Ranma 1/2: Ranma No More Alternate History By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address) Chapter Forty Akane sits on the bathroom floor next to the commode, her back against the sink and her head bowed between her legs trying to stem the nausea she was feeling. Her eyes watering with the strain she was going through as she empties her stomach again. [It can't be the food I just bought it! Maybe I need to face the fact I _can't cook_?] She thinks while rubbing her stomach as it ached with a twisting pain. [No, that can't be it either I'm just as good a cook as Kasumi, I must be coming down with something, probably a new flu virus going around.] Akane decides while slowly getting to her feet. She goes to the sink and washes out her mouth and splashes water on her face. She looks in the mirror, sticking out her tongue she is surprised to see it is a dark midnight blue. Worry settles on her face, as she heads to her bedroom to get dressed. She puts on a forest green sundress with white stripes at the hem and around the neckline. She tied her hair with two ribbons one white and one forest green. She grabs her white sandals and purse, then heads out to go see Dr. Tofu. /*\*/*\ Akane stands outside the clinic a soft smile on her face. She loves Dr. Tofu and she knows she is better for him then _Kasumi_. She enters the clinic to see Kasumi helping a patient into an examination room. Her eyebrow lifts as she notices that her big sister is wearing a doctors coat, and seems to be doing preliminary exams of patients. Akane follows her in to the exam room to watch her when Kasumi notices her. Kasumi stiffens then turns to her sister. Akane gasps and takes a step back at the anger she sees flashing in the older girls eyes. "_You_ will please leave this room! You are not suppose to be in here when patients are being examined." Kasumi tells her with a cold clinical air. "I..I came to see Dr. Tofu something is wrong with me." Akane tells her sister, Kasumi's cold façade cracks a little then she puts the mask back in place. "Then you should be in the waiting room _shouldn't you_, Akane. You have no right infringing on the privacy of Tofu's patients." Kasumi tells her as she closes the door in Akane's face. Akane stands there staring at the closed door, her mouth agape. She can't believe that Kasumi just did that to her, not sweet oblivious Kasumi that is not possible. She has never been treated this way, Dr. Tofu always sees her when she comes in and now to be treated like an ordinary visitor! [HOW DARE SHE! First she steals his love away from me and now she treats me like so much trash! I will show her!] Akane's thoughts full her anger and a battle aura springs up around her. Akane prepares to spin kick the door open when she freezes in mid kick. Behind her a voice causes her to stop dead. Her aura flickers out and she blushes with embarrassment. /*\*/*\ Genma and Soun walk back to the Dojo both in quiet contemplation. People who pass them on the street were to wrapped up in their own lives to see the deep depression in the eyes of the two masters of Anything Goes. When they turn the corner onto the street of the Dojo, they spot Akane running quickly away from the house toward Tofu's clinic. "We better go get her Tendo if she is caught near Nabiki and Kasumi they could put her in jail." Genma tells his friend with a false caring tone. [I hope they do arrest the brat, then maybe I can get some decent food.] Genma thinks while consoling his old training partner. "Yes she doesn't know about the restraining order, so we best go after her." Soun says with a hopeful smile at the thought of seeing his other two daughters. The two men take off after the younger Tendo each with his own agenda. When they arrive they enter the clinic and see the waiting room full of patients. This surprises Soun as he knows when Kasumi is around Tofu the young doctor's patients make a hasty retreat. They look toward the back of the clinic when they hear Kasumi's voice telling Akane she was not permitted back in the exam room area. They cringe at the tone of her voice, at its coldness, they start when they hear a door slam shut. They look down the hall and see Akane standing at a closed-door confusion and shock evident on her face. They watch while those emotions turn to her normal anger. Soun is surprised when he sees his daughter about to shame herself because of her uncontrollable anger, as Akane prepares to break in on a patient. Soun continues to watch as Akane stops at the sound of a voice coming from farther down the hall. He can't see who it is, but he recognizes the voice. Soun is amazed while he watches his younger daughter's demeanor change from anger to embarrassment. He marvels at the expression of longing in her eyes. /*\*/*\ Genma watches as Akane goes quickly from angry to gushing embarrassment. He sees that the effect the owner of the voice has on Akane is not lost on his old friend. Genma begins to wonder if there is a way to get Kasumi back and leave the _brat_ here instead. He then hears what the voice is telling Akane, and watches her go from blushing schoolgirl to angry hurricane Akane again in a matter of minutes. Genma shakes his head, knowing the voice made a big mistake. Genma shakes his head when he realizes he will not be able to force Kasumi back home now. Genma watches as Akane's anger builds and her aura springs up around her body, her hands clenching into tight white knuckled fists. She glares at the hidden person, with rage, betrayal, and hurt fighting for control of her rage. Then Akane pulls out her mallet and lungs forward only to be stopped by her father. Genma did not know Soun could move that fast. Genma continues to watch the scene unfold in front of him as Soun pulls the mallet from his youngest daughter's tight grasp. Talking quietly to her, he drops the mallet to the floor. Then turns Akane around to leave the clinic with a struggling Akane. When he turns he sees Kasumi standing there with pity, shame and anger on her delicate face. Genma helps Soun take his youngest daughter back to the Dojo to explain what is happening. He can see anger and fear in his old training friend's face. Genma wonders how things could go so wrong. /*\*/*\ Akane glows bright blue as she readies herself to kick the locked door to the exam room in, how _dare_ that _SLUT_ treat her that way. After all Tofu should be hers not Kasumi's. Kasumi didn't even know he existed until that night at the Nekohanten. Akane readies to give the door a powerful spin kick when she looses her balances and nearly falls at the voice off to the right. "Akane, _what_ are you doing?" Dr. Tofu asks the youngest Tendo daughter, a tinge of anger in his voice. "Dr. Tofu, I..um..came to see you and um..Kasumi won't let me." She tells him knowing this will get him mad at her sister for keeping her from him. "Kasumi was only trying to tell you that you will need to wait in the waiting room until your turn, I am booked solid today." He tells her knowing what really happened. "Tell me Akane why you are back here in the exam area where you _don't_ belong trying to kick the door open on a patient?" Tofu asks her, Akane can hear the anger rising in his voice. Akane blushes when she realizes that she was doing something inappropriate, then her own special reasoning kicks in. Akane begins to talk herself into anger, not only at her sister but at Tofu also. [It wasn't my fault, Kasumi treated me like that! You are suppose to be mine and here you are taking her side. She is just using that patient to hide from the truth that she _STOLE_ Dr. Tofu away from _ME_!] Akane's battle aura flares around her. "You, your father, and _Mr._ Saotome are not suppose to be here Akane. Nabiki and Kasumi have a restraining order against you all, until _you_ and your father seek counseling. You for your anger, and your father his emotional unbalance and trying to force you into marriage." Tofu calmly explains to Akane, who is so lost in her thoughts that she did not here him clearly. [He is suppose to want me! He was _leading_ me on all this time so he could get closer to Kasumi! THAT PREVERT! HOW DARE HE!] Akane concludes in her mind, while calling forth her mallet for retribution. When Akane's hand grasp the haft of her mallet, she feels relief, she feels in control. She now has the means to get what she wants, to _take_ what she wants. Then what Tofu says begins to surge from the dark corner of her mind where it entered. Akane's eyes go wide, with shock her mallet nearly slips from nerveless fingers. Then her anger envelops her like a comfortable blanket. "HOW DARE YOU TURN MY SISTERS AGAINST US!" Akane screams and charges the quiet doctor. Akane tries to head to the doctor but can't move she looks behind her and her father has her in a bear hug. He wrenches the mallet from her hands and lets it tumble to the floor. Akane squirms, trying to free herself. "Daughter _he_ had nothing to do with this, it is your violent nature that has frightened your sisters to this point." Soun whispers in her ear, finally realizing his elder daughters are correct. "LET ME GO, I AM NOT VIOLENT! IT IS ALL HIS FAULT!" Akane screams, nearly breaking free, but Soun lifts her off the ground spinning her toward the door. Genma coming up to help him drag is daughter home. When he looks up he sees his eldest daughter look on the scene with pity, sadness and for the first time ever he sees anger in her eyes. /*\*/*\ The day for the light warriors went quickly, when Michael returns in the evening the drying racks are complete and in place and the walkway is nearing completion. At times the warriors can only watch in amazement as Ryoga would use the chestnut fists when hammering in the mails thus finishing somewhat faster. Michael again brought dinner this time from an Italian restaurant near his store. When the others gave him inquisitive looks, he shrugs his shoulders and starts to set out the food. "I didn't want to have to answer all the questions I knew they would have about what is happening here. At lunch, I was deluged with them and I wasn't even here in the morning." He complains with a slight shudder, the rest of the light warriors begin to laugh. The warriors sit and eat dinner, talking about those that have to go to high school the next week, and those that plan to start college, and those that just plan to get jobs. They discuss setting up training sessions with Ryoga and Msu Tsu to teach them in Amazon Techniques. With the hopes that those with martial arts skills will be able to do some of the more advanced techniques and those without martial arts will get some training under their belts. Dinner passes quickly while the warriors learn more about each other and what they like. Taj, Megan and Anna have some talent as artists, which seems to bring them closer as they discuss what they like to paint and how good they are. Taj likes doing portraits, while Megan and Anna prefer doing landscapes. "I have an idea." Megan starts her Irish brogue making her beautiful voice even more so. "Why don't Anna and I find the perfect landscape which we can both paint on a very large canvas, then once we sign it Taj comes in and paints all of us into the painting. You can put yourself there too, can't you?" Megan finishes with the question, the other to painters get excited at the prospect. "Yes, I can I have done self portraits before, I like this idea, how big are we talking on the canvas?" She asks the warriors not in the conversation just look to one another with nervous smiles. "I think maybe three feet high and six feet long. What do you think Megan would that be big enough to get everyone in but not crunched?" Anna asks when she turns to the redhead. "Aye, I think so, Anna." Megan tells her after swallowing a bit of her dinner. The conversation moves on to find that Samuel, Martina, Joshua, and Roberto, enjoy music and each play an instrument of some kind. Ran Koh looks at the four with a sad expression and a little envy, which only Ryoga could feel. Ran Koh listens to them talking about their instruments of choice while giving tidbits to Cali. "Well I play the piano, but it is hard always trying to find one so I got myself a small keyboard, to carry with me, but I prefer the piano. What about you guys?" Joshua tells them with a wistful smile. "Well I play the cello, I find it relaxing and I love the deep tones it makes." Roberto explains looking at them. "I play the tenor sax. I love both classical and jazz, and the sax seems to lend itself better to jazz then most other instruments." Martina says giving her opinion. "What about you Samuel? What do you play?" Ran Koh asks the leader of the dragon sect, her eyes shining with interest. "I play the flute. I worked in a orchestra for a while until Jusenkyo." Samuel tells them seeing the excitement shine in the eyes of Ran Koh. "Do you have a hobby Ran Koh?" Samuel asks her, she bows her head sadly. "No, oyaji never let me do anything that wasn't martial arts." She answers quietly. "Would you like to learn the flute?" Samuel asks her, she looks up at him with a small smile. "Yes I would, would you teach me?" Samuel smiles back at her and nods. As they finish the conversations, they clean up the dinner mess. They then go back to finishing the walkway this time with the help of Michael. The mages return to their research. "Did any of you find a spell that might help? Ran Koh asks her counterparts. "Well there is one that uses minimal power and would protect the upper three floors of the 'Joketsuzoku Village'. It will prevent anyone from entering that area, and will dispel once someone from inside the protected area leaves. It will keep out all _human_ intruders, but animals can go through it with no problems." Alex reads the synopsis to them. "Oh, that would have been perfect save for the fact that animals can get through, with oyaji's panda curse he will be able to walk right through." She reminds him, Alex nods, and continues looking. "I have one here that will do an area the size of your rooms, takes very little power, and does not take a lot of preparation. It keeps all out including animals. You will need to cast a dispel enchantment in order for it to be removed." Samuel tells them, while scanning the page. "That might work, I could cast them on everyone's room before doing mine." She tells them contemplatively, while rubbing her chin. "Yes, this one might work but do you really need to do everyone's room, I mean you're the one they want." Alex asks her while still checking another tome. "Well, maybe not but I wouldn't put it past them to take one of the others to force me to agree." Ran Koh responds while she reads another spell. "Hey are you guys going to remove all that magic junk from the storage rooms soon? We need to store the building supplies." Rufino asks as he comes up to the desks that the mages are working at. "Well as soon as Michael fills my order for more library shelves and ladders we will move them out here, but until then, do the best you can." Ran Koh tells him with a shrug while she gives Michael a sly grin. Michael glares at his team leader they go back to moving the building materials into the storage caves. Rufino just shakes his head and walks away to help with the clean up. Ran Koh giggles and turns back to continue to look in the tomes for the spell she needs. The mages turn back to their tombs, their chuckles still on their lips. As half the warriors finish the walkway, the rest start working on the racks for the larder. They work late into the night, and finally call it quits around midnight. The mages were able to find three protection spells that have good possibilities. They leave the laboratory and head for home. When they arrive at the 'Joketsuzoku Village' Nodoka and Ku Lon are the only ones waiting for them. When Ran Koh looks into the eyes of the Amazon elder she knows she is in for a long night. Michael takes everyone else to the hotel but Alex and Samuel as they know what Ku Lon wants and they wish to give Ran Koh the moral support she needs. "Greetings niece, your mother and I have been having a very nice talk." Ku Lon tells her as Ran Koh gives her mother a kiss on the cheek then one on Ku Lon's. "Really? What did you talk about?" Ran Koh asks with a small yawn. "Why are you willing to train your mother in our forgotten techniques but not us?" Ku Lon asks but already knowing the answer. "I told you in China, at my old laboratory, if I could train you without you taking my right to train who I wish, or take away my heirs right to train in those techniques I would train you. You have not offered me an alternative, I would like to train you and the others, and it would be helpful in the coming battle. I, however, must also look out for the safety of my future students and heirs." Ran Koh tells her, with eyes full of cold determination. "Ran Koh dear, you too are an Amazon so by rights those techniques still belong to the tribe." Nodoka puts in looking from the steely gaze of Ku Lon to her daughter. "The Amazons lost the right to these techniques nearly a thousand years ago. The fact that great grandmother Ra Koh was an Amazon, and I am one by my birth right, does not change the fact that these techniques are her legacy and I will control how they are taught and to who. I will promise though that my magic will only be taught to my heirs alone, as well as Amazons. I can see problems with magic being misused, but I will choose who my heirs are and that does not necessarily mean they will be my children." Ran Koh concedes a little, Ku Lon at least has won a small victory. "Then when do we start training child?" Ku Lon looks eagerly from her niece to the other mages. "When you and Mas Cra sign a legal document stating that _all_ techniques I teach you or any other of the 'Warriors of the Light' teach the Amazons are still the property of the teacher. The Amazons although are free to train and teach each other they can not, ever claim them as their own, nor take retribution on those who train in these techniques." Ran Koh finishes with flashing amethyst eyes. "The contract will also state that the Amazons will always help all future 'Warriors of the Light' by training them in the magic and techniques we will train the tribe in." Ran Koh tells her mother and aunt, with a small smile. "It seems she has us over the proverbial barrel, sister." They all turn to see Mas Cra standing at the door with a look of pride mixed with anger.