The Three Saotomes
Part 17
Yet another, ghost of the past.
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Ranma smiled as his little brother stared at him in shock. They were standing on the roof of the home facing each other.
"What?"
"You heard me. Really Genryu, why are you surprised? He was dumb enough to do it to me after all," said the older boy. "Why do you think I've been keeping you and Akane away from each other?"
"You knew about this?" snapped the boy angrily.
"You didn't need to know, just like I didn't," replied Ranma with a shrug. "Things will work out in the end."
"She's pissed at me! Damn it Ranma! She was my best friend! Why the hell is she so angry?" snarled the younger boy as he grabbed at his older brother's collar.
"Because, she thinks we ran away," said the older boy calmly. "Don't worry so much. You should be happy. At least you like your fiancee."
"This is nuts!" said Genryu as he fell to his knees. "I can't marry Ucchan..."
"Why not? I thought you were friends. That should make it easier if anything," said the older boy cheerfully. "Come on Genryu, cheer up. We'll work this out. I promise."
"I just don't know..." said the younger boy as he slumped down even lower and rolled onto his back. He simply stared at the stars above for a long time.
"Ranma... what's it like? Being married?"
The older boy sat down next to his little brother and smiled at him. "Genryu, I don't know what marrying Ukyo will be like for you, but my time with Xianghua on the farm are some of my best memories."
"That doesn't help me much," muttered the younger boy.
"They're also the most painful," said Ranma with a sudden sadness in his eyes.
"You miss her?" asked Genryu quietly.
"Of course," whispered the older boy. "She's my wife."
"She's trying to kill you," reasoned the younger boy.
"I know."
"You're going to let her aren't you? After all this is over, you're going to let her kill you."
"I don't know," said Ranma as he stood up and turned towards the open window that led back into the home.
Genryu did not move, he simply lay there watching the sky.
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The next morning was surprisingly quiet. Nabiki was watching the fight in the yard with a slightly worried gaze. Ranma and Akane were facing off again, but there was no teasing, no shouting obscenities. They simply fought. Both of their faces were completely serious as they faced one another, punching and kicking at speeds she was having trouble following.
"That's enough," said Ranma as he landed on the ground opposite the girl.
Akane stared at him with an intensity Nabiki had never seen before. Malice, hatred, anger... whatever you wanted to call it. It was clear Akane was barely holding back her rage.
"You pervert," snapped the younger girl as she rubbed at her right breast for a moment.
"I said that's enough," snapped Ranma as he turned away from her. His tone was more forceful than he had ever been with her. Akane growled, but backed off.
"You didn't have to feel her up," said Genryu as he sat down next to Nabiki. Ranma looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.
"It's getting harder to get her mad these days," said the older boy as he walked into the home behind Akane.
"You mean he grabbed her chest?" said Nabiki in surprise.
"Among other things," replied Genryu with a small snort.
"She's getting better at holding her temper," said Ranma as he sat down with the pair. Soun and Genma quickly followed as Kasumi set breakfast out on the table in front of them. "That was probably her biggest fault."
"You're doing an excellent job son," agreed Soun.
Akane spared him a small glare, but said nothing. He didn't even seem worried that the jerk had accosted her.
"We've got a long day ahead of us," said Ranma with a small nod towards the man. "Two weeks is barely enough time to train properly."
"Indeed," agreed Genma.
"Well, you guys have fun. I'm going to school," said Nabiki as she jumped up from her seat and moved towards the door.
"See you later fiancee," said Ranma lazily. He turned towards his little brother and smirked as he jerked his thumb towards the yard. "Shall we?"
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That evening...
Ukyo Kuonji walked into the small room she had rented. It was just above a run down restaurant that she could use to make a few bucks while she was in Nerima. She had just finished getting it cleaned up. There wasn't much to the place really, but it should fund her trip home easily, with a little money to spare. That is, after she took care of some business here first.
"I've found him at last!" she said with a great relief washing over her. Soon she could return home with her honor intact. It wasn't much consolation, but it was something. At last, all her suffering would have a reason, all her training, and all the torments.
She paused as she removed her shirt to get ready for bed. "I left the window open?" She frowned as she realized there was no way. She had never opened that window before. She slowly walked over to the small cot where she would be sleeping and gasped. Resting on her pillow, was a note.
"Meet me, at nine o'clock, at Furinkan High's athletic field." She lifted it up and frowned. The handwriting was familiar, the same as the letter that had led her here. Once again, it was signed "A Friend."
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Ukyo stood in the middle of the field with her arms crossed. She scowled as she waited patiently for the other party to arrive.
"Well, I see you got my letters," said someone from behind her.
"That voice!" she whirled around and stared in shock. "You!?"
"That's right Ucchan. It's been a while," said Ranma coolly as he moved towards her. He seemed completely relaxed.
"You bastard! You ruined my life! I'll kill you!" The girl rushed forward with her oversized battle spatula held high over her head.
Ranma caught it easily and smirked at her. "Now, now, calm down. We've got a little talking to do first."
"Talking? Just die!" snapped the girl as she attempted to pry the weapon away from his grip.
Ranma thrust his hand forward and shoved at her chest, sending her sprawling across the ground on her back. "Sit, shut up, and listen."
The girl sat up and reached for one of the smaller spatulas that were slung across her shoulder in a bandoleer.
"Behave yourself," said Ranma coldly as he grabbed her hand and shoved it away. "I'm not going to fight you right now. There's a tournament in about two weeks. If you still want to fight, we can do it then."
"My honor can't wait that long!" snapped the girl as she kicked at his legs.
Ranma landed face first in the dirt and rolled away as several of the spatulas embedded themselves in the ground. "If you'll calm down. I'll explain everything."
"You abandoned me! You and that no good brother of yours!"
"Genryu never knew what really happened. Me and Pop, never told him," said Ranma calmly as he pushed himself up to his feet.
Ukyo had froze. "What?"
"Genryu, has no idea what happened. You fool, you don't get it do you?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" snapped Ukyo coldly. She pulled three more spatulas from her bandoleer.
"Heh. You dope, the engagement is still valid. We couldn't afford to take you with us, so we left you behind. When Genryu was old enough, we were going to come back for you. I went back to get you, and found out that you'd run off. So, I found you and sent that letter."
The sound of metal hitting the ground was the only thing that could be heard as the girl simply stared at the elder boy in shock.
"What?"
"Your father told me how to get a hold of you. I went to see him about two months ago. He was pissed off and attacked me. Something about abandoning you or something. I told him that I had come to pick you up, so that we could honor the agreement between your father and mine. That was when I found out we were supposed to bring you with us from the beginning. Apparently, Pop didn't think that was a very good idea. So he dumped you."
"You came for me?" muttered the girl as she stared at him in shock.
"Genryu was never told about the engagement. Pop does stupid things like that. I'm engaged too, just found out about it a few months back. I honestly don't know if Pop was ever planning on honoring the engagement. However, he gave his word of honor, and I don't intend on letting him skip out on his word." Ranma held out his hand to her. "I don't need another enemy, neither of us does Ukyo."
"You mean to tell me... that all the anger, all the posing... was for nothing!?" screamed the girl angrily. "I gave up my femininity! I lived as a man so I could avenge myself! And all that was for nothing?!" She fell to her knees and sobbed into her palms.
Ranma sighed and shook his head. "He doesn't know about this meeting Ukyo. If you really want to find out what would have happened if you were our enemy, I'll be glad to show you."
"What?" said the girl as she glanced up at him.
"Your father told me all about it. Training for ten years, losing your womanhood. If it will make you feel any better, I'll give you a good fight, but it ends here Ukyo."
"No. It's over," said the girl as she rose to her feet and stood firmly. "Now what?"
"You're going to have to settle things with him yourself. I've done all I can." Ranma turned away and walked out of the field towards his home. He paused and turned his head slightly. "Kuonji."
"Yes," muttered the girl as she looked up from her thoughts.
"Don't screw this up."
She looked at him for a long moment as he continued to walk away. She wasn't sure what to feel. Joy? Anger? Love? Nothing seemed to make any sense. The only thing that filled her mind was uncertainty.
"Great. Now what?" she muttered as she started back towards her restaurant. Having Genryu as an enemy was easy for her, something to focus on, hate. Now that was gone, leaving an empty space. She didn't feel anything for him, it had been ten years, full of bitter hatred. Any love she might have felt was long gone, she didn't even know him. Still, honor demanded that she marry him. The same honor that had driven her for almost ten years, she knew she would go through with it. It wasn't a question of whether or not she wanted to really.
She stopped as she reached the gates of the school and glanced down the street towards the dojo. "Should I go now?" Her stomach was beginning to fill with butterflies. She had no idea where to begin a relationship with anyone really. After all, she had always been one of the 'guys'. Now, she could be a woman again.
That raised yet another question, her femininity. Did she really want it back? How the hell did she act like a girl? You'd think she'd know, but old habits die hard, and she'd never really learned how to act feminine. She was basically stuck, it wouldn't be very hard to stop acting like a boy. That would almost be too easy, she just had to start using her brain again. Acting like a girl was completely different though.
She took a glance towards the Tendo home once again. "Not tonight. I've got too much on my mind." She turned away and walked back towards the restaurant.
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Ranma pivoted on his heel and slammed his foot into Akane's jaw, sending her sprawling across the grass as he completed his kick and stepped back into a defensive position. "You should have avoided that. You're getting sloppy. Stop falling back on your old habits."
"Shut up," snapped the girl as she rose to her feet and took up an offensive stance.
"Well? Are you going to stand there all day?" said Ranma coolly.
"Look! A hundred yen coin!" cried Akane.
"Eh?" said Ranma in confusion as he turned his head towards the spot where she was pointing. Before he realized what he had done. Akane had her fist in his gut and flipped him over her shoulder onto the ground.
The elder boy rolled across the ground and snorted in disgust. "Damn it. You've been training with my father? That was the 'Tiger Blow' wasn't it?"
"Genryu taught me that trick," said Akane with a small smirk. "He used it when we were sparing yesterday."
"He did? Well, I'm going to pay him back for that later," said the older boy as he glanced over to his younger brother, who was rolling on the ground in laughter.
"You've done well, Genryu. Ranma must be made to respect the Saotome Desperation Techniques," said Genma from his place on the porch. He and Soun were both engaged in a game of Go.
Akane charged forward in a kick aimed at Ranma's head. The elder boy smirked and lowered his body to the ground in a deep bow, causing the girl to miss and trip over him. "Crouch of the Wild Tiger."
"Why you!" snapped Akane as she rolled onto her feet and charged forward again.
"What the hell?" said Ranma as ducked and covered his head suddenly while looking behind her.
"Wha?" said Akane in alarm as she spun around.
"Fox Fist," deadpanned Ranma as he promptly decked her in the back of her head.
"Of all the dirty..." muttered Akane as she staggered back to her feet again.
"Well, my father did think these things up by himself you know," said Ranma with a shrug. He had a huge grin on his face as he said this.
"That explains everything," muttered Akane.
"Now, let's play nice," said Ranma with an odd grin on his face.
"Oh shi-" said Akane in alarm as she recognized it instantly. Ranma's hands became a blur as he charged forward. Akane could feel repeated tags on her breasts and crotch from the attack. All of her most sensitive area's exploded in pain as he passed by her, sending the girl to her knees.
"My brother is a real pervert," muttered Genryu from the sidelines.
"I know where he learned that move!" gasped Soun in horror.
"Indeed Tendo," commented Genma. "It's best not to speak of it."
"True Saotome," agreed Soun quickly.
"Ranma! You pervert! Come back here and die, damn you!" screamed Akane as she chased the boy around the yard.
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The docks in Tokyo were dirty and smelled bad. That was Shampoo's first impression as she stepped into the new country. Her nose wrinkled and she adjusted the bundle that rested on her shoulders. "So, this is Japan?" she muttered in Mandarin.
"Child, use Japanese while we are here. You need the practice," said an aged voice. A tiny old woman perched on the tip of a staff pogoed down the ramp of the ship that had carried them across the sea.
"Yes, Great Grandmother," said the girl in Japanese.
"Where are we going?" said another voice from behind them.
"We have a place to stay for the time being. It's a small restaurant in a place called Nerima. We will remain there until the time comes. Shampoo should be able to tell us when the demon arrives, and track it down easily."
A Chinese boy of about Shampoo's age followed the two women down the ramp he was carrying a huge pile of bags in his arms as he stumbled down the narrow walkway. "Can we get a cab? Please?"
Cologne sighed and shook her head. "Very well, just this once I shall allow it. Do not get too comfortable Mousse. Shampoo will be the one doing the fighting, but we have much planning to do ourselves."
The girl nodded and started to walk away from the pair. She had a cold stare as she strolled away.
"She is too young. This fight has changed her," commented Cologne as she watched the young girl move silently towards the street without even trying. "Her skill has improved dramatically, but at what cost?"
"Do not worry my Shampoo! I shall ensure that no harm comes to you my love!" swore Mousse from under the huge pile of bags.
The young girl glanced back at her companions and frowned. There was little emotion in her features, only a sort of cold impatience. A taxi stopped in front of her and she opened the door.
"Where too babe?" said the man at the wheel with a smarmy looking grin.
"Nerima," she said simply and sat down. Cologne stepped in and sat down beside her, while Mousse began to load the bags into the trunk and on the roof.
The old woman smiled at the cab driver and handed him a small slip of paper. "This is the address we need to get to."
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"What a dump," muttered Mousse under his breath as he looked at the decrepit building in front of him. He sighed and walked inside. It would suit their needs nicely, it was warm and dry. That was all they really needed.
"Bring the bags inside quickly Mousse," said Cologne as she hopped in beside him.
"Sure thing, you dried up old mummy," grumbled the boy as he slowly walked out of the room.
Shampoo entered as well and frowned as she glanced around the room. "Is enough." She promptly sat down at one of the tables and rested the long bundle down across the tabletop. She carefully unwrapped the spear and took it in her hand. "Is still very far away."
"Excellent," commented Cologne as she hopped over to the young girl's side. Her features showed a slight worry. "No one has ever become this intuned with the Demon Slayer before. Shampoo is exceptional indeed, but it worries me as well. She is not the petulant child who left the village only a few months ago. She has changed, dramatically." She shook the thoughts aside for the moment. There were more important things to do right now.
"Hey. What's this?" said Mousse as he adjusted his glasses and stared at a small paper in his hand. It was a flier for the upcoming tournament.
"Let me see that," said Cologne as she took it from his grasp. "A martial arts tournament? Open to all who wish to compete. Hmm, interesting. Strongest Under the Heavens?" The flyer had a picture of Ranma on the front of it, with a small sideline that stated he would be competing.
"Sound's stupid," commented Mousse lazily.
"It could be interesting. I suppose we could go watch at least. We have a long wait ahead of us. It couldn't hurt," said Cologne with a rare grin. "There might be someone there worth our time."
Shampoo didn't appear to be interested in the conversation. Cologne pogoed over to her.
"What do you think child? It might be fun," said the old woman cheerfully.
"I don't have time to waste on such things," snorted Shampoo coldly.
Cologne chuckled. "So serious, oh well." She tossed the flyer onto the table and wandered over to the pile of bags. "Mousse. Start unpacking our things, and be careful. Some of these things have been in my family for generations."
"Huh? What?" replied the boy as he looked up from what he was doing. Shampoo smiled despite herself as the sound of glass breaking suddenly filled the room. Cologne began to curse in Mandarin and grumble under her breath as she promptly clobbered him and left him lying on the floor.
Shampoo found herself looking down at the paper Cologne had put down. Her eyes went wide with shock at the face she saw on the front of it. It was one she would never forget. "It him!" she said out loud. She snatched up the page and stared at it while slowly rising to her feet.
"Is something wrong child?" said Cologne as she hopped over to the girl.
"Great Grandmother. I find him!" said the girl as she held out the page.
Cologne took it and stared at the image for a moment. "Are you certain child? Make no mistake, it is important."
"Shampoo sure. Never forget face," insisted the girl firmly.
"How someone so young managed to gain such a powerful technique..." muttered Cologne under her breath. "Well, that settles it then. We'll be attending this tournament after all. This should be interesting, very interesting indeed."
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Matin stood in the center of a field of long grass dressed in a dark blue dogi. His bangs brushed across his forehead as a strong wind began to blow from the west. He was standing with both fists clenched at his sides and his legs spread at about shoulder width apart. His eyes were closed and he did not move.
After a long moment, he seemed to explode with energy as he jumped into a kata. He kicked and punched at the air viciously, each strike faster than the last. Finally, he crouched low and reached behind his back pulling the large metal boomerang from its sheath. he tossed it into the air and jumped back while closing his eyes once again. Two training dummies fell apart in the blade's path as it spun through the air.
Matin was far from finished though, he opened his eyes once again and pointed two fingers at the blade as it curved through the air in front of him. The spinning blade stopped in mid air and simply hovered for a moment. He smirked and shifted his hand, making small movements with his wrist. The boomerang cut through the air, changing direction sporadically and cutting through almost fifteen straw training dummies as it curved through the air. Finally, it made an extremely sharp turn and returned to the boy's waiting palm.
He slowly slid the weapon back into place with a serious frown on his face and watched the grass blow in the wind for a long moment. He resumed his starting position once again and pulled his fists up to his sides tightly.
After about two minutes of meditation he opened his eyes again and looked up towards the darkening sky above. "There's a storm coming."
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Xianghua screamed in effort as she jumped over Tofu's head and kicked at his exposed neck.
The man performed a block and leaned away from her with his arms crossed behind him. He spun around and faced her again with a tight frown. "Ready?"
"Do it," said the woman firmly as she spread her arms and spread her feet in preparation.
Tofu rushed forward and slammed his fist into her gut repeatedly, pounding on her gut relentlessly.
Xianghua didn't appear to be effected by the blows, she stood calmly and breathed deeply in and out. After a short time, the doctor jumped back and moved into a relaxed stance.
"How was that?" said the man calmly.
"Didn't feel a thing," she replied with a smirk.
"Just because you didn't feel it, doesn't mean you aren't hurt. Don't forget that," warned the man carefully.
Xianguha fell forward and clutched at her stomach suddenly. "What the?" Her abdomen had absolutely exploded in pain.
"A martial artist is used to guarding places on their body considered vulnerable. However, there are many places where the human body is vulnerable. Most of them require more than a simple blow though. Do you understand?"
"Yes," muttered the woman as she staggered to her feet.
"Good," said the man cheerfully. "I'd better fix you up."
"No, let it pass on it's own. I've got to be tougher. The last time, my weakness was my downfall. I have to be able to take more than him to win."
Tofu narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "If that's the way you want it. Strength alone won't beat him though."
"I know, I've still got a long way to go," she replied coldly. She grunted in pain and fell to her knees again. "Damn you. Ranma, I'll see that you suffer!"
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"Now where the hell am I?" said Ryoga as he stumbled through the humid jungle. "Oh, must be Hokkaido." He tossed a poisonous snake over his shoulder casually after pulling it off of his shoulder.
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TBC...
Next Time: Welcome Back!?
Part 17
Yet another, ghost of the past.
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Ranma smiled as his little brother stared at him in shock. They were standing on the roof of the home facing each other.
"What?"
"You heard me. Really Genryu, why are you surprised? He was dumb enough to do it to me after all," said the older boy. "Why do you think I've been keeping you and Akane away from each other?"
"You knew about this?" snapped the boy angrily.
"You didn't need to know, just like I didn't," replied Ranma with a shrug. "Things will work out in the end."
"She's pissed at me! Damn it Ranma! She was my best friend! Why the hell is she so angry?" snarled the younger boy as he grabbed at his older brother's collar.
"Because, she thinks we ran away," said the older boy calmly. "Don't worry so much. You should be happy. At least you like your fiancee."
"This is nuts!" said Genryu as he fell to his knees. "I can't marry Ucchan..."
"Why not? I thought you were friends. That should make it easier if anything," said the older boy cheerfully. "Come on Genryu, cheer up. We'll work this out. I promise."
"I just don't know..." said the younger boy as he slumped down even lower and rolled onto his back. He simply stared at the stars above for a long time.
"Ranma... what's it like? Being married?"
The older boy sat down next to his little brother and smiled at him. "Genryu, I don't know what marrying Ukyo will be like for you, but my time with Xianghua on the farm are some of my best memories."
"That doesn't help me much," muttered the younger boy.
"They're also the most painful," said Ranma with a sudden sadness in his eyes.
"You miss her?" asked Genryu quietly.
"Of course," whispered the older boy. "She's my wife."
"She's trying to kill you," reasoned the younger boy.
"I know."
"You're going to let her aren't you? After all this is over, you're going to let her kill you."
"I don't know," said Ranma as he stood up and turned towards the open window that led back into the home.
Genryu did not move, he simply lay there watching the sky.
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The next morning was surprisingly quiet. Nabiki was watching the fight in the yard with a slightly worried gaze. Ranma and Akane were facing off again, but there was no teasing, no shouting obscenities. They simply fought. Both of their faces were completely serious as they faced one another, punching and kicking at speeds she was having trouble following.
"That's enough," said Ranma as he landed on the ground opposite the girl.
Akane stared at him with an intensity Nabiki had never seen before. Malice, hatred, anger... whatever you wanted to call it. It was clear Akane was barely holding back her rage.
"You pervert," snapped the younger girl as she rubbed at her right breast for a moment.
"I said that's enough," snapped Ranma as he turned away from her. His tone was more forceful than he had ever been with her. Akane growled, but backed off.
"You didn't have to feel her up," said Genryu as he sat down next to Nabiki. Ranma looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.
"It's getting harder to get her mad these days," said the older boy as he walked into the home behind Akane.
"You mean he grabbed her chest?" said Nabiki in surprise.
"Among other things," replied Genryu with a small snort.
"She's getting better at holding her temper," said Ranma as he sat down with the pair. Soun and Genma quickly followed as Kasumi set breakfast out on the table in front of them. "That was probably her biggest fault."
"You're doing an excellent job son," agreed Soun.
Akane spared him a small glare, but said nothing. He didn't even seem worried that the jerk had accosted her.
"We've got a long day ahead of us," said Ranma with a small nod towards the man. "Two weeks is barely enough time to train properly."
"Indeed," agreed Genma.
"Well, you guys have fun. I'm going to school," said Nabiki as she jumped up from her seat and moved towards the door.
"See you later fiancee," said Ranma lazily. He turned towards his little brother and smirked as he jerked his thumb towards the yard. "Shall we?"
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That evening...
Ukyo Kuonji walked into the small room she had rented. It was just above a run down restaurant that she could use to make a few bucks while she was in Nerima. She had just finished getting it cleaned up. There wasn't much to the place really, but it should fund her trip home easily, with a little money to spare. That is, after she took care of some business here first.
"I've found him at last!" she said with a great relief washing over her. Soon she could return home with her honor intact. It wasn't much consolation, but it was something. At last, all her suffering would have a reason, all her training, and all the torments.
She paused as she removed her shirt to get ready for bed. "I left the window open?" She frowned as she realized there was no way. She had never opened that window before. She slowly walked over to the small cot where she would be sleeping and gasped. Resting on her pillow, was a note.
"Meet me, at nine o'clock, at Furinkan High's athletic field." She lifted it up and frowned. The handwriting was familiar, the same as the letter that had led her here. Once again, it was signed "A Friend."
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Ukyo stood in the middle of the field with her arms crossed. She scowled as she waited patiently for the other party to arrive.
"Well, I see you got my letters," said someone from behind her.
"That voice!" she whirled around and stared in shock. "You!?"
"That's right Ucchan. It's been a while," said Ranma coolly as he moved towards her. He seemed completely relaxed.
"You bastard! You ruined my life! I'll kill you!" The girl rushed forward with her oversized battle spatula held high over her head.
Ranma caught it easily and smirked at her. "Now, now, calm down. We've got a little talking to do first."
"Talking? Just die!" snapped the girl as she attempted to pry the weapon away from his grip.
Ranma thrust his hand forward and shoved at her chest, sending her sprawling across the ground on her back. "Sit, shut up, and listen."
The girl sat up and reached for one of the smaller spatulas that were slung across her shoulder in a bandoleer.
"Behave yourself," said Ranma coldly as he grabbed her hand and shoved it away. "I'm not going to fight you right now. There's a tournament in about two weeks. If you still want to fight, we can do it then."
"My honor can't wait that long!" snapped the girl as she kicked at his legs.
Ranma landed face first in the dirt and rolled away as several of the spatulas embedded themselves in the ground. "If you'll calm down. I'll explain everything."
"You abandoned me! You and that no good brother of yours!"
"Genryu never knew what really happened. Me and Pop, never told him," said Ranma calmly as he pushed himself up to his feet.
Ukyo had froze. "What?"
"Genryu, has no idea what happened. You fool, you don't get it do you?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" snapped Ukyo coldly. She pulled three more spatulas from her bandoleer.
"Heh. You dope, the engagement is still valid. We couldn't afford to take you with us, so we left you behind. When Genryu was old enough, we were going to come back for you. I went back to get you, and found out that you'd run off. So, I found you and sent that letter."
The sound of metal hitting the ground was the only thing that could be heard as the girl simply stared at the elder boy in shock.
"What?"
"Your father told me how to get a hold of you. I went to see him about two months ago. He was pissed off and attacked me. Something about abandoning you or something. I told him that I had come to pick you up, so that we could honor the agreement between your father and mine. That was when I found out we were supposed to bring you with us from the beginning. Apparently, Pop didn't think that was a very good idea. So he dumped you."
"You came for me?" muttered the girl as she stared at him in shock.
"Genryu was never told about the engagement. Pop does stupid things like that. I'm engaged too, just found out about it a few months back. I honestly don't know if Pop was ever planning on honoring the engagement. However, he gave his word of honor, and I don't intend on letting him skip out on his word." Ranma held out his hand to her. "I don't need another enemy, neither of us does Ukyo."
"You mean to tell me... that all the anger, all the posing... was for nothing!?" screamed the girl angrily. "I gave up my femininity! I lived as a man so I could avenge myself! And all that was for nothing?!" She fell to her knees and sobbed into her palms.
Ranma sighed and shook his head. "He doesn't know about this meeting Ukyo. If you really want to find out what would have happened if you were our enemy, I'll be glad to show you."
"What?" said the girl as she glanced up at him.
"Your father told me all about it. Training for ten years, losing your womanhood. If it will make you feel any better, I'll give you a good fight, but it ends here Ukyo."
"No. It's over," said the girl as she rose to her feet and stood firmly. "Now what?"
"You're going to have to settle things with him yourself. I've done all I can." Ranma turned away and walked out of the field towards his home. He paused and turned his head slightly. "Kuonji."
"Yes," muttered the girl as she looked up from her thoughts.
"Don't screw this up."
She looked at him for a long moment as he continued to walk away. She wasn't sure what to feel. Joy? Anger? Love? Nothing seemed to make any sense. The only thing that filled her mind was uncertainty.
"Great. Now what?" she muttered as she started back towards her restaurant. Having Genryu as an enemy was easy for her, something to focus on, hate. Now that was gone, leaving an empty space. She didn't feel anything for him, it had been ten years, full of bitter hatred. Any love she might have felt was long gone, she didn't even know him. Still, honor demanded that she marry him. The same honor that had driven her for almost ten years, she knew she would go through with it. It wasn't a question of whether or not she wanted to really.
She stopped as she reached the gates of the school and glanced down the street towards the dojo. "Should I go now?" Her stomach was beginning to fill with butterflies. She had no idea where to begin a relationship with anyone really. After all, she had always been one of the 'guys'. Now, she could be a woman again.
That raised yet another question, her femininity. Did she really want it back? How the hell did she act like a girl? You'd think she'd know, but old habits die hard, and she'd never really learned how to act feminine. She was basically stuck, it wouldn't be very hard to stop acting like a boy. That would almost be too easy, she just had to start using her brain again. Acting like a girl was completely different though.
She took a glance towards the Tendo home once again. "Not tonight. I've got too much on my mind." She turned away and walked back towards the restaurant.
++++++++++
Ranma pivoted on his heel and slammed his foot into Akane's jaw, sending her sprawling across the grass as he completed his kick and stepped back into a defensive position. "You should have avoided that. You're getting sloppy. Stop falling back on your old habits."
"Shut up," snapped the girl as she rose to her feet and took up an offensive stance.
"Well? Are you going to stand there all day?" said Ranma coolly.
"Look! A hundred yen coin!" cried Akane.
"Eh?" said Ranma in confusion as he turned his head towards the spot where she was pointing. Before he realized what he had done. Akane had her fist in his gut and flipped him over her shoulder onto the ground.
The elder boy rolled across the ground and snorted in disgust. "Damn it. You've been training with my father? That was the 'Tiger Blow' wasn't it?"
"Genryu taught me that trick," said Akane with a small smirk. "He used it when we were sparing yesterday."
"He did? Well, I'm going to pay him back for that later," said the older boy as he glanced over to his younger brother, who was rolling on the ground in laughter.
"You've done well, Genryu. Ranma must be made to respect the Saotome Desperation Techniques," said Genma from his place on the porch. He and Soun were both engaged in a game of Go.
Akane charged forward in a kick aimed at Ranma's head. The elder boy smirked and lowered his body to the ground in a deep bow, causing the girl to miss and trip over him. "Crouch of the Wild Tiger."
"Why you!" snapped Akane as she rolled onto her feet and charged forward again.
"What the hell?" said Ranma as ducked and covered his head suddenly while looking behind her.
"Wha?" said Akane in alarm as she spun around.
"Fox Fist," deadpanned Ranma as he promptly decked her in the back of her head.
"Of all the dirty..." muttered Akane as she staggered back to her feet again.
"Well, my father did think these things up by himself you know," said Ranma with a shrug. He had a huge grin on his face as he said this.
"That explains everything," muttered Akane.
"Now, let's play nice," said Ranma with an odd grin on his face.
"Oh shi-" said Akane in alarm as she recognized it instantly. Ranma's hands became a blur as he charged forward. Akane could feel repeated tags on her breasts and crotch from the attack. All of her most sensitive area's exploded in pain as he passed by her, sending the girl to her knees.
"My brother is a real pervert," muttered Genryu from the sidelines.
"I know where he learned that move!" gasped Soun in horror.
"Indeed Tendo," commented Genma. "It's best not to speak of it."
"True Saotome," agreed Soun quickly.
"Ranma! You pervert! Come back here and die, damn you!" screamed Akane as she chased the boy around the yard.
+++++++++
The docks in Tokyo were dirty and smelled bad. That was Shampoo's first impression as she stepped into the new country. Her nose wrinkled and she adjusted the bundle that rested on her shoulders. "So, this is Japan?" she muttered in Mandarin.
"Child, use Japanese while we are here. You need the practice," said an aged voice. A tiny old woman perched on the tip of a staff pogoed down the ramp of the ship that had carried them across the sea.
"Yes, Great Grandmother," said the girl in Japanese.
"Where are we going?" said another voice from behind them.
"We have a place to stay for the time being. It's a small restaurant in a place called Nerima. We will remain there until the time comes. Shampoo should be able to tell us when the demon arrives, and track it down easily."
A Chinese boy of about Shampoo's age followed the two women down the ramp he was carrying a huge pile of bags in his arms as he stumbled down the narrow walkway. "Can we get a cab? Please?"
Cologne sighed and shook her head. "Very well, just this once I shall allow it. Do not get too comfortable Mousse. Shampoo will be the one doing the fighting, but we have much planning to do ourselves."
The girl nodded and started to walk away from the pair. She had a cold stare as she strolled away.
"She is too young. This fight has changed her," commented Cologne as she watched the young girl move silently towards the street without even trying. "Her skill has improved dramatically, but at what cost?"
"Do not worry my Shampoo! I shall ensure that no harm comes to you my love!" swore Mousse from under the huge pile of bags.
The young girl glanced back at her companions and frowned. There was little emotion in her features, only a sort of cold impatience. A taxi stopped in front of her and she opened the door.
"Where too babe?" said the man at the wheel with a smarmy looking grin.
"Nerima," she said simply and sat down. Cologne stepped in and sat down beside her, while Mousse began to load the bags into the trunk and on the roof.
The old woman smiled at the cab driver and handed him a small slip of paper. "This is the address we need to get to."
+++++++++++
"What a dump," muttered Mousse under his breath as he looked at the decrepit building in front of him. He sighed and walked inside. It would suit their needs nicely, it was warm and dry. That was all they really needed.
"Bring the bags inside quickly Mousse," said Cologne as she hopped in beside him.
"Sure thing, you dried up old mummy," grumbled the boy as he slowly walked out of the room.
Shampoo entered as well and frowned as she glanced around the room. "Is enough." She promptly sat down at one of the tables and rested the long bundle down across the tabletop. She carefully unwrapped the spear and took it in her hand. "Is still very far away."
"Excellent," commented Cologne as she hopped over to the young girl's side. Her features showed a slight worry. "No one has ever become this intuned with the Demon Slayer before. Shampoo is exceptional indeed, but it worries me as well. She is not the petulant child who left the village only a few months ago. She has changed, dramatically." She shook the thoughts aside for the moment. There were more important things to do right now.
"Hey. What's this?" said Mousse as he adjusted his glasses and stared at a small paper in his hand. It was a flier for the upcoming tournament.
"Let me see that," said Cologne as she took it from his grasp. "A martial arts tournament? Open to all who wish to compete. Hmm, interesting. Strongest Under the Heavens?" The flyer had a picture of Ranma on the front of it, with a small sideline that stated he would be competing.
"Sound's stupid," commented Mousse lazily.
"It could be interesting. I suppose we could go watch at least. We have a long wait ahead of us. It couldn't hurt," said Cologne with a rare grin. "There might be someone there worth our time."
Shampoo didn't appear to be interested in the conversation. Cologne pogoed over to her.
"What do you think child? It might be fun," said the old woman cheerfully.
"I don't have time to waste on such things," snorted Shampoo coldly.
Cologne chuckled. "So serious, oh well." She tossed the flyer onto the table and wandered over to the pile of bags. "Mousse. Start unpacking our things, and be careful. Some of these things have been in my family for generations."
"Huh? What?" replied the boy as he looked up from what he was doing. Shampoo smiled despite herself as the sound of glass breaking suddenly filled the room. Cologne began to curse in Mandarin and grumble under her breath as she promptly clobbered him and left him lying on the floor.
Shampoo found herself looking down at the paper Cologne had put down. Her eyes went wide with shock at the face she saw on the front of it. It was one she would never forget. "It him!" she said out loud. She snatched up the page and stared at it while slowly rising to her feet.
"Is something wrong child?" said Cologne as she hopped over to the girl.
"Great Grandmother. I find him!" said the girl as she held out the page.
Cologne took it and stared at the image for a moment. "Are you certain child? Make no mistake, it is important."
"Shampoo sure. Never forget face," insisted the girl firmly.
"How someone so young managed to gain such a powerful technique..." muttered Cologne under her breath. "Well, that settles it then. We'll be attending this tournament after all. This should be interesting, very interesting indeed."
++++++++++++
Matin stood in the center of a field of long grass dressed in a dark blue dogi. His bangs brushed across his forehead as a strong wind began to blow from the west. He was standing with both fists clenched at his sides and his legs spread at about shoulder width apart. His eyes were closed and he did not move.
After a long moment, he seemed to explode with energy as he jumped into a kata. He kicked and punched at the air viciously, each strike faster than the last. Finally, he crouched low and reached behind his back pulling the large metal boomerang from its sheath. he tossed it into the air and jumped back while closing his eyes once again. Two training dummies fell apart in the blade's path as it spun through the air.
Matin was far from finished though, he opened his eyes once again and pointed two fingers at the blade as it curved through the air in front of him. The spinning blade stopped in mid air and simply hovered for a moment. He smirked and shifted his hand, making small movements with his wrist. The boomerang cut through the air, changing direction sporadically and cutting through almost fifteen straw training dummies as it curved through the air. Finally, it made an extremely sharp turn and returned to the boy's waiting palm.
He slowly slid the weapon back into place with a serious frown on his face and watched the grass blow in the wind for a long moment. He resumed his starting position once again and pulled his fists up to his sides tightly.
After about two minutes of meditation he opened his eyes again and looked up towards the darkening sky above. "There's a storm coming."
+++++++++++
Xianghua screamed in effort as she jumped over Tofu's head and kicked at his exposed neck.
The man performed a block and leaned away from her with his arms crossed behind him. He spun around and faced her again with a tight frown. "Ready?"
"Do it," said the woman firmly as she spread her arms and spread her feet in preparation.
Tofu rushed forward and slammed his fist into her gut repeatedly, pounding on her gut relentlessly.
Xianghua didn't appear to be effected by the blows, she stood calmly and breathed deeply in and out. After a short time, the doctor jumped back and moved into a relaxed stance.
"How was that?" said the man calmly.
"Didn't feel a thing," she replied with a smirk.
"Just because you didn't feel it, doesn't mean you aren't hurt. Don't forget that," warned the man carefully.
Xianguha fell forward and clutched at her stomach suddenly. "What the?" Her abdomen had absolutely exploded in pain.
"A martial artist is used to guarding places on their body considered vulnerable. However, there are many places where the human body is vulnerable. Most of them require more than a simple blow though. Do you understand?"
"Yes," muttered the woman as she staggered to her feet.
"Good," said the man cheerfully. "I'd better fix you up."
"No, let it pass on it's own. I've got to be tougher. The last time, my weakness was my downfall. I have to be able to take more than him to win."
Tofu narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "If that's the way you want it. Strength alone won't beat him though."
"I know, I've still got a long way to go," she replied coldly. She grunted in pain and fell to her knees again. "Damn you. Ranma, I'll see that you suffer!"
+++++++++++
"Now where the hell am I?" said Ryoga as he stumbled through the humid jungle. "Oh, must be Hokkaido." He tossed a poisonous snake over his shoulder casually after pulling it off of his shoulder.
+++++++++++
TBC...
Next Time: Welcome Back!?
