Title: New World New Rules
Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Shokuga, Viz video; any other characters mentioned in this fan-fiction belong to their respected owners real or otherwise.
Author Notes
I would like to thank George for checking spelling and grammar.
"Talking"
"Shields talking / Panda signs"
Now we go on with the story.
It is a nice cool night, hardly any clouds in the sky. A black four-door sedan is on its way to the Tendoh residence. Karin and Sheba sit in the back with the windows down. Sheba has her hands behind her head trying to ignore the growling coming from Karin. Karin is looking through a yellow folder. As Karin read through it, she is hard pressed to keep her anger in check. Closing the yellow folder and placing it between them Karin grumbled, "Sheba, I should have let you remove Genma's legs and arms at that time. Either Genma has the backing of some influential people, or he is very smart. I pray he just has stupid luck on his side. Genma has acquired quite a criminal record, mostly thievery to public intoxication. Genma has somehow evaded prosecution on all accounts." Karin leaned back and sighed, "I was lucky to have Ranma's record wiped clean of all the unpaid bills from the bars. There still some things that he will have to deal with before Ranma may leave Japan. Also the Emperor would like to meet Lord Ranma this coming Sunday."
In the back of Karin's mind, the shields asked her a question, "Mistress is it wise to leave out the medical evidence of abuse to Ranma?"
Karin rubs the bridge of her nose while sending her reply over the link to the shields. "If Sheba learns of the abuse to Ranma, she will kill Genma. I know I cannot keep it a secret for long. I will let Ranma decide what to do with his father." Karin looks over to Sheba. "Sheba." Sheba turns her head towards Karin. "We should let Lord Ranma decide on how to deal with his father. We need to support whatever decision he makes."
Suddenly the sedan comes to a screeching halt, just missing a redheaded girl that jumps out of the way, not from the sedan but from a purple-haired girl that lands on the hood of the sedan caving it in. She has a mace in her left hand and a curved sword in her right. The purple-haired girl yells out something but the only word that Karin and Sheba understand is "Ranma". The purple-haired girl then ran after the redhead. Turning to each other, Karin and Sheba nod then they press the cat eye insignia on their collars. Metal bands unfold from their collars covering their heads and connect forming a seamless cathead with yellow glowing eyes. The helmets give them enhanced vision, hearing, and a short wave communication. The only difference is that Karin's helmet allows her French braid to move freely behind her.
Leaping up onto the tiled roof of a nearby house Karin and Sheba proceed to follow the path of destruction the purple-haired girl left. It takes Karin and Sheba no time at all to catch-up to the purple haired girl and the red head. Karin signals for Sheba to get the red head to safety while she distracts the purple-haired girl. Karin summons one of her shields from subspace. It is a three-foot wide by four foot long in the shape of an upside down raindrop. There is a six-inch metallic orb a foot from the top on each side of the shield, fitted tightly together with six metallic like purple leather wraparound plates. Darting into the line of the purple-haired girl's attack, Karin deflects the girl's mace strike with the shield, which forces the mace to cross in front of the follow up attack with the sword.
Startled by this intruder, the purple haired girl leaps back flowing smoothly into a defensive stance to reevaluate the stranger that interfered with her pursuit. The purple-haired girl charges again bringing her mace down with all her might. Karin drops to all fours allowing the shield to shift its position to above her. Hearing the attack deflected again, Karin reaches out and grabs the girl's ankles before she has the chance to regain her balance. Karin pulls the girls ankles as hard as she can so that the girl will fall backwards.
Just like before, the shield deflected the girl's mace in the direction of her sword, throwing her off balance again, but this time before she can regain her balance she feels some thing grab her ankles, pulling them out from under her. The last thing that the purple haired girl sees is a dark cats head with yellow glowing eyes as she is head butted into unconscious. Karin checks the girls pulse and breathing to make sure she did not die from head trauma. Karin is relieved that the girl has a steady heartbeat and has no problem breathing. Karin lifts the girl up and places her on the horizontally floating shield.
Karin touches the transmit sensor on the lower back jaw of her helmet to talk to Sheba. "Sheba, do you read me?" Sheba confirms the transmission with three clicks. "Ok I will be there in two. Keep the peace until then. Karin out." Karin looks at the girl on the shield. "Girl, you don't know the trouble your causing me by damaging that sedan." Sighing Karin begins the journey back to the sedan where Sheba and the other girl are. Just two roofs away Karin jumps down into an alleyway, the shield following with its passenger still unconscious. Karin picks the girl off the shield dismissing the shield back to wait with its twin in subspace.
Karin creeps to the edge of the alleyway staying in the shadows as much as possible. She sees the right side of the damaged sedan. On the left side of it, she sees the replacement car with a straight shot to the back right door. The only problem is the reporters that have gathered just behind the blockade. Karin tilts her head to the right activating the comm. "Sheba I am at the alleyway to the right and rear from the damaged sedan. I can see the replacement car's rear right door. I need you to cover me until I deposit our guest." Sheba confirms with one click. Karin watches Sheba talk to a man in a black suit. The man then gestures to four more men similarly dressed. They proceed towards the crowd. Karin continues to watch Sheba until Sheba gives her the all clear signal. Karin sprints across the opening as Sheba opens the car door. Karin tosses the girl in her arms over the red head's lap then climbs in the car followed by Sheba.
Sheba closes the door while Karin disengages her helmet. Looking around, Karin cannot help but admire how much more roomy this vehicle is. The red head nervously scratches the back of her head. "Ah, I'm Ranma Saotome sorry about this." Ranma's declaration is surprising to both Karin and Sheba.
Karin is the first to recover from the shock. "Ranma you say," the red head nods again. Karin looks over the girl in front of her. The girl is dressed in a red blouse with wood buttons, the black loose fit pants secured by a drawstring. Karin rubs the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Care to explain why everything I have on you says that you're a male? In addition, why your mother would think she gave birth to a baby boy?"
Hope and excitement blossom over Ranma's face. "Did you know my mom? Can you tell me what she was like?"
Karin shocked by Ranma's response, until she realizes Ranma thinks her mother passed away. Clearing her throat Karin answers Ranma's questions. "Ranma please understand that your mother is not dead, she had to return to her people. Ranma, you were taken away from your mother, at the age four by your father. Her time had run out but she was not going to leave without you. She stayed another four years searching for you. The last year of the four-year search was the hardest. She had no money left from selling her jewelry. She slept on the street and in the parks just so log as she had a lead on your whereabouts, she did not care. By the end of that year, all her leads on your location had dried up. With no money and no leads, she was forced to return to her home. Sheba knows the state that your mother was in on the day she returned to her home. I can tell you from the time I was saved by your mother until now, that every holiday and your birthday she would barricade herself in her room and cry all day. I asked one of the head priestesses if she knew why your mother did this and I quote, "The loss of one you love is hardest on you on special occasions." Was her reply but for your mother I think it was knowledge of her failure to locate you and probably never see you again that caused it. Now that your mother has set up a diplomatic relationship with the U.S., she was able to send Sheba and I to fiend you. The utter joy that she will finally be together with you put the whole temple in a state of panic as your mother started having every one clean, wash, and repair everything that needed and it even some things that didn't. I never saw one of the head priestesses actually scrub the marble floors until that day." Karin pokes Sheba in the side. "As for Sheba, she is here to keep me safe officially. Unofficially she is here to send weekly reports to your mother. Therefore, if you write a letter to your mother, give it to Sheba and your mother will receive it." Karin watches the emotions play across Ranma's face, she knows that Ranma need to come to terms with the information.
Sheba leans over to Karin so that she can talk to her without Ranma over hearing them. "Pleases don't tell me that you believe her claim about being Lord Ranma?" Karin stops any further details on how this red head cannot be Lord Ranma, by clearing her throat. Karin's action pulls Ranma out of her own thought and focuses her attention on Karin.
Karin is about to ask Ranma to explain how she is not a he, when the inside window behind her lowers revealing the driver. Karin turns to get a better view of the driver, a white man in his late forties with a black suit on. Recognizing him as the same driver as before, she greets him with a smile and asks, "Has the luggage been transferred yet?" The man nods with a smile and then asks if Karin and her guests are ready to go? Karin looks at every one before she answers the driver's question. "I believe that we are ready to go, if you would be so kind to take us to the Tendoh Residence." The driver nods and then he raises up the window to give them their privacy.
The black limo drives off into the night to drop off its passengers at the Tendoh residence. Karin and Sheba lesson attentively to Ranma as she explains how she turns into a girl by cold water and back into man with warm because he fell into cursed water while training at Jusenkyo Springs. Ranma also explained how his father and he arrived in Shampoo's village after they visited Jusenkyo. Tired and hungry they began to eat some of the food that was left out only to discover out that it was the prize for first place in the annual village competition. Trying to resolve the problem, she challenged Shampoo for the food and won very quickly. Then Shampoo gave her the Kiss of Death. It was a local custom that states, "If an outsider female beats an Amazon warrior in a challenge the Amazon must hunt the outsider down and kill her." Ranma continues on glossing over some of the encounter as her father and she made their way to the Sea of Japan. They thought they had lost Shampoo when they crossed the Sea of Japan, but they were wrong. Shampoo showed up today looking for Ranma and attacked Akane in frustration. She was defeated again, this time by the male Ranma. When Shampoo came to, she gave the male Ranma the Kiss of Marriage. It is another Amazonian law that states, "If an Amazon is defeated by a male than that Amazon must marry him."