|
Author of 6 Stories |
Disclaimer: To diclaim or not to disclaim that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of lawsuits…..Oh yeah lawsuits….Well I don’t own any of this and Shakespeare is spinning in his grave…
Late in the night Ranma was trying to sneak into the Neko-Hanten. The main problem with this goal was the fact that she was currently embedded in a wall. She glanced at the elderly Amazon Matriarch who had sent her there and immediately pulled herself out and defended herself against a second onslaught, this time she came out ahead of the deal and sent Cologne flying into a set of pots and pans that had been hung in the kitchen. The resounding racket and the continuation of the battle basically made the idea of sneaking rather moot.
Cologne came at Ranma again and as she blocked and dodged the new attack she said, “Come on ya got to know it’s me by now…”
Ranma missed a block and was sent flying. This time she used the wall as a rebound and came right back to the battle. “Of course I do. In fact I knew it was you about a block before you entered.”
“What!” A wooden staff came at Ranma’s head and she turned it aside despite her surprise. “If you knew it was me then why did you attack?”
A large grin came to Cologne’s face as she attacked again and said, “Training, plus I think you have set your tribe sister on the wrong path.”
Ranma evaded the staff again and sent a punch into Cologne’s side and said, “Oh come on I tried to talk her out of this whole thing, but when she insisted I said I would help. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
Cologne’s side stung and she was now on the defensive against Ranma as the red-haired tapped directly into her feline traits and the power of the Neko-Ken. She knew that she was going to lose this round and jumped backwards saying, “Enough!”
Ranma stopped her attacks and Cologne looked at the girl. Her vibrant chi resonated in the room with an animalistic feel to it. The elder then said, “You are right you should help your sister Amazon, but you should also help them avoid trouble. Tell me why did you not just tell Shampoo that Ranma was not interested in this new teacher?”
Cologne’s gaze pierced Ranma and she knew she had to be truthful. “In all honesty I was going to say that, but then I decided not to for two reasons. The first because I still want some revenge against Saotome and the second because I did not think Shampoo would believe me.”
Cologne sighed and said, “You are probably right about your second point daughter, but it is the first point that concerns me.”
“I can not help what I feel in this situation. My instincts, my emotions and often my own logic tell me that I should not like him for what he has done to me and taken from me.”
Chi coalesced visibly around Ranma and her claws became visible as she finished speaking.
“I understand young one truly I do and yet you have become my daughter and an Amazon. I ask that you respect that and help us to gain the male Ranma, not lose him.”
Ranma growled and said, “Help him gain my mates! How can I allow him to have what should be mine?”
“Mates?” Cologne questioned.
Ranma shook her head and tried to contain herself. The powerful chi in the room slowly dissipated as she muttered, “I can’t have them” followed by “He will be punished” again and again.
In that moment Cologne realized the extent of Ranma’s problem. “Young one you are fully male in mind and spirit aren’t you?”
There was deep silence in the room as Ranma slowly finished calming her own emotions and nodded her head. “Yes, it is true.”
The words hung in the air for a few moments until the silence was broken by the sound of the upstairs door shattering. Two figures raced into the room and the purple haired one said, “Aiyah! Great-grandmother are you okay? Mousse and Shampoo try to open door, but it not budge until we hit very, very hard.”
At the same time Mousse was saying, “Stay back Shampoo I’ll protect you.” He threw a spiked chain at Ranma and it was shredded by her claws.
Ranma hardly noticed shredding the chains, but was in an attack stance and ready to pounce when Shampoo just hit Mousse on the head sending him into slumber. “Stupid Mousse, I no need protecting.”
“I am fine granddaughter; I just wanted a moment alone with your tribe sister. Please take Mousse upstairs and we will all speak in a few minutes.”
Shampoo dragged Mousse’s body behind her and went up stairs without much care at all. The thumping of his head against stairs could be heard in the distance as Cologne looked at Ranma and said, “Now where were we?”
Ranma had fully calmed down and just shrugged. “You were tryin’ to convince me not to take revenge on Saotome.”
Cologne looked at Ranma’s wild chi as it swirled around the girl and said, “Yes I was doing that, but the fact that you have a male spirit and male chi makes that task much harder doesn’t it?”
Ranma had calmed down somewhat earlier, but he could feel his instincts starting to rise again. The emotions wanting revenge even as her logical mind knew that it would be empty that it would always be empty. She voiced these thoughts by saying, “Look, I know that anything I do will be empty. I know it in my head, but my head isn’t the only thing I have to deal with here. I’m a cat or at least part of me is and that part of me wants blood. I just, just don’t know what to do and I need to do something to fix this.”
Ranma sighed and said, “The only thing I’ve been able to do so far is simple. I feel better when I think about making his life hell. I can punish him like that and not hurt him. I can do something that doesn’t shed blood and when I think about doing that I don’t feel as angry or depressed. Especially when I think about Nabiki and all the money we can make off of him.”
Cologne stared at Ranma with insight and said, “Money?”
“Ah darn it. I’m still not that good at this.” Ranma groused, “Yeah, I stand to make good money if Saotome doesn’t win his second match against Hinako tomorrow.”
Cologne queried, “You think you can make son-in-law lose two times in a row against this person?”
“Eh, not exactly. I was thinking Shampoo could beat Hinako and that would just mean that Ranma didn’t win.”
“Devious indeed and perhaps as an added bonus Shampoo will seem to be a better martial artist, perhaps provoking young Ranma’s interest?”
Anger flashed on Ranma’s face for a moment then it was gone. “I didn’t think of that.”
“No I suppose you didn’t. Come we will go speak with my granddaughter and tell her all about these pressure points she must press and strategies for the battle.”
Ranma walked up the stairs with Cologne wondering how the ancient Amazon knew about the pressure points. When they reached the top of the stairs they entered Shampoo’s room and Cologne began to explain. “A long time ago a young man came to our village. He was a martial artist, but he was also a pervert and a thief. He stole many items from our tribe including an ancient scroll detailing advanced secrets of Dim Mak. Despite the abhorrence for what the Japanese call the Death Touch. These points were never really used to harm, but instead they were meant to heal.”
Ranma mumbled, “Yeah, but I bet the old freak didn’t use them that way right.”
“Yes you are correct Happosai did not use the techniques he stole in an appropriate manner. The chi drain ability is normally given to young children who do not have a strong constitution it will help aid in their healing process. This technique should be removed after the child gets better or it could have profound effects on them as they age. I suspect that this is what has happened to Hinako.”
Shampoo jumped in the conversation saying, “Aiyha! Pervert man do very bad thing just like sister Ranma say. We need to help teacher.”
“I’m afraid it won’t be so easy granddaughter. Hinako will not willingly give up her abilities especially not after all this time, but you can indeed help her by reversing the damage that has been done.”
“How we do that Grandmother?”
Cologne scratched her head and said, “Well the book listed many cures, but the only one I remember correctly was six pressure points; three on the chest and three on the back that need to be pressed at the same time. Depending on her age you will need to repeat the process once a day for every day that she has spent a year with this problem.”
Both young people gasped and in unison they said, “Every day?”
Then Ranma added, “That could take what? At least a month?” Another thought came to Ranma’s mind as she said, “Wait you said there were many cures. What are the others?”
“I don’t remember. I am hundreds of years old and this happened a long time ago. Perhaps I didn’t read them, either way this is the only way I know of at this time.”
Ranma seemed glum, “That means my original plan for Shampoo to defeat Hinako won’t work will it?”
“Ah, but it will daughter. At least it will work for the short term. Shampoo will defeat Hinako and give her the treatment and you will make your profit. However without continual treatments young Hinako will not get better.”
Shampoo butted in and with a predatory smile she said, “Is no problem I beat her again and again and she be better.”
Both Cologne looked directly at Shampoo as the ancient Amazon said, “Oh and how will you do that.”
Ranma was also confused as she said, “Look tomorrow I can see, but the day after and more days beside. No offense Shampoo, but I don’t see how you can beat Saotome at this so many times in a row.”
“Silly female Ranma you know answer already if you have memories of past times. I can use technique that will make Hinako easily vulnerable to my attack and she forget all about any evil designs on male Ranma.”
Ranma thought about it and then it came to her as she said, “Xi Fa Xiang Gao!”
Shampoo smiled as she said “Exactly!”
Cologne and Ranma both seemed unhappy with the idea when Cologne said, “That technique is unnecessary in this situation.”
Shampoo pouted and said, “But how we defeat evil teacher and make her take treatment every day?”
“The answer lies in the book of Dim Mak stolen so many years ago.”
Comprehension appeared in Ranma’s eyes as she said, “Right the old freak has the book and so we track him down and get it from him.”
Cologne shook her head and said, “Not ‘we’ daughter ‘you’. You will get it from him while Shampoo is fighting Hinako. Since he is the one who taught the points to son in-law I doubt that he will be far from his entertainment.”
Ranma grinned with pride as she said, “You think I can take the old freak?”
Cologne looked inscrutable as she said, “I think you have the best chance of getting him to give us what we want.”
“Now, it is already very late, so I will show Shampoo the pressure point technique and you will go home and get some rest daughter. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.”
Ranma started to leave and then stopped herself and pulled out a sheet of paper. She stammered and then said, “Hey, old gh…er...mother, I need one more favor from you.”
Cologne smiled at Ranma’s first verbal use of the name and smiled. She is accepting her role or is it just this favor? If she can truly accept her new Amazon status and we can get her out of this magical contract then she will become exactly what we need and the Musk and Phoenix nations will tremble. Colognetook the paper and said, “Oh what is it?”
“Could you look that over and tell me what you think? I’m going to give a copy to Nabiki as well.”
Cologne unfolded the paper and said, “Ah the Contract, but this one is for a person named Neherenia is it not?”
“It’s a copy anyway. I made two and both you and Nabiki are getting one. Even though I didn’t have the one that was specifically for me, I figured that the two would be similar and for some reason I can’t remember what was on the one I signed.”
Cologne corrected, “You mean you aren’t being allowed to remember right?”
Ranma was amazed and said, “How can you know that?”
“I know a thing or two about Magic young Ranma you should know that by now.”
Ranma recalled the rite of Artemis and more and said, “Right I should. Well I gotta’ go. See you tomorrow.”
The two Amazons waved and Ranma left. She walked into the night air and embraced her change into Sailor Angerona. She sped towards her apartment and made it back in a short amount of time. Once there she transformed back into her civilian guise and thought to herself, Alright old letch you and me tomorrow for the book and for my right to use the Anything goes style. She touched her black baseball cap and felt the trickle of Nemesis power from it. I’ll keep this is reserve.
With that final thought the young red haired girl went to sleep.
As she sat in class trying to puzzle through the Meji Restoration and its fallout, she sighed to herself and decided that she was at least somewhat happy with the fact that none of her other classes had engendered instant and painful contact with her subconscious mind. It seemed vastly preferable to sit and be bored while learning about something than to have some of the same thing painfully recalled from the recesses of her brain.
The class continued and Ranma listened closely as he heard about the end of the Meiji revolution and the Samurai losing their rank and their privileges. She smiled at that and thought to, To hear Kunou talk you’d think the Meji era never happened. He’s lost in a dream where Samurai have all the rights and privileges they used to have and we ‘commoners’ are beneath them. I wonder what it would have been like. As Ranma was mulling that thought over the class finished and the lunch bell rang. Ranma looked up and left her thoughts about the Meji era far behind as she quickly grabbed lunch. She was about to head towards Furinkan when she was grabbed by Kaede who said, “Ranma aren’t you going to sit with us today?”
Ranma glanced at the black haired gymnastics club captain and the rest of her new teammates and said, “I would, but I have to be at Furinkan High soon.”
Kaede exclaimed, “Oh no!”
“What’s the problem?”
“We were hoping you’d come with us and check out the Hino shrine later today. Rumor has it that they might be starting martial arts classes. We were hoping that we could get in on the ground floor and add that to our training regimen too.”
“You guys go; I doubt that it would be anything near what my level is.”
The rest of her team had gathered behind Kaede and Aiko the bleached blonde girl said, “That’s just it. We want you to come and tell us if it’s worth our while?”
Ranma said, “What time do you guys need me?”
“I have Calligraphy” and the rest of the team mentioned various other clubs that they were in and so Ranma said, “Okay how about after those are over?”
Everyone looked at Ranma and Kaede fiddled with her long black hair as she said, “You sure you can make it there on time?”
Ranma scoffed and said, “No problem I’ll be there okay?”
The team nodded and Ranma said, “Alright I’ll see you at the shrine.” Ranma jumped over the school wall and then hopped onto a roof. From there she started jumping from roof to roof towards the Nerima district. The gymnastics team watched her go and Kaede voiced their thoughts, “Man I wish I could do that.”
Aiko responded by saying, “With Ranma helping us and those classes at the shrine maybe we will someday.”
Hinako saw the attack and pulled out a small yen coin to drain the girls, but Ukyou knocked it away with her spatula. Hinako jumped up on the basketball hoop and taunted the three girls. Ukyou and Kodachi fell for it, but Shampoo stayed back.
Ranma Saotome was up again and he was yelling, “Stop don’t get close to her!”
Neither girl listened. With the yell, “Basketball hoop satsu!” Hinako drained them both. Ranma ran in to attack and was flung away as Hinako yelled out, “The Eight Treasures Change Return” and blasted him.
Ranma-neko watched her male counterpart get flung out a window and then she saw a small figure detach itself from a shadow and follow him. She said, “Gotcha you old letch and went towards where Ranma had been flung.
Once there she saw Happosai giving Ranma some encouragement and the pig-tailed boy. She stepped forward and said, “Hey you old letch!”
Happosai got one glance at her and said, “You can do it Ranma, I’ve got to see what the pretty lady wants.”
He jumped towards Ranma-neko’s chest and was rewarded with a punch that sent him flying in return. Happosai tried to remove himself from a wall as Nemesis power crackled around Ranma-neko as she forced herself to walk closer to Happosai while trying to avoid getting herself and her claws too close to Ranma-otoku. Finally she said, “Look Saotome, why don’t you get out of here while the pervert and I talk okay? I have good money that says you won’t beat Hinako, now get out of here and try not to disappoint me.”
Ranma-otoku looked at his female counterpart and said, “Uh yeah. Look I don’t know why you hate me an all, but it’s not my fault. I never did nothing to ya’”
Ranma-neko just growled and said, “Just go you idiot! I don’t want to hurt you okay?”
Ranma decided to leave and jumped to the window. “Alright, I’ll go, but uh don’t hurt the letch too much okay?” Then he was gone, into the gym and towards his own battle.
As Ranma-otoku left Ranma-neko looked around and saw that Happosai was already out of the wall and was unable to avoid his grasping hands. She screeched in fury and attacked with her claws. The ancient master of martial arts heard barely moved himself out of the way of her vibrant red chi claws.
After avoiding the blow Happosai immediately jumped into the air and tried to sound innocent as he said, “Aw come on pretty lady I didn’t mean anything by it. Let a poor old man have some fun.”
Ranma followed him in the air and said, “Look you old pervert your touch disgusts me got it?”
Happosai finally got a good look at the fuku clad red haired girl in the air behind him as they both landed on a roof top. “Wait a minute aren’t you Ranma? Didn’t I just send you inside to deal with Hinako?”
Ranma stopped her attack in surprise and said, “What you couldn’t tell before? Come on old man you’ve seen me how many times?”
Happosai leered at Ranma’s fuku clad form and wolf whistled. “Hubba, hubba, not dressed like that.”
Ranma tossed a small chi blast at Happosai and said, “Knock it off you old letch. Anyway, yes I am Ranma, or at least that’s the way I feel about it. Let’s just say that my male half got a cure and I got the shaft and leave it at that eh?”
Lust and tears of happiness poured into Happosai’s eyes, “Oh my dear sweet Ranma-chan you’ve become a woman for me?” The ancient master leapt at Ranma again and this time she grabbed him in her hands and slammed him down onto the roof. As she held him down she said, “Oh no you don’t!”
Happosai tried to move, but he was pinned down. Ranma watched him struggle and then as he gave up she said, “Look old man, I need two things from you. First you stole something from my adopted tribe called the book of Dim Mak. Second I need to have your approval to continue practicing the anything goes style.”
Happosai struggled again and was able to burn Ranma’s hand with a previously unseen pipe. Ranma unwillingly let go with that hand and Happosai slipped free and zipped across the roof. He stood there smoking his pipe and said, “I might be willing to help you.”
Ranma looked at Happosai skeptically and said, “What’s the catch?”
Happosai pulled out a black bra and panties and said, “Model these for me.”
Ranma stood there for moment thinking. I knew he’d say that. I’ve already modeled for Nabiki to gain some cash, but this is definitely different. The old letch would never be satisfied with only looking. I wonder if he’d settle for the pictures though. After finishing that thought Ranma said, “How about I get you some pictures of me wearing something like that instead?”
The master of anything goes martial arts smoked his pipe, drawing in a long breath and then exhaled it slowly. Finally he winked at Ranma lecherously and said, “Throw in the bra you’re wearing and we have a deal.”
Ranma was lost in thought once again. I should beat the crud out of him and just take the book, but will that get me instated back into the school? Ranma examined Happosai some more and thought. No, he’d just skip out or something and I don’t want to be like stupid Pantyhose guy always chasing him around.
“Well Ranma-chan what do you say?”
Ranma broke out of her thoughts and said, “Alright old letch you have a deal, but I warn you if you back out after I give you what you want you’ll be sorry.” As Ranma finished her statement cracked her knuckles and took an absent minded swipe at the roof with her claws. Happosai dug through his clothes and pulled out a book he walked forward and set it down between them saying, “Here’s the book you need.”
Ranma walked to the book and fiddled around on her back trying to undo her bra straps. Damn, these things are hard to take off and put on. How does the old perv steal them off people so easily? Ranma dropped the bra and picked up the book saying, “Alright that’s half of the deal. Now let’s go and finish the other half.
Happosai picked up the simple white bra and put it in his shirt saying, “Alright lead on my pretty.”
Hinako quickly tried to dive towards the yen coins that she had lost while Ranma jumped towards one of the basketball hoops in the gym and Shampoo dashed directly towards the small teacher. A small hand grasped a ten yen coin and pointed it at Shampoo, but a multicolored bonbori smashed into the hand and directed the energy drain towards the crowd of spectators. The teacher grew in proportions, but moments after the bonbori arrived so did a purple haired Amazon and she was able to grab Hinako and press the appropriate pressure points. Mere fractions of a second after that Ranma landed next to the teacher and placed a broken basketball hoop over her head.
Shampoo looked at Ranma curiously and said, “Why Airen put hoop on teacher head?”
The brown haired teacher removed the hoop from her head and said, “Yes, I’d like to know why you destroyed school property mister Saotome?”
Ranma stammered and said, “Uhm uh, well I was going to put that over your little girl form and let you drain me, then when you were trapped I’d hit the pressure points.”
Hinako humphed and said, “I’ll be seeing you in detention.” The teacher looked towards Shampoo and said, “As for you young lady I don’t believe I have seen you in school before. I expect you to be in my class every day from now on. Do you understand no more delinquency from you okay?”
Shampoo said, “I no need to go to stupid Japanese school I have work visa.”
Hinako looked at Shampoo and said, “You should still get a good education, besides someone with your diligence ought to be more than capable of handling work and school. Plus, you need some serious work on your language skills.”
“I ask great grandmother okay?”
Hinako nodded and said, “See that you do.” Hinako started walking off towards her next class, “Detention today, Saotome don’t be late or else.”
“Or else what? Your chi draining days are over.”
Hinako tossed her hair back said, “That’s what you think Mister Saotome” and continued on her way.
Ranma called out, “Hey, Wait!”, but the teacher didn’t listen. He turned towards Shampoo and said, “You knew the pressure points right?”
Shampoo nodded and Ranma continued, “So she’s out of it right? She was just bluffing right?”
Shampoo shook her head and said, “No that not true.”
Ranma grimaced and said, “Oh man!”
Shampoo sidled up to Ranma and put her hands on him saying, “If Ranma take Shampoo on date Shampoo tell everything.” The purple haired Amazon continued to caress Ranma and batted her eyes. Ranma stammered and Akane started fuming in the background. Ukyou and Kodachi picked that exact moment to wake up and hear Ranma as he squirmed and said, “Uhm maybe, uhm...”
A large mallet impacted with Ranma’s head as Akane screamed, “You jerk!” Chaos reigned immediately afterwards as Kodachi and Ukyou attacked Shampoo while Akane chased after Ranma some more while Kunou seemed to appear out of nowhere and shouted out his own epithets. Then, the black haired kendoist pulled out his bokken and joined the fray.
While chaos was reigning in the gym Nabiki was busy gathering her profits from the amazing upset. A small old man and pretty red haired girl walked out from hiding with obvious mirth on their faces. The red haired girl said, “I bet no one will even notice what I did.”
The old man growled, “Humph, bad Ranma-chan taking away an old man’s fun. You should give me two photos.”
The red head snorted and said, “Feh, with that simple technique I used you don’t have Hinako around to keep you away from Furinkan with her chi draining abilities. So, you should be down on your knees and kissing my feet.”
Nabiki heard the two voices and as they approached the older man said, “Aww come on how about letting an old man have just one touch.”
“How about I eviscerate you instead old man?” Ranma extended a set of chi claws to ward off the old man and then as she reached Nabiki touched her shoulder. “Hey, Nabiki.”
Nabiki felt the hand touch her shoulder and felt her body temperature go higher. She turned towards the pretty red head and grasped onto her own ice queen persona as she said, “Neko-chan nice to see you.”
Nabiki stared down at the old man and feigned ignorance, “You too Master Happosai. What brings you to today’s entertainment?”
“I need one of the photos I posed for earlier this week.”
Nabiki pointed at Happosai and said, “Don’t tell me you’re giving one to him?”
Ranma nodded and Nabiki said, “Well they are your pictures Neko-chan, but I’d advise against this course of action. He’ll only be encouraged.”
“Ahh I can take care of him if he gets out of line.” As if by example the pervert jumped towards Ranma’s chest and was knocked to the floor.
Nabiki smirked and made a show of digging through her things. As she did so the chaos in the gym exited towards the outside and a black haired kendoist was spat out. The unconscious boy landed head first on the ground knocking Happosai over. From his position under Ranma’s skirt a lecherous glaze came over his eyes and Kunou exclaimed, “Pig-tailed girl!”
Before Kunou could latch on Happosai grabbed his leg and sent him into a wall saying, “Hey that was my spot!”
Ranma shook her head in annoyance and Nabiki handed her a picture saying, “I have a feeling these things are going to be a hot commodity, are you sure you just want to give this one away?”
Ranma took the picture, held it in the air above Happosai and said, “As long as he’s willing to officially allow me to practice the art I might as well do this the easy way.”
Happosai jumped up and grabbed the picture saying, “You’re in girlie. You can be an anything goes practitioner all you like.”
The old man ran off with the picture and Kunou followed after saying, “Foul fiend how dare thee make off with a picture of my pig-tailed girl. It was obviously taken by the demon Saotome and needs to be given to a pure and honorable samurai for safe keeping.”
Both Nabiki and Ranma laughed and when they were done Nabiki said, “So Neko-chan after I finish collecting the profits from this endeavor what’s next on our agenda?”
Ranma shrugged and without thinking she said, “I don’t how about dinner tomorrow on me?”
Nabiki smiled, placed a hand on Ranma’s shoulder and with a sultry voice she said, “Well you certainly know how to speak my language.”
Ranma shivered and became very nervous at the attention. She looked around to ease her nervousness and noticed the clock on the wall. After reading the clock Ranma said, “Ah damn I have to be somewhere soon, but I have something for you to look at for me okay?”
Nabiki arched an eyebrow and said, “What is it?”
Ranma looked at Nabiki and something in her stomach went to jelly. She looked away and said, “It’s just Neherenia’s contract. Take a look and see what you think, then call me okay?”
Nabiki laughed at Ranma’s nervousness and took the piece of paper. “Alright I’ll take a look at it Neko-chan.” Ranma said, “Thanks” and started to run off. Nabiki yelled at the retreating red-head, “Don’t forget Dinner tomorrow your treat!”
Author’s Notes: Thanks again to all you guys who read my stories. Thanks also to everyone who reviews them any changes that I make get posted and you help me make a better story. Anyway, this chapter is getting way to big to fit everything in that I want. So, you’ll have to wait until next chapter for Ranma’s appearance at the Hino shrine with the gymnastics team. You’ll also have to wait until next chapter or more on what Nabiki and Cologne think about Neherenia’s contract and Ranma’s contract. Just like real life sometimes things just get in the way of doing what you need to get done.
For anyone who wants to know I got the Japanese school schedule and course topics here: .
since last posting: A few changes made in the rewrite, but nothing too big.