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Chapter Fifteen
"Auntie when was the last journal written?" The group looked at Nabiki as her ashen face stared at the Saotome matriarch.
"The last journal was two years after Genma had left on the training trip. He would come home occasionally for the first two years." Nodoka told the young woman.
"I can't believe he would just leave these around, I mean they are evidence against him!" Nabiki told her as her face turned back toward the pages of a journal.
"I do not know why my husband did what he did, dear. I do know If it was not for the fianc?s destroying my home I would have never found them and he would have completed his plans." Nabiki nodded as the rest of the Tendos became impatient.
"WILL SOMEONE TELL US WHAT IS GOING ON!" Akane shouted the blushed with embarrassment at the cold stares from Nodoka and her mother.
"Aside from the fact that you are Soun's daughter there is no other reason for you to be here. You lost all right to know our family business and have no right to know anything." Taji told the girl as she held up a picture of her and Ryoga making love in a wooded area.
"Tell me Tendo why did you show us those pictures? You could have kept them hidden and still forced the marriage between my grandchild and her!" Keitaro asked disgust on his face as he looked at Akane.
"OOHH SWEETO!" They all turned as the pictures were too much for the pervert old master.
Happosai lunged for Akane's chest only to be met by a quick jab to his back between his shoulder blades. He screamed and passed out his face hitting the table. The gnarled staff was with drawn after it is used to fling the old man out the door and against the wall surrounding the Tendo's yard.
"Thank you elder." Soun told Cologne with a quick nod.
"I will not lie I thought about doing just that but after what was on this I couldn't! I then remembered Ranma's stay with us over the past two years and I decided I cared too much for the boy to put him through a loveless and violent marriage." Soun finished glaring at his youngest daughter.
Akane flushed but not with embarrassment but with anger. She glared at her father who surprisingly returned her glare with a cold even stare. Akane shrunk back her eyes wide at the look of pain and betrayal she saw on her father's tired and worn face.
"Nabiki please tell the others what you found there. If I am not mistaken it is what is on this piece of paper." Soun said as he held up a photo copy of a journal entry in Genma's own scrawl.
"It won't do you any good! I didn't do anything it was just crazy
scribbling"
Genma snarled from behind three katanas.
"SIGH! Well I don't think I can actually read this allowed daddy it..it makes me sick, but I'll paraphrase it. We all know that before Akane was born daddy and Genma went on one last training trip in which Genma using ancient herbs and pressure point techniques broke daddy's control and made him emotionally weak and dependant on Genma. It also diminished his skill so that Genma would be the stronger of them" Nabiki began as she skimmed the pages.
"That way when he broached the subject of joining the two schools daddy would readily agree. The prob..problem was mom didn't." Nabiki's voice broke as she continued her eyes filling with tears.
Nodoka rose and moved next to the mercenary girl. Who after ten years of denying her emotions and becoming the emotional void to her father's emotional chaos. Let the wall surrounding her emotions crumble. Nodoka wrapped her arms around the girl as her tears flowed down her face.
Nabiki looked to the older woman with grateful and pleading eyes. Nodoka shook her head no. Nabiki took a deep breath and nodded knowing it had to be said by a Tendo and she was the elected one to do it. Nabiki steeled herself under the watchful eyes of her family their eyes wide at the emotions pouring out from her.
"According to this journal when they came back from their drinking binge and told mom about the arranged marriage, she went ballistic. She refused the arrangement and she would not allow father to talk of the matter again." Nabiki paused and leaned into the protective arms of Nodoka her mind remembering those arms as her mother's.
"Well panda-ass over there was furious and began his plans to make sure that the joining of the schools took place. He SIGH!, found an ancient master master in shiatsu points. He talked daddy into taking mom there to supposedly check the unborn baby for aptitude in the art." Nabiki reached up and wiped the tears from her face.
"That is not possible!" Akane snarled as she glared at her sister and Nodoka.
"Actually yes it is. Many of our healers are so intoned with their ki they can detect the potential of the child in the womb. We use it to determine the type of training to be given to our children." Cologne said with a nod toward Nabiki to continue.
"Actually the evil little bastard owed Genma a big favor and to pay him back he..he, I can't say this..I just can't!" Nabiki broke down again but Nodoka only tightened her grip holding the book up for her to read from.
"You must child. Although that old bastard his gone Genma is still here and he is responsible for what happened." Nodoka soothed as the Tendos stared in wide eyed shock at Nabiki's break down.
Nabiki looked to her family. Akane fuming her aura just visible. Her father
staring straight ahead her gaze hard and cold as it landed on the man they
thought was his friend. Kasumi scared her as her eyes were empty of all
life,
but her face was contorted in the depths of rage. She nodded slowly and
took the book and continued.
"Genma had the old man use shiatsu points I bet even the Amazons don't know on our mother. These..these points not only effected h..he..her but the unborn baby." She stopped as the shout filled the house.
"WHAT!" Akane's aura darkened as she jumped to her feet her hands clenched tightly into fists.
"SIT DOWN GIRL!" Taji yelled as Cologne reached out and pressed a few paralysis pressure points.
Akane glared at the ancient elder her eyes going from fear to hatred as she stared at her. Cologne ignored her as she pointed back toward Nabiki. Nabiki had taken the short time the outburst gave her to calm down. She didn't want to do this but she had to she was the only one of her family who could at this moment.
"He used his ki to manipulate the baby's pressure points. Mom was in her
eighth month at this time so it was not problem for him to find the points he
needed.
According to him the points made the child unstable and prone to
violence and mistrust." The room was silent for a moment as a gasp escaped
Akane.
"He also found a way to fix it so that even though she would never love Ranma she needed him. He would be like an addiction one that she couldn't help but try to destroy." Nabiki bowed her head her tears flowed as she listened to her sister.
"Nononono! That can't be true he..I oh Kami what have I done!" Akane covered her face with her hands as she shook with sobs.
"BWHAHAHAHAHA! It would have worked if that blind idiot would have stayed out of this!" Genma snarled but no one paid him any attention.
"He then began the procedures that would wreck our family." Nabiki sighed again, she took the handkerchief from Nodoka and tried to dry her eyes of the tears.
"Genma had this old man Tarkoda he called him..!" Nabiki looked up at the gasp from behind her.
The group turned around and saw Happosai had awakened and was listening in on
what Nabiki was saying. He walked into the room and took the book from
Nabiki.
He quickly scanned the remaining pages before he dropped the book to
the floor his battle aura bright red.
Nabiki quickly grabbed the journal before the Anything Goes master's aura destroyed it. The room stared at the old man as he walked purposefully over to Genma. Genma stared at him no fear on his face, only disgust and hate. The old man stopped just outside of the panda's reach.
"Cologne do you know what he did?" Happi's voice was cold and hollow.
"No, not all of it. Why? Happi, do you know this Tarkoda?" She asked her old friend.
"He is the most evil and despicable of all human beings." Happosai told them his voice filled with rage.
"FEH! That is rich coming from you! You old lech!" Genma snorted as he glared at the old gnome.
"I never took the life of an innocent for amusement nor did I sell myself out myself out as an assassin." Happosai growled amidst the gasps in the room.
"Nabiki continue tell them what happened next!" His voice was filled with authority and for some reason Nabiki felt compelled to comply.
"This Tarkoda put our mother to sleep and began pressing pressure points deep inside her. He set her body into a time bomb. H..He set it so that six years after the birth of Ranma's fianc? th..that she w..would d..die!" Nabiki dropped the book onto the floor and buried her face in her hands, leaning into Nodoka's embrace.
The rest of the room was stunned into silence. That is except for Nodoka and her family. They knew what was in those journals. Soun slowly reached out and picked up the book he looked at the scrawl inside it then slammed it shut tears streaming down his face.
"I remember that day. Genma told me this man had ancient knowledge on how to
read the aura of unborn children to determine their potential in the art. He
also told me since Kimiko did not like him I would have to take her and make
believe I found him. When he put your mother to sleep I was angry the said he
had to as some of the pressure points were very deep and painful to
reach"
Soun held the book tightly against his chest his eyes tightly shut.
"The next thing I knew I was waking up next to my precious Kimiko." He looked down at the book in his hands.
"Tarkoda was also instructed to make more permanent what Genma did to me. He fixed it so that the death of Kimiko would trigger the effects." Soun stood handing the book back to his middle daughter.
He walked over to Genma the man's eyes glaring at him with rage. He glowed a deep blood red that darkened with each step. He reached out and took the sword from Hiroshi his red chi flowing down its silver blade. He never stopped as he brought the sword up and began his swing.
Genma ducked and tried to lash out but found it impossible as he fell to the floor in a jumbled heap. He looked up to see the Anything Goes master standing on Soun's shoulder an evil smile on his face.
"I can't let Soun ruin his life over the likes of you! Besides now that I know what you did I can undo it. Oh did I mention I trained under Tarkoda! That is why I lift I would not become an heir to an assassin." Happosai looked down at the unmoving man.
"Besides there are more painful ways to punish you. I am only sorry I can not fix what you did to Akane." Happosai said sadly as he touched a sleep spot on Soun.
Since Genma was immobile Keitaro and Hayashi carried Soun to the sofa to allow him to rest before the repairs were to begin. Happi jumped to the center of the table and sat down his legs crossed as he stared at Akane.
"I can not completely cure what Tarkoda did you, but I can at least take away some of your anger. I am afraid that what ever else he did I can not fix. He not only locked your emotions onto your rage but he inhibited your ability to learn the most basic of skills." Akane stared at the old man her eyes wide with horror.
"You mean like domestic skills?" She asked the implications of this sinking in slowly.
"Yes, but not everything. I guess Genma just wanted certain things effected things that would end with his son's death." The room was stunned into silence as they stared wide eyed at him.
"Nabiki continue please." Was all the little pervert would say.
"Part of the plan was to yes make Ranma the best but to do it so that he
would have weaknesses. The Neko-ken training, Jusenkyo were just two of them. He
was going to get Ranma married to one of us, but he always planned it was to be
you Akane. He would then wait until your first child was born then..I can't
jiji,
p..please don't make me say any more!" Nabiki broke down again as she
stared at the aged master.
"You must girl you have to, in order to start the healing!" The old man told her, Cologne staring at him with undisguised surprise.
"Once your first child and heir was born h..he was going to set in motion a series of accidents! Tarkoda had placed a series of special pressure points in you and daddy. All they needed was for Genma to release the triggers for them to take effect." Nabiki closed her eyes against the new flow of tears but it hadn't stopped them the continued down her face.
"H..He was going to release the trigger that would kill daddy. Then the one in yours would cause you to kill Ranma. You would either beat him to death or poison him. For Kasumi and myself..well I guess being hit but a truck or bus would have been good enough for us." Nabiki stared at her older sister who was quiet throughout the events.
Nabiki gulped as the black aura around Kasumi surrounded her nearly obscuring her from view. She looked to the Amazon elder who nodded slightly to let her know she was watching the elder Tendo. Nabiki sighed and continued.
"He even planned on killing auntie if she got in his way. He was going to claim yours and Ranma's child since he was really the only family left to take care of the baby. Since the baby would inherit everything and Genma would have the power of attorney until the child reached eighteen..!" She stopped, and took another deep breath.
Her mind racing through the mental images of what Genma had described. She opened her red puffy eyes and stared at her little sister. Her eyes showed the emotions she had kept hidden for over twelve years. Akane stared back her eyes wide as tears flowed down her face.
"He was going to sell everything and take the money bit by bit. Once he had
taken all of the inheritance he was going to make sure your child died
too"
Nabiki finished as her younger sister broke down.
"Stupid boy had to let her fall for that moronic Hibiki boy!" Genma snarled from his prone position.
"Cologne I know I have no right to ask this but the punishment he would receive here is not enough. As the head of the Anything Goes School and in defense of my only heir I want him punished under Amazon law. After all Ranma's an Amazon and an Elder." Happosai told his female counterpart.
Cologne bowed her head her face in a contemplative pose. She looked over at Genma a smile growing on her lips she then turned back to the old lech. Happi licked hi lips as he stared into the sparkling eyes of Cologne.
"We can send him back to the village but I suggest that since you know many of this Tarkoda's techniques that you use some of them on him first." Cologne smiled over at a confused Genma.
"We can then send him to the combined council of Amazons for trial and punishment. Although if copies of the journals proceed him to the village there won't be a trial just his execution and for crimes such as his I am afraid that not even I have the stomach to think about it." Cologne said as she shuddered at the thought.
"Agreed, just tell me what you want and I will set it in motion." Happi told her his eyes narrowed as he stared at Genma.
"Block all knowledge of the art from him. It wouldn't do to have him escape or hurt any Amazons. Then temporarily lock in as a panda it will make it easier to ship him back to China. I will send the council the instructions to unlock his curse when he gets there." Happosai rose from the table and did as she asked.
"I have just called for a delivery service they will send over a crate from him and then take it to your village." Nabiki told the room as she hung up the cell phone still leaning heavily onto Nodoka for support.
The group sat and waited their minds going over what they had learned. Cologne gathered up the photo copies of the journals from the Tendos and prepared them for delivery as well.
Ranma followed the companions out of Kadesh Tasslehoff dancing around her. She stopped suddenly and shuddered as she felt a sickening feeling flow through her body. The group paused as Raistlin soon stopped as well. He tried to hold down the bile that wanted to leave his stomach. Caramon looked between the two his face filled with worry.
Raistlin turned to Ranma and the two locked eyes the both looked down as their hand started to tingle. The rest of the companions gaped as Raistlin's and Ranma's hand started glowing. What bothered Ranma and Raistlin was that instead of the grayish red which meant communication with home it was a reddish black.
The color soon faded amidst questions from the people around them. Ranma could only stare down at her and Raistlin's now normal hand her heart wrenching as she felt something was wrong with her mother.
"What have you done now mage!" Sturm stared at the red mage anger flashing in his brown eyes.
"Sturm, not now!" Tanis chided as he walked up to his friend and advisor.
"Raistlin what is going on?" Tanis asked as he laid his hand on the mage's shoulder.
Tanis marveled at how much of the mage's elevated body heat he could feel through the man's robes. He waited for Raistlin to answer as the young man stared down at his hand as if it offended him. The mage then looked toward Ranma who seemed to be in some kind of emotional pain.
Raistlin pulled from Tanis' grip which surprised the half elf. Since before Ranma came the mage did not have the strength to walk alone much less escape a light grip. He watched as Raistlin walked up to Ranma and was again surprised by the worry on the self absorbed mage's face.
"You felt it?" They group heard him ask the now female martial artist.
"Yes! It was like I felt anger no rage and revulsion. It flowed through so fast though I can't be sure." Ranma answered him her head still bowed looking at her hand.
"Yes that is what I felt as well. When we make camp we will need to contact your mother. It seems our connection with your home world is more then just communicative." Ranma nodded and let herself be led on by Raistlin's arm around her shoulder.
The group just watched in stunned silence as Raistlin and Caramon walked protectively beside Ranma flanking her on either side. Ryoga and Mousse started toward them but stopped when Raistlin glared at the two boys with flashing eyes of golden fire.
The companions use to Raistlin's secretiveness just followed them hoping they will soon find out more when they made camp. Ryoga and Mousse followed behind them both stewing at being treated like outcasts.
After hours of walking the group started looking for a place to set up
camp.
They found a defensive area near a grove of trees. They silently began
to set up the camp their minds more on Raistlin's strange behavior and the fact
that both he and Caramon seemed to have become the protector of someone who
really didn't seem to need it.