Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000

DISCLAIMER: These characters ain't mine. You got that!?!?!?!?


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Bonds.

That which holds two or more things together. It can be physical, such
as tape holding a piece of paper to a wall. Or it can be non-physical,
such as a vocal agreement made between two parties.

The less likely you want something to be broken, the stronger the bond
you attempt to forge.

No stronger bond can be found then between two people who love each
other beyond life itself. Usually this love has been tested by much
adversity, and yet still stands against those which would destroy it.
These two people willingly link their lives together, in order to
present a stronger front then would otherwise be possible, individually.

Traditionally, this is called marriage, an understanding between two
people who know all the faults of the other, yet still have the will to
face a life together. Knowing their life may not be easy, but also
knowing they cannot live without the other.

Only truly special couples can attain this unique bonding of souls.

Now, as Ranma and Akane face that milestone of their lives, they can't
help but hope the feelings they have for each other will be strong
enough. Because no matter what stands against it, this strongest of
bonds cannot be broken.

However, there are quite a few others who have formed, or are starting
to form, special bonds of their own...


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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 1





         It was a day long in coming.

         It was a day of happiness for some and a day of sadness for
others, depending on who you asked.

         It was the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, at
least that's what the members of the Tendo Dojo hoped. After the last
attempted wedding, they held at least some doubt that another would
succeed, what with all the people that were against it.

         In the aftermath of the battle with Drakon, it was a welcome
distraction. Ranma and Akane returned the day after the fight and Soun
was distressed to see the weakened condition his daughter was in,
unleashing his demonhead on Ranma.

         Amazingly, Ranma didn't flinch or shy away from the attack, but
faced it down with an calm demeanor that amazed all present. It was
quite evident to all present something had changed within him.

         Ranma and Akane declared that they felt enough time had passed.
They had known each other for over two years, and had gotten to know
each other extremely well in that time. Based upon how their life had
gone so far, they had decided that waiting wasn't much of an option.

         Of course, Genma and Soun, masters of the martial arts shotgun
wedding, wanted to hold it right then and there. Nodoka, however, sided
with the young couple in saying it would be held in a week, in order to
allow Akane some time to recover and to send out some invitations.

         Ukyo returned shortly thereafter as well. She wouldn't say how
her reunion with her father went, only that she felt freer than she had
in a long time. In fact, she felt like an entirely new person.

         Konatsu, Yuri, and Selah were the next ones to comeback, a
couple of days later. Apparently Kenji had gone missing and they were
searching for clues to his whereabouts. When they found no sign of him
in Nerima, they were tempted to leave again, but were persuaded to stay
for the wedding.

         The worst case of the whole ordeal was poor Hikaru and Ariko.
After the final attack, the sorceress-in-training collapsed unconscious
and hadn't awoken since. She was currently in a coma at the hospital,
where Hikaru kept almost a constant vigil with a worrisome face.

         Tofu examined her, but couldn't find much to help her. All he
said was that she had channeled so much magical energy, it nearly burned
her out. She was lucky to be alive at all. There was no telling when, if
ever, she would recover. Tofu also discreetly checked Hikaru, and was
quite surprised to notice a change in him as well. But because of the
swirling and turbulent nature of his aura, Tofu was unable to determine
whether it was good or bad, or maybe a bit of both.

         Of Shampoo and Mousse, or any of the Amazons, there was still
no word.

         Tatewaki and Kodachi had retreated to their mansion, and had
not been seen since, not even in school.

         A bright spot on the whole affair, was that Akari phoned the
dojo and told them the good news that she had found Ryoga and everything
was alright. Naturally, she was enthusiastic that Akane was going to be
married, and promised both her and Ryoga would attend.

         And now, one full week later in the Tendo Dojo, the atmosphere
was all hustle and bustle.

        "Kasumi, do you have the food prepared yet?" Nabiki called from
the dining room.

        "Almost!" came the reply from the kitchen where Kasumi and
Nodoka were cooking as if they're lives depended on it.

         The middle Tendo checked an item off on her clipboard. "How's
the Dojo coming?"

         Her father rushed by the open verandah, carrying a bunch of
folding chairs. "It should be ready in an hour!" Then he was gone again.

         Check. "Priest?"

        {He'll be here in an hour and a half!} read the fast moving sign
as the panda chased after Soun, carrying banners and other decorations.

         Check. "Guests and invitations?"

         Tofu whisked through the room and dumped a stack of small cards
on the table. "This is everybody that will be here!" He disappeared
again.

         Check. "Bride?"

        *Crash!* "I'm FINE!!!" came her little sister's voice from
upstairs. *Wham!* *Bang!*

        "But the doctor said you needed to rest, Akane-chan!" came poor
Natsume's voice. She was the one tasked with keeping the bride occupied,
so the wedding could proceed and Nabiki almost felt sorry for her.

         After Ranma brought Akane home, he explained some of what
happened to her. She was weak and Tofu's report declared she wouldn't be
back up to full strength for a quite awhile. Still, Nabiki wouldn't know
it by listening to her.

        "Why don't we go through the music for the wedding again?"
Natsume suggested diplomatically.

        "WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IT 5 TIMES ALREADY!" *WHAM!* "I WANT TO
COOK!"

        "KURUMI, WHERE ARE YOU!?" came the pained, heartfelt plea.

         The middle Tendo knocked on the table. "Your sister's looking
for you."

         A face framed by medium-length brown hair poked out from
underneath it. "I don't wanna go up there!" Kurumi wailed. "Akane-
oneechan's scary!" *Zip!* She disappeared under the table again.

         Nabiki sighed and rubbed her temples. Akane was incredibly
nervous and apprehensive about the upcoming nuptials, and that meant
what energy she had was being funneled into familiar territory where it
could be dealt with: anger. There was only one person who could handle
her little sis now.

        "Groom?" she called.

         No response.

        "I said, GROOM!?"

        "I haven't seen Ranma all day!" Nodoka called from the kitchen.
*crash!* "Oops, oh dear."

        <Where could he have gone?> Nabiki wondered. <Well, there's only
option left.> "Doc! Are you still here?"

        "Right here, Nabiki-chan!" he said cheerily as he appeared right
behind the girl.

         She nearly jumped out of her skin. <How does he do that!?> "Uh,
could you calm Akane down some?"

        "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT BAKA HAS DISAPPEARED!?" came the yell
from upstairs.

         Nabiki sweatdropped.

        "I'm on it, Nabs!" Tofu vanished.

         Check. "Well, that's everything, but where could Ranma be?"

         Nabiki's eyes bugged. <Nabs!?>




        "You know, Ranchan, if Akane-chan finds out you were here on
your wedding day..." Ukyo sighed as her ex-fiance cowered in her closet.

        "I can't go back to the dojo!" came the whine from behind the
closet door. "Akane's on the warpath `cause they won't let her cook, and
I'm afraid Pops or Tendo-san's gonna knock me out again or somethin'!
They tried to fill me full of sake last night!"

         The chef sighed again as she polished the grill for the
umpteenth time. Once upon a time, she would have gladly hid Ranma from
any wedding that wasn't her own to him. But she knew better than to try
and come between Ranma and Akane now, especially knowing about how some
people had, like Shampoo, Kodachi, and Saffron.  The first two were
beaten to a pulp, while the third was ripped apart.

         Ukyo shivered, glad she never got to that point, but knowing
she could have easily ended up there. "Come on, Ranchan. Surely her
cooking's gotten better with both Kasumi and your mother helping her?"

        "Only when she's calm and takes her time," he corrected from the
closet. "Her cooking can still kill when she's upset."

        "Konatsu, Selah, and I are just about ready," Yuri called from
upstairs. "We can leave within the next hour or so."

        "Okay, Yuri-chan!" Ukyo answered. She hadn't gotten all the
details about Kenji's disappearance from them yet, but had the distinct
impression they were keeping something about the practical joker from
her. Well, she would find out. She had come to care about the ninja boy
(not that she'd admit it), and she wasn't about to sit around if he was
in trouble.

         She turned her attention back to the closet. "You hear that? In
an hour I'm draggin' your sorry butt over to the dojo! If you don't
marry Akane-chan today, you're going to make me very angry. I didn't
give you up to her just so you could chicken out on your wedding day!"

         A whimper from the closet was her only response.




        *BUUUZZZZZ!*

         Nabiki got up to answer to the doorbell and smiled when she
found out who was on the other side. "Akari-kun! Ryoga-kun! It's good to
see you kids again!"

         Akari smiled brightly in her pink floral dress while she clung
to Ryoga's arm, almost as if she was afraid she would lose him if she
let him go. "I hope we made it in time!"  she said while presenting a
gift basket of fruits.

        "Just made it," Nabiki replied, accepting the basket. They'd
decided on small gifts this time, instead of money, seeing as how that
didn't work that well last time. "In fact, if you'd like, you can go up
and help Akane out. After all, you did volunteer to be a bridesmaid."

        "Okay!" Akari beamed, then turned to give Ryoga a peck on the
cheek. "Don't wander off, Ryo-chan." She fairly skipped up the steps.

         Nabiki was impressed that the lost boy didn't do more than
tremble a little at the contact. "I'll make sure the best man sticks
around." She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the bathroom. "Come
on, lost boy. There's a tux in the changing room with your name on it."

        "B-but, what's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

         Nabiki eyed him up and down, pointing out his standard, dirty,
ragged, yellow shirt and faded black pants with her gaze. "I'll not
dignify that question with an answer." She shoved him into the changing
room. "Now get changed or I'll come in there and dress you myself!"

         She smirked as she heard him hit the ground. He was pretty
good-looking and Nabiki half-hoped she could make good on her threat,
even though she knew he belonged to Akari.

         She sighed and turned to go Ranma-hunting. She had a pretty
good idea where to look and wanted to get there and drag him back before
the guests started arriving.

        "Your sister's taken care of!"

         Nabiki nearly duplicated the patented Saotome-cling-to-the-
ceiling maneuver at Tofu's surprised appearance "Don't DO THAT to me!"

        "Sorry." The doctor actually looked a bit sheepish.

         Then Nabiki noticed the quiet. "What'd you do to her?"

         He shrugged. "Pressure points. She should be out for an hour or
so. Anything else I can do?"

         Nabiki nodded, grabbing the front of his brown gi. "Come on, I
have just the chore for you."

         It occurred to her that, by herself, she may not be able to
drag the obviously cold-footed Saotome back. She needed someone with
heavier weaponry.

         Or more specifically, a katana.




        "Nabiki-chan, Saotome-no-obasama, hi!" Ukyo greeted the two
women as she checked herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white
floral dress, and it felt strange on her since she hadn't worn something
like this for a long time. "We were just getting ready to head over
there."

        "Greetings, Kuonji-san," Nodoka offered. She was still a bit
wary of the chef after Ukyo took part in the destruction of her home and
her son's previous wedding. She understood the ex-fiancee's feelings,
she just didn't agree with them.

        "Hiya, Ukyo-chan," Nabiki greeted. She had replaced the Saotome
matriarch in the kitchen with Tofu, who was all too happy to oblige. She
chuckled at the memory of the doc and her older sister practically
dancing around the kitchen as they prepared the meals. They had been
going slow with their own engagement, though it was pretty much set in
stone they were going to get married soon. They just hadn't set a date
yet.

         Nabiki shook her head and returned to the present.

        "So what brings you two by?" Ukyo asked. <As if I didn't know.>

        "We are looking for my son," Nodoka told her directly. "I
understand you were one of his close friends and he frequents this
restaurant."

        <Subtle, isn't she?> Nabiki thought.

        "I, uh, haven't seen him in awhile," Ukyo replied. Technically,
this was true. She barely caught sight of his blurred form before he
jumped in the closet. Still, she jerked her head sideways at the
suspect's hiding place.

        "Is something wrong with your neck, Kuonji-san?"

         In the closet, Ranma grimaced.

         Nabiki sighed, then walked over to the closet door. "Surrender,
Saotome. The jig's up." Silence greeted her pronouncement.

        "Nabiki-chan, what are you..." Nodoka was waved to silence by
the middle Tendo, while Ukyo sighed and collapsed into a chair.

        "You know, Akane knows you're gone, and she's quite upset about
it," Nabiki continued. <At least until the doc put her out.> "In fact,
if I know my little sis, after the last wedding attempt she's determined
to get married today. If you're not there, she's liable to grab someone
else, like Ryoga or Mikado or..."

         The closet door exploded outward. "Like hell! The only guy's
she's marryin' is me!" He glanced around at the three women staring at
him, and suddenly realized he'd been had. "Oops."

         Nabiki grinned. <Too easy.> "Oops is right. I'll leave him to
you, Obasama."

        "Nice going, Nabiki-kun," Yuri said, smiling, from the bottom of
the stairs. Her dress was nice match for Ukyo's, but in light shade of
blue. Selah, standing next to her, was wearing an almost exact copy,
except smaller. "But we should get going, Ukyo-chan."

        "Just a minute." *CLANG!* "That was for ruining my closet door!"
Ukyo peeled her battle spatula off Ranma's head and reholstered it on
her back while the group left the restaurant. The quartet of girls went
on ahead, while Ranma walked along slowly with his mother.

        "I do hope you were not thinking of being absent from your own
wedding?" his mother asked at last, a note of disapproval in her voice.

         Ranma suddenly found his fingers interesting. "Um... no?"

         The Saotome matriarch sighed. "Son, what you're experiencing is
just pre-wedding nervousness. It happens to all of us."

         Ranma looked up. "But, I shouldn't be nervous, right? I mean, I
love her, so why do I feel like..." He shrugged and his gaze dropped
down again. "I mean, it just seemed easier last time."

        "Most likely since you did not have time to think about it,"
Nodoka said with a wry smile. "By the time you knew what was happening,
all of the preparations were done and things were happening."

        "I guess." They walked in silence for several minutes before
Ranma spoke up again, although it came out as barely a whisper. "She
says she's okay with marryin' a half-man freak who's scared of c-cats,
but..."

        "Akane is... strong-willed," his mother told him. "I do not
doubt that if she did not want to marry you, we would not be preparing
this wedding."

         Ranma had to agree with that, though he couldn't completely
dispel the disquiet he had been feeling.




         Two hours later, his mind was no longer on that subject. The
reason for this, was currently dressed in white and walking towards him,
escorted by her father.

         While he couldn't see her face because of the veil, Akane had
no trouble seeing his, and she smiled demurely. His look was like a deer
caught in the headlights, and his gaze never left her. It stirred up the
same warm feelings she had felt when he had burst into her room right
before the failed wedding.

         Seated in the dojo around them, were their families and some of
their schoolmates, but neither groom nor bride noticed them.

         Akane soon took her place beside her husband-to-be and the
priest, an elderly gentleman in clergy robes, gestured to the two kids
to stop looking at each other and turn to him. All were silent, as they
waited for him to speak.

        "Mawwige... Mawwige, is what bwings us here, togwetha!"

         The entire assembly face-faulted, while the priest cleared his
throat. "Sorry, wrong cue card." He shuffled his notes and began again,
though the nervousness of the bride and groom had been greatly reduced.

        "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Saotome
Ranma and Tendo Akane..."




         The ceremony wasn't long. In fact, it was designed that way by
the parents, so as to get the two married as soon as possible before
something untowed happened. Given what happened last time, it seemed
like a wise precaution. As it wound down, both Soun and Genma began to
release the breath they'd been holding since the wedding began.

         It turned out to be a premature maneuver.

        "And if anyone knows a reason why these two should not be wed,
speak now or forever hold your peace."

         Ranma and Akane turned to the gathered audience, silently
hoping that no one would object. Their gaze eventually fell on Ukyo, but
all she did was offer a wan smile, tears leaking from her eyes. It was a
look that said, "I may not be totally comfortable with this, but I've
done enough interfering."

         Deep inside, she had known this day was coming. It was just as
painful as she knew it was going to be, but she had to see it so that
she knew it was real.

         When no one seemed to object, they turned back to the priest,
who was about to resume, though he didn't get the chance.

         The dojo doors burst open and a female voice cried out a single
word. "Hold!"

         The eyes of the entire room focused on the figure standing in
the doorway, and a collective gasp was released. Kodachi Kuno strode
into the room, stopping several paces from the bride and groom. To the
relief of Akane, she was clad in not a black wedding dress, but a blue
and black formal kimono instead. She was, however, holding a gymnastics
ribbon in her hand.

        "I do not wish for this to proceed," she declared with a air of
haughtiness. "Ranma-sama shall not be forced into marriage today."




--------------------------------

Author's notes:
You just knew she was going to show up, didn't you?


--------------------------------

Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 2




         The audience held their breath, and those nearest the center
aisle edged their seats farther away from the impending violence that
they were positive would soon ensue. Ryoga braced himself for action,
while Ukyo's hand crept back to the handle of her spatula.

         Ranma broke out of his stunned state. "Don't do this, Kodachi,"
he warned her carefully, flashes of the last wedding attempt shooting
through his mind.

         Kodachi's gaze turned to him, a strange emotion flickering in
her eyes. "I know you cannot want this!" she accused. "Why? Because you
being forced by petty promises!"

         Ranma's face showed brief flicker of disbelief, then tightened
and became firm as a strange sense of confidence filled him. "No. I'm
doin' it because... I love Akane."

         Kodachi's eyes reflected some of the great sadness she held
within, but she kept herself composed. She turned to the bride, holding
the ribbon up and running it through her fingers. "Why are you doing
this? You cannot possibly love him, you always denied it before!"

        "I was... scared and confused before," Akane admitted softly. "I
barely knew my own feelings." Her head came up, fierce determination
written across her face. "But I know what I feel now. I know I love
him."

        "You would fight for him?"

         Ranma and Kodachi tensed as Akane took a step forward, and the
Kuno girl was struck by the fire burning in her eyes. "I would die for
him." Kodachi's eyes widened a bit, as the statement was delivered with
the supreme confidence that Akane HAD died for Ranma, or came very close
at any rate.

         The nervous tension in the room shot up ten-fold, as it seemed
Kodachi was about to attack anyway. Inside, she was fighting with
indecision. Would she be willing to die for Ranma? She didn't know, but
she figured it might be a non-issue anyway. What were the chances her
death would save Ranma?

         She discarded such thoughts for now and turned back to Ranma.
"Ranma-sama, the affection she might be able to offer, pales in
comparison to my boundless love. Please reconsider this course of
action! Give me a chance before you commit your life to this!"

         Kodachi's words and actions had always been driven by the
intense need for someone to love her. Her mother left her, then her
father left her, and her brother was hardly very supportive of her.
Every other male had already heard of her reputation, so they feared to
approach her. When Ranma showed her kindness that first night she met
him, she thought she had found the perfect love she sought, and latched
onto him hard.

         But she was losing him now.

         Ranma reluctantly shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. Please don't
try ta stop us, `cause ya can't change my mind."

         The glistening of liquid could be seen forming in Kodachi's
eyes as she glanced back and forth from Ranma to Akane. She had hoped
that it was just honor that was forcing them together; that, she could
deal with. She had known Ranma didn't love her, and she could deal with
that as well. It would just mean she had a chance and could work on him.

         But to hear Ranma acknowledge love for Akane, when in the past
he had always denied his feelings... The love in his eyes shone only for
Akane. For Kodachi, they merely showed traces of fear and maybe a little
pity. Akane's eyes spoke volumes of the depths she had gone through, and
would go through, for Ranma. Kodachi suddenly realized that whatever
chance she might've had, was long gone.

        "Come sister, `tis not our place," Tatewaki called softly from
the doorway. "Let us retire once more to our abode."

         The distraught girl took one last look at the bride and groom.
She was on the verge of breakdown, and didn't want anybody to see her
cry. Otherwise, she might have attacked in a last ditch effort to win
Ranma. However, that thought was squashed by the knowledge that Ranma
would no longer be a prize that could be won. He had made a choice and
even she could see that he would stick to it.

        "Yes," the Kuno girl replied slowly. "I see that now. I do not
have the right to be here. I shall not interfere." Kodachi Kuno turned
and strode softly from the dojo. Once she was outside, she leapt for the
rooftops and fled home as fast as possible.

        "Please forgive my sister and I," The elder Kuno boy offered,
bowing low. "She is still... recovering. She received word of thy...
wedding," the word was extremely difficult for him to say, "and felt
driven to see with her own eyes."

        "Kuno-sempai, will she be alright?" Akane asked with concern.

        "In time," he replied, his face carefully guarding his emotion.
"Now, fair Tendo Akane, if you will pardon us, I must see Kodachi safely
home."

         And then he was gone, before anyone else could say or do
anything. The breath the assembled Tendos, Saotomes, and assorted guests
had been holding was released in a large sigh of relief.

         Ranma and Akane glanced at each other, their eyes echoing the
same thoughts. `That was close!'

         Sensing no more action or protests would be forthcoming, the
priest continued. "Then because of your love for each other, I now
pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

         With trembling hands, Ranma reached for Akane's veil, pulling
it up over her head. His breath caught in his throat as her pretty face
was revealed. He had been extremely nervous about kissing Akane in
public, especially in front of their families. But eyes her eyes came
into view, the outside world faded away and he tilted his head down.

         Akane was just as nervous as Ranma, if not more so. Her heart
had been threatening to burst out of her chest since the ceremony began,
but she felt herself oddly becoming calm as Ranma's gaze found her own.
There was plenty of love in his deep blue eyes, and it had been one that
she had wanted to see from him for so long. She tilted her head up.

         Their lips met and, for a few moments, nothing else in the
universe existed.

         Then it was over, and the priest presented them to the
audience. "It is my pleasure to present, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome."

         The cheer went up from the assembled family and guests.




         The reception was also short, though not by design. There were
a few gifts, but only from the family. Since the money from the first
wedding wasn't returned, the guests didn't bring any this time around.
In fact, they were specifically asked not to. It was the only way Soun
could get any of them to attend.

         Natsume stood off to the side of the dojo, trying to avoid any
attention. The dress she was wearing (borrowed from Nabiki, at
discounted price) was like nothing she had worn before, and she was
feeling decidedly uncomfortable in it. Oh, she had worn a skirt before,
but it simple, not as fancy as the frilly thing she had on. Too many
ribbons and bows in her opinion, and the make-up was doubly
uncomfortable.

         She sighed, wishing she was anywhere other than here. It wasn't
that she wasn't excited for Ranma and Akane; indeed, she was very happy
that the two were married. They had been nicer to her than she probably
deserved, given how she had tried to take the dojo away from them last
time.

         But looking at the pair as they danced, made Natsume think
momentarily of Ryu Kumon. She shook head to clear the thought of him
out. He was merely a challenger to the dojo, and Natsume had done her
job in defending it, nothing more. She couldn't afford to let a boy
distract her from her training. Maybe she should take Kurumi on a short
training trip to help clear their minds, Natsume decided.

         The sound of her sister's whining drew Natsume's attention to
the buffet table. Apparently, it looked like Kurumi was trying to polish
off all the food by herself, but was being deflected from her goal by
the eldest Tendo daughter. It seemed that Kasumi had gracefully turned
Kurumi away and guided her to talk with a boy instead, one of Ranma's
school friends.

         Natsume merely shook her head, then sipped her punch.




         Ranma felt decidedly uncomfortable during the whole reception,
seeing that social gatherings weren't exactly his most favorite thing in
the first place. Coupled with the fact that he was part of the main
attraction and his new relationship with Akane was out in the open,
well, the phrase `fish out of water' didn't do justice to his
predicament.

         Of course it didn't help that Hiroshi and Daisuke were teasing
him throughout the whole affair.

        "So, Saotome, would you be a pal and tape the honeymoon for me?"
Daisuke asked.

        "Dai, do you want to live?" Hiroshi asked, seeing the cup of
punch in Ranma's hand disintegrate in a blue flash.

         The other boy shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying..."

        "I just want to hear all the details afterward," Hiroshi
commented absently..

        "If you two don't shut up now," Ranma told them through clenched
teeth, "the next time you wake up you'll be eatin' through straws!"

        "I think we've overstayed our welcome, Dai."

        "I believe you're right," his companion agreed. "But why don't
you give him our gift before we go?'

         Ranma cocked his eye. "Gift? What gift?" Secretly, he was
dreading what his `friends' might give him.

         Daisuke nodded and slipped something thin and papery into
Ranma's tuxedo coat. "From us, for tonight. If you find yourself
wondering what to do."

         Ranma frowned at the cryptic comment while the two boys
wandered off. Curious, he opened his jacket and pulled out the
magazine...

         ...and put the hentai doujinshi right back, blushing furiously.
<Stupid Idiots.>

         Then Soun was announcing the next dance as being for the bride
and groom, and Ranma was forced to ignore the magazine in his shirt as
all attention turned to Akane and him.

         Ranma's breath caught in his throat once more, as he spied his
bride turn to face him from across the room, still resplendent in her
wedding gown. She had been chatting with her friends, but now gazing
shyly at him, her face tinged pink.

         When it became clear that neither one was moving, Sayuri gave
Akane a slight push, while Tofu did the same for Ranma. Hesitantly, they
walked to the center of the dojo. As they grasped each other's hands and
gazed into each other's eyes, the outside world faded away once more.

         And they began to dance.




         Ryoga spent the whole ordeal with Akari clamped to his arm. He
got the impression that it was because she was afraid he'd wander off
and get lost. True, his direction sense wasn't as bad as it was before,
and she tended to let him roam around places he was familiar with (like
the Tendo dojo and the Unryu farm), but it still felt like he was on a
leash with her guiding him around. He wondered if that's what his
relationship was going to be like from now on.

         How could she put up with a guy like him?

         Akari sighed wistfully at his side as she glanced at the bride
and groom. "Wasn't the wedding so beautiful, Ryo-chan? And Akane's gown
is so lovely." Her face grew a fond smile as she glanced up at her
fiance.

         Ryoga had to admit that Akane was quite beautiful. For a
moment, he almost wished it was him in Ranma's place, dancing with Akane
as a bride and groom. Then he shoved those thoughts out of his head.
Akane had made her choice, and Ryoga had conceded to that. He might
still care for her, but it wasn't fair to Akari for him to continually
pine after another woman, especially a married one. He had recognized
that his crush on Akane was just that: a crush.

         He glanced down at his fiancee and beheld her pretty face
smiling up at him, prompting him to return a nervous smile of his own.
Perhaps, he decided, it would be a good idea to spend quite a bit of
time at the Unryu farm, after he completed his training under his
sensei. Akari gave him what he needed most: love and acceptance. He
cared for her very much, but after his experiences with Akane, he wanted
to make sure it was love.

        "So, when do you think we should set our own wedding date for?"
Akari was asking him.

         So caught up in his thoughts and in gazing in her lovely eyes,
he almost missed what she was saying. "W-wedding?" he squeaked.

         Akari's smile dimmed somewhat. "You do want to marry me,
right?"

         Ryoga swallowed nervously, and a part of his mind told the rest
of him that he had better answer this right. "Uh, it's not that. It's
just that this is, uh, all kinda new to me."

         She smiled in understanding. "It's okay. I will wait until you
are ready." She gave him a peck on the cheek.

         Ryoga smiled in relief, and once again wondered why she put up
with a guy like him. Whatever her reasons, he was extremely glad she
did.




         The final song ended and the reception came to an end. The
bride and groom said their good-byes to all the guests, who wished Ranma
and Akane well in return. Soon, everyone had departed except for family.
Even the newlywed couple had left on their honeymoon after changing
clothes for travel, leaving the Tendo household in a state of peace and
quiet once more.

         Wanting to get an early start, Kasumi had started cleaning up
the dojo. She had just started sweeping up the confetti when a hand on
the broom stopped her. She looked up in surprise, but smiled warmly when
she saw who it was.

        "Now, now, Kasumi-chan," Tofu said with a wide grin. "There will
be time enough for this later. You should leave some for the rest of
us!"

         Kasumi sighed and accepted Tofu's hug, then turned around so
that her back was to him, his arms encircling her waist. She leaned her
head back to rest on his shoulder as she gazed out the window dojo
window.

        "It seems like I've been waiting for this moment for most of my
life," Kasumi mused. "My little baby sister is all grown up and married
at last. I must say, I did have some doubt when she turned into quite
the tomboy."

         Tofu chuckled, remembering all the times little Akane had come
into his clinic to be treated for bruises and scrapes. "Yes, she was
quite the lively girl when she was younger, and nowhere near the
traditional girl she was supposed to be. I suppose it's just as well,
since Ranma does make a good match for her. I must confess that I was
worried about those two for awhile, as well. It's good to see them
together and having some happiness at last."

         That thought about Akane brought something to Tofu's mind that
he had noticed earlier. Being the kind of healer he was, he had noticed
a distinct change in Akane's aura when he had examined her before. While
glowing with the familiar colors of love, it also seemed much weaker
than normal. Somehow it seemed weaker, subdued. Even given the
explanation of the Kami Heart Crystal, his own research suggested it
shouldn't have affected her that much.

         From what he understood, the crystal merely amplified what was
already there. It should not have drained Akane this much, leading him
to believe something else was at work. That was as far as Tofu had
gotten, as he had pronounced her recovered enough to get married, which
was what she wanted. He had made a note to check up on her when she
returned, however.

        "So," Kasumi was saying, "Akane will soon be mistress of the
house. With Nabiki graduating at the end of the month and moving off to
college in April, and Natsume and Kurumi taking over much of the chores,
I believe it will be time for me to move out as well."

         Tofu's arms tightened and his head became momentarily dizzy, as
he realized the implications. "Really?"

         They had developed an understanding between them. Dating and/or
the pursual of any relationship would have to wait, since Kasumi felt
her family needed her. So, an unspoken agreement to wait had come about,
to push aside any ideas of a relationship until such a time when Kasumi
felt she was free enough to pursue one.

         Which she had just hinted at.

         True, they had been dating a little since Kasumi was kidnapped
by the Mage Clans nearly eight months ago, but that was mainly due to
the fact that they couldn't hold back their feelings anymore, and it
seemed that Ranma and Akane were finally settling down into accepting
the engagement.

        "I am nearly twenty-one," Kasumi said, a bit of a sad edge to
her voice. "And I do think it is nearly time to be married. What do you
think, Ono Tofu?"

         The use of his full name was all the implication Tofu needed.
He turned her around his arms, then knelt down on one knee in front of
her, bring out a small box they he had carried for the longest time.
"Tendo Kasumi, I have watched and admired you for several years. I would
be honored if you would consider me for your hand." He open the small
velvet box.

         Kasumi gasped at pretty gold band that was displayed within,
topped by a small sapphire gem. She smiled and nodded, giving the
gesture for Tofu to remove it from the box and slide it onto her finger.

        "I would be honored to become your wife," Kasumi told him,
bringing Tofu to his feet with a tug on his hand, and then rising up
slightly to kiss him gently.

         As the couple pulled away from each other, the sniffle from the
dojo entrance got their attention. The sniffle had come from Soun, but
also present were Genma, Nodoka, and Nabiki as well.

         Kasumi blushed, while Tofu turned to address Soun. "That is, if
your father would agree to the marriage, of course."

         Soun dried his eyes, then shook the doctor's hand while patting
him on the back. "Of course, of course! Welcome to the family!"

         Nodoka gave Kasumi a teary-eyed hug. "Oh, Kasumi-chan,
congratulations!"

        "Thank you, Oba-sama," the eldest Tendo daughter replied, still
blushing.

        "Two of my daughters are all grown up," Soun wailed. "Now if
only-"

        "Forget it, Father," Nabiki replied, cutting him off. "I'm not
getting married. I've got too many plans as it is, and none of them
revolve around a husband."

        "Well, perhaps you just need to find the right young man,"
Nodoka offered

         Nabiki merely rolled her eyes. <I like Ranma's mother, but she
does seem to think the world revolves around men.>

        "Well, let's leave this mess for tomorrow, shall we?" Genma
suggested. "We've got much celebrating to do tonight!"

         For once, everyone agreed with him.




        "Hurry up, Akane!"

         Akane growled. "I'm coming, Baka!" She adjusted her pack once
again, wondering for the one-millionth time where he was taking her. All
he would say was that it was a surprise and she would find out when they
got there. <It better be good, that's all I've got to say,> she thought.

         She realized Ranma was getting ahead of her, so she picked up
the pace to keep up with her husband. Her pack was lighter then his by a
large margin, since her strength was still down. Before the Crystal Kami
Heart, that was her family's legacy, was removed from her body and
destroyed, her strength had been nearing Ranma's under his intense
training.

         Now she was almost weaker then before Ranma showed up at her
house. It made her angry while shattering her self-confidence all over
again, bringing her insecurities back to the surface. Was it just that
crystal that gave her all that strength? Could she ever be as good as
she was before? Would Ranma still love her if she was stuck as a weak,
little girl?

         Akane was deathly afraid of that last question. Even though he
had married her, would he leave her for someone else? She still loved
him with all her heart, though she also still harbored doubts and fears
about how good a wife she could be to him. What did she have to offer?

         She absently touch her chest where the crystal had emerged, and
a tear a appeared in her eye. It was her mother's last gift to Akane,
entrusted for safekeeping, and she had lost it. With it, she could
easily fight beside Ranma as his partner. Where did that leave her
without it?

         Akane shook her head to clear her dark thoughts. This was no
time to be brooding. This was supposed to be her honeymoon, and she was
determined to make sure they both enjoyed it.

         As soon as she figured out exactly where Ranma was taking her.




         Ranma's mood was more upbeat. Traveling through nature was
something he was used after ten years on the road and he believed he had
a good surprise in store for Akane.

         Before the wedding, Nabiki had called him in to have a talk...

        "Have you given any thought as to where you'll spend your
honeymoon?" she asked him as soon as he stepped inside, a sly smile on
her face.

        "What?" Ranma blinked. "What's a honeymoon?"

         Nabiki rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding' me. A
honeymoon is where a newlywed couple go to spend time together, alone."

        "Like a training trip?" he suggested.

         A funny smile broke out on Nabiki's face, and she seemed to be
fighting back a case of the giggles. "Right... Training trip...
Exactly." She took a deep breath. "The point is, wouldn't you like to
get away for a few days? I know Akane would love to go with you
somewhere."

         That sounded reasonable to him. "Yeah, sure! That'd be great!"

        "Now I have a few ideas that..."

        "In fact, I know the perfect place!" Ranma continued, eager at
the sound of a few days alone with Akane. "I was up there a year ago,
and it'd be perfect!" He turned back to the middle Tendo. `Thanks
Nabiki... oneechan!" He grinned.

         The change in address caught her off-guard. "Um, sure. But what
about-"

        "I gotta go plan this out and pack for it!"

         And with that, he rushed out of her room, completely missing
the frustrated face of the middle Tendo.




         Ranma casually hopped to top of a nearby boulder and grinned.
They were headed in the right direction, and should reach it by early
tomorrow morning. This time, it wasn't as cold, seeing as how it was
late spring and there was no snow on the ground. He knew there would be
when they finally reached their destination, but it wouldn't matter
much.

         He turned back to watch his wife coming up the trail behind him
and his face unconsciously grew a fond smile. He knew she was still a
bit weak, but she was bound and determined not to show it, doing her
best to keep up with him. That was something he always admired about
her. Even though he wanted to keep her out of danger and protect her, he
always secretly liked her `never-give-up' and `give-it-all-you've-got'
attitude.

         He supposed she wouldn't be Akane if she didn't have that inner
fire, that determination that made her seek her own path, instead of
demurely conceding like a traditional girl.

         She paused to see him smiling at her, and she blushed faintly.
Then she scowled at him, before continuing right on past his perch.

        "Well, you coming or not?" She called over her shoulder.

         Ranma chuckled, then leapt off the boulder after her.




         Akane entered the tent, a pleasant smile on her face. Today had
been one interesting day, especially since Ranma had surprised her with
something she never would have thought possible of him.

         They had finally arrived at their destination, at least that's
what Ranma had announced. All Akane could see was a small forest of
sparse trees, lightly dusted with snow. It was melting, because spring
was arriving and the temperature was raising, but it still was a little
chilly out.

         Ranma spent several moments searching around, before finding
what he was looking for. He called Akane over and gestured to the trunk
of the large tree after dusting it off. She gasped when she read the
carvings, totally not expecting to see what she saw.

         She murmured Ranma's name in awe, taken aback by what he had
shown her. He didn't seem to have a romantic bone in his body, and then
he goes and shows her the tree where his parents carved their names on
their honeymoon. He also revealed that he had enough money for a couple
nights at a hot spring resort nearby, that his parents stayed at on
their honeymoon.

         Akane turned to see that Ranma had a small knife in his hand,
and with crystalline clarity she knew what he was about to do. Still,
the emotions flooding her body of seeing him engrave their own names
next to his parents were very powerful nonetheless, and she couldn't
resist giving him a big hug and a passionate kiss when he was finished.

         The sight of their own names embedded in the thick bark,
somehow made their marriage and feelings all the more real, along with a
sense of permanence. That no matter what happened, the carvings would
stand as a reminder, to them and to the world, that their lives were now
deeply intertwined.

         Back in the tent, Akane had finally finished the preparations
and her heart was now threatening to pound itself out of her chest. Some
part of her couldn't believe she was actually going to do this, and
another part wondered if she was going to chicken out or if Ranma would.

         Gathering her courage, she called out to her husband.




         "You can come in now."

         Ranma had just finished putting out the fire and securing the
packs for the night when Akane called to him. There was something in her
voice that he couldn't identify, almost a mixture of apprehension and
excitement. Nervously, he zipped open the dome tent and slipped inside.

         He hadn't really known what to expect, his knowledge of
honeymoons being very limited, and he was afraid of asking, since it
seemed it was something that everybody was supposed to know. All he knew
was that Nabiki had suggested the idea to him.

         The sight that greeted him inside, however, was enough to
freeze all higher-level functions running through his brain.

         Akane was kneeling on the opened sleeping bags and gazing shyly
up at him. Her face was tinged with a nice shade of pink and her hands
were folded in her lap. What locked Ranma's brain up was the that as far
as he could determine, the only thing she had on was one of his red
Mandarin shirts. The overall picture she was portraying, was affecting
him in ways that he couldn't describe.

         Somehow he got the feeling that he was in for an interesting
night.**




         It had happened a couple of days ago, that much he was sure
about. He knew if she left their little sanctum she would become
vulnerable. He also knew it was an opportunity the Rogues wouldn't dare
pass up.

         He closed his eyes as he sagged in his chair, suddenly feeling
the weight of all ninety of his years hit him at once. <It's finally
done. She had to know what would happen if she left!> A long breath
escaped his lips as the elderly man leaned back in his comfy chair, the
only real amenity in the abode he shared with Lady Kuno.

         He was the caretaker. There was a name before that, one he was
born to, but at the age of ten he was apprenticed to the previous
caretaker and his given name ceased to be spoken. He had long since
forgotten it as he learned the duties he would be performing from the
old man who taught him.

         Quite simply, his duty was to assist the Lady. All he was told
at the time was that she was very old, though she still appeared to be
in her 30s. He was also to dust and clean, keep her sanctuary and
library in order, as well as read the mountain of knowledge that the
library contained. Later on, he also became her friend and companion, to
help ease her loneliness in her isolation.

         But that was 80 years ago.

         Normally, he would have sought out his own apprentice by now,
who would take over the post once he was gone. However, there was no
longer any need, for there was no longer a Lady for a Caretaker to take
care of.

         For a sudden and brief moment, he felt her spirit passing by
him on her way to the afterlife, and she whispered a few words to him
before disappearing from the mortal plane. Normal men would have only
felt a slight breeze, but members of his line had a better sense of
supernatural, not to mention his long years by his Lady's side helped
attune his consciousness to hers.

         He nodded once as the spirit departed. "I shall do as you ask,
Lady. I shall fulfill your last request."

         He stood up slowly and walked to what appeared to be small
well, but water wasn't the only thing to be glimpsed inside. Reflected
in the still pool were the faces of several youths, some more prominent
then others: A boy with a pigtail, a girl with short hair and fiery
temperament, a half-cat humanoid, a near-sighted hidden weapons master,
a muscular boy with canine teeth, and a chef skilled in the culinary
arts.

         The eyes of the caretaker were suddenly filled with incredible
sorrow. "I shall tell them everything."


-------------------------------

Author's Notes:

Bet you were expecting a fight during the wedding, ne? Most every
Ranma/Akane wedding I've read has had violence/fighting in it. The idea
that it could go off rather peacefully is, in my opinion, a rare
concept.

And I freely admit it, I'm a hopeless romantic. ^_^ There will be more
conflict later, naturally, but these two chapter were designed for humor
and WAFF.

**I've written a Lemon sidestory (my first in this series) to this,
entitled "Physical Bonding." It doesn't add much to the plot, so you can
skip it. If, however, you want to read it, e-mail me and I'll give you
the link to the file.

Also, before this Volume is over, much will be explained to both you and
the Ranma crew, as they learn what part they play in the ever-unfolding
events. Secrets and truths will be revealed, and it will affect the
characters in different ways, some you may or may not expect.


-------------------------------

Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 3




         Miyo stepped back into her library with a heavy heart. She had
just returned from the hospital where Ariko lay in a coma. Hikaru had
begged and pleaded with Miyo, hoping the fortuneteller could see
something in Ariko's future, but she could not.

         For the first time in her life, Miyo was unable to see a future
for someone and that shook her confidence greatly.

         She hung up her coat and placed her bag on the round table
where she normally told fortunes to those who came to see her. <Now why
is that out? I thought I put it away.> Her crystal ball was resting in
it's stand in the middle of the table.

         Sighing, she reached out with both hands and attempted to pick
it up. As soon as her finger touched the smooth, cool surface however,
the ball flashed purple and the world around her swirled and
disappeared.

         Her senses were now attuned to another place and time
entirely...




        "AKARA!" All of Tenma's insides were screaming for him to jump
forward and kill the one who held his iinazuke in a death grip.

         Tenma, Ryo, and Tateyama were braced at the edge of the
clearing. Behind them, Konisha and Shan Po lay in wait.

        "STAY BACK!" he yelled. "Or I'll snap her neck!" He increased
the pressure slightly, to show he was serious.

        "Tenma..." Akara gasped, fear and terror swimming in her
vulnerable brown eyes.

        "'Tis nothing but a cowardly cur, who would hide behind a frail
flower!" Kuno spouted.

         If the situation wasn't so serious, Tenma would've snickered.
<Frail is not a word I would use to describe her...> Nevertheless, he
felt his blood began to boil. "Let. Her. Go."

        "I'm afraid I can't do that," the ninja replied. "She is Tendo's
daughter, and as such, a valuable hostage against him."

        "Who are you!?" Ryo demanded.

        "Let's just say you've met my partner, Kae," the man told them.
"I am called Kage."

         Tenma inwardly seethed. The last he had seen of the ninja
woman, she had betrayed him, enabling the dark army to capture both he
and Ryo. Because of that, Tenma no longer had the physical strength he
had before.

         Ryo cracked his knuckles. "Well like Kuno said, you must be a
coward and weakling to hide behind Akara-san like that! I don't think
you have the guts to face a real man."

         An evil sneer appeared on Kage's face. "Be careful what you
wish for, boy!" He eyed the three youths arrayed against him. "Then
again, it isn't often I am able to test my skills against worthy
opponents. I guess I see no harm in having a fun little exercise first."

         His left hand snaked out and squeezed a nerve bundle on Akara's
neck. She promptly stopped struggling as she lost consciousness.

        "Stay back!" the ninja master commanded. "She still lives. Just
rendered... more agreeable for the time being." He handed her off to one
of his men.

         Tenma could feel his boiling blood elevate and would've
attacked right then and there, if not stopped by Kage's threat. Also,
there was something else about the man, some danger he just couldn't put
his finger on.

        "Now, shall we get down to business?" Kage said almost casually.

         Kuno snarled and charge, actions duplicated by Ryo a split-
second later.

         Tenma finally realized what it was that was bothering him about
Kage, as he got a good reading on the ninja's aura. "Guys, wait!" he
called, unfortunately too late.

         The ninja blurred as Tateyama's katana sliced down. The elder
Kuno shook like a rag doll as Kage landed punch after punch to his body.
The sword slipped from the samurai's hand as the black-clad man finished
with a roundhouse that sent the other boy sailing over the treetops.

         Ryo, undeterred by how quickly Kuno was taken care of, charged
in. Kage flipped over the berserked boy, then hit him in the back with
an open palm strike that violently shoved Ryo into a tree. The bandanna
boy recovered quickly, and lashed out with a mid-level sweep kick, but
Kage virtually danced around it.

         He blurred in and struck several times with both hands, using
only the first and middle fingers in knife like thrusts. When he backed
up, it was obvious to all that Ryo was obvious pain. His body was
trembling, his face contorted in anguish. Ryo doubled over, arms crossed
over his chest.

         Kage sneered. "Heh, not so tough I guess-"

         Ryo screamed in pain and anger, then thrust his hands outward.
Tenma, recognizing the familiar stance, hit the ground and yelled for
Shan Po and Konisha to do the same. They did, but just barely in time.

        "Shishi Houkodan!"

         The beam of yellowish-greenish ki lanced out, nearly catching
the ninja unprepared. Still, Kage thrust himself to the side, so that
the blast merely clipped his arm, ripping the fabric off and most likely
bruising the arm.

         The ninja seethed after the blast died down. "You actually
managed to hurt me! That's quite surprising." He spotted Kuno's
discarded katana and lazily plucked it from the ground, seeing as how
Ryo was frozen in his post-blast position, breathing heavily.

         The world slowed as Tenma beheld Kage blur forewords, katana
raised menacingly. "No!" Thinking quickly, the young Saotome plucked a
small rock from the ground and chucked it at the ninja.

         The rock hit the Kage's sword hand, altering where the sword
was pointing. Instead of driving it though Ryo's heart, it was thrust
above his shoulder. Ryo reacted instinctively, pushing off from the tree
and bringing his knee up, using the momentum of his adversary and his
considerable body mass to put the needed power behind the attack.

         Kage `oofed' and let go of the sword, rolling out of the way of
Ryo's follow up double-fisted slam. He grabbed and arm and easily tossed
the bigger boy over to land near Tenma.

        "That wasn't very nice," he told the two boys. "Allow me to
repay the favor by showing you the little gift the Dark Shogun gave me."
A black aura began to build around the ninja. "Take this!"

         He thrust out his palm as the two boys regained their feet, a
dark wave billowing outward. Because he was in front, Ryo took the brunt
of the attack, acting more like a shield for Tenma. He screamed in
torment once more as the wave engulfed him, his shirt shredding.

         Tenma felt like his body was on fire as the darkness hit him.
Even though it was only a partial attack since Ryo's body was shielding
him somewhat, it was more painful then anything he had ever felt in his
life. In the back of his mind, he realized how much worse it must be for
Ryo.

         The attack ended and Tenma looked up to Ryo still standing,
though just barely. His shirt gone, Tenma got a look at Ryo's back, and
at something else. There was a small mark between the other boy's
shoulder blades, and Tenma recognized it immediately from the old charts
Satsu had shown him. Instantly, he knew what was afflicting him, and how
to counter it.

         The moxibustion of weakness.

        "Sorry... Akara-san..." Ryo groaned as he fell backwards, though
Tenma was there to catch him. Ryo cast his gaze upwards into the face of
the man he considered his rival. "You better... save her, Tenma. Or...
so help me... I'll kill you."

         Saotome nodded solemnly. "You have my word."

         He laid Ryo down on the grass and picked up a pebble from the
ground while standing up. Using his other hand, he tore off the shredded
remains of his outer cloak and shirt, leaving him in only a pair of
black pants. He focused his ki into the hand holding the pebble, and
smiled grimly as it began to heat up.

        Despite the situation, both Shan Po and Konisha couldn't help
but gaze in admiration at Tenma's muscular chest.

        "Well, are you ready to try your luck, boy?" Kage taunted. "If
you're anything like your friends, I suggest you don't bother. It would
be wasting my time."

        "Oh, I think you'll find me a worthy challenge," Tenma returned
evenly.

         Sensing the pebble was hot enough, Tenma reached behind his
back, knowing exactly what to reach for. He braced himself, then pressed
the red-hot pebble into his back. There was a sickening sizzling sound,
and steam wafted up from the small point on Tenma's back. He grimaced,
but fought against the waves of pain and nausea until he felt his
strength return.

         Dropping the pebble, Tenma grinned at Kage's wide and confused
eyes. "Now I'm ready. Let's dance."

        "As you wish," Kage replied, sliding into his attack stance.

         Tenma mirrored it, and for the next minute, neither man moved.
Finally, Kage grew impatient and charged, closing the distance in the
span of second. Tenma was ready for him, parrying his rapid-fire
attacks, but barely. Kage was good, very good. Tenma saw that even
before Kuno and Ryo attacked, and that's why he tried to warn them.
Plus, he got a distinct sense of... something unnatural from the man,
that almost made his skin crawl.

         All these factors made this fight different then all his
previous confrontations..

         Tenma continued to mirror Kage's moves, matching block for
block, punch for punch, and kick for kick. His opponent was easily
duplicating Tenma's incredible speed. To Konisha, Shan Po, and Ranko,
the two men were virtually blurs as they danced around the small
clearing.

         Kage tilted his head to the side as Tenma's fist flew by,
clipping the edges of his short black hair. In return, the ninja slipped
inside his opponent's guard, hammering his chest with four quick,
precision strikes.

         Tenma reeled under the assault, the top half of his body
bending backwards. Quickly regaining his wits, he displayed his extreme
flexibility by continuing to twist his upper half down. Planting his
hands on the ground behind him, Tenma whipped his feet upwards, catching
Kage under the chin and sending him sailing away.

         The young Saotome completed the maneuver by flipping  to his
feet, while the ninja twisted in mid-air to land a short distance at the
same time. As soon as he touched down, he sprang foreword once more,
hoping to catch his adversary off-guard.

         It nearly worked. Tenma barely had time to bring his arms up to
block. He tweaked his wrist, grabbing ahold of Kage's arm and cocked his
right fist. The ninja tried to break out of the hold, but Tenma's newly
returned strength held. The ninja braced for the attack, already
preparing a counter.

         The martial artist surprised him however, as he jerked the arm,
bringing Kage slightly foreword and into the path up his rising knee,
the clenched fist being merely a feint. The dark ninja doubled over as
the air was driven from his lungs. Tenma then let go of the arm,
bringing his fists together, then slamming them down on his enemy's
backside.

         Kage hit the ground, hard, and Tenma placed his foot on his
opponent's neck, applying just enough pressure to let the other man know
his neck could be snapped in an instant. He then raised his eyes to the
ninja underling that held Akara.

         By now, she had awakened, but was unable to move as the man
that held her had a knife positioned under her neck. Her face was
sweating with sheer terror the likes of which Tenma had never seen her
display, and she was mumbling softly, incoherently. It literally tore at
his heart to see how she was suffering.

         Tenma spoke the words again. "Let. Her. Go." The authority in
his voice conveyed volumes about what would happen if the man did not
comply.

        "He won't do it unless I order it," Kage hissed from the ground.
"Release me, and the girl lives."

         Tenma's confidence wavered a little. "Let her go first."

        "Release me or she dies!" the other man commanded.

         Even with all his skill and speed, Tenma knew he would never be
able to free Akara before the ninja who held her slit her throat. He
couldn't count on Akara for any help either, since her fear was keeping
her immobile and useless. He could also see Ryo was still out of it.
Tenma almost wished for Tateyama's help and wondered where the swordsman
was.

         He knew that when he let Kage go, he would disappear with
Akara. He also knew in order to save her life, he had no choice. The
pressure his foot was applying let up a little, as he prepared to let
his enemy go.

        "That not very nice!" Shan Po's high-pitched voice resonated
around them. "Evil man not fight fair!"

         A whip snaked out of the darkness and coiled around the ninja's
knife hand, yanking it away before any could react. Then a large, multi-
colored ball hit the man over the head, banishing his mind to
unconsciousness. Shan Po materialized out of the darkness, holding onto
the staff attached to the melon-sized mace. Konisha appeared several
feet away as well, her whip recoiling back to her.

         Kage's squad sprang into action, but the mighty Amazon warrior
and the daughter of the Kuno Daiymo were too much for them. Konisha's
whip kept them at bay, while Shan Po flowed through their midst and sent
them to join their comrade in dreamland. Soon, all five were out cold.

        "Tenma!" Akara screamed, her head now cradled by the somewhat-
recovered Ranko. "Look out!"

         Kage had not been idle, but flicked his wrists sending twin
long knives sliding out of his sleeves and into his hands. He rolled out
from under Tenma's foot while the boy was distracted, slicing a long
gash in his leg.

         Saotome hissed in pain and recoiled while the ninja leader
struck like a serpent, the twin daggers flashing foreword with
incredible speed. Tenma took several slashes to his arms and chests as
he worked frantically to dodge.

        "I was going to just head back with the girl," Kage told him as
he continued his attacks. "But know I think presenting your broken body
to the Dark Shogun will be a bigger reward."

         Tenma gathered as much bravado as he could. "Just try it!"

         Growing tired of being forced on the defensive, Tenma blocked a
knife thrust on his left bracer, snapping up a kick to knock the other
knife out of Kage's hand. The weapon shot up into the sky from the force
of the attack, even as the young Saotome lanced out with a fist at
blinding speed.

         Kage's head jerked to the side from the force of the blow,
blood and spittle flying. A chop disarmed him of the last knife before
Tenma brought the same hand up and backhanded his enemy, twisted the
man's face in the opposite direction. The younger martial artist then
crouched slightly, his leg whipping up and blurring over the ninja's
front. When it was over, Kage collapsed backwards.

         The airborne knife chose that moment to begin its decent, just
as Kage recovered enough of his wits to see it coming down, point first,
heading straight for his neck. As his body was still stunned from his
opponent's attack, Kage closed his eyes and braced for the end.

        *Thunk!*

         Realizing that he wasn't dead, the ninja master opened his
eyes. The knife had stopped an inch above his neck, with Tenma holding
the handle.

         The martial artist's eyes were hard as they bore into the
downed ninja. Tenma struggled with an inner conflict to just let the
knife continue its work. After all, HE had hurt Akara. HE had threatened
her life.

         Tenma forced his breathing into calmer territory, but his eyes
never lost their fury. "You've lost," he said simply. "Take a message to
you master and to Kae. Tell them if they don't call off this stupid war,
I'll kill them both."

         Kage blinked. "You're letting me go?"

        "Tenma, you coward!" Ryo yelled, obviously awake now. "For what
he did to Akara, he-"

        "SHUT UP, RYO!" Tenma barked, his tone commanding and deathly
serious. He turned back to his downed adversary. "Yes, I'm letting you
go. But if I ever see your face again, I will kill you... slowly. Do not
let your path cross mine again." He backed off, pulling the knife away.

         The black-clad ninja stood up slowly. "You're a fool, Saotome!
You're all fools! The Dark Shogun will crush all who stand in his path.
Your only hope for survival is join him, like I did."

        "Is that why Kae betrayed us?" Tenma asked darkly.

         He shrugged. "Possibly. Her reasons are her own." Kage turned
to go, muttering under his breath. "Fools."  Then he disappeared into
the forest.

         Only then did Tenma let himself even start to relax, allowing
the knife to slip from his fingers and land softly upon the ground. He
sensed Ryo's footsteps come up behind him, while Shan Po and Konisha
went to help the downed Amazon warriors.

        "I hope you know you're doing, Tenma," Ryo said in a low voice.

         Tenma's gaze turned toward his fiancee, as Ranko helped her up.
He couldn't believe the anger he felt at the man who had dared to hurt
her. It scared just how much he wanted to tear Kage apart. It was the
first time in a long while he had ever lost his hard-earned iron
control, and he still found himself trembling and frightened at what he
was prepared to do.

         He stared off into the distance, his eyes unfocused. "So do I."




         Ranko carefully adjusted her left arm's sling and winced
slightly, while pondering all that she had just been told. Her heart
went out to Akara, now knowing what her friend had been holding in all
this time. Apparently, this latest confrontation had brought to the
surface, feelings and fears that Akara had long sought to bury.

         After returning to the Amazon encampment by the shore, Ranko's
sore arm was treated and put into a sling so it would heal faster. A
couple of male Amazon healers tried to lead the youngest Tendo away to
treat her wounds as well, but Akara frantically fought them away in
fear, preferring to stay with the red-head.

         Confused, Ranko told the Amazons to leave them alone in the
tent while she treated Akara's cuts and bruises. As she washed and
cleaned them, Ranko couldn't help but feel an odd kinship with the
raven-haired girl. She had come to know Akara well in the past few days,
and it almost felt like meeting a long lost sister.

         As she finished up, Akara finally broke down and began to cry,
telling the surprised pig-tailed girl an unhappy story that happened
when she was younger. Shock, fear, outrage, and understanding crossed
Ranko's face as Akara sobbed out her worst fears.

         In the end, Ranko had her right arm around Akara, rocking the
other girl back and forth as she cried herself out. She understood now
the barriers Akara had erected around herself, not allowing anyone to
get close to her. The only reason Ranko was able to get this close, was
because of how much she reminded Akara of her mother.

         In her emotionally vulnerable state, Akara had hinted at
another person who had managed to work their way inside her shell. Even
though she didn't mention the person by name, Ranko knew the who other
girl was talking about. It was someone who the frightened girl had come
to care about, but was too scared to know what to do about it.

         Akara finally stopped talking, looked up at the redhead, and
for the first time that day, smiled. "Thank you, for... listening to me.
I'm sorry I made such a scene."

         Ranko observed the puffy eyes and tear-streak cheeks, and felt
that odd sense of sisterhood again. "You're welcome and, don't be
sorry." She gave Akara's shoulders a squeeze with her one-armed hug.
"When you share your pain with another, you give them some of the
burden, that's what my adoptive mother used to tell me." Her gaze
changed slightly. "Now, I think you should find this other person and
tell them at least most of what you told me."

         The smile disappeared. "I can't do that!"

        "Why not?"

         Akara sputtered. "Because.. because..." The only reason she
could come up with was fear, but she didn't want to admit that.

         Unfortunately, Ranko knew this. "Exactly." She tried not to
sound too triumphant. "If you don't take steps to deal with this fear
now, it will control you for the rest of your life. I know you care
about... him, so he's as good a person to start with as any."

         The other girl sighed in defeat. "I suppose..." The smile
returned half-heartily. "But if he makes fun of me, I'll bash his skull
in."

        "Now that's the right attitude! Good girl!"

         The two girls smiled at each other and Akara felt a renewed
sense of happiness return to her. Further conversation was stalled as
the sound of many women cheering could be heard outside. Curious, the
pair of female martial artists walked to the tent entrance and pulled
the flap back, stepping outside.

         A large group of Amazons were gathered around an open section
of the camp. Akara and Ranko glanced at each other, then shot through
the crowd, trying to get close enough to find out what was going on.
When they finally reached the site of the big commotion, their jaws
dropped simultaneously.

         Shan Po had glomped onto Tenma and was hugging him as
affectionately as barnacle hugs the hull of a ship. She pulled her head
back slightly and started foreword, and it was obvious to everyone what
she was about to do.

        "Tenma!" Akara screeched.

         His head jerked to the side at his fiancee's voice, just as
Shan Po's lips completed their journey, hitting his cheek instead of his
mouth. This was too much for the trembling Akara, and she turned and
fled.

        "No, Akara, wait!" Tenma called. "This isn't what it looks
like!" He managed to squirm out of the Amazon's grip and took off after
her.

         "What was THAT all about!?" Ranko demanded of Ryo.

        "I don't really know," Ryo replied. "Shan Po was asking if Tenma
was alright, and he said yes, and then she just attacked him." He
scratched his head, recalling what had happened next. "Tenma barely
avoided the swings of her mace-thingys and kicked one into her face,
knocking her out. When she came to, she just jumped him. The rest you
saw."

        "Is kiss of marriage!" Another Amazon in her teens told them.
Ryo and Ranko, startled, turned to face the newcomer. "When outsider
male beats Amazon in combat, she become his wife by law."

        "That's crazy!" Ranko protested.

        "Yes!" Ryo exulted. "That means Tenma can't marry Akara now! And
now Akara is free to-" Ranko's elbow found his gut and he doubled over
from the blow. "Ow!"

        "This isn't funny!" Ranko admonished him, slightly hurt. Her
gaze turned to where Tenma and Akara had departed. "I hope those two
will be okay..."



        "Akara, wait!" Tenma called again as he witnessed her disappear
into the forest. Growling in frustration, he took to the treetops in an
effort to overtake her.

         Akara ran, new tears forming in eyes, which was why she didn't
see the obstacle appear in her path. She bumped into him, and a pair of
hands found her shoulders. Her insides wound up in fright, and her arm
wound up for a punch.

        *Pow!*

         Tenma rubbed his jaw from where he sat on the ground, and Akara
looked at both him and her fist somewhat guiltily. Her face then settle
into a scowl.

        "Why aren't you with Shan Po?" she asked accusingly. "It looked
like you two were getting along real well!"

        "Knock it off, Akara!" Tenma returned, getting to his feet. "She
just suddenly attacked me, and when I knocked her out, she jumped me! I
don't know what got into her!"

         Akara crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him
suspiciously, unsure whether to believe him. She then let out her breath
in a long exhale, turned her back to him, and in a quiet voice she
asked, "So why did you come after me?"

         Tenma blinked, somewhat surprised by the question. "Well, your
father did make you my fiancee, so-"

        "Is that all?"

         He blinked again, unsure of whether he actually heard a bit of
sorrow in her voice. He sighed and sat down on a nearby log. "You wanna
know the truth?"

         She turned, eyes showing she was a bit surprised, and nodded.

        "Look, when I was training with Satsu-sensei, nothing else
mattered much to me except the Art. Even when my old master tried to
drop hints about getting to know girls and possibly finding a wife, the
only thing that I cared about was practicing the Art. I met a few of the
girls from the nearby village, but frankly didn't think much of them,
except as a distraction. They just didn't seem to matter much to me." He
paused, and Akara took the moment to sit down next to him. His eyes were
closed, as if he recalling another time and place entirely.

        "I didn't tell you this before," Tenma continued. "But in the
same note that my sensei left after he died, where he told me to meet
with Tendo-san, he also told me of a deal he struck with your father. He
didn't go into details, but he told me to honor the proposition Tendo-
san would make when I met him. I had no idea that meant a fiancee. And
then you were elected to fill that role, and as opposed to the girls I
knew in the village, you didn't seem to like me very much."

         Akara looked down at her toes, guilt ringing in her heart.
"I...don't hate you, Tenma... I never really did. It was just... what
you represented..."

         He brought his head up to look at her, some confusion on his
face. "Akara?"

        "Because of... an incident that happened when I was younger,
I... didn't really like boys." Akara could feel herself tremble as she
recalled the event. For some reason, it wasn't as bad, now that she had
told Ranko. "I was almost 12 at the time, and was out after dark, coming
home from a friend's house. I was happier then, and carefree, believing
all was right and good."

         That was before the Dark Shogun started his war of conquest,
Tenma realized. The land was a bit more peaceful then, with only the
occasional border skirmish between the various Daiymo.

        "I never really saw them, it was so dark," Akara was saying.
"They grabbed me, restrained me, covered my mouth so I couldn't even
scream, then dragged me into an alley." She felt herself begin to shake
again, but then she felt Tenma's hand squeeze her shoulder and the
contact seemed to calm her, despite the fact that she expected it to
have the opposite effect. "They tore off my clothes, and I knew what
they were going to do..." Her eyes were clamped shut by this time.

        "But then someone was there, fighting them off all by himself.
He draped a blanket around me, and I realized it was my father. He
carried me home where I cried myself to sleep. I had been doing only
light training, learning from my father, but the next day I asked him to
teach me all he knew. I wanted to be strong enough so that no boy could
ever take advantage of me."

        "I... I don't know what to say," Tenma whispered. What was one
supposed to say when someone tells you something like that?

        "And then you showed up, and you didn't try and take advantage
of me, even when father made you my fiance. You were... different then
the boys I knew." She shook her head, then continued a bit more
nervously. "But now you know. I... I won't blame you if you don't want
to continue the engagement. I think I can get Kimiko to help me talk
father out of it."

        "Well, what if I said... what if I said, it didn't matter?" he
supplied just as nervously.

         Akara blinked, clearly surprised. "What?"

        "You weren't like any of the village girls I used to know," he
told her quickly, before he lost his nerve. "You were tough, and
skilled, and weren't afraid to tell me what you thought, as opposed to
the village girls who kept pushing themselves on me. And then I heard
that Tateyama was going to marry you, and I got so... angry for some
reason. The same thing happened when Kage threatened your life. Then
I... well, I realized that you... well, matter to me and I don't want to
lose you."

        "Tenma..." Her heart, going a million miles a minute, seemed to
melt at the statement.

        "I don't know about you, but I'd kinda like to try and make this
work, that is if want to... If you don't, that's okay, too." He
completed his spiel and sat nervously studying his toes. Some part of
him thought the whole thing was stupid and inane, the way he was
practically going to pieces for some girl.

         Then he felt her slip her hand into his, and suddenly, it
didn't seem so stupid anymore. "I... wouldn't mind seeing where this
goes, either," she told him shyly.

         He gulped. "A-Akara?"

        "After all," she continued with a grin, "I couldn't do much
worse for a fiance."

         Tenma's emotions underwent rapid readjustment, into more
familiar territory. "Hey I think you should be thankful to have me
engaged to you, with me being so good looking, and you being so
uncute..."

        *Bop!* "Oh really!?"

         He gingerly rubbed the bump on his head. "Well, that is-" A
pair of fingers fell on his lips, but that's not what stopped him from
saying more. It was the sight of her twinkling, big brown eyes, lush,
full lips, and pink-tinged skin only inches away when he turned his head
to look at her, that rendered him speechless.

        "Shut up, before you say any more stupid things," she chided
him.

         As Tenma continued to gaze at her, his mouth suddenly felt dry,
so he swallowed. Why hadn't she looked this cute before? Had he just not
noticed? "Well, um, so... what now?" he asked, because he couldn't think
of anything else.

         Her blush intensified, and she could swear her ears were
burning. "Well, normally, an engaged couple get closer by, uh, kissing."
She couldn't believe what she had just said, since the whole concept
hadn't much occurred to her in the past several weeks.

         Tenma blinked, then he backed up a foot.. "You want me to kiss
you!?" It came out more forceful then he intended.

        "What's the matter!?" she demanded to know.

        "Nothing!" he insisted, hands waving in front of him in warding
gestures.

         Akara smiled suddenly. "Oh ho, I get it. You don't know how to
kiss, do you?"

        "What!?"

         She grinned wider. "That's it! So it's understandable you'd be
too scared to try it!" A part of her knew that she was goading him, and
knowing Tenma, that part of her mind knew what the outcome would be.
Strangely, she wasn't as scared at the prospect as she thought she'd be.

        "I am not!" he retorted. "You better take that back, or else!"

        "Or else what?" She batted her eyes at him, in a move that she
hoped would fluster him. It partially worked. "You're going turn chicken
and run off?"

         He shoved down the nervousness and surprise he had been
feeling, his face hardening as if for battle. "No, 'cause something like
that should mean something!"

        "What makes you think it won't, Mr. Chicken?"

         And then she began to cluck.

         For Tenma, it was the last straw, and suddenly his lips were
hot on hers.

         She sucked breath in through her nose. She hadn't even seen him
move! She froze, the only sound in her ears being the intense beating of
her heart that she swore he could probably feel, since his chest was
pressed up against hers.

         It was nice, she decided at last, if a bit clumsy. Then it was
over, and he was pulling back, his face as flushed as hers, blood
pounding in their ears, and both breathing heavily. She swallowed once,
trying to find her voice.

        "Well, not bad," she said at last, her breath returning.

        "Not bad!?" He sounded insulted, and Akara giggled, suddenly
feeling like a younger, care-free girl again.

        "I'll admit there's some potential, but...." she trailed off,
suggestively.

        "Listen you-!"

         She crossed her arms over her chest. "So, I guess you'll just
have to practice until you get it right."

         He stopped, as that sounded like an open invitation to him. Did
she really want to-? Did she really feel-? He tilted his head towards
her again, slower this time, giving her time to back out. He felt more
self-conscious and scared this time, even though he had just kissed her
once and was still alive to remember it.

         She saw his approach this time, gathered her courage and closed
the distance. Their lips brushed against each other, tentatively at
first, but then Akara applied pressure, pushing them more firmly
together. Her fingers laced themselves through her fiance's pony-tail,
not even realizing she was holding it. His hands were on her shoulders,
gripping firmly as the rush of feelings and emotions consumed them both.

         That would've continued for quite some time, if they hadn't
been disturbed.

        "TENCHAN!"

         The screech galvanized Tenma's instincts and he firmly shoved
Akara backwards. She tumbled clumsily off the log and fell into the
grassy brush behind it, even as he rolled backwards, thus avoiding the
metal projectiles that lodged themselves in log where the couple had
been sitting.

         Again, letting his training and instinct guide him, he placed
his hands on the log and flipped backwards into a standing position,
narrowly avoiding the swish of the large weapon that was aiming for him.
Only then, did he finally see their assailant, as she touched down on
the log in front of him, holding her unusual weapon with both hands.

         He blinked, recognizing both the weapon and the girl, and
uttered one name in total surprise.

        "Yu-chan!?!?"


---------------------------------

Author's notes:
Although it may seem to be a bit too soon for it, remember that these
two, although they have a lot in common with Ranma and Akane, aren't the
same people. Before Shampoo showed up in the manga, R&A came very close
to kissing (if not for their voyeur family watching and taping it, they
would have kissed). Also, Tenma has almost lost Akara twice already, and
these two are older (19, as opposed to 16), are somewhat more mature,
and Akara has Ranko for support, helping her.


--------------------------------

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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 4




        "So the way is finally open, despite your cowardice, General."

         The others gathered around the small auditorium held their
breath, dreading their Leader's reaction to Darmondo's near-traitorous
statement. For the next minute, the only sound in the darkened room was
the steady pulsing of the melon-sized vortex, swirling in the center of
the pentagram that adorned the floor.

         Their liege stood with his back to his followers, his black
cape swirling from the blood red energies flowing around the portal.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and even. "It has been a long
time since I have been addressed by that title."

         Darmondo smirked, but no one could see it under his ebony cowl.
"But it is what you will become again, now that She has passed from this
world. The key has unlocked the final door and our path is now open. It
won't be long until our master emerges. Your total command of this group
is over."

         Again there was silence following this pronouncement, then
those gathered observed their leader's shoulder begin to shake slightly.
It didn't take them long to realize he was quietly chuckling. After
several seconds of this, the laughter cut off and he turned around to
spear Darmondo with a look. "Do you think me a fool?"

         The sorcerer was caught off-guard. "What?"

        "I said, Do you think me a fool?" The man who was once a general
and now commanded this small band of mercenaries and warriors,
reiterated. "I knew what you were up to. I knew you gave Drakon that
masking orb and tricked him into doing your dirty work. I didn't
interfere because I believed it he would succeed, and he did." His eyes
glinted dangerously. "And Drakon returned to China as well. He would
have recovered and joined us, but you finished him off."

        "But he was dangerous to have around!" the wizard countered. "He
was never really one of us! His kind have always despised us. He was
just playing along until he received an opportunity to kill our Master!"

         The leader shook his head. "How little you understand." Behind
him, the swirling portal pulsed and widened by another few centimeters.
"I've been in contact with the Shogun ever since we woke up. In fact, it
was the Shogun who awakened us. Together, we planned out the steps
necessary for his return." He grinned. "We knew of your `secret'
activities. We only allowed them to proceed because they served us. Now
the question is: Will you continue to serve the Shogun, whom you swore
yourself to?"

         Darmondo was thankful for the cowl, for it also hid the
seething anger his face now displayed. He managed to rein it in,
however, and choke out the words, "I am loyal to the Shogun, from now
until death."

         With the rehearsed reply, the wizard turned and strode from the
room amongst the murmurs of the other Rogues.

         The leader of the Rogues turned to his troops. "The portal will
be fully open by the next lunar cycle. We only have to wait until then,
and our Master, the Shogun, will return. Not all of you were here when
our Shogun last walked the Earth, but continue to serve and you will be
rewarded. The governments and leaders of this time are not prepared to
handle the threat we pose. We cannot and will not fail."

         The sound of one set of hands clapping echoed off the high-
ceiling and walls of the auditorium. All turned to discover the source
of the noise, and found it to be the newest recruit, a somewhat short,
blond haired man in a purple gi.

        "Very impressive speech," he commended the Rogue Leader.

        "Kato, you have only recently been approved," came the reply.
"You do not have the standing to say anything. Mind your place."

         Kato held up a hand. "Oh, I shall. I know a winning side when I
see one. I am a survivor, after all."

         He took a long puff on his pipe, grinned evilly, then walked
off into the shadows, cackling to himself.




        "Is there anything else I can do for you, mistress?" Sasuke
asked worriedly as he placed the tray of food on her table.

         His mistress hadn't been the same since Master Kuno brought her
home from the mental hospital and she had discovered Ranma's marriage to
Akane. That was a week ago.

         Gone were the insane laughing and leaping about. Gone was her
smile and bottomless enthusiasm. Oh sure, she was a little bit crazed
then, but she also seemed much happier. Nowadays, she appeared to be
more depressed. She went through the day's activities as if they were a
loathsome duty, instead of task to be enjoyed.

         Her greenhouse plants were left unattended, and she no longer
worked on her chemistry formulae. Even her gymnastics equipment were
left abandoned in a corner of her room. Oh, how he wished he could see
her smile once more, or find something that would take her mind off
current events.

        "That will be all," Kodachi replied with some warmth. "Thank
you, Sasuke."

         The little ninja that served the Kuno house bowed and backed
out of her room, but his mind was both worried and shocked.

         That was the first time his mistress had thanked him.




         Shampoo bounded through the trees, leaping from branches and
trunks as she chased her latest quarry. It wove it's way through the
forest canopy like a pro, but in the end, it was no contest. The feral
Amazon caught up to the panicked squirrel and snatched it up with her
right claw.

         Grinning to herself, she started in on her `lunch.'

         It had been a couple of weeks since she began to train on her
own, learning to use her new body. It reminded her of the times her
great-grandmother would leave her in the forest alone and force Shampoo
to survive, finding her own way back to the village. In six months, she
learned enough to live in the wild without ever needing to go back.

         She had also become an excellent hunter. Combined with her new
body's agility, sense of smell, and sense of hearing, there wasn't an
animal alive that could escape her. She captured and killed birds and
boars, and many other animals with just her natural abilities alone. She
even felt that she might almost be a match for Ranma's Nekoken as well,
though she wasn't eager to test the theory.

         But her pride with her new skills was diminished by the
increasing loneliness she was feeling. At first, she was glad to be away
from Mousse, but as time went on she found herself almost wishing for
some company, even if it was the blind and stupid duck that had been at
her side for as long as she could remember.

         And as much as she had gotten used to her new body, she wanted
her old one back. Turning into a cat occasionally wasn't that bad, but
now she was afraid of going back to village lest she be labeled a freak
or a monster and made fun of. Yet she also had to talk to someone about
this. One of the elders might have the knowledge to undo what had been
done to her.

         Shampoo finished off her meal and found a stream to drink from,
all the while going through the plan in her head. She knew she wasn't
far from the village, and with her new speed she would easily be able to
reach it before sundown. Then she would have to wait, sneaking in under
the cover of darkness, not letting anyone see her. With the abilities
granted to her by her new form, she felt that it would not be that
difficult. And if everything went according to plan, she might even be
cured before sunrise!

         Gathering up her determination, Shampoo headed for her home.




        "This will do perfectly, don't you agree?" She gestured to the
old, rotting, and condemned building. The old woman's unwilling partner
merely shot her a glare, causing Zhao Len to chuckle. "Come now, once I
have all of those responsible for my downfall, including that whelp that
defeated me, I will let you go and do as you wish. You may go and
destroy the `dark' that you seem so intent on doing, Kae, if that is
your real name."

         The withered ex-Amazon walked inside the structure, gauging
it's strength and making mental notes. Behind her, Kae kept pace, forced
to stay in close proximity to the old crone because of the magical ruby
Zhao Len carried.

        "Revenge, huh?" the words came Kenji's mouth, but it was not his
voice. "I suppose I can understand that. Don't expect me to like it,
however." <It figures I'd get stuck with a body that can be easily
controlled. And as long as she has that gem, I can't touch her. Hmmm,
maybe one of these others she's planning revenge on would do me the
honor of killing this old bitch.>

         Zhao Len turned to her puppet and held up the bloody red gem
between her first and middle fingers. Kenji's body jerked upright. "And
get any thoughts of betraying me out of your head. You will do as I want
and I will let you go. Disobey me and you will die. It's as simple as
that." The gem began to pulse and glow, like a living heart.

        "Very well," Kae seethed through clenched teeth. "I'll do what
you want, for now."

         The old woman chuckled. "Oh, you'll do better than that."

         A thin beam of light shot from the gem to strike the young
boy's forehead. A guttural scream ripped from his throat as he spasmed
in pain, once. Then his body jerked upright and Kae's pupils shrink to
pinpoint like dots.

        "I will do as you wish, Master," the boy drolled in a monotone
voice.

        "Excellent. Then this is what you shall do..."




         Kodachi Kuno knew Sasuke was worried about her. In fact, she
knew her brother was worried about her, too. There was quite a bit she
was more aware of, now that her mind was clearer than it had been in a
long time. Now she could look back on her life, and see that she had no
friends, just people who were afraid of her and followed her orders.

         And she had no fiance, boyfriend, lover, or whatever else she
had tried to fool herself into believe Ranma was to her. His heart
belonged to Akane Tendo, who was now Akane Saotome.

         She wished she had a normal family and a normal childhood, then
maybe she might have had a chance with Ranma. But no matter how much she
wished for it, she had to deal with the family she had. She did feel a
little closer to her brother now, but it would have been nice to have a
mother and father as well. Unfortunately, her father hadn't been seen
for the past eight months or so, ever since he was bitten by a dog or
something.

         Kodachi never really understood what that was all about.

         Of her mother, she could few details from her childhood, but
her emotions told her she should hate the woman who seemingly abandoned
them. But more recently, she appeared to have pictures of her mother
caring for her, loving her, and healing her. But she couldn't remember
what happened to her mother. Did she die? Run away? What? It was like a
dream where she couldn't remember the ending. Just a vague sense of
something important happening recently that involved both her mother and
brother.

         When she asked Tatewaki about it, he just quietly told her that
mother wasn't coming back, that she had passed away. He didn't seem to
be willing to share any more information than that.

         Kodachi Kuno sighed, then glanced up to see where she was.
Distracted by her thoughts, she realized she had wandered into the large
indoor bathing room of the mansion. A couple of ornate marble pools
containing heated water gurgled quietly from the small waterfalls that
fed them. Various flora decorated the room, giving the whole area a
sense of a mountain hot spring.

        <Maybe I shall take a bath, to get my mind off things,> she
decided and began to remove her kimono. Quickly washing down, she eased
herself into the warm, soothing waters and relaxed, willing the hot
water to remove her tension.

        "I wish I could find someone to share this with," she mumbled
quietly to herself. That was what she really wanted, to be loved by
someone totally and unconditionally. "But where will I find a man that's
not afraid of me and will treat me as an equal?"

         As she finished this spoken thought, she became aware of a
strange whistling sound. Curious, she sat up slightly and attempted to
attune her ears to the weird noise. <If I didn't know any better, I
would swear that it is growing louder.> She cocked her head in confusion
and tried to discern the direction of the ever louder whistle, and her
eyes widened when she figured out where it was coming from. <Above?>

        *CRASH!* *BANG!* *BOOM!*

         Kodachi sputtered as she coughed up the water she swallowed,
recovering from her dunking. Drying her eyes revealed a hole in the
ceiling and a small dust cloud over the adjoining pool.

        "Oh dear, I shall have to get Sasuke to fix that," she mused.
"Now I suppose I had better find out who caused this mess, so I know to
whom to address the bill."

         Driven by curiosity and heedless of her own nudity, Kodachi
stood up and strode over to the impact spot, only to blush furiously and
utter a very Kasumi-like, "Oh my!" when she glimpsed the culprit.

         Laying in the other pool, was a very good-looking and well-
toned male bishonen youth. He was also, like her, quite naked.

         To her surprise, the youth attempted to rise, only freezing as
he caught sight of Kodachi in all her glory. Of course, his natural
reaction was for the his eyes to mimic large saucers and blood to
trickle out of his nose.

         For several seconds, the scene was frozen as the two stared at
each other. Then the house decided that was enough, and unleashed a
wooden beam from the ceiling to smash into the boy, conking him in the
noggin sending him into unconsciousness.

         Kodachi broke out of her trance and went to help the strange
boy before he drowned in the three foot deep water. <Well, I wished for
man. A sign from the gods, perhaps?>




         Shampoo crouched silently in the bushes. Despite the dark blue
and purple of her new fur, she managed to stay hidden from the patrols
while she waited for the sun to go down. Of course, the fact that she
had used some mud to darken her coloring helped. Once the sun dipped
below the horizon and the stars began to glow in the night sky, the
feral Amazon felt it was time.

         With a speed and agility that she hadn't possessed in a long
time, Shampoo blurred out of her hiding space, the only sound being the
air she displaced as she sprinted. She scampered up a tree at the edge
of the forest and hid amongst it's thick branches. The next thirty
meters were bare of everything except some light scrub grass and tall
rock formations.

         Beyond that loomed the walls of Nyuchiehzu, the home of the
Joketsuzoku, nestled in the rocky, mountainous reaches of Quingh-Hai
province. For as long as Shampoo could remember, this had been her home,
until the day Ranma arrived and beat her, quite easily, in front of the
whole village. Shamed by what she viewed as her incredible failure, she
felt the only way to regain her pride was to kill the girl.

         Shampoo shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. She
couldn't afford to be distracted. Timing the motions of the sentries,
she picked her moment and leapt out of the trees, hitting the ground in
a rapid sprint that covered the full thirty meters in just a few
seconds. She let the shadow cast by wall, thanks to the half-moon, hide
her presence. From there, it was a short leap over the barrier and she
was inside.

         She had to be more careful now, as there were more people
moving around inside than out, as well as the light of torches that
illuminated the inside. Drawing upon all her knowledge of stealth and
the quieter movements her cat-like body possessed, she stalked from
shadow to shadow, seeking one house, and one person in particular.




         Elder Pu Yon closed the door and stepped inside, savoring the
warmth the fireplace gave to the room. She wasn't that old, having just
lived over 50 years, but the cold outside seemed harsher to her every
year. She was a warrior as well, though not the best of the village, she
was by no means a slouch either.

         Which was why she sensed the other presence in her house. "<Who
are you?>" she demanded to know, speaking Chinese. The only glow came
from the fireplace, leaving several areas shrouded in darkness.

         Included that corner by the window, Pu Yon realized. In one
smooth motion, she retrieved several small objects from inside her
Mandarin blouse, then let the three kunai darts fly. But instead of the
sound of steel striking either wood or flesh, there was nothing, as if
the darkness had swallowed the weapons.

         At least until the three small objects were tossed in a lazy
arc to end up in the middle of the room.

        "<Elder...>" came the faint feminine voice from the corner.
"<Auntie...>"

         The old woman blinked. "<Shan Pu? Is that you?>" She took a
step towards the corner, bow able to see the outline of a vaguely
humanoid form.

        "<Stop!>" The command from the corner stopped the Elder in her
tracks.

        "<Shan Pu?>" Pu Yon asked. "<What's wrong? Where have you
been?>"

         The girl in the shadows seemed to hesitate before replying,
"<I... need your help.>

         Curious, the older woman tried to take another step forward
before being ordered to stop again, though this time it came out as more
of a plea. Pu Yon inhaled sharply through her nose and crossed her arms
over her chest.

        "<Enough stalling, Shan Pu,>" the elderly woman chastised in a
stern voice. "<Tell me what this is about.>" Unlike Cologne, who
preferred to let children have more freedom to do as they please and
learn from their mistakes, Pu Yon felt that a sterner hand was required.

         There was a few moments of silence, and then Shampoo stretched
her hand into the light. Pu Yon gasped as she beheld the claw-like hand
that was covered with matted bluish-purplish fur.

         The older woman's eyes narrowed. "<Who or what are you?>"

        "<I am Shan Pu, Elder!>" the girl in the insisted in a near-
panicked voice.

        "<Then step into the light where I can see you,>" Pu Yon
demanded, her patience growing thing. "<Amazon warriors do not cower in
darkness.>"

         The girl in the shadows hung her head, but heeded the command
and stepped fully into the light. Elder Pu Yon was better able to
contain her shock this time as she studied her guest. The humble girl
that stood before her now was a far cry from the prideful Amazon warrior
that left the village all those months ago.

         The muddy and filthy rag-tag remains of Shampoo's battle
bodysuit, barely only covered where modesty demanded. The rest of her
form was hidden by the same bluish-purplish fur that Pu Yon had seen on
the girl's hand. It was quite a  few shades darker than Shampoo's normal
purple hair, which now seemed more like a mane that matched the rest of
her fur, hanging down slightly past her waist.  Even her face sported a
little fur, which now had a cat's nose and whiskers to accompany it. The
only really left unchanged, where Shampoo's eyes, which were still a
dark purple to match the rest of her.

        "<What have you don to yourself, child?>" Pu Yon asked in a
tired voice.

        "<My Jusenkyo curse was merged with my real body by a ghost cat
name Mao Mao Lin,>" Shampoo explained in a quiet voice. "<Do you know of
anything that can return me to normal?>"

         The old woman sighed and shook her head sadly. "<Your great-
grandmother was the foremost expert on magicks and village lore. I'm
afraid I am not as aware of anyway to reverse this.>"

        "<There must be something you can do!>" Shampoo pleaded, the
desperation in her voice clear. "<I want to turn back to normal!>"

        "<Stop it, Shan Pu!>" Pu Yon ordered. "<Khu Lon may have put
with your demanding attitude, but I will not!>" She nodded in relief as
the cat-like girl calmed down, showing proper respect. "<Now, I do have
access to the vault of knowledge as an Elder, but since I haven't been
one for very long, I do not know all of what it contains. I will look
through it to see if I can find something to return you to normal.>"

         Shampoo's expression changed from apprehension, to one of hope,
but before she could say anything, there came a shout from outside. Both
women turned at the yell, but Shampoo showed more worry that Pu Yon.

        "<Now what's going on?>" the Elder woman wondered out loud,
heading for the window. "<What's with all the racket?>" she yelled to a
passing Amazon warrior.

        "<There's an intruder in the village,>" the out-of-breath
warrior replied. "<Su Yin was found unconscious a short while ago. She
was attacked.>"

         Pu Yon nodded and let the warrior go, turning back inside
toward the cat-girl. "I assume you had something to do with this?>"

         It was no secret that Su Yin was jealous of Shampoo, and she
leader of a group of girls that weren't too fond of Shampoo's
accomplishments nor her privileged position as Cologne's heir. Su Yin
was also the second-best of her generation, while Shampoo was naturally
the best; until Ranma came along, that is.

         Shampoo actually looked sheepish. "<Um, she spotted me, and I
didn't want anyone to know I was here.>"

         Pu Yon thought it was something more than that, but didn't
pursue the issue. "Really? Well I can't say I'm surprised.>"

         Shampoo's eyes widened as a knock came at the door. "<You can't
tell anyone I was here!>"

        "<Elder Pu Yon!>" someone called from outside. "<Are you there?
Are you alright?>"

         The old woman sighed. "<Very well. Because of you I am an Elder
now, so I owe you a debt. Go now. I will search for a cure and come for
you when I have discovered one.>"

        "<How will you find me?>" Shampoo asked worriedly, but moving to
the window to make her escape.

        "<There is a man living deep in the woods about eight kilometers
northeast of here,>" Pu Yon responded. "<His name is Fen Wu, and he used
to be of this village. Wait for me there!>"

         The knock at the door sounded again. "<Pu Yon? Are you okay in
there?>"

        "<Go!>" the Elder commanded, practically shoving the girl out
the window. She didn't wait to see if Shampoo got away, before answering
the door. "<Yes, yes, I'm fine. You needn't make such a racket.>"

         The young female warrior gave a short bow as an apology. "<I
apologize, Elder. But there is an intruder somewhere in the village, and
we do not think it is totally human. It could be a Musk warrior.>"

         Pu Yon hid her smile. While it had happened rarely in the past,
that a Musk warrior would seek out an Amazon for a wife, it hadn't
happened at all in the 200 years. Now it was more of a story told to
scare young Amazon children into behaving, or else a Musk warrior would
get them.

        "<I'll be on guard,>" Pu Yon told the young warrior wryly. The
girl bowed again and left, while the Elder glanced up at the night sky.
<And good luck to you, Shampoo.>




         Shampoo paused in the forest, having just barely evaded the
patrols of warriors looking for her. She had been spotted several times,
but by keeping to the shadows, they never got a good look at her. Her
speed and agility kept her one step ahead, until she finally lost them
in the woods.

         Now breathing a sigh of relief, the cat-girl focused her mind
on the task at hand, then grimaced when she remembered what the Elder
had told her. She had to go back to Fen Wu's cabin to wait, and she knew
Mousse was there. She didn't particularly want to see the love-struck
nuisance again, but it looked like she had no choice. Though since he
didn't pursue her when she left there, maybe he had finally given up his
stupid obsession with her.

         After all, she realized, lesser miracles have been known to
happen.

         Sighing, Shampoo curled up in a high tree branch to spend the
night, figuring she'd head back to the cabin tomorrow.




        "Ucchan, I finished cleaning the kitchen," Yuri called to the
chef who was in the main dining area, scrubbing at the grill that was
her pride and joy.

        "Okay, I'm almost done here, then we can close up from for the
night, Yuchan," Ukyo returned, smiling a bit at the nicknames they were
calling each other now. Normally her nickname was reserved for Ranma
alone, but she figured the best way to totally get over him was to allow
her closest friends to call her that as well.

         Yuri removed her apron and drained the sink, leaving the dishes
to dry while she headed out into the main room. She nodded to Ukyo, then
began to close the curtains. Midway through closing the big one that
covered the main window looking out into the street, she caught a flash
of movement from outside and stopped her actions.

         The figure outside stopped as well, standing across the street
and out of the illumination provided by the street lamps, forcing Yuri
to squint her eyes to see him. There was something about the figure's
movement, something familiar, though she could only see a vague outline
in the darkness, even with her enhanced night vision.

         She gasped as the figure turned and briskly moved off. Yuri
dashed to the door. "Kenji!" she called out to the darkness, but
received no reply.

         Ukyo caught the name and leapt over the counter to stand beside
her waitress. "What? Did you see him?" She had eventually cornered the
story of Kenji's disappearance from Yuri and Konatsu, and was more than
a little worried herself.

         The street outside, however, was empty of living beings.

         Yuri sighed. "Maybe not. I thought I saw someone that looked
like him, but I guess I was wrong."

         Looking down the street to the right, Ukyo's eyes widened. "Or
maybe not! Look!"

         Yuri turned to see a figure leaping from street light to street
light, making its way down the road and approaching an intersection. The
leaping technique was familiar to her, and yet was not. "It could be
him..."

        "Are you speaking of Kenji-sama?" The two girls nearly jumped
out of their skin as Konatsu seemingly materialized out of thin air.

        "That's what Yuri thinks." Ukyo holstered her battle spatula on
her back and adjusted her bandoleer, then dashed out into the street.
"Well, there's only one way to find out. Come on, let's go before we
lose him!" She waved to her compatriots.

        "Right!" Yuri agreed, then all three sprinted down the street,
taking to the roof tops as they hit the corner where they quarry turned.
They paused for a second to get their bearings, then Yuri spotted the
receding black-clad figure. "There he is!"

        "Well, I know everyone in this town that can roof-hop," Ukyo
said as they jumped along. "And this guy doesn't look like any of them."

        "If it is Kenji, why is he running away from us?" Yuri wondered
out loud.

        "Perhaps, he has his reasons," Konatsu offered.

        "Well, whoever he is, I want to find out what he's doing here,"
Ukyo said increasing her speed some to try and keep up with the two
faster ninja. "At the very least, a new martial artist in town always
spells trouble."

         The other two agreed, then no more conversation was held as the
three concentrated on chasing the mysterious individual. It seemed no
matter how fast they ran, they still came no closer to catching up with
him. On the other hand, the figure never got far enough away that they
lost sight of him, either.

        <It's almost as if he wants us to follow him,> Ukyo wondered.
<But why?>

         After five minutes of running, the figure left the rooftop and
jumped back down to the street. His three pursuers followed shortly
thereafter, but when they hit the ground, their quarry was nowhere in
sight.

         A door slammed across the street, drawing three pairs of eyes
to its location: an old, run-down office building.

        "Don't tell me he went in there?" Ukyo panted, nearly out of
breath. She wasn't used to running like that, but was amazed that
Konatsu and Yuri only seemed only a little winded.

        "Okay, I won't tell you that." Yuri smirked at her friend, the
started forward. "Well, as Ukyo said earlier, there's only one way to
find out. Come on, `Natsu-chan!"

         Her forward momentum was halted by a hand on her arm. "Wait,
Yuri-sama. does this not feel wrong to you?"

        "He's got a point, Yuchan," Ukyo agreed. "Didn't ya notice that
he kept in sight all this time, despite the fact that we were running
full out?"

        "Even so, I just know my brother's in there somewhere! It just
feels right, I can't explain it!" She turned and started forward again.
"You can sit outside if you want, but I'm going inside."

         Ukyo and Konatsu glanced at each and sighed, then followed the
stubborn girl as she opened the creaking door and stepped inside.




         High above, another pair of eyes watched them enter from a
fourth story window, and the lips belonging to the same face as those
eyes, twisted upward into a grin. <Perfect. They have arrived. I knew
that stupid sister of his wouldn't be able to resist my lure. The first
pieces have fallen into place. Now I need merely wait.>

         Zhao Len cackled to herself, as the clouds outside began to
rumble ominously with the sounds of thunder.



-----------------------------------

Author's Notes:

Who's the guy who dropped in on Kodachi? You can probably guess, but if
you can't, here's a hint: In the manga, he `dropped' into the Tendo
house a couple of times.


-----------------------------------

Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds And Connections
Chapter 5




         Selah Lenwith huffed as she ran along the ground. A short time
ago, she had seen all three of her housemates take off, saying something
about Kenji. She had tried to catch up with them, but had lost them when
they took to the roof. Not as physically able as the three martial
artists, she quickly ran out of breath after several blocks of
sprinting.

         She paused at the next intersection, unable to determine which
direction they traveled in. "Oh pooh! I'll never find them now!" She
stomped her foot in anger. "How dare they leave me behind! If it is
Kenji-chan, he'll need me!"

         The young water mage sighed and collapsed on a bus stop bench
to catch her breath, letting the chilly night air cool her overheated
body. <How am I supposed to find them now?> she asked herself, running
her hands through her shoulder-length, light-blue hair. As her body
temperature dropped, she suddenly had her answer and shot to her feet.

        "Of course!" she exclaimed. "They must be running warm, too!
I'll just take a reading on the moisture in the air. If it hasn't been
too long, they should have left a slight trail!"

         Buoyed by this revelation, she closed her eyes and
concentrated, letting her magic mingle with water moisture around her.
Her aura of detection grew in diameter as she gauged the humidity of the
air in all directions. <There!> She had it! It was faint, but there was
a slight trail of warmer air drifting over the housetops.

         Refreshed and recovered somewhat, Selah took off down the
street, homing in on her friends' trail.

         After ten more minutes of travel, Selah stopped. The trail had
practically dissipated by now and she was hard pressed to follow it much
further. Glancing around revealed that she had ended up in a more run-
down section of Nerima, with several boarded-up houses and larger
buildings scheduled for demolition.

        <Now where am I supposed to go?> she wondered in despair. She
hadn't a clue where they could have ended up now, as the trail ended
here. <Are they in one of these buildings? Or did the temperature trail
finally just plain dissipate?>

         She sighed and leaned up against one of the concrete walls
surrounding one of the condemned properties, wondering what she should
do now.

         And then she heard the scream.




         The martial artist crouched, hands out to either side, while he
awaited the attack. He didn't have to wait long.

         The arrow approached from his right, and he twisted to catch it
in his right hand, while his left flung three sharp knives in response.
Three deep *thunks* sounded in the distance, letting him know he had
missed his opponent completely, but a not a tree trunk.

         It was quiet again, and Mousse scanned for his attacker, but
couldn't even hear the leaves rustle. Trying to see his adversary was
pointless even if he was wearing his glasses. With a new moon, the night
was pitch black, and the forest canopy shielded him from the stars
above.

         Without sight, and with no noise being made by his attacker,
Mousse was really blind.

        "<That response was sloppy, Mu Tsu,>" his male opponent told him
disdainfully in Chinese from the darkness.

         Mousse didn't bother with a reply, twisting a quarter-turn and
moving ever so slightly to his right. His tactic paid off. The spear
that would have skewered him, landed in the soft ground he had been
standing in moments before.

         Grinning to himself, he laid his hand on the cool metal of the
shaft and pulled it out of the ground. By the angle if its entry, Mousse
could tell which direction it was thrown and from how far away. But as
he hefted the weapon and prepared to throw, it was suddenly jerked from
his grasp.

         He managed to get a tighter grip on the spear to hold onto it,
but he was still pulled off balance. That proved to be a nearly costly
mistake, as the dull whistle was his only warning of the inbound
projectiles.

         Mousse flicked the weapon up, deflecting the first dart, but
the second one struck his upper arm. He winced in pain, and his grip
lessened enough for the spear to finally be yanked from his grasp. As it
flew out of his hands, the myopic Amazon tumbled to the ground.

         Wincing, he reached over and pulled the dart out of the cloth
covering of his arm, finding himself unable to do much else at the
moment. <Was there something in the dart?> he wondered.

         A very light *thump* was his only warning of someone landing
beside him. A snap of his wrist sent the dart up at the general location
he perceived the man to be, and was rewarded with the ping of it hitting
metal and a short grunt from his adversary.

         Rolling away quickly, he sent a singular weighted wire flying
out of his sleeve along the ground. With a twitch of his wrist, the line
wrapped itself around the legs of his opponent. Mousse gave a quick tug
to trip the other man up and slipped a sword out of his other sleeve,
into his hand, and prepared to finish it once and for all.

        "STOP!"

         Mousse froze while his sensei turned the light on his helmet
on, forcing Mousse to squint and then replace his glasses. His eyes
widened in fear when they finally adjusted to the scene.

         Fen Wu's clawed boot was mere centimeters above Mousse's
throat, and the wire that he had launched was only wrapped around the
other leg. If Mousse had given a quicker tug on that line, or if Fen Wu
and simply dropped his leg, Mousse's throat would have been rendered a
bloody mess.

         The near-sighted Amazon gulped as Fen Wu lowered the other foot
to the ground, claws retracting into the boot, while untangling the wire
from his other leg. By the expression on the bigger man's face, Mousse
could tell he had screwed up badly. He accepted the hand from his sensei
and stood.

         Fen Wu replaced his weapons and equipment into his own robe.
"<What did you do wrong?>"

         Mousse sweatdropped in nervousness. "<I-I don't really know,
Sensei. I thought I had you.>"

        "<Do not think!>" the weapons master reprimanded. "<This should
be instinct! Your first mistake was going for the spear. For all you
knew, it could've been coated with poison and your life would have been
over right there. Never use an enemy's weapon! That's why you carry so
many of your own!>"

         The old man sighed and regarded his student. "<And your second
mistake is one that you tend to repeat. You lash out without thinking
through the tactics in your mind. This will cause you to fail every
single time! Your body should react on instinct and your mind should be
several steps ahead. Your chain attack->" he picked up the small wiry
chain, "<-was ill-thought out. You assumed I landed on both feet, when I
only landed on one. I could have crushed your neck when I first came
down, but I held back to see what you would do.>"

         Mousse felt dejected. After all he had learned, it still seemed
he couldn't ever reach the high plateau that his sensei expected of him.
<No wonder Shampoo rejected me and Ranma beat me easily, I am a
weakling.>

        "<Self-pity is unbecoming a warrior, Mu Tsu.>" Fen Wu's voice
was enough to bring the other man's head back up.

        "<But I failed->"

        "<It is only failure if you do not learn from it!>" Fen Wu
practically yelled at his student. "<You are capable of planning in
advance, which I surmise you did with that chain mail mesh you are
wearing under your robe. That's why the dart wasn't able to release it's
paralysis compound into you. Your weaponskill is excellent, nearly a
match for my own, but you don't take full advantage of your body for
other weapons, limiting it to your sleeves and occasionally your feet.>"

         Mousse looked up, perplexed. "<Sensei?>"

        "<You have potential, Mu Tsu, and that's why I spend my time
training you. Your tactical thinking is better than most, but you only
utilize it when planning for a fight, yet hardly ever when in the midst
of one.>" The aged weapons master paused, then turned his back and began
to walk away. "<Hopefully, you will correct that once you leave here.>"

         The confusion on Mousse's face only grew. "<Leave here? Are you
through teaching me?>" When his teacher didn't stop or respond, the boy
ran to catch up to him.

        "<There is very little I have left to teach you,>" Fen Wu
stated, not looking at his student. "<By the end of the week, you will
depart from here.>"

         As they walked back to the cabin, Mousse hoped his sensei would
elaborate, but he would say no more, and the trip was made in silence.




        "Hello?" the nervous girl called out. "Oniichan? Are you in
here?"

         Her two companions joined her inside, and together they scanned
the darkened interior of the condemned office building. Yuri's call went
unanswered while she squinted into the musty and spiderwebbed corridors.
The walls were cracked, boards on the floor were broken and missing, and
an unpleasant scent of erosion wafted past their noses.

        "Well, what now?" Ukyo asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Are we even sure he came in here?"

         Yuri's face became determined and fierce. "I know my brother! I
know he came in here!"

         Ukyo sighed. "But why? Yuri-honey, something about this doesn't
make any sense!"

        "I don't know!" the young ninja girl practically shouted in an
exasperated tone. "There must be some reason! Maybe he needs some help
or something!" Picking a direction seemingly at random, the flustered
girl took off down the darkened and frail hallway, scanning left and
right for any sign of her wayward sibling.

         Ukyo glanced to Konatsu, who reflected her disconcerted and
perplexed gaze. He shrugged in reply to her unasked question and the two
took off after their runaway friend, the boards under their feet
creaking and groaning in protest.

        "Yuri-sama!" Konatsu called out. "Please slow down!"

         The two companions caught up to the sprinting girl, but only
after a long sprint. They each grabbed an arm, stopping her at a three-
way hallway intersection.

         Yuri railed against her `captors'. "Let me go!"

        "Not until you calm down!" Ukyo snapped at her.

         The tone of voice stopped the struggling girl and brought her
head up. "But, we have to help-"

        "We know that already!" The chef told her, cutting the other
girl off. "But running off half-cocked ain't gonna help anyone! Don't
you think we want to find him, too?"

         The ninja girl sagged, and the other two released her. "I just
can't lose any more of my family," she said so quietly it was nearly a
whisper. She walked over to the wall and placed her forearm against it,
resting her head against her arm. "It was my fault my family is dead. If
I hadn't snuck out of the house that night, I would have been there and
could have done something. And if I hadn't left my brother and grand-
mother alone, he would still be here."

        "It is not your fault, Yuri-sama," Konatsu offered, laying a
hand on her shoulder. "You cannot blame yourself. If you were with your
family, you would have been burned alive as well, and Kenji-sama would
have no one. Whatever killed Oka-sensei, would have killed you too, had
you been there."

         Yuri sniffed. "Maybe." Her head came up. "But I just know he
needs my help now. I can't explain it, it's just a feeling, but
something terrible has happened to him and the longer we wait, the less
chance we have to help him."

        "Okay, Yuri-chan," Ukyo replied, wrapping her arms across her
chest and rubbing her shoulders to generate warmth from the chill of a
passing breeze. "But we have to be careful. This doesn't feel right, and
this building is old and weakened."

         As if on cue, the chef took a few steps backward and stepped on
a section of flooring that was more rotted away that the rest. With a
startled squawk, Ukyo plummeted into darkness as the wooden boards gave
away.




         Despite her fatigued state, Selah nearly jolted out of her skin
when she heard the obviously female scream. Trembling, she turned toward
the abandoned building it came from, only to have to have her
apprehension increase as she beheld the ruined and boarded structure,
just barely visible in the starlight.

         The word `Eerie' popped into her mind, yet she somehow knew
they were in there. She wasn't scared, no, she was absolutely terrified.
<But if Kenji-chan is in there...> The thought lingered in her head.

         Swallowing her nervousness and taking a deep breath, she
quickly made her way to the ruined structure and put her hand on the
door, whose hinges squealed with protest as she opened it. By now the
scream had cut off, leaving her wondering what direction to go in.

         Grumbling to herself and trying to quell the fear that had
returned, she picked a direction that felt like the scream came from and
started walking.




        "Ukyo-sama!" "Ucchan!"

         Both ninja leapt forward in an attempt to grab the falling
chef, but neither one was able to grab her before she disappeared into
the darkness below. As they knelt at the edge of the darkened hole, they
scanned for any sign of their fallen friend, but could see nothing.

        "I'm going down after her," Konatsu declared, getting ready to
jump.

         A hand on his arm stopped him. "No, it's my fault she's in this
mess. I'll go."

        "But Yuri-sama..." Konatsu stared into Yuri's worried, yet
determined face, and acquiesced. "Very well."

         Unfortunately, neither one were able to take any further
action, as a black blur shot out of the pit, it's path taking it right
between the two teens. Yuri felt the blunt end of something strike the
side of her neck, while Konatsu just barely managed to bring a hidden
sai up to block the blade aimed for him. Still, the impact propelled him
away for the mouth of the hole.

         As Konatsu stumbled back, Yuri toppled sideways, dazed from the
strike with stars still dancing in her vision, and fell into the
darkness below.

        "Yuri!" Konatsu cried, lunging for the girl, only to have his
movement halted by the black blur that reformed itself into a black
bodysuit-clad ninja. His opponent brought a slightly curved 16 inch
blade up, holding it horizontally in front of his body.

        "If you want the girls," he spoke with an unnaturally rumbling
voice, "you will have to go through me."

         The male kunoichi slowly withdrew the takemitsu from its sheath
and held it up. "I will not let you have them!" Konatsu sprung forward
and attacked, bringing the weapon around in an arc that would have
struck his adversary's neck and disabled the man, had it not been
knocked aside.

         Konatsu felt a fist find his ribs, driving the air from his
lungs as his body folded over it. Then a backhand from the other fist
aimed to practically take his head off. He barely managed to twist away,
turning the blow into a glancing one, but it was still enough to send
him stumbling drunkenly backward once more.

         A mistake, he realized. He didn't take his opponent seriously,
thinking only of getting to the girls. At the edge of his vision, he
detected movement approaching and he could hear the near-silent whisper
of his enemy's blade coming for his throat. Mustering his concentration,
he managed to bring up his own bamboo weapon and turn aside the thrust
of his adversary's metal one, by striking with the flat of the blade.
With a *thunk*, the metal sword lodged itself the plywood of the wall
behind Konatsu, just barely missing his neck.

         Fully regaining his senses, Konatsu his other hand up, flicking
his wrist and sliding the sai hidden in his sleeve into his fingers. He
planted the butt end of the handle in his opponent's stomach, the blow
shoving the other man away and forcing him to abandon his sword. Konatsu
twirled, lashing out with his foot and striking several blows across the
body of his enemy, sending him to the ground.

         A split second later, Konatsu was on him, the edge of his
takemitsu resting against his enemy's throat. While not a sharp weapon,
with the right skill he could easily cut the jugular out, turning it
into a killing move.

        "Konatsu..." The downed ninja whispered in a now very familiar
voice.

         The kunoichi's eyes widened, even while he grasped the top of
the black mask and pulled it off, revealing a pained and very familiar
face underneath. "Kenji-sama! Why?"

         The edges of Kenji's lips curved into a sneer. "Weakling...
fool!"

         And that's when Konatsu realized he had made his second
mistake, as he felt a hand place itself flat against his chest.

         Kenji spoke a single word. "Hitohuki."

         A powerful force shoved Konatsu upward, where he slammed into
the ceiling. His head struck a thick wooden beam and shattered it, and
as his vision began to fade out, his last sight was the sight of a face
that was Kenji's, and yet was not, sneering at him.




        "That was a very poor performance," an old voice clucked from
the darkened hallway. "He almost had you."

        "He got lucky," Kae spat, regaining her feet. Despite having a
male body now, she still thought of herself as female. Her only
consolation, was that she would be able to revenge herself on the one
who imprisoned her in that hole. "Have you secured the two females?"

        "Of course. The drop wasn't that great and they were already
unconsciousness when I captured them."

         Kae pulled her blade from the wall and walked over to the
fallen boy's form, preparing to sever his head from his shoulders. "I
shall kill him now."

        "Stop."

         The singular word froze Kae's body, despite all her attempts to
move, and her eyes flashed several different shades of hate and menace.
"Why did you stop me!? If you kill your enemies now, they cannot stop
you later! And you have the two girls for hostages, already."

         Zhao Len emerged from the shadows, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, I
will kill him later, but only when I have all of the ones responsible
for my downfall together. Then, and only then, will they watch each of
their friends die in turn."




         Selah flattened herself against the wall, hearing the tail end
of the conversation. The two voices she heard were that of an old woman
and Kenji, but the tone of the boy's voice she had such an infatuation
for, was not what she remembered. It seemed... darker somehow, less
forgiving and not as happy.

        <What's happened to him?> she wondered, her heart pumping so
loud and fast, that she was sure the two just down the hall would hear
it.

         The she heard the part about killing them, and her legs finally
gave out, sending her sliding to the floor. Her last confrontation with
death, had been when her mother and several others had made a rapid
departure from their Tibetan village. Many homes were already on fire,
and people were running around in confusion. During the exodus, she had
seen several dead bodies, getting a first hand look at exactly what
"death" was. When her mother told her that her father wasn't coming with
them, the young girl made the connection of what had happened to her
daddy.

         And now three of her friends were being scheduled to die, and
she was powerless and too scared to do anything. After all, if Ukyo,
Konatsu, and Yuri were all beaten, what could she possibly do?
Especially since it looked like Kenji was the one responsible for it.

         The tears began to leak out once more. She was alone again,
having been driven many miles from a place she had once called home. She
had just come to think of the restaurant as a new temporary home while
waiting for her mommy to return. But without the people who had taken
her in there, it wouldn't be home any more, either.

         Zhao Len and Kae had already moved off, or else they might've
heard the sobs of a young girl as she broke down, crying in fear,
loneliness, and despair.




         Ukyo groaned as she awoke, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. The
surface area she was laying on, was not as soft as she remembered. She
figured she'd have to get Konatsu to re-fluff the futon and pillow
later, right after she took some aspirin to kill the pounding
jackhammers in her brain.

         Then she realized she hadn't fallen asleep. The uncomfortable
position she was in, was due to the stone floor she was laying on and
the steel manacles attached to her wrists and ankles. With that, the
activities of... was it the night before? Only a few hours? Ukyo
couldn't tell how long she'd been out. All she knew was that her head
hurt like hell.

         She sat up as best she could, while getting a look at her
surroundings. It appeared to be some sort of small cement cell, the
manacles connected by a thick chain to the stone wall. The only light
was cast by a single candle resting on a table in the center of the
room, causing a myriad of shadows to dance on the walls.

        "Hello?" she called out hesitantly. "Anybody there? Konatsu-
chan? Yuri-chan?" A feminine groan was her only response, leaving her
wonder if it was Yuri or Konatsu. "Wake up!" she nearly yelled, trying
to get the other prisoner awake without alerting her captors.

        "Come on, Ucchan, `nother five minutes..." Yuri's voice mumbled
from the cell next door.

         Ukyo sighed and counted silently to ten, before practically
shouting Yuri's name.

        "Ahh! I'm up!" Yuri blinked while jerking upright. "Where am I?"
She spied her current captive state, manacles restraining her movement.
"What happened to me?"

        "You were taken prisoner, same as me," Ukyo told her, dryly.

         Yuri's head came up and she took a look at her surroundings.
"Ucchan? Where's Konatsu? Is he with you?"

         Ukyo shook her head, then realized Yuri wouldn't be able to see
that. "Sorry, sugar. I don't know what happened myself." She winced as
the pounding in her brain intensified for a moment. "But I can promise
you that when I find out who's responsible for this, they're gonna be in
a world of hurt!" <And if I had my spatulas or flour bombs, or ANY of my
weaponry, I could actually do something,> she didn't add.

        "Are you sure about that?" an old voice asked over the opening
creak of a rusty door. Ukyo and Yuri observed a Cologne-like woman walk
into the room, followed by a ninja in black.

        "Zhao Len!" Yuri exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

         Ukyo's eyes widened, not having actually seen the old woman,
but hearing the name later. "You're that old ghoul that kidnapped Ran-
chan and Akane-chan all those months ago!"

         The old ex-Amazon chuckled. "Guilty as charged."

        "What have you done with my brother!?" Yuri yelled.

         Zhao Len feigned innocence. "Why, my dear, what makes you think
I did anything to him?"

        "I know he's here!" Yuri retorted. "Where is he!?"

        "You're in no position to make demands little girl!" the
wrinkled old woman barked, then tapped her chin thoughtfully. "However,
I think I can allow you to see his face once more, just to let you know
who you'll have to kill to escape." She gestured to her silent
companion, who removed his ebony mask.

        "Kenji!" Yuri gasped.

         Ukyo's mouth went dry. It was Kenji all right, but something
about his face was wrong. His features were harder, eyes darker, and
lips curved upward in a superior-looking smirk. Not at all an expression
she was used to seeing on the boy's face.

         Kenji walked over to Yuri's cell and sneered at her through the
bars. "Hiya, `sis'. What do you think of your `big brother' now, eh?
Don't worry, I won't let anyone else lay a hand on you. Your death will
come at my hand alone." He glanced over at Ukyo. "You, too. Zhao Len's
being generous in allowing me your lives."

        "Why!?" Ukyo asked, her headache taking a backseat to her
growing horror.

         The smile that appeared on his face was not kind at all.
"Because I can. There's another reason, but I'll leave it a secret for
now." He winked at them. "However, it is not yet time for you to die.
You can have your lives for a little longer."

        "NO!!" Yuri screeched. "What have you done to him, you witch!?
That's not my brother! You're controlling his mind again!"

         Zhao Len cackled again. "Oh, brilliant girl! Oh course I am,
but not to the extent you think. He needed some... persuasion, but then
we struck a deal. Your lives for his. He agreed quite readily."

        "WITCH!" Yuri forced herself to her feet and began to
concentrate her wind energies.

         But before she could act, Kenji struck first, thrusting his
palm outward and sending a forceful wind blast into Yuri's cell,
slamming the girl into the stone wall behind her. She promptly crumpled
to the floor when he let the attack off.

        "Stop it!" Ukyo cried. "Kenji, you IDIOT! Why are you doing that
to your own sister!?"

         His eyes swung over to meet hers, and Ukyo felt a chill go down
her spine at the dark depths in them. It appeared the normal silvery-
gray in them had darkened considerably. "Why not? You see, I'm not Kenji
anymore; I'm merely using his body. You're `Kenji' is quite gone."

        "No..." came the choked and pained sob from Yuri's cell. "How
can you use the wind? It's based on the desire to protect..."

         Kenji tsk'ed as he examined his fingernails. "Actually, it's
just based on desire. If you want it to happen, it does."

        "Enough," Zhao Len commanded. "We must go. We have more plans to
make. Do not think of using your wind tricks to escape, girl." She
directed that last statement at the sobbing girl. "If you do, I will
kill Konatsu."

        "What about me?" Ukyo asked, trying to infuse her voice with as
much bravado as she could, and not entirely succeeding.

         Zhao Len snorted. "Don't me laugh. Without your weapons, you're
a weak little girl, hardly a threat. Just a short-order cook is what you
really are, only pretending to be a martial artist." She turned and
headed for the door. "I suggest you make peace with whatever Japanese
kami you believe in."

         With that, she left, Kenji following. Ukyo sighed and sat back
against the wall, the sounds of Yuri's pained sobs drifting to her cell.


-------------------------------


Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 6




         Light filtered in through several cracks in a boarded window,
playing upon the young girl's skin from where she lay, curled into a
fetal position. The warmth provided by the sun's early morning rays
diffused itself into her body, and that was enough to pull her
consciousness from sleep.

         Slowly, Selah yawned and stretched as she sat up. For a moment,
she was disoriented as to where she was, then remembered what had
happened. She had cried herself to sleep last night after Ukyo, Yuri,
and Konatsu were captured, too scared to do anything else.

         This morning, however, she felt quite different. Maybe it was
the combination of fatigue and fear she felt last night that knocked her
out, but she wasn't fatigued anymore and she didn't feel as much fear,
being that old buildings aren't as scary during the day. Or maybe it was
the dream she could barely remember, something about Kenji, Yuri, Ukyo,
and Konatsu asking for her help. That they would be goners unless she
did something.

         Dragging herself to her feet, Selah resolved herself to do that
something. What it was, she didn't know, but she had lost her home, her
dad, and possibly her mom as well. She couldn't lose these people, that
had been so nice to her, without putting up some sort of fight.

         Unfortunately, she didn't think she could take on the two that
captured her friends, especially since one of them was Kenji who was
acting strange for some reason, so she figured she would just find the
others and help them escape. With any luck, she wouldn't run into the
scary old woman.

         Of course, the first thing on the agenda was to find them. She
hadn't a clue where they could be in this big house and she knew the
longer she snuck around, the better the chance she was caught, so she
figured on using another trick her mother had taught her. Sitting down,
she closed her eyes and concentrated on finding bodies of water. Her
mother had told her that the human body was mostly water, so if they
were close enough, she should be able to sense where they were.

         Her consciousness wandered around the immediate area, then
expanded farther on, until it discovered two small groups of water. They
were faint, but at least she could sense them. She guessed the slightly
bigger grouping was where her friends were, since the small old woman
wouldn't have as much water in her. The group she figured was her
friends, were underground, so Selah knew she'd have to look for stairs
leading down.

         Standing once more, she snuck off down the hall, moving as
quietly as a church mouse.




         Akane jogged around the small resort town, feeling better than
she had in a long time. After that first night in the tent, they had
moved on to the hot-spring resort where Ranma's parents had stayed on
their honeymoon. He had enough money for three nights, all three had
been wonderful. They were scheduled to head back later today, and Akane
found that she would miss the peace and quiet, as well as the privacy
that this location offered.

         <Who knows?> she wondered. <Maybe we can come back up another
time?> She smiled at the thought, and blushed at the memory of the past
few days. With Ranma, it seemed that all her fears about getting
intimate with guys, just melted into nothingness. It was most likely
because he was much like her, she realized. Both of them could be
stubborn and prideful, and they tended to say what was on their mind.
There was no real need to pretend anything when they were around each
other.

         She wiped the sweat from her brow with the towel that was
around her neck. Normally, she would be doing something with Ranma, but
for some odd reason, she felt like she needed to get out this morning
and jog by herself. Besides, Ranma was busy packing up their stuff and
checking them out of the inn where they were staying.

         Turning a corner, Akane spied two guys up ahead on either dies
of the path, leaning against a wall and a tree respectively. Something
about them sent tingling flashes through her brain. In other words, her
danger sense was doing it's job. She frowned and berated herself as she
approached their location, knowing that she could easily handle two guys
if they attempted something.

         When they stepped out and blocked her path, her danger sense
felt validated.

        "Hiya girlie, what'cha doin' out so early?" the taller one
asked, smiling at her. His clothes were dark and somewhat ragged.

        "Just joggin," Akane answered cautiously. "Now if you'll excuse
me..."

        "Hey, hey!" the shorter and more rotund boy protested, blocking
Akane's attempt to move around. "My friend was just tryin' to be nice.
You just seem to be new around here, and we thought we could show you
around."

         Akane frowned. "No thanks." She once again attempted to move
around, only to find a third boy blocking her path, dressed similarly to
the first two. Only this one was brandishing a long knife.

        "I don't think you understand," he told her. "It can be
dangerous for young girls to run around unescorted."

         A quick glance behind her confirmed Akane's fear that five more
youths had appeared. She was surrounded. She allowed a small grin to
form on her face. "Young boys should run along home now." She slid into
a attack stance. "That is, if they don't want to get hurt."

         A round of laughter greeted her pronouncement, and the short,
rotund boy stepped forward to grab her arm. Akane responded by grabbing
his, twisting it behind his back, and then slamming him into the wall.
He slid to the ground. Akane felt a minor twinge, but shook it off.

        "That wasn't too smart," the guy who appeared to the leader told
her. "Get her!"

         The raven-haired girl smiled grimly, remembering the schoolyard
fights. After a few of those confrontations, she had gotten the hang of
crowd control, using only enough force to take her attackers down, but
not enough to cause permanent injury. Usually that amounted to just a
single well-placed punch or kick.

         Akane turned aside the next attack, a swung lead pipe, and
shoved it into a guy approaching from behind, then swung her leg out to
take another boy in the head. Adrenaline pumping, Akane realized it had
been awhile before she had been in a crowd control fight, and she found
she missed it.

         Until she suddenly found her strength disappearing. Her next
punch barely turned aside punk #4, and soon she found herself
backpedaling, her legs rapidly losing the ability to support her body.
Her sense of balance began to deteriorate, and when a fist made it past
her guard and slammed into her stomach, she crumpled to the ground.

         One question echoed in her brain as blackness encroached on her
peripheral vision: What was happening to her?




        "So, who's next?" Kae asked nonchalantly, sharpening her blade
with a piece of flint as she reclined in a small wooden chair.

         Zhao Len finished securing the unconscious Konatsu to his own
cell with tighter chains, then turned to face her now-suddenly more
eager ally. "Change of heart? You seem to want to cooperate now. I
wonder why that is..."

         Kae paused her sharpening and shot the old woman a dark look.
"I just want to get this over with as soon as possible. I have other
business to attend to." She didn't want to share the real reason, not
wanting to reveal any hint of weakness. <Because, you old bag, I didn't
realize exactly who your targets were. Had I known that those two girls
are the ones Kenji cares for the most, I would have helped you from the
start. Do you hear me, boy? I'm going to kill both of them with these
two hands and there's nothing you can do about it.> Silence greeted that
pronouncement, and Kae chuckled internally.

        "Is that the only reason?" Zhao Len asked curiously. Maybe she
heard Kae's thoughts, maybe she didn't, but gave no sign either way.
"After all, you're the one who wanted to personally end their lives."

         Kae snorted and brought her attention back to her weapon.
"Maybe I do have my own reasons for wanting them dead, but you shouldn't
care as long as they are dead."

        "True." The frail-looking woman turned and glanced momentarily
at the heavy wooden door, where she knew the two girls were chained on
the other side. "But in answer to your previous question, we're going
after the Saotomes and Tendos next, and in particular I want Ranma
Saotome and Akane Tendo. Then the Kunos after that, and finally we can
kill all of them at once."

         Her companion raised an eye. "Oh? I would've thought you'd go
after those two Amazons first."

         Zhao Len sighed. "I would have gone for Shan Pu and Mu Tsu, but
the Nekohanten has been closed for quite awhile now with no sign they've
been there in quite some time. I must assume they've returned to
Joketsuzoku and are currently out of my reach."

         Kae held her curved wakizashu up to the light, then judged it
sharp enough for now and returned it to its sheath. "Too bad for you."

        "Oh, I will have the means of getting to my former Amazons soon
enough," she revealed with a small, secretive smile that revealed
absolutely nothing. "Once I've finished my work here, I have allies who
will assist me in that." <Provided Dormando keeps his end of the
bargain. Once I get rid of theses kids here, he said he'd help me get
control of the Amazons, provided I kept them out of anything he and his
group might do.>

         The ninja shrugged, not really caring either way as long as she
could kill the two girls, then revenge herself on the dark ones. She
stood up, stretched, then head for the other door that led up the
stairs. "Whatever, old woman. I'm going to get some rest for tonight."

         Zhao Len watched her temporary ally leave, knowing Kae wouldn't
be able to go far as long as the old ex-Amazon held the enchanted ruby.
She didn't follow, since at her age, she only needed a couple of hours
sleep at most. Instead, she contemplated an Amazon future, where she
controlled all of Joketsuzoku and all her enemies lay dead at her feet.




         Kodachi dabbed the moist cloth on the boy's forehead. He hadn't
awakened since he crashed through her roof last evening, not that she
had tried to wake him. She had some knowledge of first aid and could
tell his condition wasn't life-threatening, so she just figured he must
be worn out.

         Of course, the bruises and burns had probably taken their toll
as well. Kodachi wondered where he got those, as some of them looked
pretty nasty. Still, once she cleaned them and treated what she could
with the first aid kit, she couldn't help but admire his toned physique.
It was obvious he was a martial artist, or at least some sort of
athlete, since she could feel the muscles in his arms.

         She also continued to wonder about the circumstances that
caused him to plummet naked into her private furo. She did find a pack
containing a set of clothes consisting of a purple vest and bracers, as
well as a set of black slacks. They were worn and dirty from what she
guessed was a lot of travel on the road, so she had them cleaned and
mended.

         Beyond that, all she could do was wait for him to awaken. No
one else knew he was here. Well, Sasuke probably did, with his habit of
keeping an eye on the goings on in the house, but she kept her brother
ignorant. True, their relationship had progressed some in the days
following her recovery, but they still couldn't be considered `close',
even though all they had was each other.

         Kodachi sighed and stood up, adjusting her kimono before
striding across her room. Yes, it was her room she was keeping to
strange boy in, but it was the only place she could think to keep him so
her brother wouldn't find out.

         Stopping at her dresser, she picked up a picture frame. The
photograph enclosed, was one of her family taken many years ago. Gently,
she let her fingers run across the portraits of herself, her brother,
father, and mother. She was currently rediscovering both herself and her
brother, her knowledge of each being obscured by false and twisted
memories and behaviors.

         Of her father, there was still no word. Once, she had looked up
to him, though she knew her brother had not. She even cared for him,
after a fashion, and so wanted to see him again. A search had been
initiated, but so far there had been no results

         The last face puzzled her the most. Of the four, she knew her
mother the least. All she could pull of her memories, were fleeting
images and feelings of kind woman who's warm smile always made her feel
better. Her disappearance had hurt Kodachi terribly and created a hole
in her life that she had tried to fill ever since, more so when her
father left as well.

        "Okasan..." she whispered, letting her gaze fall once more upon
the face of the woman in the picture that was practically a stranger to
her, and yet was not. Outwardly, Kodachi hated her mother for her
abandonment, but there was still a small part of the young girl that
desperately wanted to see her mother again.

        "I wish you would return and teach me more," she said absently.

         Her brow furrowed at that. <Teach me what?> Images flashed
through her mind as she tried to narrow down where that thought came
from. The most prominent image being a black leotard. <Rhythmic
gymnastics?> That almost seemed right, but not quite.

         Giving in to a sudden impulse, Kodachi set the picture down and
ran out of her room, heading for the basement. The mansion had been
rebuilt with nearly the same specifications as before, but one part that
hadn't changed, was the basement. Except for the section that contained
the statue of Galfgar, the new house was built right on top of the old
foundation and basement.

         Now in that cellar, Kodachi looked right and left, wondering
which way to go. The right hallway was filled in, and that was the
direction to the room that was best left buried. To her left, wound some
stairs that headed further down to a library that was mostly cleaned out
now, the books having been removed by her brother and Nabiki Tendo for
study. Straight ahead, was an all purpose storage room behind a thick
oaken door.

         Nodding to herself in confirmation, Kodachi went for the
storage room, grasping the iron ring that was the door's handle and
giving a mighty tug. With a weak groan, the door allowed itself to be
opened and the youngest Kuno stepped inside.

         The inside was pretty much as she expected it to be, a fairly
large room with boxes and crates of old stuff the Kuno's had collected
over the years. Most of it was junk, though some of it could still have
some use. But the stuff packed away was not what she was after, which
was good because if what she sought was in there, it would have taken
her a long time to find it.

         She strode purposefully across the room, wading through the
boxes and, in some cases, crawling over them until she reached the back
wall.  <Now, it's here somewhere, I know that,> she thought to herself.
<But exactly what am I looking for?>

         She closed her eyes as a vague memory floated back to her...

        "See this, Dachi?" her mother was telling her. "When I am gone,
this will be yours." She indicated the open chest and revealed the
objects contained within.

         Young Kodachi realized they were similar to her own gymnastics
equipment. Almost, but not quite. "Momma?"

        "Remember, it will be here," she told her daughter, then closed
the chest and placed it in the hole of the stone wall, covering it with
a large stone brick. The gray block of stone matched the wall perfectly,
and it's location was nigh unnoticeable in the backdrop of the rest of
the stone wall.

         She then turned back to Kodachi and placed a hand on her
forehead. "Remember."

        Twelve years later, Kodachi Kuno remembered.

         Fingering the mortar between the stone bricks in the back wall
of the storage room, she traced around several them, looking for that
singular loose block. It took her several minutes, but eventually she
found it, laughing to herself as she heaved and pulled it out of it's
place in the wall.

         She glimpsed inside the darkened alcove and put her hand in,
grabbing and pulling out the 2x2 foot wooden chest that he mother placed
there long ago. Nearly trembling at the contact of her mother's
heirloom, Kodachi managed to unlatch the chest and open it, powerful
emotions pounding through her body.

         The sound of ancient and rusted metal creaking in protest as it
was abused after a decade of neglect, echoed in the storage room,
followed by a sharp intake of breath.




        "AKANE!"

         Ranma tore into the remaining boys like a an out-of-control
tornado, but with considerably more force. A minute ago he was struck by
a very strange and very bad feeling, and he tore out of the inn in an
hurry, leaving the packs behind. He couldn't explain how, but he had
just felt Akane's presence and knew exactly which direction to run. He
arrived just as Akane went down.

         In less then ten seconds it was all over, and Ranma was
carrying his shaking wife back to the inn.




         Selah swallowed nervously, willing her herself as still as
possible and hoping the darkness hid her presence. A short while ago,
the short and scary old woman had passed near her position, a dozen
yards away. For a minute, the young girl could swear the old witch knew
she was there, but then the withered hag continued on as if nothing had
happened.

         Her body stayed frozen for the next ten minutes, terror and
nervousness commanding her small frame. Eventually, her thundering heart
slowed a little as the paralyzing fear wore off, leaving only the normal
fear behind. When she finally had control again, she wondered for the
thousandth time why she was doing this.

        <Because I have to be brave,> she shakily told herself, trying
to convince herself to not run away. Slowly, she inched down the hallway
from where the old woman had come from, a small bit of logic in her
subconscious informing her that was the direction to go. <Momma told me
to be brave and I've let her down enough. My friends need me.>

         So determined, but still trembling, Selah crept as quietly as
she could down the darkened hallway, her mind conjuring up plenty of
demons and scary creatures to occupy every single shadow. She swallowed
nervously once more and forced her thoughts back to the task at hand.

         It wasn't long before the path brought her to a rotted doorway,
the planks of the wooden door barely hanging on to its hinges. The young
girl took a deep breath and grasped the handle, taking a minute to
listen to her surroundings, but not detecting anything. Thinking it
safe, she pulled it open.

         The hinges protested the unfair treatment as they were worked
and Selah froze, immediately thinking the sound loud enough to have
alerted everyone in the building. But after several pained moments where
nothing happened, she quietly slipped inside.




         Gazing out the second floor window, Zhao Len frowned, having
been sensing something amiss for awhile but not knowing exactly what.
Kae was sleeping in one of the spare rooms, so it couldn't have been her
unusual and unwilling ally.

         Mumbling to herself, she turned and walked away.




        "Master Kuno, please hurry!"

        "Calm yourself, Sasuke," Tatewaki commanded as his ninja
manservant pulled him along, only to stop in front of the closed dojo
door. "What be so important as to incite such haste?"

         The diminutive man didn't answer, but just stood nervously
facing the door. In the sudden silence, Kuno heard what had alarmed his
servant.

         Yells and thumps echoed from the room, followed by a strange
whistling sound, three pings of metal on wood, and the crack of a whip.

        "Oh ho ho ho!" came the familiar laugh, as well as the sound of
wood striking wood, fast and repeatedly.

         Tatewaki frowned, not expecting to hear that laughter again,
but divided on the subject. On one hand, it meant his sister was getting
better, enough to laugh again. Of course, that laugh usually meant she
was up to more demented tricks. <She couldn't have fallen back into her
old self so soon, could she?>

        "Imoutosan?" he called tentatively. "Are you alright?"

         She didn't respond right away, as the sound of several things
shattering like glass could be heard would have covered any reply. Then,
"Is that you, oniisan?"

        "Are you well, Dachi?" he asked, placing a hand on the door to
open it. "I'm coming in."

        "Wait!"

         Kodachi's command froze the kendoist for a few seconds, while
the sounds of padded feet could be heard running around inside. When he
resolved himself to open the shoji panel that was the door once more, it
opened on it's own, much to his surprise. The other side revealed his
sister, dressed in a midnight black leotard and carrying a matching
duffel bag. She was covered with a fine sheen of sweat, but grinning
like the proverbial cat that ate the canary.

        "Dachi?" Tatewaki asked again.

         Surprising him once more, Kodachi swept her brother up in a big
hug. "Oh Tatchi, I feel wonderful!" She twirled him once, set him down,
then took bounding leaps across the courtyard to her room, leaving her
brother's eyes bulging behind her. "Oh ho ho ho!"

         For several long seconds, both kendoist and manservant gawked
after the obviously-jubilant girl. Then, as one, they turned to glimpse
the interior of the dojo in the hopes of finding a clue as to the change
in her attitude and temperament.

         Nothing was untouched, as nicks and chips covered the walls and
ceilings of the dojo, leaving small wood chips on the ground. Two of the
walls had a couple dozen small circular holes punched in them. Several
one meter high logs had been stood upright in the center of the room,
with the broken remains of pottery scattered around them.

         All except for one in the exact center, on top of which rested
in a small vase containing a singular black rose.




        "Konatsu-chan!" Selah gasped as she beheld the young man laying
chained on the ground. Getting no response, she rushed over to him,
feeling relieved when she found him still breathing.

         She shook him. "Konatsu-chan, wake up!" When he didn't respond,
she shook him harder, then concentrated and a sent a splash of cold
water into his face.

         Konatsu sputtered and bolted upright. "I shall prepare the
ingredients at once, Ukyo-sama!" He stopped and blinked then turned to
see the mingled amusement, fear, and relief on Selah's face. "Selah-
sama, what are you doing here?"

        "Trying to rescue you, what does it look like!" she told him in
an exasperated voice, then collapsed against him, letting a few tears
leak out. "I was so worried and scared! You guys took off and then I
hear a scream and see Kenji only he looked scary and I was so scared and
I didn't know what to do!"

         Konatsu tried to wrap his arms around the small, shaking girl
as best he could to comfort her, only the tight chains and manacles
attached to his wrists and ankles severely limited his movement. "Calm
yourself, Selah-sama. We must rescue the others. There will be time for
tears later. You were to brave to come here after us. Now you must be
brave enough to help me save Yuri-sama and Ukyo-sama."

         Selah pulled back and sniffed once, wiping her nose and drying
her eyes. "I will. I promise I'll be brave."

         The male kunoichi smiled. "That is better." He tested his
chains. "I do not suppose you happen to have a key?" Selah shook her
head and Konatsu sighed, then appeared to study her wavy blue hair.
"Then could you lend me one of your hair pins, please?"

         Confused, Selah did as he asked, relieved to have someone with
her and in control of the situation. She watched avidly as he jiggled
the lock with the thin metal piece, until a click caused the manacles to
open and fall away.

        "You're not thinking of going anywhere now, are you?"

         Selah's tentative smile transformed back into a frightened and
horrified stare as Zhao Len stepped into the room, her gnarled staff
pointed in their direction.

         Konatsu leapt to his feet. "Stay behind me, Selah-sama! I shall
deal with her!"

         The old woman cackled. "You may try, boy. But you will fail."

        "Where are my friends!?" Konatsu demanded, slowly approaching
Zhao Len.

        "If you can best me, I shall tell you," was all she said, before
springing forward, the sharp end of her staff aiming to put a hole in
Konatsu' s chest.

         He leapt back to avoid it, bounding off the wall and coming
back with a mid-level sweep kick that would have launched the old woman
out the door, had she not blocked it with her staff.

        "Selah-sama!" Konatsu called as he was flipped away, his leg
flaring in pain for an instant. "Go find Ukyo and Yuri! I shall keep her
busy!"

        "But--" Selah protested, seeing the ninja not fairing too well
against his opponent.

        "GO!" he yelled, engaging Zhao Len at close range in a series of
high-speed strikes and parries.

         The command spurred the young girl into action, and she ran to
the door at the opposite end of the room from where she came in,
throwing it open and fleeing down the hallway.

         As she ran, the old woman's taunting voice echoed to her.
"That's right little girl, run! Run away so I can kill this whelp!"

         Selah froze, the threat pounding in her brain. Twice she had
fled before, and twice she had lost people close to her. The first time
was when she fled her home in China with her mother. The second was when
she fled from her mother to come to Nerima. And both times, she never
saw either parent again.

         Somehow she knew, that if she ran away this time, it would be
Konatsu who would pay the price. Despite the terror she felt about
confronting the old woman, she knew she couldn't let Konatsu be the one
to pay the price for her this time.

         Steeling her trembling form, she turned and ran back to the
room, only to witness Zhao Len send Konatsu through a rotted wooden wall
with a thrust from the blunt end of her staff. The old woman leapt
through to follow up, and Selah sprinted after, climbing through the
hole in time to see a dazed Konatsu barely able to fend off the next
series of attacks.

        "Konatsu!" two familiar female voices shrieked in unison.

        "Yuri-chan, Ukyo-san!" Selah called, seeing the two girls
chained in separate cells next to each other.

        "Selah-chan, what the hell are you doing here!?" Ukyo started in
surprise.

         Before she could answer, Yuri called, "Konatsu, look out!"

         All three girls turned to where the fight had back Konatsu into
a corner. So far, he had been managing to hold his own, his natural
talent and skill carrying him, but Zhao Len was older and wiser. She was
also, thank to her many years of training, a much better fighter.

         Konatsu found his legs swept out from underneath him while a
blow from the staff struck his head and sent him tumbling to the ground.
Sensing her impending victory, the ancient ex-Amazon thrust the pointed
end of the staff towards her opponent's throat.

        "STOP!"

         Amazingly, the old woman halted with the command, the tip
resting against the boy's windpipe. Out of the corner of her right eye,
she could see the young girl who had given the command, holding up her
hands and trembling. Yet, she could also see a fierce determination in
the girl's eyes.

        "Don't hurt him!" Selah ordered in a trembling voice. "Or else!"

        "Selah, RUN!" Ukyo screamed. "She too dangerous for you!"

         Zhao len cracked a wicked smile. "Or else what, little girl?
What do you think you can do?"

        "This!"

         The old woman's sneer turned into startled surprise as a large
geyser of water burst forth from Selah's hands, and Zhao Len barely had
time to put up a ki-barrier as the wall of water swept her off Konatsu
and pinned her against the stone wall, instead of crushing her against
it.

        "Selah, you have to get out of here and go get help!" Ukyo
pleaded.

        "No!" the water mage countered. "I have to do this! I have to!
Konatsu, get up!" The male kunoichi managed to shake off his dazed
stupor and sit up. "I'll hold her off so you can go and get help. This
time, I'll be the one to save you!"

        "But, Selah-sama-"

        "Please!" Selah begged. "I can't keep this up for long!"

        "You little witch!" came the shriek from the other end of the
horizontal geyser. She was focusing all her ki and just barely managing
to avoid being crushed by the forceful hydro-blast.

         Konatsu spared a glance at all the women in the room, then came
to the conclusion that Selah was right, however much he didn't like it.
He had admitted to himself he couldn't beat the old woman right now,
lacking weaponry and still dazed and weak from his encounter with Kenji.

         They were going to need help if any of them were to get out of
this, and Selah had provided the only opportunity.

        "I am sorry," Konatsu stated, full of remorse. " I shall
return."

        "If you don't return in an hour, I will kill all the girls!"
came the screech from the end of the water blast.

        "Konatsu!" Yuri called out to him, straining against her bonds.

         The ninja turned to her from the doorway, his face full of
determination. "I promise, Yuri-sama! I will come back for you!" Then he
was gone.

        "Baka, you were supposed to call me `Yuri-chan'," the female
ninja said softly and sadly, after he had gone.

         Selah breathed a sigh of relief as Konatsu left, then the
strain of keeping up her attack, as well as the increasing lack of
moisture in the air to draw from, caused the waterspout to die off.

         Instantly, Zhao Len was upon her and Selah collapsed
unconscious into the old woman's arms. "Well now, that was rather
surprising. Who would have thought a little girl like this would have
such power." She chuckled. "She would have made a fine Amazon."

        "Let her go!" Ukyo pleaded. "She never did anything to you! It's
us you want, right?"

         Zhao Len chuckled again. "And after the trouble she went
through of exchanging herself for the freak ninja boy? I think not." She
slung the young girl over her shoulder, and proceeded to walk out of the
room, turning a deaf ear to both Ukyo and Yuri's pleas.

         In the room where Konatsu was originally tied up, she found
someone waiting for her.

        "You let him escape," Kae said nonchalantly from where she
leaned against the wall.

         Zhao Len dropped the girl and proceed to tie her up with a
simple rope. "Of course. I had originally planned to let him escape.
This girl just helped that along. I admit, she did surprise me, though."

         Kae shrugged. "He will come back, and when he does, he will not
be alone."

        "And that is the point, after all." The ex-Amazon finished
securing Selah. "He will bring both the Saotome boy and the Tendo girl,
and maybe the Kunos if we're lucky, and then I will have everyone I
need. It matters not how many. I hold the hostages and I dictate the
battlefield. In short, I hold all the advantages." She turned a sharp
eye towards the possessed boy. "You need only be ready to help."

        "Of course. As long as I get to kill the two girls in there, and
you set me free after this, it doesn't matter to me what you want."

         Zhao Len nodded and grinned. "That is our bargain."


-------------------------------


Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 7




         Konatsu sprang silently and swiftly across the rooftops, each
of the girls' last expressions still haunting him. From the strain on
little Selah's face as she tried to keep the water attack up, to Ukyo's
worried visage knowing she was helpless to do anything, to Yuri's
terrified gaze, fearful he wouldn't return.

         He had to return, he just had to, and he needed to get as much
help as quickly as possible. He wasn't about to let Selah's actions be
in vain. The only question was where to go, but really there was only
one place.

         The Tendo Dojo.

         Through all the chaos and battles and dangers they had faced,
this structure stood, serving both as a meeting place and a
battleground. It also housed both the Tendos and the Saotomes, two
families of martial artists.

         Though he had heard the Saotomes had moved back into their old
house, he had also learned that Ranma had been allowed to stay at the
dojo until his marriage to Akane, which had happened several days ago.
Also, the two parent Saotomes had been known to visit from quite
frequently as well.

         With the Amazons gone, he couldn't think of anyone else who
might be able to help.

         He just hoped Ranma and Akane had returned.




         Soun Tendo studied the board for the umpteenth time, but for
once, his mind was not on the game. The marriage ceremony, and it's
preparation, had been a nice distraction from his own problem, but now
that it was over and things had quieted down, his dilemma had returned.

         Sensing his old friend was growing impatient, the Tendo
patriarch reached out and picked up an apparently random piece, a pawn,
and moved it one space foreword. These days, it seemed, his only joys
were these never-ending games he played with his oldest friend. Though,
in the past couple of months, he had found someone else who was fun to
spend time with.

         Genma immediately reached out and took advantage of Soun's
error, moving a rook three paces. "Checkmate!" he declared proudly,
finally pronouncing the words he knew he would utter eventually when he
won. Seeking to gloat over his latest win, he was instead troubled by
the expression on his friend's face. "Tendo? Are you alright?"

        "Huh?" Soun's face came up, his hand ceasing it's stroking of
his mustache. "Oh, uh sorry there, Saotome. Looks like you win again. Ha
ha ha!" His right hand came to rest against the back of his head while
he attempted to laugh his loss away.

         Genma sat back and folded his arms across his chest after
pushing his glasses up. "You can't fool me, Tendo. Something's been
bothering you. You're hardly a challenge at all these days."

        "Why, whatever do you mean, Saotome?" Soun asked innocently,
hoping to avoid talking about his it.

         Genma sighed, knowing a little about what was bothering his old
friend. "Kimiko was a good woman, Tendo. But she would not have wanted
you to stay single forever if another woman caught your eye."

         Soun stiffened, then turned on the verandah to look outside,
presenting his profile to the man sitting across from the board. In the
sky, the sun had reached it's apex, and was now starting on its way back
down. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly,
frowning.

         Genma matched the frown with his own, hoping this would go
easier that it appeared to be going. In the past couple of months, he
had noticed Soun spending time with that teacher from Furinken. A
gorgeous, curvy woman who appeared to have her own interest in his old
training partner.

         And Genma was thankful for that, as lately he had been spending
more time with his own wife, rediscovering the love he had once shared
with her. It wasn't easy, and they still weren't back to normal, but
progress was appearing to be made. This meant less time to spend with
Soun.

         But what he didn't know, was why Soun had cut off all contact
with the teacher, making no effort to get in touch with her. And she
hadn't called the dojo either. Had they broken up without his knowing
about it? Had Soun called it off because of his devotion to his dead
wife?

         Genma thought it was the latter, and was trying to help his
friend rediscover the happiness of love he himself was rediscovering.
"Why don't we call and invite Hinako-san over for dinner, tonight?" he
suggested, demonstrating the legendary Saotome tact his son had
inherited.

        "No!" Soun blurted. "I mean, Kasumi has already started dinner
and I'm sure she didn't plan for an extra person."

         Genma sighed, but any reply was cut off as a blur shot over the
Tendo compound wall and resolved itself into a dark red bodysuit wearing
ninja. The figure was kneeling before the two men, it's forehead bowed
low enough to touch the ground.

        "Saotome-sama, Tendo-sama, I respectfully beg your assistance!"
Konatsu spouted in a rushed, yet respectful, tone. "My friends have been
captured and I need your help to free them!"

         Soun, grateful for the relief from his friend's probing,
reached down pulled Konatsu up to a sitting position. "No need for
kneeling, boy. Please, calm down and tell us what happened."

         As quickly as he could, the young kunoichi summed up the
situation, then asked "Is Ranma-sama and Akane-sama her as well? I fear
we may need their help as well. The old woman, Zhao Len, is highly
skilled and whatever else has happened to Kenji-sama, has made him quite
deadly as well."

         Genma coughed once to clear his throat. "I'm afraid Ranma and
Akane are still on their honeymoon. They were scheduled to return today,
though I don't know when. If the situation is as bad as you say, then
waiting for their return is out of the question. However, if the three
of us go now, we might stand a chance."

         Soun nodded. "Quite right, Saotome. Three vs. two makes for
better odds. And if we can free the captives, we could increase those
odds enough to obtain victory."

        "Going out, father?" Kasumi asked as she stepped into the room.

        "I'm afraid so, Kasumi," he replied, standing up and stretching.
"Something has come up. If we are not back for dinner, you and Nabiki
should go ahead and eat without us."

        "Ready for action, Tendo?" Genma asked, finishing his own
stretching to loosen his muscles.

         Soun nodded. "If it's just the three of us, then let's go!"

         Genma grunted acknowledgment, and the two older men followed
close behind Konatsu as he took off over the wall.




        <No, not just three,> Nabiki thought to herself where she stood
at the top of the stairs. She had overheard the entire conversation, and
a part of her was worried. She had heard about this Zhao Len when Ranma
and Akane had talked about her, and knew the old woman was as crafty and
dangerous as Cologne. She was worried that her dad and Uncle Saotome
wouldn't be up to the task.

        <If only Ranma were here,> she thought morosely. But he wasn't,
and worrying about that wasn't going to help. It was also too bad that
Natsume and Kurumi had picked that morning to head out for a three-day
training trip, visiting a dojo to the west where they had once trained
for a few months.

         What would help, was getting reinforcements and soon.
Unfortunately, there were only a couple of other people she could think
of, and she wasn't sure they would be much help. But any help was better
than none.

         For a minute, she suddenly swayed, bracing herself against the
wall as the call came to her again, and she fought her body's attempts
to move. "Stop it!" she hissed, and to her relief, it did.

         It had been happening more frequently now, and it scared the
hell out of her each time. She knew the blade was calling her, from
where it rested in the dojo storeroom. Usually it felt just like a low-
level pull, but over a week ago it had practically been screaming at
her. That was when Genma, Soun, and Nodoka had gone to help with the
disturbance at the Nerima mental ward.

         If there was one thing Nabiki hated, it was being controlled,
and this sword seemed to have that ability on her. It had been like that
ever since she used it to freeze those two gremlins a couple of months
ago. The pull had been growing stronger, too, by invading her dreams
with such intensity that she frequently woke up in a cold sweat to the
near silent call of the siren song.

        "I am not a martial artist!" she declared hotly in a low voice.
"And I have no desire to be one, either." To her, the day Nabiki Tendo
had to win a battle with brawn instead of brain, was the day she gave up
on money and became a nun. One after another, she had seen the
encounters her baby sister and Ranma got into, all because they
preferred fighting with their fists.

         But she instinctively knew all that would go away once she
touched the sword again, just like last time. No control and no
prerogative, except to fight until her opponents were defeated or dead,
and she wasn't so enthusiastic about that last option.

         Shaking herself and applying her own calming techniques, Nabiki
dropped back into total control and the siren song dimmed to mere
ignorable whisper. With that, she hopped down the stairs, grabbed her
jacket, and bolted out the door, knowing time was of the essence.




         He awoke.

        "Hello, how are you feeling?" Kodachi asked as her patient
finally regained consciousness.

         Pantyhose Taro froze, as his gaze met that of the girl in the
dark blue kimono kneeling beside the bed. His eyes then rapidly flicked
around the room, a girl's bedroom he noted with chagrin. "Where am I?"
he demanded to know. "How did I get here?!"

        "In my room of course," Kodachi told him. "Don't you remember?"

         Taro tried to recall. <I was fighting that fireball chick
again; why did she attack me? I was hit, I fell.> The memories got more
vague at that point, but he remembered hitting hot water, then looking
up to see a good-looking girl. A good looking _naked_ girl. Taro's hand
flew to his nose in an attempt to stifle the developing nosebleed.

         Then it hit him.

         The girl looking at him now WAS that same girl. He was in her
bed. He was naked. She was naked last time he saw her. "Oh God..." Taro
gaped as his eyes widened. He sat up and backed away from her, wrapping
the blanket around his mid-section. "I didn't... you didn't... and I
don't even remember it! AAUUGGHHH!"

         Kodachi blinked, not understanding what his problem was. "Are
you alright?"

         Taro's thoughts were in a whirlwind. <My first time and I don't
remember it! I was never able to get past giving my name to a girl, and
now I've gone all the way! Okay, be calm, be cool. You are handsome,
what girl wouldn't want you?> He stopped fidgeting and gave her a
confident smile. <She just couldn't help herself. Yeah, that's it. Maybe
if I just don't give her my name, we can... no, that will never work!
I'll just charm her and maybe she'll be up for seconds. Great plan!>

         Kodachi blinked again as the strange youth blurred across the
room and held her hand, his eyes meeting hers, blanket still wrapped
around his mid-section.

        "So, how shall I show my gratitude for your assistance?" Taro
tried to say in as suave a tone as he could muster. "I know, how about a
kiss?"

        "I beg your par-mmmpph!"

         Kodachi started as he locked his lips with hers in a clumsy
attempt at a kiss, then her eyes narrowed as she reached behind her
back.

        *WHAM!*

        Kodachi seethed and put the mallet away as the boy folded,
unconscious, to the ground. "Of all the nerve! I am not that kind of
woman!" <At least, not anymore,> she amended to herself. She then sighed
and realized he would know be out for the rest of the night.

         Frustrated, she stood up and tightened her sash, sorely tempted
to toss him out right now. Absently, her hand went to her lips. It WAS
the first time a boy had kissed her, and it wasn't too bad, and he was
good-looking, and maybe...

         Kodachi killed that line of thought right there, definitely not
ready to deal with it. Her ears picked up the sound of a doorbell, and
decided to shelve the current issue to see who was at the door.




         Sasuke blinked in mild surprise at the person waiting for him
at the gated entrance to the Kuno mansion. "Tendo-san, are you here to
see Master Kuno? Please, come in and I will fetch him for you."

         Nabiki allowed herself to be escorted into the foyer. "Please,
be quick. I have urgent business to discuss."

        "As you wish."

         The Kuno manservant bowed, disappeared in a puff of smoke, and
Nabiki smiled slightly at the retreating coughing noise. <Konatsu, you
aren't,> she thought wryly. <But you and Kuno-baby'll have to do.>

         She didn't have to wait long.

         Tatewaki's voice preceded his entrance. "What brings thee here
this night?" he asked in a carefully-guarded and neutral tone.

         He hadn't seen her much since the Christmas party, as she had
apparently no wish to see him. He hadn't needed her services much
anymore, since he no longer bought pictures or information on either
Akane or the pig-tailed girl, whom he now knew to be Ranma. Also, he was
content to let her manage the house's investments on her own.

         Nabiki sighed. This was not going to be as easy as she thought.
"Look, I'll give it to you straight. My dad and Saotome-san just left to
help a few of our friends who were captured by Zhao Len. You remember
her? She's the one who kidnapped Ranma, Akane, and Kenji and drew you
all into that battle with the Amazons you nearly lost."

        "Preposterous!" Kuno snorted, the famous ego seemingly making a
comeback. "The Blue Thunder was never in danger! Everything was in
hand."

        "Riiiight," Nabiki drawled, but decided not to argue that point.
"Listen, we could use your help as well. From the information I've
gathered, this Zhao Len could be at least as dangerous as, if not
moreso, than Cologne. And from what I understand, she's mind controlling
Kenji again, only he's more dangerous somehow."

         Tatewaki raised an eyebrow. "We? I hardly think thy family
desires my presence, Tendo Nabiki."

         Nabiki sighed heavily. "Alright, you got me. It's just me; I'd
feel better if you were there. I figure you can help me get in and
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah while my dad, Saotome-san, and Konatsu keep
the old witch and Kenji busy."

        "So, you do nee-"

        "Yes, I do, for now," Nabiki replied, cutting him off. She poked
his chest with her finger, giving Kuno a hard glare that was enough to
kill the smile that had begun to form on his face. "But let's get one
thing straight: You're still a pompous, arrogant moron. You're right
that my family still isn't too thrilled to see you, after all you've put
my sister and Ranma through. You still haven't outgrown your two-timing
ways either."

         Tatewaki frowned. "You have a most peculiar way of convincing a
possible ally to fight for you, Tendo Nabiki."

        "But," Nabiki continued in a slightly softer tone. "You are a
decent martial artist who's even given Ranma a challenge at times.
You're right, I do need you right now. Also, when you went with everyone
else to save my sister and Ranma from the Amazons, that went a long way
toward showing you were a different person than before. Maybe if you
started doing stuff like that for anybody else who was in trouble, you'd
convince more people, including my family, that you might be changing
for the better."

         Nabiki finished her argument and waited, trying to gauge
Tatewaki's reaction. He used to be so incredibly easy to read, but these
days he had become more withdrawn, his emotions and internal thought
processes hidden. After several minutes of study, she concluded that he
wasn't going to help after all. <What a waste of time. I shouldn't have
come here.>

        "I shall do it."

        "I figured as much, I don't know why I even both-" Nabiki
stopped. "You'll do it?" She almost couldn't believe her ears

         Tatewaki nodded. "You are correct, Tendo Nabiki. I have not
been the most virtuous of samurai," Nabiki laughed at that, "but that
does not mean I am bound to the path I traveled before. Perhaps it is
time for a change. Where did you say these fiends are holding yon fair
maidens captive?"

         Nabiki blinked. "Um, okay. Konatsu said they were hold up in an
condemned office building in the Meji district."

        "Sasuke!"

         The little ninja popped out of a nearby potted plant to kneel
next to Kuno. "Yes, master?"

        "Prepare for battle, we depart at once!"

         Sasuke nodded fiercely. "Yes, master!"

        "Ohohohohoho! Not without me, brother-dear!"

         Nabiki planted her face in her hand and groaned. <Not her.
Please, Kami-sama, not her! The last thing we need is a wild card.>

         Kodachi Kuno leapt from the second store railing, did a
graceful somersault, and landed beside her brother, her midnight-blue
kimono still wrapped neatly around her body.

        "Sister, I do not think this a wise idea. You should be
resting."

         Kodachi scowled. "I have done enough resting. I did enough
resting that I very nearly lost my mind again. And if you can go off and
start helping people now, why cannot I do the same thing? Besides, you
and Sasuke are the only family I have left now, I cannot let you go off
and face danger alone!" She was confident her `sedative' would keep her
patient out of it for the rest of the night.

        "These people mean business, Kodachi," Nabiki told the girl
flatly. "This isn't a rhythmic gymnastics match."

         Kodachi leveled a gaze at the Tendo daughter. "I am more
capable of taking care of myself than you are, Tendo Nabiki."

        "Touche. Fine then, if you want to come along, do so. Just try
not to get in the way."

         Kodachi smiled slightly, and at first Nabiki thought the girl
would laugh or make some kind of snide comment. Instead, all she said
was, "Very well. Thank you for allowing me to help. I shall do what I
can."

         Nabiki blinked, looking at the girl strangely.

        "Then let us be off," Tatewaki declared, striding towards the
door. "Every moment we tarry here, is one which may prove to be our
friends' undoing."

         And with that, the unlikely, and possibly unstable, quartet
headed off into the night.




        "They're coming."

         Zhao Len perked up from where she sat, looking across the room
to where Kae gazed out the second story window. The old woman could feel
the ki signatures approaching, but was unable to tell exactly who it
was. She took a sip of her tea and voiced that question to her temporary
partner.

        "The effeminate ninja boy has come back, and if I'm reading the
memories of this body's previous host correctly, he's brought Ranma's
father and Akane's father with him."

         Zhao Len frowned. That wasn't who she wanted, but she supposed
they would do for now. "Very well. Let's make ready to receive our
guests."

         Kae stepped back from the window, gave the old woman a slight
nod, then faded into the shadows.




        "This the place?" Soun asked the young boy, reading the
nameplate on the gate as the `Nikaze Office Building.'

         Konatsu nodded fiercely, mentally preparing himself. "This is
where they hold Yuri, Ukyo, and Selah."

        "Well, it's safe to say we are expected," Genma added, noting
the six-tiered structure.

        "Indeed, Saotome." Soun cast a grin at his friend. "Well, shall
we show them what two who trained under the Master of the Musabetsu-
Kakuto can do?"

         Genma matched the grin. "We shall, Tendo. After all, not all of
it was panty-stealing."

        "True," Soun agreed sagely. "There was the peeping, the running
out on bills, burglary, conning the villagers we came across,
freeloading..."

        "Ahem," Genma coughed into his fist. "I think that's enough,
Tendo."

        "Right, let's go!"




         Kasumi finished her meal in silence, a little lonely due to the
fact that no one else was there. With Ranma, Akane, and their father's
gone, Kasumi figured she would at least have Nabiki, but the elder Tendo
daughter couldn't find her younger sister anywhere. She must have snuck
out earlier. Kasumi was tempted to give Tofu or Auntie Saotome a call
just for some company.

         She sighed and placed her empty bowl down. She found delight in
others, in working behind the scenes to help them out. When there was no
one around, or no one to help, she felt more alone and depressed then
most.

         Her internal thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of voices
and footsteps entering the foyer.

        "...st drop it, Ranma," came Akane's weary voice. "I'm tired and
I don't want to hear anymore, okay?"

        "Jeez, Akane," Ranma replied in an exasperated tone. "I was just
tryin' ta help. What's buggin' ya? You've been uptight since this
morning!"

        "Just leave me alone, Ranma. I'm not in the mood."

        "Feh, fine. Whatever."

        "Ranma, Akane, you're back!" Kasumi greeted the newlywed couple.
"How was the honeymoon?"

         A pair of blushes was the reply, as the two gazed shyly at each
other. Then the moment was gone and Akane was turning away from Ranma.
"I'm a little tired now Kasumi. If you don't mind, I think I'll head
straight to bed."

         Kasumi nodded as she hugged her youngest sister. "Of course.
We've set up your new room in the master bedroom."

        "New room?" Ranma asked, confused.

        "Of course!" Kasumi replied with a smile. "You two own the house
and dojo now, so father moved into the guest room. We've set up a new
bed in his old room, which is now yours."

         Ranma put a hand behind his head, the enormity of the change
now hitting him. "Oh, geez." He looked around. "Say, where's pops and
everyone else?"

        "Oh, Father and Uncle Saotome went with Kenzen-san to help
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah-chan."

        "What!?" was the stereo response.

        "From who?" Ranma asked, his mindset switching to action.

         Kasumi thought about for a second. "Someone named Zhao Len, I
believe."

         "Oh, crap." Ranma dropped his pack and sprung back to the
doorway. The last time he had tangled with the old woman, he very nearly
lost. "Where?"

        "Oh, are you going, too? Please be careful. I think it was a
run-down building in the Meji district."

         Ranma nodded. "Gotcha. Come on, Akane. Let's go." He sprinted
out into the yard, then stopped when he realized his wife wasn't
following. Turning back around revealed her still standing in the same
spot, looking somewhat edgy and... there was another emotion on her face
he couldn't identify, but it couldn't have been fear, could it? "Whatssa
matter? You comin' or not?"

         Akane shook her head. "No... You go without me. You can handle
it alone. I..." She stopped, then cast a sad look at Kasumi and rushed
into the house.

        "Whatever." Ranma shrugged, then took off. Inwardly, he was a
bit confused. On one hand, he was glad that she wasn't going to put
herself in danger and he could fight without worrying about her, but on
the other, he had actually started to grow used to having her fight by
his side.

         Not knowing what to think about it, he dropped the lone of
thought altogether, clearing his mind for the battle ahead.




        "Is something wrong, Akane-chan?" Kasumi said from the doorway
to the couple's new room. Akane was already inside. She had apparently
dropped her pack inside, and was now laying on the bed, staring at the
ceiling.

        "No, I'm... fine, Kasumi," Akane replied in a near-listless
voice.

         The elder sister took a step into the room. "Normally, you
enjoy running off on these adventures, especially with Ranma."

         Akane turned over to rest on her side, curling up and said in
such a quiet voice, Kasumi barely heard it, "He doesn't need me. I'd
just be in the way."

         This time, Kasumi was moved to cross the distance and sit down
lightly on the bed. "I'm sure that's not true. You've been a big help to
Ranma-kun many times."

        "Maybe," she said in a thoughtful voice, but then it went back
into her depressed one. "But that was then."

         Sensing an issue here, Kasumi asked, "Something changed? Do you
want to talk about it?"

         When she did not receive a reply, Kasumi took a closer look at
Akane, to find the younger girl trembling slightly. The elder sister
laid a hand on her sister's knee, and Akane responded by nearly throwing
herself into Kasumi's arms, shuddering and leaking tears. Then the words
came pouring forth, as if a dam had burst.

         Akane talked about how she had been experiencing small bouts of
dizziness and weakness, but thought it was nothing, until she had been
accosted by a gang of boys early this morning as she was out jogging.
Normally, she would have been able to easily handle the seven or eight
that surrounded her, but after turning away the first few attacks, she
was hit with another weakness spell. Her strength nearly gone, she was
soon overpowered, unable to adequately defend herself.

         And she would have been in trouble too, had not Ranma suddenly
appeared and tore into the attackers with a vengeance, only to carry the
sobbing Akane back to the inn they were staying at.

        "He was following me!" Akane nearly wailed. "He had to have
been, in order to save me!"

        "I'm sure Ranma-kun was just concerned," Kasumi offered.

         Akane shook her head and pulled back from Kasumi, sniffling.
"No, I'm not upset that he followed me, just that he had to intervene. I
should have able to handle eight guys just fine, but I no longer have
the crystal heart that made me strong. I'm just a weak little girl now."
The last sentence came out in a bitter tone.

         Akane turned away from her sister, and her voice became much
quieter and more filled with sadness and self-loathing. "It's just as
Ranma said once on our training trip. The super soba, the battle dogi,
the Tora Dokiken that the crystal heart provided -- they may have
happened to me accidentally, but the fact is I continued to use and rely
on them. I cheated. I wanted to be an equal to the other girls and Ranma
so much, that I took advantage of shortcuts. And now I'm paying the
price."

        "Oh, Akane-chan..." Kasumi closed the distance between them once
more and hugged her sister tightly. "You were always the strong one of
us. I may have stepped in mother's role, and Nabiki may have helped with
the finances, but you were the only one who still carried the
enthusiastic spirit of our mother. You may not have done everything very
well, but you never gave up, always seeking to do something to help when
and wherever you could. And then you found martial arts and became far
stronger than any of us, including father. We always looked to you as
our protector."

        "But I'm not like that anymore!" Akane protested, but not
pulling out of her sister's hug. "Even on the trip home, I was fatigued
more than once and had to stop and rest, or else we would have been back
sooner. I can barely cook or sew, and know I can't even fight anymore!"

         Kasumi placed a hand on Akane's chin and lifted the younger
girl's tearful, brown eyes to meet hers. "Listen to me, imoutochan," she
said in a firmer voice. "You can do anything you put your mind to, as
long as you don't give up. When you wanted to learn to cook, you used
our mother's cookbook and Nodoka-obasama's help to be able to. You've
actually made several good dishes. When you actively pursued Ranma, the
other girl's didn't have a chance. When you wanted to become a better
martial artist, you convinced Ranma to train you and you became better.
You never gave up!"

        "But, what about these bouts of weakness?" Despite the question
asked in fearful doubt, Kasumi detected a small spark of Akane's hope
and confidence in there as well.

        "I don't know," Kasumi conceded, stroking her sister's hair.
"Maybe we can have Tofu take another look at you. From what you've told
me, I do not think that is normal. You were always a healthy and active
child, even before mother died."

         Akane blinked at her sister in surprise, realizing the
statement was true. Her recently-surfaced memory of her mother entailed
how she gave the crystal to Akane before she died. If Akane wasn't weak
before that, maybe what was happening to her wasn't her natural
condition.
        "I-I don't know, oneechan," Akane told her sister over a yawn.
"But thanks for trying. I'm just so tired right now."

         Kasumi smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Now you should get some
rest." She helped Akane lay back down and pull the covers over her.

        "You always do that," Akane mumbled, eyes closing. "Take such
good care of us, that is."

         Kasumi retreated to the doorway and switched off the lights.
Akane couldn't see since her own were closed, but Kasumi's eyes suddenly
looked much older and wiser. "It's what I do. There are things you can
do that I could never hope to accomplish, and there are things that only
I can do to help. To each their own."

         With a subtle shift, her eyes returned to normal. Kasumi then
closed the door, heading for the dining room to clear the table of
dishes and to prepare the leftover food for storage.

         After all, her family would be hungry when they returned home.



-------------------------------



Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 8




        "So, which way is it?" Soun asked, somewhat frustrated. They had
been in the building for ten minutes, yet their guide seemed to become
more and more unsure as they walked along.

         Konatsu glanced down the right hallway, then the left, then
down the right one again. "Um... I think..."

        "Yes?" Genma leaned closer

        "It's most definitely... In fact I'm almost sure..."

        "And...?" Soun leaned foreword as well, as the kunoichi seemed
to come to a decision.

        "I don't know," he replied sheepishly, placing a hand behind his
head and looking embarrassed.

         After the two men dragged themselves off the floor, Soun
grabbed Konatsu by the shoulders and shook him. "Come now, you must
remember something! There are three woman in here that need our help!"

         Konatsu shook his head slightly. "I was knocked unconscious
when I came in, and I wasn't paying attention on my way out."

        "I think that the three of you are in need of more help than the
three girls you came to save," an amused, elderly female voice declared
from the end of the left hallway.

         Konatsu smacked his right fist into his left palm. "I knew it
was the left!"

        "And who are you?" Genma asked, studying the short shadow at the
end of the hall.

         The old woman cackled. "Why, I'm Zhao Len, Saotome Genma.
Surely your children told you all about me?"

        "YOU!" Soun bellowed as he took off down the hall. "You
kidnapped and threatened my little girl!"

        "Wait, Tendo!" Genma called as his friend took off in a rage,
then sighed. "Guess it's up to me to keep you out of trouble." He
sprinted down the hallway after Soun.

         Konatsu stood there for a second, blinking after the two men,
before running after them as well. "Wait for me!"

         Zhao Len shot off down a perpendicular hall as Soun was about
to reach her, and he gave chase, Genma not far behind. Konatsu was
unable to follow, however, as his danger sense pinged and he came to a
sudden halt, just as the wall exploded, revealing a familiar black-clad
figure blocking his path with a slightly curved wakizashu outstretched.
If Konatsu hadn't stopped, the weapon would have taken his head off.

        "Oh no, little ninja boy," Kae said, voice dripping with menace.
"You will fight me."

         Konatsu froze for a second, then his features hardened. "As you
wish."

         There was a tense moment of silence as the two fighters locked
gazes. Then, by an unspoken signal, they suddenly leapt towards each
other in a rapid flurry of attacks.




        "Well, which is it?" Kodachi asked, hands on her hips.

         It suddenly occurred to Nabiki that while she overheard Konatsu
say what area they were in, he didn't mention which building. She
glanced around nervously while the black-haired gymnast frowned at her.
"I... I don't know," she admitted. "But it has to be one of the
buildings on this street! These are the only condemned structures in the
Meji district!"

         Kodachi sighed heavily, then scanned the boarded-up houses,
warehouses, and office buildings scattered around them.

        "Never fear," Tatewaki declared, drawing his katana "For I
possess the ability to find those in danger."

        "Oh really?" Kodachi said, eyes half-lidded. "How come I have
never heard of this talent of yours?"

        "A samurai reveals not all his skills until needed!" her brother
countered, then knelt in the middle of the street, his sword held
upright in both hands, a streetlight shining down on him. When he spoke
next, it was in a voice barely above a whisper. "Please... honored
ancestors... if you can hear me. Somewhere nearby there are maidens in
danger, but I cannot find them without your help. If you can hear me...
then guide my sword!"

         Nabiki blinked. "Wha-?"

         Sasuke and Kodachi groaned.

        "Don't tell me you've been watching _that_ movie again,
oniisan?" The kimono-clad girl asked her brother, tiredly. Then she
began to snicker and giggle as Tatewaki stood and wobbled around,
following where his katana tilted. "Well, I suppose that is better than
standing around wondering where to go! Ohohohoho!"

         Nabiki shivered and backed away as Kodachi laughed, but the
other girl cut it off when she noticed the Tendo girl's reaction.

        "Tell me something, Tendo Nabiki," Kodachi asked, suddenly
looking quite serious and troubled. "Do I... scare you?"

         Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Considering what you've been and
done in the past? Most definitely. I mean, let's face it. No one ever
knew what you were going to do, unlike your predictable brother. And
your laugh is just unnerving." Even though she felt a little bothered by
what she just said, Nabiki felt perfectly justified in saying it.
However, the look on Kodachi's face made her think twice.

         The black-haired girl suddenly looked sad and downcast, even as
her eyes dropped to study the ground. "It is as I thought. Ranma-sa...n
looked at me the same way. As did the girls at my school. I am quite
detested and feared."

         Nabiki felt that twinge again and sighed heavily. Several yards
away, Tatewaki swerved back across the street. "Look. You're not really
crazy anymore, right? I mean, you're mind's longer being messed up by
that hideous creature?" As Kodachi's head slowly came back up and
nodded, Nabiki continued. "Then you should be able to be whoever you
want to be now. If people still hate you, then that's their problem.
That's how I live. If they like me, fine. If they don't, then I don't
care."

         Kodachi looked at Nabiki strangely and with a confused
expression. "Surely, you can't be serious?"

        "Look, if you don't laugh like that anymore and start acting
like a normal human being..." <I can't believe what I'm about to say.>
"Then, I wouldn't mind being around you so much." Nabiki grimaced. <Why
don't you just ask her over for a slumber party now and the two of you
can make cookies?>

         Kodachi tapped her chin in thought. "Perhaps... perhaps you
right. I shall do as you say, Nabiki-san."

         Nabiki looked wide-eyed at the other girl. <Amazing! First
Kuno-baby and now her, of all people! Maybe that demented, dog-faced,
troll really did do something to these peoples' minds! She's actually
acting rather... normal. Scary.>

        *Thump!* "Eureka!" Further thought was cut short by Tatewaki's
cry of success. Both girls and Sasuke turned to where Kuno's sword
rested in the wooden gate to one of the office buildings. "This be the
fiends' hiding place. Come, let us make haste!"

        "Oh come now, Tatchi," Kodachi told him in a condescending
voice. "You don't really think that little trick worked?"

         A small explosion sounded from inside the building as if in
reply, even as it shook slightly. To those outside, it almost felt as if
an elephant had been let loose inside.

         Tatewaki grinned triumphantly. "You were saying, Dachi?"

         Nabiki waved it off as she stalked up to the gate and swung it
open. "I'm not going to ask. Let's just go. If that is my father in
there fighting, then we have a short window of opportunity to free the
girls and get out."

        "I am with you, Nabiki-san," Kodachi declared as she flashed a
wicked smile at the other girl's frown, then jumped and somersaulted
over her.

         Nabiki and Tatewaki ran to catch up to Kodachi as she sprinted
up to the main entrance doors, Sasuke trailing behind them. With
apparently not a lot of regard for caution, the gymnast threw the doors
open with a *bang*, then strode inside, followed in the same manner by
her brother.

        "So much for a quiet entrance," Nabiki sighed, then entered
after the Kuno siblings.

         The sounds of combat were much clearer now, kiyah's and bodily
impacts echoing from somewhere deeper within the rickety, rundown
structure. The occasional crash indicated that a another wall had failed
to withstand something being thrown against it.

        "Hark!" Kuno declared, katana at the ready. "The sounds of
battle come from within. I go to join our comrades and assure victory!"
Immediately following his noble pronouncement, he took off in the
direction his senses told him was where said combat was taking place.

        "Not now!" Nabiki told him sharply as he ran off. "We have to
find and free the hostages first, then you can go off and heroically get
yourself killed!"

        "One almost might think you still cared for my brother," Kodachi
said wryly.

        "I do NOT care for that arrogant, insensitive baka!" Nabiki
hissed, then froze and winced while Kodachi and Sasuke turned their
attention upon her.  <Why did that sound so incredibly familiar?> She
shook her head. "All I meant was that it would be easier to find the
girls if all four of us looked!"

        "Riiiiight," Kodachi agreed in a condescending voice.

         Nabiki threw her hands up in disgust. "Whatever, I don't care.
Do what you want." She turned and stormed off in a different direction.

        "Sasuke, follow my idiotic brother and protect him!" Kodachi
ordered.

         The little ninja stood at attention. "Yes, Mistress! But what
about you?"

         Kodachi glanced down the hallway to where Nabiki had gone, a
wicked grin forming on her face. "I think Tendo Nabiki will need at
least one of us protecting her, don't you agree?"




         Most people who have watched Ranma's fights would tell you that
at times the two combatants moved so fast, they tended to blur, making
it difficult to tell what is going on. However, if one were to watch the
current fight between these two highly-skilled ninja, they wouldn't be
able to tell what was going on at all.

         The clash of metal against metal, or metal on wood, and the
smack of flesh on flesh was all that could be detected. Konatsu and Kae
moved to and from, and struck while inside, the litany of shadows that
littered the hallways and rooms. Every once and awhile, one or the other
would be visible as they leapt through a lighted area, but for the most
part the fight was good as invisible.

         They both knew, that a single mistake would spell the end for
either of them. Kae had hundreds of years of experience, but was limited
by Kenji's body. Konatsu had high natural talent, but not much
experience.

         As their eyes locked during a brief scuffle, they both knew the
other was well aware of the stakes.




        "Hiyah!"

         Zhao Len easily turned aside the thrust kick with her staff,
sending Soun crashing through yet another wall. The building shook
slightly with each piece destroyed. "Pathetic. And to think you two are
the ones who trained your children."

        "We're just getting warmed up!" Genma sprinted foreword and
attacked, surprising the old woman that he could move such bulk so
quickly. Still, everyone one of his punches was turned or blocked with
the staff, until he overextended with his left and Zhao Len poked him
under the armpit with the tip of her staff.

         The arm went limp as Genma grunted in pain. He tried a reverse
roundhouse, but she ducked under the flying foot and thrust the head of
her weapon into his chest. As it impacted, not only did Genma `oof' with
the wind being driven out of his body, but his large frame was sent
flying backwards. Before he struck the pillar behind him, however, Genma
managed a one-arm Kijin Rashuu Dan.

         The vacuum blade sped towards Zhao Len, who nearly had her head
taken off, but sidestepped just in time so all it tore was the sleeve on
her right arm. "Surprising. You do have some skill. Maybe I'll take you
both back to the tribe, in addition to your son and daughter. We could
always use more breeding stock, which is what you're children will be if
they don't cooperate."

        "YOU WON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!" Soun roared, coming out of
seemingly nowhere with a series of rapid-fire punches and kicks that
flared and then were gone.

         Zhao Len was forced to give ground under the rage-fueled
onslaught, not finding an opening in the man's defense. She snarled as
she twirled the staff around, then her peripheral vision caught the
flash of something silvery coming straight at her. Again, she brought
her own weapon up just in time to block, then back-flipped to give
herself a breather from the enraged man's attack.

         Sensing more than seeing the projectiles coming at her, she
spun her staff and blocked both of them, feeling the *thunk* as they
lodged in her staff. But when she finally stopped and observed her
weapon, there was nothing on it except for two small holes.

         And a quarter of the staff on the tip-end was gone, shaved
clean off.

        "What!?" Zhao Len did a double-take at both her staff and the
Tendo patriarch. <He's not carrying any weapons, but that looked like
the flash of a sword before I jumped away. And I could have sworn that
those were two arrows that I blocked with my staff, but he's not holding
a bow, either. So where did they come from?>

         Genma stared wide-eyed at his friend. "Tendo... You
actually..." He had seen everything, and because Soun had mentioned it
once before, he kind of knew what had happened. But for his old friend
to do that...

         Soun's eyes never left the outcast Amazon. "You won't touch my
daughter," he said in a quiet but deadly-serious voice.

         Zhao Len's lips curved upward in an evil grin. "I won't have
to. But there are plenty of male Amazons who will."

         Soun screamed in rage and shot foreword at this, while Genma
yelled, "Tendo! Don't!", knowing the old woman was just baiting him. His
breath back but arm still numb, Genma hauled himself up just as Soun
nearly collided with the deceptively frail-looking woman.

         Instead of blocking his attacks, however, Zhao Len thrust the
staff downward and the wooden floor exploded under them. She was already
airborne while the breaking point blast went off, but Soun stumbled
through it, the wooden chips pelting him and the dust cloud blinding
him. Acting on instinct, he jumped as he felt the floor give way, but
Zhao Len was above him and clonked him in the back of the head with the
staff, sending him head first into another wall.

         This time, Soun didn't get up.

        "Tendo!" Genma cried, trying to get to his fallen friend, but
finding an old woman blocking his path.

        "Well," she said, grinning and idly twirling her staff. "It
looks like it is down to you and me."




         Ukyo broke into wide, relieved smile. "Nabiki! What in the
world are you doin' here?" Then she caught sight of the person behind
her rescuer, and started. "Kodachi!"

        "Relax," Nabiki waved the chef off. "She's good."

         Ukyo eyed the kimono-clad gymnast warily, still remembering
Kodachi's attack on Akane and kidnapping of Ranma, as well as all the
other insane things the Kuno girl had done. "I don't know, Nabiki-chan.
But I guess, if you say she's alright..." She still didn't feel alright,
but there was nothing she could do at the moment, other than keep an eye
on her.

        "See any keys around here?" Nabiki asked, taking note of the
manacles and chains binding Ukyo and Yuri. She began to search.

         Ukyo shook her head. "Sorry. I was unconscious when they
chained us up. And don't ask why there are cells and manacles in the
basement of an office building."

         Nabiki shrugged. "Some businessmen have exotic tastes."

         Kodachi and Ukyo stared at the middle Tendo.

        "Dare I ask how you know that, Nabiki-san?" Kodachi asked.

        "I make it a point to know the business world, since I plan to
rule it one day." She smirked while she continued to search the large
room, discovering something in the cell on the other side of Ukyo's.
"Yuri! She's here, too. Why didn't she say anything?" Nabiki opened the
cell door, surprised it wasn't locked, then knelt down next to the young
ninja girl, who was sitting against the wall and staring off into space.

         Ukyo inwardly winced. "She hasn't exactly had the best of times
lately. I think she's still in shock over what happened to Kenji."

        "What did happen to him?" Nabiki asked the chef, as she checked
Yuri for any injuries.

        "Don't really know. We at first thought someone kidnapped him,
but it looks like either his mind has been totally warped, he's
possessed, or something is just imitating his body." Nabiki poked her
head around the stone partition that separated the two cells and cocked
an eyebrow at the chef. Ukyo shrugged. "Hey, I've had plenty of time to
think down here."

        "Nabiki-san, I have found another little girl here," Kodachi's
voice rang out. "Could this be that `Selah' you were speaking of?"

         Nabiki walked on over the last cell on the end while Ukyo
asked, "Is she alright? I didn't know where they were keeping her."

        "She's unconscious," Nabiki called back. "But she's only tied
with rope. If we had something sharp, we could cut it off her."

         Kodachi reached into her kimono sleeve and produced a small
knife. "Allow me. You should continue to search for the key."

         Nabiki nodded and stood, prepared to start searching again, but
was never given the chance. Instead, she mimicked the others and froze
as the door creaked open and someone stepped inside, still partially
hidden by shadows.

        "Looking for this?" the figure asked idly while holding up a
steel key in the light.

        "Kenji!" Ukyo moved as far foreword as her chains would allow.

         In the cell next to hers, Yuri blinked and slowly crawled over
to look at her brother with hope in her eyes. "Oniichan?" she asked
softly.

        `Kenji' chuckled dryly. "I already told you he's not available.
My name is Kae."

        "No!" Yuri screeched. "Where's my brother!? What have you done
with him!?"

        "He's gone, and the sooner you accept that fact, the better,"
Kae told her in a cold voice. With that, the ninja dragged something
from behind her and dropped it just inside the room. Ukyo's, Nabiki's,
and Yuri's eyes went wide, while Kodachi narrowed hers.

        "Konatsu!" This time both Ukyo and Yuri screamed, railing
against their shackles, but were unable to go anywhere. "What did you do
to him!?" Ukyo demanded to know.

         Kae shrugged. "He made a mistake. He paid the consequences."

         Nabiki suddenly wished Tatewaki was here, for protection of
course. She backed up a step and knew that anybody who could take down
Konatsu, could take her out with barely a thought.

         She suddenly found Kodachi beside her, handing her the knife.
"You work on freeing the child," she whispered to Nabiki, then in a
slightly louder voice declared, "I shall deal with him!"

        "You are welcome to try, girl." Kae sounded almost amused.

        "I shall do more than `try'," Kodachi retorted, then began to
undo the sash on her kimono. "For I am Kuno Kodachi, the `Black Rose!'"
The other girls stared in disbelief as the Kuno girl pulled off her
kimono in one smooth move, revealing a midnight-blue, full-body, skin-
tight leotard underneath. The only parts not covered were her hands and
head, above her neck.

         She tossed the garment at her adversary and immediately set a
ribbon twirling. Kae sliced through the kimono with one smooth stroke
from her wakizashu, that wasn't in her hand a second before, but the
Black Rose was already in motion.

        "Take my Petal Storm! Ohohohohoho!"  Kodachi loosed a volley of
black rose petals, bathing her opponent in a literal storm of blossoms.

         Kae backtracked through the door to avoid the attack, and
Kodachi bounded through after the ninja, still laughing.

         Nabiki shook her head, forcing herself out of staring at the
gymnast to go and cut Selah's bonds. It didn't take her long to finish
the job Kodachi had started, and soon she was picking the girl up and
carrying her over lay near Ukyo, stopping to check on Konatsu. She
nodded to Ukyo, signaling he was still alive.

        "What are you doing, Nabiki?" Ukyo asked in disbelief as the
Tendo girl began to try and pick the lock on her shackles with the
knife. "You've got to get Selah and Konatsu out of here! I don't know
how good Kodachi thinks she is, but that Kae was able to beat Konatsu
not once, but twice. He'll be back soon!"

        "I came to save all of you," Nabiki told her, fiddling with the
lock. "And that's what I'm going to do."

         Ukyo looked at her strangely. "Why? I don't recall you ever
getting this personally involved in our fights before."

         Nabiki froze in mid-lock-pick as understanding failed her. <Why
AM I doing this?> She had left the relative safety of her house only to
put herself in a life-or-death situation that was best left to the
martial artists. <Which I'm not. So where did this desire come from?>
Her throat suddenly became dry as the motivation for her behavior was
comprehended.

         Nabiki had always been a intelligent thinker, not taking long
to come to the most logical conclusion. <That sword, that damned sword!
I was so intent on fighting it's overt control, that it subconsciously
altered my thoughts!> She didn't figure that out until now, when Ukyo
had asked her the question, and she realized she didn't have an answer.

        "Nabiki?" Ukyo waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "You
in there?"

        "I'm fine," she spat angrily, then resumed work on the lock.
<Well, I'm already here. Might as well finish the job.> "Besides, you
still owe me money. If you die here, I can't collect now, can I?"

         Ukyo just shook her head , while Yuri continued to watch the
doorway where her brother had vanished, as well as the fallen form of
Konatsu.




         Before Zhao Len or Genma could initiate any more actions, the
steady rhythm of a pair of running feet drew both their attentions to
the doorway across the ravaged room. Both wondered who it was, but they
didn't have to wait long.

         Tatewaki Kuno burst into the room and surveyed the situation.
Akane's father was laying in the far corner against a pillar, while the
man he recognized as Ranma's father was facing off with a short,
withered old hag who reminded him of the other old woman who used to run
that noodle emporium, the Nekohanten.

         Kuno blinked. This was the dangerous Amazon one that once
kidnapped both Ranma and Akane? he almost felt like laughing, if not for
a small, long unused part of his brain told him that a little caution
wouldn't hurt and not to underestimate his enemy.

        "I demand you free the maidens you have imprisoned, or you shall
feel the wrath of mine blade!" He brought said instrument of war up,
while gauging the old woman's reaction.

         Zhao Len nearly burst out laughing. "Oh, that's rich! I had
heard the Kuno family were a bunch of loons, but I never expected this!"
She quickly parried an attack by Genma, who sought to take advantage of
a supposed distraction, and sent the man flying across to the other side
of the large hole in the floor.

        "Silence, old woman!" Kuno commanded, while circling around to
face her. "As much as it is detestable to me to fight such an old and
frail matron, I shall not hesitate if means freeing those you hold
captive."

         The `old and frail matron' cackled. "Well, perhaps you'll be
good for a few laughs. Let's see what you got, boy."

         Across the room, Genma picked himself up once more and sighed
as he watched Kuno attack Zhao Len, then get sent on a flying trip of
his own. Somehow he knew, things had just gotten worse, not better.




        "Ohohohohoho!"

        "Would you shut up," Kae growled, becoming increasingly annoyed
by his opponent. This `Black Rose' didn't seem highly skilled, but so
far she had stayed out of close range, flicking that damned ribbon and
spouting that irritating laugh. On the next flick, however, the ninja
blurred foreword and sliced half the ribbon away. "Time to end this,
little girl."

        "I have not yet begun!" Kodachi declared, flipping backward and
rebounding off the wall, grabbing something attached to her waist and
flinging it foreword. It whistled as it flew, but pinged off the metal
of Kae's curved wakizashu as she brought it up to block. Kodachi was
already moving on, flicking out a whip with the other hand as she
flipped over her opponent.

         Kae found the whip wrapped around the upper hilt of her sword,
even as Kodachi gave a fierce tug, trying to pull the weapon away. Kae
resisted, the strength of the boy's body being slightly greater then
that of the Black Rose. As Kodachi landed, Kae caught the familiar sound
of whistling once more. It pinged once off a far wall then struck the
back of the ninja's head, sending Kae stumbling foreword. It pinged once
more as it rebounded of another wall, then Kodachi caught it and re-
secured it to her waist.

         It was only then that Kae saw it: A slivery, circular chakram.

         The spirit in Kenji's body snarled. "I've had enough!" He
sprung foreword at top speed, wrapping the whip around his weapon as she
went.

         Kodachi attempted to leap back but Kae caught her in mid-air,
sending an elbow into the girl's stomach. He then somersaulted in mid-
air, swinging his feet up to catch Kodachi in the chin and rocket the
other girl into a wall. Kodachi moaned dizzily as she slid to the
ground.

        "Give it up, girl," Kae spat. "The only reason I didn't kill
that pretty boy ninja is because Zhao Len forbids it a the moment. You,
on the other hand, she didn't say anything about." He pulled the whip
off her weapon and tossed it to the ground, then readied to take
Kodachi's head off. "I've been waiting and planning my vengeance for
almost a thousand years, and I'm not going to be stopped by you."

        "Just who ARE you?" Ukyo demanded to know.

         Kae turned to see the chef and the ninja girl, Yuri, on the
other side of the room. "I was a warrior a long time ago, but was
trapped within the earth for nearly a millennia until this boy foolishly
wandered into my trap. My body had long since decayed, but my spirit
lived on. And now I have a new body with which to extract my revenge, as
soon as I fulfill my bargain to the old woman." Kae suddenly smiled and
looked up at the ceiling, as if hearing something only she could hear.
"And it appears I've finally been given the right to kill you."

        "I don't know what you want," Yuri said in a low, dangerous
voice. "But for what you've done to my brother, Konatsu, and all my
friends, I will stop you." She brought her own, shorter wakizashu up.

        "It wasn't that smart to leave our weapons nearby," Ukyo said,
ginning and hefting her battle spatula. "How about I show you what this
`short-order cook' can do now?"

        "Do not count me out either, Kuonji-san," Kodachi said, rising
and readying a pair of tonfa.

         Kae's eyes narrowed, then she grinned evilly. "Well then, come
and get me, little girls. If you think you can."


-------------------------------------

Author's Notes:

Just a little clarification, in case you're confused. Kae is female, but
Kenji's body is male. Nobody knows Kae is female, so all Ukyo and
everybody see is a possessed boy. This explains why they refer to Kae as
a male.


-------------------------------------



Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 9




         Genma was beginning to have severe doubts about the structural
integrity of the building.

         Kuno had just taken his fifth flight through a support column,
and this time he didn't look like he was getting up. Sasuke was limping
his way over to his fallen master, and Soun was still out. Genma didn't
feel that great, either. He'd managed a couple of hits to the old hag,
but she'd given him quite a beating in return.

         At this rate, it would take a miracle to win.

        "POPS!" came Ranma's voice.

         Genma nearly burst out laughing. <When in need of miracle, get
a miracle worker.> He couldn't count the number of times his son had
done the impossible, and here was, arriving in the nick of time as
usual.

         Zhao Len growled as Ranma leapt up through the hole in the
ground and surveyed the scene. "Well, I was planning on getting to you
sooner or later, boy. It might as well be now." She just wished she had
Kae here to help. Of all her opponents, Ranma was the most dangerous,
having beat her before. "Don't think you'll get me with the same trick."

         Ranma dropped into a ready stance and cracked a grim smile.
"Won't need to. You're goin' down for the last time so you won't bother
my friends and family no more."

         Zhao Len cackled, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a
ruby. "I've just given the command for my ally to kill the hostages. If
you surrender now, I'll countermand the order."

        "Don't listen to her boy," the elder Saotome called. "Konatsu's
probably already saved them by now."

        "Or else my sister and Tendo Nabiki have," Kuno added, sitting
up, and holding his swordarm. "You cannot just give in, Saotome."

         Ranma hesitated. Give up and save the hostages? Or fight and
have faith in his friends? Phrased like that, he had his answer. "You
better cancel that order right now, ghoul. If any of my friends are
hurt, I'm gonna tear you apart."

        "Try me, boy," Zhao Len retorted.

         Ranma did, springing forward almost faster than the eye could
see. Even to Genma's sight, the boy appeared faster and more agile than
he ever had been before, and his father wondered what had changed in his
son.

         Zhao Len blocked the strike and countered, but that was also
parried, and then the two were bouncing all over the place like a pair
of hyperactive jumping beans. Like the first match between them, Zhao
Len seemed to hold the advantage, but this time Ranma was coming in
fresh, while the ex-Amazon had already been fighting for awhile. Even
she had her limits, and she knew she wouldn't last long.

         Instead, she launched into a intricate pattern of ki-blasts and
breaking points, hoping to throw the boy off just enough to find in
opening. Ranma, having fought both her and Cologne before, was starting
to pick out the patterns and styles, complex though they were.

        "Pops, you gotta get everyone out of here!" Ranma yelled, coming
to the same conclusion as his father. The building was beginning to
shake badly, having lost one too many walls and support beams, both from
the current fight and the one happening downstairs.

         The survivor persona in Genma had no problem with that. "You
can count on me, boy!" He hauled his frame up and grabbed his old
friend, noting Sasuke helping his master.

        "No one is leaving here alive!" Zhao Len shrieked, then aimed a
ki-blast over Ranma, destroying another pillar with a brilliant yellow
bolt.

        "No!" Ranma yelled, but it was too late. The whole area began to
tilt, ripping the room in two and sending Genma, Soun, Tatewaki, and
Sasuke tumbling through the hole to the first floor.

         Ranma managed to grab onto the edge, trying to haul himself up,
but Zhao Len was suddenly there, preparing to give the final blow.

         At that moment, a support beam above them gave out.




         Yuri flipped away from the thing with her brother's form and
glanced wearily at the shifting and teetering walls around them. She
wasn't the only one who had taken notice of the impending demise of
their battlezone.

        "Uh, guys," Ukyo said. "I think getting out of here might be a
good idea."

        "Heh, I actually agree with you," Kae added. "If you make it out
alive, we can finish this." With that, she leapt straight up, slicing a
hole in the ceiling with one of her blades, and disappearing from view.

        "I agree as well," Kodachi said, preparing to follow.

         Yuri laid a hand on the gymnast's arm. "Hold it! What about
Nabiki, Konatsu, and Selah?"

         Ukyo slapped her forehead. "Almost forgot about `em! Come on!"

         The three girls took off back the way they came, finding Nabiki
struggling with both bodies. Yuri quickly grabbed Konatsu, Kodachi held
Selah, Ukyo threw an arm around Nabiki, and the sextet began to sprint,
leaping up through the hole Kae had made. Moving as rapidly as possible,
they busted their way through every obstacle in their path as the
building began to come down around them. With a final spatula cleave
from Ukyo, the group found themselves outside.

         Only to find Kae standing there waiting for them




         Ranma swung himself away as Zhao Len struck, at the same moment
the beam came down.

         The old woman screamed as it trapped her beneath it's
considerable weight, her staff spinning away into darkness. Try as she
might, she couldn't get any leverage and she had already exhausted all
her energy in the fight.

         Ranma, seeing this and not being able to bear someone in
trouble no matter who it is, called out. "Hold on! I'm coming!"

        "Help me!" Zhao Len cried, her frail visage trembling in fear.

         Despite the rickety nature of his footing and the fact that the
building was literally coming down around him, Ranma leapt from wall to
beam to perch, trying to reach the trapped ex-Amazon. A final leap
brought him to rest on the pillar ensnaring the old woman, so he swung
down and tried to lift the heavy beam off of her. What he didn't see,
was her face suddenly change from terrified, to burning hatred as she
reached a hand out to touch him.

         "DIE!" she hissed, and Ranma was suddenly struck by a burning
sensation in his chest, forcing him to let go of the support beam as he
stumbled and fell backwards.

         Then, the building finally released all of it's fearsome built-
up power.

         As any construction worker will tell you, when you build any
size of structure, the floors and ceilings store what is called
`potential energy.' When you remove the supports, this potential energy
is released and the building comes down. This type of energy is a good
friend of demolitionists, as it means all they need minimum of
explosives to bring the structure down.

         Now, the Nikaze Office Complex was releasing all if it's stored
potential energy, and letting gravity take it's long neglected and very
brutal hold.




        "Now who could that be?" Kasumi wondered she went to answer the
knocking on the front door. Opening it revealed a frail-looking
gentleman, a monk of some sort she assumed, complete with near-bald head
and draped in a simple, dark brown robe. "Hello. Can I help you?"

         The man smiled. "No, but I believe I can help you. If I may be
so foreword, may I come in?"

         Kasumi blinked, but felt strangely compelled to oblige. "By all
means, come on inside."

         The elderly gentleman smiled, and as he walked inside, his
right eye twinkled mysteriously.




         Kodachi screamed as Kae yanked her arm back, but was unable to
do more as Yuri landed a jumpkick to her brother's backside. Kae
stumbled forward and released the gymnast roughly, but managed a hard
kick to the back of Kodachi's leg. The injured Kuno girl floundered for
a bit, then tripped and fell.

         Kae turned to face the sister of her host's body, a feral and
hungry grin forming on his face. "What's the matter? Can't bring
yourself to really injure this body?"

         Yuri knew she couldn't do more than punches and kicks. A large
part of her still believed there had to be something of her brother left
in that body, so any more lethal moves were out of the question. She had
tried wrapping him up in her yo-yo string, but Kae had just cut through
it. All she could do, was hope to tire him out, or distract him long
enough for one of the other girls to get a hit in.

         Unfortunately, Kae was adept at turning aside most of their
attacks, and Ukyo seemed as reluctant as Yuri to inflict permanent harm.
Only Kodachi appeared to be willing to fight to her fullest, but even
that wasn't enough, as the gymnast now appeared to mostly out of the
fight.

         As Ukyo moved in to duel Kae, Nabiki watched from the
sidelines, wondering if there was something she could do as the last of
the building collapsed in on itself. The call of the sword intensified
for a moment, but she shook it off. Not being well versed in it's use,
having a sword would only make her a target, and it would take too long
to return to the dojo to retrieve it.

         Yet she was convinced there was something she was forgetting,
some important detail. Studying Kae from a distance, it suddenly came to
her.

         She glanced down at the two unconscious people she was watching
after, noting which one would help the situation most, and proceeded to
shake them. "Come on, wake up, kiddo! You're `fiance' needs you." Selah
groaned and turned over, but showed every sign of continuing her
slumber. "Oh for the love of..." Nabiki sighed, then figured there was
no help for it. She reared back her hand and slapped the girl.

        "Ow!" the little girl exclaimed, her cheek reddening. Then her
eyes opened and she focused in and glared at the one who struck her.
"Why'd you do that!?"

        "Sorry, kiddo, but I believe they could use your help." Nabiki
pointed out the battle raging several dozen meters away, then looked
back to see an expression of fright on the girl's face. "You don't need
to fight, just hit Kenji with enough water to trigger his curse."

         Understanding and relief lit the girl's face, followed by an
expression of despair. "But... I don't know if I have the strength! I've
used too much magic already..."

        "You've got to try, or else Kenji's going to get hurt real bad,"
Nabiki urged. "You're not going to let that happen, are you?" She felt a
little guilty about pushing the girl's buttons like this, but saw no
other way at the moment.

         Determination replaced the previous emotions on the young
girl's face, then she brought her hands up and began to concentrate.




        "Alright, enough of this!" Ukyo snarled. "You're being a real
jerk, Kenji, or whoever you think you are!" She twisted away from a spin
kick as her left arm flashed out.

         "What!?" Kae gasped in surprised, finding his right side bound
by several strands of sticky noodles.

         Ukyo smirked and gave a mighty tug, pulling her snarling
opponent forward while bringing her battle spatula down. Kae grunted in
pain as he took the blow on his free forearm, then spun and sliced,
wakizashu appearing in his hand long enough the sever his bindings.
Completing the turn, Kae lashed out with his now-free left hand and
struck the chef's right wrist, causing Ukyo to yelp and drop her weapon.

         Ukyo suddenly found herself weaponless and vulnerable, as Kae
moved in with a lightning fast blurry of punches and kicks. Ukyo tried
to block and dodge, but never having had much training in unarmed
combat, she was quickly overpowered.

        "No!" Yuri screamed, rushing forward to save her friend, but her
panicked charge left her open to spin kick that caught her in the gut
and sent her tumbling away. She twisted her ankle as she landed badly.

         Kae barely let that slow his momentum as he slammed an elbow
into the side of the chef's head. Dazed, Ukyo dropped like a sack of
potatoes. Dimly, she heard the sound of a blade being drawn from it's
scabbard. Cracking open her right eye, the non-swollen one, revealed Kae
kneeling down and bringing the sword up to her neck.

        "I've been looking forward to this," Kae told her. "I'll make it
quick, so you'll at least die a warrior's death."

         Ukyo could barely feel her body as she tried to wrack her
cloudy mind for an idea, when she noticed the arm holding the weapon was
beginning to shake, badly. Curious, she watched as the smirk on Kae's
face was replaced by surprise. The ninja grabbed the shaking arm and
tried to steady it, to no avail.

        "Stop it!" Kae hissed.

         Ukyo blinked, while a short distance away, Yuri and Kodachi
were watching with wide eyes.

        "It's mine, you can't have it!" Kae shrieked as the trembling
increased, spreading to the rest of her body. She stood up slowly and
took a step back, dropping the weapon. "NO!"

         Ukyo was confused; who was Kae talking to? He almost looked
like he was losing control of his body. As her dazed mind began to
clear, she sat up and studied him, and that's when all the pieces came
together.

        <He's not talking to us,> Ukyo realized. <What if Kenji is not
as gone as `Kae' would like us to believe?> She tried to recall what she
knew of possession, and remembered the cursed spatula that had attached
itself to Ranma's hand. It had a will of it's own, but that never
replaced Ranma's.

        "Kenji, fight it!" Ukyo yelled suddenly. Across the way, Yuri
switched her stare to the chef. "Don't you see? He's not really gone!"

         If possible, the ninja girl's eyes widened even further. Then
she understood and joined in. "Come on, `niichan! You can do it!"

        "STOP IT!" Kae screamed, his whole body trembling. <You can't
win, boy! My will is stronger, having grown much more powerful through
the passage of several hundred years!>

        <But this is my body!> Kenji countered, his mental voice finally
breaking free of the psychic bonds she had placed on him. <And these are
my friends! I won't let you hurt them anymore!> "I WON'T LET YOU!!!"

         Yuri and Ukyo started at the voice change, back to one they
both recognized. They both struggled to their feet, though Yuri
collapsed in pain as she put pressure on her twisted right ankle.

         Despite the pressure he was exerting, Kenji's consciousness
slowly found itself being forced back into the void that contained him.
<No!>

        <I told you as I was stronger!> Kae yelled in triumph.

        "Now!"

         Ukyo, Yuri, and Kodachi jerked sideways at Nabiki's shouted
command.

        "Haaa!" A horizontal geyser of water burst forth from Selah's
hands and engulfed the trembling boy, sweeping him into the stone wall
surrounding the building. The geyser cut off a second later, leaving a
small, wet dog laying motionless on the ground.

         Selah, exhausted by the tremendous amount of magic she had used
this evening, collapsed into Nabiki's arms. "D-did I...?"

         Nabiki nodded and smiled. "You got him, kiddo. Good job."

        "Is everyone all right?"

        "Over here!" Nabiki waved to the approaching Genma, who had Soun
flung on his shoulder in a fireman's carry, while Ukyo hauled herself
over to the unconscious wolf. "And you're a little late," she said,
frowning at Tatewaki and Sasuke appeared behind the bigger man. Nabiki
gave the kendoist a dark glare.

        "I didn't even know you were here until I spotted that water
blast," Genma replied, setting Nabiki's father down beside her. "He'll
be fine, he's taken worse," he assured her.

         Nabiki nodded, then both turned to see the other three girls
approach, Ukyo carrying the unconscious lupine form of Kenji, while
Kodachi and Yuri supported each other, limping along. "How about him?"

         Ukyo shook her head as she laid the small animal down.  "He's
out for now, but I think he'll be okay. The real question is: How is he
mentally?"

         Yuri knelt by her brother and gently started to stroke his fur.
"My poor `niichan," she whispered. "What's happened to you?"

        "Well, at least everyone's okay," Nabiki said at last, standing
up and stretching.

         Genma glanced around. "What about my son? Has anyone seen him?"

        "Ranchan was here?" Ukyo asked incredulously, then turned to
stare at the rubble that used to be an condemned building. "If he's not
out here, then..."

        "Don't even think it, Ukyo," Nabiki warned. "Even he's not dumb
enough to get caught in that."

        "He went to save that old crone..." Genma stated, then shut his
mouth.

        "He WHAT!?" came the stereo reply from multiple girls.

        "Dear Ranma-san..." Kodachi whispered in a reverent tone.

         Genma said no more, but suddenly sprung forward and began to
dig through the rubble at a frantic pace. Ukyo lumbered over to help,
her ribs protesting, but she ignored them. When Kodachi joined her, Ukyo
thought she should be surprised, but merely gave a slight nod.

        "Ranma!" Genma called, heaving a large piece of mortar off to
the side. "Speak to me boy!"

         Ukyo began to despair as they dug. There was just so much
rubble and Ranma could be anywhere. <Come on, Ranchan! After all we've
been through, you couldn't have bought the farm now!> She rubbed her
eyes with her arm, clearing the tears forming out of them.

        "We will find him, Kounji-san," Kodachi's stated with near-
certainty.

        "I know we will!" Ukyo shot back, a littler harsher than she
intended.

         Kodachi merely nodded, as both girl's continued to clear what
debris they could from in front of them, secretly dreading finding
Ranma's broken body underneath the wreckage.

         Which was why they were taken completely by surprise when Ranma
burst out from the pile of rubble, looking none too worse for wear, if a
little haggard. They were further confused as he jumped into the air
wearing a gleeful expression.

        "Yatta! I finally got it!" He turned to the group and bounded
over, now staring at him as if he were a ghost, out of his mind, or
both. "How's everyone?" he asked curiously.

        "Never mind us, how are YOU?" Ukyo exclaimed, finally finding
her voice. "You just had a building dropped on you!"

         Ranma shrugged, then went on to roughly explain how he had used
falling pillars and support beams to rapidly construct a support
shelter, chestnut speed, that shielded him from the falling debris. "It
was just another technique, I realized. After being buried like that a
coupla times, I finally figured out how to survive it."

        "That's m'boy!" Genma said proudly.

         Ukyo shook her head, while everyone else decided to continue
staring.

         Ranma blinked. "Well, shouldn't we be goin'?"

        "Is she dead?" Soun asked in an even voice, finally waking up
and holding his head. Everyone turned to look at him, then followed his
gaze to the huge pile of rubble.

         Ranma shrugged. "Don't know. She was trapped when a support
beam fell on her. I just barely survived that, and in her condition, I
don't think she coulda done the same."

         The Tendo patriarch nodded grimly, apparently satisfied.

        "Well, I for one am quite satisfied this evening is over,"
Kodachi declared. "If there is no more danger, I believe we should
leave."

         Nobody had any argument to that idea.




         It was an exhausted group that arrived back at the Tendo Dojo
that night. Not a word had been spoken since they departed the ruined
office building, with the exception of a few good-byes as each group
separated to head back to their own homes. The Ucchan group took Kenji's
lupine form back with them, saying that they would secure him until they
could determine if he was alright.

         Soun Tendo was especially quiet, his face holding the same
serious expression. There were quite a few problems that tonight had
made him see, although some he wasn't ready to deal with yet. However,
maybe there was one he could confront, and he realized it was a long
time in coming.

         Genma's attention kept switching back and forth from his son to
his old friend. From pride at the former, to confusion for the latter.
But not knowing what to do about it, and more than ready to call it a
night, he pushed all thoughts out of his mind.

         Nabiki was more than a little annoyed and upset. For the first
time in a long while, she wasn't in total control, and it shook the very
core of her being. She felt vulnerable, exposed, scared, and hadn't a
clue as to what to do about it.

        "We're back!" Ranma called as the quartet entered the front door
and slipped off their shoes. The youngest Saotome didn't know what to
think of this latest conflict, so he dealt with it the same way he
always dealt with things he didn't know what to think; by ignoring it.
"Akane? Kasumi?" He shared a confused look with Nabiki, when he received
no answer to his hail.

        "Kasumi!" Soun called.

        "She was here when I left..." Nabiki trailed off.

        "You don't think..." Soun started.

        "That this was all ruse to draw us off so someone could capture
Kasumi?" Genma finished.

        "You can't be serious, Pop!?" Ranma asked, incredulously, though
even he was having his own doubts.

        "That does seem a bit far-fetched," Nabiki reasoned. <Still....
Things have been weirder lately.> "I'll check her bedroom," she called
while dashing up the stairs.

        "I'll check the kitchen!" Genma declared. In the face of two
lidded glares, hastily added, "For Kasumi, of course." While the elder
Saotome went to check his intended location, Ranma dashed out to the
dojo while Soun sprinted down the hall to check the rest of the house.

         Upstairs, Nabiki had finished going through the rooms, not
finding any sign of her older sister. "Kasumi?" she called again. <Where
could she be?> Nabiki wondered, frustrated. As she closed the last door,
she heard her father yell from downstairs.

        "YOU!"

         Turning quickly, Nabiki dashed back downstairs, nearly running
into Ranma as he came back inside, obviously hearing the same shout.
Together, they ran into the living room, but halted in their tracks at
the scene that greeted them.

         Soun was angrily holding a bald, elderly gentleman aloft by his
collar, pressing him against a wall. Nabiki was quite startled, never
having seen her father so angry. But the other surprise was Kasumi,
sitting on a cushion several feet away, astonishment written across her
face. A tipped over teacup leaked its contents over the table.

        "So good... to see you again... Tendo-san, ack!" the old man
commented, but made no move to defend himself.

        "Alright, what's going on?" Nabiki asked. "Father, who is this?"

         Soun's voice was low and even. "Oh, we go way back, don't we?
He's the reason I had the honor," Soun let considerable venom into the
word `honor', "of apprenticing under Master Happosai. How can I ever
thank you for that?"

        "You too, Tendo?" Genma asked, shocked.

         Ranma blinked, trying to make sense out of what was going on.
"Whoa, wait a minute! What has this got to do with the old freak?"

         Soun's grip, which had lessened a bit with the surprise
announcement from Genma, tightened back up with Ranma's mention of the
master.

         The short, monk-like figure gasped. "Please calm yourself,
Tendo-san!"

        "I am calm," Soun replied evenly. "The real issue, is what you
are doing here? What were you trying to do with my daughter?"

        "Father, please don't hurt him!" Kasumi implored. "He's a nice
gentleman."

         Nabiki sighed noisily when her father showed no inclination of
letting the man go. <Why am I the only logical thinker in this house?>
"Look, it's obvious he's no threat at the moment, and I doubt he can
escape from three highly skilled martial artists, so why don't we find
out why he's here first, what he wants, and then you can beat him up if
you still feel like it?"

         A few moments of silence went by as Soun appeared to be giving
his daughter's words some thought. "I should throw you out into the
garbage right now," he practically growled, then dropped the man by the
table. "But I want to know why you're here, as well as find out why you
felt the need to send me to Happosai for training. You obviously knew
his reputation."

        "As do I," Genma added.

         The mysterious man dusted himself off and sat up, appearing
unperturbed. "You both wanted a strong sensei to train under, someone
who had great power. I gave you that."

        "You gave us to a monster!" Soun countered, thrusting a finger
at the short fellow.

        "This is getting us nowhere, daddy," Nabiki cut in. "Maybe if
you started at the beginning and explained how you know him, and who he
is?"

         Soun sighed, but sat down next to the man, Genma on the other.
Ranma sat down next to his father while Nabiki joined hers. Kasumi took
the opportunity to fill a few more teacups. She had a near-certain
notion that they would be needed.

        "This goes back a long time, before any of you children were
born," Genma said slowly, his eyes closed, when it appeared Soun was
unlikely to start. "At that time, I was a young lad around Ranma's age.
My father was a good fighter, but he had never formally trained in
martial arts, and my mother was a poor farm girl. My family had no money
and, with very little prospects, I left home when I was young to seek my
fortune. I had to steal to survive, snatching up any scraps of food
here, or a few coins there. At least that's how it was until I stole
from a monastery in Osaka. The monks caught me and, as punishment, made
me work to pay back what I stole. When they discovered I had nowhere
else to go, they offered to feed, clothe, and teach me, if I worked for
it. Naturally, I accepted."

         Never having heard about his father's early life, Ranma didn't
know what to say, but paid rapt attention to the story. Soun had heard
some of it before, but not the part that the monk across the table
played in it. Genma never spoke of him before, and Soun realized,
neither had he.

        "I ended up staying there for quite awhile, learning the martial
arts," Genma continued. "In under a year, I was able to beat all of the
students and fight most of the monks to a draw, at least. But I was
arrogant, and with no further challenges, I sought to become master of
the monastery." His eyes flicked over to the mysterious monk. "That's
when a monk by the name of Ochiai, him, told me that if I wanted higher
training, to seek out an old master name Happosai. When he told me how
great the master was, I foolishly accepted." Genma folded his arms
across his chest. "The rest, as they say, is history."

        "Was that the same for you, daddy?" Nabiki inquired, finding
this little revelation interesting, but not entirely useful. Yet.

         Soun nodded. "Indeed. I, too, was the top student at the dojo
where I trained, and when my parents died in a train wreck, I became
resentful, in addition to being homeless." His eyes took on a far away
look, as he was now seeing an entirely different time. "Having nothing,
I attempted to claim the dojo as my own. I fought the master of the dojo
several times, but was defeated handily each time. As they threw me out
into the street and laughed at me, I swore I would return to take it, by
force if necessary. But as I picked up my sore and battered body, I knew
it would take more advanced training before I would be successful."

         Soun came back to the present and pointed to the man Genma had
named as Ochiai. "That's when I met him, but he called himself Hidenori
Taga. He taught me a little as I traveled with him, taunting me, telling
me he knew a great and highly-skilled martial arts master that could
teach me to be the best. I begged and demanded and threatened him to
tell me. After a month he finally did, and a short time later I managed
to track down Happosai. Genma had apparently become Happosai's pupil
shortly before, and that's when we first met."

         Nabiki had a sudden thought. "Uh, daddy, this dojo you're
talking about..."

        "You're in it now," he told her. "Five long years of training
under the Master, and I returned here to claim it. It was run down and
had no students, and I beat the owners easily. In exchange for leaving
the dojo intact, the couple that owned it let me have it, and moved
away. I don't know what happened to them."

        "You took our home from someone else!?" Akane yelled in outrage
as she stormed into the room. "I thought you built this house!"

        "Akane, I thought you were in bed?" Kasumi asked.

         She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "I woke up
when I heard dad's shout. I've been listening."

         Ranma was well aquatinted with the fury on his wife's face, but
now it was directed at someone else. "Akane..."

         Soun closed his eyes. "I make no apology for my actions. I had
nothing, and my parent's death left me with much anger." He grimaced.
"Five long years of humiliation under Happosai did help matters, either.
All I wanted was to settle down, raise a family, and teach the art to
them. But Happosai kept coming back, again and again. Most girls were
scared off by him, or scared away from me because of him. Only one was
brave enough to stick with me: Kimiko."

         The Tendo girls inhaled at the mention of their mother's name.

         Hidenori or Ochiai or whatever his name was, felt the glare of
the Tendo patriarch, and when Soun spoke again, his words dripped with
venom-laced sarcasm. "And that's why I thank you. You took advantage of
an emotionally unstable boy and introduced him to a demon in human form.
I never forgot your face, hoping I would see you again. Because of the
grief you put me, my wife, and my children through, thanks to Happosai."

         Akane huffed, but relented her glare, and sat down between
Kasumi and Ranma.

         The monk closed his eyes. "I make no apology for my actions,
either. But it had to be done. I can only hope in time you will be able
to see that."

        "Wait a minute," Nabiki said in near-disbelief. "You're telling
me this same guy directed you both to Happosai? Why? And why come back
now? So much here doesn't make sense." She rubbed her temples, the day's
activities having put a damper on her mental capabilities.

        "I understand it is confusing, but everything will soon be
explained," the old man replied, then glanced at the clock and sighed.
"However, it is late, and the tale I have to tell is long and
complicated. I believe coming here tonight was a mistake. I think it is
better that I come back tomorrow when everyone is more rested and level-
headed." He glanced at Soun, who's glare never wavered.

         Ranma pounded the table with his fist and frowned. "You ain't
goin' anywhere until someone starts explaining what the hell is going
on! Just who are you?"

         The old monk ignored him and turned to the eldest Tendo
daughter. "Thank you for the tea, Kasumi-san. I regret I have caused
disharmony in this house, but it was unavoidable, unfortunately.
Hopefully, I will be able to explain the reasons for my actions
tomorrow."

         Kasumi smiled. "It was a pleasure! I enjoyed your company."

         Genma rose to his feet, as it appeared the mysterious gentleman
was about to leave. "The boy is right. You aren't leaving until we get
some answers."

         The elderly man sighed. "I'm terribly sorry, but you will just
have to wait. The time is not quite right." With that said, he reached
into his robe and pulled out several small white pellets, which were
immediately tossed at his feet.

        "Look out!" Ranma called the warning, but it was too late.

         There was a bright flash and a billowing of thick, opaque,
white smoke where the man once stood. When it was gone, so was the
mystery monk.

        "He got away!" Soun slammed his right fist into his left palm.
"I knew I should have dealt with him when I had the chance!" He felt a
hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Genma looking at him.

        "We'll get him later," the elder Saotome told him. "He said he'd
be back tomorrow."

         Nabiki yawned suddenly. "Well I, for one, am not going to worry
about it. I'm too tired to worry about it." She stood up and headed for
the stairs. "I'm going to get some sleep. Good night."

         Kasumi followed Nabiki up, while Soun saw Genma to the front
door. That left the newlywed couple all alone.

         They glanced shyly at each other, before Akane stood up. "I
guess I'm going back to bed, too." She took a few steps towards the hall
while Ranma stood up.

        "Ummm..."

         She stopped and said over her shoulder. "Well, are you coming
or not?"

         Ranma quickly followed.



-----------------------------------



Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds And Connections
Chapter 10




         Akara tumbled awkwardly into the grassy bush, shocked and upset
at the sudden turn of events. One minute she had been feeling both
scared and wonderful, the next Tenma had violently shoved her away,
completely ruining the mood. All this served to light the pilot light of
her anger. She regained her feet and sat up just in time to see a
strange new girl land on the log and take a swipe at Tenma with what
looked like... a giant spatula?

         Then she heard what he called her.

        "Yu-chan!?!?"

        <Chan!?> Akara thought incredulously. <And the Baka said he
didn't have any other girls he was interested in! I should have known
the two-timer was leading me on!>

        "Ten-chan!" the girl known as `Yu-chan' admonished him. "How
could you!? And after we were engaged to be married!"

        "WHAT!?" came the stereo reply.

         Yu-chan blinked. "Don't act surprised! My father talked to your
sensei about it, and when he came back, my father told me he'd arranged
for us to be married!" Her face took a faraway look. "I knew we were
meant to be, and I was so happy! But when I went up to your cabin to see
you, you were both gone!" She turned her weapon in her grip, and her
eyes took a dangerous glint. "You ran away and left me behind! I told
the other girls we were getting married, but when they learned you were
gone, they laughed at me and made fun of me! Do you any idea what that
feels like!?"

        "I didn't know!" Tenma protested. "We went on a training trip,
and Satsu was buried by a landslide! He never told me about it!"

        "I've been searching for you for almost six months!" she
practically wailed.

        "Uh, sorry?" he offered, sheepishly.

         Her dark, frowny look suddenly melted into a sunny one, and she
quickly crossed the distance between them to glomp him tightly. "That's
okay! We're together and can get married. That's what's important!"

         Akara finally extricated herself from the bush she landed in,
and joined the other two on the log, having caught the conversation. She
was quite upset at having a nice moment interrupted by this girl.
"Excuse me! Who the hell are you!?"

         Tenma quickly backed out of the tight hug, sighing. "Uh, Yu-
chan, this is Tendo Akara, my, uh, fiancee. Akara, meet Kuonji Yukio.
She was one of my friends in the village, near where I lived."

        "Fiancee!?" Yukio wailed, her grip on her weapon tightening.
"Ten-chan, how could you?"

         Tenma backpedaled, his hands making warding gestures. "It
wasn't my idea! It was all my stupid sensei's plan!"

         Akara switched her glare from the new girl to her fiance for a
moment, feeling inexplicably hurt by his statement.

         Yukio brightened. "Okay! Our engagement was made first anyway!"

         As the enthusiastic girl started towards him once more in an
obviously too-friendly move, Tenma's gave wavered between the rapidly-
reaching-the-boiling-point Akara and the grinning Yukio, and he decided
the best course of action was to employ one of his sensei's most
advanced techniques.

        "Uh, sorrygottagobye!"

         The two girls' twin stunned expressions stared at the smoke
trail left by the young Saotome, but they lasted only a mere second
before giving chase.

        "Ten-chan!"

        "Teeenmmmmaaa!"




         Ranko splashed her face with cold water from the barrel, then
looked up just in time to see Tenma speed into the Amazon camp, two
girls hot on his trail. One was Akara, but the other she didn't
recognize and was waving a... giant spatula?

         She watched in near-disbelief as Tenma raced around a tent and
dove inside, due to the hand waving him in. Because he was out of sight
of his two pursuers when he disappeared into the tent, Akara and the
other girl ran right past it.

         Ranko exhaled, then walked over to the tent entrance and
waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later the two girls came back around,
once they realized they had lost their quarry. The redhead waved to get
their attention, then pointed to the tent. Both girls mouthed their
thanks, then charged in.

         Tenma tumbled inside, then rolled to his feet. "Thanks, I-"
Then he caught sight of who had saved him. <Why do I get the feeling
that I would have been better off outside?>

        "Airen..." Xian Po purred, which made the young Saotome nervous
for some odd reason. "No have to thank me. Wife always look out for her
husband."

        "W-wife!?" Tenma squeaked, then froze as the Amazon slinked up
to him, a coy smile on her face.

         She placed on hand around his neck and started to draw him
towards her...

        "TENMA!"

        "Ten-chan, what are you doing!?"

        "Ack! It ain't what ya think!" Tenma managed to extricate
himself from Xian Po's grasp just in time to dodge the giant spatula,
but not from the giant mallet. *WHAM!* "Ite..."

         Xian Po scowled and produced twin staves topped by large,
colorful maces. "Why stupid girls do that to Airen?"

        "Airen?" Akara's forehead scrunched in confusion.

        "It's Chinese for `husband' or `beloved one'," Ranko supplied
from the tent entrance, amused by the whole scene and happy to share
what she had just learned.

        "WHAT!?" Yukio's left eyebrow twitched as she turned back
towards the Amazon. "He was my fiance first!" She leapt to the attack.

        "He's my husband!" Xian Po met her in mid-air.

        *Crash! Boom! Bang!*




        "I ain't marryin' nobody," Tenma declared darkly several hours
later. "Ouch! Careful!"

        "Well, excuse me!" Akara replied without much heat as she
bandaged his cuts and bruises. "I'm just trying to help. Honestly, you
can stand up to evil ninja and members of the Dark Shogun's army without
so much as a scratch, and yet you get all beat up by getting into a
fight between two girls."

         Ryo snickered at that, but Ranko elbowed him strongly in the
gut. He `oof'ed as he folded around her arm.

        "As I was saying," Tenma continued after giving Akara a weak
glare. "We've got more important things to worry about, like the fact
that our friends are counting us to return in time?"

         Xian Po sighed as she and Yukio were patched up by a couple of
the other Amazons. "Tenma right. We fight big enemy first, then we
decide issue of marriage." She rubbed her shoulder and winced. "Spatula-
girl, you not bad warrior. Almost make good Amazon."

        "The name is `Kuonji Yukio', ya bimbo!" Yukio returned,
referring to the Amazon leader's full and well-endowed figure. Then she
simmered down and nodded reluctantly. "But I guess I agree with you. No
marriages until after this is over, but I'm coming along!"

         Both girls turned toward Akara, who noticed their stare and
looked at them blankly. "What? I don't want him in the first place!"

         Unnoticed to all but Ranko, Tenma winced slightly at that.

         Konisha stepped forward, a smirk on her face. "Xian Po-san has
the right idea, and I suppose I shall back off as well. For now." Her
smirk turned into a wide grin that unsettled Tenma. Of all the girls,
she scared him the most, though Xian Po was a close second. "Anyway, as
soon as my idiotic brother gets back from lighting the signal fire, we
should go. Time is of the essence. Xian Po-san, how many Amazons do you
have with you, and how quickly can they move?"

        "One hundred of our best warriors have come!" the Amazon leader
boasted proudly. "And we are also accompanied by a dozen members of the
mage clans."

        "Mage clans?" Ranko asked, interested.

        "They live in the Tibetan mountains far from Joketsuzoku, but we
trade with them from time to time," Xian Po explained. "One such trade
caravan was in our village when I returned, and a few of them wanted to
come along. They have powerful magic, and teach some to us in exchange
for combat lessons."

        "Only a hundred?" Akara asked. "I suppose it will have to do."
She stood and, to the surprise of all, bowed to the Amazon leader. "I
thank you for your help. Your offer to fight with us may be what wins us
this war."

         Xian Po smiled and stood, reaching a hand out to bring Akara
upright. "We warriors, yes? No need to bow. And Amazons always fight the
darkness, no matter where or what it is, so is no problem." She let her
teeth show. "But if you want to repay me, then we have fight between us
after this, okay?"

         Akara smiled fiercely in return. "Deal."

         While all the girls smiled at this, Tenma and Ryo stared in
stupefaction, not believing what they were seeing.  These girls, who
were nearly at each other's throats a short while ago, were now getting
along almost like best friends. What was going on?

         Whatever it was, Tenma knew it couldn't be good. Especially for
him.




        "Get lost!" *POW!*

        "You know, oniisan, I do not think she likes you," Konisha
declared, not disguising her amusement in the least while approaching
the fallen form of her brother.

         Tateyama pulled himself upright while nursing his jaw, and
watched Akara stomp away. "I do not see why that is so. Do not all
females like a strong male to dominate them?"

         Konisha rolled her eyes. "I see your experience with women has
dimmed since I have been gone from the castle. I shall have to correct
that. To answer your question: No. Not all women liked to be dominated.
Tendo-san is much different than those servant girls who bow to your
every whim."

         The elder Kuno thought about this. "Then how can I win fair
Akara's hand? She is so fierce and powerful, like the tiger. I have not
seen such a proud and noble spirit before."

        "I think you have pretty much ruined your chances when you tried
to force her to marry you," Konisha said wryly. <And the fact that I
believe she was already taken with Tenma-sama. More's the pity> "I
wondered how you talked Father into arranging that stupid idea."

         Tateyama Kuno said nothing, for he could not think of anything
to say as he watched Akara talk to Tenma. The engaged couple argued a
bit, but then it looked like Tenma apologized, which caused Akara to
apologize, and then the two walked off together to help finish gathering
supplies.

        <If I truly have ruined my chances with Tendo Akara, where can I
find another like her?> he wondered. <Someone strong and untamed, who
will not `bow to my every whim.'>

         The sound of a woman's laughter echoed through the air, drawing
the young noble's attention across the camp. There, the girl known as
Ranko was laughing in response to something the strange Kuonji woman was
saying, as they worked together with the Hibiki boy. Kuno recalled that
she also was a warrior equal to, if not better than, Akara. And she was
also a vision of loveliness, her red mane nearly glittering in the
sunlight. And if not her, then there were a hundred women around who
were also supposed to be noble warriors...

         Tateyama Kuno slowly smiled.




         Someone else had watched Tenma and Akara walk away together,
and he wasn't too happy about it either. In fact, a better word to
describe his mood would be: depressed. But if either of the girls he was
absently talking to noticed, they didn't say anything.

        "Are you even listening to me, Ryo-san?" Yukio's annoyed voice
cut through his thoughts and brought him back to the here and now.

         Ryo blinked and looked sheepish. "Uh, sorry. You were saying,
Kuonji-san?"

         Ranko laughed as she hoisted a sack of supplies on her
shoulder. "I'm going on ahead. You can catch up to me once you get the
big dope moving," she said, indicating Ryo.

        "Hey!" he protested.

        "See you later, Ranko-chan!" Yukio waved, and reflected on how
well she had gotten to know that girl in the past few hours. Now she
felt like she had known Ranko her whole life. Something about the red-
head just made people want to become good friends with her.

         Yukio shook her head and turned back to Ryo. "And you, I just
asked if you could lift these! Three times!" She indicated the two
barrels. "They're too heavy for me!"

         Ryo looked down. "Sorry, Kuonji-san."

        "And don't call be `Kuonji-san'," she commanded him. "I hate
that! Just call me Yukio."

        "Alright, alright!" Ryo huffed, then added, "Yukio-san." He
hefted the two barrels, one on each shoulder, grateful that Tenma had
removed that moxibustion of weakness.

         Yukio stared. <Those had to weigh at least a ton each!> "Um,
that's fine. Now come on you big dope, we need to get them loaded up!"

        "I'm coming! Jeez, you don't have to be so bossy!"




        "Is that everything?" Akara asked as Ranko deposited her sack in
the wooden cart.

        "Just about," Ranko replied. "Yukio and Ryo should be coming
with the last of your supplies."

         Akara smiled at the other girl as they hugged. "I'll miss you.
I still wish you'd come along with us."

        "Yeah, well. Someone has to show these crazy Amazons where to
go, and a smaller group has to make it back as soon as possible and let
your family and the Kuno's know our plan." Ranko released the other girl
and stepped back.

         The plan was that a smaller group could move faster than the
Amazon army, getting back to the Kuno castle a day earlier to inform
them of the situation. The combined Kuno-Tendo army would get the Dark
shogun's army to attack the castle, while the Amazon army and mages
attacked from behind. With any luck, that would throw the Dark Shogun's
army into enough confusion to allow a small contingent to sneak up and
kill the Dark Shogun and his generals. Akara knew that if Kae hadn't
betrayed them, her ninja clan would most likely be that small
contingent. Now they would have to arrange for another group to do it.

         And with no leaders left, the rest of the dark army should be
easily routed and/or driven off.

         So the `officials' were going on ahead. That was Tenma, Akara,
the Kunos, and Xian Po, while Ranko and Ryo would stay with the Amazons
and guide them.

        "Though, I could use your help in keep the Baka in line," Akara
said with a small smile, using her nickname for her mostly unwanted
fiance.

        "You'll do just fine without me," Ranko returned. "Just be
honest with yourself and with him, and everything will be okay." She
grinned suddenly. "But if you don't watch it, one of the other girl's
will steal him!" She laughed as Akara began to stutter denials.

         Akara cut it off when she realized Ranko wasn't convinced,
which was probably because she herself wasn't convinced by them.
"Alright. But after this over, I'll help you find your real family."

         Ranko nodded, remembering the so-called dragon scale she still
carried, and the two shook hands. "Deal."

         Just about then, Yukio came up, dragging Ryo behind her as he
carried the two barrels. The two girls hid smiles as they listened to
Yukio berate Ryo for nearly tripping and dropping the his cargo.

        "What are in these things, anyway?" he asked, after plopping
them down in the cart.

         Yukio began to fasten them in. "My own special ingredients for
our family's famous okonomiyaki, of course!" She turned to the group and
stated proudly, "I am a skilled chef in a long line of skilled chefs.
Our okonomiyaki is the best in Japan!"

        "Is that what the giant spatula is for?" Ranko asked, curious.

         Yukio nodded. "Since most of our family travels on the road, we
had to adapt our cooking style for combat when need be, since many a
thief or bandit has tried to rob us. I-"

        "Would you knock it off!?" came Tenma's yelled demand,
interrupting what Yukio was about to say. The small group turned to see
Tenma running and dodging thrown weapons from a strange boy in white
robe.

        "DIE SAOTOME!" he screamed back.

        "Could you at least tell me why you're trying to kill me!?"
Tenma ducked as a throwing axe boomeranged above his head.

        "You're not good enough for Xian Po!" the other boy yelled,
sending a volley of knives that Tenma eep'ed and jumped behind a tree to
avoid. "Go ahead, deny that you beat her and married her!"

        "I didn't mean to!" Tenma replied hotly. "And I didn't marry
her!"

        "It doesn't matter anyway, you don't deserve her!" The boy
readied two, three-pronged claws on his hands and closed the distance to
swipe at his opponent. "You're nothing but a coward!"

        "A WHAT!?" Tenma roared.

        "That did it," Ranko noted.

        "You said it," Akara agreed.

        "That's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy!" Tenma braced himself for the
other boy's next attack, and wasn't disappointed. Letting the thrusted
claw graze by his head, he grabbed the fist and forced it into the tree,
letting it stick there.

         The boy tried to pull the claw out, but realized it was stuck.
It would take only a second to free himself however, but he realized
that Tenma wasn't about to give him the chance. "Uh oh..."

        *WHAM!* Tenma's fist found the boy's face and rocked him
backwards.

        *BAM!* His spin-kick caught the robed-boy in his right cheek,
causing him to stumble backwards. Tenma then jumped into the air,
somersaulted over him while grabbing his shoulders, and came down right
behind his opponent while maintaining his grip and mumbling, "And thank-
you..."

        *SLAM!* Tenma flipped his mysterious opponent over his head and
planted him into the ground.

         When the dazed boy recovered, he found himself on his back,
Tenma kneeling on his chest, and two fingers pressed against his throat.
If his opponent wanted to, he could have crushed his windpipe at any
time.

        "Now," Tenma spoke in a calmer tone. "You wanna tell me why you
attacked me?"

        "You're just not very popular are you, Tenma?" Ryo said snidely
as he, Ranko, Akara, and Yukio approached

        "Shut up, Mr. P," Tenma replied, causing Ryo to stiffen and
snort. He turned his attention back to the boy he had captured. "You
still haven't answered my question."

        "Because Mu Shu is stupid, that why," Xian Po's high voice
replied as she approached. She looked down and smirked at the boy she
called Mu Shu, and Tenma noted how he was unable to meet her gaze. "You
can let him up, Airen. Mu Shu not attack you anymore."

         Tenma frowned, but got up anyway. Mu Shu sat up rather
dejectedly and mumbled, "You got lucky." Then he looked up at his Amazon
leader. "Xian Po, please tell me that he really didn't defeat you?"

         Xian Po nodded happily while attaching herself to Tenma's arm,
but released it when Akara and Yukio growled. "Tenma is strong warrior.
He defeated me in combat."

        "I didn't MEAN to!" Tenma protested.

         Mu Shu stood up and dusted himself off, then turned towards
Tenma. "Know this! I still don't accept your defeat of Xian Po." He
turned and leapt away, shouting, "This isn't over between us!"

         Tenma sighed. "Great, just great."

        "What's his problem?" Ranko asked.

         Xian Po looked down and, for a moment, she appeared a little
sad. "Mu Shu has been in love with me for as long as I can remember."
She shook her head. "But I no love him. He is one of the few male
warriors in our village, but he never fight me."

        "That stupid `fight and marry' rule again?" Yukio said.

         Xian Po's head came up and she looked at Yukio with a straight
face. "If you no fight a man, how you know he will give you strong
children?"

         Akara and Yukio turned beet red at this, but could offer no
counter-argument.

        "Hey Xian Po," Ranko said, struck by a sudden thought. "Why are
all your warriors mainly women? What about the men?"

        "Because women are stronger fighters, silly," the Amazon leader
replied with a `you-silly-child' voice. "Some men become warriors, but
not a lot. Men usually only good for cooking and cleaning."

         Tenma set his jaw. "I ain't goin' to China."

         The girls giggled.




        "Everybody ready?" Tenma called. The seven were gather around
the single horse-drawn cart carrying their supplies.

        "Hold," Tateyama called, while all eyes turned to him.

         Konisha cocked her head at her brother. "Oniisan?"

        "I will not be going with you," he declared. "I wish remain
behind with the Amazon army."

        "Are you sure about this?" his sister asked.

         He nodded. "Yes. I feel this would be... better for me."

        "Wonder what caused the change of mind?" Akara whispered to
Tenma.

        "I dunno," he whispered back. "But I'm not gonna complain."

         He got an elbow in the ribs for that statement.

        "Well, make up mind quick!" Xian Po stated, hands on hips. "We
not have a lot of time."

        "Very well," Konisha said, nodding to her brother. "Take care. I
shall see you again in three days' time."

         While this was going on, Tenma felt a hand grab him by the
shoulder and pull him off to the side. He wasn't very surprised to find
it to be Ryo, who appeared to be struggling to say something. "You
better take care of her," he commanded at last.

         Tenma cocked an eyebrow at his old training partner, somewhat
confused.  "Ryo?"

        "Damn it, Tenma!" Ryo seethed. "This isn't easy! I know, okay!?"

         Saotome found himself growing somewhat uncomfortable. "Um, I'm
not sure what you-"

        "Just tell her, okay!?" Ryo nearly exploded. "You know how I
feel about her, and I know how you feel about her, okay?"

         Tenma scratched his head, still confused. "Why are you telling
me this, Ryo? I don't get it. Not that I care or nothin'," he added
hastily.

         Ryo's countenance dropped. "Because you were able to protect
when I couldn't. And I can see how she looks at you. And when we were
talking, she kept asking about you, what kind of person you were, you
past, that sort of thing." He sighed. "Just promise me you'll take care
of her?"

        "Uh, sure, Ryo," Tenma replied, a little uneasy.

         Ryo's head came back, this time with his lip twisted upward in
a smirk. "I'm still going to bash your head in when this is over."

         Tenma grinned, glad the conversation was back in an easier-to-
deal-with area. "You can try, pig-boy!"

         Ryo nodded and moved off, and Tenma sensed Akara come up beside
him. "What was that all about? Ryo looked really upset."

        "Just guy stuff, you wouldn't understand."

         Akara elbowed him lightly. "Jerk. Fine, be that way. But why do
you keep calling him those pig-names? Or can't you tell me that?"

         Tenma laughed. "Naw. Ryo's family used to be pig farmers before
he started trainin' with Satsu-sensei and me. Ryo loved pigs a whole
lot, and when a disease killed off all of his family's stock, he got
real depressed. It was like he lost his spirit or something, since he
never wanted to really fight or train after that. I used to kid him that
he was more pig than man, and after enough taunting, I finally got him
to attack me. He never won, of course, but he came close. But it was the
only way I could think of to snap him out of it."

         Akara nodded as the two rejoined the wagon, then she, Tenma,
Konisha, Yukio, Xian Po, and Mu Shu turned to take one last look at
Ranko, Ryo, Tateyama, and the Amazons.

        "In three days time," Xian Po stated solemnly again.

         Ranko nodded, just as solemn. "Three days."

         Then, the group turned and started on their journey back to the
Kuno Castle, where each knew the final confrontation would take place.

         As Tenma looked to the eastern horizon, he could see dark,
gathering stormclouds. He knew, as well as everyone else, that in three
days they would either have won their freedom from the Dark Shogun, or
be crushed beneath the dark army.

         And as he glanced at Akara who was walking next to him, Tenma
swore that if he had anything to say about it, they would have their
freedom.




         Miyo's vision suddenly went black, and her mental eyes blinked
at the sudden cutoff. Before she could say anything, however, an image
of a beautiful middle-aged woman with light blue hair appeared, wrapped
in a equally stunning, vibrant azure kimono.

         Beside her, the exact opposite was portrayed. A vastly older
man stood, hunched on a cane, dressed in the simple brown robes of a
monk.

        "Daughter of the Hidden Sight," woman's voice came to her.

         The tone was almost melodic, and Miyo gasped when she
recognized the tone. "Lady Kuno!" She identified it from her visits to
the past.

        "Your journey into the past is almost at an end," the woman
continued. "Only one more vision remains, before this sad tale can be
put to rest. The past must be remembered, so it can never be repeated."

        "Why me?" Miyo spoke the question foremost on her mind. "Surely
there are others who are better equipped to deal with this?"

         The woman either didn't hear her, or ignored her. "Before you
watch the last, know that this story does not have a real ending. The
events that happened so long ago, affect the lives of those around you
more deeply than you could imagine. They have the potential to put an
end to this tale of sadness. For in the end moments, hope was born, that
one day this threat could be dealt with once and for all." She hung her
head sadly. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but my time is fast
approaching and I have much to do. Fare thee well, Hasagawa Miyo." With
that, she began to fade out.

        "Wait!" Miyo called, reaching out, but was unable to move.

        "Miyo-san, you undoubtedly have many questions," The old man
informed her, once Lady Kuno was completely gone. "I cannot blame you.
If you seek answers to your questions, come by the Tendo Dojo tomorrow
around 10 in the morning." He smiled warmly. "Oh, and bring that Toshi
fellow and young Hikaru, too. I shall look foreword to finally meeting
you face to face."

         The young mystic blinked as the man slowly faded out as well,
then felt the familiar tug and freefall that always came at the end of
these visions.

         Miyo inhaled sharply as she suddenly found herself back in her
study. The purple glow from the crystal ball dimmed down as she removed
her hands, and she collapsed back into the comfy easy chair. She was
getting better at this. This time, she wasn't as weakened by the use of
her ability to see into the past.

         She glanced at the now-dim ball and reached out her hands once
more. Knowing that there was only one segment left, she was quite
anxious to see how it turned out. Placing her hands on the globe, she
braced herself for the time trip, but nothing happened. The crystal ball
remained inactive.

        "What?" Miyo removed her hands slowly and stared at it. "Why
didn't it work?"

         She shook her head and sighed, tempted to call the dojo, but it
was late and the old man was specific about the date and time.

         Miyo nodded to herself and went to change into her
nightclothes, her curiosity piqued. <Very well. I guess I shall see what
happens tomorrow. Somehow, I feel as if it will prove to be a most
enlightening day...>



------------------------------------



Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 11




        "THAT INCREDIBLE IDIOT!"

        *CRASH!*

        "Please calm down, Ukyo-sama," Konatsu implored her. "It will do
no good."

        "It will do me PLENTY of good!" Ukyo retorted angrily. She
turned to where Yuri was sitting, having been strangely quiet. "Doesn't
this upset you at all?"

         Yuri looked up from where she was reading the note left by her
brother.  "Of course it upsets me! I agree completely! My brother's
being an idiot again. I just don't know what to do about it, since he
could be anywhere by now."

        "Men," Ukyo spat out, then collapsed into a chair and took a
deep breath. She looked over at Konatsu again. "What exactly did he say
again?"

         Konatsu looked down as he recalled last night. "Well, it seems
that those rope bindings weren't enough..."



         Konatsu glanced from the clock, which read 1:45 am, to wear
Kenji lay, still unconscious or asleep, the kunoichi didn't know which.
However, neither assumptions were actually correct as he noticed the
other boy start to stir and groan.

        "ow, my head," the ninja boy complained weakly.

         Konatsu checked to make sure all his weapons were ready, just
in case. "Kenji-sama?" he ventured.

        "yeah, kenzen, it's me," Kenji replied, his voice still weak. He
tried sitting up, then realized he couldn't due to the fact that his
wrists and ankles were bound with strong rope. "Uh, mind untying me?"

         Konatsu reluctantly shook his head. "I am afraid I cannot do
that."

         Kenji sighed. "Look, I can understand why you guys did this,
but I've got Kae under wraps for now." At Konatsu's confused stare, the
other boy elaborated. "When Kae first took control of my body in that
cave, she locked my consciousness in some sort of psychic prison, deep
within my mind. It took me a long time to break out. But when I finally
broke out and began to fight with her mentally, she would have pushed me
back in there had not you activated my curse. The shock of it allowed me
enough time to win and push her down instead, and then lock her up in
the same mental cage I was in." He sighed again. "But it won't last. If
I eventually broke free, so will she. That's why you've got to release
me."

         The male kunoichi regarded the captive boy. It sounded like
Kenji, but still... "Why must you be set free? Should you not be kept
bound until we can find a way to exorcise her spirit from within you?"

         Kenji shook his head. "It's just a matter of time until she
comes back, and she's more powerful than all of you. After all, she DID
beat you twice." Konatsu looked down, embarrassed. "And if I could get
out these bindings, so could she."

         Konatsu looked to see Kenji slip the last of the rope off and
stand up. Konatsu instantly took up a ready stance. "Please, I cannot
allow you to leave, Kenji-san."

        "Heh, that's the first time you've called me `Kenji-san'," he
noted wryly. "I'm disappointed in my sister, she should have known I
could've got out of these simple bindings."

         He shook his head, then looked over at the kunoichi, still in a
ready stance. "You must be serious. Look, you would do anything to
protect Yuri and Ukyo, right?" He waited for Konatsu's nod, before
continuing. "Me too. While she's inside me, I'm a danger to everyone
around me." Kenji turned away and leaned one hand against the wall,
while his other hand clenched into a fist then fell limply to his side.
He tried to keep the pain he was feeling from spreading into his voice,
but was unsuccessful. "Do you know why Kae was so insistent on killing
my sister and Ukyo?"

         Konatsu shook his head, realizing after the fact that Kae did
seem quite intent on that. "Why?"

        "She was hoping that the sight of them dying by my hands would
be enough to dishearten me, so I wouldn't fight her control," he said in
a much quieter voice. Konatsu had to strain his ears to hear it. "That's
why I have to get away and find a way to remove her on my own. Or maybe
she'll leave when she's accomplished her goals, I don't know. The point
is, I can't stay here."

         Konatsu had been lowering the bamboo sword little by little
during Kenji's explanation, finding himself almost agreeing with it.
"But... I don't know. Yuri-sama and Ukyo-sama told me not to let you
go..." He looked up as Kenji put a hand on his shoulder.

        "I can understand that," Kenji told him. "You don't want to
betray my sister. You're the first guy she's gotten close to, that's
pretty special. So, how about... this?"

         Konatsu's look of confusion lasted only until Kenji thrust his
knee in the other boy's stomach, driving the air from his body and
collapsing him to the floor. Kenji plucked the wooden sword from
Konatsu's loose grip.

        "Sorry about this," Konatsu heard the other boy say, then there
was an impact on the back of his head and all went black.



         Yuri frowned while Ukyo sat back and sighed, exasperated. "I
don't believe this," the chef mumbled to herself, then glared at
Konatsu. "I take it back. You're the idiot for letting him get away!"
Konatsu looked even more ashamed, if that was possible. "No, Kenji's
just a coward. His solution to problems is to run away." She chuckled
bitterly. "Brave, brave, sir Kenji."

        "I'm sure he had good reasons to-" Konatsu began to say.

        "No he didn't!" Yuri very nearly hissed.  "Ukyo's right. You're
a much better fighter than my brother, and yet you allowed him to take
advantage of you." She shook her head.  "We trusted you and you let us
down." Her eyes met his. "I trusted you."

         Konatsu flinched, the words coming from Yuri hurting him
greatly. He knew he had let them down, and he silently vowed he would
make it up to them, especially Yuri.

         Yuri stood up and headed for the door, then turned towards
Ukyo. "I'll be downstairs getting the grill warmed up." At Ukyo's absent
nod, she took one last look at the ashamed kunoichi. "You'd better be
ready to start cleaning soon, Konatsu-san." Then she left the room.

         If, Konatsu realized, he could ever get her to trust him again.

        "Ukyo?" Yuri called from downstairs. "You didn't open the
restaurant at this morning, did you?"

         The chef stood and walked to the door. "No, why?" she called
down the stairs.

         There was a pause, then, "I think you better come down here."

         Confused, Ukyo did just that, Konatsu following discreetly.
Yuri was standing in front of the grill when Ukyo found her, and was a
handed piece of paper.

        "What's this?" Ukyo asked, accepted the paper.

        "I just found it on the grill," Yuri responded.

         Ukyo's brow furrowed in confusion as she read the short note.
"What the hell? `Go to the Tendo Dojo at 10am if you want answers about
Kae'. Who left this here?"

         Yuri shrugged. "I don't know, I just found it on the grill. But
the note says for all of us to go, even Selah."

         Ukyo folded the note and placed it in her pocket. "I guess
we'll find out later this morning. But let's get the morning crowd
served first."

         The other girl nodded, and the group started into their normal
morning routine.




         He awoke yet again, this time groaning and holding his head.
"Stupid violent woman. What was her problem?"

        "I don't know, what is my problem?" Kodachi inquired in a low,
dangerous voice. "Or maybe, I'm not the one with the problem?"

        "Urp!" Taro blinked his open, sat up, and beheld the same girl
sitting by his side. "What'd you hit me for anyway!?"

        "As if you didn't know!" she shot back, angrily. "No one may
partake of these lips without my permission, which you did not have!"

         Taro `hmph'ed. "Don't act so shy! Considering your `free'
behavior already..."

        "How dare you!" Kodachi seethed, scandalized, and fixed him with
a venomous glare. "I can assure you I have done nothing improper!"

        "Yeah, whatever," Taro waved her off, giving up on her and
spying his pack across the room. He stood up, wrapping the blanket
around his midsection. "But if that's the way you're gonna be, then I'll
just leave."

         Kodachi blinked as he rummaged through his pack for clothes,
then remembered how he had arrived. "Wait a moment. You are not fully
healed, and I would like an explanation for your arrival, as well as
your name."

         Taro froze and looked down, noting the bandages and fading
bruises and burns, and came to a startling conclusion. <She was treating
me. She didn't... do anything with me. Oh well, it doesn't matter
anyway, she's more trouble than she's worth.>

        "I'm healed enough," he told her. "As for how I got here, I was
fighting... somebody, who was apparently a whole lot stronger than when
I fought... them last." He shrugged, after putting on his pants under
the blanket. "I lost, but I'm going to hunt them down and get a rematch.
And you don't need to know my name."

         Kodachi was about to reply, when another voice interrupted her.

        "Mistress Kodachi, this came for you this morning," Sasuke's
voice called from outside the room. A small envelope was pushed under
the door.

        "Thank you, Sasuke," she replied, while picking up the missive.
Opening the envelope, which was marked `urgent', revealed two pieces of
paper, one addressed to her, and one addressed to: "Pantyhose Taro? My,
that is an unusual name."

         Taro froze as the girl spoke his hated name.

        "I wonder if..." Kodachi looked up to see the boy trying to
finish dressing as discreetly as possible. Her eyes narrowed in
suspicion. "You are `Pantyhose Taro'?"

        "Don't call me that!" he yelled. His face flushing with shame,
embarrassment, and anger, he shouldered his pack and opened her window.

         Kodachi sat back on her shins and regarded the youth. He was
brash, annoying, strange, and forceful, but then she had her own
problems as well. Maybe... "Very well, how about just Taro-san? And do
you have to leave right away?"

         Taro halted just as he was about to leap out the window, not
quite sure if he heard right. She wasn't laughing at him? She wasn't
make fun of his name? She wanted him to stay?

         Slowly, Taro took his foot off the windowsill and turned back
around, doubt and confusion warring for prominence on his face. Her own
was carefully controlled, but he could find no visible trace of mockery.

         He dropped his pack and crossed his arms over his chest, his
lips turning up into a sneer. "What's the matter? Don't you have any
good jokes about my name you want to share?"

         Kodachi blinked. "No. Should I? I admit, it is a little
unusual, but there must be a good reason. And after all, you are the one
wearing pantyhose around your waist." She held out the piece of paper
with his name on it. "And don't you want to read your note first?"

         Taro's insides warred against each other. One side told him he
should just go and spare himself the humiliation that she was bound to
deliver. The other informed him that here was a girl who didn't seem to
mind his name, and wasn't the whole point of getting his named changed
to be able to get to know a girl?

         Hesitantly, Taro took a step forward and grabbed the paper held
out for him, still uncertain, but thinking he could at least see what
the note said. Kodachi read hers at the same time.

        "WHAT!?" Taro crumpled his note and tossed it on the ground
while turning to the girl. "Quick, where am I?"

         Kodachi looked up calmly from hers. "Why, we're in Nerima, of
course."

         Taro nodded. "Good, then finding the Tendo Dojo should be
easy." He turned back to the window.

        "Yours says to go to the Tendo Dojo as well?" Kodachi asked,
somewhat curious.

         Taro nodded, but before he could speak, there came a knocking
at the door. "Imouto-san? Are you in there? Sasuke told me he also gave
you a note."

        "Yes, I am in here, oniisan," she replied, getting up to open
the door.

        "Are you coming?" Tatewaki asked. The shake of his sister's head
caused him to frown. "Why not? This promises news of our mother. Do you
not want to find out? Are you not at least a little curious?"

        "Mother... abandoned us," Kodachi told him, though she felt
uneasy saying that. "If she could not be bothered to care enough to stay
with us, I fail to see why I should care about her." It sounded hollow
to her, but there was a chance that this new information could put to
shame all the negative feelings she had held for the past many years.

         Tatewaki frowned. He still didn't care for his mother much
either, but the encounter with the person who claimed she was his
mother, and who had sacrificed herself for him, had made him more
receptive to the news. "Dachi, do you not remember a little over a week
ago? Where were you? How were you feeling?"

         Kodachi's brow furrowed. "I... do not recall much from that
time. I do remember that vile dog in my mind, but now he is gone."

         The elder Kuno sighed. "There is... something you should know,
something I have kept from you." Kodachi sat back and regarded her
brother in curiosity, as he began to relate the events of a week ago,
when he showed up in her hospital room and found another woman there.

         The expression of the young Kuno girl's face went through many
emotions as her brother told the tale, from anger, to surprise, to
confusion, and finally ending up on disbelief. When he was finished, he
glanced at her warily and awaited her response.

        "Why?" she said simply after a few moments, her voice rather
flat and unemotional.

        "Because... I wasn't sure myself of what all of it meant," he
confessed. "That is why I want to go. I was... angry at mother as well,
but I realized I had been angry far too long. Anger never got me
anything. Now I merely want to know why."

         Kodachi glanced down at the hands folded in her lap,
understanding her brothers motives. But still... "I don't know but... I
suppose it wouldn't hurt to come along."

         Tatewaki nodded, the hint of a smile gracing his lips, then
shivered. "Imouto-san, why is your window open when the day is quite
chilly?"

         Kodachi turned around and blinked, suddenly remembering Taro.
<He must have left when my brother came in.> She got up and closed the
window. She wondered if she would see him again. "It's... nothing
brother. Come, let us go."




        "Come on, Akane, you can do better than that!"

         Akane let out a low growl while she attempted to defend herself
against her rapidly-moving opponent. She thrust out her right fist, but
found it turned aside easily. Her left foot swung around in a near-
perfect roundhouse, but it was leapt over. She could feel that her
movements were slower and more sluggish then they used to be; it was
almost like she was moving in molasses.

         By the look in her red-headed opponent's eyes, Akane could tell
Ranma could see the same. Akane was aware that Kasumi had scheduled
another examination with Doctor Tofu to find out the cause of this
weakness, but that was later this afternoon.

         Growing frustrated, Akane leapt into the air and flipped,
lashing out with her foot, only to find her target had also gone
airborne and was now above her. She put up her forearms in a clumsy
block that lessened a bit of the strike that knocked her from the air.

         Her currently-female husband called a time-out, which Akane
reluctantly acceded to in order to dab the sweat off her brow with a
nearby towel. When she turned back, she could tell Ranma was mulling
over something.

        "Jeez, Akane, that was pretty pathetic," Ranma said at last,
with her legendary tact. "Even for you. You should know not ta challenge
your opponent's strengths. You know I'm better than you in the air."

        "Well I'm SORRY I'm not as good as you," Akane spat out
bitterly.

         Ranma shook her head and frowned. "Well maybe if you took the
Art more seriously, you wouldn't have to rely on handicaps to win your
fights!" she shot back. She had dragged Akane out in the dojo after
breakfast in order to spar with her, hoping that it would cheer her up,
considering Akane had seemed down since coming home. But she also
appeared to be distracted, her fighting level having dropped lower than
normal.

         Akane flinched, stung by the comment. She opened her mouth to
retort, but closed it again. "Forget it. Just forget, Ranma. This was a
mistake." She wrapped the towel around her neck and turned to go, but
she only made it a few steps before realizing someone was blocking the
exit to the dojo. "Out of the w-Daddy?"

         Soun had been watching the altercation between his daughter and
his son-in-law with a critical eye. What he saw, hurt him greatly,
reminding him of his own cowardice in the matter. But maybe, just maybe,
he could correct his mistake.

        "Ranma, could I have word alone with my daughter?" he said, his
gaze never leaving Akane.

         Ranma blinked, then shrugged. "I guess. I was gonna go have a
bath anyway." He walk briskly past father and daughter and out of the
dojo, glancing at Akane out of the corner of his eye, but she was still
looking at her father.

         With Ranma gone, Soun closed the door and strode to the middle
of the dojo, assuming a ready stance that Akane recognized as being from
the beginner's group of katas, from their school.

        "Daddy?" The meaning was clear, though it had been a long time
since she had sparred with her father. The last time was a few months
after her mother's death.

         When he didn't respond, Akane dropped the towel and hesitantly
stood opposite him, assuming the opposing stance.

        "Begin!"

         With those words, her father shot forward and struck, following
the kata exactly. Akane matched him move-for-move, jumping over a sweep
and blocking a thrust punch. The moves were ones she had learned long
ago, though hadn't actually used in several years. Still, as they
battled around the dojo in ever increasing speeds, the forms and
counters came back her easily.

         All too soon, they were finished, ending back up in the middle
of the dojo. Her father gave her a short bow, which Akane returned. Then
he surprised her by kneeling and prostrating himself.

        "Forgive me, daughter," he intoned solemnly.

        "Daddy?" Akane's confusion over her father's strange behavior
only grew. She kneeled down in front of him, resting on her shins.
"What's this all about?"

         Soun sat up, but didn't meet her gaze, keeping his face down.
"I have been lax in your training. If I had continued to train you all
those years ago, maybe you wouldn't have had so much trouble when Ranma
showed up."

         Akane shook her head. "No, it's not your fault. Ranma was
right; if I had really wanted to improve my skills, I would have found a
way."

        "No!" The vehemence in her father's voice surprised her, as his
head came up. "It was my duty as the sensei of this dojo to train my
heir to be worthy of the position. Instead, I feared what happened to
your mother would happen to you, and neglected your instruction because
of that. I relied upon Saotome and his son to wed one of you girls and
continue the school, but it was doomed to be one-sided, because of my
failure to educate you properly in the Tendo Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu."

         To say Akane was stunned, would be an understatement. She had
never heard her father say things like this before, or even see him so
focused and coherent. Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.

        "Therefore, I wish to correct this," Soun continued, either not
taking note of his daughter's dazed state, or choosing not to. "If you
are willing, I wish to take you on a training trip for week or two.
There is much I need to teach you. Would you be willing to forgive me
and allow me this second chance?"

         Akane swallowed, then found her voice. "Sure, daddy," she said
slowly. She could see how important this was to him. "Let me talk to
Ranma and-"

        "No," Soun cut her off, fixing her with a stern look. "This has
to be your decision alone, because he will not coming. It will be just
you and me. You may have taken the Saotome name when you married, but
you still are, and always will be, a Tendo. You must make this decision
as the heir to the Tendo Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu."

        <He's right!> Akane suddenly realized. <I've been doing it
again, relying on someone or something else to make me stronger, when I
should be doing it myself. Though having Ranma train me wasn't all that
bad, I should have completed my study under my first sensei before
moving on to another: my father.>

         Akane straightened and replied in a solemn voice. "I will,
Father. I would be honored to complete my training with you."

         Soun nodded, then smiled for the first time and held out his
arms. Akane smiled back, leaned in, and wrapped her arms around him
while he patted her on the back. "I love you, daughter. I'm sorry I
haven't been much of a father to you or your sisters."

        "We all loved mother very much," Akane said, blinking back the
tears. "We were all hurt by her death, though deep down, we knew you
were hurt worst of all." In order to know how her father truly felt,
Akane had only to imagine Ranma dying, and how she would feel afterward.
It was pain she hoped no one would have to face.

        "I love you, too, daddy."




        "Oh hello!" Kasumi exclaimed as she opened up the door,
revealing Ukyo, Yuri, Konatsu, and Selah. "Have you come to see Ranma
and Akane?"

        "Um, not exactly," Ukyo told her, holding up a small piece of
paper. "Do you know anything about this?"

         Kasumi took the note and read it to herself. "Hmmm, maybe that
nice man who was here last night gave it to you. He said he would be
returning today."

        "What man do you speak of?" Konatsu asked, curious.

         Kasumi's reply was interrupted by the creak of the gate
opening, and all gathered turned to see three new people entering the
yard.

        "What are you doing here!?" Ukyo demanded to know as she
recognized the newcomers.

        "We were invited!" Kodachi retorted her in a superior tone,
striding up to the chef and waving a piece of paper. Her brother and
Sasuke followed. "And I would think you would be less hostile,
considering I saved your life last night!"

         Ukyo flinched almost imperceptibly, while Yuri's gaze dropped.

        "Well, we helped save yours!" Selah boasted. "And if it wasn't
for me, you'd all be in trouble!"

         There was a moment of tense silence, and at first it seemed
like fighting would start any minute. Ukyo readied several mini-
spatulas, while Tatewaki slowly reached across and grasped the hilt of
his bokken. In response, Yuri flicked her wrist, allowing a yo-yo hidden
in her sleeve to fall into her hand, and Kodachi pulled the handle of a
ribbon from her kimono.

         Kasumi looked back and forth between all of her guests, and
cleared her throat. "Perhaps you would care to tell us the reason for
your visit, Kuno-san," she inquired, addressing Tatewaki.

        "Gladly, Tendo-san," the elder Kuno replied with a respectable
bow, releasing his weapon. "I-"

        "Are we too early?" came a new female voice from the gate
entrance.

         The assembled group turned to stare as three more people
entered, a girl and two guys. One of the guys leaned back against the
concrete wall after observing the battle-ready state of those already
gathered, and smirked. "I'd say we're just in time. Though, it looks
like you may have spoiled the free entertainment, Miyo-san."

         The young fortuneteller smiled slightly, then elbowed Toshi in
the ribs, before advancing a couple of steps and mimicking Kuno's
earlier bow. "Forgive us for intruding Tendo-san, but I have reason to
believe something of great importance will happen here soon."

         Kasumi smiled warmly. "By all means, you are welcome here."

        "Kasumi? What's going on out here?" Akane emerged from behind
her sister, still clad in her gi, with a white towel around her neck.
She blinked at the group standing around in her front yard, perplexed.
"What is everyone doing here?"

        "What, didn't you send this invitation?" Ukyo asked, holding up
the piece of paper.

        "Indeed, we received one as well," the elder Kuno agreed.

        "If I may," Miyo offered, to which Kasumi nodded. "I believe our
questions will be answered shortly, if we only have a little patience.
For now, I suggest we wait."

        "You know something, don't you?" Ukyo asked. It was more of a
statement then a question.

         Miyo merely smiled slightly and inclined her head toward the
chef. "As do you." She gestured to everybody gathered in the yard. "As I
suspect all of you know some things which others do not. I, myself, have
only small fragments to go by, which I do not fully understand. Like
you, I am hoping our benefactor will be able to enlighten us.

         Akane frowned, remembering the old man from last night. "Well,
I suppose we can't do anything until he gets here. Why don't you all
find someplace to wait." She turned to her sister. "I'm going to take a
short bath to clean up, Kasumi."

         In the shadow of the wall, across the gate from Toshi, Hikaru
Gosunkugi watched everyone break up and wander about the yard. His heart
had caught in his chest at the sight of his Goddess, his old feelings
for Akane coming flooding back as he gazed upon her perfection. He
sighed in despair, realizing that she was out of his reach now, as she
had been married to Ranma almost a week ago

         After she left, he despairingly realized she hadn't noticed
him, as usual, In fact, no one had noticed him, but he actually didn't
care much this time. He wondered why Miyo had dragged him down here. He
wasn't really of use to anyone, and he didn't feel like leaving his
room, ever since he failed Ariko.

         Miyo and Toshi had tried to convince him there was nothing he
could have done, but Hikaru still felt responsible. He had admitted to
himself he had grown used to the bubbly young sorceress who had
befriended him. He marveled at that; a GIRL had befriended HIM!  Most
girls made him feel nervous, so much so that he ended up making a fool
of himself. But for some odd reason he was able to talk to her.

         Once again, he wondered why that was, but still had no answer.




         Akane noticed Ranma was already in the furo when she slipped
inside the bathroom, sitting with his back to her. She couldn't help
smile at the memory of when she had encountered him in similar
surroundings that first day. This time, she didn't leave and run away
screaming, but instead grabbed a stool and began washing down.

         Ranma could sense Akane approach, even before she entered the
bathroom. At first he wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind,
so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he listened to the splash of water
as Akane doused herself, then the scrubbing as she lathered up. Despite
their newfound physical intimacy, or maybe because of it, he felt
himself growing warm as his mind filled in the pictures for the sounds
his wife was making from behind him. When she finally doused herself
again and slid into the furo to his right, he was unable to lift his
head to look at her.

         Akane, likewise, was unable to look at Ranma for some strange
reason. Logically, she knew it shouldn't be a problem as they had seen
and explored each other thoroughly before, but in this case logic had
nothing to with it. Instead, she just settled down in the steaming water
up to her neck and tried to let the heat soothe her troubles and
confusion away.

         Ranma finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

         This got her attention, and she turned to see him gazing not at
her, but at the steamy water. Her brow furrowed. "Ranma? What do you
mean?"

        "Well, I musta done something to upset you," he offered in a
quieter voice. She had been happy before, and during, the wedding, but
after the honeymoon her spirits seemed to have dropped. Ranma wondered
if maybe there was something he wasn't doing right, as a husband to his
wife.

         Akane let loose a tired sigh. "You haven't done anything,
Ranma. What makes you say that?"

         He took several moments before responding. Akane studied him
during this time, noting the way his jaw tensed and relaxed as he
attempted several times to say something. His hair was slicked back, yet
still tied into his trademark pigtail. His skin had a moist sheen
covering, as well as a minor reddish tinge to it, and she watched in
fascination as a single drop of water worked it's way down past his ear
and crawled along the outer edge of his cheekbone. By the time Ranma was
ready to speak, it had traversed the distance down his neck and chest,
to join it's brethren in the furo.

         So caught in her the water droplet's journey, she nearly missed
what Ranma had said. "What?"

        "I said, you don't seem very happy," he repeated somewhat
sourly, still not looking at her. "I must have done something to upset
you."

         Akane blinked. "Ranma, you haven't done anything to upset me."
The corners of her lips turned upward into a small smile. "Other than
being your normal Baka-self. If this is about what I think it is, than
it's not because of you, it's because of me."

         He finally turned to look at her. "Akane?" Meeting her big,
expression-filled brown eyes, Ranma suddenly felt vulnerable. But it was
a good kind of vulnerable, he decided.

         Her smile grew a little bigger, and then she was pushing
herself under his right arm and laying her head against his chest. Ranma
had no choice but to drape that arm around her shoulders. She idly
stroked her own right hand across his chest.

         "But let's not talk about this now," she told him. "Let's just
enjoy this moment for now." She was going to tell him about her decision
to accompany her father on a training trip, but decided it could wait.
They had gained so much ground lately, that she didn't want to ruin the
moment by telling him she was going away for awhile.

         Ranma seemed to sense this, and let it go. He, too, was content
to just hold her, reveling in all the new sensations that this kind of
closeness brought. It might have been some kind of drug, he told
himself, but even if it was, he didn't want it to end. Her happiness was
his own, and he would do anything to make her happy.

         The newlywed couple basked in the heat of the water, and of
their own warm bodies. They may have even fallen asleep, had not Kasumi
knocked on the door.

        "What is it, Kasumi?" Akane asked tiredly, somewhat upset at the
intrusion. She knew they rarely had time to themselves, and most of
these intrusions had resulted in little tiffs and arguments between her
and Ranma. She was confident that if they had been left alone from the
start, they might have gotten together a long time ago.

        "I though you should know that the charming elderly gentlemen
from last night has returned," the eldest Tendo daughter told them. "He
told everyone to gather in the dojo, so we are waiting for you." She
lingered in the changing room for Akane's reply, then departed.

         Ranma and Akane looked at each other in surprise, nearly having
forgotten the old man from last night, and not really expecting him to
return. Reluctantly, they disengaged and exited the bath, getting
dressed in the clothes Kasumi had left for them in the changing room.

         Somehow, they knew the next few hours would be something that
might very well change their lives. But as they grasped hands and the
hallway, they knew that whatever was waiting for them, they would face
together.

         Nothing else mattered.



-----------------------------------



Send C&C to:  oddball22@hotmail.com
Find my stories at:  www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000


Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 12




         The scene that greeted Akane and Ranma when they finally
entered the dojo, was one that spoke of much confusion and tension. True
to Kasumi's word, the old monk-like figure in the faded, dark brown robe
was sitting on a cushion on the far side of the dojo. His staff rested
against the wall nearby, as he took a sip from the teacup.

         The group arrayed around him, contained much of the family,
friends, and rivals Ranma and Akane knew. Ukyo, along with Yuri, were
two of the most vocal as they waved their `invitation' and demanded to
know about Kae. Only the presence of Kasumi next to the elderly
gentleman, was what most likely keeping violence from breaking out.

         The young couple noticed that their fathers were there as well,
one standing on either side of the man, yet keeping their distance. Soun
was wearing a continual frown, while Genma appeared more unsure of the
stranger. Nodoka was sitting on a cushion next to her husband, looking
merely curious. Nabiki was also there, leaning against the wall and
studying the situation.

         The Kuno siblings and Sasuke were near the back of the room,
surprisingly quiet, and merely observing. Occasionally one would whisper
something to the other, earning a nod or a short answer whispered back.
Akane glanced at Kodachi quite warily, remembering her last encounter
with the gymnast. Ranma remembered as well, and directed his wife to the
side farthest away from Kodachi.

         The last group of people surprised Akane the most, though she
belatedly realized she had seen them out in the yard a short while ago.

        "Miyo-san, do you know what this is all about?" Akane inquired,
moving to the young fortuneteller's side. Akane recognized, and nodded
to, the two young men with the other girl. Hikaru she knew, but the
other young man she only vaguely remembered meeting a long time, though
she recalled his name to be Toshi.

        "Some," Miyo replied with a cryptic smile. "But I believe we
shall all find out shortly. If we are wise enough to have a little
patience." She gestured to Ukyo and Yuri, who were still demanding
answers from their mysterious guest.

         Akane had no reply for that, deciding to heed the advice.
Behind her, she sensed her husband had completed his own survey of the
room, then walk to her side. Their hands sought out each other once
more, then they sat back to wait while their fingers intertwined.

         They didn't have to wait long, as the old man finally spotted
them across the way. "Excellent! Everyone is here."

         Ukyo and Yuri quieted down at this, the first words they had
heard him speak since he arrived and announced himself. Reluctantly,
they quieted down and turned, following his gaze to see the newlywed
couple standing next to each other just inside the door. Yuri smiled
slightly, while Ukyo quickly turned her head back, trying to hide her
expression.

        "So, are you going to finally tell us what this is all about?"
Ukyo asked in an exasperated voice.

        "I shall you what I know, yes," the old monk replied with a
smile and nodding slightly.

        "How about starting with who you really are?" Soun demanded in a
low, almost threatening, voice. "What's your real name?"

         Akane and Nabiki started, not really used to the barely
contained rage in their father. They had seen it last night as well, but
it was still quite a change from the normal weepy man they had known
most of their life. Oh sure, their father got angry at times, but he
usually just exploded right then and there, and then the anger was gone
a short time later. In short, very similar to Akane's temper.

         This time, it looked like Soun was focusing that anger, and if
he exploded now, he might just take the man's head off.

        "My name?" the elderly monk said, raising an eyebrow. He
appeared to think that over, then sighed. "The name I was born with, has
been lost to me for most of my life. I have taken many different names
throughout my lifetime, like the two you and Genma know. If you wish a
label to ascribe to me, then you may call me the Caretaker." He paused,
then chuckled darkly. "Sadly, even that moniker is no longer
appropriate."

        "What do you mean?" Nabiki asked, prying for more info about
their mysterious guest. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't dig up
much of anything on this man using the two names he had given last
night: Ochiai and Hidenori Taga.

         The man known as the Caretaker sighed tiredly, then settled
back on his cushion, suddenly appearing far older than he did before.
"When I was but a lad no older than ten, my parents apprenticed to older
gentleman. For the next ten years after that, I learned what his life
entailed, since I was to take over for him when he passed away. Like me,
he had no name, but was also known as the Caretaker."

        "This is all very interesting," Kodachi said in bored tone. "But
I fail to see what this has to do with us."

         The Caretaker looked up and speared Kodachi with a grim look
that made her gasp internally. "Because the woman I took care of was
your mother."

        "What?" Tatewaki blurted, clearly shocked by the revelation.
"Speak man, what dost thou mean by this!?"

         The elderly gentleman waved him off. "Well, actually she was
more than just your mother. Over 900 hundred years ago, there was a
woman who was married to a powerful daiymo."

        "Lady Kuno," Miyo whispered reverently. Despite her low tone of
voice, nearly everyone heard her. "She was real..."

        "Indeed," the Caretaker confirmed, while nodding his head once.
"I do not have the clear vision of the past that you do, as my knowledge
comes from books and from what my Lady showed me. In order to seal away
a threat from long ago, the original Lady Kuno underwent a ritual to use
her body as a Living Key to another realm. As long as she lived, the
link between the worlds would be sealed. From then on, one Kuno girl in
each generation would merge her life-force with that of Lady Kuno; in
effect, keeping her alive." His eyes swiveled to the two Kuno siblings.
"The last was your mother, and that is why she left you two."

         Kodachi could only stand there, trembling, but her brother
managed to throw off his astonishment enough to speak. "But, she
perished the day that abomination attacked yon mental hospital."

        "Yes, and that is where the problem now stands," the Caretaker
intoned gravely.

        "What problem is that?" Akane asked, speaking up for the first
time. "And what does this have to do with us?"

        "Remember what I said, Akane-san," the old man replied,
smoothing out his faded robe. "As long as she lived, the link between
the realms was sealed. But now that she is gone, the portal can be re-
opened, and the Dark Shogun will return."

         Soun sighed noisily. "As my daughter said, what does this have
to do with us? I sympathize when the Kuno family over the loss of their
mother, but I would still like to know what that has to do with sending
Saotome-kun and I to Happosai."

        "Do not worry, as all shall be made clear," the old man assured
Soun. He pointed his gnarled staff at a girl standing off to the side.
"Perhaps Miyo-san can enlighten us?"

        "But I haven't seen the full story, and there is so much still
left out," the young fortuneteller protested.

        "It is enough," the Caretaker replied. "My lady and I began
sending you the dreams in order that someone from the present would know
what had happened in the past. I learned what I could from books, but I
am old and my memory is not what it used to be. Also, I am not long for
this world." As if to emphasize this point, he covered his mouth and
coughed once. "Please, tell them what you have learned."

         Miyo looked to Toshi, but he merely shrugged. Turning back to
the gathered group revealed everyone's eyes on her. She took a deep
breath to quench her nervousness, then closed her eyes and spoke.

        "A long time ago, a war raged across Japan," she intoned. "An
army led by an unknown individual known only as the Dark Shogun,
advanced from the south, conquering all in their path. Apparently, not
many could stand against this army, until survivors from previous
attacks gathered under the banner of Tendo Senshin."

         Nabiki's eyes widened at this, while Akane inhaled sharply.
Soun merely looked a little surprised.

        "I gather than, this is an ancestor of ours?" Nabiki deduced.

        "That is correct," the Caretaker replied. "Please, continue
Miyo-san."

         She nodded and closed her eyes once more, visualizing the
dreams. "Senshin's army was joined by a mysterious young man by the name
of Saotome Tenma, who was a warrior of extraordinary skill."

         It was Ranma's turn to look surprised, as Akane turned to see
her husband's eyes widen. She, too, was confused. They both had
ancestors that had met long ago?

         Miyo continued without noticing. "Together, he departed with
the youngest daughter of Senshin, Akara, who was also a warrior. They
sought help from the ninja clan Garou, but returned too late, finding
the army campsite had been attacked by Dark Shogun's troops. From there,
the two warriors headed to the Kuno castle, being accompanied by a
kunoichi from the Garou clan named Kae."

         Ukyo and Yuri instantly recognized that name, and shot to their
feet.

        "Wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense," Yuri interrupted.
"If Kae was supposedly fighting against this Dark Shogun army, or
whatever it is. How and why did she take control of my brother now? She
should be dead, right?" Her voice grew soft with that last phrase, as if
fearing the answer.

        "Many things are not impossible," the Caretaker told her
solemnly. "Much has been lost to time, but great feats of magic and
sorcery were not so uncommon many thousands of years ago. That is why
this situation is dire now, as humans have slowly lost their innate
potential and turned to technology instead. No modern weapon, no matter
how powerful, can stand against the power that was wielded over a
millenia ago." Before anyone else could speak, he motioned for Miyo to
continue.

        "They met up with Tenma's old training partner named Ryo Hibiki,
and Akara used Ryo's horse to travel ahead to the Kuno castle," Miyo
told them. "As Tenma and Ryo traveled there on foot, Kae apparently
betrayed them and they were captured. They were freed with the help of a
young girl named Ranko, but the two men had lost the majority of their
strength. The trio eventually made it to the Kuno estate to stop Kuno
Tateyama from forcing Akara to marry him."

        "What the hell is this all about!?" Ranma finally yelled, giving
in to his increasing discomfort. The old man merely looked at him
curiously. "What are we, some kind of reincarnation of people who lived
a long time ago or somethin'? You're supposed to be givin' us answers,
but this don't make any sense!"

        "I have to agree with Ranchan," Ukyo said, crossing her arms
across her chest "This is just too eerie. You can't possibly be serious
about this! It's just too ridiculous!"

        "And what does this nonsense have to do with our mother?"
Kodachi shouted. "Surely you can't expect us to believe our mother left
to join with some ancestor of ours?"

         The Caretaker pounded his wooden walking stick into the floor,
getting everyone's attention. "Please, everyone! I ask that you have
some patience. I will do my best to answer all your questions, but let
Miyo finish her story first." When the room had quieted back down to a
low murmur, the old man nodded once more toward the young fortuneteller.

         Miyo took a deep breath and continued. "Like I was saying,
after the wedding was aborted, it was discovered that the remnants of
Senshin's army and Akara's family were there as well. But the Dark
Shogun's army was approaching the Kuno castle and those inside knew that
it would only be a matter of time before the castle fell to the Dark
Shogun's advance.  Lady Kuno called Tenma and Ryo into a meeting, where
they also met her daughter, Konisha."

         Miyo paused then, seeing if anyone would interrupt her. Kodachi
looked like she was ready to erupt again, but was barely holding herself
in check. The fortuneteller spared a glance at the Caretaker, then
continued her story.

        "There, the two boys were instructed to travel to the western
shore of Japan and attempt to find a young warrior Lady Kuno and her
daughter had encountered a month previous, and also to possibly find a
cure to their strength affliction. They set out, but were accompanied by
both Tateyama and Konisha, as well as Akara and Ranko. When the small
group finally reached the Sea of Japan, they encountered a little over a
hundred Amazon warriors from China, led by a young woman named Xian Po."

         Miyo stopped again and accepted the glass of water from Kasumi,
who had suddenly appeared by the other girl's side. Miyo replied with
her thanks, then nearly downed the glass in several large gulps. He
throat had become a bit dry with all her talking.

         Ranma had released Akane's hand by this point, crossing his
arms over his chest and waited impatiently for Miyo to finish her story.
His feelings were growing nearly identical to Soun, who was still
waiting for his own explanation.

         Miyo handed back the glass and continued, closing her eyes once
more. "Akara and Ranko were attacked by a small group of the Shogun's
army, led by Kage, another Garou ninja who apparently knew Kae. During
the fight Tenma discovered that the lack of his strength was due to a
moxibustion point on his back, and used a heated pebble to remove it.
Thus cured, he managed to defeat the ninja, but let him go rather than
kill his opponent. Shortly thereafter, Tenma encountered a young woman
from his old village, who had been tracking him. Her name was Kuonji
Yukio, and she accompanied Tenma and the others as they headed back to
the back to the Kuno castle, except for Ryo, Ranko, and Tateyama, who
remained behind to the guide the rest of the Amazons."

         The young mystic stopped and opened her eyes then, and it was
apparent to all that she was finished.

        "That's it?" Ranma asked in disbelief. If anything, he was more
confused then ever. "There's got to be more!"

         Genma nodded, frowning. "The boy is right. What happened after
that?"

        "I am afraid that is all I know, Saotome-san," Miyo replied,
then turned to the Caretaker. "Can you tell me the rest?"

         The old man shook his head wearily. "I'm afraid not even I know
exactly what happened next. I believe my Lady did, at one time, but she
has forgotten much. She was the embodiment of several generations of
Kuno women, but the human brain was never designed to hold more than one
lifetime of memories. As a result, with every new fusion, she forgot
more and more. After the second fusion, when she realized what was
happening to her, Lady Kuno transferred all of her memories of that time
into a magic receptacle, so that one day someone would know exactly what
happened back then." He indicated Miyo.

        "Well, that was useful," Kodachi spat out with an air of her old
disdain, trying to hide her tumultuous feelings about the truth she had
just learned about her mother. "Just what do you know, then? Or can you
only offer vague comments and explanations?"

        "Sister..." Tatewaki said, placing a hand on her arm in an
attempt to calm her. "Perhaps there is more to learn?" She glared up at
him, but saw only concern, and so she relented.

         The Caretaker appeared not to be bothered by the Kuno girl's
comments. "I assume Tenma and the others confronted the Dark Shogun and
his generals, but for some reason were unable to defeat them. Instead,
Lady Kuno enacted her last resort spell to trap the Shogun into another
realm. Apparently this also had the effect of expelling the generals
from Japan, warding the country and keeping them from returning. That
was approximately 977 years ago." He closed his eyes and sighed. "But
with my Lady's passing, that which has been `locked' has now been
`unlocked'. The portal to the other realm can be re-opened and the Dark
Shogun can return. This also means the generals, now known as `Rogues',
can know freely enter Japan."

        "Return?" Akane questioned, looking quite confused. "But they
should be dead now, right? I mean, this happened hundreds of years ago,
right?"

        "Longevity is not a problem for those who know the secrets
behind life and death," the old man explained. "I am not totally sure
how they did it, but the generals of the Shogun somehow preserved
themselves, waiting for the moment to revive and recover their leader.
Now, they seek to restart the old war and take over Japan. Their number
is few, but my Lady saw glimpses that their ranks are slowly expanding.
Soon, they will come here."

        "So, we're supposed to stop them, is that it?" Ranma asked,
finally understanding a little bit of it. If there was one thing he knew
well, it was fighting. "Why didn't you say so in the first place. I may
not understand much of anything else, but if it means a fight, I can
handle it." He grinned and cracked his knuckles for effect.

        "Though I never thought I would say this," Tatewaki intoned. "I
shall stand with thee if any of these accursed infidels dare to set foot
in the Land of the Rising Sun!"

         Nabiki shook her head while rubbing her temples. "Something
about this still doesn't make any sense. Why couldn't our ancestors
defeat this Shogun before? And how do you expect us to succeed where
they failed?" She turned a glare on Ranma and Kuno. "It might be a good
idea to know this little bit of info before you recklessly run off and
get yourselves killed."

        "To answer your questions," the Caretaker replied, as everybody
waited for his response with much expectation. "I don't know. I only
know that Tenma and Akara perished during that fight and everyone else
barely got away with their lives. It is rumored that Tenma and Akara
willingly gave up their lives, in order that Lady Kuno's spell would be
successful, but I'm not sure."

         Akane stiffened at this, worry evident on her face. After all
this time, she knew Ranma pretty well. If there was a threat, he would
fight it; doubly so if the threat even remotely affected her. But what
hope could they have against people that had lived for hundreds of
years? Ranma had just barely bested Saffron, and these Rogues had
apparently been more than a match for their ancestors, including
Ranma's.

         She blinked, suddenly realizing that there was an inconsistency
here. "Hey, if the Saotome ancestor died, how come the line still
exists?"

        "Because there was more than one Saotome ancestor," the old man
explained. "Tenma had a sister, and it is from her than the line
continued from."

        "Let me guess," Nabiki offered dryly. "It was Ranko."

         The Caretaker nodded. "You are correct. The two siblings were
separated at birth to protect them, and only at the end did they figure
out they were related. Ranko was weakened greatly by the last battle,
but survived and gave birth to a son nearly a year later. She used to be
a strong warrior, but when she unable to fight anymore, she began to
record the styles and moves that Tenma had used on various scrolls and
books. Some of these ended up being taken back by the Amazons as they
headed home. The majority, however, ended up sealed away, hidden from
the world when Ranko apparently realized the power that one could gain
by using them. Nearly a hundred years ago they were found, by a young
martial artist who was traveling the land seeking to improve his
skills."

         Soun's eyes widened at that. "Y-you can't be serious!"

        "Why not?" Genma answered his friend, pushing his glasses up on
his nose. "It does make sense, of why he is as good as he is."

         Ranma eyes narrowed in confusion. "What? Who are you talking
about?"

         Akane elbowed him. "Don't you get it, Baka? They're talking
about Happosai."

        "Happosai!?" Ranma blurted, clearly surprised. "The old freak
found a buncha scrolls and things with secret techniques on them?"

         The Caretaker nodded. "My Lady had been searching for them for
a long time, and was surprised when Happosai found them. Unfortunately,
he hid them again before we could act to safeguard them. The best we
could do, was to send a Saotome to him for training so he could relearn
the techniques that were known so long ago. We also sent a Tendo, so the
two families could meet once more. Unfortunately, Happosai taught
different parts of the Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu to each of you." The old man
indicated Genma and Soun. "We don't know what possessed him to do this,
but suspect it was something he read in the scrolls."

         Soun chuckled darkly. "Or didn't teach us everything, because
he wanted to be sure we would never defeat him. I wonder what he did
with all that knowledge."

         Genma nodded, and when he spoke, his voice was devoid of
emotion. "We'll never know now, since he's gone for good."




         There was one other person listening in on all of this.

         Pantyhose Taro reclined on the roof of the dojo, listening to
the conversation taking place within. His note had said there would be
information about Happosai to be found here, but instead of confronting
everyone, he hung out of sight and listened. If the freak did show up,
he could get the drop on the old lech and then finally get his name
changed.

         He found all the previous bits of information only mildly
interesting, as it didn't really concern him; until they talked about
Happosai. That was when his ears perked up, only to catch Genma's line.

        <Gone for good!?> Taro thought angrily. <If that's the case, I
can't ever get my name changed!> He wanted to punch the roof, or swoop
down into the dojo and beat everybody within an inch of their lives. In
fact, he had just settled on that second option, when he heard that
strange old man speak again.

        "Oh, I wouldn't say he's gone for good."

         That got everybody's attention, but most of all Taro's, who
froze and strained his ears, hoping the old man would elaborate.

        "But he said he didn't have long to live when he left," Ranma
protested.

        "Yes, he did, didn't he?" the Caretaker replied, somewhat
amused. "It's true that he's not well, but he is still very much alive.
The last my Lady and I saw of him, he had left for China. My Lady's
vision is hazy when trying to view events happening outside of Japan,
but she did mention that he is still alive."

         Taro stood, then silently dropped down to the verandah
surrounding the dojo. <So, Happosai is back in China, is he? I suppose
it makes a strange kind of sense. He started this by giving me my name
in China, and now I'll end this in China by forcing him to change it.>
He grinned. <Then maybe I'll beat the snot out of him for old times'
sake.>

        "Why don't you come in, young man?" came the elderly gentleman's
voice again. "You don't have to leave just yet."

         Taro froze, aware that while he was next to the dojo door, no
one should have heard or seen him.

         Ranma was the first to appear in the dojo entrance. "What?" He
looked eyes with the other youth out there and blinked in surprise.
"Pantyhose Taro?"

        *Whap!* "Don't call me that!"

         Ranma rubbed his head and scowled, as most of the group inside
either went to the windows to look out, or joined Ranma outside. Akane
stopped just behind, and a little to the side of Ranma, while Ukyo took
up a position just to the other side of him.

        "Hey, Ranchan, wasn't this the guy you were tellin' me once,
that was too stupid to get his own name changed?" Ukyo asked curiously,
seeing the pantyhose sash around the guy's waist and hearing his name.

         Ranma nodded, smiling. "Yep, that's the jerk."

         Taro seethed, then grinned suddenly. "Hey femboy, do all your
friends crossdress? Or is your friend a gay-boy?" He indicated Ukyo who
was dressed in slacks and a shirt (and breast bindings, as she was used
to them). While not looking entirely like a guy, she didn't appear
incredibly feminine, either.

        "Why you, jackass!" Ukyo scowled and drew her battle spatula,
preparing to inflict grievous bodily harm. "I'm 100% woman!" She was
stopped by Ranma's arm blocking her advance. "Ranchan, what-?"

         Ranma shook his head. "He maybe an arrogant jerk, but he's also
a pretty tough fighter."

        "In other words, sorta like you?" Akane said with a smile.

         Taro laughed as Ranma scowled at Akane. "Well, femboy, as much
as I'd like to stay and pound you, my business is with the old freak."
He turned to the elderly gentlemen standing in the dojo doorway. "Hey
old man, is Happosai really in China?"

        "Yes he is," the Caretaker replied. "But I do not know his exact
location."

         Taro waved him off. "No problem. I'll just look for a rash of
panty thefts."

         The Chinese youth turned to go, but then caught sight of
Kodachi, the girl who had treated him. She seemed to be watching him
with a look reserved for the dissecting of specimens. Needless to say,
it made him feel rather uncomfortable. He also noticed that she seemed
to be a part of femboy's little group, and somehow he felt a little hurt
by that, but shook it off as he headed for the pond.

         Ranma crossed his arms over his chest. "Good riddance."

         Kodachi caught the tone of voice Ranma used, and frowned. She
could look at her former love in a whole new light now, when before she
couldn't see anything but what she wanted to see. Before, she would not
have attributed anything like dislike or animosity to her dearest Ranma-
sama, but now she could see him for the human he was. She also noticed
that no one else seem to care much about what Taro did.

         Making up her mind, she separated from the group to walk
towards the lone Chinese boy.

        "Sister, what are you doing?" Tatewaki asked.

         The gymnast ignored her brother, and spoke to Taro. "Would you
care for some company on your trip?"

         Akane stepped forward. "Kodachi? That's not such a good idea.
Taro is dangerous, and-"

        "I have never cared what you thought before, Tendo, and I do not
intend to start now!" Kodachi snapped at Akane. As the other girl
recoiled in shock, Kodachi briefly regretted her words. Part of her was
scared at how easily it seemed to be able to slip back into her old
role. She didn't want people to fear her, but she still held plenty of
negative feelings for her old rival and those weren't easily overcome.

         Ranma's eyes became hard. "Akane's right, Kodachi."

        "You should listen to them," Taro told her, while keeping his
back to her. "Heh, first time I agree with femboy, imagine that."

        "And why is that?" Kodachi asked him sharply. "You don't want my
company?"

         Taro shook his head. "Naw, I live it rough on the road. A rich,
pampered girl like you wouldn't last five minutes out in the real
world."

         Kodachi's eyes narrowed at the stinging barb. "Oh, so you
assume to know me? Perhaps I should listen to everyone else and forget
about helping a mere gaijin peasant? Or perhaps I should have just
thrown you out with the rest of the refuse when you crashed into my
house?"

        "Fine!" Taro barked. "You want a real reason? How about this!"

        "Taro, don't!" Ranma yelled, sensing what the other boy was
going to do.

        *Splash!*

         Selah eep'ed and dashed into the dojo, and Hikaru fainted. Miyo
and Toshi merely looked amused, while Nodoka backpedaled in fright, only
to have Genma put his arm around her shoulders.

         Kodachi took a single step back as the hulking monstrosity rose
from the Tendo's koi pond. Her eyes grew wide, and she stared for
several long seconds as everyone else awaited her reaction.

         It wasn't quite what they expected.

        "Oh, my, my, my, my, my," the Kuno girl stated in a very Kasumi-
like fashion. Then, "Ohohohohoho! How marvelous!"

        "Moo?" Taro blinked in surprise, figuring the sight of his
cursed form would be enough to drive the girl away. Why wasn't she,
though? And why exactly was he trying to scare her away, anyway? He
could not recall the reason off hand.

         Ranma turned to Tatewaki and Nabiki, who happened to be
standing next to each other now. "You sure she ain't nuts anymore?"

        "Perhaps she is not fully recovered," Kuno said, eyeing the
great beast and slowly drawing his katana from it's sheath. Given past
experiences with another grotesque creature, he came to a logical
conclusion. "Truly, that is a demon, however." Before anyone could stop
him, the kendoist leapt to the attack.

        "You idiot!" Nabiki yelled, knowing it was fruitless. "Don't!"
         Taro eyed the swordsman coming at him, and raised a finger.
*Squirt!* Then he turned to the side to allow Kuno's visually impaired
leap to carry him into the pond. *Splash!*

         Kuno leapt up, clawing at the black stuff covering his face. "I
be blinded! Do not worry, sister, I shall yet smite the demon!"

         Kodachi rolled her eyes as her brother tried to wash the
octopus ink out of his own, then she clubbed him on the head with a
tonfa, dropping him like rock. "I appreciate the sentiment, Tatchi, but
I believe I am in no danger." She was at a loss to explain why she felt
that, however. She glanced up at Taro again. "My, you are quite an
interesting beast."

         Taro was suddenly hit with that dissecting look again, and it
still made him nervous. Especially the way Kodachi was eyeing his
tentacles and licking her lips. "Moo!" He tried to look threatening.

         Kodachi gave him a lidded glare. "Right, well if you're
through, shall we go?"

        "Kodachi, I really don't think you should go with him," Ranma
stated evenly.

        "Jealous are you, Ranma-sama?" Kodachi told him icily. "That is
hardly suitable for a married man. Unless you plan to add me as your
mistress? I suppose I should expect that, considering all the women you
let chase you around, never caring about their feelings." While Ranma
spluttered at this, Kodachi turned to Akane. "Congratulations, Tendo,
you won. You can keep your little man-that-turns-into-a-woman. I'd
rather have someone with a much more powerful form!"

         Before anyone else could protest, she lanced out with a ribbon
that wrapped itself around Taro's left horn, then gave a tug and swung
up to land on his shoulder. "Shall we be off?" she whispered into his
ear. "I assume those wings are fully functional."

         Taro shrugged and moo'ed, as if to say, "Your funeral," then
took to the sky.

        "When my brother awakes, tell him I'm off to see the world!"
Kodachi called as she and Taro disappeared into the western horizon.

        "That was too weird," Ukyo said, summing up everyone's thoughts.

         Of course, that's when Kuno awoke. "Where be the demon!?" he
demanded, wiping enough of the ink off to see and brandishing his sword.

         Nabiki shook her head. "Kuno-baby, you are still hopeless. If
you're referring to Taro, he's gone, and your sister went with him quite
willingly. If you're still planning on fighting him though, I can give
you all the information on him." <And maybe once I do, you'll reconsider
going. Not that I care, though.>

         Tatewaki nodded, then turned to Ranma and dropped to one knee.
"I must be off now, but know that if these fiends from the past dare
threaten our noble country, know also that I shall stand with thee in
repelling them. For it is the least the once-noble House of Kuno can do
to make up for past unjust actions." He stood. "Sasuke!"

         The little ninja appeared at his master's side. "Yes?"

        "It is time to go, farewell!" The not-so dynamic duo departed,
post-haste.

         The group stood there and blinked a few times, as a stray
breeze blew a rolling tumbleweed by.

        "Ya know," Ranma remarked at last. "I almost prefer them the way
they were." <They used to be annoying and simple. Now they're annoying
and confusing.>

         Akane nodded, absently. "I think I agree."




         Hikaru felt someone poke and prod at his body, until he awoke
and sat up. That's when he noticed the old Caretaker standing above him.
"Um, w-what do you w-want, sir?"

         The elderly man chuckled, then his face turned serious. "It's
not what I want, but what you want. If you wish to revive Ariko, seek
out the Mage Clans, for only they have the magical potential to `re-
ignite' her magical fuse'."

         Hikaru's eyes widened, for he clearly remembered the Mage
Clans, and the fear associated with them. They had stalked him and
kidnapped him, then locked him up. And who could forget their leader,
with his powerful magic abilities. Hikaru still didn't know how he had
the strength to stand against such a person, then realized it was the
same strength that let him stand up against that dragon-creature.

         In both times, he was fighting to protect someone else. If it
was just himself, he would have been too scared, and would have
submitted to the inevitable. But he could not just stand by and let that
sorcerer hurt Akane, nor let the dragon harm Ariko. Akane was truly lost
to him now, but perhaps...

        "How do I find them?" he asked, not having any idea on where to
begin searching.

         He let his staff point to Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah, who were
standing in the dojo entryway and conversing in low tones. "It might be
a good idea to seek out traveling companions." He waited for Hikaru's
hesitant nod, then moved off, stopping to hand something to Miyo. After
that, he headed for the dojo entrance, only to be impeded by a large
spatula blocking his path. "Yes?"

         Ukyo's green eyes were hard. "What about this Kae? What is she
really up to? You never really told us."

         The elderly monk shrugged. "I can only speculate as to her
motives. She reappeared briefly during that battle at the Kuno castle,
only to disappear shortly thereafter. Since she is hunting the Rogues,
or the `dark ones' as she calls them, I assume they are in some way
responsible for her banishment deep within the Earth." He shook his head
sadly. "I am afraid she will very likely fail."

        "What!?" Yuri jumped forward and grabbed the front of the
Caretaker's robe. "She's got control of my brother! Are you saying she
is going to get him killed!?"

        "I'm afraid so," the old man replied sadly. "She is highly
skilled, but she is only one person. She cannot possibly accomplish
alone, what a large group failed to do."

         Yuri's eyes shot daggers at the old man, even as she lifted him
up face-to-face. "So how do we find my brother? And once we find him,
how do we get her out of him? Tell me!"

        "Please, young lady, calm yourself!" the Caretaker said as he
tried to pacify the angry girl. She reluctantly released him and he
brushed his robe off. "Thank you. I'm not entirely sure, mind you, but
since Kae's condition was brought about by magic, perhaps magic can undo
it." He shook his head. "I'm afraid that is all I know."

         Yuri collapsed to the floor feeling hopeless and drained, and
watched the old man walk off while Ukyo came up and sat down beside her
friend. "We'll find him, Yu-chan, I know we will." The chef laid a
comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder.

         The emotionally-turbulent ninja girl smiled wanly. "I know we
will; we have to. He may be an idiot, but he's the last of my family. I
won't lose him again."




        "Well, I must be off," the strange old man known as the
Caretaker announced. "Thank you for the tea and hospitality, Kasumi-
san." He offered a short bow.

        "You're quite welcome," the eldest Tendo daughter returned.
"Please visit anytime."

         The old monk shook his head. "I'm afraid that won't be
possible. My life was linked with that of my Lady's. With her gone, I am
not long for this world. I am afraid this is the last we shall see of
each other." He turned and headed for the outer gate.

        "I still don't really understand all of this!" Akane yelled at
him, suddenly feeling frustrated. She was trying to assimilate all this
new information, and failing. "Why us? Why is all this happening? Why!?"

         Ranma frowned, as he was thinking along the same lines. While
he would deal with anything that came his way, he didn't especially like
the way this was dropped on them.

         The Caretaker stopped in the outer gate entryway, as he took a
few minutes to formulate the best response. "Because there is no one
else. Because your family's were involved before. Because you may just
have the key to ending this threat." He turned around to face the
gathered group. "I will offer this last piece of advice: The coming
battle cannot be won with fists alone. It is true you are all very
skilled, possessing advanced combat capabilities. But your enemies are
likewise just as powerful. It is not your power that makes you special,
however. It is your compassion, your hope, and your love."

         He paused, then pointed his staff at the gathered. "Keep these
ideals in your hearts, and you may yet triumph. Oh, and there are others
that will be needed as well. you will need to explain these events to
them."

         Before anyone could formulate a response to that, a large cloud
of dust and smoke blew by the old monk, obscuring him from view.

         When it was gone, so was he.




         The group stood there for a few minutes, until a new figure
came through the gate. At first they thought it was the Caretaker, until
they heard him speak.

        "Hey, we got this strange note telling us to come here," a
confused and unsure Ryoga explained. Akari was at his side and
Katsunishki was behind them. Then the lost boy noticed everybody looking
at him funny. "What? Are a little late or something?"




         It wasn't until much later when we finally figured out what the
old man was talking about, and I shudder to think what would have
happened to Ranma and I, as well as all of our friends, if we hadn't
figured it out. The coming month would prove to be a trying time for all
of us and a challenge that was greater than any of us had ever dreamed
of.

         True to his word, we never saw the Caretaker again. Yet I can't
help but look back and remember what he told us and think how we might
have ended up, had he not gathered us together and revealed the past.
Part of me wonders why he didn't tell us earlier, but I am thankful now
that he did.

         I also used to wonder about my marriage to Ranma. I thought I
loved him and he loved me, but because we married young, we had that
many more obstacles to overcome. For awhile there, I had feared that
maybe we made a mistake. I don't like being forced or controlled, and
neither does Ranma; one of the many reasons our relationship floundered
during that first year. But what we learned during that mighty battle,
shook both our confidences.

         Yes, ever since Ranma showed up at our door, life had been
getting steadily more interesting. What we faced in the past was nothing
compared to what lay ahead.

         We would soon find out if we had what it would take, to face
the greatest challenge of our lives...

------------------------------

Author's notes:
Whew! This last chapter completes Volume 7 of Ranma 1/2: New Challenges:
Bonds and Connections. One more volume to go! Coming up next is the
final volume: The Phoenix and the Dragon.

More old enemies and allies return, as the showdown between the forces
of the past draws ever closer, with the future at stake. Yet more
secrets will be revealed, more surprising twists and turns, and a new
member of the Ranma cast gets cursed! What will he/she turn into? What
is the secret of Jusenkyo? What purpose does it serve?

Also, I know the ending to this chapter is kinda ambiguous and more of a
cliffhanger than the others. I apologize for this. I would have liked a
more definitive ending, but this is how it worked out. I was kinda
thinking of a confrontation where everybody fights Taro's cursed form
when he attacks them, because the Caretaker wouldn't tell him where
Happosai is, but this is the way the story wrote itself. I still may go
for that alternate ending if everyone wants to see it, however.

I would like thank everybody who gave useful comments and criticisms,
especially Raven Flight, since he helped me plug a few plot holes and
reminded me to add a few more scenes that I was going to, but forgot the
first time around. I'll get the hang of this writing thing yet...

And thanks to everyone who's continued reading this far, and a really
big THANK YOU!!!! to Takahashi-megami-sama, without whose genius mind,
we would not have the fun and delightful members of the Ranma cast in
the first place!

Brad aka Kaiphantom
www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000