Ranma 1/2: Ranma No More Alternate History By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address) Chapter Forty One The morning arrived early for the 'Warriors of the Light', today they start their training. Nodoka going with them as they all met at the 'Yankee Traders', to go to the training ground together. Since the van they use only holds fifteen, Ran Koh decides to travel on foot. Samuel is about to go with her when Nodoka stops him. "I am afraid that even with your magic you won't be able to keep up with her, come ride with me." She gives him a motherly smile; Samuel gulps then watches as Ran Koh disappears, heading toward the training ground. When the warriors reach the training ground at the base of the mountain Ran Koh is already there. They pull up and watch in awe as she goes through her most difficult kata. This kata combines the Amazon techniques she inherited from her great grandmother Ra Koh. They all gasp when Ran Koh slices through boulders three feet away from her without touching them. "She is using the Neko-Ken." Ryoga tells them quietly. "We have been trying to get past the three foot limit, so far it hasn't worked." He continues to explain. The warriors stare agape while Nodoka watches with sadness. Everyone watching her finish with her exercises. When she is done she turns to the group and bows to them. She walks forward and they circle around her. "Ryoga will start your training, when you are strong enough and with Msu Tsu's help you will be put through the Bakusai Teknetsu. I am hoping we can get you all trained in that technique as it will increase your stamina and endurance greatly." She says while looking at each of the warriors. "What is the Bakusai Teknetsu?" Alex asks, curiosity evident on his face, they watch as Msu Tsu walks away from the group to a boulder near by. "BAKUSAI TEKNETSU!" All but Ryoga and Ran Koh nearly fall from the shock when Msu Tsu shatters the boulder with nothing but a light touch from his finger. "This technique was used for mining it builds your endurance because you need the protection from the fly shards. It is also only effective against stone, and earth." Ryoga tells the assembled group. "We hope when the time comes to train you the elders will be able to do the training, since they have trained many warriors in this technique." Ran Koh tells her new friends. "Why can't you, Msu Tsu or Ryoga do the training?" Samuel asks her with curiosity. "They can determine better then we can whether you are ready for that kind of training. One more thing, Alex, when you write that contract for me, please include yourself and Samuel. We are going to find some Amazons are better suited for either being mages or wizards." Alex nods as he and Samuel are called to begin their training in martial arts by Ryoga and Msu Tsu. It is decided that Msu Tsu will help Ryoga in training the Light Warriors in known Amazon techniques, but Ryoga will do the Anything Goes training and some of the techniques he has learned from Ran Koh, that she inherited from her great grandmother. Ran Koh leads her mother away from the others a short distance. Then she sits her down and takes her hands. Ran Koh's eyes begin to glow lavender as she tries to determine her mothers abilities. Ran Koh smiles at her mother as she releases her hands. "It seems, mom you have inherited great grandmothers magic ability. So now we need to train you on how to tap into that power." She finishes telling her smiling mother. /*\*/*\ Ryoga and Msu Tsu decide to split the warriors into two separate groups. Those with martial arts training and those without. Msu Tsu will start training the non-martial arts while Ryoga advances those with training. The day is spent in training for the Light Warriors; they were so occupied that none noticed the audience they have. Just inside the trees three pairs of eyes glow brightly. The smile they conceal in the shadows can be read in their eyes. /*\*/*\ "I have sent the message, but I do not see why we must agree to this, they were Amazon techniques, and Ran Koh _is_ an Amazon." Mas Cra complains as she reenters the Nekohanten. "I know Mas Cra, but our laws clearly state that once a technique is unused for five hundred years or more we lose all rights to it. You and I both have been trying to get that law changed, well now it is to late, and if we pass a retroactive law Ran Koh will disappear with the techniques and with the Light Warriors." Ku Lon tells her with just as much frustration. "At least this way we will get them back, and will be able to train our warriors and future generations in these techniques, plus we will have magic returned to us not only sorcery but wizardry and the powers of the mage. I think that alone will make the counsel agree." Ku Lon continues while resting her head in the palm of her hand. "Great grandmother can Xian Pu talk you?" Comes the request from the warrior, Ku Lon nods and waves the girl forward. "What is it child?" Xian Pu looks nervously from one elder then the other, but she begins soon after. "Xian Pu want know why you want keep Msu Tsu in tribe, after all trouble he cause me!" She asks with and angry glare. Ku Lon sits up straight and looks at Mas Cra who gives her a shrug, as she knew the reasons, being an elder. Ku Lon then looks to her granddaughter with a look of intense rage. Xian Pu steps back as she has never had her grandmothers rage directed at her. Ku Lon slams her fist down on the table while eyes of fire bore into her granddaughter. "_How dare you_ question my choices as an elder! If you could have gotten past your stupid pride you would have seen that having a Master of the Hidden Weapons Martial Arts was a boon to our tribe. Could you see all our warriors carrying an entire arsenal into battle and our enemies not even realizing it? Those of you on the counsel who voted his death or banishment cost our tribe a valuable resource. I am glad he is now an undisputed member of the Amazons even if it is with our Japanese tribe." She rages in a low growl. "The decision was made, and Ran Koh tricked us into that agreement, I am sure the counsel will void it." Mas Cra says with confidence, Ku Lon just shake her head no. "You forget _sister_ any decision we make here in Japan for the benefit of the tribe _will_ be considered law as if all twelve of us had voted on it. Only a unanimous vote of the counsel will over turn the choices we make and I for one will vote to keep it." Ku Lon tells her counter part. "Grandmother not serious? They trick leaders to get Msu Tsu back under Amazon tribe. Is not fair he banished!" Xian Pu rants like a six-year-old child. "Are you a _warrior_ or a _child_, girl!" Ku Lon snaps at her great granddaughter, Xian Pu cringes. "The agreement stands, and if I were you granddaughter I would clean and set up another suite, we will be having a visitor." Xian Pu and Mas Cra look quizzically at Ku Lon, she just rolls her eyes. "Li Ly will be wanting to see her grandson, so expect her to arrive soon, and don't forget Tal Kom is one of the monks so she will definitely want to meet them. She will also bring more warriors with her for training to fight in the up coming war." Ku Lon reminds them of the story the warriors told them. "That shall be fun!" The three turn to see Cy Sin entering with a tray of tea for the elders and a cart of cleaning supplies, to clean the restaurant. "What mean Cy Sin by fun?" Xian Pu asks with undisguised curiosity. "Che Ri and I told you about the demon head technique that Tendo used on us, well I think it will be fun to show him what a true demon head looks like Li Ly does the best." Cy Sin responds with an evil smile, the others look at her with mouths agape then start laughing. La Si and Che Ri enter to help ready the restaurant for the customers and look at the laughing Amazons with wide eyes. They are laughing to hard to tell them, so the new arrivals begin to clean hoping for an explanation. /*\*/*\ Nabiki walks toward the bus stop to catch her bus for work, while walking she hears something she does not wish to hear. She lowers her head into her hand, shaking her head no and prays her bus will come soon. She sighs, evidently not soon enough. "HOLD Tendo Nabiki, tis I Kuno Tatewaki!" She turns to face him putting her Ice Queen mask on. "What do you want Kuno-baby?" She asks using the nickname she knows he hates. "I wish to purchase more pictures of the tigress Tendo Akane!" He tells her with enthusiasm. "Sorry Kuno no can do, I am busy with other things right now you want pictures contact Noroko." She turns from Kuno and continues on to the bus stop, he follows her. "Tis nothing more important then pictures of the fair Akane, _woman_!" He tells her standing in front of her. "I must have the pictures only _you_ can get me!" He finishes pulling out a large stack of yen. Nabiki stares hungrily, then she remembers her promise, and decides it isn't worth it. She looks up to Kuno only to see him staring at her with a look of disgusted smugness. This causes her rage to kick in, narrowing her eyes she slaps his hand holding the money. It flies all around them like a whirlwind to land at their feet. Kuno's eyes widen and he takes a step back from the rage in Nabiki's eyes. "There are _no_ more pictures for you, you pompous ass! You come near me or my family again with out our consent and I will destroy you!" She growls out the final threat, then turns when she sees her bus arriving. She is gone from sight before Kuno has time to digest what just happen. He stands there his money at his feet, as he watches the bus pull away. The smoke from the tailpipe billowing in his face. He begins to cough, as he looks wide-eyed at the backside of the bus. He bends and picks up his money then turns and heads back to his manor home he has some thinking to do. /*\*/*\ Nabiki watches Kuno with an angry glare until, he is but a speck in the distance. She turns to face front with a calming sigh. She thinks of how she almost had given in, she could fill herself weaken, and she wanted to agree. Since she no longer lives at the dojo though it would be hard to get them. [How _dare_ he look at me like some cheap whore, why I..!] She thinks then pauses, when she realizes in a way that is what she has been doing. Nabiki shakes her head, and clenches her fist in anger at herself. She was ruining herself, making her life nothing but sleazy business and shady practices. She would have never been able to be the financier she wanted if she had kept that up. Taking a deep breath she looks out the window at the Takashi Complex coming into view. She rose from her seat and heads for the door. [I guess I owe my salvation to Ran Koh and her family, how am I ever going to repay that!] She wonders while waiting for the doors to open. When Nabiki reaches her stop she gets off the bus and takes the short two-block walk to her new life. She has been enjoying working at Takashi Industries, and she is beginning to like not having people afraid of her. She enters the lobby and shows her ID to the guard then signs in. The guard buzzes her into the building; she is net at the door by her mentor Jason Adder. Jason is twenty two and stands about 5' 11", he has reddish brown hair, and brown eyes. Jason has a ruddy outdoor complexion and although not a martial artist, he is a fighter, he told Nabiki he went to college on a boxing scholarship. This gives his one hundred and eighty five-pound frame a muscular appearance. Jason takes Nabiki to the next area she will be working in. Orders have come from the top that Nabiki is to train in all aspects of business and train with honor in mind. That confuses Jason until Nabiki told him her history ever since her mother past away. He still can't believe half of what she had told him. Jason's curiosity about this strange girl has been peaked, the things she has told him is not possible outside of nightmares, but there is something nagging at the back of his mind that maybe she is right. Nabiki is assigned to acquisitions today. Jason has been amazed over the last few days at Nabiki's ability to absorb quickly each task she is given. When lunchtime arrives Jason is found outside Nabiki's cube with a sly grin. He walks up and leans against the door, he watches her work for a few minutes. She is so engrossed in her work that when he clears his throat, she jumps with a start and the papers she was holding fly all over the cube. "AAAAAHHH!" Panting heavily she turns with an icy stare, which shocks Jason a little. "Hey! Clam down, I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to lunch?" He asks making a placating motion with his hands. "Fine, you're buying!" Nabiki tells him with an even glare. "Planned to anyway, come on there is new restaurant I've been wanting to try." He tells her as they head out of the building. /*\*/*\ "You _have got_ to be kidding?" Nabiki asks as she a Jason stand outside the 'Joketsuzoku Village'. "Nope, I want to check out the Emporium, I hear it is all handcrafted by their village back in China." Jason tells her with a sly smirk. "It is, the shipment just came in yesterday." Nabiki tells him, while shaking her head. They walk to the door while Jason holds it open so Nabiki can enter, he follows. They first go to the 'Amazon Emporium' to check out the goods. Nabiki finds some things she might get for her apartment when she gets one. She sighs as she wishes she could find one near her work but cheap enough for her to rent. Maybe she should see about a roommate. She is startled out of her musings when Jason puts his hand on her shoulder. "A penny for your thoughts." He tells her with a bright smile, Nabiki laughs and wags her finger in his face. "_My_ thoughts are a lot more expensive then that Mr. Adder!" Jason looks at her with mock surprise causing her to laugh even more. "Come on you owe me lunch!" She tells him grabbing his hand and leading him into the Neko Nekohanten. Ku Lon meets them at the door, Nabiki bows to the elder, it is because of her good graces that she is now on the way to the career she has always dreamed of. Jason stares at the old woman, trying to hide the shocked look at the fact that Nabiki was right that the woman couldn't be any younger then two hundred and fifty years old. His mouth drops open, however, when Mas Cra enters the main room. Both Ku Lon and Nabiki ignore him, Mas Cra on the other hand did not. "OOOwwww!" Jason hollers while rubbing the back of his head after a thwack from Mas Cra's staff. "It is not nice to gawk _boy_!" Nabiki and Ku Lon start to chuckle and Jason gives them both a dirty glare. "Elders I would like to introduce my boss Jason Adder. Jason these are the Amazon elders Cologne and Mas Cra." She provides the introductions between the three of them. "He is buying my lunch, today and he wanted to come here. Oh, I was wondering do you have a lay-way system set up for the Emporium, there where some things I would like to buy but I can't get them till I find an apartment." She asks with a little hope showing before she pushes it down. "We hadn't given it much thought we will let you know child after we talk about it." Mas Cra tells her with a look of uncertainty as she shows them to a table. The two young people sit at a table near the window and are given menus. Jason notices the hateful glares being given to his companion by the young purple hair server. He also notices the same stares from the other servers but in varying degrees. He watches as Nabiki pretends not to notice, but unlike most he is able to see through her façade. He reaches out and puts his hand over hers and gives it a gentle friendly squeeze. Nabiki quickly looks up at him first with surprise, at the gesture then shock at the look of friendship she sees in his face. She smiles sadly at him and turns her hand over to return the gesture. [A friend I have a friend, oh, momma I finally have a friend!] She tells herself and the spirit of her mother.