A New Path to Travel
Story Concept: Lord Archive
With Additions by: Brian Drozd
Characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Video, etc..., and are used
without permission.
Timing Note: It is assumed, for this story, that the Ranma ½ series took
place in just under a year. Ranma arrived near the beginning of school
year, and the bombed wedding happened near the end of said school year.
This means Nabiki and Kuno will be seniors and are 18, while Ranma, Akane,
and most of the cast are 17. This starts after school on the Saturday after
the bombed wedding at the end of the manga (I assume the wedding happened
on a Sunday).
ßßàà
Akane thought bitterly. She stomped away from school.
Akane started glowing blue when she looked down the street and saw
Ranma duck into the Nekohanten.
Akane stopped cold at the door when she heard Cologne say, "So, you
accept my offer, and you wish break your engagement to Shampoo?"
The short-haired girl peeked into the restaurant and saw Ranma
nodding. "Sure. If I’m an Amazon, that marry-the-outsider-who-beatcha-law
doesn’t exactly work."
Cologne nodded. "You sure you’re willing to accept the price though?"
"Yes," Ranma replied simply.
Akane didn’t like the sound of that.
Cologne cleared her throat. "Saotome Ranma, do you reject the ways of
the people you were born to and accept the ways of the Amazons? Do you
relinquish all bounds of honor, promises, and duties you have to be
replaced by the honor, promises, and duties you will have as an Amazon? Are
you willing to leave your family to join the greater family that is the
tribe?"
Ranma answered after a second, "Yes."
Akane was frozen, unable to think.
"Ranma, I, Khu Lon, adopt you as my son and as one of my heirs. After
you complete the school year, we will move to China. You will have to live
at the village for a full year."
Ranma nodded. "It’ll be nice to get away from some of the insanity
around here."
Akane thoughts started to stream through her mind.
"RAAAANNNMAAAAAAAA!!!!! How could you?!" Akane screamed. She grabbed a
table and pounded Ranma into the floor repeatedly. She collapsed onto her
knees. "I thought you loved me," she cried.
Cologne chuckled a little. She flipped the table off Ranma, and saw
that he was unconscious. She poked him a couple times and he woke up.
Ranma looked at Akane. "She beat me?" he asked.
Cologne nodded.
Ranma grinned evilly.
Shampoo walked into the room from the kitchen to see what was going
on.
>GLOMP<
"Wo ai ni!"
There was a kiss.
It wasn’t Shampoo who was kissing Ranma.
Ranma was kissing Akane.
Akane just stared at Ranma in shock as he broke off the kiss.
"Outsider female, you have beaten an Amazon male and I deem you worthy
of joining the Amazon tribe. Do you wish to marry him?" Cologne tried to
say in a controlled voice, but could not completely hide her amusement.
"M-marry Ranma?" Akane said without trace of emotion.
"Yes."
Akane looked at Ranma; he was shaking, his questioning eyes boring
themselves into her.
Ranma wanted Akane to say something, to do something. Each second was
agony of not knowing. He was startled when he heard a scream.
"YES! Wo ai ni! Yes, I’ll marry Ranma!" Akane glomped onto Ranma and
kissed him.
Shampoo was shocked. She could NOT believe what she just saw. she thought hopefully. "What pervert girl doing with husband?"
"Ranma has been adopted into the Amazon tribe. He is now your
great-uncle, and Akane is your great-aunt as well," Cologne answered, since
Ranma and Akane were to busy kissing.
"Wha... Why? Ranma is Shampoo’s husband. If want to be Amazon all
Ranma need to do is complete marriage." The young Amazon realized this was
a nightmare, and she’s living in it.
"Perhaps it’d be better if he told you," Cologne replied.
Cologne stood between Shampoo and the young lovers for several minutes
while Ranma and Akane continued to kiss.
When they broke of the kiss in order to catch their breaths, Shampoo
grabbed Ranma by the collar. "WHY?! Why Ranma become Amazon this way? If
want to be Amazon, all Ranma need to do is accept Shampoo."
Ranma cast his eyes away from the purpled haired Amazon. "I’m sorry...
But if I’m going to marry someone, I’m going to marry the girl I love."
"Then why Ranma marry violent girl?!"
"Because I love her."
"No! Ranma love Shampoo!" She raised her hand, ready to punch Ranma.
"Shampoo!" Cologne shouted firmly.
Shampoo dropped Ranma and ran off crying.
Ranma sighed, he sat up and looked at Akane. She was crying and
smiling the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.
Cologne hopped over to them. "If you two sign this, you’ll be
officially married." She handed a wedding certificate to Ranma.
"Huh?" Akane emitted.
"As an official of my people, I have to right to sanction a wedding.
Since you two are considered married by the Amazons, you are consider
married by China and thereby Japan. Well...you’ll be considered married
once you consummate it, that is." Cologne winked at them.
Ranma took the paper and his shaking hands scribbled out his
signature. He handed it to Akane.
Akane looked at it dumbly. A quick signature and she’s technically
married. "N-not much of a ceremony, is it?" she nervously joked. She took a
breath and signed the wedding certificate.
Cologne smiled. "You two will make fine additions to the village. Your
skills will improve greatly under the care of Amazon teachers of the arts."
Akane stared at Cologne and then Ranma. "You... you BAKA!!" she
screamed, punching Ranma into the wall.
"What you do that for?" Ranma asked, prying himself off the wall.
Akane just glared him. "We have to get home, husband." She stomped out
of the restaurant.
"Why is she angry?" Ranma asked.
Cologne shook her head. "Baka is right."
ßà
Genma and Soun continued to play the never ending game of shogi.
Nabiki read over what today’s gossip and some other information her cohorts
had collected. Kasumi and Nodoka were in the backyard hanging laundry to
dry.
"Come on Akane, why are you mad?" They could hear Ranma’s voice drift
from the door. "I thought you would be happy."
"Happy?!" Akane growled. "You don’t even have a clue, do you?"
"Arrgh! Why can’t you just tell me?!"
Nabiki shook her head. "They never learn."
"When will they admit their feelings?" Soun cried, looking away
towards the door as Akane and Ranma entered the dining room.
Genma took the chance to cheat.
Akane glared at Ranma, and said, "We have something we have to..." She
was interrupted by Ranma when he grabbed her, pulling her to the side.
Several chains landed where she had stood a second earlier.
"Saotome! How dare you make Shampoo cry!" Mousse shouted.
Akane seethed. "Idiots! Are all men clueless?"
"Wait a damn second Mousse! You don’t even know why she’s crying!"
Ranma shouted.
"You hurt Shampoo and I will see you pay!" Mousse sent another volley,
this time at Ranma.
"Mousse," Akane shouted. "She’s crying because Ranma is married now."
"What?!" was chorused throughout the house.
"Y-you forced yourself on Shampoo?! You fiend!?" Mousse screamed,
attacking.
"RAN-MA-KUN. How dare you marry that bimbo?!" Soun shouted, doing the
demon- head attack.
Nodoka fingered her sword. "Ranma, you do know you are bound by giri
to marry Akane."
"What did you think you were doing, boy?" Genma shouted.
Kasumi frowned.
Nabiki waited for the full story, but started to plan revenge just in
case.
"WAIT!!" Ranma shouted. "I married Akane. A-KA-NE."
"What?!" was chorused throughout the house, again.
"I married Akane," Ranma repeated.
All eyes turned to Akane. "Yes, we just got married." She flung the
wedding certificate onto the shogi board.
Mousse started shouting for joy.
"Oh, such a joyous day!!" Soun cried.
Nodoka smiled. "You’ve made me very happy, son." She frowned. "But I
would’ve like to have seen the ceremony."
"There wasn’t exactly a ceremony. It was an Amazon wedding," Akane
said.
Mousse stopped when he heard that. "Amazon? But you two aren’t
Amazons."
Akane scowled at Ranma. "He got Cologne to adopt him into the tribe."
Mousse chuckled. "And then he got you angry, you defeated him, and
Cologne accepted you as an Amazon."
Akane and Ranma nodded.
Mousse bowed to them. "I’m off to comfort Shampoo then."
Akane sighed, and then said firmly. "Ranma and I need to talk about
this. ALONE! If anyone eavesdrops, I will make you wish you were never
born!" She grabbed Ranma by the hand, leading him to her room.
ßà
Once in the room, Akane let go of Ranma’s hand and sat down on her
bed.
"Akane, will you tell me now why you’re angry? I though you’d be happy
to marry me, that I told you I love you."
>> I thought
Akane’s angry features lessened a little. "Ranma, those are the only
reasons why I’m not beating you into paste."
"Then why are you angry?"
"I can’t believe you don’t know! You set up my wedding without my
knowledge and without my family and friends to witness it, and you expect
me not to be upset about it?!" Akane started to glow an unhealthy shade of
dark blue. "Let’s not forget that we’ve got to move to China next month
because of your damned oath as an Amazon. I’m going to be away from family
and friends for a whole year!! You got me to uproot my entire life because
of this! YOU NEVER EVEN TALKED TO ME ABOUT IT!!!"
Ranma became one with the wall from a punch thrown by Akane.
"It’s only a year." Ranma said, slowly realizing something.
"’Only a year’?! Ranma, the longest I’ve ever been away from this
house is a month. This is all I’ve really known. Getting married to you is
one thing, but leaving home is something completely different."
"I thought you’d like some time away from home, from the craziness of
this city." He thought he might have made a mistake.
Akane glared at Ranma. "The city isn’t what’s crazy, it’s you. Things
happen around you whether you’re in Nerima or not." She sighed. "I wouldn’t
have minded the idea of moving into an apartment, but we’re not. We’re
moving to China, to that Amazon village. I don’t even know the first thing
about speaking Chinese."
"I’m sorry... I should’ve talked about it with you," Ranma said
meekly.
"Yes. You should have talked to me about this." Akane scowled at the
door. "Why did you agree to be an Amazon in the first place?"
"It’s, well, because I have so much honor that’s screwed over do to
all of Pop’s promises. There was no way I could marry you and keep my honor
intact. This way my honor as a Saotome may be nothing, but I would still
have honor as an Amazon."
"What would’ve happened if I decided not to marry you?" Akane asked,
suspiciously.
"Then I’d be glad to move to China ‘cause I wouldn’t want to be in
Japan."
Akane closed her eyes. She got off her bed and opened her door. "I
TOLD YOU NOT TO EAVESDROP!!!" She screamed at her family.
"Erm... Ranma, what’s this about giving up your honor as a Saotome?"
Nodoka asked.
"Mom, I was bound by honor to marry Akane and Ukyo! I couldn’t marry
anyone without becoming honorless in the process. The only way out was to
absolve everything: every promise, every duty, every engagement; and start
from scratch. Becoming an Amazon was the only way I could do that."
Nodoka glared at Genma. "We shall talk more about this later."
Soun, who had been crying, finally found his voice, "Oh, Akane, how
can you leave us?"
"It’s only for a year, Daddy," Akane said, trying to reassure him.
"Just think of it as a long honeymoon."
"But Akane, China?" Kasumi asked, concerned.
Akane answered, "It’ll certainly be an experience."
"You’re still so young," Kasumi said with concern
"I’m not that young, and we’ve got Cologne to help us."
"Well, congratulations Sis." Nabiki hugged Akane, slipping something
into her pocket.
Akane was surprised until she realized what it was Nabiki put into the
pocket. She blushed, and then said, "Will you all leave us alone. Um...
It’ll be hard enough to... um... I mean it this time! Anyone listening in
will be in a world of hurt!"
"You heard her, go," Ranma added.
Nodoka decided to enforce the newlyweds’ wishes. Touching her sword
hilt, she said, "Everyone downstairs... now."
Genma ran off quickly, followed by Soun. Kasumi spared the two a
concerned look and left. Nabiki reluctantly left, deciding it wouldn’t be
healthy if she tried what she was thinking. Nodoka trailed behind everyone,
making sure no one doubled back.
"Nabiki better not take any pictures of us," Akane said, trying to
cover her nervousness.
"Ah... yeah." Ranma looked at Akane quizzically. She had her eyes
shut, and started to tense.
Akane glomped onto Ranma, kissing him. He was surprised by this.
Breaking the kiss, he stammered, "Akane? Um... Why... um... er... I thought
you were..."
Akane scowled at her husband, "I may not be happy with how I got
married, or that you dragging me away from my family for a year, but I’ll
be damned if we aren’t ‘officially’ married by Amazon laws before we leave
this room."
Ranma gulped, but decided to go along with his wife’s wishes. He
kissed her, and after a moment they moved to the bed.
ßà
The newlyweds didn’t leave Akane’s room until late the next morning.
Thankfully it was Sunday, so they didn’t have to worry about school today.
They had enough other things on their minds.
>> enough other? sounds confusing, suggest you drop enough.
Like, where everyone else was, for starters.
Akane asked, "Kasumi? Nabiki? Dad?" as she tried to find her family.
Ranma headed straight for the kitchen.
Akane scowled.
From within the kitchen Ranma called, "Hey, Akane! There’s a message
in here for you!’
Akane scowled some more and headed into the kitchen. She arrived and
saw Ranma rummaging though the kitchen looking for something. "What are you
looking for?"
Ranma stood and smiled, trying to hide his nervousness. "Uh... nothing
important. Um... I think your sisters left you a note." He pointed to the
refrigerator door.
Sure enough, there was a letter on the door addressed to her. She
plucked it off, while Ranma returned to his task. She opened the letter and
read it.
"Akane:
"If I guessed correctly, good morning. Sorry we aren’t there, but
Auntie Saotome invited us to stay with her tonight. Thank god for
the quick construction companies around here.
"Anyway, we’ll probably return Sunday afternoon, if only to get a
few more things for a longer stay.
"After all, you and your husband were making enough noise to wake
the dead. (And after saying how much you didn’t want anyone
listening in, too!)
"Have fun!
"Nabiki
"PS. Don’t spoil things; let Ranma cook."
By the time she finished, Akane was blushing badly. She could almost
see her sister’s mischievous grin behind the words. Especially that part
about letting Ranma cook.
When she looked up she noticed Ranma had found what he was looking for
and was now making breakfast. Akane scowled again, but just walked back to
the main room.
Ranma came out a few moments later, and handed Akane some breakfast.
"Here you go, Akane."
Akane scowled yet again. She started eating without saying anything to
her husband. Ranma frowned but eat silently as well. He was starting to get
annoyed with Akane’s mixed signals.
When Akane finished, she asked, "What now?"
Startled, Ranma responded, "Uh... well, I probably oughta go break the
news to Ucch... uh... Ukyo." He nervously waited for Akane’s reaction. He
really didn’t want to fight her, not after last night, but...
Akane took a couple of deep breaths. She didn’t want a fight anymore
than Ranma did. When she’d calmed down enough, she answered, "Why don’t we
both go?"
Ranma frowned a bit. "Uh..."
Akane added, smiling, "I can be your moral support."
Ranma blinked. Not more than five seconds ago, Akane was scowling at
him. Now she couldn’t look happier. It was very strange, even for Akane.
"Uh... okay."
ßà
Konatsu sighed as he unlocked the front door to the Ucchan’s. Ukyo had
been grumpy since Ranma and Akane’s bombed wedding. Ranma had been avoiding
her, and he was starting to get worried.
Then he saw Ranma and Akane walking toward him, presumably to stop at
the restaurant. It looked almost like they’d been fighting, but there was
something different about it. Ranma was walking behind Akane, looking at
his feet and shoulders slumped. Akane was also walking a little
differently; Konatsu recognized her problem instantly. He frowned. This
couldn’t possibly be good.
Still, Ranma was a friend. "Ranma-sama! Hello!"
Ranma smiled as best he could. "Hi, Konatsu."
Akane also greeted, "Hello, Konatsu."
They’re somber tone instantly confirmed his suspicions; this was not
good. Konatsu opened the door and let them in. As he followed he took down
the open sign. Ukyo would need some privacy.
ßà
Ukyo had been prepping her grill for a busy day when she heard Konatsu
greet Ranma. She frowned when she heard Akane as well, but hid it quickly.
She was still a bit sore about the wedding attempt but was willing to
forgive her rival. When she saw Ranma and Akane enter, they were very
serious, serious enough that she wondered who’d died. "Hi, Ranchan, Akane."
Ranma took a moment to gather his courage. "Ukyo. We have to talk."
Ukyo frowned at Ranma’s use of her name rather than ‘Ucchan’. "What’s
going on guys?"
Ranma approached Ukyo, "Ukyo, you are aware that I was honor bound to
marry you and Akane?"
Ukyo nodded, her fear increasing at his use of past tense. She
shuddered slightly, but no one else seemed to notice.
Ranma continued. "Well, I found a way out of that mess. Yesterday,
Cologne adopted me as her son, making me an Amazon citizen."
Ukyo looked at him blankly. She was confused; if Ranma was an Amazon
why was he with Akane instead of Shampoo?
Ranma went on, "As such all of the promises, duties, engagements, and
whatever else no longer exist."
Ukyo’s eyes went wide. "But... but... our engagement! MY YATAI!!"
Ranma sighed. "If you want to take that up, talk to my former parents.
I’m not even a Saotome anymore. I belong to Cologne’s family now."
Ukyo was in shock. Everything she’d spent ten years preparing for,
suffering for, was now gone like a puff of smoke! She had no idea how to
deal with that.
Ranma continued. "You should also know, Akane defeated me in combat
after Cologne adopted me."
Ukyo’s face showed pure horror.
she thought.
Ranma confirmed her fears. "By Amazon law, I have married her. I’m
sorry Ukyo."
Ukyo stood motionless for a second. Then she pulled out her large
spatula and attacked in one smooth motion. "NO!! HE’S MINE!! I WON’T LET
YOU TAKE HIM FROM ME!!!"
Ranma placed himself between Akane and the spatula, blocking it with
both arms. Akane reacted by retreating out the door, followed closely by
Ranma. They’d expected something like this and decided not to fight the
chef. They’d have to hurt her if they fought her, and maybe if the
retreated, Ukyo wouldn’t follow.
>> they retreated,
Ukyo blindly threw her mini-spatula’s after the retreating couple,
before slumping to her knees. Her
thoughts tumbled together as her mind tried to cope with the complete
upheaval her life had just gone through.
Konatsu sighed, but had no idea how to comfort his friend. He’d
suspected this was what Ranma and Akane where going to talk about when he
realized Akane was no longer a virgin. After all, if Ranma wasn’t her
partner, he wouldn’t have been walking around with her. The only problem
was, now how did he help Ukyo deal with the lost of Ranma.
>> 'was, now how did' is rather confusing try
>> now was how would he
ßà
Ranma was not happy as he practiced in the dojo that afternoon. Akane
hadn’t spoken to him since they’d returned from the Ucchan’s. She gone from
being friendly to being completely hostile again.
Ranma was beginning to have his doubts about this idea.
"So, exactly how much of this did you have planned, Ranma-kun?"
Ranma turned and was a bit shocked by what he faced. Nabiki looked
upset. "Uh... well... um..."
Nabiki sighed. "All right. Let’s start from the beginning. Who came up
with this idea? I didn’t think you knew that much about Amazon law."
"Actually, it was Cologne’s idea," Ranma admitted. "She presented it
to me shortly before Jusendo."
Nabiki prompted, "And you just accepted her suggestion without even
giving it a second thought."
Ranma shook his head. "No. I rejected her flat out."
"So what changed?"
Ranma sighed. "Well, Cologne gave me a copy of the Amazon laws, and
I’ve been kinda goin’ over ‘em in my spare time, you know?" Ranma took out
the booklet and tossed it to Nabiki. "Anyway, everything she suggested
looked like it was true.
"Then Shampoo and Ukyo attacked me the wedding."
Nabiki frowned. "But Akane said you’d forgiven them."
"Forgiven, yes. Forgotten, no. After that though, I kinda realized no
one ever gave a damn what I wanted, you know? I hadn’t ever been asked what
I wanted and who I wanted to marry. I was stuck between more obligations
>> what I wanted or who I wanted
>> since no one has asked him either question.
than I think I knew about, most of them due to pop’s interference, and had
no honorable way out.
"This way, I got to start over. Even Shampoo didn’t have any claim on
me anymore."
Nabiki asked, "So then you and Cologne came up with this scheme to
take Akane from us."
Ranma shook his head. "No. I wanted to talk to Akane before we got
married. I didn’t think she’d stumble on us just as Cologne finished
adopting me. It just kinda happened, you know. Don’t get me wrong, I love
Akane, I just hadn’t planned on being married to her yet."
Nabiki motioned to the room around her. "And the dojo?"
Ranma shrugged. "What about it?"
"What happens after that year in China? What happens to the dojo? You
do realize you and Akane own it now, don’t you?"
Ranma nodded. "Well, uh... yeah. After I... we spend a year in China,
all we’ve gotta do is live by their laws," he indicated the book in
Nabiki’s hands. "Beyond that, we don’t have to return unless there’s some
major threat to Joketsuzoku. So Akane and I could spend the rest of our
lives here."
Nabiki nodded. If what Ranma said was true, than it was a virtually
perfect solution. In fact, Nabiki suspected it was almost too good to be
true. She asked, "Can I borrow this, Ranma-kun?"
Ranma shrugged. "Sure, I guess."
Nabiki smiled and left. Ever since Shampoo had first shown her the
Amazon rule book, she’d wanted to get a copy. Before, it would have been
nice to find some sort of loophole so Akane could eventually marry Ranma.
Now, she had to make sure Ranma hadn’t gone off and done something stupid
that could hurt her little sister.
Still, Nabiki loved a challenge.
ßà
Nodoka and Genma found Ranma shortly after Nabiki left. "Son," Nodoka
addressed him, "we must talk about what you’ve done."
Genma confirmed, "Yes, boy. What’s this nonsense about becoming an
Amazon?"
Ranma frowned. "Elder Cologne of Joketsuzoku offered to adopted me as
her son. I accepted."
Nodoka asked, "Why?"
"Because I couldn’t fulfill all of the obligations on me!" Ranma
responded. "Because thanks to him," he motioned toward his father, "I’d
have to marry two women. The kami only knows how many others out there he
engaged me to."
Nodoka glared at her husband. "But only the engagement to Akane was
valid. The others your father had no right to make." Genma back away,
suddenly afraid for his life.
"So? That doesn’t mean anything," Ranma argued. "It doesn’t change the
fact that Ukyo spent ten years of her life pretending to be a guy. It
doesn’t change the fact that he stole her dowry."
Nodoka sighed. Ranma was correct. Even if the other engagements
weren’t valid, the harm they’d caused had forced some kind of commitment.
Ranma continued. "This was the only way, mom. It was the only way I
could marry anyone and still have any honor."
Nodoka took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I... I guess... I
understand, son. I am still not happy with it, but I understand what you
have done."
Ranma smiled. "Thank you, mom."
Nodoka smirked. "I still wish I could have been there to see it,
though."
Ranma shrugged. "Well, I’d have to check with Cologne, but I doubt
there’d be any trouble in going through some other ceremony now. I mean, we
are married already."
Nodoka smiled. "True." She then hugged her son. "I am so happy for
you!"
Ranma returned the hug.
Nodoka released Ranma and then walked over to Genma, "Come, husband.
We have much to talk about." She dragged her husband out by his ear.
Ranma turned around to return to his kata only to face Cologne.
"Woah!" He stumbled back a bit in surprise. "Don’t do that to me, mother."
Cologne frowned. "I and Nodoka cannot both be your mother."
Ranma sighed. "Yeah. I know. You’re my mother, the only one I
recognize as such. I didn’t think that meant I couldn’t call her ‘mom’
though."
Cologne smiled. Ranma still didn’t want to see them harmed. "It
doesn’t. I just wanted to make sure you understand the oath you took, son."
Ranma nodded. "I understand, mother. But I would prefer not to tell
Mrs. Saotome that she is no longer my mother."
Cologne nodded. "Just so long as you understand, Ranma." After a
moment, she continued, "So, how would you like to learn some new
techniques?"
Ranma bowed. "As you wish, mommy," he said with a smile.
Cologne chuckled.
ßà
Nabiki rubbed the sleep from her eyes and re-read the passage in the
Joketsuzoku law book. It was the section that was used to make Ranma an
Amazon.
From what she’d read, there were only three ways anyone could become
an Amazon: be born into it, like Shampoo and Mousse; marry into it, like
Akane had; or be adopted. She was interested in the requirements for
adoption.
To be adopted, one had to swear off all prior commitments of honor,
just as Ranma had done. Everything from his promise to his mother, to his
engagement to any woman, even to any debt he’d owed Nabiki were now
basically null and void. She could probably still convince Ranma to pay his
debts, but she’d been planning to erase them as a wedding gift anyway.
Point in fact, that meant Ranma wasn’t a Saotome anymore. The oath he
was required to live by demanded that he give up any commitments to his
birth family. He didn’t even have to address them as mother and father
anymore.
He also had to give up any victories. He could no longer claim his
triumphs over anyone; Kuno, Shampoo, Herb, Saffron, or any of the others
whom he’d bested in combat. If asked about them, he had to say he didn’t
defeat them. That would be a challenge on Ranma’s part.
Adopted Amazons also had to spend anywhere from one to five years in
Joketsuzoku training. This was to be decided by the adoptive parent, in
Ranma’s case Cologne. Ergo, Ranma was going to China for a year. In fact,
marrying an Amazon didn’t require moving to China; Akane could stay if she
wanted. Of course, knowing Akane, she couldn’t stand to be away from her
husband for that long. She’d go with Ranma.
The section Nabiki was re-reading however dealt with the third
requirement. According to the paragraph she was reading, a person to be
considered for adoption had to be facing or have faced some kind of deadly
situation that was unjustly applied to them, for example, an abused child.
Ranma easily qualified. Between Genma throwing his son to a pit of
cats, the promise to commit seppuku to Nodoka, and Ryoga and Kuno
continually attacking him, Cologne had ample reason to adopt Ranma.
Nabiki sighed and put the book down. This wasn’t some ‘too good to be
true’ pipe-dream Cologne had offered. Becoming an Amazon was like declaring
bankruptcy. Ranma had had to admit he needed help with his situation and
ask for it, and in exchange he was given a ‘clean slate’. He no longer had
any of the commitments, nor any of the rewards.
That was a lot for Ranma to have done. More that Nabiki’d thought him
capable of. Ranma hated admit any weakness and loved to brag. She wondered
for a moment if Ranma could follow through with that.
Nabiki sighed and turned out the light. Her family was still at the
Saotome’s house giving Ranma and Akane Tendo some privacy. Nabiki had a lot
to think about concerning her new brother-in-law.
ßà
Akane and Ranma-chan walked side-by-side to Furinkan the next morning.
Akane was again acting angry.
As they neared Furinkan Akane asked. "So what’s our family name?"
Ranma-chan blinked. "Huh?"
Akane grumbled. "Am I Akane Saotome, are you Ranma Tendo or is it just
Ranma and Akane now?"
Ranma-chan chuckled. "Oh that. When I became an Amazon, I became just
Ranma. When we married, I took your family name."
Akane sighed. "Let’s keep this marriage quiet. The last thing I want
is for Kuno to find out about this."
Ranma-chan sighed, but nodded. "All right." She turned the corner onto
Furinkan and commented, "Speaking of the Blue Blunder..."
Kuno stood just behind the gate, waiting for his pigtailed goddess and
Akane. "Pig-tailed girl! Akane Tendo! My loves!"
Akane growled, "Go away Kuno! I don’t want to date you! I don’t want
to marry you! I don’t even like you! I love Ranma!"
Ranma-chan blinked. She hadn’t expected Akane to say that in public,
especially considering how angry Akane seemed.
Kuno, of course, ignored both Akane’s statements and her obvious
hostility. "No! It is Saotome’s fowl spell that keeps us apart. Never fear!
I, Kuno Tatewaki..."
He was interrupted when Akane decided she’d heard enough. She started
venting some of her anger on Kuno, pounding him repeatedly.
Eventually, Ranma-chan had to pull Akane off. "That’s enough, Akane!
He’s unconscious already!"
Akane was still shaking with rage. "LET GO OFF ME!"
Ranma-chan did so. Akane stomped off to class, leaving Ranma-chan
frowning in confusion.
ßà
Nabiki frowned, momentarily pausing in her sale of information on
Furinkan’s most famous couple, as she saw Akane stomp into the school
building. She had really attacked Kuno and then turned her back on her
husband as if she was angry with the world.
Turning back to the task at hand, she decided to edit what she had
been planning to say. If Kuno found out about there marriage, he would,
unquestionably, challenge Ranma. That was very likely to get him seriously
hurt, more so than usual. And just imagining the disaster that would happen
if Kuno found out Ranma became an amazon, and therefore no longer engaged
to anyone, was enough to send a shiver down Nabiki’s spine. Time for some
damage control.
To start with, she had to make up something neutral, yet truthful,
about Ranma and Akane. Something that wasn’t likely to get her best
customer admitted to the hospital.
ßà
By lunch time everyone was talking about Akane’s earlier declaration.
Akane was still quite grumpy, but she wasn’t taking it out on her friends.
Ranma on the other hand was sitting a good distance away, still quite
confused by Akane’s anger.
About halfway through lunch one of the walls crumbled, and in stepped
Shampoo. She quickly found Ranma and stepped up to him. "Nihao,
great-uncle," she said without emotion.
Ranma shook his head. "Call me Ranma, Shampoo."
All others in the room stopped talking. Something had happened to
Ranma and everyone wanted to know what.
Shampoo said, "Great-grandmother want talk to Ranma and great-aunt.
You stop by Nekohanten after school, yes?"
Ranma nodded. "I will."
Shampoo noticed his emphasis. She smiled wickedly, like a cat who’d
just caught a mouse. "Ranma find out pervert girl not nice-nice like
Shampoo?"
Ranma glared at Shampoo. "You will give her the amount of respect she
deserves, Shampoo. Now, you have delivered your message, right?"
Shampoo nodded, still smiling wickedly, but saying nothing.
Ranma continued, "Good. Go tell mother I will meet her after school at
the Nekohanten. Now."
Shampoo bowed and took off.
As she headed off, Ranma called. "Oh, Shampoo? Use the doors, please.
You disrespect these people otherwise."
Shampoo straightened and then nodded, heading toward the door. She
opened it and walked out.
Ranma slumped as though he’d just come out of battle. As Cologne’s
son, he was considered Shampoo’s ‘elder’, and so was Akane. As Shampoo’s
elder he could demand her respect and chastise her actions, but Shampoo
obviously wanted to be difficult. Hopefully, Shampoo wouldn’t travel with
them when they go to China; she was bound to be a pain for a long time to
come.
Hiroshi asked, "Uh, Ranma?"
Ranma responded. "Yeah?"
Daisuke asked, "Why’d Shampoo call you her great-uncle?"
Hiroshi added, "And whose this great-aunt?"
Ranma sighed and put his head in his hands. This was not something he
wanted to explain.
Sayuri asked Akane, "What did she mean by you not being as nice as
her?"
Some boy asked, "Hey, if Ranma’s Shampoo’s great-uncle then her
great-aunt would be Ranma’s wife, right?"
Yuka’s eyes widened. "That’s right! That’s why you’re so upset isn’t
it Akane? Ranma got married!"
Hiroshi overheard. "You got married?!" he asked Ranma. "To whom?"
Daisuke added, "And why didn’t you invite us?"
Akane exploded at Yuka. "No! I’m not upset with him because he got
married!"
Again everyone was silent. You could here a pin drop as everyone
digested the fact that Ranma was indeed married.
Ranma was the first to break the silence, muttering to himself, "Oh
man, this day just keeps getting better and better." It was quite obvious
he was being sarcastic.
A heartbeat later everyone was asking whom Ranma married.
Akane sighed. Ranma obviously wasn’t going to answer; after all, she’d
asked him not to tell anyone about their marriage and so he wouldn’t. She
answered her friends softly. "Ranma and I got married Saturday after
school."
Again the room was filled with silence for a moment.
This time Kuno broke the silence. "No!! I, Kuno Tatewaki, will not
allow this travesty!" He immediately started attacking Ranma.
Ranma for his part, backed away. Just like the time Happosai had
‘trained’ Kuno, Kuno was going all out. Ranma had been taken off guard and
was having problems dodging all of Kuno’s strikes.
Ranma didn’t have to worry for long, however. Shortly after Kuno
started attacking Akane pulled out her mallet. She smashed Kuno over the
head. "Leave" Another swing "Us" And another "ALONE!!!"
Everyone in the room started filing out, deciding that staying could
be hazardous to their health.
Akane stood over a quite unconscious Kuno, her mallet still raised,
ready to attack again if Kuno twitched.
Ranma cautiously approached and took Akane’s mallet out of her hands.
"He’s out cold, Akane. Thank you."
Akane turned on him. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She then turned her back on
him.
Ranma sighed but walked out of the room. On the way, Nabiki, the only
other person in the room, smiled. As he passed her, she reached out and
squeezed his arm, whispering, "I’ll talk to her, brother-in-law."
Ranma just nodded and left.
Nabiki approached her sister from behind. "My, my. Aren’t we the
little hypocrite?"
Akane turned on Nabiki, still angry. "What are you talking about?"
Nabiki didn’t flinch. "Here you are, Akane, all upset because you’ve
finally got what you wanted. Heck, you were even asked if you wanted to
marry him, right?"
"So?"
Nabiki explained, "Well, let’s see. When you two got back from
Jusendo, what’s the first thing that you did to him? Oh yeah, you nearly
forced him into marrying you without once asking him if he wanted to marry
you. You and father bribed or threatened him into it. So exactly how is
what he did worse?"
Akane shook her head some more. "But he should have asked first! And
now I’m going to have to go to China for a year."
"And how much different is that from what you were doing?" Nabiki
asked. "If you had married him then, you were pretty much forcing him to
live his life the way you wanted; staying at home, helping you raise your
kids, and running the dojo. You wanted him to do that for the rest of his
life. By moving to China for only a year, you’ll live life the way he lived
before arriving here; improving your skills for the sake of the art. After
that you’ll probably live life the way you want to with him."
Nabiki shook her head. "Besides, you don’t have to move to China; only
Ranma does. Marrying into the tribe doesn’t require that you make that
trip. Then again, do you really want to send your husband into a village of
women warriors alone?"
Akane blinked. "I don’t have to? But..."
"But what, Akane. Cologne and Ranma have assumed that you won’t want
to let him go to China alone. Tell me the truth Akane. Would you want to be
separated from your husband for a year?"
Akane shook her head. "No." She continued, "But he still should have
told me!"
Nabiki nodded. "Yeah, probably. But if I remember correctly, you burst
in on him and Cologne not five seconds after he’d become an Amazon, so even
if he’d wanted to tell you about it, you forced their hands."
Akane still looked unhappy, so Nabiki continued, "Besides, like you
told daddy, think of your trip to China as an extended honeymoon." She
winked mischievously. "God only knows, you two need one."
Akane blushed, unable to respond.
The school bell rang, letting everyone know lunch was almost over.
Nabiki smiled at Akane. "Come on, sis. We don’t want to be late." She
hurried off to her class.
Akane took a deep breath, kicked Kuno again for good measure, and then
left for her class. She had a lot to think about.
ßà
Ranma entered the Nekohanten and immediately looked for Cologne.
"Mother?"
Cologne hopped out from back. "Hello, son." She motioned for him to
sit at a booth. "I heard about the incident with Shan Pu."
Ranma sighed. "I just wish Shan Pu would get the hint. I mean what
more do I have to do, before she figures out I don’t love her."
Cologne smirked. "Trouble with your wife?"
Ranma nodded. "Akane’s still pissed because she thinks I’m draggin’
her off to China. I’m a little worried, mother. She’s never held a grudge
before."
Cologne sighed. "True, though I suspect that should she find out about
P- chan, she would hold one against Ryoga. And you."
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, probably. I’ve got some ideas on how to deal with
that, without havin’ Akane blow up again, but first I’ve gotta get her to
forgive me for this."
Cologne nodded. "Do you need some advice?"
Ranma shook his head. "No. This is a problem between me an’ her right
now. I’ve gotta try to straighten this out on my own. ‘Sides I think she’s
just as upset with you as with me."
"If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask me for help, son. I have got
three hundred years of experience after all."
Ranma nodded. "I won’t. But I really outta try doin’ this by myself
first, you know?"
Cologne nodded.
"So what did you want to speak to Akane and me about?"
"I have though about what Mrs. Saotome had said. I understand the
importance of the ceremony and was going to set about preparing for one,
but..."
"Akane really oughta be here for that. I’ll talk to her, and try to
stop by tomorrow, mother."
Cologne nodded. "That will be fine, son. Do not worry about it."
Ranma nodded and stood. "Then, I’ll see you tomorrow, mother." He took
a deep breath. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, if I don’t get back soon, Akane
might try cooking."
Cologne laughed. "All right. I shall see you tomorrow, son."
ßà
Konatsu frowned as he carefully picked the lock on Ukyo’s bedroom
door. When she’d gotten back from school today, Ukyo had run up to her room
and locked Konatsu out. That was an hour ago. He was starting to get
worried.
With a click, the door was opened. Konatsu pushed the door ajar just
enough to see inside. Ukyo was crying on her bed. The rest of the room
looked like it was in shambles.
Konatsu slipped inside silently and hid himself. Ukyo would be very
angry if she caught him in her room, but he was worried about her reaction
to Ranma’s marriage.
Lately, she had been acting more and more unstable. The stress caused
by the competition over Ranma had been wearing her down. Her attack on
Ranma and Akane’s wedding was a symptom of that breakdown. After Ranma and
Akane had announced their marriage, Konatsu had half expected her to try
killing Ranma. Thankfully she hadn’t; after her initial attack, she’d been
too shocked to do much of anything.
However, Ukyo wasn’t recovering; instead, she’d basically shut down.
She hadn’t eaten anything since, and hadn’t spoken to anyone as far as
Konatsu knew. He’d even followed her to school today, to keep an eye on
her. He was starting to worry that Ukyo might take her anger out on
herself, since she couldn’t bring herself to take it out on Ranma or Akane.
Thankfully, he’d thought to remove every bladed object from her room
already.
Ukyo’s form shook as a brand new wave of tears struck. Konatsu felt
like weeping himself. All he wanted to do was comfort the beautiful woman
before him, but she wouldn’t let him do that.
The only thing he could do was make sure she didn’t kill herself.
ßà
Ranma sighed as he walked slowly home on the fence. He wasn’t looking
forward to going home to Akane. She was acting really strange.
The hairs on the back of his neck stiffened, warning him of danger.
Ranma back-flipped, remaining on the fence and turned to face his
opponent(s).
A split second after he’d jumped, a katana sunk into the fence.
Drawing his blade back, Kuno Tatewaki turned to face Ranma. To make matters
worse, just behind him stood his sister, Kodachi.
Kodachi called, "Is what my brother says true, Ranma-sama? Are you
truly married?"
"Yes," Ranma answered. "I married Akane Saturday."
Kuno sneered, "Never shall I allow such a vile sorcerer as yourself to
defile the virtuous Akane!!"
Kodachi shook her head as she stepped in front of her brother. She
pulled out a bouquet of black roses and placed it in her brother’s face,
paralyzing him. "Be quite, brother-dearest." She turned to Ranma. "Have you
and Tendo-san," she spat out the name as though a curse, "consummated?"
Ranma nodded still on guard.
Kodachi could feel her heart shatter. "How could you, Ranma-sama?! Why
her, of all people? Why did you choose such a low-born, underdeveloped..."
Ranma interrupted, "Because I love her, Kodachi. That is why I have
forsaken my family, all my victories, everything. Because I love Akane."
Kodachi’s eyes widened when he said he’d forsaken his family. "You...
are not Ranma Saotome?"
Ranma shook his head. "No. I am Ranma of Joketsuzoku, Ranma Tendo by
marriage to Akane."
Kodachi closed her eyes. "Why? Why could you not have become a Kuno?
With me?"
Ranma answered, softly. "Because I do not love you, Kodachi. And I
would dishonor you if I married you."
Kodachi turned around unable to face him. "Go. Go home to your wife,
Ranma- sa... Ranma."
>> for proper honorific use it would come out better as either:
>> Ranma-sa...n or Ranma-sa... Ranma-san.
>> Or even bigger change Ranma-sa... Tendo-san.
>> -san indicates no closeness or familuarity.
Ranma sighed but took of toward the Tendo dojo.
Kodachi watched him leave. Ranma
never turned around.
Kodachi felt a tear make its way slowly down her cheek. She hung her head.
With a heavy sigh, she looked back up at her still immobile brother.
Kodachi smiled. "You hear that, Ranma. I DO NOT LOVE YOU!" She
laughed. Not her usual cackle, but an honest good-humored laugh.
When Kodachi recovered, she turned to look her brother in the eye
again. "Come, brother-dearest. I have much to do and cannot let you attack
Ranma again." She pulled out her ribbon and wrapped it around Tatewaki’s
form. She tossed him back toward the Kuno mansion, and followed, leaping
from rooftop to rooftop.
ßà
Ranma shut the gates to the Tendo dojo with a sigh. He was starting to
get truly sick of the Kunos. Worse he hadn’t figured out how to deal with
Akane.
He froze as he entered the main room. There Akane sat, watching TV
with P- chan in her arms. thought Ranma.
Akane smiled when she noticed her husband. "Look, Ranma! P-chan came
back!"
"Oh, joy," replied Ranma emotionlessly. "Uh... Akane. Since... um...
since we’re goin’ to China in a month, don’t you think we oughta do
something with your pet pig. I mean, I doubt we’re gonna be able to get him
through customs. ‘Sides, don’t forget what Shampoo did to him before she
used that memory technique on you; we take P-chan and he’s liable to wind
up someone’s lunch."
Akane frowned. "And whose fault is that?!"
P-chan snarled at Ranma, but didn’t leave Akane’s arms.
Ranma sighed. "Look, Akane. I’m sorry about that already. If it’s
really that big a deal you can stay here."
"No. I’m not going to let you leave me for that long. It’s just that I
hate being taken from my family and friends."
Ranma smiled. "I understand that, Akane. Believe me, I don’t like been
taken from people I care about neither." After a moment he continued, "But,
back to P- chan, I think we oughta find a pig-sitter."
Akane frowned, "Why couldn’t we just leave him with Nabiki or Kasumi?"
Ranma shrugged. "I suppose, but I didn’t think your sisters really
liked him that much. Besides, I was thinking more along the lines of Akari
Unryuu."
Akane blinked. "Akari?"
Ranma nodded. "Sure. Think about it. Who’d be better suited to take
care of a pig than a pig-farmer?"
Akane thought about it for a moment but then relented. "I suppose
you’re... right." She cringed, thinking,
Ranma smiled and then headed into the kitchen. The rest of the Tendo
family would be returning tomorrow, so there was no one else to cook.
Akane followed shortly after. "Make sure you make something for
P-chan, baka."
Ranma frowned. "Akane. If you are gonna let Akari take care of P-chan,
dontcha think it might be better if you weren’t so affectionate. I mean it
might make the transition a little easier for him."
Akane glared. "That doesn’t mean we can’t feed him, Ranma."
Ranma acquiesced. "All right, all right. I’ll fix him something."
Akane sighed and left. When she got back to where she left P-chan, she
sighed again. P-chan had run off, again.
ßà
Akane growled at Ranma, "You’d better not just dodge me this time,
baka!"
Ranma-chan responded. "Fine. Just don’t expect me to hit you."
Akane attacked. "How" jab "am I" kick "supposed" punch "to improve"
jab, jab "if you" roundhouse "won’t" kick, kick "fight back?!" kick, jab,
roundhouse
As Akane recovered from her roundhouse, she saw Ranma-chan’s fist
speeding toward her face. She knew she couldn’t block it and closed her
eyes.
Only to feel a tap on her nose. She opened her eyes to see Ranma-chan
smiling. "I just said I wasn’t going to hit you. I never said I wouldn’t
attack." She then winked.
Akane blinked, and was about to start laughing when Ryoga entered the
dojo. He looked mad. "RANMA!!! PREPARE TO DIE!!!!!" He immediately attacked
Ranma- chan.
Ranma-chan fell back under Ryoga’s assault, evading all of his blows.
"What the hell do you think I did this time?!"
Ryoga growled, "You’re dragging Akane of to China against her will!
And you have the nerve to ask me what you did?!"
Ranma defended himself. "Hey, she don’t gotta go! If she’d coming with
me, it’s cause she wants too!"
Ryoga snarled. "And why would she do something like that?!" He kicked
again, and again Ranma just dodged.
Akane interrupted. "Because I married him!"
That stopped Ryoga, mid-punch. "Wh... what?"
Akane restated, "Ranma admitted that he loved me and then we got
married."
Ryoga’s eyes widened. "When... when did this happen?"
"Saturday afternoon," Akane answered.
Ryoga was too stunned to react for a moment. Then he managed to turn
to face Ranma-chan, his body still locked in its position.
Ranma-chan stood there ready to defend herself against Ryoga.
Eventually, Ryoga’s hand dropped to his side. When the bombed wedding
happened, he promised himself that he would go find Akari, though no one
else knew that. He hadn’t planned on showing up as P-chan; he’d been
watered down by that old lady washing her sidewalk. It was time to admit
defeat.
"Congratulations, to both of you." Ryoga smiled, hiding his pain.
Ranma-chan responded, "Thank you." She didn’t drop out of her
defensive posture.
Akane also said, "Thank you, Ryoga," and smiled.
"So what’s this about going to China?" Ryoga asked curiously.
Akane explained, "In order to marry me, Ranma had to become a Chinese
amazon, which means he’s got to go to China for a year, and I’m going with
him."
Ryoga blinked. "Wait-a-minute. What’s this about him becoming an
amazon?"
Ranma-chan answered, "Cologne adopted me. I’m now her son."
"So, what’s that mean? You aren’t doing something with Shampoo are
you?" Ryoga asked.
"No! I’m not doin’ nothing with Shampoo." Ranma-chan stated. "It means
I ain’t Ranma Saotome any more. Prior to marryin’ Akane, I didn’t have any
fiancées; I gave up all my obligations to Ukyo, Shampoo, Akane, everyone.
In fact, as far as everyone’s concerned, I ain’t never beaten you Ryoga."
Ryoga blinked. "You gave up all your obligations? But... what
about..." Ryoga turned and looked nervously at Akane.
Ranma-chan smirked. "I ain’t plannin’ on sayin’ anything, but don’t
tempt me, Ryoga."
Ryoga nodded, but said nothing.
Akane looked at Ranma-chan and Ryoga alternatively for a few moments
before she shrugged off their odd behavior. "You two aren’t keeping
something from me I should know about are you?"
Ranma-chan answered, "Nah. Ryoga’s just got this thing he’s really
embarrassed about and doesn’t want me telling everyone. It’s kind of like
my ailurophobia. I had promised I wouldn’t tell no one, but since I became
and amazon, that promise don’t exist anymore."
Ryoga was horrified for a moment when Ranma started explaining, but
caught on. he thought.
Akane blinked. "Oh! I take it this includes not telling me?"
Ryoga nodded. "Yeah. I don’t want anyone else knowing about my
weakness. It’s bad enough Ranma knows," he finished with a snarl.
Ranma-chan stuck her tongue out at Ryoga.
Akane shook her head, unsure of whether to be amused or ashamed of
their actions. Still, Ryoga’s weakness wasn’t any of her business,
especially if Ranma knew already. "Well, just make sure you tell Akari
before you marry her." She then turned back to Ranma-chan. "Now if you’ll
excuse us, my husband and I were sparring."
Ryoga sighed but said nothing. Instead, he turned and left as Akane
attacked Ranma.
ßà
Late that night, Ranma and Akane were snuggling in bed after their
love making.
Akane said, "Ranma, I want to apologize."
Ranma frowned. "What for?"
Akane explained, "For being such a pain lately. I’m still upset about
what happened, but I should have forgiven you sooner. I’ve done worse to
you, and you’ve never held a grudge."
Ranma hugged Akane closer. "It’s okay, Akane. If you’ve finally
forgiven me, then I forgive you. I know I should have asked you, but you
didn’t give me much of a chance."
"I know." Akane smiled. "I really do love you, baka."
"I love you too, tomboy."
ßà
Akane sighed as she walked onto the school grounds and held Ranma’s
hand, saying wistfully, "I’m going to miss this place when we leave."
"I won’t. I never did like school," Ranma said.
"Oh, my goddess of the hunt, I shall save..." Kuno said before being
interrupted by Ranma’s foot.
"There will be some things I’ll be happy to get away from," Akane
giggled. "Well, at least whatever our lives will be like, we’ll be
together." She gave Ranma’s hand a loving squeeze. "The next time you have
a decision that affects both of us, you better talk to me about it first."
"Sure." The two newlyweds entered the school.
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