[Ranma][Fanfic]Love and War: Love - Chapter 2 (parts 1-3)

[Ethan Tsai]

Ranma and all associated characters are creations of Rumiko Takahashi. All
other characters are my own creation and are copyrighted to me. This is a work
of fiction by a fan for fans, and is not meant to purposely infringe on any
copyrights.
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Chapter Two

Shampoo looked at the thin band of gold in her left hand and the wrist
band and attached ring in her right. Something so simple, yet her great
grandmother said it was a very complicated work of refined jewelry and
mysticism. The band of gold looked like it would fit around her head at the
temples. The wristband and ring, joined by loose silver thread, would easily
slide on her wrist and her middle finger easily. They both looked very elegant
despite their simplicity. A thin "crown" made of gold, and a small blood red
ruby on the ring. Simple, yet alluring. Shampoo was about to don the circlet,
wristband, and ring when her great grandmother's warnings repeated themselves
in her mind.
"Beware of those pieces of jewelry, Shampoo! Do not wear them or I
will be extremely angry at you, and you will suffer greatly from it. Stay here
and make sure they are not lost. If all goes well we will learn a great deal
tonight."
Shampoo sighed. Things became horribly complicated all at once.
Mousse had gone to lock up the doors to the cafe when he saw two people dueling
in the street. They had come up to the restaurant, one had collapsed and she
had punched the other into unconsciousness. One died on the spot, but not
before giving them this "gift" whispering "xin" before dying. The other they
had dragged into the cafe, tossed into the stockroom, and then promptly lost as
he broke out into the night. They had given chase, but it was impossible to
track him in the dark. Great grandmother had become very upset at that. She
yelled at Mousse at great length because of it.
"You imbecile! How could you let him escape?! Didn't you realize he
had regained his senses when you went to get the bucket and mop?!"
Mousse had of course denied any liability. Shampoo sighed again and
looked up at her great grandmother from inside the kitchen speaking to the
policemen gathered at the front door. Mousse had done a splendid job cleaning
up any indication that a duel had taken place. Some police had arrived asking
about an incident, but had left after Cologne had said that nothing happened.
Cologne had "disposed" of the body and even Shampoo had no idea what had
happened to it.
"I've brought the old scrolls and books you wanted." called Mousse as
he walked into the kitchen.
"Very good. Perhaps you will be allowed some reprieve from your duties
tomorrow morning, Mousse. Now leave us in peace. Perhaps you should fly about
the city and search for our guest. The rain is dying down anyway."
Mousse turned towards the back of the restaurant dejectedly and walked
to the back door.
"Very good. Now we may speak with some privacy. I do not truly care
if Mousse should listen to us, but I would rather he be preoccupied than
attentive. I believe that Mousse's interests may conflict with our own."
Shampoo looked at her great grandmother intently. There was a troubled
look in her eye, but also one that reflected a kind of hope. She opened one of
the books in front of her.
"Careful, great granddaughter. These books are old and fragile.
Handle them with a great deal of reverence."
"Why do you need these books? They are mostly children's tales and
stories."
"You will see in a short while, Shampoo. Search for any stories of the
Monkey King. You will see once I find what I need."
Shampoo turned to the tome of folk tales and lore in front of her. the
printed characters were of a dialect long forgotten; but a few of the
characters were legible. After browsing through the book, she was able to find
nothing. She turned and began searching through another book. Again, nothing.
Another book, and yet another disappointment.
"Great grandmother, I can't find anything in these three books. Should
I look through the scrolls?" Shampoo asked.
"Yes, but look through the scrolls to find any records of a young monk
traveling to India. I am sure there must be a reference to his travels
somewhere."
Shampoo went through four scrolls before stumbling upon a barely
legible sentence noting the travels of a young scholar on his way to India to
discover the truth of the Greater Vehicle.
"Great grandmother, I've found what you wanted. I think this is what
you were speaking of."
Cologne looked up from the text she was reading, and motioned for the
scroll. shampoo stood and moved so that Cologne could see. Cologne nodded her
head appreciatively.
"Yes, Shampoo. This is what I wanted to see. Now look at the picture
here. Do you see something?"
"It's just a picture of the Monkey King, Tsu-Ba Jieh, a dragon horse
and a monk riding it. It's a simple picture from the stories of the Monkey
King. Everyone's mother has spoken of the story many times before. I see
nothing special great grandmother."
"What do you see before you on the table, besides the books and
scrolls."
"Do you mean the jewelry the strange man gave us before he died?"
"Yes. What are they?"
"It's just a simple circlet and a wristband with a large ring attached
to it. It's all in gold, except for the ruby in the ring. It's simple."
"Now what do you see in the picture?"
"I told you already."
"Look closer, Shampoo. Do you see what the fabled Monkey King is
wearing?"
"It's hard to see great grandmother. It's faded, but it looks like a
crown."
"Not a crown, Shampoo. A circlet. A simple circlet made of gold."
Shampoo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"But this is just a story! How can such things be true?"
"Shampoo, all stories must have their foundations in truth, no matter
how shaky it may be. The monk was a real person who traveled to India to learn
the Buddhist teachings there. This scroll notes that he took with him simple
provisions and nothing else; yet when he returned, he returned with Buddhist
relics. These must be a part of those relics. I do not understand how they
work, but given the story, I believe I can understand how they might be used."
"Great grandmother, are you going to make Ranma fall in love with me?"
"Perhaps it is unnecessary for me to intervene. I am sure you could do
that yourself. It will be easy to bend the will of your future husband with
these items."
Shampoo smiled.
"I can't wait for morning, great grandmother. I can hardly wait to
hear Ranma tell me how much he truly loves me."
"Be patient, Shampoo. All good things will come in time. Go to bed,
for tomorrow will be another business day. I do not want you tired, since we
have a great deal to do."
Shampoo raised an eyebrow.
"Are we going to use these so quickly?"
"No, Shampoo. We must find our 'guest' and make sure that this
information does not fall into the wrong hands. As for you Mousse, you may
come around from behind the corner. Your foolish eavesdropping may get you
into more trouble."
Mousse walked into the room with a red face.
"Do not even think about using these on Shampoo. I do not want to risk
trying these items on an inexperienced fool such as yourself. Do not bother
alerting Akane or Ranma either. I'm sure you will use your vacation time in a
more productive manner."
Mousse looked startled.
"Vacation time? What do you-"
Mousse was cut short as a glass of cold water was dumped on him. The
sudden transformation caught him by surprise. He was quickly pinned down and
thrust into his cage.
"You will remain here for some time Mousse. Should you interfere, I
will have no reservations about making cursed Peking duck."
Mousse's eyes went wide and he sat down depressed. Shampoo looked at
him with a sense of pity. Cologne had never openly threatened him before until
now. Perhaps the evening's events had been tough on everyone.
Shampoo went to her room and changed into a simple nightgown. As she
sat down on her bed, she smiled to herself. She couldn't wait to make Ranma
tell her how much he loved her.
Make him say he loved her. Shampoo frowned. Was that what she was
going to do? Force Ranma into saying he loved her? She shook her head. It
was all wrong. She was helping him admit his feelings for her. There wasn't
any way Ranma could hate her; but why did she need to force him into admitting
something he already felt? Shampoo flopped onto her bed and sighed. Why did
it seem so wrong? Perhaps the circlet was used to help release hidden emotions
and show the true person underneath. After all, the Monkey King was a truly
good being, but was a foolish one at heart. The circlet helped show the true
hero he was inside. Perhaps that was what the circlet was for. Revealing an
inner truth that was there from the beginning.
Shampoo smiled. That had to be the answer. As she drifted into
slumber, thoughts of Ranma smiling down at her filled her mind.
"Ranma... I love you..."

Kasumi looked at the unconscious figure next to her on the dojo floor.
She sighed as she brought up the blanket to cover him. Things had become so
awkward, even for life in Nerima. First Ranma had become depressed at his
mother's arrival, and now a strange man wearing strange armor. He had dropped
out from the shadows muttering in a foreign language before collapsing in front
of her. She had come out to put out the lamp in the yard since she had
forgotten to after dinner. It was a wonder he didn't simply vanish again by
the time she had run back to the house for help and returned; but there he was,
lying there bleeding all over the grass. Everyone had run out with electric
lamps and flashlights. It was a pity the power had gone out, but the electric
lamps were enough.
As she looked down at the floor she noticed some blood staining it. It
struck as odd. Kasumi thought she'd washed everything clean of the dirt and
blood before she put the strange man down to rest after tending his wounds; but
there it was, a speck or two of blood. The floor was dirty, and just after
she'd cleaned it. Just thinking about cleaning the dojo brought back memories
of the failed wedding attempt. The thought of it brought up a bitter taste in
her mouth, which surprised her.
Kasumi had always believed Ranma and Akane were destined to be married.
After all, the way her father and Genma recalled the story of Ranma's fight
with Saffron to save Akane left little doubt in her mind that Ranma truly cared
about Akane. Even during the wedding, Ranma appeared to have a change of
heart, granted he still protested, but it was with less enthusiasm. It
troubled her greatly to see Ranma and Akane still acting ambiguous with regards
to their engagement. She knew both cared for each other, but the longer they
took admitting it to each other, the more it hurt both of them; and the thought
of Akane being hurt made her upset.
A shadow cast itself across her view, interrupting her train of
thought. She looked up to see Ranma entering the dojo. Kasumi stood up from
her kneeling position on the ground and turned to Ranma who leaned in the frame
of the doorway staring at the body on the ground in front of him.
"Is something wrong Ranma?"
He shook his head.
"No, but I can't believe you just patched that guy up. I mean, he
comes from nowhere, he's bleeding everywhere, and you just bring him in here,
strip him down and patch him up. What if he's some murderer? Or an escaped
convict?"
Kasumi smiled and shook her head.
"I don't think he is Ranma. Besides, that's why I ran in to get you
and father out of bed. I knew that having martial artists in the house would
come in handy. I'm sure that you'll be more than able to help if he should
wake." she said and smiled her knowing smile at him.
"I dunno Kasumi. He looks awfully strange. I can tell he's a fighter,
Kasumi. Nobody's that toned from eating junk food and watching television all
day. And don't tell me you didn't notice. I saw you blushing when you took
off his clothes." Ranma immediately clapped his hand over his mouth.
"I- I'm sorry, Kasumi. I didn't mean to... I mean..." he fumbled.
Kasumi blushed, but smiled at Ranma nonetheless.
"That's okay, Ranma-kun. I understand. I did notice, I guess, but I
was concerned about the injuries he had. With all the power out, we couldn't
get a hold of Tofu-sensei, and I was worried about having a dead body in our
house."
Ranma nodded his head.
"I guess so. So are you going to sit here all night, Kasumi?"
"I don't want to, but he seems to be in so much pain. I feel I should
stay here to make sure everything is fine."
Ranma smiled. Kasumi's generosity and humanitarian feelings were
something he valued.
"I guess I'll stay here and make sure everything is safe."
"Thank you, Ranma-kun," she replied. A sudden thought entered her
mind. "Would you mind if I called Akane in to help?"
Ranma blanched slightly.
"I- I guess so."
Kasumi suddenly had a pensive look on her face.
"Ranma, you look ill. Is that why you went to bed so early?"
"No." Ranma replied nervously.
"That's good. It wouldn't do to have you here and ill if this person
wakes up."
"Yeah," Ranma mumbled.
Kasumi sighed.
"It's so nice having your mother here again. Whenever your mother's
here, Ranma, it makes it feel so much more like home again."
"Yeah. I guess so," Ranma mumbled.
Kasumi turned a concerned eye to Ranma.
"Are you sure you're feeling well?"
"I- I'm fine," he stammered.
"Ranma," Kasumi said gently.
"I- I- I don't know." he blurted. He could never lie to Kasumi. "I
can't help but get nervous whenever Mom's around now. She wants me to get
married as soon as possible. It's so important to her, but I don't know if I
can get married so soon."
"Is that so bad? Sometimes I wish I could be married and have a
family. It'd be so nice having a family of my own. Don't you think so?"
Kasumi asked.
"I- I don't know," Ranma stammered.
"Really?"
"I've never really thought about it," Ranma muttered.
"What do you mean?"
"I just never thought about it," Ranma repeated.
"Being married to Akane?"
"Yeah. Why would I want to get married to some macho-chick anyway?"
Kasumi frowned. Ranma bit his lip.
"It's not like I mean anythin', you know, Kasumi."
"Then why did you just say that?"
"Because I just can't imagine bein' married to some tomboy!"
"Why?"
"Just because! She can't cook anythin' a normal person could eat, I
always have to look out for her, and she acts like I'm always tryin' to get
Shampoo or Ukyou to grab me whenever I can!" Ranma clenched a fist. He'd
never had the opportunity to vent before. Suddenly he had the chance now and
he took it up quickly.
"I hate it when she hits me and I hate it when she blames me for
everythin'. She's always mean to me and she doesn't care if I'm tellin' the
truth or not! It's like she doesn't care if I'm really the one that started
it," Ranma continued. "I can't stand the way she keeps callin' me a pervert
and I can't stand the way she keeps tellin' me she doesn't want to be engaged,
and then pounds me for breakin' off the engagement! I wasn't even the one that
broke the engagement any of those times!"
"So why are you still engaged to my sister then?" Kasumi asked quietly.
Ranma stopped dead in his tracks.
"Because I can't is why," Ranma muttered as he sat down heavily on the
floor.
"You could easily break off the engagement."
"Yeah, but what will Mom and Pop say? I can't do that. There's my
family's honor. You know that."
"But is that enough to make you both happy?"
"What?"
"You can't be happily married if you don't love the person you're
married to."
"Sometimes I wonder about that," Ranma said with a derisive snort. "I
have no idea what Mom saw in my old man."
"But they're still married."
"Yeah, but I'll bet it's 'cause my Mom's got a better sense of honor."
"So is it only because of your family honor?" Kasumi asked softly.
"What do you think? You think I want to marry that mallet toting,
violent tomboy?"
"So why don't you marry Ukyou?"
The directness of the question bowled Ranma over.
"What? Are you insane? Akane'd kill me before I even got halfway to
Ucchan's!"
"So you do want to marry her?"
"No! That's not what I said!"
Ranma groaned in frustration.
"But wouldn't family honor be satisfied?"
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with it?"
"Didn't you just say your family honor had to be satisfied?"
"Yeah, but-"
"And wouldn't it be satisfied if you got married to Ukyou? You get
along with her far better than my sister."
"But it's different!"
Kasumi smiled.
"How is it any different? You both are good friends, and you both
share a lot of interests. Why shouldn't you want to marry someone you already
like?"
"But she's my best friend! I can't do that!"
"So you'd rather stay engaged to Akane and be unhappy?"
Ranma exhaled loudly and turned to look out the doors of the dojo.
"Ranma," Kasumi continued quietly.
"Wh- Why do you have to ask?" Ranma sputtered.
"If you care about Akane, then why is it so hard to admit it?"
"Kasumi, I think she's a really nice girl and all, but I always get
into fights with her all the time. I mean, I don't so often anymore, but
there's always this feeling like she expects something from me that I can't
give her. I really like it when she smiles at me. She's so beautiful when she
does; but when she doesn't, then it's like everything wrong, and it all gets
blamed on me, and then it all starts all over again."
"Don't you think that's behind you now?"
"I don't know."
"Have you been fighting lately?"
"No, not really."
"So what's wrong?"
"I don't know," he said again.
"Is it so hard to tell her that you care? That seems to be your
problem."
Ranma looked up at Kasumi. She had a small smile on her face and a
thoughtful look in her eye. Something inside Ranma broke. He was tired of
running circles around his own feelings. He'd built walls to keep himself from
being hurt before, but now they seemed pointless. Kasumi made it sound like he
was alienating himself from his own feelings. Ranma sighed heavily. He just
wanted it to be over. Ranma quickly stood up and looked out the doors of the
dojo, making sure nobody was present. What he wanted to say would be confined
to Kasumi only. Once assured that nobody was listening, he returned to sit
next to Kasumi.
"No. I-I suppose it shouldn't be; but I don't know about this anymore.
I-I-I ca-ca-care about A-Akane a lot, but I don't want to hurt her either.
Whenever we fight now, it hurts more. I'm afraid something will happen, and
then she'll hate me. What if she never liked me at all?" Ranma sighed. "And
then there's the others too."
"Do you love them?"
Ranma looked at Kasumi carefully. He decided that of all the people he
knew, Kasumi could be trusted. She'd been the mother figure he never had, or
at least, the closest thing to it. Of all the people he had come to know since
arriving at the Tendo home, she was the one that acted as the pillar for the
family. Everyone came to depend on her in some way. Was it so bad to have a
crutch to lean on once in a while, he asked himself. Ranma made up his mind
and opened his mouth.
"I-I g-guess I-I do," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I've
never really been in lo-love before. I guess that's the problem. If it's
actually lo-love, then I l-love all of them. I care about each of them
differently, and I'm so scared that if I hurt them, they'll all hate me. Well,
Kodachi is an exception, but I wouldn't want to knowingly break anyone's heart
if I didn't have to."
Kasumi nodded her head. Now she understood why he had so many people
that loved him, even Akane. Despite the rough edges and the spines Ranma put
out to keep himself from getting hurt emotionally, he truly cared about
everyone he touched.
"I think Shampoo's a great cook, a beautiful woman and a great fighter.
Potions aside, I'd think that Shampoo would make a perfect wife. She's
devoted and loving. Maybe even too loving," he continued. "But then there's
the potions, and Cologne. I can't stand the old ghoul. She's always got
something up her sleeve, and when she looks at me, it's that look that Nabiki
has when she's looking to cut a deal."
"Now Ranma, don't pick on Nabiki like that," Kasumi admonished with a
frown.
"You know what I mean, Kasumi. I love Shampoo because I see in her a
kind of kinship among fighters. Comrades, you know? That sort of thing."
Kasumi nodded in understanding. In her heart, she felt the pangs of
disappointment hearing those words from Ranma. On the other hand, she knew
that all the times Ranma protested to being engaged to the Amazon, he was
telling the truth - or at least she hoped he was.
"Then there's Ukyou," Ranma said as he shook his head. "Ukyou's like
someone I can depend on. She's beautiful too, but not like Shampoo. Shampoo
got that kind of kinky, sexy look to her," Ranma blushed, but kept talking.
He'd opened the floodgates and there wasn't any stopping now. "But Ukyou's
different. She's got a kind of plainness that's great. She doesn't need all
the makeup or the tight outfits. She's just naturally really beautiful. I'm
not saying that Shampoo needs makeup, it's that Ukyou's just beautiful in a
different way. She's down to earth beautiful; but it's not like I-"
"Ranma, you're babbling," Kasumi noted with a small laugh.
Ranma turned a very deep red.
"I'm sorry. I guess you know what I mean."
"Yes. Ukyou's beautiful in a cute way, not a ravishingly sexy way,"
Kasumi said with a nervous laugh. The conversation regarding Ranma's fiancees
was taking a turn Kasumi was finding uncomfortable. Doesn't Ranma care about
Akane in any way, she asked herself. Why is he still talking about the others?
Ranma began moving through all the shades of red he could. Kasumi
could always say things so easily, he thought. I wish I knew how to do that,
he mused. He cleared his throat loudly, coughed and kept talking.
"Yeah, but it's more than that. She's been my best friend for a long
time. It's like we know everything about each other. We don't hide anything
and we don't need to. I can talk to Ukyou about anything without getting
pounded first."
Kasumi winced slightly at the reference to her younger sister. She
knew full well that Akane had a short temper and that it showed.
"I think Ukyou and I are the best of friends and more. I love talking
to her and we love keeping each other company. I don't know who I'd talk to
without her. She cooks, she's a good fighter in her own right too. I think
she's just a really perfect person for a wife; to live an entire life with.
It's just so comfortable to be with her. I don't need to pretend to be
something else. I love her for all that."
Kasumi nodded again, her heart heavy with the notion that Ranma had
cast Akane from the list of eligible fiancees.
"So what separates Akane from all of them?" she asked hopefully. "You
already said she isn't as ladylike as Shampoo, and she isn't nearly as
proficient a cook as Ukyou. She fights very well for someone in our age group,
yet isn't as good as your other fiancees. You say you don't get along with her
as well as you can get along with Ukyou or Shampoo, so why do you stay?"
"Because she's just Akane."
Kasumi looked perplexed. Ranma's answer had shocked her. It wasn't
good, but it wasn't bad either.
"She tries so hard to be impressive sometimes; and when she does it
right, she has that look. She's got that smile that changes everything. She
doesn't cook well, but she really doesn't need to I guess. She doesn't need to
fight, either. That really doesn't matter to me. I just- I just-"
"Love her?" Kasumi continued as a knowing smile formed on her lips.
"Yeah," Ranma said ruefully. He scratched the back of his head
nervously. "I love Akane because she's Akane. That's all there is to it,
really."
"Then it sounds like your decision should be easier than you think."
"What do you mean?"
"Should you need to think about all the reasons you like someone?"
"No. I guess not. What does that have to do with anything?"
"You'll see, Ranma."
Ranma looked down at the flooring of the dojo. Kasumi looked at their
guest. The only sound they could hear was the gentle pitter-pattering of the
rain drops as they fell gently on the roof of the dojo. Ranma sighed.
"It's not going to go away, is it?"
Kasumi looked to Ranma as he stared at the ground. There was a faraway
look in his eyes.
"No, Ranma. Of course it isn't going to just go away. You must make
your choice, and you must make it soon. If you wait too long, nobody can
possibly come away without being hurt."
Ranma sighed again.
"I just wish I knew what to do to make the right choice."

Daylight broke over the Tendo dojo, framing the dojo in a pleasant halo
of color as the light played off the drops of rain on the roof. The rain had
stopped and the yard looked like a small wetland and the water level remained
close to flooding. The koi pond seemed to be ready to burst, but the clear sky
and the sun seemed to be ready to bring things back to normal. A bird sang a
morning song. It was a lone, but welcomed voice in the morning.
Kasumi blinked the sleep from her eyes. It had stopped raining and the
sun was beginning to shine outside. The dojo door was curiously ajar, and a
small ray of sunshine fell through. Kasumi smiled and stretched quietly. She
cast a sideways glance at the body laying on the floor. It hadn't moved, and
appeared as though it hadn't moved the entire night. Kasumi furrowed her brow.
Is it dead, she asked herself. She kneeled down next to the pile of stained
armor she had put aside when she tended to his wounds. She ran her hand over
the light chestplate. The rain had washed off a great deal of the mud from the
front of the armor when she had discovered him. There was a dark green circle
in the center of the black armor with calligraphy on it. She couldn't read
it. Perhaps it was Chinese, or Korean? She couldn't tell. Since she had no
expertise in that area, she let it be and put it on the ground again. It was a
good thing it was Sunday. No school, and everyone generally slept in late,
that is, except for the Saotomes.
"Oh my." she said to nobody in particular. Kasumi felt it would be
wise to keep them from sparring to close to the dojo in fear of waking the
"guest." She got up to leave, and took one last look at the body on the
ground. It was still stock still. She could barely even tell it was
breathing. I wonder when he'll wake up, she thought idly to herself.
She was about to open the door when she thought she heard some
movement. Kasumi turned and saw the man's face start to crease as if in pain.
Then suddenly, he sat up rigid with a cry of pain. Kasumi panicked.

<insert standard disclaimer here>
This is a work of fiction meant for the enjoyment of anime and manga fans, not
as a copyright infringement. Please don't sue.

Apologies to those who can't understand the heading or the tags. I'm having
difficulty getting WinVN to let me cut and paste large files...

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She whirled around and shoved the doors of the dojo open and stumbled
outside. She promptly ran into Ranma.
"Ranma! It's awake, and I think it's in a great deal of pain. Please,
try to keep it from hurting anyone. I'll try to wake everyone and see if I can
get Tofu-sensei."
Ranma nodded and turned to go back into the dojo when he heard another
animal cry from the dojo. It sounded inhuman, and it sounded like it was in
agony. He cautiously moved to the door and looked inside. The figure had
shrugged off the blanket that Kasumi had laid over him during the night. The
bandages and dressings she had administered were still on him, but they were a
dark crimson, instead of the clean white of the night before. Whoever he was,
he was curled in the fetal position and had his arms clutching his head as if
in mental pain. He was whimpering quietly.
Ranma quietly opened the dojo doors completely and took a cautious step
inside. The way he could see the muscles twitching visibly under the figure's
skin set off warning bell's in the back of his mind. This one probably knows
how to fight, he thought. Better keep a good distance away from him. Ranma
slowly circled the curled up person and tried to take in the entire situation.
It didn't help him having his father burst in.
"Boy! What's going on! Where's the killer?!" Genma shouted as he
jumped in the dojo.
The figure on the ground suddenly uncurled from his position on the
ground and rolled into a crouching position. There were beads of sweat all
over him. Ranma cursed silently at his father's intrusion. The way it looked
to him, they had completely surrounded the person; Genma in the front at the
dojo entrance, himself behind the mystery man.
Genma was taken aback at the completely wild look in the crouching
figure's eyes.
"Be careful son! He's not all there!" Genma yelled over to Ranma. The
crouching figure's eyes suddenly shot to the side.
Ranma cursed his ill luck again as the figure swiftly turned and leaped
at him arms outstretched. Ranma deftly stepped aside and moved onto the
defensive. Whoever, or whatever the person was, he was fast. Ranma didn't
want to hurt him, but he didn't want to get hurt either. They were both back
to circling each other. Now both were standing, but there was a very offensive
stance to Ranma's opponent.
"Ranma! What's going on?!"
Ranma couldn't believe his luck. First his father ruining everything,
and now Akane busting into the dojo. Things were getting hairy fast; and they
were just about to get worse. Ranma turned his head for a split second to
shout a warning to Akane. The wild-eyed character took the advantage and
moved in to punch Ranma in the gut with lightning speed. Ranma didn't even
have time to think of his next move as a flurry of punches and kicks were
showered all over him. A punch in the stomach. Kick to the knee. Knee in
the stomach. Elbow to his back. Kick to the face. It rained on him faster
than he believed possible. Before he could feel the pain from the first blow,
the next made contact. Suddenly, he was flying backwards towards the yard.
Akane couldn't believe what she had seen. As soon as Ranma had taken
the first punch to his stomach, time slowed down to a crawl. It seemed as
though Ranma couldn't even put up a fight as a man she had never seen before
pummeled him. As soon as Ranma tried to block a blow in one place, another
came at him from another angle. It was worse than when she had seen him fight
Saffron. Then, there he was, flying into the yard.
There was a splash and there Ranma was, in his girl form, wiping a
trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Get outta here you idiot!" Ranma yelled.
The stranger bolted from the open doors of the dojo, flipped neatly
once and landed in front of Ranma. They took to circling each other again.
Akane looked around for Genma.
The coward must have run for it when he had the chance, she thought
grimly. There was a loud 'ki-yaii' and the sounds of fighting again. Akane
turned to see Ranma being beaten again.
Ranma couldn't believe it. This new fighter was fast, and strong to
boot. Everything he was doing was inhuman. Ranma could tell his opponent was
counting the seconds between blinking. He was being timed, and he still
wouldn't avoid it. Blows from every angle rained on him. It was completely
inhuman. Then he felt the same combination of moves coming again, kick to the
side of the knee, elbow to the base of the neck. Ranma anticipated the next
blow, a knee to the face and quickly lifted his head to dodge. The knee flew
past his face and he grabbed it and the ankle and twisted, flipped his opponent
onto the ground. He was weaker in his girl form, but Ranma knew he still had
speed on his side. He quickly put in a barrage of punches at blinding speed,
followed by a kick to the gut. It had its desired effect. He heard his
opponent grunt and choke as he coughed up blood. Ranma wasn't injured badly,
while his enemy had bandages everywhere. It wasn't an advantage Ranma liked to
press, but it was all he had; and it had forced his opponent to one knee,
giving Ranma the upper hand.
The stranger's eyes seemed to flare up and Ranma thought he saw sparks
arc to each. Ranma backed up and put up his best defense. Ranma's opponent
shouted out something Ranma couldn't make out and a bolt of lightning seemed to
appear between the distance separating them. It hit Ranma square in the
stomach, knocking him down. Ranma writhed on the wet ground as he felt the
electricity surge through him. He saw stars flying past him in all directions,
disorienting him. Suddenly he heard Akane's voice.
"Get away from him you monster!"
Ranma wanted to shout something, but nothing came out. He tried
moving, but nothing would work. He watched in shock as he saw Akane running
towards the stranger, ready to fight. She never made it. The strange man had
seen Akane and turned and shouted something again in a strange language. He
pounded the ground with both fists and a cylinder of flame burst from the
ground underneath Akane. She was stopped cold. Akane hit the ground without a
sound, yet completely untouched by the flames.
Ranma finally found the ability to stand and shakily did so. He felt
rage welling up in his heart as he saw Akane lying on the wet ground
unconscious. He wanted to pound this guy into the ground without mercy.
Without stopping until he was a bloody heap in the dirt. He felt his ki
building up into an inferno. He never got to use it.
The stranger suddenly doubled over and began gagging uncontrollably.
There were a few wet noises, and then the vomiting of blood. The mystery
figure crumpled to the ground with a groan. Ranma ran over to Akane's side and
cradled her body in his arms.
"Akane! Oh jeez, wake up, Akane! Akane!" he shouted.
There was a gasp and cough, and then she was blinking her eyes.
"You- you-" Ranma's insult died in his throat. His battle with Saffron
immediately replayed in his mind. "Why did you do that, Akane? You almost
died. Again."
Akane turned her head.
"I'm sorry, Ranma. I just saw you getting hurt and I wanted him to
stop. I wasn't thinking again."
Ranma looked down at Akane and managed a small smile.
"Thanks, Akane."
Akane turned her head in amazement. Ranma had changed in the past few
days, but was he actually showing some appreciation? Akane managed a small
smile in return. Ranma felt a familiar feeling build up in him again. He was
tired and he was exhausted. What the hell, he thought. He kissed her. A
featherlight brush of his lips on hers. Akane eyes opened in shock; yet, it
felt so natural.
"C'mon let's get you inside." he said, breaking the kiss. "We should
see how badly you got hurt." Akane dumbly nodded her head. He kissed me, she
shouted inwards. She exulted silently and allowed herself to be carried
indoors. As she passed the doors to the house, she saw everyone awake and very
stunned. Nodoka gave a knowing wink and a smile.

"I guess she'll be fine. It's as if a great deal of her ki was drained
in the attack. How odd." Dr. Tofu adjusted his glasses. "Akane, you just
rest for a little bit and you should be perfectly fine in an hour or two."
Everyone in the room sighed in relief. Soun Tendo stopped crying. Kasumi was
strangely absent. "As for you Ranma, I wouldn't disturb those bandages. You
suffered some electrical burns. I'm amazing you weren't hurt more seriously,
from the way everyone describes your fight." Dr. Tofu continued.
Ranma groaned. His muscles were sore and stiff and he had a pounding
headache.
"Great. Thanks. Now how am I supposed to enjoy my day off from
school?" Ranma moaned.
"Dr. Tofu, what are you going to do with that strange man over there?
He attacked Ranma and he could've killed him." Akane said.
Dr. Tofu grunted in assent and nodded his head. He looked at the
unconscious figure on the floor of the dojo, deep in thought.
"Well, whoever he is, he's lost a great deal of blood. I don't know if
he's going to be much trouble to you in his injured state."
"Tofu-sensei, he still managed to put up a good fight even though he
was injured." Ranma noted. Dr. Tofu turned to look at Ranma evenly.
"From what I'm told, Ranma, he was beating you quite easily before he
lost consciousness. Moreover, it appears he lost consciousness from his
injuries from last night."
Ranma laughed nervously.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Dr. Tofu looked at the figure once more.
"Perhaps we should ask him for ourselves?"
Everyone turned to look at him in shock.
"Tofu-sensei, are you sure about that? Isn't that a little crazy?"
asked Nabiki.
Dr. Tofu shook his head.
"By hitting the correct point on his body, I can restrain him from
doing any more damage."
Ranma stared at him in disbelief, but nodded dumbly in agreement. Dr.
Tofu looked over the prone figure and poked at a point at the base of the neck.
The stranger automatically twitched, and his eyes shot open. There was the
same wild look in them and his eyes darted from person to person. He emitted a
low growl .
"We aren't here to hurt you," spoke Dr. Tofu calmly. "Calm down,
please. You will accomplish nothing by attempting to hurt others here. Please
do not fight."
"He still looks like a caged animal Tofu-sensei."
Nodoka calmly walked up and kneeled next to the figure stretched out in
front of her.
"This obviously requires a more feminine touch." She turned to the set
of wild eyes in front of her. "Shhh. No one here will hurt you." she
whispered. Every bit of her shouted 'motherly love.' "There now, let your
mind relax, dear. That's it. Let your mind and body relax. There, there..."
she cooed. The wild look in the stranger's eyes died down and he closed his
eyes. His breath came out in a slow 'whoosh.'
"There, you see? That was easy enough. So now what do you do Dr.
Tofu?"
Dr. Tofu pushed up his glasses and shook his head in amazement. There
were still some things medicine wouldn't explain or teach.
"We try to talk to him." he said simply.
Nodoka turned to the figure on his back in front of her. He seemed to
be sleeping peacefully. He actually looked at peace lying there. She hated to
disturb him, but some things needed to be explained.
"Young man, please wake up. We need to speak with you." she said
quietly.
His eyes opened and he turned his head to look at her. He turned and
looked down at his body and then back at Nodoka quizzically. Nodoka turned to
the doctor.
"I believe it is time to allow him to move."
Dr. Tofu was about to object, but the firm look in her eyes told him
there was no other choice. He pressed the appropriate point, and the stranger
was back soon sitting up and slowly moving his arms and kneading sore muscles.
There was a quiet cough, and a few grimaces from him; but it seemed Nodoka's
calming effect on him had worked.
"Now young man," Nodoka continued, "do you speak Japanese?"
The stranger looked at her quizzically again.
"Japanese?" Nodoka questioned slowly.
He raised an eyebrow. He leaned over and pointed to the symbol
embossed on the front of the armor. Dr. Tofu looked over and his face blanched
slightly. Nodoka looked at him, puzzled by his reaction.
"What is it, Tofu-sensei?"
"Saotome-san, that's the Mandarin symbol for doom. I can't believe I
hadn't noticed until now."
Nodoka paled slightly. She turned to look back at the stranger, who
looked at her as if waiting for something. He repeatedly pointed at the
symbol. Everyone looked ill at ease. Suddenly he pointed at the bandages, and
raised his eyebrows. All heads turned to Dr. Tofu.
"Tofu-sensei did that." Nodoka replied, while pointing at Dr. Tofu.
The stranger reoriented himself to sit cross-legged in front of Dr. Tofu. He
pointed at the armor again and then pointed at Dr. Tofu's head.
"I think he's asking if you know what it means." Nabiki kibitzed. Dr.
Tofu nodded. The stranger immediately began speaking, freeflowing phrases
leapt off his tongue. Dr. Tofu was suddenly swamped as he tried to keep up
with the speech. He motioned with his hands to slow down. The stranger bowed
slightly and began again.
"So you speak Mandarin?" he said in Chinese.
Dr. Tofu nodded.
"Do you speak English?" he asked again.
Dr. Tofu shook his head, but turned to the rest of the people in the
room.
"Do any of you speak English fluently?" he asked. Nabiki smirked.
"Fairly well. I have to know it for most of the business transactions
overseas. Does he want to start some small talk?" she asked. Dr. Tofu nodded,
turned to the stranger and pointed to her. The stranger turned as Nabiki
kneeled in front of him.
"So you speak English?" he asked.
"I speak a little English. Not well." Nabiki replied.
"I am very impressed. You speak better than those I know at home.
Your accent is flawless." he said with a small smile. For some reason Nabiki
blushed slightly at the compliment. Nabiki tried to look away for a second,
but found herself looking at the stranger's muscled body. He wasn't built like
Ranma, in fact he was a little more slender than Ranma, but just as defined.
To Nabiki, there wasn't anything but skin and muscle. She noticed that she
could easily see his muscles move beneath his skin. She quickly reoriented her
gaze to his face.
"Thank you."
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Tendo Nabiki." she replied.
"Pleased to meet you, Nabiki. I must ask what language you speak here.
As you can tell, I am a foreigner here."
"This is Japan. I speak Japanese." she slowly responded.
"Then I must ask a favor from you." he said.
"A favor?" she asked.
"I don't speak Japanese. I don't understand it at all. I only know
Mandarin Chinese and English; but I can learn it easily if I can have access to
your mind."
Nabiki reeled. She couldn't understand everything he said since he
said it so fast, but she did make out that he wanted her mind? She shook her
head violently. Everyone in the room became apprehensive. The stranger
chuckled.
"I won't hurt you. I need you to think of the Japanese alphabet and
everything you know of in Japanese."
Nabiki was confused.
"Think in Japanese?" she asked. He nodded.
"Yes." she said. The stranger reached out and opened both hands and
placed outstretched palms on each side of her head. He spoke a few words in a
language she didn't understand. Suddenly her mind was swimming, and she felt
like she was going to lose her balance.
"Now." he said. She responded by first thinking of the Japanese
alphabet and then everything she could think of. Everything from things in the
house to stock market terms. It felt like her mind was thinking of a thousand
things a minute. It started to make her nauseous. It was as if the stranger
knew what she was thinking, because he immediately removed his hands and then
everything was normal again.
"Thank you, Nabiki," the stranger said in perfect Japanese. "I
appreciate your help. Allow me to apologize for this infringement, and any
damage I have caused."
Everyone was stunned.
"You're speaking normally!" exclaimed Ranma.
"Yes, I'm speaking Japanese. Is there something wrong with that?" he
asked. Ranma couldn't think of a reply before the stranger continued.
"If I have caused any serious damage, please allow me to attempt to
repay for those damages. I was not wholly well from my previous battles, and
reacted out of instincts to defend myself. I will perform any service you find
reasonable, as penance for the disruption."
Nodoka smiled.
"He's such a gentleman." she said. She turned to the stranger. "You
have inflicted some harm upon my only son, Ranma. For that, I am angry."
The stranger winced noticeably.
"However," Nodoka continued, "you may atone for these things by first
telling us who you are and why you are here. Second, you must ask for
forgiveness from my son. It is up to him what your punishment will be."
The stranger reached for his armor.
"Perhaps I should begin with this." he said. "I am an Avatar. I am a
warrior chosen to embody particular spiritual ideals or spirits. We call these
particular spirits Ethereals. As you can see from the armor, I represent
particularly unsavory Ethereals. It is difficult to explain, but suffice it to
say that the Chinese symbol of doom is an accurate reflection of what I am
chosen to represent."
Everyone shifted uncomfortably.
"Do not worry," he continued, "I'm harmless, unless provoked into
battle. I truly apologize for my actions before. I was disoriented, and still
believed myself to be captured. I recently followed an enemy during a duel of
honor into your world when he attempted to flee."
"You're from a different world?!" interjected Ranma incredulously.
"Yes. I am from another world from you; and before you jump to
conclusions, allow me to explain everything to you. As I said before, I am a
wandering warrior. I ended up here after a particularly grueling fight with a
rather unsavory fellow by the name of Brutus. It was a duel of honor, and
honor would not be satisfied until one of us died. I'm lucky to have
survived."
"Brutus is dead?" asked Akane quietly. The stranger sighed.
"Yes. I had to kill him before he killed me. Please believe me when I
say I did not enjoy doing it. If I had one wish, it would be to undo every
wrongdoing I have done in my entire life, including having to kill people in
defense of honor."

<insert standard disclaimer here>
This is a work of fiction meant for the enjoyment of anime and manga fans, not
as a copyright infringement. Please don't sue.

Apologies to those who can't understand the heading or the tags. I'm having
difficulty getting WinVN to let me cut and paste large files...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ranma nodded his head in assent. This was a warrior whose conduct he
could understand. The stranger continued.
"After defeating Brutus, I was rendered unconscious by an individual I
did not see. When I awoke, I was in a storage area of some sort. I broke out
of imprisonment and ended here in my attempt to find a source of ki to heal
myself. Apparently this dojo has had some turbulent times since the ki here is
unusually high."
Ranma and Akane nervously coughed.
"It has helped me a great deal. Hopefully, I'll be able to take off
these bandages in an hour or so."
Ranma looked at him skeptically.
"Right. I haven't seen anyone recover from those injuries that fast
before."
The stranger looked at him evenly.
"As I said before, I'm from another world. In your terms, I'm
immortal."
Ranma reeled in shock. Nodoka gasped. Dr. Tofu pushed up his glasses.
"Immortal?!" Nabiki gasped. "You must be lying!"
The stranger shook his head.
"No. I don't age at the same rate you do, and I can't be killed by
conventional weapons as easily as normal people. I can take a lot of punishment
and recuperate at extremely high speeds. That coupled with the spells and
potions that I've learned allow me to keep myself from dying, even when I'm hit
with the worst punishment."
Ranma shook his head. He would have to see it to believe it.
"You know, you still haven't told us your name." Nodoka commented.
"I'm sorry. My name is Chai Tse-Khan. My English speaking friends
prefer to call me simply by Ken. It's easier for them to pronounce." He
turned to Ranma. "And before I forget, I apologize for pummeling you soundly."
Ranma reddened slightly.
"Um... It's nothing I couldn't handle... Um... But you could do my
homework for next week for me! Right! That's your punishment. You gotta do my
homework for the next week. Wait, the next year!" Ranma smiled. This was
turning out to be a better day than expected. He turned and met his mother's
withering gaze.
"Um... How about just for Monday?" he corrected.
"Certainly." Ken replied.
Can't win them all, Ranma thought.
The business at the Nekohanten was brisk as usual. The late lunch rush
there was always the busiest time during the weekends. People would come in to
no end, and Shampoo frequently wished that the people would just stop coming on
weekends. She never had time to visit Ranma when he had the most time
available for dates. She couldn't even get Mousse to work the entire time for
her, and now that he was stuck as Mu-mu-chan for the time being, there was
extra work for her to do. Sometimes she wondered why her great grandmother
didn't just hire extra help.
"Yo! Shampoo!"
The voice of her fiance-by-law stopped her in her steps. She adored
it when he stopped by to get free meals. She didn't even mind that he
freeloaded, as long as she could be with him. She quickly served the people at
the table in front of her and bounded to the front of the restaurant. She
stopped when she saw the entire Tendo household and the entire Saotome family
as well.
"You come with family to eat? I get table for three." she said in her
broken Japanese.
"Um, no, Shampoo. That should be a table for eight."
"You invite Shampoo for dinner! Is that date?" she squealed in
delight. Akane fumed. Ranma quickly noticed and tried to reply, but found
Shampoo clinging to his arm like a lifeline.
"You take Shampoo on date after dinner, yes?" She snuggled closer, and
Ranma felt the temperature of the room raise a few degrees. Was it Akane? Or
was that just him?
"Shampoo? Is that your name?" asked an unfamiliar voice. She looked
up from her grip on Ranma. The unfamiliar face looked down on her. He was
Ranma's height, and dressed in the same wear. The same yellow shirt, the same
blue pants. He was even wearing the same kung-fu style shoes. The only
difference was that his eyes seemed empty, and his hair was cropped short, but
lengthened out towards the front. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't place
the face. She simply nodded in assent to the question.
"Who you?" she shot out suspiciously. She didn't like this guy at all.
"I'm a guest of the Tendo's." he replied.
"His name's Ken." Akane shot out. "He's an excellent fighter."
"Ken here to marry violent girl? You give Ranma to rightful fiancee
now?"
"No, Shampoo-" Akane began. Ken could almost hear her teeth grinding.
He could feel something wrong about Shampoo; but he couldn't place it.
"Miss Shampoo," he interrupted. "I believe Ranma asked for a table for
eight. If you don't mind, I think the people here would appreciate being
seated now." It was a statement. Not anything directly negative, but at the
same time terse and very blunt. Shampoo unwound her arms from around Ranma and
stood up. She muttered an insult in Chinese under her breath.
"I heard that." came a reply in perfect Chinese. She turned around
shocked, and blushed deeply. It was the new person again. He turned to Ranma,
obviously annoyed.
"Perhaps we should go to another restaurant? This one seems to be
busy." he said. Shampoo's spirits dropped instantly. It didn't help that
Akane agreed a little too eagerly.
"Ken's right, Ranma. The Nekohanten is rather busy. Let's go
somewhere else."
"But-"
"I think it'd be a good idea to leave now." she interrupted, before
Ranma could object. Akane was ticked, and she wanted to leave before the
Amazon could insult her further with her blatantly obvious attraction to Ranma.
"Great granddaughter. Apologize to the customers immediately. Do you
wish to put forth such an improper image before your future husband?"
Everyone's eyes moved to Cologne as she pogoed up behind her. Shampoo
cast her eyes downward.
"Shampoo sorry."
"Apologize to the Chinese customer."
Ken waved a hand.
"Please, don't worry yourself." he smiled. "It was nothing. I can
understand her annoyance. I apologize for putting forth such a bad image as a
guest in your gracious establishment." Ken said in Mandarin.
Cologne raised an eyebrow, and smiled.
"You speak the mother tongue well." she replied in Chinese.
"Not as well as my elders. I am still learning how to speak properly."
Ken smoothly replied, and gave a short bow. Cologne chuckled and moved back to
the kitchen.
"Show them their seats, Shampoo. They are honored guests, of course."
she called over her shoulder. Shampoo forced a smile and led them to a large
table in the rear.
"You sit closest to kitchen. Get food faster." Shampoo said in
Japanese. "Shampoo wait on Ranma all by self." Akane glared at her.
"That won't be necessary Shampoo." she said through gritted teeth.
Shampoo smiled deviously.
"You no trust Shampoo? This public restaurant. You think Shampoo try
to scare customers?" she replied snidely.
"Excuse me, I'm sure it's none of my business, but are you one of
Ranma's self-proclaimed fiancees? Akane told me all about you and the others."
Ken said in Mandarin, once again. Shampoo glared at him.
"You don't need to know. Why should I tell a foreigner such as
yourself? You are a guest here and are in no position to ask questions." she
shot back in Chinese.
"I'm sure I'm not, but I am entitled to asking for much better service.
I don't think any of the people in our dining party appreciates tardy service."
Ken replied coldly. The waitress, Shampoo, was obviously attractive; but she
lacked tact and manners in his opinion. It was clear to Ken that she was
raised a warrior, and was meant to be nothing else. She reminded him of some
of the others he had met that were as crass and outspoken as her. They made
their intentions clear. Why bother hiding such things when you could always
outfight them if things went wrong? Ken frowned. He had a bad feeling about
this person, and the old woman; but he couldn't put his finger on it. He could
barely remember details of his fight with Brutus, let alone faces and places he
had seen when he finally regained his senses in the Tendo dojo.
"You dare say that to an accomplished Amazon warrior?" Her voice was
cold.
"No. I'm saying that to a waitress who's job it is to serve us." he
said flatly. Shampoo was on the verge of bursting; but she didn't want to
scare off the rest of the customers. People were already beginning to look and
stare, including the entire Tendo and Saotome family. Shampoo realized that it
wouldn't behoove her to act as she was in front of her future mother in-law.
"If that is a challenge, then meet me here tonight, and we will see if
you dare say things foolishly to an Amazon. Meet me in the back alley, and I'll
send you home with your tail between your legs like the dog you are."
"If that's what you want." Ken replied impassively.
Shampoo turned and went into the kitchen in a huff. Akane noticed
Shampoo's obvious distaste for the new guest in her house. She immediately
realized she was about to make a new friend. She turned to him with a smile.
"So did you challenge her to a fight?" Akane asked eagerly. Ken looked
shocked.
"What are you talking about?" he asked defensively.
"Oh come on! I could understand that tone of voice completely. She's
challenging you in some way. She's done that to me too. I guess I could hear
it in her voice." she explained.
"Yeah, she did challenge me. I couldn't very well back down, so I
accepted." he replied in a resigned voice. Akane nudged him gently.
"Don't worry about it. She challenges everybody."
"Yes, but I don't like to fight unless it's someone I know I can
eliminate without any moral qualms." Akane blanched at the statement. Ken
noticed the slight shift in her face and the uncomfortable movement at the
table. "I apologize. I didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable. I will not
be a threat to your safety. I am in your debt for your kindness and
hospitality. My sword and service are at your request.
"Please allow me to explain myself. I am a warrior that has recently
been disavowed from my clan. I was shamed in front of a great audience of
people. I am not allowed to challenge any person in a duel of honor, or mortal
combat for power. I am not allowed that luxury. I must only accept
challenges; even if it comes from people that know they can destroy me easily.
Fortunately, when I was disavowed, it was immediately after my brother and I
swore an oath to protect one another." Ken's eyes glazed over as he continued.
"We had fought together to eliminate the dog that executed my parents in front
of my eyes. We hated him so much. I could feel my brother's rage despite his
normal shield of patience and complacency. I'd never seen him so filled with
negative emotions. I tried to take on the burden of the guilt myself to
alleviate his pain. When we destroyed that worthless dog, I did not wait for
him when he yielded, when he begged for his life." he said with fire in his
eyes. They suddenly dimmed. "I simply smote him where he was without a second
thought, even though I should have shown mercy when he begged so dishonorably."
he whispered apologetically.
The hand on his shoulder brought him out his sad reverie. He looked to
the side, and saw Akane and Ranma past her looking at him with concern.
"Hey, I'm sorry, man. I know how it feels when you think your family's
gone." Ranma replied.
"My mother died when I was young. I know it doesn't come close to what
you lived through; but I know how bad it must be for you to not have your
parents around." Akane said. Ken felt a single tear run down the side of his
face. He hastily wiped it away with the back of his hand. He quickly forced a
smile.
"Hey, I'm not here to ruin a nice evening. You should have stopped me.
I tend to start talking and then never stop." he said with a laugh. The
atmosphere of the table lightened as Akane and Ranma joined in with a chuckle.
It was then that Shampoo came out of the kitchen.
"Shampoo and great grandmother make extra special dinner for special
guests. No need to wait for menu!" she said cheerily. She whirled large bowls
of dumplings and soup to everyone at the table without spilling a drop. Ken
sat and watched as everyone savored the smell of the soup in front of them. He
noticed that there wasn't a bowl in front of him. Ranma noticed as well.
"Hey, why don't you take mine. I can wait." he said. Nodoka smiled
and nodded at the generous gesture. Akane looked stunned.
"Ranma! You're giving up your food!" she exclaimed. He shot her a
dirty look.
"Hey! I can be a nice guy just like anyone else!" he shot back. Akane
was about to bark an insult in reply, but Ken cut them off quickly.
"No, that's fine. I'm not that hungry anyway. If you'll excuse me for
a moment." he trailed as he stood up from his seat. Kasumi looked up from her
bowl as he left.
"He looks so sad." Ranma nodded in assent.
"Even Shampoo doesn't act like that unless she really hates them, or
somethin'." Ranma said. Akane nodded her head.
"She didn't even serve him something to eat." Genma said. Everyone at
the table looked at him. "Hey, it's true!" he said sheepishly. Ranma sighed.
"You know, somethin' just wasn't right the minute we stepped in here."
It was like some fuse got lit." Ranma muttered.
"Hey! She started it!" Akane objected. Ranma shook his head.
"That's not what I meant. It's like Shampoo's got something against
Ken, but she isn't sayin' what."
Ken wandered down the hall. He should have asked for directions to the
restroom, but he didn't feel like interrupting anyone. He could tell the
Tendos were trying to be nice, as were the Saotomes; but he didn't want to
intrude. Ken wanted to apologize for everything and leave, but where would he
go? As a disavowed Avatar, he wasn't going to be going anywhere fast. He'd
been forsaken of his only means of transportation, the clan Oracle. So much
for being the chosen champion of the Oracle, he thought. She rejected me and
told me she never wanted to see me again. I can't even find Long-tzu, he
mused. He'd tried reaching out to find the ki pattern that matched his sword,
but his mental fatigue was too much at the time. Since he was in the
restaurant, there'd been a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. Now he
was feeling ill, couldn't find his only possession of worth, and stuck with no
means of going home. He snorted derisively.
"Whatever home is." he muttered bitterly to himself. The short hallway
he had taken before the door to the kitchen was odd. It went nowhere, but he
did hear quacking in a room to his left. He looked around and opened the door
quietly when he saw nobody else around. It was a storage room. A very
familiar storage room. A large set of crates had been moved against a hastily
bricked closed concrete wall. A cage with a duck with glasses sat in front of
them. Two small empty dishes were in front of the cage. The duck started
quacking incessantly when he entered. Ken quickly closed the door.
"Hey, pipe down! Nobody knows I'm here and I don't know where I'm
going." Ken whispered.
The duck instantly shut up.
"Hey! You can understand me?"
The duck nodded.
"So what is it you want? More food and water?"
The duck shook its head violently. It pointed to the bars and the
lock.
"You want out?"
The duck nodded his head violently. Ken shrugged his shoulders. A
Mandarin duck that understood Japanese wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen.
"I don't know. Even if you are intelligent, I don't think it'd be wise
for me to get in trouble. Especially with the Saotomes and the Tendos here."
The duck went ballistic. Ken thought it best to open the cage before
getting into serious trouble. The duck instantly began jumping up and down,
flapping its wings violently.
"Cooped up there that long?" Ken asked. The duck quickly ran to the
door and began pointing to it.
"Hey, before I open the door, you mind telling me where the bathroom
is?" Ken asked sheepishly. The duck nodded and pointed to the door again. Ken
shrugged.
"Okay. If that's what it takes."
The duck motioned for him to follow. Ken walked after the duck as it
went to the end of the hall and took a right down some stairs Ken had managed
to not see. At the bottom of the stairs, the duck went straight into a
bathroom to the left and closed the door. Ken stopped and was about to knock
when he heard a faucet run. Then he heard footsteps and a towel being used.
The door opened to reveal a thin man with long black hair and glasses.
"Saotome Ranma! You must not take any present from Shampoo!" he
shouted.
"Excuse me, but I'm not Ranma. Are you a friend of his?" Ken asked.
The man adjusted his glasses and peered at Ken intently.
"Hey! You're the guy that Shampoo decked to the ground!"
Ken grimaced.
"Just who are you? Why do you know Shampoo?"
"I'm Mousse. Shampoo's fiance." the man replied.
Now what is this about Shampoo hitting me before?"
Mousse shook his head.
"You can't remember? You really must have been hurt pretty bad to not
remember. I guess she hit your head pretty hard." Mousse pondered. "Look, I
have to go and get some clothes before I warn Ranma about Shampoo's plans." he
said.
"Wait, if you know who I am, then where's my sword? Do you have it?"
Mousse looked at Ken for a second before grabbing his arm.
"Come with me. Let me get dressed before anything bad happens."
Ken looked dubious.
"Just how can this evening get any worse? Your fiancee just challenged
me to a match and I'm going to have to kill her if it's a duel of honor."
Mousse instantly paled.
"What?!" he shouted.
"Look, calm down." Ken said. Mousse looked livid. "If you can get her
to retract the challenge, I won't do anything."
Mousse dragged Ken back up the stairs to another room. After running
in and dressing in his usual attire, Mousse grabbed Ken and dragged him past
the surprised Saotomes and Tendos into the kitchen.
"So I see you have been freed by the newcomer, Mousse."
"Cologne, make Shampoo retract her challenge to this man." Mousse said
emphatically. Cologne turned to face Ken.
"I will persuade Shampoo to retract her duel, but only if you are ready
to exchange information about two pieces of jewelry your companion gave us."
Cologne said evenly. Ken's mind reeled. Companion, he thought, she must mean
Brutus. What could Brutus have given them?
"Let me see what you are talking about; and while you're at it, give me
back my sword." Ken replied flatly. Cologne nodded her head.
"Mousse fetch him his sword and the jewels from my room."
Mousse nodded and left, only to return with the sword. Ken was quick
to take it from him.
"The circlet and wristband are gone." he said in a panicked voice.
Cologne shook her head.
"Shampoo must have them. She must be trying to find an excuse to put
them on Ranma."
Mousse paled.
"What if she gets hurt! I saw this man fighting with his sword." he
turned to look at Ken. "Shampoo may get hurt grievously."
Ken turned to the door.
"Well, if you don't have anything to show me, I'll be heading back to
the table. However, I will warn you that if you did obtain something from
Brutus, the man I was fighting, it will bring you nothing but misery and chaos.
I will guarantee you that. As for your friend, Shampoo. I'll try to keep from
harming her." he called over his shoulder. When he left the kitchen he could
see everyone eagerly tucking into their food. Rice and exotic dishes were
crammed onto the Lazy Susan in the middle of the table. Even Akane was eagerly
munching away at her food. When he appeared by the table Ranma looked up at
him sheepishly.
"Uh, sorry 'bout this. Everyone was kinda hungry, and we didn't think
you'd mind." he said through a mouth full of food. Ranma looked at the sword
Ken had in his hand, nodded appreciatively and swallowed. "Nice piece of work
there."
"Thank you. It was a gift."
Ken smiled and took his seat, looking around at the people around him.
It felt like family. Ken grimaced inwardly. Family, he thought.
"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Akane asked.
Ken nodded.
"Of course. This looks wonderful." he said. Ken looked around for an
extra bowl and chopsticks as everyone resumed eating the sumptuous meal. There
wasn't any.
"I'm really sorry about that. I don't know what happened. Shampoo
really must have been out of her mind." Ranma said apologetically.
"That's fine. I'm sure you and your families had good intentions. I'm
very grateful to your inviting me to eat with you, even though I was
disrespectful in attacking you this morning." Ken replied as apologetically.
"Would you two stop it? You're so depressing!" Akane said with a
laugh.
Ranma smiled broadly.
"You know, Akane's right. We do sound pretty sad." agreed Ranma. His
face lit up as the three of them walked alone down the street. "How about we
hit Ucchan's restaurant?"
Akane snorted derisively. Ken raised an eyebrow. Ranma had explained
his entire life's story with more than a little help from Akane when he sat by
the koi pond in the Tendo's yard. It sounded bizarre, but Ken could understand
considering what Ranma called normal. It was enough to share some laughs
about, but in the end it sounded like Ranma led as hectic and twisted a
lifestyle as he did. It was something that had sparked an instant camaraderie.
"You mean your other fiancee's restaurant?" he asked. Akane grumbled
something that sounded like a "yes."
"You know Ranma, we don't have to get anything to eat on my account. I
wasn't very hungry." Ken said. Ranma waved a hand.
"Don't worry. It's free."
Akane glared at Ranma. Ranma put up his hands defensively.
"Hey! I'm just tryin' to show my new buddy all of my friends. Nothin'
more!"
"And get some more food out of it?" Ken asked expectantly. Ranma
sheepishly grinned.
"Yeah, that too." he said.
"Well, if you really want to go there, I suppose it's fine with me.
I'd like to meet her; but what about Akane? I don't think she really wants to
go." To that Akane nodded her head, rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated
breath. Ranma looked a bit crestfallen.
"C'mon Akane! It won't take that long! I'll just introduce them and
then we'll go. How about that? No free food."
Akane smirked.
"Sure. I'll believe that when I see it. Fine, Ranma. Go ahead." she
said in a resigned voice. Ken put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll make sure to keep him out of trouble, ne?" he said, and gave a
mischievous wink to her. Akane smiled. Ranma gave a thumbs up, and the three
of them headed to the okonomiyaki restaurant.
When the three of them reached her restaurant, Ukyou was beginning the
process of shutting down. When she caught sight of Ranma, she broke into a
bright smile and waved her hand to greet them.
"Ran-chan! What are you doing here now? Come here to help me close
up?" she asked jovially. She looked over to the man she didn't recognize. He
was a little taller than Ranma, and a little thinner. He was wearing some of
Ranma's clothes, and they seemed a little baggy on him. She could see clear
muscle definition on his arms, yet he carried himself with a shy, yet confident
attitude. Nothing as outgoing as Ranma, but nothing as depressing as
Gosunkugi. "Who's your new friend?" she asked as she pointed a thumb over to
Ken.
"My name is Chai Tse-Khan. Everyone just calls me Ken. It's a
pleasure and an honor to meet you Ukyou. Ranma speaks very highly of you." Ken
replied smoothly. Ukyou blushed slightly and gave a friendly punch to Ranma's
arm.
"Ran-chan! You shouldn't have." she said. Ranma pulled on his collar
as Akane glared at him. "It's really nice to meet you too, Ken. You don't
need to act so formal around me. Just treat me like one of the guys."
Ken nodded with a smile. This one was very different from Shampoo. He
took an instant liking to her. Ukyou opened the door and pulled in a short
sidewalk display. She waved her arm into the restaurant.
"Why don't you guys come in and take a load off your feet." she
offered. Ranma entered as if nothing were the matter. Akane followed half-
heartedly, and Ken after her. Ukyou closed the door after them.
"So why are you here, Ken?" Ukyou asked.
"Business." Ken replied a little too quickly. Ukyou arched an eyebrow.
Ken felt a little embarrassed and looked the other way to survey the
restaurant. "Uh, do you need help cleaning up. I'd be happy to help."
"No that's okay. I can handle it myself. Thanks for offering though."
she replied cheerily.
Ranma was about to say something, but Akane quickly cut him off.
"Ukyou's a little busy closing up, so why don't we head back? Wouldn't
want to be a bother!" she suggested. Ken's eyes went wide.
"Closing! The Nekohanten's probably closing now. I need to go." he
said hastily and made for the door. Akane looked surprised.
"What are you talking about, Ken?" she asked. Ukyou looked surprised
as well.
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Ukyou turned to look at Ranma who
merely shrugged and looked back at Ken.
"Shampoo challenged me to a fight. I have to meet her at the
Nekohanten. I have to leave, or she'll think I'm backing out." he called over
his shoulder as he walked briskly out into the street. The sun was almost past
the horizon and the sky was starting to dim into a light blue-grey. He turned
when he heard footsteps behind him. It was Ranma, followed by Ukyou and Akane.
"Hey, wait up!" Ranma called. Ken stopped and waited for them to catch
up to him.
"What about closing the restaurant? And don't you need to get home
Akane?" he asked them. Akane shook her head and Ukyou smiled.
"I don't really need to close the shop right away, and I'm guessing
Akane wants to see this as much as I do. Are you any good with that sword
you've got strapped to your back?" Ukyou asked. Ken shrugged.
"I don't know. I've never had to really judge or compare my skill to
anyone. I'm good enough to keep myself alive. I guess that's all that
matters." he said as he looked to the skyline. He shrugged again and walked
back towards the Nekohanten. Ukyou looked over to Ranma questioningly.
"I'll have to explain this to you later, Ucchan. It's pretty weird,
even considering what we've been through."
When Ken found his way back to the Nekohanten, the sky was still a
blue-grey, but streetlights were on. He saw Shampoo waiting in front of the
Nekohanten with a set of bonbori. She had an angry expression on her face.
Ken could make out Mousse standing next to Cologne in the doorway of the
restaurant.
"So you finally made it back. I had assumed you were running." Shampoo
said mockingly in Chinese.
"I'm not familiar with these surroundings. It took me some time to get
back."
"What about Ranma and those two girls? I'm sure they could have helped
you."
"I felt it would be best to try to find my own way since I'm going to
be staying here for a while."
Shampoo grimaced at his last comment.
"Are you ready to be beaten?" she asked. Ken took the scabbard and
sword from his back. He pulled out his katana in a fluid motion. Droplets of
blood hit the ground. Ken grimaced. It wasn't a good sign. All eyes suddenly
turned on him.
"Uh, Ken, wh-what's that?" Ranma asked shakily.
"Blood, Ranma. Whenever I draw out the Long-tzu, it pulls water or
blood. Water is a sign of good fortune, blood is a sign of bad things to
come." he said softly in Japanese. He looked over to Ukyou as she stood next
to Ranma and Akane. A sad look passed into his eyes as he gazed at her.
Ranma looked at Ken and then to Shampoo. He was about to say
something, but Ken beat him to it.
"Shampoo, I don't want to fight you if it means I must kill you." he
said in Chinese. "If this is a duel of honor, then yield now. Please." He
turned to face her, his sword in a ready position.
Shampoo shook her head.
"Tonight I will show everyone the dog you are." she replied coldly.
Then it started.
Shampoo was running at him at full force. She wanted blood. Ken could
see it in her eyes. He had to end it fast. Ken stood his ground and blocked
the oncoming flurry of bonbori with the scabbard and hilt of his sword.
Shampoo was surprised that Ken had blocked so easily, but didn't have time to
think. She suddenly felt her feet go out from under her as she fell to the
ground. She saw Ken smoothly flip backwards three times. She was about to get
up, but then she saw Ken's eyes glowing unnaturally. Suddenly, she felt a wave
of bitter cold wash over her. She froze.
Ken finally had his opening. The Amazon was sloppy and put all of her
effort into the attack. He simply blocked everything, waited for her to blink,
and then swept her feet out from under her. Three flips away from her gave him
the position he needed to perform Ki Uchi. Ken twirled his sword from a proper
grip to an inverted grip, pointing the tip downwards. He stared intensely at
Shampoo and concentrated on his feelings. Feelings of hate and anger poured
through his mind, and he concentrated on them. He built his rage and let it
well up in him. As his eyes burned themselves into Shampoo's, he could feel
power generating in his chest and flowing into his sword. A spark arced from
his knuckle to the blade of the sword. One word passed through his mind: hate.
He hated people that acted the way she acted.
I'll show everyone the dog you are, she had said.
Honorless barbarian, she'd called him at the doors of the restaurant.
Then things took control of themselves. Ken let the power flow
rampantly, uncontrolled, and raw. It flowed through the sword and arced to the
ground. As Ken felt his tenuous control on his rampant anger slip away, he
heard a voice in the back of his head. A cold, haunting familiar voice.
Destroy her now, Avatar, it said flatly. Strike!
Ken thrust the sword into the ground with a cry of fury. He could
imagine the shockwave. He wanted it to strike Shampoo down without mercy; but
as he thought that last thought, he regained control of his feelings. He
didn't want to hurt Shampoo. It wasn't the solution. It only prolonged the
problem. He saw the burst of energy come up from Shampoo enveloping her in a
fury of bright blue light. Then he saw her go limp and lay sprawled out on the
street. Mousse immediately ran to her side, crying her name.
Ken stood up and sighed. He pulled his sword out of the ground and
gave it a forceful flick of his wrist. He sheathed the sword, and turned his
eyes away.
"I'm sorry Mousse. I didn't want to hurt her. The Ki Uchi should have
only drained her of her ki. Please don't follow in her footsteps. I'm tired
of fighting, and I don't want to hurt anyone any more." Ken said in a tired
voice. He turned and walked away, his head turned away. Ukyou thought she saw
his eyes watering..
"Ranma, "she asked, "I think you better tell me all about this."