Ranma 1/2: Ranma No More Alternate History By: Dani Yanega yanega@mindspring.com (please respond to this e-mail address) http://mindspring.com/~yanega/index.htm or Mirror Site at: http://www.ranko.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.htm Chapter Fifty Eight In her early morning workout, Akane spars with Genma but is unable to hit the over grown man. Her frustration grows. She lashes out at the dodging man but as big as he is, he nimbly moves out of the way. Her aura flares around her and she summons forth a large mallet. Genma looks in surprise only pausing for a second but long enough for Akane to do what she must. "The next time we spar, fight me for real!" Akane snarls as she walks into the house as a panda pulls himself from the pond. /How did she do that!/ A sign appearing from nowhere for Soun to see as he walks out into the yard. "Never been able to figure that one out. Though that is why I quit training her. When she loses she gets angry. Then that mallet comes out and _WHAM_ flatten father." Soun helps his friend to his furry feet, a tea kettle appearing in his other hand. "We need to talk Saotome!" Soun and a wet Genma head into the dojo. Genma walks to the center of the dojo, looking around with admiration and greed. His mind going over how much he can get for selling the place. He does not see as Soun shuts and locks the door. He also doesn't see his friend watch him with keen interest and narrowing eyes. "I nearly lost two of my daughter in that battle at the park yesterday." Soun says suddenly his _friend_ jumping at the sound of his voice. "What do you mean Kasumi was not in the battle she was helping with the wounded." Genma looks at him his mind slow on the uptake if it does not include something for him. "The demons tried several times to get to the wounded, and Akane had snuck off to fight in the battle. She was about to be killed by a demon. If it wasn't for your son, no your _daughter_ she would have died." Genma's eyes widen but it was not for bit about Akane. "I have no daughter I have a SON! Those Amazons have brainwashed him and if we get him back he can marry Akane and the schools will be joined." Desperation fills Genma as he sees his life of leisure slowly fading before him. "Saotome did you teach your _child_ the martial artists code of honor?" Soun asks his friend getting a look of confusion at the abrupt change of subject. "Yes of course I did. 'A martial artists duty is to protect those that can not protect themselves'." Genma spouts taking a righteous pose. "Do you believe in that code Saotome?" Soun pushes on, his friends confusion growing as he stares at the Tendo patriarch. "Of course I do!" Genma lies knowing he follows it only if it will benefit him. "Then why were you not at the battle yesterday? I know I am not strong enough to fight demons and that I would have probably gotten more people killed then saved. _You_, however have just come off a ten year training trip, why did you not go?" Soun asks his eyes flashing with the beginning embers of rage. "I knew if the demons broke from the main battle there would need to be someone here to help you and Akane protect yourselves and your home." Genma tells him with an unyielding stare at him. "Very well then I think you and I need to go to the Amazon village and offer our help. I am going to send Akane to her maternal grandfathers, in Juuban. Maybe there she can learn to control her anger." Soun tells his friend as he turns and opens the door to leave. Soun freezes as he faces a red glowing Akane on the other side of the door. A smug smile on Genma's face, but he tries to hide it. Soun stands up straight and glares at his youngest daughter. His eyes narrowing to tiny slits. His face contorts with rage. Akane's aura winks out and she steps back from her father. "You will go and pack your bags. I will contact your Grandfather Hino (no the sailor scouts are not joining the battle)." Soun pushes past his daughter and into the house. Akane watches in shock as her father heads for his den, the door slamming behind him. Genma stares in shock and a little fear. He may have been on a training trip but it was Ranma that would fight all their battles. If he didn't change Tendo's mind he would have to disappear again. Maybe another training trip, this time to beat the female behavior out of his _son_ and get him ready to marry a Tendo. /*\*/*\ Akane watches her father disappear into his office. Her face in shock, then her brow furrows with anger at her father's orders. Akane storms into the house and up to her fathers study. She stands there staring at the door confusion on her face. Then her aura blazes and she stands tall and pounds on the door. She does not wait for a reply and storms in. She stops in shock and fear as her eyes fall upon her father. She slowly enters the room closing the door behind her. /*\*/*\ Soun leans against the door, his head leaning against his chest. He looks up and walks to the closet in the room. He pulls out a key from around his neck and unlocks the door. He walks in to the dark closet a lot of racket coming from the small space. He comes out wearing samurai armor that has been in his family for many generations. The metal and leather armor is worn but still in good condition. Soun places the helmet on his desk and holds up the scabbard containing the Tendo honor blade. A tear trickles down his face and he caresses the scabbard remembering the last time he had seen the blade. It was the day after his wife's funeral. This was her sword and like Nodoka she carried it with pride. He did not hear the knock nor did he hear the door open and close. His mind remembering the woman that he lost. /*\*/*\ Akane stares at her father in ancient samurai armor. In his hands she sees him caress a scabbard holding a katana that looks vaguely familiar to her. She turns and closes the door then approaches her father. "Daddy?" Akane asks timidly she gasps when her father looks up at her. Soun turns at the sound of the soft voice his heart skipping a beat as it sounds so much like Kimiko's. He looks at his daughter her face showing shock as he stares at her blankly. His gaze full of torment and despair. "Kimiko, please forgive me for what I did to our daughters." He whispers at the image of his wife in front of him. "Daddy, its me!" Akane tells her father gently her eyes filling with tears. "I’m sorry my beloved it should have been me! Our daughters would have been better off if it was I who died!" Soun continues his eyes unfocused as his tears roll down his face. "DADDY! Look at _ME!_ I am not mother!" Akane tells her father as she shakes him lightly. Soun's eyes clear and he stares not at his departed wife but his youngest daughter. Her lovely face marred with tears as she tries to get him to look at her. He lowers his head then reaches up and pats her hand affectionately. "You need to pack child there is a war and I am going to join the battle." He tells her as he starts for the door. "I won't go father, I want to fight too, this is my home and I am the best in Nerima." She tells him gently but firmly. Soun's shoulders slump slightly. Then begins to tremble, his back towards his daughter. She watches as he looks toward the ceiling, and takes a deep breath. He turns and faces his daughter. "Who trained you Akane?" Soun looks at her his eyes hard, Akane stares in confusion and fear. "You did daddy!" She tells him softly. "Oh, and when did I do that?" He asks her his eyebrow raising. "I have been your student since I was little!" Akane looks at him not liking where this conversation was going. "Yes ever since you were what four maybe five?" Soun continues to push his daughter for more answers. "Yes." She looks at him with narrowing eyes. "For how long, Akane for how long did I teach you!" Soun asks her making her cringe slightly. "I..ah, please daddy, don't!" Akane looks at him her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Daughter I will not take from you what you learned on your own but you have _no_ skill. Destroying bricks and brawling _do not_ make a martial artist. Your anger keeps you from understanding that you are not a martial artist but a BULLY!" Soun tells her his voice hard but yet his love for her comes through. "DADDY! How could you! I am a martial artist!" Akane tries to leave but Soun won't let her. "No daughter. You are an unskilled fighter with potential, but you have too much rage in you to be a martial artist. Certainly _not_ on the level of Ran..Ran Koh's or her friends." Soun continues his hand on her arm in vise like grip. "I saw when you refused to listen to me and Genma and went instead to join that battle. Ranm..Ran Koh not only had to save you but have you escorted from the park. Then I had to stop you from dishonoring our family even more by attacking an officer of the law." Soun gentle tones turn to a disappointed growl. "HOW DARE YOU MOCK MY SKILLS! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME ABOUT ANY OF YOUR DAUGHTERS! ALL YOU EVER DID WAS SIT ON YOUR ASS AND LET KASUMI RUN THE HOUSE AND NABIKI BLACKMAIL ME AND EVERYONE ELSE TO SUPPORT US!" Akane lashes out at her father, bringing her free arm around to strike the out of shape martial artist. At least she thought he was out of shape. In ten years she has never seen him train. Never seen him do any katas or workout. Her eyes went wide when his arm blurs and blocks her swing then just as quickly gives her a palm strike to her stomach. Akane doubles over gasping for air, looking up at her father with raging anger which quickly dies. Her anger slinks from her as her father stands before her his battle aura blazing a sickly greenish yellow. His eyes glowing in rage. His aura grows around him causing his gi pants to flutter. Akane slowly backs toward the door to try to escape this stranger before her. Soun's hand flash out and she stops as the scabbard with the family katana pushing against the door. Akane looks to her left to see the sword and scabbard no more then centimeters from her face she then looks back to her father fear growing on her face. "You need to take responsibility for your actions daughter as I am now taking responsibility for mine. Your anger cost me my family, I will not allow it to cost me you as well." Soun's aura glows brighter but the greenish-yellow begins to show more yellow around the edges. Soun's expression softens some as he looks at his frighten daughter. He reaches out with his free hand and gently caresses her cheek a far away smile on his face. His tears forming rivers down his cheeks. "So much like your mother. So beautiful, so spirited, and so stubborn!" Soun whispers as his fingers push a stray strand of Akane's hair behind her ear. "Father please don't send me away I want to help if I can’t fight let me do something else let help in some way. Let me open the house and dojo to the warriors. I can cook for them.." Soun's eyes widen with fear and Akane hangs her head. "Ok, but can't we at least become a haven for some of the warriors or something maybe I can train with them and be able to help protect our neighborhood. Pleas father I need to make amends also." Soun looks at Akane a smile spreading on his face. "We will go talk to the Amazons together, daughter." Soun tells her stepping forward and taking her in his arms. Akane wraps her arms around her father and cries into his chest. He rests his cheek on the top of her head and his tears fall into her soft blue black hair. After a few moments they separate and they both head from the office to go see the warriors. They open the door and Genma falls through onto the floor. He quickly jumps up and dusting himself off smiles at his friend and his angry daughter. He ignores Akane and smiles conspiratorially at his friend. "Tendo my friend what a great idea have Akane work with Ranma and they will grow together and the schools will be joined. Oh happy days!" Genma tells them both not noticing either Tendo's reaction. Akane looks at Genma then her father, her red aura blazing and mingling with the greenish yellow aura of her father. She smiles evilly as her mallet appears in her hand. She looks to her father who nods and Akane lets Genma have it. "GEWMA NO BAKA!" Soun and Akane step over the embedded body of Genma as they head out of their home. /*\*/*\ Ran Koh sits on her roof silently staring at the stars above her. Her mind going over the battle in the park and her meeting with Tomoko-san. She closes her eyes trying to touch the spirit of her grandmother again. Her shoulders sag and her head droops as she does not make the connection. She remembers the elation she felt when her great grandmother's soul guided her to the spell she needed to use. Ran Koh sighs heavily and looks back up at the stars her mind going over her life from Jusenkyo till now. "What are you thinking daughter?" Ran Koh turns and sees her mother standing a few feet from her, Sera behind her, staring around Nodoka's hip at her adopted mother. "Hello mom, it is just that I think I am getting tired of my life being decided for me. First pop and that stupid training trip. Then the monks and the merging of my and Ra Koh's souls. I was so mad about the curse until I found out about her. It was like I would always have someone with me that loved me and would help me." Ran Koh looks back towards the night sky her mother sitting by her and Sera sitting on her other side. Ran Koh puts a loving hand on her and Ryoga's tiger and begins to scratch behind his ears. The tiger begins to purr and flops over on his side while Ran Koh scratches his stomach. Nodoka smiles warmly at the two. A frown appears on her face when she sees the sadness in her daughter's eyes. "Following what destiny puts before you is never easy Ran Koh, especially a destiny such as yours and the others. Would you allow this evil to take over?" Nodoka looks at the shock on her daughters face. "No! Of all that pop ever taught me the one thing I believe deeply in is that a true martial artist protects the weak and innocent. If I do not follow that code then I can not honor the skills I have been taught." Ran Koh tells her mother her eyes blazing with the fires of commitment and something else. "But!" Nodoka asks her daughter a knowing look in her eyes. "*SIGH* But, I just wished I was asked first. My whole life I had no control over what happen to me. I was not asked if I wanted to be a martial artist. No one asked me if I wanted to go on that stupid training trip. Pop never asked _me_ if I wanted to be engaged to over thirty girls. I was not asked if I wanted a curse if oyaji would have only learned to read Chinese...!" Ran Koh hangs her head a tear escaping, her mother's hand gently raises the young sorceress head to face her. "If you didn't go I would still have my _son_ but miss out on knowing my _daughter_, you would not have found the strength to leave your stupid father. You and Ryoga would have been enemies instead of the soul mates you are. Most importantly you would not have met your ancestor Ra Koh and found the love you have been missing for ten years. Not to mention the power of magic to fight and beat this evil." Nodoka looks deep into the lavender eyes of the girl before her, a gentle loving smile growing on her face. Ran Koh lunges forward and hugs her mother tightly. She buries her face into her mothers neck and hold on for dear life. Nodoka wraps her arms around her daughter holding onto her as the sun slowly rises casting the two sorceresses in a rainbow of early morning light. They pull apart from one another and Nodoka looks her daughter in the eye a serious expression on her face. "Have you and the others thought over Tendo-san's request? It took great courage for he and Akane to come to us with that offer. Even more for Akane to admit she is not skilled enough to fight in our battles." Nodoka asks her daughter, Ran Koh pulls back and shakes her head. "Nabiki says that Akane is still unstable and can explode even if she promises not too. She also said that Akane's cooking alone could put an end to the threat." Ran Koh smiles at her mother, Nodoka rolls her eyes and smiles back. "Well yes but Akane did agree to go to therapy for her anger, if it works it might help with her cooking. Those that stay at the Tendo's will be responsible for their own food prep and must help with the up keep and bills for the free room and food." Nodoka reminds her daughter. Ran Koh leans against her mother wrapping her arms around her, reveling in the comfort she feels knowing she is safe. Ran Koh and Nodoka talk quietly about the events the previous evening after the battle with the demons. To say they were in shock was an understatement. With reluctance and the counseling of Nabiki and Kasumi, the Amazons and Light Warriors reluctantly agreed. ***Flashback*** Ran Koh and the other female leaders are sitting around one of the tables in the private dining rooms in the Nekohanten. They are talking quietly having tea and cakes. Soon Ran Koh's grandmother and mother join the small group. Taji taking an open chair next to her granddaughter. She takes Ran Koh's hand and gives it a loving squeeze. "I am so proud of you my child. I was proud of you as a boy and I am just as proud of now as a young girl. You and your friends are so young to have this responsibility heaped on your shoulders. Though after that battle I can see the gray monks chose very well." Taji tells her granddaughter taking her into a tight embrace. A small sad smile crosses Ran Koh's lips as she returns the hug for all she is worth. When they separate Taji sees the sad smile. She is about to ask why, when a commotion catches their attention. The five women turn toward the door to see Che Ri and Cy Sin blocking the door to the restaurant. The women stare with their mouths a gap as Soun and Akane Tendo try to gain entrance. /*\*/*\ Soun and Akane arrive at the Joketsuzoku Village, the building is still open. They can see many new Amazons in the building cleaning and preparing the establishment for tomorrows business. They enter. Soun finally able to enjoy his visit and look around whistles quietly. He sees the displays that line the main hallway of some of the Amazon goods and smiles when he catches Akane staring at the hand carved vanity table and bench. Her eyes alight with excitement that it is still there. He watches her as she gently rubs her hand over the delicate carvings in the wood and its smooth surface. He looks in the window and sees several different styles of the vanity and bench maybe he will see about them as gifts for his daughters. Nabiki can sure use one in her new place. Soun lowers his head knowing Nabiki and Kasumi will not return home even now. They have a life of their own, but maybe he can at least fix things that they will visit and can be a family again. He walks up to Akane and places an arm around her shoulder. He squeezes it and gently turns her toward the Nekohanten. Their path and Soun feels rightly so, is blocked by the two Amazons that were there when Kasumi and Nabiki left home. "What do you want here, male!" Che Ri asks them in Japanese her eyes flashing rage. Soun keeps a tight rein on Akane as he feels her stiffen. He looks at her and he sees her anger growing. He scowls at her and she deflates. She lowers her head blushing with embarrassment. The Amazons watch with surprise and suspicion as both have had conflicts with the two Tendos. They stare at Soun in his samurai armor and a katana hanging from his hip. They all turn at the soft voice behind them. "May I ask why you are here? I will not marry your daughter Tendo-san Genma Saotome killed Ranma on that training trip all that remains is Ran Koh." They all look at the white hair girl as she stares back at them her eyebrow quirking as Akane begins to glow in rage. "YOU PERVERT I WOULDN"T MARRY YOU IF MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!" She shouts, her fists in tight balls. "AKANE!" Akane turns to see her father glowing brighter then her she gasps and the mallet that was appearing in her hand disappears. "I am sorry Takashi-san!" Soun tells the sorceress as he bows, Ran Koh's eyes widening. "I and my daughter would like to speak with you and the other leaders if we may. I can send Akane home if you feel it would be better." Soun requests then snarls the last part, Akane looking at him hurt. "_If_ she behaves and keeps her temper in check I will allow her to stay with you Tendo-san." Ran Koh tells him bowing as well. She turns to Che Ri and gives her a command in Chinese. The warrior woman looks to Akane her eyes narrow and full of suspicion. Ran Koh puts her hand on the Amazons shoulder then nods toward the kitchen. Che Ri nods and leaves. Ran Koh turns and motions for the Tendos to follow. The four woman who were sitting with her when the Tendos arrive join their friend and family as she leads the Tendos to the apartment building next door. "We will wait in the war room for the arrival of the others." Ran Koh tells them as she leads the two to the war/community room. Soun and Akane freeze when a deep low growl comes from behind them. They turn to see a large Siberian tiger behind them a calico kitten perching on its head. The kitten is hissing at Akane. The kitten raises its paw ready to take a swipe at the youngest Tendo when a deep voice stops the kitten. "Cali! No!" The Tendos look up to see Ryoga standing behind the two animals a young girl with long pink hair behind him. "I am sorry miss Tendo but Cali still remembers that you hurt her and I am afraid that Sera doesn't like you for doing that. So I recommend that you never come here without one of the residents in escort." Akane looks to the two animals then back up at Ryoga. "Hmpft!" What do I care about those two! I have enough skill to defend myself against them!" Akane told them a snarl on her face. "Because young lassy those two cats fought against the demons and have the power of the Neko-ken be’ind ‘em." Akane whirls to face Erin and Daniel. "The Neko-ken? What is that?" She asks her curiosity piquing. "You remember Tendo-san the last time you attacked Ran Koh you pulled back your hand with claw marks yet were no where near her?" Ryoga continues as Akane looks down at the fading scars on her hand. "Yes I do." She says the memory playing through her mind. "That was the Neko-ken, Cali, Sera and most of the stray cats around town know it and soon so will the rest." Ran Koh tells them from the door of the war room. "Please you wish a meeting? We have much to do before the next battle." Ran Koh tells them disappearing into the room. Akane and Soun follow her the tiger and kitten behind her one hissing the other growling. The father and daughter sit at a large table where the four woman from the restaurant plus two shriveled gnomes and a tall beautiful woman with long black and gray hair await them. The door opposite the one they have entered opens revealing two more men. One takes a seat next to the Indian girl from the restaurant while the other a man with a ruddy complexion and long shiny black hair sits next to Ran Koh. Akane notices the blonde man with two swords glares at him. "Other then our allies and the medical team all representatives of the different groups are here. What do you wish to talk about? If it is not to force me to marry your daughter." Ran Koh asks Soun her eyes tiny slits. Samuel and Daniel stare in shock then anger at the man across from them. Then Samuel remembers the man from when the night they first arrived. He begins to glow black and silver. While his form begins to shift. Soun and Akane watch in fascination and Soun in fear at the rage he is seeing. Soun gulps and begins to look for an escape when Samuel summons a ball of black and silver in his hand and draws it back aiming at the Tendo patriarch.