The Journey is the Destination Chapter 19 By poetheather Ranma's mother teaches her daughter something new. Ukyo is propositioned by two girls and more of the usual Nerima insanity descends upon the girls. What exactly is this about fish?

A/N 2: If you can figure out how to translate something in this chapter, you may get an extra laugh or two.
 
 
Chapter 19

Ranma was using a bokken to practice some of the cuts she had been taught, working through the eight-fold cut practice form. Her mother first taught her how to cut, almost as if you were swinging a hammer and then drawing back, in order to prepare her for how to do the draw and cut the was traditional for iaido. As always the basics we the most boring parts of the whole thing, as apparently she wasn’t cutting yet, but merely bashing. That and trying to make sure her cutting did not get stopped by her breasts.

Ranma was grumbling to herself about the fact that Akane would have been better at this whole thing because she was not as endowed as Ranma was. Ranma had large breasts and she was already having fun compensating for them in unarmed combat as they seriously restricted her ability to do several cross body moves. Now she had to do that for armed combat as well and it was yet another annoyance. Having breasts could be a real pain she decided.

She ran through the pattern over and over and over until her mother told her that her cuts looked fine and were much cleaner. Nodoka looked over at her daughter and smiled, “Now you need to find a way to make this training a part of your normal fighting technique.”

“How should I do that?” asked Ranma, trying to figure out how to tie the two arts together. They seemed so very different to her and unlike her mother she didn’t carry around a sword all the time.

“Well, I am not sure. The Anything Goes moves you use should be able to work with the sword if you change some punches and kicks for sword strikes. It is something that you will have to play with. I can teach you some of the formal Katas so you can get an idea of how it works formally and then you can tinker with it as you want. That way you can create a style that works for you.”

“Thanks mom. I will try that.” Ranma nodded, trying to figure out the best way to do this. Maybe fighting Kuno with a sword would help? Or Mousse, he used swords and stuff.

Then they heard a pair of familiar voices call out, “Taidama!”

Ranma grinned and bowed to her mother, the altar and then off the mat before rushing towards the living room happily. She was sure that they wanted to hear what happened at school and she wanted to tell them about her mom teaching her sword. Then maybe some ice cream? That would be a good idea. She and the other two almost collided when they rounded the same corner at the same time. The three of them all pulled up short and eeped in surprise.

Then the three girls giggled at each other, seeing just how funny this was, as three skilled martial artists almost had a pileup. The giggling turned into laughter as the three girls dropped to the ground. Every time one of them looked at the others the laughter redoubled. Nodoka looked over fondly at her two daughters and Akane. Girls will be girls, she thought.

Akane slowed back from laughter to giggling first and managed to ask between giggles, “So what happened with Pineapple Head?”

Ranma grinned. That had been amusing. “Well, I have been suspended for a few days for hurting both Kuno and Kodachi. There was a way out of that though. He wanted me to chase him into his stupid little trap filled jungle to get a letter absolving me of any wrongdoing. I didn’t. I just came home.”

Akane blinked in surprise. Ranma showing that kind of restraint, what was the world coming to? “Wait, you actually were able to not go after him when he taunted you that way? Now I am impressed.”

Ranma looked affronted.

“I agree sugar, you have a hard time backing down from casual challenges not to mention obvious things like this.” Ukyo chuckled a little. “So that is actually kind of impressive.”

“I’m not that bad… am I?” asked Ranma, worried that she might be that easy to manipulate. Had people really been using that to make him do things?

The two girls nodded emphatically, stating, “Yes, you are.”

Ranma frowned. Yet another thing he really didn’t need. “I… I need to get better at that, I guess. I’ve been getting better but it isn’t easy. Damn Pops, making me so easy to manipulate.”

“Relax sugar, you managed to stay out of trouble this time and as long as you think things through you should manage to continue to stay out of trouble other times as well.” Ukyo laid a hand comfortingly on Ranma’s shoulder. “I think the chaos is starting to calm down and that will help as well.”

Ranma looked up at her hopefully. “You really think so?”

She nodded and smiled at her new sister. “Yeah, I do.”

Akane nodded in agreement. “Think about it Ranma. Things have been getting quieter and that is all to the good. We haven’t really had anything crazy happen from the usual suspects and nothing completely whacked has occurred. Your dumb plan is working. Kamisama alone knows how though.”

“So what should we do today?” asked Ranma, smiling at them. She felt bouncy and happy and wanted to go do something to sort of celebrate.

Ukyo frowned a little, as she did have responsibilities. “I need to get to the restaurant and get ready for tonight.”

Ranma’s eyes lit up as if she had just had a brilliant idea. “Uhm, sis?”

Ukyo rolled her eyes and looked at the redhead. Being called that was going to take some getting used to. “What?”

“Akane and I can both come help out if you want.”

Both Ukyo and Akane looked surprised by this. Ranma? Offering to work? Ukyo blinked a few times, smiled and asked, “Really? That would be great. The work is almost too much for Konatsu to do alone and so more help would be a good thing.”

Akane agreed happily, glad things were getting better with the chef who was now no longer a rival. Then a look came into her eyes that was a little too Nabiki for the other two to feel safe, making them both take a step back nervously. Akane’s smile looked very similar to that of the middle Tendo sister. “You know Ukyo, we could both use after school jobs.”

Ranma looked excited at this, as it could get her some money to buy more ice cream with and maybe other things as well, like burgers, sushi, curry bread and the like. “That’s a great idea Akane. What do you say Ukyo? Can we work for you?”

The okonomiyaki chef narrowed her eyes in thought. That would be a big help for her restaurant, as Ranma was a big help as a waitress and as long as Akane wasn’t cooking she would be helpful as well, but they would almost certainly require more money than Konatsu did, which might not be fair to the really devoted male kunoichi. Maybe some of it could be offset in food? However, she generally fed Ranma for free and it might be a bad thing for her to change that now, as she didn’t want to create a wedge with her new sister. “Let me think about it some. It might be a big help or it might not. I’m not sure. Tell you what, come help today and I’ll let you know what I decide tomorrow. I want to look at my books first to make sure I can afford to be paying you two and to give Konatsu a well deserved raise.”

Nodoka came up behind the girls and said, “That sounds fair daughter. And Ranma, I think you and Akane helping your sister succeed is a good thing. You girls run off. Do you want me to have Kasumi hold any dinner for you girls?”

Akane and Ranma shared a look. Even though they were sure that they were going to get something to eat at Ucchan’s there was no doubt whose cooking really made their mouths water. “Yes please.”

* * * * *

Ukyo headed off for the restaurant running all the things that might change at the restaurant with another waitress or two, while Ranma and Akane rushed upstairs to change into something more appropriate. Once they were out of their workout clothes and school clothes respectively, the two girls rushed downstairs to make sure that there wasn’t anything they needed to do around the house before they headed over to Ukyo’s place. Kasumi assured them that everything was fine and that there wasn’t anything they needed to worry about.

As they were walking towards the okonomiyaki restaurant, Akane smiled at her fiancé and said, “I really am proud of you Ranma, for how you dealt with the Principal. I know it couldn’t have been easy to not chase him.”

Ranma blushed a little at the praise and looked down at her feet, hands clasped in front of her. “Thanks Akane.”

“It is hard to believe everything that has happened since you started this. As of right now you have a new sister, we might have jobs, you may have taken care of Kuno and Kodachi, no Ryoga issues, your dad has escaped and all seems right with the world. And to think that I thought that your plan was stupid.” Akane skipped a little, happy with the way that things were turning out. Once Shampoo was finally dealt with, Ranma would be all hers. Her baka had managed to do something right.

There was the sound of a horse galloping their way and Ranma groaned as she leapt out of the way. Surely, the usual was not going to happen… right?

Akane was taken a bit flatfooted on this one and she didn’t get completely out of the way. This enabled the rider to reach down and scoop her up onto the horse, riding off with her still at a gallop.

Ranma watched for a moment stunned. This was seriously happening to them again? Kamisama must surely hate her. She shook her head and then growled out, “You have got to be shitting me.”

She quickly bounded onto the near by rooftops and gave chase. The horse was very fast and the rider was extremely skilled in order to be moving at such speeds through the streets of Nerima. From what Ranma was able to see, Akane looked like she was not in a good position to struggle free, as she was awkwardly draped over the horse. It couldn’t be a comfortable position to be in.

Cursing her luck, Ranma tried to run faster, but the horse was slowly gaining speed and drawing away from her. Ranma just struggled to keep up with the horse enough to see where it was going and her vantage point from the rooftops really helped that. After a fairly short chase, being that it had only been ten minutes, it galloped into a fairly large compound through a set of large double doors, with a high wall surrounding it.

Ranma could clearly hear various voices rising up in a cheer from beyond the walls, “The Master found a Bride!! The Master found a Bride!!”

Ranma groaned and pounded her head against the wall a little bit when she heard that. Why did it always have to be another one of these crazy guys? They always showed up at the wrong times and always made trouble for them, never for any really decent reason. Now she had to rescue Akane, yet again, as she was not going to let the woman she loved be married to anyone else but her. There was no way in hell she would just let this slide.

Getting in to the place was easy, as the walls were nowhere near high enough to keep Ranma out, being a paltry ten feet tall. She hopped to the top and then dropped down into the perfectly manicured and maintained garden, watching warily for anyone who might catch her. Even if someone did catch her, they would certainly not be in any shape to report her presence after she would be through with them.

The garden was pretty but it somehow felt sterile and not very full of life to her. None of the plants were plastic but some of them did look that way, to which Ranma made a face. She crept up towards the traditional style house, avoiding the various gardeners and workers, using cover as best she could and when she was not able to move closer unseen, Ranma sighed and decided to use the Umisenken. Her baka father’s thief technique would be sadly perfect for this.

With the techniques help, Ranma walked into the house through an open door in the garden area and listened closely for any sound that might help her find her fiancé. She could hear some sounds of a struggle deeper in and she raced that way, hoping it was Akane. She was getting closer and closer to the center of the building, the sound getting louder and Ranma was a bit worried if she would have to fight her way out. The place was fairly confined, all things considered and not suited for the Saotome style of Anything Goes. There was no room for her to fight in the way she was used to. She could hear voices ahead becoming more distinct and stood next to a sliding panel, listening.

“…and that is why you, my short haired maiden, have been chosen to be my, Lord Ikaketsunoana, heir to the Anything Goes School of Indiscriminate Fish Slapping, bride. Your formidable strength will give me strong children that can be raised to carry on the noble art of Fish Slapping.”

Ranma grew madder and madder the more she overheard. What the hell was it with people kidnapping Akane and wanting to marry her? Akane was her fiancé and she was not going to share the woman she loved with some damn fish slapping moron with delusions of grandeur. With a low-throated growl, Ranma released the Umisenken and flung open the door, knocking it off the hinges with the force. Her battle aura blazed around her brightly, making her hair move under it’s power. Lights flickered around her as her eyes scanned the room and noticed that some sort of squid or octopus was holding Akane tightly. She then spotted Lord Fish Slapper.

At first glance, he looked like some sort of ugly blend of fish and man wearing traditional Japanese clothes made from some sort of horribly patterned fabric. The sight was only worse on the second glance. The man’s eyes were set farther out on his head, filled with a familiar madness and his lips looked weird, sort of thin. His skin was fish belly white and glistened wetly, his kelp green hair slicked back. Ranma shuddered inside. He looked truly repugnant and she didn’t want to have to touch him. There was no way she was going to leave her love with someone who looked worse than Pantyhose Taro. “Let Akane go!”

“Ranma!” cried out Akane in surprise, not expecting Ranma to come here to get her alone.

Lord Ikaketsunoana looked disdainfully at the red headed girl who stood frames in the ruined doorway. He raised one wild eyebrow and curled his flat lips, “Oh? I take it from your statement that you wish to have the privilege to be my, Lord Ikaketsunoana, heir to the Anything Goes School of Indiscriminate Fish Slapping, bride instead? Well, you are indeed comely, strongly built and have good birthing hips like this one. I find that you might be a suitable mate for me as well.”

“Listen up fish face; let Akane go before I destroy you and everything else here! She is my fiancé!!” Ranma was not joking about this even remotely. She fully intended to bring this whole house down on this idiot’s head if she had to. There was no shame in admitting that she would probably enjoy doing that as well. This guy was just pissing her off.

“Very well my fiery one. If you manage to defeat me, Lord Ikaketsunoana, heir to the Anything Goes School of Indiscriminate Fish Slapping, I will release the dark haired girl and let her go. Then you may have the honor of being my bride instead.” With that, he reached into his hakima and pulled free two salmon that hung limply in his hands. “Come at me, fair maiden, if you dare.”