Ranma sat at the breakfast table and glared at P-chan. He had shown up late last night, from God only knew where. He gritted his teeth in frustration as Akane insisted in feeding him breakfast with her chopsticks.
"Here you go P-chan," she said cheerfully and smiled down at him.
P-chan gave her a cute little piggy grin in return, and then smirked at Ranma, who clenched his hands into fists in response. He delicately took the offered morsel.
"Isn't it great to have P-chan back Ranma?" He gave an uncomitive grunt (knowing enough not to tell her what he really thought,) and picked up his chopsticks. "Well!" she sniffed. "You could be a little happier. He has been gone for two weeks."
"Too bad it wasn't two years," he grumbled under his breath in a great laps of common sense. (Not like that is unusual or anything . . . )
"What was that?!"
"Uh, nothing!"
"I'm serious Touma!" Ryo's voice carried down the hall and into the dining room, interrupting Ranma and Akane. P-chan looked up, his eyes going wide, and then narrow in a flash at the sound of unfamiliar male voices. "I really saw it."
Touma and Ryo entered the dining room, followed by Shin. "A vending machine? Creeping down the sidewalk? Do you have any idea how that sounds? Good morning Akane, Ranma."
"Morning."
"Good morning," Shin inclined his head and then turned to Touma. "I don't know Touma. I was thinking about this after I got up this morning. There may be something going on here after all. Arial said she saw a mailbox walking down the street on the day we arrived . . . Is something the matter?" Shin asked. Both Akane and Ranma were giving them nervous looks.
"Oh, no. Nothing."
"Nothing at all."
Touma frowned and sat next to Akane, receiving a highly suspicious, semi-hostile look from P-chan. "We have been here for two days." He picked up his plate and started to serve himself. "I haven't noticed anything strange."
"I thought I heard something when I woke up," Shin and Ryo sat at the table. "A girl yelling, but I didn't see anything." Ranma and Akane glanced at each other, the others didn't notice their nervous looks.
"Morning!" A voice sang out. Arial and Shan Lai entered the room. P-chan's eyes grew wide. Who were all these people?!? "Oh, kawaii!" Arial cried out and fell to her knees on the other side of Akane. Ranma groaned.
"He is so adorable Akane. What is his name?"
Akane smiled and held out P-chan. "P-chan. Would you like to hold him?"
P-chan gave a startled squeal as Arial held him up. "He is so cute. What do you think Shin?"
Shin rolled his eyes. "I suppose so, if you like pigs."
She paid Shin's less than enthusiastic statement little mind and held up the piglet so she could look it straight in the face. Then frowned. Something was not -right- with this little pig.
"Here." She handed P-chan back to Akane, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable about holding him, the same kind of feeling she had gotten the one time Ryo asked if she had wanted to go tiger-back riding. "Where are Seiji and Shu? I haven't seen them all morning."
"I think Shu is nosing around the kitchen." Ryo lifted his cup of tea and took a sip. "Seiji is still getting ready."
"I swear!" Arial reached out and picked up a bowl of rice. "He takes longer to get ready in the morning than Shan Lai and I do together!"
"That is because Seiji takes more care in how he looks than the two of you do." Both Arial and Shan Lai narrowed their eyes at Shu, who was standing in the doorway.
"Do you want to die sometime today?" Shan Lai hissed, fire flaring in her eyes.
"Uh, no, not really," he nervously stated and cautiously slid over to the breakfast table. "It's just that you look just fine without having to spend tons of time fixing your hair and stuff."
"Nice save," Shin whispered to Ryo, who nodded. "Now all he has to do is keep his foot out of his mouth until breakfast is over."
"You know Akane," Touma rested an elbow on the table and looked at P-chan. "I don't remember you telling me that you got a pet. When did you get him?"
"P-chan?" Akane hugged him against her chest. "Last year, not long after Ranma showed up. He is such a darling."
"He seems rather well trained . . . " Touma reached out to pet him, and P-chan snapped at him.
"P-chan!" Akane exclaimed. "What is the matter with you?" She turned to Touma. "I'm sorry. I have no idea what has gotten into him. I'd understand it if it had been Ranma . . . he is always picking on P-chan . . . "
"Don't worry about it Akane." Touma smiled at her. "He is probably a bit nervous at all the new people here."
"Yes, maybe . . . " Akane frowned worriedly. "I hope he isn't coming down with anything."
"Good morning everyone." Seiji strolled into the room and smiled at everyone. His smile faltered, however, when his eyes came to rest on Akane and her pet.
He had stopped flirting with her not to long after they had arrived. Arial had started to ignore him, and the main reason he had been flirting with Akane was to annoy her. Akane was cute, but engaged. What was bothering him at the moment wasn't Touma's cousin. It was the little black pig in her arms.
"Seiji, is something wrong?" Seiji blinked as he realized that everyone was staring at him, and that he was staring at the piglet.
"No," he shook his head. "It's nothing."
Shin watched as Seiji sat next to Ranma, the only place left at the table. Curiously enough, Seiji kept glancing over at Akane, at P-chan.
There was something about Nermia. At first, he hadn't given Arial's stories much credit, she was prone to exaggeration, and gossip wasn't a good source of information, no matter how you looked at it. But now, now he was beginning to reconsider.
He still wasn't quite sure what to think of Arial's claim that she saw a walking mailbox, but when you combine that with Ryo's claim of seeing a vending machine moving the night before . . . And everyone here seemed to be acting so strange . . . and then this morning . . . Something was defiantly not right.
"So, what are you doing today," Akane's voice broke in on his musings.
"We haven't made any definite plans for today." Touma told her.
"Well," Shan Lai sat her chopsticks down. "I heard about this Chinese noodle restaurant that I want to try out with Shu."
"The Neko Hantan?" Ranma looked at her over his bowl of miso soup.
Shan Lai smiled. "Yes. I heard that it is really good. Ever been there?"
He gave Akane a nervous look. "Once or twice."
"Greetings."
"GYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Everyone jumped back from the table at Kunou's sudden appearance in the room. He knelt on the floor next to Akane.
"What are you doin' here?" Ranma demanded.
Kunou simply reached into his kempo outfit and pulled out three bundles of red roses. "These are for the three loves that are in my heart. The Pony-Tail Girl," Kunou set the bouquet next to him, as the lovely redhead was not present. Ranma gave him a sour look. "Tendo Akane." Her look was the mirror of Ranma's as Kunou set a bouquet next to her. "And Kairyu Arial." Arial peered at him over Shin's shoulder in shocked horror, not making a move to accept the roses Kunou was offering her.
"You have got to be kidding!" Shin exclaimed.
"No," Kunou flashed a self-satisfied smile to everyone and ran his fingers through his hair. "I knew upon our first fateful meeting that we were meant to be together. Akane," he suddenly turned to her. "Please, do not think my actions today diminish my feelings toward you in any way." A muscle in her cheek twitched and she restrained the impulse to send him flying through the roof. She did not want her cousin's friends to think she was a tomboy.
"This is for you Mouri." Kunou pulled out a sealed envelope and casually tossed it to Shin.
"What does it say?" Touma, Seiji and Ryo crowded around Shin as he opened the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper inside. His eyes opened wide as he read it, and then he began to swear under his breath.
"What? What?" Shan Lai and Shu rushed over.
"I don't believe it," Arial whispered as she reached out and took the crumpled piece of paper out of Shin's clenched fists and smoothed it out.
"It is a challenge," she told them. "Kunou is challenging Shin for the right to marry me."
*WHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*
"Is this for real!?" Shin demanded.
"Yes. It is destiny that the two of us be together. Kairyu Arial shall be my bride, along with Tendo Akane and the Pony-Tailed Girl. Together we shall live blissfully . . . "
Thankfully for everyone who hadn't eaten yet, his sentence was never finished.
"Now that was a good kick," Shu commented as he looked at the new hole in the roof. "Ranma, you and Akane work well together."
"SHU!" several people exclaimed.
"What are you going to do Shin?"
"Accept it."
"I can't believe this." Ranma muttered. It was late morning, and they were in the small park Kunou had designated in the challenge to Shin. "He is going to fight Kunou? With a staff? He is going to get himself killed."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Shu leaned back against a tree, getting comfortable. "Shin is very good with a staff."
"But Kunou is exceptional with his bokkan. One of the best martial artists in Nermia," Akane protested. He currently ranked about number twelve, give or take an artist or two.
"Shin will win." Arial confidently announced. "There is no way he is going to lose to that pompous fool."
They watched as Kunou entered the park with Sasuke at his side.
"Arial is right." Seiji propped his chin on his hands. "Shin has gone up against adversaries worse than Kunou, and came out just fine."
Ranma and Akane doubtfully looked at each other. It seemed that none of Shin's friends had any idea of what Kunou was capable of. After breakfast the two of them had talked about the upcoming fight, and they had both agreed that Shin would probably lose. He did not have the look of a martial artist.
"I see you have chosen to accept my challenge. Commendable. Befitting of a true gentleman." Kunou inclined his head to Shin. "I was not expecting you to use such a weapon, though. Are you sure you wish to battle me with a staff?"
Shin grinned at him and spun the staff in the air. "Don't underestimate me Kunou."
"So be it! As a gentleman, I will see this battle over quickly."
To Ranma and Akane's surprise, Kunou immediately preformed his Blue Thunder Attack against Shin. To their even greater surprise, and Kunou's, Shin had moved out of the way.
<He is fast!> Shin thought to himself as he landed behind Kunou. <That is a wooden sword he is using, what kind of attack was that? Can he be as good as Seiji?>
"What the hell!" Shu sat up. "What the heck did he do?!"
"An air pressure attack," Seiji murmured before Ranma or Akane could respond, his eyes gleaming. "He is using the bokkan to create massive waves of air pressure. I have heard of it, but never seen it."
Ranma nodded. "Shin can't win against him. He'll be lucky to only come out with a few broken bones."
Kunou had turned around. "Impressive Mouri, but don't think you will be spared." Kunou rushed Shin and tried an overhand blow. Shin raised his staff and deflected the blow and then struck at Kunou's ribs. Kunou barely blocked in time. Shin immediately stepped back a couple of pace, and glanced behind him.
Everyone was intently watching the battle. Both Ranma and Akane wore worried looks, it was obvious they thought Kunou was going to wipe the ground with him.
Before they left the Tendo residence earlier, he had heard them talking. He knew they thought he would lose, and it had hurt a bit that they didn't even think he would be able to hold his own against Kunou.
However, he hadn't thought Kunou would be this good. He hadn't been too impressed when he had first met Kunou, who would, but Kunou was turning out to be an exceptional swordsman. And Shin had gone up against enough swordsmen in the past few years to be able to quickly assess how good someone was. And he had badly underestimated Kunou's skills.
Then there was that special attack he had used. A master's attack. Maybe, Shin smiled to himself, he should do a 'special attack' as well.
Shin let Kunou back him up against the pond in the middle of the park. "You have trapped yourself, Mouri." Kunou gloated. "Be prepared to admit defeat!" Kunou raised his sword for one last blow.
"Overconfidence is a fatal flaw to take into battle with you," Shin stated. He glanced at his friends and smiled.
"What is he up to?" Shu asked.
"You don't think he is . . . " Touma let his sentence fade off as Seiji nodded at him.
"I do believe so."
"Oh," Arial clapped her hands together. "This is going to be good."
Ranma and Akane shot them a puzzled look, and then returned their gaze to the two young men. They watched as Shin leaped up, and backwards? into the air. They gasped as he lightly landed on the surface of the pond.
Ranma whistled in appreciation. "I am impressed. Looks like Shin has had some good specialized training."
The rest of the Troopers, Arial and Shan Lai all turned to him in surprise. He didn't think it was strange to see someone standing on water?
"More than you think, Son-in-law." Everyone spun around at the new voice. "This is no trick of a skilled master. He stands on the water itself."
"A demon!" Shu exclaimed.
Cologne promptly brought her cane down over his head. "Show some respect for your elders boy . . . eh?" She peered closely at his face. "You have a familiar look about you . . . "
"SHHH!" Arial hissed. Their annoying babble was distracting her from the fight.
Kunou was glaring at Shin in outrage. "What kind of sorcery is this? I should have expected something like this from a friend of that fiend Saotome. This I, The Blue Thunder, (in the background lightning flashed, causing the Troopers and Co. to blink in surprise) will not stand for!" Kunou immediately prepared his trademark attack again.
Shin had expected that, and started to rapidly spin his staff in front of him, kicking up a spray of water as the ends dipped into the pond. The water began to collect into a spinning shield of water in front of him.
"Incredible," Akane whispered. Ranma mutely nodded.
Kunou attacked, but the water shield blocked the air pressure blows. Realizing that his attack was ineffective, Kunou lowered his sword. Shin smiled. Time for his attack.
In a moment, he stopped the staff and brought it down in front of him in a striking motion, the water still following the motion of the staff. "Raisen Mizu Utsu!"
Kunou watched in rapidly growing horror as a spiral of water rushed toward him. He tried to block it, to no avail. Shin's attack hit him square in the chest, knocking him backwards, sending his bokkan flying.
Shin casually leaped out of the middle of the pond as Sasuke rushed toward the unconscious Kunou.
"Good goin' Shin! Nice job!" Shu called out, a hand on his head. He and everyone else were now standing. Shin gave the two new people in the group a curious look, a lovely Chinese girl with long lavender hair who was currently clinging to Ranma's arm, and a small, extremely old lady with a heavy cane.
"Yes. A very good job indeed." The old lady hopped over to Shin on her cane. She quickly looked him over. "In all of my years, I have never seen the like."
"And we are talkin' about a lot of years." Without missing a beat, Cologne brought her cane down on Ranma's head, showing that, despite her obvious age, she was still a force to be reckoned with.
"Uh, just who are you?" Shan Lai crossed her arms and stared at them.
Cologne bowed her head. "How remiss of me. Introductions are indeed in order." She motioned to the young lady snuggling against Ranma. "This is my great-granddaughter, Shampoo."
"Nihao!"
"And I am Cologne."
"Khu Lon?" Shu gasped out, eyes opening wide with shock. She nodded and gave Shu a searching look. It was not often she heard the proper pronunciation of her name. And not from a stranger.
"You seem startled boy. Why?" she questioned.
He looked at her nervously. "It's, uh, the two of you have such, uh, unusual names," he stuttered out. Cologne nodded thoughtfully, but said nothing.
"Ranma come with Shampoo. Fix all his favorite foods for lunch."
"Great-granddaughter!" Cologne said sharply. "Where are your manners? You have not given Son-in-law a chance to introduce his friends to us."
Shampoo hung her head at the reprimand. ::Forgive me, Great-grandmother.::
"Uh, Akane," Touma frowned at Cologne and Shampoo. "What do they mean by son-in-law?"
"Ranma got himself engaged to Shampoo in China before he returned to Japan," Akane growled, glaring at Shampoo.
"HE DID WHAT!" Everyone turned to Touma, who scowled at Ranma.
Ranma swallowed nervously. He did not like the look he was getting from Touma at all. "Uh, Cologne, Shampoo, I would like you to meet Akane's cousin, Hashiba Touma," Shampoo sniffed, "and his friends." Ranma quickly went on with the introductions. No one noticed the speculative look in Cologne's eyes when he introduced Shu.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Cologne smiled mysteriously to herself. "I have an offer to make you. Why not come to the Neko Hantan to celebrate Mouri's triumph in battle. On the house, of course."
Everyone stared at her, even Shampoo. Shu was the first to respond to the generous offer.
"Uh, thanks," Shu said nervously, "but we have made other plans . . . " Shan Lai grabbed Shu's arm and interrupted.
"We will gladly accept your generous offer." Shu looked at her in shock.
"Then it is settled. Come." Cologne hopped away on her cane.
"Shampoo not understand. Was only to invite Ranma to lunch." Ranma and Akane gave her a strange look.
"So, you have no idea what she is planning." Shampoo shook her head.
"Great-grandmother not tell Shampoo of any plan." At least not of one that included others besides Ranma.
"Shu!" Shan Lai hissed. "What is the matter with you? We wanted to go to the Neko Hantan, remember?"
Shan Lai wasn't the only one who was curious about Shu's sudden strange behavior. "And when did you turn down free food?" Ryo asked.
"No joke," Arial said lightly. "Shu turning down free food? The next thing you know, we will be hearing that the end of the world is a week from next Tuesday."
Strangely enough, Shu did not react to Arial's comment. "I just, well, would rather go somewhere else."
"You no think food is good?" Shampoo asked dangerously.
"Uh, no. I am sure the food is just fine . . . " Shampoo turned and walked away in a huff. After a quick glance at Shu, most everyone followed her.
Shin stayed with Shu. "What is wrong Shu?"
Shu refused to look at him. "I don't want to talk about it," Shu muttered and started to follow everyone else. After a shocked moment, Shin ran after him.
"Shu . . . " Shin began, then stopped as he saw his friend's face. From the look on it, one would think he was heading to his own execution.
They had just stepped into the Neko Hantan when a white duck attacked Ranma.
"Mu Mu bad duck!" Shampoo exclaimed and grabbed the enraged duck. "No attack Ranma!"
"It is wearing glasses," Ryo casually commented as he stared after Shampoo. She carried the struggling duck into the kitchen. Akane and Ranma hung their heads, each wearing a giant sweat drop.
Arial arched an eyebrow and turned to Shin. <Strange, hmm Shin?> Shin hung his head.
"Please sit. I will fix you the house specialty."
The nine of them sat at a particulary large table.
"Quaint restaurant," Seiji commented as he looked around. "The food is at an acceptable level, of course."
"Seiji!" Arial hissed and looked behind the counter. Cologne was talking to Shampoo about something. There was no sign of the duck.
"Don't worry Seiji," Shu sighed. "Whatever she prepares will be very good." He then crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on them, sighing mournfully.
Everyone exchanged curious looks.
<Shin.> He turned to Ryo. <What is wrong with him? I have never seen him like this before.>
<Same here.> Seiji responded.
<He started acting strange after we were introduced to Cologne and Shampoo.> They turned to Shin. <Any ideas as to why?>
Shin shook his head. <He said he didn't want to talk about it.>
"Water," Shampoo pertly announced. She walked around the table, setting a glass of water in front of each of them, then sat a pitcher in the middle of the table. "Shampoo no sure about this." She walked around the table until she was next to Shu, who was morosely staring at his glass. "Shu Rei," he looked up at her, "Shampoo hold no bad feeling toward you, but Great-grandmother insists." Without changing her expression, Shampoo made a fist and struck Shu.
"JESH!" Shu hollered as he jumped up and grabbed her fist before she hit him. His chair clattered noisily to the floor. "What are you doing?!"
Ranma and Akane stared at Shu in disbelief. "Unbelievable," he whispered. Akane mutely nodded. The only person she had ever seen stop Shampoo's punch was Ranma.
The Troopers and the girls were staring at Shampoo, shocked by her unprovoked attack.
Shampoo quietly stepped away from Shu. "Shu Rei caught Shampoo's punch?" she whispered in amazement, then smiled. "Must be very strong. Good." She turned to the counter and nodded. Shu also turned, and saw Cologne nod in return, a satisfied smile on her face.
A sudden panicked look appeared on Shu's face, and he started to back away from the table. "I'm not hungry. I'm leavin'."
"He has lost it," Ryo commented as Shu spun and bolted for the door. "He has totally lost it."
"Now Shu Rei," Shu stopped short. Standing in the doorway was Cologne. "It would be very impolite to leave without eating." Shu swallowed hard. "Return to your table, and we will talk later." It was a command, but softly spoken. Shu nodded and slowly walked back to the table.
As Cologne prepared their lunch, a small group entered the restaurant and sat at a table in the corner. No one paid them much attention, despite the fact that American tourist were seldom seen in Nermia.
(Note: Raisen Mizu Utsu = Spinning water attack)