Ranma 1/2: Ranma No More Alternate History By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address) Chapter Forty Nine The warrior women leave the air port, the guide looks around for assistance. She spots a cab, going over she signals for her group to wait by the door. The twelve Indians exit the door seeing the women they head for them. As they reach the warriors the elder woman returns, she places her staff between the young girls and the lead man. He turns and faces her, he bows deeply causing her eyebrow to shoot up. The man straightens he stands and he looks up at the woman with piercing black eyes. Even though he was two inches shorter he still makes the woman feel small next to him. "We are looking for the Nekohanten, in Nerima district, do you know of it?" He asks her in flawless Japanese. "We are not from here we are from China, but you are in luck that is where we are headed, but I doubt if you can keep up with us." With that the woman gives a signal and all the women warriors and their leader jump to the roof and takes off in the direction she was told by the cab driver. The twelve men just watch them for a few moments they shrug their shoulders. They turn at the sound of the doors opening when the newcomers that are exiting the airport reach the outside the area is completely empty. /*\*/*\ Nabiki stares wide eyed at the back of her sister as she storms away. She isn't sure but Nabiki thought she can see a small blue light surrounding her. She turns to face her landlady confusion seeping through her ice queen façade. "What was that about?" Nabiki asks her new landlady her eyebrow arched. "It's a long story, one that needs told but I want to tell it to you and both your sisters." She tells Nabiki who begins to think what to do. "The problem is that we have a restraining order against Akane, she has a bad temper and tried to attack me." Nabiki tells her with a sad smile and tears filling her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. "Well maybe you can have her come here, I am sure if she tries anything here there will be someone to intervene. If I read these woman correctly they are martial artists of high skill levels." Aimeko tells her looking at the Amazon waitresses. "How do you know that? Are you a martial artist?" Nabiki asks her with a raised eyebrow. "My family had a dojo, and I trained some, but never really got into the family art as much as my sister did." She tells the middle Tendo daughter. "Here sit down let me talk with Kasumi and see if we can get Akane to come over." Nabiki motions to a table by the window. She then walks over to her angry sister. Nabiki comes up behind Kasumi, in the comforting embrace of her fiancé. She can hear Kasumi sobbing into Tofu's shoulder but can not make out what she is saying. "Kasumi we need to talk." Nabiki steps back in surprise when Kasumi turns quickly glaring angrily at her sister. "How _could_ you bring her here? How _could_ you associate with her after what she did to me..to us?" Nabiki narrows her eyes at her sisters slip. "_She_ did nothing to _me_ I never met her until today! You want me to hate her then you need to tell me _and_ Akane _why_!" Nabiki finishes her eyes blazing with determination. Kasumi looks at her sister surprised that she is not doing as she wants. Then she nods to Nabiki her agreement. Nabiki pulls out a cell phone and dials the Tendo dojo. She hears the phone ringing on the other end, then she hears the broken voice of her sister on the other end. "Moshi, Moshi?" Nabiki can tell her little sister has been crying. "Akane, this is Nabiki, _but_ don't let daddy know it is me!" Nabiki quickly tells her little sister. "Why?" Akane's voice starts to take on an angry tinge. "Don't get angry Akane, something is happening and it concerns the three of us. Can you come to the Nekohanten right now, it is very important?" Nabiki gets out hoping to quell her sisters anger, there is a long pause on the other end. "Alright, I will be there as soon as I can, this better be good." Nabiki hears the click on the other end of the line, she breaths a sigh of relief. "She is coming we will wait till she gets here before we talk about this." Nabiki then turns and heads toward Mas Cra. "Elder may I talk to you please?" Mas Cra turns a critical eye to the middle Tendo daughter. "Akane is coming here for a meeting with me, Kasumi and that lady over there. Can I ask that you sit with us to help keep Akane calm. I am afraid that what we might learn can set her off." Mas Cra looks at her with a look of curiosity. "What information is that, child?" Mas Cra asks with an eyebrow raised. "Well, I don't know what it is either only Kasumi and Aimeko knows it but at Kasumi's reaction to my new landlady I am assuming we will need a non bias party present." Nabiki tells her while looking from her sister to her landlady. "Very well child I will mediate this meeting for you." Mas Cra agrees as she walks away with a small smile. /*\*/*\ Akane puts down the phone, staring at it with uncertainty. She turns and enters the dining room. Her father and Genma sitting at the shogi board, look up when she enters. "Daddy I need to go out for a while, I won't be able to fix dinner so you and Mr. Saotome will need to order something for your dinner." She says not seeing both men relax, since she is turning to head out the front door. Akane walks slowly toward the Nekohanten, her mind in a whorl. Her thoughts going from her meeting with Ran..no Ran Koh. [Ran Koh is right if I continue to think of _her_ as a man our fathers will never stop.] Akane thinks as she slowly walks on. Her thoughts turn to the call from Nabiki, she wonders what is so important that she must get there right away. Nabiki's voice was full of worry and from Nabiki that is unheard of. She begins to walk faster wondering what she will find when she reaches the restaurant. /*\*/*\ The light warriors finish their training and return to human form, they all bow to their new teachers the Amazon matriarchs. The Amazons return the bow and they head back into the restaurant the light warriors following, except Ran Koh who jumps to the roof and takes a seat leaning against the chimney. She tilts her head back and looks at the stars and sighs deeply. "Oh, great grandmother I miss you, even though we were not together long your presence is now sorely missed." Ran Koh bows her head and pulls the pendant that was her great grandmother's from under her shirt, opening it she runs her fingers gently over the ivory images of her grandmother's long dead family. "So we are to be led by a crazy human who talks to herself." In less then a second Ran Koh disappears causing her _company_ to gasp, only to find the sorceress standing a few feet behind them. "Who are you and what do you want?" The two bird people spin to find the white hair girl glowing with the power of the Tiger Sect. "We are sorry if we started you, young miss. I am Calcoridan of Phoenix Mountain and leader of the Phoenix warriors. This is my second in command Kima. Although she is the warrior among us. I came to offer my knowledge as a scholar." The golden brown bird man explains with a bow. They all turn at the sound of a door crashing open as fourteen glowing Light Warriors crash through onto the roof. The two warriors of Phoenix Mountain unsure how they knew to come to the roof. "I called for them. The leaders of the 'Warriors of Light' are telepathically linked. Welcome to Japan, I just wish we could have met under a less stressful situation." Ran Koh tells her guests with a deep bow. "So I see King Saffron was invited to this party as well!" They all turn to see a young man with glowing red slitted eyes floating above the roof. "And you are?" Asks Ukyo her Tao symbol glowing brightly on her forehead. "I am Her Rbe, Prince of the Musk!" Comes his arrogant reply. Ran Koh's own aura glows brightly mixing with her Sect aura. Everyone gasps as none has been able to blend the two together without great harm to themselves and the surrounding area. They all step back from the sorceress, Ryoga pulling Kima and Calcoridan with him. Her Rbe lands in front of Ran Koh, his eyes staring into amethyst fire pits that are staring back at him. He smiles at the power he reads in her and at her struggle to contain the anger he feels from her. "You Prince of the Musk are lucky that you are needed to fight 'He Who Devours the Dark' or I would let the spirit of the woman your ancestor drowned in the Nyanniichuan tear you limb from limb." Ran Koh spits out at the cocky flying prince. Samuel walks up behind Ran Koh and puts his arms around her waist from behind, he whispers into her ear and she nods, her aura finally gone when he touches her. She looks back at the Musk prince then turns and heads back into the building. "We will meet you in that building there, we must get the Amazons both Chinese and Japanese." The newcomers understood as they knew the building would house many people who were not ready to see bird people. /*\*/*\ The meeting with the Tendo girls over Mas Cra prepares for the customers until the Light warriors come in from the kitchen. She watches as they go and talk to Ran Koh's uncle who seems to be here every night and not for Light Warrior business either. A sly grin crosses her face as Che Ri walks by him and he follows her with his eyes. She watches him snap to attention and face his niece, which she takes as a signal something new has happen, she hops over to the group in time to hear what is being said. She isn't happy with it either. "I could have killed him, his ancestor is the one who took great grandmother for that stupid spring. I wanted to _kill_ him *SIGH* but lucky for me cooler heads where there." Ran Koh finishes with a small smile to Samuel. "So the Musk and Phoenix Mountain have agreed to join the battle. Where are they now child?" Ku Lon asks the Light Warrior. "I sent them to the apartment building, Ryoga sent Sera a message to let them in and lead them to the war room." She tells her aunt as she turns at the sound of tapping behind her, Ran Koh bows respectfully to the approaching elder. "Then we had better go see to our guests!" They all turn at the voice and see a large group of women and twelve men that look much like Samuel. "_Grandmother!_" Comes a gasped reply from Msu Tsu. /*\*/*\ The three sisters and Aimeko watch as the new comers enter the restaurant Akane can feel her anger rise as she watches the smooth grace of the women and realizes they are powerful martial artists like the other woman at this complex. She lets the anger drain at the touch of Kasumi's hand. "What is going on, it looks like a martial arts convention?" Aimeko asks staring at the women, with a slight awe. "_You_ know martial arts?" Akane asks jealousy can be heard in her voice, Aimeko shakes her head with a little disgust. "Akane, you are going to have to grow up and quit taking other people's skill as direct attack on you and your skill. There are always going to be people better then you. Especially those that trained all their lives in nothing but the art like those women over there." Aimeko tells the youngest Tendo as she rises and prepares to leave. "Nabiki do you need a ride home or will you want to stay here for a while?" She asks turning to her new tenant. "I will be coming home later, thanks Aimeko." Nabiki tells her, her eyes filled with emotions she hasn't felt since the death of her mother some ten years earlier. Akane glares angrily at the woman but it clouds to confusion. Kasumi sits ridged her arms crossed her eyes hard with and unfeeling. Tofu watches her from the other side of the room, he wants to be with her but the elder Mas Cra thought it might be best to keep it to the Tendo girls and herself. "You are still going to live in _her_ building?" Kasumi asks her voice cold with anger. "Yes sis, I am! Why you hate her is stupid and unwarranted. You heard why she left and I believe her, I believe she had to leave because of daddy. It was unfair to you yes and she tried to take us with her but daddy stopped her. So you want to blame anyone blame him." Nabiki tells her sister while rising. "Akane you can leave now this meeting is over, you may not want to tell daddy just yet." She turns away to head toward the group that just came in. "What is happening here Nabiki why are all those women here?" Akane asks her eyes alight with curiosity. "This doesn't concern you Akane, but if I were you I would have Genma Saotome start training you." Nabiki walks away, Kasumi rises, and she leans over and hugs her sister then leaves to join Nabiki. Akane sits there watching the group, the Amazon she knows as Shampoo, takes the new young woman out of the restaurant. She watches until they disappear down the hallway toward the stairs she knows is at the end of the hallway. She watches Ranm..Ran Koh leads the new woman, the two elders and the twelve men out through the kitchen. She watches as Tofu, and her sister follow. Her heart wrenches as she sees Dr. Tofu put his arm lovingly around her sister. Her anger and jealously flares when her sister hugs him closely and kisses him lightly on the lips. That should be her doing that! Dr. Tofu belongs to her, not Kasumi. Her aura flares around her as her eyes narrow while she watches the lovers leave the room. Her vision is soon blocked and she looks up into the face of the redheaded Amazon. Akane glares at her, her aura glowing even brighter. Che Ri just stares back evenly at the young Tendo girl. He ice cold stare causes Akane to shrink back slightly. "If you have finished please leave, we need this table for paying customers." Che Ri tells her. Akane opens her mouth to say something but stops when she notices the new Amazons have returned to the restaurant and were watching with eager looks of joining a fight. Akane rises and walks out of the restaurant her mind in a whirl of confusion. Why does Nabiki want her to train under Mr. Saotome? She knows what he did to Ranma. Well he won't do that to her, but it might be fun. If she knew what Ranma does she could challenge him and win. She will show him who the best martial artist in Nerima is. Akane walks home an evil grin crossing her face. /*\*/*\ Daniel and Derek sit in the war room with their guests. Derek staring with shock at the visitors from Phoenix Mountain, he then looks to the other guest and nearly drops his teacup when he finally notices the man's eyes. "Chill out doc, your going to see some stranger things then these people once the war starts." Daniel tells his roommate, the visitors stare at the warrior with curious looks. "Greetings honored guests of Phoenix Mountain and Prince of the Musk." They small group turn to see Ku Lon in the doorway standing on her staff. She enters the room only to be followed by Mas Cra, and the leader of the thirty new warriors. The light warriors follow them and finally come Hiromi Takashi, Keitaro, and Hayashi. The twelve Indians, with Doctor Tofu and Kasumi bring up the rear. Sera from under the table crawls out and lays down on the floor between Ran Koh and Ryoga's chairs. "I am Ku Lon Elder of the Amazon tribe." She bows to the new guests, keeping everything on a formal note to begin with. "These are my sister Amazons and Elders of the counsel also, Mas Cra and Li Ly. Mas Cra bows, then the new Amazon rises and bows, though she glares at the Musk prince. "These fifteen young people are the chosen 'Warriors of the Light' and you will have a chance to meet them later, but I will introduce the leaders of each sect. The leaders of the Tiger Sect are my niece and nephew, Ran Koh Takashi and Ryoga Hibiki." The two stand and flare their Tao symbols to show the team colors. "The leaders of the _Dragon Sect_!" Ku Lon waits till they stand watching for Her Rbe's reaction to the introduction. "This is Samuel Red Cloud and Ukyo Kounji." The leaders bow, while flaring their team colors, Ku Lon is not disappointed as she watches Her Rbe glare at the Dragon Sect leaders. Ku Lon then turns her gaze to the representatives of Phoenix Mountain. She is eager to see their reaction to the last sect. She is again not disappointed. The male's eyes widen as the female stands abruptly and looks ready to attack. "The final Sect leaders are Alexander Baccus and Taj Srinivas, they are the leaders of the _Phoenix Sect_!" The two leaders stand flaring their Sects colors and bow to their guests. "_Sit down_ Kima, I find it an honor that one of Sects of the chosen warriors bare the name of Phoenix." Calcoridan tells his second in command. "Please continue the introductions Elder." He nods to Ku Lon with a wave of his hand at the others in the room. "This is Keitaro, Hayashi and Hiromi Takashi, my distant cousins and leaders of the Japanese Amazon tribe." All three of the new comers raise and eyebrow at that statement but Ku Lon just smiles slightly and continues. "These young men I do not know but I am sure Samuel does." Ku Lon states looking at the delegation of Indian Warrior. "They _were_ to be the heirs to the Shaman of the Twelve Tribes. I believe after 'He Who Devours the Light' attacked on the night of their ascension it was decided they would come here and join in the battle." Samuel steps forward looking at each of the braves and stopping for the longest time on one of them. "He his correct, on the night of the final test an evil attacked, our Shaman elders were killed and if it wasn't for them we would have been also." One of the Indians stated pointing to Samuel, Ran Koh and Alex. "Well we will want to hear more later but there is much to cover tonight. You twelve will be staying at this complex you will need to double up." Ku Lon tells them, they nod and she gets back to the introductions. "This is Doctor Tofu he is the leader of the Medical personnel the young lady is his fiancée Kasumi. You have already met Daniel Randson, he is the leader of all the warriors, including yours and Prince Her Rbe." This brought a reaction from Kima and Her Rbe, Calcoridan just smiles. "WHAT!" Kima and Her Rbe shout standing both glowing brightly. "It was necessary to protect the interest of warriors joining the fight. He signed a contract between us and the Amazons, stipulating that any techniques we pick up belong solely to the original owners. Even if they train others in their styles they retain control of them." Taj tells the angry visitors. "He will also coordinate with the soldiers and us. We can not have thousands of fighters in stratagem meetings getting in each others way. So he is the General if you will of the fighters. As we are for the Light Warriors, and the elders are for the Amazons. Dr. Tofu is the general for the medical staff." Taj continues in a calm soothing voice, Kima and Her Rbe sits back down both still glowing, Sera's head laying on the table, glaring at them. "Tell me what about the scholars, won't you need someone to look up information about what happen in the past what worked and what didn't?" Calcoridan asks while he rubs his chin. "Well we hadn't thought..!" Ku Lon's response is cut off as Kima screams and jumps to her feet. "AAAARRRGGGG!" she whips around to find a small calico kitten hanging off the bottom of her wing. Her eyes blazing as the little kitten looks up at her with innocent eyes. She begins to glow, and raises her clawed hand ready to strike the cat dead on the spot. When she freezes at the sound of a roar behind her. She looks over her shoulder to see the tiger on the table glowing brightly. His claw ready to rip her wings from her back. "SERA, DOWN!" Ran Koh rises and walks over to Kima, bending down she picks up a frightened Cali and hands her to Sera, who takes her gently in his mouth and goes back between Ran Koh and Ryoga's chairs. "I would advise that any cats you meet you not try that again. Sera is very protective of them especially _MY_ Cali. They are warriors in this fight and they will not tolerate any mistreatment." Ran Koh's amethyst eyes blaze deadly at the bird woman. "What do you mean by that my dear?" Calcoridan asks the white hair leader of the Tiger Sect. "Have you heard of the Neko-ken?" Ran Koh asks the wizen old bird man, he pauses and thinks for moment his mind working, when a gasp is heard behind them. "The Neko-ken was banned centuries ago it was to dangerous. It usually killed the trainee and if it didn't kill them it made them insane." Her Rbe tells those present. "I remember now a race of Cat people the Caiteny I believe was their name. They disappeared centuries ago taking the secret with them." Calcoridan explains with a thoughtful look, they all turn at the meow of Cali now standing on the table. "Well they missed some, my _father_ found an incomplete training manual and trained me in it. I survived but when confronted by cats would become a cat. It wasn't until this business that the soul of the Neko-ken was merged with mine and Ryoga's thus giving me and my soul mate the power of the Neko-ken." Ran Koh tells them pointing to Ryoga still sitting in his seat holding Sera around the neck with one arm and Cali with his other hand. "We now have the ability to communicate with all cats, and have been teaching them the Neko-ken. Sera is learning it the fastest since he is more in touch, if you will with the ferocity of the cat fist." Ran Koh tells them looking proudly at Sera. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR SENSES GIRL! Teaching that technique to a bunch of _cats_!" Li Ly screams at the sorceress, a demon head forming around her, but Ran Koh just stares at her eyes blazing. "The cats are fighting in this war they need a way to protect themselves it is their technique, anyway. There is nothing you can say or do to stop me. I will not have them going into battle defenseless." Ran Koh finishes her aura blazing around her. "Will you be teaching it to the rest of us?" Her Rbe asks hungrily, imaging his army of Neko warriors finally destroying the Amazons and making them their slave wives. "No, we won't. It is to unstable in humans the only reason I and Ryoga can control it is because the gray monks fused the Neko-ken to our souls." She turns and heads back to her seat to have her path blocked by Prince Her Rbe. "You will _teach_ me! I am a master of chi and I will know its secrets!" He tells her glowing brightly. Ran Koh looks at him with boredom, she reaches out and swipes her hand in the air in the direction of a wall. A little more then five feet away from her. Everyone in the room gasps as four claw marks appear on the wall. Her Rbe looks, lust for the Neko glowing in his eyes. "So child you have broken your three foot limit I see." Mas Cra mentions off handedly, Ran Koh nods, and continues to her seat. "We _will_ not teach this technique to any one but the cats, especially not the Musk. I will not have my grandmother's people destroyed by ancient enemies, nor will I be the one to give them the power to do it." Ran Koh glares at Her Rbe's back as he examines the wall where the scratches are. "Now as far as your question sir, we have had no one with the skills to read much of the ancient texts. Alex, Samuel and I can only read them because of our magic." She explains to the Calcoridan, who smiles at her. "Well until now my dear. I asked King Saffron to come for I knew my skills as a scholar would probably be needed as well as the warrior skills of Kima here." He finishes pointing to his companion who stares at the scratches on the wall to her left out of the corner of her eyes. "Very well, I have a teacher at school who seems interested in the archaic language I used a day or so ago. I will approach him about being part of your team. The elders although warriors by training, can also help for they have learned much over the centuries on this earth." Calcoridan smiles at the three elders. "Also none of the tomes you go through are to leave where they are, they are on loan to us by the monks and belong to them. Any attempt to remove them from my laboratory will, I am sure not be pleasant." Ran Koh tells him with a cold stare. "I understand and agree, I came because I want to help and I am afraid my knowledge is all I have to offer." Calcoridan tells them with a sad smile. "It is your knowledge that may save us in the end!" Li Ly tells him while placing a hand upon his hand.