Cat Fist Fury Disclaimer: Disclaimers are all the same. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all. * *: Thoughts Chapter 18 Origin of the Neko Ken Part 2 "Who hoo! What a haul, what a haul!" Now normally, the sounds of Happosai coming home from a panty raid, would cause Soun Tendo to moan in despair as he and Genma would grovel at their perverted master's feet. The ancient lecher had recovered from the mauling he had received from Ranma, and was now trying to make up for lost time. Amazing what groping a few pretty nurses can do for the three-hundred-year old founder of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. The hospital couldn't get rid of him fast enough.. As Happosai entered the den with his bag of ill-gotten women's unmentionables, he noticed that his two disciples had taken very little notice of him as they stared at the shogi board between them. By the looks of the game, they had not been very focused on the board and had not moved or stolen each others pieces. The old lecher was puzzled and soon became angered at the lack of respect they were showing toward their master. It seemed that Happosai would have to remind them. "Soun... Genma..." The old man said in a very low and menacing tone. The two looked in the direction of their master with very dismal expressions. It took them about a minute before recognition, and the conditioned response from years of humiliation and terror, kicked in. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! MASTER!!!" In a flash, the two were bowing and scraping at their master's feet. "Forgive us Master! We had no idea that you had returned!" Genma groveled. "We are so very happy that you have recovered!" Soun added. Happosai glared at the two with irritation for a long while before finally saying, "Your momentary lapse in properly greeting your master is forgiven, FOR the moment." Both disciples gulped at that statement. "Now would you tell your master exactly why you did not greet my return at the moment I came in?" Both Genma and Soun looked at each other with fear and apprehension as they tried to think of the best way to explain their predicament. Some time later... Happosai blew out a puff of smoke from his pipe as he sat on a cushion before his sniveling pupils. "So you lost the dojo's sign. How pathetic. Then again, I should have known that something like that would happen to you idiots." He then held up his pipe to take another puff. "So who took the sign?" "His name was... White Claw." Soun replied with dejection. "WHAUUUUUUGGGHHHHHH!" Happosai choked when he heard the name, spitting his pipe out. "HACK! ACK! COUGH! COUGH!" The old master went into a series of coughing fits for a full minute. When he finally cleared his voice, his eyes were bugged out and his skin had paled. "WHAT?! DID YOU SAY WHITE CLAW?!" Genma and Soun were surprised. They had never seen their master in such a state. If this White Claw could make even the greatest evil in all of Japan become this agitated, then things must be bad. Near the entrance to the den, Akane and Nabiki were listening in on the conversation and they too were amazed to see Happosai in this state. They leaned forward to listen more closely. "M-M-Master? What's wrong? Do you know this White Claw?" Soun asked. The ancient founder of the Anything Goes took several deep breaths and took out a couple of panties to rub against his cheeks to calm himself down. When he finally got control, he said in a slow and nervous voice. "Tell me the whole story." A few minutes later, Happosai nodded as he took a sip of tea. "I see. Well, I'm not surprised that White Claw defeated you two and Akane so easily. He's not a man, he's more like a monster." "B-B-But who is he?" Genma stammered. Happosai took a deep breath and became what he rarely did. Serious. "White Claw belongs to a clan of extraordinary fighters that had its roots in China. They're not very well known, since very few have ever come across them and lived to tell about it. I am one of those people. It has been more than a hundred and ninety-five years since I heard of the name White Claw, but even then, he was a formidable adversary. He was virtually... unbeatable." "A hundred of ninety-five years ago?" Genma said in confusion. "That can't be right. The person who calls himself White Claw today doesn't look like he's that old. He doesn't look like he's a day over twenty-five!" Happosai shrugged as he said, "There have been rumors that says that members of the Felinar Clan are extremely long-lived and age very slowly with time. Take me and Cologne for example. We've been around for three centuries now. " Meanwhile at the Nekohanten... "It no use, Great-grandmother." Shampoo replied. "No can find Airen anywhere. Rumor of him being defeated by another called White Claw. They say he also know of Neko Ken." "Really? Hmmm... very interesting... tell me more." Cologne said as her great-granddaughter continued on with. Back at the Tendo residence... Happosai continued with his story. "The Felinar Clan is so ancient that no one really knows how long it's been around. I'd say it would be a safe bet that they've existed far before the first Chinese Dynasty, the Roman Empire and even ancient Greece. The first recorded appearance of the clan was around 1525 BC in Egypt. There have been legends of great catlike warriors. As you may or may not know, cats were revered in Egypt and the Felinar Clan were seen as avatars of the great Cat Goddess Bast. As you may have guessed, they were the creators of the dreaded Neko Ken." "The... Neko Ken?" Genma repeated. "Yes, Genma. The same Neko Ken that you had taught to Ranma. However, as you know, the training method usually renders the trainee mentally unbalanced with a fear of cats. No one has been able to correctly duplicate the Felinar techniques that make the Cat Fist so effective. The reason why I know about them is due to a slight...uh, error in judgment that I made when I was still young and foolish." Soun and Genma gave their master a sarcastic look. Since when had Happosai NOT done something that didn't end up in disaster? Flashback to two centuries ago... "So, you think to test yourself against the grandmaster of the Anything Goes Martial Arts, eh?" A younger Happosai sneered as he set aside his bag of women's undergarments and stolen treasures. He wasn't worried about facing his opponent. The man couldn't be no more than twenty or twenty-one years old and looked a bit on the lean side. The pervert had more than a century's worth of experience under his belt. The man growled as he took a strange stance that Happosai did not recognize. "I have heard that you are quite formidable and I wish to see if the rumors are true. Besides, you had committed a serious crime by stealing some of the treasures of our clan. The penalty for this transgression will be quite severe." "Hah! As if a stripling like you could defeat me! Some of your treasures are worth a fortune and I'll never part with my silky darlings!" The future mentor of Soun and Genma took out a pair of panties and rubbed them affectionately against his cheek, giving himself a boost in energy. The man smirked as his battle aura began to show. "Let us see if you still hold your 'silky darlings' in such high regard when they are drenched in your blood!" In a flash, he charged forward with claws extended and battle aura blazing. Happosai nonchalantly held up an arm with his pipe extended. This was too easy. One minute, thirty-five seconds later... "AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" The man was now standing over the battered and bleeding form of Happosai, who was face down on the ground in a pool of scarlet that was becoming larger with every moment. His body twitched and convulsed as his opponent bent down to pick him up by the scruff of the neck. When his eyes met Happosai's, he said in a mocking tone. "Is this the best that the Anything Goes has to offer? I am so disappointed." Happosai was just barely conscious and feeling quite woozy from the massive loss of blood he had sustained. He could barely keep his eyes focused on the man, but they became wide as saucers as the man shifted to his hybrid form. "W-W-What the...? What kind of monster are you? Who are you?" When the old lecher saw the pointed fangs, whiskers and fur, he began to feel like a mouse before a very hungry, and angry cat. A feeling that he would later experience again, 195 years later. The man smiled evilly as he replied. "I am White Claw. Kolinjar of the Felinar Clan. Now that you have experienced a taste of the Neko Ken, perhaps you will respect my clan and its power. For your crimes against the Felinar, the penalty would have been immediate execution." Happosai shivered at these words. In his present condition, he was completely helpless. His techniques had been no match for the awesome fury and deadly moves of the true Neko Ken. "However, I am feeling generous today, as I have recovered our stolen property and had a light workout. You weren't much, but you lasted longer than my other opponents. Therefore, I think I'll just let you off with a..." White Claw cocked his head in thought, then replied, "Slap on the wrist." Happosai was relieved to hear of this, but was then slammed face- first into the ground. A moment later, he felt an excruciating burning sensation on his back. The pain was so unbearable that it caused him to black out into blessed unconsciousness. End of the flashback... "I nearly bled to death that day." Happosai recalled. "I had found myself totally outclassed against White Claw. Since that first encounter, I had trained hard to try and improve my skills. I had also delved into the history of the Felinar Clan to find a weak point in their fighting style. When I came across an old copy of the Neko Ken training manual, I had thought I had the answer. When I read the whole thing however, it turned out to be a dead end." Genma winced at the statement. "White Claw and I clashed on two other occasions since then, but I could never match his power or skills. He would always beat me down to within an inch of my life and then scar me. After the third defeat, I finally wised up and left the Felinar Clan alone." "You... gave up, Master?" Happosai nodded as he took off the top of his gi and showed his back to Genma and Soun. Both were reviled at the wrinkled surface, but then caught the sight of three large and jagged scars that were cut diagonally across the back. "Of all the injuries I have sustained throughout my long life, these scars have never completely healed." He then put his top back on and turned to face his students. "Now listen up. I'm telling you this for your own good. If White Claw has your sign, then you can just kiss the dojo goodbye. He's far too powerful a fighter to be beaten." "But Master! For the future of the Anything Goes, we must regain the sign!" Soun cried out. "I couldn't even beat White Claw long ago in my prime, and who knows how much more powerful he's become since then. Besides, the Neko Ken is considered one of the most deadliest fighting styles in the world! Face it, the only way we could regain the sign is if we had a member of the Anything Goes that also knew of the Neko Ken." Soun brightened at this. "Well, then the answer is simple. We'll have Genma's son Ranma get our sign back. He knows the Neko Ken." "Good luck in trying to find him, Daddy." Nabiki said as she and Akane decided to get into this conversation. Both girls entered the den and sat down beside their father. "In any case, Ranma has already been beaten by this White Claw person and he's fled the country. No one knows where he is now." "Oh the shame of it! My son is a sniveling coward!" Genma started crying out to the heavens. "Who cares about that freak!" Akane remarked with irritation. "I'll get our sign back, just you wait and see!" Nabiki shook her head tiredly. "Akane, do you have a flatline for a learning curve? You are nowhere near RANMA in terms of skill, power or anything to do with the martial arts, and White Claw BEAT HIM! He beat our fathers and Happosai! HE BEAT YOU IN UNDER A SECOND, TWICE! Face it Akane, there's no way in this lifetime that you could ever beat his Neko Ken!" "Hmpf!" Akane turned her head in disgust at her sister's scathing, yet accurate assessment of her skills. "Oh Saotome! What are we going to do?!" Soun burst out into a considerable waterfall of tears that soon threatened to flood the floor of the den. Genma shook his head sadly and in despair. If only that ungrateful boy of his would just accept his responsibility to the Anything Goes and his engagement. Now the fat panda's dreams of a long and luxurious retirement of living off the Tendo Dojo was in jeopardy. *Oh what did I do to deserve such a miserable excuse for a son?* At the hotel where White Claw was staying at, the person in question was getting bored. Ranma had yet to return and challenge him to a rematch, and the Tendos had yet to issue a new challenge to regain their sign. It had been a week since he trounced Soun, Genma and Akane and things were becoming dull. He needed to spice things up a bit. It was then that he received some news from his manservant. Apparently, Happosai had been released from the hospital and was back to terrorizing the neighborhood with his acts of thievery and panty raids. Happosai... oh yes, now I remember! He was the one who had been stupid enough to try and steal from the clan a couple of centuries ago. As I recall, my great-great-grandfather had faced him off on several occasions! Well now, if he was good enough to get the attention of the first White Claw, then perhaps he'll give me some entertainment. After all, he is the founder of the Anything Goes! The next day... "Whoo hoo! What a haul! What a haul!" Happosai was gleefully skipping along with his bag of women's delicates. As he rounded a corner to head back to the Tendo home, his load suddenly became lighter. He stopped suddenly and looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened as he saw that he was holding an empty sack with a huge rip in the bottom. Panties and bras were now scattered all over the ground and some were blowing away in the breeze. He then saw a figure that was casually leaning against a wall and was smirking at him. "My silky darlings!" Hapoosai gasped with horror as his ill-gotten loot began to blow away. He then glared up at the stranger. "Who are you?" Happosai demanded with anger. "Did you do this?!" White Claw nodded as he casually took a stance and replied. "I did. But what I did to that bag was nothing compared to what I'm going to do with you, Happosai." The old pervert snorted with disdain as he took a stance. "So, the little punk wants a piece of me, eh? Well you're going to learn the error of interfering with my affairs! For the crime you have committed against my poor, defenseless treasures, I'm going to..." He then stopped in mid-rant as he got a good look at his opponent. Wait a minute... this guy looks familiar. Where have I seen that face before? He paused to recollect and then his eyes widened in shock and horror. No! It can't be! NOT HIM!!! White Claw became even more smug as he saw Happosai's expression. "Ah, I see you recognize my resemblance to my great- great grandfather." "Great-great grandfather?" Happosai said with surprise. "Why yes. I am White Claw, the fifth." "The fifth?" "Yes, that old tale about the members of the Felinar Clan being ageless is just that, a tale. I am the fifth to take up the name of White Claw, but I assure you, I am just as powerful as my ancestor was. Perhaps even more so." Happosai breathed out a sigh of relief. This wasn't the one who had scarred him all those years ago. He still got the willies whenever he thought of him. Though the resemblance between the present White Claw and his namesake was uncanny. As he stared the fighter in front of him, he began to notice the subtle differences between the first White Claw and the present one. White Claw had gold eyes while his ancestor's were pure black. His hair was silver instead of dark crimson. However, the fierceness of his ancestor burned brightly in this new White Claw and there was no mistaking his power in the Neko Ken. Happosai could tell from his stance and aura. After being mauled by Ranma, the old lecher wasn't exactly eager to go up against another Cat Fist fighter. "What do you want?" White Claw smiled as he replied. "I wish to engage you in combat to test your skills and see if you were as good as my great-great grandfather had told me. Perhaps you would challenge me for the sign of the Tendo Dojo? You are the founder of the Anything Goes, after all." The ancinet pervert snorted and said in a nonchalant tone. "As if I care for Soun's dojo. The Anything Goes doesn't depend on having a dojo and its not like Soun has any students other than his daughter." "You won't fight me for it?" White Claw said with a little surprise. "Heck no! As far as I'm concerned, you can throw the sign into the fireplace. The dojo means nothing to me. I only stay there for my amusement. Soun and Genma are quite pathetic and it doesn't matter to me whether they lose the dojo or not." "I see." White Claw said with thought. "Well then, perhaps if I were to give you a bit of an incentive to fight with me for the sign?" "Yeah, right. As if I'm crazy enough to go up against a Neko Ken Master. What could you possibly have that would make me want to fight you for a wooden board?" "Perhaps... this?" The Neko Ken fighter gestured to one side and someone stepped out into view from around a corner. Happosai's eyes bugged out when he saw the woman as she seductively leaned against the wall and gave him a playful wink. She was dressed in a revealing, bikini-type outfit that just barely covered up her lush charms. Her breasts swayed and bounced with each slight movement and her smooth curved hips accentuated her long, slender legs. She had her dark hair done in a long ponytail and her large, hazel eyes were tilted at a very sensuous angle. She glided over to where White Claw was standing and placed a hand on his broad, muscled chest and then gave him another wink. White Claw nodded his head to her and before the old pervert's eyes, she gave a small meow and transformed into her hybrid form. She became taller and more muscular, but her form became even sexier as her clothes were stretched to their absolute limit. Her skin became lightly furred and took on a light tan color with red stripes. A tail appeared below the small of her back, which swayed and twitched as she did a graceful pirouette. Her top was now barely able to contain the bounty that her already well-endowed breasts had become. Her bikini bottoms was a thong-style and Happy thought he would have a heart attack when he got a full view of her rear. The catwoman was pumping out pheromones like nobody's business and White Claw knew that Happosai was hooked. "WHOA MOMMA! HOTCHA! COME HERE BABY!" Happosai was like a human missile as he leapt forward to give the female a glomp to end all glomps! However, he was stopped in midair as White Claw casually plucked him by the scruff of the neck. As the old lecher kicked his legs and tried to pry himself from White Claws inhuman grip, he gave off a short laugh of amusement. To be so close to such beauty was torture for him! "LEMME GO! LEMME GO!!" White Claw shrugged as he nodded to the to his servant. "That will be all, Tigara." "As you wish, Kolinjar." Tigara touched her lips with two of her fingers and blew her master a kiss before leaping high to an astounding fifty feet. She was then gone in an instant as she bounded away via rooftops. "NOOOOO!!!! COME BACK, SWEETIE!!!" With a simple flick of his wrist, White Claw tossed the lecherous master of the Anything Goes to the ground and said, "IF you are able to defeat me, Happosai, not only will you regain the dojo's sign, but I will let you have let you have a dozen of those lovely girls as a bonus." "A-A-A d-d-dozen?!" The old pervert couldn't believe what White Claw was offering. He was already wrapped in his own sick fantasies with just that one girl. To have a dozen of those beauties as his own... White Claw shrugged as he slid into a stance. "Tigara was just a small sample. We have many females such as her in our clan. So... now will you fight for the dojo's sign?" Happy looked at the direction where the feline beauty had disappeared. He had never before seen such loveliness in all of his life. Not even Cologne when she was eighteen could have stirred him up as much as Tigara had done now. The way she moved promised sensual delights undreamed of and if he could defeat White Claw, he would not only have her, but eleven more like her. What he could do with such visions of magnificence drove him beyond any previous levels of lust that he had experienced. The acts of perversions he had done in the past were as nothing to what he imagined he could do with Tigara and others like her. They were unlike any other woman in the world! He must have them! HE WILL HAVE THEM! "HIYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" White Claw grinned. This had been too easy! That night... Kasumi gasped as she answered the door and saw the bloody and bruised form of Happosai, lying prone before her and moaning in pain. On his back was a small piece of paper. As she called for her father and Genma to help her carry the aged master into the house, she reached out with a trembling hand. She bit back the feeling of nausea from the blood stains on the message as she read it out loud. Four down, Six to go. White Claw Somewhere in China... Ranma shook his head as he traveled through the dense forests that was near the capital city of Beijing. It had been a few days after he had left the Shaolin temple. The directions that Tung had given him were vague at best and it had been more than fifty years since the monk had last seen Red Fang. Though Ranma wasn't sure if he wanted to find the old Felinar, he had no other choice. If he wanted to truly control the raging spirit behind the Ultimate Neko Ken, then he needed to find a person that belonged to the clan that created it. He shook his head for the umpteenth time as he continued on. Meanwhile, back in Japan, Ukyo Kuonji hung up the phone in her bedroom above her restaurant. She then made the final checks to the heavy backpack on her bed. With everything else squared away, she prepared to depart for the airport. Her destination would be China. Though she didn't know exactly where her Ran-chan had gone to, it was reasonable to assume that Ranma had went there. He had told her of his adventures after abandoning his father at Jusenkyo. It seemed the most likely place that he would go to and was the best lead she had. She had also asked his friends and Shang had mentioned that Ranma was fond of a Shaolin temple near the coastline. The Chinese boy had often talked with her fiancee during their sparring matches. Though the idea of going blindly into China would seem foolhardy to some, Ukyo was used to the idea. After all, she had spent ten years searching for Ranma before. This was no different. However, now the driving force was concern and tenderness, not revenge. *Speaking of revenge, there's just one more loose end to tie up before I go.* Ukyo first headed to the Tendo Dojo to settle an old score with a certain Genma Saotome. Back in China? Ranma became a bit edgy as he began to sense something was watching him. Traveling through the wilderness had begun to sharpen his catlike instincts that had become lax from living in Tokyo. He stiffened a bit as he approached an extremely dense grove of trees near a hillside. Looking past the branches and up the hill, he could see a small cabin in the distance. It was surrounded by some large boulders and a ridge. If Tung had not told him at what direction to approach it, Ranma would have never had spotted it from below. Apparently, Red Fang preferred his privacy. *That must be it.* Ranma thought as he began to make his way toward it. Ten minutes later, he walked up the path that led to the structure, then paused again as he used his instincts and senses to scan the area. He knew he was being watched, but he couldn't tell where his stalker was hiding. His sense of danger was now on full alert as he dropped his backpack and crouched down in a ready stance. He waited for what seemed to be an eternity for any sign of whoever or whatever was watching him. Then it happened. From some dense bushes on Ranma's left, a huge red shape exploded forth with a roar that almost caught him off guard. The Neko Ken fighter just barely managed to duck out of the way as he saw the flash of razor-sharp claws take a swipe at his head. Ranma quickly rolled out of the way and came back on his feet as he turned to face off against the beast. His eyes widened as the huge cat landed and turned to regard him. The saber-tooth was huge! It was slightly larger than Ranma's own feline form, but had a copper-colored fur coat with some gray hairs highlighting its face, paws and the tip of its tail. It had green eyes that seemed to stare right through him. Large front canines the size of daggers were glinting in the afternoon light, giving them a lethal shine. Ranma could see that the big cat was worn and its fur wasn't as thick as his own. It was a faded reddish color and wasn't as lustrous as the Tokyo Tiger's. He could see the telltale scars of sustained injuries and the signs of age taking its toll. This tiger was definitely a veteran of many fierce battles and had lived for a long time. Seeing that the tiger was crouching and tensing up, Ranma knew that it was getting ready to pounce. Remembering what Tung had told him, Ranma took a neutral stance and spoke to the growling predator. "Red Fang, I presume? I bring greetings from Tung Kwai." This caught the cat's attention as it suddenly stopped growling and regarded Ranma with a curious gaze. Ranma nodded as he continued. "Yes, I know him, just as you did when you taught him how to control the Neko Ken. I've been subjected to that training as well, and I have been told that you can help me with it, as well as face a person called? White Claw." This really got Red Fang's attention as he sat down on his haunches and closed his eyes. A moment later, the beast glowed with an eerie red light and then morphed. Ranma was very impressed as he had forgotten what the transformation had looked like from the outside. In less than a few seconds, the prehistoric tiger became an old man that looked to be around his late eighties to early nineties. He was about Ranma's height, but was a bit on the lean side. His hair was a pale gray with some red highlights near his temples. It was long and flowed down toward the middle of his back. He was dressed in simple garments which included loose gray pants, leather sandals and a tunic of white. His face was wrinkled and somewhat sad- looking, but his eyes are what caught Ranma's attention. They had the most striking emerald shade that he had ever seen and he couldn't tear his eyes away from them. The old man's brows furrowed as he gazed at his visitor. He assessed the boy's power and nodded as he said in a firm tone, "Follow me, young tiger. We have much to discuss." The old Neko Ken warrior turned his back and headed toward the cabin with Ranma close behind. In Japan? WHAM!!! Genma Saotome went flying after his face had been introduced to Ukyo's battle spatula. He had just opened the door when the okonomiyaki chef unslung her main weapon, and asked, "Genma Saotome?" Genma tried to shut the door as his survival instincts kicked in. After years of running from the law and all those broken promises, the fat panda was quite wary of people who were asking for him. Before he could get the door even halfway closed, Ukyo kicked it open and then slammed the flat of the giant cooking utensil into his face. The Tendo family were in the parlor after tending to Happosai's injuries. The old pervert was resting in one of the guest rooms and they had just got up to leave when they heard a loud, metallic clang. Genma went crashing into the wall at the end of the hall as Ukyo went charging into the house with eyes ablaze with fury. "Your number's up pops!" The father of Ranma was just shaking his head to clear it, when Ukyo brought her weapon down again on his noggin. She then continued to slam her spatula down on him. The incessant clanging of metal against his dimwitted skull echoed through the house and it wasn't long before the Tendos came rushing to the scene. They stopped and stared in disbelief as they saw Ukyo repeatedly pound Genma, even after it was apparent that he was unconscious. "Do you realize how hard it is on a child's psyche to be abandoned like that?! You are going to pay for every year, every month, every day that I suffered when you left me! YOU HEAR ME?!" The Tendos had to rush in and physically restrain the enraged chef before she could bring the sharpened edge of her spatula into play. A minute more and she would have made panda okonomiyaki out of him! Some time later? "WHAT?! SAOTOME, HOW COULD YOU?!" Genma winced as Kasumi applied the last of the bandages to his head. He didn't like the way his friend was going into that Demon Head of his. Off to one side, Ukyo growled at him. After calming down a bit and realizing that Genma was unconscious and couldn't feel her wrath, she had explained to the Tendos about what had happened to her ten years ago. "So that's why you were pretending to be a boy when you came here." Akane surmised. Ukyo nodded. "Yeah, he went and stole my family's yattai after my father had offered it up as my dowry! He agreed to engage me to Ran-chan and ruined me for marriage when he abandoned me! I swore to renounce my femininity and get my revenge on both him and his son." "Ran-chan?" Nabiki asked. "That's what I used to call him. He called me Ucchan. I spent the last ten years of my life as a boy while searching for him and his worthless father." "Well, if you like, I can tell you about him, for a price." Nabiki smiled as she saw an opportunity. She knew who Ranma was, after all. Ukyo gave her a smug smile as she replied, "Not interested. I already know about my Ko-chan." She gave a happy sigh as she thought about him. "You? know about Kojiro?" Nabiki saw yen signs disappearing before her. "Of course I do. He is my fianc?e after all." This quickly got Soun's attention. "Now just a moment! There's something you should know! Ranma is engaged to my Akane, and when he marries her, the two of them will carry on the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts! It's already been decided! As a matter of honor, he will follow through!" "And what about my family's honor? Do it mean any less?" "The pledge to unite our schools was made before any of our children were born! We have seniority!" "That doesn't mean anything!" Ukyo shot back. "Ranma's father has already taken my dowry and spent it! All you had was a verbal pledge! And maybe you should know that my family wasn't the only one that Ran-chan's dad had promised him to!" "W-W-W-What a-are y-you talking about?" Soun was taken aback by this. When hearing about Ukyo's claim, he had become angered that his friend had not told him of this. However, he wasn't totally surprised as he had chalked up Genma's behavior as a side- effect from training under Happosai. Now there was more? "I-I-I only did that once, Tendo!" Genma said quickly as he began looking for an escape route. "Oh really?" Ukyo said sarcastically as she began ticking off with her fingers. "Tell me, does the name Daijkoku mean anything to you? The family that you sold Ran-chan to for a fish, rice and two pickles? How about Shiga, Sentaro, Wu or the dozen or so other families you've cheated? Ko-chan told me all about them!" "Saotome?" Soun growled at his friend, giving him an icy stare before turning back to Ukyo. "I was unaware of all of this, but the fact remains that Ranma must marry my daughter Akane! I am sorry about your misfortune, but?" "I told you before, I'm not marrying that FREAK!" Akane bellowed as she had been totally ignored throughout this exchange. Ukyo almost brought her spatula to bear on Akane, but then remembered herself. Instead she said in low and menacing tone, "What did you just say?" Akane's anger was making her say things before thinking as she totally missed the hostility being directed at her. "He's a freak! He changes into some monster and there's no way I'm going to marry someone like that! He's also a coward since he's run away!" Ukyo was steaming at this time as she clenched her fists. *How dare she insult my Ko-chan! I outta?* Ukyo then got a thought and smiled as she stood up and said, "Fine then. It seems that you don't want him. I'll be glad to take him!" She then turned to Soun. "Mister Tendo, since your daughter has denounced her engagement to Ranma, in front of witnesses, I don't consider the Tendo's claim as valid." Soun was quick to the denial. "The Tendo claim to Ranma still stands!" Ukyo shrugged as she said, "Think what you like, but consider this. Ranma's already renounced his name. He doesn't consider himself as Ranma Saotome anymore and had his name changed to Kojiro Shinkara. The vow Mister Saotome made is no longer valid." "Doesn't that make your claim also invalid?" Nabiki said. Ukyo shrugged again. "Maybe, but at least I still have a chance with him. He likes me, not Akane and he's so sweet and so darn CUTE when he's a tiger! He's my little T-chan!" Ukyo saw little hearts floating about. "T-chan?" Kasumi asked. "T as in tiger and chan as in cute." Ukyo replied with a smile. *Oh brother!* Nabiki rolled her eyes. She thought he was cute as a saber-tooth? Formidable? Yes. Intimidating? For certain. But cute? "That's ridiculous! He can't do that!" Genma denied. "As his father, I'll just change his name back!" Genma sweated a bit as he imagined what certain people would do if they found out about this. *What would Nodoka say?* Akane was getting very irritated by the moment. "Let him go! Who needs that freak!" She then directed her anger at Ukyo. "And you! You're just as weird as he is if you think he's cute! Why anyone would want to be with him is beyond me!" Ukyo took that particular insult personally and almost slapped Akane because of it. She couldn't believe that Akane was so dense and not see Ranma for what he was. So he transformed into gigantic prehistoric beast. So what? It didn't change who he was on the inside. Ukyo had been getting to know her Ran-chan, ? Ko-chan all over again and she liked what she found. Although he took fighting very seriously, he also had a playful side to him. Okay, so he was reluctant to admit that they were a couple, but at least he was willing to make up for the terrible mistake he made ten years ago. He was certainly no coward! Ukyo had seen the anguish in his eyes as he related his lack of control over the Neko Ken. He just needed some space, that's all. And he confided in her like he did with no one else. That had to count for something, right? At least she was willing to listen to him. Akane was just going with her own opinion that he was a freak. Well, that suited Ukyo just fine. She wouldn't want her Ko-chan to be unhappy to be saddled up with someone like that. Akane wasn't willing to listen to the whole story or get to know him before making her judgment about him. Ukyo found it strange to be thinking of Akane like that. When she had first arrived at Furinkan, she had felt sorry for her when she was constantly attacked by those boys and Kuno every morning. She didn't really know Akane that much during the first few weeks. But now she was seeing her true nature. She was letting her wounded pride get the better of her. She probably developed her dislike for Ranma from the tournament when he beat her so easily. Well if she didn't want Ranma, then she was making a big mistake. She was missing out on getting a really good guy. That much the chef knew for sure. Ukyo stood up and said, "Well, seeing that there's nothing else to talk about, I'll be going." She glared at Genma. "Don't think that this is over between us, Genma Saotome. I'm not going to end your miserable existence? today, but we will finish this. Also, if I were you, I'd be looking out for not only me, but also those other families you've conned. They might not be as lenient as me when they find out that you're here." Genma gulped as the thought hit him. She knew about those other arrangements. Who could stop her in telling them, or even? Nodoka? (gulp) "N-N-N-Now, I'm sure we can talk this? erk!" The rest of Genma's plea was cut off as he found the sharp edge of Ukyo's battle spatula up against his neck. The young chef glared at him for a long moment, before withdrawing her weapon and headed out the door. Genma rubbed his neck while giving off a sigh in relief. Then he turned around and cringed as he beheld Soun in his full-blown Demon Head. "SAOTOME?" "Eep!" In China? "I see." Red Fang nodded as he took a sip of tea. After inviting Ranma inside his cabin, the two had sat down to have some tea. During this time, Ranma had explained his training of the Neko Ken and the events that had happened afterwards. The Felinar warrior listened to the boy's tale and became especially interested when he was told of Ranma's dip in Jusenkyo and his encounter with White Claw. "So, I was told that you had helped Master Tung with his Cat Fist and that you might be able to do the same with me." Ranma said as he wrapped up his story. "Indeed." The old fighter said as he took another sip of his tea. He then placed his cup down and looked into Ranma's eyes. "From what you have described, it sounds like you are suffering from the conflict between your human side and your cat side. That is to be expected for one who has conquered the physical and mental levels of the Neko Ken, but not the spiritual one. You must undergo the Felinar Rite of Passage in order to resolve your inner self. Furthermore, you cannot access the full power of the Neko Ken without it." "My cat side? Rite of Passage?" "Yes. Before I explain what those are, just how much do you know of the Neko Ken and our clan?" Ranma then began relating what he had been told by Dr. Diggers and Stripe. When he had finished, Red Fang nodded and then began his own explanations. "The Felinar Clan dates back to more than fifty thousand years, during the time of the first landings of the Kyrn. As you have been told, scouting groups had been sent out to survey the planet in order to find a suitable place to settle. In addition, some groups were sent to find others of our kind. You see, when the main ship crash-landed on this world, several escape shuttles had been launched and scattered on the Earth's surface. The ancestors of the Felinar had traveled deep into Africa, near what would eventually become Egypt. They were following the homing beacon from one of those escape shuttles. However, when the scouting group came across the wreckage, they had found no survivors. They were about to turn back and rejoin the main group in South America, but an accident with the shuttle's cryogenic stasis pods had caused the scouting party to become locked into suspended animation. That was when the Stripe's people had lost contact with them." "So, what happened then?" "The remaining Kyrn had tried to find their lost comrades, but due to malfunctioning equipment and loss of communications, they were unable to locate them. Eventually, after countless searches, they were forced to assume the worst of the scouting party and listed them as lost and probably dead. The centuries would pass and the main population of the Kyrn founded the city that you know of today as El Dorado." "Go on." Ranma urged. Red Fang nodded. "About thirty-thousand years later, the ancestors of the Felinar were finally released from their suspended animation due to a massive earthquake. However, they had discovered something terrible. The cryogenic system had caused extensive cellular damage to their DNA and that they were beginning to deteriorate. Additionally, they could not adapt to the many terrestrial diseases of the planet, since they lacked the proper antibodies and other immune components. In order to save themselves, they had to use their advanced biotechnology to infuse their genetic structures with those of native Earth organisms. The one that was genetically suited to our kind at that particular time period was?" "The saber-tooth tiger." Ranma finished. "Correct. We had also found some additional assets to our merging our DNA with the saber-toothed cats. You've probably already found out about our ability to morph into tigers, increased strength, speed, recuperative abilities and so on. You see, my ancestors used to look like this Stripe person you described, but over the millennia, we have long since mutated into a much more human- looking appearance when not using our shape-shifting ability. The Kyrn that you know of in El Dorado have kept isolated for the most part from the outside world. We on the other hand, have been subjected to outside radiation, environmental factors and such. However, we did try to avoid contact with the local natives, especially mankind. We had later set up a small, hidden civilization near the borders of ancient Egypt. Since we had no contact with the rest of our people, we had assumed that we were the only Kyrn left." "Okay, so what about the Neko Ken? How did that come around?" "Ah yes. Although we had kept to ourselves for the most part, there were individuals that did go out and explored Asia, especially the more eastern regions. At the time, it was around 1700 BC or so. The people of China were just starting to form their civilizations and their unarmed fighting techniques. We had been observing mankind as it developed and their martial arts skills intrigued us. So much so, that certain members of the Felinar began developing a fighting style which utilized our catlike abilities. We soon formed formidable ways of unarmed combat that were the early stages of the modern Neko Ken. However, we were still unable to harness the true potential of this fighting style. We lacked? how do I describe it? We had based the Neko Ken on the saber-tooth tiger, but we were not truly in touch with that aspect of our being. Though we could transform into tigers, we were not true cats. We were only using their forms as a means to an end. We needed to get a spiritual connection to that part of ourselves. Without it, we became easily prone to battle rages and such, much like what you are experiencing now. The instability caused by our more primal urges almost made us give up trying to develop the Neko Ken any further. Were it not for a young warrior that had traveled to Egypt in 1525 BC, the Neko Ken may have never become a reality." "Fifteen twenty-five BC?" Ranma repeated. He thought for a moment, then said, "Hey, that was when the first recorded sighting of the Felinar was, wasn't it?" "That's right, Kojiro. A Felinar member by the name of Panthara Kir had traveled to ancient Egypt. Since the people did worship cats as divine, that in itself caught his interest. He was especially interested in the legend of Bast, the Egyptian Cat goddess. He believed that she was real, and guess what? She is!" "A goddess? Oh come on now." "She does exist, make no mistake. Panthara Kir had found her. Though a series of rituals and long searches through countless temples that worshipped her, he finally came across an amulet which allowed him to contact her. Within one of the caves near the Valley of the Kings, he had summoned Bast and pleaded with her to resolve the terrible conflict within his soul. He too was under the madness of the Neko Ken's instability. She took pity on him and offered him a way to not only calm his raging spirit, but to also tap into the full potential of the saber-toothed tiger, on one condition. He and all those who seek to control the Neko Ken would become her avatars. Apparently, we of the Felinar had unknowingly tried to duplicate HER fighting style!" "You mean, the Neko Ken wasn't invented by the Felinar?" Red Fang shook his head. "No, the fighting style that we thought was original, was actually Bast's creation. It just by mere coincidence that we had developed many of the moves that she herself had created millennia before us. In any case, Panthara Kir accepted her terms. He underwent Bast's special rite to purify his soul and when he emerged, he gained the potential to truly master the Neko Ken. A few weeks of intense training later, and he became the founder of the Felinar Clan's branch of that mighty fighting style. The treatment he underwent would eventually become the Felinar Clan's Rite of Passage. All of our warriors must undergo this ceremony. And since you are one of us and have the Neko Ken in your possession, you too must undergo the process to complete yourself." "Hold on a minute!" Ranma held up his hands. "I'm not a Felinar! I'm just some guy who fell into the Spring of Monster Tiger in Jusenkyo! It's just a coincidence that I'm similar to you." Red Fang shook his head. "No, Kojiro. You are Felinar. I sensed it immediately when we first met. Furthermore, if you were not Felinar, then I would have NEVER told you about the history of our clan or our fighting style. Though I am in exile, I am still loyal to my people and will not reveal our deepest secrets to outsiders!" "Exile?" "That is another matter. What is important is that you represent a great danger to not only others but to our clan as well! As I see it, there are but two options. Either you undergo the Rite of Passage and become a member of the clan or?" "Or what?" Ranma asked as he tensed up. He didn't like where this was going. "Or I would have to kill you." Red Fang said simply. "It our laws that no outsider may possess the Neko Ken. Though there is good reason, since you already know the side-effects of an ordinary human trying to attempt to master it." "What?! You mean that wrapping a kid in fish sausage and throwing him into a pit of starving cats is really how it's done?!" The Cat Fist fighter shook his head. "No. Those who tried to steal our techniques had misread the manual. The Neko Ken was never meant for ordinary humans. The real initiation into the training of the Cat Fist was to take a young child of our clan, and have him or her associate with various cats in different moods and such, in order to stimulate the child's feline powers. Over the next few centuries, some greedy martial artists had infiltrated our clan. Those who had witnessed our initiations, thought the method was too slow and not intense enough. They made modifications to the method and? well, I'm sure you already know what resulted from those changes." Ranma shuddered a bit at the memory. He knew all right. "But, you said that you would never reveal any of the Neko Ken's secrets to outsiders. What about Master Tung? You trained him to control his Cat Fist." The old Felinar nodded as he explained. "Indeed, but there were exceptions that had to be made for outsiders that were driven mad from the Cat Fu training. Whenever we came across individuals that had attempted to master our techniques, but instead gained an irrational fear of cats, we gave them two choices: as I have given to you now. We would offer them a chance to conquer their fear and become honorary members of the Felinar. This was also seen as a way of adding new blood to our clan. The other option is?" "You'd kill them." Ranma said with a hardened edge. "You must understand, that in just about all the cases that we were forced to end those lives, we had no choice. Those we had killed were permanently fixed in their feral states and we considered them as mercy killings, rather than to have innocent bystanders be slaughtered by their rampages. You could understand that, can you?" Ranma was about to object, then remembered the story about Tung's experience. He then got an image of himself in his battle rages and slashing at anything that got too close to him. People like Ukyo, Shang, Kai, Kosho and others came to mind. He shivered a bit as he thought about accidentally hurting or killing any one of them. "But, does that mean that Master Tung is a member of the Felinar? You did help him overcome his fear of cats." Red Fang shook his head. "No, Tung Kwai is not of the Felinar. Though I had helped him overcome his instability, he refused to learn more and turned down membership. However, we have come to an understanding. He has sworn to me that he will not use what little he knows of the Neko Ken in front of outsiders. So far, he has kept his word, though I suspect he has shown it to you. How else would you know of me?" "But, that would mean?" Red Fang held up his hand. "Since you are Felinar, I do not count Tung's showing you his Neko Ken technique as a breach of our agreement. That is, if you accept the Rite of Passage. If you do not, then I will have to kill both you and Tung as it is my duty as one of the grandmasters of the Neko Ken." Ranma blanched at the mention of Red Fang as a grandmaster, but became even more apprehensive at what he said before. "You'd kill Master Tung?!" Ranma quickly stood up. "As much as I am fond of him, I will carry out my obligations." He affirmed as he too rose. "So now you have a choice. What will it be?" Ranma glared at the aged fighter before him and began considering attacking him. Though he looked very old, the mention of him being a grandmaster of the Neko Ken caused him to pause. Ranma had already fought Happosai and he had been a tough one, despite his extreme age. Furthermore, this person knew how to calm Ranma's tormented soul, and knew more about the Neko Ken and the Felinar than he did. There was Master Tung to think about. The Shaolin priest wouldn't stand a chance against the Felinar, if what Red Fang was telling him was the truth. If not from Red Fang, then from another of the clan would hunt his friend down. Finally, there were also his close friends to think about. They would be in constant danger if he could not control his battle rages. For Ranma, there was only one choice to make. He swallowed his pride, bowed his head and gave Red Fang a slight nod. The old Neko Ken fighter nodded in return as he said, "Prepare yourself, Kojiro. Tomorrow, you shall begin the Rite of Passage and truly become a Felinar!" "Why do you keep calling me a Felinar? I told you, I fell into the Spring of Drowned Monster Tiger!" Red Fang's expression became deadly serious as he said in a quiet, yet firm tone. "No, Kojiro. You fell into the Spring of Drowned Felinar." Ranma's eyes became the size of saucers as his jaw dropped open. To be continued? Author's Notes Well, that was a doozy to write and I hope I've answered some questions along the way. In the next episode, Ranma's training in the true Neko Ken shall begin as Ukyo makes her way to him. In the meantime, time begins to run out for the Tendos as their bid to regain their sign becomes even more bleak.