I hereby claim complete and total lack of ownership towards the characters, settings and names of events used in this story. I own nothing accept the idea of putting said characters into those situations I have created for them.
Here's a list of nicks I'll use for some characters(some have multiple):
Tatewaki Kunostickfool/boy Kodaichi Kunocrazyflower
Kasumi TendoProvider(always capitalized to show his respect)
Cologneghoul/troll Happosaioldfreak
Mouseblindduck/duckboy Shampoopurplefur
Ukyo Kuonji? (flatstick cook or girlboy)
Konatsu Kenzanboygirl
Ryoga Hibikipigidiot Nabiki Tendogreedygirl/trickster
Genma Saotomepandaoyaji/greedygut Nodakamother/
Akane Tendomate/brightsmile/
Soun Tendoweteyes Tofu OnoHealer
I'll make up more for some of the minor characters when I think of them. Collectively, nekoRanma will refer to his suitors as dogbitches. The fathers are sillysires.
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Neko-Ranma didn't understand why all those people were chasing after him and screeching in those strange sounds human animals made. He only remembered waking up in control and smelling the scent of nearby toms. He had hissed at them, and they had hissed back, warning him that this was their territory and there wasn't enough prey to share. So he had backed off, and left the valley between the two big man-mountains.
He had tried to find a trace of his mate's scent, but all he could smell were traces of the dogbitches, and his rivals for his mate. He had growled a bit and taking time to mark over their scent, but then had heard the sounds of a loud battle nearby. He'd gone to investigate, since this was part of his greater territory, and a fight usually meant a new rival for his mate, or another false female trying to trap him into leaving his mate.
He had watched the fighting from the top of one of the light-trees. There had been several figures attacking a pair of figures in the middle, and he had perked up, recognizing that the figures were purplefur and smalltroll. He extended his senses to get a better feel of the attackers, and though they seemed fairly powerful, he could easily tell they were no match for smalltroll and purplefur. He might not like purplefur because of the way she chased after his human self like a dog after a bone, but he knew that she was a strong fighter. Not as strong as he, of course, and with some work and help from his human self, his mate would grow past her in little time. As for the smalltroll, she was an annoying little mousie, but she was both powerful and wise, and though he didn't trust her not to trick his human self, he did appreciate the times she'd helped them save their mate.
Feeling bored just watching, as the two knocked the dark clad attackers over like bowling pins, he leapt off the light-tree and bounced off the heads of several of the masked figures, sending them unconcious to the ground. He landed next to smalltroll and crouched. "Meow?" he asked, then sighed remembering that humans didn't speak an intelligent language, only those strange squally sounds. He'd meant to ask what was going on, but didn't know how to make them understand. He wished humans were more intelligent.
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Ku Lon frowned as she sent several attackers flying with a sweep of her staff. She didn't recognize any of the auras of these people, and didn't understand why they were attacking her and Xian Pu. She couldn't recall anyone with the resources to retain a force this size that would be foolish enough to send only 30 warriors to take on two of the best of Jokoketsu, especially when one of those was and Elder. Usually, the tribes enemies would sent three times these numbers for a prize such as herself and her rather comely grand-daughter. Her frown deepened as she realised that Xian Pu was tiring. 'Too much time spent away from the rigors of the tribe. We are growing soft here. I must think of a way to either capture the boy, or release him soon, before the damage to Xian Pu's skills is too ingrained to be trained out of her.' she thought to herself.
So occupied in thought and in the battle, she had to admit that she gave a startled jump when the boy landed next to her, and moved into a crouch before Meowing in what was obviously and interagative tone. Her eyes moved along the path his trajectory had brought him, and she sax that six of the attackers had been rendered senseless. 'I really must ask how he does that head leaping trick one of these days.' she thought as her eyes shifter back to the now frowning human feline. "Sorry child, I don't understand cat, and I'm a little too tired to change Xian back and forth just to learn what you asked. I can guess that you ask what these people are doing attacking us? Well, I don't know." she paused as a thought occured to her. "What am I doing explaining, you don't understand a word I'm saying. How's this?" she gestured to herself and Xian Pu, then pointed at the bags containing their supplies for the restaurant, then mimed surprise and made a show of looking around at the attackers, then put a puzzled expression on her face and shrugged.
The neko warrior tilted his head and without looking launched a hand planted two-legged mule kick, each foot landing firmly on the sternum of the pair trying to sneak up on him. The pair were launched backwards off their feet, slamming into several of their cohorts and knocking them down like bowling pins. As Ranma's feet touched the ground, a third attacker swung a daikatana in a horizontal sweep aimed to separate his head from his neck. He he went into a back flip to avoid the sweep. As he reached the head down vertical, his feet kicked the sword out of the next attackers hand, sending it spinning to stab deep into the brick of a nearby building. He landed on his hands and rolled to his elbows, along his chest and stomach, his back arching. His thighs and knees were next and he rolled to his feet, then lashed out with a punch, knocking out the former sword wielder.
He immediately perform a spinning roundhouse, knocking down another of the attackers. He spun to face the rest and hissed sharply, his aura forming around him.
'Oh shit. They'd made him angry. He was just playing earlier.' Ku Lon thought as she watched the boy lash out, and several weapons fall into slivers no bigger than a pinkie. A wind picked up, and the clothing of the leading figures fell into tatters, only their masks remained untaouched.
Ku Lon blinked as the figures paid no head to their nudity or the loss of their weapons. 'It's a good thing son-in-law is under the neko ken right now.' she thought, noting that several of the figures were actually well endowed women. 'He'd be useless at the moment because of his idiotic notions about not hitting women, even those who were trying to kill him.' Several of them rushed Ranma, who twisted around their blows with the boneless grace nartual to all felines. She had no time to admire his movements, as others again took the attack back to herself and Xian Pu.
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Neko-Ranma was growing bored. While there was a bit of a challenge in dodging the sheer number of attacks coming his way, none of them were of enough power to do much damage even if they landed. He continued to dodge the blows, trying to make it a dance against his enemies. He was disturbed by these humans, who were not acting like any of the human's he'd fought or seen fight before. They were too quiet, only the occassional grunt when they were struck. Their movements too didn't seem as . . . smooth as other's he'd seen. While they were technically correct in their strikes, there was a rigidness to them that made it seem artificial. 'I tire of this.' he though, leaping back to the top of a light-tree. He slashed with his claws, ripping easily through the skin of an attacker.
Two things happened then. One was that the attacker paused and looked down at the injury. The other was that when the attacker noticed that she was unclothed, she covered herself and screamed. Her scream seemed to act as some type of trigger, for soon all the masked attackers were stopping and looking around as though they had no idea what they were doing.
Neko-Ranma mewed in confusion as he watched those who's false furs had been shredded seeking to hide their ugly copper skin. Sensing no further danger, he leapt down and approached smalltroll and purplefur. He cocked his head at them, then nodded at the people milling around. He gave a purr as she spoke in that harsh human language, then he leapt up to the light-tree and resumed his search for his mate.
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Ku Lon's head spun around as she heard the first sound fro mone of the unknown attackers. She saw a woman uselessly trying to cover her form with only her hands, blood slowly surfacing from several scratches on her chest. She was surprised to see the rest of the attackers stop as the woman screamed, and watched as one by one, they took in their surroundings and those who'd been defrothed hastily some some cover for their flesh. From the corner of her eye, she saw her grand-daughter taking measure of the men with a thoughtful look on her face. 'Ah, to be young and filled with urges.' she thought to herself as Ranma landed before her again.
She watched Ranma looking pointedly at her and Xian Pu, then gesturing with his head to the former attackers, who were removing their masks and still looking around as though they had no idea about any of what had just happened. She nodded to Ranma and gestured in the general direction of the restaurant, and then grinned as the neko warrior leapt off, most likely to resume whatever game he'd been playing before the fight attracted his attention.
"Shampoo, held those without clothing to find some coverings. Don't worry about style. Just cover up that best left to private indulgences. We will bring these people to the Nekohanten and let them know what happened, and ask for information about what they last remember there." Her grand-daughter nodded and leapt off, heading towards the closest laundry mat to gather clothing for the dozen or so nude people. "Excuse me." she called out, letting her ki infuse her voice with a sense of calm. All turned to look at her. "My grand daughter is gone to fetch clothing for those who seem to have been stripped. Once she returns, we will journey to my restaurant, the Nekohanten, where I will explain what I know of what happened, and answer any questions I can. In turn, I will speak with each of you, in order to learn how you came to be here." She paused and met each person's eyes. They all nodded, agreeing to the plan. "I will also provide more appropriate clothing then whatever my grand-daughter manages to liberate, and a meal while we search for the cause of this distrubance."
Shampoo returned minutes later, carrying a full laundry basket. "Xian Pu find too too nice girl with laundry. Explain why need, so too too nice girl let Xian have old clothes no fit mercenary girl and kitchen destroyer. Clothes for men from crying man. Shampoo think should cover attackers." She studied the men as they came scrambling for the clothes. "though she wish mens go slower at covering. Shampoo enjoying view." she muttered to her grand-mother in their native language.
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Neko-Ranma had easily returned to more familiar surroundings, and feeling an ache in his stomach, decided to make a trip to the fish market. If he was lucky, then man-who-has-many would be willing to share a bite to eat. Man-who-has-many was nearly as nice as Provider when he stopped by to visit, and always had a little something that he was willing to share with a poor starving feline.
Following his nose and allowing his eyes to roam the people as they moved through the intricate maze of stalls in the market, he soon reached his goal. While he knew that Man-who-has-many would not be offended if neko-Ranma simply took his gift first before asking, he always made a point of being polite to those that fed him, having learned over the years how rare those people were on their travels. Greedygut was not well liked, and if any who might have been willing to feed him learned that he was travelling with the lazy thief, they would get angry and chase him off. It wasn't his fault that greedygut was his father, nor was it his human self's. It was a joke by the kami on a poor kitten and his human counterpoint.
He reached Mwhm's stall and took on a crouch, trying his best t olook weak and pathetic with hunger. He knew this was a difficult thing, as he was well aware that he was a fine example of both feline and human and it was hard for someone as generally magnificient as they were to ever look weak or pathetic. Even his female form was a wondorously attractive figure, otherwise why would he have such a beautiful creature as his mate? She had better taste then to choose those weak fools that were sniffing around her. She'd wanted someoen strong and able to protect her, and in time, provide her with many litters of kittens. Soon, she would be ready for them to mate, and he was sure he'd soon be teaching a group of rambunctious kittens how to hunt and fight and protect their territories and mates.
Shaking his head of pleasant thoughts, he went into the act, pleased at yet another talent at which he excelled. "Meeowwwwwe" he moaned pitifully, putting as much sorrow and loss into his voice as he could.
Hwhm looked over the counter and smiled down at neko-Ranma. He greeted the cat in human tongue, then disappeared for a moment behind the stall. He reappeared and presented neko-Ranma with a tray on which were several varieties of food.
'I always knew this man was smarted then most humans.' neko thought to himself as he studied the feast. Not wishing to be like greedygut, and knowing Provider would soon be feeding them a larger meal, neko took one of the smaller eels, a palm sized octopus, and a small hamachi. He sat and carefully ate the snack, thanking Hwhm with a loud purr.
After finishing his snack, he started to head home, only to here the sounds of many people running. He looked over his shoulder and saw a large group, screaming and shouting and calling out his name. It was one of the few words he understood in the humans uncivilized tongue. His name, his mates, and her sisters names as well as the words for the time to eat and the foods they ate.
Not wishing to fight, he took off, leading them on a merry chase of his larger territories, dodging the occassional weapon thrown his way. He didn't know why they chased him, but he enjoyed it for the first half hour or so, the he remembered that it would soon be the time that Provider put out the third meal and grew annoyed that he couldn't get away from those who followed him.
Finally fed up with them, and sure he was missing his meal, he started to seriously try to evade his pursuers. He was tired of fleeing, didn't want to fight, so that meant he had to find a place to hide while they went past him. An idea occured to him and he headed to his favorite bit of forest. IT wasn't a wild forest like the one's he'd spent time in on their journeys, but it had made trees and places to hide. One of his and his human self's favorite was under the arch that crossed the little stream in the park. He liked sitting under there for hours, just relaxing and enjoying the sounds and scents of the forest. The only one who ever looked under there for him was his mate, and he would gladly accept her presence under the bridge.
He reached the park, and started weaving his way through the evenly spaced trees. The trees slowed the pursuers enough for him to get ahead and soon he was relaxing under his arch. He listened as the pursuers reached the bridge and paused. While he didn't understand the words they threw at each other, he knew that they must be wondering where he was since the clearing in this part of the park didn't provide many hidding places. Eventually, they gave up and the group split up, everyone going off alone, or in small groups up to 4.
Ranma watched the flowing water of the stream and felt at peace with the world. His eyes grew heavy, and feeling that he'd had enough excitement for the, decided to go to sleep and allow his human self control of their body.
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Ranma's eyes opened slowly, and he looked around. 'Under the bridge, and my hands smell like fish? Must of went neko when Gos tripped me into that crate of alleycats.' he thought as he slowly sat up. He moved out from under the bridge and started walking towards the Tendo-ke. 'I wonder what else happened while I was under?' he thought as he absentmindedly leapt to the fence and started racing home. His stomach had informed him that it was nearly supper, and Kasumi had promised to make a Western dish tonight. Something called sheperd's pie.
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AN
hope you all enjoyed this. It's longer then most have been. I've been on kick lately, writting long chapters, as I'm sure some of you have noticed because you ALL read each of my stories, right?
For those interested, the third fish neko-Ranma picked is yellow tail, a common element of a sushi tray.