A true sign of... affection.

By Robert Haynie.

Suggested by a small comment on the Delphi Ranma Fanfiction Message
board.

Ranma 1/2 is a creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and is published by VIZ
inc in the US.  The behavior of cats is copyright nature and God.

And now that that's out of the way...

####

    Saffron, lord-god of the Phoenix sighed.  "I TOLD her not to
antagonize Ranma.  No matter WHAT bad feelings she held after their
last meeting."

    "She's too proud, you know."  Cologne sighed.  "And she can't
accept that Ranma is a part and parcel of this conference."

    Herb nodded.  "A meeting of the five great powers of the Art was
needful,  and that DOES by definition include Master Ranma."

    "Master?"

    "Do you dispute that he deserves that title?"  Herb was beginning
to look peeved.

    "N-no, of course not.  I am merely surprised to hear it from
you."

    "It took a VERY long time to accept that he is my better.  At
least, in battle.  A hard thing to admit for a Dragon."

    "Heh.  You came off lucky, he KILLED me once.  And... he had
every reason to.  I can't BELIEVE I was that much of a infantile
moron.  But... does Kiima deserve this?"

    Cologne snickered.  "After she called him a silly half-male, a
worthless landling, and a coward?  Just because he reacted badly to
the Fifth Power of the Art... it's hardly something that HE can be
blamed for."

    "True."  Saffron sighed.  "As I am given to understand it, it's
really his father's fault."

    "I," Herb noted, "Have not met the man, but I have yet to hear
anything positive about him... save that he is a great teacher in the
Art."

    "He'd have to be to make a mere mortal Human our equal... no
offense intended, Matriarch."

    "None taken.  But my Great Grand-daughter is pained by this...
even though Ranma and Akane were wed five years ago, she still finds
such things VERY upsetting.  And she's not as much cat as he is.
Well, at the moment SHE is."

    "Stupid Nekojin ambassador pouncing him when he's a her because
she thought she was cute."

    The Nekojin.  Dangerous fighters.  Strangely fluffheaded.
Insanely impulsive. And worst of all...catgirls.  the males were
normal men,  but the females...

    Catgirls.  Every one of them.
    
    Ranma had been under a LOT of pressure at this Conference of the
Art.  Most Amazons wouldn't talk to him unless he was a her.  Most
Musk would not talk to her unless he was a him.  The Phoenix were
scared of him-- except for Kiima who kept making sniping remarks.
And the Nekojin made him nervous... but not enough to go into the
neko-ken.

    Until that STUPID princess, MaoMaoShi decided that Ranma was
worthy of being accepted as a brother.  Not actual family, but just
such a CUDDLY person. Especially when he was a she.  It wasn't
anything LESBIAN or the like... it was just more CUDDLY.

    And MaoMaoShi was FAR more feline than most of her people.  And
she decided to HUG the HELL out of Ranma at the SAME moment that
Kiima had made a VERY stinging remark, and then MaoMaoShi' pet cat...
ironic, that... had decided to get jealous of the attention paid to
Ranma...

    "I suppose she had this coming,"  Saffron said, reluctantly.

    "Yes.  Cats do that.  But I know Akane-san is embarrassed at
her... well, at the moment not a HUSBAND, but..."

    "We both know.  And let MaoMaoShi figure it out.  As fluff-headed
as she is, she's better at diplomacy than we are.  Although it pains
me."

    "I as well."

    Both turned to the sight of an intensely complaining Kiima being
offered to Akane by a female Neko-Ranma, who had both... paws?  No,
still hands after all, pressing her down, and meowing happily, as the
princess MaoMaoShi repeated...

    "She's not fondling ANYONE, Akane-san!  She just bought the bird
to you because she LIKES you!"

    "Stop calling me a bird," grumbled Kiima.