Khon Lon was pouring over hear agenda for the day, so much administrative tasks with no end in sight. She started to underline and prioritize her tasks for the day. “This would be so much better if there were someone else to help.” She thought. “If only Xian Pu had not got mixed up with Ranma. I’ve had to begin training new prospective Matriarchs, but none of the current choices are anything near Xian Pu’s caliber.” She sighed and started going through the work again.
A teal-haired Amazon stuck her head into the matriarch’s front door. “Great-Grandmother! Come quick!”
The matriarch rolled her eyes. “How many times have I told you, Ran-Ran. Not everything is an emergency needing my attention, and to KNOCK FIRST BEFORE ENTERING!”
Ran-Ran gasped for breath. She’d obviously been running as fast as her legs could carry her. “But this is important! Xian Pu is coming!”
Khon Lon’s eyes widened. “Oh no, my child.” She thought. “After all these years, I never dreamed you’d try to come home. Now I will have to kill you, though I’ll be destroying a part of my heart with you.” She straightened. She could not show weakness. Others would pick up on it and call her unfit. “Lead on, Child.”
Ran-Ran nodded and ran to the front gate with the matriarch hopping on her staff right behind her. They both arrived at the gates as a patch of lavender was seen in the distance. Khon Lon’s heart dropped. She knew who that was.
But wait! She sensed a presence that she hadn’t sensed in nine years. Could it be? She looked up and saw that a man, woman, and child was walking with her great-granddaughter. “There’s no mistaking it!” She thought. “It’s Ranma. The boy is obviously his, but why is Akane here?”
Xian Pu strode proudly forward. She was wearing her pink Amazon battle uniform with the breastplate in place. She was confident now that Ranma was by her side as her husband that everything would be fine. Ranma was wearing one of his trademark red and black Chinese outfits and his son was dressed to match. Akane wore a pink and purple jogging suit. They were all carrying packs on their backs.
They stopped as they crossed the entry gate to the Amazon village. Khon Lon hopped forward. “Xian Pu, what is the meaning of this? You have been banished from our tribe, and have been told that death awaited if you tried to return.”
The lavender haired Amazon stepped forward and put her pack down. “I’ve returned to restore my honor and my place in the tribe. And once I’ve been reinstated, I’ll ask for sanctuary for Tendo Akane.”
The matriarch’s eyes narrowed to thin slits. “How do you intend to do that? You have three strikes against you.” She hoped that Xian Pu was going say what she wanted to hear.
Xian Pu smiled. “For the crime of not fulfilling the Kiss of Death, I cite that the woman I kissed never existed. She was just a Jusenkyo curse. For the charge of turning against my sisters, I say that they were threatening my prospective husband. The stronger won out.”
“And the Kiss of Marriage?” Khon Lon hoped.
Ranma dropped his pack and stepped up beside Xian Pu and took her hand. “She has her husband here to present to the tribe.”
On the inside, the matriarch of the Amazon tribe was jumping for joy. On the outside she still remained calm. “What makes you think that we’ll take her back just because she brought a husband here?”
He smiled a cocky grin. “I figure as one of the few men to ever defeat you, I’d have to say that I’ve got some pull here.”
The surrounding crowd of Amazons took a massive intake of breath. Khon Lon had never told them she had been defeated, and by a MAN no less! They all started murmuring and whispering to themselves.
“It’s true.” Khon Lon smiled. “Welcome to the tribe, Son-In-Law.”
“Thank you, Great-Grandmother-In-Law.”
“You can call me Great-Grandmother.”
“How about, ‘old ghoul’?”
SMACK!
Everyone was shocked and amazed as Ranma stood with his arm raised above him, blocking the incoming matriarch staff. “By the way, I’m much stronger and faster than I was nine years ago, great-grandmother.” He smiled confidently.
“Well played, Son-In-Law.” The matriarch thought. “A demonstration to the crowd for any non-believers. Very well played. You’ve just assured your place of admiration and respect with the tribe.” She chuckled to herself and turned to Xian Pu. “Now why does Akane need sanctuary?”
Xian Pu explained briefly about the assaults on Ranma by the two crime syndicates and about his concerns for Akane being separated from her child. “We almost didn’t make it through our wedding. The Yakuza found out about it and tried to raid it. You don’t know how hard it is to take vows while fighting off an attack.”
“Oh, I have a pretty good idea.” Khon Lon laughed. “Now there’s only one more formality. Xian Pu, as Matriarch of the Amazons of Joketsuzoku, I hereby grant you your place again with the tribe and accept Akane as a prospective member of our tribe. Welcome back.”
Xian Pu rushed forward and hugged Khon Lon tight. “I’ve missed you so!”
The matriarch hugged her back. “I’ve missed you too, great-granddaughter.”
Chiko, having become bored a long time ago looked around for something to do. Then he saw something that interested him. He was gone from his mother’s side and had snatched a sword away from one of the younger Amazons. “Cool sword! Can I try it?”
The young cherry-haired Amazon growled and reached for her sword. “Gimme that back!” She yelled in Chinese.
Chiko jumped back and weaved between her grabs for the sword. “Was that yes?”
Khon Lon had been talking with the others when she caught the actions of the rambunctious child out of the corner of her eye. “Son-In-Law, you might want to be careful, or you’re child is going to be married at a very young age.”
“What?” Ranma turned and saw what was happening. “Chiko! Give that back! I’ve told you about that.”
The boy disappeared and reappeared at his father’s side after a pause, sans sword. “Yes, sir.”
The young Amazon looked shocked. “But where’s my sword?!”
“Check your scabbard, child.” Khon Lon laughed.
The girl checked her side and there here sword was, back in her scabbard like nothing had happened. “How?”
“Keep an eye on your son, Ranma.” Khon Lon laughed. “I see you’ve already trained him well. Mai over there is already one of the best fighters of her age group. To be shown up like that could lead to something.”
Ranma sighed. “Well whatever doesn’t kill him…” They all laughed.
Later that night, Ranma and Xian Pu made their way to a private house. This was supposed to be Xian Pu’s house for winning the tournament so many years ago. The food was just extra. Technically it was now Ranma’s, but he really didn’t want to fight about it. Akane and Chiko were staying in one of the guest rooms of another family. Xian Pu took off her breastplate and disarmed. She turned around to Ranma who had just started to unwind from the long trip. “Ranma, could you stand up for a second?”
“Yeah, sure.” He stood back up and faced her. “What did you need?”
“Oh there’s just one thing I’ve been dying to do ever since I saw you again in that park.”
“What’s that?”
GLOMP!
She squeezed him tightly and kissed him deeply. “Nihao, Ranma! Wo ai ni!”
Ranma laughed and returned the kiss. “Wo ai ni. It is you I love.”
They drank of each other’s lips and fell back onto the bed. Xian Pu broke the embrace and rose up a bit. “There’s only one thing that would make me happier.”
Ranma raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”
“Daughters! Lots and lots of daughters!” She kissed him again and started removing clothes.
“We might not conceive tonight, but I’ll try my hardest.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
They did not conceive that first night, but it was most assuredly not from lack of trying.