Disclaimer: These characters belong to the incomparable Takahashi and her powerful lawyers. I

will try to do them justice.


A storey is like a living thing, you can point it in the direction you want it to go in, but sometimes

it refuses to cooperate with you and goes in its own direction.


Fallen Warrior

Day One


As Kuno's blade descended towards the Saotome child in an attempt to cleave him in two,

Ranma did not attempt to dodge or block in any way. Indeed, it came as quite a surprise to the

assembled student body of Furinkan, when Kuno's sword seemed to stop of its violation, caught

firmly between Ranma thumb and forefingers.


"Would you please remove your hands from my Family's Honour Blade?", Kuno demanded,

struggling to free it from Ranma grasp.


"This the Kuno Honour Blade?", asked Ranma.


"Indeed,", Kuno responded, glaring at Ranma through half closed eyes, "did I not just say that?"


Ranma raised one eyebrow, but otherwise did not change his expression. "An' this is the sword

you brought to the wedding yesterday?"


"If by wedding, you mean the Dark Ritual you sought to ensnare Tendo Akane with, then yes."

The delusional Kendoist replied, proving once again why he was the biggest idiot on campus.


"You call yourself noble, an' consider yourself a Samurai, but anything that don't fit what you

want, you twist around. Akane an' the 'Pig-Tailed Girl' tell you over an' over again that they

want nothin' to do with you, but you go an group 'em, screamin' you love 'em. But ya don't

listen, you don't see the truth in front of you? Do you?"


"What are you getting at Saotome? Every knows you have enslaved my two loves through your

vile dark magics.", Kuno glared at Ranma through half closed eyes. Their faces mere inches apart.


Ranma shook his head at the delusional fool. "You an' your family are without honor, Kuno.

You don't even know the meaning of the word." And with that, Ranma struck, sword still in

hand.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Cologne thought as she worked. It was one of the few good things about being her age, the

ability to concentrate on more than one thing at the same time. Of course, it seemed like this

younger generation didn't even use the ability to think at all. Especially her grand daughter,

Shampoo.


'Damn that foolish girl! What in the name of the Ancestors was she thinking?! To attack

Muko Dono's family like that! Didn't I teach her better?'


She wondered if they still had a chance with Ranma. It was slow going, thanks to that idiot

father of his, and even harder with Shampoo always flinging herself at him, like some slut. No,

the way to son-in-law didn't lay in bedding him, they had get him to go with them through his

own free will.


Cologne chuckled, if it was anyone else, she would have just drugged him senseless and

dragged him back to China, but that presented special problems with Ranma. You did not want

someone trained in the Neko-ken to be out of their mind, especially if their intended turned into a

cat.


No, they needed him to love and trust them. But Shampoo wasn't making that any easier.


And, for some reasons she couldn't explain, Cologne felt a shiver of foreboding.