BattleMage Series

“Would all of you just leave both of them alone!”

Nabiki stood in the doorway, arms crossed beneath her breasts, and glared at the group harassing Ranma. She’d known something like this was going to happen after she’d received a second call from Ryonami, her protégé that was still attending Furinkan High School, about who had purchased the information about Ranma and Nyoko and their reactions to said information. She had hoped that this wouldn’t happen for at least another day, but it almost looked as if the chaos that normally surrounded Ranma had grown to include Nyoko. Setting aside such thoughts for later consideration, Nabiki took several steps into the room, giving each of the aggressors a cold hard stare before speaking.

“I expected that you two might do something to interfere with Ranma taking care of Nyoko,” she stated, rounding on the two fathers, her tone making both of them reach back to cover their wallets as if cornered by an overzealous bill collector and they had nowhere to run. “But to actually attack Ranma while she’s still holding Nyoko… I never thought I’d see the day when the two so-called ‘Masters’ of Anything-Goes, self-proclaimed Martial Artists and defenders of the weak, would actually ENDANGER the life of an innocent simply to further their own selfish goals.”

“Now, Nabiki, you should be more respectful of your eld–” the eldest woman in the room started, only to stop abruptly as a withering, disapproving, glare was shot in her direction. Nodoka flinched, but only slightly, managing to conceal just how much that look reminded her of her own mother’s often-disapproving glares.

“You, however, I was actually expecting better of. I’m so disappointed, already going back on your declaration of Ranma being ‘manly’ and of having fulfilled his obligations for a contract he hadn’t even been able to understand when he’d been tricked into placing his palm-print on it. Do you intend to hold that idiotic, and highly illegal, seppuku pledge over Ranma’s head for the rest of his life? Continually judging his every action and word against some measure of supposed MANLINESS that would literally disgust the majority of women in the world? Some example of MOTHERHOOD you’ve turned out to be,” Nabiki stated coldly, the fury in her brown eyes clearly displaying that she’d found the elder woman’s behavior barely above complete contempt. “And I don’t even want to know what you were hinting at doing before I arrived.”

“But my son doesn’t know how to take care of a baby,” Nodoka argued, unwilling to back down before the much younger female, her hands tightening about the silk-wrapped bundle she habitually carried. And how dare this CHILD question HER, either on a matter of honor, which was strictly a family matter, or on her ability to be a good mother. “And as his MOTHER, I know more about caring for a baby than he does!”

“We have only your word, which due to recent events has become suspect, and Ranma’s continued survival to back up such a claim on your part, Saotome-san,” Nabiki shot back, foregoing the expected, and often demanded, ‘Auntie’. “And Ranma’s proven, repeatedly, that he’s a natural survivor, no matter what he’s been forced to endure or had inflicted upon him. And as you had no hand in the majority of his upbringing, you are hardly in a position to claim any credit as to how he’s turned out.”

While Nodoka and Nabiki started ‘discussing’ how one should properly raise a baby, Ukyo was deciding whether it would be a good idea to try to sneak away, before Nabiki turned her attention her way. This opportunity to show her Ranchan how good of a mother she’d be for Nyoko hadn’t panned out, but there would be other opportunities. Moving as stealthily as she could, Ukyo had almost made it to the doorway when her progress was abruptly halted by someone grabbing hold of her battle-spatula. Looking back over her shoulder, Ukyo noted the surprisingly strong grasp upon her weapon, her eyes trailing down the arm to the hand’s owner, Nabiki, who was still engaged in her heated discussion with Mrs. Saotome.

Nabiki, half-listening to Nodoka’s insistent argument that SHE would be a much better choice to care for Nyoko, until Ranma married, to which both father’s heartily agreed, took a moment to shoot the okonomiyaki chef a hard glare. And despite the noise generated by the three so-called ‘adults’, Nabiki’s voice managed to carry clearly to said chef’s ears, “And just where do you think you’re going, Kuonji-san? We have important matters to discuss, you and I.”

-+-+-+-

Kasumi and Ranma-chan watched the arguments flying between the parents and Nabiki. It hadn’t been Nabiki’s initial, admittedly loud, call to order that had upset Nyoko, but the parents’ apparent belief that if they SHOUTED their arguments it would give them more weight and credence, which was continuing to upset her. Ranma-chan was doing her best to calm Nyoko, straightening her shirt and covering herself now that Nyoko was suckling on her bottle, wanting to remove her daughter from such a hostile environment, but was uncertain as to whether or not to leave Nabiki alone to face the others.

Kasumi, on the other hand, gave a pleasant smile and watched as her younger sister deftly countered each one of the parents’ blatantly selfish arguments. Her gaze fell to the redhead beside her, noting the troubled expression, and decided that it would best if the young ‘mother’ and her child were removed from such a disturbing area. Gently coaxing the younger girl from the kitchen, Kasumi led her upstairs and to her own room. Little Nyoko would doubtless prefer a ‘quiet’ nap after she finished eating.

“Ranma-kun, you need to relax. Nabiki is more than capable of dealing with our parents,” Kasumi said with a gentle smile. Then, more hesitantly, she asked, “When Nyoko-chan’s finished eating… can I hold her? Just for a little while?”

Ranma-chan looked over to the eldest Tendo sister as she settled onto the bed beside her, noting the somewhat wistful expression Kasumi had on her face. It was easy to see that Kasumi was thinking of one day holding a baby of her own. Nabiki may have already displayed a surprising knowledge of how to care for a baby, but there was no mistaking the desire to attain such knowledge herself in Kasumi’s caring eyes. And the thought of Kasumi, of all people, doing something, even unintentionally, to bring harm to Nyoko just flat-out wouldn’t enter Ranma-chan’s mind.

“Sure, Kasumi,” Ranma-chan answered, returning the elder girl’s smile with a soft one of her own. Noticing that Nyoko was finished with her bottle, she added, “Just let me burp her and she’ll fall right to sleep.” She didn’t fail to notice that Kasumi avidly watched every detail of the process, from the placement of the small towel over her shoulder, to how she gently rubbed and patted Nyoko’s back, until said baby let out a particularly loud burp, which caused them both to giggle slightly. Then, making sure she was clean, Ranma-chan carefully handed over her precious burden into the elder woman’s arms. Much like Nabiki, Ranma-chan found that Kasumi looked complete with a baby in her arms and, if it was possible, even more beautiful than she’d previously thought her to be. It was something to keep in mind.

Kasumi held little Nyoko gently, watching raptly as the little bundle yawned and waved her arms about while wiggling herself closer to the pleasant warmth of the person holding her. The eldest Tendo sister gave a wistful sigh, imagining Nyoko was her own child, before looking up to smile upon Ranma-chan, only… she was gone. Fear and panic were just beginning to show in Kasumi’s eyes, when she heard her bedroom door opening and she turned to see Ranma-chan struggling get the overly large box containing the ‘Pack-N-Play’ crib she’d purchased earlier in the day through the doorway. Several frustrating minutes later, accompanied with numerous softly muttered curses, “‘Ease of assembly and disassembly for the parent on the go’, my cute little ass! Who wrote these instructions? A drunk orangutan?”, the crib had been properly assembled and was ready for use. Kasumi had waited and watched patiently, reluctant to release the baby even for her nap, but she knew that she likely needed to head downstairs and assist Nabiki in getting the others to calm down so Nyoko could sleep undisturbed.

“Kasumi?” Ranma-chan called, slightly startling the elder girl from her thoughts. “I think Nabiki could use your help with… the others, downstairs. She’s good, but you’ve always had a ‘calming’ influence on those around you and that could make what she’s doing even more effective.” Not that Ranma-chan really knew what Nabiki was attempting to do, other than seemingly trying to get their parents to back off and let her care for Nyoko in relative peace.

Kasumi nodded, reluctantly, but nonetheless rose from her bed to walk over to the crib and gently set Nyoko down within it. “Thank you, Ranma-kun,” she said with a wistful smile, before turning to place a soft kiss on Ranma-chan’s cheek. “If you ever need a place to put Nyoko, so she can sleep undisturbed or for any reason, you can always use my room.” With that said Kasumi made her way out of the room, already turning her attention to the Wa of her home, which had been seriously disturbed by their parents.

Ranma-chan watched her leave, the fingers of one hand rising to softly touch the cheek Kasumi had kissed, before she looked down upon her sleeping daughter, a soft smile appearing on her lips. “I guess Nabiki was right about you and ’single’ guys,” she softly whispered, followed by a soft giggle at her own joke, before she dragged the chair from Kasumi’s vanity over beside the crib and sitting in it. Reaching into what she called ‘Stuffspace’, because one could stuff all kinds of ’stuff’ into it, she pulled out a book and began to read. A moment later, she held out her right hand, which began to glow softly, growing brighter then dimmer, much like the pulse of a heartbeat, as she continued to read and reread the same passage in the book, over and over again, as if attempting to commit it to memory. If any of her usual rivals and/or suitors had witnessed the glow about her hand, they likely would have dismissed it as simply being a part of her usual battle aura being forced into the visible spectrum. Only one or two of those might have noticed that the glow was not Ranma’s normal blue aura, but white.

-X-X-X-

Ku Lon stood on the counter in the Nekohanten as she waited patiently for the last customer to leave as the ‘lunch rush’ ended. She’d known that Son-in-law had returned some time ago from his sudden ‘training trip’, but they’d been so busy with the restaurant lately, and so tired at the end of the day, that they really hadn’t had the energy to look in on him recently. And it was recently that concerned her now, as she kept sensing an aura-based magic of some sort sporadically appearing in the general location of the Tendo-ke and it confused and worried her more than a little.

To Ku Lon’s knowledge, none of the Tendos or Saotomes had shown any talent, or even an interest, for becoming a mage. And while Happi would often dabble in magic, of various sorts, he generally limited himself to the occasional artifact or scroll. Happi didn’t have the patience to actually be bothered with ‘learning’ a truly unassisted form of magic, which aura-based magic most certainly qualified as, being dependent on nothing else save the mage’s own aura.

Sending Xian Pu to investigate wasn’t likely to be very informative; Ku Lon had yet to begin instructing her heir on the identification and classification of various types of magic. And Mu Tsu? That would be an utter waste of time and resources as he’d be more likely to use the opportunity to attack Son-in-law, rather than conduct any kind of covert investigation. ‘If you want something done right, do it yourself!’ she silently lectured herself, before shaking her head and tapping her staff on the counter to draw her great-granddaughter’s attention. “Xian Pu, I need to speak with you.”

Xian Pu ceased wiping down a table and walked over to her great-grandmother, deftly dodging Mu Tsu’s attempt to pull her into a glomp by breaking a handy chair over his head and sending him to the floor. “Great-grandmother going to let Xian Pu see Airen today?”

“Certainly, Child, but I will be accompanying you, as well. There are some strange things occurring over there and I wish to discover if Son-in-law has gotten into trouble once more,” Ku Lon stated as she hopped off the counter onto her staff and began hopping towards the exit. “Mu Tsu!” she called back over her shoulder.

Mu Tsu lifted himself up off the floor to glare in the direction of Ku Lon’s voice, his glasses still on the floor among the debris of the broken chair. “What is it, Old Ghoul?”

SLAM CRASH

Mu Tsu was sent crashing back to the floor as a table slammed into him, tossed at him with a seemingly casual flick of Ku Lon’s staff.

“I may allow Son-in-law to get away with being so disrespectful, on occasion, but I will not have you following in his footsteps! His childhood under the tutelage of his pathetic father grants him some leeway in that regard, but YOU have no such excuse!” Ku Lon growled, before composing herself. “The restaurant will be closed for the remainder of the day, so I want you to use this opportunity to give it a thorough cleaning. Is that understood? The Health Inspectors are overdue for their usual visitation, so I fully expect to find this restaurant spotless upon our return from visiting Son-in-law.”

“Xian Pu is to be MY bride! Not that demon’s!” the near-sighted Amazon snarled back. “I won’t allow ANYONE to take her from me!”

WHACK THUMP

Most people would have learned their lesson after the table, but then Mu Tsu wasn’t most people, as evidenced by the restaurant sign that sent him to the floor for the third time in a row. Still, he wasn’t unconscious yet and struggled back up to his feet.

“You will do as you are told! It is not, and never has been, your place to DICTATE whom Xian Pu may or may not associate with, or how! Nor of where she chooses to go, or where she chooses to live! Come along, Xian Pu,” Ku Lon exclaimed and hopped out the exit, Xian Pu following.

” Great-grandmother, why do you feel it necessary to come with me? “ the purple-haired Amazon asked in her native language, once they were a good distance down the street.

” Just a feeling, Child, “ the older woman responded in kind. ” I sensed something that I haven’t felt in a long time, originating at the Tendo Dojo, and I’m hoping that I won’t have to call upon an old friend to visit. “

” Who is this ‘old friend’? “ Xian Pu asked curiously a short time later.

” Julia Brigand, “ Ku Lon answered as they arrived before the gates to the Tendo-ke. Turning to her heir, she added, ” Well, Julia Brigand ‘Diggers’. It is her husband whose services I may actually require. “

” Her husband? What skills could a lowly male possess that you, an Amazon Elder, would need? “ Xian Pu asked. She thought the question quite reasonable, considering that she’d been raised on the belief that women were naturally superior to men, with an Amazon ‘Elder’ being the most superior, in all respects. Of course, her own ‘Airen’ was a bit of an exception to that rule of thumb, which, of course, made him all the more attractive to her.

Ku Lon lightly smacked her heir over the head with her staff, just hard enough to get her point across, before stating, ” You would do well to remember, Child, that ’skill’ cares not for gender. Your own husband being a prime example. Julia’s husband is a highly skilled warrior in his own right, although in a different manner than ourselves. And yet, one to be respected, even by an Elder of the Amazons. “

Xian Pu rubbed the top of her head as she looked to her great-grandmother. ” What kind of warrior is this husband of Julia Brigand Diggers? “

” A Mage. “

-X-X-X-

Nabiki was pissed. At least, that’s how she felt on the inside, her outer facade, on the other hand, remained seemingly impassive and devoid of expression. It was her ‘business face’ and it was one that revealed nothing… other than the fact that Nabiki was at her most dangerous when she wore it. Sitting across from her at the low table in the main room of the Tendo-ke were Genma and Nodoka Saotome, as well her as her own father, Soun Tendo. In one corner of the room, Ukyo silently sat having ‘decided’ to stick around and wait for her Ranchan to come back downstairs. That Nabiki wanted to ‘talk’ with her, after she’d dealt with the parents… well, that may have had something to do with her remaining presence, but Ukyo would be damned if she’d ever admit that the mercenary Tendo intimidated her.

Not the least bit surprising, considering the cowardly natures of the two males presently in the room, Nodoka fired off the opening salvo. “Nabiki, you must understand our reasoning. Ranma doesn’t know how to care for a baby, or raise a child. As his mother, he respects my greater knowledge and wisdom in this matter and knows that I would raise any children he may have in the proper manner.”

“Ranma does not ‘respect’ you, Saotome-san, he ‘fears’ you,” Nabiki stated bluntly. “There is a fine line between the two. The last thing any child should feel towards its own mother, however, is fear. And before you go off about fear being unmanly, if an individual is without fear then they can’t possibly be courageous; and by your own definition of ‘manliness’, if Ranma isn’t courageous then he can’t be ‘manly’. Courage is the ‘controlling’ of one’s own fears, not their absence. The only one’s truly without fear are the dead and buried. And it’s not seppuku, which you seem so fond of threatening him with, that he fears. It’s disappointing you, his own mother. Fortunately, in my opinion, that fear is waning as you continue to show not the slightest respect nor concern for his own wishes, harping on about honor, tradition and manliness, while utterly ignoring your own husband’s failings in those areas. And worst of all, forcing him to deal with the problems your husband created, when the only ones in ANY position to actually resolve those problems are you and your husband, NOT Ranma!”

“Nabiki, please,” Soun started, as Nodoka sputtered in outrage at being called to task for her failings towards her own child. “We know what’s best for Ranma and your sister. We’re only trying to give… them…” Soun’s voice stuttered to a stop as his daughter turned an all-too-familiar glare upon him. ‘So like her mother,’ he thought as he shivered in remembrance. Many had been the time his late-wife had sent such a glare in his direction when he’d done something incredibly stupid or selfish, often followed by a severe beating, cold meals and a cold, hard bed in the dojo for several days thereafter, at least.

“Soun’s right, girl! And I’m appalled at the disrespect you’ve shown my wife and I, not to mention your own father! As ‘parents’, we know best what is in the best interest of our children!” Genma stated firmly, hoping to score points with his slowly calming wife and avoid sharp objects in the immediate future.

“Then by your own argument,” Nabiki retorted shifting her glare to Genma, “Ranma, as Nyoko’s ‘parent’, would know what was best for HIS daughter, not you! Still, for the sake of argument, let’s look at your track record to date… The Neko-ken, a technique forbidden because it all but guaranteed the death or insanity of the victim forced to undergo it. Multiple engagements for marriage, when Ranma can only ‘honorably’ marry ONE. Jusenkyo.”

Nabiki’s glare shifted to Nodoka, “The seppuku contract, which requires Ranma to be a ‘man among men’, BUT fails to stipulate what that entails and for which the requirements appear to vary depending upon what YOU want Ranma to do. The insistence that Ranma act ‘manly’, at ALL times, even when Ranma’s in girl-form, UNLESS it’s in YOUR best interests for Ranma to behave as a ‘proper young lady’.”

Nabiki’s glare once again falls upon her father, “Cousteau’s bordello and an offer of ‘new talent’ in lieu of payment for services received.

“And let’s not forget more recent events,” Nabiki continued, panning her glare over all three now. “How was it in Ranma’s ‘best interest’ to be attacked, forcibly dressed in wedding clothes and all but dragged before a priest to marry a girl that herself had been coerced into agreeing to a marriage that would utterly DESTROY the honor of all involved?

“No, Saotome-san,” Nabiki stated, “I DON’T think you, your wife, or my own father, as ‘parents’, know what is in the ‘best interest’ of your children! And as for ‘respect’, that is EARNED and goes both ways! I extended the same amount of respect to you and your wife that I grant to anyone else that I encounter for the first time on a day-to-day basis, upon our first meeting. Whether that respect ‘grew’ or ‘diminished’ was entirely dependent upon your own actions and words. So, if I seem ‘disrespectful’ towards you… consider it fairly earned on your parts!”

“Young lady… and I use that term in its loosest sense,” Nodoka growled through her teeth, while sitting rigidly erect. “We are older and wiser than you, a mere child, and demand the respect that is our due as your elders!”

“Older, yes,” Nabiki stated matter-of-factly. “Wiser? I haven’t seen any evidence of it. And while I may be younger, I have already learned one very important fact of life… older DOES NOT, in any way, shape, or form, mean wiser!”

“A very good point indeed, Child,” a wizened voice spoke up as Ku Lon hopped into the room from the veranda, Xian Pu following. “A point, in fact, I would have done well to remember during my earliest encounters with Son-in-law. I was such a fool in my handling of the situation, so full of my own so-called ‘wisdom’ that I never bothered to question whether or not I was actually handling things in the most beneficial manner. And, as a result of my earlier foolishness, Xian Pu has yet to claim her husband.”

“Great-grandmother?” Xian Pu asked, shocked that an Amazon Elder would admit to ANY weakness, let alone before Outsiders.

Ku Lon cackled with mirth at her great-granddaughter’s shocked expression. “Are you so surprised, Child, that I would acknowledge not being perfect or as ‘wise’ as I often try to appear? Perfection is an unattainable goal, yet one worth striving for, and wisdom is where you find it.”

“The first step towards true wisdom…” Nabiki began.

“…is first acknowledging how little you know,” Ku Lon finished. “The second step, is understanding that knowledge and experience are not the same thing, nor do they always come together and neither is fully dependent upon the passage of time. Why… some of the wisest words I’d ever heard spoken, were uttered from the lips of a four-year-old child.”

“Really, Great-grandmother?” Xian Pu asked. “What were these words and who spoke them?”

“You spoke them, Child!” Ku Lon cackled. “Right after getting into your great-aunt’s spice garden and making a mess of it. You just stood there, your face all red, your cheeks and lips swollen; sweat pouring off you as your great-aunt wound down from scolding you for making such a mess of her garden. And when she asked if you had learned you lesson and what that lesson had been, you stated, and I quote: Don’t eat the little green-and-red peppers, they’re HOT!”

As Xian Pu flushed bright red in embarrassment, Ku Lon continued to cackle and snickers made their way about the other occupants of the room, easing the previous tensions somewhat.

“Oh my goodness,” Kasumi said entering the room from the kitchen, a serving tray containing a teapot and cups in her hands, and her own face flushed with humor. “That reminds me of the time Akane got into Mother’s garden and ate some cayenne peppers. She couldn’t taste anything else for a month afterwards.”

Nabiki arched an eyebrow at that little tidbit of information. It could certainly explain a lot where her little sister’s cooking was concerned.

“Thank you, Child!” Ku Lon politely stated accepting a cup of fine Wu Long tea from Kasumi and taking a sip. “Now then, I believe you were all discussing something to do with ‘respect’, before I so rudely interrupted and for which I apologize. Respect for whom and why, if I may ask?”

“Actually, we were discussing the so-called ‘adults’ behavior towards Ranma and his most recent problem,” Nabiki said rather stiffly, her anger returning in an instant.

“A family matter, in fact,” Nodoka added, glaring at Nabiki. “Which really does not concern anyone other the Saotome family!”

“As Ranma and your husband have been residing in our home for the past two years and by all indications will continue to do so,” Nabiki returned. “And considering that Ranma is considered a member of my own family in all but fact, I feel fully justified in looking out for HIS ‘best interests’ as his own parents seem incapable of doing so.”

“Where Airen?” Xian Pu spoke up before things could escalate any further. She wanted to see Ranma very badly as she hadn’t seen him in several days and she wanted to learn about this new ‘problem’ from him.

Kasumi’s expression became troubled as she considered the advisability of revealing Ranma’s location or not. Nyoko was, without question, a beautiful baby, but she wasn’t entirely human either, based on what Kasumi had seen of Xeris, and she didn’t know how the Amazons would react to her.

Ku Lon’s eyes focused on the eldest Tendo sister, noting her troubled expression, and correctly surmised that she was trying to decide on how to answer her great-granddaughter. Truthfully, Ku Lon could locate the boy herself, simply by seeking out his chi, but why waste the energy when another source was available? “From your expression, Child, I can see that you know where Son-in-law is,” she stated. Both Nabiki and Kasumi looked to the Elder, then each other, before slowly nodding in agreement to the statement. “Then is there some reason you are reluctant to tell my great-granddaughter his location?”

Kasumi looked to Nabiki who, after a moment’s consideration, shrugged her shoulders and said, “If she really wants to find him, she can. And they’re going to find out sooner or later, anyway.”

“He’s upstairs in my room,” Kasumi said with a sigh, “with Nyoko.”

“Nyoko?” Xian Pu asked, looking puzzled at Kasumi, before her eyes narrowed. “Who Nyoko? Is obstacle?”

“NO!” both Nabiki and Kasumi yelled out before Xian Pu could move.

“Nyoko is NOT an obstacle!” Nabiki stated, getting up and placing herself between Xian Pu and the way to the stairs. “Don’t you even THINK of harming her!”

“And who is this ‘Nyoko’, Tendo-san?” Ku Lon asked, noting that Nabiki had become far more protective of Ranma of late. The eldest Tendo sister also seemed to have grown more protective for some reason.

“Nyoko is Ranma’s daughter,” Kasumi stated without any fear or shame.

Ku Lon’s eyes widened in shocked surprise, before quickly turning to her great-granddaughter who looked just as shocked and surprised as she was. Then Xian Pu’s expression changed to one of anguish, anger and pain, before she leapt forward, shoving Nabiki aside and rushing up the stairs. Ku Lon quickly followed her great-granddaughter, knowing she had to stop her from doing something reckless. Reaching the top of the stairs, she swiftly moved towards the far end of the hallway, shouting out, ” Xian Pu! Stand down! “

Ku Lon came to the end of the hall to find Xian Pu standing before the open door to Kasumi’s bedroom, her entire body trembling. Whether from sorrow or anger, Ku Lon chose not enquire at the moment as she moved up beside her great-granddaughter to peer into the room. Within the room, Ranma-chan was gently rocking a crying baby in her arms, softly cooing in an attempt to calm it. Xian Pu’s slumping against the doorframe drew her attention away from the baby and to the two Amazons.

Ku Lon watched with intense interest as Ranma-chan seemed to instinctively place as much of her own body between them and the baby as she could, while keeping them within her sight, and slowly beginning to edge towards the nearest window while continuing to try and calm the baby.

“It’s okay, Nyoko. Daddy’s right here. I’m not going to let them hurt you,” Ranma calmly whispered to her daughter, but still loud enough for Ku Lon to hear.

A moment later, the rest of the household arrived, crowding the hallway behind the Amazons, with Nabiki and Kasumi trying to wedge the others aside and gain entry to the bedroom. Xian Pu stepped aside, allowing the elder sisters of her main rival to enter, while Ku Lon cautiously followed the two, only to immediately stop when Ranma-chan stepped closer to the window and appeared to be about to jump through it. Kasumi stopped as well, once Nabiki reached Ranma and Nyoko.

“Tell me, Child, is that newborn of Ranma’s blood?” Ku Lon asked quietly, while watching the interaction between her Son-in-law and Nabiki, whom she noticed was now also keeping herself between the baby and the Amazons.

“If you are asking if Ranma-chan is the birth-mother, or if Ranma-kun is the sire, of Nyoko… no, on both counts,” Kasumi responded, taking a seat upon her bed. From her closer position to them, Kasumi could barely hear Nabiki quietly talking and trying to keep Ranma-chan from jumping out the window with Nyoko. Or at least, that was the part she could make out.

“So you no give birth to Airen’s baby?” Xian Pu asked of Kasumi, before directing the same question at Nabiki without waiting for an answer.

“Heavens, Child, none of Son-in-law’s other women, which we know of, could have given birth to that baby or we would have seen the progress months ago!” Ku Lon sighed in exasperation. She couldn’t believe that her own flesh and blood could be THAT stupid.

“Great-grandmother consider what know of Airen’s life,” Xian Pu fired back with an almost patronizing glare, “and then tell Xian Pu that it no entirely possible!”

Ku Lon opened her mouth to do exactly that, but then stopped, mouth still open as memories of all the seemingly impossible things that occurred around her Son-in-law came to the fore. Her mouth closed with an audible snap. “Good point, Great-granddaughter,” Ku Lon admitted, before turning a scrutinizing eye upon the two sisters and then Ranma-chan. “However, neither of their auras is that of a woman that has undergone childbirth. Nor does Son-in-law possess such an aura.”

Ku Lon’s comments elicited a snort from Ranma-chan, who shifted the baby in her arms slightly to a more comfortable position and finally allowed Ku Lon a clear view of the baby’s features, especially the baby’s oddly spotted blonde hair. She almost gasped in amazement and awe as a bit of ancient Amazon lore was suddenly recalled. If she was correct in her suspicions as to the baby’s heritage, her Son-in-law was holding the stuff of legends in her arms. “Son-in-law…” she asked slowly, hoping and yet daring not to, “is that baby… a were-creature?”

Kasumi and Nabiki looked concernedly towards Ranma-chan as she held the baby even closer to herself and stepped back against Nabiki, trying to move even closer to the window. All the consoling the middle sister had done had been undone with that single question from Ku Lon. Ranma-chan was ready to bolt.

“You can’t have her, Old Ghoul!” Ranma-chan flatly growled. And it was that ‘growling’ quality to her voice that surprised and worried everyone in the room, as it readily brought to mind just how dangerous Ranma could be when he, or she at the moment, went ‘cat’. “I don’t care what your ‘laws’ say, you can’t have her, and I won’t let you harm her!”

“Please, Son-in-law, just answer my question,” Ku Lon said in as calm and soothing of a tone as she could manage, while continuing to look over the baby as best she could. “Is that baby a were-creature? We are not so barbaric as to take a child from its mother.”

“MY SON IS NO ONE’S MOTHER!” Genma shouted into the room, causing Nyoko to wail at the sudden and loud noise. All eyes focused on the only male Saotome in the room, who took a quick step or two back into the hall, as the majority of the gazes upon him were anything but friendly. “He’s not,” Genma said in a much lower volume. “In fact, if he’s so worried about raising the little brat properly, he should marry Akane this very minute, so it’ll have a REAL mother!”

“You’re absolutely right, Saotome. And no one else will marry EXCEPT those two!” Soun stated, as if it was an indisputable fact and ordained by Kami-sama himself. Unfortunately, that didn’t settle all that well with the two fiancées present and they were about to display just how ‘disputable’ such a statement was, violently. Ukyo pulled her battle-spatula from its harness on her back and Xian Pu was about to bring forth her paired bonbori when Ku Lon stopped her and pushed her away from the doorway.

“THAT’S IT!” the redhead snarled, and this time there was no mistaking the feline quality to her voice or the rumbling growl that filled the room and continued to do so, as she passed a still wailing Nyoko into a surprised Nabiki’s arms and began to slowly stalk towards the two men. Ku Lon’s eyes widened in shock when she noted the flickering of claws made of chi emerging from the tips of Ranma-chan’s fingers, before they were obscured from view by the manifestation of Ranma-chan’s battle aura which shifted between blue and red for a moment before settling on a light-purple. Ranma-chan may not have slipped into the Neko-ken, but she was dangerously close to doing so, hovering just close enough to the brink to manifest some of its qualities and her battle aura shouldn’t have shifted colors so readily. “This has gone on long enough!” Ranma-chan growled, jumping the fathers and brutally hammering and kicking at the two, driving them back down the hallway to kick them both down the stairs. “I’m SICK of everyone trying to control MY LIFE, and I’ll be DAMNED if I’ll allow any of you to try and interfere in my DAUGHTER’S! I ain’t marryin’ ANYONE! Not today, not tomorrow, maybe never! And if you even THINK of trying to take my baby awa–” Ranma-chan’s eyes suddenly rolled back in their sockets and she collapsed to the floor, allowing the two cowering men to see Ku Lon standing over the now unconscious Ranma-chan, her staff still raised from utilizing a shiatsu pressure point to render the furious redhead unconscious.

“We were not going to get anywhere while she was like that,” the Amazon Elder stated, as the two elder Tendo sisters rushed forward to examine Ranma-chan’s unconscious form. “Do not worry yourselves; she will regain consciousness in only a few minutes. Now tell me, is that child a were-creature?”

Nabiki glanced down at Nyoko, unconsciously tightening her grip, and then looked back up at Ku Lon. There was no profit in keeping Nyoko’s heritage from the Amazon Elder, but there may be some if… “So what if she is? What then?”

Ku Lon stepped slowly closer to the middle sister and gently pulled aside the blanket to see the baby more fully. “And what did her mother look like? What animal did she most resemble?”

Kasumi, having repositioned Ranma-chan onto her back with her head resting in her lap, decided to answer that question, “She looked like a cheetah.”

The Amazon Elder nodded knowingly, as if Kasumi’s statement was merely acknowledging what she’d already surmised, before stepping back and bowing, deeply, towards Nabiki and Nyoko. When Xian Pu didn’t immediately follow suit, Ku Lon’s staff flashed up to strike her abdomen and bend her over in a similarly deep bow and struggling to regain her breath. “We apologize for any inconvenience, Tendo-san. Please, inform Son-in-… Ranma that I would like to speak with her later, at her convenience, once she has settled in taking care of one of the Great Races. Come, Xian Pu, there is much to discuss and things we must do.” With that, she hopped down the stairs and out of the Tendo-ke. Xian Pu hesitated a moment, looking pensively towards Ranma-chan, then Nyoko, and finally Nabiki, before turning about and rushing after her great-grandmother.

Ukyo stood there in the hallway, at a loss for anything to say as she watched the two sisters caring for HER Ranchan. Maybe she could still win Ranma over by helping to care for the baby until she recovered and could see how good of a mother she’d make. She started to walk towards the two sisters, her mouth beginning to open with an offer of assistance, but she was stopped with a glare from Nabiki. That glare stated in no uncertain terms that it was time for her to leave the Tendo-ke or there would be trouble that could take her years to fix, if ever. With a sigh, Ukyo left them to care for her fiancé and her future stepdaughter, hoping that she would have better luck the following day.

The Saotome matriarch was frustrated, angry, and she didn’t really know what to do. She wanted to tell her son that he wasn’t behaving in a manly fashion and that it would only be proper to turn over the care of his daughter to her, a real woman and his own mother. And she also wanted to bring that insolent and disrespectful child, Nabiki, to heel for her malicious and unwarranted behavior towards her earlier. Whether her son respected her or feared her was irrelevant, in any case, so long as he obeyed her and followed her wishes. It would be easier, for everyone, if he respected her and obeyed her without question, but she was his mother, she knew what was best for her son and her grandchild, and that was all there was to it. Nodoka watched as Kasumi lifted her son-turned-daughter from the floor and carried her back to her own room, Nabiki following behind carrying the baby and came to a decision. Yes, she would reprimand Nabiki later, seeing as Soun obviously wasn’t man enough to keep his daughter’s in line. Right now, however, she wished to speak with her son and so headed for the kitchen to produce the first requirement to do so.

Nabiki watched as the matriarch of the Saotome family left the four of them in the hallway to fend for themselves, obviously with a goal in mind as her stride was swift and determined. ‘Whatever she’s planning can’t be good,’ she thought, following Kasumi into her bedroom and watching her arrange the redhead upon the bed comfortably. Feeling Nyoko begin to squirm about in her arms, Nabiki took a quick peek inside her diaper and scowled. Yep, time for a diaper change. Potty training wouldn’t come soon enough, in her opinion. Dealing with dirty diapers was the one aspect of babies that Nabiki absolutely hated. But then, who didn’t? Spying the knapsack next to the ‘Pack-N-Play’ crib, Nabiki released a sigh and got the task over with as quickly, efficiently, and gently as possible. Task completed, Nabiki carried Nyoko over to Kasumi’s bed and lay her down beside Ranma-chan, before sitting upon the bed herself.

“I think things have changed between Ranma and everyone else,” Nabiki said softly, beginning to gently tickle Nyoko’s tummy. “And not all for the better. Although I am curious as to what Cologne wants to talk to Ranma about.”

Kasumi nodded, taking her own place upon the bed on the opposite side of the slumbering redhead. She began to gently run her fingers through the smaller girl’s hair, before looking over to her sister. “What do you think Ranma-kun should do, Imotochan?”

“I don’t know, Kasumi. I honestly don’t know,” Nabiki replied sadly. “There’s too many variables to come up with any quick and simple answer.”

-X-X-X-

Across an ocean and half a continent away from Nerima, Japan, on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, a telephone began to ring. After a few minutes of annoying ringing, a feminine hand plucked the receiver from its cradle and lifted it to the crook of a redhead’s neck, before the hand returned to holding the bottle upon which an eight-month-old baby contentedly suckled.

“Hello. Diggers residence,” Julia Brigand Diggers spoke.

“Julia?” queried a wizened voice in response from the other end of the line.

“This is she.”

“Julia, it’s Ku Lon,” the Amazon Elder identified herself. Then, after an obvious pause, “I need to speak to your husband.”

“Of course, Elder Ku Lon. Might I ask what for?” Julia questioned. The last time she had heard from the Amazon Elder had been when she’d been asked to take part in a ritual.

“It’s in regard to something I’ve come across here in Japan.”

“Alright, just a moment.” Julia set the phone down on the counter before moving to the hallway adjacent to the kitchen. “Theo! Ku Lon’s on the phone with something important!” She returned to the phone and placed the receiver back to her ear as she rocked little Britanny in her arms as she finished eating. Once she heard Theo pick up the phone in his den, she replaced the receiver in its cradle.

“How are you, Elder Ku Lon?” Theodore Diggers asked, sitting back in his desk chair comfortably.

“I’m doing well for my age, Dr. Diggers,” Ku Lon responded with a half-hearted sigh. “I need your advice on a pupil of mine. I believe he’s developing abilities similar to what you Aura Mages manifest.”

“Is that so?” Theo asked, not really expecting an answer as he leaned over to retrieve one of his earlier books on magic from the bookshelf. “What have you noticed so far?”

“Only feelings of aura-based magic coming from his place of residence and an odd shifting of colors in his battle aura,” Ku Lon answered, sounding as if she were losing her finest pupil in the Art of War to another Art that she could not teach. “Could you come here, to Japan, that’s where I’m residing at the moment?”

“Certainly, Elder, I would be honored to meet this pupil of yours if they were good enough to catch your interest in teaching them. Now they appear to have some ability with magic? I’m not just honored to meet them, I’m eager,” Theo said with a smile, picking up a pen and a sheet of paper. “Just give me your address and I can be there in a few days, if that’s alright? We added a new family member in our home a couple of months ago and I’d like to bring my family with me.”

“Oh? And who is this ‘new’ family member might I ask? Did your daughter Gina discover a magic lamp and wish for a younger sibling?” the Amazon chuckled. “Or did Julia ‘work’ it out of you the old-fashioned way?”

“Actually… I saved her from a massacre in Scotland,” Theo stated quietly, “between the werewolves and werecheetahs.” Ku Lon’s chuckling abruptly ceased and nothing could be heard from her end of the line for several moments, almost as if the phone line had been severed. “Elder?”

“Which one is she?”

“A werecheetah. She’s the last of her kind.”

“I think you may want to get over here as quickly as possible, Theodore. I might have some good news to go along with introducing you to your new pupil.”