Dual Destinies



Ranma Saotome and crew belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The Dual Destinies story is my idea. Please don't sue me.



<>: Thoughts

<" ">: Chinese Language

{" "} Telepathic communication



                                  Chapter 12

                              Further Revelations



     All those in the house of Nodoka listened in on the matriarch of the 

Amazons as she began her tale.

     "One thousand years ago, during of the time of the ninth Contract 

Renewal, twin Amazons were chosen to be the Champions of the Earth 

Realm. Their names were Shampoo and Cologne. They were our 

ancestors, more than twenty-seven generations ago."

     "Whoa!" Both Ranmas remarked.

     "As you are being trained now, the Chosen Twins were also 

instructed in the mystic arts and elemental power." Soren added. "Their 

attributes were remarkably similar to you two. They easily mastered 

techniques and could adapt to any situation."

     "When the skill levels of our Champions reached a certain point, we 

also bestowed to each of them a weapon of power in which they could 

use in their battles against the Dark World." Taron added.

     "That is right." Cologne nodded. "My namesake was trained in the 

mystic arts while the first Shampoo had been granted access to nature's 

power. After being prepared to face the Dark Ones, they were given a 

mystic sword and a mighty war hammer to use in battle. The legend is 

that these weapons were the tools of the gods themselves."

     "Actually, they were." Taron smiled. "Both weapons hold tremendous 

power and are essential in fighting the Dark World."

     "In any case," Cologne continued. "The Amazons defeated the 

minions of the Dark World. Afterwards, Taron and Soren entrusted 

them to keep these weapons of power in the family, until the time of 

the next Contract Renewal. They have remained with the Joketsuzoku 

since then. In fact, they are the two treasures that Happosai did NOT 

take from us! The responsibility of guarding these artifacts has been my 

family's duty for ten centuries.

     "So where are these weapons now?" Ranma Blue asked.

     "My namesake had hidden the sword in one of the many caves that 

are in the mountain regions near our village. Her sister Shampoo had 

secretly concealed the hammer in one of the Jusenkyo Springs. Even 

the guides of that cursed training ground have no idea that it is there. 

They told no one but their eldest daughters. At present, only I know the 

location of the two weapons."

     "So where are they?" Ranma Red inquired.

     "I cannot tell you as of yet, son-in-law." Cologne replied. " It was just 

after Happi had stolen from our village



Two hundred and eighty-two years ago...

     On the banks of a river near the village of the Joketsuzoku, an 

eighteen-year old Cologne is busy practicing with a quarterstaff. She 

has become stern and more hardened after Happosai had betrayed her 

trust by stealing nearly all of the village's treasures. Even now, she is 

thinking dark thoughts about the little lecher.

     <Curse you Happosai! It's all your fault! How dare you betray me, 

then take my magic mirror and bracelet? I swear by my ancestors! If I 

ever catch you, I will make you suffer! You robbed us all of our most 

precious possessions!>

     <"He didn't get all of the treasures of the Amazons!">

     Cologne whirled around at the sound of that voice. She silently 

cursed herself at being caught unawares. She saw that she faced not one 

opponent, but two. Both men were lean, yet possessed well-muscled 

frames. One wore a white Chinese-style shirt and black pants with Kung 

fu shoes. The other was similarly dressed, but had a black shirt. Both 

had short black hair and were identical in appearance. Cologne 

suspected that she was looking at twins. She had to admit both were 

very attractive. Far more so than Happosai was. She began wondering

what she ever saw in the little pervert.

     <"Who are you? What do you want?"> Cologne demanded as she 

took a fighting stance.

     Taron smiled. <"Calm yourself Cologne. We mean you no harm.">

     <"How do you know my name?">

     <"We know everything about you."> Soren replied. <"Oh forgive us! 

Where are our manners? I am Soren and he is my brother Taron.">

     Cologne became a little startled when she heard those names. 

Recently, her mother had just told her the legend of the Chosen Twins 

and the names of the great warriors who taught them supernatural

powers. She then shook her head. <It's just a coincidence!>

     <"I repeat my questions! Who are you? What do you want? And how 

do you know me?">

     Soren nodded as he answered. <"In order, Soren and Taron. We have 

business concerning the Mystic Sword and Elemental Hammer. And we 

know you because we have been watching you since you were born.">

     <"What?!"> Cologne exclaimed. No one outside of her family even 

knew of the existence of those sacred weapons. Even the current elders 

of the village were in the dark about them. After her ancestors had 

defeated the great evil, which threatened the Earth realm, they had kept 

their involvement in that incident a secret. Generally, the world was 

unaware as to how close it had come to destruction.

     <"You need not be so shocked Cologne."> Taron said. <"The reason 

why we know of the sword and hammer, is because WE gave them to 

your ancestors seven hundred and twenty years ago. We were the ones 

who trained them to battle the Dark World.">

     <"I don't believe you!"> Cologne declared as she prepared to attack. 

<"No one but my mother and my grandmother know of the legend! I do 

not know who you are, but you cannot be the ones who trained the 

Chosen Twins! I don't know as to how you know about those weapons, 

but I swear you won't live long to tell anyone!"> With these words, 

Cologne leapt at them.

     Taron stepped back as he let his brother handle the Amazon. Soren 

simply vanished from view, just as Cologne made her first strike. She 

was found herself staring at an empty space where her opponent had 

been. Before she realized what was happening, Soren reappeared behind 

her and tapped her on the shoulder. Cologne whirled around and tried 

another attack. Soren dodged the blow with ease. She then tried a 

blinding series of kicks and thrusts. The immortal evaded each attack 

with casual ease.

     <He's so fast! I don't believe this! Only Happosai could move fast 

enough to dodge my attacks! But Happi would be like a snail compared 

to this one! Whoever he is, he's good!>

     After a five minutes of the one-sided battle, Soren decided to end it. 

Lashing forth with a speed that totally caught Cologne off guard, he 

disarmed the Amazon in a nanosecond with a blurring hand motion. The 

future matriarch found herself weaponless and was  nocked off her feet, 

as the brother of Taron used her own staff to trip her up.

     Cologne found herself flat on her back. Before she could even think 

about getting to her feet, Soren lashed forward with the staff and pinned 

her down with one end on her chest. His hands glowed with a red light 

as he focused his power through his weapon. The energy flowed down 

the wooden pole and Cologne was blasted with it, causing her to black 

out.



     Some time later, Cologne awoke and saw that the twins were sitting 

on some boulders near the river. They looked at her casually and Soren 

smiled a bit. She looked at Soren with an appraising eye and got up. Her 

legs were slightly unsteady as she was still feeling some aftereffects 

from the power blast she received. She shook her head to clear it and 

then went towards Soren to carry out her duty as an Amazon.

     Soren was a bit nervous as she approached him. He knew what he had 

done, but there was no help for it. He braced himself as the attractive 

woman warrior came forward, wrapped her arms around him and said, 

"Wode Airen." Then she promptly kissed him.

     <Oh boy!> Soren thought. <This is going to be complicated!>



     It took the twins three hours and several displays of magic spells and 

elemental power, before Cologne was finally convinced that they were 

who they claimed to be. The task was made even more difficult, due to 

the fact that Cologne had become lovesick over her supposed new 

'husband' and was constantly trying to shower him with affection. But 

eventually, Cologne accepted the truth that a marriage between Soren 

and herself was impossible, due to the fact that, with the exception of 

gods, immortals were incapable of having children.

     <"I apologize for attacking you Soren."> Cologne said with 

disappointment. <"A pity that you will not be my husband. After 

meeting Happosai">

     Soren gave her a compassionate smile as he replied, <"That is all 

right Cologne. I know that you have suffered much since then. >

     Cologne nodded. Many of the villagers had become a bit hostile 

toward her as they blamed her for bringing Happosai to their village in 

the beginning. Besides stealing their most sacred treasures, the lecher 

was quite the nuisance as he constantly stole their undergarments, food 

and whatever things that wasn't nailed down. His nonstop groping of 

every female in the village over sixteen had also made him unpopular 

with the men as well as the women. However, they did not have his level 

of skill and were ineffective in stopping the little pervert.

     Cologne sighed as she thought back at her history with the future 

master of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. She had thought 

of him as a young and brash martial artist who was only trying to get by 

in the harsh world. She had invited him to stay in the village for a while, 

to rest up before continuing on his training journey. His little quirks 

and unusual demeanor was somehow amusing to her. She was the 

only one who showed any kindness towards him, when the others 

treated him like a disease to be eradicated.

     The young Amazon's face became dark as she remembered that dark 

time when Happosai finally went too far. It was two days ago that a 

strange party came to her village. An extremely old woman who hopped 

on what looked like a matriarch's staff had called her by name. What 

was surprising to her was that she felt as if she should know that person. 

The old woman had come with two middle-aged men, two girls that 

were about her age and boy with a pigtail. It was that boy whom she 

found most intriguing.

     The boy had introduced himself as Ranma and seemed to be very 

familiar with Happosai. In fact, whenever the lecher was mentioned, the 

boy would frown and denounce anything nice that was said in favor of 

her Happi. Cologne could not believe it at the time, but after 

Happosai's final betrayal, she had to admit the boy was right.

     The situation wasn't made any simpler when the two girls tried to 

hook her up with Happosai. The girl with short hair, she did not 

recognize, but the girl with long purple hair had aroused her curiosity. 

Cologne could not help but notice the resemblance between herself and 

the stranger. She spoke in broken Japanese as she did and seemed to 

move like an Amazon. Once again, she had that feeling of dj vu.

     When the plan to set her up with Happosai had failed, Cologne began 

to have some suspicions about the group. When that boy Ranma 

scolded the two girls, she had been listening in on their conversation 

from behind the kitchen door. She had become very confused when he 

said, "If it was meant to be, don't you think she would have married him 

in the first place?"

     However, she did not have a chance to find out more as the group 

disappeared shortly after Happosai had made off with the treasures of 

the village. Snapping herself back to the present, she asked Taron, 

<"Why are you here? I thought that the Contract renewed itself every 

thousand years. There's still more than two hundred and eighty years to 

go!">

     <"You are correct Cologne. However, some other events are taking 

place now and in the future. You will play a part in the next Contract 

Renewal. The final one." 

     <"Huh?"> Cologne said confused.

     <"Do you remember that boy Ranma?"> Taron asked.

     <"Yes.">

     <"He is fated to become our champion during the next Contract 

Renewal."> Soren said.

     Cologne became even more confused. <"I didn't see any twin 

brother. Even so, what does this have to do with me?">

     <"It has much to do with you Cologne."> Taron declared. <"You see, 

that boy is destined to marry your great-granddaughter.">

     <"Great-granddaughter? I don't even have a husband, much less a 

great granddaughter!">

     <"Do you remember that other girl? The one with purple hair?"> 

Cologne nodded. Soren became serious as he said, <"That was your 

great-granddaughter Shampoo.">

     <"Shampoo? You mean like the twin sister of Cologne. The one I 

was named after?">

     <"That is correct."> Taron nodded as he continued. <"You see, in the 

future, Ranma and his group had confronted Happosai and got a hold of 

your magic mirror, which sent them here. You had just met your future 

son-in-law.">

     <"So that's what Ranma was talking about when he said if it were 

meant to be! And I thought Shampoo looked a lot like me!">

     <"That's right! Which brings us to the reason for our visit."> Taron 

nodded toward Cologne, <"During her sixteenth year, Shampoo will be 

defeated by Ranma Saotome. We want you to accompany her to Japan 

and aid her in getting him as her husband. Do not be surprised if Ranma 

becomes stubborn. Also, do not be surprised if he has a few 

idiosyncrasies. We want you to train him in both the Chestnut 

Technique and the Hiryu Shoten Ha, in order to prepare him for the 

Contract Renewal.">

     <"Those are two of our most secret moves! And I still don't 

understand why Ranma is the Chosen One! He has no twin!">

     Soren said with a grin, <"Do not worry Cologne! All things will be 

explained in time. After you have arrived in Japan, we will contact you 

again in several months.">

     <"Considering what you have told me, I find it all too incredible to 

believe! >

     <"I know it does, but the final fate of the world rests on that boy's 

shoulders! Will you do this?"> Taron asked.

     Cologne thought for a long time. What she had been told was too 

fantastic to be the truth. However, there was no doubt in her mind that 

she was in the presence of the immortals that had trained her ancestors. 

With the fate of the world and the future of her tribe at stake, there was 

only one decision she could make. After a long silence, she nodded. 

<"You have my word.">

     Both brothers smiled as they said their thanks and disappeared in a 

flash of light.



The present

     "So THAT'S why you trained us in the Chestnut technique and the 

Hiryu Shoten Ha!" Ranma Red exclaimed.

     "Yeah!" Ranma Blue agreed. "I always wondered why you taught us a 

method of getting the Phoenix Pill from you, even though it would have 

been easier for you to wait until we gave in! It also didn't make sense 

that you would train us in a technique that could defeat you!"

     "Correct!" Cologne replied.

     Taron then began the rest of his explanations. "After Shampoo had 

declared not to use any more potions and was going to treat Ranma 

better, we sensed that Cologne was beginning to doubt us. So after 

Shampoo had left for that takeout order, we decided to pay her 

another visit!"



The Nekohanten, three days ago

     Cologne was in a bit of a huff as her great-granddaughter had left to 

deliver the last order of the day. Mousse had already finished his 

chores and had gone to bed, leaving the aged Amazon alone in a dimly 

lit restaurant to contemplate. Things were not going well. Since Shampoo 

had declared not to use any potions, Cologne had become fearful for her 

only family. If she were to fail to gain Ranma as her husband, then by 

Amazon Law, Cologne would be forced to execute her.

     The elder began to curse herself for promising to train Ranma in 

those Amazon techniques, knowing full well that she should have just 

waited until he had yielded to her will. She started to think that at the 

time, she was nothing but a foolish and nave teenager when she had 

made that promise to the immortal twins. With the theft of her magic 

mirror and bracelet, not to mention the startling revelations afterwards, 

Cologne began to suspect that she was mad to have agreed to such an 

oath. It was then that a bright flash suddenly appeared in the room and 

Cologne found herself face to face with Taron and Soren.

     "YOU?!" Cologne hissed as she grabbed her staff and prepared for 

battle. "How DARE you return?!" 

     Both twins maintained a calm expression as Soren said, "Why 

Cologne. I thought you would have been happy to see us! It has been a 

long two hundred and eighty-two years."

     "Do not patronize me!" Cologne replied in a voice that dripped 

venom. "I have done what you have requested! Ranma has mastered both 

the Chestnut technique and the Hiryu Shoten Ha! Yet he still will not 

wed my Shampoo! I have must have been insane two and three quarter 

centuries ago! Now Shampoo jeopardizes her very future with her silly 

notions!" She tensed down, intent on delivering a death strike via 

pressure points to the twins.

     Before she could spring forward to deliver an attack, Soren faded 

from view and then reappeared behind her, placing a hand on her 

shoulder. His hand glowed with a red light, which washed over her. He 

crouched forward and whispered into her ear, "Calm."

     Cologne tried to fight the calming spell, but found it too irresistible. 

Her body lost all tension as her feelings of anger and doubt vanished. 

Her staff fell to the floor from her hand and she felt a sense of serenity 

wash over her. In that one moment, all the weight of her many years 

seemed to fade away. All emotions of frustration and despair were gone.

     Soren released his hand from her shoulder and then spoke to her in a 

quiet, measured tone. "Cologne, we are very aware of what you have 

suffered through these past several months, but we give you our solemn 

word, it will all be over by tomorrow."

     Cologne looked up in confusion. "Really?"

     Taron nodded. "The time of the Contract Renewal draws near and 

Ranma Saotome will soon fulfill his destiny."

     "I still do not understand." Cologne said.

     "All things will become clear to you by tomorrow night. All that we 

ask you now is to wait one more day." Soren stated.

     Cologne looked at the immortals with a suspicious eye, then said in 

a careful tone, "For two hundred and eighty-two years, I have been 

patiently waiting for events to occur as you had told me. I saw the birth 

of my great-granddaughter and watched her grow into the girl that I had 

seen when I was eighteen. I met my future son-in-law for the second 

time in my life, despite the fact that he did not know me at the time. He 

had several idiosyncrasies, including a Jusenkyo Curse, the Cat Fist and 

multiple engagements! I had met my former self when the magic mirror 

sent us back in time to China! I very tempted to alter history and stop 

myself, but because of my promise to you, I did not! I have suffered much these many decades because of my oath! If you say that this will be 

over by tomorrow, then I shall wait one FINAL day! But I warn you"

     "No need to make threats Cologne. As we had stated before, all 

things shall be revealed in due time." Soren assured as he walked back 

to where his brother was standing. "We are very thankful for what you 

have done for our champion. Do not worry."

     The twins nodded toward the aged matriarch and disappeared in a 

bright flash. A moment later, Shampoo entered the shop with a dreamy 

attitude and humming her favorite song.

     'Child, what has come over you?" Cologne asked concerned.

     "Oh, nothing great-grandmother! Shampoo just think that tomorrow 

will be very big day!" With these words, Shampoo literally floated up 

the stairs.



The present

     "So now you know everything." Cologne finished.

     Everyone except the immortals and Cologne had been struck dumb 

as they digested what they had been told. Finally, Ranma Red spoke up.

     "So everything that's happened to all of us was MEANT to happen?"

     "That's right Ranma Red." Soren replied. "And now that we've gotten 

all that out of the way, it is time that we informed the both of you of 

two other things."

     "What's that?" Both Ranmas asked.

     "First of all, we must now complete the final phases of your training. 

What we have so far taught you were the basics." Taron declared.

     "BASICS?!" Both Ranmas eeped.

     "That's right!" Soren agreed. "The new skills will be harder to master 

but are necessary if you are to wield the weapons of power. Furthermore, 

these techniques are far more powerful than anything you have learned 

previously."

     "You mean that the Thunderbolt Strike and the Dragon Spirit were 

just NORMAL MOVES?!" Ranma Blue asked incredulously.

     "That's right." Taron said. "These new techniques will take a little 

longer for the two of you to master, possibly a week. Mind you, there is 

going to be a lot of pain involved. It's going to make your battle with 

Happosai look like a warm-up exercise. "

     Both Saotome brothers looked at each other, then nodded. It was 

then that Ranma Blue asked the obvious question, "So what's the second 

thing that we have to know?"

     Both Soren and Taron looked at each other, then gave the twin 

Ranmas a sheepish smile. There was a long silence before Soren 

decided to answer.

     "When you have completed your training here, we will all need to 

travel to China in order to pick up the weapons of power."

     "Couldn't you just teleport there, get the weapons, then come back?" 

Ranma Red asked.

     "No Ranma Red." Taron answered. "The Mystic Sword and Elemental 

Hammer can only be held by the Mortal Champions of Earth. Since 

we're IMMORTALS, we are forbidden to touch them. Besides, you two 

must retrieve them as part of your final training."

     "Okaythat doesn't sound too bad." Ranma Red said slowly.

     "Actually, getting the sword and hammer is the easy part. It's what 

you have to do when you get to the Amazon village. That's the tricky 

part."

     "What do we have to do?" Both Ranmas said.

     There was another one of those long silences. It was then that 

Cologne decided to answer for Soren and Taron. "Simply put, you both 

have to get married."

     Shampoo and Ukyo stared in wide-eyed shock at Cologne's words. 

Nodoka became almost giddy with excitement at the prospect. It was 

then that everyone turned their gaze to the Ranma twins, who had taken 

this information as anyone in their position would have. They fainted.



To be continued



Author's Notes

     Well how's that for a cliffhanger? I had decided to watch that anime 

episode with the magic mirror in order to get some ideas on how to 

connect Cologne with the Immortal Twins. I feel much better about this 

rewritten chapter as it made the rest of the story flow together. What is 

happening with Akane, Mousse, Ryoga and everyone else? Just wait and 

see as Chapter 13 will go into that. 



