[Ranma][Fanfic][Lime] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 18: Honeymoon from Hell: Fight for the Amazon Way ======================================================================= Childhood of a Modern Dynasty Chapter 18: Honeymoon from Hell: Fight for the Amazon Way Ranma 1/2 characters/situations created and copyright by Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz - Used without permission Childhood of a Modern Dynasty series created, written, and copyright 1998-1999 by Jim Lazar An ongoing series set after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga and anime. "Speech text in double quotes is spoken as Japanese unless otherwise indicated as English or Mandarin." E-mail comments and/or criticisms to: jim [at] animeprime.com Make sure to check out my Modern Dynasty website for all released CMD stories, graphics files, and other information: http://www.animeprime/ff/md ======================================================================= >From the personal journal of James Davidson: September 23, 2057 I walked towards Akane's house as I had done many times since I started living in the Compound. Considering the lush lawn and gardens, it was a pleasant commute. Back in LA when I worked for Newstime, I had an awful hour-long commute on the tube. For some reason, LA could not seem to make their tube system work correctly or stay on time like most of the other major cities managed to do. All in all, I think I'm starting to get used to life here in the Compound. "Get down!" I looked around at the shouted warning and saw a huge flaming ball of chi flying directly at me. "Shit!" The chi ball impacted against my body and forced me backward. I stumbled and fell into the nearby creek. "Sorry about that. Didn't see you there or I'd have had the systems intercept it," an older man said, walking up to me. He was in his late fifties and the red streak that indicated he was an active member of the task force ran down his gray hair and into his short pigtail. He was taller than I was and, like most of the Tendos, very fit and muscular. "Good thing it was just a low-power training ball or you'd be burnt to a crisp right now." I looked up and recognized the man who had almost killed me. "Oh, Yohachi. Wait a sec... THAT was just a training ball?" That ball was bigger than some of the blasts I'd seen Hanaki use, including the one that she blasted the Buyierfei out of our spacejet with. Yohachi smiled. "Yup, I'm teaching a class today and sometimes the balls go wandering if the students don't concentrate enough. Here, let me help you up." I took the offered hand. "Thanks, Yohachi." "I'm really sorry. Um... by the way, the next time someone shouts 'get down' around here..." I smirked. "I'll hit the ground like my life depended on it." Yohachi smiled broadly. "Good, because it just might. And Mom would probably disown me if I got you killed before she finished telling you all her stories." I smirked, and started wringing out my shirt. "Do you think you could let me in on some of the big secrets now, just in case I do get hit by another stray blast someday?" Yohachi chuckled. "And risk the wrath of the mighty Matriarch?" I laughed. "Good point. Shashiki suggested I bribe the Reis, but I don't think I want to piss off a woman who can throw flaming balls of chi around like that last one." Yohachi guffawed. "Mom can do much bigger and powerful ones than that... trust me. Actually, the size doesn't matter as much as the amount of power focused within it--not that my dad would ever admit that. Some of the more damaging balls we use are the size of golf balls. And if you really want to avoid being hit by chi balls like that, you'll have to avoid pissing off anyone on the Task Force. It's a required skill, you know." He gestured towards Akane's house. "Learning the Moko Takabisha or learning to avoid pissing off Task Force members?" Yohachi chuckled. "Both, actually. You're doing okay with your part so far." I smiled and we started walking together. "Hanaki tells me you taught her the Moko Takabisha. The ones I've seen her do seem impressive to me, but she says she's not as good as the other Task Force members." Yohachi sighed. "Hanaki has always had a problem believing in her own skills and abilities. Her Moko Takabishas are actually above average for the Task Force when she can concentrate properly. Her problem is she usually can't focus unless she's backed against a wall. She's fairly good in combat, but in training she just can't quite get the big ones to form." "Something to do with adrenaline maybe? I know she handled herself pretty good against the Buyierfei we encountered in the desert." "Possibly, although most of the other Task Force members don't seem to have that problem. But everyone is different, so their skills vary. Hanaki's blasts might not as good as Mom and some of the people with Saotome blood, but quite impressive for someone from Aunt Kasumi's branch of the family." "So, the ability does have something to do with heredity?" "Yes, but with the right training almost anyone can focus their chi. All it takes is time and the right frame of mind. But the Saotome bloodline seems to have a gift to be able to store and focus chi better than others." "What about Akane?" "There is some inherent chi ability in the Tendo bloodline too, but Mom is... unique as far as her chi abilities go." I smelled a big secret. "How so?" Yohachi smiled and looked me straight in my eyes. "That's..." "A secret," I finished for him and sighed in resignation. "So, could you train me to do the Moko Takabisha?" "Given enough time... maybe. It's not just a matter of teaching you how to do the technique itself, you have to learn how to control the chi within you. In most cases, that means training in basic and advanced martial arts for quite some time." "I see. So I won't be able to juggle chi balls anytime soon?" Yohachi smiled and shook his head. "No, that's not likely. Even with her self-doubt, Hanaki picked up the Moko Takabisha very quickly due to her early training in martial arts and her desire to be a pilot. Unfortunately, she didn't start taking her training seriously until she got the urge as a teenager to be a pilot on the Task Force or she'd probably be higher ranked in the Task Force already." I nodded. "Well, I guess I can thank you for teaching my wife how to be a superhero then." Yohachi frowned. "We're not superheroes." "Err... sorry." "It's okay... I guess I've always hated that label since it reminds me of my father's death. Somehow, the public's impression of us as superheroes and unbeatable saviors at the time made it harder for me to adjust to his death. Like the public, I kept expecting him to come back to us and took my anger and sadness out on my friends and family. My mother didn't exactly take it well either." I nodded my understanding. From what I've heard, those were rough times for the Tendos and Task Force. "Sometimes I wonder if Akane will be able to tell me about some of those events." "If she can't, I will. Can't hide our heads in the sand and forget the bad parts of our lives or we'll forget what we're fighting for and get cocky. That's when we make stupid mistakes like the one that..." He trailed off and wiped a tear out of his eye. "I understand." We walked in silence and Yohachi regained his composure. "Hiya, boys!" Akane called out as she saw us coming. Sanma was behind her, rubbing Akane's shoulders. We waved and said our hellos. "You didn't tell him any secrets, did you, Yohachi?" Akane asked. "No, Mom. Although I did mention that you're a horrible tease." I smiled. "That's hardly a secret." Akane looked up as Sanma. "They are ganging up on me, Honey." Sanma stopped her massaging to Akane's shoulders and slipped beside her. "Well, you are a tease." "That's not what you said last night." Akane winked and leaned up for a kiss. Sanma obliged her... for almost half a minute. "Will you two stop that in public?!" Yohachi pleaded when it looked like they would never stop. I smiled and looked at Yohachi. "You hate it when they act like rabbits in heat, too?" He nodded. "Yeah, but I can usually get the old man back by pointing out something I have that he doesn't." Sanma glared at Yohachi. "Don't you go there, young man!" "Don't worry, old man, I won't." He smiled broadly and then made his exit. Before he left, he made one last comment. "Well, since I have all the right equipment to do so, I guess I'll just go home and sleep with my wife!" Sanma watched Yohachi walk away, obviously a little upset with her adopted son. "Gee, where did that brat get that attitude from?" Akane smirked. "I can hardly imagine." She wrapped her arms around her husband and gave her peck on the cheek. I looked at the cuddling couple in front of me and then at Yohachi's retreating back. He may not be Sanma's real son, but it looked like they shared many traits. Understandable considering how much alike the Ranmas all were. At least when they first split from each other. I looked back to Akane and Sanma. "Want to get started?" Akane smiled. "Sure, I can't wait to tell you about my first honeymoon." "I think we can skip that. I'm more interested in what happened in China with the..." Akane shook her finger. "Tsk... tsk... honeymoon first." "Okay, but can you try not to go into detail about the sex this time?" I really didn't want a repeat of the very graphic accounts Akane had given to me concerning her first few times with Ranma. You just shouldn't hear stuff like that from a woman of Akane's age. It's... disturbing. "Well, if you insist." She turned towards Sanma. "I guess we won't be able to act it out for him after all." "Damn... what a spoilsport." Sanma glared at me. I shook my head sadly. Why do I bother trying anymore? *********************************************************************** April 12-20, 1999 - Unknown swamp; Hawaii, USA; Nerima, Japan In a peaceful swamp, the sun rose and cast long shadows over the muddy water. A flock of birds suddenly took to the air as they sensed the presence of an alligator slipping silently through the water in search of prey. Having lost its intended meal, the alligator changed direction towards a small rodent at the water's edge. It was perfectly silent approaching its prey. Just as it was about to lash out and devour the little field mouse, it was crushed flat by a short black monolith that appeared right on top of it. After its sudden appearance, the short monolith grew slowly out of the water, almost like a shadow cast across the ground. It continued to grow until it was around a hundred meters tall. The birds and animals around it shrieked in terror at the intrusion into their peaceful world and fled from the apparition. When the monolith stopped growing, most of the animals calmed down and returned to their normal sedate lives as if the monolith didn't exist. Considering that it didn't cast a shadow over the swamp, maybe it didn't. At the top of the monolith stood a figure dressed in black that looked like Ranma Saotome, but wasn't. He looked around and grinned devilishly. "Perfect. This area will feed us well." His devilish smile turned into a frown as the monolith settled slightly and lurched under him. Suddenly he found himself thrown off the top of the monolith and fell headfirst into the muddy water below. A normal human might have died from that fall, but not Ranma Saotome. Of course, despite appearances, the figure was neither. When he emerged from the water, he was a she. She shook her black hair dry and then looked around. In front of her unemotional eyes, the monolith was sinking slowing into the muddy water. Her eyes turned entirely black and she focused her gaze on the monolith. The monolith sunk further, but gradually slowed to a halt with about ten meters left sticking out of the muddy water. She took a few steps towards the monolith and put her hand flat on its surface. "Well, all the better to keep the cattle from stumbling across it until it collects enough energy." She made her way to dry land and climbed onto the bank. As she shook herself dry, her skin turned black for a moment and she transformed back into a man. "Come. We have more to do." He walked off into the tangled bushes, followed by about a dozen shifting shadows that flowed across the ground. The First Monolith, as it would come to be known in the years to come, sat quietly in the swamp and slowly absorbed the life energy from the plants and animals surrounding it. -C- -M- -D- Akane sat in an airplane seat and gazed at her new husband, who was sound asleep. She had tried to sleep herself, but found it impossible after recent events. She was glad of that she was finally married to the man she loved, but still felt an emptiness in her heart for the two she left behind. She knew that for the sake of the baby she had to concentrate on Ranko's well being now, but there was a part of her that wondered if she'd just made a huge mistake in marrying only Ranko. She'd promised that she'd marry Ranma and Sanma after the baby arrived, but she couldn't shake the fear that they might not wait for her. Needless to say, she'd lost a lot of sleep over these worries already, and it had only been a few days since she'd made the decision to marry only Ranko. She reached up to her neck and fingered the two engagement rings that hung on a chain around her neck. She sighed heavily and decided that she had to forget her worries for the next week and just have fun. She wanted this honeymoon to be perfect. Sadly, she decided to slip the necklace off and put it into her handbag so she wouldn't be reminded constantly of the two she left behind. As she snapped her handbag close, she was shaken out of her thoughts by the flight attendant's voice. "Miss, can I get you anything?" the young woman asked in English. Akane looked away from Ranko. "Um, no thank you. Maybe after my husband wakes up," she replied absently in English. The flight attendant looked a bit confused and moved onto the next row. Akane sighed as she noticed the confusion on the woman's face and decided she'd have to get used to that kind of reaction. Some people might not understand her marriage to Ranko, but she didn't really care. In every way except legally, she was married to the man who was snoring quietly next to her. Akane reached into her bag and pulled out a letter from Ranma and Sanma. When she and Ranko awoke that morning to an empty Tendo house, the note had been waiting for them along with the plane tickets and other reservation information. Akane was very surprised to find that overnight her friends and family had arranged a honeymoon in Hawaii for the two of them. Of course, the plane tickets were originally for Ranma and her to use for their honeymoon before Ranko and Sanma returned from the dead. The thought brought tears to Akane's eyes as she thought about what Ranma and Sanma had given up for her sake. After a while, Ranko finally stirred. "Are we there yet?" Akane wiped the tears out of her eyes and grinned. "Not yet. Still about and hour away from landing. Sleep well?" Ranko nodded. "How about you?" "A little, but still too..." Ranko frowned. "Are you okay?" Akane nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, I guess recent events have taken their toll on me." "Tell me about it." Ranko rubbed her stomach. "Well, don't worry, we are going to have the best honeymoon possible." -C- -M- -D- "Excuse me, miss, but would you care for a drink?" Akane looked up at the sound of the English voice. "Um, no thank you," she replied in English, casually showing her wedding ring. "I'm a waiter for the hotel, miss." Akane rose slightly from her beach towel and got a good look at the man. She gulped as she realized she had mistaken him for one of the other horny guys who had been hitting on Ranko and her during their stay in Hawaii. "Oh, sorry. Actually, my husband should be back shortly. Can you get us a couple fruit punches?" "Yes, miss." Akane reached behind her, re-tied her bikini straps, and then flipped around. She looked out at the ocean to see Ranko surfing. Despite her protests about the baby, Ranko had insisted on catching the famous waves in Hawaii at least once. Their obstetrician had said as long as Ranko avoided blows to the stomach, she could keep up her usual activities for another month or two, but Akane wasn't sure that the doctor considered surfing a normal activity or not. Of course, most of what Ranko considered normal was unusual for everyone else. Akane's husband finally came out of the surf, drove her surfboard into the sand, and started peeling her wetsuit off. The tiny bikini underneath immediately caught the attention of most of the guys on the beach. Akane smiled as she noticed the sudden attention Ranko had gained. As Ranko plopped down beside her, Akane leaned over and gave the redheaded woman a long kiss. All around them, the perverted dreams of the boys were either dashed as they realized they no longer had a chance with the redhead or enhanced as they pictured themselves in a threesome with both girls. And a few women on the beach suddenly became interested as well. After the kiss, Ranko looked around awkwardly. "I thought you didn't like to kiss in public?" Akane smiled. "It's not like anyone knows us here and I just want to make sure all of the horny guys on the beach know that you're not available." Ranko looked around and seemed to notice the attention she was receiving for the first time. "Feh, like they'd get more than a fist in their face if they tried anything." Akane smiled, knowing that Ranko had already done that several times already. "Here, you go, miss." Akane looked up at the waiter and took the offered tray of drinks. "Thank you. Charge it to room seven-eighty-two," she replied in English. After he left, she handed one to Ranko. Ranko took the drink and took a sip. "Hmmmm... can't we get something with more bite? I mean, we're on our honeymoon and all. A little alcohol won't kill us." Akane just looked at Ranko in astonishment for a few moments before replying. "Do I really have to list what's wrong with that idea?" "Huh?" Akane sighed and started counting off the items on her fingers. "One: You can't hold your liquor. Two: We're both underage. And the biggest item: You're pregnant, you idiot!!" Ranko gulped. "Oh yeah... all good points." "Just remember that anything you do, you do to our child. Okay?" "Okay, I'll remember that." Ranko suddenly wanted to change the subject. "So what do you want to do tomorrow?" "Well, there is a tour going into the jungle and visiting the volcano." "Sounds a bit boring, but okay." Akane smiled. "Right now, I could use a little boredom." "We could always spend more time in the hotel room." Ranko winked. Akane smiled and leaned over and gave her husband another kiss. "We will, but I think spending the first three days of our honeymoon without leaving the hotel room was enough." "Oh, bad students! Cutting class very bad!" the Principal cried out as he approached them. Akane and Ranko both looked around in shock at hearing the familiar voice. "Principal?" Akane gasped. "Naughty girls shouldn't skip classes to come to Hawaii! You must be punished!" Ranko huffed. "Give us a break! Our parents said they'd clear it with the school. What the hell are you doing here anyway?" "Me am recovering from bad students who beat me up, that's what." Ranko grinned and clenched her fists. "Well, go recover somewhere else! This is our honeymoon, jerk!" "Bad students can't be married. You both be girls." Ranko rolled her eyes then exchanged glances with Akane. Without a word, they each jumped to their feet and leapt at the Principal. They landed punches to his stomach and then flipped him over and pounded him into the sand headfirst. "I think this beach is too crowded, let's go back to our room." Akane smiled. "Room service again then?" "Maybe, but I was planning on a different kind of service first." Ranko winked. The two newlyweds walked off towards their hotel, leaving the Principal embedded in the sand. "Very... bad... students..." Two kids walked up and started building a sandcastle around the legs of the principal, which became tall turrets. -C- -M- -D- "Well, its flat," Ranko commented as she looked at the rocky lava bed in front of them. "Yes," Akane agreed. "And black." Akane smirked. "Yes, it is." "Very black." "Maybe this is too boring." "Well, when I'm with you, I'm never bored." Akane blushed. "Thank you, Ranko." She looked ready to lean over and kiss Ranko, when a voice called out. "Oh, good students! Learning all about de wonderful volcanoes!" Akane and Ranko both cringed at the voice. "Dammit, are you following us?" Ranko spat. "Of course. It is my responsibility to ensure that my students get a good education at all times!" Ranko huffed. "We..." Ranko took a step towards the Principal. "Are..." Ranko pulled back her fist. "On..." Ranko drove a punch into the Principal's stomach, sending him crashing into his bus. "Vacation!!" From the dent he was embedded in, the Principal gasped, "Very... bad... students." Then he fainted. Ranko relaxed from her battle stance. "Well, there's some excitement for you." "Whoopee," Akane said flatly. "Let's get back on our tour bus." "He'll just be right behind us the whole day." A mischievous glint came to Akane's eye. "Not if we leave the tour at the next stop." Ranko smiled. -C- -M- -D- "Come on, the clerk at the hotel said it was back along this stream." "Sounds like you planned to ditch the tour all along." Akane feigned innocence. "Who me?" Ranko smiled and then gasped as she saw the jungle open up in front of her. "Wow." Akane smiled as she took in the sight of the lush clearing in front of her. A large waterfall cascaded down the steep, fern-covered cliff, into a crystal clear pond. The light from the late afternoon sun cast a rainbow across the mist that rained down around them. "Beautiful." The exotic birds that floated on the surface of the water scattered as Ranko reached down and dipped her hand into the crystal clear water. "It's warm." "Great." Ranko looked around just in time to see Akane slipping out of her panties. Her shoes, blouse, shorts, and bra already lay in a pile by her side. "Err... Akane?" Akane smiled. "You didn't think I brought you here just for the view, did you?" She winked. Ranko smiled and started removing her own clothes. A naked Akane ran past her and dove into the pond. Ranko pulled her panties off and then noticed that Akane hadn't come back to the surface. "Oh, shit..." She dove in near where she could see Akane thrashing around under the surface. She swam over and pulled Akane to the surface. "What were you thinking?" Akane spit up some water. "I got lost in the moment and forgot I couldn't swim." "My wife, the hammer." Akane suddenly pointed. "Oh look, a cat!" "Where?" Ranko gasped, dropping Akane. It took her a couple seconds to realize there was no cat and a couple more to realize that Akane was drowning again. She pulled her wife to the surface and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry about that." "No... my fault." "Time to teach you to swim, I think." Akane looked surprise. "On our honeymoon?" "Hey, can't have the father of my child drowning on me, can I?" Akane smiled and gave Ranko a kiss. -C- -M- -D- Ranko held Akane's head under the water until Akane's thrashing finally stopped. Ranko grinned, released her hold, and watched Akane float to the surface of the water. "Finally..." Akane jerked her head out of the water and gasped for air. "There... that wasn't so bad, was it?" "I almost drowned, you idiot!" Ranko admonished Akane by wiggling her finger. "Tsk... tsk... That's idiot-sensei. You have to learn not to panic underwater before you can swim, at least that's how Pop taught me." Akane smirked and gestured at her naked body. "If I ever find you teaching any other students like this, I'll mallet you." "Damn, I was going to save on the cost of cleaning gis by doing all my classes in the nude." Akane wrapped her arms around her husband. "That'll guarantee a large class of boys at least." She started nibbling on Ranko's neck. "Don't think that will get you out of the next part of your training." Akane bowed. "Yes, idiot-sensei." "That's better... now this is how my dad taught me to swim, so it should work for you too." "Um... we're probably going to have to talk about that later. Between your father's dubious fatherhood skills and my moth..." She trailed off before mentioning her mother's death. "We're probably going to have to get some help in proper child rearing." Ranko shuddered. "That sounds almost like school." Akane smiled. "Yes, and that's in addition to all the child-birth classes we're already signed up for thanks to Dr. Tofu." "Who'd have know that having a baby was so involved." "We'll manage... but if I ever catch you wrapping our child in fish sausage anywhere near a pit full of cats, I'll become a widow very fast." "Don't worry, *I'D* never do that to my son." "It could be a girl." "Nope, only boy babies from this body! If I can't be a man, at least my child will be." Akane smiled. "Well, plenty of time to worry about that kind of stuff. Now what's next, Idiot-sensei?" "Well, let's start on the breast stroke." Ranko took Akane in her arms and started tilting her back. "Now, float on your back..." Akane did so, but seemed confused. "Isn't the breaststroke done facing down?" "Not the Tendo School of Anything Goes Swimming version." Akane was floating on her back as Ranko supported her. "How so?" "First arch your back..." Akane did so. "Good now close your eyes." Akane did so. "Now the breaststroke." Akane gasped and opened her eyes. "You'd REALLY better not do this technique with any of your other students." Ranko smiled and continued stroking Akane's breasts. "Only with my prized pupil. Only with you." She leaned down and gave Akane a deep kiss. It wasn't long before the swimming lesson was forgotten and Ranko and Akane found themselves necking under the waterfall. Their tongues traced each other's mouths and their arms clung tightly to each other. Akane slid her hand down Ranko's side and caressed her buttocks. Ranko moaned and slid her leg around Akane's thigh. Ranko pressed her body tightly against Akane's as the water splashed over their naked bodies. "Bad students!" The sudden voice shocked Akane and Ranko out of their embrace. Ranko went crashing into the water when Akane dropped down into the water in order to hide her naked body. "Get out of here!" Akane cried. Ranko leapt out of the water and kicked the Principal in the stomach. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but we want to be alone!" She followed her statement with a series of punches to the Principal's stomach to drive home her point. Never being able to get the point of a punch the first time, the Principal continued. "But girls should not do such things together!" "I'm a guy!" Ranko spun around on one foot and landed a savage kick to the Principal, who went flying out of the small clearing. "Shit, why did he have to interrupt us?" Before she could turn around, she felt some hands reach around her and grab her breasts. Out of instinct, she almost pounded the owner of the hands before she realized that it must be Akane. Her voice confirmed it a second later. "Now, then... where were we?" Akane purred softly into Ranko's ear. -C- -M- -D- Ranko and Akane walked through the jungle hand in hand on their way back to civilization. They hoped. "Um, shouldn't we be back at the road by now?" Akane asked, looking around the rapidly darkening jungle. "Looks like we pulled a Ryoga." Akane shrugged. "Well, it's an island, so we have to reach civilization eventually." "Except it's getting dark." "Well, let's just keep heading west, and we should find the road soon." "Okay." -C- -M- -D- "Ouch!" Akane cried out as she slammed her leg into something in the dark. "Damn it! We're seriously lost now." Akane sighed, squinted into the darkness, and sat down on the ground after she couldn't make out anything more than the outlines of a few tall trees . "It's too dark to walk anymore. It's warm enough tonight, so let's just sleep here." She rubbed the sore spot on her leg. "You're right, it's too dangerous to continue tonight." Ranko slid down beside Akane and wrapped her arms around her wife. "Sorry about this." Ranko smiled. "That's okay. I don't mind being lost in the jungle with you." -C- -M- -D- Dawn poked through the partly cloudy sky and cast long shadows across the clearing that Akane and Ranko had stumbled into the previous night. Feeling something sucking on her naked back, Akane opened her eyes and saw a vast a field of black. She blinked a few times trying to focus her eyes. The blackness remained, so she rubbed her sleepy eyes. The blackness still remained. "Must have wandered back to the lava bed." She looked over at Ranko and smiled lovingly at the sleeping woman, who for some reason was half-naked. She frowned as she realized that she still felt something sucking on her naked back which she had assumed was Ranko getting frisky. She looked behind her, but couldn't see anything. Thinking that she might have leaned against something in her sleep, she stood up and reached behind her to brush her back off. Suddenly, she snapped her head to the side as she thought she saw someone moving out of the corner of her eye, but there was nothing there. It was then that she got a good look at the tall pillars all around them that she had previously mistaken for trees. "What the?" The pillars were black, a few meters in diameter, and rose about ten meters into the sky, where they ended in sharp points. The pillars all looked similar, but were of slightly different heights and had slight differences in the surface texture. "Some kind of lava formation?" She frowned as she realized she should have paid more attention to the tour guide the day before. She frowned and again felt for whatever was on her back. Then she noticed that her blouse was in tatters. Suddenly she managed to grab whatever was on her back and pulled it off and flung it away from her. It squealed loudly while she did this. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the small black shape tumble away from where she had tossed it. Although smaller than the ones she had seen before, the black central mass and tentacles identified the creature in her mind immediately. "Bu... yi... er... fei?" The memory of their encounter with the Buyierfei rushed back to the forefront of her brain as she scanned the area. "Ranko! Get up!" she cried out, but Ranko remained sleeping on the ground. She managed to take one step towards her sleeping husband before she was blindsided and sent crashing against a nearby pillar. A large crack was heard and Akane hoped it was the pillar and not her ribs. She took a cautious step forward and then was hit from the side again. Since she had been ready for an attack, she recovered fast and lashed out with a kick to her unseen opponent. The foot connected with something and, for a second, Akane saw a black form appear and then disappear again after her foot lost contact with it. "Ranko! Get up!" Akane cried out again, then took another spill as she was punched in the stomach. She got back to her feet and then looked over at Ranko, who was still not awake. "Honestly... Hey sleepy girl! Get up or you'll be late for your date with Kuno!" Ranko finally stirred at Akane's outrageous suggestion. "I ain't no girl!" She looked up just in time to see Akane thrown across the clearing and against one of the pillars. "What the..." Akane slid down the pillar and hit the ground hard. "There are Buyierfei here!" Ranko instantly snapped into a ready position, just as she felt a sharp jab on her stomach. She flinched in pain and then threw a punch at what she thought was the source of the attack. Her fist met no resistance and she jumped to the side to avoid any more attacks. "Are you okay?" Akane was back to her feet and trying to catch any sign of their attackers. "Yes. I don't know how, but the Buyierfei didn't die when you and Sanma destroyed the monolith." "Shit, are we inside another monolith right now?" Ranko asked, as she traded blows with a black creature that flashed momentarily into her vision every time her fist connected with its slimy surface. Akane took another look around the large black clearing they were in. Where the blackness ended, she could see signs of trees and other vegetation. "No, I don't think so. I can see some trees beyond this clearing." The early morning light was barely managing to shed any light through the thick clouds. The lack of direct light made the few shadows around her seem to dance of their own accord and made her already overpowering feeling of dread even worse. Ranko was starting to make her way towards Akane. "Watch your back... they can come from anywhere!" Akane felt something slice into her leg and looked down to see a wound appear. She did a side flip, then a running jump to land by Ranko. "Keep our backs together." She turned around and pressed her back against Ranko's. She frowned as she felt something squish between them. The squish was followed by a high-piercing scream. Ranko snapped her head around at the scream. "What the..." Akane saw the telltale form on Ranko's back. "Hold still!" Akane reached over and pulled the squirming mass off Ranko's back. She tossed the blob away and then had to repeat the process for the other two that were attached to Ranko's lower back. She grimaced at seeing the dozen or so dark bruises on her husband's back. Ranko turned around and checked Akane's back quickly. "You're clean. What the heck were they doing?" "I don't know... let's just get out of here fast." "Good idea." Ranko snapped her fingers, clapped her hands together, and formed a chi ball between her hands. "Moko Takabisha time!" "Right!" Akane brought her hands up and formed a similar ball. "Moko Takabisha-Rapid Fire!" A series of chi balls flew from Ranko's hands and spread out across the clearing. Akane followed suit with her own series of chi balls. Every so often a black figure would flicker into sight around the chi balls and then explode into little black pieces that fluttered to the ground. "How many do you think there are?" Ranko called as she prepared for another blast. "No idea. There were probably thousands in the monolith." Akane suspected the number might be more like millions, but didn't want to voice her worst fears. The onslaught continued. The Moko Takabisha blasts kept the Buyierfei at bay, but Akane and Ranko were wearing out fast. For some reason that they couldn't fathom, they didn't seem to be able to form as powerful blasts as they normally could. At the moment, the blasts were barely keeping the attacking Buyierfei at arms length. They each sported various cuts and bruises from the occasional glancing blow. "I can't keep this up for much longer!" Akane cried out. "Right. I'll fire a blast with the last of my energy to clear out a path and then we run full out." As Ranko finished her instructions, she projected a huge Moko Takabisha beam in front of her. When the beam hit one of the invisible creatures, it would flicker into existence and then explode into small leathery fragments. The beam also sliced through several of the black pillars. As Akane and Ranko started to run, the pillars exploded and sent chunks of debris and a fine black powder flying through the air. Akane coughed and held her hand up to block the dust. Despite her attempts to withstand the onslaught, she was forced back from the shear force of the dust and debris. She ended up crashing into Ranko and then back against another pillar, which cracked under the impact. "You okay?" Ranko asked. Akane wiped some of the black dust off her face and tried to do the same to her shirt, but the torn shirt crumbled from her shoulders in pieces instead. "Yes. What is in these pillars?" "I don't..." Ranko was interrupted when the pillar they had crashed into erupted and small black forms started to spill out, answering Akane's question. Unlike the larger Buyierfei, these were clearly visible. The central black mass of their bodies was the size of a football and dozens of small appendages branched from it. They started squealing and bobbing around the clearing. Akane was repulsed and at the same time fascinated by the sight of the thirty to forty small creatures identical to the ones that were attached to their backs earlier. The creatures bounced around them, occasionally smashing into each other or the other pillars. "What the... Is it a nursery?" Ranko frowned as she looked around. "Or a nest... I think we'd better get out of here fast before these things decide we're their first meal like those others." "Good idea." Akane and Ranko took off running, Akane trailing behind Ranko by a couple steps. To their amazement, they weren't attacked as they ran. "Why aren't they attacking any more?" Ranko saw the edge of the blackened clearing up ahead. "No, idea. I hope..." She trailed off after looking back at Akane and saw something just over her shoulder. "Akane, on your back!" "Huh?" Akane looked over her shoulder and noticed that one of the small Buyierfei 'babies' had attached itself to her naked shoulder and seemed to be sucking on her skin just like the ones earlier. "Damn!" Ranko reached out, grabbed the creature, and pulled. She strained for several seconds until it finally popped off. She tumbled backwards and then ended up flat on her back. When she opened here eyes, she found that the creature had torn through her shirt and was sucking on her breast. "Get off! That's disgusting!" Akane looked down. "Is it trying to nurse?" A fleeting thought about Buyierfei being more like humans that she had thought flashed through her mind. "Damn, that's why they aren't attacking us... they don't want to kill the infant!" "Either way, they aren't going to keep us from getting away!" Ranko shouted in rage. She pulled the blob off her breast and tossed it away as she got back to her feet. "Let's go." She grabbed Akane's hand and they both took off running. "Wait!" Akane yelled, then grabbed at Ranko's back. She pulled another 'baby' from Ranko's back and tossed it away. "Damn... I thought I felt something..." Ranko suddenly threw herself onto Akane as a large black ball of energy flew at them. "Shit..." She got up, hauled Akane to her feet, and sprinted for the edge of the clearing. After crossing the clearing's edge into green vegetation, Akane spun around and extended her arms. "Moko Takabisha-Rapid Fire!!" Chi balls flew from her hands and impacted against the pillars that were near the center of the clearing. With a mighty roar, the pillars exploded sending a ball of black powder and debris billowing into the sky. Ranko and Akane took off running as soon as the explosions started and escaped the worse of the shock wave that spread out from the center of the blast. When the blast subsided, Ranko and Akane were huddled together on the ground. Ranko looked back at the clearing, which was now devoid of pillars and was just a jumbled mess of upturned rocks and black dust. Nothing appeared to be moving. Ranko rose and nonchalantly brushed off the remains of her clothes. "Well, that wasn't boring." Akane brushed off her face and sighed. "Nope. But it scares the hell out of me that the Buyierfei are still around. And that black ball of energy..." Ranko nodded and confirmed Akane's unfinished suspicion. "Yes, just like Aftershave used." They checked to make sure they hadn't picked up any more 'babies' in their escape and treated the worse of their cuts with the remains of their clothing. As they shambled away from the blast site in just their panties and crude bandages, they failed to notice the small black blob that silently followed them. As it moved, it started to become transparent until it became nothing more than a faint shadow moving across the ground. -C- -M- -D- "Thank god the baby wasn't hurt," Akane said, as she walked out of the hospital with Ranko. They both were wearing new clothes that the hospital had provided. Small bandages covered their assorted wounds. "I'm not so fragile that I need to be pampered, Akane." Akane smiled. "I know, but you do have to be careful. When you fight, you're fighting for two now." Ranko looked Akane right in her eyes. "Three." Akane smiled. "Do you think the police believed our story?" Ranko shrugged. "There wasn't much left after the blast, they might just write it off as a freak volcanic eruption." "Well, we did our best to warn them. It's not like it's our responsibility to fight the Buyierfei, after all. I called home while you were being examined and told them we were okay." "Did you warn Ranma and Sanma that the Buyierfei are still around?" Akane shook her head. "They weren't home. I told Kasumi to tell them." "Well, three more days left in our honeymoon. What do you want to do?" "Lets get bored in our hotel room again. Excitement almost killed us." -C- -M- -D- A few days later, Ranko and Akane walked into the Tendo house and were greeted with hugs and kisses from Kasumi, Nabiki, and Nodoka. After the initial welcomes and small talk, they all were in the family room talking. "So, was the sex good?" Nabiki asked, leaning forward. Akane blushed. "That's none of your business, Nabiki!" Ranko shouted, looking awkwardly at her mother. Kasumi put her hand over Nabiki's. "Nabiki, there is no reason to ask that sort of question." "I guess." "They are both very healthy and physically fit, so the sex should've been great." Various jaws dropped. Akane had always suspected that her oldest sister always had a wisecrack waiting to get out. Since she started dating Dr. Tofu, Kasumi had loosened up and let the zingers fly quite often. "So, where is everyone else?" Ranko asked, to break the stunned silence. Nervous glances were exchanged between the three older women before Nodoka spoke. "Oh, they are off... training." Akane frowned as she felt there was more to the story. "Training? Where?" "Oh, it's not important," Kasumi said, then added, "Would you care to help me with dinner, Akane?" Now Akane knew something was up, since Kasumi didn't cook that much anymore and rarely did anyone invite her to cook, despite the fact that she had been getting progressively better. "Just tell us where they are." Ranko added. "Yeah, it's not like you to keep secrets. Tell us!" More glances were exchanged. Nodoka cleared her throat. "They are in China." "China?!" both Akane and Ranko shouted and stood up. Nodoka calmly nodded. "Yes, they all went back to the Amazon village with Yukiko and her father to see what was happening to the Amazons." "Why didn't you tell us earlier? Damn, we've got to go help!" Ranko insisted. "That's why." Nodoka stood up and put her hand on Ranko's shoulder. "Ranko, you're pregnant. You can't go off and fight a bunch trained killers right now." Akane was just as eager to help as Ranko was. Possibly more so, since she had a nagging suspicion since running into the Buyierfei in Hawaii that they might have been behind the Amazon problems and Aftershave's sudden power boost. "Did you at least warn them about the Buyierfei?" Kasumi shook her head. "I'm afraid they are out of contact deep within China already." That was enough to set Akane off. "Fine, I'll go warn them while Ranko is safe here." Ranko protested, of course. "No way! I'll go." "Sit down! Both of you!" Nodoka snapped. Akane and Ranko flinched at Nodoka's angry outburst and sat down. "It would take you at least a week to catch up to them. They are perfectly capable of taking care of matters themselves and you two have a baby to consider." Ranko bowed her head. "Yes, Mom." Akane gulped. "I know, Mom, but if the Buyierfei are involved with the Amazons they really need to know about it." "I know, but you can't reach them in time to make a difference now. We can only wait and see." "How can I sit and wait for word if they are okay or not?" Akane asked. "That's something a wife and mother has to do sometimes." Akane realized that Nodoka had probably spent a lot of time worrying about Genma and Ranma while they were on their long training voyage. She didn't know if she could just sit back and wait for news, but knew that Nodoka was right... at least in this case. "Okay, Mom. But if we don't hear anything within a week, I'm going after them. And I dare anyone to stop me." -C- -M- -D- A figure dressed in black walked into the blackened clearing and surveyed the devastated area. "How could mere cattle have destroyed the nest?" He continued to move slowly around the clearing, carefully examining the blackened surfaces. When he saw no signs of survivors, he started using his foot to sift through the remains of his kind. After a while, he caught sight of something in the debris. He reached down and picked it up. He rubbed the small piece of cloth between his fingers and then smelled it. He frowned. "The Un-cute-one." He sniffed again. "And one of the collectors. How could they have found the nest?" He continued to search for a while and then decided the site was a lost. "Well, the other nests will have to do for now." He walked off into the sunset without casting a shadow behind him. When he reached the ocean, he didn't begin swimming or even stop at the water's edge. Instead, he just continued walking along the surface of the water, as if it was solid as far as he was concerned. *********************************************************************** >From the personal journal of James Davidson: September 23, 2057 "And I thought our honeymoon was eventful," I commented as Akane finished her rather... detailed description of her honeymoon. Akane likes to see if she can shock me with her rather graphic descriptions of her liaisons with her husbands. Problem is, she usually does. "See, that should teach you to question my judgment of what is important," Akane gloated. I smiled and bowed to her. "I am humbled, my dear Matriarch." Akane flinched. "Not nice to call me names, James." I smiled. "Anyway, I'm amazed you didn't head to China right away after that." "Trust me, I wanted too. But having a pregnant husband to take care of was a huge responsibly." "Yes, I'm sure it would be." A devilish little smile appeared on Akane's face, causing my warning sense to go off. This usually meant that I was about to be teased. "So when are you and Hanaki going to start your family?" I was right. "When we're ready, MOM!" I smiled to show I was kidding and then gave her the real answer. "We've talked about it, but probably not right away. I have the book and Hanaki has her Task Force duties." Akane's face softened and put her hand on mine. "Family comes first, James. I'm not planing on going anywhere and the Task Force can survive without it's best pilot for awhile." I jumped to my feet. "Okay, then I'm going home to sleep with my wife!" "Okay, see ya in ten minutes," Sanma commented as she walked out of the house onto the porch. I flinched. "Uncle! That's not nice!" I looked around to see my wife walk up to the porch. "Hi, Honey." She gave me a quick peck. "So are you two picking on my husband again?" Hanaki asked. "Not really," Sanma said. "Sure, Uncle, I believe you." Hanaki stuck her tongue out at Sanma and sat down next to me. "This younger generation has no respect for their elders." "Oh, just because you've saved the world an untold number of times, we should respect you?" I grinned mischievously to show I was kidding. "Yes, actually, you should bow down and grovel at our feet," Sanma declared and pointed at her feet. "Honestly, Sanma," Akane scolded her husband. After a brief pause, she added, "There is no need for them to grovel... bowing is more than enough." I sighed. "Well, how about you telling me how you saved the world in China then?" "Oh, is Akane done telling all the different positions she learned during her honeymoon then?" Sanma asked. She was obviously a little uncomfortable with the subject since she had gone inside after Akane started to get a bit... detailed. "Yes." "Oh good, you can show me tonight, Honey." Hanaki snuggled up to my side. "Err... actually, most of them would require me to be a girl." Sanma grinned broadly. "Don't we have a bottle of Spring of Drowned Girl water around somewhere, Akane?" Akane looked at me, as if wondering what I'd look like as a woman. "Hmmm..." "Akane, can we just talk about the China trip now?" I was really starting to get uncomfortable about the current subject. Akane must have seen my discomfort, because she let me off the hook. "Ok, James." Below her teasing nature, she is a warmhearted person. Probably. "I'll just tell Hanaki everything I know later on how to really please a man... or a woman." Or maybe not. "Hanaki, care to drop a bomb on Akane's house and move to Tahiti?" I asked my wife. Hanaki grinned. "It's a nice idea, but the Task Force doesn't use conventional weapons." Akane smiled and looked at her husband. "Anyway... Sanma you want to tell him about your trip to China? Since you were there and all." Sanma looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Okay, but remember, James, I was pretty messed up at the time, so I wasn't exactly in my best form. I should have talked about my problems with someone when it happened, but I... just couldn't bring myself to tell anyone about my problems and kept them bottled up inside." Akane rubbed Sanma's back. "Yes, you should have. You let it eat away part of the man I loved." Sanma nodded. "I know. In the end, I'm afraid everyone ended up getting hurt because of my guilt over what I did the wedding and what lead me to do betray Akane like that." *********************************************************************** April 19-20, 1999 - Joketsuzoku, China After Akane and Ranko left on their honeymoon, there was long discussion about the state of the Amazons. Aftershave wasn't sure why the Circle of Elders declared him Matriarch, but he suspected that whatever force had been effecting him was probably behind the Circle naming him Matriarch. He had begged Yukiko to come back and help him stop whatever evil was tearing apart the Amazons. According to Amazon tradition, Yukiko was the Matriarch until such time as the Circle declared otherwise. This fact made her their best chance at surviving the encounter and restoring the Amazon Way. Yukiko was still overwhelmed by recent events, but felt she had to help. Her fiance, Shinuma, was very concerned about her going to China. After a long discussion, he agreed that she should go to help her father and people, but he insisted on coming along. Ranma and Sanma agreed that they should all go to help, mostly to avoid any backlash from the Amazons. Although they wouldn't admit it to anyone, they also wanted to get away from Nerima before Akane and Ranko returned from their honeymoon. Neither of them were excited about the idea of having to be reminded constantly that Ranko had what they could only hope they would have one day: Akane. In the end, a group of martial artists were assembled to accompany Yukiko and the Amazons to China. Nabiki made sure that the Amazons footed the bill for the trip, since it was their tribe that was in trouble. The extra money that was left over just became her payment for arranging everything, of course. About a week after the wedding, the group of martial artists trudged up a narrow path leading up a mountain. Ranma and Sanma were in the lead, followed by Soun, Genma, Dr. Tofu, Ryoga, Ukyo, Ms. Hinako, Yukiko, Shinuma, Aftershave, and the other Amazon warriors who had been present in Japan. They all wore various clothes suitable for the fight they assumed was coming. Even Ms. Hinako had abandoned her typical spandex dress for a more appropriate shirt and pants outfit. Although in her current child form, the clothes were very baggy on her. As the group reached the top, they surveyed the land ahead. "We'd better camp here for the night. Should only be a couple more hours to the village, so I want to be rested and discuss our plan before we get there," Ranma instructed. Everyone agreed and they started setting up camp. -C- -M- -D- After dinner and discussing the plan of attack, most of them prepared their armor and weapons that had been provided by Yukiko's Amazons. Sanma, on the other hand, sat by herself on a rock and starred across a deep canyon at the moon. "Wow." Sanma flinched at hearing the unexpected voice and looked behind her. "Oh... Ukyo. You startled me." Ukyo shrugged and slid in beside Sanma. "Sorry. That's quite a view you have there." "Yeah." Ukyo frowned. "Are you okay? You've been pretty out of it during the trip." "Yeah." Ukyo punched Sanma lightly on the shoulder. "Come on, I'm your friend. Tell me." "It's not important. Life sometimes throws up on you." Ukyo stifled a giggle. "That's 'life sometimes throws you a curveball'." "If you say so. In any case, I blew it big time." "What?" "I'm no better than Kuno and Kodachi. I saw my chance at happiness slipping away and I deceived and betrayed Akane. I should have just swallowed my pain and let her marry Ranko. Instead, I had to act like all the other lunatics around us and pull that stupid switch at the wedding." "Sanma..." Sanma just started rambling. "What kind of moronic plan was that anyway? Tricking her into marrying me... once she found out it would have ended anyway. In fact, it would have destroyed any chance for us to be married... ever." She slammed her fist into the ground and then looked at the blood trickling down her knuckles. "I doubt our relationship will ever be the same after this. What a jerk I am." Ukyo frowned. "I know the wedding was hard on you all, but she's going to marry you all after the baby comes." Sanma grunted. "Right." Ukyo put her hand over Sanma's. "Hang in there." "Hang in there? How can you say that? You have no idea how horrible my life has become!!" Sanma snapped, glaring at Ukyo. Ukyo recoiled at the angry outburst from Sanma. She had no idea how to respond, so she decided to let Sanma vent her frustrations. "Then tell me." "Ever since the splits, I've gotten nothing but the worst out of life. Always third in everything... guess I should have chosen a better name. All it does is remind me of the fact that I'm third in her heart... if I'm even in her heart any more." "That's not true... I'm sure it's not. I'm sure she loves you." Sanma didn't reply to that and instead she started to list the things that she believed showed that she'd gotten the worst out of the splits. "Ranma got to be a man full time... Ranko got to marry Akane... what did I get? The constant reminders that I'm just a cheap copy of Ranma... You notice how HE is in charge of this little trip and everyone seems to go along with it without even bothering to ask if *I* have any better ideas. I was the only one who was-" She stopped speaking abruptly and seemed to skip mentioning something. "-was saddled with these stupid breasts, cramps, bleeding, and all sorts of nasty stuff that Ranko doesn't have to put up with. Even Kuno constantly chose Ranko to kiss or fondle first when they brainwashed us. He never even kissed my breasts like he did Ranko's." "What is wrong with you, Sanma? Now you're actually upset that that poem-spewing jerk didn't kiss your breasts? What, would you have liked it better if he had sex with you?! That's not the Ranma I knew and loved talking!" "That's my point!! I'm not Ranma! I'm not even Ranko... I'm a dammed side effect of a stupid magic chicken bone!! A mistake..." "You are so full of self-pity... what on earth is happening to you?" "I shouldn't even be here..." "You're just overreacting to all of the changes you've had to endure in the past few months." "What ta' heck do you know about that?" "Well, at least some of the things you mentioned are common to all women. We all have periods and all have to cope with them. After the baby is born, Ranko will have to deal with them too. You just need some time to adjust to them." "Will the bleeding and cramps go away?" Ukyo couldn't believe she had to talk to Sanma about this, but she was the only one available at the moment and she just might have a better perspective on what Sanma was going through than most women. "No they won't, not until you're much older and go through menopause. Sanma, my first few times were difficult for me too. I was always on the road with my father, so I had no one to turn to when my periods started. The first time it happened, I freaked out and thought I was going to die. Once I realized I wasn't dying, I covered it up in embarrassment. I thought it was a shameful thing because no one had ever explained it was just a part of being a girl." Sanma frowned and turned away from Ukyo. "I don't want to talk about this." "I didn't either... and it wasn't until my third time that I reluctantly asked my father about it. He wasn't a lot of help in the details, but he did reassure me it was normal. He had me talk to a nurse at a nearby clinic." "But..." Sanma started to shake. "But nothing!!" Ukyo grabbed Sanma suddenly and pulled her into a tight embrace to comfort her. "Don't ever think you're a copy or different from Ranma and Ranko. You are a unique person, but you share the same beginnings as your other 'siblings'. And you have me and your other friends to fall back on when you're troubled." "Ukyo?" "Yes." "Why did you give up on me?" Behind Sanma's back, Ukyo's eyes went wide at the unexpected question. "Well, because I could see that you loved only Akane." "So how did you stop loving me?" Ukyo gasped. "I... didn't. I just had to accept the fact that we weren't going end up together." "Accept the fact," Sanma muttered and pulled away from Ukyo slightly. An awkward silence followed as the two figures watched the moon cast it's light over the canyon. Ukyo broke the silence after several minutes. "Well, we really should get back to camp and get some rest." She started to rise, only to be pulled back down by Sanma. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone." Ukyo had a bad feeling Sanma wasn't talking about just sitting on the cliffside. "Sanma, please don't do this to yourself. Akane still loves you." "No she doesn't! She loves Ranko! Just because she's pregnant and I'm not!" "You know that's not true. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgement." "So? Maybe I should just act on my feelings instead of being so dammed indecisive." "Isn't that why you impersonated Ranko?" Sanma flinched. "Isn't that why you split from Ranko, because you rushed to use the Spring of Drowned Man water?" Sanma's shoulders slumped. "Isn't that... mmmmppphhh." Ukyo was cut off as Sanma planted her lips on Ukyo's and gave her a long extended kiss. -C- -M- -D- Earlier, Ryoga had poked his head into Yukiko's tent. "Have you seen Ukyo, Sha... Yukiko?" Yukiko looked up from where she was laying out her sleeping mat. "She went for a walk." "Oh, thank you." Ryoga left the tent, passing Shinuma on his way. "Yukiko?" Yukiko brightened at the voice. "Shinuma!" She leapt to the tent flap and pulled Shinuma into a hug. "Yukiko, how are you handling things?" Yukiko sighed. "I'm okay, Shin. Still can't get used to all those women treating me like their leader." "Well, I was amazed myself when I found out my fiancee was the leader of a large tribe of warrior women. Almost sounds like a low budget TV show." "I don't feel like a leader.... or a warrior." Shinuma pulled her tighter against his chest. "Well, you are doing fine so far. I've seen you fight and train, you have that warrior in you." Yukiko pulled away and dropped to her sleeping mat. She looked at the ground and sighed. "I don't know if I want to be that warrior. Ever since I met these people, everything I've heard about my past scares me." "I know, but it's a part of who you are." A single tear dripped from Yukiko's eye before she managed to speak. "I don't know who I am anymore!" A small smile appeared on Shinuma's face. "For the past eight months you didn't know who you were, now that you're starting to find out it's scaring you. I think that's natural. No matter what happens, I love the person in front of me. The name isn't important, the past isn't important, only who you are inside is important." "Even if I can't be sure who I am inside?" "Yes, because I'm sure that I'm in love with you and nothing will ever change that." Yukiko flung herself into his arms and held on tightly. "Wo ai ni." Shinuma smiled and stroked Yukiko's black hair. "I love you too." -C- -M- -D- Ukyo broke the kiss. "Stop that!" She pushed Sanma away and slapped her across the face. "How dare you do that!" Sanma fell onto the ground and started to cry. "Dammit... no one loves me." "Yes, they do. You have to get a hold of yourself Sanma. You did the same thing after you thought Akane dumped you right after you split from Ranma!" "That was Ranko." "You were still the same person then! Stop treating me like a spare that you can put on when you think Akane's dumped you! I'm not going to be your consolation prize in the game of love!" "You're not! I... just need someone to love me." "I know you do. We all do. I'm sorry, but your heart belongs to Akane and I'll be dammed if I'll let you hurt her by destroying yourself!" "I..." Ukyo knelt down in front of Sanma and put a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Sanma, you're just upset over recent events. When you calm down and realize that Akane did marry you. Maybe Ranko's physically a separate person, but deep down you three meatheads are all the same to her. She loves you all." "Why can't I feel her love anymore? Every time I've pictured her in my mind for the last week, Ranko is always there. Always happy. Both of them. Always happy without me. If they can be happy now, why can't I? Why do I have to wait?" Ukyo reached over and pulled Ranko into a hug. "Give it time. Give it time. She'll always have room for you in her heart." Ukyo held Sanma tightly and let her get the tears out of her system. Several minutes later a cry rang out. "Ranma, prepare to die!" Sanma looked up just in time to see an umbrella flying at her head. She pushed Ukyo out of the way, and flipped backwards, barely avoiding Ryoga's attack. "The name's Sanma!" "Fine then." Ryoga brandished his umbrella in front of him. "Sanma, prepare to die!" He lunged at Sanma, but missed again. "What the hell are you doing, pig?!" "I catch you making the moves on my girl and you have to ask that?" Ryoga swung the umbrella again, but at the last minute flipped the umbrella up and sent his finger into the ground near Sanma. "Stop it!" Ukyo cried out, but was drown out by the noise from Ryoga's Breaking Point blast. A few shards from the blast hit Sanma, but she deflected or caught the rest. She leapt into the air and came down on top of Ryoga's skull. "Chill out!" "I won't let anyone take another woman from me, dammit!" Ryoga followed with a series of quick umbrella thrusts, which Sanma easily avoided. "I didn't..." Sanma trailed off as she realized that she did come on to Ukyo. She stopped her dodges, landed on the ground in front of Ryoga, and spoke softly. "You're right. I'm hopeless." Ryoga was so shocked by the sudden change in Sanma that his current umbrella thrust hit the stationary Sanma in her stomach before Ryoga could stop his attack. Sanma tumbled backwards and teetered on the edge of the cliff. She regained her balance and grinned broadly. Then the edge broke apart and Sanma disappeared from view. "Sanma!" Ryoga and Ukyo cried out and ran to the edge. They looked down but couldn't see any sign of her. "Sanma!" "Keep your pants on... and I really mean that Ryoga. I'm okay... stand back," Sanma's voice called from below. Ryoga and Ukyo looked relieved and stepped backwards. In a flash Sanma leapt up and landed in front of them. "There's a little ledge a few meters down." "Damn, you scared me, pal," Ryoga said, slapping Sanma on the shoulder. "Yeah... me too." Sanma wasn't about to talk about her problems with Ryoga, so she put on a facade to hide the pain she felt inside. Ukyo knew Sanma was covering up her pain in front of Ryoga and silently wondered why Sanma could open up to her so easily. She decided to talk to Ranma and Sanma together after they took care of the Amazons and see if they could find a way to help Sanma get over her guilt and the problems dealing with the splits that she had apparently been hiding. Sanma decided she'd better apologize. "Sorry about kissing Ukyo, but I'm just so messed up right now." "You kissed her?!" Ryoga yelled. He tried to push the image of the two women kissing out of his head to prevent a nosebleed. He was only partially successful; he kept the image of Ukyo and Sanma kissing out of his head, but then his mind finally realized that Akane and Ranko were married and were probably doing more than just kissing on their honeymoon. A trickle of blood flowed down his lip. Sanma swallowed loudly. "Sanma, prepare to die!" -C- -M- -D- Yukiko was lying on top of Shinuma's chest and listening to his heartbeat. "Yukiko?" Yukiko didn't move when she answered. "Yes?" "I've got to tell you something." "What?" "Ever since you found out about your past, I've been worried." Yukiko looked up at his face, confused. "Why?" "Well, I've done some thinking over the past week and I think maybe I subconsciously didn't look hard enough to find out who you were." Yukiko smiled. "Because?" "I guess I was falling in love with you and feared losing you." Yukiko wrapped her arms around Shinuma and pressed her head against his chest. "Yuk.. I was too. When I first remembered Ranma, I was devastated that I might be married already and wouldn't be able to become your bride. When we finish with this mess, we get married just like we planned. Ok?" Shinuma smiled. "I can't wait. I only wish I could come with you tomorrow." "If you were there, I'd only be worried about protecting you. I'd feel better if I knew you were safe until the confrontation is over." Yukiko left her worst fear unspoken. She hoped they could resolve the issue without fighting, but know that they'd probably have to fight to free the Amazons from whatever was affecting the Circle of Elders. "Okay, but it'll be so hard for me to wait to find out what happens when you confront the Circle." "Well, if you're going to marry the leader of the Amazons, you'll just have to get used to it." A broad smile crossed her face and she reached up and planted a kiss on his lips. "I guess I will, but I'll still worry." "Me too about you." They held their embrace for a while longer before Shinuma rose to leave. "No, don't leave. Please stay tonight." Shinuma nodded. "I'll get some cold water then." Yukiko shook her head and looked directly into his eyes. "No, not as a cat. As a woman." Up to that point, he had been able to resist the very affectionate Yukiko's offers and pleading to even sleep in the same bed as him while she was human. This time the look in her eyes said she wasn't interested in just sleeping. With the upcoming battle, he found that he was unable and unwilling to turn her down. He nodded slowly and turned out the light. -C- -M- -D- "I am Shampoo, Daughter of Perfume, Granddaughter of Lipgloss, Great-granddaughter of Cologne. All of the Rav Lon family line," Yukiko recited clearly in Mandarin to the two sentries guarding the gate to the village. She paused just long enough for the names to sink in and then continued. "We return to discuss the Matriarch's position in the Amazon tribe." She glanced at her father, who was standing at her side. He was wearing a simple robe, while Yukiko was wearing a skintight red leotard with an Amazon breastplate and small armored skirt over it that she had been given by the other Amazons in their little party. Behind them both, were the other Amazon women. They all carried various weapons and wore strong, but lightweight, armor over their red tunics. The color of which had been chosen so they could keep track of who was who in the upcoming confrontation. The sentries looked at each other briefly and the looked at Yukiko again. One of them stepped forward and spoke in Mandarin. "Shampoo died an honorable death." Yukiko nodded. "No, I did not die. I have returned to claim my right to lead the Amazon tribe in place of this... MAN." The words had the desired effect on the two sentries, as Aftershave and the other Amazons had said they likely would. Unless someone was being affected by whatever had been controlling Aftershave before, the Amazon women would not be comfortable with Aftershave acting as the Matriarch. The two sentries shifted uneasily. "You bear the mark?" "I do." Yukiko paused briefly to steel her nerves and then slipped the top of her leotard down and revealed the small spear shaped birthmark under her left breast. The spear shape also appeared to have two tiny wings on it. The two sentries dropped to the ground and bowed. "We are yours to command, Matriarch." "You may rise. I need one of you to gather as many Amazon warriors as possible who are... uncomfortable with Aftershave being the Matriarch." Yukiko was careful not to make it sound like they were going to openly challenge the Circle of Elders' decision about the Matriarch, since Aftershave had assured her that loyal Amazons would never directly defy the will of the Circle. They had to play their cards very carefully. "Yes, Matriarch, I can attend to that," the shorter sentry said. "Good. Have them meet me in front of the Circle in one hour." Yukiko turned to the other sentry. "I need to visit the temple and then we shall visit the Circle." "Yes, Matriarch." Yukiko smiled slightly and led her little group into the village. So far, things were going exactly as planned. -C- -M- -D- About an hour later, a large group of Amazons were gathering in front of the hut in which the Circle met. No one noticed several of the Amazons from Yukiko's party slip in between the other Amazons and take up key positions in the crowd of big-breasted women. Attracted by the noise, one of the attendants for the Circle poked her head out the hut's door. "What is the meaning of this?" Most of the Amazons stirred uneasily, if unsure why they were there. But one spoke up. "We heard that the Matriarch had returned and came to show our respect." The attendant frowned. "The Circle has not been made aware of his return." An agitated murmur flowed across the crowd as the attendant went back inside to inform the Circle. Shortly, the hut's door opened again and a half dozen withered, wrinkled, old women shambled out and looked around. The Eldest of the Circle looked around before speaking. "Where is the Matriarch? Show yourself, Aftershave!" The crowd parted as two of Yukiko's Amazons motioned them to do so. Aftershave strode forward into the clearing in front of the hut. "I am here, but I am no longer Matriarch. I have been defeated in mortal combat and have lost my claim to lead the noble Amazon tribe." Cries of shock and, at the same time, joy passed between all the Amazons assembled. The Circle members all remained motionless, strangely emotionless at the pronouncement. Finally, the Eldest spoke. "I see. Then we must choose another Matriarch." "That will not be necessary!" a voice called out. Everyone looked around to see Yukiko walk regally into the clearing dressed in a very elaborate outfit she had obtained at the temple. It consisted of a large golden breastplate with two small golden swords crossed on the front over what looked like a small pair of wings. Fancy beads and weavings were attached to the breastplate to hold it in place over the sheer white silk robe underneath. Threads of some shimmering crystalline substance were interwoven into the silk robe, giving it an almost magical aura. The silk robe revealed everything not covered by the breastplate and small chain-mail skirt worn under the sheer robe. On her head, Yukiko wore a golden tiara with a series of long strands of the same crystalline threads that were sewn into her robe. As her head moved, the crystals would shimmer beautifully in the sunlight. The combined effect made her look very regal and almost god-like. After a long shocked silence, the Eldest spoke. "Who are you? And how dare you touch the sacred armor of the First Matriarch?!" "I am Shampoo, Daughter of Perfume, Granddaughter of Lipgloss, Great-granddaughter of Cologne. All of the Rav Lon family line," Yukiko recited the list again. She paused again to let the names sink in and then moved the breastplate and her breast aside to reveal the birthmark again. It looked a little like the crossed sword and wings emblem on her breastplate. "I claim my right to be Matriarch of the Amazon Tribe. Any who oppose me... shall die." She hoped she wouldn't have to back up that last statement, but her father and the Amazons had insisted on the wording as being proper for the situation. The Elders who made up the Circle barely reacted, but the other Amazons all cried out in amazement. Cries of shock and confusion resonated across the assembled crowd. Right on cue, Yukiko's Amazons started crying out. "She's the TRUE Matriarch!" "Her claim is strongest!" "Aftershave has lost HIS claim by being defeated!" "Matriarch! Matriarch! Matriarch!" As Yukiko's Amazons started to chant, some of the crowd started to chant along with them. "Nonsense. Her claim is invalid. The Circle will choose the new Matriarch if Aftershave has truly been defeated in mortal combat." The other Elders all nodded. "No! My claim is strongest, there can be no discussion!" Yukiko insisted. "Shampoo died. You cannot be her." "I did not die, I was held captive by a band of evil MEN!" Yukiko knew it was a lie, but it had the desired affect as the Amazons instantly accepted that men could have done such a thing. The Elders were not phased by the lie. "Then you were dishonored by losing to Akane Tendo in Japan." "I saved my honor by sacrificing myself in the face of a better warrior." "The Matriarch must be the strongest warrior!" "Then why was Aftershave, my father and a MAN, made Matriarch by the Circle?" The question sent ripples of shocked murmurs through the crowd as the assembled Amazons tried to figure out why the Circle was denying Shampoo's rightful claim to lead the Amazons. "That was our decision to make in face of no other blood claims after the previous Matriarch died honorably!" That answer did not sit well with the assembled Amazons and they started voicing their displeasure. This was not something that normally happened in the presence of the Elders. Most astonishing was the fact that many of those voices were not from Yukiko's Amazons. Yukiko braced herself for the outcome of her next statement. "I, Shampoo, of the Rav Lon family line, formally make a blood claim to lead the Amazons. What say the Circle?" The Elders all looked at each other and, although no one could see it, their eyes momentary turned completely black. Then the Elders all turned back towards Yukiko. The Eldest stepped forward. "Your claim is denied. I will be Matriarch!" She held up the golden cane she carried as proof of her leadership. The other Circle members all added their agreement to the Elder's declaration. The assembled Amazons were shocked at the pronouncement, just as Yukiko and the others had hoped. "Amazons! Seize Shampoo and Aftershave!" the Eldest commanded and pointed with her cane. Several Amazons, but not all of them, lifted their weapons. "No! The Circle has broken Amazon Law!!" Aftershave shouted. "Only the junior Elders can claim the right to be Matriarch. The Eldest gives up her right for all time when she accepts the leadership of the Circle!" Cries of agreement and acceptance of that well-known Amazons law rushed through the crowd and some of the Amazons lowered their weapons, but not all. Since the Eldest was the only Elder who could initiate the removal of the Matriarch for just cause, this law was designed to prevent the Elder from performing a coup and taking the title of Matriarch herself. "My claim is legal!" the Eldest insisted. "Amazons, kill her!" It was at that point that Yukiko's hopes for a resolution without a fight ended. She reached under her breastplate and pulled out a small rod. With a loud snap, it extended to around three meters in length. "I fight for the Amazon Way and ask all loyal Amazons to fight by my side!!" The Eldest pointed at Yukiko with her golden cane and shouted a command to the nearest Amazon warriors, "Amazons, kill the one who would defy the Circle!" Three Amazons jumped at Yukiko. With a quick sweep of her staff, Yukiko's opponents dropped to the ground. She jammed the staff into the chin of one of the fallen warriors. She spun around and landed a high kick to the back of one of the other warriors, who was just rising. She got her staff up just into to avoid a sword blow meant for her neck from the third. And then her fight really began as more Amazons joined into the fight on the Circle's side. "All loyal Amazons, defend the Circle and defeat the invaders!" the Elders called out. Yukiko's Amazons had come out of the crowd to deal with the other Elders and the hundred or so Amazons who had risen up to defend the Circle. All things being equal, the two dozen Amazons who joined Yukiko and her Amazons to back her claim up would only be able to delay the Circle's warriors from regaining control over the situation. But things were not equal. From out of the crowd of Yukiko's warriors came a curvy redheaded Amazon with a pigtail, a muscular Amazon with a black pigtail, a large Amazon with a thick black mustache, a fat Amazon wearing glasses, a beautiful black-haired Amazon who wielded large spatula, a stocky Amazon with an umbrella hidden under her skirt, a small child Amazon, and a tall Amazon with glasses. All of these Amazons were in borrowed armor and some had borrowed breasts courtesy of magic herbs that made mountains out of molehills. Aftershave had sworn them all to silence about the long held secret about why the Amazon women seemed to have abnormally large breasts. Of course, not all of the Amazon women--such as Yukiko--had need for these herbs, but the herbs did tend to stack the deck in the Amazons' favor when the annual wet T-shirt contest with the nearby villages took place. Ranma had to re-adjust to the feeling of having breasts again, on his male body no less, so his first couple of kicks and punches to the Circle's warriors went slightly off target. He finally found his proper balance and started to knock the warriors out of the fight. All the time he fought the Amazons, he was also trying to get close the Circle Elders. Sanma didn't have any trouble since her breasts were natural, well as natural as Jusenkyo breasts could be considered. She tore through her attackers until encountering one of the best Amazon warriors. And then her fight really started. Like Ranma, Sanma was using their chi attacks sparingly because she assumed they would need them against the Elders. If they were under the same influence that Aftershave was, they would need every ounce of energy they had to break them free. Even while trying to conserve their energy, she and Ranma both tried to create some small tornadoes to knock some of their fiercer opponents out of the fight. Unfortunately, the Amazons had easily saw through their attempts to be drawn into a spiral. Since the Hiryu Shoten Ha was one of the Amazon's secret techniques, it was not surprising that they would be able recognize it and avoid the spiral needed to form the vortex. Despite making a very ugly woman, Soun used his sword with the expertise of a well-trained martial artist. He didn't want to kill anyone if he didn't have to, so he used the back of the sword in his attacks like a sakaba sword. He made slow, but steady process through the crowd of Amazons, backed up by Genma, who looked even worse in his female disguise. But then, some of the Amazon women were no beauty queens either. Ryoga and Ukyo had teamed up. Ukyo was a blur as she used her spatula to knock Amazons out of the fight. Ryoga used his umbrella and Breaking Point technique to keep the horde of Amazons at bay. If the sight of Ukyo in her skimpy Amazon armor hadn't made Ryoga very happy, he might have been able to create a Shishi Houkou Dan blast. This didn't stop Ukyo from trying to help though. Ukyo looked over at Ryoga. "Hey, Ryoga?" "Yes?" "Sanma kisses a lot better than you!" "Wha..." "Plus, he never gets nosebleeds when he fondles my breasts." "What?!" Ryoga screamed. As he saw his happy life with Ukyo disappearing, he became depressed. Then his mind realized what Ukyo was doing. Unfortunately, knowing this was going to prevent him from getting depressed enough to do a Shishi Houkou Dan blast that would be strong enough to help. "Damn, you're just too happy." Ryoga flashed her a big smile as he continued his hand to hand attacks. "With you at my side, how could I not be?" If Ukyo wasn't so busy fighting, she might have groaned at that sappy comment. Dr. Tofu looked very uncomfortable in his female disguise, but used the shield he carried like an expert to deflect the blows of the Amazons around him. When he could, he would pivot around and land a touch to what ever exposed pressure point he could reach. Some of touches caused his opponents to fall asleep, some to walk around dazed, and some to cluck like a chicken. Nearby, little Hinako held up a five-yen coin and yelled out, "Happo Go-en Satsu!" In front of her, about two dozen of the fighting Amazons crumpled to the ground as she sucked their fighting spirits from them. She grew and filled out the armor she wore and then some. Before she could return the energy, a pair of Amazons slashed out with their swords, causing Hinako to back up and be separated from Dr. Tofu. Still engaged in his fights, Genma suddenly saw Hinako out of the corner of his eye and saw what the Amazons were attempting to do. "Hinako!! Don't get into a spiral!" Hinako heard him, but by the time she did the Amazons had already infused the hot spiral they had backed her into with blasts of cold energy. "Hiyru Shoten Ha!" A massive tornado formed, feeding off the angry energy that Hinako had just sucked from the Amazons. Once she was fully drained, Hinako was blasted into the air in her child form. "Hinako!" Soun cried out and ran towards the tornado, while most of the other combatants tried to escape from the violent winds. The others wanted to help, but were unable to get out of their own battles to do so. Like a man possessed, Soun flattened the two Amazons who had created the tornado and leapt into it. Inside the vortex, Soun tried to find Hinako, but couldn't see anything through the debris churned up by the winds. "Hinako!" He realized that his armor was weighing him down, so he reached up and un-strapped it. The armor fell to the ground and he was able to swim into the currents. "Hinako!" "Soun!" a tired little girl cried out. Soun whipped his head to the side after hearing the cry. "Hinako!" He saw her downwind from him and angled his body to intercept her. As he neared her, he reached out and tried to grab her hand. His fingers brushed against her for a second before he was pulled away from her by the buffeting winds. "No!" He lunged and managed to grab her wrist. Hinako smiled as he pulled her into a tight embrace. As the winds started to die down, she noticed the ground rushing at them. "Soun! The ground!" Soun nodded and positioned his body to take most of the impact. He wasn't sure if they could survive the fall, but he was going to do what he could to save the woman he loved. "No!" little Hinako cried out when she realized what he was trying to do. Genma was fighting with a skinny Amazon when he saw the tornado dissipate and Soun falling to the ground with Hinako in his arms. "Tendo!!" he cried out, helpless. He slammed his opponent in the face and then ran over her on his way to try to save his friend. As he realized that he wouldn't make it in time, he cried out again. "Soun!!" Soun crashed into the ground at high speed, taking most of the impact across his back. After the dust settled, he didn't move. Little Hinako looked up from his chest, where she had fallen. "Soun?" She reached up and nudged him. "Soun!!" Hinako was so concerned she didn't see the Amazon looming behind her. She also didn't see the long spear aimed for her back. But Genma did. He tackled the Amazon just before the spear could pierce the little girl's back. He and the Amazon rolled away locked in a tight ball. They struggled until the spear was broken. The struggle ended at that point because the spearhead had been driven into Genma's stomach before the shaft of the spear broke. The Amazon rose, pulled her dagger out of its sheathe, and cried out, "First blood!!" before plunging the dagger towards Genma's heart. [End - Chapter 18] Coming soon: Chapter 19: End of the Amazon Way ======================================================================= The real author's (Jim Lazar) notes/ramblings: I am breaking my usual practice of ending with the 2057 characters and instead ending on a cliffhanger back in 1999. It came down to the length of the chapters and where was a good place to break the story. The honeymoon could have been a separate short chapter, but then that would make the China events require two chapters by themselves due to their length and. So instead of three short chapters, you have two longer chapters that I think complement each other nicely. I'd like to thank my pre-readers Thomas C. Kinnen, David Johnston, EBJ, and Jyh-I Lu for helping me find and fix problems with this story. FFML members Christopher J. Olsen and Michael A. Chase were also helpful in fine tuning this story. Thank you all. Of course in the end, any mistakes and botched characters are my fault. Revision 0.0 - Rough draft (March 1, 1999) Revision 0.2 - Pre-reader draft (June 10, 1999) Revision 0.4 - FFML draft (June 20, 1999) Revision 1.0 - Final version (July 5, 1999) Revision 1.1 - First RAAC posting (July 9, 1999)