Hi, as you can tell, I can't think of a decent title for this. Ideas
would be welcome. Please C&C this. This is a rough draft and is
completely unpreread(even by me). I still don't like the ending but it's
the best out of the four I have written up.
<Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me>
Time's made all the people weak.
At least, that's what I see. No matter how secluded we are, the
modern world creeps in on us with it's trinkets and beckons to our
youth.
Look at me, in my early twenties and already feeling so old. I
guess that's what comes with maturing so fast. While kids my age were
struggling with words, I blurted out "Wo ai ni" to my soulmate.
Some wonder how could soulmates not be together, but I can't
explain it. I know her, I feel her. My sight leads me away but I know
she's in the area.
Looking at the other males, I can't help but feel better than all
of them. Not only have I fought with some of the greatest martial
artists in the world, my feelings are true. A woman may best me in
combat, but she'll know I only have eyes for her, no matter how bad they
are.
As focused I am at her, she is to him. I wonder when she'll realize
that it would never be. It took me a good part of my life to realize
that. Unfortunately, my heart's too stubborn to believe it.
There's a commotion nearby. Something's wrong. A feeling I haven't
felt in years comes back to haunt me all over again. She's back.
It's nice to be home. Everything feels younger here, not like the
pollution of the cities. Everyone comes to welcome me, to see if I've
tamed the untamable man. Instead, they see my great-grandmother and I
walking at a comfortable pace towards the village.
Taking a deep breath, I brace for anything that might happen. I
must have gone through this in my mind ever since we left Japan.
Lau Xian, one of the guards, rings the attention bell. She shouts
that the Matriarchs are coming, why is that? Not like the lazy Japanese,
everyone gathers quickly. They all bow before my great-grandmother.
"As you can see, Xian Pu's husband isn't with us. He is far too
unruly to be a true Amazon male." great-grandmother let the words hang
in the air for a moment before continuing, "She now carries his child, a
clean slate that we can make into an Amazon worth of the new Matriarch."
The shock is evident in my face and no words come from my mouth. A
hand on my shoulder shakes me out of my trance and says, "Child, now the
true training begins."
The crowd parts as we head to the House of the Elders. I never
expected this. The idea of people bowing before me is both humbling and
flattering. It looks as if everyone in the village is here, except for
those in the farms and such. Not a sound is heard, as tradition states,
as we walk to the building where my training would begin. A couple hours
from now, the sounds of celebration will be deafening.
From the corner of my eye, I see him approaching, then stop. He
shakes his head and splashes some water on himself. I didn't even hear
the fluttering of his wings as he rises up into the sky.
If I had better eyes, the full moon wouldn't look like a blurry
headlight in the sky. Even without the moon, I'd still know exactly
where the village is. The music and lights must be keeping the animals
awake. Tomorrow, the Hunters should be able to trap a lot of animals
tomorrow.
As soon as I delivered their lunches and told them of Xian Pu's
arrival, the women left for the village. I'm glad to see her popularity
hasn't diminished, even with the length of time she's been away. With
nothing else to do, I helped the men pack up for the end of the day.
I sat down at a table that kept everything in view. On the other
side of the courtyard, Xian Pu and Khu Lon sat, food in front of them
and aides at their sides. Xian Pu now wore loose fitting clothing, much
like mine, to allow the use of the Hidden Weapons technique. Now that
she's to be a Matriarch , she must learn every style and technique used
by an Amazon.
To the left, it looks as if a year's supply of fireworks being sent
up to the sky. They confirm my belief that our fireworks still outclass
anything else out there. I get brief glimpses as to what Xian Pu may
look like if born with a different hair color. No matter the hue, her
beauty shines for all to see.
The fireworks are deafening.
Great tables of food are being eaten at by everybody in the
village. Many times I've asked my great-grandmother what her Becoming
was like but actually being here is no comparison to her stories. I etch
the face of each of my fellow women. They will be the ones I will be
taking care of and serve for the next few centuries.
In the midst of the constantly changing light, his white robes take
the color of whatever is lighting up the sky. My childhood nuisance, my
self proclaimed suitor, now walks differently from before. There wasn't
a trace of injury on him, he just looked different. Years ago, he left
Nerima without a word to anyone. He just disappeared in the night, no
doubt wanting to make his departure as memorable as possible. He's
always tried to impress me since we were children. The day before, he
gave no clue as to what he would be doing. I think he actually surprised
great-grandmother that day.
I shake off my musings and our eyes lock in the blink of an eye. He
notices and starts eating.
Opening my window, I take in a deep breath of the cool morning air
that blankets the village in fog. I think ducks must be rather close to
chickens because I've been an early riser since my accident. I throw on
my robes and upturn a cold glass of water on myself. A few flaps of my
wings takes me to my windowsill. Everything is much clearer now. No
one's ever been able to explain why my vision is better when I'm a duck.
I stretch out my wings as I prepare for my morning flight.
"Mu Tzu!"
I craned my head and looked towards the voice.
My heart stops. In all honesty, I think I might have been avoiding
her. She's wrapped herself in a warm looking cloak; her breath coming
out in warm wisps of air. She knows of my lack of speech and says,
"Please come with me."
I fly down to her as she walks away. She moves at a quick pace, no
doubt to get away from the bitter cold. Even with my down feathers, I
could feel the wind nipping at my wings. I sure hope that wherever we're
going is warm.
He is keeping up with me; even with the advanced training I've been
taking. Ever since the birth of Dae Zi, great-grandmother has helped
whip me back into shape. Ducks aren't known for their quiet flight but
Mousse makes no sound. I guess with his role as messenger of the
village, he's had to work at it. This is one area where he is better
than I am. He has somehow thought of ways to overcome the weaknesses of
animal forms, and has even improved on the abilities that come naturally
to ducks.
I open the door to the training hall of the Elders. My
great-grandmother barely acknowledges my arrival as she holds my
powerful little girl. Practicing what I know of Hidden Weapons, I turn
to Mu Tzu and turn him back into a human. His duck form hid his surprise
at his surroundings but his human face betrayed all emotion. It wasn't
every day that a mere man was invited into his ancient hall.
Fortunately, he snaps out of his daze and bows before those gathered to
watch me train.
"I thank you for inviting me Elder." he says.
"Mu Tzu." I began, not completely used to my new position. "You are
quite possibly the most skilled at Hidden Weapons. Please teach me what
you know."
I couldn't believe she needed me. Surely Khu Lon knew how to teach
her all she needed to know.
Xian Pu's next words explained all, "You are in the unique position
of being the only Amazon who can hide weapons in their cursed form. To
help the village, tell us your secrets."
I bow and say, "As you wish Elder Xian Pu."
Now I know why great-grandmother commanded all those unneeded to
leave. Two animals quacking and meowing at each other, one teaching and
the other learning, would make anyone question their sanity. Not
surprisingly, Mu Tzu was knowledgeable and patient teacher. He was quick
enough to think of a solution to translating what he knew of duck
anatomy to a cats. By dusk, I knew everything he knew about using Hidden
Weapons in my animal form. What amazes me is that the whole day, we were
somehow able to understand one another without talking to each other.
Greatgrandmother called it a day with a clap of her hands. Elders
with photographic memories went back to their rooms to transcribe
everything they've learned that today. Without so much as a thank you,
Mu Tzu was sent on his way. Later on, I snuck out to thank him for his
patience with me. A small crowd had gathered a his house, apparently
complaining how he hadn't performed his assigned duties for the day. A
few quick words from me sent them on their way. Then I realized what the
scene looked like: an Elder-to-be already playing favorites. I left
quickly, hoping no one else had a chance to reflect on what had
happened. I forgot to gave him my thanks.
Even earlier than usual, I head out to pick up my deliveries.
Everybody at their posts would come to find their regular deliveries and
then some. I could only hope that yesterday's interruption would pass
like most things do. Instead, I came home to find Xian Pu, standing
defiantly in front of me. A small crowd had gathered to watch the
proceedings.
"Do you wish for my hand in marriage?" she asks.
"No." I said quickly. It seems it was a little too quickly for some
people.
"He's lying to an Elder!" someone exclaimed. "We all know that he's
crazy about Xian Pu. He wants the power to be her Chosen."
I squint, trying to see who it is. Of course, it's Bu Rix. Not the
smartest but willing to do anything for power. He comes from the
outlying areas of the village. I may have been Xian Pu's most annoying
suitor, but he was the one who only wanted the position he'd get if they
were Joined.
Khu Lon gives him a withering glare then turns to me, "Mu Tzu, do
wish to be Xian Pu's Chosen?"
"No." I say again.
With a nod echoed by various other Elders, she says, "There will be
no fight. Mu Tzu has declined."
The crowd disperses and only Khu Lon remains.
"So, you've really given up on her." she says gravely. "If you can
lose interest in a woman, there's no help for any man."
I bow and say, "It's not like that."
"Oh?"
"I may still love her, but if she doesn't love me back, it's
pointless."
"Not even as a concubine?"
"No."
Khu Lon hops atop her staff and says, "She hasn't retrieved all her
weapons from you has she?"
With Dae Zi wrapped in many layers of warm blankets, I carry her
out onto the balcony looking out over the village. She grabs at the
blankets, trying to get a better look of the night sky. With a better
view, her hand reaches out, as if to touch the stars. I don't know how
long we looked at the night but great-grandmother sat beside me asking,
"How long have you been out here?"
I notice the distance the moon has passed over the village.
"About an hour now." I answer.
She turns toward the stars and smiles mysteriously. "You didn't
notice me before. Xian Pu, you shouldn't take babies out into the cold
night air."
I look towards my arms and my child is gone. I turn around and look
inside to see her sleeping in her crib. What was wrong with me?
"Unfortunately, Ranma's changed you too much. I can wipe your
memories but your feelings for him would bring them back." She takes out
a pipe and starts smoking. "What happened today is only a taste of
what's to come. Men will be challenging you for your hand in marriage.
As you probably know, very few Elders, let alone Matriarchs, live
without a Chosen. With all the training you've been taught, no man could
possibly defeat you. Instead of fighting, you can choose a man without
contest."
My look of confusion urges her on.
"Children must be raised with a much balance possible. Dae Zi must
have some sort of male influence on her. Most of the men felt inferior
to you even before you were given your new title. The few who would
still attempt to fight you would most likely have some sort of ulterior
motive."
"So, now that leaves only..."
"His loyalty is unquestioned. He would never take advantage of you
or his position. And he still loves you." She reads my thoughts and
continues, "Yet though all this time, your eyes are set only on Ranma."
Laying down for the night, I blow out the candle. Now, my room is
lit up from by my window, the stars giving off a warm glow. I had just
closed my eyes when I felt her. Sitting back up, I looked around my
room. I put my glasses on and there she was, stepping off the
windowsill. She closes the window and sets a pack down at the foot of my
bed.
"Xian-"
She quiets me down with look that I could only imagine comes from
being a Matriarch. She closes her eyes in concentration and her lips
spell out what looks like gibberish to me. I was still too mesmerized by
her to move or make a single sound. For what felt like hours, she
stopped and said,
"No one could hear us now. You can talk normally, without
whispering."
Ah, a new skill. "Why are you here Matriarch?"
"I do not want a repeat of what's happened today." she says,
opening up the carefully wrapped bundle. Her child had been awake the
whole time and was now staring at me with wide eyes.
"Of all the men of the village, you are the one most suitable for
me." she says. "I respect you and know you would make an excellent
father to Dae Zi."
By now, the little girl had already crawled up to me, wondering who
the monster with the strange eyes were. Xian nodded and I picked her up
in my arms. The inquisitive little girl took my glasses and felt their
immense weight. We both looked at each other, face to face, and her lips
curled up into a cute smile. It was so infectious, I smiled back at her.
I nodded at Xian and said, "I thank you for your offer Matriarch.
But I think I would rather be her Shadow."
Being a Shadow would fulfill everything mother and daughter would
need, without having to be bound by marriage.
"Very well, let's go." she said, taking her baby from me.
"Where?"
"I've already packed your things. We're now going to my home." she
turned around and said, "I will wait for you to get dressed."
I cooked, cleaned and washed countless diapers. The years flew, the
only changes being that Dae Zi grew into a curious baby to a courageous
6-year old. If I didn't know any better, it was merely a younger version
of Xian Pu that stood before me.
"Mu Tzu, please give me my weapons." she asked.
Reaching into my robes, I take out a child-sized bow and a quiver
stocked with arrows. She gazed into the mirror again, fixing inexistent
wrinkles in her silk shirt. Xian Pu's daughter seemed to acquire Ranma's
sense of fashion as she fixed the wooden ties of her shirt yet again.
"Dae Zi, your mother is waiting for you." I reminded her, heading
for the door.
"Let's go!" she shouted. I hear quick footsteps behind me running
away. A silent leap from the windowsill and the sound of fluttering
cloth follows. "Yatta! Dai Zi super cool intro Number 24! Didja see that
Mu Tzu?"
I follow her lead and jump out of the window. Seeing her face break
out into a wide smile, I launch out a series of attacks that prolongs my
time in the air. My feet touch the ground and I immediately bow before
her applause. Surprisingly, she wasn't the only one applauding.
"I thought you said you didn't have time to practice anymore." said
Xian Pu questioningly. She turned to me and focused on the bundle of
energy that was running up into her arms.
"Mommy! Are you going to watch me on my first hunt? Don't interfere
because I'm gonna win. I'll get the biggest boar ever. Mu Tzu says he's
never seen anyone else fire arrows as fast as me. Even if I run out of
arrows, he says he'll be around to give me more or even another weapon.
I know how to use them all. But I still have no idea why he uses those
duckies. I usually just play with them in the bathtub." she asked in a
flurry of speech.
"Shh, my little flower." Xian Pu said gently. "I'll be with you the
whole way." She set Dae Zi down and let her loose onto the streets.
We silently followed the little girl until we reached the outskirts
of the village and the beginnings of the forest. Presumably far enough
away from prying eyes and ears, I finally ask, "How did it go?"
She took quite a while to respond. I berated myself for asking too
much when she replied, "I'm now a true Matriarch. No more training."
I look into the bright sunlight and smile. Finally, after all she's
been through, Xian Pu's finally reached the top.
"Mu Tzu, how long do you intend to be her Shadow?"
"For as long as I need to be." I reply.
She is quiet for a moment before she asks, "What would you do if I
say we didn't need you anymore?"
I didn't.
"The way you look at her, it's the look of a man trying to get used
to a step child."
My mind unfroze and I said, "It's the truth isn't it? If I married
you, she would be my step daughter."
"If you think of it, she has no father. She wasn't conceived of the
love of a man for his wife. She was out of necessity. As much as I hate
to admit it, my child was born out of necessity."
I'm silent as the implications hit me.
"I always thought of our prophecies to be too far flung to ever
come to fruition. Irony just had to step into my life-" she corrected
herself, "-our lives."
"The child born of virgin birth. Her mother was a master of the
earth." I force the last few words out of my mouth. "And her father was
a master of the skies."
She nods and says, "I've studied the way you fly. No duck could
ever perform the acts you've mastered. You can do things that only
certain birds can do and surpass them."
"It's only mere coincidence. Perhaps there's someone else out there
who is a true master of the skies."
"What if there isn't?"
"I know. Pilots. Parachutters. Hangliders. They can all do things I
could only dream of doing in my duck form."
She knows I'm grasping at straws.
"Ranma." I whisper. "He constantly boasts how he is the master of
aerial combat."
She is quiet for a while. I look ahead and notice Dae Zi was much
farther ahead of us.
Dae Zi had left us far behind so I brought Mu Tzu and I closer to
her with a teleport. He is clearly shocked by what I've just did but
says nothing.
This is the person I've created from years of abuse, cold shoulders
and neglect. The few times I see him even close to the man I once knew
is when he's with Dae Zi or he tries to look at me out of the corner of
his eye.
"Years ago, why did you leave?"
"I had to." he blurts out. "It took me a long time to figure it out
but, there was no reason for me to be there."
"Do you ever wonder why might have happened if you stayed?"
He sighs and says, "For the longest time, nothing was changing.
Ranma was always the best. No matter what I thought of, he countered
everything. And it looked like Ranma still hadn't picked a girl to live
his life with."
I didn't have the heart to tell him that his departure didn't
affect anyone outside the Nekohanten.
"You haven't answered my question."
"I think I did. If I had no hope to ever beat him, there was no use
challenging him anymore."
I interrupted him, "So, which did you give up on first? me or
living?"
Now it was his turn to do some introspection.
"I never thought of it like that before." he said suddenly. "I did
make up my mind that I should go on with my life and let you go. I never
realized that I gave up my life at the same time."
"And that's why you are refusing to become my Chosen. Years ago,
you would have been dancing around like an idiot at the chance to be
with me." I look at his depressed form. "Look at yourself. Amazons are
proud, confident and brave. You look nothing like that."
He looks me straight in the eye. No male was allowed to do that but
I let it slide this time. "Why do you want me? Is it to fulfill the
prophecy?" Now, he was no longer walking. "You don't feel for me
anywhere near what you felt for Ranma. How could you say we are ones the
prophecy is talking about?"
I could almost see the fire returning to his eyes. "Isn't it good
enough that I want you as my Chosen?"
"No, it's not." he shouts back. "Don't just settle on me just
because it's convenient. You deserve better."
So, he does still care about me.
From the corner of my eye, I see something approaching. An arrow...
aiming to signal, not to harm. I look in the direction of the source and
see my child attempting to pull a boar twice her size towards us.
My eyes lock for a moment, telling him that we would be having this
conversation again.
"That's amazing Dae Zi!" I exclaim, walking towards her. It wasn't
a lie. About a dozen arrows riddled the poor animal's body. Some dirt on
the legs of her pants evidenced the quick footwork she had to use to
subdue her prey.
"I can't carry it!" she called back. "Can you and Mu Tzu help me?"
The scene looked so preposterous that I smiled. She looked almost
disappointed that she couldn't carry the whole animal by herself.
"Come child, let's see have a closer look of your skills." I say,
opening my arms to embrace her.
There was a loud intake of breath and I knew the beast still had
some fight left in it. Dae Zi didn't seem to notice so I sped up, trying
to get her away from the animal.
The boar moved as if it was a hundred pounds lighter than it really
was. At the pace it was going, I wouldn't reach Dae Zi in time.
I heard the sound of rushing air behind me and then a flash of
grey. Multiple chains pierced the animal and made it veer off to the
side, away from my child. But, the animal still had momentum and Mu
Tzu's chains acted like many clotheslines and tripped her up violently
onto the ground. She lay face down, unmoving.
Seconds later, I reached her. I threw off the chains and checked
her for signs of life. She had a gash on her forehead, which had blood
flowing down onto her face.
"Mommy-" she said weakly, reaching her hand out to me.
I take her hand in mine and say, "Yes, honey. I'm here. I'm here."
"Did you see me mommy? I got the boar all by myself." she looked up
above me. "Daddy. You're here too."
Mu Tzu was in a panic, "Dae Zi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I was
trying to push it out of the way- I- I-"
I gave him a harsh glare. "Control yourself! We need to get her
back to the village quickly."
"Why don't you do what you did before? Bring us there quickly."
"No good. I have to be able to see the area." I answer.
Her takes out some netting and a flask of water. "We turn into
animals and I fly us all back to the village."
I nod my consent and take the net from him. Placing it on the
ground, I set my daughter gently on it. He then splashes water on both
of us.
As a cat, I couldn't do anything else but hope for the best and
keep my child warm. She seemed to be getting colder. I look up to the
sky and say a silent prayer. Then, I notice Mu Tzu struggling to get us
off the ground. His wings flap almost like a hummingbird to get us off
the ground. For a moment, I almost thought he would quit. Instead, he
looked down toward us and fought even more. Finally, I felt us leaving
the ground. The only sounds I heard were the quick flapping of his wings
and my daughter's slowing heartbeat.
Men weren't allowed into the Healing areas. All we had was an old
bench outside the building. I watch the everyday activities of people
going here and there without really seeing anything. I didn't even feel
the soreness in my arms. All that I saw was the harm I'd done. I could
have done so many other things to make the beast veer off to the side. A
quick launch of various polearms would have formed a strong fence
between her and the boar. A weighted net would have not only pushed it
out of the way, it would leave it incapacitated. A wreaking ball would
have sent that damned animal well away from her. There were an infinite
amount of possibilities and I chose the wrong one.
Xian Pu sits down next to me. She has a very serious look on her
face.
"How is she?" I ask quietly.
"She's resting for now." she says in a monotone.
"I am so sorry. If it takes my life to redeem myself, take it." I
offer.
"In all the rush, I never noticed that she called you her 'Daddy'."
"What? When?"
"When you caught up to us, she addressed you as Daddy. It wasn't Mu
Tzu or Mousse. It was Daddy."
"What does this have to do with anything?"
She turns to me and stares. She looked as me with eyes I'd never
seen before. I blink and she's even closer. There's a sweet taste on my
lips. If felt as if someone had sent an electric current through me. I
couldn't see anything anymore due to the fog on my glasses.
When she broke the kiss, I felt as if I had been rudely pulled away
from heaven.
I heard her breathlessly whisper "wow". I'd have done the same
thing but I was near fainting.
We sat quietly, as we both recovered.
"What was that for?" I asked.
She gave a sly smile and said, "These past few years that you've
been with us, I've considered you a good friend. If you had agreed to
being my Chosen years ago, I would say that you a good husband."
Does she really mean that?
"I don't know when, but I've fallen in love with you." she blushed
and said, "And that kiss made me fall in love with you all over again."
"But-"
"Stop fooling yourself." she commanded. She softened and said, "I
can still see love in your eyes. Now you have mine. Isn't that what you
always wanted?"
"So, this is how the prophecy is fulfilled." I mused.
"No, it's not. It's still being realized as we speak."
Xian Pu stands and takes me by the hand. She leads me into the
Healing building and to Dae Zi's room.
"Quiet, she's still resting." she whispers to me.
I look at her daughter and wonder at how peaceful she looks, even
with the bandages around her body. "I am so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I
just reacted to that boar."
"I know you were only doing it to save her." She looks as if she's
looking for something. "Mu Tzu, remember how she was bleeding from her
head?"
"Yes." I said solemnly.
"Please give me some scissors." she asks. I handed one out of my
robes.
Carefully, she cuts away the bandages around her head and her
beautiful purple hair flows out. There isn't a trace of blood or a scar
where she had been injured.
"How?" I whisper.
"She is special." Xian Pu says proudly. "She will lead the Amazons
to greatness, as was foretold."
"Well, we know she can handle herself. Your daughter looks like
she's going to be just like you."
"She's your daughter too."
"It's okay." I say. "There's no need to say anything."
"No, really. She is your daughter. She has the mixture of our ki.
Our blood flows through her. From all we've seen, she is our daughter."
"That's impossible."
She smiles and says, "She is very special."
"How long do you think it will take for her to wake up?" I asked.
"If she's like me, she will be up soon." she answers. Xian Pu looks
to me and asks, "So, do you consent to being my Chosen?"
"I would be a fool not to." I answer.
"Good." she says. "Besides, it's prophecized that we're supposed to
have two more children."