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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds And Connections
Chapter 10
Akara tumbled awkwardly into the grassy bush, shocked and upset
at the sudden turn of events. One minute she had been feeling both
scared and wonderful, the next Tenma had violently shoved her away,
completely ruining the mood. All this served to light the pilot light of
her anger. She regained her feet and sat up just in time to see a
strange new girl land on the log and take a swipe at Tenma with what
looked like... a giant spatula?
Then she heard what he called her.
"Yu-chan!?!?"
[Chan!?] Akara thought incredulously. [And the Baka said he
didn't have any other girls he was interested in! I should have known
the two-timer was leading me on!]
"Ten-chan!" the girl known as 'Yu-chan' admonished him. "How
could you!? And after we were engaged to be married!"
"WHAT!?" came the stereo reply.
Yu-chan blinked. "Don't act surprised! My father talked to your
sensei about it, and when he came back, my father told me he'd arranged
for us to be married!" Her face took a faraway look. "I knew we were
meant to be, and I was so happy! But when I went up to your cabin to see
you, you were both gone!" She turned her weapon in her grip, and her
eyes took a dangerous glint. "You ran away and left me behind! I told
the other girls we were getting married, but when they learned you were
gone, they laughed at me and made fun of me! Do you any idea what that
feels like!?"
"I didn't know!" Tenma protested. "We went on a training trip,
and Satsu was buried by a landslide! He never told me about it!"
"I've been searching for you for almost six months!" she
practically wailed.
"Uh, sorry?" he offered, sheepishly.
Her dark, frowny look suddenly melted into a sunny one, and she
quickly crossed the distance between them to glomp him tightly. "That's
okay! We're together and can get married. That's what's important!"
Akara finally extricated herself from the bush she landed in,
and joined the other two on the log, having caught the conversation. She
was quite upset at having a nice moment interrupted by this girl.
"Excuse me! Who the hell are you!?"
Tenma quickly backed out of the tight hug, sighing. "Uh, Yu-
chan, this is Tendo Akara, my, uh, fiancee. Akara, meet Kuonji Yukio.
She was one of my friends in the village, near where I lived."
"Fiancee!?" Yukio wailed, her grip on her weapon tightening.
"Ten-chan, how could you?"
Tenma backpedaled, his hands making warding gestures. "It
wasn't my idea! It was all my stupid sensei's plan!"
Akara switched her glare from the new girl to her fiance for a
moment, feeling inexplicably hurt by his statement.
Yukio brightened. "Okay! Our engagement was made first anyway!"
As the enthusiastic girl started towards him once more in an
obviously too-friendly move, Tenma's gave wavered between the rapidly-
reaching-the-boiling-point Akara and the grinning Yukio, and he decided
the best course of action was to employ one of his sensei's most
advanced techniques.
"Uh, sorrygottagobye!"
The two girls' twin stunned expressions stared at the smoke
trail left by the young Saotome, but they lasted only a mere second
before giving chase.
"Ten-chan!"
"Teeenmmmmaaa!"
Ranko splashed her face with cold water from the barrel, then
looked up just in time to see Tenma speed into the Amazon camp, two
girls hot on his trail. One was Akara, but the other she didn't
recognize and was waving a... giant spatula?
She watched in near-disbelief as Tenma raced around a tent and
dove inside, due to the hand waving him in. Because he was out of sight
of his two pursuers when he disappeared into the tent, Akara and the
other girl ran right past it.
Ranko exhaled, then walked over to the tent entrance and
waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later the two girls came back around,
once they realized they had lost their quarry. The redhead waved to get
their attention, then pointed to the tent. Both girls mouthed their
thanks, then charged in.
Tenma tumbled inside, then rolled to his feet. "Thanks, I-"
Then he caught sight of who had saved him. [Why do I get the feeling
that I would have been better off outside?]
"Airen..." Xian Po purred, which made the young Saotome nervous
for some odd reason. "No have to thank me. Wife always look out for her
husband."
"W-wife!?" Tenma squeaked, then froze as the Amazon slinked up
to him, a coy smile on her face.
She placed on hand around his neck and started to draw him
towards her...
"TENMA!"
"Ten-chan, what are you doing!?"
"Ack! It ain't what ya think!" Tenma managed to extricate
himself from Xian Po's grasp just in time to dodge the giant spatula,
but not from the giant mallet. *WHAM!* "Ite..."
Xian Po scowled and produced twin staves topped by large,
colorful maces. "Why stupid girls do that to Airen?"
"Airen?" Akara's forehead scrunched in confusion.
"It's Chinese for 'husband' or 'beloved one'," Ranko supplied
from the tent entrance, amused by the whole scene and happy to share
what she had just learned.
"WHAT!?" Yukio's left eyebrow twitched as she turned back
towards the Amazon. "He was my fiance first!" She leapt to the attack.
"He's my husband!" Xian Po met her in mid-air.
*Crash! Boom! Bang!*
"I ain't marryin' nobody," Tenma declared darkly several hours
later. "Ouch! Careful!"
"Well, excuse me!" Akara replied without much heat as she
bandaged his cuts and bruises. "I'm just trying to help. Honestly, you
can stand up to evil ninja and members of the Dark Shogun's army without
so much as a scratch, and yet you get all beat up by getting into a
fight between two girls."
Ryo snickered at that, but Ranko elbowed him strongly in the
gut. He 'oof'ed as he folded around her arm.
"As I was saying," Tenma continued after giving Akara a weak
glare. "We've got more important things to worry about, like the fact
that our friends are counting us to return in time?"
Xian Po sighed as she and Yukio were patched up by a couple of
the other Amazons. "Tenma right. We fight big enemy first, then we
decide issue of marriage." She rubbed her shoulder and winced. "Spatula-
girl, you not bad warrior. Almost make good Amazon."
"The name is 'Kuonji Yukio', ya bimbo!" Yukio returned,
referring to the Amazon leader's full and well-endowed figure. Then she
simmered down and nodded reluctantly. "But I guess I agree with you. No
marriages until after this is over, but I'm coming along!"
Both girls turned toward Akara, who noticed their stare and
looked at them blankly. "What? I don't want him in the first place!"
Unnoticed to all but Ranko, Tenma winced slightly at that.
Konisha stepped forward, a smirk on her face. "Xian Po-san has
the right idea, and I suppose I shall back off as well. For now." Her
smirk turned into a wide grin that unsettled Tenma. Of all the girls,
she scared him the most, though Xian Po was a close second. "Anyway, as
soon as my idiotic brother gets back from lighting the signal fire, we
should go. Time is of the essence. Xian Po-san, how many Amazons do you
have with you, and how quickly can they move?"
"One hundred of our best warriors have come!" the Amazon leader
boasted proudly. "And we are also accompanied by a dozen members of the
mage clans."
"Mage clans?" Ranko asked, interested.
"They live in the Tibetan mountains far from Joketsuzoku, but we
trade with them from time to time," Xian Po explained. "One such trade
caravan was in our village when I returned, and a few of them wanted to
come along. They have powerful magic, and teach some to us in exchange
for combat lessons."
"Only a hundred?" Akara asked. "I suppose it will have to do."
She stood and, to the surprise of all, bowed to the Amazon leader. "I
thank you for your help. Your offer to fight with us may be what wins us
this war."
Xian Po smiled and stood, reaching a hand out to bring Akara
upright. "We warriors, yes? No need to bow. And Amazons always fight the
darkness, no matter where or what it is, so is no problem." She let her
teeth show. "But if you want to repay me, then we have fight between us
after this, okay?"
Akara smiled fiercely in return. "Deal."
While all the girls smiled at this, Tenma and Ryo stared in
stupefaction, not believing what they were seeing. These girls, who
were nearly at each other's throats a short while ago, were now getting
along almost like best friends. What was going on?
Whatever it was, Tenma knew it couldn't be good. Especially for
him.
"Get lost!" *POW!*
"You know, oniisan, I do not think she likes you," Konisha
declared, not disguising her amusement in the least while approaching
the fallen form of her brother.
Tateyama pulled himself upright while nursing his jaw, and
watched Akara stomp away. "I do not see why that is so. Do not all
females like a strong male to dominate them?"
Konisha rolled her eyes. "I see your experience with women has
dimmed since I have been gone from the castle. I shall have to correct
that. To answer your question: No. Not all women liked to be dominated.
Tendo-san is much different than those servant girls who bow to your
every whim."
The elder Kuno thought about this. "Then how can I win fair
Akara's hand? She is so fierce and powerful, like the tiger. I have not
seen such a proud and noble spirit before."
"I think you have pretty much ruined your chances when you tried
to force her to marry you," Konisha said wryly. [And the fact that I
believe she was already taken with Tenma-sama. More's the pity] "I
wondered how you talked Father into arranging that stupid idea."
Tateyama Kuno said nothing, for he could not think of anything
to say as he watched Akara talk to Tenma. The engaged couple argued a
bit, but then it looked like Tenma apologized, which caused Akara to
apologize, and then the two walked off together to help finish gathering
supplies.
[If I truly have ruined my chances with Tendo Akara, where can I
find another like her?] he wondered. [Someone strong and untamed, who
will not 'bow to my every whim.']
The sound of a woman's laughter echoed through the air, drawing
the young noble's attention across the camp. There, the girl known as
Ranko was laughing in response to something the strange Kuonji woman was
saying, as they worked together with the Hibiki boy. Kuno recalled that
she also was a warrior equal to, if not better than, Akara. And she was
also a vision of loveliness, her red mane nearly glittering in the
sunlight. And if not her, then there were a hundred women around who
were also supposed to be noble warriors...
Tateyama Kuno slowly smiled.
Someone else had watched Tenma and Akara walk away together,
and he wasn't too happy about it either. In fact, a better word to
describe his mood would be: depressed. But if either of the girls he was
absently talking to noticed, they didn't say anything.
"Are you even listening to me, Ryo-san?" Yukio's annoyed voice
cut through his thoughts and brought him back to the here and now.
Ryo blinked and looked sheepish. "Uh, sorry. You were saying,
Kuonji-san?"
Ranko laughed as she hoisted a sack of supplies on her
shoulder. "I'm going on ahead. You can catch up to me once you get the
big dope moving," she said, indicating Ryo.
"Hey!" he protested.
"See you later, Ranko-chan!" Yukio waved, and reflected on how
well she had gotten to know that girl in the past few hours. Now she
felt like she had known Ranko her whole life. Something about the red-
head just made people want to become good friends with her.
Yukio shook her head and turned back to Ryo. "And you, I just
asked if you could lift these! Three times!" She indicated the two
barrels. "They're too heavy for me!"
Ryo looked down. "Sorry, Kuonji-san."
"And don't call be 'Kuonji-san'," she commanded him. "I hate
that! Just call me Yukio."
"Alright, alright!" Ryo huffed, then added, "Yukio-san." He
hefted the two barrels, one on each shoulder, grateful that Tenma had
removed that moxibustion of weakness.
Yukio stared. [Those had to weigh at least a ton each!] "Um,
that's fine. Now come on you big dope, we need to get them loaded up!"
"I'm coming! Jeez, you don't have to be so bossy!"
"Is that everything?" Akara asked as Ranko deposited her sack in
the wooden cart.
"Just about," Ranko replied. "Yukio and Ryo should be coming
with the last of your supplies."
Akara smiled at the other girl as they hugged. "I'll miss you.
I still wish you'd come along with us."
"Yeah, well. Someone has to show these crazy Amazons where to
go, and a smaller group has to make it back as soon as possible and let
your family and the Kuno's know our plan." Ranko released the other girl
and stepped back.
The plan was that a smaller group could move faster than the
Amazon army, getting back to the Kuno castle a day earlier to inform
them of the situation. The combined Kuno-Tendo army would get the Dark
shogun's army to attack the castle, while the Amazon army and mages
attacked from behind. With any luck, that would throw the Dark Shogun's
army into enough confusion to allow a small contingent to sneak up and
kill the Dark Shogun and his generals. Akara knew that if Kae hadn't
betrayed them, her ninja clan would most likely be that small
contingent. Now they would have to arrange for another group to do it.
And with no leaders left, the rest of the dark army should be
easily routed and/or driven off.
So the 'officials' were going on ahead. That was Tenma, Akara,
the Kunos, and Xian Po, while Ranko and Ryo would stay with the Amazons
and guide them.
"Though, I could use your help in keep the Baka in line," Akara
said with a small smile, using her nickname for her mostly unwanted
fiance.
"You'll do just fine without me," Ranko returned. "Just be
honest with yourself and with him, and everything will be okay." She
grinned suddenly. "But if you don't watch it, one of the other girl's
will steal him!" She laughed as Akara began to stutter denials.
Akara cut it off when she realized Ranko wasn't convinced,
which was probably because she herself wasn't convinced by them.
"Alright. But after this over, I'll help you find your real family."
Ranko nodded, remembering the so-called dragon scale she still
carried, and the two shook hands. "Deal."
Just about then, Yukio came up, dragging Ryo behind her as he
carried the two barrels. The two girls hid smiles as they listened to
Yukio berate Ryo for nearly tripping and dropping the his cargo.
"What are in these things, anyway?" he asked, after plopping
them down in the cart.
Yukio began to fasten them in. "My own special ingredients for
our family's famous okonomiyaki, of course!" She turned to the group and
stated proudly, "I am a skilled chef in a long line of skilled chefs.
Our okonomiyaki is the best in Japan!"
"Is that what the giant spatula is for?" Ranko asked, curious.
Yukio nodded. "Since most of our family travels on the road, we
had to adapt our cooking style for combat when need be, since many a
thief or bandit has tried to rob us. I-"
"Would you knock it off!?" came Tenma's yelled demand,
interrupting what Yukio was about to say. The small group turned to see
Tenma running and dodging thrown weapons from a strange boy in white
robe.
"DIE SAOTOME!" he screamed back.
"Could you at least tell me why you're trying to kill me!?"
Tenma ducked as a throwing axe boomeranged above his head.
"You're not good enough for Xian Po!" the other boy yelled,
sending a volley of knives that Tenma eep'ed and jumped behind a tree to
avoid. "Go ahead, deny that you beat her and married her!"
"I didn't mean to!" Tenma replied hotly. "And I didn't marry
her!"
"It doesn't matter anyway, you don't deserve her!" The boy
readied two, three-pronged claws on his hands and closed the distance to
swipe at his opponent. "You're nothing but a coward!"
"A WHAT!?" Tenma roared.
"That did it," Ranko noted.
"You said it," Akara agreed.
"That's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy!" Tenma braced himself for the
other boy's next attack, and wasn't disappointed. Letting the thrusted
claw graze by his head, he grabbed the fist and forced it into the tree,
letting it stick there.
The boy tried to pull the claw out, but realized it was stuck.
It would take only a second to free himself however, but he realized
that Tenma wasn't about to give him the chance. "Uh oh..."
*WHAM!* Tenma's fist found the boy's face and rocked him
backwards.
*BAM!* His spin-kick caught the robed-boy in his right cheek,
causing him to stumble backwards. Tenma then jumped into the air,
somersaulted over him while grabbing his shoulders, and came down right
behind his opponent while maintaining his grip and mumbling, "And thank-
you..."
*SLAM!* Tenma flipped his mysterious opponent over his head and
planted him into the ground.
When the dazed boy recovered, he found himself on his back,
Tenma kneeling on his chest, and two fingers pressed against his throat.
If his opponent wanted to, he could have crushed his windpipe at any
time.
"Now," Tenma spoke in a calmer tone. "You wanna tell me why you
attacked me?"
"You're just not very popular are you, Tenma?" Ryo said snidely
as he, Ranko, Akara, and Yukio approached
"Shut up, Mr. P," Tenma replied, causing Ryo to stiffen and
snort. He turned his attention back to the boy he had captured. "You
still haven't answered my question."
"Because Mu Shu is stupid, that why," Xian Po's high voice
replied as she approached. She looked down and smirked at the boy she
called Mu Shu, and Tenma noted how he was unable to meet her gaze. "You
can let him up, Airen. Mu Shu not attack you anymore."
Tenma frowned, but got up anyway. Mu Shu sat up rather
dejectedly and mumbled, "You got lucky." Then he looked up at his Amazon
leader. "Xian Po, please tell me that he really didn't defeat you?"
Xian Po nodded happily while attaching herself to Tenma's arm,
but released it when Akara and Yukio growled. "Tenma is strong warrior.
He defeated me in combat."
"I didn't MEAN to!" Tenma protested.
Mu Shu stood up and dusted himself off, then turned towards
Tenma. "Know this! I still don't accept your defeat of Xian Po." He
turned and leapt away, shouting, "This isn't over between us!"
Tenma sighed. "Great, just great."
"What's his problem?" Ranko asked.
Xian Po looked down and, for a moment, she appeared a little
sad. "Mu Shu has been in love with me for as long as I can remember."
She shook her head. "But I no love him. He is one of the few male
warriors in our village, but he never fight me."
"That stupid 'fight and marry' rule again?" Yukio said.
Xian Po's head came up and she looked at Yukio with a straight
face. "If you no fight a man, how you know he will give you strong
children?"
Akara and Yukio turned beet red at this, but could offer no
counter-argument.
"Hey Xian Po," Ranko said, struck by a sudden thought. "Why are
all your warriors mainly women? What about the men?"
"Because women are stronger fighters, silly," the Amazon leader
replied with a 'you-silly-child' voice. "Some men become warriors, but
not a lot. Men usually only good for cooking and cleaning."
Tenma set his jaw. "I ain't goin' to China."
The girls giggled.
"Everybody ready?" Tenma called. The seven were gather around
the single horse-drawn cart carrying their supplies.
"Hold," Tateyama called, while all eyes turned to him.
Konisha cocked her head at her brother. "Oniisan?"
"I will not be going with you," he declared. "I wish remain
behind with the Amazon army."
"Are you sure about this?" his sister asked.
He nodded. "Yes. I feel this would be... better for me."
"Wonder what caused the change of mind?" Akara whispered to
Tenma.
"I dunno," he whispered back. "But I'm not gonna complain."
He got an elbow in the ribs for that statement.
"Well, make up mind quick!" Xian Po stated, hands on hips. "We
not have a lot of time."
"Very well," Konisha said, nodding to her brother. "Take care. I
shall see you again in three days' time."
While this was going on, Tenma felt a hand grab him by the
shoulder and pull him off to the side. He wasn't very surprised to find
it to be Ryo, who appeared to be struggling to say something. "You
better take care of her," he commanded at last.
Tenma cocked an eyebrow at his old training partner, somewhat
confused. "Ryo?"
"Damn it, Tenma!" Ryo seethed. "This isn't easy! I know, okay!?"
Saotome found himself growing somewhat uncomfortable. "Um, I'm
not sure what you-"
"Just tell her, okay!?" Ryo nearly exploded. "You know how I
feel about her, and I know how you feel about her, okay?"
Tenma scratched his head, still confused. "Why are you telling
me this, Ryo? I don't get it. Not that I care or nothin'," he added
hastily.
Ryo's countenance dropped. "Because you were able to protect
when I couldn't. And I can see how she looks at you. And when we were
talking, she kept asking about you, what kind of person you were, you
past, that sort of thing." He sighed. "Just promise me you'll take care
of her?"
"Uh, sure, Ryo," Tenma replied, a little uneasy.
Ryo's head came back, this time with his lip twisted upward in
a smirk. "I'm still going to bash your head in when this is over."
Tenma grinned, glad the conversation was back in an easier-to-
deal-with area. "You can try, pig-boy!"
Ryo nodded and moved off, and Tenma sensed Akara come up beside
him. "What was that all about? Ryo looked really upset."
"Just guy stuff, you wouldn't understand."
Akara elbowed him lightly. "Jerk. Fine, be that way. But why do
you keep calling him those pig-names? Or can't you tell me that?"
Tenma laughed. "Naw. Ryo's family used to be pig farmers before
he started trainin' with Satsu-sensei and me. Ryo loved pigs a whole
lot, and when a disease killed off all of his family's stock, he got
real depressed. It was like he lost his spirit or something, since he
never wanted to really fight or train after that. I used to kid him that
he was more pig than man, and after enough taunting, I finally got him
to attack me. He never won, of course, but he came close. But it was the
only way I could think of to snap him out of it."
Akara nodded as the two rejoined the wagon, then she, Tenma,
Konisha, Yukio, Xian Po, and Mu Shu turned to take one last look at
Ranko, Ryo, Tateyama, and the Amazons.
"In three days time," Xian Po stated solemnly again.
Ranko nodded, just as solemn. "Three days."
Then, the group turned and started on their journey back to the
Kuno Castle, where each knew the final confrontation would take place.
As Tenma looked to the eastern horizon, he could see dark,
gathering stormclouds. He knew, as well as everyone else, that in three
days they would either have won their freedom from the Dark Shogun, or
be crushed beneath the dark army.
And as he glanced at Akara who was walking next to him, Tenma
swore that if he had anything to say about it, they would have their
freedom.
Miyo's vision suddenly went black, and her mental eyes blinked
at the sudden cutoff. Before she could say anything, however, an image
of a beautiful middle-aged woman with light blue hair appeared, wrapped
in a equally stunning, vibrant azure kimono.
Beside her, the exact opposite was portrayed. A vastly older
man stood, hunched on a cane, dressed in the simple brown robes of a
monk.
"Daughter of the Hidden Sight," woman's voice came to her.
The tone was almost melodic, and Miyo gasped when she
recognized the tone. "Lady Kuno!" She identified it from her visits to
the past.
"Your journey into the past is almost at an end," the woman
continued. "Only one more vision remains, before this sad tale can be
put to rest. The past must be remembered, so it can never be repeated."
"Why me?" Miyo spoke the question foremost on her mind. "Surely
there are others who are better equipped to deal with this?"
The woman either didn't hear her, or ignored her. "Before you
watch the last, know that this story does not have a real ending. The
events that happened so long ago, affect the lives of those around you
more deeply than you could imagine. They have the potential to put an
end to this tale of sadness. For in the end moments, hope was born, that
one day this threat could be dealt with once and for all." She hung her
head sadly. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but my time is fast
approaching and I have much to do. Fare thee well, Hasagawa Miyo." With
that, she began to fade out.
"Wait!" Miyo called, reaching out, but was unable to move.
"Miyo-san, you undoubtedly have many questions," The old man
informed her, once Lady Kuno was completely gone. "I cannot blame you.
If you seek answers to your questions, come by the Tendo Dojo tomorrow
around 10 in the morning." He smiled warmly. "Oh, and bring that Toshi
fellow and young Hikaru, too. I shall look foreword to finally meeting
you face to face."
The young mystic blinked as the man slowly faded out as well,
then felt the familiar tug and freefall that always came at the end of
these visions.
Miyo inhaled sharply as she suddenly found herself back in her
study. The purple glow from the crystal ball dimmed down as she removed
her hands, and she collapsed back into the comfy easy chair. She was
getting better at this. This time, she wasn't as weakened by the use of
her ability to see into the past.
She glanced at the now-dim ball and reached out her hands once
more. Knowing that there was only one segment left, she was quite
anxious to see how it turned out. Placing her hands on the globe, she
braced herself for the time trip, but nothing happened. The crystal ball
remained inactive.
"What?" Miyo removed her hands slowly and stared at it. "Why
didn't it work?"
She shook her head and sighed, tempted to call the dojo, but it
was late and the old man was specific about the date and time.
Miyo nodded to herself and went to change into her
nightclothes, her curiosity piqued. [Very well. I guess I shall see what
happens tomorrow. Somehow, I feel as if it will prove to be a most
enlightening day...]
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds And Connections
Chapter 10
Akara tumbled awkwardly into the grassy bush, shocked and upset
at the sudden turn of events. One minute she had been feeling both
scared and wonderful, the next Tenma had violently shoved her away,
completely ruining the mood. All this served to light the pilot light of
her anger. She regained her feet and sat up just in time to see a
strange new girl land on the log and take a swipe at Tenma with what
looked like... a giant spatula?
Then she heard what he called her.
"Yu-chan!?!?"
[Chan!?] Akara thought incredulously. [And the Baka said he
didn't have any other girls he was interested in! I should have known
the two-timer was leading me on!]
"Ten-chan!" the girl known as 'Yu-chan' admonished him. "How
could you!? And after we were engaged to be married!"
"WHAT!?" came the stereo reply.
Yu-chan blinked. "Don't act surprised! My father talked to your
sensei about it, and when he came back, my father told me he'd arranged
for us to be married!" Her face took a faraway look. "I knew we were
meant to be, and I was so happy! But when I went up to your cabin to see
you, you were both gone!" She turned her weapon in her grip, and her
eyes took a dangerous glint. "You ran away and left me behind! I told
the other girls we were getting married, but when they learned you were
gone, they laughed at me and made fun of me! Do you any idea what that
feels like!?"
"I didn't know!" Tenma protested. "We went on a training trip,
and Satsu was buried by a landslide! He never told me about it!"
"I've been searching for you for almost six months!" she
practically wailed.
"Uh, sorry?" he offered, sheepishly.
Her dark, frowny look suddenly melted into a sunny one, and she
quickly crossed the distance between them to glomp him tightly. "That's
okay! We're together and can get married. That's what's important!"
Akara finally extricated herself from the bush she landed in,
and joined the other two on the log, having caught the conversation. She
was quite upset at having a nice moment interrupted by this girl.
"Excuse me! Who the hell are you!?"
Tenma quickly backed out of the tight hug, sighing. "Uh, Yu-
chan, this is Tendo Akara, my, uh, fiancee. Akara, meet Kuonji Yukio.
She was one of my friends in the village, near where I lived."
"Fiancee!?" Yukio wailed, her grip on her weapon tightening.
"Ten-chan, how could you?"
Tenma backpedaled, his hands making warding gestures. "It
wasn't my idea! It was all my stupid sensei's plan!"
Akara switched her glare from the new girl to her fiance for a
moment, feeling inexplicably hurt by his statement.
Yukio brightened. "Okay! Our engagement was made first anyway!"
As the enthusiastic girl started towards him once more in an
obviously too-friendly move, Tenma's gave wavered between the rapidly-
reaching-the-boiling-point Akara and the grinning Yukio, and he decided
the best course of action was to employ one of his sensei's most
advanced techniques.
"Uh, sorrygottagobye!"
The two girls' twin stunned expressions stared at the smoke
trail left by the young Saotome, but they lasted only a mere second
before giving chase.
"Ten-chan!"
"Teeenmmmmaaa!"
Ranko splashed her face with cold water from the barrel, then
looked up just in time to see Tenma speed into the Amazon camp, two
girls hot on his trail. One was Akara, but the other she didn't
recognize and was waving a... giant spatula?
She watched in near-disbelief as Tenma raced around a tent and
dove inside, due to the hand waving him in. Because he was out of sight
of his two pursuers when he disappeared into the tent, Akara and the
other girl ran right past it.
Ranko exhaled, then walked over to the tent entrance and
waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later the two girls came back around,
once they realized they had lost their quarry. The redhead waved to get
their attention, then pointed to the tent. Both girls mouthed their
thanks, then charged in.
Tenma tumbled inside, then rolled to his feet. "Thanks, I-"
Then he caught sight of who had saved him. [Why do I get the feeling
that I would have been better off outside?]
"Airen..." Xian Po purred, which made the young Saotome nervous
for some odd reason. "No have to thank me. Wife always look out for her
husband."
"W-wife!?" Tenma squeaked, then froze as the Amazon slinked up
to him, a coy smile on her face.
She placed on hand around his neck and started to draw him
towards her...
"TENMA!"
"Ten-chan, what are you doing!?"
"Ack! It ain't what ya think!" Tenma managed to extricate
himself from Xian Po's grasp just in time to dodge the giant spatula,
but not from the giant mallet. *WHAM!* "Ite..."
Xian Po scowled and produced twin staves topped by large,
colorful maces. "Why stupid girls do that to Airen?"
"Airen?" Akara's forehead scrunched in confusion.
"It's Chinese for 'husband' or 'beloved one'," Ranko supplied
from the tent entrance, amused by the whole scene and happy to share
what she had just learned.
"WHAT!?" Yukio's left eyebrow twitched as she turned back
towards the Amazon. "He was my fiance first!" She leapt to the attack.
"He's my husband!" Xian Po met her in mid-air.
*Crash! Boom! Bang!*
"I ain't marryin' nobody," Tenma declared darkly several hours
later. "Ouch! Careful!"
"Well, excuse me!" Akara replied without much heat as she
bandaged his cuts and bruises. "I'm just trying to help. Honestly, you
can stand up to evil ninja and members of the Dark Shogun's army without
so much as a scratch, and yet you get all beat up by getting into a
fight between two girls."
Ryo snickered at that, but Ranko elbowed him strongly in the
gut. He 'oof'ed as he folded around her arm.
"As I was saying," Tenma continued after giving Akara a weak
glare. "We've got more important things to worry about, like the fact
that our friends are counting us to return in time?"
Xian Po sighed as she and Yukio were patched up by a couple of
the other Amazons. "Tenma right. We fight big enemy first, then we
decide issue of marriage." She rubbed her shoulder and winced. "Spatula-
girl, you not bad warrior. Almost make good Amazon."
"The name is 'Kuonji Yukio', ya bimbo!" Yukio returned,
referring to the Amazon leader's full and well-endowed figure. Then she
simmered down and nodded reluctantly. "But I guess I agree with you. No
marriages until after this is over, but I'm coming along!"
Both girls turned toward Akara, who noticed their stare and
looked at them blankly. "What? I don't want him in the first place!"
Unnoticed to all but Ranko, Tenma winced slightly at that.
Konisha stepped forward, a smirk on her face. "Xian Po-san has
the right idea, and I suppose I shall back off as well. For now." Her
smirk turned into a wide grin that unsettled Tenma. Of all the girls,
she scared him the most, though Xian Po was a close second. "Anyway, as
soon as my idiotic brother gets back from lighting the signal fire, we
should go. Time is of the essence. Xian Po-san, how many Amazons do you
have with you, and how quickly can they move?"
"One hundred of our best warriors have come!" the Amazon leader
boasted proudly. "And we are also accompanied by a dozen members of the
mage clans."
"Mage clans?" Ranko asked, interested.
"They live in the Tibetan mountains far from Joketsuzoku, but we
trade with them from time to time," Xian Po explained. "One such trade
caravan was in our village when I returned, and a few of them wanted to
come along. They have powerful magic, and teach some to us in exchange
for combat lessons."
"Only a hundred?" Akara asked. "I suppose it will have to do."
She stood and, to the surprise of all, bowed to the Amazon leader. "I
thank you for your help. Your offer to fight with us may be what wins us
this war."
Xian Po smiled and stood, reaching a hand out to bring Akara
upright. "We warriors, yes? No need to bow. And Amazons always fight the
darkness, no matter where or what it is, so is no problem." She let her
teeth show. "But if you want to repay me, then we have fight between us
after this, okay?"
Akara smiled fiercely in return. "Deal."
While all the girls smiled at this, Tenma and Ryo stared in
stupefaction, not believing what they were seeing. These girls, who
were nearly at each other's throats a short while ago, were now getting
along almost like best friends. What was going on?
Whatever it was, Tenma knew it couldn't be good. Especially for
him.
"Get lost!" *POW!*
"You know, oniisan, I do not think she likes you," Konisha
declared, not disguising her amusement in the least while approaching
the fallen form of her brother.
Tateyama pulled himself upright while nursing his jaw, and
watched Akara stomp away. "I do not see why that is so. Do not all
females like a strong male to dominate them?"
Konisha rolled her eyes. "I see your experience with women has
dimmed since I have been gone from the castle. I shall have to correct
that. To answer your question: No. Not all women liked to be dominated.
Tendo-san is much different than those servant girls who bow to your
every whim."
The elder Kuno thought about this. "Then how can I win fair
Akara's hand? She is so fierce and powerful, like the tiger. I have not
seen such a proud and noble spirit before."
"I think you have pretty much ruined your chances when you tried
to force her to marry you," Konisha said wryly. [And the fact that I
believe she was already taken with Tenma-sama. More's the pity] "I
wondered how you talked Father into arranging that stupid idea."
Tateyama Kuno said nothing, for he could not think of anything
to say as he watched Akara talk to Tenma. The engaged couple argued a
bit, but then it looked like Tenma apologized, which caused Akara to
apologize, and then the two walked off together to help finish gathering
supplies.
[If I truly have ruined my chances with Tendo Akara, where can I
find another like her?] he wondered. [Someone strong and untamed, who
will not 'bow to my every whim.']
The sound of a woman's laughter echoed through the air, drawing
the young noble's attention across the camp. There, the girl known as
Ranko was laughing in response to something the strange Kuonji woman was
saying, as they worked together with the Hibiki boy. Kuno recalled that
she also was a warrior equal to, if not better than, Akara. And she was
also a vision of loveliness, her red mane nearly glittering in the
sunlight. And if not her, then there were a hundred women around who
were also supposed to be noble warriors...
Tateyama Kuno slowly smiled.
Someone else had watched Tenma and Akara walk away together,
and he wasn't too happy about it either. In fact, a better word to
describe his mood would be: depressed. But if either of the girls he was
absently talking to noticed, they didn't say anything.
"Are you even listening to me, Ryo-san?" Yukio's annoyed voice
cut through his thoughts and brought him back to the here and now.
Ryo blinked and looked sheepish. "Uh, sorry. You were saying,
Kuonji-san?"
Ranko laughed as she hoisted a sack of supplies on her
shoulder. "I'm going on ahead. You can catch up to me once you get the
big dope moving," she said, indicating Ryo.
"Hey!" he protested.
"See you later, Ranko-chan!" Yukio waved, and reflected on how
well she had gotten to know that girl in the past few hours. Now she
felt like she had known Ranko her whole life. Something about the red-
head just made people want to become good friends with her.
Yukio shook her head and turned back to Ryo. "And you, I just
asked if you could lift these! Three times!" She indicated the two
barrels. "They're too heavy for me!"
Ryo looked down. "Sorry, Kuonji-san."
"And don't call be 'Kuonji-san'," she commanded him. "I hate
that! Just call me Yukio."
"Alright, alright!" Ryo huffed, then added, "Yukio-san." He
hefted the two barrels, one on each shoulder, grateful that Tenma had
removed that moxibustion of weakness.
Yukio stared. [Those had to weigh at least a ton each!] "Um,
that's fine. Now come on you big dope, we need to get them loaded up!"
"I'm coming! Jeez, you don't have to be so bossy!"
"Is that everything?" Akara asked as Ranko deposited her sack in
the wooden cart.
"Just about," Ranko replied. "Yukio and Ryo should be coming
with the last of your supplies."
Akara smiled at the other girl as they hugged. "I'll miss you.
I still wish you'd come along with us."
"Yeah, well. Someone has to show these crazy Amazons where to
go, and a smaller group has to make it back as soon as possible and let
your family and the Kuno's know our plan." Ranko released the other girl
and stepped back.
The plan was that a smaller group could move faster than the
Amazon army, getting back to the Kuno castle a day earlier to inform
them of the situation. The combined Kuno-Tendo army would get the Dark
shogun's army to attack the castle, while the Amazon army and mages
attacked from behind. With any luck, that would throw the Dark Shogun's
army into enough confusion to allow a small contingent to sneak up and
kill the Dark Shogun and his generals. Akara knew that if Kae hadn't
betrayed them, her ninja clan would most likely be that small
contingent. Now they would have to arrange for another group to do it.
And with no leaders left, the rest of the dark army should be
easily routed and/or driven off.
So the 'officials' were going on ahead. That was Tenma, Akara,
the Kunos, and Xian Po, while Ranko and Ryo would stay with the Amazons
and guide them.
"Though, I could use your help in keep the Baka in line," Akara
said with a small smile, using her nickname for her mostly unwanted
fiance.
"You'll do just fine without me," Ranko returned. "Just be
honest with yourself and with him, and everything will be okay." She
grinned suddenly. "But if you don't watch it, one of the other girl's
will steal him!" She laughed as Akara began to stutter denials.
Akara cut it off when she realized Ranko wasn't convinced,
which was probably because she herself wasn't convinced by them.
"Alright. But after this over, I'll help you find your real family."
Ranko nodded, remembering the so-called dragon scale she still
carried, and the two shook hands. "Deal."
Just about then, Yukio came up, dragging Ryo behind her as he
carried the two barrels. The two girls hid smiles as they listened to
Yukio berate Ryo for nearly tripping and dropping the his cargo.
"What are in these things, anyway?" he asked, after plopping
them down in the cart.
Yukio began to fasten them in. "My own special ingredients for
our family's famous okonomiyaki, of course!" She turned to the group and
stated proudly, "I am a skilled chef in a long line of skilled chefs.
Our okonomiyaki is the best in Japan!"
"Is that what the giant spatula is for?" Ranko asked, curious.
Yukio nodded. "Since most of our family travels on the road, we
had to adapt our cooking style for combat when need be, since many a
thief or bandit has tried to rob us. I-"
"Would you knock it off!?" came Tenma's yelled demand,
interrupting what Yukio was about to say. The small group turned to see
Tenma running and dodging thrown weapons from a strange boy in white
robe.
"DIE SAOTOME!" he screamed back.
"Could you at least tell me why you're trying to kill me!?"
Tenma ducked as a throwing axe boomeranged above his head.
"You're not good enough for Xian Po!" the other boy yelled,
sending a volley of knives that Tenma eep'ed and jumped behind a tree to
avoid. "Go ahead, deny that you beat her and married her!"
"I didn't mean to!" Tenma replied hotly. "And I didn't marry
her!"
"It doesn't matter anyway, you don't deserve her!" The boy
readied two, three-pronged claws on his hands and closed the distance to
swipe at his opponent. "You're nothing but a coward!"
"A WHAT!?" Tenma roared.
"That did it," Ranko noted.
"You said it," Akara agreed.
"That's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy!" Tenma braced himself for the
other boy's next attack, and wasn't disappointed. Letting the thrusted
claw graze by his head, he grabbed the fist and forced it into the tree,
letting it stick there.
The boy tried to pull the claw out, but realized it was stuck.
It would take only a second to free himself however, but he realized
that Tenma wasn't about to give him the chance. "Uh oh..."
*WHAM!* Tenma's fist found the boy's face and rocked him
backwards.
*BAM!* His spin-kick caught the robed-boy in his right cheek,
causing him to stumble backwards. Tenma then jumped into the air,
somersaulted over him while grabbing his shoulders, and came down right
behind his opponent while maintaining his grip and mumbling, "And thank-
you..."
*SLAM!* Tenma flipped his mysterious opponent over his head and
planted him into the ground.
When the dazed boy recovered, he found himself on his back,
Tenma kneeling on his chest, and two fingers pressed against his throat.
If his opponent wanted to, he could have crushed his windpipe at any
time.
"Now," Tenma spoke in a calmer tone. "You wanna tell me why you
attacked me?"
"You're just not very popular are you, Tenma?" Ryo said snidely
as he, Ranko, Akara, and Yukio approached
"Shut up, Mr. P," Tenma replied, causing Ryo to stiffen and
snort. He turned his attention back to the boy he had captured. "You
still haven't answered my question."
"Because Mu Shu is stupid, that why," Xian Po's high voice
replied as she approached. She looked down and smirked at the boy she
called Mu Shu, and Tenma noted how he was unable to meet her gaze. "You
can let him up, Airen. Mu Shu not attack you anymore."
Tenma frowned, but got up anyway. Mu Shu sat up rather
dejectedly and mumbled, "You got lucky." Then he looked up at his Amazon
leader. "Xian Po, please tell me that he really didn't defeat you?"
Xian Po nodded happily while attaching herself to Tenma's arm,
but released it when Akara and Yukio growled. "Tenma is strong warrior.
He defeated me in combat."
"I didn't MEAN to!" Tenma protested.
Mu Shu stood up and dusted himself off, then turned towards
Tenma. "Know this! I still don't accept your defeat of Xian Po." He
turned and leapt away, shouting, "This isn't over between us!"
Tenma sighed. "Great, just great."
"What's his problem?" Ranko asked.
Xian Po looked down and, for a moment, she appeared a little
sad. "Mu Shu has been in love with me for as long as I can remember."
She shook her head. "But I no love him. He is one of the few male
warriors in our village, but he never fight me."
"That stupid 'fight and marry' rule again?" Yukio said.
Xian Po's head came up and she looked at Yukio with a straight
face. "If you no fight a man, how you know he will give you strong
children?"
Akara and Yukio turned beet red at this, but could offer no
counter-argument.
"Hey Xian Po," Ranko said, struck by a sudden thought. "Why are
all your warriors mainly women? What about the men?"
"Because women are stronger fighters, silly," the Amazon leader
replied with a 'you-silly-child' voice. "Some men become warriors, but
not a lot. Men usually only good for cooking and cleaning."
Tenma set his jaw. "I ain't goin' to China."
The girls giggled.
"Everybody ready?" Tenma called. The seven were gather around
the single horse-drawn cart carrying their supplies.
"Hold," Tateyama called, while all eyes turned to him.
Konisha cocked her head at her brother. "Oniisan?"
"I will not be going with you," he declared. "I wish remain
behind with the Amazon army."
"Are you sure about this?" his sister asked.
He nodded. "Yes. I feel this would be... better for me."
"Wonder what caused the change of mind?" Akara whispered to
Tenma.
"I dunno," he whispered back. "But I'm not gonna complain."
He got an elbow in the ribs for that statement.
"Well, make up mind quick!" Xian Po stated, hands on hips. "We
not have a lot of time."
"Very well," Konisha said, nodding to her brother. "Take care. I
shall see you again in three days' time."
While this was going on, Tenma felt a hand grab him by the
shoulder and pull him off to the side. He wasn't very surprised to find
it to be Ryo, who appeared to be struggling to say something. "You
better take care of her," he commanded at last.
Tenma cocked an eyebrow at his old training partner, somewhat
confused. "Ryo?"
"Damn it, Tenma!" Ryo seethed. "This isn't easy! I know, okay!?"
Saotome found himself growing somewhat uncomfortable. "Um, I'm
not sure what you-"
"Just tell her, okay!?" Ryo nearly exploded. "You know how I
feel about her, and I know how you feel about her, okay?"
Tenma scratched his head, still confused. "Why are you telling
me this, Ryo? I don't get it. Not that I care or nothin'," he added
hastily.
Ryo's countenance dropped. "Because you were able to protect
when I couldn't. And I can see how she looks at you. And when we were
talking, she kept asking about you, what kind of person you were, you
past, that sort of thing." He sighed. "Just promise me you'll take care
of her?"
"Uh, sure, Ryo," Tenma replied, a little uneasy.
Ryo's head came back, this time with his lip twisted upward in
a smirk. "I'm still going to bash your head in when this is over."
Tenma grinned, glad the conversation was back in an easier-to-
deal-with area. "You can try, pig-boy!"
Ryo nodded and moved off, and Tenma sensed Akara come up beside
him. "What was that all about? Ryo looked really upset."
"Just guy stuff, you wouldn't understand."
Akara elbowed him lightly. "Jerk. Fine, be that way. But why do
you keep calling him those pig-names? Or can't you tell me that?"
Tenma laughed. "Naw. Ryo's family used to be pig farmers before
he started trainin' with Satsu-sensei and me. Ryo loved pigs a whole
lot, and when a disease killed off all of his family's stock, he got
real depressed. It was like he lost his spirit or something, since he
never wanted to really fight or train after that. I used to kid him that
he was more pig than man, and after enough taunting, I finally got him
to attack me. He never won, of course, but he came close. But it was the
only way I could think of to snap him out of it."
Akara nodded as the two rejoined the wagon, then she, Tenma,
Konisha, Yukio, Xian Po, and Mu Shu turned to take one last look at
Ranko, Ryo, Tateyama, and the Amazons.
"In three days time," Xian Po stated solemnly again.
Ranko nodded, just as solemn. "Three days."
Then, the group turned and started on their journey back to the
Kuno Castle, where each knew the final confrontation would take place.
As Tenma looked to the eastern horizon, he could see dark,
gathering stormclouds. He knew, as well as everyone else, that in three
days they would either have won their freedom from the Dark Shogun, or
be crushed beneath the dark army.
And as he glanced at Akara who was walking next to him, Tenma
swore that if he had anything to say about it, they would have their
freedom.
Miyo's vision suddenly went black, and her mental eyes blinked
at the sudden cutoff. Before she could say anything, however, an image
of a beautiful middle-aged woman with light blue hair appeared, wrapped
in a equally stunning, vibrant azure kimono.
Beside her, the exact opposite was portrayed. A vastly older
man stood, hunched on a cane, dressed in the simple brown robes of a
monk.
"Daughter of the Hidden Sight," woman's voice came to her.
The tone was almost melodic, and Miyo gasped when she
recognized the tone. "Lady Kuno!" She identified it from her visits to
the past.
"Your journey into the past is almost at an end," the woman
continued. "Only one more vision remains, before this sad tale can be
put to rest. The past must be remembered, so it can never be repeated."
"Why me?" Miyo spoke the question foremost on her mind. "Surely
there are others who are better equipped to deal with this?"
The woman either didn't hear her, or ignored her. "Before you
watch the last, know that this story does not have a real ending. The
events that happened so long ago, affect the lives of those around you
more deeply than you could imagine. They have the potential to put an
end to this tale of sadness. For in the end moments, hope was born, that
one day this threat could be dealt with once and for all." She hung her
head sadly. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but my time is fast
approaching and I have much to do. Fare thee well, Hasagawa Miyo." With
that, she began to fade out.
"Wait!" Miyo called, reaching out, but was unable to move.
"Miyo-san, you undoubtedly have many questions," The old man
informed her, once Lady Kuno was completely gone. "I cannot blame you.
If you seek answers to your questions, come by the Tendo Dojo tomorrow
around 10 in the morning." He smiled warmly. "Oh, and bring that Toshi
fellow and young Hikaru, too. I shall look foreword to finally meeting
you face to face."
The young mystic blinked as the man slowly faded out as well,
then felt the familiar tug and freefall that always came at the end of
these visions.
Miyo inhaled sharply as she suddenly found herself back in her
study. The purple glow from the crystal ball dimmed down as she removed
her hands, and she collapsed back into the comfy easy chair. She was
getting better at this. This time, she wasn't as weakened by the use of
her ability to see into the past.
She glanced at the now-dim ball and reached out her hands once
more. Knowing that there was only one segment left, she was quite
anxious to see how it turned out. Placing her hands on the globe, she
braced herself for the time trip, but nothing happened. The crystal ball
remained inactive.
"What?" Miyo removed her hands slowly and stared at it. "Why
didn't it work?"
She shook her head and sighed, tempted to call the dojo, but it
was late and the old man was specific about the date and time.
Miyo nodded to herself and went to change into her
nightclothes, her curiosity piqued. [Very well. I guess I shall see what
happens tomorrow. Somehow, I feel as if it will prove to be a most
enlightening day...]