much to offer the tribe. You failed to even learn the language to the extent you should have, in fact Mu Tse is more of an asset to the tribe in that regard than you are. At this point in time I'd be very surprised if there weren't at least ten others who could beat you in single combat, and that's only the ones in your age group, there are ones even younger who could defeat you as you are; Akane Tendo gave you a hard time only a few days ago. You have much to learn before you are able to reclaim your place in the tribe, if you choose to do so I'm sure Mu Tse would be happy to teach you that you need to know."
"Mu Tse? I can beat him easily; he has nothing to teach me!"
"Do you really think so? Would you believe that Mu Tse could beat you with the greatest of ease even as long ago as ten years? He wanted you to love him and come to him of your own free will, not have you compelled by the law. Foolish Mu Tse, you could have been happy for many years if only you had done the right thing."
"The right thing Elder Khu Lon? I don't think it was the right thing, she would have resented me."
"No, she would have done the right thing and you would have both been happier."
"I think the right thing would have made a cold bed partner Elder. I preferred that she love me for who I am."
"Hold on Grand-mother, you say Mu Tse could beat me?" Xian scoffed at the very idea.
"Of course he could child, with his hidden weapons he has pushed his limits to the point that the weight slowed him down enough that you could beat him and it would seem that he was going full out. If he ever dropped his weapons he could beat you in a moment. In fact I'd go so far as to say that without his weapons even Ryoga would be extremely hard pressed to win against him."
"No way! Ryoga is the toughest man I know other than Airen."
"He is no longer your Airen Xian Pu; you will refer to him by his name lest you insult your husband." Khu Lon was glaring daggers at her Grand-daughter, which was only slightly better than if she were throwing them. "As for Ryoga being tough, that was only because of the Bakusai Tenketsu and his ability to handle heavy chi. Once Mu Tse and Ranma gained the Bakusai Tenketsu they surpassed the lost boy forever." Xian looked at the man she had known for most of her life and shook her head as the order of things as she knew them was strained to the breaking point.
"But he couldn't beat Ranma could he?"
"No, I don't believe much short of the Kami could defeat Ranma as he is, in fact I'd have to check out the power level of the Kami before I'd bet on anyone other than Ranma." Khu Lon gave a chuckle that had both of the youngsters shivering. "Now if you don't mind I'm going to have a nap until dinner is served. Don't go anywhere either of you." Khu Lon walked into the room she'd chosen once they'd upgraded to a suite and closed the door.
Mu Tse looked at his wife and began to open his mouth to say something when Xian Pu cut him off.
"Don't talk to me; I've got nothing to say to you. You're not my Airen." Xian Pu stormed into the only other room in the suite.
"Oh well I guess I'll stay here and stand guard." Mu Tse collapsed into a sofa chair and considered the strange turn of events that had overtaken him. Ranma was no longer a rival for his Xian, in fact he was no longer anything to either of them, with an effort he reined in his tumultuous thought processes and settled to the task of caring for his hidden weapons. Soon the only sound was the slow steady hiss of an oil stone as Mu Tse sharpened some of the many bladed weapons he had.
INDIA-Hotel Suite late evening.
Xian Pu poked the remains of her meal putting off the inevitable for as long as her Grand-mother let her. She'd said that they'd consummate their marriage tonight, but she'd be damned before she'd give in, those old fossils on the Council would pay for the injustice of it one of these days. Xian looked up as she heard a rustle of cloth from the other side of the table as Mu Tse shifted his weight on the hard wooden chair yet again. Look at him so impatient to do his husbandly duty, never! She glared across the table at him but it was a wasted effort as she noticed that he was cleaning his glasses and probably couldn't even see her. Then she turned her head at her Grand-mother clearing her throat.
"Children it is time for us to go to bed if we wish to return to Japan tomorrow. Xian Pu stop pouting, you must do your duty by your husband this evening." Mu Tse smiled across the table at his wife as he found another of his dreams coming true, but the goof feelings disappeared with the next words from her mouth
"No, I won't, you can't make me sleep with him Grand-mother." She considered trying to squeeze a tear from her eye but decided to settle on glaring at she caught sight of Khu Lon's stony expression.
"I see, so that's the way you feel hmmm? You're right of course I can't make you consummate the marriage, no matter how necessary it is. But I have to report to the Council of Elders and I'd rather have something to show there is progress. If you won't consummate the marriage at least share a bed with him. I don't want to have to sit on another Tribunal where you are concerned Grand-daughter." Khu Lon spoke softly to her young relative.
Xian Pu stopped what she'd been about to say as she considered her Grand-mother's words, true she didn't want to face another Council tribunal. A shudder shook her as she considered what further punishment they could mete out to her.
"Okay Grand-mother I'll allow this but it won't go any further." She turned rapidly and threw her bread-roll at Mu Tse. "So don't you get any ideas duck-boy!" She stormed from the table so she missed the expression in the Elders eyes, 'That's all you'll allow is it? We'll see what we'll see in the morning Grand-daughter.'
"That's fine Xian Pu. Then I'll see you both in the morning? I'll just write my report and then turn in for the night myself." She watched her Grand-daughters spine stiffen as Mu Tse came alongside her and then enter the room that they'd been forced to share. She was shaking her head as she sat down at the desk in the corner of her room and pulled out her writing materials. An hour later Khu Lon placed her quill on the desk and began to review the report she'd send in the morning.
'And in conclusion Xian Pu has been made aware of her new marital status and is in the process of consummating her matrimonial night at this very moment.
Yours in Faith
Matriarch Khu Lon'
Allowing the scroll to roll up by itself she took the small vial of passion spice she'd been using as a paperweight and replaced it in her traveling case as she headed for her bed and a good nights sleep. The sounds coming from the next room didn't faze her at all; she slept the sleep of the just.
INDIA-Hotel Suite early Friday morning
The morning sun struck Xian Lon's eyes causing them to flicker as she began to wake, her breathing changed the ever so slightly and her brow furrowed as a new scent came to her. The musky scent was quite potent and something she'd never smelled before but for some reason it felt comfortable like an old friend, and then she woke fully. An old friend indeed or more like a new husband, her lavender eyes widened considered to position with her slender arm draped over his broad chest and her head nestled against his shoulder, she paused to note that the her leg was entwined with his.
The heart contracted and then continued in its powerful beat, accelerating as memories of the night before crashed into her. Recalling how a kiss had led to another and then to a caress. She didn't remember when her nightclothes were skimmed from her body as new sensations had assaulted her; she'd moaned but hadn't cared. She'd writhed as his mouth joined his hands in mapping her body. When he joined their bodies she gasped in surprise but then she began to move with him until finally she'd screamed as the world receded in a flash of ecstasy that seem to flow through her limbs like a tide of old fire.
Through the next hours her sense of reality was reshaped with every move they made together until one fact came home to her in a shattering realisation, she was the wife of Mu Lon male warrior of the Amazon tribe. She could deny to until those cows on the Council came home but somewhere in her soul, a place she wasn't ready to face in the bright light of day her heart knew the truth.
She started to roll away from her husband extricating her limbs from his only to have his arm try to gather her back to his chest where he felt she belonged even though he was still sleeping. Xian Lon was having none of that, particularly against his hip and hands on his chest she shoved heart and watched with satisfaction as his body slid across the cool satin sheets and disappeared over the edge with his eyes wide in panic as his fingers sought some kind of purchase of the smooth sheets. She continued to roll off the mattress and made her way to the bathroom, a tiny smile played around the corners of her mouth as she closed the door behind her.
Mu Lon didn't even have time for a startled yelp as he slid out of bed and landed in a heap on the floor, and he'd been having the best dream ever. He sat up placed a hand on the mattress and then froze as he watched his naked wife make her way into the bathroom. Not a dream! The grin that threatened to split his face died a sudden death as a thought entered his head. "Passion spice!" It had to be, nothing else could alter someone like had happened to Xian Lon and himself the night before. If he didn't act soon he'd lose her to the doubt that it was all the drug, with that thought ringing in his head he bolted for the bathroom, stopping before he slammed the door open by a force of will alone. He opened the door gently and stepped inside.
Xian Lon was examining her face in the mirror when she heard the door open behind her; she looked up into the mirror and watched as the man who claimed to be her husband entered the room. As naked as she was, she felt no need to hide from him, last night he'd seen everything and touched her more times than she could count. Her breath hitched as she remembered the feel of sweat slick skin sliding across her body, the coarse hair on his arms abrading and sensitizing her wherever they touched. It was true, they were Xian Lon and Mu Lon, nothing could separate them now other than a direct appeal to the Council of Elders and not even then if she hadn't given two children to this man before her.
She'd known what was happening from almost the start as the passion spice had taken hold she could have run, but something, something held her there. That was the unknown, the thing that kept her from screaming at him to get out of the bathroom while she was in there. She watched as he walked across the tiled floor, slowly approaching as if she were a skittish horse, probably afraid she'd kick him like a mule more likely. When he came directly behind her he reached out and drew her to his chest
"Did I ever tell you that you're beautiful?" The arm around her squeezed her even closer as his free hand brushed the hair from her eyes, eyes that had changed so much in such a short time. "I often think about when I first fell in love with you, but to be honest I always fail. I don't remember a single time in my life that I haven't been sure that I love you, the smile on your lips and that mischievous light in your eyes as you pranked one of your cousins. Your heart, which made friends with everyone you met." His hand came to rest over her breast and she gasped in reaction as he brushed the sensitive skin. "No drug can change the way I feel about you."
"You knew!" Her startled eyes met his, irises open wide in shock as her penetrating gaze bored into his grey eyes.
"I figured it out just now. I lay there wondering what god I had to repay for that perfect night, and then I remembered the passion spice. I had to come here now; I couldn't have you thinking that last night had anything to do with some drug. I love you, always have. It's that simple Xian Lon; you have always been the keeper of my heart. You can do with that knowledge what you will, but it won't change anything in me." He started to move away from her only to have her reach back and grab the long hair at the nape of his neck and drag his mouth to hers, no drug was as powerful as the intoxicating scent of his warm skin. By the time she released her hold on him she was panting for breath and she watched her eyes widen in the mirror as he moved to join there bodies again. The flames of passion rose in her and nothing else mattered for a while.
She woke up late in the afternoon in the bed she would share with her husband, a secret smile at that thought, "My Airen!" Then in classic Amazon style she glomped him until he was awake and gasping for breath.
Outside the room Khu Lon cleared her throat loudly she'd noticed when Xian's chi changed to a waking state, "Xian Lon, Mu Lon we have a plane to catch. Why don't you get dressed now or we may miss it?" She glanced at the door, 'Silly children they always have to make things more difficult than they have to be.
End chapter 3H
Marblene is a blend of concrete and marble dust, a cheap alternative to real marble. It's usually painted with realistic marble effects.
Trollz dolls are a particularly ugly little doll with multicoloured hair that proliferated in the nineties and they still persist today though not as popular. I'm hoping that Kho Lon has a sense of humour, if not my will is in the cookie jar. My cat Thomas gets the bulk of my estate, which means he should eat well for a couple of weeks at least. Lol.
I've never seen a diplomat's passport so if there are any details wrong in my description I apologise but find that it's probably not that important in the greater scheme of things.