Author's Rants: Ok, I usually don't do these, since they tend to distract you guys from reading the actual story (or maybe that just why I'm putting this here, hehe) couple notes on the reviews:
First and foremost, thank you all for your reviews, compliments and critics alike! Some comments made me rethink my plot a couple times and tweak it here and there, (and dogbertcarrol, I thought about changing Ryoko's name, since I first picked it because it also means "wanderer", but as you pointed out has a female connotation, but decided to keep it since I'm too far into the story already, so sorry about that), and adjust my powerlevels a bit. For your information, I'm putting Ryoko's power level and skill somewhere between Happosai/Cologne and Herb. He does have a couple hundred years of fighting experience and ki reserves on Ranma, after all. Ranma does have an advantage in aerial combat, though, while Ryoko holds the upper hand in ground combat.
Second, Ranma is going to try and get stronger – but the way I (and hopefully, you) see it, Ranma respects him for his skill as a martial artist and a person, which is a pretty rare thing, considering the people around Ranma (face it, I don't really think he respects Genma or Soun...), which means he isn't going to go around taunting him or goading him into a fight like he does Genma/Ryoga/Mousse/Kuno.
Also, the first (introductory) arc is coming to an end, which means the story will be a lot more Ranma-centric now that I got the introductions done. Ranma will get stronger, he will get more powerful, and I haven't decided yet if he will end up with Kasumi. Given, it started out as a Ranma/Kasumi pairing, but I'm not too sure anymore (given the facts that I diverged from the canon, Tofu's still in Nerima and Ranma continued to hide his curse from his mother until after Saffron). I'm not too sure who I should pair him with, and am open for suggestions/reasons why or why not she should end up with a specific girl.
Again, I apologize if the story centered around Ryoko a lot in the first 5 chapters, but he will be pretty important later on in the story, so please bear with me (only if you like my writing, though). I promise he won't be making too many appereances for the next...uh...couple chapters. All Ranma there!
For those of you wondering why I have so many fight scenes in my chapters...well, I tried to retain the original humor and gist of Ranma ½. As a friend pointed out, it is mainly a martial arts story, and I haven't seen a volume or episode go by without at least one major fight and a major laugh. I seriously hope I did a good job. If not, please let me know and I'll do my best to curb my – as I've been told – rather odd sense of humor.
And last, but not least, I apologize for making you guys wait for the next chapter. I've been really, really busy with school, and classes are getting more difficult now...ask any engineer, he'll tell you that vector dynamics and multivar calc ain't fun. Also, I've started drawing up fanart for it, and, my, it's kept me really busy. Hell, I haven't even managed to scan all of the pics and throw them up on my website yet.
Oh well, that turned out to be rather long. Hope I didn't scare you off the fic, hehe. On with it!
Chapter Six: Apprenticeship and Mastery
"Ranma, we need to talk." Said pig-tailed martial artist turned around to find Happosai behind him on the roof. "What do you want, old man?" Ranma returned his attention to the night sky. Happosai sat down next to him, taking out his pipe and igniting it with a flash of ki. "I wanted to talk to you about your training. I've been looking for a heir for a long time, and you're the only one with potential for it. Heck," Happosai let loose a gurgling laugh. "You're probably one of the best and brightest students this school ever had." The ancient martial artist looked at his pipe intently, almost as if trying to hypnotize it.
"Ranma, since I've come here I've watched you grow, both as a martial artist and a person. You were the only person who would stop my panty raids. I saw you master new techniques at incredible speeds, and I was stunned as you refined them into something new. You beat the odds more times than I can count, defeating superior or more experienced opponents, all for the sake of guarding those you hold dear. You, your skill, and your personality have earned my respect…and Ryoko's. And believe me, he's not one to be impressed easily," Happosai finally told him. Something clicked in Ranma's mind. "Wait, you mean all your panty raids were only a test?"
"Nope, not at all," Happosai giggled, a sound that was definitely creepy, Ranma decided. Right up there next to Kodachi's insane laugh. "I do draw energy from panties and nice, beautiful ladies. But it has a nice side-effect, doesn't it?" Groaning, Ranma shook his head, smiling despite himself. He was still trying to cope with the fact that Happosai was acting serious and non-perverted. "So, what are you getting at, Happosai?"
The diminuitive man puffed out a cloud of smoke in form of a pair of panties before answering. "Well, Ranma, I give you an official mission. I charge you with mastering the Neko-Ken. Then I will name you my heir and teach you the full Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. In other words, I'll make you the grandmaster." Ranma didn't turn to look at the ancient master of Anything Goes. "It will take time," he finally said, dead serious. "This is not something I can achieve overnight. Maybe ever. Are you willing to bet your entire school on the one person who may never turn out to be the heir you wanted?"
Happosai grinned as Ranma finally turned around and looked at him. "Oh, you're already all I could hope for in a heir, and more. You have one of the most distinctive senses of honor I've ever come across. I trust you with the continuation of my school, Ranma. You'll master the Neko-Ken. I know it." Happosai vanished from sight, leaving a contemplative Ranma behind on the roof. No one but the twinkling stars witnessed the small smile that played around the pig-tailed youth's mouth.
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Dawn the next day found one Saotome Genma yelling for his son to begin their morning sparring. The Saotome heir hadn't been in his futon, though, and no matter where Genma looked, he couldn't spot Ranma. That is, until he looked out of the window and was treated to the sight of two blurring forms fighting over the koi pond, seemingly hovering over the water longer than gravity should allow them. With a final exchange of blows, Ranma and Ryoko separated, the former bowing to the latter before heading inside for breakfast.
"Ranma! Boy, you've been slacking off in your training!" Genma leapt out of the window, completely missing the conspirational grin Ranma and Ryoko shared. A flying kick intercepted the balding man in mid-air and sent him careening into the koi pond. A sputtering panda emerged, holding up a sign, "That wasn't nice!" The panda leapt out and towards Ranma, who casually booted his father-turned-panda back into the water. "Yo, Oyaji. I've already had my morning spar, and I'm gonna go eat breakfast. You better hurry, or there won't be anything left for ya."
"When will you be returning to Juuban, Ranma?" Nodoka asked her son while sitting at the table. "So, you've been staying in Juuban, eh, Saotome?" Nabiki smirked. This information was going to be worth a lot. Especially since she could narrow down the locations he could hide in in Juuban. The Saotome home was the only place she knew of that Ranma knew. Yen signs started swirling before her eyes until she realized she was daydreaming and snapped back to reality. "Not soon, Mom. I'm going on a training trip." Before Nodoka could say anything, Ranma held up a hand, indicating he had more to say. "Happosai-sensei, Ryoko-sensei, you had something to say?"
Ryoko nodded and gestured towards Happosai. "We decided to name Saotome Ranma, son of Saotome Genma and Akagi Nodoka, the official heir to the full Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. All strings attached and with all duties and obligations. He will be named the offical, and only, Grandmaster of this school upon completion of the following task: Gaining control and mastering the technique known as the Neko-Ken." The ancient martial artist grinned at the pig-tailed boy. "Just hurry up, Ranma, I want to enjoy my retirement!"
Ryoko chuckled, before picking up where Happosai had left off. "Meet me for one final sparring session behind at the athlethics field behind Furinkan High after school today. Anyway, that was about all we had to say, wasn't it? Oh, yeah, Nabiki. You might not want to take bets. It'll be a full-out battle, so even I'm not too sure who's going to win." Setsuna shot the pig-tailed martial artist a smile. "I'll take care of your absence at Juuban High while you're gone, so don't worry about that. Although you'd have to get some tutoring done after you return." The Senshi of Pluto giggled slightly at Ranma's groan.
Nodoka hugged her son to herself. "Oh, Ranma, do you have to go?" He nodded and turned around to face his mother as best as he could in her embrace. "Yeah, Mom. But I'll be back in a year, tops. No more ten-year training trips. I'll send ya postcards, too, I promise." Soun was wailing, Akane was seething – after all, not only had she not been named the heir to grandmastery, but she had also been forbidden from using her martial arts. Genma choose that moment to barge into the room. "Boy! You will not go on any such foolish trip! You will stay here and marry Akane, like honor demands!"
He glanced around in confusion as no one seemed to be even listening to him. Soun was still caught up in his crying, Akane was still seething, Ryoko and Happosai were discussing women, of all things, with the occassional comment from Urd, Ranma and Nodoka were talking about packing for this trip, and Nabiki was zoned out of a sorts. Kasumi was her usual, cheerful, oblivious self. "Boy!" Seeing his retirement in danger – after all, if Ranma were to become the grandmaster, he wouldn't need to marry a Tendo daughter to merge the schools – gave him newfound strength as he bellowed as loudly as he could. "I won't allow you to go on this trip unless you marry Akane first and take her with you!"
That earned him a glare from Nodoka and Ranma, and deadly stares from both grandmasters present. "You would dare to deny him his mastery quest and force him into marriage against his wishes? You would dare to defy the mastery quest by demanding Akane accompany him?" Ryoko's tone was low, and the coldness emanating from his voice sent shivers down the spines of those present. "You have nothing to say on matters of honor, Saotome Genma. It is Ranma's choice to marry Akane or not. It is also Ranma's choice to go on this quest, and if you try to deny him these rights, you'll be putting up with me. Is that clear?"
Genma glanced from Happosai – who had a thoroughly disgusted look on his face – to Ryoko, whose red eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire, his battle aura hovering just outside of the visible spectrum. "Also, the schools won't have been joined, even if Ranma marries Akane. She is banned from using the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu, remember?" Happosai chimed in. Urd grinned evilly and let lightning crackle across her arms as she inched towards Ryoko. "Count me in, too. I've always wanted to try out panda steak. And Bell would love having a panda rug for the fireplace."
Genma paled at the sea of opposing stares and whimpered, falling onto his behind. "Glad you see it our way," Ryoko grinned, before leaning in towards Urd and whispering, "I thought the temple didn't have a fireplace?" "Yeah, but he doesn't have to know that," Urd shot back.
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People were streaming out of the buildings of Furinkan High School, glad the daily classes were finally over. However, this time, instead of heading straight home, most headed towards the athlethics field behind the school, following the rumor that Ranma was back and in a big fight. The afternoon sun bore down on the field as the crowd formed a ring around the two combatants. Ukyo was the first out of the building and at the fields, where she saw that, indeed, the rumors were true. Her heart leapt into her throat and she had to suppress the urge to run out and hug Ranma. She also noticed the other man standing across from the pig-tailed boy, and the Tendo family sitting up on one of the benches surrounding the field. Fear shot through the okonomiyaki chef as she wondered what this fight could be about, since most – if not all – of Ranma's fights were caused by one of two things; either he had knowingly or unknowingly offended someone, or someone was trying to kidnap Akane.
That was when the man facing Ranma spoke up. "Ready for the last match, Ranma?" His friendly smile and the relaxed atmosphere between the two made Ukyo wonder whether this really was a fight to the death. "Heh, bring it on, Ryoko," Ranma shot back. The Tendos noticed her and waved her over. She moved to join them. She'd have time to welcome Ranma back later.
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Ryoko arched an eyebrow as he noticed the crowd they had drawn. He also noticed Nabiki was taking bets. Oh well, if she didn't heed his advice, she'd be in for a surprise. He returned his attention to Ranma, who stood facing him across the field. "Ready?" The pig-tailed youth nodded and bowed. Ryoko returned the bow, before Urd chopped her hand down, announcing, "Begin!"
The two fighters blurred into action.
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Nabiki rubbed her hands and mentally counted the profits of this fight. With the odds set as they were, and most people betting on Ranma to win – after all, the pig-tailed boy never lost, as he himself said often enough – she'd be making a fortune. She returned her attention to running her business, completely ignoring the fight that was occuring.
Next to her sat Happosai, Genma and Nodoka, Setsuna, Ukyo, Soun, Akane and Kasumi, drawn out of curiosity over how this fight would end. "So, when did Ranchan get back, and who's he fighting this time?" Ukyo asked as she settled herself between Nodoka and Kasumi. "Ranma-kun just returned yesterday afternoon with his mother and his friends," Kasumi said, smiling at the chef. "Friends?" Ukyo arched an eyebrow, for the first time noticing both the long white-haired exotic woman who was down below acting as a referee, and the green-haired lady at the edge of the bench. "More fiancees?" That drew a giggle from Kasumi, a sound Ukyo found a little odd, since she rarely heard the eldest Tendo daughter laugh, but she decided it fit Kasumi.
"Oh my, no! Ryoko-kun housed Ranma while he was staying in Juuban. It turned out he was a martial artist, as well, one of the founders of Anything-Goes, even!" Ukyo stared at the older woman. Was that a trace of excitement she detected in her voice? "He asked Ranma to spar with him for one last time before Ranma-kun left on his mastery quest." Kasumi continued her explanation. "Mastery quest? Founder of Anything Goes?" Kasumi quickly gestured towards the field, indicating that the fight was about to begin.
Genma and Ukyo gaped as they saw Ryoko blurring, then vanishing at times. Their jaws dropped further, when they witnessed Ranma match him pace for pace. The speed of the fighters picked up until even to the most trained eye the only visible trace were blurs of color. With a yell of "Kachuu Tenchin Amaguri-Ken!" the blur that was Ranma reappeared, his arms barely visible as he launched a barrage of near-sonic speed punches.
After he stopped punching air, Ryoko slowed down as well, reappearing solidly fifteen feet before him. "Amazon tenchniques, huh? Pretty good, but you'll have to work on your speed," he commented, a small smile on his face. Ukyo's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "He's saying Ranchan's Amaguri-Ken is slow?" Akane still wasn't paying attention, muttering under her breath about how unfair it was that she had to come and watch the jerk show off when a series of booms cracked through the air, drawing everyone's attention to the battle in the makeshift arena below.
"Kachuu Tenchin Amaguri-Ken!" Ryoko yelled as he stood his ground, punching the air fast enough to break the sound barrier. Fourteen hundred sonic booms later – seven hundred punches, breaking the sound barrier either way – the ground between Ryoko and Ranma was torn up and devastated, the destruction continuing well beyond Ranma, the latter standing with arms crossed taking the brunt of the air pressure alone. Ryoko grinned as he said, "You'd be surprised how much ki you can build up in 300 years."
Genma and Nodoka sat speechless at the destruction that had just been caused by sheer air pressure, Akane's jaw was on the ground, her muscles twitching in a futile effort to close her mouth, and Ukyo removed her hands from her ears. Kasumi summed up their sentiments in her usual accurate way. "Oh, my."
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The Neko-Hanten was nearly empty, which, in itself, was not that strange. What made it strange was the fact that it was in the middle of the business week and school had just let out. Which meant hordes of hungry students and teachers should have flooded the restaurant for lunch/afternoon rush. Cologne, elder of the Joketzusoku Amazon tribe, tossed a bowl of Ramen noodles out into the dining area. "Table four, order ready," she shouted. She was just about to avert her eyes from the flying bowl when it developed a crack in mid-air, nearly splitting in half when Shampoo caught it.
And then, fourteen hundred ridiculously loud bangs echoed through town. "Aiya! Great-grandmother, what that?" Cologne nearly fell off her staff at the noise. Once she had sufficiently regained her composure, she shook her head to clear it. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that was something breaking the sound barrier. Come on, Shampoo, let's go over and have a look." The two amazons left the restaurant in Mousse's care, heading for Furinkan High, feeling the ki radiating from the school.
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Ranma stood speechless for a moment as the fourteen hundred booms cracked around him, before shaking off his awe and charging at his opponent with a flying kick. Ryoko easily turned it aside, and Ranma dodged the return blow, kicking off from Ryoko's shoulder and launching high into the air. The older man grinned and leapt up to meet Ranma. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the pig-tailed martial artist stopping a palm-strike just moments before Ryoko would have blocked it.
"Môkô Takabisha!" The ki blast slammed the older fighter back towards the ground, drawing cheers from the audience. Before the dust had settled, Ryoko leapt back out of the impact crater, twirling a fan in his left hand. The two met in a flurry of blows in mid-air, continuing all the way down until they hit ground again. As soon as his foot touched the ground, Ranma sprung back, vanishing from sight. Ryoko glanced around, extending his ki; he frowned when he couldn't detect his pig-tailed opponent visually or by his ki signature.
With a grin, Ryoko faded out of sight, as well.
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When Ranma vanished from sight Genma jumped up, roaring, "Boy! The sealed techniques were sealed for a reason! You are not allowed to use them!" He blinked and did a double take when Ryoko vanished, and the only evidence of ongoing battle were the sounds of flesh meeting flesh as strikes were blocked or taken. Suddenly, out of nowhere, came a flying bucket of water, drenching Genma and turning him into a panda. "Shut up, oyaji," Ranma's disembodied voice called out.
Moments later, the blunt end of a mace struck the panda, knocking him out. Ryoko's laugh followed. "Never interrupt a fight, Saotome!" "Hey, Ryoko?" Ranma's voice came again. "Yeah?" "Where do you keep all that stuff? You could give Mousse a run for his money," Ranma laughed as the two casually talked during their fight. Nodoka spared a single glance for her fallen husband before returning her attention to the battlefield – although there wasn't much to see at the moment.
Kasumi was giggling at the antics of the two martial artists while Ukyo was shaking her head. She wasn't even going to bother gaping anymore – her jaw already hurt from the many times it had hit the ground during this fight alone. Leave it to Ranchan to make small-talk during a fight. Of course, this Ryoko is equally crazy. The two fighters reappeared on opposite sides of the field, just as a loud "Airen!" from the side of the field drew everyone's attention. Cologne and Shampoo stood there, watching the fight before them intently. Ukyo waved them over.
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Ranma eyed his opponent suspiciously, before running forward. With an exchange of kicks and punches, the two met in the center of the field. Ranma slowly began circling Ryoko while cutting down his own attacks. Just before they reached the center of the spiral, Ryoko refused to move the last step, holding his ground. "Not gonna work this time," he said. Ranma countered with a smirk. "I don't need the spiral," he said, barely loud enough for his opponent to hear. "Hiryuu Shôten Ha!" The pig-tailed martial artist uppercutted the air in front of him, causing a small tornado to explode upwards, with him in the center. It was true, ever since he had seen Ryoko perform a similar technique, Ranma had been experimenting with extending his ki, and working with different temperature ki at the same time. If one managed to project both hot and cold ki, and mix and twist them in a spiral, the spiral steps of the Hiryuu Shôten Ha became obsolete.
Ryoko returned his grin even as he was carried up into the air. "You need to work on your control of the technique. You didn't mix your hot and cold ki enough. Fukyuu Ryujin-Dan!" Opening his twin fans, he twisted in mid air, spinning his body around, fans extended. The tornado that burst from his position in mid-air clashed with Ranma's, until a dragon-shaped ki blast exploded from the ground beneath both of them, hurling Ranma into the air, as well. Just as quickly as they had been created, both tornados faded, dropping both martial artists towards the ground as they dissipated their auras.
Ranma was barely touching the ground when he focused his ki. "Môkô Takabisha!" The ki blast blew up the ground where Ryoko had landed a second ago, and Ranma flipped out of the way of a return ki blast. Backflipping all the way to the edge of the field, he raised his hands and spread them out in front of his chest before collecting as much ki as he could hold. "Môkô Takabisha!" he shouted again, firing off the largest ki blast he could manage at the still recovering Ryoko. The resulting explosion kicked up dust and dirt around the impact zone, obscuring the view for several minutes. Ranma started to grow concerned. Man, I hope I didn't injure him too badly. This was supposed to be a friendly spar, not a life-or-death fight.
Finally, the dust cleared, and revealed Ryoko, standing at the edge of a seven meter wide crater, created by one of the most powerful ki blasts ever thrown in Nerima, short of Ryoga's ultimate Shishi Hôkôdan. A shimmering golden layer of ki floated in front of Ryoko's outstretched hands, fading as the martial artist straightened up and gave a cocky grin. "You'll have to hit harder than that, Ranma." The pig-tailed martial artist grinned and leapt towards the other man in a flying kick. Ryoko dodged and dropped over backwards, landing on his back and kicked off, sending Ranma flying into the air.
Ranma's eyes widened as his breath exploded from him and he was propelled upwards. I should have expected that, he thought as he reoriented himself and landed lightly on his feet. He was preparing to charge Ryoko again when the older man bowed and grinned. "A good fight. Thank you, Ranma." Ranma returned the bow and grinned as they closed the distance. "You were gonna loose," he chuckled. His opponent just smirked. "Nope. Haven't even started using my special techniques yet. But…I thought it might be nice to put Nabiki off guard." The two shared a bout of laughter as they headed off the field.
Nabiki's jaw was hanging open as she watched the end of the fight. Her brain shut down as she calculated the losses of the day, and she felt like fainting. That, however, wouldn't do her reputation as the "Ice Queen" any good, so she settled for glaring at the two martial artists as they merrily climbed up the stairs. Meanwhile, Cologne and Shampoo had made their way over from the gates of the athlethics field.
Ranma and Ryoko stopped and looked up at the assembled group. "You're back." Ukyo noted neutrally. Then she went up to Ranma and, in one smooth motion, drew her battle spatula and banged him over the head. "That's for worrying me to death and not even calling," she began, before engulfing him in a hug that would have done an amazon proud. "And that is for coming back."
Shampoo, of course, wasn't about to be outdone, so she clamped down on Ranma from behind. Ryoko and Cologne snickered as the pig-tailed martial artist futilely attempted to remove himself from his current predicament, sandwiched as he was between the two girls. Happosai was rolling on the floor in laughter, while Kasumi and Nodoka hid their smiles behind their hands. Soun was rambling and wailing, but no one paid him any attention.
"Great-granddaughter, Ukyo-san, I think that you should let go of son-in-law, if you ever want to hear an explanation." The elder amazon chuckled. Then she turned her attention to the young man flanking Ranma. "And who might you be, young one?"
Ryoko shot her an amused look. "Meiou Ryoko, at your service, elder Khu Lon, matriarch of the Joketsuzoku amazons." He offered her a small bow before winking at her stunned expression. Cologne carefully schooled her expression back to neutral. "I see you have heard of our tribe," she noted. "You must be a skilled fighter, if you go up against son-in-law and managed to hold your ground." Ryoko laughed as he pried Ukyo and Shampoo off his pig-tailed friend. "I like to think I am." He casually deflected a ki-powered hammer from Akane, before returning his attention to Cologne. "But if you want the full story, we'll have to save your 'son-in-law' from your great-granddaughter first."
Ukyo and Shampoo sheepishly disengaged themselves from a bright red Ranma and moved to stand with Ryoko and Cologne.
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"So Ranma is about to go on his mastery quest?" Cologne asked. The Tendos, Saotomes and amazons – minus Akane and Mousse – along with Urd and Setsuna, were seated in the Tendo living room, which, admittedly, was getting crowded. Between Ryoko, Ranma, and Kasumi, they had told the amazons about the events of the previous two weeks, excluding Ryoko's true age and his involvement with Anything-Goes, as well as Urd and Setsuna's hidden identities.
"Let me guess," Ukyo ventured, "he won't if the panda has any say in it." Genma was about to protest, but received a bucket of ice-cold water, courtesy of Kasumi, so all that came out was a loud "growf!" "Oh my," Kasumi said as she stood above him, upended bucket in hand. "I must have slipped." That elicited blinks from everyone around the table.
"So you're going, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked from across him. "Yeah. I've got to." Ranma glanced around the table, his ice-blue eyes emanating a fire that dared anyone to disagree. "Shampoo come with Airen!" The amazon nearly launched herself at the pig-tailed martial artist, but was held back when a staff struck her across the stomach. "Quiet, great-granddaugher! You dishonor a warrior by denying him his quest. No amazon will do that while I'm around," Cologne admonished the girl harshly.
"It sounds dangerous, especially if it involves the Neko-Ken," Ukyo mused. "But…if it is what you want, I won't stop you. Just promise to call and write?" The okonomiyaki chef glanced up from where she had been staring at her hands, and Ranma could see the tears glistening in her eyes.
The pig-tailed martial artist rose from where he sat and deftly caught the backpack thrown at him by Ryoko. "You quest begins now, Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes. Good luck." Ryoko and Happosai turned serious.
"Ranma." Cologne called. Surprised at actually hearing her refer to him by his name, said pig-tailed martial artist turned around. "What is it, Cologne?" The Amazon matriarch bowed. Low. Everyone in the room gasped in shock when she stood fully erect from the bow again, and began to speak. "Shampoo accidentally spiced up the ramen we sent you two weeks ago with redwood seed. It was completely unintentional, and the seed makes the victim loose most of its inhibitions concerning violence and aggression. I seek your forgiveness for the damage and pain we have caused you." She didn't need to say she fully believed this was wwhat had caused Akane's rather violent outburst on that night.
Ranma could just stare. "You're...you're apologizing?" Cologne nodded. "It was always about you, Ranma. We never intended for others to get caught up in this or cause as much emotional harm as we have this time." The pig-tailed youth sighed. "It's all right. Looks like the stuff's still somewhat in effect, though. There an antidote?" Cologne nodded and produced a small vial, handing it to Kasumi, instructing her on how to apply it to her youngest sister.
Then Ranma turned around. Slinging the pack over his right shoulder, he walked out the door of the Tendo home. He paused on the doorstep and turned back, his clear blue eyes boring into Ukyo, Kasumi, and Nodoka in turn. And in this instant, all three women realized, with absolute clarity, that he loved the three of them, and that he loved his Art as well. They knew, without a doubt, that this was something he had to do. There would be no stopping Saotome Ranma.
"Ucchan…Kasumi…Mom…Thanks." And then, Ranma was gone.
Suddenly, with a deafening crash, the rear wall broke down and Ryoga walked through, umbrella drawn and at the ready. "RANMA! Prepare to die!" When no one answered his battlecry, he looked around in confusion. "Huh? Where did that coward go?" His eyes settled on Ryoko. "Hey! I remember you!" Ryoko nodded, pulled a piece of paper out of seemingly nowhere, and handed it to the lost boy.
"What is this?" Ryoga glanced down at the slip of paper in his hand. "It's the bill for wrecking my outer wall," Ryoko began. Before the lost boy could comment, Ryoko nailed him with a flip kick that sent Ryoga crashing through the roof and high into the air.
Akane chose that moment to come walking down the stairs. "Did I miss something?" she asked, shooting a bewildered look at her sisters. When no one seemed inclined to answer her, she shrugged and walked into the kitchen.
Ryoga came crashing down through the roof through the exact hole he'd made during his exit. Akane stuck her head out of the kitchen and said, "Hello Ryoga. Has Ranma been picking on you again?"
Everyone – minus Genma and Soun – stared at the youngest Tendo daughter in wonderment and shock.
"What?" Akane asked.
END of Arc One: Martial Artists, Goddesses, Sailor Senshi and Demons