Chapter 45 The Monster From Jusenkyo
Shampoo slowly opened her eyes, savoring the feeling of the strong arms holding her and the warmth of the body lying next to her. She smiled as she saw her Airen gazing back at her, his mouth quirked in an odd smile. "Morning," Taro mumbled, "You know, I could get used to waking up like this, Shampoo."
Shampoo pouted prettily and replied, "I certainly hope so. You're my husband now, so you better get used ta me being here."
Taro leaned forward, closing the distance between them and kissed her. Then he pulled away, with a slight frown and said, "You do know your friends will be showing up today to 'rescue' you from the 'horrible monster,' don't you? They're down at the bottom of the cliff, and will be climbing up soon."
"Yes, Ranma especially will have to come. He can't help being the hero, it's in his nature. I really want the two of you to become friends. He is the closest thing that I have ever had to a big brother, and I'm afraid he takes that role pretty seriously," Shampoo answered softly.
"I won't start anything if he doesn't," Taro promised, "I expect that there's really no reason for us to be antagonistic toward each other. I wish I hadn't made such a bad impression. But there's no real reason for him to hold what happened against me. And, besides, anyone who dislikes the old freak like he does can't be all bad. At least we have that in common."
"Among other things," Shampoo teased, then she added, "When they get here, we need to head back home to Nerima." Shampoo froze for a second and then asked, softly, "When did I start thinking of Nerima as home?"
"So, have you two made any plans, yet, Ukyo?" Akane asked quietly, while the two boys occupied themselves by taking down the tents.
Ukyo replied, her cheeks rosy, "Not really, I'm afraid. This kind of caught us by surprise. Other than getting married last week, we haven't thought much about the future."
Akane looked around carefully and then asked, "How did it happen, anyway? I have to admit, I was surprised when you blurted out that you were pregnant. I didn't think you two were lovers."
Ukyo looked down at her hands, her forefingers tapping each other in embarrassment. She hesitated and then replied, "Well, we've been sharing a bed ever since Ryoga swapped curses. That first night, she looked so lost; I just had to move her in so I could comfort her. After awhile, we just got used to being together. Then about three weeks ago, the month was over and Ryoga changed back. We cuddled a little bit, and then the next thing I knew I was in his lap, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Well, things got a little hot and heavy and we did the deed." By this point Ukyo was blushing furiously.
Akane snickered. "I guess Tofu was right. He said people who didn't use birth control are usually called parents," she said, with a wry smile.
"We only did it once without using protection," Ukyo said, with a sniff.
Akane raised an eyebrow at that. "Once is all it takes, you know. Actually I don't know whether I should be jealous of you, or happy for you, Ukyo, or maybe I should be both," Akane replied after a few minutes, "Ranma and I decided that we would wait a while before we tried for children. But a big part of me wants to be a mother. What Ranma said last night goes for all of us. If you need any help, let me know."
"Thanks, sugar," Ukyo said, "That means a lot to me."
"Hey, what's family for," Akane replied simply as she hugged Ukyo.
"Hey, are you two done with your girl talk?" Ranma called from where he and Ryoga were standing, amusement in his voice, "We have a bit of a climb." The four young adults stood looking up at the cliff face soaring high above them, with the ruins of the old temple looming ominously at its top. "I think I see a path going up to the top," Ranma said as he pointed.
As they began their ascent up the steep hillside to the path that Ranma had noticed, they discovered one of the reasons that Taro had selected this cliff face as the place for his stand. Ryoga accidentally poked a hole in the ground with his umbrella and a stream of cold water came gushing out, soaking the four of them and instantly transforming Ranma and Ryoga. Ranma brushed the hair out of her eyes and glared at Ryoga for a second, only to see Ryoga stop and point up to the sky. "Hey, isn't that Taro flying around up there?" the brown-haired girl asked. The other three girls looked up into the air where Ryoga was pointing to see the winged minotaur flying down from the temple. As he got nearer, they saw that Shampoo was riding on his back, one hand holding on tightly and the other one waving at them.
As they reached the path, they saw that up ahead of them it opened up into a large clearing. Taro swooped down and landed gently. Shampoo hopped down to the ground to stand next to him. She pulled a thermos out and poured the contents over the monstrous form standing next to her, transforming Taro back into his human form. With a frank smile of appreciation, Shampoo stared at the nude young man standing next to her, a little drool on the side of her mouth. Taro blushed furiously as he scrambled into the clothing she was holding. He had just finished getting dressed when the four friends burst into the clearing.
When Ranma and Ryoga saw Taro standing there, they immediately bristled and rushed toward Taro. Shampoo yelled, "STOP, Ranma! There's no need to fight my Airen!"
Ranma stopped with a puzzled look on his face and then groaned. "Oh no, that stupid Amazon law! Shampoo, you don't have to follow it and marry someone you don't love."
"No, I'm very happy, brother! I want to be his wife. Airen is a big, strong warrior," Shampoo exclaimed. Ranma face-faulted at Shampoo's declaration.
Taro said, "Hey, femboy, we need to talk anyway. Why don't you and I work this out? For what it's worth, I'm sorry that we got off on the wrong foot. I really just wanted Happosai."
Ranma frowned and said, "You know, a few months ago, calling me that might have irritated me. Now, I don't give a damn, one way or another. But you hurt my friends, and kidnapped another. I'm not sure how you expect me to work this out."
Shampoo exchanged a glance with Akane and mouthed the word, "Help!" Akane stared at her for a second and then realized she was serious.
"Hey, Ranchan! There's no need for you two to play alpha male," Akane snapped, "Why don't you two sit down and talk like adults? I bet you have a lot more in common than you think."
Ranma glared at Taro who shrugged his shoulders. He finally said, "Okay, I guess we can talk first." Ranma dropped to the ground and sat, with her arms folded across her chest. Taro stared at her for a moment and then followed suit.
"Okay, you wanted to talk," Ranma growled.
Taro glared at her and then said, "Like I said before, all I really wanted was to find out where the old pervert was. The people I talked to in China said he would probably show up at the Tendo home, and that's why I came. I'm sorry everything blew up yesterday. I'm just a little sensitive about certain things."
"So what do you want with the freak? Are you looking for vengeance against him because of your curse?" Ranma asked.
Taro sighed and answered, "No, I actually like the curse. Can you imagine what it's like to be able to fly? It's the greatest thing in the world." For a few seconds, Taro's eyes grew soft as he remembered the feeling he got as he soared through the sky, flying from thermal to thermal. Finally, he returned to the conversation and said, "No, I just need him to give me a new name is all. When I was born, he was given the honor of naming me, but the name he gave me was so horrible, that I was the laughing stock of my village. Unfortunately, according to our traditions, he is the only one who can give me a new name."
"Is that all? It must be a pretty horrible name," Ranma asked in surprise, "What did he name you?"
Taro glared at him and replied, "Just trust me, it's bad. You don't really need to know."
Ranma bristled and said, "You can whisper it to me. I won't tell anyone else on my honor as a martial artist. But you're not gonna get my help otherwise."
Taro glanced at Shampoo who nodded. He took a deep breath and said, "All right, but you better not laugh." He leaned over and whispered something into Ranma's ear.
Ranma face-faulted and then she began to snicker. After a few seconds, she sobered up and said, "Sorry, Taro. You're right, that's horrible. I can see why you want it changed. Okay, I'll call Nabiki and have her set it up. As soon as we get back home, you'll be able to meet him. With our help, it shouldn't take much convincing to have him change it." She stood up and waited for Taro to join her. She held out her hand, and Taro clasped it. Ranma turned and said, "I guess we don't need to rescue Shampoo after all. Let's head on back to Nerima."
Taro said, "I'm not gonna walk when I can fly. We'll meet you at the Tendo home." He walked behind some trees, followed by Shampoo, and then returned, changed back into his cursed form. Shampoo came out carrying his clothing and then climbed up on his back.
"Thanks for coming to save me, all of you, even if it really wasn't necessary," Shampoo said. Then Taro sprang up into the air, his wings beating strongly as he climbed.
Ranma watched for a second, and then headed down the path, back toward Nerima, followed by the other three. "Well, that was a bit anti-climatic," Ukyo said.
"I'm just as happy that we didn't have to fight," Akane said, "I wasn't looking forward to fighting him in his cursed form, and I'm not sure how well Shampoo would have taken it if we did fight him anyway."
Taro landed in the park in Nerima. After changing back with the water that Shampoo had in her thermos, and getting dressed, the two of them made their way to the Tendo home. As they entered the courtyard, they found Nabiki and Mousse waiting for them. She held up her hand and said, "I've talked to Ranma on the phone, Taro, so I know all about why you're here, but you're not coming into this house until you apologize for what you've done."
"Nabiki," Taro said, slowly, "I admit I overreacted. I'm sorry things happened the way they did, but aside from Ryoga, no one was really hurt. Plus, it seems that I've found a wife."
Nabiki face-faulted and then looked at Shampoo and said, "He defeated you in combat, didn't he? So you decided to follow those old laws again, after all. How come?"
Shampoo blushed and said, "I'll tell you later, Nabiki. I wouldn't want his ego any bigger than it already is."
Taro protested mildly, "Hey, you two, I'm still standing right here. If you want to insult me, I'll leave."
Shampoo linked her arm with him and said, "You're not going anywhere without me."
"Now that we've got that settled, Mousse and I will take you to where they have Happosai," Nabiki said, "He's going to be a little groggy, what with the drugs that we had in his system when we were interrogating him. Cologne says that he will be more than happy to change your name."
The four youths headed out to the Chinese Embassy, where they were met by Cologne. They followed her to a secured room in the basement of the Chinese Embassy. Facing them was the diminutive figure of the man known as Happosai. He was wrapped in chains securely fastened to large steel posts sunk deep into the concrete floor, with his eyes covered by a blindfold. Taro growled angrily when he saw the man who had ruined his life. Shampoo placed her hand on his arm and said, "Gently, Airen. He has agreed, remember?"
Taro turned to the gorgeous woman standing next to him and replied, "Yeah, I remember. But it still angers me to see him." Then in a loud voice, he said, "All right, you old freak, you gonna give me a new name now, or what?"
"I said I would when the elder asked me. What would you like to be called?" the old man asked, in a weak voice, slightly slurred.
Taro stood lost in thought for a second and then answered, "I want to be named Awe Some Taro."
"All right, then as the person who first washed you as a baby, and by the laws and traditions of your people, I hereby name you Awe Some," the old man said.
"That's it? That's all it took?" Nabiki asked in surprise.
Taro looked up, his normal sneering expression gone, and replied, "My people are a simple people. They don't have elaborate ceremonies. This is indeed all that is required." Then he turned to Cologne and said, "Thank you for your help, Elder Cologne." He turned and left the room, closely followed by the other three youths.
Cologne motioned to one of the guards, and she began removing the chains that had secured the old man to the ground. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Savant," Cologne said.
"That young man didn't deserve what happened to him. I'm surprised he's not more bitter than he is after what that perverted man did to him," the old man responded, "Hopefully, now that he has found someone who cares for him, he will lose that awful chip he's carrying around."
"Yes, my great granddaughter did call him Airen, didn't she?" Cologne mused, "After a few rough edges are ground off of him, he would make a worthy mate for her. She could certainly do worse. Well, I'd better go finalize the arrangements to get us home. Knowing Shampoo, she's probably packing to go there now."
Ranma looked up as Nabiki, Mousse, Taro and Shampoo walked into the family room. "Thank you, Ranma, for setting things in place," Taro said, bowing to the surprised young man.
"Aw, you would have done the same, man. I take it everything went according to plan?" Ranma replied.
"Yes, the old man was surprisingly good about the whole thing. I am now Awe Some Taro," Taro said proudly.
"Come, husband, you can help me pack," Shampoo said.
"Pack?" Akane asked.
Shampoo twined her arms around her husband-to-be and said, "Yes, I'm going to take him back to my village for a brief stay. I need to show off the catch I made. There we will be married according to my peoples' customs as soon as great grandmother can join us."
Ranma suggested, "You might have Taro try to fly around wherever the old man was running the night he stole those treasures. Maybe he can see something from the air that your people would have overlooked from the ground."
Shampoo looked at Ranma in surprise and said, "That's an excellent idea, Ranma."
"You will come back, won't you?" Akane asked.
"Yes, we will. Somehow this has become my home," Shampoo replied.
Akane opened the door to her house, to see Mr. Kuonji standing there on the entry porch, his face grim.
"Hello, Mr. Kuonji, what a nice surprise. Are you looking for your daughter? If you are, she's at the restaurant."
"No, actually I'm looking for the Saotomes," he said, his voice cold.
"Mr. Saotome doesn't live here any more. He left on some sort of training trip after he lost the mastery of the school to Ranma, and his wife divorced him. She moved back into her home," Akane replied.
"Then where's his worthless son," Kuonji snapped, "And yes, I found out about his curse, so don't try to pull any thing."
Akane's eyes grew cold as she replied, icily, "MY husband is in the dojo working on some katas for the school. If you'll follow me, you can wait in the family room while I let him know that you are here." She led him into the family room, and walked down the covered path to the dojo. There she waited for Ranma to notice her presence. Once he turned to her, she said, simply, "Kuonji is here and he's not happy. He found out about you, somehow."
Ranma sighed and said, "Well, it was too much to hope that things would work out smoothly. I guess I need to talk to him. You need to warn Ucchan that he's here, in case she doesn't know." He grabbed a towel and wiped off the perspiration from his forehead and went with Akane to the house.
As he entered the family room, Ukyo's father glared at him. "So, what I was told is true. You lied to me to get out of an honorable engagement. I expect you to do the honorable thing," he snarled. Akane glared at the older man, and then went to find a telephone.
"What honorable thing would that be, Mr. Kuonji? We attempted to satisfy honor as best we could, given the situation that my unworthy father placed me in," Ranma said evenly.
"You should have honored the engagement with my daughter and married her! Now, the only thing that will erase the stain is your death," the older man replied, angrily.
Ranma replied, calmly, "And why did your agreement with my father have any more importance than the other five or six that he made. Your daughter wasn't even the first one that he engaged me to just to feed his appetites, and certainly wasn't the only one that he received a dowry from. Just how was I supposed to honor all of the engagements? I couldn't marry all of the girls, now could I? So instead, I married the girl I fell in love with, and attempted to end the others with as much dignity and honor as I could. I'm not happy with the deception we pulled on you, but your arrival had Ukyo in a panic, and that was the best plan we came up with. And if you think I'm gonna commit seppuku for something my idiot father did, you're crazy."
Kuonji glared at the younger man and replied, "You were engaged to five or six women? That bastard! But it still doesn't change the fact that you should be wed to my daughter."
"She doesn't love me; she loves another. Are you so blind that you would ruin four people's happiness? For what, because your pride is hurt? Besides, when Mom divorced Pop, we left the Saotome clan roll and she ended all of the engagements," Ranma said, "While I still use the Saotome name, I am no longer his son, nor am I bound by his agreements. He is the keeper of what is left of the Saotome family honor."
Akane walked back into the family room, and said, "They'll be here in a few minutes, Ranma. Your daughter has a few things to tell you apparently, Mr. Kuonji. Things have changed in Nerima since you were last here."
"You had no right to call her and tell her I was here," Kuonji said.
"I have every right. She is my friend, and Ranma is MY husband. Anything that affects either of them affects me. If you don't want to see her, that's your problem, not mine," Akane replied, her annoyance plain on her face.
"I'm curious about how you found out that I had a Jusenkyo curse," Ranma said, "How did you find out about it?"
"I was on a business trip in Sappora, when I ran into this woman. It was your father. She described what had happened to her. It was hard for me to believe, at first, but she provided enough details of the conversations that your father and I had had in the past that I had to believe her," Kuonji replied.
"Pop," Ranma growled angrily, "I guess I need to do something about her. Or maybe I'll let Mom out of her promise."
Ukyo and Ryoga walked into the family room. "Hello, Father," Ukyo said, her eyes wary, "What a surprise to see you here! I'm a little hurt that you didn't let me know that you were coming. I also guess that you didn't get my letter yet."
"I'm not happy with you, Daughter," Kuonji said angrily, "You encouraged this deception about Ranma and failed in both of your means for vengeance. Have you no honor?"
Ukyo's eyes grew cold as she said, "I did what I thought was best, Father. After all, what honor is there in hurting someone who had nothing to do with the engagement. Ranma and Akane are my friends, and I would not ever wish to come between them, or hurt them. As to the real villian in this story, I helped in his punishment. I was one of the ones who decided that Genma needed to be changed into a woman, and I convinced Ranma that he should trap his father in that form."
"You still should have pursued the marriage with Saotome. Our family honor demanded that," Kuonji growled., "Tell me why I shouldn't just disown you now for failing to do that?"
"How can you talk to your daughter that way?" Ryoga growled, "You don't talk to my wife like that, even if you are her father. Actually, I'm not sure that you're worthy of being her father. How could you have entered into an arrangement with Saotome, a man you barely knew? You're as bad as Genma ever was."
"She's your wife!" Kuonji exclaimed.
"Yes, I'm his wife, and he is the father of my child," Ukyo said angrily, "We are married and very happy together. Now if you want to be any part of my life ever again, you had better change your tune. It's your choice, either respect and honor the decisions that I have made in my life, or get the hell out of here and never try to contact me again. I've lived without you for this long, I can damn well live with out you forever!"
"Ukyo, you don't need to do that," Ryoga said appalled.
"Yeah, we really don't need to be lobbing hand grenades like that around," Akane said in agreement.
Ranma looked at the father and daughter pair in front of him and said, "I think you two need to take a deep breath and relax before anything else gets said that might throw you two over the precipice."
"You feel that strongly about what you did?" Kuonji said in surprise.
"Yes, Father," Ukyo replied, proudly, "As I said before, I will NOT hurt my friends. If that means I have to cut the ties with my birth family, then so be it. They are more of a family to me than you have been, anyway."
Kuonji looked up with a troubled expression on his face. After a few moments of thought, he responded, "I don't know what to think of all of this, Daughter. I will leave you now to ponder all that I have learned. It's not as cut and dried as I thought it was when I came here. I will let you know what I decide." He bowed slightly to Ryoga and then left the four of them standing there.
"Ukyo, I'm sorry about all of this. It looks like Pop is still trying to screw up all of our lives. She certainly isn't learning the lessons I hoped that she would from all of this," Ranma said sadly.
"It's not your fault your father is a bitch," Ukyo said.
Author's notes: Finally, the writer's block broke. I hope people are still interested in this epic.