Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 and its characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi. This story is for the free use and enjoyment of those who read it.
Schools United
Chapter Nine
By Michael Fetter
Patting Hiro on the back a last time, Okaasan cradled the infant in her arms, wiping his mouth with the towel thrown over her left shoulder. Shining eyes, blue like a clear summer day, blinked slowly as he yawned, stretching his small arms as far as the blanket wrapped about his body would allow. Little black curls were beginning to cover his head and his energy was growing with the excitement of discovering a new world. Still, his mouth gaped again in a toothless yawn and he settled for another nap after eating.
Hiro was going to be teething soon, she understood. He was such a good child, crying little, almost as if he were eager to grow up and explore his world further. Okaasan wanted to smile, looking down at this precious little thing in her arms. She wanted to hold him close all day long, singing the songs she knew and humming the rest. It was the kind of elation she'd never thought to experience ever.
She wanted to do something to express her joy, but her world was not so limited to a single person as Hiro's was. With Hiro, Okaasan did not register anything else, but then something would happen, her bliss would be shoved aside and reality would come crashing down around her.
The seasons were changing again; Fall giving way to Winter with the last of the cherry blossoms dropping from dead branches. The shoji were closed to hold in the heat and the beds were layered with comforters. Kasumi would stop by every once and awhile to check up on her half-brother and stepmother, bearing her usual smile and a pan of brownies, a bowl of soup, or maybe some sukiyaki.
Okaasan could cook a number of dishes and was learning more, but could not protest her daughter's offerings, brought on by guilt. It could not have been clearer if the words were tattooed on Kasumi's forehead.
Akane had not been to visit since college started, but she called during the holidays to speak with Soun. Only brief words were shared between her and Okaasan.
Having already experienced the depressing state of life in the dorms at college for one year, Nabiki did return on a three-week break. The first day, Nabiki had found Hiro suckling at Okaasan's breast and made a remark to some effect. Okaasan hadn't needed to say anything; Nabiki regretted her words quickly. They didn't see much of each other though they lived in the same house.
Once, Okaasan had caught Nabiki sneaking into Hiro's room and staring at the child for more than an hour. Never a slow-witted girl, Nabiki came to some revelation of her own, becoming respectful to an extreme in Okaasan's presence and sobbing late into the night on her own.
It would be a long time before any of them were comfortable with the others. Only Soun seemed oblivious to the deterioration of his family.
It was the weekend, Nodoka's time to visit. This time the Saotome matriarch brought some local anesthesia gel for when Hiro did begin to teeth, and her usual 'sagely' advice on how to properly care for an infant. Somehow Okaasan thought handed down knowledge like this was not worth the spit it took to mouth.
Nodoka had been feeling a wave of nostalgia as she watched her young daughter care for her grandson with a look of indifference. "Did I ever tell you how I met your father, daughter?"
Okaasan sighed internally and waited for her mother to continue. At one time she had been curious as to how such a stately woman and a vagabond martial artist fell in love, but that time had passed along with her caring. Hiro continued to sleep soundly in her arms; Okaasan closed her eyes as well and tried to block out the words.
Staring off into space, Nodoka did not notice her daughter's inattention. "I'm sure you can tell that he and I are not much alike." She paused to regard the katana in her hand. "When I was young, arranged marriages were still very common. Some times it was political. Others for money. Genma and I were wed to bring two schools of martial arts together because they were not strong enough to survive alone."
In the back of her mind, Okaasan heard Nodoka continue to expand upon a tale of great woe. Her own family died from various causes and the students of her style of kendo ceased to practice their Art. The marriage had failed in its intentions. The combined kendo and Anything Goes style would still die off with its last practitioners unless something was done to find new students.
When Ranma and the Tendou sisters were born, it seemed like a blessing. The schools, crawling on their bellies in the act of dying, would go on for at least one more generation.
Displeasure grew on Okaasan's face as she continued to listen. Something stuck with her as her mother continued to speak: "You do not marry the one you love, but love the one you marry."
Okaasan almost pinched her baby to make him cry to quiet her mother's voice.
~
She slipped out with the morning patrol. Okaasan was still stiff from sleep in the hard bed, but the walk should warm her up. It wasn't often now that she found herself in real fights. Most that tried now were dealt with quickly as her stone cold nature gave many pause. The family katana too served its purpose often without leaving its scabbard.
Her last kimono, a blue green pattern that depicted a waterfall within deeply meditative surroundings, was only tarnished slightly with dust on its hem. Comfortable as the cloth was, it restricted her movements and appeared out of place among the Amazons. The sticky heat was abated somewhat by the absence of the under-dressings of her kimono.
Okaasan had pulled her hair back into a thick braid. It swayed only slightly as she walked, brushing through the foliage like a soft breeze that would be near impossible for the Joketsuzoku to hear. This part of the journey she wanted to make on her own.
An hour walk, the sun now fully clearing the horizon and calling to activity the many creatures of the forest, met Okaasan with the first of many guards to her destination.
The first was a young man, maybe sixteen. He wielded a spear in one hand, a loincloth and simple leather wrappings his only armor. The boy had large hands and feet, roughly patterned with calluses and something tougher. A growl in his voice was not meant to be angry, simple natural for his ancestry. Not speaking himself, but understanding her words, the guard eyed her at length, finally nodding his head, keeping the katana she held close since its use is better at arms length.
As they walked, Okaasan studied the small kingdom with a measuring eye. Nine years had not done much for the Musk.
~
A twig snapped, interrupting Akane's focus on the mock battle Hiro, Saffron, and Blush were enjoying. "Akane?"
Akane stood up in surprise to find a pony-tailed chef making her way through the outlining forest of the village. "Ukyou!" She glanced back at the three children before making her way over to Hiro's godmother. "What are you doing here?"
Smiling a bit, Ukyou bowed to Akane. "I came to warn Tendou-chan about Kuno." She shook her head and looked over at the laughing children. "Ryouga says you already took care of him."
Akane nodded. "Some days ago."
"How is your mom? I heard she was hurt." Ukyou asked, concern in her eyes.
Akane frowned and led Ukyou back to where she had been sitting. "Okaasan says she is fine." The frown deepened. "She's gone missing this morning."
"Ryouga said something of Happousai." Ukyou pushed further. The old pervert was everyone's prime suspect at the moment. Ryouga had been passing Ukyou with his heavy bamboo umbrella and a smoldering anger in his eyes.
"Yes. He was here. Ryouga thinks he could go find the old leech."
Ukyou noticed the lost, almost oblivious state Akane was in. She's probably taking this really hard Ukyou thought and placed a hand on Akane's shoulder. "And you?"
"I'm staying behind to watch after Hiro. He doesn't know." Akane spoke softly, following her half-brother with her eyes.
Ukyou had no doubt that Tendou-chan was going to be all right. The redhead was hardly a pushover and could take care of herself whether Ryouga found her or not. "Akane?" Ukyou took one of the girl's hands in her own. "Can you help me find something?"
Akane looked over quizzically at Ukyou, but nodded and stood up.
~
"Ranma." Herb growled.
"You remember me then." It was more a statement than a question. Okaasan wasn't certain how much bad blood there would still be between them. Apparently, Prince Herb was holding quite a grudge.
She'd been allowed deep into Herb's domain. The katana was still with her as the guards believed she was not a threat. Most were too young to remember the cursed boy who had fought their prince one day, a long time ago.
Inside the great hall of his small castle, Okaasan could make out the pattern of dragons lining the walls and columns. Much of it was carved in stone probably from the region. A long carpet of red, blue, and gold led to the high wood throne Herb sat at, staring down upon her with a face twisted in anger.
Nothing was ever easy.
"Get her!" he ordered. Instantly, both Mint and Lime sprung from their places beside their charge, aimed directly for the red-haired woman.
If Okaasan had decided to wear something more revealing, the two bodyguards would have been putty, deaf and dumb to any order Herb gave them. She hadn't, but the fight would still be much to her advantage. As it turned out, the fight would not be coming.
From the hall entrance, charging like a bull, Ryouga roared as he entered the fight. "Don't you touch her!"
Lime and Mint were pulled from the air and tossed to one wall when Ryouga grabbed two ankles and swung. He grinned at the two bodyguards, one with incredible strength and the other of blurring speed.
Her eyes still upon the Musk prince, Okaasan raised a hand and let a bit of her ki form there for Herb to see. The prince smirked and raised a wall of red ki to surround his body. "Weak are you, Ranma?" he jeered, still sitting upon his throne.
"Hardly." Okaasan replied, letting the marble-sized blast approach the prince only slowly. They could both see it creep along its path, undistracted by the rising chaos from a fight Ryouga had engaged himself in with the idiot brothers.
An amused smile, Herb dropped his aura and watched the blue sphere approach his body. "This wouldn't even raise a bruise, Saotome. You're hardly any competition to me. Has someone finally set you in your place, girl?" He batted at the ki with his hand when it came within reach.
Okaasan watched his eyes grow large when the blue light skipped to one side of his arm then begin to press against his chest. Herb gasped and tried to push back with his own ki, but the little blue ball of energy slipped through, vanishing beneath the prince's chest.
Herb spasm as he felt a lump slowly travel through his body until it rested within his heart. Swallowing as he gripped the arms of his throne, Herb looked back at Okaasan who reflected no emotions on her face.
"Call them off."
"Mint! Lime!" Herb called out like a wounded pup. The two warriors stopped in mid-attack and blinked at their master. "Leave us."
They blinked again, unmoving.
"NOW!" Herb growled, angry for the position he felt himself trapped within. Never had he felt so frightened and weak. To be seen like this was an insult.
Scrambling across the stone floor, the two warriors barreled out of the great hall and out of sight.
"You too, Ryouga." Okaasan said calmly, her eyes still focused upon the Musk prince.
Ryouga fidgeted, a trickle of blood running down his lip was brushed away by the back of his hand as he looked between Tendou-chan and Herb. "Are you sure, Tendou-san?"
"Yes." Okaasan's voice remained emotionless. "Thank you."
Nodding after a moment, Ryouga walked back to the doors, looking over his shoulder before leaving the room.
With nothing else to distract them, Okaasan released the energy harmlessly, letting the prince accept it into his own. Herb breathed deeply and placed a hand over his heart where the energy had entered. "What do you want, Saotome?" Herb's voice was cool, but the hatred was not far behind the ice.
"Tendou." Okaasan corrected the Prince quietly. "I've come for a favor."
Quirking an eyebrow, Herb smiled sadistically, leaning back in his throne. He believed the control of events had been returned to him. "And what would that be?"
"Chiisuiton."
The prince blinked then leaned forward in his chair. "That is a pretty big favor."
"Not so big, I think." Okaasan commented, staring Herb straight in the eyes. "I only need to use it once."
Taking a moment to give the redhead before him another look over, Herb smiled. "And what do I get should I agree to this favor?"
Turning from the lecherous look she was getting, Okaasan stared out the window of the main hall. "What could a prince of the Musk desire from someone like myself?"
The smile turned into a toothy grin. "I could use a concubine- You are pretty enough."
"Flattery will get you nowhere." Okaasan stuck her nose up at being spoken to in such a way. "Besides, my son would not be happy with the idea."
"Your son?"
Okaasan nodded.
Herb thought a moment then asked again. "*Your* son?"
Again, Okaasan nodded.
"I see." Prince Herb started to act more as his namesake implied, like a prince. "Among the Musk, what you are asking to do is akin to suicide. You would no longer be, Ranma, my rival."
"The same would apply to me." She whispered just loud enough to be heard by Prince Herb.
Standing resolutely, Herb motioned that she follow him through a set of door beside his throne. A corridor running alongside the great hall was lit by candle beside each door. More craftwork followed them down the corridor, running along the floor of the walls and around each door. It was dark even with the candles. Herb's princely clothing sparkled, flickering with the light.
Okaasan was taken to a small dark room, lit by candles along the walls. There were no windows or drafts of wind running through this room. It was easy to understand the purpose of such a room. Whatever occurred in this room would stay in this room.
Prince Herb stood at the threshold, watching Okaasan as she examined the room. A small fire was burning at the opposite end, showing off only enough of the room to see the draping red silk in the corners, surrounding an alter. Chiisuiton and a pail of water sat there, quietly waiting for the next time the valuable object should be needed.
"The other one." Herb began. "He is your husband?"
The room had a chill despite the fire. Okaasan saw the shadows of Chiisuiton dance along the floor because of the flickering light. The metal gleam was like a singular light. All else was fake, for show, meaningless. A stable point that released a number of possibilities to the false glamour of the walls' carvings. Without the fire to shine upon the relic, nothing else would be seen.
Okaasan noticed that Herb had remained to hear her answer. "I am widowed."
Herb remained another moment, lost momentarily as Tendou turned her head slightly to catch him out of the corner of her eye. The healthy petite figure outlined by fire and the glow of her red hair had him catch his breath.
Swallowing, Herb looked away, down the corridor, his face flushing. "I will leave you to your privacy."
Okaasan nodded and turned back to face the altar. "Thank you."
As the door closed behind her, Okaasan knelt by the small bucket of water with a ladle balanced in its edge. Chiisuiton was a simple utensil with little in the way of decoration, yet it held so much power to changing someone's life.
Okaasan held the ladle of water for a few moments over the pail. In the candlelight's reflection she could see herself, not as she is, but as she was. It was important to know what it was she was giving up. Closing her eyes, Okaasan let the memories play through her mind.
. . . Growing up on the road with her father . . .
. . . Meeting Ukyou for the first time . . .
. . . Fighting over bread with Ryouga in middle school . . .
The ladle tapped an edge of the pail as her arm began to weaken. The child of her youth was innocent and vibrant. Nothing had broken his spirits for long. Could she really get rid of him now? Hiro could certainly learn to live with her as she used to be. The nannichuan had already been found and marked. A quick dip was all she needed and things would be back to normal.
. . . Her first encounter with the Tendou's . . .
. . . Walking to school with Akane at his side . . .
. . . Holding Akane in his arms after Saffron's defeat . . .
She was deluding herself. Okaasan knew very well there was no going back. The things of the past could not be changed. She had to adapt or slowly wither away.
Okaasan bit her lip and looked at the ladle in her hand. Such a simple looking tool and so capable of changing people's lives.
"Am I giving in too easily?" Her eyes began to water, the kneeling position she had taken slouched a little. There was no way she could regain who she was beneath so much pain. "I could try." She whispered angrily.
Her fingers caught a falling tear and brushed it aside, pushing down her fears. "Don't be foolish, Tendou." She reprimanded herself. "Would you really abandon Hiro for a dream?"
A last flicker of memory, Okaasan closed her eyes again.
. . . The day she was led back to the dojo after running for so long . . .
The memories were not always pleasant, but they were a piece of her soul she was about to lock away forever more. It all rested in the cup of the ladle in her hand. All she would have to do was feel the water run over her body and Ranma . . . there would be no more Ranma.
~
The clearing was not far from the Amazon village, maybe a half-day's walk. Some tents had been put up the night before, surrounding a campfire that had been kept rather small. Probably a travel burner, Tsubasa thought. He knelt carefully in his dress and put a hand near the spot. "Still warm." It wasn't, but he was more lost in his thoughts, running back to some of the movie romances, especially the one where a love was kidnapped and it was up to the hero to save them.
Standing tall, looking into the forest where he imagined his love to be, Tsubasa grinned. "Do not worry, my love. We will be together again soon."
~
Mint and Lime escorted them to the edge of Musk territory. Ryouga remained tense around the pair, looking over his shoulder at them to be certain nothing was coming. With Tendou-san at his side, Ryouga was doubly cautious, swearing he would not let her even become scratched if it was within his power to stop it.
Okaasan's hair was a bit damp, but she was too lost in thought to really give it any attention. What she had done, lost and gained, will change everything. She had thought before that making the curse permanent would just mean she wouldn't have to worry about becoming a man again with the simple application of warm water. Something inside, however, was making her feel the greater pain of loss; her heart almost moaning piteously.
Hiro still needed a father, Okaasan knew. Could she go back to being married again though? Rationally she understood that not every man was like Soun. She was not so thick as Akane used to be. But how could she find a relationship with a man now? Ranma hadn't been ready for that possibility and it was thrust upon him. Even less prepared now, Okaasan had to make this choice herself. Could she though?
"Hold my hand, Ryo-kun." Okaasan held out her hand, only absently remembering Ryouga's bad sense of direction. He would need her guidance even if they stood side by side.
Flustered in his response, Ryouga took Tendou-san's dainty hand in his own. "H-H-Hai."
Okaasan felt his careful and nervous grip and glanced at him questioningly. His blush grew another shade darker with her attention and he swallowed loudly. Smiling slightly, Okaasan took Ryouga's embarrassment as a compliment. Having known the 'Lost Boy' she understood he only became so jittery around women he found pretty. That was something to think about.
Since joining the training trip, Ryouga had been sweet, courteous, and helpful. Despite her hopes, Okaasan had felt nothing but anger from Akane whenever Ryouga was around. She still had that one hope, but it wasn't right to force people to love each other; something Ranma had experienced first hand.
So her daughter was not a factor here. Perhaps she should think about Ryo-kun a little more. Hiro liked him and Ryouga too seemed to enjoy spending time with her son. Ryouga was intelligent and proficient in the Art. And though Okaasan never really thought about it, Ryouga was handsome.
Attempting that last thought made Okaasan shiver. Finding a father for Hiro was not going to be easy so long as she felt this way. There needed to be love, but that was no longer possible as Soun had purged such emotions from her long ago.
Ryouga was looking at her, concerned.
Okaasan blinked and shook her head of the cobwebs. "What? I'm sorry, Ryouga. I was distracted. What did you say?"
"I said it looks like some people couldn't wait for you to return to the village." He indicated ahead of them with a toss of his head.
Okaasan looked up and smiled, shocked. "Nabiki? Kasumi? Mom?" She hugged each in turn, kissing her daughters on the cheek. "What are you all doing here?"
"Something told us we should be here." Nabiki said with a small smile. Okaasan felt different to her, lighter as if the world were not so heavy today.
"Are you alright, Okaasan?" Kasumi eyed the way Okaasan held herself, limping slightly as she walked and wincing if one of them hugged her too tightly.
"I'll be fine." Okaasan placed a hand over her side self-consciously. "It's nice to see you all."
Nodoka nodded and looked to how her daughter held Ryouga's hand. The boy seemed almost as red as her daughter's hair. "What has happened here, daughter?"
Okaasan became somber again, her smile slipping almost to the stoic face they were more accustomed to. "I had to let him go, mom." She spoke softly and carefully. There was no need to explain any further as Okaasan watched her family's eyes lose their light. Nabiki's tears fell first and she stared harder at her stepmother like a knife had buried itself in her chest.
Cupping her daughter's face, Okaasan brushed away a tear with her thumb. Nabiki looked ready to run, but she leaned into Okaasan's hand and closed her eyes. "Don't look so sad, Nabiki. All things change."
Nabiki nodded sadly staring back into the painful, blue depths of Okaasan's eyes.
~
Armed guards at the gates of the Amazon village met Okaasan and the rest. Ten warriors in all surrounded the group with a variety of weapons aimed at them. One Amazon separated from the rest. "Tendou Ranma."
"Yes?" she replied, looking over the group with a frown. If this was a joke it was not funny.
The Amazon gestured towards one of the huts they used as prisons with her sword. "You will come with us."
"What's this about?" Okaasan asked angrily.
Nodoka nodded and stepped beside her daughter, hand resting on the grip of her katana. "Yes, I must insist you explain yourself."
The group shifted the grips they had on their weapons slightly, nervous before the woman who had displayed so much control of her ki. "Come now, or we will take you by force."
Akane jumped over the Amazons to take a fighting stance before Okaasan, facing the warriors. "Fat chance, bimbo!"
Ryouga followed suit, placing himself between Tendou-san and the Amazons. "You'll have to go through us first!"
While Okaasan was proud and thankful of Akane and Ryouga caring so much for her safety, fighting now would not solve anything. She quietly reached out and tapped a spot near the base of their heads. Akane and Ryouga collapsed onto the ground unconscious.
Nabiki blinked in surprise. "Okaasan?"
"Take care of them will you, Nabiki? Now is not the time for their foolishness."
Kasumi looked over the crowd worriedly. "Oh my, is something wrong, Okaasan?"
"I don't know, Kasumi-chan." Okaasan followed the warriors, heading in the direction of the prison where an old woman with short white hair and a long tapered staff stood. She could see the Matriarch on the side with Shampoo watching anxiously. "Colo-"
"She won't be helping you this time," The old woman cackled, slamming the prison door behind Tendou-san as she walked in. "Young lady."
~
Over the past hour, Okaasan could hear shouting from a heated argument amongst some of the older Amazons. Shampoo's voice was the one most often heard as it screamed shrilly.
The door creaked up slightly. "Tendou?"
Okaasan continued to stare up at the ceiling of her prison from where she lay on her bed. "I think I can guess what the Council must have been discussing since I arrived."
Mousse nodded and set down a plate of food on a small table in the room. The building itself was nothing so impressive that it could hold any of the warriors amongst the Amazons. It was mainly set up so an attempt to leave would be seen or heard while keeping the accused from outside contact. "Your family is staying with us."
"Nice to know they're safe." Okaasan spoke dryly.
"For now anyway." Mousse sighed and looked at Tendou carefully. "Ryouga and Nabiki are giving us some trouble."
"Hiro and Saffron?" she asked, knowing the Phoenix had not left the village yet.
"They're both fine." Mousse fixed his glasses and turned to where Tendou was actually resting. "Your mother is watching over Hiro, won't let anybody near him. Saffron and Kiima . ."
Okaasan sat up with an amused look on her face. "You're actually holding them?"
"Lotion is holding them." He corrected. "I think Saffron is either drugged, or he is cooperating so he doesn't get too far from his new friends."
A pregnant silence fell between them. Okaasan stood up, glancing at the food and then heading for the small window in the back of the room. "I'm sorry." Mousse spoke honestly. "There was never any love lost between us, but I still don't think what Shampoo is doing is right."
"The Kiss of Death." Okaasan's lips formed a line. "I thought so."
Another stepped through the door, staff tapping the floor as they walked. "Then you shouldn't have come back." Mousse backed up into a corner to not get in the way. Okaasan met the old woman's glare with her own look of indifference. "Do you know me, dear? Perhaps not. I am Matriarch Lotion."
"I thought Cologne was the Matriarch."
"Oh, she is one of them." Lotion nodded, snorting at the food Mousse had placed on the table. "Now, one of the stains against the honor of the Amazons shall be wiped away. You sealed your own fate by sealing off your curse." She turned away, passing Mousse beside the table as she went. "We will come for you again in the morning. Enjoy your last night."
As the door closed, Mousse scowled. "Witch." He turned back to Tendou, the grim look still on his face. "Lotion is one of Cologne's enemies on the Council. With Cologne sick, she has been able to take control of many matters, especially with Shampoo's inexperience."
Okaasan nodded. "Did Shampoo want this, Mousse?"
It took Mousse a moment to speak, but when he did it was low and thick with confusion and anger. "I think so."
"Can I speak with her?"
"No." He shook his head and looked off to the side. "Shampoo left to train on her own after the meeting finished." Sighing, he opened the door, stopping just before leaving. "I'm sorry Tendou, but honor and politics can be a dangerous combination even among the Joketsuzoku."
~
The room swayed away from her as she blinked in the rumbling day. The birds outside screamed in pitches that startled her nerves, but the limbs only moved slowly.
Okaasan saw her hands drift along and that how funny they were, an image after an image, blending and bleeding. The world roared, rumbling, shaking the platter Mousse had brought in, onto the floor. The metal caught flashes of red and green, explosions of light that danced in her eyes.
One of those birds sounded frightened as they squawked and flapped about. There was a ring of something familiar to its song. What was it?
The world rolled around her until it planted itself against her feet. Was she getting up? Did the world tremble because she was not touching it? It needed her. It was calling her name.
"What?" Okaasan blinked as light flashed into her eyes again. The platter was happy to see her up and was dancing with more light.
"Let go of him, you hentai!"
Such silly birds; they sounded familiar. Maybe they want to see her too. "Akane . . ."
Over by the window. Yes, she would go to them so they would be happy like the platter.
"Stop! Someone stop him!"
"Happousai! Prepare to DIE!"
They were getting much more excited as she neared the window. It would've been easier if the rolling floor would let her move herself. Still, it tickled her feet so the floor was happy. The platter, the floor, and now the birds.
"Don't touch him, you pervert!"
Okaasan watched a bird flitter by with short black feathers near its head and a mottled red body. "Nabiki . ."
That's funny. The birds were still jumping around. They were the ones making the platter happy. They too bounced upon the earth. Were they making the ground rumble? Lights flashed before her eyes and one of the birdies hit the ground hard. Poor little thing.
She caught sight of particular bird carrying another. Her eyes felt heavy as she watched the two swoop through the area, the little purple one carrying another white one. "No! Mom! Mom! Help me! I can't move! Mom!"
That song. She knew that song. It called to her. "Hiro?" These weren't birds. Her world was not happy because she was there to see it. "Hiro!" Her answers were being cleared even as her sight went red. The world righted itself beneath her feet and a haze of dust settled on the ground outside her cell. A little gnome creature held her son over its shoulder, cackling . . cackling like chestnuts. Chestnuts Roasting Over An Open Fire!
The world opened further. The red in her eyes did not burn, but she knew them to be flames. The flames spread out further to consume what hindered her passage as if she held back the forces of a ROARING TIGER BULLET!
The gnome yelped in surprise, fluttering to the gates of the village and disappeared. Now Okaasan was mad. The gnome was not supposed to run off with her son. Something was keeping her from understanding this completely. But she could stop that. She had power to cure and destroy. She would cure her body by destroying the bad inside of it. Okaasan would cleanse her soul with a wrath like a DRAGON ASCENSION PUNCH!
The world roared in anger along with her, little birds flitting about for protection from her cleansing powers. "HIRO!"
~
Happousai took a shuddering breath as he entered the clearing of his campsite. Over his shoulder, his heir continued to scream, but there was nothing he could do while the right shiatsu point to release his paralysis had not been touched.
Feeling very proud of himself, he strode cockily up to the camp area. "Lucky day!" He smiled broadly, but the big man that was his student did not seem to care. Annoyed, Happousai poked the slothenly man in the back. "Genma!"
Genma caught himself before falling into the breakfast he'd been preparing. "Yes, Master?"
Happousai tossed Hiro onto the ground beside Genma with a grin. "Look! I have found my new heir!"
Genma stared at the lifeless body of the boy who looked back with fire in his eyes. "You stole him?"
Happousai laughed and waved off the accusation. "Of course not! Do you see him trying to struggle and escape?!" He grabbed some of the sake in their supplies and took down a large gulp of the burning stuff. "Now get off your lazy butt and begin his training."
"What about you?" Genma looked to the boy then his Master.
"I have some panty stealing to do! BWAHAHAHA!" Happousai cackled, grabbing his panty raiding bag and jumping back into the forest, traveling through the branches until Genma lost sight of the old pervert all together.
"Are you all right?" Genma sighed and set the boy more comfortably with the Master gone. He found the right pressure point on the boy's back and released the paralysis that had been locking up his muscles.
Genma sat back on his log and stirred the pot over his fire for a moment while he watched the boy sit straighter. "What's your name boy?" He remained silent, glaring. "What about your parents?" Genma sighed at the boy's silence and left the food for later. "I can't take you back unless you tell me something."
The boy seemed to think this over as he folded his arms like his sister Nabiki did in negotiations. "Hiro."
"What?" Genma looked up in surprise. He'd been beginning to think the boy mute.
"My name is Hiro, and my mom is back at the Amazon village."
"But you're not Chinese." Genma pointed out questioningly.
"Mom an me were on a training trip." Hiro continued, looking less tense as the man seemed unthreatening.
Genma looked shocked. "Trained by a girl?" What has been going on in Japan since he left? No decent trainer was a woman. "Maybe I should train you a little. At least then you would know how to defend yourself."
"Hey!" Hiro stood up, glaring at the man indignantly. "Okaasan is the best martial artist in the world! And if she were here she'd beat you and that old pervert up!"
Genma eyed the boy with amusement. The best way to teach someone, by his experience, is to beat it into them. "Is that so? Then perhaps we should spar and see how good you are then."
Hiro watched Genma stand up and took a fighting stance. Setting his features, Hiro took up a loose fighting stance his mother had taught him. "Fine! Tendou Hiro doesn't lose!"
Genma was startled to see the familiar stance and the boy's declaration that he completely missed Hiro's first kick and was quickly knocked to the ground.
"Ha! Told you old man!" Hiro stood over the large martial artist with a large grin on his face.
"T-Tendou?" Genma asked surprised. "Tendou Hiro?"
Hiro nodded and looked at the man more closely. He looked shocked and happy at the same time. "Yeah, that's me. Do I know you?"
"Not quite," Genma stood back up and went to sit down beside the fire, Hiro following reluctantly. "But I knew your parents."
~
Lotion stood shocked in the middle of the carnage, staring at the barely contained bottle of fury in the form of a redheaded woman. "You . . You should not be able to move!" She shouted, catching the attention of anyone who had not seen Okaasan emerge from the hut.
Fixing the old woman with a glare, Okaasan growled menacingly and retrieving her katana from one of the incoherent guards. "Mother!" Okaasan roared, finding the Saotome matriarch being helped to walk by Kasumi. "Where did Happousai take my son?!"
With her own look of anger, Nodoka tightened her grip on the handle of her revealed blade. She pointed with the tip of her katana towards the East. "Into the forest, that way."
Nodding, Okaasan looked over the injured combatants. "Ryouga! Akane!"
"Hai!" Ryouga answered, scurrying to Tendou-san's side.
Okaasan waited expectantly for her daughter another moment. "Where is Akane?"
Ryouga shrugged his shoulders and looked about the area himself. "I don't know. I think Happousai attacked her first."
Okaasan discovered the huts Mousse had mentioned Saffron and Kiima had been staying in. The doors had been forcibly removed, lying a dozen feet from the buildings. Sasuke was slowly walking away from the village well that he had impacted against during the fight. "Kodachi?" Sasuke found her eyes and shook his head slightly.
Firming her jaw, Okaasan turned on her heel to head off in the direction her mother had indicated. "Let's go."
"Hai!" Ryouga ripped off the dangling sleeves of his shirt and followed quickly.
Lotion recovered from her surprise and pointed her tapered staff at Okaasan. "I don't think so, outsider! You are our prisoner!"
Before Okaasan could voice her anger at the fool old woman, another cry was carried through the wind, descending upon the group from above.
"SWEETO!"
Aura flaring, Okaasan glared at Happousai with open hostility where he landed in the center of the village square, between Lotion and herself. "Where have you taken my son, you hentai!"
Eyes bright with pleasure, the old pervert jumped into the air. "Why, my darling Ranma-chan! Give your old Master a hug!"
"I told you to stay away from Tendou-san!" Ryouga's fist slammed into Happousai and sent the old man an inch into the ground.
Happousai struggled for a moment. "You are becoming a nuisance, boy!" The Master's pipe appeared suddenly and caught Ryouga by the ankle, tossing him through the air and into Sasuke who had been readying an attack of his own. Both men hit the well with a loud crack, landing in a heap on the ground.
Angling her staff at Happousai, Lotion declared loudly, "For your crimes against the Joketsuzoku, you shall die Happousai!"
"Why Lotion?" Happousai turned to regard the old Matriarch with a grin. "Is that you? You've completely lost your figure!"
Bristling with anger, Lotion to her staff in both hands and prepared herself for battle. "Look who's talking, fool outsider!" she screamed, lashing out with the tip of her staff as she shot forward in sudden motion.
Happousai easily evaded the blows, jumping and ducking the attacks until he landed a blow with his pipe, splitting the hard wood staff down the center. "OHOHOHOHO! You are no match for me, Lotion! Never on the same level as Cologne and myself!"
Lotion continued to attack, forcing her body to move quickly with help from her ki, light purple swirling with red. The old pervert continued to dodge her attacks. Happousai continued to laugh as he found a hole in Lotion's defenses and knocked in the chest with his pipe.
"Great-grandmother!" One of the younger Amazon women charged through the crowd to kneel beside Lotion as she lay dazedly on the ground.
"And who is this then?" Happousai asked with lecherous interest.
The young woman stood up and brought out a pair of sai. "I Soap! You no touch great grandmother!" she declared though worry was easily seen in her eyes.
"Wouldn't dream of it! Hahaha!" Happousai continued to ogle the young woman openly. "But you, my de- eh?" His back stiffened as ki energy began to concentrate behind him. Happousai looked over his shoulder and found Tendou surrounded with a soft red glow. "I'm sorry, was I ignoring you, Ranma-chan?"
"Where. Is. My. Son. Leech." Okaasan growled, dropping the outside temperature with her voice.
"Not this again." Happousai rolled his eyes at the little ball of ki in Tendou's left hand. "Being a girl has made you weak, Ranma."
"Not weak, old man." Okaasan sneered. "Subtler." The blast of red ki streaked across the area faster than Happousai could dodge, digging its way past the Master's defenses.
Happousai's aura fell away like shattered glass, and he collapsed to the ground with a pain in his chest that made breathing difficult.
The rest of the Amazons blinked in surprise and took a unanimous step back as Okaasan walked over to the downed Master. Her voice had yet to pick up in the slightest from an Arctic breeze. "Now where is he?" She kicked him onto his back and stared into Happousai's frightened eyes. "Speak quickly Happousai, or you may never speak again."
Happousai was looking at Tendou with a mixture of fear and disbelief. He, the Master of Anything Goes, was being beaten by a woman! This should not have been possible even if the woman had once been a cursed man. It took a moment, but he lifted a trembling hand to the same direction Nodoka had.
Dropping her hold on Happousai, who went limp a second later, Okaasan turned again to leave. "Ryouga."
Ryouga stared for a moment at the old pervert lying on the ground, pasty skin and a wet spot in his pants. Happousai's chest rose finally when all had thought him dead. Intimidated by the control and precision of Tendou-san's new style, Ryouga shivered. " . . Hai."
Okaasan and Ryouga crept through the forest quickly and quietly, careful in case Happousai would have any surprises waiting for them. Perhaps she had gone a little overboard with the old pervert, but when it came to Hiro's well being Okaasan would sacrifice much.
Ryouga was able to stay on course with his mind focused on the redhead beside him. She thrilled and chilled him in all the same moment. Her power, something Tendou-san did not reveal so often as Ranma had, was frightening in its accuracy and control. What did it take to become so dangerous, he wondered. The thought made him shudder. Tendou-san was a lethal weapon when it came to her son's safety.
Okaasan put back her hand to halt Ryouga's progress as they came to a clearing beside one of the nearby mountains. There were perhaps half a mile North of Jusenkyou beside the cliff she had stood upon the first time Ranma had seen the cursed springs. A small fire was going and the sound of conversation could be heard. Okaasan could feel a chill wind brush along her face as she leaned against one of the trees.
Ryouga had sensed her changed demeanor and too became silent. Over by the fire he could see Hiro sitting on a log facing a large, burly man in a dingy whit gi.
"I'm sorry." Genma looked apologetic, but his voice gave way to some measure of joy.
"Yeah, well, he an mom never talked much." Hiro responded, missing the old man's nod. "I think he was mean ta her, but I don't know for sure."
Sad, Genma looked at the fire Hiro was poking at with a stick. The embers crumbled and released a small shower of flashes. In a way he'd been hoping that the relationship Soun had taken with Ranma would be better over time. "And your grandmother? Does she still live in Nerima?"
Hiro smiled, nodding his head. "Yeah, grandma still lives in her big house, and she gives me ice cream every time I visit!"
"That's nice." Genma grinned at the simple pleasure. He didn't care if he used to think eating ice cream wasn't manly. "Do your mother and grandmother get along very well?"
"What does family matter to you, old man." Okaasan stepped into the clearing, having heard enough. She wasn't certain why she'd even allowed the conversation to go on as long as it did, the bastard had abandoned her.
Genma shot to his feet in surprise, taking quick steps back. "N-Nodoka!" No, not his wife. He adjusted his glasses and peered more closely. His vision was worse and he hadn't gotten new prescriptions, but the redhead before him was too small to be Nodoka. "Ranma?"
Hiro too had jumped to his feet, and ran over to Okaasan, latching onto her neck as she bent down to catch him. "Mom! I knew you would take care of that old prune!"
Wrapping her arms protectively over Hiro, Okaasan sighed in relief. "Are you hurt, Hiro-kun?" the boy shook his head and Okaasan squeezed him again in a hug.
Genma and Ryouga watched the reunion silently until Tendou-san's eyes opened again to fix a hard look on the bald martial artist.
Setting her son down softly, Okaasan handed him over to Ryouga without moving her gaze. "Watch after Ryo-kun."
Coughing nervously, Genma stared back at his cursed son. "I . . I never thought I would see you again, Ran-"
"Don't you dare, old man." Okaasan hissed, her eyes narrowing. "We are not familiar anymore. That should've been clear when you abandoned me."
Genma bowed, looking to the ground for the help he was desperate for. This was not how life was supposed to turn out. Things were supposed to be good for them all, but he had messed up one to many times. "I'm sorry, Tendou-san."
Okaasan snapped at him, "I should kill you for helping that old pervert steal my son."
"I-I didn't!" Genma reared back fearfully. Only Nodoka had ever made him so frightened before. He could see the family katana Tendou-san was carrying and had no doubts to her abilities to use it.
Hiro gasped and tried to break away from Ryouga's iron grip. "Mom! He was gonna take me back! We just got ta talkin and stuff."
Genma nodded quickly. "It's true. I wouldn-"
"Yes, you would." Okaasan snapped again, the ice in her voice could snuff the campfire between them.
There was a moment of silence as Genma waited for his one time son to continue cursing at him. Why had he been so stupid before? Genma wanted to scream at himself for being such a coward. He didn't know what had happened to Ranma, but the woman before him bore a pain so deep it laced her voice and floated in her eyes. Stupid old man!
"I didn't believe you loved Soun." Genma began in a weak voice. "Tendou-kun and I went to the Master for his help. We only wanted to bring you and Akane closer." What am I doing, Genma thought. It's too late for explanations. But he could not stop his mouth now that it was moving. "He said you would declare yourself to the one you love. He must have messed up. There is no way-"
"But in the end it didn't matter anyway, did it?" By Okaasan's tone Genma understood the question was rhetorical. "Not like I really could have expected you to help." She watched the man wince, taking her sneering voice like a man beyond redemption. "Like all those other times."
There was nothing else to say about it. They both knew what he had done and that he was at least in part at fault. Glancing up, Genma saw past Tendou-san to her son, Hiro. The boy reminded him a great deal of Ranma. "You're teaching Hiro the Anything Goes style?"
"Yes. I am."
"He's very good." Genma looked back to Tendou-san. "It shows."
Closing her eyes, Okaasan turned away from him and took her son's hand in her own. She was too weary to deal with this now. It had been a long day and seemed to be growing longer. "Genma."
"Yes?" He looked up distraught.
"Perhaps you should go see your wife. I believe she still misses you. Don't ask me why." Okaasan left quickly afterwards. She did not need to see the shock on the old man's face. Genma had been on her mind since she began to run into all of her old fiancés. So long as everyone else was getting second chances it would only be fair to offer the same to her father. In truth, Ranma had come to terms with Genma's abandonment, but it had still hurt to know the old man could not have changed his nature just once.
Okaasan sighed as she walked slowly back to the village. Her mind was still recovering from the drugs, but it was nothing worse than a small hangover. She wished she could have cleared the drugs out of her system like that when she was younger. It would have been very useful.
Hiro was a little complacent now that they had left Genma behind. It wasn't every day that a large raisin kidnapped you and took you to your grandfather. He could understand that Okaasan was mad at grandpa, but he did know why. For living with the raisin? Perhaps.
"If not for Tendou, then you may not be standing here any longer!" Mousse growled over the cacophony of voices in the Amazon village.
"It does not matter! She has received the Kiss of Death and it must be carried out for honor's sake!" Lotion declared, receiving a murmur of protest from the crowd. They were unhappy, but not certain if they could openly confront the Matriarch as Mousse was doing.
Okaasan guided the three of them through the crowd so she could get a better look. The Joketsuzoku parted quickly as they caught sight of her. Lotion had yet to look at the crowd with Mousse in her face.
"It's been near ten years since Shampoo gave it to her! Can't you let it go!" He continued to shout angrily, spittle flying out of his mouth and his arms waving about with the muscle strained. "Honor can only go so far before it dissolves the difference between right and wrong!"
Looking at Mousse dangerously, Lotion made her voice controlled and cool. "The outsider dies and that is that!"
"You are the only one who desires it!" Mousse argued with greater support from the other Amazons.
"You're only a male; you would never understand!" Lotion sneered.
Furious at being putting aside like a dog, Mousse actually formed a small corona of red ki about his body. "I may be a man, but you are a bitter old woman!"
"I will not stand such insolence!" Lotion decreed with a wave of her staff. "Throw him into one of the cells!"
The Amazons waited, but no one moved to follow the Matriarch's order.
"What is wrong with you! I gave an order!" Lotion growled.
"They won't listen to you anymore." Okaasan finally spoke. Mousse had been right when he told her of Lotion. She was acting on her opposition to Cologne and it seemed now that the others knew this too. "They know you are wrong."
Looking frantically about the gathering, Lotion pounded her staff on the ground. "We must kill the outsider!"
A girl stepped forward beside Tendou-san. "No, Matriarch. Is wrong."
"Soap!" Lotion looked at her great granddaughter in surprise. She was being argued with by her own blood!
Soap swallowed and looked for the courage to meet her great grandmother's eyes. "Yes, great grandmother?"
Lotion's voice was like gravel. "You will not oppose me."
Swallowing again, Soap looked at Tendou, a woman who possessed real power. She'd never seen anyone so loyal to her friends and family. The way she fought the drugs, Happousai, challenged the Matriarch, and then sought and returned with her son; this was everything she expected a true Amazon to be. "N-No, great grandmother."
"What?!" Lotion's eyes grew wide with shock and she glared at the redheaded Japanese woman.
Soap continued with a trembling voice. "I . . I like Tendou. I t-think you are wr-wrong."
Incensed. Enraged. Furious beyond words. Lotion was this and more, but her aura could barely back up her convictions as the energy had been sapped largely in the fight with Happousai, the evil man Tendou had handled easily.
All around her were traitors! Traitors against the true way of the Joketsuzoku. They made her sick to look upon. "Out of my way!" Lotion strode to the gates, looking back once to glare at the woman who had destroyed the Amazons.
Okaasan watched the old woman go. There was nothing to be done about it. Lotion had deluded herself with ideas of Amazon honor. The enemies she had Lotion made herself. Kiss of Death, Kiss of Marriage; all foolish notions of honor.
~
Spirited away.
That was all anyone could say to the disappearances. No signs of a struggle or a misplaced item could be found anywhere in the village or surrounding area. The room Kodachi had been using was neat as if she had never been there. There should have at least been some broken furniture so far as Shampoo and Akane were concerned. Okaasan could not even feel their auras; Akane's had been quite strong recently.
Okaasan continued to pace outside Shampoo's home. Mousse was inside caring for Gloss. Blush and Hiro had gone to the living room to help and keep each other company in the middle of this terrible situation. Cologne was with the Council trying to organize search parties and likely suspects. The rest, her mother and daughters, sat on the porch, watching her stare fixedly at her fists. How could she have let this happen? While her attention was distracted first her son and now her daughter had been kidnapped. But she was going to get them back; Okaasan turned to continue pacing.
"Please try to control yourself, daughter." Nodoka spoke softly, concern filling her voice. "This will not help us rescue Akane and the others any faster."
Sitting on the steps, Nabiki looked up into her mother's angry eyes. "What has been going on, Okaasan? This is like being seventeen all over again."
"Oh, and what makes you say that?" Okaasan's voice did not comply with her strained attempt to comfort her family. She frowned in disgust and stopped to stare out onto the village. She needed to think this through, and the few feelings she'd gotten over the day. "I know what you mean, Nabiki. Someone with a lot of ki is losing control of their balance."
"They're going insane?" Nodoka asked.
"You could say that mom." Okaasan nodded. "After some years of meditation I found out that my dual nature attracted a little chaos."
Nabiki tried to laugh. "A little."
Kasumi looked back into the house then to her mother. "You don't think Shampoo or Mousse are-"
"Maybe. I don't know." Okaasan had gone over the possibility, but it didn't fit with the way either of the Amazons had been acting. Mousse was certainly full of himself, but he was otherwise stable. Ryouga was cured now, but there was nothing to say that someone could gain a dual nature without a curse. There had been plenty of strong martial artists in Ranma's life that could be seen as psychopathic.
At the front gates of the village, horns blared loudly, covering the area like a rumbling thunder. Blush and Hiro ran out of the house in the direction of the front gates.
Okaasan followed the two quickly. "Blush, what is it?"
The little girl didn't answer for a moment until she heard the sentinel's cry. "They find Saffron!"
"King Saffron?" Okaasan picked up the pace, passing the two youngsters to get to the Phoenix king quicker.
Walking in through the large gates, four Amazon warriors bore a stretcher between them. Okaasan could see the crumpled wings and burnt clothes. Saffron's face was bruised and a few bones were broken. He bled from various cuts and lacerations that spotted his clothing.
Seeing Tendou-san, the group of the Amazons stopped to allow her to examine the body closer. He was breathing, but unconscious. Okaasan looked up to the faces of the Amazons, "Who could have done this?"
End Chapter Nine
* * *
Well, a little longer than the two weeks I had guessed, but it's done! Only one more chapter to go so get your ideas written and submitted because this contest will soon be over.
Some thoughts on this chapter: I thought it would be artistic to make another scene with the main characters being only Ranma and Nodoka. It's sort of like, in the first years the thing that hurt the most was her families consent of this travesty. That's what makes those memories so painful for Okaasan, her father's absence and her mother's presence.
What happened to Tsubasa and Ukyou?! Heh, that's what I want you to think. The very fact they both have such short scenes that leave you with questions is what will lead into the next chapter.
Chapter ten will be out in a couple of weeks, maybe less since I'm so pumped right now to ending this story. That's right! I'm getting so much closer to the dramatic conclusion! (lightning flashes in the background) BWAHAHAHAHA!
Does anyone else think of Rocky and Bullwinkle endings when they read author notes?
Send C&C to jehtek@hotmail.com
Or visit my website at: www.geocities.com/jehtek/
Ja ne.