Chapter 5: Meeting the Tendos
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
" " - Japanese
"% %" - Chinese
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Cologne had written down a list of Ranma's movements. First he had faced that boy in the field, then visited a few obscure schools of specialty martial arts, now this crossdressing girl in Osaka.
"%This certainly seems like an eclectic set of enemies. But when I interviewed them there were no signs of anything that should be the Lady's business. Maybe they are just the boy's problems. I would expect the Lady to have larger concerns.%"
Shampoo was still looking for hope for herself. She was having a hard time finding it. "%None of them could challenge him. He's learning too fast.%"
"%You still wish someone would kill him and free up the Prophetess for you? There is another way, you know. Instead of you hosting the Lady, you can marry the boy.%"
Shampoo perked up. "%Marry? How? He has no foresight in boy-form. He couldn't beat me then.%"
"%I daresay he could have beaten you if he had any other curse, or none. We pride ourselves in our skill, but there are better out there. I've seen too many like him and his father, sacrificing everything for their Art. They are often become absentee husbands, but husbands nonetheless.%"
"%But he said he preferred the cross-dressing girl,%" Shampoo said. She considered for a moment. "%Should I use the Formula on her?%"
"%No. We must trust he will have a plan by now. Let him follow it, and we follow him.%"
That evening they tracked him going into the place his father had been taking him when he got away. The Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. Cologne wondered what sort of unlikely Art they practiced, and if he had yet another fiancee to put off.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Ranma waited patiently on the Tendos' front porch as the panda came bounding up. "Yo, pop! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you." He had a thermos of hot water with him, which he quickly poured on the panda.
"I ought to teach you a lesson, boy. Things like this can't just be allowed to wait until you're ready! You have to MAKE yourself ready when duty calls!"
"Duty? More like your impatience!"
Genma merely scowled. "As long as we're here, we might as well get this started." He rang the doorbell.
Kasumi answered. "Welcome. How may I help you?"
"I'm an old friend of Soun Tendo. He should be expecting us. I sent a postcard."
"Oh! You are Mr. Saotome? Please come in."
"And could we have some hot tea please?" Ranma said as they went in past her. "We need to warm up."
"Of course. Father! We have guests!"
Ranma stood back as the men made their greetings and sat down. Nabiki and Akane came in to see what was going on. Kasumi had gone into the kitchen to set some water going.
"So, old friend! How are things going?"
Ranma showed him with a swift kick that sent his father into the koi pond. An angry panda emerged. Dinner-plate eyes around the table.
Ranma dropped his backpack on the floor and moved to the edge of the pond. "I'd say things are going real well for him." Splash. "Us."
Soun, of course, fainted.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Night fell. Curses were explained. Ranma felt his future firming up as everyone now had a first impression of him as male. Which wouldn't go far.
"...and my son now turns into this girl."
"I only LOOK like a girl," Ranma said quickly. "The curse don't cover thinking or acting like one. Pop trained me to be a 'man among men', and that's what I'm going to be. I'll find a way to break this curse, and then I'll be ALL man. So if any of you has any problems being married to a REAL man, you're not going to be happy married to me."
The older sisters were suddenly subdued. Soun took the time to introduce them. "My daughter Kasumi, 19. Nabiki, 17. And Akane, 16. Pick the one you want. She'll be your fiancee."
"Who does the cooking around here?"
"Why, Kasumi."
"Well... are you sure you want an older woman?" Kasumi asked. "Perhaps Nabiki..."
Nabiki got an evil twinkle in her eye. "Alright. If it'll make you happy, sis."
"Well, don't even THINK of me," Akane said. "I'm not having anything to do with this hentai!"
Ranma stood up. "Yeah, I guess this curse is kinda hentai by nature. I know more about girls now than any guy." Akane reddened with rage, imagining what THAT might imply.
"So it's settled then!" Soun and Genma began celebrating.
"Don't get too excited," Ranma said. "I won't be marrying anyone here. I got better fiancees to choose from."
"Fiancees?" the sisters all asked.
"Ignore him," Genma said. "These are your only choices, Ranma!"
"Ho, so you weren't serious about those others? Selling my hand in marriage for a rice bowl or an okonomiyaki yattai? Or have you forgot about all those?"
"What's all this?" Nabiki asked. "How many fiancees?"
"Who are they?" Kasumi asked.
"I KNEW he was a pervert," Akane said.
"Three others," Ranma said. "Only important one is an okonomiyaki chef from Osaka. She ought to be here in a few days."
Nabiki eyed Genma suspiciously. "Are you just wasting our time?" she asked. Genma had already turned back into a panda. "You are, aren't you."
"Also," Ranma said, "I got rivals. Being the best ain't easy, everyone wants a rematch when you beat 'em. One has a Jusenkyo curse - turns into a little black pig. You'll know him by a checkered yellow and black bandanna. And there's some Amazon women..."
"MORE girlfriends?" Akane asked. "Why don't you just go shack up with them?"
"Actually, that sounds like a good idea." Ranma leapt out the open side door.
Genma, already human again, leapt after him. "Come back here, Ranma! You can't run away from a burden of honor!"
The Tendos were left staring at the receding pair. "Daddy..." Nabiki asked, "are all of your friends like this?"
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Ranma led his father on a good chase for an hour before returning to the Tendo household. Having spent their energy and rage for the night, they took a long soak in the furo. When they were done, Nabiki met him in the hall. "You seem to have quite the colorful life."
"Colorful isn't what I'd call it."
"Yeah, well, you might just fit in around here. That guy you beat up, Tatewaki Kuno, hasn't exactly got all his marbles. And he's got the other guys acting stupid as well."
"Yeah, the challenge to beat up Akane. That's part of why I did it, to get them to stop. Have they?"
"If anything, it's gotten worse. They think they have until you come to win."
"I'll let them play Kuno's game for a little while. I know Kuno won't believe I'd give up my claim on Akane until I'm actually married. Or she is."
"Well, Akane has more than our school to worry about. In the last few weeks she's been humiliated by Kuno's sister and a figure skating pair. They both claimed to practice martial arts schools I've never heard of."
Ranma grinned. That had been another point of his putting off meeting the Tendos: let Akane deal with her own problems. "We probably ought to just go through the Big Book of Martial Arts Schools and hit them all. There's some weird stuff out there - calligraphy, gourmet cuisine, tea ceremony, take-out dinners, stuff you wouldn't think could be done as martial arts."
Nabiki turned to go back to her room. She paused a moment. "Do I have a chance?"
"I've heard a bit about you, too. You'll play this whole thing for laughs."
Nabiki looked stung. She went into her room, and Ranma into his.
Shortly before dawn, even before his father woke up to start their daily training, Ranma got up and headed out over the rooftops. He landed right in front of the Amazons.
"Yo, old lady. We gotta talk."
Cologne merely smiled.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
They were enjoying breakfast at a local restaurant. Polite introductions were made.
"We've been watching you for most of the time since your visit," Cologne said. "You have been handling yourself well against the unexpected. Just your training, or have you begun to use your powers?"
"My powers. I've seen the next year or so, or at least how it was originally supposed to go. I got a lot of crap to deal with."
"Yes, well, you can certainly simplify a lot of things in life with a little foresight, even without the power of prophecy. Always be prepared. The power of prophecy, of course, allows you to refine your future in an interactive way, practicing your life before living it."
"I've started to do that. I've hit a wall about a year from now. My mother will kill me if she finds out about the curse. And I mean literally. Ritual suicide."
"Oh my. That sounds rather extreme. Wouldn't she appreciate having someone of your abilities in the family?"
"Neither of my parents is entirely there upstairs, ya know?" Ranma gestured with circling finger near his head. "Pop ain't the greatest guy in the world, we've lived by stealing and cheating and freeloading. He's sold my hand in marriage to at least three people. Took me away from my mom when I was about two years old. She only let me go when she got Pop promised to make me a 'man among men'. She made him sign a contract that said we had to commit seppuku if I didn't measure up. I've seen her enforce it."
"Barbaric," Cologne breathed. "You should have ditched your father earlier."
"Yeah, well, I can't exactly get away from them. They're the only family I got."
"That can be remedied. But first... how much else do you know of the curse?"
"Just what the guide told me. Oldest of the springs, wise woman who always knew what was coming. That's about it." He looked at Cologne expectantly.
"A prophetess," Cologne said. "When our village was founded most of the Springs were not yet cursed. We bathed in them, drew water from them. One day one of our number bathed in a Spring we hadn't used before and emerged looking different. She soon began seeing things before they happened. We thought it was a gift from the Gods. Eventually we found it was a property of the Springs. We came to respect the power of the Lady, the spirit of the Prophetess.
"Ever since then the powers of the Prophetess have been held by members of our village. As long as someone has the curse, no one else has ever fallen in that spring - we assume it is part of the Lady's power. The other springs overwrite each other - if you fall in you are cursed to change into whatever drowned there last, but if you fall in several springs you only have to suffer the curse of the last pool you fell into. The Prophetess is different, more powerful. It cannot be broken."
"Yeah, I found that out for myself. If it can't be done that way, how CAN it be done?"
Cologne looked at Ranma with a dumbstruck gaze. "You... you mean you actually don't WANT the powers of the Prophetess?"
"Hey, if I could keep the powers, I would. It's the body. Even with my mother aside, it's really annoying. It's not the body I've been training with all my life. And people are going to expect me to act in ways I shouldn't have to learn."
"Hmmm. I see your point. Thus far the Lady has always been content to accept the candidates we offered her, and they were always female. Whenever a Prophetess died, the current champion of the annual tournaments had the right to go to Her spring. The last one died right at the beginning of this year's festival. We decided to go through with the festival as normal, with the champion going to the spring immediately."
"Is Shampoo prize!" Shampoo said, looking angry at Ranma.
"You mean THAT was what you meant? I stole your prize? I thought it was the food!"
"The food is also part of it," Cologne continued. "In normal years, it is the only prize. You could have just paid for that, or fought a challenge for it, though if you had been an actual woman Shampoo would have given you the Kiss of Death and chased you to the ends of the Earth if she were defeated."
*And they call US barbarians?* Ranma thought. Aloud, "So you didn't figure on someone else coming along and getting the curse? You didn't even post a guard?"
"The Lady chooses whom she will to receive Her powers. As I said, while someone has the curse, no one else can fall in her spring. Likewise, if no one has it, only the one she wants can fall in. It is no accident that you are now the Prophetess. The Lady wanted YOU," Cologne pointed at Ranma. "She wants something from you, wants to do something here in the outside world using you as her vehicle. We must find out what it is."
Ranma thought about that. "Okay, so we do what she wants and then we break the curse. How would you go about doing that?"
"Dear child, isn't it clear? WE don't know how to break the curse. We've never had to. As far as I know, it is only broken in death. Even if there is a way, it will only be possible once the Lady's work is done. Which may be a lifetime, you understand."
"If I can't find a way to deal with my mother... that won't be long."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
After breakfast Cologne took them to a quiet rooftop with a shelter from the rain. "Your powers can do more than look into the future; they can see the past, as well," she explained. "Normally this isn't necessary, as the idea of being a Prophetess is to head of trouble *before* it occurs. Looking into things already done mostly happens when dealing with outsiders, which we tend to avoid, mainly during times of unrest or civil war.
"It is also possible, however, to look into the distant past and see history as it unfolded. You can see who was a true villain, who was a hero, what events were planned by conspiracies, what 'divinely ordained' things were in fact accidents. When you master looking into history you will even be able to see history as it never was: worlds where Nobunaga lived to unite Japan, or your country refused to open to the outside world."
"What do you mean? History didn't have to go the way it did?"
"Indeed not. During the Pacific War we received calls for intervention against your country. Our Prophetess looked into Japanese fortunes and saw them getting into war with the Americans, which guaranteed your loss. You understand when your opponent is faster and smarter than you and outweighs you by three hundred pounds you really aren't going to win if you don't land a lucky blow in the opening."
"Pop seemed to think we had a chance to take the fight out of them at some battle. Midway, I think."
"Ah yes. The Prophetess said your underestimation of the American will to fight would be your downfall. Their actions during the war proved you had no hope of scaring them into an armistice. As for Midway - if you had won that battle, you would be much worse off today."
Ranma blinked. "How does THAT work? You win a battle and end up losing WORSE?"
"You've never dealt with an extended campaign, of course." She became lost in thought for a moment, trying to remember. "I believe she said that if you took Midway, you could only hold it a year or so. Then the Americans would have a big enough fleet it wouldn't make a difference how you tried to defend, and would start to advance. But they wouldn't be in bombing range of Japan before the Russians joined the war, and they would have taken at least half of Japan, possibly the whole country. You would be like North Korea today. The Imperial family and anyone of samurai blood slaughtered, national treasures looted, even your language would change almost beyond recognition."
Ranma shuddered. "I get it. So I can see what DIDN'T happen?"
"Patience. We will begin by looking into the past. You will go into very deep meditation and try to see the founding of our village four thousand years ago."
"Okay..." Ranma assumed his position, closed his eyes, and began his breathing exercise.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
She shivered, partly from being naked in the cool night air, partly from knowing what was about to happen. Her shins were being rubbed raw as she was dragged over the dirt. The youma holding her had practically cut off circulation in her arms.
They were in a valley full of natural springs in a remote mountain region. Magic circles were set up about the area, charged with power, mages in them chanting to maintain their spells. A palpable aura of great evil hung over everything.
Her captors stopped at the edge of one of the springs, near the middle of the field. One of them grabbed her hair and raised her head. She looked up at a man in the uniform of a general of their forces. A man she thought she new. *Not well enough...* she thought, cursing herself for her blindness. She, who could see farther and deeper than anyone.
She looked into his eyes. Eyes once so full of warmth, now so cold. They eyes of her lover. Her betrayer.
"Surprised?" he asked. "Nothing else surprises you. But me? You agreed not to look at me, to give me privacy..."
"Exactly," she said in a hoarse voice. "Exactly why I'm not surprised now. It doesn't take time-sight to know only you could have done this."
"Ah, well. What's done is done. And what's about to be done..." He made a sweeping gesture. "Do you like what we've done with this place? It took us years to figure everything out. The design of the circles, their placement, the spell chants, gathering materials..."
"They were PEOPLE!" she shouted. "You murdered them! Took their souls... men. women... children..."
The man only tsk'ed. "Work like this always demands souls. These pools are now charged with a novel enchantment. Polymorphing curse, water-triggered, temperature-sensitive. Whoever falls into one of these pools changes into whatever person or animal drowned there last. They change back under hot water... a curse this powerful requires some intermittency. It will make useful spies, and versatile warriors. And you, my dear, get to become the first one."
She tried to spit in his face, but here throat was too dry. "You can't win. The other Senshi will defeat you! they will avenge me!"
A low laugh. "My dear, did you think we would be content to merely *remove* you from the picture? Several of our proud soldiers have died in duels over the right to be the first to bathe in your pool. Your powers will work for OUR side in the coming fight. I think we will have quite a strong hand." He leaned down, getting very close, face-to-face. "The time of your kingdom is past. The future ...heh heh... is OURS!"
She screamed her rage as they weighted her arms and legs. She was still screaming as they threw her in. She struggled in futulity to hold her breath, until the darkness overcame her.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Ranma opened his eyes with a gasp. "The pools... the curses..."
"You saw?" Cologne asked. "The first Prophetess was quite surprised. It took some time to learn all the details..."
"No... I don't think it was your prophetess. This was... the Lady herself. How she died. How the pools got cursed."
Cologne eyed him with great interest. "Do tell. None of our Prophetesses has ever seen that. All have tried, but the Lady has never allowed them to go so far back."
"There were these... monsters... youma, I think they were called. And some guy, a general in their forces. The lady was ... a guardian, a... Senshi... of some kingdom. The general was her lover... he betrayed her... there was a lot of magical stuff...circles and wizards, casting a spell that created the curse on the springs..."
Cologne considered this. "This must be important. Perhaps this General's spirit is lurking around somewhere. Try again. Let us see if we can find him..."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Ranma wasn't able to get any further images from ancient times. After some work looking into history, Cologne had him go over what he had seen of the near future.
"I'm sure the Wishbringer sword has something to do with this," she said. "If you try to use it to break your curse, does it work?"
"Not if I ask it directly. I'm going to use one to 'break ALL Jusenkyo curses' - that ought to take care of Pop, Ryoga, Taro, Mousse, the Musk, and Rouge, but not me."
"Mousse? He no have curse," Shampoo said.
"He will. Right now its still uncertain what... best chance is Spring of Drowned Duck, but could also be Moose, or a few others. Unless you want to keep him here. He's followed you. He arrives in a few days."
"Bother," Cologne said. "Another pest, one that troubles us as much as you. Well, we know how to deal with Mousse. What else will you use the wishes for?"
"I need one to break my fear of cats. That's real important."
"Fear of cats? Surely it can't be so bad you would need to waste a wish on it. You can learn to defeat any fear by more mundane means."
"Nekoken."
Cologne was aghast. "You can't be serious."
"I tell you, my pop is insane. He threw me in a pit of starving cats wrapped in all kinds of bait several times. I can't function around them."
"I'll have to have words with him. It would appear that wish is well used. That gives us one wish to deal with the Lady's concern. It could be enough, if the concern is simple enough. Try and focus. Let us see what wishes you might make that the Lady would need done."
Ranma tried to image the near future again, but now everything seemed clouded. "It's no good. I can't get anything."
Cologne sighed. "An occasional hazard, when several equally probable futures are competing. People must be doing things right now that impact your choices. You will have to return to the Tendo home and join your life with them for a while. We will come with you."
"I don't want them knowing about my curse. Nabiki would get real interested in the engagement. First she'll take it herself, then she'll decide to dump me on Akane."
"Won't they consider Kasumi? She seems like a nice girl."
"No. They don't even want her on the table. They think she's too good for me. She's exactly the kind of girl a regular Japanese guy like me should want. Except I'm not so regular, especially these days. And the age gap..."
"What gap? Three years? That's common enough."
"For a guy being older than a girl, sure. For a girl older than a guy, at our age... three years might as well be thirty."
Cologne shook her head. "Youth! Always allowing yourselves to be tripped by trivialities. Well, if you don't want any of them you should consider Shampoo."
"Shampoo?" He looked at the young warrior. "Why? I got a lot of honor issues to solve by marriage, and she won't help any of them."
Shampoo walked up and tried to kiss him. He dodged, checking the next few seconds. "Ohhhh no! I got too many fiancees as it is."
"Drat," Cologne huffed. "Well, you are an exception to many of our laws. I'm sure you realize those exceptions will end if you do manage to remove the curse. But Shampoo cannot be said to have a valid claim under the circumstances. You would need to defeat her without the Lady's power. Well, as long as we can't get any further readings we may as well keep up your training..."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
AN: I realize my authorial voice isn't the most consistent. Sometimes I wax poetic, sometimes I just want to cut to the chase. I also have trouble imagining how scenes of personal conflict go when the circumstances are changed. Events have gone off the rails already, with Akane and Ryoga knowing the truth about each other and Ranma arranging to move up Ukyo's entry.
As to how this will all be resolved: The curse is cured, after a fashion, but it will take something more powerful than the Wishbringer sword alone. It should be obvious what...