In a clearing in a forest four figures stood in pairs opposing each other. On one side was Cologne and Shampoo, the Amazons. Opposing them was Son Pan and Saotome Ranma. Cologne stood atop her staff, a deadly serious look on her face. Shampoo stood to her side ceremonial sword in hand. Pan stretched out her limbs while Ranma stood with his arms crossed.
After a bit Cologne spoke, “Today we fight for the honor of the Amazon Tribe. You Son Pan, have great power and have already defeated one of our warriors. Today you will battle the Matriarch of the Amazons of Joketsuzoku. Do you accept the challenge?”
“I’m not here to sing show tunes for you.” Pan answered snidely.
“A yes or no, child.”
“Yes, I’m here for your stupid challenge.”
“Any special conditions you would like to impose.”
“No Shiatsu techniques. I don’t want a full body cat tongue or anything like that.”
“You’ve done your homework.”
“Ranma’s told me all about you Old Ghoul. Let’s just get on with it.”
“Then let the trial begin.”
Pan charged Cologne across the ground. She pulled back her hand and jabbed at Cologne. Cologne disappeared before the blow could land. Cologne appeared behind Pan and swatted her across the clearing into a tree. Pan pulled herself up and charged again, same result, opposite side of the clearing.
Pan began to get a little miffed at the little troll. So she’s a little faster then I thought. Time to take it up a notch. Pan dropped her hands to her side started to yell. Small rocks started to fly up around her. She increased her Ki level to about half of her full power.
Pan narrowed her gaze. “Let’s try that again.”
Pan charged again. This time Pan feinted forward and did a snap kick to the rear. Cologne nailed her from the side. Pan picked herself up and started to send a barrage of punches and kicks in Cologne’s directions. Cologne deflected all the blows with her staff.
Pan gritted her teeth and did a moon saw kick and flipped up and away from Cologne. In a series of fluid movements she took off all her weighted clothing and threw them at Cologne. Cologne easily dodged them. Pan landed in undershirt and jeans, black hair blowing in the wind behind her. Then Pan disappeared. She reappeared next to Cologne and struck, again Cologne evaded the strike.
The dueling pair disappeared pair disappeared. Random explosions appeared all around, results of the impacts of the blows being thrown. Ranma stood back and took stock of the whole fight. He now realized why he could never move faster than the Old Ghoul, and she was holding back on him! He also considered how powerful his Neko Ken form was. When drowned in the fear that cats give him, that form after he loses his sanity was fast and powerful enough to defeat Cologne. If only he could tap that power when he was sane. He would be able to take on Pan at full power.
The battle raged for a good half-hour, both combatants giving their all. Finally Cologne came to rest toward the center of the clearing. Pan was going full tilt now. She flew into Cologne and re-engaged. During the whole fight, Cologne had just been using her speed, not strength. For strength, Cologne had been using Pan’s against her. Pan and Cologne started to circle.
Ranma realized what was coming and tried to shout to Pan; but before he could get the shout out, another drowned his out.
“HIRYU SHOTEN HA!”
Pan was sent flying into the air. She was a little bit smarter about it this time than when she fought Ranma. Instead of trying to resist the cyclone, she rode the currents. She increased her speed and burst through the top of the cyclone and prepared her answer to the strike.
“KAMEHAMEHA!” Pan unleashed the powerful blast at the base of the cyclone.
“NEKO SHOUGEKIHA! <Cat Shockwave>” Cologne answered with a blast of her own.
The two blasts collided. Cologne’s blast was obviously much smaller, but Cologne used hers with control. Cologne maneuvered herself so that her blast would knock Pan’s aside into the still raging cyclone. Pan had to release the blast and dodge quickly to avoid being hit by her own shot.
Pan turned the air and came about again. She landed a few yards away from the cyclone and started unleashing a salvo of small Ki blasts at Cologne. Cologne charged at Pan and dodged the machine gun blasts of Ki and closed the gap between them. A few feet in front of Pan, Cologne threw her staff at Pan. Pan easily bent at the hip and dodged the staff without moving her feet or stopping the barrage. The staff drove into the ground behind Pan. Cologne got a couple of feet from Pan and powered up a Ki blast and released it behind her. Cologne slammed into Pan, and the momentum from the blast propelled both of them into the staff. The top of the staff hit Pan in the small of the back.
Cologne put a hand Pan and the other on the staff. “AMAZON HIRAISHIN! <Amazon Lightning Rod>.
Pan could feel her power leaving her. She had felt a similar feeling when Ms. Hinako was draining her. She disengaged herself from Cologne and her staff and jumped away.
“What did you just do to me?!” Pan shouted between heavy breaths.
Cologne, looking a little ragged, jumped to the top of her staff and with a single pogo dislodged it. “An ancient Amazon technique. Just like a lightning rod sends the electricity to the ground, this technique sends your Ki into the earth. Now we fight on even terms.”
Cologne started raining blows on Pan. Pan tried to give as well as she took. After another fifteen minutes, Pan actually managed to land a blow on Cologne. Cologne thanked her with a baseball swing from her staff across Pan’s head. Pan went flying again, and smacked into another hapless tree.
Pan pulled herself up again. She was looking really ragged. Her clothes were torn and she looked physically exhausted. A trickle of blood came out of the corner of her mouth. She’s just been playing with me all along. Making me use my power up to the point she could use her power move. She’s definitely a great marital artist. I’ve don’t have the strength to go at the same pace we have been going. I’ve got to try something else. Pan wiped the blood from her mouth and got into a defensive stance.
Cologne watched as Pan pulled herself up. She really is an amazing child. She has taken some the most powerful attacks of the Amazons and still stands. Time to close this fight with a personal touch. Cologne brought herself to her full height atop her staff. She stretched out her hands above her head.
“KAME HASAI HAIZAN! < Turtle Crushing Defeat>”
Pan saw the
large light form in Cologne’s hands, and that was the last thing she saw before
the heat of the blast hit her and she lost consciousness. As the light was fading, her last thought
was: I’ve been knocked out more
times than in my entire life since I met Ranma…
Pan came around a short while later. She opened her eyes to see Ranma looking over her.
“You alright?”
“I think. I feel like somebody took my body and cracked it open and made scrambled eggs with my insides. Where’s Cologne?”
“She’s in the middle of the clearing waiting for you to come around.”
Ranma helped Pan up. Ranma threw one of Pan’s arms around his neck to support her as he brought her upright.
“Bring her over here Son-In-Law.” Cologne beckoned.
Ranma walked Pan over to Cologne. Pan looked up at the old woman atop her gnarled staff. How the hell does that staff survive all those attacks? Pan thought. “What was this all about again?”
“This was a trial for acceptance, or initiation if you will. You bested an Amazon warrior. You were spared the kiss of death by an Amazon’s betrothed. The only way for the law to be satisfied was if you were to become an Amazon. You have impressed the Matriarch and so you will be accepted.”
“What if she didn’t want to be an Amazon?” Ranma did not like where this was going.
“She accepted the challenge. She will be an Amazon now and honor will be satisfied.”
Pan looked down and shook her head. “But I lost…”
“If you had won, then I would not be worthy of being the Amazon Matriarch.” Cologne reached into her robe and produced a book and handed it to Pan. “Here is our laws you will learn and obey them.”
Pan wearily grabbed the book and looked at the title. “'Joketsuzoku Book Of Law, Third Revision'”
“No one outside of the tribe can see that. Only you and Son-In-Law may view it at the Tendo home. But I’ll save you some reading and tell you the whole reason for this fight. Now that you have accepted the challenge and become an Amazon, by honor you must relinquish any claim to Saotome Ranma, and respect Shampoo’s claim to him. First come, first serve you know.”
“You got to be kidding me!” Pan managed to stand on her own power for a second before crumbling into Ranma again. “I already gave up on Ranma!”
“I knew there was someone we forgot to tell.” Ranma said aside.
“Oh well. Welcome to the club. You got your book, see you later.” Cologne pogoed away towards Nerima. Shampoo stopped to hug both Pan and Ranma.
“Shampoo so happy! Get new sister and keep husband! Is happy day!” Shampoo let them go and followed Cologne through the forest.
“Let me see that book a sec.” Pan handed Ranma the book of law. Ranma flipped a few pages and read a couple passages (the Japanese side of the pages, of course). “It’s what I was afraid of.”
“What?”
“It works both ways.”
“What?!”
“If you want to marry a man outside the tribe, he must first beat you in full combat.”
“WHAT!?!?!”
That evening an exhausted Ranma carried a battered Pan on his back and her weighted clothes slung on his front to the front gate of the Tendo dojo. Akane was there waiting. She ran up to help Ranma with his burden. She took Pan’s arm and brought it over her own shoulder. She helped Pan walk inside.
“What happened? What did Cologne do?”
Ranma shook his head. “I’ll sum it up in one phrase: Meet the latest Amazon.”
Akane froze in place as her jaw dropped. “What!?”
“That’s what I said.” Pan went on to explain the whole fight and the complications that went along with it.
“You didn’t know it was an initiation! You can refuse to be an Amazon.”
“No.” Pan took a deep breath. “It’s my own fault for not asking what the whole fight was about beforehand. I was just charging in bull headed and not thinking.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.” Akane smiled at Ranma.
“You are so uncute.” Ranma walked inside and dropped Pans clothes in the entryway. He grabbed Pan’s other arm and helped Akane take her up to her room.
Once they opened the door they laid Pan down on her mat.
“Ranma, can you do me a favor.” Pan asked.
“Sure. What do you want?”
“Can you reach into my school bag and take out the leather pouch in the front pocket.”
Ranma went over to her bag and found the pouch. He opened it up and saw a single little bean lying in the bottom.
“Anything left in there?”
“Yeah, but it’s just a little bean.”
“Great! Bring it here!”
Ranma handed Pan the bean and she promptly ate it. In the time it took Ranma to blink, all of Pan’s wounds were healed and she was returned to full power. She flexed her muscles and stretched a little as Ranma and Akane just stared in amazement. Pan finally noticed the looks Ranma and Akane were giving her.
“Don’t you guys know about Senzu Beans?”
Ranma and Akane shook their heads.
“Next you’ll be telling me you don’t know about Karin.”
Ranma and Akane shook their heads.
“Kami’s lookout?”
“I’ve heard about Kami.” Akane answered. “But who hasn’t heard about Kami?”
“Do you know what Kami looks like?”
Akane thought for a second and then went into a dissertation of the beautiful deity that surrounds us all and protects us from harm, etc.
Pan shook her head. “He’s a green alien with antenna.”
Ranma about died laughing. Akane prepared the mallet to finish the job.
The next morning Pan started hunting Ms. Hinako a few blocks earlier than she had the past two days. She found another hiding place and waited for the teacher. After a little while Ms. Hinako showed, still in adult form. Pan waited until Ms. Hinako had taken one step past her, and attacked!
Again, as in the previous two days, Pan was successful and moved with such speed that Ms. Hinako couldn’t track her.
Ms. Hinako felt where the impacts of the pressure points were. I thank you, whoever you are, for your help in my plans, but I just wish that you would go a little bit easier on me. These bruises are embarrassing.
After school that day, Ranma, and the girls went to Ucchan’s for bite to eat. Pan and Ukyou talked awhile and got to know each other a little bit better. Afterward they left Ucchan’s, were assaulted by Kuno and Mousse. Ranma easily fought them off. Shampoo clomped onto Ranma, Akane malleted him. Overall, pretty much a normal day in Nerima.
After a while they all went home to continue training. As they entered the house, they saw Mr. Saotome (in Panda form) playing with a tire, Kasumi cooking, and Nabiki going through her books.
“Where’s dad?” Akane asked.
“He’s in his room visiting his shrine to mother.” Kasumi answered sweetly.
“Ok. Thanks. Come on guys, let’s get to training.” Akane and the others changed clothes and went outback to continue their training in the Kame Sennin art.
Meanwhile, in Soun’s room. Soun was just finished talking to his wife’s shrine. He said a silent prayer and just sat and looked at his wife’s picture for a while.
“She was very lovely.” A voice from the shadows behind him said.
“Yes. Yes she is.”
“When did she die?”
“About eleven years ago.”
“What kind of person was she?”
“She is good and kind. She never speaks badly of anyone. She loves and cares for her family.”
“You still love her?”
“With all my heart.”
The figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Ms. Hinako. She was wearing a very nice but small dress. She walked over and sat down next to Soun. “Was she a very understanding person?”
“Yes. She is.”
“Did you and her ever talk about what would happen if either of you were to pass on?”
Soun looked down to the floor. “We talked about it. She said that we should try to go on with our lives. I told her I would never be able to live if she died.”
Ms. Hinako put a hand on his shoulder. “And what did she say?”
“The same thing she tells me everyday: ‘You’re a stubborn and foolish man, but that’s why I love you.’”
“Soun, you shouldn’t live in the past. She died over a decade ago. You’ve mourned her enough. You should honor her memory by continuing to live in the now.”
“But she still lives. I see her everyday in my three daughters.”
“Do you ever think that your daughters miss having a mother?”
“I’m sure they do. But they’ve managed well so far.”
Ms. Hinako moved around in front of Soun. She took his hands in hers and looked him in the eye. “Soun. I’m not going to try to deceive you or beat around the bush. I’ve seen you have a proud and noble family. I also see that you are a kind and loving person. I want to be a part of your family. I want to be a mother to your daughters. Most of all I want to be your wife. Soun, I love you.”
Soun looked her in the eye and saw that she spoke the truth. A million thoughts, concerns, and worries flew through his mind. “What is your full name?”
“Ninomiya Hinako.”
Soun stared into her eyes and noticed that she was indeed very lovely. “Ninomiya Hinako. I have heard your proposal, but I must think about it. I cannot come to a decision like this on the spur of the moment. I must consider my family.”
“I understand. That’s why I love you.”
As they stared at one another, a shout could be heard from outside.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”
“CRASH!”
Ranma crashed through the wall and left a crater when he landed. He stood up and brushed himself off. “That uncute, unsexy…Ms. Hinako? What are you doing her?” Ranma had finally seen the schoolteacher and Soun still holding hands. “Oh no you don’t!” Ranma started walking over to them.
“Now hold on, Son.” Soun stood and held out his hand to hold Ranma at bay. “She came here in peace. I shall allow her to stay as long as that doesn’t change.”
“Ranma, where are you?” Akane climbed up into the hole that Ranma’s impact had made. When Ranma didn’t immediately come back down, or at least start shouting insults about her; she had thought something might be wrong. She couldn’t be more right. “Ms. Hinako? Dad? What’s going on here?”
“Ms. Hinako has come here with a proposal. One that I will weigh all the pros and cons and come to answer to.”
“I know what proposal that was. Dad, you can’t marry her. You remember what happened the last time she stayed her, don’t you? She just sat around watching cartoons all day!”
“Yeah, and her cooking was worse than Akane’s!” Ranma decided to add in his two cents.
Akane decided to that for sake of the situation she wouldn’t pound him. “That too.”
Ms. Hinako stepped forward. “I was trapped as a child then. When I am a child, I think and act as a child. When I am an adult, I think and act as an adult. Someone has been trying to cure me of my powers and, if I receive the treatments everyday and I do not use the Happo No Yen return, I will remain an adult. Therefore I would be able to act responsibly and be a good mother to you and your sisters.”
“But…But…Dad! You’re not actually considering this! Are you?!”
Soun walked over and put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders. He knelt to where he was eye level with Akane. “I will weigh the pros and cons and consider it. Your mother wanted me to go on with my life after she passed. I now wonder what would have happened if I had heeded her wish earlier. Would you have had less anger? Would Nabiki been more open? Would Kasumi have done less work around the house and spent more time with her friends? How much have you girls missed out on by not having a mother?”
Akane was trying not to look her father in the eyes. “But, she’s been a child herself. How could she raise a family? Besides, we’re already grown up. We don’t need a mother now.”
Ms. Hinako walked over to Akane and knelt beside Soun. “I’m still 30 years old. My powers have been as much a curse as a blessing. Even though I may have looked like a child, I still have all the life experience.”
“Besides, Akane.” Soun added. “You and your sisters are still relatively young and could benefit from a mother. With a mother here Kasumi could go to college and get married herself. Nabiki may or may not have to work so hard for money if we have someone else bringing in money. You could learn a lot from her. Maybe she could help you and Ranma get along better.”
Akane looked dubiously at Ranma. I doubt it!
Ranma just lifted his eyelids and decided that he really shouldn’t be here. “I’ll just leave you guys to talk about family business.”
Soun looked up at him. “Ranma, this will be your family as well. Once you and Akane marry, she would be your mother-in-law. Also you are a member of this household now. Both ways you have a say in this. Do you have anything to add?”
Ranma looked at Ms. Hinako. She had a sad, but hopeful look in her eyes. Ranma thought about it a second. “Ms. Hinako, Will you stop draining me everyday?”
“If I’m cured, I won’t need to.”
“Will you be a good mother to Akane?”
“Yes. I swear.”
“Will you go easy on your homework?”
“Don’t push your luck mister.”
“Ok. As long as I can rest in peace and can still have good food, I guess it’s fine with me.”
Akane couldn’t believe him! “Traitor!” She would have smashed him with another mallet, if her father hadn’t been restraining her. I thought you understood me. I guess we’ll never really understand each other.
“Akane.” Soun tried to calm his youngest daughter. “Ranma is just being reasonable. He is not taking a side against you. Maybe a mother could give you someone to talk to, help you and Ranma understand each other.”
“Mother! Mother! Mother!” Akane tore herself away from her father. “I already have a mother!!!” Akane took off out the hole in the wall and jumped to the ground and started to run.
“Akane!” Ranma took off after her. “Akane! Wait up!”
Ranma caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “Akane! Don’t run away!”
“What do you care, traitor?!” Akane’s Ki flared and she hit Ranma with more force than he thought she was capable of. Ranma flew into the wall and, to his surprise, was actually hurt!
“Stay away from me!” Akane shouted once more before turning running again.
Pan felt the Ki build and ran to where they were. Ranma was trying to stand up after taking a blow that would make a Saiya-Jin recoil. “What happened?”
Ranma, between gasped for air, explained what had happened. “You gotta stop her. She might do something crazy. I can’t do it. She thinks I betrayed her. She thinks we all have betrayed her.”
Pan flew off on an intercept course for Akane. She found Akane sitting on the riverbank several blocks away, crying into her hands. Pan walked up and sat beside her. “Akane, Ranma told me what happened. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I have a mother. Ms. Hinako can’t be my mother.”
“Akane, I don’t really know what you’re going through. I’ve had my mother there for me all my life. I can’t tell you what to think, but I can tell you that I’ve always loved my mother. I don’t know what I would do without her.”
“So, you understand that I love mine too. Ms. Hinako would just be…a fake!”
“You’re father hasn’t decided yet, has he?”
“No, he said that he would weigh his options.”
“Do you trust your father?”
Akane looked at Pan for the first time. “What kind of question is that?”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Trust your father to make the right decision. He may decide that Ms. Hinako is not right for him. He may decide to remain single.”
“I guess that’s true.”
“Although he may also decide that he wants another wife. You don’t have to think of her as a mother, you know. You could just think about her as a friend and let your father have another chance at love.”
Akane was silent.
“And Ranma…”
“Don’t mention that traitor! That BAKA!” Akane cut Pan off.
“Akane, He didn’t turn against you, he was just giving his opinion. How long have you known him?”
“For a while now.”
“Has he ever betrayed you before?”
Akane thought for a second. “Not really.”
“I didn’t think he was would. Ranma is not the type to betray his friends, especially not the one he loves.”
“I guess you’re right. Now that I’ve calmed down a bit I can see it too.”
“Do you think you can give Ms. Hinako a fair chance? I promise, if she doesn’t act like a good parent, I’ll help you beat the stuffing out of her.”
Akane laughed a little. “I guess I can do that. And maybe dad won’t marry her, right?”
“Right.”
Akane looked down again. “I’ll have to apologize to Ranma though.”
“He’ll understand, I’m sure.”
Pan helped Akane up and they walked back to the dojo. When they got there they saw Kasumi putting a wrap around Ranma’s ribs. Akane ran up to him.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Naw. Just some bruises. The weighted clothing did the most damage by adding to my momentum.”
“I’m sorry, Ranma.”
“Forget about it. I’m sure…Ouch!”
Kasumi chose that moment to tighten the wrap. She knew Ranma well enough to know that he was about to put his foot in his mouth. She decided that he had received enough damage for one day.
And so, a month passed. Ranma and Akane continued their training, Pan continued her treatments on Ms. Hinako. At the end of the month, Ms. Hinako’s power was gone. She remained an adult woman with none of the infirmities of her childhood. Soun decided that they would date first and then see where it would go from there.
Android Twenty-One stood in the middle of yet another smoking ruin of a city. He had been raging from town to town all which he believed were Capital City. At every turn, he was disappointed to find that his query was nowhere in sight.
“Damn that boy!” He shouted to the heavens. “I’ll kill him as well for giving me this horrid sense of direction! I will complete my mission! I will destroy Son Pan!”
With another outraged roar the android fly above the city and released a powerful bolt that exploded in dome of pure energy. The smoldering ruins were reduced to a single crater. The android turned to leave and something caught his eye. An object glistening in the dirt had survived the blast of the town. His curiosity peaked; he flew down to it. Sifting through the dirt he saw what it was: A golden ball with a two red stars on one side.
Android Twenty-one turned the ball in his hand. This is a very interesting. It’s perfectly round. Humans could not have made this. It also withstood my blast. This calls for some research. If I could learn what material this is made of, I could have a near indestructible body. With that, he put the Dragonball into one of his vest pockets and flew off in the direction that he believed was Capital City.
Shortly after the android departed another figure arrived. This green skinned being had a white turban and a matching cape covering alien clothes. He landed and surveyed the area.
“Damn it!” Piccolo swore under his breath. “That monster got away from me again. He’s always one step ahead of me. It’s like he can plan out a route that takes me out of the way long enough that I can never catch up to him.”
Piccolo had been tracking Android Twenty-one ever since he blew up his first city. Dende had seen the monster while he was watching over the Earth from his lookout. They knew it was an android because they could not sense any Ki from it. Goku and Uub were out in space somewhere (thanks to the instant transmission) training, and could not respond to the emergency like they usually did. So, it was up to Piccolo to track down the monster and kill it. His only hope was that this android was not as powerful as 17, 18, or (shudder) Cell.
Anyway, this opportunity was lost. Piccolo would have to return to Kami’s lookout if he wanted any chance at all at finding the android. If he had any of the Saiya-Jin’s speed he could have already caught up with and destroyed the menacing machine. He hadn’t enlisted any of their aid because he didn’t know how serious this threat was. Many had already lost their lives, but they could never find the android to destroy it. They’d have to wait until it stopped long enough to be reached. Trying to get almost any of the Saiya-Jin to sit and wait in one place was near impossible. It was a lot easier this way.
Piccolo flew back to Kami’s lookout, praying that the android would be stopped soon.