Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi and its characters belong to her, and her alone. I'm just kinda borrowing them. A few others are mine. The story below is for entertainment purposes only, and not to be used commercially. ...Obviously.
"Learning Curve"
Part XXI (v1.3)
by: J. Wagner
"Father... Saotome-san... have some beer." Natsume walked in with a tray of tall glasses, setting them on the table. Kurumi was still busy fanning the two.
"Ahhh, Tendo..." Genma lazily reached over, and raised a glass to his friend, noting his forlorn face. "Not many parents have such obedient children, you know. Take me for example. All I have is that ingrate son of mine..."
Soun's expression didn't change.
"Ohh, you're so lucky!" He leaned over, conspiratorially, his voice low. "If you were smart, Tendo, you'd let those two carry on the dojo. Then we could just sit back and enjoy the good..."
A metal canister of beer to the back of the head cut him off rudely.
"Please don't give my dad any dumb ideas, Mr. Saotome!" Akane crossed her arms.
But the thought lingered.
"But Akane," Natsume broached from where she sat. "You may not understand... but what he says is right."
"What did you say?" Akane felt her voice threatening to break as the anger rose at being contradicted, especially by this Natsume, this Tendo-pretender, of all people.
"The Dojo should go to the School's strongest fighter. The right to pass on the techniques of the Tendo Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu belongs to that person... I believe my sister and I are a more logical choice to inherit the training hall," The older girl spoke levelly, as if stating the weather. Something about it ticked Akane off even more.
"Natsume..." Kurumi warned, but it was too late.
"Ohhh, I see!" Akane's hands turned to fists. "You're saying that you're stronger than me, is that it?"
"Shall we find out?" Natsume didn't seem about to back down.
"I'm ready whenever you are!"
"Now... now stop that you two!" Soun gritted his teeth, and decided to intervene. The two girls who thought they were his daughters would back down if he told them that a fight would not decide it - that he alone had the right and obligation to name an heir to the School. Akane he could barely restrain anymore, but if the others would back down it would have the same effect. The last thing he, or the family, needed was this sort of internecine conflict. Even if he couldn't solve the conflict, for the moment, he could put it off for a few days, maybe weeks, until a genetic test proved he wasn't their father.
"Hold it right there!" A familiar voice interrupted the Tendo patriarch, and the screen doors were pushed aside by a certain busty redhead. "I, Saotome Ranma, except that challenge!"
"Ranma!" Soun faced the boy turned girl. "Don't you dare make this any worse than it already is!"
"That's right!" Akane chimed in, though she hardly agreed with her father's intent on the matter. "This one is my fight!"
"I really don't care... I don't know who you are, where you came from, or why you have Ranma-san's name... but we two sisters will fight the both of you!" Natsume's voice was firm and unyielding. "The winner shall have the right to carry on the Tendo Dojo!"
In the Dojo, Ryouga was peacefully sulking.
Or, to be more exact, he was being 'wistful.'
No... really, he was just sulking.
Letting out a deep sigh, he focused on his internal Ki equilibrium, as the slow music from the (Nabiki's) CD player next to him started on the next piece. It was a focusing exercise, meant to better control his body and spirit, and most importantly, calm his mind and organize his thoughts. His primary concern was getting his things together discretely, and making mental preparations for his little 'training trip.' Oddly, he found himself debating whether or not to take Ranma along.
The pigtailed martial artist was still a major annoyance, but he was, in a way, a familiar annoyance. Perhaps, away from the eyes and opinions of others, the two of them could come to some sort of mutual agreement, a true peace to cement the cease-fire. Besides, if he was doing any actual training on the trip, it would... it could be helpful to have his only sparring partner along. He'd been thinking of an initial set of exercises and regimens, as well as a few special techniques to develop and refine, and having Ranma around for input and 'testing' would be a boon. On the flipside, nothing really beat the look of surprise on his rival's face when he came up with something new, and suddenly kicked up the bar a notch or two, forcing Ranma to catch up. That would be more difficult, or at the least, less exciting than training with his opponent.
Train with Ranma?
Train against Ranma?
He found indecision plaguing him, as it always seemed to do. Ryouga was well aware that his indecision was one of his greatest faults, and the cause of many failings. Nabiki had pointed it out enough times, when they went out, and he couldn't decide where to go, or what to do, or even what to eat, so loathe was he to commit totally to anything...
Which led into his next, worst, problem.
Getting a break from his relationship with Nabiki, or maybe just getting away from the normalcy and pleasant complacency of it all. He'd always dreamed of what he had in her - she was smart, beautiful, and understanding, and even ruthless and willing to do what he himself would hesitate to do, even if he knew it needed to be done, or wanted to be done. She was strong where he was weak. But something was missing... some element of danger, uncertainty, and yes, a hint of terror. Maybe, truly, he was mad - mentally unbalanced in some way.
It was something Ryouga had secretly always considered.
Too many years lost, alone, in the middle of nowhere.
Too many years driven by rage and anger.
Too many years dreaming of what he knew, or even hoped, he could never have.
Too many years being more an animal than a man.
Like Taro, but worse. Ryouga hid his bestial side within, behind a curtain of blind aggression and blame. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that, sooner or later, the beast would break out, and cause more damage than he liked to think about.
Taro was dead.
At his hand.
Whether he deserved it or not, Ryouga didn't care, not from a moral point of view. He had killed a man, and at the time, not only had he not cared that he was extinguishing a human life; he had enjoyed it... he had reveled in the revenge, and the passion of the moment. The times he'd tried to kill Ranma sprung to mind immediately, and passed through his thoughts like a cereal of photographs. Had he been beast or man when he'd done that? The lost boy wasn't sure.
Eighteen years old, and already a killer.
A killer... how deserving of happiness, of Nabiki, was an animal like himself? Really, who could ever want to be around him? He was dangerous, brooding, depressed, angry, lacked common sense, lacked a direction, had no close family, and he was a freak who turned into a pig when he got wet. A normal life? Who was he kidding? And yet... he wasn't always angry, or depressed or brooding - precious moments of happiness, of closeness and warmth. An alien feeling of caring, actual mutual caring, every time unexpected, and every time a small miracle in and of itself.
"I need time to think," he whispered to himself, and noticed the dojo door open with some suspicion.
"...Don't worry," Ranma spoke up, as he and Soun entered the room. "There's no way I'm going to lose!"
"Something going on?" Ryouga stood up, and noticed Natsume and Kurumi filing in, and a fuming Tendo Akane, barely holding her personal demons at bay.
"A challenge." Genma walked up to the lost boy and crossed his arms, saying no more. Ryouga had mixed feelings towards the father of his rival, none of them good. But there was a measure of respect, too - Ranma had learnt at least some of an Art called the Umisenken from watching his father, a while back. While not particularly powerful, in Ryouga's opinion, it was very interesting in premise, and given the specialization in it, both youths were fairly certain that it had an as yet unrevealed counterpart called the Yamisenken, which could potentially be far more powerful, relying on active techniques and not passive ones.
Ryouga had even sparred with the elder Saotome a few times, and come away silently impressed. Genma was slower than Ranma, definitely, but a fraction stronger, and more experienced. And while he was easily distracted, and cowardly enough to shy away from being hit or roughed up, he wasn't nearly as flabby or out of shape as he looked. If he really got serious, he could be dangerous. Fortunately, Genma seemed to have left his fighting days behind him, preferring the comfort of Kasumi's cooking and a warm bed to a tough bout of training.
"Hey!" Akane turned to Ranma-chan as they took their positions. "Why aren't you fighting as a boy?"
"You can't expect me to fight a couple girls as a guy!" Ranma-chan thumbed her nose as the mere thought of it.
"Don't hold back, Kurumi," Natsume warned, getting into a ready stance, her hand ready to reach for the rug beater holstered on her back. Kurumi just nodded, obviously not too happy with the situation.
"Oh," Soun wailed, his face framed by twin waterfalls of tears. "Why is this happening?"
Genma nodded slowly, approvingly, his arms crossed. "There is no fighting fate."
"Don't hurt each other," Kasumi added, her gentle voice concerned.
"Hey, Ranma!" Ryouga called out from where he stood, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah, what?" Ranma-chan returned, impatiently.
"How about some fight music? I've got a good track all lined up and everything. And I wouldn't underestimate Natsume and Kurumi if I were you... three hundred yen says you don't beat 'em until it's half over."
"Really?" Nabiki reevaluated the two girls. "I'll take that bet... at one hundred yen."
"Chicken?" Ryouga asked, sidelong.
"No. I just don't know what the song is."
"One fifty."
Nabiki smiled, her lips pressed together in a mysterious, delightful way. He got the feeling she knew everything about him, and yet, what she knew she seemed to like. "One fifty it is. This better not be something really short, though, Hibiki."
"Oh no. This is good fight music." Ryouga smiled. "Natsume, Kurumi! Don't hold back against Ranma here! And Akane-san, be careful!"
"This isn't a game, you know!!" The youngest Tendo yelled at the two. Nabiki didn't seem to care, but Ryouga cringed a bit.
"Play it." Nabiki nodded to the lost boy, and Ryouga started the CD player. "All right! Begin!"
The match began with Ranma-chan making a leaping attack, aiming for Natsume, while Akane moved in more slowly, but recklessly, charging towards Kurumi.
'Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me,'
'I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed...'
Kurumi's bow quickly unfurled into a ribbon whip, and with precision belying her age, and circled the weapon and shielded her older sister from attack. Ranma-chan tucked in as it hit, having underestimated the speed of her opponents, and unable to compensate in midair. The ribbon was hot, almost burning hot, but Ranma-chan recovered from the shock of it and landed on her feet; none the worse for wear.
'She was lookin' kinda dumb with her finger and her thumb,'
'In the shape of an "L" on her forehead...'
Akane similarly ran into trouble, in the form of Natsume's rug beater. The older girl had her weapon in hand with the casual speed and ease that comes only from years of practice in a weapon, raising its use to the point of near instinct. More importantly, she was quick to charge it with Ki, a cold harsh Ki. A trio of swipes gave birth to a trio of freezing cold gusts of wind that stung Akane, and forced her back, grimacing from the pain and surprise of the attack.
'Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming,'
'Head to the rules and I hit the ground running,'
'Didn't make sense not to live for fun,'
'Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb...'
"What's with that ribbon... it felt... hot?" Ranma-chan stood, rubbing her arms.
"And Natsume's attack felt cold... like a razor sharp wind!" Akane balled her fists. "Let's try this again! I won't lose!"
"You have odd choice in music, you know." Nabiki rose an eyebrow at the lost boy, but he seemed to be concentrating on the fight. Still, at least he didn't pick "Why Can't We Be Friends?' - that would have just been silly.
In the middle of the dojo, meanwhile, Natsume stepped forward.
"Time to finish this!" She spun, three times, her rug beater literally crackling with infused Ki. With a final motion, she flung the wind attack out, in the form of a chill tornado, kicking up the wooden ground where it passed. For a moment, Akane saw it coming, and froze up. Crossing her arms in front of her face, desperately, she braced to take the attack... when Ranma-chan moved, like a blur, and tackled her to the ground.
"Idiot! Don't just stand there!" Ranma-chan quickly jumped back to her feet.
"Leave me alone!" Akane shot back, getting to her feet. "I'm a martial artist, too, you know!"
"This isn't about your stupid ego!" Ranma-chan growled and faced the pair. "Just let me handle this!"
"It's my duty to win this fight!" Akane yelled, but Ranma didn't seem to be listening.
'So much to do so much to see,'
'So what's wrong with takin' the backstreets,'
'You'll never know if you don't go,'
'You'll never shine if you don't glow...'
Soun's hair stood on edge, watching the disaster unfurl. Nabiki just sighed to herself. "This is no time for an argument, you idiots."
"Kurumi!" Natsume commanded, turning to her younger sister. "Do it!"
"Okay..." She agreed, reluctantly, and her ribbon lanced out in a great spiral. Ranma and Ryouga recognized what was going to happen almost instantly.
"What's that?" Akane looked around the whipping ribbon, looking for a point to attack or defend. She was looking in the wrong place - the attack was coming through the middle.
'Hey now, you're an All Star, get your game on, go play,'
'Hey now, you're a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid...'
"Musabetsu Kakutou Hiryu Carimbou!!" Natsume yelled, and a column of cold Ki spiraled through the hot of Kurumi's ribbon, funneled and directed by the clash of temperatures. Akane's eyes widened in obvious panic, but Ranma-chan simply took a step forward and to the side, before setting her feet, and bringing her arms to the side.
'And all that glitters is gold,'
'Only shootin' stars, break the mold,'
"Hiryu..."
Cold and hot danced between Ranma-chan's hands.
"Shoten..."
With a crack of thunder that left the air smelling of ozone, Ranma-chan's hands twisted in a small spiral in front of her, before her right palm shot forward.
"HAAA!!!"
'It's a cool place, and they say it gets colder,'
'You're bundled up now, wait till you get older...'
For a moment, the two forces clashed, all constrained within Kurumi's ribbon, before the latter snapped out, and the built up heat and cold mixed and diffused into the air. The resulting blast of displaced air knocked Kasumi and Nabiki off their feet, but Ryouga quickly shot his arms up to catch them before they hit the wall.
'But the media men beg to differ...'
"Again, Kurumi!" Natsume snarled, obviously worried now. "Full power! Hold nothing back!!"
"But..."
"But nothing!" She narrowed her eyes. "We can't lose! We WON'T lose!!"
Wordlessly, Kurumi's ribbon glowed, and whipped out again, into a great spiral. As Natsume went through her movements, her rug beater blazing with a blue aura of its own, Ranma-chan was already, more slowly and deliberately now, building up for another Hiryu Shoten Ha. Ryouga watched, amazed, as the pigtailed martial artist funneled hot and cold Ki from around her, from the air, and from the last attack... recycling it into her aura and into her hands. He'd never say it to him, but Ranma was damn good when he set his mind to it.
Damn good.
'Judging by the hole in the satellite picture,'
'The ice we skate is getting' pretty thin,'
'The water's getting' warm so you might as well swim...'
"Musabetsu Kakutou Hiryu Carimbou... Full POWER!!!"
'My world's on fire, how about yours?'
"Hiryu Shoten... YARI!!"
'Cuz that's the way I like it and I never get bored...'
Natsume and Kurumi's attack roared as it struck, like a solid pillar of glowing Ki, More impressive, to the lost boy at least, was that the younger girl, Kurumi, maintained enough control over her weapon and her Ki to narrow the beam, and further focus its energies. They were a formidable duo indeed, but badly outclassed against their pigtailed foe. It was the reason Ryouga hadn't been too worried about Akane getting involved - there was no way Ranma would let her get hurt. Ranma was easily fast, strong, and powerful enough to simply overwhelm Natsume and Kurumi, both of which Ryouga knew were tough in and of themselves, but given that they were, after all, just women, they had no real chance of victory. While Ryouga knew many very strong women, Ukyou and Shampoo most notably, and Cologne at an extreme end of the spectrum, he, like Ranma, didn't have quite as much respect for the opposite sex as he should have.
And he didn't even have Genma to blame for it.
Ranma-chan's right palm again thrust forward, and the spiral of her Hiryu Shoten Ha clashed with the adopted Tendo girls' beam almost instantly. For a moment spanning the blink of an eye, they seemed even, and then the insidious nature of Ranma's attack became obvious. The Hiryu Shoten Ha's spiral became like a corkscrew, and cut a swath through the Tendo girls' attack. In what seemed like slow motion, Kurumi's ribbon unraveled, bit by bit, releasing gusts of cold air, as Ranma's blast tore through it, and eventually, blasted Natsume and Kurumi themselves, who dove for cover just as it hit.
'Hey now, you're an All Star, get your game on, go play,'
'Hey now, you're a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid,'
'And all that glitters is gold,'
'Only shootin' stars, break the mold...'
"I'd say that's the end of that." Ryouga looked from where Ranma-chan stood, hands on her hips, breathing slightly heavily, in front of Akane, to where Kurumi and Natsume lay, barely getting to their feet.
"Is it?" Nabiki asked the two girls. Luckily, the Hiryu Shoten Ha had obviously lost power as it tore through their attack, or else it would have gone right into the house and torn half the structure up. Still, the good fortune of it didn't dampen the harshness in her voice at the two, which was really directed at all four of them. A lot of good 'winning' the dojo would be if they had to sleep in a destroyed house.
Looking up at her, Natsume seemed tempted to go another round, exhausted though she already was. Kurumi, however, held up her hands, and dropped her ribbon. She sighed, and turned to Ranma and Akane. "We give up. Don't we, Natsume?"
The older girl hesitated for a few seconds, apparently considering going another round, but eventually gave in.
"Yes... we do."
"Ha! I told you I'd win!" Ranma gave Soun, whose hysterics had died down somewhat, a thumbs up.
"I'd say I won, too." Ryouga smirked. "You owe me..."
"Ah!" Nabiki cut him off with a smile, "But we didn't discuss or agree on any payment plans, Ryo-kun. I think I'll pay mine in one hundred and fifty monthly installments over the next twelve and a half years."
"What? I... Unbelievable." Ryouga shook his head, leaning heavily on the wall for support.
'Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas,'
'I need to get myself away from this place,'
'I said yep, what a concept, I could use a little fuel myself,'
'And we could all use a little change..."
"Off you go." He put the player on 'stop' and looked around. Natsume was fuming, and so was Akane, who really hadn't played a part in Ranma's victory at all. Kurumi looked anxious (and hungry, but she always looked hungry), and Ranma-chan was bragging to a slowly weeping Soun and proud looking Genma. Nabiki was thinking about something, he couldn't tell what, and Kasumi was looking worriedly at the mess in the Dojo, her lips barely moving and obviously mentally going over all the work she'd have in store for her in the immediate future. It suddenly occurred to the lost boy that nothing had been resolved at all over the last few minutes.
"Nothing at all," he mouthed, and locked eyes with Nabiki. By her expression, she had obviously realized the same thing.
Wonderful.
Getting away never seemed like a better idea.
***
Cologne was not oblivious to the world around her.
Not hardly.
She was aware.
More importantly, she was amused. Watching Shampoo take care of the restaurant, and a lull in the cooking freeing up some time, allowed her a moment to sit back and muse. Her time in Japan was moving ever closer to running out - there had never been an intention to move here, only for a year or two. ...Only as long as it took to deal with things.
Like Shan Pu, and her disgrace.
When she had returned, the girl had been wise enough to keep her story to herself and go straight to her matriarch, and together they had easily kept it under wraps. When Cologne had heard her story, she had been more surprised than anything. That Shampoo hadn't even realized her quarry was actually a man until it was too late was vexing, as was the fact that she was so martially outclassed. The latter had been more vexing, really, given Shampoo's projected future status in the tribe as one of their 'preferred daughters.'
It had also complicated matters.
An outsider male hadn't been brought into the tribe in well over a decade, and hadn't stayed with the tribe in over twice as long. The current crop of Amazon males had been more disappointing than ever before, and Amazon leadership had been obviously stagnating in their isolation and apathy. It was a good opportunity to both evaluate the outsider male as an addition to the tribe, get to see Japan, which she hadn't been to before, disappointingly enough, and be away from the whining Elders of the Joketsuzoku, her infuriating rivals, and the multitudes of unworthy children mobbing her for training.
So she had come to Japan.
Within months, she had gotten a good look at Saotome Ranma - he was an unusually strong male, in more ways than one, and he also wasn't very cooperative, and while easy enough to trick and deceive, he was altogether impossible to *mold.* While it would, indeed, have been nice if he joined the tribe as Shampoo's groom, it was not of paramount importance. He was far too interested in the perfection of his Art, and in being manly... he was too Japanese, and too set in his ways to mesh with Amazon life, even if no one would have expected him to conform to Amazon male norms.
But he brought an element of ...fun to the world that Cologne hadn't seen in some time. Dealing with him, and the situations in Nerima, was a constant form of entertainment, and at her age, entertainment was more precious than jewels. Additionally, there was the prospect that he could keep Happosai busy enough for her to get back some of the more important Amazon treasures he had in his perverted possession.
Then she ran across Ranma's rival, one Hibiki Ryouga. He was, in many ways, Ranma's complete opposite. Lonely and starved for affection, not only was he easy to trick and deceive, but he could be well molded. He, like Ranma, was obsessed by the Art, and being 'the best,' or more accurately, simply beating Ranma... he was a far better choice for Shampoo, and for life among the Joketsuzoku Amazons. Physically, he was impressive as well, though the direction problem was a major one. He had been looking perfect for the part, until she looked more deeply into his family history, improving what she had heard of the Hibikis with what was documented and rumored.
It had changed her mind quickly enough.
If Shampoo had married him, and brought him back, the potential uproar and split among the Amazons could have been one of the most devastating things to occur in centuries. Plus, he was far less entertaining, she found, and had apparently settled in with the middle Tendo girl, an intelligent, though somewhat humdrum, prospect. Cologne really wondered if it would work out in the long term - Hibiki was a wanderer, his family and his nature wasn't one to be tied down. Then there were the consequences of being involved with him...
Shaking her head, Cologne sighed, and saw someone new opened the door and walk in - a young girl, around Shampoo's age, but no one she knew. For a moment Cologne imagined she was a martial artist, and a good fight might break out, but the girl was no martial artist, though she was obviously fit and athletic. No longer really interested, she moved onto something new, knowing that a new order would be needed soon enough.
Why was she here, aside from her own amusement, and as a well deserved and well earned vacation? She had already found a rival for Shampoo, in Ukyou, and shown her that she was far from the best that she could be... which had always been one of her goals, and she had introduced Shampoo to taking the initiative in trying to 'catch' Ranma, and given her the opportunity to try the same with Ryouga, though apparently Shampoo never got up the nerve to break the only true friendship she ever had with a male besides, in a way, Mousse.
Cologne now knew that was for the best - a casual friendship with the Hibiki boy, and by extension, his family line, could be beneficial. The fact that Shampoo's 'marriage claim' to being beaten by Ranma could easily be contested and shot down in an Amazon Court, if need be, meant that she could avoid disgrace when the young man was finally cured, and the pigtailed girl no longer 'existed.' They would then return home, Cologne more relaxed, and Shampoo wiser... and with a handful of recovered Amazon artifacts, and outside contacts and allies, the perfect thing to catapult her great granddaughter's position within the tribe from being simply a great warrior, to a true leader.
'Why is she smiling?' Shampoo thought to herself, noticing Cologne wore an unusual smile, before turning to her new customer. "Nihao! Welcome to Nekohanten! My name is Shampoo, what can ...I get for you?"
Better. That sounded much better. Her practice and study was obviously paying off. The young woman looked at her menu, and for a moment, her nose wrinkled up.
"There problem?" The Amazon prompted, her language skills slipping a bit.
"Oh... no, just looked over some ...pork selections."
"You no... you don't like pork?"
"I'd never eat it, no." The girl tucked a few strands of bright pink hair behind her left ear. "The Vegetarian Ramen looks real nice. I think I'll have that. And a cold water... with lemon."
"Okay!" Shampoo beamed, putting on her best customer-face. "I'll be back with your food very soon!"
"Thanks." Unryu Akari watched her go, before leaning forward and resuming her depression, on cue. She thought back to her aging grandfather, and wondered whether following his advice was really the best course of action. It had been fun, really, for a while, but also very depressing in and of itself. Katsunishiki was unusually powerful, and for the last few months, she had nearly given up on finding a human fighter good enough to beat him in fair combat.
Then, she'd read a short story in the newspaper about Nerima, and a large 'martial arts duel' that apparently did a good deal of damage to the area. It was only a hunch, really, from a small article, but it was the best lead she'd had on someone good enough to beat Katsunishiki, so she went for it. Furinkan High School seemed the best place to start, unless she ended up having to resort to finding a much older man. Unfortunately, Katsunishiki had made quick work of several groups of students, before a girl there set her up with a name and a phone number.
She'd ended up talking to someone named Tendo Nabiki, who had the real information on all the local Martial Artists. It'd been expensive, really, paying through middlemen (middlewomen, actually), but the information had been a great boon and a timesaver. Looking down at the table, she slowly opened a small letter, and read it over for the hundredth time.
"Dear Sir, I love you. Please go out with me. It's love at first sight." She shook her head as she read. It was far too corny to ever work. Still, information in hand, she decided to systematically go through the list of available Nerima martial artists until someone beat Katsunishiki. It seemed like a real good idea at the time.
First had been a Chinese guy named 'Mu Tzu' or 'Mousse' who was supposedly very good, and not seriously seeing anyone anymore (though that was sort of iffy). She also remembered the name, because he'd dropped by her farm a while back and purchased a small piglet for someone. But he wasn't forecasted to be back from China anytime in the indefinite future, so she decided to keep trying for those actually around. There was a slightly older man, one 'Dr. Ono Tofu' who worked at a local Clinic, and skilled in Shiatsu and a number of similar things. There was also another guy, from another school, named Sanzenin Midako, and another person named 'Picolet Chardin the Second.' She managed to find both of them, but unfortunately (or fortunately) Katsunishiki dealt with both of them fairly soundly. Another guy named Tsubasa had actually attacked Katsunishiki, and subsequently gotten beat down pretty badly. Next had been one Kuno Tatewaki ...
Akari groaned, and didn't even notice Shampoo come with the food.
"That was fast." She checked the clock on the wall opposite her. "Very fast."
"Great grandmother cook very fast." Shampoo put the steaming bowl of Ramen down with a cold glass of ice water, coupled with a single slice of lemon.
"She's your great grandmother?" Akari looked at the old woman at the counter. "How old is she?"
"Great grandmother is... one hundred and twenty something, maybe. ... I'm not too sure how old she is." Shampoo barely caught herself from reverting back to third person.
"Are you serious? Over a hundred years old?"
"Great grandmother powerful Amazon. Very strong." Shampoo beamed with pride.
"Amazons... you mean like er... Mousse?"
"You know stupid Mousse?"
"Well, I heard a little about him." Akari blushed a bit. "I, uh... kind of came to Nerima looking for a ... boyfriend."
"Many boys in Nerima... many boys everywhere."
"Yes, but I need one that can beat Katsunishiki in combat. He's my family's fourteenth generation champion Sumo Pig."
"Sumo Pig?" Shampoo seemed incredulous, and looked around, making sure there weren't any new or demanding customers (there weren't too many in at the moment anyway) before sitting down for a bit.
"Sumo Pig." Akari nodded gravely. "About two meters tall at the shoulder, maybe four and a half meters from snout to tail... last time we weighted him, he was about three thousand five hundred kilos."
Shampoo's eyes were a fair bit larger than before.
"Three thousand five hundred kilograms?" She whispered, in awe. That's as large as a small elephant!
"Yep. He's big, even for a champion Sumo Pig."
"So... if strong man beat Pig, then he become your groom?"
"Basically." Akari took a quick sip of the ice water, and savored the relaxing chill of it.
"Shampoo... That is, my village has a similar tradition. If one of our warrior women is beaten in combat by a man, she much give him a Kiss of Marriage, and make him her groom."
"Well?" Akari probed, curious. "Were you beaten?"
Shampoo was a little slow to answer. "Yes... there many very strong men here. Two of them beat Shampoo."
"Which ones?" Akari asked, wondering whether she had missed a few on the list that Tendo girl had given her.
"One named Saotome Ranma. Other one named Hibiki Ryouga. Two strongest males... men in Nerima."
"Really? Are they...?"
"Tendo girls have them," Shampoo almost growled, but it was enough for Akari to pick up.
"Tendos? That would explain why..." She trailed off. "Do you know someone named Kuno Tatewaki?"
"Stupid stick boy?"
"Er... yeah. You could call him that. Delusional arrogant stick boy would work, too." Akari sighed. "Looks like your great grandmother wants to talk to you, Shampoo."
"Huh?" The Chinese girl turned around, and saw Cologne right next to their booth, perfectly balanced on her cane as always.
"We have to discuss something." The old (ancient) woman scowled, her tone leaving no room for argument. Shampoo nodded and got up, following her to the back of the restaurant.
"Thanks!" Akari called out, and Shampoo looked over her shoulder quickly, acknowledging that she'd heard her. Turning back to the food, Unryu Akari smiled. In the back, Cologne faced her great granddaughter.
"Am I in...?"
"No," Cologne cut her off. "And yes. I just got a call from the village."
"Mousse?" Shampoo guessed.
Cologne nodded, slowly. "It seems... they need someone to track him down. The Elders want you to do it, and I agreed."
Shampoo scoffed. "Why would anyone want to find Mousse?"
"Because..." Cologne seemed to search for the words. "Because he's..."
***
"There's our little spy! You look a little worse for wear, too."
The cloaked man threw back his hood, revealing a broad smile and two prominent canine teeth. In the cold wind, his ponytail whipped up wildly. He clasped his newly met companion on the shoulder, and gave him a vigorous shake.
"Yes, well." Pantyhose Taro shrugged off the man's hand, his arms defiantly crossed. "I had a little... run in with some people."
"Military?"
Taro laughed. "Not at all! Just some losers."
"Yeah, well, it looks like one of those losers tagged you pretty badly."
Sumac reached up and pointed to the side of his face. Taro scowled, and ran his fingers down the side of his face, along the jagged scar that ran from just above the edge of his right temple, past the side of his eye, and down his cheek. He then snarled, and pulled his hand back.
"I let my guard down." Taro said no more on the subject. "It was personal business anyway, of no real concern to you, or anyone else."
"You did, I trust, find what you were sent for?"
"The artifacts are where they're supposed to be. I've got the list tucked away safe and sound."
"Where?"
"In here." Taro tapped the side of his head. "Photographic memory, remember?"
"Yes, yes." Sumac chuckled. "We're all very impressed."
"You should be," Taro grumbled, and then spoke up a bit more. "Things are progressing...?"
"On schedule. All you need to do is play your part in things." Sumac closed his eyes briefly as they walked up the path. "Lord Herb seems quite anxious to hear your report on the Joketsuzoku and the outside world."
"Well... my beloved half brother will have to wait." Taro snorted. "I intent to eat first, and talk later."
"Your choice. I wouldn't keep him waiting too long, though. His new pet woman has been frustrating him of late, and when he is frustrated, Lord Herb gets... edgy."
"Che." Taro tone dismissed the threat. "As if I care... wait... Pet woman? When was this?"
Sumac frowned and looked into the distance. "A minor thing. She won't get in the way."
"She had best not." Taro smiled after a few seconds.
"Lychee is keeping her occupied, among others."
"Lychee!" Taro gasped in recognition. "I almost forgot about the meeting! How did it go?"
"Quite well, from what I heard. Plans are already underway, the armories have been opened, and the Smithing fires stoked... Togenkyou is soon to be in the process of shipping men and material, handled by The Society, of course, while at least a few, if not all, of the Lucky Gods will be participating as well."
"A few? Prince Kirin cannot be allowed to sit on the sidelines! Wasn't Lychee...?"
"Let the woman work, Pantyhose. She knows her job."
"Don't call me that, Sumac. I'm warning you..."
The Wolf Musk held up his hands innocently.
"I had to say it. At least once."
Taro's frown returned in force. "It's bad enough I have to take abuse from Herb, I don't need it from you, too."
The two men trekked up the mountain, through a pass, and progressed up the slope, as it steady defined into steps, until they came to the heavy wood and iron doors of the Musk fortress. Pausing at it, Taro looked up and around the great keep, some obvious anxiousness holding him at bay. Putting his hand to the door, and knocking soundly, he turned to his companion.
"You and your friends had better not be double crossing me, Sumac."
"Really, Taro... you should know better." The man smiled back, amiably. "Who can you trust, if not us?"
"Sumac... you don't want me as an enemy..."
"Taro... Taro! Put your mind at ease!" The Musk warrior leaned in closer. "Everything is going... flawlessly. In a few weeks time, the Phoenix Tribe will be broken and beaten beyond recovery, the Joketsuzoku will be nothing more than a smoldering ash pile of a village, its people finally dealt with... We'll be top dogs again, Taro. Think about that."
"And my name...?" He insisted.
"Such a little thing." Sumac 'hmfed.' "But that too."
The great doors opened, and the two entered.
"Learning Curve"
Part XXI (v1.3)
by: J. Wagner
"Father... Saotome-san... have some beer." Natsume walked in with a tray of tall glasses, setting them on the table. Kurumi was still busy fanning the two.
"Ahhh, Tendo..." Genma lazily reached over, and raised a glass to his friend, noting his forlorn face. "Not many parents have such obedient children, you know. Take me for example. All I have is that ingrate son of mine..."
Soun's expression didn't change.
"Ohh, you're so lucky!" He leaned over, conspiratorially, his voice low. "If you were smart, Tendo, you'd let those two carry on the dojo. Then we could just sit back and enjoy the good..."
A metal canister of beer to the back of the head cut him off rudely.
"Please don't give my dad any dumb ideas, Mr. Saotome!" Akane crossed her arms.
But the thought lingered.
"But Akane," Natsume broached from where she sat. "You may not understand... but what he says is right."
"What did you say?" Akane felt her voice threatening to break as the anger rose at being contradicted, especially by this Natsume, this Tendo-pretender, of all people.
"The Dojo should go to the School's strongest fighter. The right to pass on the techniques of the Tendo Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu belongs to that person... I believe my sister and I are a more logical choice to inherit the training hall," The older girl spoke levelly, as if stating the weather. Something about it ticked Akane off even more.
"Natsume..." Kurumi warned, but it was too late.
"Ohhh, I see!" Akane's hands turned to fists. "You're saying that you're stronger than me, is that it?"
"Shall we find out?" Natsume didn't seem about to back down.
"I'm ready whenever you are!"
"Now... now stop that you two!" Soun gritted his teeth, and decided to intervene. The two girls who thought they were his daughters would back down if he told them that a fight would not decide it - that he alone had the right and obligation to name an heir to the School. Akane he could barely restrain anymore, but if the others would back down it would have the same effect. The last thing he, or the family, needed was this sort of internecine conflict. Even if he couldn't solve the conflict, for the moment, he could put it off for a few days, maybe weeks, until a genetic test proved he wasn't their father.
"Hold it right there!" A familiar voice interrupted the Tendo patriarch, and the screen doors were pushed aside by a certain busty redhead. "I, Saotome Ranma, except that challenge!"
"Ranma!" Soun faced the boy turned girl. "Don't you dare make this any worse than it already is!"
"That's right!" Akane chimed in, though she hardly agreed with her father's intent on the matter. "This one is my fight!"
"I really don't care... I don't know who you are, where you came from, or why you have Ranma-san's name... but we two sisters will fight the both of you!" Natsume's voice was firm and unyielding. "The winner shall have the right to carry on the Tendo Dojo!"
In the Dojo, Ryouga was peacefully sulking.
Or, to be more exact, he was being 'wistful.'
No... really, he was just sulking.
Letting out a deep sigh, he focused on his internal Ki equilibrium, as the slow music from the (Nabiki's) CD player next to him started on the next piece. It was a focusing exercise, meant to better control his body and spirit, and most importantly, calm his mind and organize his thoughts. His primary concern was getting his things together discretely, and making mental preparations for his little 'training trip.' Oddly, he found himself debating whether or not to take Ranma along.
The pigtailed martial artist was still a major annoyance, but he was, in a way, a familiar annoyance. Perhaps, away from the eyes and opinions of others, the two of them could come to some sort of mutual agreement, a true peace to cement the cease-fire. Besides, if he was doing any actual training on the trip, it would... it could be helpful to have his only sparring partner along. He'd been thinking of an initial set of exercises and regimens, as well as a few special techniques to develop and refine, and having Ranma around for input and 'testing' would be a boon. On the flipside, nothing really beat the look of surprise on his rival's face when he came up with something new, and suddenly kicked up the bar a notch or two, forcing Ranma to catch up. That would be more difficult, or at the least, less exciting than training with his opponent.
Train with Ranma?
Train against Ranma?
He found indecision plaguing him, as it always seemed to do. Ryouga was well aware that his indecision was one of his greatest faults, and the cause of many failings. Nabiki had pointed it out enough times, when they went out, and he couldn't decide where to go, or what to do, or even what to eat, so loathe was he to commit totally to anything...
Which led into his next, worst, problem.
Getting a break from his relationship with Nabiki, or maybe just getting away from the normalcy and pleasant complacency of it all. He'd always dreamed of what he had in her - she was smart, beautiful, and understanding, and even ruthless and willing to do what he himself would hesitate to do, even if he knew it needed to be done, or wanted to be done. She was strong where he was weak. But something was missing... some element of danger, uncertainty, and yes, a hint of terror. Maybe, truly, he was mad - mentally unbalanced in some way.
It was something Ryouga had secretly always considered.
Too many years lost, alone, in the middle of nowhere.
Too many years driven by rage and anger.
Too many years dreaming of what he knew, or even hoped, he could never have.
Too many years being more an animal than a man.
Like Taro, but worse. Ryouga hid his bestial side within, behind a curtain of blind aggression and blame. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that, sooner or later, the beast would break out, and cause more damage than he liked to think about.
Taro was dead.
At his hand.
Whether he deserved it or not, Ryouga didn't care, not from a moral point of view. He had killed a man, and at the time, not only had he not cared that he was extinguishing a human life; he had enjoyed it... he had reveled in the revenge, and the passion of the moment. The times he'd tried to kill Ranma sprung to mind immediately, and passed through his thoughts like a cereal of photographs. Had he been beast or man when he'd done that? The lost boy wasn't sure.
Eighteen years old, and already a killer.
A killer... how deserving of happiness, of Nabiki, was an animal like himself? Really, who could ever want to be around him? He was dangerous, brooding, depressed, angry, lacked common sense, lacked a direction, had no close family, and he was a freak who turned into a pig when he got wet. A normal life? Who was he kidding? And yet... he wasn't always angry, or depressed or brooding - precious moments of happiness, of closeness and warmth. An alien feeling of caring, actual mutual caring, every time unexpected, and every time a small miracle in and of itself.
"I need time to think," he whispered to himself, and noticed the dojo door open with some suspicion.
"...Don't worry," Ranma spoke up, as he and Soun entered the room. "There's no way I'm going to lose!"
"Something going on?" Ryouga stood up, and noticed Natsume and Kurumi filing in, and a fuming Tendo Akane, barely holding her personal demons at bay.
"A challenge." Genma walked up to the lost boy and crossed his arms, saying no more. Ryouga had mixed feelings towards the father of his rival, none of them good. But there was a measure of respect, too - Ranma had learnt at least some of an Art called the Umisenken from watching his father, a while back. While not particularly powerful, in Ryouga's opinion, it was very interesting in premise, and given the specialization in it, both youths were fairly certain that it had an as yet unrevealed counterpart called the Yamisenken, which could potentially be far more powerful, relying on active techniques and not passive ones.
Ryouga had even sparred with the elder Saotome a few times, and come away silently impressed. Genma was slower than Ranma, definitely, but a fraction stronger, and more experienced. And while he was easily distracted, and cowardly enough to shy away from being hit or roughed up, he wasn't nearly as flabby or out of shape as he looked. If he really got serious, he could be dangerous. Fortunately, Genma seemed to have left his fighting days behind him, preferring the comfort of Kasumi's cooking and a warm bed to a tough bout of training.
"Hey!" Akane turned to Ranma-chan as they took their positions. "Why aren't you fighting as a boy?"
"You can't expect me to fight a couple girls as a guy!" Ranma-chan thumbed her nose as the mere thought of it.
"Don't hold back, Kurumi," Natsume warned, getting into a ready stance, her hand ready to reach for the rug beater holstered on her back. Kurumi just nodded, obviously not too happy with the situation.
"Oh," Soun wailed, his face framed by twin waterfalls of tears. "Why is this happening?"
Genma nodded slowly, approvingly, his arms crossed. "There is no fighting fate."
"Don't hurt each other," Kasumi added, her gentle voice concerned.
"Hey, Ranma!" Ryouga called out from where he stood, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah, what?" Ranma-chan returned, impatiently.
"How about some fight music? I've got a good track all lined up and everything. And I wouldn't underestimate Natsume and Kurumi if I were you... three hundred yen says you don't beat 'em until it's half over."
"Really?" Nabiki reevaluated the two girls. "I'll take that bet... at one hundred yen."
"Chicken?" Ryouga asked, sidelong.
"No. I just don't know what the song is."
"One fifty."
Nabiki smiled, her lips pressed together in a mysterious, delightful way. He got the feeling she knew everything about him, and yet, what she knew she seemed to like. "One fifty it is. This better not be something really short, though, Hibiki."
"Oh no. This is good fight music." Ryouga smiled. "Natsume, Kurumi! Don't hold back against Ranma here! And Akane-san, be careful!"
"This isn't a game, you know!!" The youngest Tendo yelled at the two. Nabiki didn't seem to care, but Ryouga cringed a bit.
"Play it." Nabiki nodded to the lost boy, and Ryouga started the CD player. "All right! Begin!"
The match began with Ranma-chan making a leaping attack, aiming for Natsume, while Akane moved in more slowly, but recklessly, charging towards Kurumi.
'Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me,'
'I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed...'
Kurumi's bow quickly unfurled into a ribbon whip, and with precision belying her age, and circled the weapon and shielded her older sister from attack. Ranma-chan tucked in as it hit, having underestimated the speed of her opponents, and unable to compensate in midair. The ribbon was hot, almost burning hot, but Ranma-chan recovered from the shock of it and landed on her feet; none the worse for wear.
'She was lookin' kinda dumb with her finger and her thumb,'
'In the shape of an "L" on her forehead...'
Akane similarly ran into trouble, in the form of Natsume's rug beater. The older girl had her weapon in hand with the casual speed and ease that comes only from years of practice in a weapon, raising its use to the point of near instinct. More importantly, she was quick to charge it with Ki, a cold harsh Ki. A trio of swipes gave birth to a trio of freezing cold gusts of wind that stung Akane, and forced her back, grimacing from the pain and surprise of the attack.
'Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming,'
'Head to the rules and I hit the ground running,'
'Didn't make sense not to live for fun,'
'Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb...'
"What's with that ribbon... it felt... hot?" Ranma-chan stood, rubbing her arms.
"And Natsume's attack felt cold... like a razor sharp wind!" Akane balled her fists. "Let's try this again! I won't lose!"
"You have odd choice in music, you know." Nabiki rose an eyebrow at the lost boy, but he seemed to be concentrating on the fight. Still, at least he didn't pick "Why Can't We Be Friends?' - that would have just been silly.
In the middle of the dojo, meanwhile, Natsume stepped forward.
"Time to finish this!" She spun, three times, her rug beater literally crackling with infused Ki. With a final motion, she flung the wind attack out, in the form of a chill tornado, kicking up the wooden ground where it passed. For a moment, Akane saw it coming, and froze up. Crossing her arms in front of her face, desperately, she braced to take the attack... when Ranma-chan moved, like a blur, and tackled her to the ground.
"Idiot! Don't just stand there!" Ranma-chan quickly jumped back to her feet.
"Leave me alone!" Akane shot back, getting to her feet. "I'm a martial artist, too, you know!"
"This isn't about your stupid ego!" Ranma-chan growled and faced the pair. "Just let me handle this!"
"It's my duty to win this fight!" Akane yelled, but Ranma didn't seem to be listening.
'So much to do so much to see,'
'So what's wrong with takin' the backstreets,'
'You'll never know if you don't go,'
'You'll never shine if you don't glow...'
Soun's hair stood on edge, watching the disaster unfurl. Nabiki just sighed to herself. "This is no time for an argument, you idiots."
"Kurumi!" Natsume commanded, turning to her younger sister. "Do it!"
"Okay..." She agreed, reluctantly, and her ribbon lanced out in a great spiral. Ranma and Ryouga recognized what was going to happen almost instantly.
"What's that?" Akane looked around the whipping ribbon, looking for a point to attack or defend. She was looking in the wrong place - the attack was coming through the middle.
'Hey now, you're an All Star, get your game on, go play,'
'Hey now, you're a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid...'
"Musabetsu Kakutou Hiryu Carimbou!!" Natsume yelled, and a column of cold Ki spiraled through the hot of Kurumi's ribbon, funneled and directed by the clash of temperatures. Akane's eyes widened in obvious panic, but Ranma-chan simply took a step forward and to the side, before setting her feet, and bringing her arms to the side.
'And all that glitters is gold,'
'Only shootin' stars, break the mold,'
"Hiryu..."
Cold and hot danced between Ranma-chan's hands.
"Shoten..."
With a crack of thunder that left the air smelling of ozone, Ranma-chan's hands twisted in a small spiral in front of her, before her right palm shot forward.
"HAAA!!!"
'It's a cool place, and they say it gets colder,'
'You're bundled up now, wait till you get older...'
For a moment, the two forces clashed, all constrained within Kurumi's ribbon, before the latter snapped out, and the built up heat and cold mixed and diffused into the air. The resulting blast of displaced air knocked Kasumi and Nabiki off their feet, but Ryouga quickly shot his arms up to catch them before they hit the wall.
'But the media men beg to differ...'
"Again, Kurumi!" Natsume snarled, obviously worried now. "Full power! Hold nothing back!!"
"But..."
"But nothing!" She narrowed her eyes. "We can't lose! We WON'T lose!!"
Wordlessly, Kurumi's ribbon glowed, and whipped out again, into a great spiral. As Natsume went through her movements, her rug beater blazing with a blue aura of its own, Ranma-chan was already, more slowly and deliberately now, building up for another Hiryu Shoten Ha. Ryouga watched, amazed, as the pigtailed martial artist funneled hot and cold Ki from around her, from the air, and from the last attack... recycling it into her aura and into her hands. He'd never say it to him, but Ranma was damn good when he set his mind to it.
Damn good.
'Judging by the hole in the satellite picture,'
'The ice we skate is getting' pretty thin,'
'The water's getting' warm so you might as well swim...'
"Musabetsu Kakutou Hiryu Carimbou... Full POWER!!!"
'My world's on fire, how about yours?'
"Hiryu Shoten... YARI!!"
'Cuz that's the way I like it and I never get bored...'
Natsume and Kurumi's attack roared as it struck, like a solid pillar of glowing Ki, More impressive, to the lost boy at least, was that the younger girl, Kurumi, maintained enough control over her weapon and her Ki to narrow the beam, and further focus its energies. They were a formidable duo indeed, but badly outclassed against their pigtailed foe. It was the reason Ryouga hadn't been too worried about Akane getting involved - there was no way Ranma would let her get hurt. Ranma was easily fast, strong, and powerful enough to simply overwhelm Natsume and Kurumi, both of which Ryouga knew were tough in and of themselves, but given that they were, after all, just women, they had no real chance of victory. While Ryouga knew many very strong women, Ukyou and Shampoo most notably, and Cologne at an extreme end of the spectrum, he, like Ranma, didn't have quite as much respect for the opposite sex as he should have.
And he didn't even have Genma to blame for it.
Ranma-chan's right palm again thrust forward, and the spiral of her Hiryu Shoten Ha clashed with the adopted Tendo girls' beam almost instantly. For a moment spanning the blink of an eye, they seemed even, and then the insidious nature of Ranma's attack became obvious. The Hiryu Shoten Ha's spiral became like a corkscrew, and cut a swath through the Tendo girls' attack. In what seemed like slow motion, Kurumi's ribbon unraveled, bit by bit, releasing gusts of cold air, as Ranma's blast tore through it, and eventually, blasted Natsume and Kurumi themselves, who dove for cover just as it hit.
'Hey now, you're an All Star, get your game on, go play,'
'Hey now, you're a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid,'
'And all that glitters is gold,'
'Only shootin' stars, break the mold...'
"I'd say that's the end of that." Ryouga looked from where Ranma-chan stood, hands on her hips, breathing slightly heavily, in front of Akane, to where Kurumi and Natsume lay, barely getting to their feet.
"Is it?" Nabiki asked the two girls. Luckily, the Hiryu Shoten Ha had obviously lost power as it tore through their attack, or else it would have gone right into the house and torn half the structure up. Still, the good fortune of it didn't dampen the harshness in her voice at the two, which was really directed at all four of them. A lot of good 'winning' the dojo would be if they had to sleep in a destroyed house.
Looking up at her, Natsume seemed tempted to go another round, exhausted though she already was. Kurumi, however, held up her hands, and dropped her ribbon. She sighed, and turned to Ranma and Akane. "We give up. Don't we, Natsume?"
The older girl hesitated for a few seconds, apparently considering going another round, but eventually gave in.
"Yes... we do."
"Ha! I told you I'd win!" Ranma gave Soun, whose hysterics had died down somewhat, a thumbs up.
"I'd say I won, too." Ryouga smirked. "You owe me..."
"Ah!" Nabiki cut him off with a smile, "But we didn't discuss or agree on any payment plans, Ryo-kun. I think I'll pay mine in one hundred and fifty monthly installments over the next twelve and a half years."
"What? I... Unbelievable." Ryouga shook his head, leaning heavily on the wall for support.
'Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas,'
'I need to get myself away from this place,'
'I said yep, what a concept, I could use a little fuel myself,'
'And we could all use a little change..."
"Off you go." He put the player on 'stop' and looked around. Natsume was fuming, and so was Akane, who really hadn't played a part in Ranma's victory at all. Kurumi looked anxious (and hungry, but she always looked hungry), and Ranma-chan was bragging to a slowly weeping Soun and proud looking Genma. Nabiki was thinking about something, he couldn't tell what, and Kasumi was looking worriedly at the mess in the Dojo, her lips barely moving and obviously mentally going over all the work she'd have in store for her in the immediate future. It suddenly occurred to the lost boy that nothing had been resolved at all over the last few minutes.
"Nothing at all," he mouthed, and locked eyes with Nabiki. By her expression, she had obviously realized the same thing.
Wonderful.
Getting away never seemed like a better idea.
***
Cologne was not oblivious to the world around her.
Not hardly.
She was aware.
More importantly, she was amused. Watching Shampoo take care of the restaurant, and a lull in the cooking freeing up some time, allowed her a moment to sit back and muse. Her time in Japan was moving ever closer to running out - there had never been an intention to move here, only for a year or two. ...Only as long as it took to deal with things.
Like Shan Pu, and her disgrace.
When she had returned, the girl had been wise enough to keep her story to herself and go straight to her matriarch, and together they had easily kept it under wraps. When Cologne had heard her story, she had been more surprised than anything. That Shampoo hadn't even realized her quarry was actually a man until it was too late was vexing, as was the fact that she was so martially outclassed. The latter had been more vexing, really, given Shampoo's projected future status in the tribe as one of their 'preferred daughters.'
It had also complicated matters.
An outsider male hadn't been brought into the tribe in well over a decade, and hadn't stayed with the tribe in over twice as long. The current crop of Amazon males had been more disappointing than ever before, and Amazon leadership had been obviously stagnating in their isolation and apathy. It was a good opportunity to both evaluate the outsider male as an addition to the tribe, get to see Japan, which she hadn't been to before, disappointingly enough, and be away from the whining Elders of the Joketsuzoku, her infuriating rivals, and the multitudes of unworthy children mobbing her for training.
So she had come to Japan.
Within months, she had gotten a good look at Saotome Ranma - he was an unusually strong male, in more ways than one, and he also wasn't very cooperative, and while easy enough to trick and deceive, he was altogether impossible to *mold.* While it would, indeed, have been nice if he joined the tribe as Shampoo's groom, it was not of paramount importance. He was far too interested in the perfection of his Art, and in being manly... he was too Japanese, and too set in his ways to mesh with Amazon life, even if no one would have expected him to conform to Amazon male norms.
But he brought an element of ...fun to the world that Cologne hadn't seen in some time. Dealing with him, and the situations in Nerima, was a constant form of entertainment, and at her age, entertainment was more precious than jewels. Additionally, there was the prospect that he could keep Happosai busy enough for her to get back some of the more important Amazon treasures he had in his perverted possession.
Then she ran across Ranma's rival, one Hibiki Ryouga. He was, in many ways, Ranma's complete opposite. Lonely and starved for affection, not only was he easy to trick and deceive, but he could be well molded. He, like Ranma, was obsessed by the Art, and being 'the best,' or more accurately, simply beating Ranma... he was a far better choice for Shampoo, and for life among the Joketsuzoku Amazons. Physically, he was impressive as well, though the direction problem was a major one. He had been looking perfect for the part, until she looked more deeply into his family history, improving what she had heard of the Hibikis with what was documented and rumored.
It had changed her mind quickly enough.
If Shampoo had married him, and brought him back, the potential uproar and split among the Amazons could have been one of the most devastating things to occur in centuries. Plus, he was far less entertaining, she found, and had apparently settled in with the middle Tendo girl, an intelligent, though somewhat humdrum, prospect. Cologne really wondered if it would work out in the long term - Hibiki was a wanderer, his family and his nature wasn't one to be tied down. Then there were the consequences of being involved with him...
Shaking her head, Cologne sighed, and saw someone new opened the door and walk in - a young girl, around Shampoo's age, but no one she knew. For a moment Cologne imagined she was a martial artist, and a good fight might break out, but the girl was no martial artist, though she was obviously fit and athletic. No longer really interested, she moved onto something new, knowing that a new order would be needed soon enough.
Why was she here, aside from her own amusement, and as a well deserved and well earned vacation? She had already found a rival for Shampoo, in Ukyou, and shown her that she was far from the best that she could be... which had always been one of her goals, and she had introduced Shampoo to taking the initiative in trying to 'catch' Ranma, and given her the opportunity to try the same with Ryouga, though apparently Shampoo never got up the nerve to break the only true friendship she ever had with a male besides, in a way, Mousse.
Cologne now knew that was for the best - a casual friendship with the Hibiki boy, and by extension, his family line, could be beneficial. The fact that Shampoo's 'marriage claim' to being beaten by Ranma could easily be contested and shot down in an Amazon Court, if need be, meant that she could avoid disgrace when the young man was finally cured, and the pigtailed girl no longer 'existed.' They would then return home, Cologne more relaxed, and Shampoo wiser... and with a handful of recovered Amazon artifacts, and outside contacts and allies, the perfect thing to catapult her great granddaughter's position within the tribe from being simply a great warrior, to a true leader.
'Why is she smiling?' Shampoo thought to herself, noticing Cologne wore an unusual smile, before turning to her new customer. "Nihao! Welcome to Nekohanten! My name is Shampoo, what can ...I get for you?"
Better. That sounded much better. Her practice and study was obviously paying off. The young woman looked at her menu, and for a moment, her nose wrinkled up.
"There problem?" The Amazon prompted, her language skills slipping a bit.
"Oh... no, just looked over some ...pork selections."
"You no... you don't like pork?"
"I'd never eat it, no." The girl tucked a few strands of bright pink hair behind her left ear. "The Vegetarian Ramen looks real nice. I think I'll have that. And a cold water... with lemon."
"Okay!" Shampoo beamed, putting on her best customer-face. "I'll be back with your food very soon!"
"Thanks." Unryu Akari watched her go, before leaning forward and resuming her depression, on cue. She thought back to her aging grandfather, and wondered whether following his advice was really the best course of action. It had been fun, really, for a while, but also very depressing in and of itself. Katsunishiki was unusually powerful, and for the last few months, she had nearly given up on finding a human fighter good enough to beat him in fair combat.
Then, she'd read a short story in the newspaper about Nerima, and a large 'martial arts duel' that apparently did a good deal of damage to the area. It was only a hunch, really, from a small article, but it was the best lead she'd had on someone good enough to beat Katsunishiki, so she went for it. Furinkan High School seemed the best place to start, unless she ended up having to resort to finding a much older man. Unfortunately, Katsunishiki had made quick work of several groups of students, before a girl there set her up with a name and a phone number.
She'd ended up talking to someone named Tendo Nabiki, who had the real information on all the local Martial Artists. It'd been expensive, really, paying through middlemen (middlewomen, actually), but the information had been a great boon and a timesaver. Looking down at the table, she slowly opened a small letter, and read it over for the hundredth time.
"Dear Sir, I love you. Please go out with me. It's love at first sight." She shook her head as she read. It was far too corny to ever work. Still, information in hand, she decided to systematically go through the list of available Nerima martial artists until someone beat Katsunishiki. It seemed like a real good idea at the time.
First had been a Chinese guy named 'Mu Tzu' or 'Mousse' who was supposedly very good, and not seriously seeing anyone anymore (though that was sort of iffy). She also remembered the name, because he'd dropped by her farm a while back and purchased a small piglet for someone. But he wasn't forecasted to be back from China anytime in the indefinite future, so she decided to keep trying for those actually around. There was a slightly older man, one 'Dr. Ono Tofu' who worked at a local Clinic, and skilled in Shiatsu and a number of similar things. There was also another guy, from another school, named Sanzenin Midako, and another person named 'Picolet Chardin the Second.' She managed to find both of them, but unfortunately (or fortunately) Katsunishiki dealt with both of them fairly soundly. Another guy named Tsubasa had actually attacked Katsunishiki, and subsequently gotten beat down pretty badly. Next had been one Kuno Tatewaki ...
Akari groaned, and didn't even notice Shampoo come with the food.
"That was fast." She checked the clock on the wall opposite her. "Very fast."
"Great grandmother cook very fast." Shampoo put the steaming bowl of Ramen down with a cold glass of ice water, coupled with a single slice of lemon.
"She's your great grandmother?" Akari looked at the old woman at the counter. "How old is she?"
"Great grandmother is... one hundred and twenty something, maybe. ... I'm not too sure how old she is." Shampoo barely caught herself from reverting back to third person.
"Are you serious? Over a hundred years old?"
"Great grandmother powerful Amazon. Very strong." Shampoo beamed with pride.
"Amazons... you mean like er... Mousse?"
"You know stupid Mousse?"
"Well, I heard a little about him." Akari blushed a bit. "I, uh... kind of came to Nerima looking for a ... boyfriend."
"Many boys in Nerima... many boys everywhere."
"Yes, but I need one that can beat Katsunishiki in combat. He's my family's fourteenth generation champion Sumo Pig."
"Sumo Pig?" Shampoo seemed incredulous, and looked around, making sure there weren't any new or demanding customers (there weren't too many in at the moment anyway) before sitting down for a bit.
"Sumo Pig." Akari nodded gravely. "About two meters tall at the shoulder, maybe four and a half meters from snout to tail... last time we weighted him, he was about three thousand five hundred kilos."
Shampoo's eyes were a fair bit larger than before.
"Three thousand five hundred kilograms?" She whispered, in awe. That's as large as a small elephant!
"Yep. He's big, even for a champion Sumo Pig."
"So... if strong man beat Pig, then he become your groom?"
"Basically." Akari took a quick sip of the ice water, and savored the relaxing chill of it.
"Shampoo... That is, my village has a similar tradition. If one of our warrior women is beaten in combat by a man, she much give him a Kiss of Marriage, and make him her groom."
"Well?" Akari probed, curious. "Were you beaten?"
Shampoo was a little slow to answer. "Yes... there many very strong men here. Two of them beat Shampoo."
"Which ones?" Akari asked, wondering whether she had missed a few on the list that Tendo girl had given her.
"One named Saotome Ranma. Other one named Hibiki Ryouga. Two strongest males... men in Nerima."
"Really? Are they...?"
"Tendo girls have them," Shampoo almost growled, but it was enough for Akari to pick up.
"Tendos? That would explain why..." She trailed off. "Do you know someone named Kuno Tatewaki?"
"Stupid stick boy?"
"Er... yeah. You could call him that. Delusional arrogant stick boy would work, too." Akari sighed. "Looks like your great grandmother wants to talk to you, Shampoo."
"Huh?" The Chinese girl turned around, and saw Cologne right next to their booth, perfectly balanced on her cane as always.
"We have to discuss something." The old (ancient) woman scowled, her tone leaving no room for argument. Shampoo nodded and got up, following her to the back of the restaurant.
"Thanks!" Akari called out, and Shampoo looked over her shoulder quickly, acknowledging that she'd heard her. Turning back to the food, Unryu Akari smiled. In the back, Cologne faced her great granddaughter.
"Am I in...?"
"No," Cologne cut her off. "And yes. I just got a call from the village."
"Mousse?" Shampoo guessed.
Cologne nodded, slowly. "It seems... they need someone to track him down. The Elders want you to do it, and I agreed."
Shampoo scoffed. "Why would anyone want to find Mousse?"
"Because..." Cologne seemed to search for the words. "Because he's..."
***
"There's our little spy! You look a little worse for wear, too."
The cloaked man threw back his hood, revealing a broad smile and two prominent canine teeth. In the cold wind, his ponytail whipped up wildly. He clasped his newly met companion on the shoulder, and gave him a vigorous shake.
"Yes, well." Pantyhose Taro shrugged off the man's hand, his arms defiantly crossed. "I had a little... run in with some people."
"Military?"
Taro laughed. "Not at all! Just some losers."
"Yeah, well, it looks like one of those losers tagged you pretty badly."
Sumac reached up and pointed to the side of his face. Taro scowled, and ran his fingers down the side of his face, along the jagged scar that ran from just above the edge of his right temple, past the side of his eye, and down his cheek. He then snarled, and pulled his hand back.
"I let my guard down." Taro said no more on the subject. "It was personal business anyway, of no real concern to you, or anyone else."
"You did, I trust, find what you were sent for?"
"The artifacts are where they're supposed to be. I've got the list tucked away safe and sound."
"Where?"
"In here." Taro tapped the side of his head. "Photographic memory, remember?"
"Yes, yes." Sumac chuckled. "We're all very impressed."
"You should be," Taro grumbled, and then spoke up a bit more. "Things are progressing...?"
"On schedule. All you need to do is play your part in things." Sumac closed his eyes briefly as they walked up the path. "Lord Herb seems quite anxious to hear your report on the Joketsuzoku and the outside world."
"Well... my beloved half brother will have to wait." Taro snorted. "I intent to eat first, and talk later."
"Your choice. I wouldn't keep him waiting too long, though. His new pet woman has been frustrating him of late, and when he is frustrated, Lord Herb gets... edgy."
"Che." Taro tone dismissed the threat. "As if I care... wait... Pet woman? When was this?"
Sumac frowned and looked into the distance. "A minor thing. She won't get in the way."
"She had best not." Taro smiled after a few seconds.
"Lychee is keeping her occupied, among others."
"Lychee!" Taro gasped in recognition. "I almost forgot about the meeting! How did it go?"
"Quite well, from what I heard. Plans are already underway, the armories have been opened, and the Smithing fires stoked... Togenkyou is soon to be in the process of shipping men and material, handled by The Society, of course, while at least a few, if not all, of the Lucky Gods will be participating as well."
"A few? Prince Kirin cannot be allowed to sit on the sidelines! Wasn't Lychee...?"
"Let the woman work, Pantyhose. She knows her job."
"Don't call me that, Sumac. I'm warning you..."
The Wolf Musk held up his hands innocently.
"I had to say it. At least once."
Taro's frown returned in force. "It's bad enough I have to take abuse from Herb, I don't need it from you, too."
The two men trekked up the mountain, through a pass, and progressed up the slope, as it steady defined into steps, until they came to the heavy wood and iron doors of the Musk fortress. Pausing at it, Taro looked up and around the great keep, some obvious anxiousness holding him at bay. Putting his hand to the door, and knocking soundly, he turned to his companion.
"You and your friends had better not be double crossing me, Sumac."
"Really, Taro... you should know better." The man smiled back, amiably. "Who can you trust, if not us?"
"Sumac... you don't want me as an enemy..."
"Taro... Taro! Put your mind at ease!" The Musk warrior leaned in closer. "Everything is going... flawlessly. In a few weeks time, the Phoenix Tribe will be broken and beaten beyond recovery, the Joketsuzoku will be nothing more than a smoldering ash pile of a village, its people finally dealt with... We'll be top dogs again, Taro. Think about that."
"And my name...?" He insisted.
"Such a little thing." Sumac 'hmfed.' "But that too."
The great doors opened, and the two entered.
