Chapter 04: Making Plans
Ranma moved quickly once they arrived at Kyoto Station, in spite of feeling the strain from his overuse of ki-space. Putting the letters he had written in a postbox to be processed and mailed, the boy smirked at how things were going. The timing was going well in spite of things. With luck, he'd be able to leave Kyoto with Ukyo before either of their fathers suspected a thing. The girl in question moved along with him, hand-in-hand, in her confusion and concern.
"Ran-chan, are you alright? Where are we headed? What plan?" She inquired, alarmed that he wasn't going to get medical aid but instead fleeing from his father outright. Still, she felt safer with him somehow than she would have with his father. Maybe it was because he acknowledged their fathers' mistakes. Maybe because she felt like they were on the same side in this. Maybe because he seemed to know what he was doing while she was scared. This lattermost part likely compelled her the most to follow Ranma and not try to dissuade him from this course of action.
"We can't discuss that where people can listen. Pop might track us that way. Just follow my lead, okay?" With a nervous nod from Ukyo and a tightening of her grip on his hand, the boy gave a cocky smile that Ukyo was learning to appreciate in a new way. Ranma started looking up information on bulletin boards and planning things. He'd initially intended to sneak onto a plane at the Kyoto Air Terminal, but there was nothing flying sooner than the trains were moving. That and Ukyo reduced a lot of his stealth for hitching a ride. That left the trains. The Tokaido Shinkansen's bullet trains could probably make the trip to Tokyo in roughly three hours, but they were too streamlined to ride on top of. That left one option. The Tokaido Main Line.
"Come on, Ucchan. We need to be sneaky, okay? They won't let us on trains that go very far without a grownup, so we need to do somethin' Pop taught me." Ukyo was a bit confused at first, until Ranma started leading her around and sneaking from place to place to get close to a freight train. He then looked around for a moment before suddenly charging up his limbs with ki and scooping her up in a bridal carry. Ukyo let out a startled squeak, but Ranma immediately darted out and leapt from the ground onto the top of one of the train cars. A few people turned and investigated the source of the sound, but found nothing where the pair once stood.
Ranma held the girl close and concealed them both as best he could, panting a bit from the exertion combined with the strain of his expanded ki-space. Once everything was back to normal, he got to work. Taking some rope and a white blanket, he started to quickly construct a cover of sorts which was a close enough color match to the freight train's roof that it would not draw much suspicion at a glance. This tied-down blanket served not only to hide their presence but also helped serve as a partial windbreak.
"Alright." Ranma whispered to Ukyo as he rapidly constructed his camouflage. "We're goin' to hide under this blanket and ride on the top of this cargo train to Maibara Station in Maihara, then switch trains for Atami, then again for Tokyo. My mom's house is there. Pop thinks I don't know about her though. It's the last place he wants to go anyway. Then I'll tell her how screwed up our Dads are. Make sure not to raise your head or anythin', by the way. There are tunnels and stuff above us sometimes. The sound'll get real loud in them, too."
Ukyo shuddered slightly as the train started moving, even as Ranma tied them together and anchored them to the train with the rope. She wasn't used to this. Was this her life now? Sneaking around on top of trains and running from his father? "H-how do you know how to do this stuff, Ran-chan? And why do you think your mom would help us?"
Ranma assumed a practiced position as the train's speed increased, the sheet on top of them billowing only so much before its restraints kept the inflated structure in place and gave it the appearance of a rigid structure that was part of the train. "I know how to do this because Pop made me do it all the time. And Mom'll change stuff because she won't like that he made me do it all the time. Or that he got me engaged to a bunch of girls. Or that he steals and lies. Or that he hurt you. He's supposed to be teachin' me to be a 'man among men', and he ain't." Ranma's focused expression concealed his worry. What about the seppuku pledge? Would she try calling it in this soon? Ranma hoped she wouldn't, but he couldn't be sure. It was still a risk he had to take.
When the wind sped up and its roar increased, Ukyo was distracted from the conversation as she whimpered and held herself close to Ranma. He looked over to her and noted the six-year-old shuddering both in cold and in fear as she clung to him in desperation. It was only then that Ranma realized that he had made a mistake. This wasn't the eighteen-year-old Ucchan he knew who had taken on the world and made her own restaurant. This was a six-year-old Ucchan who was entering that world for the first time. And he'd plopped her on top of a train to brave the wind, cold, and noise at 130 km/h. At least he hadn't picked the bullet train.
Words could scarcely clear even the small distance between the pair now, due to the sounds of the train and the wind. Making a decision, he wrapped an arm around her and held her close before he called forth a faint glow of warm yellow ki and wrapped it around them both. Ukyo stopped shaking after a few moments as she felt Ranma's life force surround and protect her. She looked at him in surprise when she felt warmer and received a reassuring smile from the rogue martial artist.
"T-this light! H-how are you doing this, Ran-chan?" She inquired in awe, even as the sound of the wind whipping around them was dulled by the ki's resistance to its assault.
"Ki manipulation, Ucchan. It's all about breathin', focus, and tappin' into your energy. Wanna practice? We've got the time." Ranma offered to try and teach her something that usually took years to master, hoping it would take her mind off the fear.
"Practicing? On top of a moving train?" Ukyo asked, incredulously. The girl was not exactly thinking of this as a proper venue for training.
"Sure, Ucchan. Anythin' and everythin' can be trainin' if you can see the opportunity. That's how I do things." Ranma's explanation was simple enough for a child to understand, even if it had layers of nuance behind it. For all the struggles and strife in his life, this thinking had made him strong. Now it was time to show Ukyo that whatever life threw at her could make her strong too.
It was unlikely that she'd be able to manage her ki or handle this stress all in one go, or that his ki would hold out all the way to Tokyo to keep them warm, but they could at least have some breathing room if they could just endure and get to Maibara Station.
Loofah was not particularly pleased with being rushed into an emergency meeting by her rival. Still, the wrinkled old woman did not complain or protest as she took her place among her peers in the dimly lit room. Cologne and a redheaded outsider she did not recognize stood in the center of the meeting chamber, a single pillar of natural sunlight reflected down onto them via a mirror as a spotlight. The seating wrapped around this pillar and clung to the the walls of the room, with the seat of the Head Matriarch in the middle of this horseshoe seating opposite the room's sole entrance and the pillar of light.
Many present knew Cologne had been the quickest to sense the bolt of ki rushing in and to go to investigate, and she likely had something notable to report if she went to the trouble of calling this meeting with such urgency.
This turned out to be a profound understatement.
First, the ki turned out to be a remnant of a person sent back by one of their tribe's own children through the dishonorable abuse of the Wind Tunnel technique. Secondly, the ki had crashed into Jusendo and used a previously unknown source of magic to regenerate a new body based on the previous form it held, complete with memories of its previous incarnations. This also resulted in the loss of the Spring of Drowned Girl. It was hard to believe, but when the youngster with Cologne started to inform the court of events that had happened centuries ago in broken Mandarin, events from when only the oldest of the council were yet alive, such suspicions were squashed. Loofah actually found that her own great-grandmother was also represented in the girl's memories, which was quite disturbing.
Third, this new entity's dominant incarnation mostly knew Cologne and Shampoo and seemed to have an at least limited trust in them. Given that the girl was a gestalt of Joketsuzoku warriors through the ages and a young man who had apparently killed the kami of the Phoenix People, this was a sobering realization to just how powerful this girl was and how strong the previously unknown male could become.
Finally, as if none of that were bad enough for Loofah's aspirations, Cologne had managed to make inroads with the Phoenix People who had arrived on site and had a chance to take advantage of the situation to go further in this regard. If she actually managed to cultivate a working line of communication with the powerful and secluded race...well, Cologne had positioned herself dangerously well. So well that Loofah couldn't ignore it.
However, the news of Mousse's crime and the information on Happosai provided opportunity. Perhaps she could turn this to her advantage in her ambitions to become the next Head Matriarch over Cologne? The legendary pervert was from Cologne's history a tad more than any other, and Mousse's family was affiliated with Cologne's quite closely.
'Ku Long...our rules on the use of the Wind Tunnel are quite clear. They demand nothing less than death. Why have you not already enacted the required punishment?' As cold as it was, this was just a little jab to get the Council primed for what was to come and put Cologne on the defensive. Not that Loofah expected her rival not to have some sort of answer.
Indeed, Cologne had such a response to parry the jab as she looked to Loofah. 'Lu Fa, those laws are intended for when the act has been done and the person caught after banishing their victim elsewhere. To apply them when we have received the banished, while our Mu Tsu has still committed no crime, is not proper. Changing the child's path before he reaches that point should be our goal, not punishment for something he has not even done.' Murmurs of agreement with Cologne's logic filled the chamber.
The Head Matriarch, Lotion, listened intently to everything discussed. She was profoundly old, even in terms of the Joketsuzoku's Council of Elders. Many had been waiting for her body or mind to fail so as to claim her station, but that day had not yet come. She elected to speak on the matter after listening to the murmurs of the Council.
'It seems that the Council is largely in agreement in this regard. Young Mu Tsu will not be punished for his later self's transgressions, but these circumstances will be noted when formulating his training and judging his growth. His chasing Xian Pu and damaging the village will no longer be tolerated if this is the kind of man it allows him to become.' With a focused gaze, the woman resumed her silence. She knew of Loofah's ambitions and wanted to see how Cologne would respond to her pushing. After all, what better test for them than to let them have each other? Within reason, of course.
'Understood, Lo Xian.' Loofah yielded the point but proceeded to her next one. 'Ku Long, you have taken to making concessions to the Phoenix People without our permission. Assisting them in making a new Spring of Drowned Girl and allowing them access to the new spring at Jusendo is not something you were qualified to decide.'
Cologne knew that this was going to be more of a fight it had to be, but maintained her calm as she responded to her opportunistic rival. 'What I said to the Phoenix People was that I would recommend cooperation to the Council in regards to making a new Spring of Drowned Girl. It was this child who opened the new spring at Jusendo and stated that it was necessary to avoid an open conflict with the Phoenix People in the future. I have conceded nothing and recognize the weight of the council's decisions in this matter.'
'But you implied that our assistance was possible when you had no right to do so-' Loofah protested before she was interrupted.
'Semantics.' Cologne interjected, much to Loofah's irritation. 'We require the Spring of Drowned Girl, as do the Phoenix People. Each of us has half of that which is required to make a new one, and no current quarrel exists between us. Raising issue with the new Spring prematurely would have threatened their cooperation in the making of the Spring of Drowned Girl, which we need. Rather than trying to assign blame for a non-existent trespass,' Loofah's eyes glared at Cologne as she met the challenge, 'you should decide on whether or not to accept my recommendation.'
'Agreed. Ku Long has acted appropriately in this matter. The new Spring is not going anywhere in the interim. The council will deliberate over her recommendation.' Lotion said in support of the argument and Cologne's reasoning.
'But agreeing would require someone to risk drowning in a Spring. Should she not be held responsible for that?' Loofah said, trying to eke out at least some form of concession or punishment for her rival.
Cologne stared down her opportunistic rival. 'Not if we make it voluntary for the purposes of honor and state the risks openly. Or do you propose to blame me for the choices of others who risk themselves for the village?' Even under this pressure, the aged woman managed a small smirk. It made Loofah's blood boil and there was more murmuring. Everyone present was skilled and had sensitive enough hearing to pick out the others' opinions, and no formal voting process was needed. Everyone knew the tally.
'Ku Long, the Council entrusts to you the voluntary recruitment of the Spring of Drowned Girl template. Coordinate with the Phoenix People to restore the Spring.' Lotion placed the responsibility on Cologne's shoulders as Loofah bristled at her loss.
'Young one,' Lotion said as she turned her attentions to the redhead in their midst. 'you mention an opportunity to assail Happosai, but Happosai is a grand master of this Ranma, correct? Would you feel conflicted should we strike against him?'
Without hesitation, the girl responded. 'No conflict. Hate Old Letch. Ranma hate too and want change Happosai's Martial Art into honorable one if inherit. Also know what he do to Elder Cologne and village. Joketsuzoku fight Happosai is just.' There was a smile from the girl that the lot of them would easily recognize as the anticipation for something too long denied.
'Look forward to look on his face.'
Loofah's confidence returned as she saw an opportunity. 'In that case, we should entrust this responsibility to Ku Long as well. She did once hold him in high regard in her heart before he attacked the village, and to cleanse the mistake of her youth is not an opportunity that should be withheld. In fact...I would insist on it. Ku Long should go to Japan quickly to observe and strike when the time comes.'
There was yet another round of deep murmuring in the room. Blaming Cologne for Happosai's attack was a low blow, though not exactly one that was completely unwarranted in the eyes of some. Might he have stuck around as long as he had to steal what he did had she not been interested? A number of old 'what-ifs' circulated in the minds of those present. The redhead glared at Loofah, though she retained the presence of mind not to lash out against the Elder.
'You would blame me for his crimes? You must be desperate, Lu Fa.' Ku Long said, maintaining her composure in spite of her displeasure. 'Prodding for every opportunity to foist blame or frame this whole matter in a negative light. You reveal your ambition and malice too openly.'
Loofah growled. 'I care not for your interpretation. The fact is that you and Happosai have more history than anyone else in the village. Hunting him down is your duty, and we know not exactly when the chance will come. I can handle the Phoenix People. This takes precedence. Besides, this young one wants to go to Japan and find that boy and get him away from his father as soon as possible, correct? She will need you watching her anyway.' The implication wasn't lost on Cologne. Bring the boy back, even if there was no reason under their law to demand it. Removing Cologne from her council seat and taking the Phoenix People negotiations from her in this manner was the best move she could come up with.
Cologne, rather than being angry, gave a calculating smile after a noteworthy pause. '...If the Council insists upon this, I ask that it allow me permission to employ creative measures of my choosing. I believe I can resolve the Phoenix People matter in the prerequisite three day preparation period before I depart if so. I would need to take Xian Pu with me to Japan, since I am responsible for her training and since Mu Tsu clearly needs a change in his lifestyle. Lu Fa's insistence on my involving this child also implies an interest in making me responsible for her. If so, I request the Council's approval to adopt her into my clan with the name of Lan.'
This caused a lot more murmuring and Loofah blinked. What was she planning? Did Cologne plan to find a volunteer for the Phoenix People's process before she was ordered to leave? Why was she interested in going along with being removed, even temporarily, from the Council? Adopting the outsider made more sense since she held ancient memories of the Joketsuzoku, but it was a massive risk that she wouldn't have tried. Loofah looked around to the confused members and her face settled upon Lotion, whose face simply shifted slowly into a smile of understanding and approval. Loofah then realized one possible action that Cologne had left to her.
'If you intend to use this young woman as the template, I must insist that the template is of the Joketsuzoku as a matter of honor.' Loofah said, trying to cut off an avenue of action for Cologne under the guise of pride.
'Ah, that is my intention, Lu Fa. Trying to coax the poor girl into that role won't be necessary.' Cologne's confidence did not waver and Loofah was feeling concerned. Just what was the old crone planning? Before she could press further, however, the Head Matriarch spoke.
'This girl exists because of the cumulative actions of the Joketsuzoku. Regardless of the blood in her veins, she is strong and has the memories and knowledge of our ancestors. This knowledge will surely grow as she acclimates. Ku Long will have her three days, has permission to be...creative as long as it suits the needs of the Joketsuzoku without breaking its laws or honor, and has her new daughter. The Council welcomes Lan into the Joketsuzoku. She will spend some of the next three days trying to stimulate her memory with our scholars, as they also learn everything she has to convey to us.' The newly named Lan, or Ran in Japanese, was stunned. She'd been adopted into the Amazons? The part of her that was Ranma found this hard to believe. She looked to Cologne and the older woman simply smiled knowingly.
'Do try to fix your Mandarin in that time, Daughter. It won't do to have you representing us poorly.'
