Guest Ki: Chapter 47

Consequences

Back at the Kuno mansion, Marller 't'ched, leaned forward and surfed her spy channels till she found one that revealed the boy's location. So far he had not attempted to enter the Temple grounds nor had he attacked any of his opponents. He had circled the Temple, with short excursions through side streets, three times. She tapped one of her fangs.

Until he entered the property, the passive defenses of the perimeter would deflect the other players in this little game. Only people with the specific goal of entering the Temple environs would not be deflected by the ward-off spell. Whether they realized it or not, even the airborne adversaries had been avoiding the airspace above the Temple, either swinging high or sweeping wide of a rough trapezoid that enclosed the grounds. Once he was within, of course, their focus on him would allow them to pursue. Even if he went in stealthed by his techniques, his presence would immediately allow the others to consider the possibility that he was within.

She cast a small spell that allowed her spy, for a time, to be perceived as one of the pursuing parties. To the other angry individuals, if asked, they had seen one of their own party wave them toward the hidden teenager. Soon, the Saotome boy was once again in flight, slowly being herded back toward the Temple. Maybe this time…

What was spoiling the demon's plan was Ranma's trained reactions and Barry's threat training under Ranma. Once he was under attack, he immediately put the idea of getting to Urd and Beldandy out of his mind, focusing on his own danger. Without a clear intent to enter the grounds, he was being diverted by the Temple defenses like everyone else.

Ranma would have been annoyed by all this attention. Barry was worried. If he didn't find some way to head this off, people were going to be hurt. Like that young couple who just walked around the corner. They stopped dead and gaped at the onrushing mob of violent armed men and women. Cursing, Barry reversed again, running right at the horde of pursuers. He was far enough away that they had more than enough time to tighten their formation and prepare for his approach. Barry found himself slipping into overdrive. His mouth tightened. This was bad — very bad! The safeties were off. He wondered vaguely if they knew what they were in for. The light seemed to shift into red tints. Apparent movement slowed and he felt the hammer of his heart slow, yet strengthen as well. Then it was too late for anything but the unlimited Art of Ranma Saotome.

Loops of wire reached out from a lute only to be countered by the claws of the Nekoken. A three-pronged spear thrust savagely, but seemed to move like molasses as he ran up the wrist-thick shaft to deliver a stunning kick to the bearded face before him. A flicker of fire erupted from a three-headed figure to be countered by a sudden rotation of an arm, releasing a coil of cold ki to combine with its heat producing a mini Hiru Shoten Hai. The wind caught up a swooping form, as well as two others, and launched them across the square.

Feathers with dart points sailed in with lethal intent but ridiculously sluggish speed. Ranma's body slipped by them and they went on toward a small man who looked like he'd rather be fishing. Barely, he broke off his casting motions to use his rod to block the lethal darts. Weakened, the rod snapped, dropping in slow motion toward the ground. Several devices with blinking lights arced toward him from young men leaping off bicycles, the ki of the objects hinting at enormous potential energy. Using the light-ribbon technique, Barry sent them further toward the onrushing Musk Dynasty.

Barry felt as if he were a nearly helpless passenger again. All he could do was add the ki techniques to the mix and hope they kept enough of his opponents far enough away to avoid hurting them. Desperate, he tried to focus on ignoring attacks that promised non-lethal consequences, in the hopes that he could stifle or change attempts at lethal moves. But even with that limiting condition, it was getting more and more difficult to control.

Water hit from somewhere and Barry was shocked as his difficulties increased. Ranma's girl-type was actually more aggressive than boy-type for some reason and, if her brute strength were less, the reaction time increased another notch. Barry snarled like a cat and, using ki, launched the recovered Dojo Destroyer at an even larger form that strode in to attack. Their combined mass shook the ground, but the delay allowed the others to hem the pigtailed form in. Barry crouched and grunted, calling up her aura into a hollow sphere of energy that flared as multiple physical and energy attacks slammed into it.

Akane and Shampoo leaped over the wall and walked into the house. They stopped dead as three young faces poked around the corner to glare their way. Cautiously, they separated slightly in case the angry looks went further than looks.

"Where's Saotome?" growled the voice of Ryu Kumon. "I've got business with him."

"So do we," Natsume and Kurumi chorused.

"Is your name Akane?" Shinnosuke asked Kurumi.

"No, moron!" snarled the younger of Akane's supposed sisters. She glared at the befuddled looking man and his broom. "It's only the eighth or ninth time you've asked me in the past hour! That's Akane!" She pointed.

Shinnosuke glanced back and forth between Shampoo and Akane. Akane saw the puzzlement in his eyes and sighed. "I'm Akane," she resolved his indecision, waving. "What are you doing here, Shinnosuke?"

The young man smiled and started to speak, then frowned. Akane rubbed her forehead in exasperation. Kasumi peeked in from the kitchen and noticed her sister's expression. "Oh, my! Shinnosuke? Perhaps you could sit down and have some more tea while you decide what it was you wanted to ask. Akane, could you help me with dinner?" Natsume blanched, while Ryu looked puzzled at their expressions of horror.

Akane sighed and looked skyward. "I'd love to, Kasumi, but I think we better go find Ranma, first." She watched the others' eyes go hard and sighed. She really hated to do this, but…

(FOOOOM!) Her battle aura went on. She deliberately set her aura cold and glared at the three startled martial artists. "You are going to let Ranma explain before you attack him, aren't you?" There were three startled nods of agreement.

"KI-YAH!" The ball of shielding ki blew outward like a bomb, catching Barry's enemies by surprise and flinging them away like toys. The Bun Boys did quick imitations of bugs on a windshield with a nearby skyscraper. The Togenkyo Islanders tumbled the length of the street, fortunately hitting no one. The Furinkan Chemistry Club members were already out of it due to their an ill fated downwind attempt to use some sort of gas grenade, but took damage as the Musk Dynasty used them for a landing site. Rouge had been knocked through a wall into a public bathhouse. The Phoenix Mountain Folk were scattered, except for one, who was hurled into the Temple grounds.

Nearly a mile away, a woman with platinum blond hair turned and shaded her eyes as she heard the echo of the blast. Frowning, she stepped into an electronics store to check out a big screen TV. Moments later, several customers besieged the store manager with inquiries about how he had managed to have a woman step into a TV screen.

As the echoes of the blast died away, Sentaro's horse showed far more sense than its master demonstrated. It left at high speed with Azusa hanging onto its tail and shouting 'Ramon! Ramon!' Whether it was running from the conflict or the sickeningly cute girl hanging on to it was anyone's guess.

As Azusa and Sentaro disappeared to create unintentional marital conflict — his wife was not going to be happy with what he was dragging home — Rouge, in her human form, stomped out of the public bath, a large robe wrapped around her shapely frame. She cast her gaze about at the groaning mass of humanity and near humanity, then picked her way across the rubble to the rim of the crater that lay at the center of the area of devastation. Rouge was not terribly happy. The explosion had thrown her into the men's sento. Of course, that was Ranma's fault.

Barry lay groaning at the bottom of the crater. She had not felt this wiped out since just after the avalanche when they were looking for Ukyo, or maybe just after she/he had nearly died from the completely out of body experience. It wasn't from damage. It was because she had exceeded her ki reserves. Strangely, her mind was very aware of her surroundings. She could not move. She could not sense with ki. She barely had enough energy to move her eyeballs around behind the half-closed lids.

"You filthy… rotten… pervert!" Rouge punctuated her words with solid kicks to the stomach and ribs of the fallen redhead. "Put me… on show… for a bunch of… men!" She paused as her flickering shadow suddenly danced against the far side of the crater. She was sure it hadn't been there before. Had something behind her caught on fire? She turned to look and swallowed heavily. Two feminine forms stood, feet firmly planted at the rim of the crater. Both were wreathed in the flame of their personal auras, the one a coiling radiant blue, the other a silvery flickering white, both with hair lifting from an unseen breeze.

"Touch him again and you're dead," whispered the one.

"Amazon kill girl who hurt airen," announced the other with deadly intensity.

Rouge immediately placed the still form of Ranma between herself and the apparitions of doom. She looked for a source of cold water. None was readily available in the crater. Then she got a nasty smile on her face. The other participants in the let's-beat-cut-choke-maim-kill-Ranma parade were reviving and showing interest in taking up where they left off. Akane and Shampoo leaped down into the pit and stood over the supine redhead back-to-back, teeth bared. With sudden, remorseless speed, they were surrounded.

"Akane?"

"Yeah, Shampoo?"

"Fight well!"

(kkkkKKKKKKKKKKKKRACK-Duh-BOOOOOooooooommmmm!)

A very irate female with swirling platinum hair and triangular blue marks on cheekbones and forehead seemed to glide over the broken road surface, her toes spurning the ground. The lethal circle opened up. Urd looked down into the crater then looked at the assembled opponents.

Barry couldn't see her, but could vaguely feel her presence. She never considered Urd to be particularly authoritative due to her appearance; Urd always looked and sounded like she was on the verge of seducing someone. Barry now discovered the eldest Norn did have a sensei-voice, after all. "What is going on here?" It was said quietly, but with a hint of impatience for all involved parties.

For the most part, there was a general scrubbing of toes into the pavement and muttering as a large number of violent people reacted as if their mother caught them right after they broke the expensive vase on the hall table.

Saffron's people landed warily and whispered among themselves before advancing. The lead winged humanoid, a male, bowed jerkily. "We find that our leader is missing, elder sister of our father. Is she within your boundaries?"

Urd gave him a once over. "She is," she answered after a moment.

"I am called Kuri," he said, bowing again. "Forgive her trespass, great one."

Urd's eyes narrowed. "Well, some respect for a change!" She sauntered closer and gazed up into his eyes, getting a definite flinch in reaction. "I will. Provided you all come in and discuss the insult you have given to this… charge of mine."

"I'm not yer charge," growled a weak voice. Barry sat up limply, in part due to the exceptional healing abilities of Ranma's body, in part due to aid from Akane and Shampoo. "You are notresponsible for my actions or decisions." Barry coughed, then smiled lopsidedly. "Though I do appreciate the offer."

The Phoenix Mountain Folk looked at Urd then back at Barry. It was obvious they were considering going after him again.

"Forget it," Urd said flatly. "We don't take kindly to people who mess up our neighborhood. She pointed in rapid succession to Kirin, Toma, Herb, the Dojo Destroyer, Rouge, 'Pork' Bun and Ryu Kumon. "You, you…and you, come in and wait in the garden. The rest of you… clear out!" She turned to Akane, Shampoo and Barry. "You three…"

"Ma'am?" Natsume and Kurumi stepped forward. "If this is about Ranma, we're in, too." They held steady as Urd gave them a long look.

"All right," she said shortly.

"What about us?" a wavering voice whined. The leader of the Chemistry Club wove to his feet. "We want represented…"

"You little idiots had better run home and pray I don't demand to teach the Chemistry class!" she said venomously. "If I find you're within five kilometers of here in thirty minutes, you will discover not only how little you know about Chemistry, but how much I enjoy rubbing your noses in it! Now, scram! I'll speak with you in the morning."

"Yes, ma'am!" They left, completely demoralized.

A slender figure chose that moment to dash out of a side street and point dramatically at Barry.

"Saotome! I challenge you, once again!" A small cape or large handkerchief swirled, revealing a total change of appearance. A lightning bolt cracked and the figure fell sidewise, smoking. Urd blew past the end of her finger.

"Someone wanna drag him in?" Barry inquired. "I think that's Copycat Ken…"

"I get him, Ranma," Shampoo offered. Barry wavered and almost fell as support disappeared from one side.

"Anyone else?" Urd asked dangerously.

"Our leader?" began Kuri nervously.

"Will represent you and come out in one piece, provided she behaves herself," Urd assured him.

The others dispersed rapidly then, egged on by approaching sirens. The leaders followed Urd in.

"Hello, Kiima," Barry said to Phoenix Mountain's representative. She was easy to recognize. Not many people were near duplicates of Akane when they got wet. She received a cold glare in response.

"Okay, people!" Urd shouted, "gather around, please! Now, one at a time. What is your major malfunction concerning Ranma Saotome today?"

At the Kuno mansion, Marller cursed and threw bolts of power at helpless pieces of furniture. So damn close! She thought she would choke when Urd offered sanctuary to the Saotome boy. Phoenix Mountain was not a power in terms of the truly high and mighty, but had a complaint been made to the All Highest, Urd would have been responsible for Ranma's actions against any god or goddess he had offended.

Not only had that situation been defused, but no damage had been done to the Temple grounds, nor had Saotome been seriously injured. As she turned back to the screen, a late arriving Tatewaki Kuno zoomed onto the scene to rant at the gathering emergency crews about the 'sorcerer' Saotome, Akane Tendo and the 'pigtailed goddess'. As he was not focused on the Temple, his subconscious forced him to avoid it and he rushed about, vainly searching for his nemesis. Disgusted, she fired a bolt into the TV and sagged dejectedly onto the throne, the one undamaged piece of furniture left in the room. While it wasn't a total loss with the little business she had pushed over at the university, it had been shaping up to be so much more! What a lousy…

Kodachi slid into the room and raised an eyebrow at the damage. "Mother, dear. It is ready…"

Marller froze and then got a horribly nasty smile on her face. Perhaps things were looking up, after all.

Journal: Ranma's Guest — Thursday, 24 October 1991 – Day 61

Well this was an interesting day. Mio, the girl who does the tarot card readings, warned me that I was in for a perfectly rotten time. She's good. First Picolet Chardin showed up, demanding payment of one hundred thousand yen, plus compound interest. We're battling tomorrow, by the way. I'm hoping to use hidden weapons techniques I'm learning from Mousse to counter his speed eating. Unless he's gotten much better, he's going to be overconfident without a large crowd for you to feed, and imagine you must either parlay or fold. Well, I'll fold all right; fold space and tuck those little trifles into ki-powered pockets at Amiguriken speed. He has a chance, but only if he's a lot faster than he was before. Akane is trying to get hold of Nabiki so that we can settle the issue of compounded interest. Besides, if I do lose, forgive me if I borrow enough money off Nabiki to clear the debt.

If Chardin was the first indication that today was not going to be good, the appearance of the Bun Boys, griping about the Dragon's Whisker was the next. They were followed by Toma and the Togenkyo crowd and the Dojo Destroyer. I think I ran into Lime of the Musk Dynasty next… You can imagine how it went. I had been trying to get to Mrs. Morisato and her sister, Urudu, about a demon that's after them, but I think the demon anticipated me. The bottom line was that I had everyone including Phoenix Mountain after me before 5:00 P.M.

It was getting a bit tense. My control was beginning to slip and there were enough of them that they could run me down the way a wolf pack runs a deer — herd it in circles, work in relays and wait for it to drop. By 6:15, I stopped worrying about being late for Ucchan's. It was getting harder and harder to lead them away from crowds. I finally had to turn and fight. Bishonten's got a busted nose and some loose teeth. Herb has some broken ribs. The Bun Boys are well concussed from hitting a sheet of armor glass they're testing at Takietomi's next to the Temple. Know what? It doesn't break. Kiima's going to be convalescing at the Temple for a while. She wrenched her right wing during splashdown in the Temple birdbath; she didn't fit. Everyone else had less critical injuries. Copycat Ken arrived late and received a deluxe Urd-bolt special. Sort of like Mrs. Morisato's technique but with more bite! The real lucky ones were Ryu Kumon and your sisters, Kurumi and Natsume — Kurumi (I'd been calling her Karume) corrected my pronunciation with true martial artist flare. She's almost as good with that ribbon as Kodachi is! — they didn't get read the riot act by an angry teacher. I never thought Urudu had it in her, but she ripped them up verbally, made them take it and graciously allowed them to explain themselves.

Kirin and the Nekonron crowd believed that you had kidnapped Laichee. She had gone missing the other day, and they lost no time tracking you down. The Kinjakan is missing from Phoenix Mountain. For some reason, they decided you had it. Togenkyo's magic spring is now acting like Nyanniichuan. Toma makes a pretty girl, but he's not too happy about the latest changes in his life. I think he just discovered periods. They decided to blame you. (This might have some basis, but is hardly your fault! They started it!) Herb wanted a rematch. They lost the locking ladle down a crevasse and blamed you for that. The springs around Jusenkyo have not come back, and they blame you for that, too. Since their custom is to lock animals into human form for wives, they feel you've destroyed their traditions.

I got a little irritated at that one and asked them how much longer it would take for the Musk Dynasty to go extinct. Animals are not, by nature, more ferocious than humans and generally would make terrible human mothers. I was starting to suggest that their intellects had suffered as well, but Akane hit me. Then Urudu filled in the gap while Akane and Shampoo threatened more of the same. The Dojo Destroyer heard you were making fun of him. Comments like, 'built like a wall and twice as thick' and 'he carries those signs around to hide the cue cards' had been passed on to him and assigned to you as the originator. I have to admit it sounded like something you might say, but you usually don't insult your enemies behind their back, Kuno being the exception. It's so much more fun to do it to their faces! I said as much. Dojo took it wrong and Akane and Shampoo jumped me again. Urudu mollified the guy, restated my remarks and wonder of wonders, he got it right this time. Copycat Ken also received insults, much like the Dojo Destroyer.

There was this odd clown wandering around on stilts. After much horn honking, we found out this was another fiancée. I'm not certain I really understood how she came to be a fiancée, but Akane and Shampoo convinced her that Ranma was taken. This was a good thing, as the moment I opened my mouth, she threw herself at me — rubber nose, whiteface and all — announcing that I was to marry her and carry on the tradition of the something-or-other school of clowns.

About that time we began to figure out that there was something specifically about me that was attracting this grief. Apparently Marller tagged us with a general bad luck spell. Your own attraction for trouble did the rest. Since by its nature, the curse was self-protecting, Urudu had to call her sister in — very carefully — to help undo the curse. Baradandya — outside class, she prefers first name basis — and Urudu did their magic and slowly your recent opponents began to feel that their reasons for attacking you were a trifle inadequate and specious. The Chemistry Club ran like whipped curs earlier (Ha, Blue Thunder!) which left us with a few nervous guests and a few groups still unsettled by the action and concerned for their own problems.

A call to Nekonron (yes, they do have phone service) revealed Laichee had been found. She had gotten restless the night before and fallen asleep in the palace garden. She apparently is not sleeping well of late and has been nauseated at meals and in the mornings. I don't expect you to recognize the symptoms, but I congratulated Kirin and hoped his child would be healthy. Needless to say, he was in a great rush to get home after that. All we can do is keep an eye out for the Kinjakan. Musk Dynasty would be better off without the locking ladle or Jusenkyo. Toma's problem…

What you did was not intentional, and may not have anything to do with the spring's present condition, but it could have. I thought about it and suggested that Musk Dynasty, the Amazons and the Togenkyo group work together. If the Amazons could get the locking ladle, (they know the Bakusai Tenketsu as well as Ryoga does and I think would be less hostile – think about being locked as a pig, forever) the Musk could use the Ladle and the water from the Togenkyo tree for their wives. Togenkyo's men could be locked with warm water in their normal forms. Shampoo was doubtful about whether the Amazons would go for it. What they would gain would be key to the problem, but at least they were beginning to talk about it.

Akane and Shampoo were magnificent! I badly over-played the ki techniques trying to avoid hurting anyone and the combined attacks left me completely wiped at the bottom of a crater. You should have seen their auras! They completely demoralized everyone before Urudu ever got there and may have been the reason her dominance was accepted so easily. Beautiful!

Absent from the throng were Mikado, Taro, Happosai, the Ghost Cat, Kaori, Nagasameru and any of the other fiancées you haven't seen yet. Sentaro and Azusa were there, but left even before the Chemistry Club. Ryu is sticking around. Once I'm finished with Chardin, he wants his chance. He's staying in the dojo. Natsume and Kurumi (say it — Kurumi, Kurumi, Kurumi, Kurumi…) are using your old room. They are here because they heard somewhere that Ranma Saotome knows where to find their real father. What can I say? They're right!

No new information today on the bring-Ranma-home project. But we will get you back.

Barry finished his writing and put away the journal. He was almost through the original notebook, even allowing for writing only every second or third day. Though it was late, Nodoka was coming over to see the girls. Since she wasn't planning to tell Genma that they were here, he suspected that Ranma's father was in for an unpleasant time.

Jumping off the roof, he wandered around to the door of the dojo where Ryu was running through some forms. Ryu had watched the Nerima gang's practice earlier and had been astonished at Akane's improvement. He revealed nothing of his own new-won skills, and Barry wondered just what he was up to. He didn't seem faster than before, but he was also good enough to leave everything hidden. Barry wished Ranma were here. If Ryu pushed him hard enough, he might have to lose deliberately, locking down potentially lethal responses. He had no idea how Ranma would take that. Ranma hated to lose. It was the one fault that even Ranma admitted about himself.

Barry went to the table and the plates of food Kasumi had set up there for his practice. Sitting down, he raised knife and fork, and went to work. In seconds, the food was gone and Barry sat back with a sigh of relief. Across the room Ryu shook his head. Watching Ranma at this martial arts practice was too strange.

"Where does it go?" he asked as Barry carefully returned the food to the plates.

"Honestly?" Barry queried.

"Honestly, please."

"I don't know."

"Is this like that business with mallets?"

Barry snickered at Ryu's question. "Maybe… I'm not sure. Maybe this is a man's version of woman's magic." He snickered some more, while Ryu scowled and considered that.

"If this is an eating contest," Ryu asked finally. "Why aren't you eating?"

"You've never met Picolet Chardin, have you?"

"Nope!"

"Lucky you!" Barry grinned. "The family, Chardin, have extremely extended mouths and elongated mobile tongues. They can swallow an entire suckling pig at a gulp. The only answer for a normal person to their natural abilities is the 'parlay du foi gras', which unfortunately can be defended against. I'm hoping this will be an alternative solution."

"But…"

"Martial Arts Dining considers being seen eating to be 'inelegant'," Barry explained. "The parlay allows you to shove food down your opponent's throat. Since he has to eat twice as much, it slows him down and gets rid of your food before he can finish his."

"This is a martial art?" Ryu choked out.

"Don't accept a challenge from him. The only reason I'm doin' this is because I owe him one hundred thousand yen from the last time he did this to me," Barry told him, "plus interest."

Ryu swallowed heavily. "Why did you bet money you didn't have?" he demanded scandalized.

"I didn't bet him money; that was the bill for the food we ate!"

Ryu gulped again. Barry went into hidden courses mode while he gaped. Suddenly, a delicious taste filled his mouth. He chewed enthusiastically. "Kasumi's cooking is great… Hey!" He suddenly realized where it must have come from.

"Gotcha! That's another angle on the parlay, throwing food into the spectator's mouths," Barry explained. "I think he's going to demand the observers wear gags or something. Hard to tell, though, but that's why I'm doing the hidden weapons thing." Ryu reached in for some cake but Barry smacked his hand. "This is for my practice, Kumon-san! Get your own or ask for it!" He grinned. "Kasumi's always willing ta feed poor, starving martial artists."

Ryu snorted and started for the doors. He jumped back with a curse as Akane nearly took the shoji off their tracks. "Nabiki's missing!" she yelled by way of greeting.

Barry stared at her. "Watcha mean, missing?" he barked.

"I mean missing! As in gone… not where she should be… missing," Akane wailed. "Sakurida hasn't seen her all day and she missed a business appointment!" Barry's eyes went wide in shock. Nabiki miss an appointment?

"Have you looked for her?" he demanded.

Akane stared at him, blinked, then smacked her head. She closed her eyes, sitting down and centering herself. Ryu shot glances back and forth between them. "What is she doing?" he asked finally.

"Quiet! She's lookin' for her sister," Barry said. "New ki-technique. She's one of only two people we know who can do it."

"That way," Akane said distantly, pointing. "She's not at the university, she's further south and east… I think."

"Try to feel what she's feeling, Akane," Barry requested. "Push your limits."

After a moment, Akane shook her head. "Still can't do it."

"Let's go then!" Barry stood up and flashed the hidden food back onto the plates.

"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Ryu Kumon glared at them. "Go where?"

"To get my sister, baka," growled Akane.

"Nikki, you think?" Barry suggested.

"If Nikki's involved…!" Barry heard tendons pop as Akane clenched her fists.

Ryu frowned. "Is this another of your 'rescue trips', Saotome?"

"Shut up, Kumon." He turned to Akane. "Call Ryoga. See if he can go up to the university and find out what happened, and find out especially where Nikki's been. If Akari's not around, maybe Kasumi can take him."

"Kurumi can take him." The two sisters slid into the dojo. "I'll be going with you to help find Nabiki."

"Natsume!" whined the younger sister. "No fair!"

Barry looked Natsume over. "Ready for a quick evaluation?"

"Bring it on."

Ryu gasped as his future opponent slid by him like smoke. Natsume blocked, face grim, and struck back. Forty-five seconds later she was down on the floor, immobilized by an aikido-style submission hold on her left hand. Barry let her up.

"You'll do. Let's get going." Akane dashed for the house.

"I guess I'll come," announced Ryu. Barry nodded.

"Aren't you going to evaluate him?" grumbled Kurumi.

"I know how good he was last time we fought. He was good enough then." Barry glanced over at the other man. "I'll warn you up front, we may be up against Yakuza. Think you can still do the Yamasen?"

Ryu frowned. "I swore..."

"I know. And from what I've heard of you, you've kept that oath. But Yakuza use guns and other unfair advantages. I'd rather not wonder if it could have made a difference."

"I'll only use it as a last resort." Ryu said finally. "I've come to think it's too dangerous a set of techniques."

"Fair enough."

"Let's go!" Akane said. "I've called Ryoga. He and Akari will be heading south as soon as Kurumi arrives."

"We'll catch the bullet train at the bridge."

"The bridge?" asked Akane.

"Do you have the money to spare for tickets?"

Barry shielded them from the wind of the train's passage. Ryu and Natsume watched the pair as if they were aliens. The power of the new ki techniques was more than a little intimidating. The fact that Ranma was using the techniques to glue them to the train was almost more so.

"How you doin' this, Saotome?" Ryu yelled over the roar of the train.

"I've blended our ki with the train's! We get pulled along as if we're part of it!"

"The signal's shifting," Akane cut in. She pointed; her finger began to swing east faster and faster.

"Our stop," Barry agreed. "Hang on!" Akane gripped Natsume's shoulder and Barry got a handful of Ryu's. They jumped.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

Simultaneous balls of energy formed around the pairs and they cannoned off into the night.

Natsume and Ryu were still angry when they made it to the docks near Yokohama.

"You could have warned us!" the former snarled.

"Quiet!" Akane growled. "We're getting close."

"Yeah, I can sense her now." He pointed for their allies' benefit. "This is it. Warehouse. There are guards, or at least armed men at the side door, over there. There's a whole barracks on the second floor."

"How can you see that from here?" protested Akane. "It's all fog to me!"

"I know it's hard, but areas where people have intense emotions are foggy. I don't know why." Barry growled. "Pump more energy into it, tomboy!"

"Where's Nabiki?" asked Ryu.

"Third floor," Akane answered, suddenly tense as a bowstring, "and she's not alone."

"All right! We'll go in from the roof."

"You sure I can't convince you to let me go?" asked Nabiki quietly. She was handcuffed to a beam in the center of the room. Her captor was a big man, muscular and covered in tattoos. It was easy to determine as he had his shirt off and looked like he planned to remove the rest of his clothing soon. "I suppose we could even have a little fun, first," she added, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Shut up, woman!" he grunted. "You caused Mr. Darikamosu difficulties. He has graciously permitted you the opportunity to pay him back." He smirked. "At the going rate, that will only take you about a decade or so." He reached over and grabbed her by her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You're pretty enough. Let's see what you've got." His hand fastened onto the front of her blouse and he ripped down, leaving her upper body clad in the remains of her sleeves and nothing else.

"Bastard!" She kicked at him, aiming for his kneecap and planning to work higher as he crumpled.

Somehow he dodged and caught her outstretched leg. "Why, how helpful!" he sneered. "I guess you want to get started immediately." He took a firm hold on the tougher material of her trousers leg and began to back away. Nabiki was stretched between her handcuffs and his gripping hand.

"Let... let go! You sonofa... Owww!" Nabiki writhed as she was now suspended like a hammock between her cuffed wrists and his hand. Her free leg flopped as she tried to kick him, but she just didn't have the leverage. All she succeeded in doing was losing her trousers and nearly her panties as well. Her head smacked into the beam as she fell back, dazing her.

"Yes," the big yakuza muttered. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you."

There was a sound like steel being ripped. A circular section of the corrugated ceiling dropped between the man and his intended victim, four forms crouched on the disc and four pairs of eyes sought him out. He turned and ran. He was an enforcer as well as his family's trainer for prostitution, but he knew immediately he was outclassed. His hand reached out and hit the alarm. His lips twisted in a sneer of success, he turned to observe the soon-to-be-dead intruders. The ki-blast punched him through the wall.

Why did you wait?" screeched Akane, already running for her sister. The thunder of feet on the stairs outside was becoming evident. Barry didn't answer, but Natsume did for him.

"Ummm... I think he's really pissed, Akane!"

Barry snarled as he moved forward, bringing up his shields as the first thugs looked through the hole in the wall and opened fire. After a moment the shields were refocused into a parabolic reflector, and the gunmen came under fire from their own ricochets.

"What took you so long?" Nabiki tried to joke as she looked up at her sister.

"Barry, she's all right! Let's go!" Akane bellowed. It rang loud in the stillness as the yakuza took cover. Then a 'ting-ting' sounded as small metal spheres bounced into the room.

"Grenades! Shield!"

(KABLAMM!-BLAM!-AM!)

There were now large holes in the floor and water from burst pipes in the sprinkler system was spraying everywhere. The floor teetered and groaned. "Akane, take point on the roof!" snapped Barry, expanding her shield into a wall. "Ryu! Natsume! Pass Nabiki up to Akane then back her up! I'll follow!"

Akane leaped up through the hole. Ryu made a stirrup of his hands and ogled her torso appreciatively as Nabiki went through the hole after her sister. Natsume smacked him then followed Nabiki.

"That's it, Ranma!" he yelled, leaping up and swinging through.

"Good! Here I — Yipe!" (K-k-k-kKRACKK!) The floor gave way, and Barry slid down into the gaping darkness.

Akane went white and started to jump back into the hole. Ryu grabbed her arm. "You need to get your sister out of here! We'll go."

"But..." Ryu and Natsume were already jumping into the hole. "Damn!"

Bullets began to whine across the roof, making skittering, snarly sounds as they were channeled by the corrugations. She picked Nabiki up and blazed across the broad open area, choosing speed over stealth or shielding techniques. She went four blocks, found a pay phone and deposited Nabiki beside it. Akane groped out some coins.

"Call the police. The warehouse is near Dock 48, along Red Mackerel Street. I'm going to make sure those baka don't get themselves killed!"

"Akane, wait!" Nabiki managed to catch her sister's arm before she vanished. "I don't want to be caught in this neighborhood showing..." She blushed and pointed to her topless state.

"Here!" Akane was gone, leaving her gi top and obi in Nabiki's hands.

"R-r-rright," Nabiki muttered. At least Akane was wearing a bra. Grimacing at the bruising she received thus far, Akane's sister dialed the police. She also donned the heavy cotton gi top, fastening it with the obi in a negligent once-around-and-tie-it-like-a-bathrobe. "Moshi! I'm..." Nabiki considered what she wanted to say. "I'm Iroko Katebeppu and I was being held by the Yakuza! They're fighting with someone at this warehouse..." She rattled off the address and details. "I don't know what's going on, but the Yakuza have guns! Please! Help me! Come right away!" She hung up and listened to the mayhem going on in the distance. Since Iroko Katebeppu was the name of the police commissioner's daughter and Nabiki happened to know she was planning a visit with her boyfriend to a love motel…

Akane went back the way she came. She could hear the rattle of gunfire from the warehouse. Deciding they might need another entrance and wanting to cause more confusion, she took the front door. Besides, she had a new technique that she and Ryoga had devised and she wanted to test it.

The guards outside the door had been joined by two of their fellow thugs. They all had their guns out and nervously looked up at the building they guarded, wondering what was going on. They hesitated to leave their assigned positions, as they were also acting as buffers against official interference. Besides, whatever was going on in there didn't sound healthy for anyone joining in. They turned at the sound of footsteps and boggled. Having a pretty, half-naked girl running at a man will do that, if he's not intensely trained or on guard for it. Then a feminine voice screamed out, "Kagayaki Shindoo (Glittering Shock Wave)!" and the running girl's image distorted, as earth and air absorbed her ki and sent a dense vibration wave through both media. If Akane had considered the technique's ramifications, she would never have used it.

The ground jumped as if an earthquake began and then every item of a nearly homogenous substance in range vibrated itself to pieces. The yakuza's guns shattered. The metal pins from an old injury in the leg of one man fractured into shards, dropping him screaming to the ground. Another, who prided himself on his gold fillings, felt them shatter in his jaw. The metal hinges and doorframe shattered slightly before the door, which crumbled as the airborne shockwave reached them. The wood siding held, but nails crumbled to pieces, releasing the boards they fastened. The two men who were unmarked by the technique's effect, as well as their agonized comrades, were buried under debris. Akane ran over them. Inside was chaos.

When Barry fell through the floor, she dropped into a confined unlit space. At first, she was disoriented. The place was only three feet high and crisscrossed by ductwork, wires and a fair number of rats. It hardly qualified as a 'floor'. Then it occurred to her that it was actually a crawlspace between the first and second floors. Barry had quickly located Ryu and Natsume above and in front of her, but was unable to join up with them. They were moving swiftly, looking for her, and she would have to use Nekoken to cut through ductwork and beams to match their speed. The building was already too unstable for her liking. Her ki-vision told her they were going to have an encounter with the squad that attacked them on the third floor. Making her decision, she cut straight down through the false ceiling and dropped into the warehouse proper.
When Ryu and Natsume jumped down, they avoided the hole Barry fell into and advanced across the true second floor. They moved toward the door, eliminating opposition as they went. As these were mostly yakuza who had been sleeping and the lights were now out, it was a simple matter to knock them out or disable them. Their biggest danger came from each other, as they had not worked together before.

Natsume sensed the intrusion into her space, then screeched and struck back at the attacker. "Don't even pretend to claim that was an accident!" she hissed, rearranging her blouse.

"But—!" protested Ryu. He had briefly grabbed something soft. He choked as he realized what it must have been.

"Do you want another one?"

Ryu intelligently shut up. They made it to the door. He was reaching for the doorknob when his own instincts warned him. Risking another blow from her rug-beater, he grabbed at Natsume to drag her back. She was already retreating; her sharper ears had heard the ting-thump of a grenade. (KA-BLAM!) The door disintegrated, but they ducked behind heavy furniture. Black-clad figures dove into the room. Ryu sucked in a breath. He recognized the gleam of low-intensity night goggles and military-level weaponry. Suddenly, he was very glad Ranma had released him from his oath.

Barry hurled herself off the top of the crates she had been using for a pathway as shuriken were thrown with professional zeal in her direction. Black-clad forms leaped after her, swords, nunchuku, knives, darts and other lethal hand weapons in generous supply. She was about to unleash more ki techniques when the fact that they were not using guns percolated through. Ki-sense and scent brought the trace of chemicals in the air to her awareness. There was something down here with a lot of potential energy, most of it in two-hundred-fifty-liter drums. She snagged a shuriken out of the air as she ducked and shunted. It was black painted brass, with sharp edges and a chemical in the blood grooves. Shuddering, she tossed it away. She'd go hand to hand and avoid anything... explosive.

Barry blocked a slashing knife, slipped a hold and shot an open palm to snap her attacker's head back. She slipped aside a pair of shuriken and closed, moving past the man too swiftly to track and dropping him with a punch to the kidneys. The next two were looking the wrong way and received quiet but effective tsubo point knockouts. Then Barry heard the grenade go off upstairs. Ki-vision told her that their enemy was concentrating its armed forces on Ryu and Natsume. Casting caution to the winds, she decided to fire off a Mouko Takabisha in the direction of the stairs to get their attention. As she powered up, a tickle of sensitivity told her Akane was coming back.

"Damn it, girl!" Barry snarled. There was no way she could have gotten Nabiki clear of the area in the time she had. Barry pulled her concentration back in, focused and let fly. She was more than startled when Akane's technique ripped the front door of the place to pieces and spread a cone-shaped path of destruction through the place. Steel support beams cracked, brittle, but not completely broken, as her technique lost power with every object it affected. Then it intersected Barry's Mouko Takabisha. In some weird way, they combined. Suddenly hundreds of mini ki blasts were rocketing for every homogeneous surface within the building. It looked like a major fireworks display. It had similar results.

(Blam! blam! BLAM!Blam! BLAM!blam!B-b-b-bLAM!")

Combustible materials began going off.

"Shit! Shit; shit; shit!" Barry grabbed two more opponents and threw them out the windows, then went back and retrieved the others she neutralized and served them as well. They'd be hurt, but hurt wasn't dead. She kept track of Akane and the others. Apparently, the group on the stairs had been in contact with the metal rail and each other. They had been mass-tazered by a ki-ball and were not much good for anything. Ryu finally used the Yamasen, not to attack his foes, but to break through the wall and start dropping the twitching men to the street. Barry felt Akane close on her position.

"What happened?" yelled Akane, ducking as a large burning drum of something arced over their heads.

"Where's Nabiki?" Barry demanded. "And what happened to your top?"

"Well I couldn't just leave her there without..."

"How much good will cotton fabric do to protect her if one of these boys stumbles across her?" the redhead snapped.

"I left her at a pay phone. She's calling the police!" Akane screamed at her.

"How many of them are on a Yakuza payroll?" Barry screamed back. "I think this is calling the police very nicely, thank you!"

"Jerk! I was worried—!"

"Keep your mind on business! Nabiki can probably identify Nikki; without her, we're screwed! Now it all depends on whether these mugs can hide the evidence, and as far as I can tell..." They ducked again, and then leaped a river of fire as flammable liquid ignited. "...we've done a pretty good job of helping them!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"We'll discuss this after everyone is out and safe," Barry growled, making a cutting gesture with her hand. "Let's go, or do you want ta be barbecue?"

Ten minutes later, the four martial artists and one rescued girl watched from a rooftop six blocks away as police and fire trucks came to deal with the disturbance.

At a fine restaurant near the university, Nikki Darikamosu finished his Lobster Thermadour and sipped a glass of wine. It was a fine end for that little tease. After she'd been trained a while, he might even go visit her, himself. He'd have to keep tabs on her progress. He wanted to visit her before she lost all of her pride… see the look in her eyes that told him she knew who had done this to her. He belched and stood up. It was good to be powerful, to be above the common hand. He conveniently forgot that 'common hands' had dealt with him severely just a month before.

Well, it was time to go. His men were waiting outside with the car. He ignored his bowing host and walked out the front door. Where were they? He didn't pay them to be late! He looked down the street and saw the hood of the limo protruding around the corner of the building. His lips pursed with anger. Those low bred scum, were probably lazing around. If they were using his private TV/VCR in the back of the limo they would be lucky if he only fired them! Briskly he walked to the corner and looked around.

The limo was crushed flat from just behind the driver's seat to the trunk; the special armor and bulletproof windows had been no match for whatever destructive force had been used. Shaking, he backed away. He had no intention of sticking around to see what happened to his men. He turned and bounced off a broad chest. Ryoga Hibiki smirked at the Yakuza wannabe sitting on the pavement. Behind him, Kurumi, Akari, Konatsu, Sakurida and Katsunishiki gazed almost passively at the man. Ryoga reached down and grabbed him by the front of his expensive silk western-style shirt. He pulled him close and gave him the eye. "You wouldn't happen to know where we can find Nabiki Tendo?" he asked quietly and with just a hint of fang.

Nikki's bladder and consciousness deserted him at the same moment.

Two hours past midnight he was deposited rather abruptly in front of the townhouse he used as his headquarters.

"If Nabiki had been harmed, you would be in real pain right now. Don't do it again," Ryoga warned him. Ryoga, Akari and Kurumi rode off. There was school tomorrow, after all.

Nikki staggered to his feet, torn between fear and rage. Nabiki Tendo had been rescued! Nothing happened to her, save a few hours of fear and inconvenience. He refused to note that he had been dealt no worse punishment. He raged to himself about how they dared to mistreat him! He staggered up to the gates of his dwelling and stopped. Two large men in business suits were waiting on each side of the gate. One had a luminous dragon tattoo swirling around his neck and across his cheek.

"Nikki, your grandfather wishes to speak with you."

"Na-bi-ki-i-i-i!" Nabiki was crushed in the iron grasp of her weeping father. She wondered breathlessly how he maintained conditioning, since she never saw him work out. Soun had been out with Genma and stopped with him at the Saotome house where Nodoka gathered them up. She walked with the two old friends; listening to their outrageous stories and wishing Soun's wife were still alive for her to reminisce with. She smiled secretively as she thought of how Genma would sweat when he saw Natsume and Kurumi. The news they got from Kasumi when they arrived sent Soun into a panic. Nabiki kidnapped! Yakuza mobsters! Ranma and Akane both out risking their lives to get her back! Natsume and Ryu Kumon with them! Kurumi going to the university with Ryoga to track down the Yakuza who ordered it!

Soun had run in circles, liberally watering the floor, until Genma, in panda-form, tackled him and sat on him. Soun wept and only occasionally paused to listen to the highlights of Kasumi's summary of events, as she knew them. Her chronological recitation had left Nodoka pale and shaken. She always assumed that Ranma's adventures were a bit overstated. Barry assured her that Ranma had understated, if possible. Now something was going on that was every bit as strange and dangerous as anything she had ever heard.

When Barlowe-san and the others returned, she had desperately held back tears, but the gaijin who inhabited her son's body was very observant. He dropped down beside her and hugged her, breaking down her barriers as he did once before, letting her release her emotions, healing herself of her fears. Then, Genma turned on the TV.

"Late breaking news on the fire in the warehouse district in Yokohama," the announcer said. "It has taken three fire companies to control the blaze near the docks. Police say they received a call reporting Yakuza activity, but just what was involved is not clear at this time. Eyewitnesses on the scene have reported several official transports with handcuffed men leaving the area and there are further reports of a hidden drug lab in the building. The warehouse, which belongs to Mr. Daikonu Darikamosu of Darikamosu Shipping..." Here they inserted a file picture of Mr. Darikamosu and the warehouse. "...has never been connected with organized crime before. Early reports of automatic weapon fire seem to indicate a gang war of some kind." The images switched to a thin man with a Soun-like mustache speaking to the press. "The mayor of Yokohama promised to 'peel away the layers of obstruction' until the truth is clear." The newscast went on to other subjects leaving the image of the burning, exploding building imprinted on the brains of the two families and their guests.

Nabiki tried to shrug out of her father's arms. "See Daddy? Ranma made it all bet-ter!" she squeaked as he resumed hugging her.

"Oh, N-N-Na-bi-ki-i-i-i..."

Natsume glanced at Ryu, then Genma, who was stealing glances at her. She strode over and fixed him with a steely eye. "Old panda, my sister and I came to town because we heard a rumor that Ranma knows who our father is." She watched the flinch he gave with a satisfied expression. "I'm betting you know who he is, too."

Genma glanced over at his son and wife, then back at Natsume. I do. popped up the sign.

"You'd really like to tell me, wouldn't you?" Natsume's hands tightened on her weapon. It was an open threat.

Wait for your sister. Genma closed his eyes and sat back as immobile and obdurate at a brass Buddha.

But Nodoka saw and heard. Somewhere deep inside she prayed very, very hard that her husband was, at last, ready to be a man.