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 Nine "YOU LEAVE MY FATHER ALONE!" Akane screams glowing red and pulling her mallet from its hidden location. "GGGGRRROOOOWWWWWWLLLLL!" The loud growl causes everyone to stop and turn. Sera stands behind Akane his claw raising. He slashes and everyone cringes thinking the youngest Tendo is dead. They open their eyes at the sound of wood hitting the floor. Before them stands a trembling Akane her mallet in four pieces on the floor around her. "Samuel please he has asked for this meeting. I am sorry Tendo-san but he still remembers that _last_ time you were here!" Ran Koh tells Soun as she lowers Samuels hand his chi ball dispersing. "Miss Tendo I would advise you to slowly sit down. Sera takes his duty very seriously." Ran Koh continues as she turns to the still trembling young girl. Akane's attention taken from the tiger behind her, she quickly turns her head to face the young sorceress. Her eyes flashing with the fires of rage. Her aura blazing around her red with the fire of her anger. "I would suggest you calm yourself quickly girl, any attempt against my great grand niece and that tiger will tear you apart." Ku Lon tells the girl her staff reaching out quickly. Ku Lon's staff blurs to invisibility and quickly taps several of Akane's pressure. Akane *grunts* as her butt hits her chair. Her aura blinking out. Akane tries to stand but her legs will not support her weight. She tries to also reach her chi but it is effectively blocked by the shiatsu points. Akane turns when she feels a hand on her shoulder. She sees her father glaring angrily at her. She opens her mouth to complain but he quickly raises his hand to stop her. She narrows her eyes and thumps back in her chair her hands a cross her chest a snarl on her face as she stares at Ran Koh. "Daughter although I am proud of your defense of me, it is unfounded. The young man has every right to mistrust me." Akane looks at her father shock on her face. "Saotome and I came here and tried to kidnap young Ranm..Ran Koh in order to force hi..her to marry you." Soun tells her, his head hanging in shame. "FATHER!" Akane stares angrily at her father her rage building again but no aura appears. "What is done is done, you came here with a proposal let us hear it." Mas Cra tells him, tapping her staff on the floor to call the meeting to order. "Yes Tendo-san why are you hear and where is Genma?" Ran Koh asks while giving Mas Cra a warm smile. "After you saved my daughter, I came to retrieve her. In her anger she nearly attacked a police officer. It was not only wrong but it was dishonorable as well." Soun tells the group shame and anger on his face. Akane stares at her father betrayal on her playing across her dark brown eyes. He glares at her and she hangs her head in shame. He then turns back to most of the leaders of the fighting force. Some of the members lining the walls to listen in. "My family is from a long line of samurais we fought to protect our country our homes and our families. I would bring dishonor on our family name and our country if I did not join this battle. I am the Master of the Tendo Anything Goes Martial Arts. I may not have actively taught my school but I never gave up practicing it." Soun tells them a gasp of surprise coming from Akane. "Then why did you not continue to train your daughters in the art?" Taj asks as she raises an eyebrow at the man before her. "Kasumi does not wish to fight, she can protect herself if need be but her gentle nature makes her unsuitable for our school." Soun tells them the young sorceress nods her head in agreement. "He is correct that is one reason I have Kasumi training with Bel Lin in Tai Chi, it suits her nature better and she is doing quite well." The group all stares at Ran Koh with surprise. "Nabiki's mind is quick and sharp and though she would be able to adapt in a battle as is necessary with our school she too does not of the heart of a fighter. She enjoys the art but not as a way of life." Soun continues a shake of her head. "She would spar with me over the years and is actually a Master of the Tendo school but she refuses to use it other then as a way to keep my skills sharp." Soun cringes as the shout from his youngest. "WHAT! YOU TRAINED WITH NABIKI! I AM YOUR HEIR! WHY DIDN'T YOU TRAIN ME!" She stares at him from her seated position her aura beginning to flicker in and out of existence. "Probably lassy 'cause ya canna 'old yer temper!" The voice from behind her tells her. Akane turns to see a beautiful redhead woman and next to her a young dark black man. Who is very handsome and his black skin shines under the lights of the room. "Megan, Joshua! It's about time you two got here!" Ryoga jumps up with a warm smile as he walks to the couple. He slaps Joshua's back, causing him to stumble slightly. He turns and gives him a mock glare which only causes the three of them to laugh. Megan and Joshua take seats around the table as Ryoga rejoins his wife. Cali jumps up into Megan's lap and settles in as Megan smiles down at the kitten and begins to gently stroke her fur. Joshua is not left out though as Akane stiffens when Sera walks up between her and Joshua. She watches as Sera sits down next to Joshua and puts his large head on the man's lap. Joshua puts a strong hand on the tiger cubs head and scratches behind his ears. Akane nearly jumps when the tiger begins to purr. "Daddy is that true?" Akane asks tearing her eyes from the tiger next to her. "Yes daughter it is. I stopped teaching you when you started using your training to try and bully your sisters. I watched as during your sparring you tried to harm them because the art came more easily to them. When you nearly ended any hope Nabiki had of reaching Master that is when I decided your training was to end." Soun tells her, his back ramrod straight. "As it was it took me nearly two years to recover, but thanks to Dad and his knowledge of some of the more esoteric parts of the art I recovered." Akane whips around and finds Nabiki, Kasumi and Tofu behind her. "But she already knew enough to continue on her own. Though I am proud of her accomplishments, I am afraid she just doesn't have the patience to be nothing more then an over skilled bully." "DADDY!" Akane stares at her father her betrayal and anger growing in her eyes. "Yes well you came with an offer Tendo-san what is it?" Ran Koh asks showing pity for the young girl still fuming. "As I said I want to help I would like to join the fighting. I also offer my home as a haven for your warriors and a place to train." The Amazons and Light Warriors look at him skeptically. "I know you do not trust myself or Akane but we want to help." Soun continues his face hard and unemotional. "What is in it for you, _male_?" Li Ly asks her eyes narrowing asking the question they all thought. "*SIGH* I deserved that gracious lady, but I am a martial artist, it is my duty and honor to help. There is also a small ulterior motive, well two actually. I am hoping with your presence you might be able to do what I could not, teach my youngest patience." Soun tells them ignoring the aura that is breaking threw the pressure points. "You said there is another motive." Li Ly pushes her eye brow quirking. "Yes, with Akane learning patience I am hoping she will be able to learn to cook without killing anyone." Soun slips under the table unconscious. "DADDY NO BAKA!" A mallet appearing in her hand and ending on his head. "DADDY!" "FATHER!" Both Nabiki and Kasumi rush forward glaring at their younger sister who turns and sticks her nose in the air. "HMPFT!" She crosses her arms over her chest and ignores them. "I see Tendo-san is correct in his assessment Miss Tendo. I am afraid however we do not have the time to help you curb your rage." Ran Koh turns and looks at the awakening Soun. "We accept your offer Tendo-san but I am afraid your daughter's anger control is your problem not ours. We have much to do before the next attack and can not baby sit what was your responsibility in the first place." Ku Lon tells the man after receiving nods from the various leaders. "We will be responsible for our own meals, the warriors will more then likely eat here anyway. We feel your two elder daughters have given you the best advice." Ku Lon continues under the fiery gaze of the youngest of the Tendo clan. "Very well elder I understand. We will go and prepare our home for your arrival. Since Kasumi and Nabiki have *Choke* moved out I have their rooms plus a guest room. I can put two people per room. Plus the attic can be cleaned to hold about three maybe four people as well." Soun tells them as he stands, pulling Akane roughly to her feet. "Very well Tendo-san, there are many warriors who will benefit from your generosity. We will send the to your home tomorrow to help you prepare it for them." Mas Cra jumps in as the elders and Light Warriors stand. "We have daily meetings around noon that is when those that go to school return home. So please come to those and we will catch you up on what is going on." Taj tells the man who nods in agreement and leaves carrying his youngest daughter. ***End Flashback*** Nodoka kneels on the roof her head resting on top of Ran Koh's as she rocks her daughter gently. Ran Koh sighs in contentment her arms tightly around her mother's waist. The two women watch as the sky slowly looses its rainbow of colors and settles into a beautiful blue. "ggggrrrrrooowwwwllll!" Nodoka and Ran Koh look at Sera his ears back and standing in a crouching position. Ran Koh places a finger on her mother's lips as she lets her senses expand around them. She opens her Neko-senses but unlike Sera hers are not as developed. She does however see the slight distortion before the attack. It is enough for her to kick Sera away from danger and jump with her mother in her arms. She lands ten feet from the spot where a vacuum blade has sliced through the roof. Her eyes narrow as she pulls the Saotome Secret Techniques from her mind. She looks to the other side of the roof and sees Sera standing and getting ready to pounce. "SERA! NO! GO FOR POPPA RYOGA, NOW!" The tiger jumps from the top of the roof as Ran Koh stands protectively over her mother. "I know you're there _old man_! I will give you just one chance to leave before you will wish you never came!" Ran Koh growls low. "BWHAHAHAHA! FOOLISH BOY YOU CAN NOT EVEN FIND ME LET ALONE MAKE GOOD ON THAT THREAT!" Genma Saotome snarls back at his child. Ran Koh smiles the cocky grin Genma is use to seeing as she quickly analysis the information on the two techniques her father is author of. Her smile widens as she begins to glow with her white and gold aura. Then she and Nodoka wink out. "T..That's not POSSIBLE!" Genma stutters in shock. "You can not control it _boy_ and hide your mother as well!" Genma crows with eager anticipation of using his ex-wife as bait. "Wrong old man, dead wrong!" Genma turns trying to sense his child. "VACCUM WHIP!" Ran Koh quickly changes the vacuum blade her father uses to something much better for search and destroy. The vacuum whip snaps out. The crack of the whip shaking the windows of the buildings around them. It cracks in a wide arc, it passing only noticeable by a slight displacement of the air around it. Ran Koh slashes the whip in front of her in an arc. When she feels it connecting with something solid. The scream of her _father_ tells her she has made a connection. Before his first scream dies out she lashes out again, her anger at the man raging through her. She is able to connect with his hide once again before Genma can move out of range. 'AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" His scream filters down to the courtyard between the two Amazon buildings. The warriors there look up and start to head for the roof of the apartment building. They are soon joined by the Light Warriors save Ryoga. When they reach the roof Ryoga is already there. They watch as he dives to the ground and the edge of the building suddenly looses a large chunk of concrete. They hear the crack of a whip and the scream of a ghostly voice but do not see either. The warriors watch as the Light Warriors begin to encircle the growing destruction on the roof their faces showing confusion. They turn at the voice behind them to see Ku Lon, Mas Cra and Li Ly jumping onto the roof from ground level. Their eyes wide with shock. "Follow suit warriors encircle the area!" Li Ly tells them, the stunned warriors comply. "YOU ARE MINE _BOY_! YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!" They can hear the voice but can not see where it is coming from. "ICE MIST!" Samuel's voice calls out and the inner circle fills with a light misty of ice. "I AM NOT YOURS, I WILL NEVER BE YOURS! I WILL DIE BEFORE I LET YOU CONTROL ME AGAIN OLD MAN!" Ran Koh's voice rings out, a quite gasp follows her statement. The mist fills the circle showing three bodies. Two woman and one over weight man. The mist soon shows the ripple of an arching blade as it heads toward the smaller woman standing guard over the woman behind her. Then the a shimmering whip appears in front of the woman cracking four times quickly in succession. The repercussion of the whip snapping knocks several of the warriors off their feet. They watch in awe as the scimitar type blade disappears into pieces. "NOW! WARRIORS ATTACK!" The shout comes from Mas Cra as the warriors run in and start to attack the man visible in the mist. Ran Koh watches as her new family charges forward. She turns to her mother and gasps in fear. Her mother stands behind her a long gash down her one arm and her blood soaking through her kimono. She rushes to her mother and presses several pressure points one to slow the flow of blood. The last one to put her mother to sleep. She tries to cast a healing spell but is finding her magic can not heal damage made by the life force of another. She curses under her breath at her magic's weakness. She lifts her mother in her arms and jumps from the roof. She then heads for the Dr. Tofu and Kasumi's Clinic. Only Li Ly sees them leave. Only Li Ly sees the rip in Ran Koh's shirt. Only Li Ly sees the blood flowing from the wound. Only Li Ly sees it drop in little puddles as Ran Koh takes off. Li Ly watches the fight progress with the Anything Goes Master and marvels at his skill. She sees she is unneeded and jumps from the roof to follow Ran Koh and her mother. It is not hard Ran Koh's aura is blazing leaving a comet like tail behind her as she runs at blurring speeds toward the clinic. Li Ly's only problem is keeping up. Li Ly prides herself in the fact that she is the fastest among her people. A slight bit of jealousy creeps in at the fact she can never be as fast as the sorceress she is chasing. It readily increases when she senses Ran Koh is not using magic to increase her speed. /*\*/*\ Genma wakes up on the floor, he is in a heap against a corner of a cold well lighted room. He slowly stretches out his legs and gets up on his knees he collapses back down on his stomach taking a sharp intake of breath. He reaches around and gingerly touches the back of his legs. He notes they are sticky in spots and crusty in others. He realizes he has gashes there deep gashes. He slowly rises again and looks at his abdomen. There were deep gashes there also, the bruises are not worth worrying over. Genma can not help but smile proudly at his _son's_ ability, when he hears it. A low deep growl, he freezes and gulps loudly. He slowly turns his head toward the noise. Even with the pain Genma quickly pushes himself against the two walls forming the corner. He cowers, his hands up in a defensive manor. His eyes wide and gasping breaths come quickly from him. He stares at the tiger its fangs baring as it slinks closer to him. "Sera! Now laddy you'll not be wantin' any of 'im. 'E might make you sick and your momma Ran Koh would be mad at me if that ‘appen." Genma looks to the voice to see a tall redheaded man his hand in a white knuckle grip on a claymore. "Panda-man wake now?" Xian Pu asks entering the room with a tray of food. Don coming in behind her his staff tapping solidly on the floor. "Fuh, weapon users! You are no match for me! Once your weapons are taken from you!" Genma jumps to his feet in a shaky ready stance. "HAHAHAHAHA! Old man yer a fool! We just got done fightin' an army of demons! Where were ya and yer supposed skill!" The redhead man taunts. "WHY YOU LOWLY GAJIN! SHOW RESPECT TO YOUR BETTERS!" Genma shouts his battle aura flickering into visibility. "To gain respect one must earn it. I have not seen you do anything to earn such an honor. In fact from what I hear you are without the honor you pride yourself on and taught your child to hold so dear." Genma's head snaps to the darker skinned man standing next to the lavender hair girl. "Wh..wha' wh..why y..you..!" Genma sputters not being able to complete the thought. Genma's rage builds and he lunges at the two young men his fists blurring. His foot snapping out sending Sera across the room. The two men just stare at him with boredom as to them he seems to be moving through molasses instead of air. Genma notices this and his rage grows even more. Before he reaches the three teens, he stops suddenly. He smiles haltingly as he thinks he hears one of them screaming in pain. Then the voice begins to push through the fog his rage is creating. He realizes that the scream is coming from him. “AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGG!” Escapes his lips as he collapses onto the floor. He lands on his hands and knees looking at the floor his head spinning. He barely registers the fact that there is a pool of blood forming from somewhere under him. The pain continues and increases with each move he makes. He slowly reaches under him and touches the pool of growing red that is under him. Surprise comes to his eyes when he feels something warm and thick fall onto the back of his hand. With some difficulty and a great deal of pain he pushes himself into a sitting position. Genma grits his teeth to hold back the yell he wants to let loose. He looks down to see the blood stain on his gi and he watches awe struck as it continues to grow. Genma notices that the four gashes are across his groin, he begins to tremble as he slowly touches what is left of his manhood. The pain is unbearable and he falls forward on his hands and knees again sucking deep breaths to try and help ease the pain. With slow and deliberate effort he raises his head and sees the tiger sitting across the room its claw lowering to the floor. “The Neko-ken!” He gasps out then falls the rest of the way onto his stomach. Genma looks up to the trio before him the evil grin on the girl's face reminds him of that day at the Amazon village. When Cologne and her war party had come back from the meeting with is son. He shudders at remembering that sword a breath from his head. "Panda-man need doctor, no?" The girl asks the other two. "Yes, he does, even more now then when we called Dr. Cassia and Dr. Takashi." Don says with a slight nod. “AAARRRGGGG!” Genma can’t hold back as pain shoots through he, when his head snaps up at the mention of his ex-sister-in-law. He tries to rise but his head is swimming and his eyes grow hazy as the two men talk. He barely comprehends that the girl missing but he doesn't linger on it. His mind slipping in and out of consciousness. His mind tries to form a coherent thought but the loss of blood is making it hard. A movement in front of him pushes through the fog of pain. He looks up slowly to see the young girl as she lays down some towels and bandages. She then turns around so the two men can tend him. Don and Erin work at making Genma more comfortable, when the door to the war room opens and in walks the two doctors. Mirako scowls at her patient but she has sworn an oath and goes with her colleague to help the _man_! /*\*/*\ In three separate locations black twisted crystal spires grow from the watery graves that hold them. They grow in size and height as they slowly rise from the depths from where they were once entombed. Their protectors slowly being absorbed into the black glow surrounding the crystal structures. Their silent screams go unnoticed by the others as each is slowly taken one at a time. Each time one dies the black crystal castle grows and rises closer to the surface that covers it. Near by each of the twisting crystal spires an entity of immense evil laughs. They sense a battle with brethren. The glowing red embers in its center begin to take shape as eyes. The black blobs slowly form as they continue to absorb the life force of the monstrosities that have awakening them. Their bodies begin to take shape and grow in size to a height of between twelve and fifteen feet. Their torsos and extremities begin to bulge and take on a muscular appearances through the black glow surrounding them. The red glowing eyes grow brighter as the entities scream out in pain as their formless bodies shift and mould into their new shapes. The remaining life energy from those that have summon them, are being drawn into them, using that life force as fuel to aide in the reshaping. As their bodies become more defined they fall to their knees weak and needing more life energy. The black glow surrounding them darkens as they pull the dark energy they need from the growing crystal castle that will become their citadel. They take gasping breaths as they suck in the energy and struggle onto shaky legs. The blackness growing darker around them. A flash of darkness fills the caverns. When it fades the malignant beings are gone. The fading of their maniacal laughter echoes through caverns. The only other evidence of their malevolent presences are the shrived husks of the .beings in black robes.