They Are My Noble Masters Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Virtua Fighter Fan Fiction ❯ Nodoka 2/1 ❯ Chapter 03 - The Art of Getting Lost ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Nodoka 2/1
The Chroma Series

Act 0 Part 03

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DISCLAIMER

Most of the characters and other elements are owned by people who are not me, though I did make up a few here and there... but none of the main ones. Many talented people, and a few faceless corporations, such as Rumiko Takahashi and Sega respectively, own the rest

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AUTHOR'S NOTES

First off, thanks for reading; I hope you have enjoyed it so far. This chapter is going to have a slightly different format, where I intended to have a time skip and then do a chapter and have another time skip, but for this chapter instead of one giant leap through time, we will be having one chapter full of smaller skips, covering a bit larger period of time.

I just learned I had major issues with the last chapter, and sometimes only half of it was loaded, and other times it got halfway and started over... I am sorry, I believe I have it fixed now... I will attempt to pay more attention when I post from now on. That is what I get for assuming it will work correctly... Again, sorry.

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GLOSSARY (from the last chapter)


Kanji = The first writing system in Japan, made up of characters borrowed from the Chinese
Hiragana (feminine) and Katakana (masculine) are the two main 'alphabets' in Japanese. Each character represents a vowel or consonant and vowel combination

Baka = stupid/idiot/fool/etc
Aho = Kansai-ben form of 'baka'
Bakojiin = Stupid Old Man - a portmanteau word Nodoka made up for the game of 'Old Maid'

Boku = one of many ways to say "I/me" and is considered a 'masculine' form

Oshou = (4) master (of one's art, trade, etc.)

Kuso = Expletive word for fecal matter; AKA 'Crap'

Okonomiyaki = long story short, Japanese Style Pancake/Pizza-like food

Moe - pronounced [moh-ay] - a manga and anime slang term meaning something like cute, wiki "Moe_(slang)" if you want to know more

Konichiwa = Good 'Afternoon', said from about 10am until evening

Yoroshiku onegai-shimasu = 'I am in your care', or 'Please take care of me' - is said at the end of sentences when meeting someone or making a request

Douzo meshiagare = Enjoy your meal; said by the cook
Itadakimasu = Said before you start eating, lit. 'I humbly receive'
Gochisosama (deshita <- added when being formal) - said after you finish eating

Suki ya nen or sukkya nen = Kansai-ben for 'I love you'

Maido Ookini = Kansai-ben form of Arigato or Thank You. Maido (here) means 'every time' and 'Ookini' means 'Thanks'

Miko = Shrine Maiden/Priestess

Kimono = A traditional article of Japanese clothing, similar to a robe
Yukata = A light cotton robe like outfit, like a less formal kimono
Hakama = Another piece of traditional clothing. They are worn over top of a kimono, from the waist down
Zori = traditional sandals, similar to flip-flops

Moshi-Moshi = "Hello" on the phone (and to get someone's attention in other places)

Kaji = housework; domestic chores; family affairs; household matters;

Ken = Fist

Ryu = Style, particularly a martial arts style

Kajiken (or Kaji-ken) = Named by Kasumi, Genma's new housework related style, for training maids and butlers, the Household Fist

Go = is a board game, with some similarities to Checkers (many other uses for this term too, like the #5)

Kampai = Cheers!

Hojojutsu or Nawajutsu = The traditional Japanese martial art of restraining a person using cord or rope
Kinbaku = Rope bondage, [lit. tight binding] and
Kinbaku-bi = lit. The beauty of Tight Binding

Tadaima = equivalent to "I'm Home", said sometimes even when alone

Kote = Okonomiyaki Turner, the small baker's peels. (what most people incorrectly call a 'spatula')

Aya = wow; whoa
Sugoi = terrible; dreadful; (2) amazing (e.g. of strength); great (e.g. of skills); wonderful; terrific;

-Han = Kansai-ben form of -San
-chama = a combination of the honorifics -chan and -sama
-tama = childlike, cutesy way of saying -sama

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CHAPTER 03
The Art of Getting Lost

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After having left the only home she had ever known, Ukyo's emotions were twirling around, most of them conflicting with the others. She was hurt yet thrilled, angry yet happy, nervous yet excited, proud yet humiliated, resentful yet thankful, comfortable yet awkward, unlucky yet fortunate... And she was having a very difficult time trying to wrap her young mind around it all. So much had happened over the last few days since she left her home and everything she had ever known. It was not like she did not enjoy her new traveling companions, far from it, and if this was how the old man wanted it, then FINE! She did not want anything to do with him anyway! She was going to do everything she could, to be as unlike him as she was able. He wanted to treat her like a boy, she would be as girlie as she could, she did not even want to sound like him! A real man would not abandon his child! If she were going to emulate anyone it would be Ranchama and okaa-sama, they were just so incredible, about everything. They were so nice, and Ranchama had saved her so many times. They gave her nice clothes, and even took her in when she had 'been abandoned' by her so-called 'father'. And despite living the lives of wanderers, they were always so happy and full of life. It was a joy simply to be around them, she could not help but to smile whenever she saw either of them. The only time she could really stew on her misery was when she was alone, and luckily for her, she had not had much alone time since they had left.

 --- Ukyo had awoken to a woman's voice shouting "Ohaio-gozaimasu!", it was still dark and she was not sure where she was, and all of a sudden her pillow started to move...

 "Whatcha doin' on this side of the tent, Ucchan?"

"Oh, uh, Ranchama! I guess you were warm." A sly grin crept across her face as she hoped to cover her embarrassment to avoid the ribbing that usually accompanied it.

 "-Chama? what's that about?"

Looking at the floor, she clasped her hands behind her back, "Well, Ah owe ya everythin'! Ya deserve th' respect uh -sama, but yer too cute not to use -chan, so Ah'm usin' both! Ah could call ya 'Rantama' ifin ya prefer..." Seeing that she had gotten him embarrassed as well, she adds, "Or do ya think Ah should always be completely formal with ya, Ranma Saotome-sama? 'Cause fer ya, Ah will."

Blushing a bit at that, "Well, whatever makes you happy, but I told you before, that you don't owe me, or us even, anything at all, Ucchan. We are friends, and friends take care of each other. I will always be there to look out for you, whenever possible. Now let's go get cleaned up and make breakfast. We got a long hike to go to get to Iga from here."

 "HAI, Ranchama!"

 Ranma rolls his eyes as they exit the tent to prepare for the coming day.

 Outside of the tent, Nodoka was preparing breakfast, enjoying the sound of children.

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They ate together, they trained together, they bathed together and on cold nights, they even slept together. For Ukyo it was truly indescribable, the feeling of being around such a warm and loving family. Her father had never been like that, always so cold and distant. She had always assumed that he was worried about money and sad about her mom dying, but apparently she had been mistaken, he just didn't want her around! 'But Ranchama and okaa-sama want meh around, they're happy ta take care of meh, an' LIKE bein' 'round meh! Ah swear Ah will dedicate mah life ta takin' care uh them! Ah will repay their kindness if it costs meh mah life!'

 Returning to camp after her bit of 'alone time' behind a tree, resolve firmly set in place, she quietly walked over to Nodoka, and gave it her best attempt at making sad puppy dog eyes, her eyes got large enough to almost be an anime character, "Kaaaa-saamaaa, could juh he'p meh, pleeease?"

 "Certainly child, what do you need?"

 "Ah don' wanna sound like Ah'm from Osaka anymore. Please, he'p m-mE ta speak with a Tokyo-ben. Ya said a concupine should be uh elegant lady, so ta be th' best Ah-I can't sound like a hick!"

 "I see, well, of course I will help you, we can work on it during sparing, along with our other subjects. Now that we are in Iga, we begin sparing again tomorrow."

 "Ah was kinda hopin' we could work on it in private, it's embarrassin' ta work on in front of Ranchama." She blushes and looked away.

 "Well, we don't exactly have much privacy like this, but I will help you as discretely as I can, and when we leave here, we will head to Kyoto, where we can enroll you for training in an okiya, where you can get training as a Maiko to become a Geisha. They will train you in all of the traditional arts, conversation, singing, dancing, dress, make-up, games, serving, tea ceremony, and more. I have heard of a muay thai master there, maybe Ranma-kun can train with him while you are there."
{*Okiya = Lodging for Meiko and Geisha, during their contracted period, or 'nenki'. This is the first step toward becoming a geisha, where they begin training as a Meiko. Kyoto is the only place left children under eighteen can still train, and even then typically don't start until age fifteen in modern age*}
{*Geisha/Geiko = literally 'Art Person/Girl or Artist', entertainers, and hostesses, much like Bards. Geisha do NOT perform sex acts for money, see Joro*}
{*Maiko = Geisha in training, literally 'dance child/girl', also called 'hangyoku' [half-jewel] because they would get half the pay of a geisha, or even O-Shaku, which means 'one who pours [booze]'; early Maiko are called Minarai, lit. 'learning by watching'*}
{*Joro = Prostitute, many called themselves 'geisha girls' to soldiers in WWII*}

"But aren't geisha, bad ladies of the evening?" Little Ukyo looked confused and a little scared at the implications in her head, was she going to be abandoned to an even worse fate?

 "No dear, you are thinking of joro, geisha are artists, musicians, dancers, hostesses, entertainers of all kinds, they don't do the same kind of 'entertaining' at all. They are like sophisticated pop idols, with many more skills."

 Ukyo's eyes had lit up a little bit at this, "So yer not tryin' ta sell meh off too? Ya won't jus' leave meh theyur?"

 Nodoka would have laughed if she didn't know that would only hurt the child further, instead, she went for a warm smile, "As if you could get rid of us that easily! I won't even let them keep you overnight, we can't let your standard education fall behind while you are studying 'extracurriculars'." Nodoka pulls her into an embrace, "I will never 'abandon' you, not even long after you are tired of me. You will always be a part of this family, and we will always be here for you. Even if you choose to leave us, you will always be welcomed back."

 Ukyo returned the embrace, "Thank ya, Okaa-sama! Ah think Ah'd like that."

 "We can start now, repeat after me, 'Thank you, I think that I would like that'."

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The next morning found the trio preparing for their first morning training session as a 'family'. "This afternoon we will try to find the legendary ninjutsu training ground here in Iga, but first, let's work the kinks out of our bodies from the hike. Ranma-kun, are you ready, would you be so kind as to lead us in our morning workout?"

 "Hai, kaa-chan!" Ranma took his position facing the two women in his life and began leading them through their pre-breakfast workout. It started with some simple stretches, and moved up to some simple kata.

 Whispering back and forth, "Okaa-sama, do ya-you, really train under Ranchama? Is he your instructor?"

 "Not exactly, we learn from each other, I study the books and scrolls we brought with us, and train with some masters, and I teach that to Ranma-kun, while he has trained with my husband, and under different masters, and he teaches that to me. But he has always lead our morning warm-ups, since he has the most experience with it, and he is good at coming up with ways to work things into the routine. And of course I teach him the fundamentals of a formal education, it would not do to have my son, nor my 'daughter', growing-up ignorant of the world."

 Blushing a bit at being called her 'daughter', Ukyo was amazed, "Wow, he really teaches ya-you? Ah-I always figured he was jus' tryin' ta-to, impress me when he said he was better than y-you in th' art."

 "Well, he's not better at everything, yet, but my biggest advantage is my reach, and yet, he still makes that not matter most of the time. Once he gets older, I will lose that advantage too, so I am sure it won't be long before he is better than me at everything. And truly, shouldn't that be every parent's goal?"

"You two here to train, or gossip?"

"Well, we are about done with the warm-ups, so I imagine you are about to find out."

 As if to emphasize this point, Ranma finished the light kata that they had been attempting to mimic, and turned to them with a bow, "Okay, I feel pretty loose, how about you two?" He waited for their nods of ascension before continuing, "I think we have time for some light sparring before the breakfast rice is ready, so I want to try something different today, since we have this opportunity. I would like the both of you to attack me, this will do two things, the first will be to give me a tougher sparring practice and it will also help us develop teamwork."

 "It looks like we might have a chance today, Ukyo-chan, let's teach my son not to take us 'girls' too lightly!"

 "Damn right!"

"Good attitude, but young ladies shouldn't use that kind of language. Now let's go!"

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Nabiki had recently discovered a new (to her) genre of entertainment, Mysteries! And to a lesser extent, detective stories. While she enjoyed the time she spent playing and training with her sisters, reading was special. It let her tune out the world around her and focus on the world that existed only inside of her head. And mysteries were the best, they were like a puzzle in story form, and she just loved to try and figure out where the pieces fit.

 She longed to find mysteries of her own to solve. To be the hero who uses her observation skills and intellect to solve problems, save people and stop the 'bad guys'. She wanted ...the right tools! She ran off to find Fubuki, time to plan a trip to the mall!

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Deep in the heart of the Iga Provence, Nodoka and her charges located what they had been looking for, a ninjutsu master, the woman known as the Silent Stalker of the Fuma Clan, Shinoko Kotaro. Well, truth be told, she had located them. They had been asking around for an instructor all over the Iga Provence, the birthplace of Haiku and Ninjutsu. Returning to their camp Ranma started a fire, Nodoka prepared the teakettle and Ukyo started washing the vegetables.

 "So, you have been looking for a ninjutsu instructor. I have been watching you for some time." The feminine voice came from nowhere, yet everywhere. The trio tensed, awaiting an attack.

 "She's good!"

"So, to whom do we have the 'honor'?"

 "I have come to test you."

 Shuriken began flying in every direction, seemingly coming from nowhere, and everywhere. As the three began dodging and snatching shuriken out of the air and pocketing them, an amused laugh permeated the area.

 Ranma extended his battle aura, 'feeling out' his surroundings, sensing the ki of every living thing within his limited range. Ranma noticed there was an area with a distinct lack of ki. Ranma snatched another handful of shuriken out of the air, charged them with his own ki, and unleashed them toward the 'dead zone'.

 The shuriken sliced through the tree, causing it to fall over, away from the camp. A motion is seen from the tree as it falls, and then, as if by magic, the laughing woman was standing before them, with long black hair, tied back in a beaded ponytail, thigh-high boots, a woven metallic bodysuit, fingerless gloves, and a deep purple top exposing a lot of cleavage with a VERY large Fuma Shuriken on her back. "Good job! You pass. Nodoka and Ranma Saotome, and Ukyo Kuonji, I am your new instructor, Shinoko Kotaro, of the Fuma Clan. Normally we would not train anyone outside of our clan, but I am willing for two reasons, the main one being, that you intrigue me. The other is our clan has fallen on hard times, the political peace of late has limited their need of us, you said you were paying well, and I would rather train someone who is honorable than to kill for those who are without."
{*Fuma Shuriken = a fictional weapon, supposedly used by the Fuma Clan Ninja, that can range from a basketball in size to a large person, they are used for melee, shields, and throwing weapons, and can be thrown like a boomerang. Many have a handle in the center to grip them, which allowed them to be used like a staff.*}

"Willingness to do without, rather than compromise your principals, it sounds like we have a deal. It would be an honor for me to help you maintain your ideals. Train us well and I would be happy to help 'sponsor' your clan, you can work for my family. In fact, I believe, if his letters are to be believed, my husband is training 'Ninja Maids', perhaps one of your people could get some firsthand information for me for a bonus. If true, maybe one of you can help him with his lesson plans for another. I am not asking you to give him any of your clan secrets, just that you may give him pointers in whatever he is creating."

 Yen signs flashed in the woman's eyes for a moment before she continued, "Yes, I do believe that can be arranged, we wouldn't want my clan to get rusty after all."

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Sitting in her recently acquired 'office' (really it was not unlike a homemade lemon-aid stand, sitting on a corner of the Saotome's yard) Nabiki read her latest light novel, a ghost story about a rich girl being haunted by her grandmother, who wants her necklace back. Nabiki assumed it was the girl's boyfriend, who will run off with the necklace and leave her. "Boys! Who needs them?" Being all of eight years old, Nabiki did not think she would ever have much use for boys, at least beyond clients or subjects. Speak of a devil and they will appear. About that same time, up walked a tall boy, a bit older than her, with a mop of dirty blond hair, a long green t-shirt, and brown bell-bottom pants.

 "Like, you're the detective, right?" She nodded calmly, "You gotta help me, my manga was stolen!"

 "Why don't you buy another one?"

 "I can't, it was a January nineteen sixty nine 'Big Comic', with the first chapter of Golgo thirteen! I can't afford to get another one, and I haven't even read it yet!"

 "Okay, tell me exactly what happened."

"I went to 'Comiket' with my life savings, ten thousand yen! Looking through the displays, I saw it there, locked in its case, and I just had to have it. There are only three left in the world, you know! Like, as I was leaving to get sandwiches when a giant frog in a doctor's outfit jumped out and tried to take my manga. I was able to get away, and hide in the food area, but it found me again. I was able to escape a second time, when I saw Takao Saito giving autographs! So I got in line to have my book signed! After getting it signed I was leaving, glad to be heading home. Like, as soon as I got to the exit, Doctor Frog opened the door from the other side, snarling, growling and grabbing for my manga again! It backed me into a corner, and its tongue shot out and grabbed my comic and it ate it!"

 "It ate it? How am I supposed to get it back if it ate it?"

"Well, it was like, wrapped in plastic, it pulled it out of its mouth, and ran off."

"Ewww! So it didn't really eat it at least." Shaking her head for a moment, she recovered, "Have no fear, The Nabiki Tendo Detective Agency is on the case! I get five hundred yen a day, plus expenses, including extra for anything disgusting I have to touch. Now let's return to the scene of the crime and look for clues!"

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While they had been looking for clues at Comikit, a second copy of the first printing was also stolen, leaving only one left, owned by one of the vendors, and people had begun to offer more and more for it, the current bid was over one million yen. Nabiki felt she was ready to solve the case, she pulled the scruffy boy aside and began to make her plan.

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The taller boy came rolling in on a wagon full of comic books, while Nabiki turned to those who were bidding, and said, "Worry not people, we found another copy!" Turning to the vendor she added, "Now you won't have to sell yours, we know you didn't want to. This boy remembered his father had given him a copy as a child and it's been in the attic until today."

 "Like, let's start the bidding over here, do I hear twenty thousand? I have twenty, do I hear thirty? ..."

 The boy held up the 'newly discovered' manga, quickly raising the price in the bidding war. The 'Doctor Frog' swung in over his head, grabbing the manga, and making a run for it. As the giant frog-man was escaping, Nabiki pressed a button on a remote she was holding, and the 'manga' exploded, trapping the culprit in used chewing gum.

 "How could you? How could you blow up a first printing?!?!?!?"

"Like, we didn't, it was a fake, with a bubble gum bomb inside, and you fell for it, Doctor Croaked!"

 "Now, let's see if I was right about who you really are..." Nabiki removed his mask, revealing the manga vendor, "I knew it, you took the other copies so yours would be worth more, and then you were going to make a small fortune."

 "...and I'd have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids! ...wait, shouldn't you have a pet of some kind?"

 "Like, he's home sick today."

 Nabiki searched through the costume and found the two missing manga. She returned the signed copy to her 'client'. "Here you go. What was your name again?"

"Oh, it's like, Shagi, see ya, and thanks!"

"You're welcome; I'll be sending you my bill." Then Nabiki headed off to find the vendor who had been robbed, to return their formerly missing manga. 'Maybe I'll get a reward for returning it.' Nabiki grinned at the thought.

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After a few days in Kyoto, mostly sightseeing, Nodoka found an Okiya that was willing to accept Ukyo as a trainee, even though she would not be becoming a geisha for them. Some were afraid she was being groomed to be a prostitute, while others refused due to her young age, and others still refused because Nodoka didn't want them to keep her overnight, but this one had been willing, assuming she would be able to pass the interview. "Ukyo-chan, are you sure this is what you want to train in while we are here?"

"Hai, Okaa-sama! If this'll help me- ta-to be a more elegant lady, an' a better concupine fer Ranchama, then there is very little in this world that I want more. Ah-I want to be the best concupine for Ranchama I kin be!"

 "Okay then, They are going to take you in here and ask you some questions, be honest, and I am sure they will accept you. We will be waiting for you, right here." They both pulled the girl into a group hug, and kiss one of her cheeks.

 "I'll be rooting for you Ucchan, I know you can do it!"

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Entering the building, Ukyo met the headmistress, who asked her to sit down.

 "So, why is it you want training here?"

 "Well, Ah-I don't wanna be a geisha, Ah-I wanna broaden mah education and Ah-I jus' wanna be better able ta take care uh Ranchama, Ah-I'm gonna be his concupine in th' future, and he's gonna give meh a big smooch, an' tell meh Ah'm th most important person in th whole wide world! And we're gonna live happily ever after!"

 "So you are not going to be a Joro are you?"

"Okaa-sama'd nevah allow that, an' either way, there's only one boy Ah-I will ever want, an' Ah-I will follow him fer th' rest uh ma-MY life." she declares proudly, pride leaking from every word.

 "You're not planning to call yourself a geisha are you?"

"Oh no, Ah-I'm gonna be a Concupine! But when ya think elegance, geisha are the first thing that comes to mind, and I want ta be elegant."

 The woman chuckles a bit at that. "Normally we wouldn't take someone who wasn't planning to work for us, but I will make an exception for you, because you are just so darn cute, and the Saotomes used to be really good clients of ours some time ago. This training will not be easy for you, there is a lot to cover, and we have little time to get to it all, especially if you are to return to your family each night. Be back here first thing in the morning, and be prepared for hell. Oh, and don't ever tell anyone where you learned this."

 "-I don' care how hard it'll be, if it's for Ranchama, I will do anything! -I Promise!"

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Akane was not happy, not that that was anything new these days, but this day had been worse than usual. She was on a 'vacation' with her newly extended 'family', to some place called Ryugenzawa. 'Training' they said, "HA!" 'What kind of training can you do in a foggy swamp? This place is the pits,' it reminded her more of the swamp planet from that American space movie, about that warrior monk with the fancy glowing katana, when he trained with the old green master. 'And if that wasn't bad enough, they brought that perverted monstrosity in a maid's dress to 'watch out for me'. Well, I showed them! I made a mess for him to clean up, and got away when he was busy! But, where am I? Oh well, it doesn't matter, as long as I am away from That Thing!' Akane wanders off, looking for something to play with, or beat up, or both...

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Fubuki and the two eldest Tendo girls were diligently training, swinging their cleaning instruments of destruction at each other while thigh deep in marsh.

 "While I get the idea of training using the resistance of the water, I don't like it, it feels yucky. Couldn't we have gotten the same workout at the beach instead?"

"Our clothes and tools will never come clean after this! I only hope we brought spare shoes."

 "Don't worry; I made sure to pack extra, although I do believe you are right, these are probably ruined. But, you know what that means..."

They all looked at each other, smiled and said together as they struck, "SHOPPING!"

 On the other side of the camp, Soun was looking around the camp, "Akane-chan! Has anyone seen Akane-chan?" At that moment Maid Guy, who had been busy making lunch, perked up, a lock of hair pointed straight up on his head, like an antenna, and he took off like a shot in what seemed like a random direction.

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Ranma was training hard in his Muay Thai class, when one of the other students kneed his 'sparring partner' in the jaw, knocking him cold. When the first student continued to press his attack once his 'opponent' was unable to do anything about it, and no one else did anything but watch, Ranma looked at his instructor with a flash of anger, and jumped in between the two, blocking the larger boy's attacks, "Enough! He's out cold, the only thing you will accomplish like this is his death, and your dishonor!"

 The head of the gym, came over to Ranma, and looked at him sternly, "Muay Thai is used for killing!"

 "Killing is unmanly! Especially in a 'class'! Dead people don't learn from their mistakes."

 Annoyed at the insult to his 'manhood', "Boy, in a pit fight, a street fight, or just about anywhere else, there are no rules, it's kill or be killed. The 'winner' is decided by who can walk away and who is drowning in a pool of their own blood!" He rose up to his more than two full meters in height, crossed his arms, and looking rather intimidating to emphasize his point. "Martial Arts were created for killing."

 Not in the least bit phased Ranma looks him in the eye, "That's where you are wrong, 'Honor' is gained or lost, not whether you win or lose, but how you fight, and 'The Art' was designed to protect. Killing might be unavoidable on occasion, but it's never the honorable way, and should only be a last resort, in defense, and never for 'entertainment' or 'training'! If this is what you teach here, then I am done, and we will be expecting a full refund!" Ranma turned to go.

 "If you wanna puss out and leave, that's on you, but if you wanna refund, you will have to beat it out of me!" As he said this he started throwing strikes at the seven year-old child, who halfway expected such an honorless move from the man, so was prepared to start dodging.

 "Fine! I hadn't gotten a good workout yet today anyway." He began flowing around the man's attacks, preventing him from landing a single strike. Using the last elbow strike to launch himself into the air, Ranma narrowly avoided being nailed by a rising knee strike, and on his way down, he lightly kicked the much larger man in the back of the head.

 "I barely felt that! Is that the best you can do?"

 "Hardly, I'm just playing with you, we wouldn't want this to end too quickly and not have you learn anything, now would we? This is supposed to be a class after all, ne?" Ranma's battle aura began to flare up as his moves became faster and more precise. Ranma countered and returned a few glowing strikes to the man's large chest, staggering him back a bit.

 "Cocky little fellow aren't you?" Retaking his stance, he lunged at the boy, who spun and kicked him in the back with a glowing foot, knocking him across the room.

 "No, just honest. This is training time, and I want the practice."

 "Do you now? Well then," turning to the rest of his students he yelled, "GET HIM!"

 Surprised at how low the tall man would sink, Ranma used the head of one of the students rushing at him to vault across the gym, and behind the group. As they turn around to face him again he pulled out his ever-present deck of cards, and tosses one out in front of him, where it explodes, which caused a cloud of dust and shrapnel to obscure the visibility in the room. He threw a few more, which circled the group of students at high speeds, slicing through the clothing of any who got too close.

 One of them tried to jump over the 'wall' of cards, only got one more card in his face, knocking him back for his trouble, causing even some of the more devout students lose interest in fighting the boy.

 Annoyed that his students were unable to provide more 'support' for him, he launched a barrage of strikes at Ranma, his own fists, feet and eyes glowing, few of them striking anything but air, and half of the others were blocked, and none of the remaining attacks hit the vital points he was aiming for.

 Ranma pulled out his cord and ensnared the man's right hand, twisting it around behind him, waiting for him to make a grab for him. He did not have long to wait as the large man's backward kicks and thrashing about was not freeing his right arm, nor dislodging his 'passenger'. The mountain of muscles reached back for the boy and his arm was snagged, Ranma proceeded to 'hog-tie' the man in such a way as to allow him no leverage to use any of his monstrous strength.

 "Well now, I am not one to beat on someone who cannot defend themselves, but since you DID request it of me, I suppose I will make an exception this one time." he turned to the students, "Oi, any of you want to join me in earning a refund?" About half of the students had been bothered, or tormented enough to have joined in the beating.

 Nodoka, for her part, was just really glad she had sprung for the video recorder this week. This was a good day to have video and audio of her son being manly.

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Akane was strolling through the forest, picking flowers, and looking for animals to pet, when she heard a loud rumble and felt the ground begin to shake. Thinking it was an earthquake she looked for a safe place in case things started to fall around her. As the rumbling got closer, she thought she heard 'background music' coming from an indeterminable location, 'doobie-doobie-doo-bah' when she saw a brown monotreme that looked big enough for it to be fighting with Gojira! As it passed, it tipped its nineteen-forty's fedora to her, chittered and proceeded on its way. It IS a platypus, they don't do much.
{*Gojira = Godzilla*}

A huge shadow covered her, and she looked up to see a gigantic flying squirrel soaring overhead. Starting to freak out a little bit, she felt a 'tapping' on her shoulder, she jumped, turning around in the process. Behind her was the largest lizard she had ever seen in her life. A pattern seemed to be forming here. When she jumped, she had startled the lizard as much as it had startled her, so it hissed and flared out its neck frills, scaring the heck out of Akane, which caused her to scream, which, of course, caused the lizard to panic even further. The lizard looked like it was about to lunge when a boy, about her age, jumped in front of her, holding the lizard off with a long-handled scrub brush.

 Just as the boy seemed like he was about to be overpowered, a demoniac aura enveloped the lizard, who immediately passed out. "Kukukukuku, there is my troublesome goshujin. Everyone was worried about you back at the camp."

 "Yes, you should go, this place is full of monsters and monster traps!" As he said this last part, he obligingly fell into one to prove his point. First, the wooden planks he was standing on broke and he fell into the hole below, and then a large pile of small boulders fell on top of him.

 "Tough little guy, all he got for that were some scrapes and bruises, but he shouldn't be walking around like that."

 Akane looked down at the boy, and her heart went out to him, how she wished he had been the one to save her rather than the 'Hentai Housekeeper'. "We should take him home. Hey! Boy! Wake up, can you tell us where you live?"
{*Hentai = literally, 'strange'; used to mean pervert much of the time*}

 "Have no fear, 'Maid Guy: Scan' can take care of the problem." 'Maid Guy: Scan' first scanned the boy, and then the area. "His memories are full of holes, but it seems his home is that way." Maid Guy picked up the boy with one hand and pointed with the other. "Let's go."

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Bringing the boy to his home, Maid Guy tended his wounds and left him in bed. Akane felt badly that he was hurt while trying to help her, and vowed to return.

She went back to visit several times while they were still at their 'training camp', sadly he did not remember her once.

 She had asked his grandfather once why his memory was so bad, but he just mumbled under his breath something about him getting into his mother's 'cursed brownies', and refused to say anything more on the subject.

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Ranma and Nodoka went to Ukyo's okiya, so that the group could have an impromptu family meeting.

 "Well, since that instructor turned out to be a jerk, we will need to find a new one. At least a lot less people will be having their heads filled with his dishonorable teachings."

"What are you going to do, Ranchama? I still have lots of training I need to do here..."

"I think we will try Jujutsu this time."

 "Ukyo, do you want to come with us, or do you feel comfortable enough here for a few months? We won't leave you if you are not comfortable with it."

"Well, I want to be with you guys, but I will stick it out, and give this my all until you return for me! For you, I will be the best I can be, I hope the results will be worth it."

"I can tell, you are already becoming more of a lady with every passing day. We'll send you letters each week, and we will try to visit when we can."

"Pictures too! 'A picture is worth a thousand words' after all."

"Of course child, once you get used to it, it will be over and we will be back before you know it. Here is a photo I had framed for your room, in case you stayed, the two of you are just adorable with you holding his arm like that!"

 "Thank you very much, Okaa-sama. I will work hard until your return."

 "I'm sure you will." A smiling Nodoka went inside to make the arrangements, leaving the children a few moments of relative privacy.

 "Ucchan, I'll miss you. We'll be back soon, I promise. Soon as I learn jujutsu, and you know me, I learn fast!" Ranma's pride leaked from his every pore. "So, you have ta learn fast too! I can't wait ta see what you can do when I get back."

 "Same here, Ranchama. I'll miss you while yer gone, but I'll not be waiting idly." Gripping her picture frame in her arms, she leaned in to kiss Ranma on his cheek causing them both to blush.

 "I'll be sure to add it to our training sessions when I'm done with it, same with what little of value I got out of that Muay Thai class."

 Looking as shy and cute as she could manage she replies, "And your little Ucchan will be sure to teach Rantama all the dances and games she's been learning."

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Strolling to the market, Kasumi and Fubuki passed by arcade. Attracted by the sounds of the machines, they decided to stop and have some fun. "Ara, why don't we go in here for a bit, Fukibuki?"

 She giggled a bit at the nickname Akane had given her when they had first arrived, though while the youngest Tendo had grown out of using it, Kasumi found it to be adorable and has used it ever since, "Hai, hai! Whatever you wish, Kasumi-sama."

 Kasumi sighed a bit at sill being called '-sama', but was glad the girl had stopped calling her 'Kasumi-goshujin-sama' at least, this was a definite improvement. She quickly regained her cheer, "Let's go then, I think they have Pac-Man!"

 After playing games for a while and even winning some prizes from pachinko and the crane game, they heard a commotion coming from the back of the arcade. Moving to investigate, they hear, "You may have bested me at pong using your magics, but I will show you a real man doesn't need to play games to win!"

 "But I'm not a real man yet, and neither are you! We're just kids! Hey! Stop swinging that thing around, will you? That's dangerous!"

 Turning the corner, the two girls saw two boys, one in shorts and a tee-shirt, who sat on the floor, leaning back on his arms where he had apparently fallen, and the other, taller boy, who wore a blue kimono with a black hakama, and held a shinai, looking as if he were about to strike (again?) at any moment.
{*Shinai = a bamboo practice 'sword' for kempo beginners. Not to be confused with a Bokken or Bokuto, a wooden sword for more advanced trainees*}

"Give me a moment, and then make sure that boy isn't hurt. Okay Fukibuki?"

 "Hai, Kasumi-sama, it will be as you wish."

 Running over, Kasumi put herself between the two boys, facing with the taller one who was holding the 'weapon', "What do you think you are doing?!? This is an arcade, a place for fun, not fighting."

 "This knave bested me in the art of Pong using trickery, and as his better, it is my duty to show him the error of his ways! Now, unblock my path girl, so that I may dispense justice!"

 "It sounds to me, more like you are just a sore loser who thinks too highly of themselves. If you are going to fight, you should do so with someone who can defend them self and do so in a place where you will not damage other's property. Did your family teach you no manners at all?"

 No longer seeing the boy he was initially upset with, he turns his full wrath toward the taller girl, blocking his path, and preventing his righteous scapegoating, "How DARE you insult the house of Kuno!" With all of his might and skill, he swung his shinai forward to strike the impetuous girl, only to find that his attack had been blocked by, 'wait, was that a dust pan?!?!'

 So confused he was, a state one would think he would have been used to by now, he failed to see Kasumi spin around his arm, ending up behind him, where she grabbed his ear in the process. Pulling his ear, she hauled him outside with one hand, blocking his attempted strikes with the dustpan in the other. "It was not I who insulted your family, but rather you, you who insult their honor with your behavior this day." Not realizing that he was actually likely the most sane member of that particular family. Even his (still living) mother, who married (and stayed married to) his father after all, was also quite batty, and cruel to her children. What she did to him paled in comparison to what she put his sister through, his poor sister was becoming more twisted by the day. "If you are so insistent to fight someone, then I will be your opponent. Maybe after you work out your frustrations you will see how badly you behaved." Not letting his ear go until they reached the empty part of the lot behind the building, where she finally released him. Still holding her dustpan, she whipped out a plunger in her other hand. ...Wait, really? Well, that's what it says...

 Okay then, well, taking her 'weapons' in hand, she took up a fighting stance as the Kuno boy charged her. Once again, she deflected the strike with her dustpan, and spun around his attack, hitting him in the face with the suction end of the plunger. She let go of her 'make-shift?' weapon, as it had attached itself to his face as if they were in a cartoon. She whips out a second dustpan, and took up a war fan fighting posture, awaiting his recovery.

 Kuno tried in earnest to dislodge the plunger from his person, while trying to suck air into his lungs, not realizing that was part of why it was still stuck there, until he falls over, slightly knocking the air out of his lungs lessening the suction, wherein it fell right off. "I am going to pretend that this has never been used."

 "That is probably for the best, and I won't dissuade your optimism, poorly placed as it is." Spinning out of the way of another strike, she lashed out with both 'pans' striking his weapon from the side, slicing it cleanly into three pieces. "Your weapon is no more; do you still wish to continue? I have no desire to harm you."

 "Sasuke! A Weapon!" Seeing that no one appeared to hand him another weapon, he attacks with the stub of the shinai, "I fight on!" 'The little ninja trainee will hear about this when I return!'

 Holding both pans in her left hand to ward off his sad attempts at attack, she poked him in the forehead with the fingers on her other hand, saying, "Me!" She then smacked his right hand with the back of her dustpans, causing him to lose his grip on his hilt and almost falling to the ground once again.
{*Me = pronounced 'may' or 'meh', meaning 'no!; don't!; tsk!; used to scold small children and pets'*}

 Putting her dustpans away, she taped the boy attempting to stand once again on the head, repeating her "Me!" causing him to fall back down, looking admonished.

 Prostrating himself, he bows, face to the ground, "I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

 "See that you do not, now be a good boy and run along. Fukibuki, I believe we are done here, let's go finish our shopping, I believe I want a new plunger after that."

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After returning to Kyoto, Nodoka and Ranma were hiking up to the okiya. It had barely more than come into view when a blue and brown blur came streaking out of the building, bowling Ranma over. "Ranchama, you're back!"

 "..hurts now, yes. Hi Ucchan, it's good to see you again too! I've missed you too." He squeezed her in a tight embrace.

 "I knew you wouldn't leave me here for long! How ya been? I missed you too!"

"Well children, in honor of Ukyo's return, making our little family whole once more, I think we should celebrate, ...by training," the smiles on their little faces dropped just a bit before Nodoka could finish, "...at the Gion Festival!" ...and their faces lit up again as they were glowing in anticipation. "Now let's go put our yukata on."
{The Gion Festival (Gion Matsuri) takes place annually in Kyoto and is one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It goes for the entire month of July.}

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Arriving at the festival, the three martial artists stared in open amazement at all of the food, games and fun to be had. "Okaa-chan, how long are we going to stay here? This is a long festival isn't it?"

 "As long as you want, kids. You have both been working hard, and you have earned a break, consider this your summer vacation." Nodoka grinned broadly, as she enjoyed the way their faces lit up at the excitement, "Wait here a moment, I will be right back." With that, she ran off to one of the nearby stands.

 "So, Ucchan, were you as bored without us as we were without you?."

 "Yeah, but it doesn't matter now that you are back with me." She hung onto his arm, resting her head on his shoulder, as a strange light flashed nearby, "Let's not do that again for a very long time."

 "Yeah, it's not as fun when you're not around."

 A woman in a pink yukata, with black highlights and matching bag, wearing a tengu mask, walked up to them and handed a mask to each of them, "Here I got these for you." Nodoka lifted her mask by the overly large nose and tilted it off to the side. "Ukyo-chan, this one is for you, to symbolize you coming out of your 'shell'tered life, and joining us on the road," And she hands her a cute kappa mask. "And for you Ranma-kun, here is the manliest mask they had, Lupin the third!" She gushed a bit as she handed it over, "I used to read that manga in high school, the dashing rogue, toying with the women's hearts, he was sooooo manly." Ranma sighs a bit, as he takes his mask, while his mother drifted off in an imagination spot, staring her being seduced by Lupin, before she snapped out of it moments later, "Here is some money, your training assignment is to see which one of you can win the most prizes playing the games! Now go play, mommy is going to go make, I mean, watch a movie..."

 "So, what do you wanna do first, Ranchama?"

 "Eat!" His grin took up almost half of his face as he practically drug Ukyo over to the takoyaki stand.

 After stuffing their faces with takoyaki, they each got a cotton candy, with Ukyo practically melting like the candy itself in her mouth as she eats it, "So Ranchama, what game do you want me to beat you at first?"

"You really think you can beat me?"

 "I have been studying, among other things, games for months, I won't go down easily, ...unless you want me to." she looked up at him expectantly.

 Shocked, Ranma stiffened up, "NO! I want you to compete honestly; it's no fun if you let me win! You gotta promise me, you'll always give it your best! Not that you can beat me anyway."

 "Okay, Ranchama, you've never looked that serious, not even facing down the Gambling King..."

 Taking her hands in his, he looked deep into her eyes. "I am serious, I couldn't be more serious, promise me, you will never, ever 'LET me win'. On top of being my best friend, and me wanting to see you do well, you are also my training partner, and I am counting on you to always be there to give me a good challenge. So, please, always give me your best effort, even if I look frustrated, especially then, that's when I need to push myself the most. Promise me, you will always give me at least a hundred percent, I want you to always be trying to win!"

 Hugging him tightly, in a rough approximation of a trademark 'Amazon Glomp', with tears in her eyes, she insisted, "Oh Ranchama! I swear to you, 'I will always be by your side, giving you my all and more'. You can count on me! I'll always assist you in anything, even if it costs me my life!"

 "Hey, hey, there's no need to go that far! You can't be by my side if you die!"

 "If it means keeping you safe, then it's a small price to pay!"

 "No! It isn't! It's a huge price, and one I'm not willing to pay! I am the one who is supposed to be protecting you after all, and don't you forget it!" he crossed his arms over his chest in a huff.

 She thought to herself, 'He's just so cute when he gets like that, I wonder if he realizes that just makes me all the more willing to die for him...' She smiled up at him with a wink and a bow, "As you command, Goshujin-sama."

Ranma tried to look stern, "Hey, now, knock that off!" But he could not keep it up as he started to sputter and they both broke down laughing.

 She stuck out her tongue, "Well, now that the drama is over, shall, we, play, a, game?" That last part was said in English and in a mechanical voice.

 "That IS what we are supposed to be doing after all," he grinned at his companion. "What test of skill would you like to start with, ring toss? Goldfish scooping? How about katanuki?"
{*Katanuki - shape poking (lit. die cutting) or katanukigashi (lit. Die-cut Candy) Sometimes it is shortened to just 'nuki', there is a shape outlined on a piece of barely edible candy, usually wrapped in paper, where the 'player' tries to break off the outside of the candy, usually with a pin or toothpick (but can even be done by hand), leaving only the shape behind, if you do so without breaking the shape you can win a prize based on the complexity of the design*}

"Well since we have no real way to keep a goldfish, let alone as many as we would be sure to win," she gives him a wink, "let's skip that. There's a dart throwing booth with a short line at the moment, how do you feel about that?"

 "Well, if no one has 'Global Thermal Nuclear War', I guess it will have to do." Running over to the booth, they waited in the short line as they examined the set-up. The players were getting three darts to throw at the several moving targets in the back, but due to the speed of the targets nobody had even gotten close, so the line moved quickly.

 "Step right up! Aren't you two adorable? We have four levels of difficulty, but the greater the challenge, the greater the rewards! Would you like to try Easy, Normal, Hard or Impossible?"

 Turning to see no one else had lined up behind them yet, Ranma asked, "What were those people doing?"

 "Easy." The carny said with a flourish and a broad grin.

 He turned to Ukyo, "Well Ucchan, it's training, so let's try them all! Ladies first."

 "Thank you, Ranchama." Bowing to him, she took her spot and the man handed her three darts, "I played a lot of darts while you were gone, it was one of the games we practiced in the evenings, watch my skills Ranchama." She took a moment to get the feel of the targets movements, she tossed one dart after the other, each of them finding a home in one of the bull's-eyes. Beaming with pride she turned to her companion in his black and red, silk yukata. "Beat that!" The shady fellow behind the counter was too shocked to even 'say' anything. No one had ever hit one of his targets before!

 "If you insist." Taking his projectiles, Ranma stepped up to the line and closed his eyes. Pausing for just a moment, he felt out his targets and fired off all three in rapid succession. The first hitting the dead center of the middle target, the other two embedding themselves in the one before it.

 Picking his jaw up off the ground, he started to worry. Because no one had ever beaten his game, he had accumulated some pretty expensive prizes, if things didn't go well here, it would take him months to make up his losses. Thinking quickly he remember they had said they were going to try all four levels, he could make this work... "We have a couple of winners here! That means you can each pick a prize from the second shelf on this wall." Ranma chooses a light blue unicorn, and Ukyo chose a Kamen Rider doll, oh, sorry, 'action figure'. Adding confusion to his already addled state, he handed over their requested toys, only to have understanding set in, as they each hand their prize to the other as a gift. "On to level two! This time, the targets are not only faster, but they move side to side as well as up and down! ...and if you can't hit a target all three times, you have to give back the prizes you have already won!"

 Round two went much the same as the first, with both of them getting a bull's-eye on each of their targets and with Ranma having been a bit flashier in his showmanship. After they had each picked out a prize for the other, "So, you have passed round two, do you wish to continue to round three, where the prizes get better, the targets get faster, and the challenge is greater?"

 "You know it, this is easy so far, ne Ucchan?"

 "Hai, Ranchama!"

 "This time, you must use these!" Instead of the usual throwing darts, he handed them each three Kunai. "You can aim for any of the targets, but you must hit with all three 'darts' or give up your prizes so far!" Ukyo stepped up to the line, and after a moment of concentration, fired off all three of her kunai, hitting three of the targets, two of them bull's-eyes, winning a third prize for her tally. Our less than friendly game master was really panicking as Ranma stepped up to take his turn. He paused for a moment to adjust to the faster moving targets, which were moving so rapidly that most of the crowd that had gathered to see someone actually winning at this particular stand could not see them at all. Holding all three of the kunai in his right hand, he threw them straight up in the air, surprising everyone present. The three kunai each reached the apex of their arcs one right after the other, and then began their descent toward their point of origin. As they began to get close, Ranma reached up with his right hand and batted each of the accelerating kunai out of the air, embedding them deeply into the same target, all touching each other at the center of the target. Applause broke out among those gathered to watch.
{*Kunai - is a Japanese tool possibly derived from the masonry trowel, in the hands of a martial arts expert, it could be used as a multi-functional weapon. It is commonly associated with the ninja, who used it to gouge holes in walls. In the mythology of ninja, the kunai has been commonly portrayed to be a Japanese knife that is used for throwing as well as stabbing.*}

While our sleazy little friend had to fight a rather intense fainting spell, Ranma bowed to his growing fan base, whispering to Ukyo, "Mom's rule number twelve, 'Always do everything with style, it's always a good idea to impress the ladies.' Are you taking notes? There'll be a test later." Throwing her a sly grin, they turned back to the both.

 Before sticking out her tongue, she whispers back, "You just like to show off, ...and I just like watching you do it."

 After he regained his senses, "Time for round four, the final and most difficult trial! You must use these shuriken, and hit the center of the same target with all three 'darts', or like in the other rounds, you will forfeit your other prizes!" He was interrupted by boos and jeers from a, still growing, audience, but continued anyway, doing his best to hide the confidence he was now feeling, "Are you ready to begin?"

 "Hai!" Stepping up to the line, Ukyo took the stars in hand, feeling them out, testing how sharp and strong they might be. Gauging the new speed and erratic movements of the targets, she threw the first shuriken. Flying true, it came as quite a shock to those watching when the administrator of the test of skill pressed an unseen button, as the shuriken got close, causing the target to spin around, knocking the star into the wall off to the side. Annoyed by the 'trap', Ukyo fired off the remaining two shuriken, so quickly he was not able to press the button quickly enough, and they embedded themselves more than two centimeters into the target. Frustrated, she turned in a huff, looking at the prizes she had 'won' for Ranma, that she would have to give back.

 "Well that's just too bad," More booing and hisses were coming from the gathering of onlookers, "You seem to have missed with your first toss, so your prizes are forfeit." As he reached for the prizes, he was stopped by Ranma.

 "One moment, my good man, we are having a contest to see who can win the most prizes, and I do not feel it is fair is she loses hers, and I do not, so I raise your challenge. Instead of the shuriken, I will use these normal playing cards, giving you an easier time with your spinning trick. If I hit the same target, with all three cards, you will not only give me the best prize on your shelves for the lady here, but you will also not take the prizes she has won so far, and if I miss, you get all of the prizes back. So how about it, do we have a deal?"

 Thinking the kid had some kind of special cards, he thought quickly (for him), and pulled out a deck of his own cards, knowing them to be normal. "On one condition, you use these cards, so I know you are not cheating with special cards." Thinking he had one upped the boy, he maintained his air of confidence, which dissipated a bit as Ranma's smile only got bigger.

 "Funny coming from you, but sure, mind if I do a test throw first to make sure you are not giving me 'funny' cards?"

 He got a bit more nervous again, "Sure, knock yourself out. ...please?" Pulling one of the cards out, he flexed it a bit, and threw it to the ground about a meter away. Penetrating the dirt, the card stuck out about half way. He almost fainted again but managed to position himself near his button, and prepared to press it as Ranma took aim. Just as the card leaves Ranma's fingers, he presses the button, in order to build up more wind, instead of knocking the 'dart' out of the air, he intended to blow it off course. Unfortunately, for him, the now glowing card seemed unaffected by the breeze. Before the rapidly moving card even got close to the target, the other two cards were also sent on their high velocity paths, glowing brightly with ki (for those who are able to see such things). As the first card sunk into the target, he began to lose his grip on consciousness, the third fainting spell being the charm. His eyes remained open just long enough to see the second and third cards also hit home, the third even sticking out of the back of the target, as it had slid all of the way through.

 Cheers erupted from those gathered, prompting Ranma to turn and bow. He tossed four more of the man's cards into the air, after he charged them with his ki, causing them to explode like fireworks above his head in the shape of his name, Ranma Saotome! "Thank you, Thank you everyone. We'll be here all week." Sounds from the exploding cards jolted someone, whose name will go unmentioned, awake from his comfortable spot on the hard ground. Seeing the hundreds of witnesses, he gave up any ideas of trying to weasel out of the deal he had struck. Even going as far as to give Ukyo a consolation prize for having hit two out of three targets on her last attempt.

 "Thank you, Ranchama!" Throwing her arms around him, she kissed him on the cheek, showing everyone present how manly she thought her Ranma was, "Once again, you have saved me from a bad man. You know, we might want to get a cart or something to haul this stuff around, it's not like we want to set them on the ground while we play other games."

 "That's a good idea. While carrying them is good balance training, we don't want them to get dirty. And pulling the cart can be a bit of strength training at least."

 "You guard the prizes and I'll go get the carts. Be right back, Ranchama!"

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Entering the enormous skyscraper that was the home of Kuki Industries, Genma Saotome's mind boggled as he tried to figure out just how rich the family that built and maintained this building had to be. Outside it looked like any other building in downtown Tokyo, if you ignored the fact that it was also the largest of said buildings by a large margin, but upon entering it felt like you walked into one of the fanciest mansions Genma had ever seen in his life (including movies, not that he had seen many). It made the Chardin mansion look positively shabby. 'Maid-Guy wasn't kidding about this place, these people are loaded!' Walking up to the desk in the center of the oversized entryway, with three story vaulted ceilings, he turned to the receptionist, "I have an appointment with Kuki-san."

 "Saotome?" Seeing him nod, she continued, "Please take the private elevator in the center of the wall behind me, not the ones on the second level, at the top of the staircases off to the sides." Seeing him move toward the elevators, she returned to her switchboard, directing calls.

 Exiting the elevator, Genma almost facefaulted seeing this 'office'. It made the lobby seem almost drab, books and expensive-looking artifacts lined the walls, with marble statues creating a path leading to the desk located in the rear of the room. Behind said desk sat a man about the same age as Genma himself, only looking younger and healthier, despite his silver hair. What stood out the most was an "X" shaped scar on his forehead. "Genma Saotome-dono, sit. We have much to discuss."
{*-dono = an archaic honorific, used between nobility and the upper class, to show respect, without showing deference. Meaning he is treating Genma as an equal.*}

Taking the offered seat, Genma discussed his plans for expanding his school, and what he was willing to offer in exchange for help from the Kuki family.

 As Genma turns to leave, their discussion concluded, Kuki Industries' leader spoke once more, "So, Saotome-dono, I hear from the maids, your tales of your son's adventures and skills. Perhaps we could discuss a second, arrangement..."

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Arriving home, Genma entered his house with a loud, "Tadaima!" where he met up with Soun in the study, reading his paper. Soun's sharp senses instantly noticed that something was amiss, but couldn't put his finger on it, assuming it was unimportant, he asked how the meeting went.

 "Well Tendo-kun, I have some good news, in exchange for training their family's servants, they will not only move your house and dojo to the lot behind our house, but they will also purchase the other two adjacent lots and build for us a larger dojo so we can hold different classes at the same time, and enough room to hold an outdoor class as well."

 "That IS good news, Saotome-kun old friend. How do you feel about a game of Go?" Nodding his ascent, they set up the board and began cheating, er, playing. After several games, Genma brushed the hair out of his face and scratched his head. Soun remembered his strange feeling from earlier, and did a double take. A few stunned looks and just as many of Soun's pieces gone missing later, Soun realized something.

 "Why Saotome-kun, I had always thought that you wore that bandanna to cover up the fact that you were losing your hair."

 "Um, nope, I, uh, just think they are, stylish, yeah, I had uh, full head of hair this entire time, yeah, that's the ticket! Yeah..." Luckily, for him, Nabiki was not home at the time to learn of this 'mystery' needing to be solved. The consequences of which would not show its head for many years to come.

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Nodoka had just returned to their meeting spot after a long day of filming, while trying to stay out of sight. A thing she did not do quite as well as she thought, having not realized that the children were mostly ignoring her rather than her getting that much better at hiding her presence from them. Not that it had not improved greatly during and since their ninjutsu training, but her children were, not only good at detecting ki, but they also knew her signature anywhere and were quite used being followed by her. Looking up she saw her children returning, holding hands and each of them pulling a three by two meter cart, piled high with prizes. Ukyo's pile seemed a bit higher at first glance, so she turned to her son, "You didn't let her win did you? That is not very good for your training, though it is sweet. ...and I will enjoy whatever you make for breakfast tomorrow as your punishment." She added with a smile.

 "No Kaa-chan, she has the prizes I won for her, and I have the prizes she won for me."

 "That was also, very sweet. So then it is Ukyo-chan who will be cooking in the morning?"

 He turned to wink at his partner, "No Okaa-san, it looks like the person who won the least prizes today is you! I hope you make my favorite, and Ucchan wants something sweet!"

 "Thanks in advance, Okaa-sama!"

 Appraising her son, 'The way he protected his girlfriend ...and abused his mother was ...sooo manly!' "Well, I guess you got me there, just wait until next time."

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After dinner, a few days later, the Tendo patriarch called his daughters together for a family meeting. "Well girls, in a few days, we will be moving back to our house."

 Akane was thrilled, and it showed, she was practically bouncing off the walls. "No more perverts, no more kooks, no more of auntie's dirty books!" Some had the decency to look shocked, most ignored her, and somewhere, very far away, a woman sneezed.

 Nabiki and Kasumi looked crushed. "But father, we don't want to go. What about our friend, Fukibuki? What about our training? Who's going to cook?"

 "Well then I suppose you will be happy to know that we will not be going far from here then."

 "But, you said, we were going home..." Akane looked dejected, and all of them looked confused.

 "Well kids, we are not going far, because the house is coming here!"

 "But, who will cook...?"

 "I will!"

 Everyone else responded as one, "NO!!!" Akane might only have been seven years old, but no one in the family will ever forget the horrors of the last time she attempted to make their mother breakfast in bed... It was a wonder she even pulled through. Dejected as could be, Akane pouted, while she did remember the event, her memories of it were slightly different from the rest of them. 'Why's everybody always picking on me? I thought making breakfast in bed was a nice thing to do!'

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Coming out of the Haunted House, laughing, our trio of heroes thanked the man who ran the candied apple stand for having watched their three carts, piled high with prizes. They bought apples and gave him a large tip for his 'extra service'. Happily, they ate their apples and pulled their carts as they headed off to find another game they had yet to try.

 "Boy, it's sure amazing how easy some of these games are now that we have gone through that ninjutsu training, especially the blow darts!"

 "You know it, that last guy didn't know what he was getting into!"

 "Here is an idea, we could use our ki, and try to super charge the popguns, and see how hard we can knock down the hard to get targets."

 They saw a pop gun stand, headed over and found that instead of having prizes to knock down, they had wooden, painted ducks, which strangely appeared to be wearing glasses... "Step right up, test your aim. Each row up from the bottom moves faster, and is harder to knock down, but worth more points. The more points you earn, the better your prize! Some prizes require more than one game. Any questions?"

 "Why do you have glasses on the ducks?"

 "Well to be honest, I was hoping less people would hit them if they were wearing glasses, but it seems to have backfired, for some reason I can't imagine, they seem to annoy more people than they deter. I am thinking about changing them actually."

 "I can see that, it won't work on us either, will it ladies?"

 "Not a chance!"

 "You see, we are in training, and we are competing to see who can win the most prizes." Just then, the booth owner noticed the carts piled high with prizes and knew he was in trouble. "So you said it was three points for the top row, and three corks per play, and how many points for that huge panda?"

 "Fifteen."

 "All right then, Rule number eleven, Ladies First (all the better to impress them with)."

 "After you, Okaa-sama." Bowing, Ukyo steps out of Nodoka's way.

 "Don't you dare, say age before beauty!" Stepping up to the line, she took the cork gun, and began pumping it up, with both air and ki.

 "I wouldn't dream of it, Okaa-sama. You turn heads wherever you go."

 Firing the first cork, she hit one of the top row ducks, knocking it over with a loud 'BANG'! "Thank you, Ukyo-chan, but it isn't nice to tease your elders." She prepared the 'gun' to be fired again.

 "Honest, what do you say mister?"

 "Oh, yeah, definitely. I couldn't believe it when they called you 'mom', surely that's 'step'-mom. You couldn't possibly be old enough to have children this old, never mind giving birth to twins, they are too close in age otherwise."

 "I was adopted," Ukyo interjected proudly, "and I couldn't be happier about it!" she hugged Nodoka from behind.

 "If I were to guess, I would have said you were their older sister."

 "Oh stop it you two, you're just trying to make me miss." As if to prove her point, she just barely nicked the duck for which she was aiming, but thanks to her ki powered speed and power, it was enough to send it spinning off of the shelf, as well as disturbing other things in the back of the booth as it bounced around in the background. "See, look at that, I almost missed! Now let go, there will be plenty of time for hugs later," prepping her next shot she finished, "...after I knock down this third duck."

 "No, really mam, I mean it, You are stunning, and that yukata really suits you."

 Blushing slightly, but not letting the complements distract her further, she fired, hitting her third top row duck right between the eyes, or rather in the glasses, as it were. "There we go, nine points. Your turn Ukyo-chan, be careful I don't tickle you while you are aiming, to return the favor."

 While she waited for the man to reset the targets, Ukyo prepared her air-powered firearm, as Nodoka loomed behind her, making her slightly nervous. Doing her best to brace herself for any unexpected surprise, as much as she loved and respected Nodoka, the only person she would be happy being beaten by, was be Ranma. She was trying her best to anticipate any surprise as she aimed for the top of the duck, knowing that will provide the best leverage, and fired, almost missing her spot due to being jumpy. While reloading, she turned to glance back at Nodoka, who was looking down at her with an evil grin. Smiling back, she prepared for her next shot, twice as nervous as before. She willed her hands to steady as she focused her ki and fired again and relaxed a bit thinking Nodoka was toying with her. Trying her best to tune her out, she readied her third shot.

 Those onlookers who had either gathered or were among those who had been following the trio around for the last several days, saw Nodoka shift her position, and knew she was about to do something. Ranma was torn between wanting to warn his friend and not wanting to break her concentration himself and thereby doing more harm than not. Were it anyone other than his mother, he might have taken them out before they had a chance to act, but this was training after all, and Nodoka would not harm her, so he decided to error on the side of discretion and kept his trap shut.

 As Ukyo pulled the trigger on her final attempt, Nodoka lightly poked her side, sending her shot wild. Ukyo "EEEEP!"ed as her cork bounced off the wall and ricocheted hitting, not the duck for which she had been aiming, but the one on the far right, luckily for her, also on the top row. "Ha, HA! YES! Ranchama, you need a perfect score just to tie. Do you still think you can beat the ladies?"

"What do YOU think? I am not even sure I will need all three shots, one should be enough." Confidently, Ranma takes his place; he prepped his gun as his targets were being reset. Turning sideways, he took a loose, one-handed stance, not even appearing to aim at the targets themselves. He closed his eyes to focus his ki senses, expanding his awareness and thinking about geometry far beyond most people twice his age. His eyes were still closed, in fact his head was even turned more toward the people who had been watching, rather than the targets themselves.

 He fired.

 His cork bounced off the walls, the ceiling, the targets and quite a few other things inside the stand, including the owner's head once. The small stand shook with slight tremors with each 'bounce' of the cork, making it feel like a very slight earthquake from within. Once the cork came to rest, and the dust had settled, everyone was stunned. Of the twenty-four ducks that had been set up as targets, more than half of them had been knocked over, including all six of the ones on the top row. "Well, might as well get the rest." The top row being down, eliminating some of the easier angles, it took both of his remaining shots to knock down the rest of the ducks, leaving the game operator too stunned for words. "Forty-two points, I will take the panda, that large horse for nine points, another nine for that big Neko-Chan, and the last 9 for that large pig. Kaa-chan, I know we were going to give most of the toys we won to that orphanage we found the other day, but can we send these four to the house?"
{*Neko-Chan = Hello Kitty*}

 "Sure Ranma-kun, whatever you would like to do with them."

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...After the festival, the man who was running the shooting gallery replaced his ducks. The next festival they would be shooting at targets shaped like the head of a young boy, with black hair, tied into a ponytail. Surprisingly, this model became quite popular among the festival game operators, and the even patrons themselves.

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The girls were all very impressed with how quickly and completely the 'movers' had transported their home to the adjacent lot behind the Saotome home. Everything was exactly the way they had left it, the dojo, the koi pond, even their rooms, all perfect, the only difference was everything was spotlessly clean and fresh. On closer inspection, there was one other change they had not noticed at first, many of the appliances had been updated to the latest models. The television was newer, and bigger. There were two game consoles, an Atari twenty-six hundred, and an Intellivision, they immediately hid one from their father before he figured out what it was, so that they could sneak it to their club house, unseen. In each of their rooms was an Apple IIe, complete with not only educational software, but games as well. And if all of that wasn't impressive enough, within days they had not only expanded their dojo, but had build a second, larger one next door, expanded the wall around their now, much larger property and fixed up a large open area where they could play all kinds of games, when it wasn't being used for training or sparing.

 The older girls were thrilled that they would still get to stay with their friend, and still eat all of their meals together. Nabiki was also glad to return to her own room, she really enjoyed the extra privacy it afforded her. She loved her 'three' sisters dearly, but she needed her solitude sometimes as well, something that could occasionally require a bit of effort to find in the Saotome home, with the room she had been sharing with her younger sister. She loved her sister, but few people could get on her nerves as easily, such is the nature of sibling rivalry. But now that time in her life was over, and things had truly started to look up for the girls.

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A few days later, Ranma's huge package had arrived addressed to the girls of the household. It was more than a cubic meter in volume, but was strangely light for its size. Nabiki was having trouble figuring out what was inside as other members of her household came into the room. Unless the tag was a lie, the package was from Genma's son, and if it was a lie, maybe it was cake! After a short discussion, they decided to get into the box and see what was inside, none of them realizing exactly how bad the puns they had been involved in were.

 Upon opening their box, on top they find a short note, saying...
'We stopped at a festival for training, competing for prizes, we donated most of them to an orphanage, but I saved these four for you girls, I hope you like them.
~Ranma Saotome'.

 Reaching inside she found four, very large, stuffed animals, each almost bigger than the girls to which they belong, with a tag on each of their right ears to indicate that it belonged to one of the female members of the house, with a short note. 'The penmanship on the letter and cards seemed too neat to be written by someone of Akane's age,' the girls thought, 'but it was written in katakana, not hiragana as Nodoka (and almost all Japanese women) normally used, so either this boy has incredible penmanship for his age and not having spent much time in regular school, they got someone else to write the cards or Nodoka was trying to make it look like he wrote them.'

 Genma was a bit dejected, since he did not get a present. "He's never sent ME anything."

 Nabiki mumbled under her breath, "Well, you weren't much of a father. You'd just want him to send you sake anyway, and you shouldn't have kids buying that for you!" She shot a glare at both of the 'fathers'. Months ago, she had lost most of the respect she had had for the man for helping her family, which was only made worse when she learned that it was his wife who had actually done most of the 'helping'. While she did not blame him for his involvement in her mother's death, as her sister did (adding more fuel to her fiery hatred of almost all things male), she had poked around enough to know what kind of man he was and the things he and her father had done in their so-called training, and she was not impressed. Her talks with the self described 'Maid Guy' had told her that he was improving, and given that he never tried any of the less reputable training methods with them, she was hoping that was true, but she was not going to let him drag her father down to his level, he was in bad enough shape as it was these days.

 Glancing at Fubuki for a second, he has the decency to look guilty for a brief moment, "But he's never even met the four of you! He only knows what his mother has shared from my letters!"

 "Exactly, 'do no harm', as it were, and I guess that means we won't have to hurt you for spreading lies about us." Little did Genma and the others know that Fubuki had also been in correspondence with his wife, sharing, details on his behavior and their situation. "So old man, is this your son's writing, or your wife's?"

 "I haven't seen my son's writing since he was four, but I've never seen Nodoka use katakana, ever."

 "...and the mystery deepens. Well, let's see what he sent us!" Pulling the first one out, they saw a very large panda, with a tag reading...
'To: Kasumi Tendo; As the eldest, you get the biggest one.'

 Squealing a bit, Kasumi squeezed her new 'friend' in a 'bear' hug.

 Next, they pulled a large stuffed pig out, reading the tag,
'To: Akane Tendo; I have heard you really like pigs and were eyeing one at a fair that you weren't able win, I hope this is a close second.'

 "Kawaii!!!" Also hugging her toy, she thinks to herself, 'Well, maybe not ALL boys are awful!'
{*Kawaii = cute; adorable; charming; lovely; pretty; (2) dear; precious; darling; pet; (3) cute little; tiny;* obviously not that last one in this case.}

Next Nabiki reached into their box to pull out a giant Kitty-Chan, in a blue and white maid's uniform.
'To: Fubuki; I hear you are doing an incredible job, taking care of our house, I know it must be hard on you with my lazy father (sorry 'bout that) and the others around. So, thank you for all of your hard work.' Blushing at the compliment, she started playing with her kitty.

 Genma was not happy with the apparent tales of his past deeds, though he couldn't deny their truth. He silently vowed that he will not only win back the trust of his wife, but the respect of his son!

 Last but not least, Nabiki pulled Ranma's horse out of her box, it is a white horse with black hair and the kanji symbol for 'chaos' on its forehead, standing almost a meter tall. Reading the tag to herself,
'To: Nabiki Tendo; "I hope you will grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in play." "Oh! if people knew what a comfort to a horse a light hand is..." ~Anna Sewell, Black Beauty. I also hope you like my pony, Ucchan made me embroider that character on his head, turning him into a "Ran-ma", she thought it was funny, sorry about that.'

 'It seems he is a fan of literature, which is surprising, considering his time on the road, interesting...' "All right then, 'Chaos Pony' it is. How about you girls, do you have names for yours yet?"

 "Well, mine came with a name too, Neko-chan, it wouldn't be right to call her something else."

 "Kawainoshishi, Shishi-chan for short." Akane hugged her pig again.
{*kawainoshishi = bush pig*}

"I think you will be called, Kawaikochan." Kasumi had not stopped hugging hers; she was squeezing it so tightly she could 'almost' touch her hands behind it. "We should take a family picture to send to him as a thank you to show how much we appreciate his thoughtful gifts. It was very nice of him to think of us like that when he dosen't even know us."
{*kawaikochan = popsy; cutie; sweetie*}

"You're right Kasumi-nee-chan, we've all seen his pictures from the letters and all around the house, it's only fair he see what we look like too."
{*Nee/Onee = Older sister.*}

"Especially you and Akane-chan, since you two were sleeping in his room!" Kasumi added with a sly grin.

 "That was a BOY'S room?!?!? Now I am glad I wet the bed!"

 "You WHAT?!?! Is THAT what that was?!?!"

 "Yes, yes it was. I would know, since I had to clean it up." Fubuki said flatly.

 "I'm sorry Fukibuki, I would have helped if I had known."

 "No, Kasumi-sama, it IS my job after all, don't feel bad."

 "I thought you said you spilled tea!"

 "I DID! ...sort of."

 "Well, never-the-less, I think you should apologize to us."

 "Why should I?"

 "YOU PEED ON ME! And she had to clean it up! Or would you rather I tell Ranma and his mother that you peed on his bed?"

 "You wouldn't?!?! Oh who cares, go ahead! See if I care! He probably deserves it anyway."

 "Akane! How can you say that after the kindness they have shown us?"

 "But Kasumi, he's a boy! They all do icky things! And his note said he thinks he's better than me!"

 "Oh Akane-chan, you won't always feel that way." Kasumi shakes her head in dismay at her little sister, knowing she will change her mind about that, one of these days, Nabiki was already starting to. It just goes to show that even Kasumi is not perfect. "Okay girls, let go get ourselves fixed up for a nice picture, and we will meet back here when we are done."

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Returning to the study, the three older girls were chatting about clothes, and about how long their hair had grown over the last two years. Fubuki was wearing a fresh version of her traditional maid's outfit with matching blue ribbons in her hair, Kasumi was wearing a light blue yukata with a floral print, her hair done up in a bun, and Nabiki was wearing her nicest summer dress, light green, with flowers along the edges, with her hair in matching green ribbons. She was not really all that interested in boys yet, but it was a photo opportunity, and she certainly wanted to look good! All three of them were clutching their presents as tightly as they could. They joined Akane and the fathers, who had not changed, though Akane did look cleaner, and her clothes had been straightened. Whether she had done this herself or Maid Guy had done it, was anyone's guess. Maid Guy himself was setting up the tripod and camera.

 Kasumi and Fubuki had set their dolls up in a sitting position with their arms around their toy's necks pretending to kiss the toy's cheeks. Nabiki set her horse in the center where she sat atop it, laying forward with her arms around its neck and her face next to that of Chaos Pony's. Genma was behind and between them, with Soun to his right. Akane in front and to the right of her father, holding her pig tightly in front of her, trying to hide behind it. Soun spoke up at this point, "You get in this picture too Maid Guy, you are a part of this family as well. Stand over here behind Akane-chan. You two are always so close." Maid Guy attaches the remote to the camera and moves into place as Akane turns to her right to face away from the rest of them with a huff on her face, puffing her cheeks out just as the picture is taken.

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While they had given away most of the prizes they had won, they each kept a small collection of things, one such item Ukyo was using now to show Ranma one of the other skills she had learned in her geisha training. She was painting his portrait while he meditated, and had been doing pretty well if she did say so herself, so that is exactly what she did. "Not bad." Signing her latest work, 'Ucchan', she called out, "Ranchama, you can move now."

 Getting up from his meditative trance, Ranma walked over to see what Ukyo had been working on. "Wow, Ucchan, that's really good, that looks way better than I really do."

 "But Ranchama, it doesn't look even half as good as the real thing. Compared to the real you, this is trash, but I am getting better, I was awful when I first started. Do you want to try? I can show you some of what I learned."

 "That sounds like fun, and if we compete we will get better faster, like with everything else, ne?"
{*Ne = 'isn't it?'; 'wouldn't it?'; no?; yes? used to end a sentence when you assume the listener agrees with you.*}

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Soon after arriving in the next town they were to stay in, the group had gone to pick up their mail, and there was an envelope addressed to Ranma, something that rarely happened. Nobody ever sent him anything directly. Inside the envelope was a photo. "Well, it seems at least three of them liked their gifts, I'm not so sure about the one on the left, she doesn't look too happy." Frowning, he examined it more critically.

 Looking over his shoulder, Nodoka interjected, "No son, see how tightly she is squeezing it, she likes the pig, just like Fubuki told me, who looks much younger than I had figured... amazing. Well if she can handle the job... and she seems to be doing quite well. But back to the photo, maybe she is a tsundere, see how she turned her butt toward the camera, maybe she thinks she is showing off her best feature."

 "Or she is just shy or mad about something else... Not everyone fits into a trope, Okaa-sama."

 "No, occasionally it's 'averted'... just call it 'Mother's Intuition', the only real question is which type?"

 Turning the picture over, Ranma sees there is writing on the back.

'Ranma-san, we hope things are going well with you and your training. Thank you for the thoughtful gifts, we all love them very much. Since we have all seen the pictures of you that your mother sends to us, we thought it only fair for us to send a picture to you as well.' How Ranma could tell she was blushing when she wrote that part, he will never know, but he DID know he might well have to have words with his mother about what kinds of pictures she was sending of him. 'Please take care of yourself. We look forward to hearing from you again. Yours sincerely, Kasumi Tendo.'

 Also written in various places, and in different handwriting, were,
'Thank you very, very much, Goshujin-sama. Sincerely, Fubuki, the House Maid',
'Don't think you're better than me. Akane', and
'Thanks Ranma-chan, I'll think about you whenever I ride him. Nabiki Tendo. P.S. Akane wet your bed! I thought you should know.'

 "Well, I hope she cleaned it up! I think I will want a new bed when we get home." They all share a good laugh over that one.

 "I would guess that you will need a bigger one by the time we get back anyway, so don't you worry, my manly son."

 "Huh? What brought that on?"

 "Don't you worry about that either." Which only made Ranma worry even more, his mother could get some strange ideas in her head occasionally. Nodoka, on the other hand, was thanking her lucky stars, every kami, and anyone else who could listen to her thoughts, for having had the will to force her husband to let her take this trip. Being able to be a part of her son and his friends' lives, filled her with so much joy that she felt like she could fly. Never could she have imagined having so much fun in her life, let alone as a wandering martial artist. Her parents had been very strict and old fashioned with her upbringing and she had had little say in her life. Not in what hobbies she pursued, not what classes she took, not even who she married (she never even figured out why they chose him, of all people, they sure had acted strangely about it now that she thought about it). But now, after having experienced this complete and total freedom, she knew, not only would she let her son make most of the major decisions in his life (even if she might make a few, 'suggestions' along the way), she would probably never be happy, living as a 'normal' housewife, ever again.

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Ranma's first painting was no great work of art, but even someone with no artistic training at all, could see dramatic improvement from where he had started the work, and where he finished. It did not take many sessions before they were on about equal terms with their artistic skills, and soon after they started taking time out, every Sunday to practice. Some days they would paint landscapes, other days they would paint each other, painting each other. All the while, building not only their skill, but their speed, eventually getting to where they could turn out two to three beautiful pieces in a thirty minute time slot.

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Two Years Later

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"Ranma-Kun! I need you to run to the store to get some things, here is a list and some money. Please sweetheart, take your time. Play some games or something first." Waiting until he had left, she calls Ukyo over. "Ukyo-chan, I got this letter a while ago, I'm sorry, he wanted me to wait until you were even older, I would have told you sooner, but, I just didn't know how. I did not want to see you unhappy. But it is your right to know the truth, and I am not going to keep you from making your own decisions.

 "Your father, the reason he sent you with us, was because he was dying, he needed to check himself into a hospital and knew he would not be able to care for you himself any longer. When he had finally asked it of me, I was shocked, and it seems you had overheard part of that conversation, but not the reasons behind it. He made me swear that I would not tell you the truth until this letter arrived, and the letter itself wanted me to keep waiting." Handing the letter over, Nodoka prostrates herself before her 'adopted' daughter, tears streaming down her face, apologizing profusely for keeping this secret from her as long as she had.

 Reading the letter, Ukyo was too stunned to notice Nodoka's actions, "He, didn't hate me. He didn't hate me... All these years, he let me think I was useless to him, and now he is gone." Unable to prevent her own tears, Ukyo falls to her knees, sobbing. "Oh, Okaa-sama, what should I do? I can't really forgive him, and now I can't even kick his butt for crushing my heart, but now I can't hate him either."

 "You don't hate me for keeping this from you?" Not moving Nodoka glances up at the girl.

 "Okaa-sama! I could never hate you, you and Ranchama are my whole world, if not for you, I would have probably let my anger consume me. You two have shown me a love, caring and understanding like I have never known in my life. Nothing will ever change that, not even if you were to strike me down on the spot. I will always respect and care for you, and I swear I will serve your son until my dying breath."

 Holding each other, they cry into each other's arms for quite a while, until Ukyo finally calmed down enough to speak again, "Okaa-sama, the letter mentioned an 'inheritance' including all of the artifacts, books and scrolls for my family style, the location seems to be near here, can we go see it? I would like to study it if I can."

 "Oh darling, why do you think we are here?"

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Leaving the house Ranma was sure of two things. The first being that he could complete his 'errands' in no time at all, and the second being that he had been 'gotten rid of'. His mother did not exactly make a secret of it. Ranma was a curious child, and did not like it when he was left out of the loop. 'Well, she DID say to play a game, and was not specific about what 'game' I play, so I will play 'spies'.' That decided, he waited until he was out of range, and slowly drew his ki inside himself, slowly enough that it would appear to anyone paying attention that he was getting further away, going the opposite direction from them, no matter where they were. Once his ki had been hidden, he snuck back as silently as he could, using more of the skills he had gained in his ninjutsu training.

 Sneaking back into the house, he listened in for a short time, wanting to know what problem could have been so important. What he heard had shocked him a bit, so much so he had almost lost his ki control. Over all the news was both bad and good, it was nice to learn Ukyo's father had not hated her, and had not been 'kicking her out' as she had thought, but that also made the news of his passing all the more sad. He knew his friend was going to need his support.

 Running off to complete his task, Ranma made plans for how he would try to make his friend feel better, starting with making her favorite dessert to go with that night's dinner.

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"Moshi-moshi."

 "HiiiIIIIii! Is this Saotome-san?" The jubilant voice on the other end of the phone inquired.

 "Yes, this is Saotome Genma. Might I ask who is calling?"

 Getting a bit more serious, the other voice continued, "Oh, right, sorry, I am Kaede Tenjoji, from Hakureiryo Academy, and I would like to offer you a business proposal."

 Cautiously, Genma responded, people offering him deals rarely worked out in his favor, "Proposal?"

 "Yes, I have recently taken over this school as principal and its chief executive officer, and I have been hearing stories about your school, and I think that we could come to an arrangement that would help us both greatly. You see, the school I run is one of the most elite in the nation, all of the highest class children go to school here, but our main goal here is to train their servants, maids mostly. Our rich students pay outrageous tuition fees to provide them with the best of the best, and in return we use some of that money to provide free tuition to any who want to take the servant curriculum, complete with room and board, so any poor student in Japan can afford to go to a good high school. We also train the servants for almost all of the richest families in the world, we teach them to be the absolute best there is. This is where you come in, one of the main duties of a good servant is always to be able to protect their masters, and the stories I have heard of your school makes it sound perfect, just like in this anime I am trying to sponsor! I would be willing to pay you for each of the students taking classes, and you would train all of our servant class students. Let me ask you this Saotome-san, do you have children?"

 "Yes, I have a son, but he is on a twelve-year training journey with his mother." A quiet 'Eep' escaped the phone, "My partner has three daughters and we are looking after another child who is acting as a maid for our family." Genma had to pull the phone away from his ear as he heard a squealing sound coming from the phone. 'Is this thing broken?' "Oh, and my wife seems to have adopted another girl that she is training as well." Again the squealing sound exploded from the receiver.

 Sounding even more excited than she had at first, Kaede continued, a bit too quickly for Genma's tastes, "Well, I am also prepared to offer you automatic acceptance and free tuition for all of them in whichever program they choose, once they reach middle school age. So all of your children could go to the most prestigious middle and high schools in Japan ...for free. We were a girls' school, but now that I am in charge, I am going to see it turn coed. I can't wait to meet your son and maid!"

 Genma did like 'free', and this would really be good for the children, almost surprising himself that he even cared about that aspect, and he found that he actually DID care about it, more than he ever would have expected. "Well, I would need to expand a bit more, and hire more staff..."

 "I can offer you funds to help with that, since we are the cause of your need, and would be happy to provide any other help I can." Not that Genma can tell, but she was practically salivating at the prospect of battle and ninja maids, and combat butlers, just like in another manga she had been reading recently.

 "Well, that sounds like it could work... once the construction is complete you will have to come by and have a toast with us to celebrate our new partnership."

 "I would loooove to! I admit I am curious to see this school, and I can't wait to meet your families. Now, how old are the children, should we begin the procedure for their transfers?"

 "Well the eldest girl is thirteen, and our maid is twelve, they are both in middle school, the rest are elementary school age, ten to eleven. My son and, I guess, adopted 'daughter' are not enrolled in a school, my wife is tutoring them for most subjects, but they only attend formal schools occasionally, but I can assure you, their education is not suffering for it. My wife, it seems, is an apt tutor. They will not be returning for some time yet."

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Finally making their way into the inner sanctum of Ukyo's family shrine, our exhausted adventurers got a chance to rest. "Well now, that was a bit more 'complicated' than I expected, I guess that's what I get being the last remaining member of a ninja family." Ukyo got a grim look on her face that, to Ranma, looked out of place on the usually happy girl, "Remembering where the traps are won't be so bad, but we really should reset them before we leave, I would hate to see someone defile the thing, even if we take everything important with us when we leave. It may not be much, but it's my family history. And you never know, we may need a place to hide out or something one day."

 "Very good ideas, but we can stay here as long as you want, Ukyo-chan. We are in no real hurry to be anywhere right now. Or we could camp outside if you prefer, whatever makes you the most comfortable."

 "Thank you, Okaa-sama, it might take a while to collect and decipher all of this, some of it we can't take with us without dismantling the place. I could take tracings of the wall carvings but we would need large paper, and time... Oh well, let's start looking around, just be careful, anything worth finding is likely to have another okonomiyaki themed trap."

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"Oi! Look at this!"

 Coming over to look at what Ranma was indicating. Behind a portrait, Ranma had found what seemed to be a safe, but instead of a dial, there were metal buttons, each with a symbol on it. "I don't recognize any of these characters, are they some kind of code?"

 "Sort of, Ranchama, it's Okonomiyaki Shorthand, or Okosho. It's a special writing system for okonomiyaki ingredients. We use it for written orders, and secret recipes. So, yes, I guess it IS a code. Let me see, it's been a while, I am a bit rusty, and I hadn't learned all of it before we left."
{*Okosho = Another word I made up, 'Oko' taken from Okonomiyaki, and 'sho' meaning 'handwriting'*}

"You'll have to teach me that someday."

 "You got it, Ranchama!" She studied the buttons for a few minutes, consulting a scroll she had unlocked earlier, "I am not sure that I have this right, either I am more rusty than I thought, or some of these symbols do not belong. Most of them are okonomiyaki ingredients, but some of them, if I have this right, are, well ...this one is a poison!"

 "Why would you even HAVE a code for stuff like that, if this is for recipes?"

"Well, we were a clan of ninja, the okonomiyaki was our cover, it helped us get close to the people were targeting. Though, it's still strange, because we never poisoned our okonomiyaki to take out a target, too easy to trace back. Strange, there are a couple of other poisons. This one is fire, and a couple of others I can't even figure out."

 "If that code was for recipes, then there might be some inside, and it might be the key, maybe the way to unlock it is with a recipe...?"

"RANCHAMA! You're a genius! With that in mind, let's see what we have, flour, dashi stock, eggs, cabbage, green onion, tempura flakes, meat, green sea weed, sauce, and mayonnaise!" Upon pressing the tenth button, a louder click was heard as the door slid open. Inside, as Ranma guessed, were recipe scrolls, and two books, one on the Okosho code language and the other about the workings of the safe itself. "Oh, great! Now that we have it open, they tell us how to open it!"

 "Maybe it was a test?"

 "Or maybe the last person here figured they didn't need it and that would keep thieves out of it."

 "Or maybe the last person here was a 'smart aleck', and liked toying with people..." After packing up the scrolls, she looked over the books. While studying the codebook, "It says here that the other two buttons were electricity and the other was ...spikes? I really can't see what that has to do with a recipe!" but after looking through the other book, "Oh, THAT'S what they are all about, those are traps, press the poison ones and you get poisoned, press the fire one and fire shoots out, and so on. Well, once again, thank you Ranchama for figuring it out and likely saving me some pain. I read in one of the other books I found, that dating back to even before our family swore loyalty to the Daimyo. We had a tradition of giving our 'Token of Loyalty' to whomever we acknowledge as our master." She got down on her knees. "Ranma Saotome-sama, my lord," Took his left hand in hers, "I give this to you." She brought his hand up, and gently kissed the back of his fingers. "I swear my loyalty from now until the end of days."
{*Daimyo = a powerful lord, working under the Shogun.*}

"You know you really over do this stuff sometimes, Ucchan. You have been my friend for years; you are always there when I need you..."

 "...But?"

 "But nothing, as long as you want me around, I will be there for you. I hope we will be friends forever."

 Mumbling under her breath, "...One day, I hope more than friends."

 "Did you say something, Ucchan?"

 "Nope, nothing at all, Ranchama."

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"You really want us to learn your family's style with you?"

"Well, you guys have taught me some of your family's style, and since you guys are my only remaining 'family', I want you to learn with me so you can help me to pass it on to the next generation of our family. I may never open a restaurant, but maybe one of my children will (assuming I have any)."

 "Well then gang, for the next few months we will be Okonomiyaki Chefs! We will study together until we can make them in our sleep."

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A thirteen-year-old Kasumi, twelve-year-old Fubuki, and an eleven-year-old Nabiki were all laughing together as they swung their 'weapons' at each other. Kasumi had a broom, Fubuki had a mop and Nabiki had two feather dusters hooked together with a metal clasp that she was using like nunchaku. They were not only sparring, but also cleaning the room as they went, not disturbing a single item as they went from room to room. Each room sparkling as they left.

 Having finished their cleaning spar, the girls look out and see Akane pulverizing concrete blocks.

 "I can't believe she has switched to cement already, it seems just like last week she was getting splinters from the boards."

 "Fukibuki, that WAS last week." The three girls giggled together.

 "Well, there is one thing you can say, with her and Uncle Genma around, we always have plenty of places to 'practice our art'."

 Putting their cleaning equipment away, they spied Genma entering the room, "Well, speak of the devil and he appears."

 "You don't know what you're talking about!!!" Genma interjected in a panic. "Be careful what you wish for girls. 'He' might come back, making all of our sacrifices in vain."

 "Who is 'He'?"

 "Believe me, you don't want to know! But that's not why I was looking for you two, and Nabiki-san, this will concern you as well next April, so you might as well hear this as well." Gathering around the table, they waited to hear what their foolish 'Uncle' has done to, er FOR them this time. "We have made a partnership to teach our new art to the servant class at Hakureiryo Academy." Genma had tried addressing Nabiki with the '-chan' honorific once. Once. It was NOT a pleasant day for Genma, and he never tried it again. 'Hell hath no fury, like Nabiki pissed.' Genma had thought boys were a lot to handle, but he did not have the slightest clue, though he had started to get the idea that he was in way over his head. ...and it only took him four years to get there!

 The girls were stunned; Nabiki had been the first to recover, "What? You mean it's GOOD news? Will miracles never cease?"

 "Quite so, though your sarcasm wounds me, girl."

"Yeah, right."

 "This will mean several things to you three. The first being, as my most advanced students, you will be helping to teach some of the classes, at least until some of the other graduates are able to return to help us. We will also be expanding the dojo once again to make room for the new students."

 "Hakureiryo Academy. Wow, that's one of the most prestigious schools in the world! Graduating from there means you will be able to get into any college in the nation! I wish we could go there."

 "Well then you are going to love my next bit of news, Kasumi-chan, Fubuki-chan, you two will be enrolling in their middle school, effective immediately, and Nabiki-san, you will begin classes there when you enter middle school next spring." 'Fangirl-like' squees of joy came from the three girls, which took several minutes to subside. "You will each be given the option to enter as High Class Ladies, or in the Servant Classes, it will be left up to you which you choose. The principal will be paying us a visit to celebrate our merger as soon as the expansion is done, and since Japan has the fastest builders in the world, that should be in the next day or two."

 "Wow, Thank you Uncle, while we know that isn't why you made that deal, we appreciate it none-the-less."

 A hurt look flashed across Genma's face for a split second, but knowing it was true, there was little he could say in his defense, "The next thing we need to do, is hire an onsite doctor for class time."

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"Tenjoji-san, I would like you to meet Tofu-sensei, one of the best specialty doctors in Japan."

 "It's an honor."

 "The pleasure is all mine, Tenjoji-san."

 "If you are as good as they say, maybe I could talk you into helping at the school too, since most of the students will be the same anyway."

 "Maybe you could, maybe you could..."

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Ranma was working on his mother's shoulders and back, practicing his own massage technique, as she had insisted, having made him take a class even after what he had learned from Kyoshi-sensei. 'Not only will it help us tremendously during our training, but your girlfriends will love you for it later.' she had told him. As usual, she was right of course, what he learned and was able to share with them, had made recovery after strenuous workouts much easier, especially when combined with a good soak in a hot bath, which they had just gotten out of. Using his ki, he would search out knots of tension, blocked pathways and any other abnormality he could find and try to 'work out' whatever the problem was. It was also doing wonders for his ki sense and aura reading. "Kaa-chan, I would really like to find a better doctor to study under soon, the better I get at using my ki to heal, the more I see that I need to learn."

 Admiring her son's mature attitude for a boy his age, and his eagerness to learn, she could not help but ascede to his wishes, but due to the treatment of her back as he worked his way down her spine all she could manage was a groan of ascent. "Besides, it will give Ukyo some time to study more of her family's style." Again, for her part, all Nodoka could get out was a groan in response to her son's statement. Working his way to her lower back, he found a strange 'blockage', that he had never noticed before, very deep inside. Using his ki, he reached in and tried to work out the problem area. After a few moments he was able to find the 'keystone' of the block, and it came loose with a rush of energy, unlike anything he had ever seen before.

 Nodoka's eyes shot wide open as she arched her back, curled her toes, and bit her lower lip, trying not to let out a moan, ...and failing.

 "KAA-CHAN! What's wrong? Are you all right?"

 Panting heavily, she tried hard to regain her senses, "Ranma-kun, my son, you must listen to your mother very carefully, this is very important. First, you must never forget how you just did that, and second, you must never use it on me again, ever! Please!" 'I am not sure I could resist if he did that to me again... A mother should never have such thoughts.'

 "Sure mom, but what did I do?"

"You'll figure it out later, but please, just don't do it for me again... Any other woman will greatly appreciate that particular technique, but I cannot, that is something that can never happen. Now, go play, mother needs to go take another bath..."

 Ranma ran off to find his other 'willing victim'...

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Ranma found Ukyo studying one of the scrolls she received as part of her inheritance, "Ucchan, I need your help with a new technique."

 Looking slightly torn for the briefest of moments, she jumped up, "Sure Ranchama, what do you need me to do?"

 "Not much more than you were doing, you can keep reading while I give you your 'after workout massage'. I saw something different when I was giving mom hers, and when I worked out the spot, she freaked out and told me I had to learn the technique, but wouldn't tell me anything else about it, other than I can't practice it on her anymore. So, I was hoping my faithful little Ucchan would be willing to assist her Ran'nii-chan..."
{*Nii and Onii = Older Brother*}

 "Of course! You know I would help you with anything, Ranchama! What do you need me to do?"

 "Just lay face-down here and try to relax as much as you can, just like with any other massage." Laying back down, she removed her shirt and goes back to studying the scroll she had been reading.

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Nodoka was just getting back out of the bath, feeling much better now that she had cleaned herself up after her little 'accident', working out the remainder of 'tension' on her own. Heading back toward the camp they shared, she was taken a bit aback when she heard Ukyo's voice far sooner than she would have expected considering the distance left to camp. "OH, RANMA-SAMA! WOW, I don't know what you just did, but DO it Again!!!"

 "That's my boy!" Nodoka continued back to camp, hoping she will be able to sleep with the noise she would be hearing tonight, and that her dreams this night would NOT include her son...

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AFTERWARD

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A ten-year-old Ryoga is wandering around, somewhere snowy... "Where the hell am I now?!?! Shimatta! I am three days late for school again! I knew I should have brought the dog!" Getting mad at himself again, a feeling he was quite used to, he took off running in a random direction, because, hey, it's Ryoga, and let's face it, and it does not really matter, all directions are the same to him.
{*Shimatta = damn it! damn! oops! oh dear! oh no!*}

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AUTHOR'S NOTES

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Historically, geisha often began the earliest stages of their training at a very young age, sometimes as early as 3 or 5 years old. The early shikomi (servant) and minarai (watching apprentice) stages of geisha training lasted years, which was significantly longer than in contemporary times.

 To this day, it is still said that geisha inhabit a separate reality, which they call the karyukai or "the flower and willow world." Before they disappeared, the courtesans were the colorful "flowers" and the geisha the "willows" because of their subtlety, strength and grace. I cannot stress enough, that the idea of geisha as sex workers is all due to prostitutes during WWII telling American Soldiers that they were "Geisha Girls" figuring they wouldn't know any better, and many of us still don't. Even when prostitution was legal, most geisha were not allowed to sell sex for money. If they wanted to have sex, they would have to do so in their private lives and not in their professional ones.

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OMAKE 2 {To the tune of the Underdog Theme Song}

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"There's no need to fear, Maido Gai is here!"

Dun dun dun, dun dun dun,
Dun dun dun, dun dun dun,
Aoo, aoo, aoo, aoo, aoo, aoo
When males in this world appear,
And hurt the girl that they should fear,
And think they are all in the clear,
The cry goes up both far and near for
Maido Gai,
Maido Gai,
Maido Gai,
Maido Gai.

Hoard of hentai, Blue Thunder,
Fighting all who steal under ...(wear)
Maido Gai, ...Maido Gai!

When Akane has a pressing need
Or Genma's heart is filled with greed
And when the bathroom should be cleaned,
To right this wrong with blinding speed goes
Maido Gai,
Maido Gai,
Maido Gai,
Maido Gai.

Hoard of Hentai, Blue Thunder,
Fighting all who get under, ...(foot)
Maido Gai, ...Maido Gai!


"When Akane's in trouble, I am not slow. It's Kukuku, and away I go!"

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END OMAKE 2

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OMAKE 3

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Maid Guy returned to their campsite in Ryugenzawa carrying Akane by her collar. Akane was not happy about this. Doing her best to get away from her strange 'protector', she ran over to where her sisters were training with a strange little man. When she got closer she heard them talking.

 "Okay, let's try again, everyone, go!"

All three of them raised their right hands toward the large boxes in front of them, as they concentrated, the boxes began to glow and float in the air.

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END OMAKE 3

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*CHARACTERS USED*

{Here I will list all of the non-Ranma, characters used in the chapter and where they are from.}

Kogarashi the "Maid Guy" - the title character from Kamen no Maid Guy
Fubuki - The future 'Maid Guy Tamer' from Kamen no Maid Guy
Kaede Tenjoji - The headmaster of Hakureiryo Academy from Ladies vs. Butlers
Mikan is her 'assistant' and the Head Instructor
Ranma's Muay Thai instructor was VERY loosely based on Appachai's from Kenichi, mostly I just wanted to use his line, so think of his as one of his old students or something. ;)
Shagi & Kuro-sensei (the frog guy) - were ripped and twisted from Scooby Doo
The ninjutsu trainer was pretty much just made up too...

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