The Dark Side of the Art
By: Q
A Ranma 1/2 - Street Fighter - King of Fighters crossover
Disclaimer: None of the character within this story belong to me, they
belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Capcom, and SNK respectively.
Travels
Ranma paused in front of the hotel he was staying at "So, are you coming up?"
Rose blinked at the question "Why Ranma! I didn't think you were so forward when it came to these matters... I mean sure you are in your fights but..."
Ranma cocked his head to the side "Wha... Hey! *ahem* I meant were you planning on discussing anything else with me tonight." 'I swear she's the only one who can get to me like this.' He thought with a blush.
The purple haired women mock pouted "I guess we can just talk" 'I still got it.'
Grumbling about teenage hormones he thought he had outgrown, Ranma lead Rose to his room.
__________
"Alright Keiko, it's time for bed." Nodoka walked with Keiko to her room.
"But Mom..."
"No buts. Besides the sooner you go to bed the sooner tomorrow will come and the sooner you'll see Ranma." The Saotome matriarch smiled a sad smile at her child as the little girl ran to her room and jumped on her bed. 'At least Ranma still cares about someone in this family.'
As Keiko settled into bed she asked her mom the question Nodoka had been dreading answering. "Mom, what are you going to do about Daddy teaching me the Neko-ken?" Keiko grimaced with her mom hung her head.
"I... don't know for sure yet." Nodoka half lied. After reading the instructions for the training and the side effects as well as the blatent warning of 'DO NOT USE!' that was in it, there was no way she would let Keiko learn it. But she knew Genma very well. And Genma knew her well. There was no question in her mind that he would still try to teach their daughter the technique, and that he would use her sense of honor to get her to agree... just like he did when he took Ranma. She had came up with the 'man among men' contract in desperation and it had completely backfired, she couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice.
So then what could she do?
__________
Sitting across from his... friend, Ranma looked over the list of fighters he would have to deliver invitations to. "I'll simply give Ken, his and Ryu's invitation. Guile shouldn't be a problem. Guy and Cody? Sure you don't want to invite them?" Ranma pleaded more than asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose tried to look clueless.
"You know you really can't pull off the clueless look dressed up like that... eccentric and weird maybe, but clueless..."
"Eccentric and weird? That's not what you thought when we first met." Rose smiled when Ranma's eye twitched and he turned back to the list.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just that Guy can get a little annoying with the whole 'I sense a dark power within you' bit. Cody's even more annoying, I mean if you're going to call yourself a hero then you shouldn't be spending time behind bars." Ranma snorted.
"Like you have room to talk. He was arrested because of all the fights he was in." Rose pointed out. "I think you don't like Guy because you're jealous, and you dislike Cody because... well he does have a bit of an ego, but you should be used to that."
Ignoring her second jibe in favor of her first, Ranma spoke up. "Jealous? Why the hell would I be jealous? I mean for God's sake he's some self righteous ninja... that doesn't add up from what I know about ninjas."
"Your jealous because he gives me all that attention when I'm around." Rose then pretended to look around the room as Ranma stumbled for words for a moment.
Regaining his calm and smirking, he replied "Sorry, but I'm not interested in Guy. He can look at whoever he wants."
"Good, I didn't say you were jealous over him..." She gave him one of those looks that had turned lesser men into putty.
"Moving on." the blushing martial artist interrupted. "I see you left me the Womens team and the Sakazaki team from last years tournament. It couldn't have been that hard to contact them for Chizuru."
"Yes, I asked her to allow you to deliver those invitations personally. I should warn you, be prepared for a surprise when you meet the Sakazaki family again."
"Oh." Ranma looked back at Rose, waiting for her to continue. Realizing that she wasn't going to, he sighed. "I think that's enough for tonight. I got a important meeting for tomorrow." Ranma walked over to the mini-fridge to retrieve a bottle of water. While he was bent over trying to reach the bottle in the back of the fridge, and muttering about what he should do to people who put small refrigerators on the floor, he heard Rose call to him.
"I guess I'll be calling it a night myself, sweet dreams."
"Bye." Ranma called out from on his knees as he stretched for the water. 'As soon as I want some cold water it has to be difficult to get it... figures.' Barely paying attention to his surroundings, he idly noted that the hotel door closing after Rose's exit sounded like it came from the opposite side of the room. Standing up and taking a long pull on the drink, Ranma sighed in contentment.
Placing the bottle back in the mini-fridge, near the front, Ranma made his way to the bedroom to finally get some rest. He quickly deduced that he wouldn't be getting a peaceful rest that night as soon as he saw his bed. "Um... Rose?"
"Shh. I'm trying to sleep here." Rose returned from under the covers.
"Oh sorry... Dammit Rose, don't try that crap with me." Ranma rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. 'I can't believe she almost got me with that.'
"Look Ranma, I'm tired and I didn't stop to get a room when I came in."
Ranma's refusal died upon his lips as he took a look at her expression. "You still have the nightmares don't you?" It was more a statement than a question.
"Please Ranma let me stay here tonight."
"Like I can say no..." Ranma headed back out the room.
"Where are you going?"
"To get some cold water." Was his angry reply.
Taking a second to see if she could catch a glimpse of why he was angry with her, she heard his strongest thought. 'I'll kill Bison with my bare hands for doing this to her!'
"Ranma, I know you don't like being in your cursed form, so don't worry about it. I trust you."
Ranma stared at her before nodding. "If you're sure." 'cause I'm not...'. Even though Rose occasionally asked to sleep in the same bed as Ranma, he had never gotten used to the idea of any women laying beside him without trying to do more than just sleep. One of the many things about Rose that kept him off balance he supposed.
__________
The next morning Ranma woke up to an empty bed. 'It took me forever to get to sleep with her next to me, and she's knocked out the second I lay down in the bed...' Sensing that she was nowhere in the room, he guessed she had already left for home. 'I swear she seems to pop up at the most interesting moments and leaves before you know it... Now that I think about it, she seems to show up whenever I'm in a tense situation, like she's... Damn, I'm really going to have to thank her one day.'
Focusing on getting ready for his final day in Nerima before heading for the States, Ranma walked towards the bathroom for a quick shower. 'What the hell is that on my face?... Is that lipstick?' He turned his head to the side and put it close to the window. "It is lipstick." Guessing it was Rose's way of saying goodbye, Ranma continued his business in the bathroom.
After leaving the bathroom he thought out his schedule for the day. 'I'll stop by Ucchans for breakfast before I head to see Ranko and... Nodoka. Afterwards I'll head to the airport and book a flight to Los Angeles.' Nodding to himself he finished preparing for another day. 'Things have been actually rather calm for Nerima standards...' He cursed himself for thinking such thoughts, knowing full well that Nerima would rectify that problem before he could leave.
"Oh well, I guess it'll be interesting." He smiled while grabbing his bag and heading out. As he made his way out of the hotel lobby and onto the streets of the city, he was barely able to turn in the direction of Ucchans before he heard his name being roared.
"RANMA!"
Calmly looking back to the voice, Ranma was briefly shocked at the figure before him. The plain green shirt and black jeans the man was wearing weren't familiar, neither was the black bandana or boots. However the face, well that was another story, "I'll be damned, if it isn't Mr. P-chan himself."
__________
"It is you! What are you doing in Nerima?" Ryouga asked as he sized Ranma up. 'Ranma looks a lot stronger than I remember, not much of a surprise, but he also looks more intense and imposing with the dark robe and that walk that just screams 'DANGER'. I guess the rumors were true.'
Ranma raised an eyebrow at Ryouga. "What's this? No 'prepare to die' or surprise attack for revenge, what about the 'for what you did to Akane' crap?"
Ryouga grinned "Well I can't say I condone your treatment of Akane, but I'm not her protector or boyfriend so it's not my place. On the other hand, don't think that I've forgotten about our last fight 7 years ago. I won't fight you now though... Because I have this." Ryouga reached behind him.
Ranma narrowed his eyes as he waited for Ryouga to bring out whatever nasty surprise he had hidden. He really hoped this wouldn't turn out like the debacle with Mousse a few years back. He blinked when Ryouga pulled out a letter and envelope. "Is that an invi..."
"An invitation to the Masters of the Fist tournament. It was for my teacher but he thought I would have better use for it." Ryouga shrugged. "I guess he was right."
"So who's your partner?"
"Heh heh, well you see... it's kinda like this... um..." Ryouga babbled for a second.
"You don't have one." Ranma deadpanned.
"Yep." Ryouga smiled sheepishly at him.
Smiling, Ranma waved Ryouga towards him. "Walk with me, I'm headed for Ucchans. I'll treat you to lunch."
It was Ryouga's turn to blink " That's rather nice of you. I heard you had turned really mean."
"I did."
__________
Hearing the chime above her door, Ukyo looked up at the odd scene. 'Is that Ryouga walking with Ranma?! And are they talking about clothes?' She sweatdropped as she saw Ryouga pull at his jeans and look back at Ranma scowling, as they neared her counter.
"They hold up pretty well in a fight I have you know. I wouldn't be talking about other people's fashion sense if I were you." Ryouga snorted.
"Please, I look good in this. Ain't that right Ucchan." Ranma smiled at her.
"Definitely, though I may be a bit biased." She smiled at the two "I don't remember you telling me you ran into Ryouga after you left Nerima Ranma."
"That's because I didn't. I bumped into him in the street, sort of, on my way over here."
"So... You two decided to fight after getting some breakfast or something?"
Ryouga answered her "I plan on taking him on in the tournament. Well, as soon as I get a partner."
"That's right, I meant to mention it earlier, but there's someone else in Nerima whose entering the tournament." Ranma casually remarked as he began to look through the menu. "I'll have the usual, what about you Ryouga?"
Ryouga almost facefaulted "Screw the food! whose entering the tourament?"
"You're not trying to say my food's no good are you? I happen to think my pork okonomiyaki is pretty tasty..." Ukyo tried to look upset.
"Come on guys, I need a partner! So whose is it? Kuno, Kodachi, Genma, maybe Hap..."
"Akane." Ranma threw in.
"Akane?" Ryouga blinked.
"Akane." Ukyo nodded.
"A-Akane?" Ryouga asked again. "She was invited and I wasn't?"
"Well Ryouga I really didn't know where you were, plus it was kind of a sudden decision. The invitation was originally for Balrog the boxer." Ranma shrugged.
"I don't know... I really don't think I want to be partners with her." Ryouga rubbed his smooth chin.
Ukyo raised an eyebrow at the action 'he should at least wait until he has some stubble before doing that...'. "Um, why wouldn't you be partners with her?"
"I realized that I never really liked Akane as much as I thought and whenever I see her I become ashamed of myself." Ryouga answered sullenly.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ranma asked as Ukyo handed him his food.
"My master was able to get me to admit a lot of hard truths to myself while I studied under him. One of those was that my fixation on Akane was actually me trying to bring you pain and feeling a connection to her for being someone who also saw you as royal jerk... no offense, actually I don't really mind if you find that offensive." Ryouga seemed to think it over.
"Okay... Say who is your master? he must be something special to get through your thick skull. Offense intended." Ranma smirked.
Chuckling Ryouga answered him "Dhalsim."
"Really? the yoga guy?" Ranma got out as he continued to stuff his face. Ukyo shook her head at the display.
"Yes, the 'yoga guy'." Ryouga answered while rolling his eyes at Ranma's description.
"Wow. How did you manage that?" Ranma asked. Before Ryouga could answer Ukyo spoke up. "Who's this Dhalsim?"
"Well Dhalsim is a warrior from India who practices an extreme version of Yoga. He doesn't look like much. He's bald and really skinny. His head is painted with three red strips across the top and two under each eye. Even weirder is his jewelry... he wears huge loop earings and a necklace with three small skulls on it. I came across him after I, ah, traveled to India..." Ryouga shifted in his seat.
"In other words got lost..." Ukyo waved him on.
"Yeah, I had been traveling with some guy named Dan Hibiki, no relation... I hope. We ran into each other shortly after my fight with Ranma at the school. We both were looking for revenge of a sort and decided to travel together... I really just wanted him to show me back to Japan. I was in Thailand when I ran into him you see. When we reached the guy Dan was looking for, a man named Sagat, I knew he was in trouble. He was a huge man over 7 feet tall with a patch on his eye, the guy had a huge scar across his chest and one on the side of his head. He called himself the 'Emperor of Muay Thai' and believe me he deserves the title." Ryouga paused as he thought back to the behemoth Dan faced.
"Even though Dan won the fight, it was obvious Sagat had let him win."
"Maybe this Dan guy got lucky?" Ukyo commented, she had a small spot for the underdogs. "What?" Ukyo asked as Ranma tried to bite back his laughter.
Ryouga looked at Ranma before continuing. "I guess you've heard of or have met him. Sorry Ukyo, but Dan almost blacked out when he received one uppercut from Sagat. Granted it was a really powerful one, a man as big as him crouching low to the ground like that before flying up and slamming his huge fist into you isn't something to sneeze at, but Dan could hardly stand after that."
"Instead Dan started screaming about how Sagat killed his father and how he wanted revenge. I guess Sagat saw something in him or felt sorry for him, cause after that Dan's pathetic attempts at attacking Sagat actually landed. After landing his own uppercut, nowhere near as strong as the one he received, he started cheering and rolling around. When I looked at Sagat he had one eye... his only eye I guess, squinted open as he watched Dan make a fool of himself."
"Since me and Dan supposedly had the same goals and ambitions it made me think... Did I want to end up like him? Someone so blinded by vengeance that I lose myself to it. Then I realized that I already had at moments let myself get to carried away. It was an eye opener. After that we parted ways and I eventually ran into Dhalsim. He could tell I was in some kind of rut and tried to help me out. I was less then polite in my refusal, one fight later and I was asking for him to teach me. You know what, I think I could use something to drink now, and whatever Ranma had to eat would be nice since he's paying." Ryouga finished.
"You're actually paying for your food today?" Ukyo asked Ranma.
"I was planning on trying to get it for free, I just told Ryouga I'd pay to sound nice, but sure." Ranma shrugged. "Well Ryouga, Akane really needs a partner and I don't see her getting anyone else. Just think about it. Oh yeah, I never answered your question as to why I was here. Did you know Genma tried to teach Ranko... I mean Keiko the Neko-ken."
Ryouga almost spit out his drink at the information. "WHAT?!"
"Yep, I found them a couple of days distance away from here in some woods, just starting the procedure to learn it. Needless to say I put a stop to that and returned Ranko, um Keiko, back here."
"So you guys are calling her Ranko huh? I always thought it was a bad idea to tell her stories about you, you know rotting her mind and all." Ryouga smirked.
"Ha ha, anyway I'm heading over to talk to Nodoka about it after I finish up here, I'll show you to the Tendo dojo if you like." Ranma offered.
"I don't need to be shown the way anymore, thanks to Dhalsim's training. Do you mind if I go see Ranko with you? I can't help but like the kid, even though they tell her stories about our fights she never picks a side over it. She just loves to hear the stories, it's kind of nice to be looked up to... even if it's second place to you."
"Sure you can come. It'll hopefully keep the tension down some." Ranma answered.
"Well if Ryouga's going then so am I." Ukyo added as she started cutting off all her cooking equipment and then turned over the sign on her door. "As soon as the remaining customers leave we'll head out alright?"
"Sure I'm in no rush" Ranma replied. Ryouga just kept eating.
__________
Keiko sweatdropped as her mother paced back and forth across the living room. She had wanted to take a look at the book about the Neko-ken, but her mom kept looking at it, cursing it, then pacing again. 'I hope Ranma gets here soon...'
*Knock* *Knock*
Both women jumped at the sound, one to run to the door the other just out of surprise. "Ranma's here!" Keiko shouted as she rounded the corner to the hallway leading to the front door.
Nodoka waited patiently for her daughter and son to enter the room. The first person she saw was Keiko returning looking a little disappointed. "Keiko?"
"It's just Daddy and the others..." Keiko slumped into a chair.
"Please don't get all worked up over little ol' me Keiko." Nabiki laughed.
"Sorry auntie, but Ranma's taking too long!" She whined to Nabiki as if the older women could some how fix the problem.
Nodoka had to hide her distate for the panda being assisted into their home by Soun. She wasn't the least bit surpised that Kasumi entered the house with a huge smile or Akane's search of the hallway and family room.
"He's not here yet sis." Nabiki smiled at Akane. The dark blue haired women relaxed.
"Hello Genma." Nodoka bore into him.
[Hello dear, I see that no good boy decided not to show his face here, I'd hate to have to teach him another lesson.]
Keiko's mother had to take a moment to understand the sign. "You shouldn't say... write such things. Especially on one side of such a small sign." She quipped. The panda's face lost any cheer it had managed to produce when it didn't see Ranma around. "Keiko bring your father some hot water please."
"Sure Mom." Keiko was glad to have something to do... even more so since it got her out of the tense situation in the living room.
After retrieving the hot water Keiko took a moment to take a deep calming breath as she entered the fray once again. "Um, here you go Daddy."
The panda took the cup of water and poured it over his head. "That's better. So dear, you didn't believe in that nonsense Ranma was talking about did you? You didn't read that book he planted on me right?" Genma forced a smile as he asked the question.
"Regardless if the book was planted or not, it is authentic I even called the publishing house written on the back. They thought I was crazy for even considering teaching it to someone!" Nodoka huffed.
"This is gonna be good." Nabiki whispered to her sisters.
"Nabiki!" Soun exclaimed. Nabiki just gave him the 'look' effectively shutting him up.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Oh, that must be Ranma!" Keiko cheered as she rushed for the door again.
Nabiki sweatdropped "that sounded awfully familiar..."
"You don't say." Kasumi deadpanned, causing her two sisters and father to look at her in shock. "What?"
After realizing Keiko was taking too long, everyone headed for the front door. They paused as they saw Keiko looking up at their guest.
Keiko was completely stunned into silence as she looked up at her visitor. Ukyo wasn't really a surprise nor the black piglet, but it was the other person that froze her in place. Even as young as she was, Keiko new that the women before her was probably one of the most beautiful creatures alive. 'Wow, she's so beautiful I wonder if I'll be able to grow up to be anywhere near as pretty as her... she's even a fighter I can tell by her clothes, there just like Ranma's... Wait a minute NO WAY!'
"Say Ranma, what's wrong with Ranko?" Ukyo asked.
"R-Ranma?" Keiko fainted.
"Would you look at that." Ranma snickered. P-chan squealed from his position on Ranma's shoulder.
A whistle got the attention of the three. Looking up they saw all the Tendo's and Genma and Nodoka staring at them, with Nabiki holding two fingers in her mouth and still whistling.
"Aren't you a total babe." Nabiki smirked as she finished whistling. The cursed martial artist was as tell as her male form now with long dark red hair tied in it's ponytail. Her blue-gray eyes were darker as well, giving her the vixen look.
P-chan, Genma, and Soun nodded in agreement before remembering who they were talking about. Genma almost joined his daughter in slumber land, Soun smacked himself over the head, and P-chan jumped off Ranma's shoulder like it was burning him.
"Heh, I have filled out nicely haven't I." Ranma gave Nabiki a sultry smiled, causing the other girl to blush a bit.
Ukyo smacked Ranma upside the head. "Would you quit it. It was bad enough when you almost killed the ladle lady..."
Everyone gulped at that "You tried to kill the old lady who's always watering the side walk?!" Akane screamed.
"I don't try to kill people, either I do or don't and the only people I've killed were Saffron and Mousse... Damn, I wasn't planning on telling you all that." Ranma cursed herself for her slip.
"What?!" Came from almost everyone except Ukyo, and of course the pig who couldn't say anything but "bwee!" .
Trying to calm things down, Ukyo tried to direct them back to the ladle lady. "I mean the women was throwing out the water when me and these two were walking by and when it got on Ranma, she let out her dark aura to dry herself. The poor old women nearly had a heart attack." Kasumi seemed to be the only one to sigh in relief, the others continued to gape at Ranma.
"You killed..." Akane began as she pointed at the apparently deadly Ranma.
"Mousse?" Nabiki squeaked.
"Yeah and I don't want to talk about it right now, I have more important things to discuss." Ranma turned to her one time mother. "Shall I bring Ranko into the living room while you give me your answer?"
"Please do." Nodoka nodded. As her son turned daughter carried her second child, she heard Keiko moan and wake up.
"What a dream... I could have sworn I saw this really pretty... lady... whose holding me right now... RANMA!" Keiko jumped out of Ranma's arms and pointed at her. "Wow! Is it really you? You look so pretty!"
"Yeah it's really me, can you get me and Ryouga some hot water?" Ranma asked her sister. 'Oops, did I say Ryouga?' She turned to look at the piglet who was sneaking glances at Akane, while said girl was looking at the small animal with uncertainty. 'I guess she already knows...'
"Here you go!" came a chipper voice from in front of her. Turning back to her sister, Ranma took the cup and started to pour the water on to herself. She raised an eyebrow when the little girl stared at her during the whole process. After using enough to change back into his male form, Ranma turned to Ryouga.
"That was so COOL!" Ranma ignored his sister as he upended the cup over the pig 'Hasn't she seen Genma change?'. Right before the water hit P-chan, the pig and Ranma got wide eyes.
"His clothes!"
"Bwee!"
Nodoka quickly covered Keiko's eyes before Ryouga changed. He blinked when his clothes were tossed to him almost immediately. As he picked them off his head he turned to Ukyo. "I figured you might not want your pack and clothes left in front of the door, sugar."
"Yeah, well Ranma was the one carrying it." Ryouga grumbled, as he got dressed.
"Okay already, let's get this show on the road, shall we." Ranma commented as he headed for the living room, everyone else following.
"Mom, can I look now?"
"Oh sure, sorry."
Once everyone was seated, Ranma began. "So what's your decision?"
Nodoka was only slightly caught off guard by Ranma's bluntness. "Well, I know for sure I can let her be taught the Neko-ken."
"What! How can you say that. The only way to make her as good as him is to teach it to her! Besides she'll need to take over the dojo when Akane finishes teaching." Genma stood up.
"If I'm not mistaken, Akane never learned the Neko-ken either." Nodoka replied calmly.
"As the head of this household as well as her teacher, I demand that she learn it! It's for her own good. Surely you won't go against my word would you, wife?" Genma bore into her.
"I.. I.." Nodoka faltered, she knew this was coming and had already made her decision but it was going against what she believed to be honorable.
"Calm down Nodoka. Take your time, I still have to tell Ranko some more about my trip to China don't I. You can give your answer afterwards... oh and Genma you might like to hear that I confronted the 'Master' before I left Japan those 7 years ago."
"What? But the master was missing before you even left."
"Just listen will you. Anyway, are you ready to hear the story Ranko?"
"Ready!"
__________
(We flash back to another, well, Flashback...)
{Hello my home is Ranma.}
"You're confusing home and name again." Gen told him.
"Man, it's been two months and I'm still confusing those two!" Ranma complained.
"Calm down, you'll get it. Besides I'm amazed at how fast you picked up as much as you have."
"Well, I heard it a lot when I was traveling through China. When you're being attacked by villagers left and right because of your father, you try to pick up any words that might warn you that you being targeted. I'm pretty good at learning languages anyway, I learned English when I was twelve. The army guy who taught me it was pretty harsh though, and kind of crazy..." Ranma trailed off.
"Interesting, in any case a few more months and I think you'll have it down well enough to get by. And after spending some time in China you'll perfect it in no time." Gen smiled. Even though he was a tough taskmaster, when his student tried as hard as Ranma did it was hard to act tough. Mostly, because it wasn't necessary.
{Hello, my name is Ranma... How are you?} Ranma took a moment to run it back in his head, before smiling and nodding to himself.
"Not bad. But let us get to your training. We need to toughen up your fingers..."
"No need. I'm pretty tough already. I learned this technique called the breaking point and it..." Ranma was cut off.
"Did you train with it on each finger?" Gen asked with a demeaning tone.
Ranma flinched "Well, not exactly... Fine what do I do?"
"I believe it's pretty close to the training you used to learn that technique. You simply gather some stones together and stick all four finger into them repeatedly. You should do so twice every day now, 500 times each." Gen waited for an outburst.
"Okay."
And was quite disappointed.
Ranma turned to go look for some more training equipment. 'I can't believe I'm still sore. Until I'm in better condition I can't train to increase too much in the physical department. It's just learning Chinese and meditating.' Ranma began to collect rocks and stones from the nearby stream, hoping not to get wet.
While he was busy, Gen was facing the east. 'I feel another power coming...'
The sound of a twig breaking was heard in the distance. Gen sat down at the camp to wait for his new guest. Once the person made their way to the clearing, Gen assessed him. A tall Japanese man with short brown hair and a red bandana, also wearing red-brown hand gaurds. He was also wearing a gi that was probably white once but had darkened over time. Gen guessed his age at about 18. "Hello young man, what brings you to my camp?"
"Ah hello. My name's Ryu, I had felt a strong fighting spirit this way and came looking for a match." He bowed to Gen.
"Actually there's two fighter here right now, but my companion isn't in the best of shape. I would be more than happy to have a match with you though."
"I would appreciate it." Ryu returned, he looked to his left as he sensed someone approach.
Ranma stepped through the foliage looking directly at Ryu. "Who's the new... Ryu?"
"Ranma? Is that you?" Ryu looked him up and down. 'He's gotten really strong.'
"Yeah it's me... Man you're huge! You been taking steroids or something?" Ranma joked.
"Nah, you know me. I fight with power over speed and finesse, so it's only natural to 'beef' up as you would say." Ryu smiled at him.
"You even know modern lingo... I suppose you finally left your hidden dojo in the wilds." Ranma smirked.
"As a matter of fact I have. I've been traveling the globe fighting all types of men and women" Ryu turned back to Gen. "Anyway sir, I'd be happy to fight you."
"Then lets go." Gen walked away from the tents that were set up and over to area that he and Ranma had used for meditating. It was an area that, even though grass still grew there it was significantly less than in other parts. One could tell that people often used that patch of land for training of some sort or another; that was one of the reasons they had stopped at that spot after all.
Ranma walked over to the camp and deposited the rocks into a pile before sitting by a tree to watch the fight. When he was younger he had spent a few weeks training with Ryu, Ken, and some goofball named Dan. Even though he didn't talk much to Ryu or Dan, he was constantly trading insults with Ken. Something about the mixed Japanese guy really got to him. He doubted it was the dyed blonde hair he had, or the fact that Ken could beat him at the time. At the age of 13, Ranma still was at the stage in life where he lost the occasional match, and when he saw how good Ryu and Ken were it didn't bother him to much since he knew he was training to be as good as they were, maybe even before he turned 15 like them. No, he was pretty sure Ken got to him because he found Ken to be almost as cool as he thought he was at the time.
'If Ryu, Ken and maybe Dan continued their training they should be amazing fighters by now. I can't wait to see this.' Ranma smiled to himself. The smile turned into a gasp as he saw the stance Ryu took 'That's why Akuma's style seemed familiar, it's the same as Ryu's... hmm, there does seem to be some differences though. Where Akuma held his hands open, Ryu's are closed into fist and he seems to bounce on his feet at a faster pace then Akuma did. Probably because he doesn't have the power to take as many punches as Akuma, so he needs to be able to move faster.'
The stance taken by Gen was noted by Ranma as the mantis style. Both his hands in front of himself with the fingers pointed down. Both legs bent, one in front and one to the side. He rocked back and forth as his hands moved in a circular motion like a clock.
A slight breeze rustling the trees seemed to call a start to the match as younger fighter cried out his attack.
"Hadoken!"
A blue fireball shot from his cupped hands towards his opponent who rolled under it towards his attacker. Before Ryu could recover from his move, Gen rolled out into a finger jab. Slightly bending over from the attack, Ryu received a foot to his face courtesy of Gen, who had raised up on his right arm to send his lower body towards him and lashing out a left kick.
Even with the pain his face was in, the Japanese fighter realized that Gen was being held up by one hand. Taking advantage of the unorthodox move, Ryu went for a quick leg sweep. He hopped back after the attack landed.
Gen rolled back to his starting position after being clipped up by Ryu. "You're faster than you look."
"So I've been told." The teen returned.
Ranma blinked at the new stance Gen was in. 'What kind of stance is that? It looks like a weird version of the crane or something...'
The aged warrior held his hands, still with the finger pointed down, to his right side. His left hand near his chest level and his right back behind him. The right leg was bent into the air, as his left was supporting solely on the front of his feet, as he continued to sway back and forth.
Reluctantly admitting that the old man probably had even more patience than he did, which was saying a lot, Ryu went on the offensive again. Dashing forwards, he went into a spinning jump kick to hopefully break Gen's defense. He was unprepared for Gen's counter. Spinning on the standing leg, Gen stretched his other one out to kick and cancel out Ryu's. As the two kicks connected, Gen pushed off with his left leg and brought his right one back down sending Ryu off balance and susceptible to Gen left foot.
Ranma winced as Ryu received a second left foot to the face and went spinning in the air. 'The old man really is good.' He winced a second time as well as adding a "Woah!" at the next attack that landed.
"Shoryuken!"
Ryu used as much of his agility that he could muster to land on his feet after being sent twirling from Gen's strike. As soon as he landed in his crouch he performed his rising uppercut.
Gen flew almost 8 feet into the air from the attack. Ryu closed in on him again as the older man landed on his back. Immediately attacking Gen when he stood, Ryu threw a low kick followed by a right hook and ending in a roundhouse kick.
Gen switched his standing foot from his left to right as he hopped over the low kick. Parrying the right hook and ducking the roundhouse Gen struck with hundreds of punches in the span of a second.
"Hyakurenko!"
Ranma at first glance thought it was a one armed amaguriken. He reevaluated that when he noticed Gen interchanging punches with pressure point strikes and open palmed smacks. 'The old man's real good...'
Staggering back Ryu unleashed his Super fireball in hopes of catching the old man at a vulnerable moment. Cupping his hands, it seemed as if electricity was gathering in his palms as he pushed his arms forwards.
"Shinku Hadoken!"
Ranma eyes grew wide at the attack 'That's almost as big as the fireball Akuma tried to take my head off with! Gen's done now.'
Gen gritted his teeth, the boy was better than he expected. 'I should have taken someone who uses the same style as Akuma with more caution... but I'm still going to win!' Gen crouched extremely low and pulled back the arm he hadn't used during his last attack, and like a ghost glided across the ground. As he passed Ryu he called out his attack.
"Zanei!"
Ranma and Ryu both blinked as it seemed that nothing happened, and before either new it Ryu began to shake violently as if he was being attacked by an invisible assailant.
'Damn.' Ranma thought as he watched Ryu fall to the ground in pain. He was surprised when Ryu trudged back to his feet with a smile on his face.
"I still standing... the fight... isn't over." The obviously hurt martial artist got out.
"You have a very strong spirit boy." Gen acknowledged as he approached him. Gen decided to rush the young man since it looked like he could barely stand.
Taking a deep calming breath Ryu attacked with a gravity defying spinning kick. He quickly covered the ground between the oncoming Gen and himself, as he spun in the air like the hurricane the moved was named after.
"Tatsumaki Senpukyaku!"
'He shouldn't have enough energy to pull off that move!' was all Gen could think as he was caught with the move for three consecutive hits before being thrown back.
Ryu using the last of his strength fired off another fireball at the rolling form of Gen, hoping to time his attack at the moment Gen recovered from the kick and rolled to his feet.
"Hadoken!"
"It ends now." Gen whispered to his self as he heard the cry of Ryu. As he was rolling back he waited until he feet were to the ground before shooting into the air and rebounding of the trees to position himself right above Ryu's form. Jumping down of the branch from overhead, Gen took Ryu out of the fight.
"Oga!"
'That fight was better than I expected.' Ranma thought as he walked over to the two fighters.
__________
"Ohhh..." Ryu groaned as he woke up. 'I.. I lost. I haven't lost since I fought 'him' a couple of months ago.'
"So you're awake." Came a wizened voice.
Ryu turned to face the man that had defeated him. "Yeah, I guess so."
"I don't remember you being so grumpy when you used to wake up." Came from the other side of Ryu.
"Sorry. I'm just upset I lost. I've been training really hard to beat someone and I thought I was ready... but I guess not."
"I think we all know that feeling." Gen stated.
"Maybe, it's just that the man I'm trying to defeat is extremely powerful. He's almost more than human. If I can't beat a normal man how can I stand up to him?" Ryu looked at his clenched fist.
"Normal man? I think you're underestimating me... which is rather odd since you already lost to me." Gen chuckled.
"Look Ryu, Gen's an incredible fighter and as far as I know, he and I are supposedly the only ones to live through the final technique of some monster named Akuma. So don't think he some regular fighter." Ranma was never one to miss an opportunity to toot his own horn.
"Both of you? That's impossible! Akuma's raging demon is unstoppable!" Ryu propped himself up to look at the two.
Ranma puffed up with pride. "Sorry to burst your bubble but I got tagged with it only 3 months ago, and look at me I'm almost completely fine."
Gen tried not to smile at the antics of the two young boys. "Be that as it may, you seem to know about Akuma."
Ryu turned away from Ranma "Akuma was the one who killed my master a few years ago."
"What?! Gouken's dead?" Ranma cried out.
"Yes, Gouki, Gouken's brother killed him. Later we found out that Gouki was actually the same man known as Akuma. I fought him about 7 months ago, he toyed with me for a while before telling me to seek him out once I realized my true power... whatever that means." Ryu looked at the fire that was under the pot of water.
"So that's who you've been training to beat. You and the others most be pretty strong then if you guys are planning on taking him on. But you should know, that's who I'm working towards defeating too. I know that I didn't train under Gouken for that long, but if I fight Akuma before you..." Ranma left the rest unspoken.
"I'd rather do it myself, but I thank you anyway. As to the 'others', Dan didn't stay with us long enough to find out about Akuma. Even though you probably remember, he wasn't the most focused." Ryu tried not to show any semblance of disgust for him. Dan wasn't a bad guy but he was darn annoying!
"Not to mention that a pink gi is just wrong. So very wrong..." Ranma shook his head. 'How can a guy wearing a pink gi run around shouting about vengeance? At least Kuno wore blue...'
"I should be going, I'm well enough to walk. Next time we meet each other perhaps we can have a match?"
"Sure, I'll kick your butt if you want." Ranma smirked.
'Kid reminds me of Ken...' Ryu thought while narrowing his eyes at Ranma. "Thank you for the fight Gen." After bowing he retrieved his pack an continued on his journey.
Ranma turned to the rocks he had gathered as Ryu walked away. 'I will defeat Akuma... And before Ryu!' Ranma started slamming his finger into the stones.
Gen refrained from commenting on Ranma's new determination that was all but visible on his face. 'It seems there's a hidden rivalry brewing between them.'
__________
"You want me to read this?" Ranma asked as she and Gen walked out of the book store.
"Yes, ancient chinese proverbs are very interesting. Some are even humorous." Gen walked ahead of her. "Besides it'll help with your Chinese. I'm surprised we were able to get it so cheap..."
Ranma snorted "Yeah, I'm sure being splashed by that puddle had nothing to do with it..."
"Once we start back through the forest tomorrow I'll show you some amazing strength increasing exercises... but for tonight I want you to read 1/4 of that book."
"What?! A quarter of this big book!" Ranma gaped at the old man in front of her. "I won't even understand half of it, it's in freakin' Chinese!"
"As you would say 'duh, of course it's in chinese' ." Gen forced himself not to smile at the twitching redhead.
"You better hope it's not you and me in the end old man..." Ranma grumbled.
__________
"How amazing... Just kick the tree's until they fall." Ranma sarcastically cried to herself as she once again kicked the tree for all she was worth. "Ow, ow, ow, ow."
Kick "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
Kick "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
Kick "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"This really hurts you know...."
"Yes I know... say isn't time for you to start reading?"
Kick...
"You finally kicked the tree down."
"..."
__________
"Happy Birthday to me." Ranma cheered to no one as he sat in front of the slice of cake he recently bought... or swindled if you wanted to get technical, when the waiter saw the 'cute' redhead enter he offered her a nice discount. Said waiter was miffed when he returned to find a black haired man at her table. Looking around the small cafe he was in he noticed a young man walking by with a pained look on his face, the type of pain Ranma knew well. 'Kid looks half starved...' Checking the money he had left in his wallet he said what the hell, "Yo, kid... Hey, I'm talking to you!" Ranma growled as the kid purposely ignored him.
"Ow... Why you!" the red-haired kid looked up from the spoon that had impacted with the side of his head.
"Ah stuff it, that's what you get for ignoring me." Ranma smirked.
"I wasn't ignoring you. You obviously were calling someone else since my name isn't 'kid'." The boy sneered.
"You hungry?" Ranma ignored the boy's irritation.
"W-what?" The teenager blinked. Weren't they about to start arguing?
"I said Are. You. Hungry?" Ranma pretending to make hand signals to emphasize his question.
The boy's face matched the color of his hair as he tried not to growl at the older guy in front of him. "I heard you the first time."
"So what's your answer then?" Ranma started to take a bite of his cake. He waited for an answer from the kid that was staring at him.
"No I'm not hungry." The young man turned away from Ranma, only to be betrayed by his growling stomach.
"Sit down and eat." Ranma commanded. Whether the kid wanted it or not, Ranma was going to fed him. 'Kid reminds me too much of myself at that age... It would have been nice if someone had bought me a meal instead of ignoring me when I was hungry...'
As the sound of the older boy's voice carried a tone that told him he should go along for now, the other boy sat down across from him.
A waiter seemed to appear out of nowhere beside the table. Ranma looked at the redhead and blinked "Well order something. I already ate."
"Right." the boy looked at Ranma suspiciously "I'll have a... steak."
Ranma almost swallowed the cake down the wrong tube, looking at his 'guest' he found the other boy grinning at him. Shrugging his shoulders Ranma went back to eating the cake. 'Cocky punk...' Ranma thought while smiling. "So 'kid' what's with the starving artist look?" Ranma had noticed the poise with which the kid walked with, it was definitely the walk of a martial artist.
"What?"
"I could tell by looking at you, you're a fighter, or at least training to be." Ranma looked at the young man.
"Well I'm training right now... with my father." the sound of his voice at the mention of his father also gave Ranma a feeling of familiarity.
"I take it you and your father don't get along." Ranma asked, a snort was his only answer. Looking closer at the boy, Ranma noted various bruises. Ranma's voice turned back to it's commanding tone. "Does he beat you? Or are your bruises simply form training."
The boy looked back at him in the eyes "Is there a difference?"
"There should be. I actually trained for ten years with an abusive father. True, he never beat me with objects or hit me when we weren't training. But the methods he used for training me were more than enough to get the bastard arrested many times over. Eventually I had to get away from him... I don't know your situation but I suggest keeping that thought in mind." Ranma bore into the younger man.
The two ate in silence once the waiter came with the plate of food. Even though with more manners than Ranma ever displayed around Nerima, the boy devoured the steak in no time.
"I guess you haven't ate in awhile." Ranma spoke to break the ice.
"I really like meat is all..." The boy shrugged. The boy noted that the pigtailed man stood up with a grace that he had rarely seen.
"Remember what I said alright, don't stay with that man if you don't have to. No one should control your life but you." Ranma gave him a pointed look.
"I will. I'll train with him until I know what I need to know about my fighting abilities before I take my leave of him." the young man had a disturbing smile on his face.
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Whatever." 'what you need to know about your fighting abilities? what does that mean?' "Well when you finish your training look me up. The name's Ranma, simply Ranma."
"I will, you'll definitely hear from Iori Yagami again, simply Ranma." The young men stared at each other before Ranma smirked and walked away "Until then Yagami..."
__________
{So my chinese is gotten better.} Ranma smiled.
{Getting.}
{So my Chinese is getting better.} Ranma growled.
"Relax, yes you're doing extremely well. Your schooling in China will polish it off for you though." Gen returned as they neared the docks where the boat to take them to China was waiting.
Ranma took a good look around the empty pavement that was the docking grounds. 'There's no one here yet... Good, if my curse is triggered I won't have a problem with too many people seeing it.'
Both paused as they felt two very strong auras near. "It feels like the... perv." Ranma groaned.
"The perv?... Do you mean Happosai?" Gen questioned.
"Yep, and the other one is Cologne, I think."
"Very good son-in-law." Came a voice from overhead.
Looking up both Gen and Ranma found the two ancient martial artists atop a boat. Jumping down Cologne peered at Gen. "Well hello sir. May I ask what business you have with my son-in-law?"
"Ah, you must be the grandmother of Shampoo, that he's told me about. My name is Gen, and I have taken Ranma under my wing to train him to defeat an opponent he and I share." Gen returned politely.
"I see. This opponent would not be the same one that almost killed son-in- law would it?"
"Why yes, how did you know?"
Ranma fidgeted as he kept glancing between Happosai and Cologne. 'Any minute now one of them is going to try to drag me back... or to China in Cologne's case. I wonder where everyone else is.'
"Simple, when Ranma stormed away from us all, I could still recognize his ki signature. I sensed it come into contact with a familiar presence... Akuma. A few of my Amazon warriors of the last few years have come across him. I thought he had killed Ranma those months ago." Cologne answered.
"I see. So what do you plan to do now?" Gen quickly glanced at the other diminutive master.
"I've come to ask my son-in-law for his plan on how he's going to remove himself as Shampoo's groom without destroying her honor? I know he still cares about those in Nerima, otherwise the young okonomiyaki chef would not be in such a good mood." Cologne smiled at Ranma.
Ranma grinned back "Actually I have been thinking about it. If I could I would like to challenge a fighter of your choosing in one year. If I win, Shampoo can return to the village with out me as her husband with her honor intact. If I lose and live to tell it, I will marry Shampoo or whatever else it is you wish from me. And if I should lose my life then I guess Shampoo's original kiss of death would be fulfilled. Does that work for you?"
Cologne thought about it. "Mostly. However I don't know if having you killed by someone other than Shampoo will be a good idea. But sure, in one year you shall return to the Amazon village to challenge for the right of immunity to our laws." After finishing Cologne made absolutely no move to leave. This of course made Ranma a bit tense.
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma. You're just full of surprises aren't you. First you tap into the true power of Anything goes at the age of 17, you turn your back on your family, you survive the raging demon, and now you have found an honest to goodness chance at resolving your business with the amazons. But let's see if you can surprise me one more time before you leave Japan. Face me in combat to become a master of the true Anything Goes school." Was the bombshell Happosai dropped next.
"Wha..." Ranma blinked, before narrowing his eyes. "Is this some kind of joke? Cause if it is I'm done playing with you people."
Happosai grinned "Let me put you at ease."
Ranma took a step back as he felt Happosai power up much like the first time he truly fought the master and was almost attacked with that weird ki move that looked like a Happosai dragon. However instead of shooting some ki attack, Happosai started to grow.
'So he's going to use the move he showed me when I tricked him with that herb that drove all the girls away.'
"I won't be passing out anytime soon, are you up to the challenge?" A 6 foot tall Happosai asked.
"Such an bizarre way to use a battle aura" Gen commented "Though I guess I can see the uses for it."
"Happy was always bizarre..." quipped Cologne.
Ranma settled in for long battle 'At least I'm at a hundred percent.' "Let's do it!"
The two jumped into the air towards one another. Ranma flipped into a jump kick with only minimal force, it was designed more to give him the ability to move in the air easier whether the kick landed or was blocked. Happosai did neither, he simply grabbed the leg and yanked the pigtailed boy towards him and slammed a fist into the exposed stomach.
Ranma rocketed towards the ground unable to right himself due to the force of the blow. Happosai softly landed on the ground. "That pretty stuff you and Genma love to do in the air ain't going to cut it with me. This is a fight, not a dance."
Ranma bristled at the perverts words. 'Like he ever takes a fight seriously... But still, I better give him all I got. Maybe I can get him to fight like Gen described that time.' Rising back to his feet, Ranma gave Happosai his trademark smirk. "Sorry, let's try that again." And with that the two once again took to the air.
As they neared each other Ranma threw out an elbow, which was blocked. Barely acknowledging the block, He unfolded his arm changing the elbow into a backhand. Happosai spun into his own elbow as he was forced to turn form the backhand. However, he followed up his elbow with a swinging knee to the face. As Ranma was turned upside down from the knee he lashed out with both legs kick Happosai away and allowing himself to flip onto his feet on the ground.
Turning back to his self proclaimed master, Ranma started to bounce from left to right on his feet. Happosai smirked before flipping into a cartwheel and then several back handsprings towards the pig-tailed boy. Ranma stopped bouncing and raised an eyebrow. 'What in the world is he doing?' Happosai stopped flipping two feet away from Ranma, however a powerful gust of wind flew by him slamming into his 'student' forcing the boy to cover his face.
The moment Ranma raised his arms he knew he had messed up. A wicked jab to his ribs seemed to reinforce his belief. The two fisted overhead punch to his back as he was bent over also seemed to agree with him. Snarling Ranma threw his head back up instead of dropping to his knees. He promised himself not to try that move again when it successfully connected with Happosai's head. 'Damn! that hurt!' He continued to press his advantage with a combo of kicks to Happosai's thigh, ribs, then head in quick succession. Taking a step back, he reversed direction back towards his challenger with a straight kick to the chest.
Running to catch up with his retreating foe, Ranma employed a flying jump kick. Happosai immediately stopped retreating and ducked under the kick. Before Ranma could even think about twisting in the air he was sent flying by a punch to his lower back. He welcomed the time it took to reach the peak of his flight, since it gave him the opportunity to swallow the pain from the punch. As he started to make his descent he faced the ground and threw his burning black ki blast.
"Flaming Darkness!"
Happosai's surprise at the attack kept him from dodging it, instead he only had time to counter with a quick bomb. As the explosion died down Ranma came flying through it like a fallen angel as his black aura blazed around him. Not to intimidated by such flashy shows of power Happosai decided to give Ranma a taste of his own medicine.
The air borne fighter cursed when Happosai sent a ki blast at him, effectively knocking him off course. Landing on his feet, Ranma once again engaged Happosai in close combat. Happosai's punch to the face was blocked, Ranma's uppercut in retaliation was sidestepped, both landed right hooks, Happosai's knee to the gut was caught, but he followed it up with a backflip that broke the hold.
Getting desperate Ranma cocked his right hand back and lit it with his black aura to get Happosai's attention. When the pervert started to raise his left hand to defend, Ranma unloaded the technique he saw Gen use. The one handed, pressure point, amaguriken type move...
"Hyakurenko!"
Gen blinked at the sight. "His version has way more punches... and it's faster."
"It's a lot like our Katchu Tenshin Amaguiken technique." Cologne informed him "It's a move that Ranma has employed quite a bit since learning."
"I'll have to ask him to tell me more about his battles, perhaps during our trip on the boat..." Gen commented more to himself than to the old women.
"He hasn't bragged about any of them yet?" Cologne asked with smile.
"He's been to busy learning Chinese. He's quite bright despite what I read in his school records." Gen blinked as the a thought struck him "Case in point." he gestured towards Ranma's attack on Happosai.
"You don't need to tell me. That's why I wanted him as part of my village. A male who was smart enough to change the minds of some of the women who are stuck in tradition but is easy going enough not to put them on guard. Oh well I guess I'll just have to wait until next year."
"You sound pretty sure of the outcome." Gen tried not to seem to interested, but he wondered just what the women was thinking.
"I'm a good actress." Was all she said, but it was enough.
Happosai was quite shocked at how long the boy could keep up the special move. He had tried to dodge and block most of the attacks while taking a few in order to be ready to counter as soon as Ranma finished instead of just getting out of range. He was starting to think that he might have made a mistake. Tired of waiting, Happosai allowed a few more attacks to land so he could get a feel for the pattern before catching Ranma's fist.
'Fall dammit!' Ranma wanted to scream aloud at his foe as the man continued to take punch after punch. When his fist was caught he swung the other that had been holding a substantial amount of his power, unfortunately he couldn't keep it filled with the energy he realized too late. With both fists caught by Happosai, Ranma knew he was to tired to do much in defense.
Happosai held both arms in his grip and reared back his leg. He stopped when he felt the arms he was holding suddenly grab onto him in return. "What are you... ARGHH!"
"Inferno of Agony." Ranma whispered, as he implemented the same technique that defeated his one time father.
The two fighter were engulfed in black flames for over 10 excruciating seconds. Using the last of his power, the grandmaster of Anything Goes broke free of the move only to return to his normal shrunken height. He was able to look in the eyes of Ranma since the young man was on his knees and gasping for breath.
Staggering over to him, Happosai placed a hand on his shoulder "Enjoy China. Bring a fellow master of the true school of Anything Goes a souvenir... like some nice Amazonian panties. Ah, there's nothing quite like em' in the world, I should know." and then he bounded off.
"That was quite exciting. I hope for another great performance next year son-in-law." Cologne called out before following Happosai.
"Congratulations young Ranma. It seems you're the newest master of the Anything Goes school of martial arts." Gen smiled as he helped him up, and started towards the boat.
"I guess I am." a smile slowly made it's way onto Ranma's face as he stepped on the platform connecting the docks with the boats. "What a great going away gift..."
*Splash*
"...Figures"
(And so ends today's flashback)
__________
"Are you saying you're a grandmaster of Anything Goes?" Asked a stunned Ryouga.
"You fought the master for real?!" Soun asked in a daze. "I can't remember the last time I saw the master fight for real... what about you Saotome?"
"Daddy?"
"Yo, Moron." Ranma kicked him. "He's out of it. Let's leave him be. Anyway, I hope that gave you the time you needed to come to a decision." He turned to Nodoka.
"May I speak with you alone?" She asked.
Ranma swallowed his throat. "If you feel it's necessary." He stood up and waited for Ranko's mother to lead him upstairs.
Everyone else looked at one another with apprehension.
Back in the the main bedroom Nodoka sat on her bed with her hands in her lap. "You heard my husband say he wouldn't allow me to stop Keiko from learning the Neko-ken."
"True, but you can't keep listening to him. I don't know why you've done so for this long. I mean even if you didn't care enough about me to stand against him or because of honor, you still should have taking into consideration what he had done to the honor of the other families as well as the honor of yours when you constantly turned a blind eye to his actions." Ranma retorted.
"You don't understand. I never intended to force you to fulfill that contract, I used it to scare you into being better than your father. I was forced to marry your father because of an arranged marriage, and I hated it. But the honor of my family rested on it. So I married a deceitful man who did whatever he could to get what he wanted. So if my husband wasn't going to be the honorable one that meant I had to double my efforts to be so." Nodoka took a moment to steel herself as she felt her resolve weaken.
"Then he told me about the arrangement between the Tendo's and us and I didn't want you or the girls to go through what I went through. So I had planned on making you a truly honorable man so that they would be proud to be wedded to you. But then he decided on the training trip to make you a better martial artist. I firmly believed that as honor less as your father was that he wouldn't do some of the things he did to you. And to make sure that he didn't steer you towards being like him I came up the contract. I knew if there was one thing Genma valued it was his life, so it only made sense to me at the time to make such a pact." Ranma could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke, he could tell she was trying to hold back her tears.
"That day 7 years ago, I didn't reach for the sword to force you to use it. I held it because it was the only thing that could keep me calm when things were too much for me, but I never had the chance to tell you that or that I was sorry for what you had to go through growing up. I realized after you left that I had made so many mistakes with dealing with you." Nodoka got out before finally letting the tears that had been building up over the years, before and after the time she spent with her son in Nerima, fall.
"Mom... Nodoka... I don't know what to say..." Ranma fought back his own tears.
"Please Ranma, I need your strength." She pleaded.
"Ex-excuse me?" Ranma blurted out "What are you talking about?"
"I can't continue to live with a man like your father. Even Keiko treats him like an uncle more than a father... a man who is only around to teach her martial arts but never there for anything else. I had to beg him just to have her. But I can never get the courage to finally end it. Please with you and Keiko with me... I ..." Nodoka was cut off when Ranma embraced her in a hug. "R-Ranma." She let it all out, the pain of losing her son twice, the sorrow of raising a daughter who doesn't have a male figure to truly look up to around, and even happiness at the return of her first born.
__________
As the occupants downstairs waited, Ukyo remembered something. "Say Ryouga are you going to ask Akane to be your partner at the tournament?" she whispered.
"Wow, you going to be in the tournament with Akane?" Asked an excited Keiko.
"Oops... didn't know she was listening..." Ukyo had the good graces to look sheepish.
"Whoa now Ranko... I'm not.."
"You want to be my partner?" Akane asked as she walked by and heard Ranko.
"Um...No." Ryouga got out.
"Excuse me?---- Oh I get it, you still worried what I'll do since I know you're P-chan. I told you all those years when I found out, the butt whippin' I gave you then was the only one you were going to get." She smiled sweetly at him.
"Riiight... how comforting..." Ryouga grumbled under his breath.
"Well then it's settled. Me and Ryouga will be partners." Akane stated as she walked over to try to snap her father out of his daze.
"Um..." Ryouga raised a hand as if he wanted to ask a question.
"Tough luck, sugar." Ukyo shrugged her shoulders.
Ryouga hung his head "Akari's going to kill me..."
"Who's that?" Ranko asked.
"My wife..." Ryouga continued to lament his fate.
"Your Married!" Came a chorus of voices. Causing Ryouga to blink.
"Yes..." He started to back up as the women surrounded him.
"Was it a big marriage?"
"Why didn't you invite us?"
"What kind of ring did the two of you get?"
"Where IS the ring?"
"Now who will I marry Akane off to?!"
*WHAM*
"Well my ring is right here..." Ryouga started to search through his bag. "Ah, here we go." He pulled out a pretty yet modest necklace with a matching ring.
Kasumi had a tear in her eye. "Oh it's so beautiful..."
"I've seen better... way bett...oof!" Nabiki looked at her big sister 'that kind of hurt...'
"Congratulations Mr. P" Ryouga blinked as he heard Ranko call him 'Mr. P'.
Everyone turned to her only to stare in shock as they saw a grinning Ranma and a red-eyed Nodoka, standing behind her. "Ranma told me to call you Mr. P from now on." Ranko gave him a big grin, almost stopping him from correcting her.
"But Ranko my name's Ryouga not Mr. P" Ryouga glared at the grinning Ranma.
"I know but Ranma said..." Ranko began.
"It's alright Ranko, I was just joking." Ranma patted her head. "Seriously though, congratulations. Now let's wake the bastard up, shall we."
"Ranma watch your language around Ranko." Nodoka corrected him.
Everyone held their breath.
"Sorry...mom."
And then gasped.
"No way is the boy higher than me in ranking!" Genma snapped awake at a rather convenient moment.
"Good you back up. Listen up Genma, I'm taking Ranko with me." Ranma gave Genma his new evil smirk, something Ranma had been working on for the tournament.
Even though he began to back away from the sight, Genma continued to speak "I won't allow it."
Ranma's smirk never faltered "It doesn't matter. You don't matter."
"Nodoka! I forbid you from letting Keiko leave with him." Genma turned to his wife.
"She leaving with him." Nodoka spoke with conviction.
"You dare defy me wife?" Genma growled.
"Yes. And no longer call me wife."
"What?" Genma faltered.
"I think it's rather clear. but just in case let me spell it out for you. I'm leaving with Ranko and my... mother. So long Genma, you'd better sure as hell hope we never meet again." Ranma laughed.
To Be Continued
Next Time: Meetings and Partings- Ranma leaves with his mother and sister for the United States to start handing out the last of the invitations to the tournament. During the flight, Ranko continues to learn about Ranma's past as he tells her about his meeting with the famous action star and the strongest women in the world. And of course more teams shall be revealed.
quail12001@yahoo.com
Special thanks to Beer-monster for being a proofreader for my story, be sure to check out his great fic "Honour and Pride" on ff.net and the Lost Library of Florestica, home to some great Ranma fanfics.().
Travels
Ranma paused in front of the hotel he was staying at "So, are you coming up?"
Rose blinked at the question "Why Ranma! I didn't think you were so forward when it came to these matters... I mean sure you are in your fights but..."
Ranma cocked his head to the side "Wha... Hey! *ahem* I meant were you planning on discussing anything else with me tonight." 'I swear she's the only one who can get to me like this.' He thought with a blush.
The purple haired women mock pouted "I guess we can just talk" 'I still got it.'
Grumbling about teenage hormones he thought he had outgrown, Ranma lead Rose to his room.
__________
"Alright Keiko, it's time for bed." Nodoka walked with Keiko to her room.
"But Mom..."
"No buts. Besides the sooner you go to bed the sooner tomorrow will come and the sooner you'll see Ranma." The Saotome matriarch smiled a sad smile at her child as the little girl ran to her room and jumped on her bed. 'At least Ranma still cares about someone in this family.'
As Keiko settled into bed she asked her mom the question Nodoka had been dreading answering. "Mom, what are you going to do about Daddy teaching me the Neko-ken?" Keiko grimaced with her mom hung her head.
"I... don't know for sure yet." Nodoka half lied. After reading the instructions for the training and the side effects as well as the blatent warning of 'DO NOT USE!' that was in it, there was no way she would let Keiko learn it. But she knew Genma very well. And Genma knew her well. There was no question in her mind that he would still try to teach their daughter the technique, and that he would use her sense of honor to get her to agree... just like he did when he took Ranma. She had came up with the 'man among men' contract in desperation and it had completely backfired, she couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice.
So then what could she do?
__________
Sitting across from his... friend, Ranma looked over the list of fighters he would have to deliver invitations to. "I'll simply give Ken, his and Ryu's invitation. Guile shouldn't be a problem. Guy and Cody? Sure you don't want to invite them?" Ranma pleaded more than asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose tried to look clueless.
"You know you really can't pull off the clueless look dressed up like that... eccentric and weird maybe, but clueless..."
"Eccentric and weird? That's not what you thought when we first met." Rose smiled when Ranma's eye twitched and he turned back to the list.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just that Guy can get a little annoying with the whole 'I sense a dark power within you' bit. Cody's even more annoying, I mean if you're going to call yourself a hero then you shouldn't be spending time behind bars." Ranma snorted.
"Like you have room to talk. He was arrested because of all the fights he was in." Rose pointed out. "I think you don't like Guy because you're jealous, and you dislike Cody because... well he does have a bit of an ego, but you should be used to that."
Ignoring her second jibe in favor of her first, Ranma spoke up. "Jealous? Why the hell would I be jealous? I mean for God's sake he's some self righteous ninja... that doesn't add up from what I know about ninjas."
"Your jealous because he gives me all that attention when I'm around." Rose then pretended to look around the room as Ranma stumbled for words for a moment.
Regaining his calm and smirking, he replied "Sorry, but I'm not interested in Guy. He can look at whoever he wants."
"Good, I didn't say you were jealous over him..." She gave him one of those looks that had turned lesser men into putty.
"Moving on." the blushing martial artist interrupted. "I see you left me the Womens team and the Sakazaki team from last years tournament. It couldn't have been that hard to contact them for Chizuru."
"Yes, I asked her to allow you to deliver those invitations personally. I should warn you, be prepared for a surprise when you meet the Sakazaki family again."
"Oh." Ranma looked back at Rose, waiting for her to continue. Realizing that she wasn't going to, he sighed. "I think that's enough for tonight. I got a important meeting for tomorrow." Ranma walked over to the mini-fridge to retrieve a bottle of water. While he was bent over trying to reach the bottle in the back of the fridge, and muttering about what he should do to people who put small refrigerators on the floor, he heard Rose call to him.
"I guess I'll be calling it a night myself, sweet dreams."
"Bye." Ranma called out from on his knees as he stretched for the water. 'As soon as I want some cold water it has to be difficult to get it... figures.' Barely paying attention to his surroundings, he idly noted that the hotel door closing after Rose's exit sounded like it came from the opposite side of the room. Standing up and taking a long pull on the drink, Ranma sighed in contentment.
Placing the bottle back in the mini-fridge, near the front, Ranma made his way to the bedroom to finally get some rest. He quickly deduced that he wouldn't be getting a peaceful rest that night as soon as he saw his bed. "Um... Rose?"
"Shh. I'm trying to sleep here." Rose returned from under the covers.
"Oh sorry... Dammit Rose, don't try that crap with me." Ranma rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. 'I can't believe she almost got me with that.'
"Look Ranma, I'm tired and I didn't stop to get a room when I came in."
Ranma's refusal died upon his lips as he took a look at her expression. "You still have the nightmares don't you?" It was more a statement than a question.
"Please Ranma let me stay here tonight."
"Like I can say no..." Ranma headed back out the room.
"Where are you going?"
"To get some cold water." Was his angry reply.
Taking a second to see if she could catch a glimpse of why he was angry with her, she heard his strongest thought. 'I'll kill Bison with my bare hands for doing this to her!'
"Ranma, I know you don't like being in your cursed form, so don't worry about it. I trust you."
Ranma stared at her before nodding. "If you're sure." 'cause I'm not...'. Even though Rose occasionally asked to sleep in the same bed as Ranma, he had never gotten used to the idea of any women laying beside him without trying to do more than just sleep. One of the many things about Rose that kept him off balance he supposed.
__________
The next morning Ranma woke up to an empty bed. 'It took me forever to get to sleep with her next to me, and she's knocked out the second I lay down in the bed...' Sensing that she was nowhere in the room, he guessed she had already left for home. 'I swear she seems to pop up at the most interesting moments and leaves before you know it... Now that I think about it, she seems to show up whenever I'm in a tense situation, like she's... Damn, I'm really going to have to thank her one day.'
Focusing on getting ready for his final day in Nerima before heading for the States, Ranma walked towards the bathroom for a quick shower. 'What the hell is that on my face?... Is that lipstick?' He turned his head to the side and put it close to the window. "It is lipstick." Guessing it was Rose's way of saying goodbye, Ranma continued his business in the bathroom.
After leaving the bathroom he thought out his schedule for the day. 'I'll stop by Ucchans for breakfast before I head to see Ranko and... Nodoka. Afterwards I'll head to the airport and book a flight to Los Angeles.' Nodding to himself he finished preparing for another day. 'Things have been actually rather calm for Nerima standards...' He cursed himself for thinking such thoughts, knowing full well that Nerima would rectify that problem before he could leave.
"Oh well, I guess it'll be interesting." He smiled while grabbing his bag and heading out. As he made his way out of the hotel lobby and onto the streets of the city, he was barely able to turn in the direction of Ucchans before he heard his name being roared.
"RANMA!"
Calmly looking back to the voice, Ranma was briefly shocked at the figure before him. The plain green shirt and black jeans the man was wearing weren't familiar, neither was the black bandana or boots. However the face, well that was another story, "I'll be damned, if it isn't Mr. P-chan himself."
__________
"It is you! What are you doing in Nerima?" Ryouga asked as he sized Ranma up. 'Ranma looks a lot stronger than I remember, not much of a surprise, but he also looks more intense and imposing with the dark robe and that walk that just screams 'DANGER'. I guess the rumors were true.'
Ranma raised an eyebrow at Ryouga. "What's this? No 'prepare to die' or surprise attack for revenge, what about the 'for what you did to Akane' crap?"
Ryouga grinned "Well I can't say I condone your treatment of Akane, but I'm not her protector or boyfriend so it's not my place. On the other hand, don't think that I've forgotten about our last fight 7 years ago. I won't fight you now though... Because I have this." Ryouga reached behind him.
Ranma narrowed his eyes as he waited for Ryouga to bring out whatever nasty surprise he had hidden. He really hoped this wouldn't turn out like the debacle with Mousse a few years back. He blinked when Ryouga pulled out a letter and envelope. "Is that an invi..."
"An invitation to the Masters of the Fist tournament. It was for my teacher but he thought I would have better use for it." Ryouga shrugged. "I guess he was right."
"So who's your partner?"
"Heh heh, well you see... it's kinda like this... um..." Ryouga babbled for a second.
"You don't have one." Ranma deadpanned.
"Yep." Ryouga smiled sheepishly at him.
Smiling, Ranma waved Ryouga towards him. "Walk with me, I'm headed for Ucchans. I'll treat you to lunch."
It was Ryouga's turn to blink " That's rather nice of you. I heard you had turned really mean."
"I did."
__________
Hearing the chime above her door, Ukyo looked up at the odd scene. 'Is that Ryouga walking with Ranma?! And are they talking about clothes?' She sweatdropped as she saw Ryouga pull at his jeans and look back at Ranma scowling, as they neared her counter.
"They hold up pretty well in a fight I have you know. I wouldn't be talking about other people's fashion sense if I were you." Ryouga snorted.
"Please, I look good in this. Ain't that right Ucchan." Ranma smiled at her.
"Definitely, though I may be a bit biased." She smiled at the two "I don't remember you telling me you ran into Ryouga after you left Nerima Ranma."
"That's because I didn't. I bumped into him in the street, sort of, on my way over here."
"So... You two decided to fight after getting some breakfast or something?"
Ryouga answered her "I plan on taking him on in the tournament. Well, as soon as I get a partner."
"That's right, I meant to mention it earlier, but there's someone else in Nerima whose entering the tournament." Ranma casually remarked as he began to look through the menu. "I'll have the usual, what about you Ryouga?"
Ryouga almost facefaulted "Screw the food! whose entering the tourament?"
"You're not trying to say my food's no good are you? I happen to think my pork okonomiyaki is pretty tasty..." Ukyo tried to look upset.
"Come on guys, I need a partner! So whose is it? Kuno, Kodachi, Genma, maybe Hap..."
"Akane." Ranma threw in.
"Akane?" Ryouga blinked.
"Akane." Ukyo nodded.
"A-Akane?" Ryouga asked again. "She was invited and I wasn't?"
"Well Ryouga I really didn't know where you were, plus it was kind of a sudden decision. The invitation was originally for Balrog the boxer." Ranma shrugged.
"I don't know... I really don't think I want to be partners with her." Ryouga rubbed his smooth chin.
Ukyo raised an eyebrow at the action 'he should at least wait until he has some stubble before doing that...'. "Um, why wouldn't you be partners with her?"
"I realized that I never really liked Akane as much as I thought and whenever I see her I become ashamed of myself." Ryouga answered sullenly.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ranma asked as Ukyo handed him his food.
"My master was able to get me to admit a lot of hard truths to myself while I studied under him. One of those was that my fixation on Akane was actually me trying to bring you pain and feeling a connection to her for being someone who also saw you as royal jerk... no offense, actually I don't really mind if you find that offensive." Ryouga seemed to think it over.
"Okay... Say who is your master? he must be something special to get through your thick skull. Offense intended." Ranma smirked.
Chuckling Ryouga answered him "Dhalsim."
"Really? the yoga guy?" Ranma got out as he continued to stuff his face. Ukyo shook her head at the display.
"Yes, the 'yoga guy'." Ryouga answered while rolling his eyes at Ranma's description.
"Wow. How did you manage that?" Ranma asked. Before Ryouga could answer Ukyo spoke up. "Who's this Dhalsim?"
"Well Dhalsim is a warrior from India who practices an extreme version of Yoga. He doesn't look like much. He's bald and really skinny. His head is painted with three red strips across the top and two under each eye. Even weirder is his jewelry... he wears huge loop earings and a necklace with three small skulls on it. I came across him after I, ah, traveled to India..." Ryouga shifted in his seat.
"In other words got lost..." Ukyo waved him on.
"Yeah, I had been traveling with some guy named Dan Hibiki, no relation... I hope. We ran into each other shortly after my fight with Ranma at the school. We both were looking for revenge of a sort and decided to travel together... I really just wanted him to show me back to Japan. I was in Thailand when I ran into him you see. When we reached the guy Dan was looking for, a man named Sagat, I knew he was in trouble. He was a huge man over 7 feet tall with a patch on his eye, the guy had a huge scar across his chest and one on the side of his head. He called himself the 'Emperor of Muay Thai' and believe me he deserves the title." Ryouga paused as he thought back to the behemoth Dan faced.
"Even though Dan won the fight, it was obvious Sagat had let him win."
"Maybe this Dan guy got lucky?" Ukyo commented, she had a small spot for the underdogs. "What?" Ukyo asked as Ranma tried to bite back his laughter.
Ryouga looked at Ranma before continuing. "I guess you've heard of or have met him. Sorry Ukyo, but Dan almost blacked out when he received one uppercut from Sagat. Granted it was a really powerful one, a man as big as him crouching low to the ground like that before flying up and slamming his huge fist into you isn't something to sneeze at, but Dan could hardly stand after that."
"Instead Dan started screaming about how Sagat killed his father and how he wanted revenge. I guess Sagat saw something in him or felt sorry for him, cause after that Dan's pathetic attempts at attacking Sagat actually landed. After landing his own uppercut, nowhere near as strong as the one he received, he started cheering and rolling around. When I looked at Sagat he had one eye... his only eye I guess, squinted open as he watched Dan make a fool of himself."
"Since me and Dan supposedly had the same goals and ambitions it made me think... Did I want to end up like him? Someone so blinded by vengeance that I lose myself to it. Then I realized that I already had at moments let myself get to carried away. It was an eye opener. After that we parted ways and I eventually ran into Dhalsim. He could tell I was in some kind of rut and tried to help me out. I was less then polite in my refusal, one fight later and I was asking for him to teach me. You know what, I think I could use something to drink now, and whatever Ranma had to eat would be nice since he's paying." Ryouga finished.
"You're actually paying for your food today?" Ukyo asked Ranma.
"I was planning on trying to get it for free, I just told Ryouga I'd pay to sound nice, but sure." Ranma shrugged. "Well Ryouga, Akane really needs a partner and I don't see her getting anyone else. Just think about it. Oh yeah, I never answered your question as to why I was here. Did you know Genma tried to teach Ranko... I mean Keiko the Neko-ken."
Ryouga almost spit out his drink at the information. "WHAT?!"
"Yep, I found them a couple of days distance away from here in some woods, just starting the procedure to learn it. Needless to say I put a stop to that and returned Ranko, um Keiko, back here."
"So you guys are calling her Ranko huh? I always thought it was a bad idea to tell her stories about you, you know rotting her mind and all." Ryouga smirked.
"Ha ha, anyway I'm heading over to talk to Nodoka about it after I finish up here, I'll show you to the Tendo dojo if you like." Ranma offered.
"I don't need to be shown the way anymore, thanks to Dhalsim's training. Do you mind if I go see Ranko with you? I can't help but like the kid, even though they tell her stories about our fights she never picks a side over it. She just loves to hear the stories, it's kind of nice to be looked up to... even if it's second place to you."
"Sure you can come. It'll hopefully keep the tension down some." Ranma answered.
"Well if Ryouga's going then so am I." Ukyo added as she started cutting off all her cooking equipment and then turned over the sign on her door. "As soon as the remaining customers leave we'll head out alright?"
"Sure I'm in no rush" Ranma replied. Ryouga just kept eating.
__________
Keiko sweatdropped as her mother paced back and forth across the living room. She had wanted to take a look at the book about the Neko-ken, but her mom kept looking at it, cursing it, then pacing again. 'I hope Ranma gets here soon...'
*Knock* *Knock*
Both women jumped at the sound, one to run to the door the other just out of surprise. "Ranma's here!" Keiko shouted as she rounded the corner to the hallway leading to the front door.
Nodoka waited patiently for her daughter and son to enter the room. The first person she saw was Keiko returning looking a little disappointed. "Keiko?"
"It's just Daddy and the others..." Keiko slumped into a chair.
"Please don't get all worked up over little ol' me Keiko." Nabiki laughed.
"Sorry auntie, but Ranma's taking too long!" She whined to Nabiki as if the older women could some how fix the problem.
Nodoka had to hide her distate for the panda being assisted into their home by Soun. She wasn't the least bit surpised that Kasumi entered the house with a huge smile or Akane's search of the hallway and family room.
"He's not here yet sis." Nabiki smiled at Akane. The dark blue haired women relaxed.
"Hello Genma." Nodoka bore into him.
[Hello dear, I see that no good boy decided not to show his face here, I'd hate to have to teach him another lesson.]
Keiko's mother had to take a moment to understand the sign. "You shouldn't say... write such things. Especially on one side of such a small sign." She quipped. The panda's face lost any cheer it had managed to produce when it didn't see Ranma around. "Keiko bring your father some hot water please."
"Sure Mom." Keiko was glad to have something to do... even more so since it got her out of the tense situation in the living room.
After retrieving the hot water Keiko took a moment to take a deep calming breath as she entered the fray once again. "Um, here you go Daddy."
The panda took the cup of water and poured it over his head. "That's better. So dear, you didn't believe in that nonsense Ranma was talking about did you? You didn't read that book he planted on me right?" Genma forced a smile as he asked the question.
"Regardless if the book was planted or not, it is authentic I even called the publishing house written on the back. They thought I was crazy for even considering teaching it to someone!" Nodoka huffed.
"This is gonna be good." Nabiki whispered to her sisters.
"Nabiki!" Soun exclaimed. Nabiki just gave him the 'look' effectively shutting him up.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Oh, that must be Ranma!" Keiko cheered as she rushed for the door again.
Nabiki sweatdropped "that sounded awfully familiar..."
"You don't say." Kasumi deadpanned, causing her two sisters and father to look at her in shock. "What?"
After realizing Keiko was taking too long, everyone headed for the front door. They paused as they saw Keiko looking up at their guest.
Keiko was completely stunned into silence as she looked up at her visitor. Ukyo wasn't really a surprise nor the black piglet, but it was the other person that froze her in place. Even as young as she was, Keiko new that the women before her was probably one of the most beautiful creatures alive. 'Wow, she's so beautiful I wonder if I'll be able to grow up to be anywhere near as pretty as her... she's even a fighter I can tell by her clothes, there just like Ranma's... Wait a minute NO WAY!'
"Say Ranma, what's wrong with Ranko?" Ukyo asked.
"R-Ranma?" Keiko fainted.
"Would you look at that." Ranma snickered. P-chan squealed from his position on Ranma's shoulder.
A whistle got the attention of the three. Looking up they saw all the Tendo's and Genma and Nodoka staring at them, with Nabiki holding two fingers in her mouth and still whistling.
"Aren't you a total babe." Nabiki smirked as she finished whistling. The cursed martial artist was as tell as her male form now with long dark red hair tied in it's ponytail. Her blue-gray eyes were darker as well, giving her the vixen look.
P-chan, Genma, and Soun nodded in agreement before remembering who they were talking about. Genma almost joined his daughter in slumber land, Soun smacked himself over the head, and P-chan jumped off Ranma's shoulder like it was burning him.
"Heh, I have filled out nicely haven't I." Ranma gave Nabiki a sultry smiled, causing the other girl to blush a bit.
Ukyo smacked Ranma upside the head. "Would you quit it. It was bad enough when you almost killed the ladle lady..."
Everyone gulped at that "You tried to kill the old lady who's always watering the side walk?!" Akane screamed.
"I don't try to kill people, either I do or don't and the only people I've killed were Saffron and Mousse... Damn, I wasn't planning on telling you all that." Ranma cursed herself for her slip.
"What?!" Came from almost everyone except Ukyo, and of course the pig who couldn't say anything but "bwee!" .
Trying to calm things down, Ukyo tried to direct them back to the ladle lady. "I mean the women was throwing out the water when me and these two were walking by and when it got on Ranma, she let out her dark aura to dry herself. The poor old women nearly had a heart attack." Kasumi seemed to be the only one to sigh in relief, the others continued to gape at Ranma.
"You killed..." Akane began as she pointed at the apparently deadly Ranma.
"Mousse?" Nabiki squeaked.
"Yeah and I don't want to talk about it right now, I have more important things to discuss." Ranma turned to her one time mother. "Shall I bring Ranko into the living room while you give me your answer?"
"Please do." Nodoka nodded. As her son turned daughter carried her second child, she heard Keiko moan and wake up.
"What a dream... I could have sworn I saw this really pretty... lady... whose holding me right now... RANMA!" Keiko jumped out of Ranma's arms and pointed at her. "Wow! Is it really you? You look so pretty!"
"Yeah it's really me, can you get me and Ryouga some hot water?" Ranma asked her sister. 'Oops, did I say Ryouga?' She turned to look at the piglet who was sneaking glances at Akane, while said girl was looking at the small animal with uncertainty. 'I guess she already knows...'
"Here you go!" came a chipper voice from in front of her. Turning back to her sister, Ranma took the cup and started to pour the water on to herself. She raised an eyebrow when the little girl stared at her during the whole process. After using enough to change back into his male form, Ranma turned to Ryouga.
"That was so COOL!" Ranma ignored his sister as he upended the cup over the pig 'Hasn't she seen Genma change?'. Right before the water hit P-chan, the pig and Ranma got wide eyes.
"His clothes!"
"Bwee!"
Nodoka quickly covered Keiko's eyes before Ryouga changed. He blinked when his clothes were tossed to him almost immediately. As he picked them off his head he turned to Ukyo. "I figured you might not want your pack and clothes left in front of the door, sugar."
"Yeah, well Ranma was the one carrying it." Ryouga grumbled, as he got dressed.
"Okay already, let's get this show on the road, shall we." Ranma commented as he headed for the living room, everyone else following.
"Mom, can I look now?"
"Oh sure, sorry."
Once everyone was seated, Ranma began. "So what's your decision?"
Nodoka was only slightly caught off guard by Ranma's bluntness. "Well, I know for sure I can let her be taught the Neko-ken."
"What! How can you say that. The only way to make her as good as him is to teach it to her! Besides she'll need to take over the dojo when Akane finishes teaching." Genma stood up.
"If I'm not mistaken, Akane never learned the Neko-ken either." Nodoka replied calmly.
"As the head of this household as well as her teacher, I demand that she learn it! It's for her own good. Surely you won't go against my word would you, wife?" Genma bore into her.
"I.. I.." Nodoka faltered, she knew this was coming and had already made her decision but it was going against what she believed to be honorable.
"Calm down Nodoka. Take your time, I still have to tell Ranko some more about my trip to China don't I. You can give your answer afterwards... oh and Genma you might like to hear that I confronted the 'Master' before I left Japan those 7 years ago."
"What? But the master was missing before you even left."
"Just listen will you. Anyway, are you ready to hear the story Ranko?"
"Ready!"
__________
(We flash back to another, well, Flashback...)
{Hello my home is Ranma.}
"You're confusing home and name again." Gen told him.
"Man, it's been two months and I'm still confusing those two!" Ranma complained.
"Calm down, you'll get it. Besides I'm amazed at how fast you picked up as much as you have."
"Well, I heard it a lot when I was traveling through China. When you're being attacked by villagers left and right because of your father, you try to pick up any words that might warn you that you being targeted. I'm pretty good at learning languages anyway, I learned English when I was twelve. The army guy who taught me it was pretty harsh though, and kind of crazy..." Ranma trailed off.
"Interesting, in any case a few more months and I think you'll have it down well enough to get by. And after spending some time in China you'll perfect it in no time." Gen smiled. Even though he was a tough taskmaster, when his student tried as hard as Ranma did it was hard to act tough. Mostly, because it wasn't necessary.
{Hello, my name is Ranma... How are you?} Ranma took a moment to run it back in his head, before smiling and nodding to himself.
"Not bad. But let us get to your training. We need to toughen up your fingers..."
"No need. I'm pretty tough already. I learned this technique called the breaking point and it..." Ranma was cut off.
"Did you train with it on each finger?" Gen asked with a demeaning tone.
Ranma flinched "Well, not exactly... Fine what do I do?"
"I believe it's pretty close to the training you used to learn that technique. You simply gather some stones together and stick all four finger into them repeatedly. You should do so twice every day now, 500 times each." Gen waited for an outburst.
"Okay."
And was quite disappointed.
Ranma turned to go look for some more training equipment. 'I can't believe I'm still sore. Until I'm in better condition I can't train to increase too much in the physical department. It's just learning Chinese and meditating.' Ranma began to collect rocks and stones from the nearby stream, hoping not to get wet.
While he was busy, Gen was facing the east. 'I feel another power coming...'
The sound of a twig breaking was heard in the distance. Gen sat down at the camp to wait for his new guest. Once the person made their way to the clearing, Gen assessed him. A tall Japanese man with short brown hair and a red bandana, also wearing red-brown hand gaurds. He was also wearing a gi that was probably white once but had darkened over time. Gen guessed his age at about 18. "Hello young man, what brings you to my camp?"
"Ah hello. My name's Ryu, I had felt a strong fighting spirit this way and came looking for a match." He bowed to Gen.
"Actually there's two fighter here right now, but my companion isn't in the best of shape. I would be more than happy to have a match with you though."
"I would appreciate it." Ryu returned, he looked to his left as he sensed someone approach.
Ranma stepped through the foliage looking directly at Ryu. "Who's the new... Ryu?"
"Ranma? Is that you?" Ryu looked him up and down. 'He's gotten really strong.'
"Yeah it's me... Man you're huge! You been taking steroids or something?" Ranma joked.
"Nah, you know me. I fight with power over speed and finesse, so it's only natural to 'beef' up as you would say." Ryu smiled at him.
"You even know modern lingo... I suppose you finally left your hidden dojo in the wilds." Ranma smirked.
"As a matter of fact I have. I've been traveling the globe fighting all types of men and women" Ryu turned back to Gen. "Anyway sir, I'd be happy to fight you."
"Then lets go." Gen walked away from the tents that were set up and over to area that he and Ranma had used for meditating. It was an area that, even though grass still grew there it was significantly less than in other parts. One could tell that people often used that patch of land for training of some sort or another; that was one of the reasons they had stopped at that spot after all.
Ranma walked over to the camp and deposited the rocks into a pile before sitting by a tree to watch the fight. When he was younger he had spent a few weeks training with Ryu, Ken, and some goofball named Dan. Even though he didn't talk much to Ryu or Dan, he was constantly trading insults with Ken. Something about the mixed Japanese guy really got to him. He doubted it was the dyed blonde hair he had, or the fact that Ken could beat him at the time. At the age of 13, Ranma still was at the stage in life where he lost the occasional match, and when he saw how good Ryu and Ken were it didn't bother him to much since he knew he was training to be as good as they were, maybe even before he turned 15 like them. No, he was pretty sure Ken got to him because he found Ken to be almost as cool as he thought he was at the time.
'If Ryu, Ken and maybe Dan continued their training they should be amazing fighters by now. I can't wait to see this.' Ranma smiled to himself. The smile turned into a gasp as he saw the stance Ryu took 'That's why Akuma's style seemed familiar, it's the same as Ryu's... hmm, there does seem to be some differences though. Where Akuma held his hands open, Ryu's are closed into fist and he seems to bounce on his feet at a faster pace then Akuma did. Probably because he doesn't have the power to take as many punches as Akuma, so he needs to be able to move faster.'
The stance taken by Gen was noted by Ranma as the mantis style. Both his hands in front of himself with the fingers pointed down. Both legs bent, one in front and one to the side. He rocked back and forth as his hands moved in a circular motion like a clock.
A slight breeze rustling the trees seemed to call a start to the match as younger fighter cried out his attack.
"Hadoken!"
A blue fireball shot from his cupped hands towards his opponent who rolled under it towards his attacker. Before Ryu could recover from his move, Gen rolled out into a finger jab. Slightly bending over from the attack, Ryu received a foot to his face courtesy of Gen, who had raised up on his right arm to send his lower body towards him and lashing out a left kick.
Even with the pain his face was in, the Japanese fighter realized that Gen was being held up by one hand. Taking advantage of the unorthodox move, Ryu went for a quick leg sweep. He hopped back after the attack landed.
Gen rolled back to his starting position after being clipped up by Ryu. "You're faster than you look."
"So I've been told." The teen returned.
Ranma blinked at the new stance Gen was in. 'What kind of stance is that? It looks like a weird version of the crane or something...'
The aged warrior held his hands, still with the finger pointed down, to his right side. His left hand near his chest level and his right back behind him. The right leg was bent into the air, as his left was supporting solely on the front of his feet, as he continued to sway back and forth.
Reluctantly admitting that the old man probably had even more patience than he did, which was saying a lot, Ryu went on the offensive again. Dashing forwards, he went into a spinning jump kick to hopefully break Gen's defense. He was unprepared for Gen's counter. Spinning on the standing leg, Gen stretched his other one out to kick and cancel out Ryu's. As the two kicks connected, Gen pushed off with his left leg and brought his right one back down sending Ryu off balance and susceptible to Gen left foot.
Ranma winced as Ryu received a second left foot to the face and went spinning in the air. 'The old man really is good.' He winced a second time as well as adding a "Woah!" at the next attack that landed.
"Shoryuken!"
Ryu used as much of his agility that he could muster to land on his feet after being sent twirling from Gen's strike. As soon as he landed in his crouch he performed his rising uppercut.
Gen flew almost 8 feet into the air from the attack. Ryu closed in on him again as the older man landed on his back. Immediately attacking Gen when he stood, Ryu threw a low kick followed by a right hook and ending in a roundhouse kick.
Gen switched his standing foot from his left to right as he hopped over the low kick. Parrying the right hook and ducking the roundhouse Gen struck with hundreds of punches in the span of a second.
"Hyakurenko!"
Ranma at first glance thought it was a one armed amaguriken. He reevaluated that when he noticed Gen interchanging punches with pressure point strikes and open palmed smacks. 'The old man's real good...'
Staggering back Ryu unleashed his Super fireball in hopes of catching the old man at a vulnerable moment. Cupping his hands, it seemed as if electricity was gathering in his palms as he pushed his arms forwards.
"Shinku Hadoken!"
Ranma eyes grew wide at the attack 'That's almost as big as the fireball Akuma tried to take my head off with! Gen's done now.'
Gen gritted his teeth, the boy was better than he expected. 'I should have taken someone who uses the same style as Akuma with more caution... but I'm still going to win!' Gen crouched extremely low and pulled back the arm he hadn't used during his last attack, and like a ghost glided across the ground. As he passed Ryu he called out his attack.
"Zanei!"
Ranma and Ryu both blinked as it seemed that nothing happened, and before either new it Ryu began to shake violently as if he was being attacked by an invisible assailant.
'Damn.' Ranma thought as he watched Ryu fall to the ground in pain. He was surprised when Ryu trudged back to his feet with a smile on his face.
"I still standing... the fight... isn't over." The obviously hurt martial artist got out.
"You have a very strong spirit boy." Gen acknowledged as he approached him. Gen decided to rush the young man since it looked like he could barely stand.
Taking a deep calming breath Ryu attacked with a gravity defying spinning kick. He quickly covered the ground between the oncoming Gen and himself, as he spun in the air like the hurricane the moved was named after.
"Tatsumaki Senpukyaku!"
'He shouldn't have enough energy to pull off that move!' was all Gen could think as he was caught with the move for three consecutive hits before being thrown back.
Ryu using the last of his strength fired off another fireball at the rolling form of Gen, hoping to time his attack at the moment Gen recovered from the kick and rolled to his feet.
"Hadoken!"
"It ends now." Gen whispered to his self as he heard the cry of Ryu. As he was rolling back he waited until he feet were to the ground before shooting into the air and rebounding of the trees to position himself right above Ryu's form. Jumping down of the branch from overhead, Gen took Ryu out of the fight.
"Oga!"
'That fight was better than I expected.' Ranma thought as he walked over to the two fighters.
__________
"Ohhh..." Ryu groaned as he woke up. 'I.. I lost. I haven't lost since I fought 'him' a couple of months ago.'
"So you're awake." Came a wizened voice.
Ryu turned to face the man that had defeated him. "Yeah, I guess so."
"I don't remember you being so grumpy when you used to wake up." Came from the other side of Ryu.
"Sorry. I'm just upset I lost. I've been training really hard to beat someone and I thought I was ready... but I guess not."
"I think we all know that feeling." Gen stated.
"Maybe, it's just that the man I'm trying to defeat is extremely powerful. He's almost more than human. If I can't beat a normal man how can I stand up to him?" Ryu looked at his clenched fist.
"Normal man? I think you're underestimating me... which is rather odd since you already lost to me." Gen chuckled.
"Look Ryu, Gen's an incredible fighter and as far as I know, he and I are supposedly the only ones to live through the final technique of some monster named Akuma. So don't think he some regular fighter." Ranma was never one to miss an opportunity to toot his own horn.
"Both of you? That's impossible! Akuma's raging demon is unstoppable!" Ryu propped himself up to look at the two.
Ranma puffed up with pride. "Sorry to burst your bubble but I got tagged with it only 3 months ago, and look at me I'm almost completely fine."
Gen tried not to smile at the antics of the two young boys. "Be that as it may, you seem to know about Akuma."
Ryu turned away from Ranma "Akuma was the one who killed my master a few years ago."
"What?! Gouken's dead?" Ranma cried out.
"Yes, Gouki, Gouken's brother killed him. Later we found out that Gouki was actually the same man known as Akuma. I fought him about 7 months ago, he toyed with me for a while before telling me to seek him out once I realized my true power... whatever that means." Ryu looked at the fire that was under the pot of water.
"So that's who you've been training to beat. You and the others most be pretty strong then if you guys are planning on taking him on. But you should know, that's who I'm working towards defeating too. I know that I didn't train under Gouken for that long, but if I fight Akuma before you..." Ranma left the rest unspoken.
"I'd rather do it myself, but I thank you anyway. As to the 'others', Dan didn't stay with us long enough to find out about Akuma. Even though you probably remember, he wasn't the most focused." Ryu tried not to show any semblance of disgust for him. Dan wasn't a bad guy but he was darn annoying!
"Not to mention that a pink gi is just wrong. So very wrong..." Ranma shook his head. 'How can a guy wearing a pink gi run around shouting about vengeance? At least Kuno wore blue...'
"I should be going, I'm well enough to walk. Next time we meet each other perhaps we can have a match?"
"Sure, I'll kick your butt if you want." Ranma smirked.
'Kid reminds me of Ken...' Ryu thought while narrowing his eyes at Ranma. "Thank you for the fight Gen." After bowing he retrieved his pack an continued on his journey.
Ranma turned to the rocks he had gathered as Ryu walked away. 'I will defeat Akuma... And before Ryu!' Ranma started slamming his finger into the stones.
Gen refrained from commenting on Ranma's new determination that was all but visible on his face. 'It seems there's a hidden rivalry brewing between them.'
__________
"You want me to read this?" Ranma asked as she and Gen walked out of the book store.
"Yes, ancient chinese proverbs are very interesting. Some are even humorous." Gen walked ahead of her. "Besides it'll help with your Chinese. I'm surprised we were able to get it so cheap..."
Ranma snorted "Yeah, I'm sure being splashed by that puddle had nothing to do with it..."
"Once we start back through the forest tomorrow I'll show you some amazing strength increasing exercises... but for tonight I want you to read 1/4 of that book."
"What?! A quarter of this big book!" Ranma gaped at the old man in front of her. "I won't even understand half of it, it's in freakin' Chinese!"
"As you would say 'duh, of course it's in chinese' ." Gen forced himself not to smile at the twitching redhead.
"You better hope it's not you and me in the end old man..." Ranma grumbled.
__________
"How amazing... Just kick the tree's until they fall." Ranma sarcastically cried to herself as she once again kicked the tree for all she was worth. "Ow, ow, ow, ow."
Kick "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
Kick "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
Kick "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"This really hurts you know...."
"Yes I know... say isn't time for you to start reading?"
Kick...
"You finally kicked the tree down."
"..."
__________
"Happy Birthday to me." Ranma cheered to no one as he sat in front of the slice of cake he recently bought... or swindled if you wanted to get technical, when the waiter saw the 'cute' redhead enter he offered her a nice discount. Said waiter was miffed when he returned to find a black haired man at her table. Looking around the small cafe he was in he noticed a young man walking by with a pained look on his face, the type of pain Ranma knew well. 'Kid looks half starved...' Checking the money he had left in his wallet he said what the hell, "Yo, kid... Hey, I'm talking to you!" Ranma growled as the kid purposely ignored him.
"Ow... Why you!" the red-haired kid looked up from the spoon that had impacted with the side of his head.
"Ah stuff it, that's what you get for ignoring me." Ranma smirked.
"I wasn't ignoring you. You obviously were calling someone else since my name isn't 'kid'." The boy sneered.
"You hungry?" Ranma ignored the boy's irritation.
"W-what?" The teenager blinked. Weren't they about to start arguing?
"I said Are. You. Hungry?" Ranma pretending to make hand signals to emphasize his question.
The boy's face matched the color of his hair as he tried not to growl at the older guy in front of him. "I heard you the first time."
"So what's your answer then?" Ranma started to take a bite of his cake. He waited for an answer from the kid that was staring at him.
"No I'm not hungry." The young man turned away from Ranma, only to be betrayed by his growling stomach.
"Sit down and eat." Ranma commanded. Whether the kid wanted it or not, Ranma was going to fed him. 'Kid reminds me too much of myself at that age... It would have been nice if someone had bought me a meal instead of ignoring me when I was hungry...'
As the sound of the older boy's voice carried a tone that told him he should go along for now, the other boy sat down across from him.
A waiter seemed to appear out of nowhere beside the table. Ranma looked at the redhead and blinked "Well order something. I already ate."
"Right." the boy looked at Ranma suspiciously "I'll have a... steak."
Ranma almost swallowed the cake down the wrong tube, looking at his 'guest' he found the other boy grinning at him. Shrugging his shoulders Ranma went back to eating the cake. 'Cocky punk...' Ranma thought while smiling. "So 'kid' what's with the starving artist look?" Ranma had noticed the poise with which the kid walked with, it was definitely the walk of a martial artist.
"What?"
"I could tell by looking at you, you're a fighter, or at least training to be." Ranma looked at the young man.
"Well I'm training right now... with my father." the sound of his voice at the mention of his father also gave Ranma a feeling of familiarity.
"I take it you and your father don't get along." Ranma asked, a snort was his only answer. Looking closer at the boy, Ranma noted various bruises. Ranma's voice turned back to it's commanding tone. "Does he beat you? Or are your bruises simply form training."
The boy looked back at him in the eyes "Is there a difference?"
"There should be. I actually trained for ten years with an abusive father. True, he never beat me with objects or hit me when we weren't training. But the methods he used for training me were more than enough to get the bastard arrested many times over. Eventually I had to get away from him... I don't know your situation but I suggest keeping that thought in mind." Ranma bore into the younger man.
The two ate in silence once the waiter came with the plate of food. Even though with more manners than Ranma ever displayed around Nerima, the boy devoured the steak in no time.
"I guess you haven't ate in awhile." Ranma spoke to break the ice.
"I really like meat is all..." The boy shrugged. The boy noted that the pigtailed man stood up with a grace that he had rarely seen.
"Remember what I said alright, don't stay with that man if you don't have to. No one should control your life but you." Ranma gave him a pointed look.
"I will. I'll train with him until I know what I need to know about my fighting abilities before I take my leave of him." the young man had a disturbing smile on his face.
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Whatever." 'what you need to know about your fighting abilities? what does that mean?' "Well when you finish your training look me up. The name's Ranma, simply Ranma."
"I will, you'll definitely hear from Iori Yagami again, simply Ranma." The young men stared at each other before Ranma smirked and walked away "Until then Yagami..."
__________
{So my chinese is gotten better.} Ranma smiled.
{Getting.}
{So my Chinese is getting better.} Ranma growled.
"Relax, yes you're doing extremely well. Your schooling in China will polish it off for you though." Gen returned as they neared the docks where the boat to take them to China was waiting.
Ranma took a good look around the empty pavement that was the docking grounds. 'There's no one here yet... Good, if my curse is triggered I won't have a problem with too many people seeing it.'
Both paused as they felt two very strong auras near. "It feels like the... perv." Ranma groaned.
"The perv?... Do you mean Happosai?" Gen questioned.
"Yep, and the other one is Cologne, I think."
"Very good son-in-law." Came a voice from overhead.
Looking up both Gen and Ranma found the two ancient martial artists atop a boat. Jumping down Cologne peered at Gen. "Well hello sir. May I ask what business you have with my son-in-law?"
"Ah, you must be the grandmother of Shampoo, that he's told me about. My name is Gen, and I have taken Ranma under my wing to train him to defeat an opponent he and I share." Gen returned politely.
"I see. This opponent would not be the same one that almost killed son-in- law would it?"
"Why yes, how did you know?"
Ranma fidgeted as he kept glancing between Happosai and Cologne. 'Any minute now one of them is going to try to drag me back... or to China in Cologne's case. I wonder where everyone else is.'
"Simple, when Ranma stormed away from us all, I could still recognize his ki signature. I sensed it come into contact with a familiar presence... Akuma. A few of my Amazon warriors of the last few years have come across him. I thought he had killed Ranma those months ago." Cologne answered.
"I see. So what do you plan to do now?" Gen quickly glanced at the other diminutive master.
"I've come to ask my son-in-law for his plan on how he's going to remove himself as Shampoo's groom without destroying her honor? I know he still cares about those in Nerima, otherwise the young okonomiyaki chef would not be in such a good mood." Cologne smiled at Ranma.
Ranma grinned back "Actually I have been thinking about it. If I could I would like to challenge a fighter of your choosing in one year. If I win, Shampoo can return to the village with out me as her husband with her honor intact. If I lose and live to tell it, I will marry Shampoo or whatever else it is you wish from me. And if I should lose my life then I guess Shampoo's original kiss of death would be fulfilled. Does that work for you?"
Cologne thought about it. "Mostly. However I don't know if having you killed by someone other than Shampoo will be a good idea. But sure, in one year you shall return to the Amazon village to challenge for the right of immunity to our laws." After finishing Cologne made absolutely no move to leave. This of course made Ranma a bit tense.
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma. You're just full of surprises aren't you. First you tap into the true power of Anything goes at the age of 17, you turn your back on your family, you survive the raging demon, and now you have found an honest to goodness chance at resolving your business with the amazons. But let's see if you can surprise me one more time before you leave Japan. Face me in combat to become a master of the true Anything Goes school." Was the bombshell Happosai dropped next.
"Wha..." Ranma blinked, before narrowing his eyes. "Is this some kind of joke? Cause if it is I'm done playing with you people."
Happosai grinned "Let me put you at ease."
Ranma took a step back as he felt Happosai power up much like the first time he truly fought the master and was almost attacked with that weird ki move that looked like a Happosai dragon. However instead of shooting some ki attack, Happosai started to grow.
'So he's going to use the move he showed me when I tricked him with that herb that drove all the girls away.'
"I won't be passing out anytime soon, are you up to the challenge?" A 6 foot tall Happosai asked.
"Such an bizarre way to use a battle aura" Gen commented "Though I guess I can see the uses for it."
"Happy was always bizarre..." quipped Cologne.
Ranma settled in for long battle 'At least I'm at a hundred percent.' "Let's do it!"
The two jumped into the air towards one another. Ranma flipped into a jump kick with only minimal force, it was designed more to give him the ability to move in the air easier whether the kick landed or was blocked. Happosai did neither, he simply grabbed the leg and yanked the pigtailed boy towards him and slammed a fist into the exposed stomach.
Ranma rocketed towards the ground unable to right himself due to the force of the blow. Happosai softly landed on the ground. "That pretty stuff you and Genma love to do in the air ain't going to cut it with me. This is a fight, not a dance."
Ranma bristled at the perverts words. 'Like he ever takes a fight seriously... But still, I better give him all I got. Maybe I can get him to fight like Gen described that time.' Rising back to his feet, Ranma gave Happosai his trademark smirk. "Sorry, let's try that again." And with that the two once again took to the air.
As they neared each other Ranma threw out an elbow, which was blocked. Barely acknowledging the block, He unfolded his arm changing the elbow into a backhand. Happosai spun into his own elbow as he was forced to turn form the backhand. However, he followed up his elbow with a swinging knee to the face. As Ranma was turned upside down from the knee he lashed out with both legs kick Happosai away and allowing himself to flip onto his feet on the ground.
Turning back to his self proclaimed master, Ranma started to bounce from left to right on his feet. Happosai smirked before flipping into a cartwheel and then several back handsprings towards the pig-tailed boy. Ranma stopped bouncing and raised an eyebrow. 'What in the world is he doing?' Happosai stopped flipping two feet away from Ranma, however a powerful gust of wind flew by him slamming into his 'student' forcing the boy to cover his face.
The moment Ranma raised his arms he knew he had messed up. A wicked jab to his ribs seemed to reinforce his belief. The two fisted overhead punch to his back as he was bent over also seemed to agree with him. Snarling Ranma threw his head back up instead of dropping to his knees. He promised himself not to try that move again when it successfully connected with Happosai's head. 'Damn! that hurt!' He continued to press his advantage with a combo of kicks to Happosai's thigh, ribs, then head in quick succession. Taking a step back, he reversed direction back towards his challenger with a straight kick to the chest.
Running to catch up with his retreating foe, Ranma employed a flying jump kick. Happosai immediately stopped retreating and ducked under the kick. Before Ranma could even think about twisting in the air he was sent flying by a punch to his lower back. He welcomed the time it took to reach the peak of his flight, since it gave him the opportunity to swallow the pain from the punch. As he started to make his descent he faced the ground and threw his burning black ki blast.
"Flaming Darkness!"
Happosai's surprise at the attack kept him from dodging it, instead he only had time to counter with a quick bomb. As the explosion died down Ranma came flying through it like a fallen angel as his black aura blazed around him. Not to intimidated by such flashy shows of power Happosai decided to give Ranma a taste of his own medicine.
The air borne fighter cursed when Happosai sent a ki blast at him, effectively knocking him off course. Landing on his feet, Ranma once again engaged Happosai in close combat. Happosai's punch to the face was blocked, Ranma's uppercut in retaliation was sidestepped, both landed right hooks, Happosai's knee to the gut was caught, but he followed it up with a backflip that broke the hold.
Getting desperate Ranma cocked his right hand back and lit it with his black aura to get Happosai's attention. When the pervert started to raise his left hand to defend, Ranma unloaded the technique he saw Gen use. The one handed, pressure point, amaguriken type move...
"Hyakurenko!"
Gen blinked at the sight. "His version has way more punches... and it's faster."
"It's a lot like our Katchu Tenshin Amaguiken technique." Cologne informed him "It's a move that Ranma has employed quite a bit since learning."
"I'll have to ask him to tell me more about his battles, perhaps during our trip on the boat..." Gen commented more to himself than to the old women.
"He hasn't bragged about any of them yet?" Cologne asked with smile.
"He's been to busy learning Chinese. He's quite bright despite what I read in his school records." Gen blinked as the a thought struck him "Case in point." he gestured towards Ranma's attack on Happosai.
"You don't need to tell me. That's why I wanted him as part of my village. A male who was smart enough to change the minds of some of the women who are stuck in tradition but is easy going enough not to put them on guard. Oh well I guess I'll just have to wait until next year."
"You sound pretty sure of the outcome." Gen tried not to seem to interested, but he wondered just what the women was thinking.
"I'm a good actress." Was all she said, but it was enough.
Happosai was quite shocked at how long the boy could keep up the special move. He had tried to dodge and block most of the attacks while taking a few in order to be ready to counter as soon as Ranma finished instead of just getting out of range. He was starting to think that he might have made a mistake. Tired of waiting, Happosai allowed a few more attacks to land so he could get a feel for the pattern before catching Ranma's fist.
'Fall dammit!' Ranma wanted to scream aloud at his foe as the man continued to take punch after punch. When his fist was caught he swung the other that had been holding a substantial amount of his power, unfortunately he couldn't keep it filled with the energy he realized too late. With both fists caught by Happosai, Ranma knew he was to tired to do much in defense.
Happosai held both arms in his grip and reared back his leg. He stopped when he felt the arms he was holding suddenly grab onto him in return. "What are you... ARGHH!"
"Inferno of Agony." Ranma whispered, as he implemented the same technique that defeated his one time father.
The two fighter were engulfed in black flames for over 10 excruciating seconds. Using the last of his power, the grandmaster of Anything Goes broke free of the move only to return to his normal shrunken height. He was able to look in the eyes of Ranma since the young man was on his knees and gasping for breath.
Staggering over to him, Happosai placed a hand on his shoulder "Enjoy China. Bring a fellow master of the true school of Anything Goes a souvenir... like some nice Amazonian panties. Ah, there's nothing quite like em' in the world, I should know." and then he bounded off.
"That was quite exciting. I hope for another great performance next year son-in-law." Cologne called out before following Happosai.
"Congratulations young Ranma. It seems you're the newest master of the Anything Goes school of martial arts." Gen smiled as he helped him up, and started towards the boat.
"I guess I am." a smile slowly made it's way onto Ranma's face as he stepped on the platform connecting the docks with the boats. "What a great going away gift..."
*Splash*
"...Figures"
(And so ends today's flashback)
__________
"Are you saying you're a grandmaster of Anything Goes?" Asked a stunned Ryouga.
"You fought the master for real?!" Soun asked in a daze. "I can't remember the last time I saw the master fight for real... what about you Saotome?"
"Daddy?"
"Yo, Moron." Ranma kicked him. "He's out of it. Let's leave him be. Anyway, I hope that gave you the time you needed to come to a decision." He turned to Nodoka.
"May I speak with you alone?" She asked.
Ranma swallowed his throat. "If you feel it's necessary." He stood up and waited for Ranko's mother to lead him upstairs.
Everyone else looked at one another with apprehension.
Back in the the main bedroom Nodoka sat on her bed with her hands in her lap. "You heard my husband say he wouldn't allow me to stop Keiko from learning the Neko-ken."
"True, but you can't keep listening to him. I don't know why you've done so for this long. I mean even if you didn't care enough about me to stand against him or because of honor, you still should have taking into consideration what he had done to the honor of the other families as well as the honor of yours when you constantly turned a blind eye to his actions." Ranma retorted.
"You don't understand. I never intended to force you to fulfill that contract, I used it to scare you into being better than your father. I was forced to marry your father because of an arranged marriage, and I hated it. But the honor of my family rested on it. So I married a deceitful man who did whatever he could to get what he wanted. So if my husband wasn't going to be the honorable one that meant I had to double my efforts to be so." Nodoka took a moment to steel herself as she felt her resolve weaken.
"Then he told me about the arrangement between the Tendo's and us and I didn't want you or the girls to go through what I went through. So I had planned on making you a truly honorable man so that they would be proud to be wedded to you. But then he decided on the training trip to make you a better martial artist. I firmly believed that as honor less as your father was that he wouldn't do some of the things he did to you. And to make sure that he didn't steer you towards being like him I came up the contract. I knew if there was one thing Genma valued it was his life, so it only made sense to me at the time to make such a pact." Ranma could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke, he could tell she was trying to hold back her tears.
"That day 7 years ago, I didn't reach for the sword to force you to use it. I held it because it was the only thing that could keep me calm when things were too much for me, but I never had the chance to tell you that or that I was sorry for what you had to go through growing up. I realized after you left that I had made so many mistakes with dealing with you." Nodoka got out before finally letting the tears that had been building up over the years, before and after the time she spent with her son in Nerima, fall.
"Mom... Nodoka... I don't know what to say..." Ranma fought back his own tears.
"Please Ranma, I need your strength." She pleaded.
"Ex-excuse me?" Ranma blurted out "What are you talking about?"
"I can't continue to live with a man like your father. Even Keiko treats him like an uncle more than a father... a man who is only around to teach her martial arts but never there for anything else. I had to beg him just to have her. But I can never get the courage to finally end it. Please with you and Keiko with me... I ..." Nodoka was cut off when Ranma embraced her in a hug. "R-Ranma." She let it all out, the pain of losing her son twice, the sorrow of raising a daughter who doesn't have a male figure to truly look up to around, and even happiness at the return of her first born.
__________
As the occupants downstairs waited, Ukyo remembered something. "Say Ryouga are you going to ask Akane to be your partner at the tournament?" she whispered.
"Wow, you going to be in the tournament with Akane?" Asked an excited Keiko.
"Oops... didn't know she was listening..." Ukyo had the good graces to look sheepish.
"Whoa now Ranko... I'm not.."
"You want to be my partner?" Akane asked as she walked by and heard Ranko.
"Um...No." Ryouga got out.
"Excuse me?---- Oh I get it, you still worried what I'll do since I know you're P-chan. I told you all those years when I found out, the butt whippin' I gave you then was the only one you were going to get." She smiled sweetly at him.
"Riiight... how comforting..." Ryouga grumbled under his breath.
"Well then it's settled. Me and Ryouga will be partners." Akane stated as she walked over to try to snap her father out of his daze.
"Um..." Ryouga raised a hand as if he wanted to ask a question.
"Tough luck, sugar." Ukyo shrugged her shoulders.
Ryouga hung his head "Akari's going to kill me..."
"Who's that?" Ranko asked.
"My wife..." Ryouga continued to lament his fate.
"Your Married!" Came a chorus of voices. Causing Ryouga to blink.
"Yes..." He started to back up as the women surrounded him.
"Was it a big marriage?"
"Why didn't you invite us?"
"What kind of ring did the two of you get?"
"Where IS the ring?"
"Now who will I marry Akane off to?!"
*WHAM*
"Well my ring is right here..." Ryouga started to search through his bag. "Ah, here we go." He pulled out a pretty yet modest necklace with a matching ring.
Kasumi had a tear in her eye. "Oh it's so beautiful..."
"I've seen better... way bett...oof!" Nabiki looked at her big sister 'that kind of hurt...'
"Congratulations Mr. P" Ryouga blinked as he heard Ranko call him 'Mr. P'.
Everyone turned to her only to stare in shock as they saw a grinning Ranma and a red-eyed Nodoka, standing behind her. "Ranma told me to call you Mr. P from now on." Ranko gave him a big grin, almost stopping him from correcting her.
"But Ranko my name's Ryouga not Mr. P" Ryouga glared at the grinning Ranma.
"I know but Ranma said..." Ranko began.
"It's alright Ranko, I was just joking." Ranma patted her head. "Seriously though, congratulations. Now let's wake the bastard up, shall we."
"Ranma watch your language around Ranko." Nodoka corrected him.
Everyone held their breath.
"Sorry...mom."
And then gasped.
"No way is the boy higher than me in ranking!" Genma snapped awake at a rather convenient moment.
"Good you back up. Listen up Genma, I'm taking Ranko with me." Ranma gave Genma his new evil smirk, something Ranma had been working on for the tournament.
Even though he began to back away from the sight, Genma continued to speak "I won't allow it."
Ranma's smirk never faltered "It doesn't matter. You don't matter."
"Nodoka! I forbid you from letting Keiko leave with him." Genma turned to his wife.
"She leaving with him." Nodoka spoke with conviction.
"You dare defy me wife?" Genma growled.
"Yes. And no longer call me wife."
"What?" Genma faltered.
"I think it's rather clear. but just in case let me spell it out for you. I'm leaving with Ranko and my... mother. So long Genma, you'd better sure as hell hope we never meet again." Ranma laughed.
To Be Continued
Next Time: Meetings and Partings- Ranma leaves with his mother and sister for the United States to start handing out the last of the invitations to the tournament. During the flight, Ranko continues to learn about Ranma's past as he tells her about his meeting with the famous action star and the strongest women in the world. And of course more teams shall be revealed.
quail12001@yahoo.com
Special thanks to Beer-monster for being a proofreader for my story, be sure to check out his great fic "Honour and Pride" on ff.net and the Lost Library of Florestica, home to some great Ranma fanfics.().
