Perhaps we're not so different from our parents as we think.

(Dad walks into my room.) "Hey, what are you watching? That Inuwashi?" (I groan) "Inuyasha, Dad! It's In-ou-ya-sha!"

(Later in the car, Dad is listening to a sports talk show. I say…) "So the goat Ramsus runs out in front of the Tar Heels every game?" (Dad groans) "It's Ramses! Ram-sees!"

AMAZON VILLAGE

Iikiba groaned and rubbed his head. He had had the strangest dream. He had gone on a training journey to China and Makoto was fighting an Amazon chick who was trying to marry him. Very slowly he sat up and opened his eyes; there was a pounding pain in his head. Once his eyes were open he realized that he was in a cage. "Yuri! What have you done?" He yelled instinctively.

"Oh! You are awake!" Mascara ran up to him. They were outside a house in a village filled with other people, mostly women, dressed in Amazon clothing.

"AAAHHH! It wasn't a dream!" Iikiba screamed.

"Huh?" Mascara raised an eyebrow.

"Come to think of it…why did I think it was a dream? That's not original at all." He pondered.

Mascara figured it was something Japanese that she didn't get. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Not great." He said.

"Aw…well it is okay. The ceremony is in two hours!" She said happily.

'WHAT?"

"Yes! It is all set up just outside of the village! Everyone is so happy for me!"

"How long was I out?"

"All night and most of today. It is about three o'clock."

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Iikiba tried to franticly to break out of the cage but the bars were far too strong.

"BOY!"

Iikiba looked around and saw a large burley man with a bushy black beard glaring at him like an eagle would glare at a field mouse.

"You marry daughter?" He asked disbelievingly.

It took Iikiba a moment to realize what he said because the large Amazon's voice was so gruff. "Y-You see the thing about that is-"

"You too weak." He interrupted, looking over Iikiba with detest in his eyes.

"No, he is very strong Father! He defeated me!" Mascara said.

Mascara's father replied to his daughter in Chinese, though he continued to stare menacingly at Iikiba.

Mascara stomped her foot and answered him angrily. They continued their conversation for a minute until her father huffed loudly and walked on up the street.

"What? What's going on?" Iikiba asked anxiously.

"Oh, he just said that if you ever hurt me then he will rip off your head and use your ribs to make a necklace." She waved her hand passively. "I'm sure he did not mean it. That is just his sense of humor."

"Oh, really? You don't say?" Iikiba asked in a very high pitched voice. I got to get out of here!

Just then several other Amazon women came trotting up, giggling and babbling in Chinese to Mascara. One of the younger ones pointed at Iikiba and asked Mascara something. Mascara nodded happily and they all burst out giggling again.

Iikiba didn't need a translation to know what was happening. But it made him feel extremely awkward, like he was on display at the zoo. Why did they have to put him in a cage?

"I have to go get ready now." Mascara said. "I will see you later!" She walked off with her giggling entourage.

"Wait! Hold on!" Iikiba yelled, but she paid him no attention. "I don't want to get married!" He yelled and shook his prison bars. "You can't do this to me!"

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER

Iikiba had punched and kicked every square inch of the cage, and was very sore for it. He slumped down, completely out of breath. There was no way out!

Just then he felt a sharp tap on the back of his head. He looked back and saw a little kid was poking at him with a long stick. "Beat it!" Iikiba broke off the part of the stick inside the cage. The kid screeched and ran away.

"Still in a bad mood, huh?" Iikiba looked and saw Makoto standing just outside his cage.

"Makoto! Thank God! How did you-?" For the first time he noticed that the streets were abandoned.

"Everyone's at the ceremony, come on let's get you out of there!" She started looking for a lock.

"What took you so long?"

Makoto's eye twitched. "It wasn't that easy you know! I had to get out of the thorn bush Mascara pushed me into! Then I was looking for you guys for a while but couldn't find you! So I had to find my way back to the campsite to get the tracker and-"

"What tracker?" Iikiba interrupted.

"Ask your sister." Makoto sighed. "This is so stupid! I can't find a lock!"

"Well we can't break it open, I tried!"

"But how did they get you in there?"

"I don't know! Just get me out!"

"Calm down! I'm working on it!" Makoto continued to look for some latch or some other way to open the cage.

"Hurry up!" Iikiba look around anxiously, expecting Mascara's father to come charging at them any second.

"You're lucky I'm helping you at all!" Makoto said, frustrated. "'I Forgot!'" She imitated Iikiba. "Pffh!"

"I did forget! And you know what? I don't want your help anymore!" He started kicking the bars again. But his already tender foot throbbed painfully. "OW!" He grabbed his foot. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"I think they call that karma." Makoto smirked.

"Shut it!"

"Uh-oh!" Makoto pointed down the street.

Iikiba looked and saw Mascara's father turning a corner and heading for them. "Crap! Hide!"

Makoto looked around franticly for a second and then dove into the house. "Not in there!" Iikiba yelled.

"BOY!"

Iikiba yipped and turned back at Mascara's father, trying to look innocent.

"You come now." He grunted. Then he took hold of the top of the cage and lifted the whole top of the cage from its foundation.

Iikiba just froze, lost for words. This guy was strong.

Mascara's father tossed the cage away and grabbed hold of Iikiba's arm. "Come now."

"Ho…hold on!" Iikiba tried to pull away but Mascara's father was already dragging him down the street. "Don't I have to get ready or something?"

"I help."

Just great. Iikiba tried to get away but Mascara's father didn't even seem to notice his attempts. Makoto watched them go from her hiding spot and Iikiba waved his arms at her in a silent plea.

"That's a big guy." Makoto said nervously. She gulped then zipped down to the next house, shooing chickens as she went. Then she continued following them, jumping from hiding spot to hiding spot.

It wasn't long before Mascara's father dragged Iikiba out of the village to a meadow. Where rows of chairs had been set up with an ilea running down the middle where young Amazon girls where throwing rose petals. Older women were setting food out on a buffet table. The whole village was there setting up for the festivities.

"AAAHH! NO!" Iikiba pulled away so hard that Mascara's father wavered somewhat.

"You no get away." He said menacingly and redoubled his grip on Iikiba's arm.

"Iikiba!" Mascara trotted over. She was wearing an overly puffy white wedding dress with a lacy trim. Iikiba could feel himself sweating and shaking. "I thought it could be a western style ceremony. You do not mind, do you?"

"AAAHHHHH!" Iikiba tried to jump away again but Mascara's father held firm. "I don't want to get married!"

Mascara's father leaned down so that he was about an inch from Iikiba's face. "You no have choice."

"Stop scaring him!" Mascara pushed her father back and took Iikiba's hand. "It is going to be okay." She said soothingly.

"I mean," She blushed a light pink. "I know you do not love me." She looked down at her feet, not wanting to look him in the face. "But I think…I think it would be…nice to be married to you."

Iikiba could feel his face turning red. How was he supposed to respond to that? "Uh…Mascara…I…"

Mascara smiled. "It would not be so bad. Would it?"

Iikiba flushed more. "Well…I guess-"

"ARRH! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Makoto jumped out of her hiding spot. Everyone there turned to look at what was happening. "Leave him alone!" She stomped towards them.

"Makoto! What the hell are you doing?" Iikiba yelled.

Mascara glared at her. "Why did you bother to come?" She grabbed Iikiba in a hug. "Iikiba likes me better!"

Iikiba blushed and tried to push her away. "I…I wouldn't say that."

"Would you stop blushing!" Makoto yelled angrily. Mascara stuck her tongue out at her. Makoto's eye twitched. "Come on Iikiba, we're going home!" She grabbed Iikiba's arm and tried to pull him away but Mascara held him tightly.

"He is not going anywhere!" Mascara attempted to punch her. Makoto grabbed Mascara's arm in mid punch and flipped her over so that she landed on the ground.

The Amazon villagers stared and then began muttering. Iikiba just stared, unsure what he should do. Makoto jumped back and got into a fighting stance.

Mascara sat up slowly. She was okay, but you couldn't say the same for her dress. Part of the sleeve was ripped at the seam and there was dirt on the back where she had landed. Mascara glared at Makoto furiously.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Makoto asked.

Mascara stood up and swiftly walked back towards a house on the edge of the village and went inside. Everyone waited for a minute, not sure what was going to happen. Makoto kept up her fighting stance but relaxed slightly. "Did…did she give up?"

Mascara reappeared in the doorway wearing her old clothes and with her swords in each hand. She looked absolutely livid. "YOU ARE DEAD!" She ran at Makoto.

But before she could get to her Mascara's father grabbed hold of her arm, stopping her. "Let me go!" She yelled.

"She strong." He said, looking at Makoto.

"I do not care! She will not take my husband away!"

"Husband!" Iikiba shouted, his fear suddenly returning.

"Who you? What you do here?" Mascara's father asked Makoto.

"Well stopping my boyfriend marrying someone else was on my to-do list!" Makoto shouted.

"What do you mean by someone else?" Iikiba yelled. "Like I would marry you!"

"Would you be quiet! Listen," She turned back to Mascara's father. "I'm Makoto Saotome. I just wanted-" But she was interrupted by a series of gasps and loud muttering from the crowd.

"Are you related to Ranma Saotome?" One of the older Amazon women asked.

"Uh…yeah. He's my dad." Makoto answered, wondering what that had to do with anything.

More, angrier, muttering broke through the crowd. People were glaring at Makoto as if they would like nothing better than to attack her. Makoto was starting to get nervous.

"Yes, well…uh." Makoto started to back up and she grabbed hold of Iikiba's arm. He had also noticed how rowdy they were getting. "I guess we'll just-"

"GET HER!"


Only five more chapters to go! Can you handle it? And just because were further along in the story doesn't excuse you from your review duty, so don't forget to review!