Chapter 54 Confrontations
Three figures stood silhouetted against the rising sun, as they stood atop a hill overlooking the sleeping town of Nerima. A harsh voice broke the stillness as it asked, "Are you sure? We've traveled many a mile since Okinawa, and you've yet to be correct."
"We're doing our best, Prince," a second figure said.
The first voice growled, "It's not good enough. We must find Saotome."
"But why? Why did we have to come to this horrible land, where no one speaks our language?" a third voice whined.
"But we've been able to talk to women," the second voice said in a tone usually reserved by someone seeing a miracle occurring.
"You're here because I told you to come. And I have my own reasons as to why we are here, reasons that you don't need to know, understand?" the hooded figure said in a soft, yet strong voice.
"Yes, lord," the two retainers said in unison. The third said, "We have tracked the woman to a small house in this small town, Prince. Shall we lead you there?"
"Of course," the Prince snarled.
Ranma walked to the gate of the small elementary school that his mother had managed to enroll Genko in. To his dismay, he saw the small figure of his 'sister' standing there with a stern-visaged old woman, wearing her grey hair in a bun, and her glasses perched precariously on her nose. The little girl standing next to her was slightly battered, with a look of righteous anger that looked strangely out of place on the otherwise pretty girl.
Ranma bowed to the woman that he suspected was the principal of the school, and said, "I'm Ranma Saotome, Genko's brother. Has there been a problem?"
The woman sighed and said, "Yes, there has been. I'm Miss Koyama the principal of the school and I'm sorry to say that this little girl has been in a fight."
Ranma grimaced and said, "I'm sorry about that, Koyama-san. My family teaches martial arts, and she is my student. I assure you that I will be talking to her about what happened."
"Well, that explains why she was able to do as much damage as she did," the old woman said with a sad smile.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Ranma asked.
"I wasn't in the courtyard when the brawl occurred, but the teachers that were here said that two of the older students were bullying the little ones in your sister's class. Several of them got scared and started crying and the teachers were on their way over to break things up when this little girl attacked the two bullies," the principal replied, "Before she was pulled off of them, they were severely beaten up."
"I'm not sure I blame her then, to be honest. We have always taught that a martial artist protects the weak, and it sounds like that was exactly what she was doing," Ranma said, hesitantly. Then he asked, "How badly were the two boys hurt?"
"Nothing a few days of rest won't fix. Though I suspect that they'll walk funny for the rest of the week," the woman replied.
"I'll let Mom know what happened, but I do have to ask why the teachers weren't involved sooner," Ranma said.
The woman sighed again and said, "I've already spoken to the two teachers involved. They were too busy talking about the fun they had last weekend to be paying attention to what was happening in one corner of the schoolyard."
"Genko, what do say about all of this?" Ranma asked.
"Sorry, sensei, but I thought I was doing the right thing," the little girl lisped. "They were hurting my friends and scaring everyone. And the teachers didn't do nothing to stop them," she said indignantly, "They were being real mean."
"I know you thought you were doing the right thing, sis, but the teachers were about to handle it," Ranma chided.
"But they were taking too long!" the girl complained.
Ranma sighed and said, "I'll let Mom know what happened, Koyama-san, and I'm sure that it won't reoccur."
"Thank you, but she's really not in that much trouble. She did the minimum amount of damage to get them to back off, and I think mostly hurt their pride that a six year old was able to do that much damage to them," the principal said, "We talked, and she understands that what she did wasn't the best way to have handled things. On the other hand, I doubt we'll have any of the older children picking on the little ones anymore."
"Now I'm confused," Ranma said.
The old woman smiled, and replied, "I'm from a family of martial artists myself, so I understand the reason why she felt like she needed to act the way she did. Tell your mother not to worry, her daughter's heart is in the right place, even if her actions were over the top."
"Thank you, principal," Genko lisped. She put one small hand in her brother's and asked, "Can you take me home now? I'm hungry."
"Okay, little one," Ranma said, "I'm kinda hungry myself. I'm sure Mom has a snack for you." He bowed politely to the principal again and then led the little girl down the street.
Nabiki and Ukyo walked up the spotless stone walk to the door of Ukyo's ancestral home. Nabiki knocked politely on the door, and the two of them waited for someone to come. After several moments, the door opened and an elderly man looked out. "Can I help you?" the old man asked.
"My name is Nabiki Tendo, and this is my sister Ukyo. We have an appointment with Mr. Kuonji," Nabiki said smoothly.
"Ah yes, the master has been expecting you. And so prompt, he will be pleased," the old man said, "Please come in. House shoes are to the left."
The two girls walked into the entry hall and changed out of their shoes and then followed the old man as he led them down the hall into a wood-paneled study. There, sitting behind a massive desk, they saw Ukyo's father, reading several reports. The servant cleared his throat and Mr. Kuonji looked up. At first his face was expressionless, and then when he realized that one of the women in front of his was his disowned daughter, he looked disgusted. "What is that one doing here?" he growled.
"My sister is the reason we are here," Nabiki said coldly.
"I have nothing to say to her, that I haven't already said. She is dead to me," Kuonji growled.
Ukyo winced imperceptibly as Nabiki looked at the man in front of her even colder. With a voice approaching artic chill, she said, "Then you are a fool and even less of a man of honor than I thought."
"Honor, how dare you speak to me about honor? If I had remembered that Tendo was the family name of the bitch who helped that person whose name I will not utter escape my wrath, then you wouldn't be here," Kuonji spat. He turned to the servant and said, "Show them out, this interview is done."
"I'm not leaving until I've had my say, old man, so unless you want to read about all of this in the paper and have your name smeared across Japan, you'll shut up and listen," Nabiki said, now in a voice so cold that frost began to form on the windows.
"Ha, that's just a bluff, there's nothing you can say that would cause a scandal," Kuonji said.
Nabiki smiled, a smile that never got close to her eyes, and one that would have made a pelagic shark proud. Then she asked softly, "Want to bet?"
The confidence in the young girl shook Kuonji, and he waved the servant away. "You have five minutes," he spat.
"First, because of your abandonment of your daughter, she has been added to the Saotome clan roster, as an adopted daughter to Nodoka Saotome, and the sister of Ranma Saotome. Second, she is pregnant with her first child, by her husband Ryoga Hibiki, who she loves very much," Nabiki said.
"Not right now I don't," Ukyo said sotto voce.
"Huh?" Nabiki asked.
"You try carrying around a ten pound ball in your stomach for the next several months, a ball that seems to press on my bladder all the time, and you'll understand what I mean," Ukyo growled.
"A child?" Kuonji asked in surprise.
"Yes, a child!" Ukyo almost screamed, "You're grandchild, you bastard! Don't you remember from your visit!"
"A bit hormonal, aren't we dear?" Nabiki retorted, "Why don't you sit down?"
Ukyo gratefully sank into one of the straight-backed chairs in the room.
"As you can see, she's a little stressed out right now. I almost didn't bring her, but you needed to know that truth about things," Nabiki said.
"Truth, do you even know the truth?" Kuonji retorted.
Nabiki replied, "I know more of the truth than you do. Now, I'll be the first to admit that the stunt we pulled when you first visited wasn't my brightest idea. But, in my defense, I didn't have a lot of time to work on it." She sighed, and then continued, "That idiot Genma has screwed up so many people's lives, I doubt we'll ever get everything untangled. You do know that he's the one that told you that Ranma really was a guy with a curse, don't you?"
"No, I was told by a woman," Kuonji said, and then trailed off as the light bulb turned on.
Nabiki snickered and said, "Exactly. That was Genma. The three women that he hurt the most, Nodoka, Ukyo and Shampoo, all had their vengeance. They poured water from the spring of drowned girl over him, and Ranma made him sensitive to heat so he couldn't change back. So the old man was stuck as a woman. He used you to get his revenge on Ukyo."
"So in a way you did kill Genma Saotome, didn't you?" Kuonji asked.
Ukyo nodded proudly.
Kuonji wiped his hand across his face and sighed. "When I came back from Nerima, I had no intention of disowning you. You were my only heir. But then, I got a report from my factor in Nerima which told me several things that I assume aren't true," he said.
"What kind of things?" Nabiki asked, "Because we recently found out he was behind an attempt to ruin Ukyo's reputation at school and make her out to be a tramp."
"He did what!" Kuonji exclaimed.
"He had one of the students spread lies about her. He also said that you've been drinking heavily, and that's why he did it. To get revenge on what he perceived as her betrayal of you, I suppose," Nabiki replied.
"That's not completely accurate, though, I have to admit I did let things slide for a while," Kuonji stated. He straightened up and said, a bit more firmly, "Ranma did the best that he could to resolve the situation and leave his honor intact. He did at least wed one of the women that had a claim on him. And you did redeem your pledge at least in part by ridding the world of Genma Saotome and Nodoka Saotome did what she could by adding you to her clan."
"Oh, she did more than that," Nabiki said, "Genma no longer exists at all. When we found out that he was the one that told you about Ranma, Nodoka tracked him down. With the help of some magic mushrooms and a few Amazon techniques, Genma is now Auntie's six year old daughter with no memory of who she once was."
"And Ranma is her sensei in Anything Goes Martial Arts," Ukyo said proudly, "The school that my child will learn when he is of age."
"It appears that I was too hasty in my decision. I'd like my daughter back, that is, if you'll have me," Kuonji said, his eyes filled with pain.
"It hurt me a great deal to receive that news in a letter. I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive you yet. And at least I'm with a family that wants me," Ukyo said.
Kuonji winced as if he had been struck. "Well, I can at least restore my will," he replied.
Ukyo flared up and said, "I don't want your company. Give it to someone else!"
Nabiki grumbled, "I'm never getting pregnant. Goddamn hormones!" She turned to Ukyo and said, "Hush, Ukyo. He can give it to whomever he wants. Perhaps your child."
"Would you accept that as a compromise, child?" Kuonji asked.
Ukyo closed her eyes and nodded her head.
"Then I think our business here is concluded," Nabiki said.
"Please, could you stay for tea?" Kuonji pleaded.
Again, Ukyo nodded, as Kuonji sighed in relief, hoping that he was getting his daughter back, at least in part, wishing that he had not been so stupid before.
Ranma and Genko walked through the door and into the kitchen where they found Nodoka pouring over a letter. She looked up and smiled at her 'children' and simply pointed to the cookies and milk that were sitting on the table next to her.
Genko's eyes widened in delight as she grabbed a fistful of cookies and began to eat them. Ranma showed a bit more restraint and only picked up one and nibbled on it thoughtfully.
"Mom, Genko got into some trouble at school today, but it really wasn't her fault. I talked to the principal after school and it seems that two of the older boys were pushing some of the six year olds around, and hurting them. Genko defended the other kids and beat up the two boys that were causing the problem," Ranma said.
"The other kids were really scared, Mommy, I had to protect them. Big brother told me it duty of martial artists to use the art to protect the weak," Genko said, her eyes downcast.
"Daughter, your heart was in the right place but maybe you should of thought of a different way," Nodoka said, hoping she was able to get the right amount of sternness in her voice.
"But Mommy, they wouldn't have listened to me, I'm too small to scare them off," Genko protested.
"It does sound like you thought it out, Genko. Take your cookies and milk and go outside. I need to talk to Ranma," Nodoka said.
"Yes, Mommy. I'm sorry I disappointed you," the little girl said, looking very sad.
"Oh but you didn't, daughter. You did do the right thing, just not necessarily the right way, " Nodoka said.
Genko looked a little happier as she stole the entire plate of cookies and ran off with her milk.
"So what do you need to tell me that she didn't need to hear?" Ranma asked.
"This is a letter from Cologne. I wrote her about why Genko didn't have a problem with hot water any more, and she wrote back with an idea about that and some news," Nodoka replied.
Ranma frowned and asked, "Okay, so what did it say?"
Nodoka replied, "Well, she thinks the magic mushrooms overcame the cat's tongue, because all of her nerves are restored to their youthful state. And she wrote that a woman matching her description had been seen around Jusenkyo, but the guide ran her off, and didn't let her near any of the springs. But that one of the warriors of the Musk Dynasty was also in the area, and that something happened between them, they don't know what, and the warrior is hunting for her. "
"Musk, who the hell are they?" Ranma asked.
"Hm, what she wrote is they were once men of a martial arts clan who strove to perfect the arts of 'form mimicry,' whatever that is. They isolated themselves in the mountain to devote themselves to training, and after exhaustive study of the strengths and characteristics of beasts, they attempted to become one with the animals," Nodoka recited, "They captured wild animals with their bare hands and threw them into the spring of drowned girl to give them the forms of women and married them, so their offspring were endowed with the strengths of that animal. In particular, she wrote that Herb, successor to the throne of the Musk Dynasty, is said, like all those of the imperial line, to be descended from a dragon."
"So why do they want Pop?" Ranma wondered, "What could she have done to anger them?"
"I have no idea," Nodoka replied, "And that bothers me."
Ranma frowned and said, "Well, I want you to keep an eye out for anyone strange hanging around. If they are chasing Pop, eventually they'll turn up here."
"Of course, you didn't have to tell me that, dear," Nodoka replied.
Nodoka woke from a sound sleep, her mind still fuzzy, wondering what it was that had awakened her. Then she heard it again, the sound that had roused her, a small creak as if someone was walking around the house. Quickly, she rolled out of bed and threw on her robe, and slipped into her padded house shoes, while she wished her katana was not on the stand over the fireplace. Slowly she slid her door open and walked quietly down the stairs, keeping close to the wall, her feet not making a sound. She gained the entrance to the family room, and eased inside and found her blade. Removing it from its sheath, she immediately felt better. Then she froze as she saw a figure silhouetted against the front door of her house. A sudden rapping at the door caused her to start in surprise. Glancing at the clock, which showed that it wasjust afterdaybreak, she grumbled about impolite visitors and headed toward the door. Once she reached the door, she opened it to see a figure standing there in a hooded cloak, with just a faint hint of blond hair escaping from the hood.
In a low voice, the figure asked, "Is this the house of Genma Saotome?"
With a faint note of distaste, Nodoka replied, "That person no longer exists. He has been dead to this family for several months. I am Nodoka Himura, his former wife."
"Ah, then it appears that I have been chasing a ghost," the figure said again in a low voice that prevented Nodoka from determining its gender.
"Oh and why would you be chasing that person we no longer name?" Nodoka asked.
"I had a run-in with someone in China, and that was the name that I was told," the figure said, with a low growl.
Nodoka sighed and asked, "Please, would you like to come in? I was just about to start making some tea, Mister?"
"Ah, manners, I am Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty, a tribe found in the mountains of China," the young man replied.
Nodoka led the way into her spotless, yet cozy-looking kitchen and busied herself with filling a tea kettle with fresh water and placing it on the stove to heat. "Why are you hunting for that unworthy one?" Nodoka asked.
"There was an artifact that he stole while I was, um, distracted by something," Herb replied.
Suddenly there was a loud crash as two more figures attempted to enter the house, through the exterior kitchen door, one of them carrying Akane on his back, and the other one dragging Shampoo.
"Mint! Lime! What are you doing?" Herb asked, angrily.
"I touched a woman," Mint replied.
"Now I can have tea with a woman," Lime added.
Nodoka growled and said, "Those woman are my daughters. I suggest you put them down."
"You heard her," Herb commanded.
"But, Lord, they're women," Mint protested.
"Yes, and happily married women at that!" Nodoka exclaimed, beginning to reach for the katana that she had leaned against the counter.
"There is no need for violence, Himura-san," Herb said soothingly. He turned to his servants and glared at them. They quickly released the two girls. "Mint, Lime, I have told you repeatedly not to do that. Go outside and wait for me," Herb ordered.
"You were telling me about an artifact that you are missing," Nodoka said as the tea kettle began to whistle. She poured the water into her teapot and then poured it back out. Then she refilled it, and added several teaspoons of tea leaves.
"It is an ancient treasure of my people, the Chiisuiton," Herb replied.
"So why do you think that he has it?" Nodoka asked, "And what does it do?"
Herb sighed, and replied, "What I tell you can not leave this room. The only reason I'm telling you is that you are my last hope of finding the artifact. The Musk Dynasty has been a martial arts warrior clan for over fourteen hundred years. Boys are separated from their mothers as soon as they are weaned and spend their youth in training with the men, growing up knowing nothing about those creatures called women."
"That sounds horrible," Akane said.
"Even Amazon woman know better than that," Shampoo added.
"Elder Cologne has told us some of your history. That your ancestors wanted the power of wild animals; they threw those animals into the Nyanniichuan spring, and then married the women," Nodoka said.
"She's was only partially correct. That is ancient history for us. Now we take our wives from among the ranks of chosen women highly skilled in the martial arts," Herb said, "And one fateful day, I was told by my father the king that it was time for my own arranged marriage. Of course, I agreed, since it was for the continued prosperity of the Musk Dynasty." Herb sighed again, "And that is where I made an error. I had never been around a woman before, and so, in order to prepare for my courtship, I made the long trek to the cursed springs at Jusenkyo, there to study in depth the creatures called woman. The guide showed me to the Nyanniichuan spring and then left, after seeing some strange person walking toward his hut. I had captured a monkey, and threw the monkey into the spring. But, my eyes were mesmerized by the transformed woman's breasts and I let my guard down."
Shampoo snickered and said, "So you were caught being a pervert."
"Anyway, the girl jumped out of the spring, and pushed me into it, after which, of course, I found that I too now had breasts myself, and for another instant, I let my guard down, and suddenly I was drenched in water from the Chiisuiton, the pail of preservation, which I had brought in order to freeze the monkey into woman form," Herb said, "I froze again, and the monkey woman ran off, carrying the pail, only to run into the person the guide was chasing."
"And you think this person was the one we no longer name?" Nodoka asked.
"Yes, the guide told me that after the collision, which caused the pail to be poured on both the monkey woman and the person. I heard a low cry and then he grabbed the pail and its ladle and ran off," Herb said, "The guide came back to me and told me that the person was a man by the name of Genma Saotome. Except he no longer was a man, for some reason."
"There once was a man by that name. As I said, he was my husband, but do to his actions in raising my son, he forfeited his rights to that honor. He wronged not only myself, but two other women, so we decided that an appropriate punishment was to curse him with water from Nyanniichuan, and perform a technique that would make hot water unbearable to him," Nodoka said, "That was the person you saw at Jusenkyo, I'm sure hunting for a spring to change him back to male. And now, I guess he is locked in that form forever. But that still doesn't explain why you are searching for the pail."
"There is another artifact, the Kai-sui-fu, the teakettle of liberation. That artifact will unlock my curse, and restore my manhood. The Chiisuiton will point me to it," Herb said, "During the wars throughout China's turbelent history, the Kai-sui-fu changed owners many times and it is presently somewhere in Japan. That is the ultimate goal of my quest, once I have retrieved the Chiisuiton."
Suddenly they heard the sound of a struggle coming from outside. The four of them rushed to the kitchen door and threw it open. There they found Mint and Lime laying on the ground, badly bruised, and unconscious. Standing over them were Ranma and Taro the flying minotaur grinning viciously down at their defeated foes.
"What is the meaning of this?" Herb demanded.
Shampoo poured the contents of the kettle over Taro's head, who blushed and dove into his clothing. After getting dressed, he drawled, "These idiots were lurking around the house, attempting to peek into the windows. When I asked what they were doing, they attacked me. In the process, I got wet and changed."
Ranma looked worriedly at Akane, and asked, "Where have you been? When you didn't come back from your jogging, I got worried. I remembered that you said you were going to meet Shampoo, so I came over here to see if she knew where you were, only to see these two attack Taro."
"We were on our way back when these two henchmen jumped us. I wasn't paying enough attention, and they got me first," Akane admitted, "And Shampoo wouldn't try to escape. To our surprise they brought us here."
Herb shook her head in dismay and said, "I apologize for my foolish retainers. They aren't used to civilized behavior, I'm afraid."
Ranma asked, frostily, "And who are you?"
"Ranma, manners!" Akane and Nodoka said in unison.
"I have the honor to be Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty," Herb replied.
"I am Ranma Saotome, son of Nodoka and husband to this lovely woman here," Ranma said. "Is this the guy that the old woman was warning us about?" he asked.
"Yes, son, he is, and he is here to find something that the nameless one stole from him in China. Also, from what he has told me, I now know why the curse is locked," Nodoka replied.
"Well, didn't you bring back everything from the hotel?" Ranma asked.
Nodoka replied, "Yes, it's in his backpack in Genko's closet. Everything but his clothing, that is. Most of that I gave away or burned."
"Then I'll go get it while the rest of you wake up these sleeping beauties," Ranma said. He walked past them, heading upstairs.
Shampoo walked over to Taro, and held onto him for a few moments, while Akane, Nodoka and Herb went back into the kitchen. Soon they were joined by Ranma who had brought down the backpack. Ranma opened up the backpack and was soon shouldered out of the way by Herb. Ranma looked at the Prince with an odd look in his eyes and then shrugged his shoulders.
Suddenly, with a glad cry, that confirmed Ranma's suspicions, Herb drew forth a small pail, with a long-handled ladle inside it. "At last," Herb breathed, "I've found the pail of preservation. Now I can use it to find the kettle of liberation!"
Ranma asked quietly, "How long have you been stuck as a girl?"
"How did you know?" Herb asked.
"You don't move like a guy, and well, when you moved me out of the way, you didn't exactly use your shoulder," Ranma said, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He thought for a moment and then asked, "I don't suppose the pail of preservation would cure a Jusenkyo curse, would it?"
"No, it would only freeze you in your cursed form. My people used it to freeze the animals we tossed into the Nyanniichuan so they would remain a woman," Herb said. She gazed intently at Ranma and then said, suddenly, "You have a curse!"
"Yes, the same as yours," Ranma said, "Not to disparage those two clowns outside, but if you'd like some company searching for the whatchamacallit, I'd like to tag along. You could probably use someone who knows the countryside a bit better than they do and I'd like to do some sparring with you. I expect there's some things that we could teach each other."
"True, and I doubt that you'll freeze up everytime you see a woman," Herb said thoughtfully. She sighed and said, "They don't know about this. I'd like to keep it hidden from them."
"I understand. If they've never seen a woman before this trip, then it would be awkward for you," Akane said. Then she frowned at her husband and said, "I'm coming with you, by the way."
"That's okay with me, if it's all right with the Prince here," Ranma replied. Then he added thoughtfully, "And seeing as how you're stuck with this curse, Herb, it might not hurt to learn about being female."
Herb sighed heavily, as she realized that the young man was probably right. "Then it's settled. We'll head toward Treasure Mountain as soon as they wake up," Herb said.
"Akane and I will need to pack for a few days, then we'll meet you at the rail station," Ranma said.
"I'm not sure going by rail is the best thing to do. It was all I could do to keep them away from all of the women they saw as it was," Herb said.
"How far away is this Treasure Mountain?" Akane asked.
Herb frowned and replied, "Several days by foot."
Akane looked at Ranma and said, "We'll just have to take the time, Ranma. I can't imagine those two on a train."
Author's Notes: Sorry that this chapter took so long. I hope it was worth the wait. Comments and suggestions are always welcomed. Specific comments to reviews are below:
Neon-ronin: Thanks. I always wondered what Tofu would do if he found out he was going to be a father, myself. I hope the confrontation with Kuonji worked.
Shinigami: You're welcome. And now you have the answer to that question. Yes, Ranma and Akane are using something other than the rhythm method. Those that rely are that are normally called parents after all.
Innortal: Soap Opera! LOL.