Something Old, Something New
M A Davis / Miko

        "Naturally," Soun Tendo said, "all of the credit for the idea
goes to my daughter Nabiki.  I was surprised when she suggested
it, but given all that I've learned over the years, and given the
recklessness of Ranma, his friends, and now his students, it
seemed like a very natural thing to do.  After all, we've always
struggled to put food on the table and keep the house and dojo in
good repair.  Once Ranma and Akane were finally married, the
income that Nabiki brought in from photos of them and
information about them dried up.  We needed a new source of
income."

        "That's when Nabiki made her trip to America?" the
carpenter, Arimune Daimaru, asked.  The two walked slowly
around the Tendo home, studying the condition of the walls and
windows.  Occasionally Arimune Daimaru would pause to
examine a section that had been recently repaired, and nod his
head thoughtfully.

        "That's right," Soun said.  "She saw the original during her
summer in San Francisco.  Actually, I'm not sure if it was the
original or not; I understand there have been several imitators, and
I've never seen any of them.  But at the time, there wasn't anything
quite like it here in Japan, and given our unique spin on things, we
thought we had a winner.  Luckily we were right!  We've been
doing it for four years now, come Sunday.  Keisaku Sakado was a
great help during that time, and now that he's left and you're here,
I'm sure you'll be just as handy!"

        "Well," the carpenter said, "that's my job.  I'm just grateful for
this opportunity."

        Rounding the corner, they stepped into the Tendo dojo.
Inside waited Genma and Ranma Saotome, Ryoga Hibiki, and
Hikaru Gosunkuji.  The three martial artists were standing in the
center of the dojo, while Hikaru was positioned near the wall,
behind a very large free-standing camera.

        "Are we ready to do this?" Hikaru asked.

        "Anytime," Ranma said.  "I'm tired of standing around."

        "You may start," Soun said.  "You know what to do."

        Ranma and Ryoga nodded.  As Genma stepped out of the
way, Hikaru began filming.  Ranma and Ryoga faced each other.

        "Ranma!" Ryoga yelled.  "Prepare to die!"

        "Ha!  You wish!" Ranma yelled back.  The two leaped
forward, fists and feet flying.  Fifteen seconds into the fight, Ryoga
powered up one of his patented Shishi Hokoudan chi-blasts.  The
firey ball of chi energy flew across the room, narrowly missing
Ranma as he dodged, and blasted the far wall, sending splinters of
wood everywhere.

        Ranma and Ryoga stopped, turning towards the camera.
Genma and Soun stepped up beside them, and the carpenter,
Arimune, knelt before them, hammer and saw in hand.

        "Chi blasts," Soun said, "are a devastating weapon in the
hands of a true martial artist, but they also wreak havoc on
buildings.  With the aid of my new assistant, Daimaru-san, we will
be repairing the damage from the blast you just saw, today on 'This
Old Dojo'."

FINI

Miko!

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather a scornful tone, "it
means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many
different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master -- that's
all."

(Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking-Glass)

Nausicaa@sprynet.com   Belldandy@angelic.com
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