A training trip

( ~ = Chinese )
 

Ty looks up from an old scroll he has been reading throughout the night with a shout of joy "I think I've got it!" then turns around mumbling "Now if only I can find a place to practice it." Ty leans out of the small shack he set up just behind the Tendo Dojo and breathes in deeply and sighs "My! What a wonderful morning." He looks towards the
koi pond and seens Ranma and Genma fighting in a flurry of kicks and punches over the water. *Hmmm... Wonder which one is gonna get wet first... I sure hope it's Ranma so I can get a good look at his chest again!* Ty wipes the drool from his chin calmly and goes back in the shack and looks at a calender just as a splash can be heard outside. *Hmmm... School's out for a week, sounds like a perfect...*
    Soun is standing at that moment over the table talking to Genma, Ranma and his daughters unknowingly completing Ty's thought "...time for a training trip Ranma, and be sure to take Ty, Dagon and your fiance with you. Hmmm... Why don't we just make this a family camping trip?"
    Kasumi bubbles "Yes, that does sound like a good idea. We haven't went camping as a family in a long time."
    Nabiki thinks for a moment "Yes daddy, I'd LOVE to go camping with all those bugs, no electricity, no running water, just us and the trees." Nobody noticed her heavy scarcasm.
    Ty bursts into the dining area "I've decided to go on a training trip to sharpen my skills in the remote woods!"
    Soun is standing behind him instantly and claps him on the shoulder "Atta boy! That's the attitude..."
    A large sweatdrop forms on the back of Ty's head "Um... How did you do that?"
    Soun totally ignores the question and continues with tears steaming down his face "...A proper martial artist must take in order to perfect his training and become a master himself."
    Genma grunts in agreement "Quite true Tendo, A proper martial artist must be willing to give his life for the art." He glares at Ranma "Isn't that right, boy?"
    Ranma only glares at his father muttering something about stupid pandas and current going rates for a panda at the zoo.
    Genma knocks Ranma over the head "Respect your elders!"
    Ranma tosses him into the koi pond "Why should I respect an old, wet panda?"

P-chan raises his head from Akane's arms and looks at Ranma. Akane huffs, "I don't see why I should have to go with them. It's not like I don't have other things I could be doing ya know."
"That's fine with me I can't stand having Tomboys who can't cook around. Getting in my way." Ranma said putting his hands behind his head. Akane pulled out her wooden tool of death and pummeled Ranma into orbit.
 
Jin sat on the small green cushion.  Next to him his sister, Chi-sue, who had finally run out her debt to Ty and Akane. She had lost the cooking competition (by some unfathomable miracle on Akane's behalf) and because of this...she had to use her expert Ninja-cook skills to cook for them...for a whole year.
    "Please pass me the tea Chi-sue."
Chi-sue sighed and passed Jin a small cup irritably, Jin raised an eye brow,
    "What's wrong Chi?"
She slumped back on her cushions and lent her head back,
    "I'm just soooo board."
    "And why's that?"
    "School is out and the Ninja-cooks work to term time."
 
   Ty looked all around at the group gathered around the table in the Tendo house "Um... Can I interrupt for a second?" Akane calmed down somewhat, "But doesn't anybody ever worry about what would happen to him?" Ty indicates the Ranma shaped hole in the ceiling for reinforce his words "He could end up in some alley somewhere unconsious" images of a broken and bruised Ranma pass through Akane's head "or if he's lucky he'll land in the Ucchan or something." The temperature in the room rises with Akane's rage and Ty jumps up running for the phone with a rushes "Ihaveacalltomake!BYE!"
    Ty disappears around the corner just as Akane stomps off in the direction of the restaurant with her mallet hefted high over her head
"RANMA!!!"
   Ty begins to dial a familiar number to his mind *glad I'm not in Ranma's shoes* the phone is answered by a familiar voice.
"Chi-Sue-chan!"
    "What do you want annoying pervert boy?"
    "Oh, you say the sweetest things... But I just called to tell you about a training trip we're all taking soon. We're leaving tomorrow morning at dawn. What do you say?"
 
The was a silence on the phone,
    "Well...do you promise not to be a pervert?"
    "Yeap..."
    "Can I bring Jin along?"
    "Why not."
The was a muffle and then Chi-sue spoke,
    "Yeah why not...thanx.  I'll met you tomorrow."
Ty when to say something more and then the phone was hung up. Chi-sue spun around to Jin (who was drinking his tea and reading les Miserables).  She tiptoes over to him and shouted in his ear,
    "We're going camping tomorrow with Ty...can you believe it!"
Jin jumped in the air, catching the cup and book as he landed.
    "Please don't do that Chi.  And yes that's very nice of them."
    "You have to come too."
A slightly wicked grin spread across her face.
    "I have to study...I'm sure you can..."
    "You have to...what if Ty tries something?"
Jin lowered his glasses to reveal a puzzled book,
    "But you diary says..."
    "You read my diary!"
    "Yes...but that's beside the point."
    "Well...despite what it says...I don't want to seam keen do I?"
Jin sipped his tea and placed the book down,
    "I suppose not...I'll pack shall I?"
Chi-sue nodded and began to walk towards the paper door...
 
    Dagon jumped over the fence into the back yard of the dojo and walked inside, "hmmm," he siad, "we were supposed to train today, weren't we Mr. Tendo?"
    "Yes, yes" Soun said walking over to Dagon, "but now we have something bigger and better planned for you."  Dagon started to get nervous, "We're all going on a training trip."
    "All of us?"  Dagon said getting a little more nervous, "You mean Akane and Ranma together out in the woods, with no police or armed forces or something to keep them from killing each other?"
    "Yup," Soun said, putting his hand on Dagon's shoulder and staring off into a trans like state, "The martial artists off fighting each other, improving each other's skills, Kasumi cooking a nice hot supper for us, ranma fighting off Shampoo and Ukyo so that he can be with his beloved Akane, and Genma cowering behind some trees because he had angered the almighty SOUN TENDO!!!"
    "Uh, sure." Dagon said snapping in front of Soun's face having no effect at all, "I guess i should go pack some things then."

    Later that day, they were all gathered in the dojo with their bags packed.  "So," Dagon asked, "where we going?"
 
       "Out in the middle of no where, of course..." Akane said. "I DO have better things to do with my time, daddy," Akane was kind of upset, so she repeated herself. She had already made plans with Yuka, Sayuri and her other other friends. Now she was going to have to go on a training trip where she wouldn't be able to train because the guys would say stuff about how girls shouldn't fight. And she was probably going to have to keep the other fiancees from latching onto Ranma at every opportunity. Nevermind
the fact that Kunou and his crazy sister had also decided to come and make trouble. Suddenly, Akane realised that the whole room was looking at her strangely.
        Somewhere in the room, someone whispered, "I'd like to bet 1000 yen that she gets him to land in a garbage can by Furinkan High School..."
        Elsewhere, someone whispered, "Done."
        Akane didn't know what had happened, but Ranma must have said something... "Raaanmaaaaaaa....!" She grabbed a mallet out of hammerspace. Akane swung it at him but he ducked and it missed. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your point of view), he dodged into perfect range of her foot, so she kicked him.
        Several minutes later, Ranma came back grumbling. On his head was a banana peel. Akane turned her head away from both Ranma and the whispering voices. Her eyes rested on Ryoga.
        "Hello, Ryoga! I didn't see you come in. Oh, where'd P-chan go...?"
 
        "Gee I didn't see any P-chan's go by" Ryoga said scratching his head, "but you look terribly bored...aren't you here to train too?"
        Ranma chose the oppurtunity to walk over and rest his elbow on Ryoga's head.
"Gee what happened to P-chan? Hmm?"
        Ryoga jumped up nearly pushing Ranma over, "and why would you ask me!?"
        "Gee I dunno Maybe you can tell me P-chan" Ranma smirked.
        "Who's P-chan!?" Ryoga said whacking Ranma over the head.
        "You wanna fight? Comeon,we're supposed to be training anyway..." Ranma
said running into a more open feild.
        "Fine with me. Akane if you  uh.." Ryoga starts to blush," you know need help or anything let me know alright?" He followed Ranma to the open space and began sparring with him.
 
    Ty looked from Ranma to Ryoga wondering how those two could fight over anything and everything before muttering "I bet those two would even fight over bread..."
    Nabiki edged closer to Ty whispering in his ear "That's exactly what it's all about."
    Ty just stared blankly at the fight develop into the night. People were going to sleep all around him when he decided to get some sleep himself. He looked out the back window of his shed to see Ranma and Ryoga still fighting. "Oh well, just another normal day here. Glad we did expand a little on the dojo when we rebuilt it though."
    The morning sun dawned over Nerima bright and early like most other days waking Ty from his sleep. He looked at his clock, "Morning already?" Ty looked out his window to see Ranma and Ryoga curled up in the middle of the yard. "Guess they tired themselves out last night." Ty stepped out of his shack to see that the Tendo yard had been converted to a mini festival. Ukyo set up a portable grill and was selling okonomiyaki, Shampoo was selling ramen to people, Kasumi even got into the act and Chi-sue had set up a small place for herself and her brother. "Just a normal day..."
    Ty headed towards Chi-sue stopping to go around Ranma being glomped onto by Ukyo and Shampoo halfway there. Just as Ty sat down, Ranma flew over his head and past the walls. Ty tested the wind just before yelling out "1000 yen on Ranma landing the pond on the Kuno property!" Nabiki's muffled voice was heard shortly after.
    "Good morning Chi-sue-chan!"
    Chi-sue wasn't looking at Ty as he sat down. She suppressed a slight blush and turned around with a sour look. "What pervery boy want?"
    Ty ticked off his fingers "One, a date with you... Two, a kiss from you... Three, something to eat... Four, you say the cutest things..."
    Chi-sue just grabbed something and tossed it on the table "Here, eat and go."
    Ty ate his food and left leaving an amount of money under the bowl to finish his packing. Ranma-chan walked back onto the Tendo yard soaking wet and muttering about the Kunos. Ty just walked by Nabiki with his hand held out and she slapped a small pile of bills in it.
 
Shampoo looked around.  Somehow she had lost sight of Ranma.  "Ranma where you go?  Why not buy Shampoo's delicious Ramen and dumplings! Since you airen you have for free!"  She then spotted Ukyo, minding her own business. "You, Spatula Girl!  What you do with Ranma!  Shampoo fight you now!"
 
    "Calm down Shampoo," Ukyo said taking out her combat spatula, just for precaution, "I was looking for Ran-chan myself."
    At that moment they heard a very loud "BAKA!!!!!!!" and saw the point of their conversation flying through the air and landing coincidentally right in front of them.
    "Tomboy."  Ranma muttered through his broken teeth that somehow regenerated as soon as Ukyo picked him up for a big hug.
    "Hey Ranma," Dagon said stopping his jog in front of the three people, "You two are Ranma's other fiances right?  Anyway I was sent by Mr. Tendo to come fetch Ranma here, man you gotta stop making that girl mad, Jin said that the walls we made when we rebuilt the dojo were indestructible, until now."  Dagon picked up the dazed and only slightly conscious Ranma and started heading back for the dojo.  "We gotta go, we're leaving for a training trip any minute now, I suppose I'll see you two around."
 
Chi-sue shook her head as Shampoo and Ukyo headed into a fight, she pored a cup of tea for her brother and cracked open a cookie.     ~These girls...they all fight over Ramna....why?~
Jin shrugged and sipped his tea,
    "God knows Chi...nice tea little sister."
Chi-sue lent against the work surface and watched Ty walk off. The as he turned around she bolted upright and frowned,
    "Stop looking at Chi-sue pervy-boy!"
Jin grinned and muttered under his breath,
    "Ahh...young love."
 
    Ty just winked at Chi-sue "You still say the cutest things." He then continued into his little shack.
    A little while later Ty walked back out into the Tendo yard wearing a large backpack and had a scroll tucked under his arm looking around to see everybody packed and ready to go. "Just one question... How are we all supposed to get there?"
    Kuno stood up holding his bokken over his head in his idiotically trademark pose "I, Tatewaki Kuno have brought forth a charriot worthy of the pig-tailed girl and Akane Tendo to ferry them away to a mountain retreat so that they might witness the great Blue Thunder in all his glory..."
    Kuno continues to rant on while everybody has lost interest in his words and goes about ignoring him. Ty walks over to a large van marked with the Kuno family crest. He climbs in waving everybody else in. "Come on guys, while the blue blunder is talking."
    Murmers of agreement spread through the croud and they climb in. Ty starts the van up and is pulling away from the Tendo yard when Kuno finishes his speach. He starts running after the van shouting various insults at the villanous cur that would dare to commit a theft of Kuno property. Ty acts like he's holding a speaker. "Welcome to Tyrone bus services. If you look right behind us you'll see the idiotic Tatewaki Kuno running behind us." He tries not to laugh too much as he continues.
"And for todays trip we will be going to an old mountain training ground that I have trained on once a little while ago. The trip will take approximately an hour and a half." He looks behind the van to see Kuno.
"I hope he can keep up."
 
       Ranma glared at Ryoga...or should I say P-chan who was now sitting quite comfortably in Akane's lap.
        "You swine you did this on purpose so that you could have a nice comfortoble trip with Akane Didn't you?" Ranma said leaning closer to P-chan.
        "Leave him alone Ranma...besides I can't believe that you're jealous of a pig." Akane said.
        "And who's jealous? Who'd wanna sit in the lap of a short tempered tomboy like you anyway!?" Ranma said crossing his arms.
        P-chan jumped at Ranma and started to bite and scratch him.
        "Ranma I thought I told you to leave him alone!" Akane yelled.
        "But...Ow! I'm not...ow!" Ranma yells then throws P-chan into the backs of one of the chairs.
 
       An hour and a half later they reached their destination, Ranma had several scratches on his face and large bruises caused by mallets on the top of his head.
    "We're here." Ty said turning off the van and stepping out of the car.
    "Well, it doesn't look like much."  Dagon said reffering to the incredibly giant montain standing before them, "I suppose we'll be hiking to the top?"
 
        "C'mon, P-chan," Akane said while standing up. "We'd better get up there before this mob takes all of the good tent sites."
        "You aren't still sleeping with her, are you pig?" Ranma asked from between clenched teeth.
        "You aren't still jealous of pigs, are you Ranma?" Akane smiled back.
        "Jealous of a stupid tomboy? Have you lost your mind?"
        "Raaanmaaaaaaa...." Akane balled a fist.
        "What do you think you're going to do about it, huh? Nyaa! You missed me!" As he gloated, Akane hit Ranma right on the jaw.
        "Well," said Dagon. "That certainly is ONE way to get to the top."
 
   "Awww come on guys! It's not that bad... Just be glad you're not Kuno there." He points over his shoulder just as the Kendoist comes over the hill and collapses. "Would somebody pick him up? We don't want people to say guys from Nerima are sloppy?"
    Ranma huffs "Do we haveta?"
    "Unless you want to have to search for him later..."
    Later on the trail the sun is shining down on the small army of martial artists and family, Ty looks from side to side at a fork in the trail then points to the left. "I think it's that way."
    Somebody from the back grumbles "Figures he wouldn't even remember the way! He's almost as bad as Ryoga." That's quickly followed by the sound of a human fist hitting a human head and the human head hitting the ground.
   Ty just shrugs and heads to the right leading the group down a long, winding trail until he stands in front of a small cabin made of wooden logs. "Here we are. I build the place myself." He points off towards the north, "There's a stream and waterfall over that way." he points to the south, "There's a clearing over there to practice in..." Ty runs into the cabin "And I got the master bedroom! Chi-sue can join me if she wants!" he quickly ducks into the cabin.
     "Stupid pervert boy! Why would I want to join you?!"
     Jin looks up with a grin "But your diary..."
     "That's not the point." The whole little exchange was missed by the whole group who was now fighting for places in the cabin and around it.
 
Ukyou looked at the crowd that arrived in the cabin near the waterfall. She wondered, "Whose those guys anyway? and why they come here????". Then she noticed Ranma and Akane among them. She began suspicious. "Ranma and Akane went to this place?? That is extremely strange...". Then she decided to climb down from the mountain and called, "Ran-chan!! Akane!!".

Jin and Chi-sue made their way into the cabin, Jin open his back pack and unfolded his cushions.
    "I shall sleep here, there is obviously not enough room for us all." Ty nodded and looked at Chi-sue,
    "And may I suggest my sister with you Ty." In the next moment Jin was crawling around the floor in a shell.
 
       Akane looked down at Ukyou climbing the hill. "Great," she commented to P-chan. "Look at this, we haven't been gone for a full day and already his fiancees follow. Don't they know when to give up?"
        "You should talk, tomboy, following me up here and everything. You're worse than any of them," said Ranma. Or at least, he would have said that had Akane not decided to hit his jaw and shut him up as soon as he said tomboy. Ranma turned away from Akane. "Hey, Ukyou! You gonna cook for us? I'm scared that the tomboy will try something..."
        "Why of course Ran-chan!" Akane clenched her teeth. She couldn't hit Ukyou, so... "Tell you what, sugar, you just leave all the cooking to me!" Akane balled her fist. "What do you want on your okonomiyaki, Ran-chan?" Akane narrowed her eyes.
        "5... 4... 3..."
        "Well, I think that I'd like..."
        "2... 1..."
        "...some pork oko..."
        "Liftoff!"
        Boom! Akane hit Ranma, who knocked a tree down during his flight.
        "Whatcha do that for, you uncute tomboy!?"
        Akane hmphed. "C'mon, P-chan, let's go get a room before Ranma and his cute fiancee do."
 
As Akane burst through the door Jin lowered his glasses and watched the young lady charge to a room.  He shook his head and lifted up his piece of paper and proceeded to fold.

Chi-sue slumped her bag on the bed and gave a scornful look at Ty.  He couldn't believe that he had got her to stay in the same room...the fact that every other room was taken and she refused to share the living room with her brother didn't matter...here she was.
Her hand raised to her hair pin and pulled it slowly out, her onyx black hair falling to her waist she turned and sat on the bed, unpacking her things and putting them in the draws before Ty could.
 
    Ty looked around the room quickly before realizing that there was only one bed and two of them. "Um... Who gets the bed?"

    Later that night, Ty lay back listening to the full cabin. He was on a futon spread out on the floor *good thing I talked her out of making me sleep in the closet.* Ty stood up early in the morning having not slept at all that night and quietly steped towards a calander on the wall. Ty barely whispered "It's been 12 years today." He looked over to Chi-sue sleeping peacefully on the bed and sighed still whispering "could she be the one? The one to end my curse?" he leaves the room silently creeping through the living room being careful not to wake anybody. Ty turned down a hall and stopped in front of a locked door, he reached into his shirt and pulled out a small brass key. Ty unlocked the
door and stepped in not even bothering to close the door. A shadowy figure darted from shadow to shadow watching Ty carefully. Ty bowed in front of a small shrine dedicated a statuesque woman. He wiped some tears away from his eyes "Hello mother, I'm back." He chuckles softly "I think I've found the cure to the family curse afflicting all male
members." Ty smiles at nothing in particular. "She's intelligent, skilled in martial arts, cooks, and most of all... She's one of the prettiest girls I've seen in my life." He finishes lighting the candles and incense "Her name's Chi-sue. She's from China." With that, Ty bows his head muttering a simple prayer. He never noticed the figure creep towards him.
 
    "Hey Ty!"  Dagon said loudly startling Ty, "I can't find the bathroom in this place, it's not one-o-dem outhouses is it?"
    "Uh, yeah actually," Ty responded standing up, "You just have to go outside and walk a few trees down."
    "Ah well, say what's that shrine there for, and what's with the creepy, wake up in the middle of the night to pay my repects thing? Nevermind, I really gotta go."  Dagon crept outside and started looking for the horrid place that Ty had mentioned.  After about 5 minutes of searching he gave up and just found a large tree.  All of the sudden something lept out in front of him. Putting his jewels back in their place he assumed a fighting stance and said, "who are you?"  The figure didn't respond, it just threw a bag over Dagon before he could even react and ran off into the night.

Ukyou looked at Ranma that was hanging on the tree and said to herself, "Gezz, what made her so mad?!". Then she said to Ranma after Ranma landed on the ground, "Ran-chan, what is going on with Akane... seems she is in bad mood.... *smiles sweetly at Ranma* So do you want to share a room with me? I came here without appointment, so I don't think they have more room to me...".
 
Jin slid up from his bed and reached for his glasses. Ty slowly bowed and closed the door again. Jin mad a yawn so to make his presence know and not to seam like he saw the going's on.
    "Still awake Ty-san?"
Ty swung around,
    "Oh...umm...Hi Jin."
    "I trust you are comfortable...I know I am."
Jin stood up and stretched, he walked to the window and peeped out. He smiled lightly and spoke,
    "Is anyone else up Ty-san?"
    "Umm...Dagon went out on a call of nature, Ramna and them are still awake, your sister is sound asleep."
    "A family trait..."
Jin looked around the cabin and slid his trousers on over his boxers. He open the door and looked out,
    "I think I shall try to find Dagon-san."
He closed the door as Ty was about to speak.
    "You...forgot your shoes and t-shirt, he's getting worse."

Jin stepped out in to the cold night air and slowly walked into the wood. The fact he was only in boxers and silk trousers escaped him. (All to with his lack of memory).  He made his way to a large tree climbed into it. From the warmth of the leafs he sat...contemplating.
 
    Ty shrugged once and walked onto the porch looking up at the stars letting his thoughts wander he began to talk to himself. "I sometimes wonder why I even bother. I mean there's no real cure to the family curse... Just a new receptacle for all of it."
    Ranma and Ukyo walk up from the darkness. Ranma waves "Yo Ty!"
    Ty waves limply "Hey."
    Ranma continues undaunted "Where's everybody?"
    "Well, I'm here, you and Ukyo are there, Jin is out somewhere and
Dagon is looking for the bathroom... Besides that, I think everybody else is asleep."
    "Oh..."
    "Hey, Ukyo, didn't know you were here." Ty grabs a stick and starts to doodle in the dirt, "Don't worry, there's some extra room here if you want to stay." Ty doesn't notice her sour look and neither does Ranma.
    "Oh, I can stay with Ranma."
    "And put up with a room including him, his father, Mr. Tendo and Dr. Tofu?" Ty scratches out his drawing, "There's some room down the main hall and to the left, last room." Ukyo's frown turns to a scowl "I think you'll be bunking with Kasumi." Ty looks up, but not before Ukyo puts on a smile "By the way, either of you seen Dagon around? He's been gone for a while."
     Ranma shakes his head and Ukyou shrugs. Ty stands up slowly and walks off to the east "I'll be back in a little bit..." He laughs jokingly "If I'm not back in 30 minutes... Start a search for me." He fades into the darkness waving over his shoulder.
 
As Ty walks into the distance Jin silently in the tree tops, he had over hear both little seeps of Ty's history and he wanted to know more...he wanted to know if he could help with out asking directly.
 
   Ty walked to the outhouse. "Hmmm... Looks like nobody's been here in a while." He begins to search around the area. Jin followed as closely as possible without being detected as Ty tracked back to the cabin and past it to the small stream. He turned upstream and walked to the waterfall.
   The moonlight streamed down from above highlighting the area in a silvery halo as Ty sat on a long flat rock that seemed to be put there just to be sat upon. "Who is my great grandfather? The whole curse started with him, but my grandfather did just fine after my
grandmother." Ty looks up into the full moon, "My father was fine until my mother died... Will I suffer the same fate? Or will I never find a cure." He laid back on the rock basking in the moonlight remianing silent for a time letting the sound of the water splashing against the rocks lull his mind.
   Jin watches from the covers of the trees remaining out of sight just listening. He begins to turn around to head back to the cabin when Ty begins again. "Perhaps I was brought here for a reason... Maybe it's my destiny... Maybe she is the one..." Ty jumps up to his feet turning around towards the cabin. Ty takes a few steps shrugging "I don't know
anymore... My life is pure chaos now." He takes one last look over his shoulder savoring the peace of the water.
   Ty walks back into the cabin silently slipping back into his futon on the floor waiting for morning.
 
Jin slid from the tree, the breeze blowing his hair slightly. As Ty closed the cabin door Jin reopened it and slid back into his bed.  'What was Ty hiding?'

Ty was woken by a soft kick in the chest, he looked up groggily to meet the smiling face of Chi-sue.
    "Wake...wake...you shower now."
He slowly sat up and looked at the woman in front of his as she tightened the towel around her waist.  She slid open a draw and pulled out a bra.
    "You have long shower, it is good.  You use Chi-Sue's shampoo."
She lifted a small bottle and threw it (quite hard) at Ty. She reached for another towel and began to dry her legs.
 
  Ty abesntly rubbed his head, "No thanks... I don't feel like using Shampoo right now... And besides, I think she's more interested in Ranma..."
  Chi-sue hid a smile "Make cold shower."
  He stretched and yawned, "~You know, I understand and speak Chinese almost fluently. If you feel more comfortable speaking that...~" He let the sentence go unfinished as he stalked from the room to be greeted by the sounds of a full blown fight going on outside. Ty poked his head out a window to see Ranma and Ryoga fighting, "Just don't damage the cabin!" He continues down the hall to the shower wondering why he told Dagon he had to use the outhouse when Ty installed indoor plumbing last year.
 
Jin sat, awake.  In one hand he was reading another novel and in the other he help a prawn cracker.  He looked up to see Ty and smiled,
    "Good morning Ty-san...Did you sleep well?"
Ty gave a yawn and nodded,
    "My sister informs me she is most lucky...you do not snore."
Ty smiled to him self,
    "In deed she said something else...it wheat along the lines of..."
As Jin open his moth a shoe slid between his lips and Chi-sue waved from her room door. She closed it and continued to dry her self.

Jin pulled out the shoe and took a bite from the cracker,
    "It would appear I was mistaken and she said nothing."
Jin smirked lightly as he flipped the page of his book over.
 
   Ty nods absently and continues to the shower not really hearing anything that was said. He misses a turn and ends up in the kitchen pouring coffee on his tooth brush and drinking soda. This continues for a little while until Ty realizes what he's doing and heads towards the shower again.
 
"Well, I am here earlier before you guys come I suppose cause I have been here for 3 days... But not in this cabin, up in the woods trying my luck in finding matsutake" Ukyou replied and then she stepped inside and went to her room. She examined the room and said to herself, "Hmm... better than sleeping in a tent. I go and get a nice shower". Then she prepared herself and went to the shower. She opened the shower door and it was vacant so she used the room.
 
        Meanwhile Ryoga who had different plans then sharing a room as a human poured
cold water onto himself and went to find Akane's room.
 
   P-Chan was headed towards the door and Ty absently waved at P-Chan as he walked out the door, "Bye-bye Ryoga... How could anybody not know he's P-Chan?"
   Akane overhears the last word, "You know where P-Chan went?"
   Ty points out the door, "I think he went to talk to nature or something..." He reaches the shower still not awake enough to notice it's in use. He pulls the door open blinks sleeply a few times at an unclothed Ukyou before falling backwards out cold and a trickle of blood running from his nose muttering, "Defenately a girl... Defenately a girl..."
 
Ukyou was shocked by Ty's present and hit him with the slippers. "WHAT THE *beep* ARE YOU DOING PREVERT!!!!". Then she quickly banged the door and bolted it. After she finished shower, she came out from the bathroom towards her room to put all the bath stuff in her room and then she walked outside of the cabin. "I got to find at least 10 matsukake mushrooms!! according to otcha this week there are plenty of Matsukake
in this forest... well, I start the searching tomorrow. meanwhile... what Ran-chan, Akane and everybody else do in this cabin?". Ukyou thought a while and then she decided to cook some okonomiyaki since her stomach need to be filled. While she was cooking the okonomiyaki, she noticed Ty was approaching her. She glared at him but she kept silent.
 
Jin stood and stretched, he noticed the look that Ty was receiving from Ukyou and bobbed (from no where) in front of her.
    "Morning Ukyou-san...and how did you sleep."
He gave a radiant smile (one he had learnt in the charm school) and handed her an Origami rose.  He the took a deep breath of the okonomiyaki.
    "Smells nice."
He hoped this would take some of the pressure off of Ty, who didn't seam to be having a very relaxing weekend.

The door to Ty's room creaked open and Chi-sue slipped out. She walked over to Jin and Ukyou as she tided her hair into a bun.
    "Morning brother and girl-stranger."
She sat down next to Jin and smiled,
    "Japanese been better getting no?"

    The group went through a small uncomfortable silence, wich was broken by screaming that was coming from above them.  They looked up and saw Dagon fall down into the middle of the group.  He was cut and bruised, and not just from the fall.  His clothes were covered in blood, and he laid unconcious on the ground.

Ukyou took the origami and before she could thanks Jin, Dragon showed up. She quickly jumped up and ran near dragon. "Hey! what happend to you?".
 
    Everyone was gathered around Dagon when he woke up.  He had bandages on him and was laying on a comfortable mat.  "He's awake!" Ty said, being the first to notice Dagon's eyes open.  "What happened to you?"
   "I was... bathroom... shadow... bag... black... Ranma." Dagon said, still not all there.  Everyone stared at Ranma for a second.
    "How dare you!"  Akane yelled, flattening Ranma's head with a mallet.
    "No."  Dagon said, starting to really wake up, "he didn't do it."
Akane looked embarassed and shoved her weapon back into mallet space, "The man that did, wanted Ranma for some odd reason.  I was going to try to find the outhouse when some guy showed up, shoved me in a bag and took off.  I was blindfolded the rest of the time, but the man was kicking me, taking his frustrations out on me.  He's mad at Ranma, but he didn't say why."
 
   Ty moved to sit in a chair at in the room thinking, "Is this another bread feud like with Ryoga? Or is this one a soup feud? Can't have soup without bread."
   Ranma visibly gags at the idea, "I didn't take no soup from nobody!"
   Ryoga almost roared, "So you admit you stole bread?"
   Ranma waved his hands trying to ward off the enraged person, "I didn't say that."
 
Ukyou thought a while and then she asked Ranma, "Ran-chan... be honest, did you steal somebody's cart? or *gripping her spatula* steal somebody's girlfriend?".
 
    "Listen," Dagon said getting tired of the rantings towards Ranma, "I don't think it was because of something that Ranma did, but more because of his abilities.  He seemed to be some wannabe martial artist, yeah he beat me, but he took me off guard in the middle of the night.  Me thinks in a one on one I could kick his ass."
    "And how do you know this?"  Nabiki asked, one of the lesser talkative people in the room, for once.
    "I saw him training."  Dagon replied, "He's not bad, for a begginer, but he sure needs a lot of work.  I don't think he's going to be much to worry about."  Coincidentally at that moment there was a blackout in the cabin and when the lights came back on, Ty had dissapeared.

   Ty snapped open his eyes looking around at a small clearing. "You could have just asked me to come out here."
   A shadow moves slightly, "It wouldn't have been as much fun another way."
   Ty concentrates and starts to fade from sight but the shadow moved a little and a small dart flew out hitting Ty in the arm breaking his concentration. Ty pulled the dart out clamping his hand over his arm, "That hurt!"
   "That's the point."
   "So what do you want?"
   "Ranma."
   "Then why take me?"
   "Because you've trained with him."
   "I have? I mostly train alone." Ty stands up slowly. "Fine then, I am Tyrone Happi of the Phoenix school of martial arts. I accept your challenge."
   The shadows shifted quickly just before a figure flew out attacking Ty.
  
    Everyone split into pairs and started searching for any sign of Ty. There were several footprints leading in different directions.  Dagon was with Chi-Sue.  "Maybe he's better than I thought."  Dagon said examining the trail closely, "He managed to get away with me and Ty.  I wonder why he didn't just take Ranma while he was there, probably just
intimidation.  Hey, look!"  Dagon found that the trail lead to a cave in the side of a mountain, "Either it's a trap or we've found what we're looking for, careful."  Dagon jumped up to the entrance to the cave.

Chi-sue leapt after Dagon, landing behind him silently.  She looked about cautiously and then spoke...her voice like a soft breeze.
   "The walls have eyes Dagon-san."
    "How do you mean?"
Chi-sue moved closer, making sure that she wasn't to close to anything other that Dagon.
    "Chi-sue can fell eyes burning into her soul...is ninja training." She placed her hands behind her head, letting her hair fall to her waist and two throwing stars slip gently between her fingers on both hands. She smiled lightly at Dagon and slid shifted forward at the speed of a run but with no sound at all...

Jin sipped his tea slowly and looked up at the empty room. As well meaning as his friends were, they had simply gone about things the wrong way. *One never go to the enemy...but make the enemy come to you.* He thought. He placed his cup on the table and stood, brushing him self off and walking to the door way he pulled out a peace of chalk and started to write on the door frame.

After about half an hour Jin and managed to place wards on every window, door and other means of entrance and exit possible.  He had cleared the main room of all items and drawn a circle in the middle.
    "Now my friend, lets see you."
Jin walked around the circle writing more runes and muttering a chant. He stopped in the circle, facing the open door, clenching his fists. Slowly...a shadowy figure became visible just out side the door.  Jin prayed the runes could keep it out.
 
   The shadowy figure Jin saw slowly solidified and was apparently involved in a fight judging by his fluid movements meant for grace and power. Slowly sounds of a fight filtered in through the runes allowing limited listening and spying.
   Ty was becoming frustrated at not being able to hit his opponent even once. "Stand still you little-"
   The figure chuckled dryly, "Like that ever elusive shadow, I am hard to catch and almost impossible to hit."
   "So you can be hit?" The figure only laughed some in response. Ty waves his arms briefly in front of himself, "FENIKKUSU HI!" A fireball flew forward missing the shadow he was aiming at just before Ty was hit in the back of the head.
   Dagon and Chi-sue and easily heard Ty's attack yell. Jin heard Ty's yell through the runes and saw the moment the shadowy figure attacked Ty and the runes burst into flame quickly leaving burned shadows on the floor in the shape of the runes.

    Dagon turned around hearing a yell coming from back at the cabin. He turned around and started running back to the cabin when he heard Chi-Sue scream.  He saw that she had fallen into a large pit.  "Hold on!"  Dagon yelled as he threw down his sack to her, "I need to go back to the cabin, sounds more urgent, I'll be back, there's some food in
there."  He ran back to the cabin and saw Ty on the ground, battered, bruised and unconscious.  Dagon ran up to Ty and looked him over.  Jin was sitting next to him, reading a note, "What does it ssay?"  he asked.  Jin handed the note over to Dagon and he read it;
    'I wish to challengs Ranma, he will pay for what he did to my family.  I challenge Ranma and three of his allies to meet me and three of mine at the top of the mountain tomorrow at 2:26 P.M.  Ranma shall be responsible for his actions.

   Ty sat up rubbing his head, "Ohhh... What happened to me? I just remembered a shadow and that's it."
 
Jin looked at the floor and shook his head slowly,
    "This is not good at all my friends, not good."
Jin looked over to Ty and the up at Dagon,
    "We must find Ramna, he needs to chose and soon."

Chi-sue looked up at the hole in the pit and huffed, with one leap she hurtled out and over the hole, landing in front of a large figure. Her green eyes reflected the light from behind him as she stood...

    "Do any of you have any idea where he is?"
Jin and Dagon shook there heads,
    "Last I saw, he had gone looking for you Ty, after Dagon and
Chi-sue had left, they could be anywhere."
 
   "Hm, Ranma and three allies? I see," Ty counts heads and gives up quickly, "More than three..." He thinks slowly, "Who's this Kitfox guy anyways?" Jin and Dagon only shrug. "And why do WE have to fight him too? I mean, what've we done to get involved in all this?"
   Jin nods sagely, ~Chinese curse says 'My you live in interesting times.'~ Dagon stares at Jin strangely.
   Ty interrupts. "It means 'May you live in interesting times' it's a mix of a curse and blessing. It seems that Ranma is afflicted with this."
 
... To be continued 

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Written by :
    Ty
    Jin
    Akane
    Dagon
    Ryoga
    Shampoo
    Ukyou Kounji

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