Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Three Sisters ❯ Reunions ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Imported From: RAAC
From: fherriot@yahoo.com

After school...

"Welcome back, everyone. How was school today?"

"Just great, Kasumi-neechan," Akane smiles as everyone relaxes around the
coffee table. "I think we're finally going to do something about Kunou-baka
and the rest of those idiots before long. Oh, everyone knows about the
engagement now."

Kasumi blinks, then stares at Ranma. "Did you have any problems with
that, Ranma-chan?"

"Iie. Before we came home, some of Akane's friends and acquaintances told
us we had guts admitting that in public," Ranma indicates herself, than her
sisters. "It's sad when you think about it. When does truth require courage
to tell it?"

"Sometimes, Nee-chan, the truth is too painful for some people to admit to
themselves, not to mention admit to other people," Ranko muses. "The chances
are, Kunou may be like that, which means we have to be EXTRA cautious around
him. Besides, you were like that before the Crossing Over, remember?"

"Hai, you're right. Ranma Saotome, she who possessed the greatest
inferiority complex in the world! That's me!!"

The Saotome sisters laugh. Nabiki and Akane remain silent, then turn as
Kasumi steps out of the kitchen, tea and several cups in hand. "Oh, I did some
shopping while you were gone," the elder Tendou daughter announces. "Starting
with your wardrobe and all that, plus some basic necessities you might need.
Would you three be willing to sleep with each of us instead of in the guest
room?"

Everyone blinks. "First of all, have you discussed this with your
father?" Ranko hums. "Personally, I wouldn't mind sharing a room with Nabiki,
but I don't want to cause problems with Ji-san."

"Given that there are four of you crammed into the guest room, it's only
fair that the accommodations be spread around," Kasumi cautions, smiling. "I
personally won't mind Kikuko-chan staying with me. Would you mind sleeping
with Ranma-chan and Ranko-chan?" she stares at Nabiki and Akane.

"Well, since we agreed to partner up, it does make sense," Nabiki shrugs.
"Besides, that's another thing that'll keep Dad and Saotome-jisan off our
backs."

"Akane?" Ranma stares at her fiancee.

"What if someone on the outside finds out?" Akane hums.

"Then they're the perverts, only deserving to get squashed!" Ranma winks.
"People should learn to mind their own business, after all. Besides, there
are...things I have to learn from you and you need to understand some things in
return about me. Okay?"

Akane stares at Ranma, then grins. "Okay!"

* * *

"Three Sisters"
by Fred Herriot
fherriot@yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir <kush1@iaw.on.ca>
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel <khammel@pacbell.net> and Robert Geiger
<robertgeiger@prodigy.net>
**** **** ****
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi
**** **** ****

PART THREE - REUNIONS

"There we go. You look beautiful, Ranma!"

"Domo, Akane," Ranma hums, staring at herself in the mirror. A light
amount of blush, lipstick and shadow was added to her face, plus her hair was
styled loose. That, added to the track suit that subtlety accentuated her
features, gave Ranma a wilder, untamed look. Kasumi had used their private
funds to give them a balanced wardrobe that spoke volumes about their
personalities. Put simply, Ranma was the tomboy, Ranko the self-assured woman
and Kikuko the traditional maiden. Ranma had to compliment Kasumi for her
judgement; it was no wonder that she had become the new house matriarch after
her mother's passing. "I really like it a lot. It's just enough to make me
look beautiful without overdoing it."

"I thought style didn't matter to you," Akane muses, laying her hands on
Ranma's shoulders.

Ranma gently grasps her fiancee's hands. "Not really. When you're on the
road, one of the last things you have to worry about is how you look to
others. But now, I want to make my own style. Nothing too aggressive; that's
more Ko-chan than me. But I want people to know in their hearts 'This is Ranma
Saotome'...just like you want people to know 'This is Akane Tendou' when you
pretty yourself up for a night on the town."

"A little pride shining through, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Ranma shrugs slightly. "Then again, we're already moulding
everyone's worldview with what we started this afternoon. I want to keep it as
positive as possible to save trouble later. I agree there'll be people around
who won't like me because of what I am...or the fact that I'm 'stealing' you
off the market. You have to admit, you are pretty popular at the school,
Akane."

"Hai, but it's like you said. My popularity's come to hurt other people.
I didn't like that, so I wanted it stopped. This was a way of stopping it,
doing it in such a way that doesn't hurt those who don't really deserve to be
hurt anymore. I like it..."

A knock at the door. "Akane-chan, Ranma-chan?"

"C'mon in, Nee-chan!" Akane calls out.

Kasumi steps in, then gasps on seeing Ranma. "Ranma-chan, you look
beautiful!" she beams. "This is nice. Your first try?"

"Hai, it is," Ranma smiles. "I'll get the hang of it soon enough. What's
the problem, Kasumi?"

The older Tendou sighs. "Your mother just called."

Silence. "And?" Akane probes, sensing Ranma tense.

"She sounded confused more than anything else," Kasumi sighs. "I asked
her to come here right away. She'll be here in an hour, Ranma-chan. It was
best to warn you."

"Okay," Ranma sighs. "Domo, Kasumi."

Kasumi withdraws. Ranma walks over to her backpack, reaching in to draw
out a small earthen jar, a present from one of her friends in the Nyuchezuu,
Tiger. Akane walks over, then kneels beside her. "Your old body's ashes?"

"Hai," Ranma nods. "Well, no matter what, Mom'll get what she wants
tonight. I just hope it won't cause too much bad blood."

Akane nods, gently squeezing Ranma's shoulder...

* * *

"It's good to see you again, Nodoka-san."

"Domo arigatou, Souun-san," Nodoka smiles, placing the Saotome honour
sword on the floor before her, then she sighs. It was agreed to that Souun
would receive Nodoka first and begin the explanations before the triplets would
be brought out. "I really don't want to bother you about this,
but...something very strange is going on here. A person at the family
registrar has just told me...that my son...is now legally a woman! On top of
that, I now have two additional daughters!!"

Souun sighs. "Nodoka-san, this is very hard for me to say to you up
front...but you deserve to know the truth no matter what the consequences.
Genma-kun and Ranma are here now...along with the others, Ranko and Kikuko.
But...something happened a little over a month ago as they were winding down
their training trip...that caused this present state of affairs. A bad
accident occurred in China...that cursed your husband and forever changed your
first child. That...shames Genma-kun very much; he would gladly exile himself
from you to atone. I...please, I know of the agreement Genma-kun made with you
before he left with Ranma. I...ask you, for your family's sake most of
all...to just listen to what I say and understand how much things have
changed."

The determination in his voice causes Nodoka to stare at him intently.
"I...I'm listening."

Souun begins. The explanation lasts twenty minutes. At the end of it,
Nodoka is ashen-faced, stunned at how much things had flown out of control.
"Then...my son is physically dead...but lives on in a part-alien woman, one of
these...Nendo-kata...?"

"Yes," Souun nods. "Ranma...has the ashes of her old body, the body you
gave birth to...if all you can bring yourself to accept is just that. This was
just as hard for her to see through to the end as it was for Genma-kun. But
one thing I do know, Nodoka-san...is that this new Ranma loves you very
much...and wants your family to be brought back together again."

Nodoka shudders, then grips her katana. "I...I'm not sure what to think
right now..." she breathes out. "Where are they?"

"In the dojo. Nodoka-san...please..." he indicates the katana in her
hands. "It would make it easier for them."

Nodoka blinks, then stares at the blade. She then shudders as an image
plays in her mind. One of her acting as the second, Genma and her son on their
knees before her, tantous in hand as they're about to be thrust into their
stomachs. No doubt, that very image would be flashing in their minds. There
was no place for fear at a time like this...either theirs or hers. With that,
she places the katana on the table, then rises. "Shall we?"

They walk out of the house, heading into the dojo. Stepping through the
doorway, Nodoka stops, her eyes widening. Sitting in a row by the shrine, with
Genma to one side, were...three teenage versions of HERSELF, all in beautiful
kimonos, their faces done up just so. No doubt, Kasumi's deft hand was
involved; Kimiko had always told her how good her eldest daughter was when it
came to housework. Their hair was styled differently to accentuate the
spiritual differences heralded by their eyes. The woman in the middle holds an
urn in her hands. She had blue eyes.

Ranma's eyes.

Nodoka blinks, then walks over to kneel before Ranma, hands reaching out.
Ranma hands her the urn. Nodoka shudders, gazing at the small clay pot, then
she hugs it close. "Sayonara, atashi no musuko-chan (my son). Kesshite
wasurenai (I won't forget you)."

"Kesshite wasurenai," the three younger women whisper.

Nodoka blinks, then sets the urn aside before she gazes on Ranma. There
was concern in those sapphire orbs...but there was love...not to mention joy
and satisfaction that this was happening.

She stares at the green-eyed woman. Ranko, her lost daughter, who might
have never had the chance to live, miraculously restored. There was concern in
those emerald orbs...and a barely-veiled warning. No doubt, Ranko had often
felt the opposite of Ranma when it came to their training trip...and perhaps
now harboured some resentment to Nodoka for allowing it to happen in the first
place.

To the brown-eyed woman. Kikuko, the unfortunate girl who drowned in that
awful spring so many years ago. Loneliness and delight flashed in her eyes,
not to mention hope that this would turn out for the best. Oh, yes, she could
welcome her, too.

Nodoka sighs. "My son is dead. However, that does not mean I will turn
any of you back if you...desire me as your mother. I have been denied a family
for a decade. That...you seek to help reform my family...speaks well of you.
Souun-san has told me much of what has happened to you all. I would now hear
it from you."

"As you wish, Okaa-san," Ranma nods.

Nodoka blinks, then smiles, her eyes misting.

Oh, it was SO nice to be called "Mother" again...!

* * *

Later...

"I hope they're alright."

"They'll be fine," Kasumi sighs as the Tendou sisters relax around the
coffee table. The Saotome clan's honour blade sits nearby, drawing wary stares
from the three women. "We have to think positively about this, Akane-chan."

"I hope so," Akane sighs.

The door opens. The three turn to see everyone stream in. Nodoka smiles
on seeing Kimiko's daughters. "There you are! We missed you in the dojo,
girls!"

"You deserved the chance to be with your daughters first, Saotome-basan,"
Kasumi smiles as everyone relaxes, rising to head into the kitchen to fetch
some tea.

Kikuko follows Kasumi into the kitchen as the others relax, the parents
forming a row on one side of the table. "Now that this is settled finally, we
can get on to other matters...namely how we will arrange for you two to get
married, not to mention WHEN it will happen," Souun gazes on Ranma and Akane.

"Tou-san, I believe we decided this last night," Akane warns. "It's not
right to set dates until things are right."

Souun jolts. "B-but...!"

"I agree," Ranma sighs. "Tendou-san, I realize how important this is for
you. It is for that reason that we are willing to give it a chance. But if
you and Oyaji try in any way to force us into something we're not ready
for...you'll be in for a rude surprise."

"Girl, family honour is on the line...!" Genma protests.

"Oh?" Ranma fixes him with a level stare. "Speaking of family honour,
shall I inform Okaa-san of the other things you've done behind her back, not to
mention Tendou-san's, during the trip?"

Genma jolts, paling. "Husband, what is our elder daughter talking about?"
Nodoka wonders.

"N-nothing at a-all, dear..." Genma stammers.

"What IS this all about, Ranma?" Nabiki muses. "You said last night that
complications would set in because of this."

"Do tell us, Ranma," Nodoka instructs.

"Hai, Okaa-san," Ranma nods. "During the trip, we were living in
conditions that would seem quite hellish to many people used to a stable home
and steady job. Money was scarce if not totally absent. In a way, that's a
good thing; I learned to travel light and have come to eschew material things
that doesn't pertain to the Art. However, when things became very tight, we
were forced...or rather, Oyaji forced me on some occasions...to steal and
perform other illegal acts to keep us whole and hearty."

Genma shudders. Nodoka sighs. "Genma...!"

"Don't be surprised, Nodoka-san," Souun chuckles. "When we were training
with the Master, it was just as bad."

"Oh, really, Tendou-san?" Ranma's eyebrow rises. "When you were with your
teacher, I doubt you had to endure...complications a young, growing boy,
someone who is clearly developing into a very handsome young man...could
present to those who have daughters for whom they'd like to find a nice
husband."

Silence.

"Daughter...is this leading to where I think it's leading to?" Nodoka
tightly grips her sword.

"I am afraid so, Okaa-san," Ranma sighs. "As of now, atop the obligation
to the Tendou clan...I am technically engaged to marry at least nine other
women."

Silence.

Souun blinks, then spins on Genma. "***SAOTOME, HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A
THING?!?! HOW COULD YOU JUST FORGET THE AGREEMENT WE MADE TO UNITE THE SCHOOLS
AND THE FAMILIES?!?!?!***" he bellows, a chi-charged Demon Head sending Genma
cowering away.

Nodoka moans. "I can't BELIEVE you, Genma!!!" she glares at him.
"Doesn't honour mean ANYTHING to you?!!" She then turns to Ranma. "When did
you learn of this, Ranma?"

"When I was undergoing the Crossing Over, Okaa-san," Ranma sighs. "That's
also when I learned of the seppuku pledge Oyaji made to you. However, save
for one of those other engagements, I would personally dismiss the others as
somewhat...trivial."

Nodoka's jaw drops in shocked disbelief. "Ranma, I hardly consider a
marriage promise 'trivial!'"

"When it's made in exchange for a simple meal, Okaa-san?" Ranma's eyebrow
arches. "I don't condone any of this either, by the way...and I've warned
Oyaji that HE is the one that's going to answer for this, not me. I don't like
the idea of being sold like that whatsoever. However, concerning the cases of
eight of those nine women I mentioned, the promise was made for a simple meal
to keep us both going. Charity to lonely Wanderers is one of the Great
School's core beliefs. To actually AGREE to bind a Wanderer in an engagement
to a total stranger...ugh, no thank you!" she shudders, then sighs. "I'm not
sure about you, Okaa-san, but if those families believed they could, in a way,
take advantage of two starving, wandering martial artists...and obtain a
husband for their daughter for the price of a simple meal...well, doesn't that,
in some way, allude to a form of slavery they're practicing?"

Nodoka and Souun blink, then exchange looks. "An...unusual conclusion to
make, Ranma...but indeed, if they valued your life so LOW as to agree to what
was being offered?" the former hums, then glares at a trembling Genma. "It
does not condone what your father has done whatsoever...but I can, as your
mother, dissolve the other agreements in case they press this matter...and
force your father to adhere to what you demand concerning them."

"Ranma-chan, you said 'eight of the nine' women were in this situation,"
Kasumi muses. "What of the ninth?"

Ranma blinks, then sighs. "That...will be the problem. Both in concerns
of honour...and friendship."

"Ranma?" Akane gazes worriedly at her.

"Gomen, Akane. The ninth person is...Ukyou Kuonji."

"U-chan..." Ranko whispers.

"Poor Ukyou-san," Kikuko bows her eyes.

"Who is Ukyou Kuonji?" Nodoka wonders.

"My first true friend, Okaa-san," Ranma curls her lip inward as memories
flood back. "Someone who, when we first met, I assumed was a boy. We were
only five years old at the time. Hence, our nicknames for each other:
'U-chan' and 'Ran-chan.' Her father is from Kyoto. He's an okonomiyaki chef
and a practitioner of an armed Art which uses kitchen utensils as its weapons
base. Oyaji and I were training close to where the Kuonjis' yatai was set up.
To obtain something to eat, I'd challenge U-chan for a free 'yaki every day.
Because of my better skill, I won every time. Besides, even then, I thought
U-chan was the best cook I'd EVER met."

"So this is an accumulated debt, you mean," Nodoka sighs.

"No, it's worse than that, Okaa-san. Over time, U-chan and I became close
friends. Her father then approached Oyaji to make an agreement to see us
married. Oyaji then came to me and asked what I liked better: U-chan or
okonomiyaki. I answered the latter, not understanding, of course, the true
significance of the question. The next thing that happened was that Oyaji was
carting away the Kuonjis' yatai with me riding on the back...and U-chan..." she
looks down. "Chasing after us begging to be taken with us."

Silence. Nodoka blinks, not WANTING to believe what Ranma just said, then
she glares at Genma. "You...ABANDONED an innocent child on the road just
because you TRICKED OUR CHILD into choosing FOOD over HER?!! WHAT POSSESSED
YOU TO DO THAT, GENMA?!?!?!"

"Nodoka, I couldn't bring her along with us!!!" Genma snaps back. "It's
the VERY same reason I chose to take Ranma away from you!! You wanted a 'man
above men,' remember...?!!"

"That no longer matters! Besides, THAT was what YOU promised me so you
could drag my child off on your fool crusade in the first place!!!" Nodoka
snaps, hefting her katana in emphasis, then sighs. "I can only THINK of what
poor Ukyou-san went through back then!!!"

"There's one more thing," Ranma advises.

Nodoka stares at her. "Being?"

"U-chan's father considered the yatai a dowry to solidify the engagement,"
Ranma flatly announces.

Silence. Nodoka stares at her daughter, then she emits a controlled sigh.
"I see..." she hums, then stares at Souun. "Even you must admit, Souun-san,
once a dowry has been taken, that makes the agreement quite legitimate in many
people's eyes."

"Yes, I would, Nodoka-san," Souun gravely nods. "And if you wish to press
through with this to restore Ukyou-san's honour, I will not object. Given the
fact that you now have THREE children instead of one, it's not as damaging as
you'd think."

"Agreed," Nodoka nods, then stares at Ranma. "I assume that now with our
family reunited, your next priority...?"

"Is U-chan," Ranma nods. "Hai, Okaa-san, that was exactly what we had in
mind. We've only been here two days. While we're settling down, we want to
see these matters resolved immediately before they end up blowing up in our
collective faces."

"True. Alright, as far as I am concerned, the engagement with Ukyou
Kuonji bears equal ranking with the engagement to the Tendou family and WILL be
honoured as best as possible," Nodoka nods, then turns to Akane. "I know
you've only known my child for a couple days, Akane-san. But...if Ukyou-san's
situation demands it...would you be willing to dissolve the engagement so Ranma
may answer it?"

Akane sighs. "Saotome-basan, you said it yourself. I've only known your
daughter for two days. The reason we're keeping the engagement 'floating,' in
spite of our fathers' wishes, is that, despite the long traditions of arranged
marriages, no one can ask people to fall in love with total strangers at a drop
of a hat. At this time, I consider Ranma a friend. I also know your daughter
has FEW friends to speak of...and it grieves me that her father's callous
actions years ago tore Ranma from her first true friend. If Ukyou-san can
accept Ranma as her life-mate...and if her own situation leaves her no way
out...then I will gladly step aside."

"We really can't judge until we know what's actually going on with U-chan,
Kaa-san," Ranko warns.

"We better make sure she's not going to try a scam in reverse just for
revenge," Nabiki adds, holding up a warning finger.

"Agreed...but given Ranma's new abilities, we will be quite forewarned if
such happens," Nodoka sighs, then stares at Genma. "Husband, you and I have
some things to discuss. We will do so now. In the meantime, minna-san, I bid
you all a good night."

"Oyasumi nasai (Good night)," everyone chimes...

* * *

"You okay?"

Ranma hums, sitting on her futon beside Akane's bed, gazing out the window
at the starry night. "Oh, I was just thinking about U-chan, Akane," she turns
to her fiancee, now on her bed. "Gomen."

"Don't apologize," Akane smiles. "Given what happened, you've got every
right to be angry at your dad...but why is it...?"

"I'm still with him?" Ranma hums. "One, as a Nendo-kata, I'm supposed to
promote Unity, not disUnity. To walk away, put simply, would destroy my family
and no doubt break my mother's heart. Two, my human half was raised by him
alone for ten years. Despite...his bizarre, cruel ways of teaching the Art, he
was the only adult in my life. And..." she sighs. "I know he's done a lot of
things wrong...and thinks it's okay to run away from problems he's caused.
But I'm not letting him get away with what he's done, Akane...and deep down, I
can sense that he...wants to atone."

"Why do you suppose he's like that, anyway?"

"Actually, it goes back to when he was training with his and your dad's
sensei, Happousai," Ranma snorts. "If you think Oyaji's bad, Happousai's a
million times worse. Then again, if you think about it, that is...the basic
philosophy of the Art. 'Win by any means possible.' Clearly, Happousai...and
in a way, Oyaji...think it's alright to live their whole LIVES that way."

Akane shakes her head. "No thank you! I like the Art, but I don't want
to throw away honour and truth to practice it."

"Neither do I. At first...damn, it seemed like a silly game to me, you
know," Ranma bows her eyes. "I didn't understand back then what was going on.
Only now is it dawning on me...how much damage Oyaji and I caused. If...oh,
U-chan...!"

Akane watches as Ranma buries her face into her hands, gentle sobs
escaping her. Immediately, the younger Tendou moves to shift her fiancee onto
the bed, drawing her arms around her. Ranma gazes at her, then smiles as she
rests her head on Akane's shoulder.

"Arigatou, Akane," she smiles.

"You deserve it," Akane pats Ranma's back. "Don't worry. It worked out
with your mom. It'll work out with Ukyou, too. Hang onto your faith,
Ranma...and don't give up hope."

"Hai..."

* * *

Near Tokyo, the next morning...

"Oh, Ryouga, you fool, where'd you go?!!"

Ukyou sighs, eyes glowing as she scans around for the missing wanderer.
Jeez, no wonder Ryouga carried his pack with him at ALL times. He had
confessed to her that he could get lost in a room with one door. She thought
he had been joking...but now...!

She bows her head, relaxing her powers. "Don't get hurt, my friend. I'd
hate it if you got hurt," she whispers, then sighs, picking up her own bag.
Well, time to get back on the trail. She had learned that Genma and Ranma had
returned to Japan from China near Fukuoka and were heading towards Tokyo.
Given the mass of people ahead of her, this was going to be hard even WITH her
new powers aiding her. "Ready or not, Ran-chan, here I come..."

With that, she boosts herself into the air, pack in hand as she soars
towards the distant metropolis...

* * *

The Tendou dojo...

"Ugh!! Akane, how in the blessed name of the Mother Ocean do people STAND
wearing these torture devices?!! Sports bras and panties are WAY better than
these damned things!!"

Akane laughs as Ranma slips her bloomers on, then straightens her skirt
before the two step out of the former's room to have breakfast. The uniforms
arrived the previous afternoon; with some alterations thanks to Kasumi, they
were modified to chase away the feeling of "sameness" the blue skirt and white
blouses forced on the Saotome triplets. Even better, Kasumi found what Akane
now nicknamed "Ranma socks"...socks with prancing horses forming the
trimming...to give Ranma a further sense of individuality. "I know. We all
hate them, Ranma. Relax; you're not alone."

"You got yours on so we can practice fence-walking?"

"Hai, Sensei, all in place."

"Yokatta!"

Both sit at the table as they dig in. Nodoka had stayed with Genma
overnight; she was now fussing over Kikuko's hair. Nodoka's presence ensured
that Genma didn't try to perform some "table-top training" with her children.

Ranma could sense the unease Genma felt at Nodoka being part of their
lives again. Given Genma's "man above men" philosophy, women were a
"corrupting" influence. That was what led to the farce with Ukyou...and what
forced Ranma away from Nodoka for a decade. Now that Ranma WAS a woman...and
with two sisters to boot, each of whom now possessed Ranma's
skill-level...Genma's world-view was being fed into a blender called "reality"
and set to puree.

Take the fact that Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko were dressing, acting and being
accepted by society AS women, most hints of the pre-Crossing Over Ranma
vanished into the Black Ocean. To further accentuate their differences, the
Saotome triplets had abandoned the old Ranma's braided pigtail. Ranma wore her
hair loose, Ranko preferred a ponytail bound with barrettes, while Kikuko
braided her hair. Atop the uniforms and personalized socks...Kikuko had
flowers on hers while Ranko's were trimmed with fire (they were as unique as
Ranma's!)...the three were worlds different from the tomboyish martial artists
who had walked into the Tendou dojo two days ago. Worse (in Genma's eyes),
they were showing no sign of letting up on their self-transformation.

Once breakfast is done, Ranko gives Nabiki another ride on Air Ranko to
Furinkan, ensuring that the middle Tendou daughter was ready just in case
Akane's message the previous day hadn't sunk in. Kikuko accompanies them;
while some thought her the odd woman out, it was always smart to have someone
held in reserve just in case things got totally out of control. Ranma and
Akane stay to the ground...or rather, the fence-line...as they head to school.
"Can you sense if someone's waiting for us already?" Akane wonders.

"I have to be a little closer for my empathic powers to be effective...and
almost at the gates before my telepathy can come into play. Gomen, Akane,"
Ranma smiles. "People around me always haze up my senses. I have to be some
centuries older before I could expand my range to encompass something bigger."

"It's okay...but it would be nice to have some advanced warning in case
Kunou-baka didn't get the message, ne?"

"That's true. Then again, all we have to do is ask Kiku-chan to give us a
shout of warning..."

<<Nee-chan!!!>>

"Speak of the devil-shark!" Ranma grits her teeth. <<What is it, Kikuko?!
Something wrong?!>>

<<Get ready! Kunou and about a dozen boys from the Horde are waiting at
the gates! They're after you now!!>>

"Uh-oh!" Ranma snarls.

"What?!" Akane stares at her.

"Looks like Kunou's decided to take me on now!"

"Oh, brother...!"

The two race on ahead, picking up their pace as they close in on the
school. Once they are within range, Ranma's own empathic senses lock in on the
targets. Sure enough, there were a few boys at the gate. The entire kendo
team (and their captain) plus a couple others, she realizes, all decent
fighters though they didn't possess her years of training. Alright, this might
be a little more intense than what Akane once faced. From what she could
sense of their emotions, they were determined to beat her...ah!

Ranma's eyes glow as her telepathy comes into play. She was still out of
sight from the school gates and behind Akane, so there was no danger. The boys
ahead had been whipped into line because of Kunou in some mad hope to
"cleanse" Ranma of her lesbianism. Kunou was now flatly convinced that alien
sorcery was involved and saw it as his "duty" as a samurai to see it erased.
That didn't mention his outrage at Ranma's and Akane's engagement. Idiot. He
couldn't make up his mind who to pursue, Akane or Ranma!

She relaxes, handing Akane her bookbag. "Would you mind? I'll make sure
they don't interfere with you going into class."

"Okay! Good luck, Ranma!" Akane hops off the fence.

With that, Ranma makes a telekinetically-boosted leap, clearing fifty
metres in one spring to land on the school grounds behind the crowd of boys at
the gate. Before they could realize what was happening, Ranma cups her hands,
focusing her chi.

"***SEIGI TSUNAMI!!!!***"

A bolt of pure blue ki lashes out, expanding into a wall of energy that
slams into the poor boys' backs, sending them flying everywhere. As Ranma
intended, the ki of her Righteous Tidal Wave expended itself solely on target;
Akane was nowhere close to being threatened. Once the way is clear, Ranma
walks up to the gate, turning to present her arm to Akane. The youngest Tendou
blinks, then slips her arm around Ranma's as she passes over her fiancee's
book bag. With that, they walk towards the front doors.

Watching from the windows, hundreds of students are hushed, awed by the
display of POWER Ranma Saotome unleashed on Kunou and the Horde. Suddenly, a
whoop escapes from one of the classrooms. "Way to go, Ranma!!! That's showing
them!!!" a girl cheers.

"Put that jerk in place, Ranma-san!!!" another girl whoops.

A mass outcry of cheers and applause thunders through the air as Ranma
pauses, her cheeks flaming at the overwhelming attention. Sensing Akane's
delight at her fiancee's acceptance in the Furinkan community, Ranma then pulls
away before curtsying cutely to the crowd before her. She then turns to
Akane. "Iko (Let's go)!"

"Hai!!" Akane nods as they race inside...

* * *

Ukyou hums.

She now stands atop the Toranoseishin Tower in Tomobiki, about three
kilometres from Furinkan High. Her eyes glow as the echo of telepathic/ki
energy reverberates through the air. Nendo-kata possessed a unique psionic
signature, a beacon to others that a sister was near. Being the social species
they were...and seeing that Ukyou was a Wanderer, alone for five
centuries...Nendo-kata were drawn together when they sensed one of their own.

"Well, might as well not be rude," she hums. "Maybe that girl can help me
find Ran-chan."

With that, she bounds off...

* * *

"I must confess, Ranma-san, that was quite a display this morning. Would
you care to explain what you just did?"

"Hai, Sensei," Ranma nods. The teacher had called her to the front of the
class as she came in. "One of the things martial arts teaches, especially in
the more advanced forms, is the manipulation of chi and ki, the life energies
we all have within us. Since I've trained for so long, I can easily call forth
my chi and ki to aid me in defeating my opponent. This morning, I made use of
a special attack I learned a month ago in China. Since it is modeled by
myself, I gave it the name 'Seigi Tsunami.'"

"But why did you attack Kunou and those idiots from behind, Ranma?" Sayuri
Toshio, one of Akane's friends, inquires.

Ranma sighs. "Under normal circumstances, if Kunou offered me a proper
challenge, I would respond honourably. He didn't. He was willing to allow a
dozen people to attack me in hopes of wearing me down, then defeating me. It's
the same stunt he tried to pull on Akane, Sayuri. A creeping conquest. And I
will not stand for it."

"Atop that, by attacking Nee-chan, most likely in some vain hope of
separating her and Akane, Kunou shows he has NO honour to speak of because he
disregarded the agreement between our families," Ranko adds. "As Akane said
yesterday, minna-san, this is *giri* that's been invoked. That's a serious
matter to us. If he doesn't care for that, then as that one fellow said, screw
'em and the high horse he rode in on, that's all!"

"Ranko-san..." the teacher warns.

"Sumimasen," Ranko blushes.

Everyone laughs. "Ne, ne, Kikuko-san, can you do that, too?!" a girl asks
Kikuko.

"Hai," Kikuko rises, then cups her hands.

Everyone gasps as pure gold ki forms a ball inside her hands. "My attack
is similar to Ranma-neechan's, but I call it the Kibara No Toge Arashi (Yellow
Rose Thorn Storm). Watch!"

She cups one hand at Ranma. The older Saotome raises her hand to receive.
"***KIBARA NO TOGE ARASHI!!!!***" Kikuko calls as a volley of ki balls, each
the size of baseballs, lashes out to smack into Ranma's hand, the energy
disintegrating on contact harmlessly.

"Sugoi...!" escapes a dozen lips.

"What about you, Ranko?!" Akane wonders.

"Well, my special attacks are the Uzumaki-ken (Whirlpool Fist) and the
Fuuyou no Gekido (Wind Dance Fury)," Ranko hums. "But since both can easily
wreck this room and put most of you into the hospital, I won't show them in
class. And yes, Akane, you'll be taught how to make a ki attack when you're
ready for it, okay?"

Akane jolts, then beams. "Yoshi! Arigatou, Ranko!"

The others blink. "What about the mallet?" Yuka Sudou hums.

"'Mallet?'" Ranma wonders.

"She means this, Ranma," Akane whips out a wooden mallet, holding it up
above her head. "For some strange reason, Nabiki calls this 'Mallet-sama.'"

"Yeah, that's a basic ki attack, alright," Ranma comes up to feel the
weapon's surface. "But it's too clumsy in some cases. Yeah, it's great for
pervert-bashing, but in a serious fight, all your opponent has to do is knock
it out of your hand. If you're too used to using this in a fight, that'll hurt
you bad, Akane."

"Oh...soo ka," Akane hums, returning Mallet-sama to wherever it goes when
she doesn't need it.

"Oh, hang onto it, of course. Like I said, it's great to keep perverts
and chikan artists at bay."

Akane blushes. "Arigatou, Ranma!"

"Okay, you, what did you do to Akane?!" Daisuke Koomei, one of the few men
Ranma befriend in this class yesterday, glares at her. "This isn't the Akane
we know of! Cough her over!!"

Akane flushes while everyone laughs...

* * *

"So what's your problem, friend?"

Kunou moans, slowly rising to his knees as his brain comes back on-line,
then he looks up to see a woman in black form-fitting trousers and a purple
okonomiyaki-ya's gi, a HUGE spatula slung on her back, standing before him.
The woman was raven-haired (with a white bowtie for the right kawaii effect)
and brown-eyed. Staring at this lovely vision, he bolts up to grasp her
hand...and gets an elbow with the power of a flying log smashed into his head!

"I asked if you had a problem, friend. I didn't give you permission to
touch me," she snarls.

"Beauteous...goddess...!" he drops to the ground, passing out.

Ukyou sighs, her eyes glowing as she probes the after-effect of whatever
downed the kendoist and his sparring pals. Yes, a ki blast of some sort...but
it had been boosted with both telekinesis and force-empathy. Only one of her
sisters could pull THIS off.

But who was it...?

"Aiya! What happened here?!" a voice accented by the wilds of rural China
tickles the cook's ear.

Ukyou looks to see a lavender-purple haired Chinese woman with chestnut
eyes standing there, staring quizzically at the fallen boys. Concentrating,
she senses the other woman was clearly a combination
matriarch/sage/healer-in-training, about the age of Ukyou's human-self. A soul
honed of steel; she probably came from a part of the People's Republic who
didn't kowtow to the idiots running the country in Beijing...but so full of
passion at the same time. She was here looking for her "airen." Well, help
those in need of help; that was the Golden Rule of the Nendo-kata. "Someone
got angry at these morons, that's for sure," Ukyou chuckles.

Shampoo blinks, staring at the other woman...then her eyes widen as the
other's chi signature comes to her. "You...you're of the Great School!" she
exclaims.

Ukyou jolts. "You know of us?!!"

"Hai! Airen's also from the Great School!! Aiya, this is so nice!
Um...are you also a Wanderer?" Shampoo then probes.

"Hai, I am. Oh, my manners. Atashi wa Kuonji Ukyou desu (I'm Ukyou
Kuonji). Yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you)."

"Yoroshiku. Watashi wa Joketsuzoku no Nyu Xian-pu desu (I'm Nyu Xian-pu
of Joketsuzoku)."

"Alright, Xian. So, what's your fiancee's name?"

"Ranko Saotome."

Ukyou blinks surprisedly. "Ran-...KO Saotome?! Um...would she be related
to a RANMA Saotome?"

"Hai. Ranko is Ranma's sister. Um...I also know that Ranma used to be a
boy, but he Crossed Over and became a girl the same time Airen and their sister
Kikuko did."

Ukyou blinks again, then her quite shocked look turns into a delighted
smile. "Ran-chan's...one...he...she...Crossed Over...?" she stammers, then
screams, "YATTA!!!!!!"

Shampoo hums. "Is Ranma your Airen?"

"I...ah, y-yeah, in a way!" Ukyou calms herself, then stares at the
insensate Kunou. "Let's see now..." she kneels, touching his head as she
telepathically probes his mind. "Oh, ho! Looks like we're in luck, Xian!
Ran-chan, Ranko-chan and Kikuko-chan come to this school here," she thumbs
Furinkan High.

"Can we see them now?" Shampoo trembles excitedly.

"No. Most likely, they're in class. It's rude to interrupt classes while
they're in session. Let's just go to the cafeteria and wait until lunch
before we see them, okay?"

"Okay!"

With that, they head inside...

* * *

"Are you okay, Ranko-chan? You look a little unnerved."

Ranko blinks, then stares at one of Nabiki's assistants, Mitsuri Hanna.
Nabiki had introduced Ranko as the newest member of their faction (officially
known as the Furinkan High Economics Club) yesterday. "Hai, I do, Mitsu-chan.
I can't understand why...but I feel as if someone I know very well is close
by."

"A friend?" Mitsuri hums as they step into the cafeteria.

"More than..."

"Wo na ai, Airen."

Ranko stops, her face paling as she senses a pair of warm arms wrap around
her from behind. She then turns to see a cute face framed in lavender hair
gazing fondly at her. "X-xian...?"

"Miss me?" Shampoo coos.

"What do you think?!!" Ranko snarls as she spins around, swamping Shampoo
with a hug and a kiss.

Gasps echo from the students around them as the Amazon and the Nendo-kata
enjoy their passionate reunion, then a woman clears her throat. "Care to
introduce your friend, Ranko?"

Ranko blinks. Damn, she HATED it when people interrupted her time with
Shampoo. "'Biki, I swear, you have NO sense of romance whatsoever!" she pulls
a twitterpated Shampoo erect, then glares at her friend. "Jeez, can't a girl
be passionate with her girlfriend without everyone throwing in their five yen
worth?"

"Hey, I can afford it!" Nabiki smirks, then stares at Shampoo. "<<And you
must be Xian-pu. It's a pleasure to meet you.>>"

"<<Did Airen teach you Mandarin?>>" Shampoo blinks surprisedly on hearing
Nabiki's near-flawless accent.

"<<The same way she taught you Japanese, so she tells me. I take it your
honoured great-grandmother's allowed you to pursue Ranko in earnest,>>" Nabiki
muses.

"Hai," Shampoo switches back to Japanese. "Hibaa-chan was more than happy
to let me net Airen."

"But what of the other elders?" Ranko wonders.

"It's no problem," Shampoo winks. "You made a decision that was to our
benefit. Besides, what's better? A small disUnity and a larger Unity or a
small Unity leading to a civil war?"

"Aaai, you make your point well," Ranko smiles, then gently grasps her
girlfriend's hand. "C'mon, let's go see the others. They'll be more than
happy to see you again, Xian."

"Oh, dear, I'm being dumped," Nabiki mock-wails.

She then yelps as Ranko grabs her arm and drags her over to the corner
table where the other Saotomes and Akane now sit. "Xian-san!" Kikuko beams.
"What are you doing here?!"

"Coming to claim my Airen, sister-in-law, what do you think?" Shampoo
smiles, then gazes on Ranma. "Oh, Ranma, I've got some really good news for
you. Your Airen's here, too."

Ranma blinks confusedly. "MY Airen...?!"

*PLOP!*

She looks down to see a warm okonomiyaki on a plate before her, a message
written in the sauce: I MISSED YOU, RAN-CHAN. DID YOU MISS ME? Seeing this,
the elder Saotome feels a lump in her throat, then she turns...to see the adult
version of her fondest memory gazing at her. "Ohayo, Ran-chan. It's been a
while."

Ranma blinks, then her eyes widen as her empathic senses reach out...and
find a loving warmth only another Nendo-kata could project awaiting her.
"U-U-chan, wh-what happened...?"

"No doubt, something similar to what happened to you," Ukyou winks, then
turns back to her portable grill. "We'll talk about it later; too many people
close to us. I suppose you two know what we really are, do you?" she then
gazes on Nabiki and Akane.

"We've been...informed," Nabiki nods. "In fact, we've been expecting you
since last night, Ukyou. Ranma...told us of what her father did to you all
those years ago."

"That, I will settle between me and him in due time, I assure you," Ukyou
hums as she starts to cook more for the others, her eyes glancing at Akane.
"Oi, I don't bite, you know."

Akane jolts, then blushes furiously. "Gomen."

"Relax, honey, it's okay..."

"No, you don't understand," Akane sighs. "You see, atop what Ranma's
father did to you...he made a promise to MY father to see one of my family
marry into Ranma's family. I...Ranma and I..."

Ukyou pauses, then gazes at Ranma. "You mean...?"

"I had no idea about your situation and there were a ton of other problems
along the way, U-chan," Ranma shakes her head. "I never really realized how
complicated Oyaji made my life until the day I Crossed Over. One of those
problems concerned my mother, believe it or not. You can't expect me to help
you until the problems with my family were resolved, would you?"

Ukyou hums. "Ran-chan, if this was before I Crossed Over, I wouldn't've
really cared. I'll explain why later. But, miss..." she then gazes on Akane,
"I give you fair warning right now. I do intend to see this through...with
Ran-chan and no one else."

Akane returns her stare, then nods. "I...can understand that, Ukyou-san.
We...really should save this until later. No doubt, it's been a very long
trip for you."

Ukyou blinks, then turns back to her stove, inwardly smiling. So, the
young lady...Akane Tendou, she remembers from mind-scanning that sub-creature
Kunou...had a torch for Ranma, eh? Hmmm...maybe there was a way to settle this
and allow both Akane and Ukyou to get the best from it. Hoping Ranma wouldn't
mind, of course...

* * *

Later...

"Minna-san, we apologize for...the presence of these two young ladies in
class today, but there's a reason for it."

"Please, Ranma-san, tell us," the teacher smiles. He had to privately
admit, teaching classes hadn't been THIS interesting at Furinkan for a long
time now. After all, morning brawls and badly quoted Shakespeare could get
quite tedious.

"Hai, Sensei," Ranma nods, then turns to Ranko. "Ko-chan?"

"Hai, Nee-chan. First of all, may I present...my fiancee, Nyu Xian-pu of
the Nyu-che-zuu of China," Ranko indicates Shampoo, the latter's name in kanji
and katakana on the board. "If you have problems pronouncing her name, she
does answer to 'Shampoo.' I met her a month ago when my family came to her
village."

"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, minna-san," Shampoo smiles.

"Isn't that a little fast, Shampoo-san?" Sayuri wonders.

"Not at all. When Airen and her family came to our village, they helped
us defend several of our younger warriors from bandits trying to kidnap brides
for the Musk Kingdom."

"Bride-napping exists in China?!" Yuka gasps.

"In certain parts," Shampoo nods. "You see, my tribe is quite
matriarchal, hence our nickname 'Chinese Amazons.' The Musk are the total
opposite of the Nyu-che-zuu. Worse, they can't conceive of the fact that we
won't submit to a male-dominated society. We've been at war, off-and-on, for
the last couple thousand years."

"That sucks!" Hiroshi Ikuo, Daisuke's best friend, snorts.

"You're right, 'Roshi, it does," Ranko snorts. "When my sisters, Tou-san
and I came on the scene, Xian was leading a party to recover several younger
girls who weren't well-trained to defend themselves from Musk raiders. We
rescued the girls, took care of the Musk, then escorted them back to the
village."

"For us, it was love at first sight," Shampoo beams. "Since they did us
such a service, I petitioned my great-grandmother, one of the elders of our
tribe, to pursue a formal engagement with Ranko, thus solidifying a blood-bond
between the Nyu-che-zuu and the Saotome Clan. It was only proper...and I was
more than happy to see this through. Hence, here I am."

"Congratulations, Ranko-san. Will Shampoo-san desire to come to school
when she settles down?" the teacher probes.

"It's only right, Sensei," Shampoo smiles, hugging Ranko's arm. "After
all, I don't want someone stealing MY Airen!"

Laughter fills the room. "Welcome to Japan, Shampoo-san," the teacher
nods, then gazes on Ukyou. "Now, Ukyou-san, how is it you came to know
Ranma-san?"

"That...is a little more tragic than what happened between Ko-chan and
Xian-chan, Sensei," Ukyou sighs.

She and Ranma explain what happened. Disbelief crosses many faces.
Shampoo, Akane and Kikuko shake their heads in sympathy. At the end, Yuka
speaks for them all. "If you don't mind my saying so, Ranma...your father is a
total IDIOT!!!" she exclaims.

"Unfortunately...but given that he did raise me and train me in the Art, I
can...still find it within myself to forgive him...AS LONG AS he strives
positively to reform himself. That, Yuka, I intend to see happen," Ranma gazes
on Ukyou. "My mom, on hearing what happened, has declared that Ukyou's
engagement to me has as much validity as the engagement between my family and
the Tendous."

"Ranma and I, as I said yesterday, discussed the possibility of ending or
modifying what goes on between us in case any sort of complication sets in,"
Akane sighs. "Ukyou-san, in that respect, is a very profound complication...no
offense."

"None taken. By the way, my friends call me U-chan."

"Hai...U-chan!"

"Okay...A-chan," Ukyou winks, eliciting grins from the people around them,
then she sighs. "I have to also admit that my own father is being...very
bull-headed about this. When Ran-chan and her dad left, he felt so ashamed at
me that he forced me to become a boy legally. For the last few years, I've
attended all-boys schools, behaved and acted as a boy, all just because I
wasn't supposedly enough of a girl to hang onto my fiancee."

"Didn't he know Ranma was a girl, too?!" Sayuri wonders.

"No. We both believed the other was a boy...and neither Oyaji or
Kuonji-san tried to correct us on the matter," Ranma shrugs.

"Besides, the body's just window-dressing. It's the heart and soul that
matter more to me," Ukyou adds, gazing on Ranma. "And I do say I'm very
attracted to the soul of the person beside me."

"Pretty brave," Daisuke hums.

"Way to go, Ukyou-san!" a girl cheers.

More laughter...then the door slams open. "***NEVER!!!!!!***"

Eyes turn to see a shuddering Tatewaki Kunou glaring at them. "So what
brings you here, Kunou-baka?!" Akane wonders.

The kendoist quakes, his outrage boiling around him. "I have heard enough
to realize this...PERVERSION of such heavenly angels cannot continue!!!" he
points accusingly at the women standing by the teacher's desk. "No doubt, some
dark sorcerer has bewitched these fair damsels into such evil!!! Forgive me,
maidens, for this I must do this if I am to save you!!! HAVE AT THEE!!!!"

Everyone scatters as Kunou lunges at Ranko. Sensing a threat to her
fiancee, Shampoo whips out a bonbori to clock the idiot in the skull, but the
speed and raw power of the kendoist's strike slashes through Shampoo's weapon,
causing the mace-like head to drop HARD on the warrior's skull! Shampoo yelps
as she slumps to the floor. Ranko ducks aside as Ranma grabs Kunou's blade and
flips the kendoist through an open window to soar into the yard!

"Get out of here, you clueless moron!!!" Ranma snaps.

"Xian!!" Ranko drops down to help Shampoo sit up, then checks her head for
bleeding. "Daijobu?!"

"Oooh...Stick Boy's pretty good..."

Ranko tenses. "Don't tell me you have to...?!"

"Baka!" Shampoo playfully swats Ranko's nose. "I gave YOU the Kiss of
Marriage, remember?!"

"I'll avenge you!" Ranko kisses Shampoo, then races for the window,
leaping out.

"Ranko, this is THREE FLOORS UP!!!" Yuka screams.

Everyone races to the windows to watch Ranko flip around to land
gracefully five metres from Kunou, now trying to recover from Ranma flipping
him out of the classroom. As the kendoist surges to his feet, the middle
Saotome daughter tenses. "Bastard, you just waltzed over the line!!" she
snarls. "You attack me, you attack my sisters, you totally disregard an
HONOURABLE engagement and THEN you attack my fiancee and future sister-in-law
atop that?!! Time for you to get a REAL taste of what it means to piss me
off!!!"

"I will...free you, fair damsel!!" Kunou lunges. "HYAAA!!!!
TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!! !!"

Ranko ducks clear of the storm of thrusts from Kunou's bokan stick,
swerving around him. To the watches above, it seems as if the energy of
Kunou's attack was being absorbed into a miasmic cloud of greyish-blue energy
around Ranko. "He NEVER did that to me before!!!" Akane exclaims, her whole
body shuddering. "That JERK!!!! Who the hell does he think he is, anyway?!!"

"The B.A.O.C...Big Asshole On Campus, A-chan," Ukyou snorts. "Trust me.
You encounter idiots like this everywhere!"

Laughter fills the room; they could certainly agree to THAT! "What
exactly is Ranko-san doing?" the teacher wonders.

"Looks like Stick Boy's gonna be dancing to the wind!" Shampoo smiles.
"This is Airen's attack, Sensei. Using her enemy's ki against him. Even my
hibaa-chan says it's really good!"

The dancing continues as energy builds around Ranko. Over Kunou's
shouting, the people above hear Ranko continuing to taunt him, mocking his
skills, family, sense of reality...all to goad him into throwing off more ki
through his bokan stick. Finally, Ranko draws the ki together, then flips
back, locking on target.

"***FUUYOU NO GEKIDO!!!!!!***"

The bolt of ki slams into Kunou, creating a cancelling effect whose
backlash rips through the kendoist like a scythe. While it does little
physical damage, the Wind Dance Fury literally punches through all the various
ki and chi elements which give Tatewaki Kunou the power to be what he is.
Kunou is smashed away from the impact point, spiralling dizzily like an
out-of-control top as his mind and body try to reforge links and restore him to
normal.

Ranko relaxes, then walks over to trip him up. "Timber!"

Down he goes! Ranko sighs, then walks away...before a round of applause
echoes anew from Furinkan High School. She turns to see that dozens of
students, even many teachers, were cheering her on, then laughing, bows to them
before heading in.

In their class, Ranma and Akane exchange a look. "When it comes to ki
manipulation, Ko-chan is the best," the former smiles.

"I'd say so!" the latter whoops...

* * *

To be continued...