Prologue
This is the story of a cursed martial artist who saves his forced uncute fiancée from the claws of a god; by killing him, for almost killing her, the love of his life.
When he realizes that he has lost her, no matter what he did, he almost confessed it all, at that exact moment, life went back to her…
When they come back to Japan, uncured; a improvised wedding is organized, well, she is bribed into agreeing and he was "persuaded" by a dozing blow on his neck. The pig-tailed boy, after waking up in a tuxedo, rushes to the girl's room. He gets stricken by her beauty, but also with the news that the cure is under the same roof… while denying his feelings towards her.
Well, as you know this martial artist is a trouble magnet, so, his other 3 fiancées showed up: a crazed Chinese amazon, a cross dressing okonomiyaki chef, a deluded poisoning gymnast; with his rivals for Akane's affection *not that he'd admit he wants it…*: a poetry-vomiting bokken-swinging yerk, a forever lost pig boy; a couple of more people who want the cure for the Jusenkyo curses: a blind amazon goose and a coward sign-writing panda; add a perverted old freak, a money-thirsty sister-in-law, a flood-like weeping father-in-law and viola!… the perfect recipe for a disastrous wedding.
Well, after it, his 'almost' father-in-law declared it was only "overtime".
So, this story is about what happens during & after the overtime. This story is about what happens… BEYOND
Beyond
A fanfiction by nm3
Disclaimers : This is a fanfiction based on the characters made & owned by the genius Rumiko Takahashi, which I, without her permission (like millions of fans out there) borrowed for the sole propose of creating this humble fic. Gomen! Takahashi-sama!
One last thing, this story has lots of spoilers and it may be better that you know the end of the series ( Volume 38 ) =). That's it!
On with the story!
Chapter
1:
"Anxiety"
"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!" a pig-tailed figure yelled, awakening completely while gasping for air and sweating, in the middle of the night
*don't get paranoid! She's fine, sleeping in her bed! I checked the entrance, the windows and the neighborhood twice and stayed on the roof on top of her room until she had slept for an hour before going to sleep *…a voice in his head yelled, almost out of habit...*Gotta know for sure…*.
The figure ran upstairs and started hearing out her door, as the little duck balanced on the its support.
*Nothing*…
*well…dah!… She doesn't snore like that stupid panda!*.
He went down the hall as fast as he came, opened a window and crawled onto the roof, the cold wind hit him while he walked a few steps and let himself hang from the roof to be able to watch the inside of the room.
He could see a tiny little body whose chest rose and fell covered with a sheet. She moved around, almost uncovering her face to him. He saw her beautiful features as she surfed in the waves of her dreams.
NOW, he was calmed. NOW, he would be able to go back to sleep. He went back to his room, settled on his futon, and rolled over searching for his sleep… but couldn't.
*Aw man!…another cold night!*.
He stood up, grabbed his warm PJs, his sheets, and pillow and climbed back up. He settled on the roof, exactly on top of her room.
The
sunrise rays attacked Ranma's sleeping form. Not wanting the sun to bug him
yet, he reached for his sheet to cover himself with, but they were nowhere to
be found, he had to give in to the awakening of the day.
"Hhhhhmmmmmm!"
he unpleasantly groaned before scratching the back of his head. He snapped his
eyes open, crawled a few meters and let himself hang in front of Akane's
window, eager to match with her sight. He found her bed empty and the window
open, Akane wasn't there.
*Nooo!!!
She has been kidnapped again!!!… but I was here…how!?!* his brain abruptly
shouted, jumping to conclusions already, until he heard a sharp "Kiiiaaaiiii!"
followed by the crashing sound of concrete, coming from the dojo.
*Akane!*.
He somersaulted down to the back yard,
landing near the koi pond and, as fast and quiet as he could, he ran to the
dojo, stopping immediately at the sliding door and secretly trying to take a
glimpse inside. There he could finally see her, she was right in front of the
hiroga frame, preparing herself to break another pile of bricks.
The
sweaty Akane took a hold of her belt while focusing her chi to break the
concrete pile. With a sudden move she lifted her hand and with a piercing
scream, she attacked the bricks. They shattered instantly, sending hundreds of
tiny pieces to every corner of the dojo.
*
Must-train-harder* her mind shouted.
*
Must-be-stronger-faster…better* she repeated over and over, her voice echoing
in her head.
* I will
never be as close to it again, not without the biggest fight I can give… I
won't be as helpless, ever again…* she silently promised.
"Never again!" she loudly affirmed while clenching her fists at her sides, while desperate scenes of the recent Jusendo face-2-face-encounter-with-death incident stormed through her mind. Then she remembered Ranma saving her, almost confessing his true feelings for her, saying what she has wanted to hear from him for so long… and then recalled the reluctant way he denied every single bit before the immediate/aborted wedding.
*Ah!! That jerk*
Ranma, unnoticed and shielded by the door, saw the pained and then angered face Akane was suffering with; he frowned, letting his concern show off in his eyes wandering what was she thinking of.
*Never again!?*… her voice echoed…*What does she mean?*
Akane
relaxed her fists, and initiated a kata, clinging to the thought that now everything was all right… *for
now* a voice added. She continued to do the kata that started out clumsily…
*What
a clumsy tomboy! She can't even do this simple kata right!* his mind thought.
As if
challenged, Akane just let herself be lost in the kata movements leaving her
mind blank. Immediately she continued the kata as gracefully and skillfully as
possible, almost like she was dancing and floating. Every kick, leap and punch
was being performed with amazing technique and beautiful grace, the movements flowing through her body. She started to
increase the pace and difficulty of her kata, not letting her new found
gracefulness and technique slip.
A
wide-eyed Ranma stared outside the dojo.
Akane
leaped kicking through the air, getting to the climax of her improvised kata.
Punch-kick-punch-block-block-kick-and-punch!. Akane retrieved her finishing
guard position, and started down to bow…
"Hmmm!
Great kata Akane! Right Ranma?" Soun declared, catching both Ranma and Akane by
surprise. Akane was too much into her final kata to notice anything around her,
and Ranma was too much into watching Akane's graceful kata to notice anything
around him.
Soun
climbed the steps up to the entrance of the dojo while a startled Ranma stood
up from his crunched position too near to the ground.
"Right Ranma?" Soun asked again while shaking
Ranma's shoulder.
"Hmm,
yeah" he said weakly, forcing a nervous smile while scratching the back of his
head with one of his hands and the other behind his back.
"Arigatou
gozaimasu" Akane thanked, staring at the curious picture before her. She turned
and picked up a towel that was on the floor, patted her sweaty face and hung it
around her neck; finished her workout with some stretching exercises, and left
the dojo, walking to the bathroom; leaving a serious Ranma and a smiley Soun
behind.
*What's
up with her!? I can't even guess what she is thinking!** Is she mad at me for
the wedding thing!? Or just simply depressed… but what is she depressed
about?**I hate the look she's been wearing these days…*
"but she
won't talk to me!" he declared out loud, unnoticing.
"Look who's talking about not being able to
express himself…another night out in the roof? I presume…" Nabiki asked when
Ranma noticed that he had somehow reached the corridor.
Not
thinking at the answer, he affirmed with a flat "Ah hum" and continued his way
nowhere. His mind snapped out of it and backpedaled to Nabiki.
"Hey! How did you know!?" he asked.
"Ranma,
Ranma, poor thing… you still manage to fantasize that you can actually _hide_
something from _me_, oh please!. It's obvious that you've been watching on
Akane every single moment since you returned from Jusendo 4 days ago, and every
single night you've had to sleep on the roof on top of her room! You even wait
outside when she goes to the bathroom!" She half jokingly said.
"Hey!
That's not true!" Ranma denied.
"Come on,
Ranma! You wouldn't be able to live without Akane, you'd rather die! You're
having second thoughts about why you denied everything at the wedding! You love
her…You're just too proud and such a big coward, and so afraid to let her know
for sure!" Nabiki hit him with the whole truth.
"Yeah! As
if I'd like to marry that sexless, uncute, humorless, uncoordinated,
worst-of-cooks tomboy!" Ranma replied.
Nabiki
frowned with a 'come on' look on her face. "OH Pleeeease! Ranma. It's written
all over your forehead!… You can't even pull that little tomboy act anymore!…
Be a man…It's not that hard…just follow your heart, it is already heading to
the right direction, just let it move that way" Nabiki finished trying to pound
reason into Ranma with her truthful words.
Ranma let
the words sink in his hard brain, a frightened frown showed through his
features not even noticing the Tendo sister still in front of him.
"She
loves you, Ranma, _that_ is also obvious" she tried to encourage him.
*Is that
so!?* he mentally asked.
"…the time she jumped in your HiryuShoutenHa
to save the scroll that would cure you from Happosai's weakening moxibustion,
the kinjakan stunt she pulled to save your neck, is the newest proof of all,
but we can sit here and I can tell you another million proofs more…" Nabiki
tried to reassure Ranma.
He stood there, his face showed a blank
expression, his mind thinking rapidly.
Nabiki left him with his thoughts. *I won't
charge you for that two/three month think out session I did for you back there,
Ranma, you're almost family now… take it as a pre-wedding gift, lil' bro.*
Nabiki reasoned to herself. *I must get back to business… Time's money!*
* Was
that really Nabiki!? The money-sucking machine I've lived with all this time?…
Is she right? She's always right… almost… well, she manipulates everything to
her advantage… whatever!!… Is it really true that… she… can _love_ me??? I
sometimes doubt she even likes me!…*
Ranma
needed to think out all this stuff. He saw the clock and realized he had about
½ hour. He ran to the patio and jumped to the roof, his think out shrine.
Shampoo
was humming happily while preparing various dishes ordered by the costumers.
The
restaurant was crowded, and Mousse was the only waiter, but his hidden weaponry
came to use around the restaurant to help his dearest Shampoo with its attending.
*It's been a week and three days since grandmother has been away in China, according to the postcard she sent. Why would she leave before we came back from Jusendo? And if she was so close by, why didn't she help me get rid of the tomboy ?!* her mind reeled in mandarin while frying some ingredients in the wok.
*I need her back, to think another and better way to marry my beloved Ranma as soon as possible!*
"Ping!
Ding! Ding! Dong!" the school bell rang for the lunch break.
Akane was
walking through the school yard with her friends, looking for a nice tree shade
to sit under and enjoy her lunch.
Ranma, with his sandwich and soda in hand,
jumped from the classroom window, to the gym's roof, then, jumped from tree to
tree, waiting for Akane to choose the one they were going to sit under.
She chose
one near the soccer field. She and her friends seated and opened up their bento
boxes and took out their chopsticks. Akane looked around and noticed that
someone was missing in the soccer game, that's the main reason why their class
team was loosing…
Ranma
shielded the noise he would have made when he settled on a branch right on top
of Akane, with the noise the blowing wind made. He carefully begun munching on
his sandwich and sipping up his soda, while hearing out the conversation about
to start between the girls.
"What's
up Akane!? Who are you looking for in the game?" Sayuri asked, the rest of the
girls were eating their food, lifting their heads to pay attention.
"No one"
she flatly answered.
"Yeah right!? You're wandering where Ranma
is, ain't you!?" Sayuri affirmed.
" As if I
care!" Akane tried to deny.
Beneath, Ranma was too much into hearing the
conversation…
"He's probably having lunch with his beloved
Shampoo, Ukyo or Kodachi…thanking them for… aaarrg! he can do whatever he wants
for all I care!" she said with and edge of obvious jealousy in her words.
Sayuri
was about to add something when Akane ordered "Drop it!! Let's just eat our
lunch!".
"Aw!
We're very edgy today…" Sayuri concluded.
Akane
scowled Sayuri at her comment. Evading Akane's stare, Sayuri casually looked up
to the sky, while adding "what did Ranma do this time?…"
"Does it
has anything to do with those days you were absent last week, from which none
of us, your _supposed_ best friends, know anything about, or is it the
improvised/aborted wedding that we don't know anything about either!… and most
of all, you haven't wanted to tell us anything all day long!" when she finished
her statement, Sayuri's stare was curiously standing on certain branch of a
certain tree that shaded them; just in time to move out of the way of certain
falling object whose trajectory was aimed exactly over Sayuri.
Ranma
fell head-first beside Akane, thanks to the fact that Ranma was too concentrated
on the girl's conversation, and forgot that he was on a branch a few meters off
the ground.
"Arrrrggg!"
Akane growled while painfully elbowing Ranma's head.
Akane's
friends, at the usual display of violence towards Ranma, casually left; leaving
them alone.
" 'bout
time you fell from that tree branch…although your timing couldn't have been
more convenient … They were being _very_ annoying!" Akane calmly pointed.
"Nani!?"
Ranma replied. *When did she realize I was there!*.
"Convenient,
huh?" calmly remarked rubbing his newly sore spot on his head.
They stared into each other's eyes for a long
while… until Akane snapped out of it saying "It's not like I want to be alone
with a loser like you!".
"As if
I'd like to loose my time with a tomboy like you!" Ranma counterattacked.
"Ranma no
baka! Idiot!…Then why the heck are you following me around!?!?" Akane asked,
putting her fists on her hips.
"
Because… because… why would I follow _you_ , It's the other way around, _you_
are following _me_… you very well know that I always have lunch on one 'o these
trees!…" Ranma replied.
"That's
not true… you…you never miss a game, whatever the game is, then you're always
having lunch on classes. Hinako sensei has punished you a couple of times with
holding buckets in the hall…" Akane corrected.
"So it
was _me_, the one you were looking for in the game…" Ranma accused. * =) *
Akane was
about to deny it when he added "… then you _are_ following me, 'cause you
_conveniently_ chose this tree to be able to watch the soccer game, right!?".
"…no…ahh…I
wanted to see if our class won, Hiroshi & Daisuke aren't that bad at
soccer…" was Akane's lame comeback.
"… to see
how they _lost_ you mean… Ha! They can't even throw an offensive without me!"
he commented with sickening pride.
"…
Anyways… you _are_ following me, and you've been doing it, and I'm getting
tired of it, most of all because you don't want to tell me why!?" she seriously
asked, without anger nor happiness in her voice, while staring at Ranma's eyes.
Entering
the serious mood, Ranma found himself trapped, and didn't know what to do… He
was trying to reach out in the biggest depths of his brain to choose the
_right_ words, but found it almost impossible… while a tiny millenary figure
jumped around the school yard with a piece of fabric around its head.
It was
glomping on many other girls before noticing and saying "Akaaaaaneee!!! Come
give Happi a hug! And some panties too!", while leaping in Akane's direction,
developing a parabolic trajectory towards her chest… but all he got was pain,
and Ranma's "Oh no! you won't, you hentai!" while a well directed punch and a
mighty kick hit him in the middle of his aged face. He flew skyward courtesy of
Ranma/Akane-air. Ranma took this opportunity and ran off, in pursue of
Happosai, yelling stuff about stopping his pervertness for good.
"Arrrggg!
Ranma!" Akane growled.
"Come back here! You baka!" she yelled.
* why does _this_ always happen?!?*. She
picked up her bento box and chopsticks, and stormed back to her classroom.
Since
he didn't want to end up holding buckets in the hall, he figured out a way to
be as near to Akane in case something happens * of course *. He went to the
roof and installed himself there, exactly on top of their class.
*This is
getting old!* he thought. He just sat there, since he had nothing to do and
everything was very calmed, he dozed off.
……He was
somewhere known, the scenery was confusing: It was a mixture between Jusendo,
Nekonron, Toyenkyo, and… Nerima. Ranma then looked back, a very angered crowed
was yelling and running towards him,
then he found himself carrying a very wounded Akane doll.
He
started to run, he leaped from roof to tree, jumping springs, houses, amazon
shrines, to say the most. When he jumped back to the ground, he was running
through sand, then concrete, and then he was running through a cave.
The horde
of people was still after them. In a glimpse, he saw Saffon, Kiima, Kuririn and
Toma. He looked forward to avoid
hitting a stop sign.
He glimpsed back to see Happosai, Kuno, and
Ryoga. He felt sand under his feet, and barely had time to turn around before
running into the ocean.
Again
looked back, now he saw Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi, a very big white cat with a jingle bell on his neck, and at the very
end there was a horde of boys from Furinkan *even the guys that stalked Akane
when I came here*.
He
stopped abruptly just in time before falling in the spring, then he somehow
knew it was the nannichuan spring. He was about to jump in when he remembered
Akane was with him. He took her out of this red Chinese shirt, and then he
noticed the spring had dried up.
"Happodaikarin!"
the bomb sent Ranma flying backwards into the wall outside the Tendo household.
He jumped
out of the Ranma figure mark left on the wall, and picked up his guard.
"Give
Akane to me! Ranma" Ryoga yelled.
"That
fair maiden shall only be mine" Kuno growled.
"I have
chosen Tendo Akane to be my wife, and no one will get in my way!" Toma yelled.
"She has
been bound by destiny itself to be the wife of the head of the seven luck gods
of Nekonron" Kurinrin affirmed.
"Ranma
you'll never be happy with that tomboy" Ukyo yelled.
"You
won't lower yourself by marrying a peasant, Ranma-sama" Kodachi remarked.
"Airen
die with uncute fiancee's cooking" Shampoo affirmed.
"You
won't have her!!" Ryoga, Kuno, Toma, Happosai, and Kuririn yelled in unison.
"As if we
would have let him choose her!!" all the other fiancés growled.
They all
leaped, with Kiima, the white cat and
the furinkan boys behind, attacking Ranma, who was about to counterattack, but
all his attackers evaporated. He stood
there, blinking away his confusion. Then the vapor condensed, eventually
showing Ranma the face of one of his _not_ very favorite persons… or beings.
"Saffron!"
he cursed.
Immediately
he found himself back at Jusendo, there was no confusion there. He reached
inside his shirt *nothing!…*
"Looking
for this!" Saffron shouted.
Ranma
shot his eyes at Saffron's hands.
" I mean,
_her_" he corrected himself.
"Leave
her alone! Give Akane back to me!" Ranma desperately demanded.
"Poor
mortal… you'll never understand it: You will never be able to have her, to be
with her! We won't let you! There will always be something that will keep you
two apart!… always" Saffron threatened.
"If you
harm her in any way possible… You'll regret you were ever born!" Ranma
hazarded.
"Watch
me" Saffron defied at the very instant he turned the Akane doll into dust.
"Akaaaaaaaa…
"aaaannneeeeeee"
Ranma screamed while an incredible chi vortex erupted from his hands.
"Shit!!!"
both Daisuke and Hiroshi cursed, before jumping out to cover.
Ranma finally realized it was all a
nightmare… like the ones he's been having every single night since Jusendo, and
made him go to the roof to watch out for Akane…
"Dammit,
Ranma! You burned my school bag!" Hiroshi declared.
Ranma
just stared at his two eyebrow-less classmates, then he noticed a very large
piece of the roof fence had been burned off, along with a trail of floor.
"Geez… We
just wanted to wake you up! We didn't think that you'd like to be stuck here,
even when classes were over… We had to cover up for you on the class duties…"
Daisuke said.
Ranma
jumped to his feet. *School's out*
"Where's
Akane?" he asked.
"She ran
out as soon as the bell rang, she was in a hurry, I suppose" Daisuke replied.
Instantly
Ranma jumped off the roof on a tree and then to the ground, he started running
as fast as he could, his mind, reeling.
A
knife chopping vegetables moved along with Kasumi's hummed song. Genma and Soun
were, as usual, playing(cheating) shogi. Nabiki was reading a financial
magazine when a very flushed Ranma ran through the front door.
"Konnichiwa!"
he greeted.
While he
was taking his shoes off, he noticed his school bag right besides where the
house slippers always were *Where did that come from? I never picked it up at
school…Akane must've…*
"Hello
Ranma-kun! How was your day at school?" Kasumi asked.
"Hmmm…
Kasumi… do you… hmmm… by any chance…hmmm.. know…"
"She went
outside for a run, Ranma" Kasumi answered.
"Arigatou"
he replied while slipping on his shoes and took off running.
The
sun was starting to set while a running shadow revealed its owner's face.
Wearing her usual training gi, she had strapped weights on her arms and legs.
She had been running with a very determined look for quite a while, and every
time she ran by a park she stopped there to do many series of crunches, and
push-ups, then she would spar a little with an imaginary opponent.
Ranma
had finally caught up with her, he had trouble doing so, since she wasn't on
her usual running route. Now she was running on a bigger circuit going through
most of Nerima's uphill streets. On a roof top while watching Akane on a park
he started thinking…
*what's
up with her!? Before Jusendo she worked out in the morning, at rational hours,
and that was it for the day, Now she wakes up incredibly early, to train, and
after school she just continues until she tires herself out… And now this,
she's running with weights and has changed her route? What is she up to? I know
she's training hard… but what for? She's just making me crazy with this…It's
harder to… to…* he drifted off that line of thought when he noticed that Akane
was on the run again.
He also
started to follow her from roof to roof, then he was very surprised when Akane
stopped, looked at the canal fence and jumped on and started walking on it,
immediately stretching out her arms for balance. *Damn! What the hell does she
think she's doing!?! If she falls in the canal… that tomboy will surely
drown!!* his mind panicked.
*Ranma
makes it look so easy…* she accepted, as she recuperated her balance with her
arms. *Let's try to go faster, maybe its easier to balance…* she started to jog
a little, increasing her pace.
*At least
she has a little common sense* Ranma calmed himself.
* This is
just like a balance beam in gymnastics… well a little narrower, and you don't
have pads to ease a fall…o.k. it's harder… but I won't fall!* her determined
grin was summoned by her features.
Akane
started running along the fence. * Looks like she's getting the hang of it!*
the pigtailed boy noticed. Then, out of nowhere, Akane did a Cartwheel and
continued running. *Damn! _OK_, she's barely got good balance… Akane don't push
it!!* Ranma scowled.
*Cool! I
was able to pull that off!… Hmmm… Let's try some beam exercises…*
She
started with a cartwheel, then a forward flip, another cartwheel and a double
backward flip, followed by a very high-turning toe touch, a triple back flip,
and as she was nearing a bridge, where the fence ended, she did a cartwheel
before somersaulting off the fence, and landing perfectly. An incredibly wide
eyed Ranma just tried to catch his jaw as it fell open.
Akane
turned around and resumed her running. *God! That fell _good_! If only that
baka was here… his jaw would have dropped!…* cheerfully she thought.
*Is that
the same klutzy tomboy I've known as
Akane!?!? The only thing left is, that she wants to improve on her cooking*
that thought made him shudder involuntarily.
*I'll
show him one of these days… he'll never be able to call me klutzy aaaaaagg…*
THUMP! her thought was cut off when she found herself splattered on the ground.
A ripped trash bag had caused that a soda can and a banana peel had been
perfectly placed on Akane's way to
perform a very ungraceful & abrupt meeting with the concrete below her
feet. *again...* her mind finished.
A
knowing frown crossed Ranma's amused face *Figures*
A very
big weird looking duck was cruising around Nerima's night sky. A little
gray-haired head stuck out of the wooden duck.
"Today
was good day!" Shampoo accepted. "Although… Airen not take Shampoo on date, to
thank Shampoo for saving him from marrying pervert girl !"
Shampoo
was fishing with the cleaning up of the Nekohanten when a figure showed behind
the see-through door.
"Mousse…
are you done with the last delivery?" *Don't tell me he messed it up again!,
without great grandmother here, I'm the only one left for the cooking!*
"Mousse!?…"
With
an annoyed frown Shampoo walked towards the door and slammed it open. No one
was there. She looked all around, watching the lonely Nerima streets.
Moments later Shampoo was on the
ground, something knocked her down and entered the restaurant, and she hadn't
been able to dodge it or even sense it! Her eyes were wide with shock.
"You
have neglected your training! " a husky voice said.
Her
widened eyes glistened with happiness but at the same time a little disgust.
"Great-Grandmother…you're finally back!" she gasped.
" Not
for long…" Cologne answered.
Chapter 2:
"Returning home"
Everyone
was eating at the table, Ranma was munching quickly watching over his food for
Genma's attack. He also spared a couple of glances at Akane
*Is she
mad at me because of the Happosai thing!? It wasn't my fault!!*
* She is
mad at you because you walked out on her while she seriously asked you
something…* a voice in his mind answered.
*where
did that come from!?*.
Their eyes met and locked for a few seconds
before Akane looked away… * Baka! Always finding excuses!*.
" I
finished, arigatou 'nee-chan" Akane thanked Kasumi.
"Oh my!
But you barely ate" an startled Kasumi replied.
"I've got to continue my training…" Akane
stood up from the table.
"But…" Kasumi tried.
"… worried about your weight Akane?" Ranma
teased.
" Whatever, Ranma!?!" that was all Akane
answered before she went into the changing room for her gi.
* Nani!?
She didn't even mallet me for that!? What the hell is going on!? * Ranma's mind
reeled as he finished up his rice bowl.
"
Whaaat!? Why do you have to go back as soon as possible!?" a very disappointed
and alarmed Shampoo asked.
"
Because the Elders' Council requires me to." Cologne explained.
" But…
but… I need to get Airen" " And I need your help, Great grandmother" with that
Shampoo tried to pull her cutest pleading face.
"
Don't worry… you'll get him, great granddau…erg…Xian Pu…in time." Cologne
reassured.
" How
!?!" a very excited Shampoo asked.
*
Can't let her know, Ranma would never forgive her! He might even kill her! Like
he did with Saffron…* " You'll see child, you WILL see."
"
Okay… as long as I get Ranma!" humming happily Shampoo resumed her shores while
Cologne started her way upstairs.
"
Tomorrow, will you tell me what you did in Jusetsusoku, great grandmother?"
Shampoo asked.
"
Maybe child, may be." Cologne slowly answered while hopping up the stairs.
* Wow!
She is very tired. Maybe she is now feeling the REAL weight of her years…*
Shampoo thought.
Cologne
entered her room, and closed the door behind her, she put her bags down and
with a very sad and depressed frown she thought * How can I believe and
convince myself that she is no longer my heir! That she is no longer my great
granddaughter…* *Well… that is the Amazon way* *Maybe I wish that the letter
never came… * A glint of determination and honor shined in Cologne's eyes *
It's tradition, It's the law, It's life!*
In
that instant Cologne remembered something.
* I
hope Ranma can save Shampoo and that both get cured in Jusenkyo * Cologne
thought while she was preparing the pick up orders.
A
blurred figure snapped Cologne out of her cooking and made her get into her
defensive guard.
" Who
is there!? Show yourself, or be a honorless coward!" she demanded in mandarin.
" I am
Ying Xu Mai, of the Ying Xu family in the Amazon tribe, I am Ying Ma Rei -
sama's great great granddaughter, born to be her heir, and take her seat at the
elders' council of Jusetsusoku." The dark long haired young amazon said while
bowing deeply.
" I
already know that! " an annoyed Cologne replied. " What are your business here
in Japan!?"
" Take
you and your great granddaughter back to China to reassure the honor of the
tribe, knowing that the kiss of death vowed to Tendo Akane was fulfilled and
the that the marriage to Saotome Ranma be carried out in the tribe's domain, as
well" Mai answered while handling a letter to Cologne.
Cologne
took the envelope and broke its seal. Taking out and unfolding the paper
inside, she started reading its delicately written madarin. In this letter
is printed the council's will and command: The council's leader and her heir
shall come back to China as soon as this letter is delivered and read, making
sure, all the honor-bounding affairs are settled. If the vow of the kiss of
death to Tendo Akane hasn't been carried out, it will have to be done
immediately. As for Xian Pu's marriage to the outsider, Saotome Ranma, it shall
be carried on the tribe's domain. She noted that the only elder that didn't
sealed the letter with each of their family signature, was her. * The only
thing that is superior than me in the amazon tribe… is the tribe itself… the
amazon way…*
" Very
well " Cologne replied in her diplomatic tone.
" The
tribe can not be without its council's leader for such a long time, like the
one you have delayed from fulfilling the tribe's honor" Mai affirmed.
" I
know" "My granddaughter is not in Japan right now, actually she is back in
China, near Jusetsusoku, she is in Jusenkyo, trying to cure herself and restore
her honor, while helping the guide fight a being that endangers the Jusenkyo
springs." She answered. * Can't tell her that she was taken by those winged
people from mount Phoenix, she'll see that Xian Pu has neglected her training
by letting her be possessed by the enemy*
"
Where are Tendo Akane and Saotome Ranma?" she asked while bowing slightly at
the lack of respect at her way of talking to the elder.
Cologne
frowned. " Watch your words child!"
" I apologize,
honorable elder, but you must know that the interests and authority of the
whole tribe's council are much bigger that its leader and its leader's life
itself. In other words, the council's will represents the tribe's thoughts,
needs, laws and commands; you are its leader, for your wisdom, courage and
battle skills are beyond compare, but you do have to obey the council's
decisions and thoughts, even if they don't agree with your own…" Mai almost
instructed, earning a burning glare from Cologne. " My superior and respectful
elder…" she tried to soften…
"… Ranma
Saotome is also in China, with the same purposes as Xian Pu. As for Akane
Tendo, I believe she is at her household here in Nerima…" Cologne coldly
clarified.
" As I
said, my business here, is to carry o the tribe's best interests, and those are
to bring you back to our tribe, and see that its honor has been fulfilled"
"What would you like me to do, leading elder?" asked Mai.
" We
will…" she sighed heavily " fulfill Xian Pu's kiss of death to Tendo Akane for
her and the tribe's honor… Afterwards, we will head to China, help Xian Pu and
Saotome Ranma recover their honor, if needed; and there, we will hold the
marriage ceremony on the tribe's grounds." Cologne determinately planned.
" Do you
want me to carry on the deed?" Mai asked.
" No, I
want to do it myself, since it is _my_ family's blood that's loosing its honor,
not yours Ying Xu Mai" Cologne clarified.
Cologne
jumped out through the door, on her staff, followed by Mai.
Two
rushing figures approached the Tendo compound, as the loud cries of a man were
heard all around the mist stricken
Nerima.
The
figures settled over the dojo's roof, being able to distinguish the words that
the cries loudly carried…
" Oh
my daughter, my sweet daughter… where are you…. Who was taken you… and why?!?…
whyyy!!?? Buaaaaaaaaaahh…….." the voice of Soun Tendo stirred up the streets.
"
Huh?" was all that Mai was able to say befre Cologne jumped into the house, and
into the scene of the wrecked father and his two elder daughters trying to
comfort him.
" What
has happened?" Cologne asked.
"Akane
has disappeared" Kasumi said with an obvious concerned frown on her perpetually
peaceful features.
" We
believe that she was kidnapped by the weird winged people that chased Ranma
and, took over & possessed…" a powerful glare from Cologne cut off Nabiki's
words…" eeerg…and caused them to go to China" *What was that all about?*.
" Why
do you think that?" Cologne calmly asked.
"
Because of the trail of _these_ they left behind" Nabiki supported her
statement with a couple of black feathers that she waved with her right hand.
A
metal duck swung when its door closed.
Inside
the room Soun and his daughters
searched the room with the amazons.
"They
left quite a mess" Mai noticed.
The
room was filled with black feathers. The signs of a brief fight were obvious.
The desk was a mess itself, it was also showered with, besides the feathers,
all the glass chunks from the broken window and lamp. Akane's books were thrown
all over the floor, her pajamas were on her unmade bed. The room was in the
same state as the family had found it when they heard all the commotion in the
upper floor a couple of hours ago.
"Very
well, we shall take care of Tendo Akane in China, since I believe she is also
there" Cologne said to Mai in mandarin.
The
amazons jumped out the broken window, leaving Nabiki's yelled questions
unanswered.
Cologne
continued remembering while tightly grabbing on to her staff. *We got to China.
In Josetsusoku, we went to find Xian Pu, Ranma and Akane. Only to be witness of
the whole thing: Xian Pu's losing of her privilege state as my heir, Ranma's
incredible battle against Saffron, and Akane's courageous stunts to save Ranma…
and being declared an Amazon against her will… and my new heir…
END OF CHAPTER 2
Author's notes:
Thanks
for reading!! This is my first fanfic ever! So I really hope you like it!
I
know Cologne attended the aborted wedding at the finale of the series, but
you'll see I _needed_ her to be in China for the story's sake!
I
need pre-readers & reviewers! =) or any comments & criticism, please
write to nm3@hotmail.com!
Again,
thanks for reading and reviewing!
See
ya! Ja ne!