How many people will actually like fic? It was written mainly for my
enjoyment, so if you don't like it. FINE!
Contact me at: oddball22@hotmail.com
DISCLAIMER: I'm running out of funny things to say in the disclaimer.
Got any ideas?
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Winds Calling
Chapter 3
"My sister!?" Kenji repeated, still somewhat stunned. "You're
alive!" He gathered her up in his arms. "I have a sister!"
Images of his sister flooded back into his mind as well as deep
feelings of love and companionship. It seemed that the part of Quan's
spell that bound memories of his sister, was becoming undone in the
presence of said family member. After several minutes in the warm
embrace, they parted.
Yuri turned back to her companion. "It's okay, Neko, he's my
brother!"
"But I thought your family was dead," Neko stated, lowering her
bow and removing her mask. This face seemed a little older by several
years and her light blue hair dropped down past her shoulders. She
walked up to them and studied his face. "I guess so... At any rate, we
need to report back to Oka-sensei."
Yuri turned back to Kenji. "You'll come with us, won't you?"
Kenji gazed into his sister's deep gray eyes. "Hai, of course.
I came here trying to find out where I come from, after all." Just then
Ryoga, who Kenji had forgotten all about, groaned as he became to
overcome the tranqs.
"No way!" Neko stared in disbelief. "He should have been out for
hours!"
Kenji chuckled, in a uncommonly good mood from meeting his
sister. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me. Better stand back, something
tells me he's not going to be all that happy." Yuri and Neko looked at
each other, but backed up a few steps.
Ryoga continued to stir and Kenji bent down and rolled him onto
his back. "Hey Hibiki! Snap out of it!" He resisted the urge to throw
cold water on the fallen lost boy, knowing full well what it would do.
Instead, he just slapped his face a few times until Ryoga's eyes snapped
open.
"Soyokaze!" he exclaimed. "We're under attack!" He sprang up
faster than Kenji thought he was able to do and noticed the two ninja
girls looking at him. "They're the ones! PREPARE TO DIE!" He began to
rush into battle, but Kenji held him back. Well, more like slowing him
down, since Ryoga was too strong for the amnesiac to fully stop.
"What're you doin'!? They attacked and drugged me!"
"Calm down, Hibiki!" Kenji soothed. "They're friends, not
enemies. And I don't want you harming my sister!"
With that revelation, Ryoga stopped. "Sister?"
Kenji let go and walked over to Yuri, presenting her to Ryoga.
"This is Yuri, my baby sister," he said, face full of pride.
"Hey!" Yuri's face was indigent. "I'm only a year younger than
you!"
Kenji chuckled. "And this is Neko, her friend. Girls, this is
my... traveling companion for the moment, Hibiki Ryoga."
After introductions were made, Neko repeated her command to her
charge that they should go back and report to their sensei. "And we
should take Soyokaze Kenji-san back as well."
"What about me?" Ryoga asked. "I'm not letting him," he
indicated Kenji, "out of my sight."
Yuri shook her head. "Outsiders aren't allowed on the Garou
clan grounds." Her face lit up. "Unless they pass the initiation test!"
"But that's only if he wanted to join the clan," Neko countered.
"Family members are okay, but..."
"Lady, I don't plan on joining any clan, but I'm not letting
Soyokaze get away!" Ryoga was adamant.
"Don't think you have a choice," Neko said darkly, fingering a
dart. "I don't care how good you think you are, you won't last five
minutes against the two of us. All we have to do is tranq you for a
second, and you'd never find us again."
Ryoga practically snarled at both her and Kenji.
"Hey, I made a promise to you on my honor and I intend to
fulfill it. How about you stay here and I'll come back tomorrow to let
you know what's going on."
Ryoga eyed the dart. "Looks like I don't have a choice," he
grudgingly admitted.
"Alright, see ya later." Kenji started walking to catch up with
the two ninja girls. "And Hibiki?"
"Yeah?"
"Try not to wander off." Kenji smirked.
Ryoga growled at the amnesiacs retreating form, then set into
the task of setting up the tent.
Kenji followed the two girls into the deep grass. Instead of
wading through on foot, they moved by leaping over the field and Kenji
followed suit. Soon, they cleared the field and entered a forest on the
other side. They took to the trees and Kenji again tried his best to
follow them as they jumped from branch to branch.
"Be sure to only land on the branches we do," Neko yelled back
at him. "The others are booby trapped."
Kenji nodded. "I guess you really don't want outsiders coming
in."
Yuri dropped back and jumped with him. "Well, we survive
because of that and because we're a small clan. Either potential enemies
dismiss us as non-threatening, or only commit only a small force to hunt
us." She grinned. "As far as I know, no ones been able to reach the
grounds that the clan didn't want to."
Kenji nodded again. "So, what happened to
you on the night of the fire. I thought everyone died?"
"I could ask you the same thing," his sister shot back.
"Actually, I snuck out that night to visit some friends. When I
returned, the house was ablaze." Yuri's voice became softer. "I was in
pretty bad shape when Neko found me. She was a part of the same clan as
mother and they adopted me." She turned to him. "So what happened to
you?"
The young amnesiac sighed. "My story's a bit more difficult to
explain since I don't have any real memories of it. I was rescued by
this old wizard guy who said he couldn't find anyone else alive in the
house. He sent me halfway across Japan to land in the yard of the Tendo
dojo, supposedly to protect me."
He was stopped from saying more as Neko had jumped to the
ground and motioned for the other two to follow. "Now we go in on foot
so our own forces can see us accurately and not mistake us for enemies."
A short walk later saw the trio entering the fringes of a
hidden forest encampment. Kenji began to make out several huts and
cabins camouflaged, hidden, among the trees and thick forest canopy.
Several dozen people, male and female, were engaged various forms of
combat exercises with multiple weapon types. Kenji absently whistled in
admiration of their abilities.
As they continued to follow Neko, Kenji looked over to see his
sister absently playing with a yo-yo.
His thoughts were interrupted by a shout and a faint sense of
something moving rapidly toward them.
"INCOMING!" Kenji instinctively ducked and rolled as the arrow
came out of nowhere. Standing up again, he searched for the attacker,
but could only see the two girls giggling at him. Neko was holding the
arrow.
"You caught it?" he asked disbelievingly.
"One of my special little skills," she replied with a smile.
"And apparently Kaneda is up to his old tricks again." Kenji looked to
where she was pointing. A young boy was running up to them holding a
bow. He appeared to be in his pre-teens and was dressed in a bodysuit
with the browns and greens that most everyone else was wearing. The boy
came up and hugged Neko. "Now, son, what have I told you about shooting
arrows at people?"
The boy scowled. "Ah, mom, I knew you'd catch it..."
"That's beside the point," she admonished him. "You don't shoot
anybody unless it's in practice and the person is expecting it, or in
combat. Now as punishment, I want you to got through exercise routine
#5." Kaneda sighed and ran off and Kenji was trying to reconcile the
fact that the little kid had tried to shoot his own mother.
Neko turned back to him. "That's my son, Kaneda," she said with
pride. "He's twelve and one of the best in his age group." She frowned.
"Though he tends to favor long-distance weapons like the short bow he
was using." She began walking again. "Well, enough of that. Time to meet
the sensei."
Another short walk brought the trio to one of the larger
cabins. Knocking three times, Neko gestured for the newly re-united
siblings to wait while she went in first. After a few moments, she
returned and ushered them in.
Not knowing what to expect, Kenji entered the darkened room
hesitantly. There were no windows, and it was lit by only a couple of
torches hanging on the wooden pillars. A semi-circle shaped table took
up most of the room and a dozen chairs were lined up on the other side
of the table.
"Sensei, may I present Soyokaze Kenji-san, brother to Yuri and
son of Suliya," Neko intoned. Kenji looked but couldn't see who she was
talking to.
"Thank you, Neko," came an older woman's voice. "You may leave
now."
Neko executed a short bow. "Hai." She silently left the room.
"Have a seat on the floor young Kenji," the elderly female voice
came again.
The amnesiac could almost detect where it was coming from, but
that area of the room was covered in blackness. As he sat down on his
shins, his sister mimicked the motion to his right.
Only then did the woman come out of the darkness and walk up to
them. She appeared to very old as she needed a cane to support her
small, slightly hunched over frame. Her face held a few wrinkles, but
Kenji could see kindness in the eyes and he relaxed his guard. The hair
was various shades of white and gray, and Kenji guessed her age to be
somewhere in the 70's.
"Actually, I'm 89," she said suddenly.
Kenji was taken aback. "Nani?"
She smiled. "You were trying to guess how old I was?" Yuri
laughed. "You may
call me Oka." She paced back and forth studying him. "Well, son, what do
we do with
you?"
"What do you mean?" Kenji asked, confused.
"Well, do you want to join the clan or not?" Her smile
disappeared.
Kenji scratched his head for a minute as he hadn't really
thought about it. His thoughts only went as far as to find his home and
family. He looked up. "Well, the thought does intrigue me, but there is
so much more I'd like to know before I make my decision. Is that okay?"
He glanced over at his sister and saw the frown on her face.
"You don't want to stay here?" Yuri asked.
"Well, maybe I better explain my story to you as it's
somewhat... unique, and will help you to understand my situation," he
started. "I still have trouble believing it myself."
He paused and Oka sat down, motioning for him to continue. He
began to tell the tale of waking up in the Tendo yard, not knowing who
he was. Meeting the Tendos and Saotomes, starting school, getting
attacked, cursed, kidnapped, and finally being freed by his new friends.
He brought out the amulet and got it to replay the message he had heard
earlier in the hospital and his decision to seek out his family. When he
was finished, there was silence.
Yuri spoke up after a moment. "You mean, you don't remember me
at all?"
Kenji shook his head. "That's the strange part. Ever since I
met you by the house, I've been slowly getting memories and feelings
back of you. I think your presence is weakening part of the memory seal.
But I still don't remember our parents or any of my earlier memories."
What he didn't mention was that he was experiencing a flood of
new emotions as well. Like now for some reason, he felt like giving his
new sister a hug, but didn't want a repeat of the mushy episode by the
house. He felt close to her, and it was like nothing he had ever felt
since he woke up at the Tendos.
"Well, why don't we do this," Oka said after a moment. "You may
stay here for the next few days and get to know everyone and train with
us. Then, at the end of the week, you must return to Nerima." Yuri
stared on the old woman, but she held up her hand. "Let me finish. There
is a reason he must return, but I cannot tell you now. However, that
does not stop family from going with him and I would like you to do so."
She took a breath, then continued. "There is another reason. I
know Cologne of Joketsuzoku and if anybody can restore your memory, she
would be the one. We are warriors who work in the shadows, not mystics
or mages and we have very little magic. We silently sell our skills to
the outside world in return for money and materials that we can't obtain
easily by ourselves. That's how we survive and something tells me you
would start to feel uncomfortable if you were to live with us. It was
the same with your mother." She turned to Yuri. "I noticed it in you
also. While outwardly you do your duty well, inside you are dying. I
know you eager to explore the outside world and now's your chance."
"But, I'll miss all of you..." she started. "You have been so
kind to me, taking me
in and continuing the training my mother gave me."
"You'll always be a part of the clan, Yuri-san," Oka comforted
her. "As will you Kenji-san. But this is for the best. Just know that if
the clan has great need of you both, we will send for you."
Kenji and Yuri mulled it over for a few moments, then Kenji
spoke to his sister. "I guess it won't be so bad. Nerima's not such a
bad place, though..." He paused. "Anyway, they actually have some
friendly people there." He wasn't really crazy about the idea of going
back to Nerima, but it was clear the old woman wasn't going to let him
stay and where else did he have to go?
Oka stood up and smiled. "Okay you kids, it's getting late.
Yuri-san, why don't you show your brother to his room and get some rest.
Tomorrow you can help him start on his training. There are several
things that he must learn."
"Hai, sensei," she said standing up and giving Oka a warm
embrace. Yuri gestured for him to do the same and Kenji obliged.
"You'll find we don't have much room for proper protocol or
honorifics here," Oka said. "In fact, the only reason I'm called sensei
is just a compromise so they won't call me matriarch or something." She
laughed. "So relax and be yourself and you'll get along fine."
With a last bow, Yuri led Kenji out. His sister smiled at him
and squeezed his hand. His expectations coming in had been to bury his
past, but instead found more than he could ever dream.
An out of breath Ukyo finally caught up to the old ghoul as
they arrived at the Nekohanten. Ranma and Ryoga were still with them,
though she had to backtrack a few times to keep the lost boy from
wandering off.
The sky was still a sickly gray and purple color, obscured by
many putrid looking clouds.
Ukyo wondered to herself.
Cologne opened the door and stepped inside the restaurant, and
everyone else followed.
"Well, why are we here?" Ukyo asked.
"Why to get Mousse and Shampoo of course," Cologne answered,
then gestured Ukyo further inside. "You better get them."
Ukyo looked at the old ghoul, confused. "Why me?" When Cologne
didn't answer, Ukyo sighed. "Oh right, this is something I have to do.
Why? I have no idea. Oh, well." She cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Mousse! Shampoo! You here? Come on out I need you!"
Nothing.
"This is boring," Ranma complained. Then his face brightened and
he turned to Ryoga. "Hey, how about a piggy back ride!" Ryoga's look of
depression changed to anger and he squashed Ranma. Then he went back to
depression. All in the span of about 2 seconds.
"ARGH!" Ukyo yelled. "Can't you two stop doing that for five
minutes!?"
Ranma reformed and he and Ryoga replied in unison. "Sorry."
"How about that game of checkers?" Ranma asked. Ukyo stared him
down. "Eeep! Okay, you win!"
"Spatula girl need help killing?" Shampoo came out of the
kitchen, causing Ukyo to stare in horror. Shampoo looked positively
scary. Where as she normally held a bubbly-cute, bimbo-ish look, her
face was locked into a feral grin. Several swords hung from her back,
waist, legs, and everyelse that could hold a weapon, did. Ukyo had never
seen the Amazon look so... deadly.
The purple-haired Amazon pulled a long sword from her back and
proceeded to sharpen it with a small piece of flint. "Shampoo love to
kill!" And with that, she sliced up Ranma and Ryoga, before putting her
sword away. Ukyo would've fainted if she hadn't already gotten used to
the extra weirdness by now.
"Now, now child, there will come a time for killing, but not
now," Cologne admonished her. "We must get Mousse and then be off to the
Tendo Dojo."
Shampoo shrugged, pulled a duck out of somewhere, and tossed
him on the table. Cologne pulled out a thermos and, with a little hot
water, he grew back to normal already wearing his robes.
"Aha!" he exclaimed. "Shampoo my love! You do care about me!" He
began to pull flowers, boxes of candy, and stuffed animals out of his
sleeves and present them to his Amazon love. Shampoo promptly pulled her
sword out and killed him.
Cologne and Ukyo sighed.
"We really need to stop this," Cologne grumbled.
Ukyo watched the `dead' revive and suddenly decided she had had
enough. "Alright Cologne, you seem to know what's going on, so explain
this. Where am I and what's going on?"
Cologne shrugged. "I can only suggest a course of action, but
maybe he can help you." She pointed with her staff and Ukyo turned to
see a man in a brown gi and glasses enter.
"Tofu-sensei!" Ukyo exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I thought there was some stuff you wanted to know about
and that's why I came," he replied nonchanlatly.
Ukyo looked confused. "But how did you.."
"Know?" Tofu finished for her. "Simple, I'm part of you."
The chef collapsed into a chair. "Now I know I'm losing it."
Tofu sat down next to her. "Not really. Allow me to show you
something." He pulled a TV set out of somewhere and placed it on the
table. "Look at this," he said while flipping it on.
Ukyo gasped. There she was on the screen, laying in a hospital
bed, hooked up to a several machines. "What is this!?"
Tofu looked surprise. "Well, I think it's obvious. Haven't you
figured it out by now? That's you, right now."
Ukyo could only stare at the screen in confusion, then the
light bulb finally kicked in. "If that's really me, then I'm not me.
Then what am I? The last thing I remember before coming here was the
battle with the fire lord. Am I dead?"
Tofu shook his head. "No, only in a coma. Whether or not you'll
die remains to be seen. Nope, you're only locked inside your head."
Understanding flooded Ukyo's mind. "OK! So I'm in my head! Then
why are all of you here? And how do I wake up?"
"We are all physical representations of parts of your
personality," he said sweeping the restaurant's occupants with his hand.
"For instance, I represent your knowledge and Cologne represents your
wisdom."
Ukyo glanced around the room. "So, Ranma must be my sense of
fun, Ryoga could be depression and anger, Mousse is my love..." She was
interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around her from behind.
"Ukyo-chan, I love you too!" cried Mousse.
"Get offa me!" Ukyo planted him into the ground with her
spatula, then sighed. "And Shampoo is..."
"Your martial arts skills and violent tendicies," finished Tofu.
"Until all parts of your personality are joined back together, you'll
never wake up."
"So that's why we came here to, get Mousse and Shampoo," said
Ukyo. "So what does Akane represent?"
"You'll have to discover that on your own," Cologne interjected.
"For there is a problem."
"What's that?" Ukyo asked.
"She means me!" Ukyo turned to see the newcomer in the
restaurant doorway, and her jaw dropped when she realized who it was.
It was Ukyo.
enjoyment, so if you don't like it. FINE!
Contact me at: oddball22@hotmail.com
DISCLAIMER: I'm running out of funny things to say in the disclaimer.
Got any ideas?
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Winds Calling
Chapter 3
"My sister!?" Kenji repeated, still somewhat stunned. "You're
alive!" He gathered her up in his arms. "I have a sister!"
Images of his sister flooded back into his mind as well as deep
feelings of love and companionship. It seemed that the part of Quan's
spell that bound memories of his sister, was becoming undone in the
presence of said family member. After several minutes in the warm
embrace, they parted.
Yuri turned back to her companion. "It's okay, Neko, he's my
brother!"
"But I thought your family was dead," Neko stated, lowering her
bow and removing her mask. This face seemed a little older by several
years and her light blue hair dropped down past her shoulders. She
walked up to them and studied his face. "I guess so... At any rate, we
need to report back to Oka-sensei."
Yuri turned back to Kenji. "You'll come with us, won't you?"
Kenji gazed into his sister's deep gray eyes. "Hai, of course.
I came here trying to find out where I come from, after all." Just then
Ryoga, who Kenji had forgotten all about, groaned as he became to
overcome the tranqs.
"No way!" Neko stared in disbelief. "He should have been out for
hours!"
Kenji chuckled, in a uncommonly good mood from meeting his
sister. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me. Better stand back, something
tells me he's not going to be all that happy." Yuri and Neko looked at
each other, but backed up a few steps.
Ryoga continued to stir and Kenji bent down and rolled him onto
his back. "Hey Hibiki! Snap out of it!" He resisted the urge to throw
cold water on the fallen lost boy, knowing full well what it would do.
Instead, he just slapped his face a few times until Ryoga's eyes snapped
open.
"Soyokaze!" he exclaimed. "We're under attack!" He sprang up
faster than Kenji thought he was able to do and noticed the two ninja
girls looking at him. "They're the ones! PREPARE TO DIE!" He began to
rush into battle, but Kenji held him back. Well, more like slowing him
down, since Ryoga was too strong for the amnesiac to fully stop.
"What're you doin'!? They attacked and drugged me!"
"Calm down, Hibiki!" Kenji soothed. "They're friends, not
enemies. And I don't want you harming my sister!"
With that revelation, Ryoga stopped. "Sister?"
Kenji let go and walked over to Yuri, presenting her to Ryoga.
"This is Yuri, my baby sister," he said, face full of pride.
"Hey!" Yuri's face was indigent. "I'm only a year younger than
you!"
Kenji chuckled. "And this is Neko, her friend. Girls, this is
my... traveling companion for the moment, Hibiki Ryoga."
After introductions were made, Neko repeated her command to her
charge that they should go back and report to their sensei. "And we
should take Soyokaze Kenji-san back as well."
"What about me?" Ryoga asked. "I'm not letting him," he
indicated Kenji, "out of my sight."
Yuri shook her head. "Outsiders aren't allowed on the Garou
clan grounds." Her face lit up. "Unless they pass the initiation test!"
"But that's only if he wanted to join the clan," Neko countered.
"Family members are okay, but..."
"Lady, I don't plan on joining any clan, but I'm not letting
Soyokaze get away!" Ryoga was adamant.
"Don't think you have a choice," Neko said darkly, fingering a
dart. "I don't care how good you think you are, you won't last five
minutes against the two of us. All we have to do is tranq you for a
second, and you'd never find us again."
Ryoga practically snarled at both her and Kenji.
"Hey, I made a promise to you on my honor and I intend to
fulfill it. How about you stay here and I'll come back tomorrow to let
you know what's going on."
Ryoga eyed the dart. "Looks like I don't have a choice," he
grudgingly admitted.
"Alright, see ya later." Kenji started walking to catch up with
the two ninja girls. "And Hibiki?"
"Yeah?"
"Try not to wander off." Kenji smirked.
Ryoga growled at the amnesiacs retreating form, then set into
the task of setting up the tent.
Kenji followed the two girls into the deep grass. Instead of
wading through on foot, they moved by leaping over the field and Kenji
followed suit. Soon, they cleared the field and entered a forest on the
other side. They took to the trees and Kenji again tried his best to
follow them as they jumped from branch to branch.
"Be sure to only land on the branches we do," Neko yelled back
at him. "The others are booby trapped."
Kenji nodded. "I guess you really don't want outsiders coming
in."
Yuri dropped back and jumped with him. "Well, we survive
because of that and because we're a small clan. Either potential enemies
dismiss us as non-threatening, or only commit only a small force to hunt
us." She grinned. "As far as I know, no ones been able to reach the
grounds that the clan didn't want to."
Kenji nodded again. "So, what happened to
you on the night of the fire. I thought everyone died?"
"I could ask you the same thing," his sister shot back.
"Actually, I snuck out that night to visit some friends. When I
returned, the house was ablaze." Yuri's voice became softer. "I was in
pretty bad shape when Neko found me. She was a part of the same clan as
mother and they adopted me." She turned to him. "So what happened to
you?"
The young amnesiac sighed. "My story's a bit more difficult to
explain since I don't have any real memories of it. I was rescued by
this old wizard guy who said he couldn't find anyone else alive in the
house. He sent me halfway across Japan to land in the yard of the Tendo
dojo, supposedly to protect me."
He was stopped from saying more as Neko had jumped to the
ground and motioned for the other two to follow. "Now we go in on foot
so our own forces can see us accurately and not mistake us for enemies."
A short walk later saw the trio entering the fringes of a
hidden forest encampment. Kenji began to make out several huts and
cabins camouflaged, hidden, among the trees and thick forest canopy.
Several dozen people, male and female, were engaged various forms of
combat exercises with multiple weapon types. Kenji absently whistled in
admiration of their abilities.
As they continued to follow Neko, Kenji looked over to see his
sister absently playing with a yo-yo.
His thoughts were interrupted by a shout and a faint sense of
something moving rapidly toward them.
"INCOMING!" Kenji instinctively ducked and rolled as the arrow
came out of nowhere. Standing up again, he searched for the attacker,
but could only see the two girls giggling at him. Neko was holding the
arrow.
"You caught it?" he asked disbelievingly.
"One of my special little skills," she replied with a smile.
"And apparently Kaneda is up to his old tricks again." Kenji looked to
where she was pointing. A young boy was running up to them holding a
bow. He appeared to be in his pre-teens and was dressed in a bodysuit
with the browns and greens that most everyone else was wearing. The boy
came up and hugged Neko. "Now, son, what have I told you about shooting
arrows at people?"
The boy scowled. "Ah, mom, I knew you'd catch it..."
"That's beside the point," she admonished him. "You don't shoot
anybody unless it's in practice and the person is expecting it, or in
combat. Now as punishment, I want you to got through exercise routine
#5." Kaneda sighed and ran off and Kenji was trying to reconcile the
fact that the little kid had tried to shoot his own mother.
Neko turned back to him. "That's my son, Kaneda," she said with
pride. "He's twelve and one of the best in his age group." She frowned.
"Though he tends to favor long-distance weapons like the short bow he
was using." She began walking again. "Well, enough of that. Time to meet
the sensei."
Another short walk brought the trio to one of the larger
cabins. Knocking three times, Neko gestured for the newly re-united
siblings to wait while she went in first. After a few moments, she
returned and ushered them in.
Not knowing what to expect, Kenji entered the darkened room
hesitantly. There were no windows, and it was lit by only a couple of
torches hanging on the wooden pillars. A semi-circle shaped table took
up most of the room and a dozen chairs were lined up on the other side
of the table.
"Sensei, may I present Soyokaze Kenji-san, brother to Yuri and
son of Suliya," Neko intoned. Kenji looked but couldn't see who she was
talking to.
"Thank you, Neko," came an older woman's voice. "You may leave
now."
Neko executed a short bow. "Hai." She silently left the room.
"Have a seat on the floor young Kenji," the elderly female voice
came again.
The amnesiac could almost detect where it was coming from, but
that area of the room was covered in blackness. As he sat down on his
shins, his sister mimicked the motion to his right.
Only then did the woman come out of the darkness and walk up to
them. She appeared to very old as she needed a cane to support her
small, slightly hunched over frame. Her face held a few wrinkles, but
Kenji could see kindness in the eyes and he relaxed his guard. The hair
was various shades of white and gray, and Kenji guessed her age to be
somewhere in the 70's.
"Actually, I'm 89," she said suddenly.
Kenji was taken aback. "Nani?"
She smiled. "You were trying to guess how old I was?" Yuri
laughed. "You may
call me Oka." She paced back and forth studying him. "Well, son, what do
we do with
you?"
"What do you mean?" Kenji asked, confused.
"Well, do you want to join the clan or not?" Her smile
disappeared.
Kenji scratched his head for a minute as he hadn't really
thought about it. His thoughts only went as far as to find his home and
family. He looked up. "Well, the thought does intrigue me, but there is
so much more I'd like to know before I make my decision. Is that okay?"
He glanced over at his sister and saw the frown on her face.
"You don't want to stay here?" Yuri asked.
"Well, maybe I better explain my story to you as it's
somewhat... unique, and will help you to understand my situation," he
started. "I still have trouble believing it myself."
He paused and Oka sat down, motioning for him to continue. He
began to tell the tale of waking up in the Tendo yard, not knowing who
he was. Meeting the Tendos and Saotomes, starting school, getting
attacked, cursed, kidnapped, and finally being freed by his new friends.
He brought out the amulet and got it to replay the message he had heard
earlier in the hospital and his decision to seek out his family. When he
was finished, there was silence.
Yuri spoke up after a moment. "You mean, you don't remember me
at all?"
Kenji shook his head. "That's the strange part. Ever since I
met you by the house, I've been slowly getting memories and feelings
back of you. I think your presence is weakening part of the memory seal.
But I still don't remember our parents or any of my earlier memories."
What he didn't mention was that he was experiencing a flood of
new emotions as well. Like now for some reason, he felt like giving his
new sister a hug, but didn't want a repeat of the mushy episode by the
house. He felt close to her, and it was like nothing he had ever felt
since he woke up at the Tendos.
"Well, why don't we do this," Oka said after a moment. "You may
stay here for the next few days and get to know everyone and train with
us. Then, at the end of the week, you must return to Nerima." Yuri
stared on the old woman, but she held up her hand. "Let me finish. There
is a reason he must return, but I cannot tell you now. However, that
does not stop family from going with him and I would like you to do so."
She took a breath, then continued. "There is another reason. I
know Cologne of Joketsuzoku and if anybody can restore your memory, she
would be the one. We are warriors who work in the shadows, not mystics
or mages and we have very little magic. We silently sell our skills to
the outside world in return for money and materials that we can't obtain
easily by ourselves. That's how we survive and something tells me you
would start to feel uncomfortable if you were to live with us. It was
the same with your mother." She turned to Yuri. "I noticed it in you
also. While outwardly you do your duty well, inside you are dying. I
know you eager to explore the outside world and now's your chance."
"But, I'll miss all of you..." she started. "You have been so
kind to me, taking me
in and continuing the training my mother gave me."
"You'll always be a part of the clan, Yuri-san," Oka comforted
her. "As will you Kenji-san. But this is for the best. Just know that if
the clan has great need of you both, we will send for you."
Kenji and Yuri mulled it over for a few moments, then Kenji
spoke to his sister. "I guess it won't be so bad. Nerima's not such a
bad place, though..." He paused. "Anyway, they actually have some
friendly people there." He wasn't really crazy about the idea of going
back to Nerima, but it was clear the old woman wasn't going to let him
stay and where else did he have to go?
Oka stood up and smiled. "Okay you kids, it's getting late.
Yuri-san, why don't you show your brother to his room and get some rest.
Tomorrow you can help him start on his training. There are several
things that he must learn."
"Hai, sensei," she said standing up and giving Oka a warm
embrace. Yuri gestured for him to do the same and Kenji obliged.
"You'll find we don't have much room for proper protocol or
honorifics here," Oka said. "In fact, the only reason I'm called sensei
is just a compromise so they won't call me matriarch or something." She
laughed. "So relax and be yourself and you'll get along fine."
With a last bow, Yuri led Kenji out. His sister smiled at him
and squeezed his hand. His expectations coming in had been to bury his
past, but instead found more than he could ever dream.
An out of breath Ukyo finally caught up to the old ghoul as
they arrived at the Nekohanten. Ranma and Ryoga were still with them,
though she had to backtrack a few times to keep the lost boy from
wandering off.
The sky was still a sickly gray and purple color, obscured by
many putrid looking clouds.
Ukyo wondered to herself.
Cologne opened the door and stepped inside the restaurant, and
everyone else followed.
"Well, why are we here?" Ukyo asked.
"Why to get Mousse and Shampoo of course," Cologne answered,
then gestured Ukyo further inside. "You better get them."
Ukyo looked at the old ghoul, confused. "Why me?" When Cologne
didn't answer, Ukyo sighed. "Oh right, this is something I have to do.
Why? I have no idea. Oh, well." She cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Mousse! Shampoo! You here? Come on out I need you!"
Nothing.
"This is boring," Ranma complained. Then his face brightened and
he turned to Ryoga. "Hey, how about a piggy back ride!" Ryoga's look of
depression changed to anger and he squashed Ranma. Then he went back to
depression. All in the span of about 2 seconds.
"ARGH!" Ukyo yelled. "Can't you two stop doing that for five
minutes!?"
Ranma reformed and he and Ryoga replied in unison. "Sorry."
"How about that game of checkers?" Ranma asked. Ukyo stared him
down. "Eeep! Okay, you win!"
"Spatula girl need help killing?" Shampoo came out of the
kitchen, causing Ukyo to stare in horror. Shampoo looked positively
scary. Where as she normally held a bubbly-cute, bimbo-ish look, her
face was locked into a feral grin. Several swords hung from her back,
waist, legs, and everyelse that could hold a weapon, did. Ukyo had never
seen the Amazon look so... deadly.
The purple-haired Amazon pulled a long sword from her back and
proceeded to sharpen it with a small piece of flint. "Shampoo love to
kill!" And with that, she sliced up Ranma and Ryoga, before putting her
sword away. Ukyo would've fainted if she hadn't already gotten used to
the extra weirdness by now.
"Now, now child, there will come a time for killing, but not
now," Cologne admonished her. "We must get Mousse and then be off to the
Tendo Dojo."
Shampoo shrugged, pulled a duck out of somewhere, and tossed
him on the table. Cologne pulled out a thermos and, with a little hot
water, he grew back to normal already wearing his robes.
"Aha!" he exclaimed. "Shampoo my love! You do care about me!" He
began to pull flowers, boxes of candy, and stuffed animals out of his
sleeves and present them to his Amazon love. Shampoo promptly pulled her
sword out and killed him.
Cologne and Ukyo sighed.
"We really need to stop this," Cologne grumbled.
Ukyo watched the `dead' revive and suddenly decided she had had
enough. "Alright Cologne, you seem to know what's going on, so explain
this. Where am I and what's going on?"
Cologne shrugged. "I can only suggest a course of action, but
maybe he can help you." She pointed with her staff and Ukyo turned to
see a man in a brown gi and glasses enter.
"Tofu-sensei!" Ukyo exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I thought there was some stuff you wanted to know about
and that's why I came," he replied nonchanlatly.
Ukyo looked confused. "But how did you.."
"Know?" Tofu finished for her. "Simple, I'm part of you."
The chef collapsed into a chair. "Now I know I'm losing it."
Tofu sat down next to her. "Not really. Allow me to show you
something." He pulled a TV set out of somewhere and placed it on the
table. "Look at this," he said while flipping it on.
Ukyo gasped. There she was on the screen, laying in a hospital
bed, hooked up to a several machines. "What is this!?"
Tofu looked surprise. "Well, I think it's obvious. Haven't you
figured it out by now? That's you, right now."
Ukyo could only stare at the screen in confusion, then the
light bulb finally kicked in. "If that's really me, then I'm not me.
Then what am I? The last thing I remember before coming here was the
battle with the fire lord. Am I dead?"
Tofu shook his head. "No, only in a coma. Whether or not you'll
die remains to be seen. Nope, you're only locked inside your head."
Understanding flooded Ukyo's mind. "OK! So I'm in my head! Then
why are all of you here? And how do I wake up?"
"We are all physical representations of parts of your
personality," he said sweeping the restaurant's occupants with his hand.
"For instance, I represent your knowledge and Cologne represents your
wisdom."
Ukyo glanced around the room. "So, Ranma must be my sense of
fun, Ryoga could be depression and anger, Mousse is my love..." She was
interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around her from behind.
"Ukyo-chan, I love you too!" cried Mousse.
"Get offa me!" Ukyo planted him into the ground with her
spatula, then sighed. "And Shampoo is..."
"Your martial arts skills and violent tendicies," finished Tofu.
"Until all parts of your personality are joined back together, you'll
never wake up."
"So that's why we came here to, get Mousse and Shampoo," said
Ukyo. "So what does Akane represent?"
"You'll have to discover that on your own," Cologne interjected.
"For there is a problem."
"What's that?" Ukyo asked.
"She means me!" Ukyo turned to see the newcomer in the
restaurant doorway, and her jaw dropped when she realized who it was.
It was Ukyo.
