(Steve Stachowicz)
gerrek@hotmail.com
(Matthew Frey)
mafrey@charter.net  

Webpage: http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/shores/2307
        
        
        
                          SWORDS OF DESTINY CHRONICLES
        
                                      By
        
                              Eric Thorsen and Stacko
        
        LEGAL STUFF:
        
        ** The characters and concepts used here are the property of those people and companies 
holding the copyrights to the respective storylines, series, and movies. The only exceptions are 
those created by the demented minds of authors of this story. The use of this material should be 
seen as the sign of respect that it is. Besides, suing either of us would be a waste of time since we 
don't have any money to begin with.
        
                          *****************************
                                  WILD STALLION
                          Swords of Destiny Chronicle 6
                          *****************************
        
        
        Scott sighed, mopped the sweat off his face, as he finished putting his sword display in its 
new position. As he stepped back to admire his work, Hotaru came into the shop carrying the 
mail she had collected for him while he was in Hawaii.
        
        "You moved that!?" she asked in surprise, staring at the heavy stand in disbelief. "I 
thought it was permanently installed."
        
        "No, just very, very heavy," Scott replied with a laugh. "Is that the mail?"
        
        "Umm… yeah, it looks like bills, a lot of letters from Woods Hole Oceanographic 
Institute and… What's this?" Hotaru said in confusion. "The name is Japanese, but why would 
someone from Japan be in Sweden?"
        
        "Sweden?" Scott jumped up and grabbed the letter from her hand, apologizing when he 
saw her startled expression. Tearing the envelope open, Scott read the beginning of the letter and 
chuckled.

        "What's so funny?" Sasami asked as she came into the shop and nodded to Hotaru in 
greeting. Glancing at the envelope on the counter, she raised an eyebrow when the name 
registered. "Who's Miyuki Nashimoto? Is that somebody I should know about?"

        "Miyuki Nashimoto is my daughter," Scott said, laughing when both girls gasped in 
surprise. "Oh not really, but I happened to have adopted her a little while ago, after I moved back 
to Japan last year, and I worry about her sometimes… especially since she went away to college."

        "If you think you can just leave it there Scott, you better think again," Ami growled as 
she came in the room catching the last part of what Scott said, her eyes sparkling with suppressed 
annoyance at his casual attitude. "Who is this 'daughter' of yours and why is this the first time I'm 
hearing about her? You don't 'just happen' to adopt someone and I don't think I like the idea of 
another girl my age in your life." Scott stared at Ami for several second and then started laughing 
again at the jealous expression on Ami's face.

        "Jealousy doesn't suit you Ami," He said once he could talk again. Smiling at her 
confused expression, he continued. "If anyone, you should be looking out for yourself, rather than 
suspecting me. You're more Miyuki's type."

        "You mean she’s a… a…" Hotaru stuttered to a stop, blushing at her thoughts. "I mean, 
she's like Haruka and Michiru?"

        "Yes Hotaru that's exactly what I mean," Scott replied seriously. When they all gave him 
demanding looks he sighed and threw up his hands. "Alright, I'll tell you all about her, since it's 
obvious that I'm not going to get any more work done until you know everything. Close up the 
shop and then come upstairs Hotaru, I'll explain about Miyuki over tea." Hotaru ran and did as 
she was asked, and was upstairs before Scott came into the living room with the tea tray. After 
Ami had poured four cups of tea; Scott sat back and took a sip.

        "As I said, I met Miyuki last year, just after I moved to Japan again to be close to Sasami. 
She quite literally fell into my life…"
        
                           ################################
        
        Scott sighed in relief as he put the last of his antique swords on the massive sword stand, 
and stepped back to admire his work. He'd finally moved into the shop the day before, and this 
morning his first shipment antiques had arrived along with the sword stand he'd used in his last 
three shops. He smiled at the way the shop looked and chuckled when he remembered how 
helpful Nobuyuki had been when he had shown him how much renovation the shop he'd bought 
needed.

        Two days later Nobuyuki had come home from work with three concept sketches of the 
proposed renovation, and after Scott had chosen the idea he liked, come back with plans for the 
job. Scott had been about to hire a contractor, when Washu overruled him, insisting that he let her 
do the work. Three days later she had told him the work was done and, amazed, Scott had gone to 
Tokyo to inspect the premises. Everything had looked perfect to him at first and he'd dialed the 
shrine to congratulate Washu on an excellent job when he'd noticed that the display room was a 
little dark for mid-day. Looking up he'd laughed when he saw that she'd forgotten something. In a 
very serious tone he asked to speak to Washu, prayed that he could avoid laughing when he 
talked to her.

        "You really didn't need to thank me on your first day there," Washu told him smugly 
when she came on the line. "But I am willing to accept any abject worship that's on offer."

        "I'll keep that in mind," Scott snorted. "If I'm ever in a worshipful mood that is. Right 
now though, I'm in more of a 'where the hell is my skylight' kind of mood."

        "Where the…what?!"

        "My skylight Washu," Scott said, grinning at her confused tone. "There's one on 
Nobuyuki's plans, but the shop is distinctly lacking in that feature. What happened? I thought you 
were perfect."

        "Where was the skylight supposed to be, what shape, and how big?" She replied, 
becoming, suddenly, very business like. "Was it tinted? And if so what color and how dark?" A 
strange beeping sound could be heard from her end, but Scott ignored it and took his cue from 
her.

        "Square, six and a half feet to the side, centered on the ceiling of the display room," he 
replied. "Grey photoactive tinting from clear to 75% tint." The last was an addition he'd wanted to 
make but been convinced he couldn't afford. The beeping from Washu's end grew louder 
suddenly, and Scott jumped when he noticed that the room was brighter. Looking up in shock, 
Scott stared at the skylight that now graced the ceiling of his shop in amazement. Thanking 
Washu quickly, he hung up and went back to his inspection tour, looking for anything else he 
might have missed on the first inspection.
        
        
                              #########################
        
        "So what does that have to do with Miyuki?" Hotaru asked, confused.

        "Don't change the subject Scott," Ami said, glaring pointedly at her boyfriend. "Just 
answer the question."

        "If you'll be patient, I will," Scott replied smiling at her impatient expression, and Sasami 
giggling at what Scott said to Washu. "Anyway, I unpacked for the rest of that afternoon. It was 
about five o'clock when Miyuki dropped in…"

                               #########################

        Scott went up to his apartment and made himself some dinner, sighing in relief when he 
found the bottle of wine he needed for it in the first crate he opened. Sitting down, he was about 
to start eating when he heard the sound of shattering glass from the shop below. Swearing, he 
gathered his sword from the corner where he'd put it after coming upstairs, and drew it as he 
slipped quietly to the ground floor. Glancing into the display room, he swore when he saw the 
huge amount of glass that was laying everywhere, realizing he'd have to ask Washu to replace the 
skylight. After making sure no one was lurking in his workshop, he went into the display hall to 
see what had happened. What he saw there caught him by surprise.

        Lying in one of the unfinished display cases near the sword stand was a young boy, 
unconscious. Sending his sword into subspace, Scott checked the boy for injuries and, finding 
none except for some bruises, carried him up to the spare bedroom in his apartment. After doing 
his best to make the boy comfortable, Scott went down to the display room looking for any clues 
as to what had happened. After a fruitless search, he decided that his only hope was to wait for 
the kid to wake up and hope he could fill in the missing details.

	Two hours later, Scott looked up from his laptop when he heard movement in the guest 
room. Saving his marketing plan, he walked over to the doorway to check on his patient. As he 
came to the door, he heard the boy muttering about 'Akane' and ‘an uncute tomboy’.

	"Glad to see that you're awake," Scott said with a smile, but the only response he got was 
a low groan. Grimacing in sympathy for the pain the kid must be experiencing, Scott went to his 
bathroom, collected a bottle of pain killers, and brought his patient a glass of water to down them 
with. After his guest had taken the pills, Scott helped him sit up.

 	"Where..."

	"Are you?" Scott supplied, grinning when he nodded. "Don't worry about the cliché. 
You're in an apartment in Juuban. You're pretty lucky to be alive too."

	"What... What do you mean?"

	"When you came through the skylight downstairs, you almost impaled yourself on a 14th 
century Spanish rapier." When the boy stared at him in shock, he chuckled. "Do you have any 
idea how you got here?"

	"All I can really remember is talking to a friend of mine when my fiancée started yelling 
at me and the next thing I know, I'm flying through the air toward what, I guess, was your 
building. But how could I almost impale myself on a sword?"

	"The skylight you fell through is directly above the display room downstairs," Scott 
explained. "I just finished a display of antique swords this morning and you came down about six 
inches away from that rapier. My name is Scott Schwartzstern by the way."

	"Ranma Saotome," Ranma replied uncomfortably. Scott smiled at his discomfort and 
nodded.

	"Well, Ranma Saotome, why don't you take a shower to get the rest of the glass out of 
your hair and I’ll work on making us some dinner." Ranma nodded and followed Scott to the 
bathroom, started stripping down as Scott went back to the kitchen.

	Scott had started a pot of ramen and was trying to figure out what to serve along with it 
when he heard a shrill feminine scream from the bathroom. Summoning his katana, Scott ran to 
the doorway, and then stopped short when he saw a naked young female shivering in the 
bathroom. Whirling around, he cleared his throat.

	"Umm, are you okay Ranma?" He asked uncomfortably. "What happened in there?"

	"Th...that w...w...water was f...f...f...f...freezing!" the girl replied through chattering teeth.

	"I guess the water heater still needs some work," Scott apologized, trying to hide his 
confusion, and then shrugged slightly. "Why don't you put on that robe that's hanging on the hook 
behind the door and come out to the kitchen. Dinner's almost ready."

	The girl said something that sounded like agreement and Scott went back to serve the 
ramen and rolls that he'd decided on. Once the food was served, he put it on a tray, and carried it 
to the table, then sat waiting for Ranma to come out. Five minutes later Ranma hesitated on the 
threshold, then sighed and came all the way into the room.

                             ##########################

	"Hold on, I thought you said 'Ranma' was a boy?" Hotaru interrupted, confused. "Where 
did this girl come from?"

	"That was Ranma," Scott replied, chuckling when the three girls stared at him. "I'll try to 
explain it as best I can..."

                             ##########################

	After they had been eating in silence for ten minutes, Scott looked up from his meal and 
smiled at the single-minded way the girl across from him was demolishing her food. As if she felt 
his eyes on her, Ranma paused and looked up at him questioningly.

	"What?"

	"Nothing, just wondering if you'd like to talk about why you looked like a boy when you 
got here and you are obviously a girl now."

	"Ummm..." Ranma began uncertainly.

	"Why would a girl who obviously could have any guy she wanted, try to make herself 
look like a guy," Scott said musingly, then glanced at her questioningly. "Care to explain?"

	"I don't want any guys," Ranma replied in disgust. "What are you, sick?"

	"Ah... That explains it," Scott said, coming to a conclusion. "Would I be correct in 
assuming that you would prefer a girl?"

	"Yeah...I mean... what do you care?"

	"Don't worry about it Ranma," Scott chuckled. "So who's Akane?"

	"My fiancée," Ranma grumbled, surprising Scott.

	"How old are you Ranma?" Scott asked.

	"Umm... seventeen," She replied shyly.

	"And you're engaged, and unless I miss my guess, to a girl? How did that happen?"

	"My pop set it up," Ranma replied, obviously annoyed. "He didn't even ask me if I 
wanted to be engaged."

	"Ouch, an arranged marriage too?" Scott murmured sympathetically, and then stopped 
when he realized something else. "Wait a second, why would your father arrange a marriage for 
you with another girl? How does he expect to pull that off?"

	"I don't know," Ranma replied uncomfortably. "It's not like I want to be engaged to that 
uncute tomboy. She's nothing like what I would have chosen."

	"It's obvious that your only problem with the arrangement is that she isn't cute," Scott 
noticed with a wry grin.

	"Well... I..."

	"Don't worry about it Ranma," Scott said reassuringly. "Not everyone fits society's idea 
of normal, but there's nothing wrong with being different. Just with how we react to it. So relax, 
I've been around too long for anything to surprise me." He got up and turned on the electric kettle 
sitting on the sideboard. "Cocoa or tea?"

	"Cocoa please, I don't really want tea right now," Ranma said and blushed at the way that 
sounded. Scott smiled and got two mugs from one of the boxes, and rinsed them out. After 
scooping the cocoa into them, he added two tablespoons of sugar to each of them. When the 
kettle clicked off, Scott poured the boiling water into each mug, and then added generous lashings 
of milk to each. Walking back to the table, Scott didn't notice that the rug under the table had 
been bunched when the table had been put in its place, and tripped over the raised edge of the 
carpet.

	The instant she saw what was going on, Ranma dove under the table to avoid the spray. 
Unfortunately for her, even though she wasn't hit immediately, the tide of cocoa hit the 
centerpiece, and changed direction, and the slightly cooler flow poured down on top of her head 
as she came out from under the table. It was still warm enough though.

	"Ra...Ranma?" Scott gasped in surprise, as his guest grew six inches and changed hair 
colors again.

	"Yeah, it's me," Ranma mumbled, embarrassed. "Sorry about this."

	"So when did you go to Jusenkyo?" Scott asked, grinning when Ranma stared at him in 
shock. "I assume it was Jusenkyo, since that's the only place in existence with this particular 
effect. At least I hope it's the only one."

	"Umm...it was almost a year and a half ago," Ranma replied, shocked by Scott's 
immediate acceptance of the curse. "My pop took me there without really knowing what it was, 
and then like a couple of idiots, we completely ignored the guide's warnings. It was only a matter 
of time before we both fell in."

	"Hmm... rough justice, even if you were partly to blame," Scott murmured. "So you fell 
in the spring of drowned girl obviously... but which one did your father fall into?"

	"Spring of Drowned Panda," Ranma said, smiling when Scott got a vicious grin on his 
face.

	"Well it seems life is fair sometimes after all," Scott laughed, then gave Ranma a 
reassuring look when he looked at him questioningly. "Be glad you fell into one that leaves you 
in a human form. At least people don't immediately assume that you're a dumb animal. It must be 
rough on your dad, but from the little you've told me, he deserves it. So what's the deal with your 
fiancée problem?"

	"Fiancée problem?!" Ranma growled in annoyance. "The arranged marriage isn't the half 
of it. Not satisfied with getting me engaged before I was born; pop agreed for me to marry a 
different girl nearly every three months it seems. Besides taking me on a 10 year training journey, 
he's traded me for food on more than one occasion and made it impossible for me to see my mom 
as myself since I got back."

	"How did he do that?" Scott asked in surprise "Keep you away from your mom I mean?"

	"Oh, I've seen her since I got back, but she didn't know it was me," Ranma admitted, then 
cringed at the surprised look on Scott's face. "She's only seen me in my cursed form, and until I 
get cured I can't see her as myself. Cold water is every where."

 	"What does that have to with it?" Scott said in surprise. "I'd think she would want to see 
you, even with your curse, after 10 years."

	"I would, if it weren't for the stupid oath my dad made me sign when I was six," Ranma 
sighed, his annoyance obvious. "My mom didn't want to let us leave, but, when it was obvious 
pop wouldn't give up the idea, she gave him an ultimatum. If he were going to take me away from 
her for so long, he would sign an oath that if I did not return as a man among men he would 
commit seppuku. My dad changed it though. He set it up that both of us signed the oath. Now, he 
keeps telling me that if she ever finds out about the curse we'll both have to commit seppuku."

	"Ouch, no wonder you've been staying in your cursed form around her," Scott exclaimed 
with a shudder. "Since you obviously went on the trip, the oath must be in force, though I doubt 
your mom would hold you to it in this case. It's not like you can control the change after all."

	"Yeah, but I don't remember my mom all that well, and my pop acts like she might 
actually make us do it if she catches us. He remembers her better than I do, so I don't want to risk 
it."

	"That might be a good idea," Scott conceded, thinking. "In your father's case though, he's 
probably right. Your predicament is his fault in a way, and even if she doesn't hold you to that 
oath, she could still hold him to it. All in all, I wouldn't suggest letting her know where he is yet."

	"No kidding," Ranma laughed. "I just wish I could talk to her about stuff. I mean she 
could probably tell me how to fix this fiancée problem with out hurting them too much, and there 
are a lot of things about my female form that I can't talk to my dad about."

	"Ah... girl stuff," Scott said sagely. "Sorry Ranma can't help you there. I've avoided being 
engaged for most of my life, so I can't really tell you how to get out of one honorably. I can give 
you a ride back to wherever you're staying though. I'm sure they are wondering where you are by 
now, and besides, I have a feeling I want to talk to your dad for a bit."

	"What for?"

	"Somebody needs to," Scott replied seriously. "It's obvious that he's going to continue 
destroying your life unless he's stopped."

	"Why should you care?" Ranma demanded defensively. "You didn't even know that I 
existed until I fell through your skylight."

	"Very true," Scott agreed easily. "But once I'm made aware of a problem this serious I 
can't just let it lie. I have to do something; it’s sort of my personality."

	"Like what?" Ranma barked. "What makes you think that he would even listen to you?"

	"You might have a point..." Scott muttered to himself. "Okay Ranma, you know him 
pretty well, what would be the best way for me to get him to listen to me?"

	"Unless you challenged him, he'd ignore you completely." Ranma grumbled. "He doesn't 
recognize any authority except for someone who beats him."

	"He's that thick headed huh? But if he's that arrogant, why would he listen after I beat 
him?"

	"If you could he might... But I wouldn't count on winning though. My dad is pretty good. 
Only Happosai and I have beaten him, and Happosai is out of town."

	"I guess I'll have to change that then.”  Scott said as he stood up.  He was about to say 
‘Let's go’, when he realized that Ranma was still in his robe.  “You might want to change back 
into your clothes, if you need a set, I can spare you one?”

	“That’s all right.”  Ranma said as he went back to the bathroom to change into his clothes 
again.  After he was changed, he met back up with Scott by the door to the apartment.

	"When do you plan to fight my dad?" Ranma asked as they walked down the stairs. 
"Maybe you should spar with me tomorrow before you challenge him. That way I can tell you if 
you stand a chance."

	"You're pretty arrogant yourself Ranma," Scott growled mockingly, and then smiled 
when Ranma glanced at him uncomfortably. "If you think I need to spar with you before I 
challenge your dad, I guess I'll wait. So where am I taking you?"


	"Nerima," Ranma replied, slightly relieved, as they came up to Scott's Mini. "We're 
staying at the Tendo family's dojo." Scott nodded, and then drove toward the other district, 
following Ranma's directions once they were close by. A short time later, he pulled up in front of 
the dojo.

	“Would it be okay if I came in?" Scott asked as Ranma got out of the car. "I'd like to at 
least meet one of your Fiancées."

	"No problem, just be careful," Ranma replied. "I get ambushed around here a lot." Ranma 
opened the gate and led the way toward the house. They had almost made it to the steps when 
Scott felt the hair at the base of his neck stand on end, and dove to the side. Two foot-long steel 
spikes buried themselves in the wall where his head would have been. Cursing viciously, Scott 
summoned his sword from subspace and stayed in a defensive crouch. Ranma whirled around 
angrily and glared at the man standing at the top of the gate.

	“Mousse, you moron, that wasn't me, put your glasses back on!" After the young man had 
his glasses on, he jumped and gasped when he saw that he had attacked a European.

	“My apologies sir, I couldn't see clearly." Mousse blurted apologetically.

	"So I noticed," Scott said with a smile. "No harm done though." Scott looked at him for a 
short time then spoke to him in Chinese. "Why would a male Jyoketsuzoku be in Japan though? I 
thought the Elders had decreed that the males were to remain in the village."

	"The Matriarch gave me permission to pursue my fiancée to this land."

	"Then why are you assaulting outsiders?" Scott asked curiously. "I doubt the Matriarch 
would be pleased if she knew about it."

	"But... She does... How does an outsider know of these things?" Mousse demanded 
defensively. "Who are you?!"

	"I am Aki-Ra of the Jyoketsuzoku, and the eldest member of the clan," Scott replied, 
amused by Mousse's reaction. "You would be Mu-Tse, a descendent of Chav-Fom, correct?"

	"How..."

	"I know this because you use the hidden weapon techniques of his family. You were 
saying that the Matriarch knows what you are doing. How is that possible? You are here and she 
is in Qinghai, isn't she?"

	"Matriarch Kho-lon is here in Nerima honored elder," Mousse replied, suddenly realizing 
that there was only one way Scott would know all of these things. "Are you Aki-Ra the chosen?" 
The awed expression on his face was comical.

	"What are you guys talkin' about?" Ranma blurted in confusion. "Do you know each 
other or somethin'?"

	"In a way Ranma," Scott replied, giving Mousse a cautioning look. "Mousse and I were 
only discussing why he is here."

	"Oh he's one of the guys that want to kill me over one of the girls I'm engaged to."

	"This would be your fiancée, Mu-Tse?” Mousse nodded and Scott chuckled. “Seems like 
you have a valid grievance then. How can Ranma satisfy your honor?”

	“Hey, wait a second here, why do I have to satisfy his honor?” Ranma protested, 
annoyed. “I didn't do nothin' to him. I beat Shampoo in a fair fight.”

	“Ahh it all becomes clear,” Scott said, understanding the situation, then thought of 
something. “Which form were you in when you beat this girl?”

	“I was female, why? What difference does it make?”

	“It makes a difference, believe me.” Scott replied. “And when did this happen?”

	“Over a year ago honored elder,” Mousse supplied. Scott stared at him for several 
seconds then frowned.

	“Inform Kho-lon that Aki-Ra is coming later to discuss a matter of dishonor with her,” 
Scott said in Chinese, glaring down Mousse's question. Mousse bowed silently in acceptance and 
jumped over the wall.

	“Man, what did you say to him?”

	“Just gave him a message for a mutual friend,” Scott said his expression bland. “How 
long has that been going on?”

	“Almost nine months,” Ranma admitted with a shudder. “He's been attacking me and just 
about everyone else ever since he got here.”

	“Why everyone else?”

	“He usually can't see them 'cause he's not wearing his glasses

	“I can see how that would be a problem.” By this time, the pair was at the front door, and 
Ranma opened it, announcing his arrival. As they walked into the lounge, a young girl charged at 
Ranma yelling, “Ranma you jerk, where have you been!” Scott stared as an irate brunette 
attacked Ranma.

	“Akane, will you cut it out?” Ranma growled. "You’re the one who sent me to Juuban." 
The girl stared at him in shock until Scott cleared his throat.

	"Oh my, we have a guest," A taller young woman said, coming into the room with an 
apron on. "Ranma, who is your friend?"

	"Oh this is..." Ranma stuttered to a stop, Scott's name slipping his mind. At a pleading 
look from Ranma, Scott finished for him."

	"Scott Schwartzstern Miss, I'm the owner of the shop where Ranma crash landed."

	"Oh my, I hope nothing was damaged."

	"Not really, were in the middle of renovations," Scott assured her. "Ranma was very 
lucky when he landed though."

	"Lucky?" A man asked as he entered the room. He resembled the two girls enough that 
Scott decided he was their father. "How do you mean?"

	"Mr. Tendo, if Ranma had landed eighteen inches to the right, your daughter Akane 
would be on trial for murder." The man's shocked expression told Scott that he'd gotten his 
message across. Akane was another matter.

	"Why would I be on trial? What did I do?"

	"You, Miss Tendo, knocked Ranma flying through a skylight and into a room where 
several extremely sharp weapons are on display. Eighteen inches away from where Ranma landed 
I had just set up a rack of fourteenth-century swords. If he had landed on them, he would most 
likely be dead right now."

	"But that was his fault."

	"Did he ask you to knock him flying? Did he order you to knock him out?"

	"N...No."

	"What right do you have to say these things?" Soun demanded, angry at the tone Scott 
was taking with his daughter.

	"Someone has to Mr. Tendo. If your daughter doesn't learn to control her temper, she will 
kill someone."

	"Ranma, you jerk!" Akane yelled pulling a mallet out of thin air and started chasing 
Ranma around the yard. Scott stared after them, and then swore softly when Akane missed and 
destroyed a stone sculpture. Summoning his katana, Scott moved toward the path they were 
taking. Ranma and Akane ran by, and Scott brought his sword down on the handle of her mallet, 
cutting it cleanly.

 	Akane swung what was left of her mallet and fell over, unbalanced by the change in it. 
"Wha...What?" She gasped staring at the cut off end of the handle.

	"Miss Tendo, I will say this one more time. You must learn to control your temper. One 
day you will attack someone and no-one will be able to stop you from killing them. Didn't anyone 
ever teach you that the martial arts are only for defense?"

	"Of course they did!"

	"Then you obviously didn't learn the lesson," Scott replied flatly. "If you can't learn it, 
you have no business learning an art that gives you access to hammer space.  Seems I’ll have to 
have a word with your Sensei along with Mr. Saotome.  This kind of thing cannot be allowed to 
continue.  You’re a menace to everyone around you." 

 	As Scott said these words, she gasped and then glared at Ranma. Scott glared at her and 
then saw a bright red glow appear around Akane and swore as he realized what it was.  “Great 
move Scott just had to antagonize another high powered martial arts, didn’t you?”  With a sigh, 
Scott banished his Katana and prepared himself for the attack he knew was coming.  He didn’t 
have to wait long.

	With an incoherent snarl, Akane launched herself into a vicious attack which Scott 
managed to block, using some of the techniques he developed over the centuries he spent with the 
Nashimoto’s.  Blocking the girl’s punches repeatedly, Scott began to notice that her inability to 
hit him only made her angrier, and as her temper went out of control, her attacks became even 
wilder.    Sensing his opportunity, Scott grabbed her over extended arm and flipped her through 
the air into the Koi pond.  She came up spluttering and gaped at Scott.

	“Now that you have cooled down, you must learn to control your anger, Akane Tendo.”  
He said solemnly as she made her way out of the water.  “If you allow it to rule you, it will 
always lead to your defeat.”

	“And you are, young man?”  Soun asked, his mustache almost standing on end from what 
he saw.

	“I am sorry for not introducing myself earlier; my name is Scott Schwartzstern, sir.”  
Scott replied with a slight bow.

	“As you probably figured out, my name is Soun Tendo, owner and Sensei of this Dojo.”  
Soun said a little startled by what Scott had done.  “What are you doing here?”

	“He was just bringing me back, Mr. Tendo.”  Ranma explained simply.  “I crashed 
through his skylight earlier today.”

	“Apparently, Mr. Tendo, your daughter Akane was responsible for Ranma’s crash 
landing.”  Scott said with an angry look at Akane.  “She’s not entirely to blame, but if Ranma 
hadn’t been extremely lucky, he would have died.”  Akane looked on in horror as an older girl, 
who had just entered the yard, gasped.

	“What … what do you mean?”  The girl asked staring at Ranma.  “What happened?”

	“Uhh …” Ranma started saying but really didn’t know how to tell Nabiki what happened.

	“When Ranma landed, he just missed impaling himself on a sword display I had set up.”  
Scott explained grimly to Nabiki.

	“And how is Akane responsible for that?”  Nabiki asked.

	“She’s the one that knocked me flying.”  Ranma finished for Scott.  “I was asking Ukyo 
about an assignment I missed because of that loser Kuno, and Akane started yelling at me for 
‘Flirting’ with Ukyo.  Next thing I know, I’m flying towards Schwartzstern-san’s skylight.”

	“Ranma you …” Akane began angrily, only to be stopped by a flare of electric blue light 
from Scott.

	“Mr. Tendo, for your daughter’s safety and that of those around her, I would suggest that 
you teach her to control her temper.”  Scott bit out with a glare at the girl.  “And if you can’t, find 
someone who can before she kills somebody.”  Without waiting for a response, Scott turned and 
went back to his car.  As he drove off, he swore at himself for almost losing his own temper, 
something he hadn’t done in over 2000 years.

		~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Light flashed off his sword blade as Gerrek Bontrager circled his opponent warily, 
expecting an attack at any minute.  Several seconds later it materialized and Gerrek parried it, but 
not well enough.  The sword slapped down on his wrist and in a fury, Gerrek ignored the sword 
masters command, attacked in retaliation.  His opponent backed away in surprise as he continued 
to attack.

	Suddenly he felt a searing pain in his arm and heard a sickening crack as a practice blade 
came down on his sword arm.  His sword fell from his hand as he stared at his broken arm and 
then looked up into the outraged face of the sword master.  Gerrek bowed his head in shame as he 
realized what he’d done.

	“Prince or no, Planetary Knight or no, I will not have a student of mine flying into 
mindless rages.”  Master Hayden growled, his dueling scars standing out brightly.  “You have 
until your arm heals to learn that control is stronger than fury.”  With that, he turned back to his 
other students and ignored Gerrek as he slowly walked from the room, cradling his broken arm.

		~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Scott sighed as he came back to his building, and then smiled when he saw that there was 
a message waiting for him.  Expecting a call from the Misaki Shrine, he was surprised to hear an 
unfamiliar voice.  After hearing the message out, he pressed the repeat button and listened to the 
message carefully.

	“Hello Mr. Bontrager, I’m calling to inform you that Mr. Seeger will be unavailable for 
the next month.”  The woman started.  “I will be taking over his duties in the interim.  Please call 
me to arrange a meeting.”  

 	She gave a phone number that placed her in Juuban ward and hung up.  Scott chuckled at 
the uncertain note in her voice as she’d asked for the meeting.  He didn’t blame her for being 
uncertain, due to the fact that Scott knew about his Watcher and to let him know what was going 
on.  Dialing the number, he listened to it ring.

	“Moshi Moshi, Saotome residence.”  A woman’s voice answered.

	“Hello Ma’am, this is Gerrek Bontrager.”  Scott replied.  “I’m calling as you requested, 
to arrange our meeting.  Would tomorrow about one o’clock be alright?  That way we can meet 
over lunch.”

	“That would be fine, Mr. Bontrager.”  She replied a little surprised.  “I look forward to it, 
but where shall we meet?”

	“Someplace nearby, I think.”  Scott replied, naming a restaurant.  After she agreed, they 
hung up and Scott went back to unpacking.

				*	*	*	*	*

	Scott drove his vintage Mini up to the entrance to “Monterey Bay Canners’, a restaurant 
that looked a little out of place on the Yokohama coast road.  The building was forcefully 
American in design, so much so that Scott had to remind himself to speak Japanese.

	“May I help you sir?”  The perky young hostess asked as he came into the restaurant 
lobby.

	“Yes you may, Kimiko-chan.”  Scott replied, reading the name on her tag.  “My name is 
Schwartzstern, and I have a reservation for two in a private room.”

	“Of course sir, your party has not arrived yet.  Would you like to wait inside?”

	“If it’s all right?”  Scott said, returning her smile.  “Might I have a plate of rolls while I 
wait?”

	“Absolutely sir.”  She said, bowing as she left.  A short time later, she returned and led 
him to his private room.  After she left, a young woman in traditional clothing entered with his 
rolls, set them on the table, and left silently.  Ten minutes later, the hostess ushered his guest in 
and bowed herself out.

	“Mrs. Saotome, I presume.”  Scott said, rising to his feet and bowing.  As she returned his 
bow, he observed a bound bundle on her back that he recognized as a Katana in its traveling case.

	“And you are Mr. Bontrager?”  She asked curiously, examining him.  Taking the 
opportunity, he looked her over as well.  

	She was tall for a woman in Japan, about 5’ 7” tall.  She looked to be in her late thirties 
or early forties with no gray in her hair.  It was her eyes that surprised him; they were a startling 
blue that he’d only seen once before, though he couldn’t remember where at the moment.

	“I am.”  He replied, motioning to a cushion across the table from him.  “Please, sit.  Is 
there anything in particular you would like or would you rather I ordered for you?”

	“If you would, my only preference is something that is grilled rather than fried.”  Scott 
nodded, and when the waitress returned, ordered grilled fish and clam chowder as a started with 
more rolls.  After the young woman left, he turned back to find Mrs. Saotome staring at him.

	“You have some questions?”  Scott asked.

	“Yes I do.  Just how old are you, Mr. Bontrager?”  Mrs. Saotome replied.

	“Please, call me Scott.”  Scott requested, wincing when she called him that.  “The name 
you’ve been using brings back some bad memories.  As to my age, I’ll be 2022 this year, give or 
take a couple of years.”

	“Why give or take a couple of years?”  She asked.

	“Year zero is still debatable.”  Scott said smiling.

	“Amazing.”  She replied, shaking her head.  “You look almost the same age as my son, 
Ranma, would be.”

	“Your son, Mrs. Saotome?”

	“Please, since you are my Elder, call me Nodoka.”  Nodoka said, smiling at how strange 
that the fact seemed.  “My husband and our son left on a training journey almost eleven years 
ago.  My husband was never much for writing, but he normally sent me status reports every six 
months.”

	“I take it from your wording that he hasn’t done so lately.”  Scott pointed out.  “If you 
don’t mind my asking, can you think of a reason he would stop?”

	“Other than their sudden death, which doesn’t bear thinking of, the only reason I can 
think of is something happening to our son.”

	“Like what?”  Scott asked, trying to draw her out.

	“I don’t know.”  She sighed, obviously worried.  “You must think me very foolish.”

	“Only concerned.”  Scott said with an assuring smile.  “Can you think of any other reason 
he would stop writing without anything happening to either of them?  Some reason he would be 
afraid of you finding him? Or them?”

	“Not rea …” Nodoka stopped, a realization coming into her eyes.  “The oath …” She 
whispered.

	“What oath?”  Scott asked, sounding surprised.  Nodoka looked a little guilty, and then 
glanced up at him in surprise.

	“Why have I been talking to you about this?”  She gasped horrified.  “This wasn’t what I 
intended at all.”

	“I’m sorry if you feel it was wrong for me to ask that.”  Scott apologized.  “I only have 
one question before we change the subject though.”

	“And that is?”

	“If something beyond their control endangered this oath you mentioned, would your 
husband tries to hide from you?”  He asked, watching for her reaction.  She considered the question 
for several seconds, and then nodded.

	“Yes he would, for fear I would hold him to it.”  She admitted softly.

	“And would you?”

	“It would depend on what it was.”  Nodoka replied grimly.

	“What about your son?”

	“That was Genma’s addition to the oath.”  Nodoka growled before she remembered who 
she was talking to.  “I could hardly hold Ranma responsible for something his father forced on 
him at the age of six, especially if it was beyond his control, it would not be just.”

	“I agree.”  Scott replied, nodding.  “Now you said that you weren’t intending to talk 
about this, so why don’t you tell me why you asked for this meeting.”

	“I don’t really know.”  Nodoka said uncomfortably, shifting in her seat.  “Al had to go to 
Sweden for a month and asked me to take over his duties with you.  What I don’t understand is 
why he told me to meet with you as soon as possible.  It’s almost against regulations.”

	“The reason is that Al and I have a different relationship from most Immortals and 
Watchers, since I obviously know I’m being watched, but I’ve known that for several centuries.  
What makes us different is that Al doesn’t try to hide from me, and I don’t try to hide from him.  
It makes things much easier for both of us.”

	“It’s still strange.”  Nodoka replied shaking her head.  “But then someone senior enough 
to be watching an Ancient Immortal probably has a lot of leeway in how he does his work.”


	“Please, I am old, but don’t call me ancient.”  Scott groaned.  “It makes me feel like I 
should be a fossil in a museum.”

	“I apologize.”  Nodoka said contritely.  “Well, do you have anything interesting to 
report?  Any kills lately?”

	“I haven’t had a kill in almost two hundred years.”  Scott laughed, and then shifted to a safer 
topic when the waitress entered with their food.  After she left, he kept conversation on safe 
ground for the rest of the meal.

				*	*	*	*	*

	With a sigh, Scott got out of his mini and rang the bell at the Tendo’s gate, smiling with 
the eldest girl from the other day before answered.

	“Hello Miss Tendo,” He said, bowing as required.  “Is Ranma home yet?”

	“Oh, yes Mr. Schwartzstern.”  She said smiling sincerely.  “He’s waiting for you in the 
Dojo.”

	“Thank you, Miss Tendo.”  

	“You’re welcome, but please, call me Kasumi.”  She replied.  “It’s strange for someone 
to call me Miss Tendo.  No one else does.”

	“Of course, if you would prefer that.”

	Kasumi smiled and nodded, and then led the way to the Dojo.  After thanking Kasumi for 
her help, he knocked on the door frame, and then entered the Dojo.  Ranma was in his cursed 
form and involved in an intricate pattern attack on an imaginary opponent as Scott watched 
amazed.  He noticed the blending and combination of attacks from different schools and styles.  
One particular technique caught Scott’s attention, and as Ranma repeated it, he smiled, realizing 
that someone had taught him some of the Jyoketsuzoku secret techniques.  Techniques that were 
restricted to the tribe on pain of death for whoever was caught teaching them to outsiders.  
Whoever was after Ranma, they had made a serious mistake somewhere.  Since Scott was 
preoccupied with thoughts of this meant to help the situation, it was a few minutes before Ranma 
noticed that Scott was there.

	“Oh hi.”  Ranma greeted Scott, smiling in welcome.  “Are you sure you want to do this?  
There’s really no reason you should challenge my pop.”

	“Are you saying that he’ll listen to me if I don’t?”

	“No but …”
	
	“Then let’s get on with this.”  Scott said firmly.  “Someone has to make your father see 
reason.  If he won’t listen to you, I guess I’m nominated.”

	“Okay, it’s your funeral.”  Ranma said, giving up.

	She bowed and then while Scott was still bowing, launched an attack.  Ranma expected 
Scott to at least lose his balance as he had to deal with the unexpected attack, but Scott simply 
wasn’t there when Ranma’s attack arrived, and Ranma had to dive away to avoid Scott’s counter 
attack.  They circled each other for several seconds until Scott launched another attack, raising 
the stakes a little.  Ranma’s eyebrows went up and she responded with an escalation of her own, 
amazed when Scott responded in kind.

	Thinking to gain the advantage, Ranma took to the air, but Scott smiled and adjusted his 
defense.  Again they were at a stalemate and their attacks became more and more complex as the 
fight continued.  Scott smiled when Ranma began using the Jyoketsuzoku secret techniques, and 
his grin got wider when Ranma saw the he was countering them.  A little confused, Ranma 
backed off a little and noticed the grin.

	“What’s so funny?”  Ranma asked.


	“I’m just wondering who taught you the Jyoketsuzoku secret techniques.”  Scott 
answered; laughing when he saw Ranma’s amazed expression.  “I told you, I’ve been around.  
Anyway, I need to know where to find them.”  Scott signaled an end to the fight and Ranma 
relaxed.

	“Uhh, Cologne and Shampoo own a café here in Nerima.”  Ranma replied, confused.  
“Why do you want to find them?”

	“I need to find out if they have some information I’m looking for.”  Scott said evasively.  
When Ranma looked at him expectantly, he sighed and then shrugged.  “Alright, I’m trying to do 
some research on a possible cure I’ve heard of for your condition.”

	“A … a cure?”  Ranma gasped.  “No more curse?”

	“I don’t want to get your hopes up, but if I’m right, you won’t have to worry about that 
oath anymore.  Not that you had anything to worry about.”

	“What do you mean?”

	“Don’t ask me how, but I ran into your mother earlier today.”  Scott admitted, and then 
tried to reassure Ranma.  “Don’t worry; I didn’t tell her about your problem or that I even knew 
you.  But from things she said, I gather you don’t have anything to worry about.  Your father 
might, but I think it should be safe to visit with her somewhere on neutral ground.  You can use 
my place if you like.”

	“I’ll think about it.”  Ranma said finally, after thinking about the offer.  She gave Scott 
directions to the Neko-Hatten and let him out of the front gate.  Before Scott got into his car, he 
stopped and turned back to Ranma.

	“So what’s the verdict?”  Scott asked curiously.  “Will I be able to beat your father?”

	“Sure, if he can’t get away.”  Ranma answered honestly.  “I still think you should wait 
though.  Pop is very good at escapes.”

	“I’ll just have to make sure that he can’t go anywhere.”  Scott decided, and then 
shrugged.  “Oh well, if you decide that you want to meet with your mother, just give me a call 
and I’ll set it up.”

	Ranma accepted his card, and then Scott drove away.  Ten minutes later, he pulled up in 
front of the Neko-Hatten.  As he got out of his car, he smiled as he recognized some of the 
architecture in the building.  Walking up to the door, he opened it and walked in.  The café was 
full of customers and Scott smiled when he saw the waitress.

	“Welcome to Neko-Hatten.”  She said leading him to a table.  “Shampoo take your order 
now, yes?”

	“That’s alright Xian-pu.”  Scott replied in Chinese.  “I’m here to speak to Kho-lon.  
Please tell her that Aki-Ra is here.”

	“Why do you want to see her?”  Shampoo demanded in the same language.  “My great-
grandmother is very busy.”

	“Just tell her I’m here.”  Scott sighed.  “I’m sure she’ll want to see me.”

	Shampoo looked at him for several seconds, and then shrugged and went into the back.  
She could be heard talking to someone for several seconds.  When the other person yelped and an 
instant later an old lady came out of the kitchen with Shampoo right behind her, and ran directly 
to Scott’s table.

	“Well, Aki-ra, I see you haven’t changed much.”  She said looking him over.  “Mu-Tse 
said you wanted to talk to me.  So what do we owe the honor of this visit?”

	“Why have you been teaching an outsider the secret techniques, Kho-lon?”  He asked 
pointedly.  Shampoo stared at him in surprise, waiting for her grandmother to put him in his 
place.  She didn’t.

	“Who are you speaking of?”

	“Ranma Saotome.”

	“Ah, but you see, he is not an outsider.”  Cologne replied with a smirk.  “In his female 
form, he defeated Shampoo, then again in his male form, which makes him a member of the 
tribe.”

	“Then why is she trying to force him to marry her?”  Scott demanded angrily, glaring at 
the older woman, who to Shampoo’s surprise bowed her head in shame.  “The Law is very 
specific about this.  No member of the tribe shall be forced into marriage by another member of 
the tribe.”

	“You and I both know that was a protection for the sisters of the tribe.”

	“Maybe.  But it says a member of the tribe, and your grandmother made the males 
members of the tribe shortly after I arrived.  So you can stop trying to convince me that the law 
doesn’t apply to males.  It doesn’t wash with me.”

	“Great-grandmother, who is this man?”  Shampoo demanded, amazed that the Matriarch 
was letting a mere male talk to her with such a lack of deference.  “Why do you let him talk to 
you like this?  You are the Matriarch.”

	“Because I’m her Godfather and she doesn’t have a choice,” Scott said with an amused 
smile.  “It doesn’t surprise me that she is the Matriarch though.  I could see that coming when she 
was three years old.”  Shampoo stared at him in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing.

	“Stop teasing the child Aki-ra.”  Cologne replied severely, and then smiled.  “I gather 
from your questions that you have an interest in Ranma Saotome, why?  Is he one of the Chosen?”

	“Not that I’m aware of.”  Scott replied warily.  “That is neither here nor there however.  
I’m sorry Kho-lon, but unless Ranma agrees of his own free will, I can not permit Xian-pu to 
continue courtship.  As the oldest member of the Jyoketsuzoku, it is my right.”  Shampoo stared 
at Scott for several seconds, and then gasped as Cologne bowed in acceptance.

	“As you wish, Elder.”  The old woman said in resignation.

	“But Great-grandmother …”

	“Hush child, Aki-ra has only set conditions on the courtship that restore our honor and 
that of the Jyoketsuzoku.  I would be foolish to override him.  You may still marry the young man 
my dear, it must simply be his choice now.  Remember, however, no coercion of any kind is 
permitted.  I will not have a member of the tribe behaving like that scoundrel, Happosai.  Is that 
understood?”  Shampoo nodded reluctantly and Cologne turned back to Scott.  “Is there anything 
else Aki-ra?”

	“I need to know if the tribe is aware of a cure for the curses of Jusenkyo.”  Scott replied, 
smiling when Cologne blinked.  “I’m positive I read something about it in one of the histories, 
something about Yvarlin finding one.”

	“I know of the history you speak of.”  Cologne said nodding.  “However that procedure is 
not precisely a cure, which is why I hesitated to use it in Saotome’s case or my great-grandchild.”

	“What do you mean?”

	“It merely divides the original and cursed form into two individuals.”  Cologne 
explained.  “The record said that the original form was completely intact, but the cursed form ran 
off and was found dead several days later.  We don’t know what memories if any reside in the 
cursed fragment.  It could have none at all, it could be the one with the memories, or …”

	“Or?”

	“Or the memories could be duplicated, in which case, you would be sentencing him to a 
life in a female body at the same time you free him from his curse.  It was because of that 
uncertainty that the Jyoketsuzoku haven’t used that procedure anymore.”  Cologne finished.  
“That last way was why I hesitated to use it.  Ranma deserves the right to choose, if that is the case 
and I was looking for subtle methods that could be used without causing him undue suffering.”

	“I will ask him.”  Scott decided, deep in thought.  “Do you have everything the procedure 
calls for if he decides to go through with it?”

	“No, but it should only take two weeks to gather those I do not have.  I will begin 
preparations after we close.  Do you still have that incense burner?”

	“Yes.”

	“I will need that.”

	“Okay, I’ll bring it.”  Scott said and then smiled.  “But do not think that separating his 
forms will remove his protection in the law.  As he is a member of the tribe now, both he and his 
female twin will be members of the tribe afterward.  And you can also forget any idea you have 
of Shampoo killing the girl.  We both know that if both the warrior and she who defeated her 
expend their best efforts and both survive for a year, they are both accepted into the tribe.”  
Cologne nodded.  Her look of consternation comical, as Shampoo stared at this man who knew 
their law and overruled her great-grandmother.  Scott gave her a card and asked her to call when 
everything was ready.

	As he drove back to his shop, Scott mused about how time passed so quickly and the 
changes it made in everyone he knew.  With a sigh, he climbed out of his car and went into the 
shop to finish the work he’d planned for the day, hoping there wouldn’t be anymore interruptions.

				*	*	*	*	*

	After the Neko-Hatten had closed upped, Shampoo went over to her great-grandmother to 
find out about the person who had visited them earlier in the day.

	“Great-grandmother, who were you talking to?”  Shampoo asked.

	“I figured you would want an explanation.”  Cologne said and smiled when Shampoo 
nodded her head.  “You remember the stories about the ‘Chosen Ones’?”

	“Yes.  They’ve been known to show up in our village from time to time.”  Shampoo 
started saying, then realization dawns on her.  “He’s one of them, isn’t he?”

	“Very good, yes he is.”

	“But why is he your ‘God-father’?”

	“Do you remember the story of the berserker that almost eliminated our village?”

	“Yes.  Wasn’t it because of that person we had to review our laws regarding outsiders?”

	“Yes, that person.”

	“But what does that have to do with calling that ‘Chosen One’ Godfather?”  Shampoo 
asked in confusion.  Cologne just looked at her.  “You’re saying that the berserker and the 
Chosen One is the same person.”

	“Yes I am.”

	“But why are you being friendly with him after what he did?”

	“There are two reasons.  The first is because we started it.”

	“What do you mean?”

	“Tell me, what would you do if someone killed the man you were going to marry before 
you got married, right before your eyes?”

	“I would kill the person responsible.”  Shampoo said angrily, but then realized what 
Cologne was getting at.  “You mean …”

	“Yes, we killed his fiancée and it hit him pretty hard, considering that was the third 
fiancée he had that got killed in front of him before he got married.”  Cologne said, and Shampoo 
gulps at that realization.  “He had taken out over half the village before we stopped him.”

	“What was the second thing?”  Shampoo asked, dreading the answer.

	“He was there to help my mother give birth to me.”

	“What happened?”  Shampoo asked with surprise at what Cologne said.

	“My mother was very pregnant with me when he attacked.  He chased my mother until 
the ground gave out from under them.  In the chaos, my mother was able to kill him and then tried 
to get out of the cavern she was in.  But as she was wandering out, the ledge she was on, gave out 
from under her, but he had caught her before she fell to her death.  The shock of almost falling 
started the labor.  My mother was reluctant to let him help, but in the end, he helped.  To end it, 
he had a talk with the remaining Elders and was concluded that he had to stay for five years to 
help us, while we sent an apology to the girl’s family for what we done.  He was named my 
Godfather because he was there for the birth of me.”

	“Whoa.”  Shampoo said surprised at that realization.

	“Come childe, let’s finish closing up and I’ll tell you more about him.”  Cologne said.  So 
the both of them started to finish cleaning and locking the place up for the evening.  During their 
cleaning, Cologne had told Shampoo that there were only seven people around at the present that 
could defeat her, and Scott was one of them.  Shampoo was surprised at what her Great-
grandmother told her.

				*	*	*	*	*

	Scott worked for the rest of that day and slept peacefully.  After getting up and going 
through his morning workout, he went down to the shop and spent the entire morning sorting 
antiques and setting up displays.  He was almost done when he heard a knock at the front door.  
Looking through the glass, he saw that it was Ranma and opened the door.

	“What a surprise.”  Scott said, bowing.  “How was school today?”  His raised eyebrow 
indicated that he knew school wasn’t out yet.

	“Umm … I kinda got tired of waiting to talk to you about your offer.”  Ranma replied 
uncomfortably.

	“I’m not your father Ranma, so what you do is your problem.”  Scott chuckled with a 
shrug.  “You know where you should be.  Anyway, you were talking about my offer.  I assume 
you mean my offer to help you get in contact with your mother.  When and where?”

	“Hold on!  I still haven’t decided whether or not I want to do this yet.”  Ranma protested.  
“Are you sure she won’t make me kill myself if she finds out about the curse.  My pop was pretty 
upset when I told him what I was planning.”

	“As I told you when I mentioned it yesterday, I doubt you have anything to worry about, 
but I can’t say the same for your father.”  Scott explained, stressing the difference.  “The 
impression I got was that she might hold him responsible, even if it wasn’t his fault, probably 
because he forced her to let you go on the trip.”

	“You mean she would …”

	“Oh, she probably won’t make him kill himself.”  Scott reassured him with a smile.  “She 

will probably think his curse is punishment enough for his foolishness.  But it would probably be 
better not let her know where he is at for the moment.  We wouldn’t want her to do something 
she’ll regret later.”

	“How are you going to explain the fact that you know me and you didn’t mention it 
before?”  Ranma asked, relaxing some of his tension.  “She’ll probably ask you about it, and I’ll 
need to know the story.”

	“The best lies are 90% true.”  Scott said with a grin.  “After my conversation with her 
yesterday, you dropped in on me and I took you home, made the connection and offered to put 
you in touch with her.  You talked to me today and asked me to set it up.”  Ranma blinked and 
returned Scott’s grin.

	“Wow, that’s almost what happened.”  He blurted out in awe.  “When do you think she’ll 
be here?”

	“How about seven?”  Scott suggested with an ironic tone of voice.  “That way you can 
finish the school day and get your detention over with.  If you want, I’ll help you with your 
homework before she gets here.”

	“Thanks, but why are you helping me so much?”  Ranma asked, confused.  “You only 
met me a couple of days ago.”

	“Ranma, I know what it’s like to grow up without roots.”  Scott replied seriously.  “At 
times like this you need friends wherever you can find them.  I’d just like to be your friend.”

	“Why?”  Ranma demanded, appalled.  “I’m constantly getting attacked by crazy people.  
My dad sells me for fish and pickles, and I have four girls that think I’m their personal property, 
not to mention other girls who appear at random to demand that I marry them.  My life’s a 
disaster, why would you want to be my friend?”  Scott smiled at the depressed expression on 
Ranma’s face and touched his shoulder in sympathy.

	“Ranma, you know that none of that is your fault.”  Scott laughed, and then stopped when 
he saw Ranma wince.  “What’s wrong?”

	“Some of it is my fault.”  Ranma sighed, looking at the ground.  “I could at least have 
made a decision about those four girls.  It’s just that I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

	“The longer it goes on, the more likely they are to get hurt, Ranma.”  Scott said gently.  
“Don’t be too hard on yourself though, they would have been hurt even if you had broken it off at 
the beginning.  What you need to do is consider whether or not you want to continue any of the 
relationships you’ve got right now.  If you do, you’ve got some work to do, because from your 
descriptions, none of them are what I’d call healthy.”

	“I guess you’re right.”

	“Anyway, I’ll take you back to school now.”  Scott said, picking his keys up from the 
counter.  “You don’t have to make any decisions about your life immediately, just think.  I’ll call 
your mother after I drop you off.”  Ranma nodded and got into Scott’s car.

	After Scott had dropped Ranma off, he went back to the shop and dialed Nodoka’s 
number.

	“Moshi, moshi.”

	“Hello Nodoka, this is Scott Schwartzstern.”  He said in reply.  “I’m calling to find out if 
you would be able to come to my shop tonight around seven.”

	“Why?”  Nodoka asked in surprise.  “I thought you said you lead a quiet life.  What’s so 
important that we have to meet tonight?”

	“Well, this actually has more to do with you than me.”  Scott replied, giving her the story 
that he and Ranma had agreed on.  “He asked me to arrange the meeting since I know you a little 
better than he does.”

	“Ran … Ranma?”  She gasped, and then fell silent for several moments.  Scott waited 
patiently and smiled when she started speaking again.  “How do I get to your shop?”  After giving 
her directions, he hung up and was about to go back to organizing the shop when his phone rang 
again.

	“Schwartzstern.”

	“Beam me up Scotty, there’s no intelligent life down here!”

	“Still watching Star Trek too much I see Ziggy.”  Scott laughed, and then sobered.  “To 
what do I owe the honor of this phone call?  Is the world ending?”

	“Nothing all that dire.”  Kevin laughed.  “Or that honorable for that matter.  Just calling 
to welcome you back to the land of the rising sun.  If I can do anything to help, just let me know.”

	“I’ll do that.”

	“Well, I’ll talk to you later then, bye Scott.”

	“Later Kevin.”  Scott hung up and went to work.


				*	*	*	*	*

	Scott was waiting, as planned, outside the gates of Furinkan High School, when the 
students who had detention came out.  As the students filed past him, he was drawn to the sound 
of an argument at the school door.  He sighed when he saw that it was Ranma and Akane, he also 
noticed another girl with long brown hair, and what looked like a giant spatula strapped to her 
back, standing nearby with a satisfied smile on her face.  Grumbling to himself, Scott made his 
way towards the arguing couple and arrived in time to hear Ranma’s ultimate insult.

	“Listen you uncute tomboy, I am not going to Ukyo’s or to Shampoo’s tonight.  I’m 
going to meet someone vital to my existence.”

	“Ranma you jerk!”  Akane shouted and Scott swore as a mallet appeared in her hands.  
Summoning his sword, he cut the head of the mallet off as she brought it back to smash Ranma.  
Akane whirled around, and then stopped as Scott glared at her.

	“Miss Tendo, I believe we’ve had this discussion before.”  Scott growled as Akane 
lowered her head in shame.  “I’m beginning to think that you have something of a sadistic streak 
in you.  I doubt Ranma wants to have his skull crushed.”

	“No, Schwartzstern-san, he doesn’t.”  Akane sighed, and then became defensive.  “But 
why won’t he tell me where he’s going?  It’s my turn to cook tonight and I was looking forward 
to it.”  Ranma was signaling to Scott but he ignored him for the moment.

	“Well, if it means that much to you, I suppose that I can put in an appearance to sample 
your cooking.”  Ranma was trying to get his attention even more violently, but Scott was 
watching Akane.  “I get tired of eating my own cooking after a while.”  Ranma suddenly stopped 
signaling and slumped in defeat.

	“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble Schwartzstern-san.”  Akane said with a tentative 
smile.  “I’ll go home and get started right now.”  Without another glance at Ranma, she hurried 
home.

	“What do you think you’re doing?”  Ranma asked once Akane was gone.  “Didn’t you 
see me signaling you?”

	“Yeah, what was that all about?”  Scott asked.  “Who’s your friend anyway?”  When 
Ranma looked at Scott questioningly, the girl stepped up and bowed to Scott.

	“I’m sorry for not introducing myself, Schwartzstern-san.”  The girl said with a blush.  
“My name is Ukyo Kounji, and I’m Ranma’s cute fiancée.”

	“Ah, that explains a great deal.”  Scott said.  “Please to meet you Ukyo.  Now Ranma, 
why were you trying to get my attention?”

	“I was trying to warn you not to eat Akane’s cooking.”  Ranma explained.  “At its best, 
it’s inedible and some times it’s almost lethal.”

	“Come now Ranma, it can’t be that bad.”

	“Actually Schwartzstern-san, it’s worse.”  Ukyo put in with a shudder.  “Akane tries very 
hard, but Ranma-honey has gotten pretty sick every time he’s eaten her cooking.  Either she’s 
trying to poison him, or he’s right and her cooking is that bad.”

	“Hmm, not a pleasant thought.”  Scott said, shaking his head ruefully.  “Well, that’s a 
worry for later on.  We have an appointment in an hour Ranma, so we should be getting on our 
way soon.”

	“Can I come along?”  Ukyo asked suddenly, blushing when Ranma and Scott looked at 
her in surprise.  “I’m curious to what the big secret is.”

	“That’s up to Ranma.”  Scott replied seriously.  “This is his meeting.”

	“Umm … I don’t want to hurt your feelings Ukyo, but I’d rather not have anyone else at 
this meeting.”  Ranma said uncomfortably.  “I’ll tell you what it was about tomorrow though.”

	“Okay, Ranma-honey, but if I find out you told Akane before you told me. No 
okonomiyaki for two weeks, understand?”  Ranma nodded vigorously, and then followed Scott 
out to his car.  After a couple of minutes, Scott cleared his throat.

	“So that’s Ukyo.”  He said consideringly.  “I’ve met Akane already, so who, beside Xian-
pu, is in the running as a fiancée?”

	“Just this lunatic named Kodachi.”  Ranma said unhappily.  “She’s fixated on my male 
form and thinks my female form is trying to keep us apart.  If it wasn’t so personal, I would think 
the situation was hilarious.”

	“I can see that.”  Scott replied, forcing himself to stop the laugh he felt bubbling up.  
“Are you ready for this meeting?”

	“As I’ll ever be.”  Ranma sighed.  “I’m nervous, but more excited than anything else.  I 
can’t believe that I’m actually going to meet my mom as myself.  Are you sure about her reaction 
to my situation?”

	“I’m sure as I can be Ranma.”  Scott said as they pulled up at the shop.  “I could be 
wrong, but I don’t think I am.  Your mother feels that this oath isn’t binding on you since you 
were only six.”

	“Oh, that’s what you meant.”  Ranma said in relief.  “So because I was six, she won’t 
make me kill myself, but pop doesn’t have that protection.  I guess that’s fair, but I don’t want 
pop to die either.”

	“I doubt she’ll hold him to the letter of the oath once she knows the circumstances of 
your curse.”  Scott said reassuringly, putting his hand on Ranma’s shoulder.  “Now, show me 
your homework and I’ll see what I can do to help.”  Ranma nodded and for the next hour Scott 
introduced Ranma to the intricacies of algebra.

	After they finished, Scott left Ranma to practice his kanji while he prepared a light snack, 
and then tided the living room.  He had just finished when the doorbell rang and motioning 
Ranma to put his books away, went to answer the door.  Mrs. Saotome waited nervously outside.

	“Good evening Scott-san.”  She said a little breathlessly.  “Is … is he here?”

	“Yes, he’s upstairs and from the look of it, less nervous than you are.”  He replied, 
smiling when she blushed.  “Don’t worry so much Nodoka-chan; Ranma is very eager to meet 
you.”

	Nodoka brightened at that and followed him up to the apartment.  Ranma was standing on 
the other side of the dining table, when he saw his mother; he gave her a tentative smile.

	“Um …hi mom?”

	“My son.”  She said and walked over to him, smiling.

	Finally she extended her arms and Ranma stepped into her hug.  Scott smiled as he 
watched, and then brought the snacks in from the kitchen.  While they caught up on what had 
happened in the last eleven years, Scott sat by silently watching Nodoka.  As Ranma’s story came 
closer to the present, Scott noticed that Ranma became more nervous, and Nodoka’s expression 
became grim.  Just as Ranma came to their arrival at Jusenkyo, Scott cleared his throat, surprising 
Ranma and his mother.

	“Nodoka-chan, what Ranma is about to tell you is the main reason I suggested Ranma 
hold this meeting here.”  Scott explained, nodding when Nodoka looked at him questioningly.  
“From what I’ve been able to tell, if your husband knew what was going on right now, he’d very 
quickly be on the run.”

	Nodoka nodded in agreement, and then indicated that Ranma should continue.  As 
Ranma explained the events at Jusenkyo, Scott watched Nodoka closely, trying to gauge her 
reaction.  When Ranma described the change in his father after falling into the Spring of 
Drowned Panda, she stared at him in disbelief, and then burst out laughing.  Scott and Ranma 
looked at her as she doubled over, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

	“I’m sorry.”  She finally gasped, trying to control her laughter.  “Genma has always 
claimed to be gifted with luck beyond normal men.  The idea that he’s been cursed to spend his 
life as a panda is just too poetic.”

	“Actually pop only spends part of the time as a Panda.”  Ranma added, smiling a little at 
his mother’s reaction to his father’s curse.  “The rest of the time he’s normal for him anyway.”

	“So Genma burst out of the pool as a Panda and …?”

	“Well, it was such a surprise that I didn’t get out of the way in time and pop knocked me 
into one of the pools also.”  Ranma finished in a rush.

	“He what!?”  Nodoka roared in rage, all traces of amusement gone.  “You fell into one of 
these cursed springs?”  Ranma nodded nervously and jumped when his mother swore in a very 
unladylike tone.  “What do you change into?”

	“Um … I think it would be better if I showed you.”  Ranma muttered, a little afraid of her 
reaction when she knew the answer.  At his request, Scott went into the kitchen and brought back 
two glasses of water.  With a resolute look, Ranma took the glass of cold water and poured it over 
his head, shuddering as he felt the change take place.

	“R … Ranko?”  Nodoka gasped, staring at her erstwhile son and recognizing who was 
standing in front of her.  “But … but if you’re Ranma …”


	“Pop is the pet panda.”  Ranma finished for her.  “I don’t really know why, but he 
seemed positive that if you discovered us, you’d make us commit Seppuku.”  She watched her 
mother as she stood rigid, and muttered to herself.  “Mom?”

	“Ranma, my son, I would never force you to kill yourself, especially not for something as 
uncontrollable as a curse such as this.”  Nodoka said softly.  “And while foolish, your father 
cannot be held responsible for it either.  All that we can do is look for a possible cure.”

	“I maybe able to help in that respect.”  Scott said, smiling when they looked at him 
hopefully.  “I don’t want you to count on it too much, but the Jyoketsuzoku know of a way to 
separate your form permanently.”

	“Separate them?”  Ranma asked nervously.  “What does that mean?”

	“Just what I said.”  Scott explained.  “Where there was one person who alternates 
between one form and another, there would be two individuals, completely independent of each 
other.  One the original, the other, the cursed form.”

	“Are you sure this is safe?”  Nodoka said in concern, her uncertainty obvious.

	“I have never done this personally, if that’s what you’re asking.”  Scott replied softly.  
“According to Kho-lon, even the Amazon’s don’t know everything about this process, since it 
only happened once.  What she did tell me is that there is a question as to which body your 
memories will end up in.”

	“What does that mean?”  Ranma asked nervously.

	“It means that you could end up permanently female.”  Nodoka said realizing what Scott 
was saying.

	“Say what!?”

	“The procedure could leave your memories in your female form, and leave your male 
side with none at all.”  Scott confirmed gravely.  “To everyone else, you would seem to be cured 
at the cost of your memories, while you would think you had been trapped in female form.”

	“Oh man!”

	“Do you think you can live like that?”  Nodoka pressed, realizing how important her 
answer would be.

	“What about the ‘Spring of Drowned Man’?”  Ranma asked desperately.  “Won’t that 
work?”

	“No Ranma, it won’t.”  Scott replied seriously.  “According to the Jyoketsuzoku records, 
or at least what I remember of them, more of those waters won’t help.  After you have an active 

curse, you are sensitized to the magic of the springs.  If you get hit with water from any of them, 
you would be merging the effects of those waters.”

	“Uhh … what if I drank it?”  Ranma asked.

	“Same effect.  You can’t cure a curse with another curse Ranma, I’m sorry.”  Scott said, 
noticing Nodoka’s grim expression.  “You don’t have to make a decision yet.  Kho-lon tells me 
that it will be two weeks until she has the things she needs to pull it off.”

	“Who is this ‘Cologne’?”  Nodoka said, looking from one man to the other companion.  
“It seems you both know who it is, but since I don’t, please explain.”

	“She’s the Matriarch of the Jyoketsuzoku.”  Ranma explained.

	“And they are?”  She asked.

	Scott smiled and explained who they were, and then Ranma told how she’d met them.  As 
she finished, her mother stared at her for a moment, and then cleared her throat.

	“And this young woman believes that her law requires you to marry her?”  Nodoka 
asked.

	“Uhh …” Ranma didn’t know what to say.

	“No, Nodoka-chan, Xian-pu is highly attracted to Ranma.”  Scott helped Ranma, earning 
a surprised glance from Ranma.  “She used one application of the laws to support her in what she 
was doing.”

	“From what she’s shown the Tendo’s, it’s pretty straight forward.”  Ranma said grimly.  
“If a foreign female defeats an Amazon, she must be killed.  If a foreign male does, he has to 
marry her.”

	“That’s the law as far as it goes.”  Scott agreed, and then chuckled at Nodoka’s outraged 
expressions.  “What Xian-pu and Kho-lon did not tell you are the reasons for those laws.  For the 
first one, it’s to ensure that the foreign female is worthy to be an Amazon.  If she is alive after a 
year, she is a member of the tribe.”

	“Really?”  Ranma asked in surprise.  “What about the other part?”

	“That one is more open to interpretation than the other.”  Scott continued.  “Depending 
on the Amazon and several other factors, marriage may or may not be required.  You see, the 
purpose of that law is to strengthen the gene pool of the tribe.  So if Xian-pu and Ranma were 
willing, they could resolve the situation by having a child together.”

	“No.”  Ranma said flatly.  “I will not do something so dishonorable.”  Nodoka nodded 
approvingly and looked at Scott pointedly.

	“Oh, I wasn’t suggesting it, just informing you of an option.  As the champion though, 
Xian-pu can’t choose that option either, which is why she’s been pushing for marriage.  What she 
didn’t think of was how your curse effects the situation.”

	“My curse?”  Ranma said, bewildered.  “What does my curse have to do with it?”

	“More as in what form you were in when you beat her the first time.”  Scott replied 
smiling.  “Since you were female, that law takes precedence so you’re a member of the tribe now 
and the law about marriage in the tribe says that no member of the tribe may be forced to marry 
against their will.  So don’t be surprised if Xian-pu starts acting differently from now on.  She’ll 
be trying to convince you she’s the best choice as a wife.”  Ranma stared at him in shock, and 
then groaned, covering her face with her hands.

	“What’s wrong Ranma?”  Nodoka asked in concern.  “She seemed to be a nice girl.  A 
little unconventional in her dress, but still a nice girl.”

	“Mom, I can only marry one person.”  Ranma complained.  “What about Akane and 
Ukyo?”

	“What about them dear?”  Nodoka said with a grin.  “Any girl has a right to prove she 
would be the best bride for you.  You would be foolish to deny it to her.  Now, I am not saying 
she is the right girl for you, but you should give her a chance.”

	“But …” Ranma blurted out, and then gasped when Nodoka poured warm water on her 
head.

	“Now it’s about time your father and I had a long talk.”  Nodoka interrupted briskly.  “He 
must still answer to me for hiding once he was back in the country.”

	“I would be happy to give you a ride to the Tendo’s Ma’am.”  Scott said barely hiding a 
wicked gleam in his eye.  “I have some things that I wish to discuss with Mr. Tendo.”

	Nodoka accepted the explanation and the ride with a nod, and after Scott collected 
something’s from the kitchen, went down to the car.  During the ride to Nerima, no one said a 
word, until they pulled up in front of the gate.

	“Ranma, you might want to go in first to lock your father down.”  Scott said, drawing a 
surprised look from Nodoka.  “You should know that your husband’s most well developed 
technique is the strategic withdrawal.”

	“Ah, I see.”  Looking towards her son, she smiled.  “Go ahead Ranma.  It would not do 
for your father to escape his just reward.”  Ranma nodded grimly and jumped over the wall.  
After a short time, Nodoka nodded and Scott rang the bell.

	“Hello Schwartzstern-san and … Aunty Nodoka, how good to see you.”  Kasumi said her 
welcome smile dazzling.

	“Hello Kasumi dear.”  Nodoka replied, returning the young woman’s hug.  “I’m here to 
collect my wayward husband so that we may have a nice long talk about his recent behavior.”

	“Oh … but …” Kasumi tried to come up with a lie, but Ranma saved her.

	“Its okay mom, pop’s tied up in the living room.”  Ranma said, coming out of the house.  
“He tried to get away but I persuaded him to stay.”  Kasumi stared at him for several seconds 
until he looked at her cross-eyed, making her laugh.

	“It’s alright dear; Ranma has told me all about it.”  Nodoka explained.  “Genma has some 
explaining to do, but I think his punishment is already sufficient for his crimes.”  

	They all went into the living room where Genma was pretending to be a panda.  With a 
wicked grin, Scott walked over and poured half of the thermos he had brought with him over the 
panda’s head, forcing him to revert to normal.

	“What?”  Genma asked surprised.

	“Hello Genma, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”  Nodoka said sweetly.  “At least for me.  You 
on the other hand did not have the decency to come see me once you had returned.  What do you 
have to say for yourself?”

	“Umm  ... hello Nodoka, fancy meeting you here.”  Genma said.

	“As I expected, you’re unrepentant.”  Nodoka sighed sadly.  “My son, I fear your father 
will have to come with me to our home without you for the moment.  Dear Soun, might our son 
stay with you a short time longer?”

	“Of course Nodoka.”  Soun said, and then thought of something.  “I will see Genma 
again in one piece, won’t I?”

	“Of course.”  Nodoka replied, sounding genuinely surprised.  “We will return in two 
week’s time.  Stay well my son.”

	“You also mother.”  Ranma said with a smile, and watched his mother untie his father 
and follow him out of the room.  The Tendo’s starred after them, and then turned to Ranma.

	“What’s going on Ranma?”  Nabiki asked, very confused.  “How did your mom find out 
you were here?”

	“I told her.”  He replied, and then looked at Akane.  “That was the meeting I had this 
evening.”  Akane gaped at him, and then blinked.  Scott smiled when he saw her expression and 
then turned to her stunned father.

	“Tendo-san, I would like a few minutes of your time if I could.”  Scott began, refusing to 
look anyone else in the room.  “In private if possible.”  Soun nodded and led Scott to the Dojo, and 
then sat on one of the mats.

	“What is this about?”

	“It is about your daughter, Akane, and her temper.”  Scott sighed also sitting.  “I truly 
feel that unless she learns to control it, she will kill someone eventually. I happened upon her 
at school this evening, and simply because Ranma would not tell her where he was going to be 
tonight, she was prepared to smash him.”

	“She is Ranma’s fiancée.”  Soun said reasonably.  “She does have certain rights to his 
time.”

	“Obviously, but not exclusive rights.  Especially since Ranma has three other fiancées, 
through no fault of his own.  Your daughter knows that better than I do, but having to share her 
fiancée enrages her.”

	“As it should.”  Soun replied grimly.  “That young man must make a decision.”

	“Very true Tendo-san.”  Scott said flatly, his tone angry.  “But if your daughter’s 
behavior continues, I should warn you that Akane may not be his choice, especially if his mother 
gets her way.  She told him to consider all of the candidates in this situation.  If your daughter is 
not careful, she might well lose out to one of the others.”

	“But Genma and I have an agreement …”

	“Which won’t be worth the paper it’s written on if Nodoka feels Akane is a danger to her 
son.”  Scott interrupted, and then smiled when Soun stared at him in horror.  “Now I’m not trying 
to tell you Akane doesn’t stand a chance, just that she needs to change her behavior and learn to 
control her temper.”

	“But how?”  Soun groaned, panicked.  “If my wife had lived, she would have taken her in 
when she was younger, but it’s too late now.”  He burst out into hysterical tears and only stopped 
when Scott slapped him.

	“Pull yourself together man.”  Scott growled.  “It’s obvious where she comes by her lack 
of emotional control, but it is not too late for her to learn control, just more difficult.”

	“What … what do you have in mind?”

	“What I would like to do is take Akane with me on a training trip.”  Scott said simply.  
“Once away from here, I would like a free hand in the methods I use to teach her control.  
Nothing you would object to of course, just some things that might be a little rough on her to start 
with.”

	“If I agree to this, can you guarantee that Ranma will choose her over the other girls?”  
Soun begged pitifully, but Scott shock his head negatively.

	“No one can guarantee that Tendo-san.  It depends on too many things, most especially 
Ranma.  What I can do is give her an even chance, which she doesn’t have now.”

 	“O … okay.”  Soun said in defeat.  “Please help my daughter.”

	“I will do what I can Tendo-san.”  Scott replied.  “Now I need you to tell her and then I’ll 
take her on the trip as soon as she is packed.”  Soun nodded and thirty minutes later, Akane and 
Scott got into his car and drove off with an agreement to return in two weeks.

				      ##########################

	“What happened?”  Hotaru asked breathlessly, staring at Scott wide-eyed.  “Did you help 
her?”

	“Well … those two weeks were pretty rough on both of us, Hotaru.”  Scott admitted.  “I 
took Akane to Kevin’s castle and started my program, and believe me; neither of us was enjoying 
ourselves, at least for the first four days.  The fifth day was the crisis though.”

	“What happened?”  Sasami gasped in shock.

	“Well, all I really did was defend myself while Akane went ballistic on me.”  Scott 
explained.  “After she wore herself out, I carried her to her room and then threw her into the 
shower, clothes and all.  This wasn’t anything new, but after she got out of the shower and 
changed clothes, I took her down to the theater and put the video of the last sparring session 
on the screen.  As she watched herself, she was frightened of the mindless rage she saw on her 
own face.  After that, she ran out of the room and I waited, letting her think.  About four 
hours later, she came back and apologized for her out burst.”

	“Was that the last time she lost her temper?”  Ami asked hopefully, and then sighed when 
Scott shook his head.  “Did she at least get control of it by the end of two weeks?”

	“As much as she ever will.”  Scott replied with a shrug.  “She wasn’t flying into insane 
rages anyway.  She’s still got a short fuse, but at least she doesn’t immediately go physical.”  The 
girls nodded their acceptance of that, and then Scott continued his story.

				       ################################

	As agreed, Scott drove Akane back to the Tendo Dojo two weeks later and she 
immediately offered to cook for her family.  When everyone demurred, Scott smirked.

	“Why not let her try?”  He suggested.  “According to Ms. Meeps, she’s improved greatly 
this week.”   He didn’t mention the time when her cooking had literally killed him.

	“O … okay.”  Kasumi said uncertainly, following her sister into the kitchen.

	“Is it safe to stay here for the food she’s making?”  Ranma asked nervously, staring after 
the two girls.

	“Don’t worry so much.”  Scott laughed, stopping Nabiki from escaping out the door.  
“And please try to be a little considerate of Akane’s feeling okay?  From what I was able to tell, 
during our time together, most of her anger comes from sheer frustration.  She’s been trying to 
compete with her family and friends and losing on almost every front.  When the program started, 
I had to find something she could be well with.  She didn’t have much skill in the beginning, but Ms. 
Meeps was up to the challenge.”

	“Do you mean … can it be?”  Soun gasped, barely daring to hope.

	“You mean Akane can cook!”  Ranma blurted in disbelief.  “Are you sure?”

	“Ranma that is not an acceptable tone when you are talking of your fiancée.”  A female 
voice reproved from the doorway.  When Ranma turned around, he blushed to see his mother 
standing in the doorway.  “Now I expect you to behave in a civilized way toward all three of 
these young ladies.”

	“Wha …” Ranma yelped as he saw Ukyo and Shampoo come in wearing identical 
Kimonos.  “Why are they here mom?”

	“I invited them so they could witness your cure.”

	“So you’ve decided to go through with it then.”  Scott said nodding.  “Very well then.”  
Shifting to Chinese, he turned to Shampoo.  “Xian-pu, have you brought the requirements for the 
procedure?”

	“No, Honored Elder, Great-grandmother said she would bring them after she closed the 
café.”  Shampoo replied in Chinese.

	“Then we will have time for dinner.”  Scott said nodding, and then shifting back to 
Japanese.  “We will have to wait for the cure a little longer, or at least until Kho-lon arrives.  
She’s bringing the necessary implements, but how are you ladies?”

	“Shampoo good.”  Shampoo said, returning his understanding smile.

	“I’m well.”  Ukyo replied.  “Are you sure this will work Schwartzstern-san?”

	“As sure as I can be about something that was last used eight hundred years ago.”  Scott 
laughed with a shrug.  “Based on Amazon history, almost definitely, but there is a danger that no 
one knows what body Ranma’s memories will be in.”

	“How awful.”  Ukyo gasped, looking at Ranma worriedly.  “Are you sure about this 
Ranma honey?  If you might get stuck as a girl, can you live with that?”

	“I don’t know.”  Ranma sighed, uncomfortable with everyone’s eyes on him.  “I’d be 
lying if I said that it doesn’t bother me, but this is the only real cure anyone has found in all this 
time.  If I said I don’t want to do this that would be a lie also.”

	“This is an important decision Ranma.”  Nodoka said, nodding approval.  “It is wise to 
think deeply about it.  I have confidence in you and will support any decision you come to.”  
Shampoo nodded her agreement to Nodoka’s words and Ranma blinked in surprise.

	“If you will all excuse me, I would like to see how Akane is doing.”  Scott said, smiling 
when everyone jumped in surprise.  “I’ll be in the kitchen.”  Ukyo asked Ranma a question, to 
which he replied with a slow nod.  Ukyo paled and looked around in what looked like fear.

	When Scott entered the kitchen, he smiled at the picture of Akane bustling around the 
kitchen in a perfect imitation of Ms. Meeps at her busiest.  Kasumi was sitting in a chair, with a 
slightly stunned expression, but she smiled gently when she saw Scott sit down across from her.

	“Is there anything I can do to help Akane?”  Scott asked, already knowing the response.

	“No thank you.”  She said, only pausing long enough to think about it.  “I’ve got 
everything in hand.  Has anyone left?”  Her nervousness broke through a little with the question.

	“No.”  Scott reassured her with a grin.  “In fact, there are three more guests to feed.  Do 
you think you can handle it?”

	“Sure, no problem.”  She replied, grinning at the challenge.  “But could you get two more 
pounds of pork?  With three more mouths to feed, what we have here will definitely not be 
enough.”

	“No problem.”  Scott chuckled, amused by Kasumi’s expression, which was a mixture of 
stunned surprised and joy.  “Will fifteen minutes be alright?”

	“Sure.”  Akane said, shifting her attention back to the food.  “The sauce should be ready 
by then.”  Scott nodded and left the kitchen.  On his way to the gate, he noticed Ranma break 
away from his mother and his other fiancées and walked towards him.  He stopped and waited for 
Ranma to catch up.

	“What can I do for you Ranma?”  Scott asked.

	“Could I talk to you about this cure a little more?”  He asked, glancing around nervously.  
“I need an unbiased opinion.”

	“Well, I’m not entirely unbiased, but I’ll do my best.”  Scott laughed.  “Akane wants 
some pork for this meal she’s making, so why don’t you come with me and I’ll see what I can do 
while we wait for it.”  Ranma nodded and followed Scott out to the car.  After ten minutes, they 
pulled up in front of what looked like a warehouse.

	Appearances were deceiving though as Ranma found out when he stepped into the 
display room of ‘Border Meats of South Africa’.

	“Hello sir, how may I help … oh, hello Scott-san?”  A black girl around Ranma’s age 
stopped and smiled at Scott.  “How are you?”

	“Very well Fizeka, how’s business?”  Scott asked, returning the smile.  “Is it better than 
P.E.?”

	“Much better, thank you.”  She sighed.  “What can we do for you?”

	“What you and your family do best.”  Scott laughed; smiling at Ranma’s confused 
expression.  “Sell me some meat.”

	“What do you need?”

	“About two pounds of pork for a stir fry.”

	“No problem.”  All business now, she went into the butcher room and said something in a 
language which included some old clicking sounds.  A short time later, the sound of a machine 
spinning up was heard.  Scott motioned for Ranma to sit in one of the chairs provided.

	“Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?”  Scott asked.

	“How do I deal with all of these fiancées?”  Ranma said after a short pause.  “I can only 
marry one of them, but I don’t know which one to choose.  I don’t want to hurt their feelings.”

	“Well, Ranma, I can’t really tell you what to do about this, because it’s entirely up to 
you.”  Scott began, and then smiled when Ranma started getting depressed.  “Hey don’t worry; 
I’m sure the problems you’ve got do have a solution.  We just have to find it.”

	“How!?”  Ranma’s frustration was obvious.

	“Calm down Ranma, getting bent out of shape won’t help.  Now, the advice I can give 
you is that you need to be careful.  You never know what Ukyo or Akane might do if you start 
looking like you’ve made a decision.”

	“What about Shampoo?  She’d kill one of the others if I chose them!”

	“Not anymore.”  Scott replied with a shrug.  “As a member of the tribe, she can’t do 
anything to influence your decision except for trying to convince you that she’s the best choice.  
Ukyo and Akane aren’t limited to that, so be careful.  My other advice is that you should get to 
know them as friends.  Let them know you haven’t chosen, but want to get to know them better.  
That way, you’ll be able to make the decision.”

	Ranma thought about that while Scott collected and paid for the pork.  He continued to 
think while they rode back to the Dojo in silence.  When they arrived, Ranma set his jaw and 
nodded, then led the way into the house.  As Scott went past him to take the pork to the kitchen, 
Ranma finally spoke.

	“Scott-san, would you please tell Akane that I would like to talk to her after the meal.  I 
think I need to let them know how things will be after I get cured.”  Scott nodded and turned back 
to the kitchen, where Akane greeted his message with a silent nod.  After that, he sat down next to 
Kasumi who was watching Akane work.

	“How is she doing?”  Scott asked, nodding toward Akane who was too busy to notice.

	“Oh … it’s amazing … I can’t believe she’s learned so much.”  Kasumi gushed happily.  
“How did you do it?  I’ve been trying for six months without any success.”

	“Well, I actually didn’t do much.”  Scott admitted, with a shrug.  “Ms. Meeps did the 
hard stuff.”

	“Who is Ms. Meeps?”  Kasumi asked curiously.  “I might want to meet her.”

	“She’s my best friend’s house keeper.”  Scott explained.  “We stayed at Kevin’s castle 
for the last two weeks and Ms. Meeps helped me with Akane.”  

	Kasumi nodded her understanding, and then gasped when Akane announced that the food 
was done.  Scott helped them to move the food into the dining room.  After everyone had sat 
down to eat, Akane asked that Ranma be the first to try it.  A little nervously, Ranma took his 
chopsticks and picked up a small morsel of food and popped it into his mouth, bracing himself.  
After a few breathless moments, he chewed and swallowed, and then grinned.

	“Wow Akane, this is great!”  Ranma said in amazement.  “What is it?”

	“Pork stir-fry silly.”  She giggled, blushing happily.  “You went to get the pork with 
Scott-san, remember?”

	“Mmph, yumph noph imph …” Ranma gulped his mouthful of food down and smiled.  
“You’re much better at cooking Akane.”

	“Thank you Ranma, I’m glad you liked it.”  Akane said.

	Everyone nodded in agreement and fell to eating with a wild passion.  Half an hour later, 
the food was finished, and Ranma amazingly helped clean the dishes.  As the dishes were finished, 
a commotion came from the front gate.  When Scott went to check what was going on, he saw 
Shampoo speaking to Cologne rapidly in Chinese.  As he approached, he heard the end of her 
statement.

	“Akane can cook now, so what am I going to do now?”  Shampoo demanded in a 
hopeless tone.

	“First of all, calm yourself child.”  Cologne replied soothingly.  “So the girl can cook, 
this is hardly a disaster.  As you yourself have just told me, Ranma has not yet made his decision.  
If we don’t panic, we can still win the day, so calm yourself.  We must be careful to maintain our 
honor above all else.”

	“Yes great-grandmother.”

	“I see you’re accepting the situation quite well Kho-lon, I am pleased.”  Scott said, 
surprising Shampoo who didn’t know he was behind her.

	“I am grateful to you Aki-ra for reminding me of honor.  Shall we commence the 
ceremony?”  Cologne said.

	“Of course.”  Scott said with a nod.  “Is there anything you need me to do?”

	“Yes, most definitely.”  Cologne replied, smiling impishly.  “I’m not going to tell you 
until later, but it is definitely suited to your unique talents.”

	“Okay …” Scott muttered slowly, turning and following them into the house, wondering 
what Cologne meant by that.  After introductions had been made, Scott began the explanations.  
“The reason that Kho-lon is here tonight is if Ranma is willing to perform the ritual, which will 
divide Ranma from his cursed form forever.”

	“Honored Elder, is this possible for my son?”  Nodoka asked in perfect Chinese, 
surprising everyone.  “Can this curse be abated?”

	“I believe so.”  Cologne said honestly, recognizing Nodoka’s motherly concern.  “I am 
not sure that it will work, because of the great difference in circumstances, but I believe so.  It is, 
however, Ranma’s choice whether to undergo the procedure.  There is a danger that he will be 
trapped as a female for the rest of his life while his male form loses his memories.”  Everyone 
gasped as they realized what that might mean to Ranma, and then turned and looked at him.  He 
sat thinking deeply for many seconds before anyone spoke.

	“What is your decision Ranma?”  Nodoka asked gently, glaring Genma into silence when 
he was about to speak.  “You do not have to do this if you feel it is too great a risk.  Remember 
that wisdom is to know when courage becomes foolishness.”  Soun looked to be impressed by 
that sentiment and Cologne nodded in agreement.  Ranma thought for some minutes, and then 
finally, he sighed.

	“I guess there really isn’t that much of a choice.  If I don’t do this, I’ll always wonder if it 
would have worked.  I know that I could get trapped as a girl, but from what I’ve seen of my 
mom, that doesn’t mean I’d be weak or stupid, just different.  I think it’s a risk worth taking.”

	“Very well Ranma, we will perform the ritual.”  Cologne said, and then turned to Scott.  
“Before you say anything about our laws, I declare both Ranma and his cursed form are full 
members of the Jyoketsuzoku tribe.  With all rights and duties related to it.”  Scott nodded in 
acceptance of that while everyone else looked bewildered.

	“Let us begin.”  Scott said, motioning for everyone to stand and follow Cologne out into 
the garden.  Once there, Cologne began by cutting a circle into the grass and inscribing several 
symbols into the dirt.  Then she had Ranma and Scott stand in the center of the circle with an old 
looking metal incense burner that Scott brought.  After they were in position, she began chanting 
and a blue glow formed a dome of light around them.

	“This protective circle is for both Ranma and the rest of us.”  Cologne explained when 
everyone looked at her in shock.  “No one may interfere with what is about to happen and it will 
not affect us in the slightest, which is especially vital.  You may light the incense Aki-ra.”  Scott 
nodded and used his lighter to do it.  Once the incense was burning in the center, the dome of 
light became a red color and everyone outside stared at the scene.

	“What now Kho-lon?”  Scott asked, ignoring the light show.  “What do you want me to 
do next?”

	“Summon your blade and wait until only a few locks of hair connect them to each other.  
At that instant they must divided.  Do not delay, or they will both be lost.”  Scott nodded and 
everyone gasped in shock.

	As his Katana suddenly appeared in his hand, their amazement changed focus though 
when Ranma’s form began to grow.  As it grew, Cologne chanted in Chinese and the larger form 
began to divide.  Several seconds later, both the male and female Ranma knelt opposite each 
other, the male facing the female for the first time.  The division continued until, at the appointed 
moment, Scott’s Katana cut a silver arc between the two, parting the hair that bound them 
together.  As the hair parted the burner collapsed into dust and the shield turned blue again.  
Cologne gave one last shout in Chinese and the dome collapsed.

	Everyone rushed into the circle and surrounded the male form, all talking at once.  Their 
voices so loud that no one except Scott noticed the whimper of sadness that came from the 
female.  Scott was also the only one who saw her jump to her feet and run from the Dojo.  
Realizing instantly that he couldn’t catch her with the added boost her adrenalin was giving to her 
speed.  He turned back to the crowd, and tried to get their attention, but no one noticed until 
Ranma heard him.

	“What’s wrong Scott-san?”  Ranma asked, noticed Scott’s expression and then looked around.  
“Where is she?”

	“She took off while everyone was congratulating you.”  Scott said, making everyone 
blush in shame.  “This situation is not good, especially since we don’t know her mental state.”

	“Which way did she go?”  Ukyo asked, and then groaned when Scott pointed over the 
Dojo roof.  “We’ll never find her, she’s headed for downtown.”  Scott sighed and started toward 
the gate.

	“I’ll see what I can do.”  He told them as they followed him out.  “Nodoka-chan, if you 
can, see if any of your people can locate her.”

	“But…” Nodoka started saying.

	“I know it’s technically against the rules, but the girl might be in danger.”  Scott 
interrupted.  “In her state, she could do almost anything, so we need to find her as quickly as 
possible.”

	“What do you want us to do?”  Ranma asked, more worried than before.

	“Scour Nerima for her.”  Scott replied, starting his car.  “It’s possible that she changed 
directions after she left the grounds.  Also I like the new look.”  

	Ranma and the others nodded and ran off in every direction as Scott drove off.  Ranma 
was too worried about his female form to be concerned about Scott’s comment at the end.  On 
Scott’s way to the heart of Tokyo, he called several of his sources and told them what he was 
looking for and where.  They agreed to help, but didn’t hold out much hope.  Twenty minutes 
later, he pulled to a stop at his shop, got out and went up to his apartment to change clothes.  
While he was changing, his cell phone rang and he answered it.

	“Devon, this is Hikaru.”  The voice of one of his friends said.  “I don’t know if it’s the 
girl you’re looking for, but some pimp in Roppongi just got rolled and he claims it was a shortish 
red haired girl with a black streak in her hair that did it.”

	“Since it makes him look so bad, I think we can believe him.”  Scott agreed.  “And I 
don’t know about the black streak, she matches the girl I’m looking for.  Good work Hikaru.  See 
if you can follow her trail while I let the others know.”

	“Listen man, I don’t have a beef with you, but I’ve seen what this guy looks like.”  
Hikaru replied.  “Are you sure you want this kid?  She’s Hell on wheels from what I’ve seen.”

	“She’s a friend of mine, Hikaru.”  Scott chuckled.  “Thanks for the concern though.”

	“Man, you have some strange friends.”  Hikaru muttered and then hung up.  After Scott 
called the others to give them the changed description, he dressed in some old clothes and waited.  
Fifteen minutes later, he received another phone call.

	“Devon, this is Seiji.”  A gruff sounding voice said.  “This young girl who matches your 
description walked in here and ordered Sake about ten minutes ago.  Nothing unusual there, but 
when one of the regulars tried to hit on her, she knocked him out.  Now all my regulars are daring 
each other to get near her … hold on.”  There was a pause where laughter could be heard then a 
loud thump.  A short time later, Seiji was back.

	“What was that?”  Scott demanded.

	“Seems one of the newcomers tried talking to her.”  Seiji explained.  “She told him she 
was a lesbian and he reacted like a typical idiot, she took him out too.”

	“Serves him right.”  Scott muttered.  “Is she still there?”

	“Sure.”  Seiji replied.  “I had Kenjo give her a full bottle when I recognized her.”

	“See if you can keep her there, Seiji.”  Scott asked, grabbing a second set of car keys 
from a hook in the kitchen.  “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

	“I’ll do my best.”  Seiji replied then hung up.

	Scott thought, and then decided to disguise himself so Ranma’s female form wouldn’t 
recognize him.  When he was done, he went to the garage and pulled his Porsche 959 out of its 
spot.  With a subdued roar, he pulled off hoping he would get to the bar before the girl left.  He 
needn’t have worried.  True to his promise, Seiji was doing his best to keep her there.

	As Scott pulled up, he heard a loud thump and laughter from the bar’s open door.  As he 
came in, he saw that a clear space had been made around one table and he immediately 
recognized the table’s occupant as Ranma’s female form.  To one side a man was being pulled 
out of the cleared space, looking much the worse for wear.

	“What’s with the no man’s land?”  He asked one of the guys standing at the edge of the 
cleared space.  “Is she some kind of plague carrier or something?”

	“Nah, she’s just some mean lesbian chick.”  The guy laughed.  “Bartender said anyone 
who can land a punch on her gets free drinks for a month.”

	“Really?”  Scott said in real surprise.  Seiji wasn’t known for his generosity.  “I might 
just have to take him up on that.  All I have to do is land a punch?”

	“Sure, but so far five guys have tried and didn’t even get close.”  The drunk laughed.  
“She’s faster than hell man, and mean too.  She knocked that last guy out in ten seconds flat.”  
Scott whistled at that, realizing that, even drunk, Ranma’s female form was going to be a 
challenge.

	“Well, if that’s the case, I’d better try my luck before I start.”  Scott laughed, shrugging 
his coat off and handing it to one of the bartenders.  The crowd cheered when he stepped into the 
cleared space, making Ranma’s female form’s head to jerk up.  She growled angrily and came 
unsteadily to her feet.

	“Can’t a guy get a drink in peace?”  She slurred, eliciting cat calls from the other people 
in the bar.

	“Sure you can.”  Scott said disguising is voice and accent.  “Problem is the bartender bet 
those guys a month’s worth of free drinks they couldn’t touch you.  Most of these guys wouldn’t 
pass a deal like that.”

	“Their funeral … and yours.”  

	With that, the girl launched an attack and blinked when it didn’t even hit her opponent.  
Shaking her head to clear it, she tried again with the same results.  The crowd cheered as Scott 
moved out of the way again.  The girl became enraged by the cheer and started using stronger and 
stronger techniques, swearing as each one missed.  Scott dodged around looking for an opening 
and as the girl’s drunken rage mounted, he saw it and took it.  Everyone gasped in shock as the 
girl collapsed bonelessly into unconsciousness, and then a raged cheer went up as Scott picked 
her up.  Seiji moved to intercept them at the door, and then relaxed when Scott pulled his false 
mustache off.

	“Man, am I glad to see you Devon.”  He said once they were outside with the girl 
wrapped in Scott’s coat.  “I didn’t know how I was going to tell you some guy knocked her out 
and carried her off.”

	“It’s okay Seiji; I’ll just take her back to my place so she can sleep it off.”  Scott said.

	“Sure man.”

	“Anyway, I’ll see you next week for some of those free drinks you owe me.”  Scott 
laughed, his laugh getting louder as Seiji groaned.

	Getting into his car, he drove back to his shop and put the girl in the bed that Ranma used 
before.  After checking to make sure she would recover, Scott went to his room and removed the 
disguise he had on and then went to bed.  The next morning, after he had taken a shower, he 
passed the room the girl was in and heard her being violently sick into a basket he’d left by her 
bed.  When he saw her disgusted expression, he couldn’t help laughing.  When the girls head 
jerked up, he stopped laughing and smiled at her.

	“How are you feeling?”  Scott asked concerned.

	“Terrible.”  The girl gasped, moaning as her head pounded.  “What happened?”

	“You got drunk and I had to knock you out to get you out of the bar.”  Scott explained.  
“Is there something you want to talk about Ranma?”
	
	“The name is Ranko.”  She growled, depression creeping into her voice.  “Ranma’s the 
one without any memories remember.”

	“Actually that’s not true.”  Scott said, sitting in the bedside chair.  Ranko looked at him in 
confusion.  “Why do you think Ranma doesn’t have any memories?”

	“Isn’t it obvious?”  Ranko snapped, and then held her head in pain.  “I have them, so he 
doesn’t.”

	“Actually from what I can tell, you both have them.”  Scott replied, making Ranko blink.  
"It seems that the process duplicated the memories into both forms instead of just one.”

	“Oh …” Ranko said and then groaned.  “That still doesn’t help me.  I’m still stuck in a 
female body, and Ranma has my life.  He has our life, whatever.”

	“While all of that is true, you still have some choices.”  Scott told her, leaning forward in 
the chair.  “You have an opportunity that very few people ever get Ranko.”

	“And what’s that?”

	“To decide what your life will be like.”  Scott said, looking at her pointedly.  “You have 
no restrictions, no family expectations, no obligations, nothing.  All of those are Ranma’s 
problem now.”

	“Yeah, but I don’t even exist.”  Ranko countered.  “There is no Ranko Saotome 
according to the government and school records.”

	“True, but easily remedied.”  Scott said reassuringly.  “Ranko Saotome can easily be put 
into every record or database she needs to be in, or any other name you might want.”

	“What?”  Ranko said surprised.

	“Come with me to the kitchen so we can take care of that hangover and then we will talk 
some more.”  Scott said as he led Ranko out to the kitchen and went to get her some aspirin and 
some water.  After she drank the water and took the aspirin, Scott continued.  

 	“As I said earlier Ranko, you have no obligations, no past.”  Scott said with emphasis on 
the last part. “You can be anyone you want, like …”


	“Like who?”  Ranko asked when Scott stopped all of a sudden.

	“Well, I was going to suggest something, but feel free to tell me if you hate the idea.”

	“What idea?”

	“Becoming my daughter.”  Scott finally finished, noting Ranko’s stunned look.  “You 
don’t have to though, if you don’t like the idea.”

	“Why would you want a grown up daughter who’s almost as old as you are?”  Ranko 
demanded.  “You’re not making any sense.  No one would believe I was your daughter.”

	“Very true, but it does solve your problem quite neatly.”  Scott told her with a grin.  "You 
get a new name, a new world, and a new life.”

	“And what do you get?”  Ranko replied suspiciously.  “There’s got to be a catch 
somewhere.”

	“You’re right Ranko; I do get something out of this.  I get an heir for the Nashimoto 
Clan.”

	“What are you talking about?”  Ranko asked in surprise.  “What is the Nashimoto Clan?”

	“The Nashimoto Clan was a Samurai family of ancient and honorable lineage going back 
almost two thousand years.”  Scott explained.  “They had the bad fortune to align themselves with 
one of the more forward thinking Daimyo of the 17th century and when he was killed, they were 
decreed Ronin and hunted down.  I was the last survivor.”

	“What do you mean you were the last survivor?”  Ranko demanded in disbelief.  “There’s 
no way you could have been around back then!  You’d be …”

	“At least five hundred years old.”  Scott finished for her.  Ranko stared at him and then 
blinked when he looked back at her, perfectly serious.  “Actually Ranko, next November I’ll be 
around two thousand and twenty-two.”

	“But … but how can you live that long?”  Ranko gasped, shocked by the revelation.  
“Not even the Old Ghoul is that old.  You don’t look like a dried up old mummy, you can’t be 
human.”

	“If you mean Kho-lon, it’s because she is using Ki to help her live longer.”  Scott said 
calmly.  “And about me not being human, you must mean being mortal, then you’re right, I’m 
not.  I am Immortal Ranko, but that gives me some problems I think you and Ranma might 
understand.  Imagine living for several hundred years, being hunted like an animal by others like 
you.  Imagine watching your friends grow old and die, and knowing you can’t do anything to stop 
it.  Imagine knowing that, even if you find love of your life, you can never have children together 
and you will have to watch her age and die like all the rest.”  Ranko stared at him in horror and 
then shuddered.

	“How can you stand it?”  Ranko blurted out when she could finally speak again.  “I 
would have … oh man!  No wonder you said nothing could surprise you, you’ve literally seen 
almost everything.”

	“Close enough.”  Scott agreed.  “But my Immortality is part of the reason I want to offer 
you the position as the heir of the Nashimoto.”

	“But why?  Even without an heir, you’ll continue the Clan name.”

	“But the Clan won’t grow either.”  Scott explained seriously.  “I need someone to 
continue the clan if one of my enemies get the better of me.  The other reason is that you’re just 
the kind of person the Nashimoto ancestors would approve of.”

	“The Ancest … what?”  Ranko asked in confusion.  “You’ve got to be kidding me.  Do 
you mean that the Ancestral Spirits are real?”  Scott nodded slowly and Ranko gulped.  “What do 
they have to do with this?”

	“They have to approve your selection as the heir.”  Nodoka said from the doorway, 
causing Ranko and Scott to whirl around.  “You left the back door open Scott-san.  I rang the bell 
but it wasn’t working.”  Scott muttered to himself.  “I am glad that Scott has found you Dear, I 
was worried.”

	“Mom …” Ranko started, and then froze, blushing in embarrassment.

	“Yes Ranko?”  Nodoka said encouragingly.  “What is it?”

	“Umm … Is it okay if I still call you mom?”  Ranko muttered, looking down at her feet 
and blushing hotter.  Because she was looking down, she didn’t notice Nodoka’s soft smile or the 
startled glance she sent toward Scott.

	“Of course it is Ranko.”  Nodoka said softly, smiling when Ranko looked up at her.  “I 
am proud to have you as my daughter, though I wish I could have helped you as you grew up.  
There are so many things that I could teach you that will help you in your life.”

	“It’s not too late for that.”  Scott told them, smiling along with them.  “Though there are a 
couple things Ranko needs to learn sooner than later.”  As he said this he shot a meaningful 
glance at Nodoka who nodded seemingly.  “I have asked Ranko to be my heir as the head of the 
Nashimoto clan.”

	“Mom, I know it sounds like I’m a coward, but I don’t feel that I can go back to Nerima 
like this.  I really can’t go back there and act like nothing happened, especially with Ranma still 
there to remind me of what I am and what I was.”  Ranko said to Nodoka.

	“Yes, I can see how it would be difficult for you and Ranma if you returned there.”  
Nodoka said deeply.  “It is a great honor that Scott-san wishes to bestow on you as well, 
especially considering his special circumstances.”

	“You … You know about that?”  Ranko blurted out, looking at Nodoka in confusion.  
“But how?  Why didn’t you tell me?”

	“Ranko Dear, it was something that I had no right to tell.”  Nodoka replied softly.  “But 
as Scott-san has offered to make you his heir, it is fitting for you to know that there are many like 
him who will try to get to him through you or us if our connection becomes known.  While I 
encourage you to accept this great honor, you must know that it will be dangerous.”

	“Danger is nothing unusual in my life mom.”  Ranko laughed and then sobered quickly 
when she thought.  “But I don’t want to endanger any of you by doing this.”

	“That can easily be taken care of since there aren’t any records of your existence 
anywhere.”  Scott said with a grin.  “What we will do is create another identity for you, complete 
with school records and all of the other necessary identification.”

	“You can do that?”

	“Of course he can dear,” Nodoka said reprovingly. “Otherwise, he would not have 
offered. Scott-san and those like him are very good at creating new identities to hide the fact that 
they don’t die. You must simply choose your new name and we will do the rest.” Scott smiled at 
that, then looked at Ranko expectantly.

	“Umm… Well…” Ranko stuttered, caught by surprise. After a little thought, she grinned 
in inspiration. “Mom, what would you have named me if I’d been born a girl?” Nodoka blinked, 
then smiled.

	“We would have named you Miyuki dear, after your great-grandmother,” Nodoka said 
softly. “She was there when you were born, and helped raise me after my own mother died.”

	“Hmm… Sounds nice,” Her ‘daughter’ replied, considering the name. “I would be 
honored to carry her name. But what should I choose for a family name?”

	“That will be Nashimoto, to show the ancestors that we’re serious about this,” Scott told 
her.
	“The ancestors…?” ‘Miyuki’ gasped in surprise. “They’re real?”

	“Absolutely,” Scott chuckled, amused by the shock on her face. “So it’s decided, from 
now on you will be Miyuki Nashimoto, heir to the Nashimoto clan.”

	“When…when do I meet the… Ancestors?” Miyuki asked nervously. “Will they accept 
me?”

	“Of course they will,” Scott replied seriously. “They will probably be amazed that I 
found someone so… suitable to adopt as my heir. You won’t be meeting them for a bit though. 
You’re how old now?”

	“Seventeen,” The girl and her mother supplied simultaneously, grinning at each other.

	“That's what I thought,” Scott said, thinking. “The normal age for the heir to be presented 
to the ancestors was eighteen, so you’ve got a year to get ready. Meanwhile, I’ll get to work on your 
new identity.”

	“And while you do that, my daughter and I will get to know each other,” Nodoka said, 
giving Miyuki a hug. “We will return tomorrow to finish any necessary arrangements.” 

	"Okay, but what are we going to do about the others that are looking for Miyuki?"  Said asked 
and then smiled when he saw that the two women appeared to have forgotten that others were looking 
for Miyuki.  "I would say that both of you can go to your house Nodoka-chan, but I would be careful 
about that, unless Miyuki you want the others to know where you are."

	"I really don't want the others to know where I am, I just don't feel it would be right with 
me there."  Miyuki said looking down.  "Like you said Scott, I have a new life, I really down want 
the chaos of my last one to be in my new one."

	"If that's what you want dear, we will do as you wish."  Nodoka said smiling at Miyuki when 
she nodded her head.  "Very well dear."

	"Well, you two enjoy yourselves, but we need to discuss about what to do with Miyuki's future 
than just her name and past."  Scott replied.

	"What do you mean?"  Miyuki asked.

	"Well, we need to figure out what you are going to do for a future, like what do you want to 
do for a job.  Also where to go to finish your education, cause it would help with your interview 
with the Ancestors."  Scott replied.

	"I really don't know now.  Everything I was thinking of doing is Ranma's now, I really am 
starting from scratch here."  Miyuki said and then turned to her mother.  "What do you do mother?"

	"Um, well, I ..." Nodoka started saying but didn't know how to explain about what she does.

	"Your mother works for an organization that watches my kind."  Scott replied, surprising 
Nodoka at what he said.

	"How did you know about that, and what is it that she really does?"  Miyuki said.

	"Scott-san knows about the organization that I am working with for a long time now.  What 
I do is I'm a researcher for them, or a historian for a better term."  Nodoka said.

	"But how did Scott know about you?"  Miyuki asked.

	"How we first met was because of another part of what I do."  Nodoka said.

	"What is that?"  Miyuki asked.

	"We can also be field operatives.  Which mean we follow other Immortals around and record 
their lives."  Nodoka said.

	"So what is this organization you two are talking about?"  Miyuki asked.

	"They call themselves the Watchers, and they've been around as long as us Immortals have 
been around."  Scott replied.

	"Do you enjoy doing that mom?"  Miyuki asked.

	"Yes dear, it was something that kept me occupied while you and your father were gone for 
ten years.  It was an enjoyable time when I was at the school learning what I had to do.  But I 
don't want what my opinion of what I like to influence what you want to do for your life."  Nodoka 
said.

	"To let you know Miyuki, being a Watcher is not really a job, but more like a paying hobby.  
So if you find something you want to do later, you can do both of them."  Scott replied.

	Miyuki looked down and appeared to be deep in thought.  She looked up several times to look 
at Scott and Nodoka and then looked back down.  After several minutes, they saw her nod her head 
and then looked up at Scott and Nodoka.  She told them that she would want to try out being a Watcher, 
explaining that since an Immortal helped her she would want to try and help out other Immortals.  So 
Scott and Nodoka explained what they could of what it took to be a Watcher and Miyuki said she was 
up to the task of being one.  So Scott and Nodoka said that in order to be one, she had to finish 
schooling and the best one to go to was one that took her to a Watcher funded school in Sweden.  
Miyuki said that she would be happy to go there since it took her away from the chaos of Nerima and 
figured that no one would think of looking for her there.  So both Scott and Nodoka accepted her 
answer and Scott told her that he would get the information she needed while Nodoka got the 
information about being Watcher.  Before Miyuki and Nodoka left for the night, Scott had one parting 
statement for Miyuki.

	"By the way, I like the new look of your hair."  Scott said smiling.  Miyuki looked at him 
confused when he walked over to her and lowered the black stripe of hair over her left eye for her 
to see.  When she saw the black hair she freaked out a little bit.

	"What happened to me?"  Miyuki almost shouted as she pulled her pigtail over to see and saw red 
hair.

	"I think it's a side-effect of the cure, Ranma has a red stripe where you have a black stripe."  
Scott said.

	"Oh."  Miyuki said as she kept looking at her hair.

	"Well, I think we should be going now.  We will see you tomorrow then."  Nodoka said.  Scott 
nodded in agreement, and the two women left, still hugging each other loosely.

                           ##############################

	“So what happened when she met the Ancestors?” Sasami asked eagerly. “Did they 
accept her?”

	“Of course they did Sasami,” Ami chided softly. “Scott adopted her didn’t he?”

	“Actually Ami-chan, she hasn’t met them yet,” Scott interjected. “She only turned 
eighteen a couple months ago, and she was at school then.”

	“When is she going to meet them?” Hotaru asked excited. Scott glanced down at the 
letter in his hands and read it through to the end. When he almost done he laughed softly, then 
looked up at his audience.

	“In about three days,” He replied, smiling at their stunned expressions. “It should only be 
a formality though since Nodoka is a member of the Akamagiri clan and there’s already a 
precedent for naming a member of an allied clan as the heir.”

	“Did you say Akamagiri?” Ami demanded, forgetting the nearness of the date.

	“Yeah, why?”

	“Mom was talking about our clan alliances a couple days ago at dinner, and she 
mentioned that name,” Ami said with a shrug. “We’ve been allies for over 700 years.”

	“I’ll get you Nodoka’s number so your mom can get in touch with her then,” Scott 
decided, going back to the end of the letter, and then smiling. “Or maybe I’ll let Miyuki give it to 
you.”

	“Why should she wait?” Hotaru asked in confusion. Sasami nodded her agreement with 
the question.

	“It seems that Miyuki had a change of plans,” Scott answered, going back over the 
relevant part of the letter. “It seems that she had left a little earlier than planned, so she is 
arriving sooner than I thought.”

	“How much sooner?” The three girls demanded.

	“She’s landing at Nerita about an hour after the test we have planned for Kiersten and James,” 
Scott replied. The three girls stared at him in shock for several minutes and then planned on what 
they were going to do when they planned to meet Scott's daughter that none of them knew he had.

THE END

    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/shores/2307

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