hang on gentlefolks, this is a really rough chapter, and...
it gets weird.


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FIST OF ORION (wordsketch)
part the third: Trial & Error?
trademarks owned by a whole lotta OTHER people.
http://metroanime.home.mindspring.com/
email: metroanime@mindspring.com
       comments welcome, flames and comments about
possible ancestry, hatemail from True Fiancees, should
be sent to Kleppe-san or Lurker-san who apparently
enjoy that sorta thing. (shrug, to each their own, i s'pose)
on the other hand, if there's something you like here, let me
know what it is so i can keep doing it.
        this is just an idea sketched out that (like way too many)
started taking off on its own. The idea was to come up with
a different approach to the "Saint Ranma" thing i'd done awhile
back as it had too many elements duplicated in other people's
works.
-------------------------------------------------
	Everyone noticed Akane's sudden compulsion to
clean the dojo and start scrubbing the foyer. Nabiki was 
thinking of ways to put this to use. Kasumi was thinking of
the extra time she might have in her day.

	Genma was scared.

	"Son," Nodoka said, her eyes tracking the girl
who was angrily muttering as she tried to get that stubborn
stain out of the wood. "Don't you think that's a bit much?"

	"Nah. It'll wear off."

	"What're you talking about?" Akane sounded
puzzled. Why were people staring at her? What was wrong
with everyone? How could she most efficiently clean out the 
tracks to the sliding door?

	Soun and Genma shuddered. What a terrifying
technique.

	"Sis, did you realize that you're polishing the 
phone?"

	"Yeah, so?" Akane paused. "You suppose the dojo
floor needs varnishing?"

	"Oh my," Kasumi added, but with a faint smile.
Akane was doing a good job, too. A brief, guilty, and immediately
discarded thought came to her about getting Ranma to do this
to Nabiki and her father so they cleaned up after themselves.
----------------------------------------
	"Well, THAT went well," Ranma grumbled. He had
not enjoyed this and was debating whether having finally
found his family was really worth all this hassle.

	"Son," Nodoka started then paused. "I still have
some trouble with the idea of my son returned from the grave."

	"Didn't die." Ranma said. "Came close a few times
but didn't get there."

	"Nopenopenope," said Ranko, riding on her big
brother's shoulders. Big brother was quite obviously healthy.

	Genma grumbled a bit.
	
	"Now, dearest, the Saotome and Tendo lines can
still be joined. I must say, though, that you and Soun choosing
Akane initially was ill-conceived." Akane had blown up,
oddly enough AT Ranma. She'd referred to him as an 
insensitive jerk and a monster. Ranma had agreed and asked
what point she was trying to make.

	"As a sparring partner, possibly, as a pupil, she
has considerable promise. As a fiancee?" Ranma glared at
his father. "Sometimes I have doubts about our relationship
myself, and I REMEMBER being sent out to steal food for
you during that training trip."

	"Remember!" Ranko nodded. "Papa-san say is
good training! Just like panty raids with HIS old Sensei!"

	"Errrr," Genma sweatdropped, hanging his head
a little bit. Silently praying to all-merciful Buddha that his
wife HADN'T heard that.

	Nodoka had some strange ideas about what
constituted manly behavior, though raising a daughter
had tempered those views somewhat. She didn't say a
word, however, merely adding an item to the list of things
she planned on discussing with Genma later.

	Ranko grinned down at her big brother from
her position on his shoulder, the ten year old noting
that Ranma seemed to barely notice the weight. After
careful consideration, and noting the way the eldest
two Tendo girls had been inspecting her newly found
brother...

	She'd have to do something so big brother
didn't go escaping. "So you going to school with 'Biki?"

	Ranma sighed. "That was part of the deal.
I don't have to marry one immediately, but I have to 
get to know Nabiki and Kasumi. Meanwhile I can train
Akane in basic chi manipulation and some of the basics
of a few styles that I was taught."

	Genma grumbled some more, phrases about
how "honor demanded the lines be joined" and "the
boy doesn't know what's best for him" carrying quite
clearly to the group.

	"Father, you were correct once. Ucchan,"
Ranma hesitated at the feelings that her name still 
brought up within him, "Ucchan was also one of your
arrangements. In that case you had chosen well. It
is still too soon after her death for me to even consider
some backup arrangement you may have made."
--------------------------------------
	Kuno glared at the young man arguing
with Akane. No, it was worse than that. He was
talking to Akane calmly about technique.

	"Hold there, who are you to talk
in such a familiar way to Akane Tendo?!" Kuno
held his bokken at the ready.

	"He's another one?" The boy looked
down at Akane from his considerable height. At
Akane's nod, the boy grinned. "Okay, watch carefully
and I'll demonstrate."

	"This is MY fight," grumbled Akane under
her breath, but a little curious herself.

	"But wait, is it not proper to introduce
oneself first?" Kuno raised his bokken over his head
in proper melodramatic fashion. "I am Tatewaki Kuno,
rising star of the kendo world, my peers call me the
Blue Thunder Of Furinkan High!"

	Lightning pealed. The strange boy snickered.

	"I'm Ranma Saotome. I'm her instructor in a 
couple of esoteric martial arts styles. Shall we dance?"

	"Insolent whelp!" Kuno started forward
only to realize that the boy had already closed the gap
and there was an open palm strike heading for midchest.

	It turned out to be a feint, and the strange
boy punched out rapidly, raining blows over the front
and sides of the kendoist.

	Kuno slammed into the school wall, bounced,
and hit the ground.

	"Which style was that?"

	"Wing chun style kung fu. Just because it
was come up with by Buddhist nuns, don't discount it.
It's a very powerful style. Ucchan made pretty good use
of it. I also think you'd be good at a couple of other 
styles..."

	Kuno staggered to his feet after a moment,
only to find he was going to be late for class.
-------------------------------------
	The teacher looked up. "We have a new
student today, Ranma Saotome, who has recently 
come from an extended trip in China."

	Taller and broader than the gym teacher,
with shoulders wide enough that a ten year old girl
could comfortable ride on one for nearly an hour,
and a lean but quite obviously muscular form, 
Ranma was being eyed by a number of the girls in
the class in an entirely predatory manner.

	Ranma bowed slightly towards the
class, not entirely sure how he was supposed to
act in such an unfamiliar setting.

	"You can take a seat over by
Mister Fujihara near the window."

	Again there was rampant
whispering from a number of the girls present.
In this case it was HOW he was moving that
served to impress.

	"Mister Saotome, this is an 
English class, so I'd like to gauge your
ability before we get into today's lesson.
Why don't you tell us a little about yourself
in English?"

	Ranma could feel the scrutiny
from all around him and particularly from
Akane. "<Uhm. Okay. I'm better at Chinese
(well at least Mandarin) than English. One
of my...associates back in China was American,
and another from England was.>"

	"Not bad, Saotome, not bad. Well,
everyone turn to your primers, the sample
conversations on page 39."
--------------------------------------
	Ranma sighed and followed Nabiki
into the house. It had been a long day and it
was far from over.

	"So, Ranma, how was your day?"

	"Fine, Kasumi." Ranma bowed
slightly to his other fiancee. "I'm fine. How
are you doing?"

	Kasumi blinked. Someone actually
was concerned about her and inquiring as to
how SHE was doing? "F-Fine."

	Akane stepped out of her room,
having changed to her yellow gi from her 
school uniform. "Let's get this over with. It's
not like I really have to learn any of this stuff
anyway."

	Ranma shrugged. "It's a pity, then.
I think all three of you have some excellent
potential."

	Nabiki nearly dropped from where
she was listening. Kasumi blinked. Had she
missed something?

	"You must be mistaken. Neither
Kasumi nor Nabiki have practiced the Arts
since I was little."

	"Make you a bet," Ranma said
with the beginnings of a smile. "If either of
your sisters cooperates with me, I can get
them to where they can take on and beat 
that guy who was at the front of the school
in...say, one month."

	"Dream on." Akane smirked.
"You haven't got ANYTHING I want that
bad."

	Nabiki's eyes widened as she
recognized that a trap had been laid and
her youngest sister was heading straight
for it. Ranma was using a carrot approach,
when Akane was expecting a stick.

	"Hmmm. How about," Ranma
appeared to be thinking about this, "if I
win, then you have to learn flower 
arranging. If YOU win, then I talk to our 
folks and get this whole training thing 
dumped."

	Akane scowled. "FLOWER
ARRANGING? Why that?"

	"It's quiet."

	Ranma stepped away from Akane
and walked into the kitchen. After a moment,
Kasumi followed.

	Akane blinked. "I think I've just
been insulted." She sounded uncertain.

	Nabiki smirked from her 
eavesdropping position. Well, Akane DID
get loud on occasion. Nabiki continued to
smirk as she backed away from the wall,
setting her water glass on the desk.

	She turned and came to a
complete stop.

	Looking at the broad 
muscular chest of someone who had
somehow managed to sneak into her
room without her knowledge.

	"Well, Nabiki? Wanna 
train?" Ranma smiled down at her.
\---------------------------------------------------\
	"Well, this wasn't QUITE how
I had planned to do this," Ranma confessed.
"Still, it's do-able, I think."

	"Ah, but, Ranma-kun..."

	"Don't worry, Kasumi. We're
not working on that sort of thing." Ranma
shrugged. "I know you're not inclined to
be violent."

	"I'm sorry, Ranma-kun, even
Nabiki is betting against you." Kasumi
looked down. "I'm afraid I just am not
much of a fighter."

	"Nonsense, Kasumi." Ranma
put his hand beneath her chin to nudge
her head up. Looking into her eyes, he
smiled. "You have the heart of a samurai,
it's just you have trouble with the idea of
hurting someone, right? Trust me, that is
NOT such a bad thing. However, I'm not so
proud that I don't know when I could use
some help. So, I took the liberty of asking 
someone to help in this little endeavor."

	"Help?" Kasumi blinked, as
far as she could tell they were alone.

	"Master Lochi, I think aikido
or hwarang do. What do you think?"

	The air shimmered and a
squat purple figure smiled up at Kasumi.

	As Kasumi got her heartrate
back under control, she realized that she'd
just leapt up into Ranma's arms. She 
decided that it was improper to stay there
much longer. Of course, her knees felt a 
little weak right now and falling down 
would be rather undignified. Better to
tolerate this for the moment.

	Kasumi, having found a reason
not to move for the moment, turned her
attention back to the odd monk.

	"I think," Lochi said after a
moment, "Ranma, that you're rather more 
like Saeya than either of you will admit. Your
mouth moves much faster than even your fists.
Still, she DOES have some promise, doesn't she?"
-------------------------------------
	A month passed.

	Kuno gestured with his bokken
at the girl wearing normal houseclothes,
including the frilly apron, and carrying 
(of all things) a simple broomstick. "Surely 
you jest. I am to fight... "

	Ranma smiled and noted the
young physician staring at Kasumi. Particularly
the WAY the man with the glasses was 
staring at Kasumi. "If you win, I relinquish all
claim to Akane Tendo."

	That Ranma HAD no claim other
than as a trainer was completely lost on the
kendoist.

	"Very well then! I accept!" The
Blue Thunder drew his bokken back into a 
ready stance.

	"Of course if you lose, however
unthinkable that might be, then you also call
off the morning attacks on Akane. Agreed?"

	"I fail to see the problem." Kuno
read the nervous stance of the girl standing
there and calculated how much force it would
take to make her surrender. Surely not much.

	Akane glared at Ranma, how dare
he involve Kasumi in this? She couldn't fight,
and how much could she have learned in one
month anyway?

	Nabiki took bets, thinking along
the same lines. A short old man she'd never
seen before was putting down heavy money
on her sister. Nabiki smirked and recorded the
bet, grateful to be able to get THIS sort of 
money in an afternoon's work.

	Nabiki smiled a bit more as she
saw her sister standing there looking very
self-conscious. Kasumi would come back
to the house from this one-month stay over
at the Saotome's house and all would be well
in the household again.

	Nabiki's smile faltered a little bit as
little Ranko solemnly held a cute black
piggy bank up in her hands and placed "all this 
on  Kasumi-chan!"

	Akane decided she had had enough,
as she noticed Ranma going over to talk to 
Doctor Tofu. Akane stalked over to her sister.

	"Oh, Akane! It's good to see you again!"

	"Kasumi, you don't have to go through
with this nonsense! When the match begins, forfeit."

	"Oh my, Akane, I couldn't do that. I would
be showing disrespect to my sensei." Kasumi smiled
at her sister. "This might be fun."

	"Fun? Kasumi, this is Kuno. He won't
hesitate to strike you."

	"Akane, promise me you won't try to
interfere, will you?"

	Akane frowned and turned away from
Kasumi. She'd have to take this up with Ranma.
Her eyes passed over the crowd and stopped.
Who were these extra people anyway? A lean
bishonen type leaning against a tree. A Chinese
boy with long hair. Some others, all quite formidable
warriors from what she could read of their 
movements.

	"After all, my new friends are here to
see my first challenge fight. I can't let them down."
Kasumi continued to smile. Why, she hadn't realized
that there were so many ways to end a fight without
actually hurting your opponent.

	Ranma stepped away from Doctor Tofu
to raise his  hands over his head and call for silence.
"This is a match to decide several issues here. In this
corner, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, the kendo
champion 2nd dan, Tatewaki Kuno."

	Kuno blinked as he heard various boos
and hisses coming from a number of the spectators.
His eyes picked them out of the crowd and he frowned
as he realized he didn't recognize any of them. Well,
they would watch and learn.

	"In this corner," Ranma said after a brief
pause, "Kasumi Tendo. Cassiopeia Bronze Saint 
Candidate."

	The crowd went from "mainly silent" to
"you could hear people breathing" for a few heartbeats.

	"No way," said Nabiki, breaking the silence.
A cold hand of dread had just found her heart. "In one
month?"

	Kasumi looked down, blushing. After all,
she was just a trainee and would never go on to become
one of the elite warriors. It just wasn't her nature.

	"BEGIN!"  Ranma swept both hands down.

	Kuno bounded across the cleared area and
swept out with a casual strike.

	Kasumi seemed to blur slightly and was
now standing a few feet away, hands clasped behind
her back and blinking at the kendoist.

	Kuno frowned. Perhaps this would not be
quite as simple as he had thought. "Strike-strike-strike-
strike-strike-strike-strike!"

	Dodge, weave, leap, each move seeming
both lazy and casual. Her only use of the broomstick
seemed to be as just something to occupy her hands.

	Kuno was rapidly losing his temper. Kasumi
was looking only mildly winded. More amused than
anything else.

	Akane dropped the call for Kasumi to
forfeit. Her sister was reading Kuno's motions and
was responding before the kendoist had truly 
begun an attack.

	Kasumi floated above a vicious slash,
and even the most combat-inept of the observers
was taken by the way she seemed to hang weightless
briefly.

	"Pardon me." Kasumi's broomstick tapped
out lightly against a spot near the lower back of the 
Blue Thunder. "I'm really sorry about this."

	"Kasumi, that wasn't his sleep spot."
Ranma called out from the sidelines. "That was his
shiatsu explosive castration point."

	The vast majority of males in the audience
winced and brought their legs together, just imagining
the awful possibility that this wasn't a joke.

	"Oh my."

	Kuno's reply was a whimper.

	Akane tried to memorize the move.

	Kuno tried to turn and face the girl
now behind him but his legs were not cooperating.

	"Uh oh." Nabiki began sneaking off.

	Kasumi, apologizing profusely, hit the
proper areas and sent the Blue Thunder into a deep
dream where Akane Tendo ministered to his wounds.

	Nabiki almost made it to the gate.
---------------------------------------
	"Actually, Doctor Tofu was the BACKUP
plan. You didn't know he was a practitioner of an old
branch of Hokuto Shin Ken did you?"

	Nabiki stared at nothing in particular. "I'm
going to have to declare bankruptcy before I graduate
high school..."

	"No worry, I loan you money, you just 
sign here on voucher," Ranko passed the pen and
paper to the stunned Nabiki.

	Nabiki absently signed it, still lost in 
the financial ruin she had found.

	"Ranko! You've picked up some
bad habits from your father." Kasumi scolded
the little girl then read the document. "Oh my!"

	Nabiki could have sworn that she
couldn't feel any more low. She had the sensation
of being on a freefalling elevator suddenly. 
"What?!"

	"Ranko has agreed to pay off your
debts," Kasumi said with a worried tone. "There's
just one little thing..."

	"Yupyupyup," chirped Ranko, taking
the contract back. "Now big brother has a reason
to stick around!"

	"Oh my," said Kasumi and Nabiki
simultaneously.
-------------------------------------
	all for now, chapter 4 is set one month
later.

	Yes, i know Ranko's contract for Nabiki
wouldn't stand in a legal court. No hanko, and a
legal document handwritten by a ten year old girl
isn't likely to be taken seriously by anyone in the
real world.

	This is a Ranma fic, however...