Ranma 1/2: The Reckoning All original Ranma 1/2 belong to the great and mighty Rumiko Takahashi. Viz owns the rights in the States, and I apologize for using these characters without permission. Please don't sue me.... ************************ Cologne sat washing vegetables in the back of the Nekohanten. She hated doing it, but since she was the only one who could and stay human, it was her job. "" Shampoo's voice rang though the restaurant. Cologne dried her hands and pogoed out to the eating area on her ever-present staff. As she passed her daughter, she swatted her lightly. "Japanese, girl. You can't get better if you don't practice." Shampoo nodded and sighed. "Yes, grandmother." She went back to cleaning tables. *I don't want to get better. I want to get Ranma to marry me and return to China!* Cologne turned to the man in the door. He was an American. Very young, by her standards, maybe in his early thirties. He had the wiry physique of a scholar and was of about average height. He wore black clothing, much like a school uniform but without the buttons. His face was lightly tanned and he had light brown hair in a rather conservative cut. He was strangely familiar. "What do you want, child?" The man smiled in amusement. "Child? You MUST be Artmaster Koh Lon." Cologne's blood ran cold. The title of Artmistress was one she had not heard for two thirds of her very long life. It was a title that carried a great deal of weight, and brought to mind memories best left forgotten. "Who are you?!" she demanded. The man slowly pushed back his sleeves, showing the black runic tattoos that ran from his wrists up past his elbow. "A Loremaster..." She tore her eyes from the tattoos. "Martial," she said softly. A faint sorrow crept into her bones. The man nodded sadly, echoing her sorrow. "Don't you recognize me? The time has come." He looked her in the eyes. "They are stronger this time. We must be stronger still. This time there must be many." Cologne's sadness gave way to horror. "They have become that strong?" The man smiled at her warmly. "There is always hope." Shampoo and Mousse watched the conversation from the kitchen. "" Shampoo asked quietly. "" He grimaced at the buxom amazon. "" Cologne turned to the whispering pair. "Shampoo! Mousse! Stop eavesdropping right now! Shampoo, go to son-in-law's and get them to find that idiot Ryoga, if they can. Get all of them, and I mean them ALL of them to gather in the dojo. We will follow you shortly. Mousse! Go to that okonomiyaki girl's restaurant and get her to do the same." She swatted Shampoo as she ran past. "And speak Japanese!" *** Ranma stood in the dojo, glaring at Mousse while he tried to pry Shampoo off of himself. "What's this--Leggo, willya?--about, Mousse?" Ukyo inserted her battle-spatula between Shampoo and the young man and pried them apart. "Thanks, Ucchan--Hey!" Akane booted him across the room. "RANMA, YOU JERK!" she yelled at him. "I didn't do nothin', ya tomboy!" he yelled back. "Ranma, how dare you!" Ryoga roared, storming in from the bath, slightly damp. "Hey, P-Chan," Ranma greeted, dodging the punch Ryoga threw at him. "Long time no see!" "Who's P-chan?!" Ryoga yelled, throwing another punch. Within moments, the teenage martial artists were involved in a full-fledged brawl. Cologne and Martial stood in the doorway to the dojo, flanked by Soun, Genma, and Nodoka. Kasumi and Nabiki stood behind them. They watched the mayhem that was unfolding in the dojo. "Do they always behave like this?" Martial asked Cologne. She nodded. "Excuse me," he called into the room, and was completely ignored. "HEY," he yelled, without any response. He sighed and turned to Cologne. "Could I impose?" Cologne leapt into the fray, and used her staff to incapacitate the fighters, using a combination of trips, blows to the head, and pressure points. Within moments, the action had stopped, and all the fighters glared sullenly at Cologne, who glared haughtily back. Martial chuckled. "You've picked up a few tricks, haven't you, Koh Lon?" He smiled indulgently at the former combatants. "My apologies, children, for interrupting your play." Ranma rubbed his aching head. "And who the hell are you?" Akane glared at him, but he ignored her. "Another ploy by Cologne to make me marry Shampoo?" Martial looked at the elder in surprise. "Koh Lon, what have you been up to?" He waved his hands. "None of my business, I don't want to know." He looked at Ranma appraisingly. "You must be Ranma Saotome. I've heard a great deal about you." He sat cross-legged on the floor, and waved for the others to do the same. "Sit, children, sit. You wish to know who I am, and what I want. Well, I will tell you." No one moved, and he sighed. "Do I have to ask Koh Lon to MAKE you sit?" He smiled at the sudden rush by everyone to sit down. *** "My name is Martial. As in the Art. I am a member of a group known as the Loremasters. We are the repository for a great deal of knowledge. Want to know how to make Greek fire? We know. Want to know how the pyramids were really built? We know. Want to know all the secret techniques of any art in the world? We know. It is our job to guard that knowledge. Not to keep it hidden, but to make sure that the secrets are never lost. To use those secrets to defend humanity, wherever he may be, from his greatest enemy." The man pulled out a rosary chain. "Look at this rosary. Imagine each bead on this chain is a world. An alternate Earth, if you will. Linked to each other, like the beads on this chain. On one, there's no magic, no martial artists that can demolish whole city blocks, merely normal, everyday people. On another, the world is focussed around a huge metropolis, and robots and power-armour are everyday occurrences. On yet another, five young girls and a young man defend the earth from evil demons. In another world, the gods are merely maintainers of a huge cosmic computer system." He smiled. "There are an infinite number of Earths, and each one is different. Each one is...special." "Oh please," Ranma sighed. "You don't expect us to believe this." "Quiet, boy, and let me finish." Ranma shut up, more because of the icy glare from Cologne. "On one of these Earths, a dark power grew. It discovered the other earths, and began to pillage and conquer them. Their first stumbling point was the world of the Loremasters. We used all of our knowledge to stop them, yet still failed." A longing look grew in the man's eyes. "I still remember our sky. It was a deeper, more true blue than yours. There was this one flower, called the day-night, because the petals were the blackest night in daytime and glowed like the moon at night." Tears misted Martial's eyes, but he angrily fought them back. "The Dark Earthers entered and corrupted my world. It is a blasted wasteland now, the people scattered across the multiple dimensions. We have but one goal: To defeat the Dark Earth." Determination rang in the man's voice. "We found there are other worlds, like ours. Worlds where the people had fantastic abilities, who could aid us in our fight. We managed to halt the Dark Earthers' advance, somewhat." "Somewhat?" Ryoga asked. He sat wide eyed, listening intently, like a child at storytime. "We have not stopped them, yet, but we have slowed their advance. Not too many Earths from this one, there is a rather primitive world, populated by a kind, innocent people. It has become our battleground. We have driven them back each time they attempted to conquer. Koh Lon here fought in the last great battle. She was my Ar--erm, MY SENSEI's Artmistress." He chuckled at their confused glances. "A Loremaster's knowledge is useless unless someone can apply it for them. My, uh, sensei trained Koh Lon in many techniques." He gave her an amused look. "Although she seems to have picked up a few since she last saw her husband." "HUSBAND?" the listeners chorused. Martial smiled indulgently. "At the time, the Amazons followed some ridiculous law that required an Amazon defeated by a male to marry him." He glanced over at Cologne and chuckled at some private joke. "It was not an...uneventful marriage." Cologne looked embarrassed, and Martial looked at her in shock. "You're not STILL following that law, are you?" "Ranma is Shampoo's fiancee!" Shampoo volunteered. "No, he's not, he's Akane's!" Soun retorted. "Ranchan is MY fiancee!" Ukyo asserted. "THREE fiancees?" Martial exclaimed. He looked at Ranma with no little awe. "Don't forget Kodachi!" Nabiki called in. "That nutcase is NOT my fiancee!" Ranma yelled. Martial laughed. "Oh, Koh Lon was right, he DOES have potential." Martial chortled. The group looked at him in surprise. "Who else but a man with Artmaster potential could have not one but FOUR women chasing after him," he explained. "I am NOT chasing that pervert!" Akane yelled. He looked at Akane then at Ranma with no small amusement. "Lots of enemies, too, boy?" "There's Ryoga, Mousse, Kuno, Gosonkugi," Nabiki was counting names on her fingers. "Umm, well, Herb wanted him dead, Tarou could probably do with having him beaten a bit, there was that Saffron guy, and I probably missed someone that Mr. Saotome hasn't told us about." "Alright, already! So what does that have to do with anything?" Ranma glared daggers at Martial. "I still think this is a bunch of crap." Martial sighed, and looked sadly at Cologne. "They never believe, do they?" "We didn't," she informed him. "I could hope." He sighed again, and looked at the others. "Hang on kids, we're going for a little ride." He started to glow white, and he brought his hands together in a deafening clap. The world dissolved. "And away we go!" *** The university students looked at the phenomenon in shock. There, in the middle of the student centre, sat a group of Asian teenagers, dressed in strange clothes. A white man in dark clothes was with them, as were a little old Asian lady, and two middle-aged Asian men and a woman. The dark-clothed man stood up and the others did the same. "Welcome to Base Earth," he proclaimed like a showman. "We call it Base Earth because the only thing special about it is the fact that there IS nothing special about it." He glowed white again, and brought his hands together in a clap. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!" The party disappeared. The students shook their heads and went to class, muttering about strange Asian students and Japanese-speaking tour guides. *** On a deserted highway in MegaTokyo, a group of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Cologne bapped Martial with her staff. "Stop showing off." He pouted at her while he rubbed his head. "You were never any fun, Koh Lon." He turned to the others. "Welcome to MegaTokyo! Now, if everyone would move to the edge of the road, the show will be starting in..." he glanced at his watch as he herded the people to the edge of the highway. "5...4... 3...2...1...Now!" A robot with thrusters sticking out of its back streaked down the highway, narrowly missing Martial's head. It was followed by four people in power- armour, obviously women. One of them turned to the group. "Get the hell out of here!" "Gone!" Martial said. "Give that Boomer one for me!" He closed his eyes and the group faded out of existence. Sylia Stingray stared at where the people once stood. She shook her head. "Damn Loremasters..." *** A group of people suddenly appeared on the street. They watched five attractive young girls battle a demon. One of them, a westerner, looked at the girls' costumes admiringly for a moment. "This job DOES have it's perks, you know," he remarked to the young Japanese man he was standing beside. The man, dressed in a red and black Chinese ensemble, nodded slowly. "I'll say," he breathed, looking at the girls fight. "Owww!" He yelped as another girl pulled a hammer and whapped him one. An elderly lady whapped the westerner at the same time. "Ranma, you pervert!" the girl yelled. "I didn't do nothin'!" He yelled back. "Martial, grow up," the old woman said peevishly. "I seem to recall a certain Amazon who once wore a similar outfit," he grinned at her. "She looked better." He ducked the second swat from Cologne, and laughed. He concentrated and the group disappeared. A black cat with a strange mark on it's forehead gazed at the spot the group had vacated, and sighed. "Martial," she said with a disgusted voice, then sighed again. "Oh well, it could have been Happosai." The cat shuddered. *** The group reappeared in the Tendo Dojo, this time in the living room. "You see? There are other worlds. Do you believe me now?" Ranma grudgingly nodded. "Fine, I believe you. Now what do you want?" Martial looked at him in surprise. "Are you daft, boy? I need fighters! This world has some of the greatest martial artists in all the universes, and the cream of the crop,"--he waved his hands grandly--"is here." "Why should we help?" Akane demanded. "Because it's the right thing to do?" Martial suggested. Even Cologne gave him a disgusted look. "Fine, fine. Damn mercenaries." He muttered, then sighed. "Because, with my help you can become the best damn martial artists you could possibly become. 'Martial' is more than a name, it's a title. It's my field of expertise. No one, anywhere, knows more about martial arts than me." "Nice ego," Ryoga told him. "Is it ego when it's true?" Martial countered. "Ask Koh Lon." She nodded sagely at their questioning looks. "I know a great deal, children, yet to him, I am the barest beginner." Martial grimaced as the calculating looks flashed across their faces, and one after the other, they nodded agreement. "Alrighty. First things first, I must judge your potential and training." Almost as one, the young people started to head to the dojo. "Exactly where are you going?" "To the dojo," Ranma replied, puzzled. "How else can you tell without a sparring match?" Martial laughed. "Boy, I don't need such things. Come here." Warily, Ranma walked over to him. Slowly, Martial touched his forehead with the palm of his hand. A white glow appeared around him and Ranma. They stood like that for a moment, and then the glow disappeared. Martial grinned. "Nice curse," he said offhandedly, then frowned. "Hmm, Kachu Tenshin Amiguriken, Hiryu Shoten Ha, and Moko Takabisha." He turned to Cologne. "Inventive training methods." He grimaced. "Who was the idiot who taught you the Neko-ken, boy?" As one, the eyes in the room turned to Genma, who paled. "It seemed like a good idea at the time..." "...and now I have a phobia to train out, as well as reconciling his cat- mind with his human one," Martial finished for him angrily, then sighed. "He does have Artmaster potential. Nice to see training him will be quick. No specific weapon skills, lightning quick, reasonably strong and tough." He smiled. "I so like trainees with promise. Next?" Ryoga walked up to Martial, who repeated the process. And pulled away with shock. "TWO of you? Koh Lon, this is excellent!" he happily cried. "Two Artmasters! Bakusai Tenketsu and Shishi Hodokan, hmm...that second one might be trouble, but I can work with it. The misdirection thing is workable, I suppose, but that..." he trailed off at the look of abject horror in Ryoga's face. "...that's life, I guess," he finished lamely, and nodded slightly for Ryoga's benefit. *I'll keep your secret, boy.* "Stronger than a horse, as tough as a brick wall, and reasonably fast and skilled. Weapon expertise in the combat umbrella, throwing bandanna and sword-belt, as well as some reasonable competency in unarmed combat." He grinned, and looked at Ranma, then Ryoga. "This WILL be fun." Shampoo's turn was next. "Amazon, huh? Nice outfit. Reminds me of a certain Amazon I once knew," he said, looking her up and down, and was rewarded by a whap from Cologne. "Stop that. Anyway, child, you have a great deal of potential, although not as much as them," he indicated Ranma and Ryoga. "Lots of dexterity, good unarmed combat skill, too dependant on the bonbori and to a lesser extent on the katana. Poor defense." He smiled at her. "You'll do, child. You'll be exceptionally helpful with dealing with his phobia," he indicated Ranma. Mousse replaced her. Martial looked at him in shock once he completed the examination. "You're a Hidden Weapons artist!" Mousse nodded. "But...you can see!" Ranma snickered. "Yeah, and a butterknife is sharp," he volunteered, then gulped at Martial's fiery glare. Martial turned to Mousse. "Tell me, boy, was your eyesight this bad before you started training?" Mousse shook his head. "And let me guess, all your teachers were as blind as you, correct?" Mousse looked at him in surprise, and then nodded slowly. Martial cursed. "Of COURSE they were! Hidden Weapons is supposed to be used without sight!" Mousse remained silent, the shock on his face speaking for itself. "Hidden Weapons focusses on projectiles and the ability to hide what you're doing. That's why so much of your arsenal is smoke screens. You're supposed to NOT use your eyes when you fight this way. Your teachers have been teaching you wrong all this time!" He cursed again. "Your body was telling you something your mind didn't know!" Mousse looked dejected, and Martial patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, son. You're very skilled, given your unique handicap, and you've adapted to your curse quite well. We'll fix it." Mousse smiled slightly and walked off, only to be replaced by Ukyo. "Okonomiyaki martial arts? I haven't seen one of you for ages!" He judged her skills. "You're the most balanced of the lot, girl. You, too, have much potential. We'll have to give you some unarmed training though, for as much as those spatulas give you both long- and close-range attack ability, without them, you're useless. You're quick, though, and somewhat strong." He looked over at Akane. "You're next." He tested her, and then looked at her, aghast. "YOU'RE a martial artist?! Koh Lon, how good is she?" Before Cologne could answer, Ranma answered for her. "She was good enough to trounce a few dozen boys before class every day. She's a clumsy tomboy"--he wilted a little under Akane's glare--"but she's pretty good." Martial looked at Akane with no little amount of awe. "You're that good? But...but...you CAN'T be!" He seemed to be in some shock. "You have NO potential at all! In fact, if I didn't know better..." He trailed off, and then seemed even more shaken. "No...it CAN'T be..." He suddenly grabbed Akane's head. "Forgive me, child!" He glowed again, but this time the glow was a black aura. He locked eyes with Akane, and she screamed in pain. A second later, he did as well. "AKANE!" Ryoga and Ranma yelled, leaping for them. Before they could reach them, the two people flew apart, crashing into the opposite walls. Ranma and Ryoga ran to Akane, and tried to see how she was. They were pulled away by Kasumi, who looked at her sister closely. "My little girl has been killed!" Tendo wailed. "I'll kill him!" Ranma yelled. As one, he and Ryouga turned and leapt at Martial's unconscious form, only to be swatted out of the air by Cologne. "You will do no such thing, son-in-law." She placed herself between Martial and the others. "Whatever he did to that girl he did to himself as well." "Grandmother, what he do?" Shampoo asked. Cologne shook her head, and turned to examine Martial. "I do not know, Shampoo. I have never seen that before. Whatever Akane is, he seemed very surprised to see her." Martial groaned and started to wake up, and Akane did the same. "She's like me," he said, holding his head as he stood. "She will be a Loremaster." Akane got to her feet, aided by Kasumi. Martial locked gazes with Akane. "You see?" Akane nodded. "I...guess so," she told him. Martial grimaced and tried to shake the fuzziness form his head. "I hate doing that." He turned to look at Kasumi. "Your turn, child." Kasumi was a little frightened at this, but came over anyway. He tested her like he had the others, and smiled at her. "Such a kind heart," he said, placing his hand on her cheek. "It is truly a pleasure to touch the soul of one like you." He turned her away. "Go, child, this darkness is not for you to fight." Kasumi looked at him with a little confusion, but smiled shyly and returned to her father. Nabiki walked up to him, scowling. "I am NOT a martial artist," she declared. Martial tested her anyway. "No, you are not. You are, however, far too clever for your own good." He grinned at her. "I like that. Don't worry, you won't be involved." He looked at Genma, Nodoka and Soun, and shook his head. "I don't suppose any of you are healers?" He sighed at their negative response. "Damn." "What about Dr. Tofu?" Genma asked, both happy and insulted he wasn't even considered. "He's a doctor, and he's even a martial artist." Martial turned to Cologne crossly. "And why isn't he here?" She shrugged. "I'll get him." Genma ran into the yard, leapt onto the roof and bounded from rooftop to rooftop over to the clinic. "Hello, master," he was heard to call. Soun turned pale. A little old man bounded past the doorway. "What a haul!" Martial froze, stunned. "Happosai?!?!" He ran to the doorway. "You old reprobate! Haven't you died YET?!" Happosai suddenly appeared before him. "Martial! Long time no see! You're looking well." He grabbed Martial's hand and shook it vigorously, grinning. The others in the room looked on, surprised. Cologne sighed. Martial laughed unwillingly. "I thought the Sailor Scouts fried you with that Planet Attack." Happosai snorted. "Hah. They actually thought I was a youma. I'm insulted. They were as bad as the Knight Sabres. Steal one little pair of panties, cop one little feel, and they bring out the heavy artillery." Martial looked at him with a mixture of amusement and sternness. "You ransacked the Silky Doll and hid in Nene's power-armour." Happosai shrugged. "Details." He gave Martial another grin. "So, training again? Can I help?" "NO!" Martial shouted. "Last time you helped, I ended up married!" "You're still mad about that?" Martial smiled mysteriously. "Oh, I'm not mad..." he gave Cologne an amused glance. "It had its moments." He wiped the smile from his face and glared at Happosai. "Keep away from my trainees, you hear?" "You don't really expect me to do that, do you?" He bounded away. "I can hope!" he called after him. He turned to the others. "I LIKE that man. No pretence, he's a lech, plain and simple." He grinned at the others, relishing their surprise. Just then, Genma bounced into the yard, followed by Dr. Tofu. Tofu examined Martial warily, then bowed respectfully. "Loremaster, I'm honoured." "Hmmph. Enough with the pleasantries." Tofu walked up to the other man, who touched his forehead like he had the others. "Excellent! Shiatsu training, extensive martial arts training." He smiled. "You don't like to hurt people. I like that in a healer." He looked the young doctor up and down. "You know what I am, so I'm safe in assuming you know why I'm here. Can I count on your aid?" The young doctor nodded. Martial looked up at the others, and smiled wickedly. "Get lots of rest tonight, children, for tomorrow, we begin to train." He turned to Akane. "Is there somewhere we can talk? We have much to speak of." Akane nodded, and led them man up to her room. Ranma watched to two go and scowled. "I don't her being alone with him. He did something to her." He turned to Cologne. "What the hell is going on?" Cologne looked after Martial and Akane. "You need not worry, son-in-law, she won't be harmed with him." She smiled at a memory. "Martial may talk like a lech, but he's a decent man. This is very odd, though." *** Akane sat on her bed, and indicated for Martial to be seated on the chair by her desk. "You must have many questions, child," Martial began, but was interrupted. "Akane." "What?" She looked at him angrily. "Call me Akane. You're not that much older than me, calling me child makes me feel like a little girl." Martial chuckled at some private joke. "No, I suppose I shouldn't call you that." He rose and looked out the window. "Akane, I would be lying if I said I was not surprised to meet one such as you. You're like me, a Loremaster, at least in talent. Do you know what that means?" She shook her head. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Those who can, do, those who can't, teach?'" Akane looked at him silently. "Loremasters are the embodiment of that. I can help Ranma and the rest become extraordinary fighters. In months I could take Ranma and Ryouga to levels far beyond their current ones. In a year, they could surpass Koh Lon, or Cologne, as she's called now." He grimaced in distaste. "Yet I have very little fighting ability of my own. That was why I was so surprised by your skill." "I have been practicing all my life," Akane reminded him. "But it did always seem to be a lot more difficult for me than others," she added bitterly. Martial shook his head, and sat down again. "That shouldn't matter. It's like someone who's tone deaf trying to learn music by ear. It's not just difficult, it should be impossible." He paused, and prepared himself for the difficult question he was about to ask. "Akane, I would like to train you as a Loremaster. As my successor." He paused. "There is a cost. You will have to rely on the others for protection. As time goes on, your skills will atrophy, whether you train or not." Akane didn't seem to like that. "But you're not much older than me," she protested. Martial laughed, as if she had said something funny. "I'm not quite as young as I look. Besides, this little venture is going to be awfully dangerous. I'd like to make sure my learning isn't lost." He suddenly smiled. "Besides, it's easier than trying to write it all out." His humour left him as suddenly as it came. "We're fighting for more than revenge, aren't we?" Akane probed. Martial nodded. "The Dark Earth is evil, Akane. Pure, unfettered evil." He looked at her sadly. "The best way would be to show you." He took his hands and placed them at her temples, like he had before. "It won't hurt this time." He concentrated, and the black glow appeared again. For a long moment they remanded that way, perfectly still. The glow disappeared, and Akane slumped back. "I..thought I knew, when you showed me before, but..." she seemed to be at a loss for words. "You didn't know the half of it." Akane was silent for a moment. "I wish we could show them. I want to help, but Ranma and Ryoga are merely going to come because I will, and Shampoo and Ukyo will go because of Ranma, and Mousse because of Shampoo. The only one who's coming for the right reason is Dr. Tofu. The training in exchange bit will only be another excuse." "Akane, whether it's for pay, honour or love, we need them," he reminded her. Akane angrily shook her head. "No, I won't accept that," she insisted. "There has to be a way..." she trailed off again as an idea occurred to her. "I've got it, we CAN show them." She leapt to her feet and took Martial by the arm. "Come on!" Martial let himself be dragged out of the room. *** The five teenage martial artists stood in the vacant lot, watching the conversation between Cologne, Martial, Akane and Tofu. They came to a decision, and Akane spoke to the others. "We're going on another trip," she told the trainees. "Where are we going now? Oz?" Ranma asked jokingly, and was silenced by four very serious glares. "No, I'm going to take you to the place you'll be defending," Martial told him. "Why?" Ukyo demanded. Akane shrugged. "There's something you should see." Martial concentrated, and the company disappeared. *** They reappeared on a grassy hill, under an old tree. There were farmers' fields all around them, and a long dirt road ran beside them. In the distance, a town could be seen. "Come on," Martial said, and started his way to the village. The other teenagers followed, fascinated by their surroundings. It was like returning to the days of the samurai. There was no evidence of modern life. Martial walked ahead, flanked by Cologne. Akane followed a few steps behind, flanked by Ryoga. Behind her, Ranma walked, his attention split between glaring at Akane and Ryoga, and avoiding Shampoo's and Ukyo's attention. Mousse and Tofu brought up the rear silently. As they approached the town, they soon gained the attention of a swarm of young children, the oldest maybe seven or eight, who were playing on the road. They all wore a sort of tunic and trouser combination, all coloured various shades of green and brown. With a cry of "Martial!" they charged the laughing man and bowled him over. For a few moments he played with the children, as the others watched on, bemused by this new side of the man. Martial struggled to his feet, and swept up one of the children. "And who might you be?" he asked the giggling child. "Yuka, silly!" she told him indignantly. Martial feigned shock. "Oh no, you COULDN'T be Yuka. You're far too cute to be Yuka." The girl giggled at him again, and he turned her upside down. He peered at her face, and laughed. "Why it IS Yuka!" She laughed again, and he turned her right side up. The children grilled him mercilessly. "Are you here to tell us another story?" "Do you have any candy?" "We want a story!" "No, candy!" "Ari's been showing us how to do somersaults!" "Who are they?" With this last question, the children turned to look at the rest of the group, and stared at them wide-eyed. Martial grinned and took the children to meet the others. "This is Artmistress Koh Lon," he said, indicating the old woman. The children looked at her in awe. "THE Koh Lon?" "No dummy, she can't be THE Koh Lon, she'd be hundreds of years old!" "Well she MIGHT be!" "Nobody's that old!" "Who are you calling a dummy, dummy?" "I'm calling you a dummy!" "Oh, yeah?" "How come you're so little?" Cologne gave Martial a glance. "No, children, I'm not THE Koh Lon." She looked at the children "And the reason I'm this little is because old people shrink." Several members of the Nerima group snickered at that. "This, children, is Ranma," he got a mysterious look in his eye, "the Swift." Ranma gave him a sharp look, and Martial winked. *Play along, boy.* "He doesn't look that fast," one of the children protested. Several others murmured their agreement. Ranma's eyes narrowed. Martial shrugged. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of wrapped candies. "Ranma, catch!" He lobbed the candies to the surprised Ranma, who plucked them out of the air one by one, his hands a blur, not one reaching the ground. He grinned at the appreciative sounds the children made, and opened his hands, offering the candy to the children, who eagerly accepted. Ryouga snorted at Ranma's grandstanding, but couldn't help but smile. Martial turned to him, next. "And this one is Ryoga," he paused, "the Strong." Ryoga inwardly groaned while Ranma and Akane exchanged a look and chuckled. Martial bent low, and in a stage whisper told the children, "if you ask him REALLY nice, he'll prove it." At this, the children swarmed Ryoga and pleaded with him. Ryoga flushed, embarrassed. Martial laughed and pointed out a cart by the side of the road. "Come, climb aboard." The children clambered onto the cart, and Ryoga easily lifted it over his head. The children squealed and laughed with delight. "You've just become a hero to some very wonderful children, my friend," he murmured into Ryoga's ears and helped the children off of the cart. Ryoga blushed again. "Aww, shucks." He kicked the dirt a little. Ranma couldn't help himself. He began to laugh. "My apprentice, Akane, needs no title." The children surrounded her and pelted her with questions like they had the others. Akane laughed and answered them as best she could. "The Warrior Shampoo." Shampoo smiled brightly at the children. "Mousse the Relentless." That one elicited a guffaw from Ranma and Ryoga, and a slight grimace from Shampoo. Mousse blithely ignored them and did a few magic tricks for the children, making coins appear from behind ears and pulling flowers out of nowhere. Martial turned to the last two members of the Nerima group. "The Wise Dr. Tofu," indicating the doctor, who smiled reassuringly, "and the Stalwart Ukyo." Ukyo gave him a shocked glance, then blushed slightly. "Marty, stop embarrassing the lady." The crowd looked up to see a handsome young man alight on the ground beside Ukyo. "My apologies for Marty's behaviour, miss. He sometimes forgets to act his age." He turned to the children. "Why hello, my little friends." The children cheered and swarmed the new man like they had Martial. Martial snorted, a wry smile on his face. "Act my age indeed," he scoffed. "And don't call me Marty!" He watched the young man play with the children. "That fool, my friends, is my partner Arito," he jerked his thumb at the man. "And a more irresponsible, layabout, disgraceful Artmaster I have yet to meet," he said, calling out to the swarm. A panting, laughing Arito looked up at him, through the children clambering over him. "Oh, and what about Happosai?" Martial struggled for a response. "Happosai, my dear sir, is too damn weird to count." He suddenly smiled. "Did you know he's alive?" He relished the shocked expression on Arito's face. Arito smiled slyly. "Urd will be SO disappointed. Can I tell her?" He extricated himself from the clutching children and sent them off to play. They waved at the others, who were watching the exchange silently. "So, these are the new trainees?" Martial introduced the others. Arito's responses were so varied it was almost comical. To Cologne, he was respectful to the point of obsequiousness. To Ranma and Ryoga, he was almost brotherly, clasping their hands warmly and grinning. To Akane, he was friendly, not too warm or cold. Shampoo, Mousse and Tofu he treated like his equals, giving them exactly the respect he felt they deserved. What was most surprising was his greeting to Ukyo. He ever so gently took her hand and kissed her palm lightly. "The pleasure," he said, looking into the girl's eye's intently, "is most definitely mine." Ukyo blushed, not sure whether to be insulted or flattered. Before the others could react, Martial clapped his hands together once. "Come, let's head over to my home here. I believe we can all get refreshment." *** The man in grey watched the procession from the shadows. He sensed two of his people's greatest enemies, but they were too well guarded. He narrowed his eyes, watching the beautiful young girl with the purple hair go by, accompanied by a young man in robes and another, who seemed to be a healer. He smiled upon seeing the last one. An attractive young woman who wielded a strange pole-axe. She seemed far more curious than the others. She would be his first victim. He chuckled to himself as he followed the group. They seemed like nice people. Pity they all had to die. *** The company followed Martial to a large manor. It looked like a small barn had been added to the back of a normal home. The building was study and old, made of brick and stone, not the wood and paper that many other homes in the district were made of. The grey walls of the building were smooth and strong, and there were no windows until the second floor. It was well away from either of its neighbours, surrounded by a low wall. Care had been taken to hide the fact that it was a structure designed for defense. Upon entry, it soon became clear that the manor was more then a mere home. It was a training hall. There were two barracks-type rooms, each one with its own bath. The kitchen was large, and well equipped. The living room was dominated by a long wooden table with two benches. Both table and benches were beaten and scarred with use, but were obviously strong. Another room was lined with chalkboards and shelves of books. The most impressive set of rooms were the last two Martial showed them. The first was the armoury. This large room was lined with fine weapons of destruction, many of which the teens had never even seen before. Mousse almost drooled at the sight. The second room was the breathtakingly huge dojo. The walls were stone, but lined with padding to reduce impact. The floor was plain dirt, and was packed had after years of use. At one side stood a small squad of dummies. "Welcome to your new home, children," Martial said grandly. He inwardly grinned at the awestruck expressions on the teen's faces. *You'd better be impressed, it cost me a fortune.* "But before we start with the training," --he suddenly had all their attention--"we've got one last place to go. Gather around." The students approached him. Arito looked at him with suspicion written all over his face. "Marty, are you SURE you're up to this?" he asked. "You're not as young as you used to be." "I'm fine," he snapped. "And stop calling me Marty!" He concentrated for a moment, and sweat broke out on his face. The world dissolved. *** The group appeared beside the ruins of a small farming village. Arito moved to Martial's side, but the latter just waved him off. "This," he panted, "is what the Dark Earth does to worlds they conquer." They looked around and saw what he meant. The village was demolished. It looked like a tank battalion had wandered through. In some of the shattered dwellings, crumpled skeletons could be seen. The landscape was in much the same condition as the village. The area was silent, as if all the animals had suddenly disappeared, down to the smallest insect. The plants were dry, twisted, dead caricatures of their former vitality. The words 'blasted wasteland' didn't even begin to describe it. It was empty, devoid of any life. Tofu frowned and gathered some of the soil from the ground. He tasted it, and spat it out. "It's sterile!" He exclaimed, horrified. Cologne nodded sadly. "They take all the life out of a world, down to the smallest microbe," she told them. She turned to Martial. "We should return, before they notice us." Martial wearily nodded, and began to concentrate. Sweat began to pour down his face, and his face flushed. Ever so slowly, the world dissolved. *** The teens sighed with relief upon seeing the training hall fade into view, unfamiliar it may be, but anything was better than the desolate landscape they were in before. "MARTY!" Arito's cry banished any relief they felt. Martial lay on the floor, his face beet-red and his breathing laboured. Tofu and Cologne quickly went to his side, and began to work. After a few moments, Tofu frowned, confused. He shot Cologne a suspicious look that she didn't notice, and returned to work with far more vigour. "Martial, I lost you once to this damn war, I'm not going to lose you again." Cologne swore under her breath as she worked. Eventually, the flush faded from Martial's face and he began to breath easier. Tofu stood up and wiped the sweat from his face. "Over-exertion," he told the others. "But something's very odd there. My eyes say thirty, but my hands say ninety." "A hundred and ten," Cologne supplied from Martial's side. "Behold the wonders of ultra-advanced medicine," she said, disgusted. "If you can't be young forever, you can at least look it." Ranma knelt at Martial's side. "Will he be OK?" he asked. Cologne nodded. "He just needs some rest now. Martial keeps on forgetting his age, the vain idiot." She balanced on her staff. "Help me get him to a bed." For the rest of the day, while the others got used to their new temporary home, Cologne stayed by Martial's side. "There's something really weird here," Ranma mused. His face tightened. "But if that's what we're fighting against, I'm all for it." He locked gazes with the others, and they murmured their agreement. *** Night fell quietly on the small town, and the streets were soon empty and quiet. The man in grey watched the house. He saw three of his targets sitting on the roof, but even he wasn't so foolish as to attack them alone. He sank back into the shadows as the door opened, and he almost cackled in glee. There she was, his first target! He watched the girl close the door and walk down the street. The man in grey followed the girl, and planned his attack. A simple jab would paralyze her, and then he could kill her at his leisure and not have to worry about that odd weapon. He couldn't resist a soft chuckle. He could have some fun, first, too. She was awfully cute, after all. *** Arito lay on the roof of the house, stargazing. Ranma and Ryoga lay beside him. "Did Martial tell you what being an Artmaster meant?" Arito asked the others. "No," replied Ryoga. "There never seemed to be an occasion," added Ranma. Arito sat up. "I suppose I should, then." He brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. "Being an Artmaster is both a blessing and a curse. You do become a truly amazing martial artist, beyond anything you ever dreamed possible." He chuckled. "But from what Marty's told me you're pretty advanced as it is." Arito lay back again. "But the price is that you never live for yourself anymore. You live completely for your Loremaster. The rule I was taught was: 'Art before Lore.' That means you must be willing to lay down your life for your Loremaster. The bullet that takes their life goes through you first. The sword that enters their heart must be bathed in your blood." He smiled grimly. "There's a whole list of gruesome examples like that, but you get the idea." They looked at the stars in silence for a few moments, then Ranma spoke. "I can do that," he said softly. "I've been doing that for Akane from the start." He forced a chuckle. "Someone has to take care of that clumsy tomboy." He ducked the swing Ryoga threw at him. "Ranma, how can you say that!" Ryoga growled. "I'd protect Akane way better than you ever could!" "What did you say, P-chan?" Ranma rose to his feet and got into a battle stance. "WHO'S P-chan?" Ryoga seethed again, as he leapt after the other boy. Arito stared at the stars for a few moments longer, ignoring the fighting. "What was that?!" he asked abruptly. The two teens stopped fighting and looked at him, confused. "What was what?" Ranma asked. He looked at Ryoga, but the other shook his head. "I heard a scream!" He stood, and turned to the others. "Go inside, NOW. Wake the others. Stay there until I get back." Ranma looked ready to argue. "Please, Ranma, just do it." Ranma grimaced and led Ryoga inside. Arito bounded from rooftop to rooftop in the direction of the scream. *** The man in grey cursed softly as he dragged the girl into the alley. She had managed to get off a scream, and he only had minutes before someone would show up. He dumped the girl into the corner and pulled out a long knife. He scowled at the young girl. "You had to go and scream, didn't you?" He reached out his hand and cupped one of her breasts, enjoying the look of abject horror and loathing in the girl's eyes. "Now I can't have any fun." He sighed, and grinned evilly. "How about I just cut your heart out?" He relished the moment as the girl's eyes widened and she began to breathe faster. The man in grey carefully put the knife to the girl's chest. He had to be careful, he didn't want the first stab to kill her. She had to suffer first. Ukyo closed her eyes, the litany *NONONONONONONONONONO...* ringing through her head. She waited for the first stab, but it never came. Instead she heard the sound of foot striking chest, and the grunt of a man as he crashed into a wall. She opened her eyes and saw Arito standing there, the man in grey flattened against the wall. "I don't think so," he growled, as the man in grey staggered back into a battle stance. "Not here, not now, and most definitely not her." "Oh, good," the man in grey said darkly. "Two birds, one stone." He leapt to attack. Ukyo watched in amazement as the two fought. *These two would eat Ranchan for breakfast.* The grey man swung a fist at Arito's head, but the other ducked and attempted a sweep, which the grey man jumped over, throwing a kick. Arito blocked the kick, using the momentum of the kick to roll himself back up and bring his leg up into the grey man's chin, knocking his head back. The grey man began to topple backwards, but he turned it into a roll and regained a battle stance. "You're good, for a human," the grey man said, "but I'm tired of this." He froze, and his hands started to glow green, and he pointed his hands at Arito, who stood warily. Suddenly, two green streaks shot out of his hands, missing Arito only because he had the good sense to turn sideways and let the attack pass by him. The streaks impacted the wall behind him, creating two small holes in it. "That's the best you can do?" Arito taunted, and dodged the second set of green missiles the grey man aimed at him. "Try this!" He gathered a chi-ball in his hands and pointed it at the grey man. Ukyo recognized the sign of the Moko Takabisha Ranma used. Suddenly, Arito's hands shook as a stream of small yellow projectiles flew from his hands at the grey man. The grey man attempted to dodge, but like a man holding a hose, Arito simply tracked him and sprayed the grey man with scores of the small attacks. The grey man crumpled to the ground. Ukyo looked at the body of the man in grey, and gasped as the man's corpse seemed to evaporate, leaving only his clothing behind. "What...what was that?" she asked. Arito kicked the clothing about for a second or two, and knelt at her side. "A shade. One of the Dark Earth's warrior elite." He looked at her closely. "Are you alright?" He asked, concern on his face. "I'm sorry, Ukyo, I should have been watching better...I should have seen him before now...please forgive me," he begged. He seemed more angry with himself than apologetic. "I'm fine, I think. I can move my arms, but my legs are still numb." She looked at him with a little disgust. "You'll have to carry me." Arito nodded and slung her over his shoulder. Ukyo grunted in surprise and began to beat on his back. "Put me DOWN, YOU JACKASS!" Arito stopped, confused. "Didn't you tell me to carry you?" he asked. "Not like a sack of flour, idiot! Carry me in your arms!" Arito flushed and did as the girl asked. "Sorry," he apologised again. "Is this better?" He stiffened as Ukyo smiled and threw her arms around his neck. "Much," she replied, smiling at him brightly. She suddenly pulled herself up and kissed him on the cheek. "Now I can thank you." She giggled as she saw the flush rise on the young man's face. "A...anytime," he stuttered as he carried her back to the training hall. *** Morning rose and the teenage martial artists listened intently as Ukyo related the details of the fight the night before. "...and then he did this thing that at first looked like Ranchan's Moko Takabisha, except instead of one huge blast, he did a whole bunch of little ones, like a machine gun!" Ranma and Ryoga looked at Arito. "How the hell did ya do that?" Ranma asked. Arito shrugged and started to respond, but Martial interrupted. "Teaching later," he said, sipping his miso soup. "Food now." He ate a few more bites, and smiled. "This is very good," he said. "Who made it?" "Da ghoul," said Ranma through a mouthful of food. "COLOGNE cooked?" Martial exclaimed. His hands froze with a bite halfway to his mouth. "Since when?!" "Great-grandmother is very good cook!" Shampoo said brightly. Martial turned very pale, and very carefully put his chopsticks down. "COLOGNE!!!!!!!!" The elderly Amazon pogoed into the room from the kitchen. "Yes, Martial?" Martial pointed at Shampoo, his hands shaking. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he demanded. "Tell you what?" "That she's our great-granddaughter!" he almost roared. Ranma and Mousse spat out their food, while Ukyo pounded on Arito's back as he choked on a bite. Ryoga became a statue. Shampoo looked at Martial in confusion, then looked at her great-grandmother. "" she whispered, the rest of the question left unsaid. Cologne smiled benignly at her descendant. "Martial is my husband, girl. Say hello to your great-grandfather." She smiled as Shampoo and Martial stood up. Shampoo slowly walked around the table, and looked up into Martial's face. "" she said softly. Martial nodded, and slowly wrapped his arms around the girl. "" Shampoo didn't move for a moment, and then returned the hug fiercely. Martial gasped. "Uh, Shampoo...I am over a hundred, I do break." She hugged him tighter. "Shampoo!" He took a deep breath as the Amazon relaxed her fierce hug. Martial sat down at the table again, this time with Shampoo by his side. He glared at Cologne. "Why didn't you tell me?" he repeated. "Didn't you think I deserved to know? That she did?" "I was hoping she'd figure it out," she told him, indicating Shampoo. Martial grinned. "She takes after our daughter," he told her. "But I have got to know," he continued, reaching up to stroke some of the girl's hair. "It's nice to see that my genes are still making for some strange hair colours, but why didn't you make her dye it black like you did with Lo Shin?" "Lotion?" Ukyo whispered to Mousse. "Shampoo's great uncle," Mousse whispered back. "He has orange hair. Neon orange." "You no like Shampoo's hair?" Shampoo asked Martial, her eyes wide. He laughed and patted her hand. "No, it's very pretty, Shampoo. I didn't expect Cologne to relax this much on that one subject." He leered over at his wife. "You've aged well." "You haven't," Cologne told him, and swatted his head. "Besides, a third of the village now has hair like that. She turned to return to the kitchen, but another question from Martial stopped her. "Shampoo, I have a very important question for you." He looked his new-found relation in the face, a twinkle in his eye. "Couldn't you find a nicer boy than HIM?" he asked, indicating Ranma. Ranma's face darkened. "What's THAT supposed to mean..." he began, but his words died out as a cry from the kitchen brought dread to his heart. "RANMA! DON'T MOVE!" Akane walked out of the kitchen, a skillet in one hand. "You have to try what I made!" Ranma looked around quickly for an escape, but saw none. He sighed, resigned to his fate. Mousse leaned over to whisper in Ranma's ear. "What is it your father says? 'The life of a martial artist is fraught with peril.'" He chuckled as Ranma scowled at him. "Shaddup, Mousse." He looked at the...stuff in the skillet, and finally chose on what appeared to be a piece of meat. "You're not helping." He slowly brought the chunk to his mouth, and closed his teeth around it. The others watched in amazement as Ranma chewed once. Sweat appeared on his forehead. He chewed again, and his eyes grew slightly larger, as sweat started to bead on his face. He swallowed, turning slightly green, and reached for his glass of water. He looked at the glass, and ever so carefully put it down. He reached for the pitcher, and began to drink directly from that, not stopping until it was dry. He put it down, glad he was feeling slightly less nauseous. "WELL?" Akane demanded. "It..." he began, then faltered. "I can honestly say, it was the best thing you've ever cooked." Akane beamed at him, and placed the skillet on the table. Ranma, never one to leave enough alone, continued. "It's only moderately awful, not completely toxic--ow!" His sentence was cut off by Akane's fist in his face. Ranma peeled himself off her hand, and looked at her in surprise. "Akane, you OK?" he asked, suddenly worried. "That didn't even hurt much." "I told you your skills would decay, apprentice," Martial told her. Akane scowled, then suddenly brightened. "Ryoga? Mousse? Would you do me a favour and pummel Ranma a bit?" The two teens looked at each other and slowly smiled. Ranma bounced to his feet and stepped away from the others. "My pleasure," the two chorused, and began to advance on Ranma. Arito reached up, grabbed Ranma's arm and flung him into the dojo. "Not in the house," he scolded. Ryoga and Mousse nodded and leapt after the doomed boy. Shampoo looked after them in dismay. "Ranma should learn when to keep mouth shut around violent pervert girl." Ukyo nodded. "Definitely." The two girls stood and went to break up the carnage. *** Ranma and Ryoga lay sprawled on the ground, looking at the ceiling. "Awfully nice architecture," Ranma said offhandedly. "You know, I was thinking much the same thing," Ryoga replied. "Very nice." "Funny we never noticed it before." "Yes, we really should congratulate Martial on the workmanship." The two were silent for a moment. Ranma spoke again. "You think if we stay here long enough they'll think we're dead?" "God, I hope so." Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Akane and Martial. The two looked down on the prone boys, Akane did not look pleased, while Martial kept his face carefully neutral. "And just what are you two doing?" Akane demanded. "We were just admiring the excellent workmanship of the dojo," Ranma told her. "Right, Ryoga?" "Why yes, Ranma, yes we were." "You're SUPPOSED to be training," Akane told them. Ranma rose to a sitting position, grunting as his body protested. "This is dumb. Martial refuses to teach us anything until we beat Arito. How the hell are we supposed to do that? He's as strong as Ryoga!" "And as fast as Ranma," Ryoga seconded. "Although, I almost had him last time but SOMEBODY interfered." "Oh yeah, blame me because you're too slow," Ranma retorted. "Why do we have to beat him?" he asked Martial. "I mean, you're training the others..." He looked over to where Mousse was meditating, and Ukyo and Shampoo sparred unarmed under Cologne and Arito's supervision. Martial shrugged. "Akane's in charge. I'm just advising." The two boys turned to look at Akane, who nodded. "That's right. Ranma, you're strong, but not as strong as Ryoga or Arito. Ryoga, you're fast, but not as fast as Ranma or Arito." She looked at Ryoga, then Ranma. "Doesn't that tell you something?" She turned and walked away, Martial following beside her. He said something to her and she laughed. Ryoga looked at Ranma, who stared sullenly back. "Neither of us can beat him alone," he mused. "Maybe we can beat him...together," Ranma finished. He looked over at Ryoga. "Truce?" he asked, holding out his hand. "Truce," the other replied, taking his hand and shaking it. "But once this is over I'm still going to kick your ass." He slowly smiled. "You and what army?" Ranma countered with a similar smile. "Come on, we've got some practice to do."