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All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

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Coutuva.



Yue – Part Eleven
----------------------------------------------------------------------



	Slowly, a certain familiar noise penetrated the shroud of 
her slumber, dragging her from the world of dreams.  As awareness 
came to her, so too did the recognition of the steady, loud, 
pattering sound.
         “Rain,” she puffed, then threw off her coverings and rose.  
Already aware of what she’d find, she walked to the room’s only 
window and lifted aside the drape.  Her face darkened at the scene 
nonetheless.
         The morning was coloured a dingy, depressing gray, the 
steady downpour draping it all in a murky veil.  Her heart sank.
         She had tossed and turned all throughout the night, her 
anticipation of the day’s event preventing any chance of decent 
slumber.  Now, it seemed, she would have to wait even longer to join 
with her betrothed.  Rain on one’s wedding day was a very bad omen, 
and she had no wish to fly in the face of the Gods.
         The entire scenario saddened her – not only for herself, 
but for the countless others that had already toiled on her behalf.
         Lin’s foreboding words had indeed proven out, as immediately 
upon her quitting the spring, her day descended into a maelstrom.  
The fitting of her celebratory raiment, the preparation of her new 
home, the instruction and rehearsal of the ritual, and a dozen smaller 
tasks – with it all, the entire day had lapsed before she knew it.
	Lin had proven a worthy aide, orchestrating the myriad of 
willing volunteers with intuitive skill.  Yue’s own involvement had 
entailed little more than sitting and standing, and being duly 
fretted over.
	She had insisted, however, on assisting the work already 
underway on her eventual home.  The thought of the others doing such 
a thing, on top of all they had already done, was one she could simply 
not abide.  Lin, after much eloquent effort to dissuade her, finally 
relented and let her participate.
         In the course of the work, she learned that the house was 
in fact one owned by the last of her mother’s family, and had not 
been occupied for nigh on three generations.  The shocking revelation 
had moved her near to tears, having reminded her yet again of her 
family’s fate.
	Thankfully, Lin ensured that she was not allowed to dwell 
upon it, keeping her far too busy to have pause to think.  As a 
result, the work had progressed at an impressive rate, and even now, 
she marveled at how the decrepit, long empty structure had been 
completely rejuvenated -- in the space of only two days.
         It hurt her to think that that the selfless efforts of so 
many could well have been for naught.
         That thought in mind, she lowered her face, clasped her hands 
and offered a heartfelt, urgent prayer, hoping that the tempest would 
clear in time.
         Turning to head to the ‘ladies’, she smiled at Lin, still 
nestled childlike amoung the covers and lost in her slumber.  For a 
moment, she considered rousing her, but decided her friend was 
deserving of the additional rest.
          A short while later, she stood dressed and ready in the 
entry of the Elder’s home, looking out over the deluged roadway and 
across to the sodden practice field.  The rain continued in a steady, 
unrelenting torrent, punctuated by the occasional low rumble of 
thunder.
         Her frown deepening, she drew a breath and stepped out into 
the tempest, ignoring the rain and standing water.
         She had to practice.





	Akane pulled the collar of her coat tighter about her neck, 
the prospect of walking any distance in the pouring rain sending a 
chill through her.  With a resigned huff, she stepped from the cab, 
dragged her pack from the seat and then tossed the driver a few 
crumpled bills.  As the car vanished into the grayish pall, she 
turned to face her objective.
	A few dozen yards away, the spur road ended at the entry to 
the Amazon village, a place she had only heard of in Ranma’s stories 
and Shampoo’s occasional references.  It was an odd feeling to see 
it, as it didn’t look anything like she’d imagined.
	Instead, it seemed no different than any small, out-of-touch 
village in Japan, made up largely of hand-built hovels and dirt 
roads.  The only striking feature was what appeared to be a large, 
single-log bridge, standing at the near end of a distant field.  
         She was actually disappointed.
	Pushing such thoughts aside, she shouldered her pack and 
started toward the village, grim determination returning to her 
face.  
         She had a wedding to stop.
         
         
         
         
         
         Shampoo rolled over on the mat, then groaned at the sound 
of the rain beating on the roof.  When her eyes blinked open, she 
looked to her side, only to huff at the sight of Yue’s unoccupied 
pillow.  She raised her head and looked about the room, then sighed 
as she noticed how the window curtain had been moved.
         Rolling out from under the covers, she padded across to 
the chair she had draped her wrap over, yawning and stretching 
enroute.  After slipping the garment over her rapidly-cooling form, 
she crossed her arms and stepped to the window, there to test her 
suspicion.
         She had to smirk at the sight of Yue, working through her 
warmups despite the pouring rain.  She was sorely tempted to join 
her, but knew she wouldn’t accomplish much in her cat form.
         Tsking at her friend’s persistence, she turned and 
started out of the room, thinking that even though her Great 
Grandmother was staying at the Hall of Elders, she’d best start a 
fire and whip up a proper hot breakfast.
         Yue was going to need it.
         
         
         
         
         
         Her limbers complete, Yue closed her eyes and took her 
stance, preparing to start her practice.  Just as she cleared her 
thoughts, however, she was disturbed by the sound of approaching 
footfalls.
         Just as she tried to identify them, they came to a stop, 
then appeared to move into a stance.
         Her eyes narrowed – and a smile formed.
         Hand on the hilt of her sword, she turned to face the 
sound, only to freeze in place with her jaw agape.
         Before her stood a lone, unfamiliar Amazon, hand on her 
sword and standing at ready.  Just as their eyes met, she noticed 
several others making their way onto the field, all sporting their 
weapon of choice.  The number increased steadily until near the 
entire population stood with her, as if all awaiting some cue.
         And among them, garbed in workout dress just as the others, 
stood the Matriarch.
         As she surveyed the gathering, she felt great pride well 
in her chest – and a wide, equally proud smile cross her 
rain-streamed visage.  Drawing her sword, she laid it at her feet 
and bowed deeply to the assembled.  As she went to rise, however, 
she heard footfalls again sloshing toward her.
         Raising her gaze, she met the face of the first Amazon, 
who now stood just back from the sword.  The Amazon knelt, picked 
up the weapon, then looked toward the Matriarch.  The Matriarch 
then smiled and nodded, at which the girl flipped the sharp edge 
toward herself, then gave the weapon back.
         When Yue blinked back at her, she only smiled, shook her 
head, then turned and walked back to her place.
         Yue watched her go, then stiffened, turned and took her 
stance, smiling as she heard the assembled do the same.
         As she felt her chest tighten, she was suddenly glad of 
the weather; she did not wish those who had just shown their 
belief in her to see her cry.
         Such was not the way of an Amazon.
         
         
         
         
         
         Shampoo smiled as she set out the last of the meal, 
quite proud of herself for still having the skill to cook on the 
old wood-burning stove.  It hadn’t actually been that long, but 
she had become spoiled by the fancy gas stoves in the Nekohanten.
         Just as she was headed to the window to check on Yue, 
she was surprised by a heavy knock at the kitchen door.  Frowning, 
she pulled off her apron and stepped over to open it.
         She was even more surprised to see a sopping-wet sentry 
awaiting her, weapon drawn.
         “Please forgive the interruption Shan Lin, but we have 
detained a stranger at the village edge.  A female – and she is 
demanding we take her to the Princess,” the girl explained, her 
face stern.
         Shampoo felt her frown become a scowl.  There was only 
one person who would have the nerve.  “Bring her to the holding 
rooms -- I’ll deal with her there,” she instructed, then looked 
the sentry hard in the eye.  “And do not tell *anyone* about 
her,” she added, making sure her eyes said what her words only 
hinted at.
         “Right away,” the girl nodded, then turned and strode 
off into the rain.
         Closing the door, Shampoo cursed.  This, she hadn’t 
counted on.
         
         
         
         
         
         Although dripping like an old well-bucket, Yue felt as 
though she trod upon the clouds themselves.  Her practice, 
shared as it was by most all of the villagers, had been more 
fulfilling than any she had before enjoyed.
         Her smile was still stretching her now aching cheeks 
as she strode back to the Elder’s home, eager to tell Lin of 
her experience.  As she stepped in the door, however, the 
wonderful aromas drifting toward her changed her immediate 
plans.
         “You look wet,” Lin smirked, then stepped up and handed 
her a towel.
         “Your prowess at noticing the obvious grows by the day,” 
she responded dryly, toweling her hair quickly and then starting 
to remove her sodden clothing.  “This breakfast looks truly 
wonderful, and smells even better.  You need not have gone to 
such length, Lin.”
         “Yes I had to – you can’t end up sick today,” Lin 
responded, grinning.  “Until this afternoon, you’re still my 
responsibility,” she added, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
	Yue decided to ignore it.  “I had an unusual practice 
this day.  Did you by chance notice?”
         Lin nodded.  “If you mean how the entire village turned 
out with you, yes, I noticed.  I thought it was great,” she 
smiled, an unusual timbre to her voice.  “It reminded me of how 
things were when I was a girl.”
         She had to blink at that.  “Do you mean to say that a 
rain would keep them from their practice?”
         “I mean it’s been a long time since the entire village 
practiced -- especially together,” the girl corrected, stepping 
up to help her out of her wet tunic.
         She couldn’t help but frown.  “That is truly disheartening.  
The Amazons I knew held their practice as second only to life 
itself.”
         “I know.  Great grandmother is like that to this day.  
And she keeps me going, too.  But you shouldn’t worry about that 
now – you need to eat, then get a bath to warm up.  Put this on, 
and get this into you,” Lin chided, handing over a wrap and 
pointing to the table.
         Yue shot her a look.  “Yes, mother…” she droned, with 
emphasis.
         Lin flashed her famous grin, then nodded.  “Better.  I 
have to go deal with something, then we have a lot to do,” she 
noted with a wink, then pulled a parasol from its hook.
         “I will be here,” she smiled back, dropping the last 
of her wet garments into the sink.  “I have something to discuss 
with you as well,” she stated, knowing her news would not be 
received well.  
         As she toweled off the rest of her body, she was 
surprised to see Lin smiling at her.  “What brings that to your 
face?  Have I a leaf or such stuck to my rear?” she asked, 
making a show of checking.
         “No…  I was just thinking of something,” Lin chuckled, 
stepping closer.  “You’re getting married today – and I’m just 
so happy for you,” she continued, wrapping a tight hug around 
her.
         Despite the twist the remark brought to her gut, she 
returned the embrace with emphasis.  “I love you, Lin…  You 
are an incredible friend,” she breathed, then turned and stuck 
a kiss just below her ear, knowing not to kiss her on the 
cheek.  “But I am afraid…  That I must postpone my marriage,” 
she sighed, stepping back from the embrace and lowering her 
face.
         Lin seemed stunned for a moment, then shook it off 
and set her hands on her hips.  “Why?  The entire village is 
looking forward to it…” she protested, at which Yue sighed 
again.
         “That we endure such a deluge speaks ill of the day…  
It is not one fit for the beginning of a marriage.  As much…  
As much as such a decision pains me, I cannot taunt the Gods.  
I…  Will wait until a more fortuitous day,” she stated, 
meeting her friend’s widened eyes.
         She saw Lin open her mouth, then close it again as 
her face filled with consternation.  To her surprise, Lin 
then broke into one of her familiar grins.  “What if the 
weather clears?  Will you go through with it then?” she 
asked, her eyes now filled with hope.
         “I would only wed…  If the day became perfect.  It 
would take such a change to erase the influence of so bad 
an omen.  But, I do not see this heavy a pall lifting by the 
appointed hour,” she responded, upon consideration of the 
idea.
         Lin smiled.  “Then I won’t change anything until we 
know one way or the other – say by lunch time.  Until then, 
we will just carry on with the arrangements.  You eat, go 
have your bath, and I’ll talk to the Elders – maybe we can 
work something out,” she offered, then turned toward the 
door.  “Everything will be fine – I know it will,” she 
added, with her usual grin.
         She returned a weak smile, then turned to gaze 
out the window at the unabated downpour.  “Such would be my 
fondest wish…  But I fear it is not to be.”
	A moment later, she felt Lin’s hand on her shoulder.  
“Tsu will understand, Yue…” she half whispered, her eyes 
soft.
	She raised her hand to set atop Lin’s.  “I pray 
that he does.”
         
         
         
         
         
         “<Why you here, Akane Tendou?>” Shampoo demanded, 
standing in the entry to the small, dark room and glaring 
at the girl with unconcealed anger.
         “<You know exactly why I’m here!  There’s no way 
I’m just going to let you take Ranma!>” Akane snarled back, 
leaping to her feet.
         She huffed.  “<Stupid Violent Girl.  You no get it.  Is no 
Ranma anymore -- just Yue now!  Ranma is gone!  Gone for 
good!  It too late decide you want him now!>”
	“<Bull!  All you want is to get her – *him* into 
your little gang!  You never even tried to save him!  And 
how I feel about him doesn’t matter!  I don’t want you 
trapping him into something that he’d never do!>” Akane 
snarled back, her fists clenching.
	Shampoo blinked at her for a long moment, then 
narrowed her eyes. “<You just so-so honourable,>” she 
taunted, bitterly.  “<And so hypo-critic you make Shampoo 
sick!  Yue is Amazon, true blood!  And she loves Tsu!  Want 
to marry all on her own!  We no do this – we no trap -- not 
like your family trap Ranma!>” she snapped, smirking as she 
saw her strike draw blood.
	Akane’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.  
She broke into a smug smile.
         “<Truth hurt, yes?  Get clue, Akane Tendou.  If 
you really wanted marry Ranma, you had too many chance.  
Chance gone now.  All you do by come here is hurt Yue, and 
Shampoo not allow that, no way,>” she laid out, stepping 
up to get into the girl’s face.  “<Shampoo no want Ranma 
no more anyway.  Yue is much better.  She is Amazon 
sister – and real, true, best friend.  That worth more 
than any man,>” she stated, her eyes locked on Akane’s.  
“<And remember, Akane Tendou -- you in land of Amazons.  
Amazon land mean Amazon law – you make trouble, Shampoo 
can – and will -- kill you,>” she threatened, making 
certain the glare she leveled left no room for doubt.
         Akane only glared back at her.
         “<Good answer.  You stay here till cab come, then 
you leave and no come back.  You come back, you dead.  Whole 
village will make too sure,>” she warned, walking toward the 
door.  “<Sayonara, Akane Tendou – Shampoo go now to make 
ready wedding,>” she concluded tauntingly, then stepped out 
and locked the door behind her.  Satisfied it was secured, 
she turned to the sentry and frowned.
         “Keep her here and keep her quiet -- I don’t care 
how.  I’m calling a cab to take her back to the city, and 
when it gets here, she is to be escourted to it under 
guard,” she instructed, curtly.  “And warn the escourt not 
to underestimate her -- she has some skill.”
         The sentry nodded sharply.  “I understand.”
	With a satisfied huff, she turned away and walked 
up the hall, but still couldn’t help feeling nervous.  
Akane’s mere presence was a bad omen, given how things had 
always gone in the past.
	She didn’t have long to dwell on it, however, as 
another sentry approached her quickly from behind.
         “Please forgive the interruption Shan Lin, but I 
bring a summons from the Hall of Elders.  The Elder Shan 
has requested your presence as soon as possible.”
         She sighed, then nodded.  “Please tell them that 
I’ll be right there – I was on my way, anyway.”
         “I will,” the girl nodded, then stepped back and 
took her leave.
         “Worried about the wedding too, I’ll bet,” she 
sighed to herself, then started back toward the main door.  
As she opened it to step through, she looked up at the 
sky and smiled.  It was still raining, but it seemed 
brighter than it had only an hour earlier.
         She hoped that was a good omen – at least good 
enough to negate the one behind her.





         Akane stared at the heavy door for what felt like 
an eternity, stunned by what she had just been through.  
She had never, ever seen this side of Shampoo, and it had 
sent a chill through her that she could still feel – right 
down to her soul.
         It was all in the Amazon’s eyes.  The anger, the 
pain – the unconcealed honesty.
         She had been telling the truth.  About Ranma, about 
Yue – and about herself.
         It was incomprehensible.
         And Ranma was really gone.
         Not just lost, not just missing, not just buried 
beneath some delusional side-effect of a head wound.  He was 
really, really gone.
         She felt her last desperate hope explode like a 
shattered window, the shards shredding her heart as they 
crashed to the pit of her stomach.
         And then the tears came.




	The Matriarch frowned from her place at the head of 
the assembled.
	“I was afraid she would feel that way – her world was 
far more steeped in tradition and superstition.  Having all 
the correct signs and omens was everything -- there may not 
be much we can do until the weather clears.”
	“How adamant was she, child?  Did you see any room 
for negotiation?” Cologne asked, a frown already firmly in 
place.
	Shampoo shook her head.  “She is convinced that if 
she marries today, she won’t have a good marriage.  I tried 
asking her what she’d do if the weather changed, and all 
she said was that it would have to become a perfect day.”
	The Matriarch huffed.  “Then we just have to hope 
it does.  We can hold the ceremony in here if the grounds 
are too wet, but that deviation might upset her as well.”
	Another voice broke the ensuing thoughtful silence.
	“Why not just decree them married?  There is no 
ceremony to speak of, and she may accept that.  We can just 
tell her that it is considered bad luck amoung Amazons to 
miss your appointed wedding date, no matter the reason.  
And we will say that she can have the formal ceremony when 
the conditions are best.  That just might be enough…”
	Shampoo shook her head again.  “I don’t like the 
idea of lying to her – we’ve done enough of that already.”
	Cologne shot her a look.  “Child, it is only your 
station in this affair that keeps me from reminding you of 
your place,” she intoned, her eyes hard.  “I like the 
idea – it is imperative that we have her married as soon 
as possible.  If we do not, then we run the risk of losing 
face in public, and we cannot let that happen to us – again.”
	Shampoo lowered her eyes.  “Yes, great grandmother.”
	The Matriarch rose to stand.  “I agree with your 
reasoning, but I also feel that we would be pushing our 
luck, Shan Lon.  The Princess would likely refuse to 
accept any decree, and only hold the attempt against us,” 
she sighed, then straightened.  “As much as it pains me 
to suggest, we will likely just have to wait.  After all, as the 
bride, it is her decision to make – which cannot be held 
against us.”
	Shan Lon frowned, but nodded.  “I suppose you 
are right.  I put forth then that we make no announcement 
until Liang Yue has decided…  That will also direct 
attention away from us.”
	The Matriarch smiled.  “A very good idea.  Shan 
Lin, stay with her – and let us know the minute she comes to
a decision.”
	Shampoo smiled right back.  “Yes, Majesty,” she 
bowed, then beat a hasty exit.




===============================================================
END – Yue – Part Eleven		A Ranma1/2 Fanfic By Coutuva


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