I've wept for those who suffer long
but how I weep for those who've gone
into rooms of grief and questioned wrong
but keep on killing
It's in the soul to feel such things
but weak to watch without speaking
Oh what mercy sadness brings

Saotome's Choice
by JP Buckner
ajaff@poky.srv.net
http://onewest.net/~ajaff/manff.htm

Chapter Four -  I Know You're Crazy, but What am I?

Rumiko Takahashi is a goddess, and that is my final answer.
"Redemption Day", lyrics by Sheryl Crow



Nabiki sat deep in thought. What Khu Lon had just told her
certainly changed things. Thinking over the repercussions,
Nabiki was wondering what would lay in store for Ranma, no,
Ranko, down the road. She hoped that Ranko would be able to
survive this.

Khu Lon studied Nabiki carefully. "Child, you don't seem all
that surprised by this."

Nabiki nodded. "Yesterday, Kasumi was telling all of us that
Ranma was insecure. And she used his constant bragging to show
how insecure he was. How those statements reinforced his
self-image."

Khu Lon nodded. "Yes, I can see that. What does that have to do
with this?"

Nabiki shook her head. "Don't you see? His self-worth wasn't the
only thing Ranma kept harping on about. When Kasumi told me
that, I thought about the other thing Ranma kept repeating over
and over again. If his bragging was reinforcement, could this be
as well?"

"Yes, you are right. It would be, on a subconscious level, a
defense mechanism of sorts."

"And now, that he's living as a girl, with his mother..."

Khu Lon finished Nabiki's thought. "She will lose that defense
mechanism."

Nabiki brought her head down into her hands. "My head is starting
to hurt. I've been learning so much, in such a short period of
time, that I don't know if I can think straight anymore."

Nabiki brought her eyes up. "Khu Lon, there is one thing you
haven't explained to me yet."

The Amazon's eyebrow raised. "And what is that?"

"You never explained why you stopped calling Ranma 'Son-in-Law.'"

Khu Lon paused for a second. "Well, because of what I just told
you."

Nabiki shot back. "Can it, Elder. There's more. There's
something else you're keeping from me. I can smell a secret a
thousand miles away, and the odor of this one is quite strong."

Khu Lon sighed. There would be no tricking this one. She had to
put her cards on the table.

"When Xian Pu returned to Joketsuzoku and told us about Ranma,
it made for quite a stir in our village."

Nabiki grinned. "I'll bet."

"Xian Pu was given her cat curse as punishment for failing to
fulfill the Kiss of Death. But according to Amazon Law, she
could have been punished far more severely than she was. We let
her off easy, considering the circumstances."

"Punished worse? How?"

Khu Lon took a breath. "That's not important. What is important,
is that when Xian Pu told her story, something happened."

"What?" Nabiki was beside herself. She was about to learn
something about the Amazons that wasn't public knowledge. And
knowledge was Nabiki's religion.

"Xian Pu told us her story, and it was decided that I should
accompany her back here. We were to bring back Ranma, to have
him marry Xian Pu. Just as we decided this, a rare Chinese hawk,
one who is sacred to our tribe, flew down and perched itself on my
shoulder"

"So?"

Khu Lon gave Nabiki a harsh look. "So? That, child, was an omen.
Those birds are extremely shy around humans. When one of those
hawks presents itself to an Amazon, as this one did to me, it means
only one thing."

"What does it mean?" Nabiki was on the edge of her seat.

"It is meant to herald the arrival of one of the great Amazons.
It means that whoever it presents itself to is about to procure,
usually by birth but not necessarily, an Amazon whose name will
be remembered for generations."

Nabiki nodded. "Ranma. You thought it meant Ranma was meant for
greatness for your tribe."

"Exactly. When I first came here with Xian Pu, I was thinking
that Ranma would father a truly great Amazon. But as I got to
know Ranma...

"As I said earlier, that child is one of the finest warriors I
have ever seen. Once I understood that, I figured he wasn't
meant to father a great Amazon, but to become one. As a woman."

"Huh? But you've been trying to get Xian Pu to marry him? If you
wanted him as a woman..."

"At first I wanted him to marry my great-granddaughter. After a
while I realized that would be a bad idea. The tribe needed
Ranma as a warrior, not an Airen. But Xian Pu loves him so much,
I thought if it could help get Ranma to come back with me to
China, I would go along with it. Once there, I would make sure
that Ranma joined us as a female, not a male."

And, Khu Lon thought to herself, had Ranma fathered a child
with Xian Pu before this, all the better.

"You must understand, the Amazon society is matriarchal in
nature. While we treat our men better than many other cultures,
Japan included, treat women, men are not allowed to be true
Amazon warriors. Those that do fight, do so as back-up, support
if you will. Mu Tsu is one of the finest male fighters we have,
but his fighting style is best suited to support, not lead, a
war."

Nabiki asked one thing. "But would the rest of the tribe
accept her, considering she was born male?"

Again, Khu Lon began to laugh.

"Nabiki, consider the fact that Joketsuzoku has been close to
Jusenkyo for centuries. Do you honestly think that this is the
first time the Nyanniichuan has come into play for our tribe?"

Nabiki had never thought about that. Was it possible? Had there
been cases of men becoming women in the tribe's past?

Khu Lon seemed to read Nabiki's mind. "Yes, child, there have
been many cases where someone born male has become a true Amazon
warrior via use of the Nyanniichuan. As a matter of fact..."

The Elder gave Nabiki a stare that sent shivers down the young
woman's spine. "What I am about to tell you is for your ears
only, do you understand? You are not to talk about this to
anyone, especially not Xian Pu. I'm not quite sure on just how
she'd handle this news."

Nabiki smiled and nodded. She was used to using secrets. This
time, she would keep it. Nabiki was not foolish enough to go
against the Matriarch of Joketsuzoku.

"You know, child, that Xian Pu is my great-granddaughter."

"Yes."

"Well, what neither you or Xian Pu know, is that Xian Pu's
grandmother was my son."

Nabiki was truly stunned, even more so than by any of the other
secrets she had learned today. "Your son? You mean your son was
a victim of the Nyanniichuan?"

Khu Lon frowned at Nabiki. "A victim? No, at least not a victim
of Jusenkyo.

"I was very young at the time, and still filled with all of the
teachings of the Amazons. I truly believed in female
superiority, so much so that when I gave birth to a son, I was
saddened. Make no mistake, I loved my son, but I so wanted a
daughter, an heir, someone to become an Amazon warrior.

"My son sensed this, even at an early age. He wanted nothing
more than my love, my approval. I did love him, but part of me
held back, treating him poorly, because my child, my eldest child,
was a man, not a woman.

"I said when you told me about Ranma that I should have seen
this coming. This is why, Nabiki. Because my son wanted my love
and respect so much, he went to Jusenkyo and jumped, of his own
free will, into the Nyanniichuan."

Nabiki nodded, in icy realization.

"In order to get my love, my son became my daughter. My
arrogance took a great fall that day. I learned, by the harshest
of truths, the nature of my own folly. But I did not make that
mistake again. I have since tried to incorporate men more
actively into our tribe. Prior to my attempts, men were not
allowed to be warriors of any kind, let alone support. There are
still factions within the tribe that want to do away with even
that.

"My son, who became my daughter, got the love and attention she
so wanted from me. She became a strong and fine Amazon warrior.
She never regretted what she had done, and the day that she
died, in honor defending our tribe, was the saddest day of my
entire life."

Khu Lon slumped down, emotionally exhausted by her memories.
Nabiki thought she saw an extra ten wrinkles grace the Elder's
face.

"I'm sorry, Elder. Don't worry, I will never talk about this to
anyone. This secret is safe with me."

"I know." Khu Lon gave Nabiki a look of respect and
understanding.

"Elder, now what? Obviously, what Ranma has done doesn't change
your plans for her. What are you going to do now?"

Khu Lon jumped on top of her staff, and pondered for a moment.
Eventually, she responded, "It changes things somewhat. It might
make matters easier. Or it might make matters more difficult.
Either way, it's time for me to end the games, and just deal
with this upfront."

Nabiki eyed the Amazon Matriarch with wonder. She was a little
worried about what was going through the old woman's mind right
now.

"Child, I think it's time for me and the others to return
home."

"Home? To China?"

Khu Lon chuckled. "Of course, China. Where else would I go,
Detroit?

"It will not be easy to drag Xian Pu away from here. Telling her
the truth would only make matters worse. A little deception for
her sake will be in order. Mu Tsu will be a little more
understanding. He should be glad to hear that Ranma is no longer
an obstacle for him to win Xian Pu's heart."

"So, you're just going to give up and go home?"

Khu Lon once again stared harshly at Nabiki. "Give up? No,
child, I will not give up that easily. I will just change
tactics. Since all the tricks and games never worked, perhaps
being honest with her will. I should visit her and offer her my
friendship. She will not see me willingly, I'm sure, but maybe
she can be persuaded to let me talk to her." At this, the Amazon
eyes focused themselves directly into the eyes of Nabiki.

"You want me to arrange a meeting?"

"Yes, child, I do. It will take a few days for me to get
everyone and everything ready to leave for home. I take it you
plan on speaking to Ranma directly soon?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yes, Kasumi and I were planning on visiting her
later today, after I returned home from talking to you. What are
you going to say to Ranma?"

Khu Lon grinned. "One, I will apologize for my past actions
towards her. Two, I will offer her membership in my tribe, no
strings attached. And three, well she doesn't really realize how
dangerous her situation is. I can offer her some assistance in
that."

"What kind of assistance?"

"That is between me and her. I may have a way to protect her
from hot water. It will take me some time to prepare this, so I
could see her later this evening at the earliest. If that is all
right with you."

Nabiki nodded. "Yes, Elder, that would be fine. And I thank you
for your patience in all of this. I wasn't quite sure how you
were going to react to this news. I was worried that you, or one
of the others, would do something foolish, and endanger Ranma."

Nabiki began to rise up, and headed towards the door. Before she
got there, Khu Lon stopped her.

"We are not done here yet, child. There is one more thing I wish
to speak to you about."

****************************************************

"You really don't know your sizes, dear?"

Ranko shook her head. Once she started to shop for clothes, she
realized she had no clue of what sizes would fit her. All of her
clothes were purchased to fit Ranma's form, not Ranko's.

"Not really, Auntie. I have a general idea of what fits me, but I
don't know my exact sizes."

"That can be easily fixed, Ranko. Here, let me find someone to
help measure you. Now, dear, it's important to remember these
sizes in the future, all right?"

Ranko nodded, and watched as her mother went off to find some
help.

Looking around at the store, Ranko was still just a little bit
afraid. Still, things had gone fairly okay so far. Not being
forced to wear dresses and skirts was a big relief to her, and
some of the slacks she looked through didn't look too bad, from
her point of view.

Thinking about her day so far, Ranko smiled. True, there were
some frightening moments. But those were overshadowed by the
good moments she shared with her mother. Mom seems so happy,
Ranko thought. She is so happy to have someone in her life. I'm
so mad she's been alone for so long. If I ever get my hands on
Pop...

Ranko's thoughts were interrupted by her mother's return.
Another woman was with her, and Ranko tried to brace herself for
what was to come.

****************************************************

"I am going to ask you another favor, Nabiki."

"Okay, what is this favor?"

Khu Lon paused for a moment, then continued. "As I told you, I
will offer Ranma membership in our tribe. I have come to see
that Ranma would be a valuable asset to us, if she so wanted to
join us."

"Okay, I'm with you so far."

"Ranma is not the only youngster I've met since coming here that
I feel would be a good addition to our tribe. There are others
that would be welcome as well. However, since I will be leaving
soon, I don't have time to ask each one personally. I would like
you to ask them for me."

"Me?" Nabiki was taken aback. "You want me to offer Amazon
membership to other warriors? I would be happy to do so; who do
you want me to ask?"

Stroking her chin with her finger, Khu Lon answered, "First,
that boy Ryoga would be welcome."

"Ryoga? He's already got a curse, so him jumping into the
Nyanniichuan isn't a good idea."

Khu Lon chuckled. "He would make a far better husband for us than
Ranma would. If the right Amazon woman gets under his skin just
so, he will be easily pliable. He would make a perfect husband for
our tribe."

Nabiki nodded. "Yes, he is rather easily swayed by women. Even
Ranma has used his female form to use Ryoga just so.

"Who else?"

"The chef, Ukyo. She is fierce and strong, and she has an almost
obsessive devotion to those close to her. Yes, she would fit in
quite well."

"Okay, Ukyo, check. Anyone else?"

"Your sister, Akane."

Nabiki's eyebrows raised at that. "Akane? Considering the past
between her and Xian Pu, is that wise?"

"Once the romantic entanglements that separate the two
disappear, those two could at least be cordial to each other.
Akane's strength, and the power of her heart, would make her an
excellent Amazon."

Nabiki shook her head. "I can't see Akane accepting this, but
I'll talk to her about it, after she's calmed down some. I
really don't want to bring this up to her now. Is there anyone
else?"

Khu Lon's grin grew two-fold. "Yes, there is one other person
I'd like to offer membership into our tribe."

"And just who would that be?"

"Why, you, of course, child."

Nabiki brought her hand up to her head, and thwapped it just a
little, unsure if she had heard the woman right. "Me? But I'm no
warrior."

"True, but Joketsuzoku is like any other society. In order for
our village to survive, it needs warriors, yes, but more than
that. It needs leaders, and thinkers, and planners.

"Your skills, your intelligence, your perseverance, your
hard-headedness would be great assets to us. In some ways, I
think you would do the tribe more good than your sister."

Nabiki sat back in silence. This was a bombshell, just one more
in a series of bombshells she had taken in the last 24 hours.
Eventually she replied, "This is a great honor, Elder. I will
need time to consider it. And I promise you, I will consider
it."

Jumping down off her staff, Khu Lon proceeded to guide Nabiki
towards the exit. "That is all that I can ask. Now we are done
here. You have things to do, and so do I. Take well, Tendo
Nabiki."

Nabiki left the Nekohanten. Walking down the street, towards her
home, she wondered about a great many things. The Amazon's offer
was high among the list of those things.

****************************************************

Kasumi was waiting patiently for her sister to return. Frankly,
she didn't know any other way to wait. Busy preparing for lunch,
a chore that had become second nature to her, Kasumi hoped that
the meeting with the Saotomes would go smoothly. She did not
want Ranma's life to get any more complicated than it already
was.

The sounds of voices came from outside. Kasumi wondered who it
could be, Nabiki had left alone, and Akane wasn't due back for
some time. Eventually, the door opened up, and it was Akane. She
was not alone, and Kasumi was worried by the way her youngest
sister held herself. Or rather, the way Akane's friend was
holding her. Akane did not seem to have the strength to stand on
her own two feet.

"Come on, Akane, you're almost home."

"Home? Yuka, I'm almost home?"

Kasumi rushed over to give Yuka a hand with Akane. Together they
managed to get Akane upstairs, and into her room.

"See, Akane, you're home, safe and sound." Yuka tried her best
to keep her friend from losing any more of herself than had
already today. Yuka did not quite know what was truly bothering
Akane, but from her actions at Furinkan, it must be pretty
serious.

"I'm okay now, really." As Akane said those words, Kasumi was
not convinced. She looked pretty bad, worse than she did
yesterday, worse than how she looked this morning. Kasumi
watched as Akane grabbed her stuffed pig, held it tightly to
her, leaned back and collapsed on her bed. After a couple of
moments, Akane was out like a light.

Kasumi led Yuka out into the hall, in order not to bother her
sister. Once out there, Kasumi asked, "Yuka, what happened?"

Shaking her head in sadness, Yuka replied, "Funny, I was going
to ask you the same thing."

"Yuka, please."

Taking a deep breath, Yuka found her strength, a personal
strength she thought she never had, but had found in herself
after the day's events. "Sayuri and I were keeping Akane company
today, we could tell something was bothering her, but she
wouldn't tell us what. Then the self-proclaimed Blue Thunder of
Furinkan High started on his normal routine, and that set Akane
off."

"Set her off, how?"

"I'm not quite sure. She seemed to have one of those energy type
attacks that I saw Ranma and Ryoga use once."

Kasumi nodded. She had witnessed Akane finding this power the
day before.

"Kuno was acting, well like Kuno. He started insulting Ranma,
and Akane hit the jerk with this attack of hers."

"Oh, my. I hope Kuno is all right."

At this point, Kasumi saw a look in Yuka's eyes that scared her. 
It took a moment, but Yuka got the words out, although Kasumi
could see the answer in her eyes.

"He was hurt bad. An ambulance came and took him to the
hospital. Sayuri went there to make sure he would be okay, and
to contact his family. I haven't talked to her yet. May I use
your phone?"

Kasumi nodded, and led Yuka downstairs to the phone. Kasumi
watched as Yuka made a call, and sighed as a look of relief
seemed to grace the girl's face.

After hanging up the phone, Yuka turned to Kasumi. "He's going
to be fine. The doctors say he has some minor burns on his body,
first degree burns only, thankfully. He also has a few broken
ribs, and some other minor injuries. They expect him to be able
to go home in a few days. Nothing serious, they just want to
keep an eye on him."

Kasumi let out a breath. "Good, Akane will be glad to know she
did not hurt him too severely."

"Yeah, she was really broken up when she realized how badly he
was hurt. I hope she'll be okay." Yuka paused for a second
before asking the question most on her mind. "So, Kasumi, just
what is bothering Akane right now?"

At that moment, Kasumi wished Nabiki was here. Kasumi knew
Nabiki was working on ways to tell everyone about this. Kasumi
did not feel ready to tell Yuka the whole truth, but she knew she
had to say something.

"Yesterday, Ranma broke up with Akane, and left us."

Yuka's mouth hung open. "Ranma broke up with Akane? I don't
believe that. I mean, sure he didn't show it well, but you could
tell how devoted he was to her."

Kasumi gave a sad smile. "Yes, he really does care about her."

"Then why?"

Kasumi shook her head. "I'm sorry, Yuka. I'm just not ready to
talk about the details right now. Maybe in a few days or so."

"All right, I guess. I just can't believe this. When everyone
hears about this..."

"No!" Kasumi couldn't believe the force of her reply. "Yuka, you
can tell Sayuri what I told you, but please do not tell anyone
else just yet. Nabiki and I would like the official word of what
happened to come from us, not the grapevine. We do not want
rumors to get out of control, and make things worse than they
already are."

Yuka was stunned as well by Kasumi's forceful reply. In all the
time she knew Akane, and had spent time around her sisters, she
had never seen Kasumi quite like this. "If that's the case, this
must be something really big."

"Oh, yes."

Yuka grinned. "Sayuri hates keeping secrets, but I'll make sure
she keeps quiet about this. For a little while. You and Nabiki
had better not wait too long. It's not going to take too long
for people to figure something is up."

Kasumi smiled at Yuka. "Yes, it won't take too long. We'll let
you know all about it, in time. Just give us the time, please."

Yuka responded with a simple nod.

"Now, Yuka, would you like to join us for lunch?"

Yuka shook her head. "Maybe some other time. I should be going.
I want to get together with Sayuri. We have a lot to talk
about."

Yuka said goodbye, and exited the Tendo home. Kasumi was alone
again, worried about her youngest sister, hoping that things
would turn out fine for her in the long run.

****************************************************

Nabiki was deep in thought as she headed back to her home. The
implications of everything that she had learned were running
laps in her mind.

As she reached an intersection, she stopped cold. Smiling to
herself, she realized that there may be one place she could go
to help deal with these issues.

Checking her surroundings, Nabiki took a detour away from her
home, and headed towards Tofu's clinic.

****************************************************

Xian Pu and Mu Tsu returned to the Nekohanten, and were
surprised at what they found. A sign saying "Temporarily
Closed" was gracing the front of the diner. Entering the
restaurant, the dining area was empty, and Khu Lon was not to be
seen.

"Grand-grandmother?" Xian Pu yelled out, hoping to find out what
was going on.

A voice came from the back area. "I'm in the back right now,
Xian Pu. Please, I don't want either you or Mu Tsu to come back
here right now."

"Great-grandmother, why is the Nekohanten closed?"

A moment later, Khu Lon emerged from the back. "Child, something
has come up in China, and we must return home. I want the two of
you to start packing."

"Packing? Leaving? But what about Ranma?" Xian Pu was very
nervous. She didn't want to leave Ranma again, even for a short
period of time. She was afraid that Akane, Ukyo, or someone else
would gain an advantage with him while she was gone.

"Our first priority, child, is with our tribe. They need us
right now, and we cannot hesitate. Have no fear, Xian Pu, I'm
sure Son-in-Law's feelings for you will not change."

Xian Pu began to huff. "I do not like this, but if it is what
the tribe demands, I will go. But this had better not take too
much time."

Nodding her head to her great-grandmother, Xian Pu headed
towards her room to begin packing. Mu Tsu, however, did not
move. He turned to Khu Lon, or at least what he thought was Khu
Lon, and asked, "What is really going on here, Elder? This has
something to do with Nabiki's presence here earlier, and she
would not relay a message from our tribe."

Khu Lon took her staff, and whacked Mu Tsu hard on his head.

"Ow, why'd you do that?"

"Just put on your glasses, fool."

Mu Tsu reached to his head, and positioned his glasses over his
eyes. Taking a close look, he saw he had been addressing a pot
on service counter, and not Khu Lon.

"Really, boy, your vanity is going to get the better of you one
day. Is it so hard to keep your glasses on?"

Turning to the actual Amazon Elder, Mu Tsu replied, "Look, you
didn't answer my question. What is really going on here?"

Khu Lon sat back in thought for a moment, then she stated, "Come
with me. We will discuss this in a more private place. I don't
want Xian Pu to hear what I have to tell you, either from my
lips, or yours. Do you understand?"

Mu Tsu nodded, and followed Khu Lon into a back storage room.

****************************************************

Nabiki sat in the waiting room of the clinic, waiting for Doc
Tofu to have a free moment. There was no one else waiting,
Nabiki had lucked out in that department. Tofu was seeing one
patient right now, and Nabiki hoped it wouldn't take too long.
She still had a long day ahead of her, and she didn't want to
spend too much time here.

Eventually, Tofu escorted his patient into the waiting area, and
after a moment, out of the clinic. Taking a deep breath, Tofu
turned and looked to see who might be in need of his services.
Finding Nabiki, and only Nabiki, waiting, Tofu exclaimed, "Ah,
Nabiki. Usually it's one of your sisters, or one of your
houseguests that pays me a visit. What can I do for you?"

Nabiki stood up and answered, "I understand you have some books
on psychology that you have loaned Kasumi?"

"Ka-Ka-Kasumi?" Nabiki frowned as Tofu's glasses began to fog up
just by the very mention of her eldest sister.

"Look, my good doctor, we don't have time for this. Do you have
some books on psychology or not?"

Having collected himself, Tofu nodded. "If you're interested,
follow me." And with that, Tofu headed back towards his office,
followed by Nabiki. Once there, he opened up a set of doors, and
Nabiki was stunned over the wide selection of books in front of
her.

"Hmm, Doc, this seems like quite an extensive selection of
medical and psychological reading material for a simple
chiropractor."

With a grin, Tofu went to his desk, and brought out something
from one of the drawers. "Maybe this will answer your question."

Nabiki looked down at what Tofu had given her. "Wha... a GP's
license? But..."

Taking the license back from Nabiki, Tofu explained, "When I was
beginning medical school, I started looking for a neighborhood
that I wanted to set up practice. I found the area here in
Nerima, and it fit with what I was looking for, with one minor
problem."

"And what problem would that be?"

"The general populace here tended to the older patient, one who
had their own doctors, ones they had been seeing for years. They
would be hard pressed to trust a young out-of-school doctor.

"My father was a chiropractor, and I had studied some of the art
growing up. There was no long-standing chiropractor here, so I
decided to get degrees in both general medicine and my family
school. Those that would have problems trusting a young doctor,
are more inclined to trust a young chiropractor, and I have a
small number of patients who know I have a degree in medicine as
well. I don't make it general knowledge, but I let those that I
feel would be comfortable with me as a doctor into my little
secret. Ranma for example."

"Ranma?"

"Yes. With Ranma's situation, he needed a doctor he could trust.
It took some time to convince him that he needed to have himself
examined medically, in both forms, to see how the curse affected
his overall health. Fascinating case study, if I was so inclined
to ever write about it. When you consider the major biological
changes Ranma goes through on a regular basis, it's amazing he
stays as healthy as he does, in both forms.

"By the way, Nabiki, when you see Ranma, let him know it's time
for another pint of blood."

"Blood? What do you mean, Doc?"

"Oh, you don't know? Me and my big mouth." Tofu began to
chuckle. "So much for doctor-patient privilege.

"Ranma has a rare blood type. It's not extremely rare, but rare
enough to cause a problem if he ever needs a procedure that
requires blood. So he comes in and donates a pint of blood for
his own purposes. In case of an emergency, we'll have some of
his own blood on hand to use, if we can't find someone with his
blood type."

Nabiki nodded, and turned her attention to the bookshelf.
Glancing over the vast collection of books, she finally found
the tomes dealing with psychology. Finding what she was looking
for, she pulled the book out, and asked Tofu, "Doc, do you mind
if I borrow this book for a while?"

Glancing at the book, Tofu frowned a little. "Carl Jung? That's
a little heavy, even for you, Nabiki. Is there any reason in
particular you want this book?"

Nabiki raised her eyebrow. "If you're familiar with his work,
you should be able to figure that out yourself."

Pondering that for a moment, Tofu was quiet, but finally spoke
up. "It wouldn't have anything to do with a young martial artist
we both know, would it?"

Nabiki simply nodded.

"Nabiki, did something happen to Ranma?"

Nabiki sighed for a second. "Doc, I just had a long drawn-out
conversation about this with Cologne, and I'm in no shape to do
it again, right now. Tell you what, give me a day or two, and I
promise I'll tell you everything."

"This must be serious if you confronted the Amazons."

"Oh, yeah, you can say that again."

A bell was heard, signaling the arrival of someone in the
clinic. "It looks like I have a patient, Nabiki. I'll wait, but
don't take too long to tell me, okay? I might be able to help
someway, I'd hate to see anything bad happen to Ranma."

Nabiki's head dropped down. "Me too, doc. Me too."

****************************************************

Ranko was feeling pretty good. She had food in front of her,
her mother on the other side of the table, and a fair collection
of new clothes sitting in bags that were sitting in the other
chairs at their table. Thinking about the clothes, Ranko smiled.
Blouses, slacks, underwear and pajamas. No dresses, no skirts,
no frilly lingerie. The underwear she had purchased was fairly
simple in nature, designed more for function than for style.

"How's your lunch, dear?" Nodoka watched in joy at her young
charge. Ranko had been so nervous walking into the store, but
once she started shopping, it was as if all of her worries just
went away. While she hadn't shopped with the gusto that Nodoka
expected from a girl her age, she did seem to enjoy herself
somewhat.

"The food is very good, Auntie. Not as good as yours, but I am
enjoying it."

Nodoka smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, dear. This place is
one of my favorite lunch spots. I come here a lot when I go
shopping."

Ranko continued eating her meal. Watching her mother carefully,
Ranko was reminded of something that she had wondered from the
moment she had been reunited (of sorts) with her. Though she
wasn't sure she wanted to ask this, eventually her curiosity got
the better of her. "Auntie, if you don't mind, there is one
thing I've been meanin' to ask you."

"And what is that, Ranko?"

"Well, I was wonderin', well, about you and Uncle."

"What do you mean, dear?"

Ranko thought about how best to put this. "Well, it just seems
that you and Uncle Saotome are so different from each other. I
mean, how did you two get together?"

Ranko shot back in her chair from what she saw in her mother's
eyes. Pain. Pain and bitterness. Damn, I shouldn't have brought
this up. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"So, dear, tell me, did you enjoy shopping today?"

It took all of her will power for Ranko to keep her mouth from
gaping open like a trout. She's evading the question, Ranko
thought. This really hurt her, and she's evading it. I could
push her, but I don't want to cause her any more pain than she
already has. But why is this hurting her?

"It... it was kinda fun, I guess." Ranko played along with her
mother. She wasn't going to push this too far, but she was
worried about what lay behind this. What was it about her father
that hurt her mother so?

"I'm glad to hear you say that, dear. Now finish up your lunch.
We should be heading back home soon, your cousins are going to
pay a call."

"My cousins?"

Nodoka nodded simply. "Yes, Kasumi and Nabiki will be over
shortly. They want to talk to us. And I want to talk to them."

Nabiki? This was getting curiouser and curiouser. Kasumi, Ranko
could understand her coming, but Nabiki? Ranko tried her best to
keep a frown off of her face, she didn't want her mother to see
just what was going through her mind. The last thing she needed
right now, was Nabiki pulling something, using this situation
for her own purposes.

Silently, Ranko returned to her lunch. Great, she thought, just
when things were looking good for a change, this has to happen.

****************************************************

Khu Lon looked at Mu Tsu, who seemed like a deer caught in the
headlights. He just stood there, saying and doing nothing.

"Boy, are you going to stand there all day?"

Mu Tsu looked down, and looked, really looked at the old woman
in front of him. "This is a joke, right? Saotome would never do
something like this. What are you trying to pull this time?"

One more solid hit from Khu Lon's staff found Mu Tsu's head.

"Ow!"

"Now be quiet, you fool. This is no joke, no trick. This is
serious."

Mu Tsu shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "You mean
it? Ranma has really gone to his mother as a girl? I just can't
believe it."

Khu Lon shook her head in disgust. "You have been living here in
Japan for some time now, and there are things about these people
you still don't understand."

"What do you mean?"

Khu Lon sighed. "When I first started learning about Japan, and
its people, I heard about a riddle. It is a riddle with no true
answer, how one answers it says alot about the answerer. And in
Japan, there is one standard answer to this question."

"And what is this riddle?"

"You are on the bank of a pond. Your wife and your mother are in
a boat in the middle of the pond. All of a sudden, the boat
sinks, and the two women are drowning. You only have time to
save one of them. Which one do you save?

"In Japan, the standard answer is you save your mother. You can
always get another wife, but you only have one mother. Family is
important in Japan, even more so than most other cultures in the
world, Joketsuzoku included."

Mu Tsu shook his head. "Ranma is hardly a traditional Japanese
son. Would this really apply to him?"

Khu Lon nodded. "One thing Genma has tried to instill into Ranma
is parental respect, mostly for Genma himself. No, in the matter of
family, for Ranma the traditional Japanese values still hold. Even in
most other cultures, his need for his mother's love would drive him to
many things. Considering their long separation, this is magnified even
further for Ranma. Plus the feeling that no one else really cares for him,
his actions aren't that surprising."

Mu Tsu sighed in disbelief. "Xian Pu constantly shows how she feels
about him. How can he not see that?"

"And do you not show Xian Pu your feelings in the same way? And
does she see your love?"

His head drooping down towards the floor, Mu Tsu replied, "I see
your point. So now we're returning home?"

Khu Lon nodded. "Yes, it is time. I will go to Ranma first, and
tell her that the Kiss of Death and Kiss of Marriage are
nullified. And I will tell her other things, as well."

Mu Tsu's head shot up. "Nullified? I know you are the Elder of
our tribe, but that decision takes approval by the whole
Council. You can't decide that on your own."

A chuckle emerged from Khu Lon. "Quite true. Some time ago, I
sent a message to the Council, asking for their approval in
nullifying both the Kiss of Death and of Marriage, giving my
reasons for doing so. And they agreed."

"But if you did that, why keep quiet about it until now?"

Once more, staff met head.

"Think, boy. How would Xian Pu have reacted at such news?"

Rubbing his head, Mu Tsu replied, "I get your point. The hard
way. I take it you don't want me to tell her any of this."

"Quite correct."

A smile came to Mu Tsu's lips. "No problem, my lips are sealed.
You know she will not take the news well once she does find
out."

"I know. I will deal with that once we are back home."

"And what will you do about Saotome? I know you still want him,
her, whatever, in our tribe."

"Again, correct. I will offer her friendship, where before she
had none. I will offer her a home with our tribe, where before
she has had no true home. And I will offer her The Themis
Potion."

Mu Tsu's face went pure white. "The Themis Potion? Are you going
to force Saotome to take it?"

Shaking her head, Khu Lon answered, "No, I will offer it to her.
The decision will be hers."

"And this will help get her for our tribe?"

A gleam came into Khu Lon's eyes. "Perhaps. Either she will take
the potion or not. Either way, there is a good chance that she
will come willingly to join us.

"If she doesn't take it, eventually hot water will find her. You
understand that as much as anyone, right, boy?"

Mu Tsu nodded. His relationship with his curse had taught him
that water always seemed to find him at the most inconvenient
times.

"While her mother might force Ranma to fulfill her oath in this
case, I don't see a mother doing that to her child, no matter
how much an honor pact means to her, and such a pact is very
important here in Japan. But she still might reject Ranma, and
force Ranma to look elsewhere to live. If I offer her friendship
and a place to call home, after feeling rejected by her mother
and her other friends, just where do you think she'll go?

"And if she does use the potion, there is still a good chance
her mother will learn the truth. Secrets have ways of being
found out, no matter how hard one tries to keep them secret."

"But what if her mother doesn't reject her?"

Khu Lon smiled. "Then Ranma will have a chance at happiness. And
as much as I want her for our tribe, that child has come to mean
much to me. I want her to be happy, more than anything else.

"But don't forget, Mu Tsu, about the omen. You were there when
the hawk came to me, you know what it means as much as I. A
great Amazon is destined to join us. It will happen, that cannot be
changed."

Mu Tsu stood in silence. He had much to think about. For some
time now, he had wanted Ranma out of the picture as far as Xian
Pu was concerned. He had though of many ways this could happen.
This was not one of them.

"Now leave me, Mu Tsu. You have packing to do, and I must return
to the back where I am preparing the potion."

Again, Mu Tsu's face went white. The very thought of the potion,
and what it does, caused him to start shaking.

Khu Lon noticed this, and grinned. "Now you see why I don't want
you or Xian Pu to come into the back right now. I don't think
either one of you want to be anywhere near THAT while I prepare
it."

Nodding his head vigorously, Mu Tsu began to head out. "I think
I have some packing to do." And with that, Khu Lon was left
alone.

Sighing to herself, Khu Lon headed back to her work area. So
much to do, she thought, so little time.

****************************************************

Nabiki walked into her home. The day so far had been quite
exhausting to her, and she knew she was far from done. As she
walked into the living area, she stopped and did a double take.

Akane was sitting there, with no life in her at all. The
youngest Tendo sister had a look of utter defeat and depression
about her.

"Akane, are you all right?"

Nabiki saw Akane's eyes come up and look at her. No word was
said, but Nabiki didn't need any. Those eyes said everything.
Akane was in bad shape, far worse than she was when Nabiki had
left for the Nekohanten this morning.

At that instant, Kasumi walked in from the kitchen. "Nabiki,
would you mind joining me in here for a moment?"

Without saying a word, Nabiki followed her elder sister into the
kitchen. She was beginning to feel very frightened.

As they reached the kitchen, Nabiki spoke up. "Kasumi, what is
going on? What happened to Akane?"

Kasumi sighed. "It was Kuno."

"Kuno-baby? What did that jerk do?"

Kasumi paused for a second before answering. "It wasn't so much
what he did, but how Akane responded. Kuno started in on his
normal 'Ranma's vile, I love you, come share my love' speech,
and that got Akane mad. Very mad."

Gulping hard, Nabiki asked, "What did she do? Did she beat him
to within an inch of his life? If so, the jerk probably deserved
it."

Kasumi shook her head. "No, it isn't quite that simple. Remember
how she reacted yesterday when she found out about Ryoga?
Remember the ki energy that exploded out of her?"

Nabiki nodded sheepishly. "She didn't, did she? Did she use that
against Kuno?"

"Yes. She focused that energy, and sent it after Kuno."

"Is he all right?"

Kasumi sighed. "He's in the hospital right now, but he'll be
fine. But it's Akane I'm worried about. This hit her rather
hard."

"I'd imagine so. Poor kid. Do you think she'll be okay?"

Kasumi smiled at that. "I think so. When she first came home,
helped by Yuka, she was completely out of it. She is better now,
believe it or not. Maybe it would be best if we stayed here with
her for awhile. Or maybe you can go see Ranko alone. I don't
want to leave her right now."

"I ... I don't think it would be a good idea if I saw Ranko
alone. She wouldn't trust me without you, not that I could blame
her. We'll both wait, until Akane's feeling better."

Kasumi started to prepare a tray of tea and finger food. She
hoped this would help Akane out of her doldrums. "How did the
meeting with the Amazons go?"

Nabiki smiled. "Better than I ever expected. We'll talk about it
later. Let's go back to Akane right now. She really needs her
sisters right now, right?"

****************************************************

Tajima Yasuji looked at the man standing in front of him. He was
rather large. If one only glanced, one would say he was fat and
lazy. But Yasuji saw strength and discipline in the man's
features.

"You want me to what?"

Saotome Genma eyed the man, and repeated his request.

"I wish to be taken to China."

Yasuji's eyes bore into the man harshly. "What do you think I
run here, a passenger ship? I run a fishing boat, not the Queen
Mary."

Genma gulped. He couldn't afford the cost of using traditional
transportation across the sea, and the method he used once
before was out of the question. He would be making this journey
alone, and such a trek would be too hazardous without someone
along. Not to mention the curse. Genma had found out the hard
way that wet panda fur weighed him down in the open sea. When he
and Ranma returned to Japan after the tragedy of Jusenkyo, they
stowed away on a boat returning to Japan. Genma had thought
about doing that to return to China, but dismissed it. The
stakes were too high, and if he had gotten caught, where would
that leave his son?

"I don't have much money, but I could pay some. It is really
important that I go to China."

Yasuji studied the man in front of him more carefully. He eyed
the man's muscle tone, and tried to gauge his stamina.

"Let me see your hands."

Genma held out his hands for the fishing captain to see.

"Hmmm, strong, but unfamiliar to everyday work. Still...

"I'll tell you what. I have a major fishing trip coming up, and
I am a bit shorthanded. I will take you to China, if you first
work for it."

"W-w-work?"

Yasuji nodded. "Yes, work. It will not be easy, but you just
might be able to handle it. Trust me, you will work harder than
you ever have in your life. By the time you're done, you will
feel you've earned your trip to China, and then some. That is
the deal, do you accept?"

Genma thought for a second, and accepted the man's offer. He
just didn't see any other way. In order to help his son, he HAD
to get to China, and if this is what it took to do so, so be it.

****************************************************

"Akane, would you like some more tea?"

The three Tendo sisters were sitting together in the front room.
Kasumi and Nabiki flanked their little sister, trying to gauge
how she was doing.

"No thank you, really."

Kasumi picked up a tray. "How about a snack cake?"

Akane waved her hand, politely refusing. "I've had enough
already. What are you trying to do, make me fat? I don't have
the metabolism of a certain redhead we all know."

Kasumi smiled at hearing that. Akane was able to mention Ranma
without losing it. She seems to be getting better, Kasumi
thought, she seems to be better.

"Don't the two of you have something else to do? I seem to
remember hearing about you guys visiting a friend. I'm fine, why
don't you go and visit with your friend?"

Nabiki took Akane by the hand. "Akane, we can do that later. You
need us right now, after all you've been through."

Akane shook her head furiously. "No really, I'm fine, you guys,
I'm fine. I want you to go. I insist on it."

"Akane," Kasumi interjected, "we don't want to leave you alone
right now. We can visit her later."

"No, you made plans, and I'm doing much better, thanks. I think
I'd rather be alone right now, okay? Please, don't worry about
me, I'll be fine. Go, already."

Kasumi and Nabiki stood up, and gave each other an unsure look.
Kasumi spoke up. "Akane, I really think that we should stay... "

"Do you want to make me feel guilty for ruining your day? Go on
now, get out of here before I chase you out!"

Nabiki piped up. "Okay, if that's what you want. Is there
something you want us to do before we leave?"

"Nope, I'll be fine. Just leave the snack cakes with me, not
that I'm hungry or anything. It would be a shame to let them go
to waste after you went to all the trouble."

Kasumi smiled. "All right, Akane. We won't take too long, I
promise. We'll be back home in no time."

Akane waved them off, and watched them go. Finally, she mused, I
thought they'd never leave.

****************************************************

She surveyed her surroundings. The yard was small, much smaller
than she was used to. There was little room for sparring here.
But it was plenty big enough for what she had in mind.

She was wearing her gi. It was the one item of hers that
survived the wardrobe change from her shopping trip. It wasn't
that the rest of her old clothes were bad, they just didn't fit
her well enough. Or at least that was her mother's observation.
Ranko agreed with it as well, thankful that her new clothes did
not embarrass her too much.

Ranko closed her eyes, and began to focus. She needed to find a
focus, a center to concentrate on. Every kata begins with
finding a center. One must first be at true peace with yourself,
and let the Art emanate from that peace.

For most of her life, her center was the praise and pride she
received from her father. Of how proud he was of the man she was
becoming. After Jusenkyo, she had to change her center, as her
father's pride and praise was not as forthcoming as it was in
the past. Then she focused on her self-confidence and her
manhood. Now she needed to change it once again. Not that she
had lost her self-confidence. But since she had turned her back
on her manhood, it was time to find something else to use.

She thought, trying to find something to focus on. When she
thought of her mother, she knew she had found it. She focused on
the love she had received from her mother, a love she had never
truly received from anyone ever before. The love her mother gave
her was real, despite the fact her mother didn't even know she
was her child. And she felt the love she felt for her mother in
return. She found her center.

Ranko began her kata. The movements started slowly,
deliberately. As the kata progressed, Ranko noticed a difference
from when she practiced this kata in the past. This kata, which
her father had taught her years ago, and which took her a long
time to master. And after she was cursed at Jusenkyo, she had
found her kata flawed, not as smooth as it once was.

But this was different. This time the kata wasn't flawed. This
time the kata was smooth. It took control of her, as if it had a
mind of its own. It came easily. It came smoothly.

It came naturally.

And it was perfect. Perfect! Even before Jusenkyo, she had never
done THIS kata perfectly, a fact that had always bothered her.
But now, for the first time in her life, it was perfect. It was
truly part of her. No, it was her. She didn't want it to end, it
was so perfect, so pure. She had never felt the Art so purely as
she did now. But alas, every kata must end, and eventually she
finished it just as she started it, without a flaw. She stopped,
exhausted by her exercise, filled with pride for her
accomplishment. And then she heard a noise, off to her side, in
the direction of the house. She opened her eyes and looked
towards the noise, and saw her mother standing there.

And she was applauding.

"Ranko, that was beautiful! I have never seen a kata performed
as well as I saw just now."

Ranko beamed, and bowed towards her mother. "Thank you."

Ranko was shocked to see her mother bow deeper in return.
"You're welcome."

Nodoka's face lit up in pure joy. "Ranko, where did you learn
that kata? It looked like one my husband used to practice all
the time. Never as well as you just did, though."

"Uhh, Pop learned it from Uncle Tendo, and he in turn passed it
on to me."

"Your father must have been a fine teacher."

This shot Ranko back. I've spent so much time deriding Pop, and
putting him down, and demeaning his abilities. But was he a good
teacher? Aren't I the martial artist I am today because of him?

"Yeah, Auntie, I guess he was at that."

Nodoka came up and led Ranko back into the house. "Dear, you've
had a busy day, plus you're sweating from that kata. Why don't
you go up and take a bath?"

Erp! "Umm, okay, Auntie."

"And I'll be right behind you, dear, to help scrub your back."

Danger, Saotome Ranma, danger. "Err, Auntie?"

Nodoka looked down and saw a nervous look on Ranko's face. "Yes,
dear?"

How do I get out of this? Think, Ranko, think. "Ummm, you know
the way my father raised me, how he raised me like a boy?"

Nodoka nodded.

"Well, to keep me from revealing the fact that I wasn't a boy,
he insisted that I always bathe alone, so no one would know I
wasn't a boy. I'm just not comfortable bathing with other
people."

Nodoka looked down at her would-be daughter. "I see. And you
still have a problem with this?"

Ranko vigorously nodded. "Oh yeah. The first day I was at my
cousins', Akane walked in on me while I was taking a bath. I
never felt so self-conscious in all of my life. There was a lot
of screaming involved. And when I went to Furinkan, I was always
nervous in the locker room, and my classmates took advantage of
that, and did some nasty things to me then."

The elder Saotome smiled. "Okay, dear, go ahead and take your
bath, and I promise I'll leave you alone."

Ranko breathed a sigh of relief. Well, she thought, that's one
obstacle handled. Only a half a dozen hundred to go.

****************************************************

I am going crazy. I am slowly, but surely, losing my mind.

Tendo Akane sat by herself in her home. She had kept up a good
face while her sisters were here, but now that she was alone,
she sat and pondered her own state of mind.

She looked down at her hands. These hands, she thought, through
these hands I sent the power that hurt Kuno. I could have killed
him.

These hands. For how long has I have used hands to hurt and
pummel Ranma? I never really cared before, I never really took
it seriously. He was never really hurt, it all just seemed like
a Warner Brothers cartoon, where someone would get pounded, and
get back up without any damage. But this isn't a cartoon, this
isn't a comic book, this is real. People get hurt.

And I did damage. With these hands, I drove Ranma away. With
these hands, I put Kuno in the hospital. Who will I hurt next?
Sayuri? Ukyo? Kasumi? Who's my next victim?

Akane brought her head down, and closed her eyes. Kasumi was
right. I'm not ready for this. I can't handle this, and if I see
Ranma now, I don't know what I'll do. But can I ever be okay?

Will I continue to lose myself? Will I become crazy, just like
her? Will I start running around in a leotard? Will I focus my
attention on drugs, and flowers and gymnastics? Will my laugh
become so annoying that it scares young children?

"Oh ho ho ho ho!"

Akane shook her head in disbelief. Okay, that's it, I am losing
it. How else can I explain that I just thought I heard...

"Pay attention when I address you, peasant."

Akane opened her eyes, and turned towards the voice. It wasn't
her imagination after all, she was here. It was all just a
freaky coincidence.

"Kodachi, Ranma is not here right now. Why don't you just go
home, and not come back later."

Akane shot back when she saw the venom in Kodachi's eyes.
"Ranma? I'm not here to see my darling Ranma, I'm here to see
you, you little bitch!"

And with that, Kodachi began to twirl a ribbon, and sent it
towards Akane like a whip.

"Ow! Stop that, what do you think you're doing?"

Kodachi looked out at one of her rivals for the hand of Saotome
Ranma. "I think my message is loud and clear." And with that,
she again struck with her ribbon, hitting Akane's chest.

*WACK*

"Hey," Akane screamed, "that hurts!"

*WACK*

"That is the general idea..."

*WACK*

"...you wicked, wicked..."

*WACK*

"...girl!"

And once more, the ribbon flew towards Akane. This time,
however, she reacted and did something that surprised even her.
She managed to grab Kodachi's ribbon in mid-wack.

"You filthy brat, no one, except for that red-haired hussy, has
ever been able to do that. Why can't you be a good little girl,
and take your punishment."

Akane shook her head at that. "Punishment? But why, why are you
doing this?"

Kodachi reached into a bag, and pulled out a sphere. "Because of
what you did to my brother, you little bitch!"

"Your brother? But you hate your brother as much as, if not more
than, the rest of us?"

"True. But he is still my brother, and nobody is going to
manhandle him other than myself and my darling Ranma. You have
no right to injure a member of the house of Kuno!"

And with that, Kodachi threw the sphere at Akane's feet. As it
hit the ground, a gas was released, enveloping Akane. As the gas
began to affect her, Akane lost her strength, falling to the
floor, unable to keep her head up.

"I hope you like my special tear gas."

Slowly, Akane began to understand why the gas was named so.
She began to feel her sadness and grief rise in great multitude.
Soon, tears began to form in her eyes. She tried to stop the
flow of tears, but she could not. Before long, the dam burst,
and Akane was looking like a true daughter of Tendo Soun.

"There, you little harlot! That should teach you some respect.
That should teach you some manners. Didn't your mother ever
teach you manners, peasant?"

The tears were coming down hard. It was difficult for Akane to
speak with the force of her sadness. "Mother? Don't you dare
talk about my mother."

"Oh, what's the matter, didn't your mother love you? Or maybe
she was a bad mother. I got it, she was a bad mother who didn't
love you."

"No!" Though the tears were strong, Akane's words were stronger
still. "No! My mother was kind, and gentle, and she loved me,
she loved me!"

The tears would not stop, not matter how hard Akane tried to
make them stop, and she was trying very hard. "She was
beautiful, and wise and I miss her so much, I miss her so much."

The gas finally dissipated, but for Akane it was no help. The
tears would not stop. "Now look what you made me do! I kept that
promise for ten years. Ten years! You just made me break my
mother's deathbed promise!"

Finally able to collect herself, Akane looked up and glanced at
her attacker. She was surprised at what she saw. Kodachi was
standing there, but she was not gloating over what had happened.
Instead, it looked almost like she had gotten a whiff of her own
gas.

"Mother... deathbed... promise?"

Kodachi began to break down. She could feel her own emotions
starting to take over. But she couldn't let this girl see that.

"Kodachi? Are you all right?"

Kodachi turned away. "No! Don't look at me. I can't let you see
me like this! I can't let anyone see me like this!" And with
that, Kodachi ran out of the Tendo house, all that was left was
the sound of her sobbing.

Akane was beyond stunned. "Kodachi? What in the hell just
happened?"

End chapter four