Ranma 1/2: Ranma No More Alternate History By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address) Chapter Twenty Six Four people stroll through a quiet park, in Greece, near a series of fountains each with a Greek god or goddess in its center. There is a young woman of twenty seven and three men. The woman is exotic, with thick black hair that goes down to her mid thigh, which she wears in a braid. Her eyes are deep and fathomless; they are as black as nothingness. She has a soft medium brown complexion with a small red dot in the middle of her forehead. She is 5' 8" tall about one hundred and fifteen pounds with a slender build. Walking closely next her to is a man of thirty three with an olive complexion. He seems to be acting as tour guide for his friends. He has deep brown eyes and thick short wavy black hair. He stands at six feet, he is lightly muscular, and weighs around one hundred seventy five pounds. He smiles at the young woman as she laughs a one of the myths he has related about the Greek gods. <"Alex you are making that story up!"> She says to their own private tour guide, the other two companions, are chuckling as they watch her standing there glaring at her soul mate with mock anger. Her small fists on her hips and her deep and inviting black eyes flashing with a fiery red. Alex the brunt of her play ire just laughs a deep hearty laugh, and with a Greek accent, he responds. <"Sorry Taj, but that is one of the myths of these ancient gods, whether you believe it, is your choice."> One of their friends steps forward between them, he is young around sixteen. He stands around 5' 10", and has long black hair down to the middle of his back. It is hard to tell what his build is like because he wears long white flowing robes, with black Kung Fu pants and slippers. His eyes are a gray blue, and he wears a pair of thick glasses on top of his head, although he doesn't seem to need them. <"Come on guys we have one more to find before we can hook up with the others."> The two combatants look at their friend with pouts on their faces, as they complain, both at the same time. <"AW, Mousse, you're a spoil sport!"> Mousse smiles at them shaking his head, he looks to his other friend for help all he does is shrug his shoulders while trying not to laugh. The last member of the party is, about twenty one, he stands at 5' 11", he has black wavy hair that goes down to his shoulders, his eyes are full of mischief and are a deep vibrant green. He too has a light olive complexion, with a medium muscular build, and seems to weigh around one hundred and fifty pounds. <"Oh, thanks a lot Roberto, you're a _big_ help!"> Mousse complains as Roberto continues to shake with silent laughter. Soon all four are laughing as they continue to walk through the park. Taj, stops suddenly, grabbing both sides of her head, she collapses to her knees taking deep labored breaths. Alex rushes to kneel next to her worry and concern crossing his face. <"_Taj_ are you alright? What's wrong?"> He asks her as he puts an arm around her shoulder. Taj just kneels there with her head bowed, her breathing still heavy but slowing. She raises her head and Alex notices her eyes are blank and distant. He looks to his other companions for help the two men step forward, as they reach out, each planing to take an arm. A coppery red aura flares around Taj driving all three of her friends back. The men were watching her with some concern when Roberto calls out in surprise. <"HEY LOOK ALEX IS GLOWING TOO."> Although Alex was still standing he was glowing a bright coppery red; his face was filled with shock, rage and disgust. Roberto and Mousse gasp when both Alex and Taj's aura flares even brighter, then as suddenly as it appears it disappears. When the auras are completely extinguished Alex falls to his knees next to Taj, who has wrapped her arms around herself, she rocks back and forth, mumbling, with tears streaming down her cheeks. <"Such pain, such anger, how can she live like that."> She gasps out repeatedly. Roberto kneels next to her, then places a comforting hand on her shoulder. She turns and stares at him blankly for a moment. Then recognition comes to her face. Her tears flow in torrents as she throws herself into his arms and continues to sob. He slowly wraps his arms around her and makes soothing noises to try and calm her down. Mousse goes to Alex and helps him to his feet, when he looks at his friends face he takes a step back. He is shocked at the sternness, and determination, that he sees there, but what makes him the most nervous is the full blown rage glowing in his deep brown eyes. Roberto and Mousse look at one another with confusion, for in the months the four of them have been together they have never seen them act like this. Alex finally is able to rein in his emotions some, he turns to his friends and through clinched teeth he tells them. <"We are going to Japan, our final team member is there with the leaders of the Tiger sect."> Taj slowly stops her crying and removes herself from Roberto's embrace. He helps her get to her feet, she stumbles a little but Roberto steadies her. She takes a deep breath to calm herself, then turns and heads back toward their hotel, with Alex right behind her. Mousse looks to Roberto shrugs and follows them. Roberto shakes his head and takes off after his friends. \*/*\*/ Everyone in the dining room turns to face the interlopers, Nodoka gasps as she recognizes her wayward husband. "Genma?!" Genma ignores his wife, but the small bead of sweat rolling down his cheek tells the others he can't ignore her completely. He faces his son, with mock righteous indignation. "Ranma my boy, now that you're here _you will marry__ a Tendo!" Genma glares at his son daring him to go against him. Ran Koh stands and faces the man he once called father, his eyes glowing with lavender fire. Genma gulps but refuses to step back. Ran Koh then turns slightly to the Tendos, quietly mumbling under his breath. The Tendos begin to fidget under Ran Koh's gaze, all except Kasumi who smiles sweetly and replies. "Oh, my!" Soon the fire leaves his eyes Ran Koh turns to the patriarch of the Tendo clan, and makes his announcement, as he bows to the Tendos. "I am sorry, but Ranma Saotome is dead, he died in China _killed_ by the stupidity of his father. Even if he was alive he would not except any arrangement made by a man who was too drunk to make a decision such as that." Ran Koh pauses to let that information sink into the daughters, it didn't take long when all three burst into flaming auras as they turn on their father and Genma, Soun begins to wailing. "My daughters have no honor, they won't uphold the family's honor!" This did not have the effect Soun had hoped for, as his daughters start to advance on their father, they stop when Ran Koh speaks again. "Although I would love to watch the issuing fight, _this_ restaurant is our home and I won't have you destroying it!" The two older Tendo daughters had the good sense to look embarrassed, Akane however crosses her arms over her chest and snorts her disgust at the whole debacle. Ran Koh raises an eyebrow at her response, but lets it slide as he turns to Soun Tendo again. "Even so Mr. Tendo, Genma Saotome has canceled the promise between the two of you." Genma looks nervous as Soun narrows his eyes and glares at his _friend_. "Tell me boy, how did he do that?" Soun asks through clenched teeth. Ran Koh looks at Genma, as if giving him a chance to redeem himself and show he has some honor left by confessing all, but it was too much to hope for as Genma was looking for a way out. Ran Koh looks at him with disgust, as the rest of the people in the dining room wait eagerly for what Ran Koh is going to say. Nodoka toys with the bundle she is holding glaring at her husband. Ran Koh tells Soun what he wants to know. "When Ranma was six just before the Neko-Ken training, Genma engaged Ranma to a six year old girl named Ukyo Kounji, he cemented the deal my taking her dowry, and abandoning her by the side of the rode. If I am not mistaken your daughters _still_ have their dowry?" He looks questioningly at Soun, who reluctantly nods. Soun opens his mouth to say something when Ran Koh cuts him off, and continues. "I am not finished _Mr. Tendo_, there are five other girls where Genma Saotome has stolen their dowry, not to mention the twenty or so times he _sold_ Ranma into marriage for a small pittance of food. So, Mr. Tendo are you going to tell me your honor is more important the honor of those other girls, are you going to tell me it is alright what Genma did as long as he fulfills the _drunken_ promise the two of you made?" Ran Koh asks glaring at Soun, he gulps and starts to feel nervous as he notices he is the center of the rooms attention, he is about to answer when it is Genma who answers for him. "It is a matter of family honor that you marry a Tendo, _boy_, show your mother that I raised you to be a _Man above Men_ and live up to your responsibilities." Ran Koh turns to his father, rage filling his eyes. Ryoga gasps as he has never seen Ran Koh this angry, using his empathic connection he feels a rage building in his friend one that can become deadly. He looks to Ku Lon, she nods her understanding and starts to inch her way towards her niece, when Ran Koh speaks her voice is as cold as arctic ice. "_Don't interfere Aunt Ku Lon_!" Ku Lon stops next to Ryoga; the two of them stare at Ran Koh with fear briefly passing through their eyes. The other members of the Takashi family notice the exchange, they close ranks to be able to strike if Ran Koh needs help, but allows her to handle the problem. Ran Koh's voice shows none of the emotion playing across her face as she looks at Genma with open disgust. "What family honor are you talking about _old man_, you have dragged the Saotome name through the mud, you are wanted all over Japan for theft, lying, cheating, and who knows what else. You engage me to so many girls that I will never have any piece. Well it isn't going to happen when I merged completely with the spirit of my great grandmother, Ranma Saotome ceased to be. You are now responsible for everything that happens, I accept _NONE_ of the engagements you have set up. You will have to fix your own problems old man, because I won't!" Genma is too angry to be afraid of what Nodoka might be thinking of what his son has just said. He clenches his fist and steps toward his son growling out his challenge. "_You_ will obey me _boy_, you have _NO CHOICE_! Your mother _gave_ you to me to do with, what ever I want, I _OWN_ you and you will fulfill what _ever_ promise I tell you to fulfill!" Nodoka lets out a gasp, then her eyes narrow in unbridled rage, as she pulls out the family katana, from the rice cloth. Genma tries to ignore the gleam of the sword, while staring down his son. Unbeknownst to Genma, he struck Ran Koh's hidden well of anger. A well that over the years when he had gotten murderously angry at his father he would push that anger deep into this well, but things have changed and he is no longer doing that. The entire room backs up several steps as Ran Koh's aura bursts to life. Although something is wrong, Ryoga knows what it is, as do the other Amazons. "The Neko-Ken!" Ryoga gasps as he takes a step forward, feeling a rage from Ran Koh so strong that he fears for his friends mind and his own as he feels the rage building in him. \*/*\*/ Anna sits and watches as the drama unfolds before her, she shakes her head and sighs heavily. [And I thought _I_ had a dysfunctional family!] She watches as the argument becomes even more heated, she decides she is beginning to really dislike Genma and Soun, although Soun not as much as Genma. Soun just has no backbone, Genma is just plain _stupid_. Anna's eyes widen as she sees the young man with long black hair flares with not a golden white aura as she suspected but a purplish black aura streaked with forest green, and golden white. That, however, is not what shocks her most, it is the fact that the aura has taken the form of an angry cat around the boy. She watches as everyone steps back, she barely hears the other boy whisper the word Neko-Ken. She is not sure what that means but she plans on finding out. She continues to watch as the glowing boy lungs at the big idiot swiping at him before he is even near him. She gasps as do the others watching as claw marks appear on his chest and his gi is ripped away. A young man with glasses that is with the Tendos tries to step toward the glowing boy. His progress is stopped when a sword is placed in front of him by one of serving women, the one with cyan hair. "You _will not_ interfere this is an Amazon matter, _outsider_!" "_HEY_ leave him alone!" Yells Akane as she takes a fighting stance, Cy Sin looks at her over her shoulder and snarls at her. "Stay out of this _little girl_ you are way out of your league!" Anna barely watches as Akane screams and charges. In a blur of movement Akane can not hope to even follow Cy Sin switches her sword to her left hand keeping it in front of Dr. Tofu then with her free right hand grabs Akane by the front of her dress. Using Akane's momentum against her, she lifts her up and over her and Tofu's head and into the wall at the back of the private dining room. Akane collapses into unconsciousness. As Nabiki and Kasumi rush to her side. Anna barely notices the confrontation between the Amazon woman and Tendo girl as she is focused on Ran Koh and his father. She rises and begins to glow a coppery red. \*/*\*/ Genma steps back from the swipe which is why, the damage was not any worse. He looks down at his front then back at his son, and he sees the feral anger on his face and knows that he is in big trouble. He however, can not let Ranma win; if he does everything he has worked for would be lost. He decides to take the fight to his son and charges him preparing too use a forbidden technique of the Saotome School of Anything Goes. Suddenly though, Genma finds himself on the floor with the maul of a very large, very angry coppery red lion, in his face. This is the biggest lion he has ever seen he didn't realize they got as big as year old ponies. Genma gulps as the lion lowers its mouth closer to his exposed neck. \*/*\*/ Ran Koh stops momentarily as the giant red copper lion lands on his father, he then feels several of his pressure points being pushed and turns to glare at his aunt as the anger he released begins to drain away. He looks around the room and sees Cy Sin with a sword in front of one of the Tendo guests, he nods in her direction and she pulls the sword away and leaves the room. Dr. Tofu rushes to help the Tendo sisters with Akane. As Akane gets to her feet with the aid of her two sisters, she glares at the retreating from of Cy Sin, but says nothing. Ran Koh walks up to her father and the lion. "We have nothing more to discuss Saotome, you are not welcome here or in my life if you try to interfere again the next time they _won't stop_ me! Come it seems we have much to talk about." Ran Koh directs the lion to follow him, as he and the lion leave, the whole Tendo party gasps as Ran Koh shifts into a white hair girl and the lion transforms into a brown hair one. Ryoga follows the two girls out, with Mas Cra joining him as he leaves. Ku Lon turns to the Takashi clan, as the Tendos listen in. "I thank you for coming please feel free to finish and enjoy your stay, but an Amazon matter has come up that needs my attention." She then looks to Nodoka, with a sad smile, but her eyes denote her disgust at what Nodoka has allowed to happen. "You can learn what has happen to Ran Koh from your family, although they are now full members of the Amazon tribe and have a say as to what happens. _You do not_, we can not condone your allowing a man of _his_ caliber to take control of raising your child. You have much to think about Nodoka Saotome, but do not forget to put the blame where it belongs, _on yourself_!" With that Ku Lon leaves the dining room and with La Si and Xian Pu closely behind. Ku Lon motions for the two young Amazons to continue working as she goes after the other four people. She turns one more time towards the Takashi family and nods to Hiroshi, who excuses himself from his family and follows the Chinese matriarch of the Takashi clan out of the restaurant.