Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.
Chapter 44
Ranma stepped through the Ring and sighed in lazy satisfaction.
A shower with Gina or any one of his girlfriends was always less than productive, but still refreshing in other ways that required yet another shower.
Madrid and Prototype Alpha Seven had been locked away on the moon, the Wererats had been secured in a holding cell, and he was back home after a disappointing battle – he had only been allowed to fight once for a few moments before they all went to Yl'Dahjim where he hadn't gotten to fight at all – and if his clones' memories were correct, not only were the two Rings finished, but Nabiki had scheduled for them to look at property for the Company Headquarters the next day.
All was right with the world, was Ranma's opinion as Gina stepped through the Ring as well, and immediately snuggled his left arm.
"YOU!"
The exclamation was clearly heard across the garden from the house, and Ranma couldn't help but wonder what was wrong.
Immediately following the violent outburst, Rei's terrified screams made Ranma burst into action.
Before anyone could even blink, Ranma had leapt across the garden, landed in the living room and picked up his daughter.
Only when the squirming bundle had settled against his shoulder did Ranma look up.
He had guests, it would seem – and Brianna knew them. Her accusatory finger and expletive proved as much.
"What is the meaning of this?" he enquired sternly, and gently patted Rei when she squirmed again at the tone.
"That boy is the one we told you about!" Brianna hissed quietly, keeping her finger pointed at the brown-haired kid. "He's the one who keeps trying to steal a sample of DNA from Britanny, and constantly tries to beat us to an archaeological dig or treasure!"
"Peewee?" Ranma remembered.
"Actually," corrected a woman Ranma didn't know, and in a child-friendly tone at that. "His name is Erwin Talon. I'm his mother, Erin. You must be Ranma – your mother has told me so much about you. You've made quite a name for yourself, too – I'm sure your mother is very proud."
"Mom!" Erwin snapped. "I'm Lord Talon!"
"I named you Erwin, and that's what I'll always call you," Erin returned in her kind voice. "Play nice with your little friends, and be careful with your tone, you'll upset the baby!"
-Slap!-
The sound did its job in making Rei upset, and Ranma was not exactly thrilled to have an introduction to the flat of a hand to his face.
Turning back from the unintentional turn his head had made from the impact, Ranma noticed Ukyo standing there, fuming and trying not to look guilty for having made the baby cry.
"Where were you?" she demanded, only just making herself heard over Rei's cries. "You couldn't call or write to let me know you were okay? I had to find out through the media! If it weren't for you leaving like you did, I might not have gotten pregnant with Mousse's child!"
"Excuse me?" asked Gina, who had entered in time to hear the accusation. "How could you getting knocked up by hair-care products be Ranma's fault?"
"If he hadn't left, I wouldn't have moved!" Ukyo exclaimed. "Mousse wouldn't have sought me out because he thought Ranma was hiding with me, and I wouldn't have gotten a face full of that powder that made us go into a sexual frenzy for days on end, which resulted in my current condition!"
"I still don't understand how Ranma had anything to do with it," Gina commented unconvinced. Still, it seemed the norm for people to get ahead of themselves with Ranma – if Ranma's stories were to be believed; several boys thought Ranma had been out to steal their girlfriends for some reason or another. Several girls had believed that Ranma loved them, but had trouble declaring that love to them because of other girls suffering from the same conviction and as such tried to get him to themselves as often as possible, which resulted in him getting physically punished in some way.
"Trust me, this is the norm," Nabiki commented as she flopped onto the sofa, and turned on the TV to check the financial news. At Ranma and Nodoka's stare, she muted it and read the scrolling news flashing across the bottom of the screen instead.
"Oh my," added Kasumi as she made herself known while giving Ranma a hug. "Ranma-kun is accused of strange things all the time – unfairly so. But this is the first time he has been accused with responsibility for someone getting pregnant with someone else's child."
"Sounds like an awfully rude accusation to me," added Lydia and mimicked Kasumi's show of affection as the elder Tendo daughter stepped aside to let the line move along.
"That is a bad boy!" Charlotte stated sternly and pointed a talon at the bespectacled boy, apparently completely unaware of the current conversation. Though, she also gave Ranma a hug, then added a little nuzzle to Rei before backing away.
"I think it sounds insane to blame someone who wasn't even there," commented Beebee and copied the others in giving Ranma a hug, ignoring Charlotte's off-topic comment.
"Is that duck trying to throw those knives at you through the bars of its carrier?" Sheila asked curiously before pulling Ranma down into a kiss by grabbing onto his free arm – while making sure not to do it suddenly for fear that Rei would fall out of his grip.
Gina sat down in front of the noisy duck and examined it as it violently flapped its wings, trying to force several blades through the grill of its carrier. "Is it wearing glasses?"
"Oh, Mousse is here as well," Ranma sighed. Couldn't he have a moment's peace?
"Ranma!"
Apparently not.
Turning around, Ranma saw his future mother and father-in-law, as well as Stryyp stepping through the Ring in the dojo and across the garden.
"Sensei, what brings you here?" asked Ranma, trying to keep annoyance from his tone – after all, one did not resent visits from one's teacher. Even when those visits coincided with times of desired solitude or family affairs.
"You seem to have forgotten that you have two appointments to keep," Dr Diggers chided softly, knowing from personal experience that babies tended to react to certain tones. "We are here to bring you to those two appointments."
"What appointme-" Ranma started before being struck with realisation. "That was today? I completely forgot in all the commotion taking place!"
"Which appointments are they talking about?" asked Nabiki suspiciously.
"I'm supposed to look at potential students of mine from both the werewolves and the Kryyn," Ranma supplied, reluctant to leave this mess behind unsolved.
After giving Rei a kiss, Ranma handed her to Charlotte, and walked across the garden to the dojo. In the dojo, he stowed away the two Rings his clone had finished in his absence and turned to face his sensei and company – Beebee and Sheila had followed and gave Ranma a stare that bode no argument.
"Sensei, how will we get there?" Ranma asked curiously. He had not been to either of the locations he was supposed to go to, and it was only natural to assume that those that came to get him would inform him of their mode of transportation in the process.
"We will travel by means of a Portal, Ranma," Dr Diggers explained in a tone that he usually only used while describing the techniques he was about to teach him. "Pay close attention to how I do it, I'll only show this technique three times, you will have a day to learn it afterwards, understood?"
Ranma could not restrain his glee at learning a new technique, and grinned as he observed his sensei shape his energy. In a way, it reminded him of the energy pattern for his Rings, only more primitive, and not anchored to a specific item or destination.
"An important part of this is to envision perfectly where you want to go!" Dr Diggers called over the swirling sound of energy gathering before them. "If you haven't been there before, it helps to have a picture of your destination in addition to a map of some kind! Should you be inaccurate, you might end up making a portal somewhere else, or like with Teleporting you might end up under ground or high enough to get squished on landing!"
Nodding his head in understanding, Ranma watched as the swirling energy produced a shimmering surface of white surrounded by green.
"Pass through!" Dr Diggers called out, letting them know it was safe. None of them had wanted to repeat the mistake Gina nearly lost her life to on Jade during the Tournament of Arms, so they had remained stationary for their own safety.
While Ranma had been to Jade before, he had not been to the Sanctuary, and he certainly had not been able to create a portal to get there – but after this, he might.
The village they appeared in was a nice one despite its primitive look.
Like Jade, the architecture had the appearance of medieval European houses. Bricks, wood and thatched roofs was the main building material. The few exceptions were those with stone or iron, but those were official buildings. The streets were cobbled at places where there was heavy traffic, but was mostly composed of dirt.
And the landscape outside the village looked to be a tropical forest, trees reaching over sixty feet into the air, vines curling around the tree trunks or branches and foliage blocking out a large portion of the sky. In the distance the sound of water rhythmically washing against a beach could be heard, and small animals called out periodically.
This place would have seemed very pleasant if it wasn't for one minor inconvenience – the dozens of spears being pointed at the group.
"State your names and business," growled a very canine-like man menacingly. Covering his entire body was black and grey fur, and poking out from the leather pants he wore was a shaggy tail.
Like all the werewolves – because that's what they were – the one who chose to speak for them was very heavily muscled. Even the females were and they chose to wear something that looked like swimming suits of weathered leather.
"I am Weapons-Master Ranma, accompanied by Arms-Master Julia, Arch Mage Theodore, Beebee, and Edge Guard Sheila Silvear," Ranma responded, seeing his elders looking at him with expressions stating that it was time he started using his title more. "I am here to select warriors to become my students, Jetta sent for me."
The spears retreated a few feet, but remained aimed at the group.
"We were expecting a werecat of some kind," the representative of the guards explained suspiciously, eyeing them each before returning sight to Ranma. "We did not expect you to bring companions … if you are indeed who you claim to be."
"You question the word of a Weapons-Master?" asked Sheila dangerously, still in her human form, which was coincidentally the more intimidating one due to her birth defect – not caring that there was half a dozen spears aimed in her direction.
"I'm sure Cagley was just being cautious," assured a new voice from outside the circle of werewolf guards. Parting for the woman the voice originated from, the guards revealed a female werewolf with brown fur, patches of white and a pale leather bikini like the ones several of the female guards wore. Their fashion might have something to do with the tropical heat and environment … though Ranma hadn't really taken note of it; the men wore leather shorts, loincloths or pants with detachable legs. "Welcome to the Sanctuary, Weapons-Master Ranma, Arms-Master Julia, Arch Mage Diggers. I am Jetta, now, would you and your group please follow me to the Council Building?"
The short walk to the building Jetta spoke of was somewhat more relaxing than the arrival of the group, given than the guards had stopped pointing sharp weapons at them even if some of them still followed them to make sure they didn't cause any trouble.
Ranma took quick stock of the guards and hoped for his own sanity that these were not among his prospective students – they were barely able to use their spears properly and most would likely end up pulling muscles or getting cramps in their arms within half an hour of using the things for combat. If they had to use weapons, they should have bothered to learn how to properly use those weapons instead of relying on their natural speed, strength and magical regeneration to keep them from getting killed.
It sickened Ranma that people could be that dim-witted and reckless. And it made it even worse that these people had been hired to protect a village containing non-combatants!
His ire was sustained in him until they were inside the building, facing three rows of ten werewolves at attention and the Elders of the Clan lining the wall to oversee the event of a Weapons-Master choosing his students from their people. After all, Weapons-Masters in general had a reputation for only selecting the best, and most able to learn their style, and having one agree to visit for the express purpose of choosing students was somewhat of a big deal. And as this was a new Weapons-Master, of whom they had heard a great deal, their expectations of Ranma were higher than with any other Weapons-Master.
Feeling very much like a General inspecting the troops of some military installation, Ranma purposefully marched back and forth in front of the three rows of warriors.
"These are your best," Ranma half asked, half stated.
"Absolutely, Weapons-Master Ranma," assured a Council member.
"Very well," Ranma sighed. "Before I choose, I would like you all to take a test … I assume you all know how to read and write?" getting only nods from the anxious and cocky warriors Ranma nodded to himself before smirking evilly. "Good … because the first one is a written test!"
A well turned woman in a red business dress sat leisurely at her desk in a low floor of an office building, reading over the planner for tomorrow with a smirk playing her painted lips, and a greedy gleam twinkling in her eyes, visible even through the slim reading glasses she wore.
Her name was Ikari Hanabi, and she was the best realtor at the Tokyo branch of Akaryū Real Estates.
It had been rumoured among her co-workers that she was capable of selling their most expensive and smallest properties to Scotsmen, who have long been considered as some of the world's most frugal people, and could even have gotten them to pay more for the property than advertised without resorting to cheating or swindling.
She was a very enterprising person, and would have made a good living in any profession, but she loved money and some of her co-workers had remarked that this would lead to her undoing.
This was not the case, as she happily had reported that morning.
Wild Horse Inc. had earlier that morning contacted her about looking for property on which to build their Headquarters, and given the fame that had rapidly built up around this company and its owner, she had no doubt she would be raking in a large commission in the near future, as she also enjoyed informing her colleagues of.
Yes, there was no end to how much money she was sure she'd end up getting out of the rapidly rising company, and if they were satisfied with her services, they'd contact her again if they needed to expand and she'd be set to retire!
Nothing would stand in her way, and no one could possibly ruin her ambitions!
"Okay … now that the written test is over, it is time to see what level of skill you possess," Ranma announced.
"Weapons-Master Ranma," started a Council member impatiently. "What is the purpose of having our warriors answering a long string of random questions? They are to become greater warriors, not scribes!"
"Do I tell you how to go about your business?" Ranma asked casually. The old werewolf shook his head and sputtered in near outrage at the mere question, as well as in answer to it. "Then do not question my selection methods. The purpose and results of the written test will be made clear when I have selected my students, if any of them pass. Everyone, pair up! Start sparring!"
Meanwhile, on the initiative started by Ranma's clone earlier that day, some scientists from the Agricultural group of the Wild Horse Inc. had taken time out of their lives to visit farms that had been sporting bad profits for the past years.
These farmers were offered handsome sums of money for them to join the company with their resources, farm, crops and livestock. All they would have to do in return for a monthly fee was to grow crops or breed livestock for the soon-to-be-started chain of healthy fast food restaurants, and allow the scientists to experiment with their theories.
Running a farm was usually a very fluctuating source of income, depending on whether the year had been good for what they had selected to specialise in or if it had not, and the uncertainty of it was more than enough to drive the majority of the farmers approached into accepting. The two who refused were only doing so because they didn't want scientists running around ruining their land, or had already planned on selling their property to just about any farmer who made a decent offer.
Needless to say that the Agricultural group was ecstatic about their achievement and they hoped Tendo-jōshi would be equally pleased when they shared the great news with her in the morning. They knew Ranma would be pleased, but somehow, Tendo commanded their fear of unemployment or reprimand, even if she could not really do the first of the two fears without Ranma's say-so.
"Right, I've seen enough!" Ranma declared after having watched the warriors spar for ten minutes.
Those that had been winning felt very smug, a feeling that was apparent to all as they returned from the training grounds to the Council.
Upon entering the Council, however, they found Ranma had a look-alike already inside, looking over their answers. Before any accusations could be made about impostors or infiltrators, the look-alike disappeared in a small cloud of smoke, leaving their written test answers on the table.
"I have made my selection," Ranma stated after a moment of thought. "Would Poss, Vit, Mab, and the Juni twins please step forward?"
Thinking they were to receive the honour of being the students of the newest Weapons-Master, the five named warriors stepped proudly forward, making sure to shoot their fellow warriors smug looks before turning to face Ranma.
"You five should quit your jobs right now, because you shouldn't even be allowed near a weapon or battle if you were the last of your species," Ranma announced bluntly.
"WHAT?"
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded a Council member, the same that had questioned the written test, Ranma noted. "Those five were the best fighters we have! They have done nothing to warrant such condemnation!"
"I don't base my selection on fighting prowess alone," Ranma admitted, and felt somewhat vindicated as Jetta restrained the man from interrupting him. Dr Diggers stood in the door with the rest of Ranma's group and listened carefully. "My first test wasn't the written test, but rather a superficial look at their aura, to judge whether or not they were trustworthy.
"The written test was a test of character, to find out what type of character they were by asking a series of seemingly random moral questions and dilemma they had to answer honestly, which they did, I assure you.
"The sparring was to allow my shadow clone time to read through the answers, while I took note of certain individuals' tactics and scruples.
"In short, this was all to figure out which of your warriors would survive my training, and whether or not they would abuse it or teach others without my express permission. Only one such individual existed in this bunch, but I felt the need to point out those who had no business defending others," Ranma finished. "Pikat, would you please step forward?"
A red-furred female werewolf, with white patches on the stomach and throat stepped forward nervously, understandable given what had happened to the previous warriors that had been named.
"Congratulations, you are now my first official student," said Ranma with a kind smile.
On the planet Aebra, the homeworld of the Kryn people, a swirling portal opened in the middle of a palace.
"Honestly, you'd think they never heard of morals and values," Ranma grumbled as he stepped through the portal with the others and rubbed his abused ears.
The warriors that had not been chosen had been quite vocal in their opinion about his selection methods, and his selection – and most of the Council had not been any different, with one or two exceptions. They were only a few insults away from not being given a Ring through which his student could travel back and forth for tutelage without having to move out of her home. Jetta had put an end to the bickering, and quite firmly in a tone only a mother can manage told them that the decision was final, and there was nothing they could do to change that choice in their favour. It was almost amusing to see how quickly the adults had been cowed at the tone of their leader.
Jetta was thankfully also aware of the potential abuse of the Ring system, and agreed to Ranma's proposal of locking the thing away completely until Pikat was keyed into it with his other students, and various safety measures were put into place around each Ring. He would of course let her know when it was safe, and work very hard on making and installing the security on each end of the Rings – or rather, a few clones would do that while he tended to business matters and his loved ones.
"Not everyone is capable of accepting criticism," Stryyp commented sadly. "And even fewer can take hits to their ego lying down."
"Hopefully your people won't be as vocal about my selection methods," stated Ranma in a questioning tone.
"Perhaps not, but don't be surprised if some noblemen approach you for various reasons beyond training our warriors," sighed Stryyp. "I've told them not to approach you, but some people are exceedingly talented at finding loopholes in orders and laws."
"So it isn't just the human species …" muttered Ranma. No matter the shell around it, many souls were easily corrupted by politics – a shame, really. "Okay, let's get this over with …"
Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay – my muse is currently on strike, so I had to force everything along, something the Union for Collected Inspiration frowns upon and placed all sorts of blocks in my way – this had the added effect of reducing the quality and length of the chapter. Adding to that, I just got my hands on the last Harry Potter book, and could not resist the Siren Song that is the writing of J.K. Rowling (Nor the call of Eric Nylund's Halo – The Fall of Reach … or J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit … I'm weak! I can't resist temptation!)
Another apology might be necessary, as I seem to have lost track of the timeline in the story – if I made any noticeable mistake, please send me a message rather than waste it on the review.
Someone might recognise the names I used to create a Nabiki-wannabe: Ikari Hanabi. I borrowed the Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the Hanabi from Naruto …
The name Silvear is one I got off Wikipedia, because I have failed to locate the places where Sheila and Garfield have been formally introduced with last names.
On a side note, I've just passed 300 pages of text in this story. Times New Roman, 10pt font, 2cm margins all around.
Translation: "Jōshi" superior (in a job/within a company)
