AN: I would like to thank my Beta, TheCenturess, and you my dear readers, for waiting for this update.
THE QUEEN'S GAUNTLET
CHAPTER ONE
AND WHOM EVER SHALL WEAR THIS GAUNTLET,
SHALL BE THE QUEEN OF ALL AMAZONS
(Or 'Don't call me Queen!')
"So Saotome, you mind telling us why you're back with the entire Amazon nation as an escort, and all of them calling you Your Majesty? And why are you wearing that strange glove?" Nabiki asked a currently female Ranma, surrounded by what appeared to the untrained eye, as a squad of female body guards. As the guards went to deal with this insult to their Queen, Ranma said
"Hold." And they stopped. Looking at her mother and all the people at the Tendo house looking at her she answered there first question "No I'm not locked, thank God."
"Then…" Nodoka began when Ranma interrupted with
"Why am I a girl? And what's with them calling me Queen? Well, by wearing this 'glove' as Nabiki put it, I am. And they need me to be female most of the time to perform my duties, and it doesn't help that this stupid gauntlet prefers my girl form, and does all it can to make sure I get it with more cold water then I normally do" she said shuttering.
"How…" Kasumi started when Ranma said
"It's intelligent Kasumi, and defiantly prefers my female self."
"Oh my! How did this happen?" Kasumi asked.
"Well it all started as we got near the Amazon Village…" Ranma started.
START FLASHBACK THREE
They were nearing the village, when Ranma told Akane "Akane, don't pick a fight with anyone here, or even give them a reason to pick a fight with you. You're no where near the level of these women."
Akane humphed and looked as if she would say something, when Ranma said
"I know, I know. If I had just started to train you form the start you could be on equal with most of them, and I'm sorry about that. I have started to train you in these past few weeks, so I KNOW you're nowhere up to the level of this tribes women. So for the love of all that is holy, don't get into any fights here. You heard what happed to me, and you probably won't fare as well." Ranma said to an Akane who humphed again and said while turning her head away from Ranma
"You MIGHT be right, but I'm not going to let them walk all over me." Akane said, turning her head back to facing Ranma so she could see the resolve in her eyes.
"I never said to let them do that." Ranma said sighing, "Just not to get into any fights." Ranma told Akane softly.
Akane could see that Ranma was serious, and seriously worried, so she said, "I'll try. But you know Amazons, so I don't know how successful I'll be."
Ranma sighed and said "You're right. But all I can ask is that you try."
Ranma and Akane were led by Cologne and Shampoo to the gates of the Amazon village, where they were then led under guard to a hut. "You will all stay here until the adoption ceremony is ready" one of the guards told them in Mandarin. Ranma and Akane were suddenly very grateful for the strict crash course in Mandarin that Cologne had forced them to take from her.
"This is odd." Cologne said in Japanese.
"What is?" Akane asked in the same langue, seeing that Cologne obviously wanted to keep what she was saying secret from casual eavesdroppers.
"I would have expected them to have the ceremony ready the instant that we came in the village." Cologne said, tapping her chin in thought. "I wonder what's taking them so long?" she wondered aloud.
"Could it be a trap of some kind?" Ranma asked getting nervous. She didn't have great memories of Amazon welcomes in either of her forms.
"No, Ranma. I severely doubt a double cross of any kind. But I DO wonder what's keeping them." Cologne told a worried Ranma.
A little later an armed group of guards showed up and told them in Mandarin "We are here to escort Ranma to her initiation ceremony."
And so they followed the armed group of warriors to the ceremony, all the while a bad feeling was growing in the pit of Ranma's stomach.
As the got to the dais where the other elders awaited the senior one spoke. "Warrior Shampoo," the old woman started "you have invoked an ancient right to make one Ranma Saotome into an Amazon, for her successful attempts at avoiding the Kiss of Death, is that the truth?" the old woman spoke out in Mandarin.
Shampoo responded in the same langue. "Yes that is the truth."
"We of the console have looked into the ancient ritual that goes with this request. The hopeful Amazon must always pass a test. In this hopeful's case, we thought this would be most appropriate." The old woman said, moving to her left so all could see what was hidden behind her. On a pedestal lay an ornate right handed gauntlet. "Ranma all you most do is try on the gauntlet." The old woman said with a sneer.
Cologne hissed in shock, and Ranma had a very bad feeling about this. Turning to Cologne he saw her shake her head and mouth 'I'm sorry.'
Ranma than KNEW her bad feelings were justified. Steeling herself, she squared her shoulders, marched up the dais to the pedestal, grabbed the gauntlet with her left hand, and shoved it on her right hand.
At first nothing happened. In fact Ranma felt let down. She was expecting a big explosion or to die, or to at least lose her hand or something, but just nothing? "Well?" Ranma asked looking at the gauntlet.
'Oh, you'll do. You'll do just fine.' A voice that Ranma knew came from the gauntlet said. It sounded, extremely pleased, as well.
"Shit! It just talked to me!" Ranma said, sparking life into the still crowd again. Trying to pull it off, Ranma found "Shit! It's stuck! Why won't it come off?" Ranma yelled, causing one of the consul members to exclaim
"NO! He can't be the Queen of legend! It's not possible!"
Cologne cackled and said "Rug, I'm sure you'll find that Ranma eats the impossible for breakfast, then asks for seconds and then thirds." She said trying to get her breath back from the laughter that threatened to kill her by asphyxiation.
As Ranma heard the gauntlet say to her 'Are you quite through trying to remove me? I won't let you. I've never found a more worthy bearer.' Ranma stopped tugging on the gauntlet and asked
"Will someone PLEASE tell me what the hell's going on?"
"It's simple Ranma." Cologne started, getting her laughter under control. "The legend of the ancient Amazon's state 'Whom ever shall wear this gauntlet, shall be the queen of all Amazons.'" Cologne said with the utmost sincerity, finally having gotten her laughter under control.
"What?" Ranma yelled Akane yelled the same thing a split second latter.
"It's true, you're now our Queen." Shampoo said, causing Ranma Saotome, the first ever Queen of the Amazons of Joketsuzoku to faint."
END FLASHBACK THREE
"You fainted Ranma?" Kasumi asked while Nabiki was snickering.
"Yeah. Well I was just told I became their new Queen. It was a shock." Ranma said.
"I'll bet." Nabiki said between snickers.
"Oh that was nothing compared to what happened when Ranma woke up." Akane said, drawing her sisters attention.
"Oh really? What happened?" Nabiki said looking back and forth Between Akane and Ranma.
"Oh, you just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Ranma asked Akane.
"Yup!" Akane said cheerfully, while nodding.
"Well then how about I tell them of your title of Royal Consort?" Ranma asked innocently.
"Ranma!" Akane screamed at her.
"Gotta ya back." Ranma said, chuckling.
Nabiki sighed and asked "Well will someone tell us what happened when Ranma woke up?"
"During dinner. Right now I've gotta see that all my 'subjects'," Ranma said shivering "are being housed." And with that Ranma, Akane and the Royal honor guard turned and left.
Five minutes latter they were at the Neko Hanten where Cologne and the other ex-leaders of the tribe and now advisers to the Queen were sitting, going over some papers. As Ranma walked in and they all stood up Ranma sighed and said "Sit back down." And they did so. "I just wanted to see how the housing of the Amazons is going." Ranma said.
"We have bought a hotel and converted it to our use your Majesty." Nair said.
Good, Good. And they know the rules, especially for husband hunting?" Ranma asked.
Rug looked ill as she said "Yes, we got it through to them that if they want a husband from here, no Kisses of Marriage for them. And yes," Rug said seeing the look on Ranma's face "We told them the Kisses of Death were not to be used too." She said looking as if she'd swallowed a bug.
"Good. I'm inviting all of you to the Tendo house for dinner. See you then." Ranma said nodding, then she left.
On the way back to the house Akane asked "Why did you invite them over?"
"I have to get on their good side some how." Was Ranma's only reply.
Akane just nodded in understanding as they entered the house, and went to tell Kasumi of the extra people coming for dinner.
