Cat Fist Fury Disclaimer: I think we know the drill by now. < >: Thoughts Chapter 25 Kohlinshor and Kohlinnor Ranma moaned as he awoke to find himself on a bed in a strange room. His body was aching all over and he looked down to see that all of the wounds he had sustained during his battle with White Claw had been expertly bandaged. He found himself in his human form and bare-chested as he sat up. "Ko-chan!" Ranma winced as Ukyo rushed to his bedside and hugged him. "OW! OW! OW!" Ukyo immediately released her hold on her fianc? and said, "Oh, sorry about that! Are you okay Kojiro?" Ranma nodded as he took a deep breath. "Ukyo, where are we? How did I get here?" Ukyo nodded as she pulled up a chair to sit at the bedside. "After the fight, the Felinar brought you here and fixed you up. We're in a kind of safehouse or something. So how do you feel?" "Tired. My body feels like it went through a trash compactor, ten times." "Yeah, but you still beat White Claw!" Ukyo said with pride. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Ranma smiled briefly then remembered what had happened afterwards. "He's... dead, isn't he?" Ukyo nodded. "Kojiro, what's going to happen now? I mean, those Felinar guys wouldn't tell me anything when they brought you and me to this place. When I asked, they said to wait for the other Elders to tell us." The young okonomiyaki chef became a bit uneasy. "Ko-chan, I'm getting worried. We've been cooped up in this room for hours and I haven't seen anyone since we were brought here." "I'm kind of wondering that myself." Ranma admitted. "To tell you the truth, I had no idea of what to do after I beat White Claw. There's still the Felinar to deal with." "Kojiro... I'm getting scared. What's going to happen to us?" Ranma saw that Ukyo needed some comfort and drew her into a light embrace. "I don't know Ucchan. I really don't know." It was then that they became startled as a flash of light suddenly appeared. When it faded away, Ranma and Ukyo found themselves face to face with the deity called Bastet. "Well done my avatarrr." The cat goddess purred. "And I see that you and yourrr kohlinshorrr are getting along very well. I am pleased." Ukyo stared at Bast for a long while. It wasn't every day that a feline deity suddenly pays a visit. She finally found her voice and addressed her. "W-W-Who are you?" Bast smiled at the surprised girl and made a slight bow to her. "Forgive me forrrr not introducing myself. I am Bastet, but you may call me Bast. I am the goddess of pleasure, protector of men, pregnant women and cats. I am also the principal deity of the Felinarrr. Pleased to meet with you, Ukyo Kuonji." "G-Goddess?! Y-You know who I am?" Ukyo gasped, then looked at her fianc?. Ranma nodded as he said, "Yes, she is a goddess. She's the one who helped me in training in the Neko Ken. When I finished with the training, I became her avatar. She was the one who gave me the name of Saber Claw." Bast nodded as she said, "Not only are you my avatarrr, Saberrrr Claw, but you have also become the kohlinjarrrr of the Felinarrr. As I knew you would." "Kohlinjar? Me?" "Yes, you are the kohlinjarrrr and as such, you have certain... obligations." "What kind of obligations?" Ranma didn't like the sound of it. "You have already completed one duty by selecting Ukyo as your kohlinshorrr." "Kohlinshor? Does that mean what I think it means?" Ukyo asked with a twinkle in her eyes. She remembered what Pantheron had called her. Bastet nodded as she affirmed it. "Yes. You are the future lifemate of Kojiro. The Felinarrr acknowledges you as one 'true' fianc?e. Now Saberrrr Claw must select a kolinnorrr." "Kohlinnor? What's that?" Kojiro asked. Bast smirked, showing slight fangs. "The other fianc?e." "WHAT?!" Meanwhile, at the Tendo dojo... "Genma! The schools must be joined!" Soun said as he and Genma discussed how to get Ranma to follow through with the pledge to unite the Tendo and Saotome families. Nearby, Kasumi, Akane and Nabiki sat in disbelief. Those two could be THAT stupid, could they? They had just witnessed Ranma defeat the one who took their dojo's sign and reduced Happosai to a crippled state. They had been in the midst of beings with power unlike any they had ever witnessed. They had seen what the true Neko Ken was capable of! Even the Chinese Amazons were fearful of them! Just HOW were they going to get Ranma to the dojo? Nabiki groaned at the sheer stubbornness and idiocy being displayed. Then again, after all that had happened, she shouldn't have expected anything different. Those two were desperate to have Ranma marry one of the Tendo daughters and carry on the dojo. Ranma had defeated White Claw, so technically, the dojo's sign had been won back. However, Ranma, or rather Kojiro, did not fight on behalf of the Anything Goes School, so the sign was still the property of the Felinar. The only way they could regain the sign was to get to Kojiro to agree to the marriage, since he had been declared as part of that race of Cat Fist fighters. Nabiki snorted as she had no doubts that Kojiro would refuse and there wasn't a thing that Genma or Soun could do to force him to fulfill that pledge. Though the thought of being engaged to him was appealing to say the least. After seeing him in his very exotic-looking hybrid form and thinking of what kind of money she could rake in with his abilities, Nabiki had considered suggesting to her father that she be the one to be engaged to Ranma, instead of Akane. As of now, Akane certainly couldn't attract anyone with that ugly scar on her face. Kasumi was also wondering about the sanity of her father and his friend. Though she did think that Ranma's hybrid form was... interesting to say the least. However, wasn't the Tendo-Saotome pledge now invalid, since he had renounced his name? Furthermore, he had clearly stated that he did not fight White Claw on behalf of the Anything Goes and therefore, the dojo's sign still belonged to White Claw. Since White Claw was dead, where did that leave the dojo's sign? Kasumi assumed that it now belonged to Ranma... er, Kojiro. "Genma! We must make your wayward son see reason to return with the sign and marry one of my daughters!" Soun cried out. "I know Soun, but the trick is how to do it. Ranma's one of those Felinar now. We have to find a way around them to get to that ungrateful boy!" "What about the fact that your son is using another name?" "Hmpf! That's nothing! As his father, I'll simply change it back! All we have to do is get that boy here and hold the wedding ceremony immediately! Even though Ranma didn't officially fight for the dojo's sign, since White Claw is dead, the sign is automatically his by proxy. Then the future of the Anything Goes will be assured!" "Then it's Soun..." "And Genma's..." Both men then took a pose and exclaimed together. "Operation Wedding Bells!" "Now wait a minute! Hold on! Stop all engines!" Both men looked at Nabiki, who was, now exasperated at the total lack of intelligence that both men were showing. The middle daughter just couldn't believe that they hadn't thought this through at all. It was apparent that the only thing that was lower than their combined IQ ratings were their combined shoe sizes. "I can't just stand here and watch this anymore! You just don't get it, do you? You've already tried to drag him back to the dojo once, and look what happened! You've already seen what Uncle Genma's son was capable of! You've seen what those other Felinars can do! If Happosai, Ryoga, Pantyhose and all the Amazons combined couldn't stand up to them, then what makes you think you have a snowball's chance in Hell of getting Ranma away from them?!" Soun took on a stoic air about him. "Nabiki! Watch your language! It is a matter of honor that the Schools of the Anything Goes be joined and carry on the legacy of this dojo!" "What dojo?" Nabiki snorted. "We don't have the sign, remember? And what good did the dojo do anyway? We haven't had any students for years!" "That will all change once Ranma marries Akane! When people hear that we have a master of the Cat Fist, then they'll flock to the dojo!" Genma assured. "I told you, I'm not marrying that FREAK!" Akane screamed as she got up and stomped up to her room. A difficult thing for her to do at the moment as both her arms and legs were in casts. She moved like a department store mannequin. She had already been feeling low after receiving the scar and seeing just how far above Ranma was in comparison to her own skills. She was also fighting the images in her head about how sexy he looked in his hybrid form. "Ah, such fire! It must be love." Soun sighed as he watched Akane stomp away. "Couldn't ask for a more perfect match." Genma agreed solemnly. Nabiki shook her head in absolute disbelief. Once her father got an idea in his head, there was just no way of changing his mind. Though she knew that it was pointless, she once again tried to reason with him. "Daddy, can't you see that this plan of yours is going to fail? We know next to nothing about the Felinar or how Ranma is involved with them! You can't just march up to them and demand that Ranma be returned to his father! They'd probably rip you apart like old newspaper!" This last statement made Genma and Soun pause. The mustached man turned to the portly and sometimes panda martial artist and said, "She has a point Saotome. Maybe we should get more information about the Felinar, before we try to get Ranma back." "You're right Tendo! And I know who to ask." At the Nerima Hospital... "And that's what happened, Master." Genma said as he finished explaining the recent events to the bed-ridden Happosai. Behind him, Soun, Kasumi and Nabiki were listening intently. Akane had refused to come to the hospital, since she knew that both Happosai and Kuno were there: the two people she despised almost as much as Ranma. Happosai nodded as he spoke in a low tone. "So, White Claw is dead and Ranma has become the new kohlinjar, eh? Well, that certainly is a development." Happosai remarked. "You are correct though. As I recall from what I know about Felinar laws, everything that belonged to the former kohlinjar is now Ranma's." "You see Tendo?" Genma said with joy. "Now all we have to do is get Ranma married to Akane and..." "Not so fast, Genma." Happosai interrupted. "If Ranma did defeat White Claw, then there's no possible way you two idiots could ever hope to bring him in." "But the schools MUST be united!" Soun cried out. "Why not have Genma marry one of Soun's daughters, then?" Both Nabiki and Kasumi blanched at that suggestion and were about to voice out their dismay, when their father thankfully interjected. "No, Genma is still married, aren't you?" The former father of Ranma nodded. "It must be Ranma!" "So Master, is there any way at ALL that we can unite the schools?" Soun asked anxiously. "Well, there IS one way." Happosai began, then shook his head. "Nah, it would never work." "WHAT IS IT?" Soun and Genma asked as they leaned forward. "Well..." Happosai paused for a long time before replying. "I (ahem), borrowed a book of the laws of the Felinar during my run-ins with them." "In other words, you stole it." Nabiki translated with sarcasm. Happosai ignored the quip and continued. "Since Ranma is the kohlinjar, he does have certain obligations. One of which is to choose a kohlinnor and kohlinshor before his fifth year as the kohlinjar is up." "Kohlinshor?" Nabiki asked. "I remember the Felinar saying that word before at the airfield, but what does that and kohlinnor mean?" "Basically, those words mean 'inner and outer intended' of the kohlinjar. You can think of them as fianc?es." "Fianc?es? As in plural?" Kasumi asked. Happosai nodded. "That's right. As the kohlinjar, Ranma is considered one of the strongest of the Felinar and as such; he is obligated to pass on his strengths and powers to the next generation. To that end, he must select a female that had been born within the clan. She becomes the kohlinnor, or 'inner betrothed.' After about a year, if Ranma had not rejected her or selected a new kohlinnor, then the two are considered lifemates and the Felinar female becomes the kohlinnar, the inner mate. It's their version of a wedding." "Does this mean that the kohlinshor...?" Kasumi began asking. Happosai nodded again. "That's correct. The kohlinshor can be any girl from outside of the Clan. That's one of the ways in which the Felinar introduces new blood into their ranks. The 'outer betrothed' is given the same status as the kohlinnor and after a year of engagement, she automatically becomes the kohlinshar. Usually, the girl is supposed to be a good fighter. " "Then that's the answer!" Genma said with glee. "We'll simply appeal to Ranma's sense of honor that the schools must be joined and have Akane set up as the kohlinshor!" "Not so fast, Mr. Saotome." Nabiki interjected. "I doubt that it would work." "What do you mean Nabiki?" Soun asked. "What Genma says is true. This law solves everything!" "Except for a few snags, Daddy." The middle daughter interjected. "For one thing, Akane and Ranma can't stand each other." "They'll grow to love each other, I'm sure of it." Soun said with confidence. Nabiki sighed as she felt the start of a huge migraine coming on. "I seriously doubt it, but there's another snag, or don't you recall what that Felinar told us before we left the airfield?" "What?" "He said that the kohlinshor has ALREADY been chosen! And if I'm right, then I'd say that Ukyo Kuonji may be the early favorite." "WHAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!" Soun went into his Demon Head and turned on Genma. He remembered about the little business that caused Genma to engage Ranma to Ukyo when they were six. "T-T-Take it easy Soun!" Genma cringed at the sight of his friend. "The master did SAY that Ranma could choose another kohlinshor if he wanted to, so all we have to do is break them up, and then have Ranma choose Akane! We have a year to do it." Soun calmed down and said, "You're right Saotome. Well then, it's Soun..." "And Genma's..." "Operation Break Up and Match Up!" Nabiki could only pinch her nose and shake her head. Back at the safehouse... "Say what?! I need to have TWO fianc?es?!" Kojiro exclaimed after Bastet had finished explaining the laws concerning the kohlinnor and kohlinshor. The Cat goddess nodded as she replied. "That IS the law." To say that Ukyo was a bit uneasy at this news was an understatement. She moved even closer to her Ko-chan. She had been so happy to be designated as the 'true' fianc?e, and now she had to SHARE him with another woman? Bast noted Kojiro and Ukyo's uneasiness and said, "Do not worry. It isn't as bad as it sounds. My avatarrr does not have to choose right away. He has five years to do so." Ranma and Ukyo were still in a state of shock and Bast decided to take the okonomiyaki chef off to one side to talk to her. She beckoned to the brown-haired girl to follow her. Ukyo gazed at her, then looked at Ranma for encouragement. The Cat Fist fighter nodded his assent. Bast led Ukyo out of the room and then cast a small spell to keep sound from being heard by Ranma's sensitive hearing. She then addressed Ukyo. "Ukyo Kuonji, I can tell that you are uneasy about this arrangement. I can sympathize, but it can work." "What do you mean? Ko-chan is mine! He's my fianc? and..." Bast held up a hand to silence her. "I do not argue with yourrr claim. I know all about the yattai and how Kojiro's worthless father had stolen it from yourrr family." "You do?" Bast smirked. "I am a goddess, rememberrr? I have watched you and my avatarrr, and I like you. You are loyal, honest and very caring, if a touch possessive. You have suffered much and deserve to be rewarded. That is why I arranged for you to become Saberrrr Claw's kohlinshorrr." "You?" Ukyo asked in surprise. "Yes. You love him, do you not?" Ukyo became a bit embarrassed at being asked such a personal question, but after twiddling her fingers for a minute, she reluctantly nodded. "Ah, I thought so. So what does it matterrr if he is married to another, as well as to you?" "But... he's mine and..." "And you are afraid that he might come to love the otherrrr woman more, yes?" Ukyo nodded with her eyes directed at the ground. Bast gave a light chuckle and said, "Then you'll just have to make certain that his love for you is as strong as whateverrr feelings he holds for the otherrrr. I know my avatarrr and I'm quite certain that he would neverrr abandon you, for he loves you just as much." Ukyo's head snapped up at this. "H-H-H-He does?" "Yes. As my avatarrr, he and I are connected and there is nothing that he feels that I do not feel as well. He is just very reluctant to admit it now, and yourrr possessive nature has caused him to be uneasy. Do what Tung Kwai had told you. You already have him as yourrr fianc?, so take yourrr time. And as for the kohlinnorrr, do not be worried. Kojiro has more love in him than he realizes and it is too much for any one female. Do not be jealous or resentful when Kojiro chooses a kohlinnorrr. Who knows? You might like having a co-wife. I certainly have no complaints." "You? Your husband is married to another?" Bast nodded. "Yes. My husband Ptah is also married to Sekhemet! She and I were the ones who created the Cat Fist. We do have ourrr disagreements, but we can agree on one thing. Ptah is a wonderful person and we are both grateful that he gives us his love. That is all that really matterrrs." Ukyo was still unsure about the whole thing, but Bast patted her on the shoulder and said, "Do not worry. If you like, I can help you get over a few things when Kojiro selects a kohlinnor. All right?" Ukyo nodded as they both went back into the room. Meanwhile, in the main council room of the Felinar, Kojiro's very future was being discussed. "My fellow Felinar," Jagular began. "it seems that we must now welcome our newest member and kohlinjar to our clan." "Yes." Pumasa agreed wholeheartedly. "Saber Claw was magnificent and he will certainly add much needed new blood to our clan. And I hear that he already chosen a kohlinshor as well." "Yes. He is the perfect replacement for White Claw." Bengara remarked. "Speaking of White Claw, has that little matter of the yakuza been taken care of?" Cheetoran asked. "Yes. All of the assassins that White Claw had hired to kill us have been found and... taken care of." Jagular stated. "Although, we have the catwoman Felicia to thank for stopping those riflemen that were stationed on the tower. Not that we weren't aware of them or the plan that White Claw had to eliminate us." "You knew all along that White Claw was planning a coup, didn't you?" Cheetoran teased. The old Felinar smirked and nodded. "I had a feeling that White Claw was going to try something like that. After all, we don't go out in public very much, and a Combat Challenge was one of the few events that we, the council, ever attend. So, I had intended to have Pantheron's subordinates take out those riflemen, but Felicia had inadvertently done the job for us. The high ranking officials of the yakuza of course denies direct involvement and tell us that White Claw had hired some rogue members. In any case, all we had to do was round up the other assassins and the Felinar that were still loyal to White Claw. There weren't that many. Once their leader was dead, most of White Claw's followers were willing to switch sides. That bit of business was wrapped up rather nicely." "Speaking of business," Lynxara said to change the subject. "Stripe, the leader of the Kyrn, had spoken to me and wishes to reestablish diplomatic relations between the Felinar and his people. He has offered to aid the clan in becoming more in touch with the rest of the world. We have also received a similar offer from the mage, Theodore Diggers and his family." After learning of White Claw's treachery, the Council members that had supported the former kohlinjar were now more interested in Kojiro's inductance into their ranks and were embracing the newer ideas. Jagular was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I think it is high time that we joined our distant cousins and take the first steps to establishing our place in the world. We may have to sever our ties with the yakuza as well, but that will be for another time. All those in favor?" The other Council members raised their hands and responded simultaneously. "Aye!" "And opposed?" No one said a word. "So be it. Now, as for our new kohlinjar, I do believe that he will need some time to recover and get used to his position as our new enforcer and prime representative." The head of the council gestured to Pantheron, who had been standing near the exit to the council chambers. The Felinar approached his leader and gave him a small bow. "Yes, Elder?" "Saber Claw should be awake by now." Jagular said. "When he is able, please have him and his kohlinshor escorted back to his home and leave them for a while. We shall begin his inductance into our clan when he is fully recovered." "As you wish." Pantheron said as he departed to carry out his orders. After Night Stalker had left the room, Jagular addressed the rest of the council. "Now, is there any other subject we should discuss, or shall we adjourn?" Bengara raised a hand. "Excuse me High Elder, but Pumasa did say that Saber Claw had already selected a kohlinshor, did she not?" Jagular nodded. "Yes. I believe that the outsider girl's name is Ukyo Kuonji. I had a background check done on her. She comes from a strong, though somewhat unusual bloodline of okonomiyaki chefs." "Okonomiyaki chefs?" The old Felinar shrugged his shoulders. "Well, the Kuonji clan is quite unusual in its own fighting style, but the Felinar can benefit from it and..." Jagular then gave a sheepish smile. "personally, I like the taste of okonomiyaki." The other council members looked at him strangely but, the law did state that any outsider girl can be the kohlinshor, so long as she was a strong fighter. It was then that Bengara asked, "So, has Saber Claw chosen a kohlinnor yet?" "Not that I know of." Jagular replied. "Why do you ask?" "Oh, I was just wondering." Bengara said with a secret smile. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with your daughter, eh?" The head of the Felinar said with a knowing grin. "Well... Felina IS at that age." "Now hold on a moment!" Lynxara interjected. "My daughter Katri is a much better choice for kohlinnor." "Katri?" Lionalla exclaimed. "My niece Selana is the best choice for our new kohlinjar." Before the argument could escalate, Jagular raised his hand to stop the bickering. "Now, now. Let's not argue over something like this. As the law states, Saber Claw is free to choose whichever Felinar female in the clan. Each of your heirs have equal standing, but his choice will be of his own free will. I will not tolerate any coercion, blackmail, potions or whatnot to influence his decision. And in any case, he's got five years to make a choice, so let him be. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" With great reluctance, the other council members nodded as Jagular signified the end of the meeting. Back at the Nerima Hospital... Happosai sighed as he was left alone in his room. The Tendos and Genma had long since left him, as his two idiotic disciples went to scheme a way to get Ranma to fulfill the pact to unite the schools of the Anything Goes. For the first time in long time, Happosai was not thinking with his perversions and appetites, but actually taking a long, hard look at himself. And he did not like what he had been reduced to. Once he had been the dreaded Master of the Anything Goes. His enemies hated and cursed him, yet they still respected him for his vast skills. His pupils cowered at the mere mention of his name. He could do virtually anything he wanted and get away with it. Now... The old pervert shook his head sadly. Those carefree days of bullying Genma and Soun, as well as terrorizing Nerima with his panty raids were gone forever. With his lower body permanently rendered useless from his severed spinal cord, he could no longer accomplish the simple act of standing up, much less run while being chased by mobs of angry females. He couldn't even grope females without the use of his legs to propel himself toward their bosoms. Oh, he could certainly look up their skirts, but without his lower limbs, he wouldn't be able to ward off the inevitable retaliations. He'd be pummeled and bashed before he could even get a few feet away. And there were just so many pretty nurses in the hospital too! However, even groping every girl in the world wouldn't be able to repair a severed spine. Happosai was effectively crippled. Things couldn't get any worse... or could they? It was at that moment that his senses picked up a familiar chi signature and he shuddered. Cologne appeared before him from an open window and then smirked at him. She lightly jumped down from the window sill and balanced on her staff before him. "Hello again... Happy." Happosai gulped as he saw the fires of revenge in the aged Amazon's eyes. It seemed that after nearly three centuries, she still held a bit of a grudge from when she was eighteen. "Cologne... heh, heh, what a pleasant surprise and..." "This is NOT a social call." Cologne said in a cold voice as she moved closer to him. "There are a few matters that I want to 'discuss' with you. Such as some Amazon treasures that you stole from my village. Mark my words 'Happy,' you WILL be telling me all about them. Oh and by the way, I had sent a message to the rest of the council, and they too wish to 'discuss' a few things with you. They shall be arriving here in two days. By that time, IF you are still alive, you shall be tried and punished in accordance to the laws of our Amazon tribe! You will WISH that White Claw had slain you when we are done with you." Happosai winced. As White Claw had predicted before he had died, the former master of the Anything Goes had just begun on his journey into Hell. In other parts of Tokyo, news of the pervert's downfall and current condition had begun to spread and people with a bone to pick with Happosai were now starting to formulate plans of retribution. A certain Chinese boy by the name of Pantyhose got wind of his so-called godfather's condition and was currently making a beeline toward Nerima. He had mostly recovered from the severe injuries that he had sustained in his fight with a battle-maddened Kojiro. Hordes of women who have had their undergarments constantly stolen were eagerly brandishing blunt and sharp objects as they fantasized various ways of torturing the little gnome before they put him out of THEIR misery for good. Shopkeepers and restaurant owners who have had their goods stolen from them were also planning on taking out what was owed to them, out of Happosai's wrinkled hide. The crimes that the old pervert had committed in his long and immoral career was about to boomerang back at him, with heavy interest. It was highly doubtful that Happy would last more than a few days, if the Amazons left anything at all. And at the Tendo dojo, two former pupils of Happosai had just come to realize something as they came through the front door. The dreaded Master was not so dreaded anymore. In fact, now that he had given them a way of uniting the schools, there wasn't any reason to keep him around. After more than a decade of torment training under him, plus the hardships he had put them through when he came to Nerima, they could now exact their revenge and the little pervert was helpless to stop them. After they had gotten Ranma, the long-awaited revenge against the Master would be theirs! At the Ucchan's... "Careful Ko-Chan." "I'm okay Ucchan. I don't break that easy." Kojiro relied as he gently shrugged off Ukyo's supporting arm. "Nice thing about having a Felinar body is that I heal really fast." "Indeed." Pantheron said as he and his two subordinates followed their new kohlinjar into the building. They, like Ranma, were in their human forms. The large Felinar, who was about six inches taller than Ranma, turned to Cutter and Quick Slash. "Kitall... Kitton... you two are to stand guard outside. I would have a few words to discuss in private with our kohlinjar and the kohlinshor." The twins nodded as they exited the restaurant. "Kitall and Kitton? I thought their names were Cutter and Quick Slash." Ukyo asked as she invited both her fianc? and Pantheron to sit down while she went to make some tea. At present, the restaurant was closed and empty, save for the three of them. "Kitall and Kitton are their birth names. Cutter and Quick Slash are their warrior names, just as mine is Night Stalker and Kojiro's is Saber Claw. You may call me Pantheron if you wish, Lady Ukyo." "Please, just Ukyo will be fine." Pantheron shook his head as he and Ranma sat down at a booth. "It would be most improper to refer to the kohlinshor so personally. You are after all, my kohlinjar's future lifemate." Ukyo blushed a bit and felt a swelling pride as she excused her self to get the tea. As she went to get the kettle, Pantheron turned back to Ranma. "She has a fighting spirit and great loyalty to you, my kohlinjar. You had chosen well. She will add much needed new blood to our clan." "Uh... yeah. " Ranma said with a bit of uneasiness. He was still a bit unsure about this kohlinshor business, but after thinking about it, he had decided to let it stand for moment. After all, he did have a year and could break off the engagement if it didn't work out. The thought of being married to Ukyo wasn't at all unpleasant, and she was his best friend. If he couldn't get along with his best friend, then who could he get along with? "I am certain that she will pass the Surak Nihan with no problems." Ranma's attention was turned back to the present. "Excuse me? What did you say? Ukyo has to pass something?" Pantheron nodded. "It is a rite in which all kohlinshors must undergo to prove their worthiness to join the Felinar. Do not worry, I shall explain it to her when the time comes. However, for now, I must inform you of some important details that you should know, now that you are the kohlinjar." Ranma listened intently as Night Stalker began speaking. However, unknown to both of them, someone else was also listening in with an eager ear. A few days after Ukyo had left to go search for Ranma, Nabiki had secretly had the entire restaurant bugged with listening devices. Since they did not represent any immediate danger to either Ranma, nor Pantheron, their sixth senses did not register the presence of the tiny microphones. At the Tendo home, the mercenary daughter was in her room with the receiver and a tape recorder as she began gathering more information about Kojiro and the Felinar Clan. She had figured that by bugging the Ucchan, she would sooner or later get the inside scoop on the Cat Fist Fighter. Her vigilance was about to pay off. She smiled as she turned up the volume and eavesdropped on the conversation. Pantheron: Now that you are the kohlinjar, there is the little matter of what you are going to do about the things that White Claw had left to you. Kojiro: What do you mean? Pantheron: Well, for one thing, there's the matter of the sign to the Tendo Dojo. Kojiro: Hmpf! I didn't fight White Claw for that hunk of wood! Pantheron: Whether you fought for it or not is irrelevant at this moment. Since White Claw left no will, nor did he leave any heirs, all that he owned is now yours, including that sign. He didn't even have a kohlinnor or kohlinshor and his five was almost up when you fought him. Kojiro: I gave up being the heir to the Anything Goes, so as far as I'm concerned, you can use the sign for firewood. Maybe that'll get Pop and his friend to leave me alone for good! Pantheron shrugged as he replied: As you wish. I'll have Cutter and Quick Slash dispose of it when we return to the clan. At the Tendo complex, Nabiki winced as she heard of this. Unlike her father, Nabiki was more the practical member of the family and to her, the dojo was like Uncle Genma. They both didn't generate any income, took up space and cost them a fortune to maintain. She turned her attention back to the listening device. Pantheron: Now then, there's also the matter of White Claw's fortune. That too, is also yours by proxy. This caught Nabiki's full attention. Kojiro: I don't care how much money he had. I've got more than enough in my bank account as is. Pantheron: Well, it doesn't matter if you want it or not. That twenty million American dollars he had in that Swiss Bank account is automatically yours to do with as you please. Kojiro: Excuse me? Did you say twenty million dollars? Pantheron: That's right. His forays with the yakuza had netted him a lot of income. Let's see... at 130 yen to the dollar, that would be about... oh, 2.6 billion yen." Kojiro: Geez, I already have a couple of million yen in the bank now. What am I going to do with 2.6 billion more? Nabiki almost had a stroke when she heard this. She then became glued to the receiver as Ranma and Pantheron continued with their conversation. In her mind, the wheels were turning furiously as she began thinking of ways to get a hold of that vast inheritance that Ranma had inadvertently received when White Claw died. She even started thinking about persuading her father about changing the engagement from Akane to her. In her present condition, she certainly wasn't fit to be anyone's fianc?e. The jackpot that was promised to Nabiki if she could set herself up as the kohlinshor was all the incentive she needed. With that kind of money, Akane could have the plastic surgery she needed for her face and Nabiki would be set for life! All the money from her blackmail, extortion and betting pools was nothing but chump change compared to what Ranma had now. He had been given a really big pie, and Nabiki intended to get the whole thing or at least cut herself a huge slice of it. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Tokyo, a certain party of people had just arrived in a very fancy and expensive-looking limousine. Inside the vehicle, a young man was sitting in the back seat with his mother as he gave directions to the chauffeur. The car began heading toward the Nerima district as Picolet Chardin intended to collect on a certain debt that was owed to his family by a certain Soun Tendo. To be continued... Author's notes Well, that takes care of this chapter as the Felinar will begin inducting Ranma into their ranks, along with Ukyo. There will be more developments next chapter. For those of you who are wondering about Ryoga, the Amazons, Happosai and the appearance of the Chardin family, well you'll have to wait and see.