Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ One-Half a Wing and a Prayer ❯ Red vs. Blue ( Chapter 18 )

Author’s Note: Ranma’s world was dreamed up by Rumiko Takahashi, produced by Kitty in Japan, and was licensed in the U.S. by Viz Communications, I’m just going to borrow them for a while to tell another story. This isn’t for money, just for fun. This story also contains adult themes, like sex and violence so be warned. Then again, if you like sex and violence, come on down.
P.S.: still and always for Janice.


Once again, Genma’s plans for early retirement were foiled. He sat, paralyzed by Kodachi Kuno’s poison, and contemplated where his plan went wrong. It seemed to him that Ranma had always gone out of his way to avoid serving Genma hand and foot, as was his duty as the heir to the Saotome School. He had fought against Genma’s conditioning, resisted training, and every time it looked like Genma was close to breaking the boy, some woman would step in and undo all his work.

Then those damn cursed springs happened.

Ranma now had ready access to more power then Genma could handle without catching her off guard or in a weakened state, which was hard to do. And when he had finally caught Ranma in such a condition, once more females jumped in and ruined his plan. All because his former training partner couldn’t raise his daughters to be proper, passive tools like he was supposed to.

Now his only hope was that Ranma would be injured enough to slow him down in their upcoming fight. Then Genma could unload all the frustration he had endured during the boy’s training in to the beating of a lifetime, once and for all showing his son his place in life.

Genma was confident in his ability to show up his son, and then those girls would have to fall in line once their father was reminded what it meant to be a man. From there, Genma would live in the lap of luxury while his son earned a living for them both. In the end, all would acknowledge Genma Saotome as the greatest martial arts master of all time.

Now if only the damn potion would wear off.


One Half a Wing and a Prayer
By Seth

Chapter 18
Red vs. Blue


Ranma soared through the night, searching for any sign of the wayward Amazon, Shampoo. She stayed away from the bright lights of the downtown area and glided over parks, vacant lots, and the forested area on the edge of town. She searched anywhere that a mountain warrior would seek refuge in by instinct.

She had little to go on, as the only thing she could really do is look for the distinctive blue hair of the warrior girl as the trail had gone cold while she was taken by her father. It was yet another reason that a festering hate had begun developing towards the man, and Ranma was beginning to look forward to the fight with Genma in only two days.

Hovering in mid-air, Ranma cursed her inability to find her own wife as the night dragged on. As long as Shampoo was under the effects of mind control, both Ranma and the Amazon were in danger, but the redhead had no way to find her mate.

Slowly she began circling, allowing wind currents to carry her along the edge of the town. Closing her eyes, Ranma focused inward, hoping against hope that there was still some link, some resonance from Nabiki’s mental attack on Shampoo that she would be able to sense. As she drifted, the wind changed and a faint hint of lavender was picked up by Ranma off to her right. It was a smell very familiar to her, the smell from Shampoo as they held each other close in bed.

Opening her eyes and turning into the wind, Ranma swooped down into the woods along a river bank, sweeping after the dispersing scent of her loved one. For an instant, Ranma saw a campfire flash in the corner of her eye and banked around to check it for any other sign of life. She was rewarded with a momentary image of the blue hair of a girl curled up in a ball near the warmth and light of the fire, huddled against the night, and her own inner demons.

Slowing and circling in low, Ranma picked a spot on the edge of the clearing and softly landed, hoping to catch the Amazon unaware, but Shampoo rolled to her feet the moment the leather clad demon touched down.

Brandishing her sword, Shampoo addressed her visitor, “You have come to die, yes?”

“No,” Ranma answered, “I came here to live, and to make sure you live. Nabiki felt your pain, and here and now, I can feel it as well. Let me help you, please.”

Shampoo shifted into a combat stance, and Ranma hesitated. Locking gazes with her wife, Ranma saw the conflict of determination and tears in her eyes as Shampoo spared no more words, lunging for the demon with murderous intent. Spinning away from a series of horizontal cuts, Ranma tried to gain distance form the Amazon, but Shampoo was just as agile. The blue fury pressed her initial advantage, leaping into the air and spinning to deliver a roundhouse kick that Ranma barely blocked.

Reeling back on her heels, Ranma used her wings to balance herself as she pulled her whip, a gift from Kasumi, off her shoulder and let it uncoil with a sharp crack in Shampoo’s direction.

“I don’t want to fight you, Airen,” Ranma yelled, taking to the air and hovering a short distance away.

“Then stand still and die,” Shampoo countered and leapt up into the trees. The Amazon used a series of branches as springboards to gain altitude on the flying demon girl, and jumped across her path. With a mighty slash of her sword, she aimed to take Ranma’s head off, but the redhead closed her wings and fell away from the blow.

Letting her whip strike out as her wings reopened, Ranma struck at the branch Shampoo was about to land on, loosening it from its tree when the girl landed. Shampoo’s footing became unsure, and she was forced into the air again as the limb gave way, jumping right into the path of a follow up strike of Ranma’s whip that struck her sword hand. Stunned, Shampoo let the steel blade fall to the earth below and she was forced to rebound off another tree to pursue it down.

Ranma dove after her, closing her wings to gain speed and pass the startled girl and land hard on the ground first. The demon spun around and retrieved the Chinese broadsword and pitched it into the woods as far as she could heave, then continued the spin to lash out with her whip at the ground where Shampoo was landing.

With lightning reflexes, Shampoo jumped again, feeling the sting of a near miss on her leg as she back flipped away towards her supply pack and drew two maces from her equipment. Reversing her direction she brought the maces together, attempting to crush the winged girl between them, but the redhead faded back, gliding along the ground.

Ranma drew the attacking warrior in, and closed her wings around her, then at the last second flung them wide to reveal a murderous snap kick that ended with her spike heel less then a centimeter away from Shampoo’s exposed neck.

Wide eyed, Shampoo took a stumbling step back and watched as the redhead held that pose. A sense of deja vu washed over her, and the image of the leather clad demon was for an instant replaced by a scuffed up redhead with wings standing in a tattered gi on a log. Shampoo made out the confident blue eyes that grinned at the promise of competition against a worthy opponent.

The moment was only made more surreal when Ranma declared, “Shampoo of the Amazons, I challenge you.”

Shampoo shook her head to clear it and resumed a fighting stance, “I accept.”

Ranma lowered her leg and slid into a sideways stance, hiding her whip hand from Shampoo’s view as they started to slowly circle each other, looking for any opening to exploit.

“You remember, don’t you,” Ranma asked, “We met in combat. Your grandmother brought me to the village and the Elders made us fight.” Shampoo gave her reply by throwing a mace at Ranma’s head. The succubus cracked her whip, sending the missile off course and ducked under Shampoo’s following swing with her remaining club.

Shampoo changed the course of her attack, sending the mace back up to catch Ranma under the chin, but the demon flipped away, and lashed out again in mid air to tangle the end of her whip with the handle of Shampoo’s weapon. As the redhead landed, the two girls entered into a tug of war, each of them seeking leverage.

Ranma continued, “You were strong and fierce, and only luck allowed me to knock you off the challenge log. After, you were going to give me the kiss of death, but I turned into it, and you gave a sign of marriage instead.” Ranma had to back away again after that as Shampoo released her mace and charged the off balance girl.

Ranma leapt high, and was met by Shampoo in mid sir as they exchanged a quick series of punches. Both girls landed back on the ground at the same time and spun around, blocking each other’s high kicks in a mirror of each other.

“Demon lie,” Shampoo stated, “No have grandmother. Leave village on order of Chosen One to hunt you. Now I finish job.” Shampoo reversed her spin and swept low, kicking out at Ranma’s leather boots to knock the other girl over. As Ranma landed on her backside, Shampoo jumped up to deliver a massive stomp to Ranma’s midsection.

The demon girl managed a fast roll to dodge, but found herself on the defensive as Shampoo unleashed a series of kicks and stomps that kept her on the ground, scrambling to avoid the attacks. As Shampoo delivered yet another stomp, this time to Ranma’s head, the redhead caught it with both hands.

“Your grandmother is named Cologne. And she is the Matriarch of our tribe,” Ranma yelled as she spun the trapped leg, flinging Shampoo to one side to land on her back. Both girls kicked up and charged each other again, and Ranma continued, “Think about the legend. The Chosen One was a protector, not a killer. She was taken by the hands she had saved.”

“Shampoo knows legend,” the Amazon growled as her punch was blocked by the redhead, “Is duty of clan to watch for return of Lost One who become Chosen One. Is great honor.”

Ranma leapt back, flying to the other side of the clearing and landed with an open stance, “Then if you remember that it was Amazon hands that took her life, and you really want to let fate repeat itself, I can do nothing more.”

Shampoo watched as Ranma closed her eyes and spread her arms wide. With a flick of her wrist, a small knife slid out of the sleeve of her dress and into her hand. She made no attempt to hide her movement, but the redhead demon refused to respond. Shampoo’s head spun as she regarded this perfect opportunity to finish her mission, but a claw gripped her heart and made her pause.

The flashes of other times and places, the strong words spoken by the mind-walker at the demon’s house, even the twinge of sadness she felt whenever she made contact with this girl during their fight.

Goddesses help her, what if this Ranma was right?

NO! The mission was what was all important. It was all that mattered. The image of the Chosen One filled her mind, telling her to finish this helpless outsider, but there was that buzzing sense of wrongness still at the back of her mind.

In the end, Shampoo had no choice but to charge, blade out and aiming for Ranma’s heart. She ran the distance between her and Ranma in only a moment, and she recognized that this attack would end in the death of her opponent. Inside her, everything screamed that there was no honor in this death. That killing an unarmed and unresisting foe would only bring disgrace. But the command remained, finish the mission.

Right before she made contact, Ranma opened her glowing blue eyes and shed a single tear.

Shampoo’s world was yanked out from under her as her knife penetrated Ranma’s leather bodice.

“NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

Shampoo remembered.

Ranma appearing in her village with her grandmother.

Their battle on the challenge log.

Their first night together.

Enema’s return and Ranma’s suicidal fight with the transformed Elder.

Ranma’s departure with her father.

Enema using the forbidden techniques of mind erasure to trick her into killing the true Chosen One.

Her husband.

Her wife.

“That really hurts, you know.”

Shampoo looked up to see Ranma still standing, looking down at Shampoo’s knife dangling from her corset. Shampoo sprang back up and checked the blade. It had entered the side of the garment instead of the center, only grazing Ranma.

Quickly, the relieved Amazon pulled the knife out and tossed it away, practically ripping off Ranma’s leather top to check the wound. There was only a light cut that was bleeding below Ranma’s armpit only a few millimeters deep, and Shampoo began to cry in relief.

“I guess you beat the programming after all. Wouldn’t you say, Airen,” Ranma asked, and found herself wrapped in a crushing hug. “Air! Need air,” she gasped out, and Shampoo let her hug slacken slightly as she locked wet eyes with her long forgotten mate.

“How,” the crying girl asked.

Ranma wrapped her arms around the girl and allowed her wings to follow suit, “At the last second your aim drifted. As you were running over, I saw panic filling your eyes. I think you couldn’t let yourself kill me, so you pressed and broke the hold over you.”

Shampoo shook in her lover’s arms as she realized how close she had come to ending Ranma’s life. She didn’t care how close it was, Shampoo was simply relived that her love stood before her, mostly unharmed. Straightening up, she found that with heels on, Ranma stood eye to eye with her, and made it very easy to kiss the demon.

Ranma accepted the kiss from her wife, taking only enough energy to heal her side and simply enjoying the contact after that. The two girls stood together in the clearing holding each other close and sharing that kiss of a long time as they poured their hearts into the moment of reunion.

Shampoo finally leaned back, breaking the kiss, and spoke, “Airen, Enema used forbidden techniques on me. She wants revenge against village, and you, so she trap me.”

Ranma nodded, “She failed, and that’s all that’s important.”

“But if I no come back with your head, she could come here,” Shampoo said, “And she still very good hunter.”

Ranma sighed, “We have to deal with her at some point, but for now I’m just glad you’re all right.” She let go of the Amazon and wiped her eyes dry, “We should go back to the house. Nabiki was worried about you as well.”

“That mind-walker that help Shampoo,” the blue haired girl asked.

Ranma nodded and said, “She is my fiancée here in Japan. Since I got her, she’s helped me through a lot.”

Shampoo sighed and placed her head on Ranma’s shoulder, “I wish I was here for that.” Ranma gave the girl a reassuring squeeze and let her arms drop away. Bending down, she retrieved her damaged corset from where Shampoo had dropped it and examined the hole the knife had left.

“Nabiki is gonna kill me,” Ranma groused, “This thing cost her a lot of money.” She began putting the garment back on, but stopped when Shampoo took it from her and began the process herself.

“Is strange clothing for warrior,” Shampoo said as she redid the clasps along Ranma’s front, “But it look too too sexy on you. This Nabiki buy for you? She have warrior’s taste.” The blue haired girl leaned forward and lightly kissed Ranma’s still exposed nipple before closing the corset fully and finishing with the clasps.

“What say we go introduce you to her properly,” Ranma said, gathering Shampoo into her arms once more. Spreading her wings and giving a mighty flap, Ranma once more took to the air. Shampoo allowed herself to be cradled in her lover’s arms as they sped into the slowly lightening sky back towards the residential area of town.

Shampoo looked down in wonder as the world passed below her. The first signs of life were starting to appear in the houses below as Shampoo saw early morning deliverymen and early rising housewives begin their day. Looking up, she saw her beloved’s face, smiling brightly as she concentrated on her flying. The first rays of daylight caught in her hair making it blaze bright red as the duo began a slow decent.

Landing softly, Shampoo once more found herself in the Tendo compound, this time holding the girl she loved. Slowly she looked around again, not as a hunter looking for prey, but as someone looking for signs of a loved one where they lived. A practice post with distinctive damage from the Chestnut Fist, a small divot in the ground about the size of Ranma’s head, a small scrap of red cloth caught in the high branches of a tree.

Turning back towards the house, Shampoo found her gaze drawn to a figure standing on the porch. It had short brown hair that was mussed from sleep, and wore a simple robe. But it was the expression of relief on the girl’s face that drew Shampoo in. She met the girl during her previous visit, but where she knew the girl from was her dreams.

Slowly she walked up and took the girl’s offered hand and whispered, “You is Nabiki. I know you.”

“And I know you, thanks to Ranma’s memories,” Nabiki added. The two girls smiled at each other, and drew each other into a hug. The three teens sat down in the living room, and Shampoo told them of her abduction and manipulation at the hands of Enema. Then Nabiki told Shampoo of the events that had occurred since Ranma’s arrival in Nerima.

Shampoo found the stories amusing, especially the unusual battles that Ranma had been drawn into. As she listened, she also found genuine caring in Nabiki’s voice. The Tendo girl had obviously grown to respect and love the often confused demon girl, a sentiment that Shampoo readily understood. As for Nabiki, she found herself easily captivated by the charm and beauty of the Chinese girl sitting across from her. The cute accent hid a warrior’s keen mind, and Shampoo was able to pick up on subtle elements of Ranma’s story. As dawn began in earnest, Nabiki and Shampoo found that their close ties to Ranma enabled them to become closer as well.

They were suddenly interrupted in their conversation by a loud snoring coming from one corner of the room. Both turned to see a sleeping Ranma leaning against the wall, her leather clad legs spread wide, and her wings folded around her as a make shift blanket. Both girls giggled lightly as Ranma snored away, each moving to one side of the sleeping redhead and lightly kissing the girl on each cheek.

“I very happy Airen find person who care about him,” Shampoo told Nabiki as they moved to sit leaning against either side of Ranma, “But I see you is not warrior like us. You say you fight with Airen, but it not what you do. Shampoo is worried about potential co-wife if real dangers come.”

“I know I’m not a fighter like you and Ranma,” Nabiki replied, “but not all battles are won with fists. My mind is my weapon, and I don’t just mean my powers. I’ve been using my smarts to keep my family out of debt for years now. It’s not as direct as the way you fight, but it gets the job done.”

Shampoo took the other girl’s hand and gave it a squeeze, “That how you help Shampoo. You use power to remind Shampoo of love, and that gave strength to break evil spell. You smart to remember that love is most powerful.” The Amazon leaned across Ranma and gave Nabiki a light kiss on the lips. Nabiki sensed the friendship Shampoo was offering, and accepted it happily.

“I guess I measure up then,” Nabiki said with a smile.

Shampoo grinned back and answered, “For now. But to be wife to an Amazon legend you must be an Amazon yourself. I give you trials to see if you worthy, but those come later.” With that, Shampoo settled back against Ranma again and placed her head on the sleeping demon’s shoulder. Nabiki considered what the warrior girl told her, and hoped that Shampoo wasn’t expecting her to become a warrior champion or anything like that. As she lay her head against Ranma’s other shoulder, Nabiki couldn’t help but worry that their battle was only going to get more difficult, and she hoped that she wouldn’t get left behind. Within moments the three tired girls were together in sleep, cuddled up to each other as Ranma shifted her wings to accommodate her two loves.

As they slept, Soun Tendo wandered into the living room, coffee mug in hand. He was looking for Genma for their morning game of go, but stopped when he saw the three girls asleep in the corner. For a moment he froze, torn between conflicting emotions. His daughter had obviously become close to Ranma, and that was a good thing, but there was a stranger sharing the intimate closeness that was reserved for betrothed couple.

He was about to wake Ranma and have the transformed boy explain the compromising position, when she shifted slightly allowing Soun to see under her wings for a moment. The fact that Ranma was wearing an outfit that would normally be reserved for a strip club wasn’t the thing that did him in, nor was the fact that Nabiki’s robe was half open exposing one breast. It wasn’t even that Nabiki and the stranger had their hands clasped, fingers intertwined. It was the fact that their interwoven hands were slid into the leather thong panties that Ranma currently wore.

Soun fell backwards, a spray of blood shooting out his nose and his mug flying through the air to land in Ranma’s face. The transformation was instant and woke the now male Saotome as his body mass increased and shifted. Ranma now found that the leather had very little give in it, and his breathing was being cut off by the corset. There was also the fact that his sexual organs had suddenly turned outside in, and while finding his member held comfortably by two soft hands, the thong he wore was not large enough by far to accommodate said hands and genitalia.

Ranma leapt to his feet to try and undress quickly to alleviate his problems, waking Nabiki and Shampoo. The girls watched in amazement as the pigtailed martial artist as his now larger feet struggled to maintain balance in high heels, and failed miserably. The compressed young man fell flat on his face as the girls erupted in laughter.

“Ouch,” he managed weakly as the girls continued to laugh. He managed to roll on his back and undo the clasps holding the corset in place, granting him a measure of air and relief, but as he began working the too tight thong off Akane walked into the room.

She stared at the squirming boy, pulling a leather thong off his penis in front of two hysterical girls, and entered a mental loop.

He’s a pervert, perverts must die. He’s the one who wore that last night as a girl. Girls can’t be perverts. My sister is half naked with another girl smiling at an almost nude boy. My sister is a pervert. Girls can’t be perverts, boys are perverts. He’s a pervert; perverts must die…and so on. Since she could find no logical recourse she chose a nice comfortable spot next to her father and passed the hell out.

Ranma finally shucked off the last of the constrictive garments and stood panting for air after the frantic scramble. He looked back at the comatose Tendos on the floor and covered himself quickly, which only led to renewed snickers from Shampoo and Nabiki as he accidentally slapped his privates in the rush to cover up. Wincing, he turned to glare at the giggling girls, and almost began laughing himself as they both stuck their tongues out at him.

A few blocks away at Furinkan High, the mood was decidedly more serious as Tatewaki Kuno met with a small, pale student in the kendo club room.

“And what have you to report about my lovely pigtailed goddess,” the swordsman asked the sickly looking young man.

“With respect,” the student answered, “you may be mistaken in her nature. It is true that she seems to have unusual abilities, but I think she may not be benevolent in nature.” He pulled a folder of pictures out of his book bag and handed them to the upperclassmen, “As you claimed, Ranma Saotome seems to have some connection with her, and it seems that Nabiki Tendo is involved as well.”

“Yes,” Kuno said, “The vile sorcerer always appears to thwart my attempts to free the pigtailed girl. But to think he has corrupted yet another of the noble house of Tendo, how repulsive.”

The pale boy coughed into his hand, “Yes, of course. The pigtailed girl may in fact be a siren or some similar mythical creature that Saotome bound to himself. If you plan to free her, you will have to be extra careful and plan accordingly. No matter how strong he is, every man has a weak spot.” Kuno nodded at this wisdom, and the young man, Hikaru Gosuinkugi by name, knew that he had the deluded swordsman, hook, line, and sinker.

Hikaru knew Ranma’s secret and had no intent on sharing the information with the love sick Kuno. Just over a week ago, he had set up a camera in the changing room for the Furinkan team at the much anticipated Rhythmic Gymnastics match. His original intent was to get a picture of his secret crush, Akane Tendo, in her gymnastics leotard, but the change in combatant at the last second had proved to be just as interesting to Hikaru.

One of the pictures he did not show Kuno was of the redhead making love to Nabiki Tendo in the shower, with a pair of leather bat-like wings on her back. Gosuinkugi knew that he had stumbled on one of the most dangerous, and desirable of finds. He had discovered a succubus demon.

Fortunately, the paranormal was Hikaru’s greatest hobby.

He had spent the next few days monitoring the activities of Nabiki and the redhead, and had quickly discovered it’s transformation into the talk of the school, Ranma Saotome. Now he was no fool, and knew that Ranma was out of his league if a confrontation were to arise, but the possibility of capturing and maybe even controlling a succubus was too great a draw for the pale young occultist. Hence he was enlisting the aid of a delusional stooge to distract Ranma while the important work of capturing the demon was carried out.

Now all Gosuinkugi had to deal with was the school’s junior mobster, Nabiki Tendo. But that plan was only in its initial stages. He had to tread carefully with her as she was one of the smarter people in school, not only as a student, but she also understood how to grasp a situation and turn it to her advantage.

In the end, Hikaru was far more worried about her.

“So,” Kuno addressed the pensive student, “You will aid me by providing Ranma Saotome’s weakness and allowing me to free the pigtailed girl from his grasp. Once I have proven my righteousness with this feat, the tigress Akane Tendo will no doubt also seek to be my consort. My question is this, however. What boon do you seek from our arrangement?”

Hikaru smiled lightly, noting that Kuno was not a total idiot and replied, “I have a passing interest in the mystic arts. Ranma obviously has considerable power to enslave a creature such as your redheaded siren, and I believe that that power can be used for the betterment of all. All I ask is the opportunity to examine Ranma after you have defeated him. If I can gleam the source of his power, he will never be able to threaten fair maidens again.”

“Agreed,” Kuno said, and shook the sickly looking hand of Gosuinkugi. With the deal sealed, Hikaru left the easily manipulated upperclassman to his meditations and headed home to conduct further research. After all, to have the power of a sex demon at his fingertips, figuratively and literally speaking, he would need to be well prepared.

Hikaru tossed his head back and indulged in a moment of evil laughter.

Too bad he was not well suited to it and wound up with more of a wheezing giggle.

Back at the Tendo house, Ranma had managed to run upstairs and get dressed in his normal black pants and red shirt, much to the disappointment of his wife and fiancée who were enjoying the view as he ran buck naked up the stairs. The three of them were settling down with the rest of the household, including a recovered Soun and Akane for breakfast, and explaining the nights exploits.

“So you are saying that this Enema person used a forbidden technique to erase any memory of Ranma,” Soun asked, taking a sip from his refilled coffee. He noticed that Ranma was still eyeing the cup warily, and placed it on the table to ease the boy somewhat.

Shampoo nodded, “Exile is very good at mind changing, always has been. It one of many reasons she and Grandmother has been enemies for so long.”

“Throw in the fact that she has tried to kill me three times now, and she’s not on my favorite people list,” Ranma added. He put a reassuring hand on Shampoo’s shoulders, “Once she figures out that Shampoo hasn’t killed me she probably try something else.”

Kasumi finished passing out plates and asked, “Is it likely that she will come here looking for you then?”

“No,” Shampoo said, “She is bound in the old ways and believes that to leave the village is a sin. That is why exile is such a great punishment for her. If she can, she will send another to find my fate here while she plans to break her exile and seize power in the village once again. I am saddened by this, but I must return and warn my grandmother, if it is not already too late.”

“And I’ll go with you,” Ranma said.

Soun slapped a hand down on the table, “I realize you feel a responsibility towards these Amazons, but you also have a responsibility here. What of your fiancée? Do you plan on leaving her alone while you gallivant across China?”

“Of course he won’t, Daddy,” Nabiki said, “because I’m going too.”

“What,” Akane almost yelled, “Why? Why are you going with this…person, and…Ranma to some foreign country when they are going to fight some nut that can mess with people’s minds?”

Nabiki smirked, “It’s called love, little sister. Shampoo and Ranma are both Amazon warriors, and to stand as an equal with them I have to prove myself as well. Before you, or you Daddy, go on a rant about how I’m not a fighter, I know that perfectly well. What you need to understand is that I fight differently then any of you, and for this fight I think I’m going to be needed. Besides, I’m not about to let Shampoo and Ranma have all the fun in this relationship.”

A flustered Soun mumbled, “I’m still having trouble with the idea that my girl is in such a relationship to begin with.”

Quietly, Shampoo spoke to Nabiki, “You have great potential. Maybe you be good sister after all.”

“Count on it, Airen,” Ranma added, “She’s as sharp as Granny, and with the two of us training her, she’ll be just as tough. The three of us together are gonna be invincible.”

“Get real,” Akane scoffed, “How are the three of you going to get to China, let alone find some nut that is out to kill you. You’re all nuts.”

Nabiki smirked, “You just don’t get it, and you may never unless you get off your high horse. I can plan, Shampoo can track, and Ranma can fight. We work as a team. That’s something you’ve never been able to do.”

Scowling, Akane stood and turned her back on them, “Fine, get yourself killed for all I care.” She stormed off to her room as the rest of the household stared after her. After she had gotten in her room and slammed the door she threw herself on her bed and gazed blankly at the ceiling.

Why cant I understand, she thought to herself, the three of them are so close, and so comfortable with each other. Can’t I feel that way with anyone? She touched her fingers to her lips where only hours ago Ranma had kissed her, and drained a portion of her life energy away. She remembered the tingle of the demon’s kiss and was conflicted. Akane felt revulsion at the action and at the same time longing to feel the sensual bliss she had touched for only a moment. She remembered the look on Kodachi’s face as she carried the girl home last night; it was a smile of exhausted bliss.

Do I even want to feel that way, she asked herself, fearing the answer.

Back downstairs, plans were being made. Nabiki had assured everyone that getting into China would not be difficult, though she was reluctant to explain herself. Shampoo and Ranma knew that way to the village, but how to get there quickly was becoming a problem.

“I can’t really fly us all there,” Ranma was saying, “I think one person is my limit.”

Nabiki shook her head, “We can take a train. You outdoors types never really embraced modern times, did you? Why do you have this need to walk everywhere?”

“Even if we use train, it still long hike to village,” Shampoo added, “Maybe two or three days.”

Kasumi nodded, “You will have to make sure you have enough fresh water and food in case there are delays. You should also plan out what clothing you will take. The weather in a mountain region is likely to change fast.”

“Nice nice Kasumi right. Can be cold one day and hot the next,” Shampoo confirmed.

“I still think this is a little rash,” Soun tried to intervene, but the looks he got from the teenagers around the table gave him pause, “Then again…”

“Tendo is right!”

Ranma’s light smile dropped as he turned to see the bulk of his father framed in the outside doorway.

Genma continued, “I see that I was right about you, boy. You are running away at the first opportunity, forgetting your honor.”

“This is all about honor, old man. And it’s about responsibility, something you’ve never had,” Ranma said as he stood and faced his father.

“Is that so,” the older Saotome asked, “Have you forgotten that your fate is still undecided? Do you forfeit our match so easily? If you do, then by our terms, I forbid you from this fools journey and order you to send this little girl home where she belongs.”

Shampoo leapt up, getting ready to beat down this man who dared to give her an order, but Ranma laid a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

He sighed, “The rat is right. We have to wait a few days. We have a fight tomorrow, and if I win, he can never boss me around again.” Ranma turned back to his father and added, “You’ll have your fight, old man. Just remember the deal, when I win you and Mister Tendo grant me Master’s status. I already have the papers drawn up, waiting for your seals.”

Soun looked at the battle of wills between his friend and his friend’s son and asked, “What is this about a match? And for a master’s title no less. Why haven’t you told me of this Saotome?”

“Nothing to worry about Tendo,” Genma scoffed, “The boy thinks he can defeat me without using his cursed powers. Once I’ve put him in his place you won’t have to worry about these heathen ways corrupting your daughter, or the cursed demon taking her life. Ranma has sworn on his honor to obey me like a proper son should.”

Ranma continued to hold back Shampoo, but the Amazon girl hissed out, “Ranma more of a man then you ever be, I know he beat you. Grandmother is right that you fat scheming fool who twists all he touch. Best you to sleep lightly.”

Genma flinched at the venom in the girl’s voice, and was about to strike her when he felt a light pressure against his throat and a voice echoed in his mind, “Ranma may be patient with you, but you know I am not.” He looked around and locked eyes with Nabiki. “Ranma told me about his little deal with you and you can be sure that if you back out…well it will be hard to enjoy retirement with your mind turned into tapioca.”

With that, she broke contact with the now perspiring Genma and stood to give her reassurances to Shampoo that Ranma would be victorious. For a moment the Saotome patriarch thought about calling Nabiki’s bluff, but tightness at his throat persuaded him that she was serious with her threat.

As plans were made for the journey, another set of eyes watched the goings on in the Tendo house.

Enema’s fist came down in the small pool of water she had used to scry on her pawn, dispelling the image of the teenagers gathering against her.

“So Shampoo somehow broke my hold,” the girl-bat spoke quietly in the dark cave she now used as her home. “Now my plan begins to gather speed. It would have been nice if Shampoo had killed her little demon slut, or better yet the other way around. But now they will all come to me, and I will get what I truly want.”

With a low chuckle, she swept out of the cave to begin the hunt for the ingredients she would need. Soon, all the power of the Amazons would be hers.


To be continued.

Endnote: So here we are at a crossroads. Ranma, Nabiki and Shampoo have settled into a nice little unit, and Kasumi has taken on Kodachi as a student. Now Akane, there’s a rebus. Throw in a heaping of Genma’s bigotry, Soun’s confusion, and the upcoming conflicts and we’ll start seeing more divergence from the main storyline. Here’s hoping I can keep it all in order. As for Gos…Sasuke is a dork, at least Gos has some depth in the Manga for a tertiary character, and I plan on…well, you’ll see. Until next time…oh, Janice just got me the new Optimus Prime…screw writing tonight…hehehe, toys fun.