Here's the 14th chapter! Only one more before it all gets resolved (or
maybe not!).
Once again, Ranma and all associated characters are owned by Rumiko
Takahashi. This is a work of fiction by a fan, for fans. This isn't
meant to infringe on any copyrights. Don't sue...
Happy reading!
(NB- I hope this isn't a repost. If it is, I apologize. I tried sending
stuff out to the FFML before, and I got it returned as undeliverable
mail...)
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Chapter Fourteen
Ken woke up with a headache that was indescribable. He felt the
top of his head. His fingers brushed against the two knobbed ends of the
circlet. It was still there, and it apparently wasn't a dream. He tried
to look about, but noticed that he was in another room; most likely in the
Nekohanten as far as he could tell. It was pitch black, save for a sliver
of dim light that passed under a door. Ken tried to stand up, but a
metallic collar choked him as he attempted to straighten up from his
knees. A sudden chaotic rumbling shot through his mind.
Gleipnir! I won't be fettered like a common dog!
Voices assaulted him from every direction. He fought to reign
them in and bring himself back to a state of control. Weights on his
neck, wrists, waist and ankles brought him back to reality and the
realization that he was completely shackled. He called out to the spirits
in his mind.
Fenrir?
Nothing responded as he probed to recesses of his mind for the
Ethereals that he knew resided there.
Janus?
Once again nothing responded. He supposed the shock of being
shackled brought back too many livid memories of being fettered by
Gleipnir. Just as he thought of the silken thread that bound Fenrir in
legend, he could feel the wolf god murmuring in the back of his mind.
Freedom. Freedom will be mine again, and I will show them all
what revenge means. To be shackled like a common cur! They will see in
time. I will work this fetter as I did Gleipnir, one thread at a time
until I am free. Then... Then I will have my revenge a hundred thousand
times over...
The malevolent voice echoing through his mind sent shivers down
his spine. As the events of the past replayed in his mind, feelings of
despair flooded him. Things were so right with Ukyou. He felt it
reaching a new level when he felt her lips on his. The warmth of her body
pressed up against his, the feeling of want and desire as she wrapped her
arms around him. All the things he desired were brought to him for the
briefest of moments before being rudely taken away again. He felt tears
starting to well up under his eyes. He couldn't tell if it was from
thinking of Ukyou, or if it was the sudden recollection of being chained
again.
Flashes of his memory replayed in his mind as he moved fingers
along the length of chain. Feelings of helplessness filled him. Feelings
of despair encroached upon his conscious mind. He could vividly recall
the feelings of hate and loathing mixed with the taste of his own blood
and bile. His eyes snapped open and glazed over as images of his parents
played before him. Images of his tormentor, the self-proclaimed master of
fate and destiny, taunting him, mocking him, daring him to help his
parents. Then the feeling chains again, those damned chains that bound
him, drained him of his power, drained him of his abilities. The weakness
spreading from his heart to his limbs. Then the sword flashing in view.
Ken could see it again, the black sword that trailed the stench of death
as it arced in the air. His parents staring dumbly at the sword. Ken
struggled against the chains again.
No! Not Again! Not again! Never again, his mind shouted repeatedly.
He kneeled there frozen and transfixed as his mind played the events again
in slow motion. The arc of the sword from ground to sky, and then the
sick sound of fleshing being torn filling his ears. The sick smell of
guts and blood filling his nostrils. The low gagging noise of his father
as he watched his own entrails being thrust in his face. The screams of
terror and pain from his mother as a blade was thrust in her neck and
entering her chest. Then the glint of two blades in the sunlight,
dripping scarlet fluid. The lifeblood of his parents dripping to the
ground made him quake in fear of what would happen inevitably. The
approach of the woman to whom he had pledged his first immortal years.
The sick yellow light of the torches played off the blood and steel,
trailing an arc that met his parents' neck with a sick crunch as bone was
cleaved. Two heads rolled before him, eye's open and afraid, mouths agape
and filled with screams that never sounded. Ken could feel his own throat
lock up, but a sound left his mouth regardless.
A primal scream of denial and terror left him for the second time.
It was raw and hellish in its nature. Denial of a memory. Denial of a
loss. Denial of what he knew he would ultimately become. It resounded in
his own ears for what seemed to be an eternity. He could feel the tears
flowing down his face and he couldn't stop them. He crumpled into a small
ball and rocked himself gently, trying desperately to keep the images from
replaying in his mind; but they did regardless, and they played again and
again. Ken pleaded for the cold comfort of unconsciousness but it never
came.
Shampoo was rudely interrupted from her duties serving people at
the restaurant by a horrendous scream. It sounded animal, and reminded
her of when she had forced the circlet on Ken's head, but it was amplified
a hundred-fold. She dropped the two bowls of ramen she had in her hands
at the sound of it. Customers stared for the briefest of moments before
making for the door, either dropping bills or simply bolting for the door.
"This is truly a development I had not forseen."
Shampoo turned to look at her great grandmother perched on her
staff at the door to the kitchen.
"I thought I had ordered him to keep his mouth shut." Cologne
continued. "Perhaps my hold on his mind is weaker than I imagine. I
guess I will have to break his will. Perhaps we should check his
performance?"
Shampoo raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" she asked Cologne in Mandarin.
"After a few attempts at controlling his mind last night, I
thought I had a fair idea of its use. I think it would be best to try
this once again with a target."
"I don't understand great grandmother."
"If my plan in to work out the way I want, I must test him against
an actual person. After all, if I am to control Ken in his defeat of
Ranma for the hand of Akane and Ukyou, then I must test this theory to its
fullest."
Shampoo nodded. Her great grandmother's plan had been
straightforward and simple. Defeat the younger Saotome for the right to
take on the dojo. Ken's adoption into the Saotome family made this first
facet possible. Defeat Ranma a second time for the hand of Ukyou, and
defeat Ukyou if necessary. Once both suitors for Ranma's hand were
eliminated, he would have no other choice but to marry her and leave for
China. Ken would remain their servant in the village and the Amazons
would prosper.
Yet, something nagged at the back of Shampoo's mind. It felt
wrong using Ken like a slave. She had kept a safe distance from him by
her great grandmother's wishes, yet found an element of sympathy for the
coerced warrior. Then there was the issue of getting Ranma to marry her.
Cologne had rationalized it as a narrowing of choices. Ranma was such a
gentleman that he refused to break the hearts of the women he knew.
Cologne would simply use Ken to alleviate Ranma of those problems,
allowing him to express his true feelings for Shampoo. Yet, it still
seemed wrong.
Shampoo shook her head and pushed those thoughts aside.
"What are you going to do?" she asked Cologne.
"We will seek out the boy named Ryouga. Word has it that he has
recently stopped at Furinkan in hopes of meeting Ranma. He will be a
formidable opponent for our new friend."
"And what about Mousse? He voiced a great deal of protest when he
saw what you could do with the circlet."
"Mu-mu-chan will remain locked in his cage until I devise a means
of eliminating the problem completely."
Shampoo winced as she heard the last of the statement, but luckily
for her, Cologne had entered the kitchen.
"Fetch our friend from downstairs, Shampoo."
When she opened the door to the impromptu cell, she was met with a
disturbing sight. Ken was curled in the fetal position, his eyes open and
completely unfocused. He had a look of complete fear and agony on his
face. It struck a nerve in her somewhere, but Shampoo quickly shrugged it
away for fear of being seen weak by Cologne.
"Get up." she commanded.
Ken lay still on the ground. Shampoo kneeled to shake him, but at
the contact between them, Ken shot back violently. He cried an inhuman
noise and his chains shook violently as he threw himself away from her.
Just as suddenly, he locked up and his eyes glazed over again.
"Unlock the chains on his ankles and neck"
Shampoo looked over her shoulder to see Cologne on her staff, the
blood red jewel on her middle finger glowing ominously.
"He should pose no problem now." she said bluntly.
Shampoo nodded dumbly and undid the cuffs. Ken simply stood to
his feet like an automon. There was an occasional twitch of his face, but
he otherwise remained standing. A single tear trailed down his left cheek
and splashed to the floor. Shampoo turned back to her great grandmother,
but Cologne was already hopping out the door, with Ken in tow.
Ryouga wondered why he couldn't find Ranma. Crowds or people were
walking about him, causing him to lose his bearings amidst the gathering
of students. He grabbed a nearby student.
"Is this Furinkan High School?" he demanded.
The student, shocked beyond words, could only nod dumbly. Ryouga
pushed him away and tried to make his way to the front doors of the
school. It didn't help him much when he found himself at the front gates.
He grabbed another student anxiously.
"Show me where the front doors to the school are!" he shouted in
frustration.
The student quickly led Ryouga to his desired destination before
running away as fast as he could. Ryouga simply sat on the steps. He
knew Ranma would show up sooner or later, and rather than risk getting
lost again, he would wait. He didn't have to wait long for the fight he
wanted. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right opponent.
"Ryouga," a recognizable voice called to him, "defeat this warrior
and Akane will be yours forever."
Ryouga whirled around.
"Cologne? What do you want?"
Ryouga regarded the old Amazon carefully, as well as the person
standing next to her with a vacant stare. The person's face twitched
once, bringing Ryouga's attention to his face clearly. It looked as
though he was had been crying. Streaks from tears were apparent on his
cheeks and he trembled as if attempting to keep some kind of force bottled
within him. Cologne's voice brought him back to matters at hand.
"This warrior has bested Ranma Saotome in combat and holds Akane
prisoner."
"What?!" Ryouga screamed as he jumped to his feet.
"Yes," Cologne said with a nod, "this person has done that. Ranma
can not defeat him and the person who does will be able to marry Akane.
Rescue Akane and she will be in your debt forever."
A hundred thoughts raced through Ryouga's mind. At first
apprehension and suspicion at Cologne's exposition surfaced, but were
quickly drowned out by thoughts of Akane. He would rescue Akane and she
would love him for it. Ranma had lost and had lost claim to the woman
that he loved. Ryouga would prove himself to Akane and the rest of the
world. Images of Akane smiling and kissing him as a reward for her rescue
flooded his mind.
"I'll do it!" Ryouga shouted. He threw his pack aside and drew
his umbrella. When he looked about, Cologne had disappeared, but that was
the least of his problems. Unknown to him, she had found a suitable
hiding place where she could observe the match.
"Prepare to die, fiend!" Ryouga proclaimed, and began running full
tilt at Ken. People around them scattered.
From her hiding place, Cologne concentrated and flooded Ken's mind
with her will. From anyone else's view, Ken suddenly doubled over,
screaming in pain, clutching at the circlet in a mad attempt to pry it
off. Ryouga stopped, completely thrown off by Ken's behavior. Cologne
grimaced and concentrated harder, imposing her will on Ken's. She could
feel his mind retaliating, desperately trying to fight the pain; but in
the end, the flood of images of shackles and the paranoid sensation of
imprisonment gave Cologne the edge she needed to force Ken to do her
bidding.
Ryouga stood dumbly as Ken simply writhed in pain and screamed in
fear of some unknown enemy. Ken's body shook violently, and Ryouga
kneeled down to look closer at Ken, leaning on his umbrella. Ken's
convulsions slowed to a halt and he brought himself to a crawling
position. His head snapped up, and he made eye contact with Ryouga.
Ryouga yelped and doubled back in surprise at the feral, uncontrolled look
in Ken's eyes. They were raw and unfocused. Ryouga knew he wasn't
dealing with anything human.
Ken snarled and lunged forward, swinging hands curled like claws.
Ryouga brought his umbrella up to block. Ken grabbed the umbrella and
both fought to a standing position, each gasping on end of the umbrella.
He's strong, Ryouga thought to himself. Stronger than Ranma!
Ken simply snarled and screamed something incoherently. Ryouga
saw an electric charge arc through Ken's hands and through the umbrella.
He didn't have time to release the umbrella and he was caught by the
shockwave of energy. Ryouga screamed in pain as he felt the power course
through his body and into the ground. It blew him back a number of steps,
causing him to lose balance.
What the hell was that, he screamed in his mind amidst the
flashing lights he saw. Ryouga didn't have time to regain his balance as
Ken's fist shot out connecting with Ryouga's face. Another fist met
Ryouga's stomach. As he went down, Ryouga could make out a knee heading
for his gut. He braced himself as best he could, but the impact was too
strong. A rabbit punch to his back brought him to his knees and coughing
blood. A kick to his ribs sent him sprawling.
Ryouga's mind was swimming and he could see multiple images of Ken
as he walked to where Ryouga stood. As he staggered to his feet, Ryouga
quickly went on the defensive.
"Bakusai Tenketsu!"
Ryouga could feel the shockwave from the ki maneuver. Gravel and
rocks were thrown into the air and a dustcloud was raised from the ground.
Ryouga shook his head to clear the dizziness only to see Ken barreling
through the cloud of dust, his clothes shredded. Ryouga never had time to
block the fist that impacted his face. He heard a sick popping noise and
his jaw exploded in pain. Ryouga fell to the ground clutching his jaw and
spitting blood. Ken stood above him, the vacant look still in his eyes.
His clothes were torn and shredded from the breaking point technique.
There were cuts that bled, but Ken still looked unfazed. There was a
malevolent grimace on his face. Ryouga backed away stumbling as he did.
Ken simply looked him impassively.
Ryouga pushed his jaw back into place painfully. The loud pop and
bright stars Ryouga saw dancing in front of his eyes told him his jaw was
back in place. Feelings of despair and futility welled up in Ryouga.
This enemy was inhuman. Ryouga hadn't even gotten in a single punch
during the match. It thoroughly disgusted him and depressed him. As the
feelings of depression and helplessness filled him, he gathered his ki in
one massive outburst. Ryouga could feel the power building from his anger
and pain. It was the worst he'd ever felt, and it was going to be the
largest explosive outburst he had ever managed. Ken jumped back a number
of steps as he saw the massive buildup of energy swirling around Ryouga's
body and focusing in his hands.
"Shishi Houkoudan!" Ryouga screamed. A huge shockwave ripped out
from his hands and Ryouga felt his own body being pushed back.
Ken shouted something Ryouga could barely make out, making an
impressive swirling vortex between his own hands. Ryouga could barely
believe his eyes as he saw the wave of energy from the ki blast being
sucked into the vortex in Ken's hands. From her hiding place, Cologne
smiled broadly. Her plan was working for better than she imagined.
Ken lowered his arms as blue lightning arced around him, from his
body to the ground. Sparks jumped between his arms and his body. An
occasional arc jumped between his eyes. Black tendrils seemed to wind
around his body between the arcing electricity and swirl in hypnotic
patterns around Ken's body. Ryouga could see Ken's body shaking as the
energy from the Shishi Houkoudan coursed through his veins.
"Ryouga!"
Ryouga instinctively whirled around at the sound of Akane's
voices. Through the red haze that covered his eyes, he could make out
Akane and Ranma running into the front gates. The entire Tendo and
Saotome families followed close behind. Even Tofu-sensei was there, but
an unfamiliar figure accompanied them. Ryouga didn't have time to ponder
the situation when Ken's voice ripped through the silent void.
A hoarse cry erupted from Ken's lip and a column of lightning
seemed to erupt into the air. An enormous wave of hot air radiated from
Ken's position forcing everyone around him to brace themselves. As the
bolts of electricity played off his body, Ken's clothes seemed to burn
away leaving new clothes behind. A loose black jumpsuit and dark bodysuit
covered him. A black chestplate seemed to materialize with the clothes on
his torso. A dark green circle with unfamiliar calligraphy flared
prominently on the center of the armor with the column of lightning. As
soon as the column of energy dissipated, Ken held his hands forward as if
grasping something.
"Long-Tzu!" Ryouga heard him shout.
Everyone watching as a sword in it's scabbard materialized in the
same fashion the armor and clothes had, but another wave of wave of hot
air erupted outwards. When Ryouga was able to take his arms away from
shielding his face, he could see Ken holding the sword horizontally before
him, blue lightning arcing off the sword and onto his outstretched arms.
The expression on his face was far from friendly, and the vacant look in
his eyes remained.
Ryouga fell to his knees, dumbstruck by the turn of events. He
watched in horror as Ken took the sword in his right hand, flicking his
wrist and imbedding the scabbard into the ground with a coarse 'thunk.'
Ken gripped the hilt with both hands, pointing the blade downwards. Ken's
face contorted in rage and with a cry, he plunged the sword into the
ground. Ryouga made out the words "rolling thunder" before Ken and the
sword flashed again. Lightning seemed to defy nature by spewing forth
from Ken's body and the blade, snaking across the ground towards him at a
dizzying speed. The ground in its path churned and flew about in bits as
it was ripped apart. Ryouga could feel the wall of air blowing him back
as the lightning made its way to him at an alarming rate. He closed his
eyes and threw his arms up in a desperate attempt to block. The lightning
hit his body blowing him off his feet and throwing him into the wall of
the school. Before he could even open his eyes, he could feel Ken's foot
plant itself in his gut. Ryouga doubled over only to have his head
snapped back by a knee to his jaw. Another kick to the side of his head
dropped him to the ground.
"Ken! No!"
Ukyou's voice cutting through the loud buzzing noise in his head
brought Ryouga back to the brink of consciousness. Ryouga painfully
opened his eyes to see Ken poised above him with his sword drawn and ready
to strike. The blow would have taken his head without a doubt, but Ken
had paused with a terrified look on his face. Ukyou quickly ran between
Ryouga and his assailant.
"What are you doing?!" she screamed. "Why are you attacking
Ryouga? What has he done to you? Can't you see this is wrong?!"
Ken stood impassively, slowly lowering his sword. The vacant,
glazed look in his eyes slowly dissipating.
"Ukyou?" he finally managed in a hoarse whisper.
"It's me, Ken-chan. Please stop this. It isn't right. Come back
to the restaurant. Just do it for me. Please?" Ukyou could feel tears
streaming down her face. She could feel something painful coming from Ken
and it hurt her seeing him so agonized.
Ken's sword fell to the ground, imbedding itself in the concrete
in front of the school with a coarse, grating sound. His hands trembled
as he saw the blood on them, blood he'd beaten out of Ryouga.
"Why did I do this? Why can't I control myself?" he whispered
painfully. Ken's face turned into a mask of pain. His eyes locked with
Ukyou's as trembling hands reached out to grab her shoulders.
"Ukyou," he managed through clenched teeth, "I can't stop this.
Someone-"
Ukyou grabbed Ken as he crumpled to his knees, interrupted in
mid-sentence by a cry of pain. Ken's eyes shut tightly as he began
clawing at the circlet, screaming in pain and agony the entire time.
Ukyou's heart broke. She cradled his rocking body as he kept screaming
until his voice was reduced to a hoarse whisper. A gentle hand on her
shoulder surprised Ukyou.
"Please let me handle this." a soothing voice told her. She
looked up to see someone easily confused with Ken standing next to her.
His white gi and white hakama rustled as he kneeled next to her.
"I think you're needed with the young man behind us," he finished.
Ukyou turned to see Ranma and Akane tending to Ryouga, and trying
to find a way to safely move him away from Ken. She looked at the
stranger and nodded.
"Please help him, whoever you are," she whispered. The figure she
couldn't recognize nodded.
"My brother will soon be in capable hands," he said.
Cologne cursed silently to herself. Ken was supposed to finish
the job. The okonomiyaki girl had ruined things. She couldn't understand
how she had done it, but Ukyou had broken the link. Cologne could feel a
sudden surge from Ken's mind when he saw and heard Ukyou. It completely
severed the link to him for a split second, allowing him to regain control
of himself for a fleeting moment. Cologne concentrated and flooded Ken's
mind with her will once again to reassert the link. Her attempts were
immediately rewarded with Ken reacting violently. Unfortunately, a
stranger had entered and Cologne had a bad feeling about it. She couldn't
tell whether he was going to impede her plans or expedite them.
Andrew crouched over his older brother looking at the circlet
curiously. He'd seen it somewhere before, but couldn't place a finger on
it. It was an upsetting feeling. Andrew knew that he could remember it,
but it still escaped him. He stood up frustrated. Whatever it was, it
emanated an extremely strong energetic signature as well as a single line
of energy. Andrew concentrated to see the trail from the circlet clearly.
His gaze slowly followed it as it led directly into a tree. He was about
to move there, but was interrupted by people behind him.
"Do you think you could give us a hand?" Akane asked impatiently.
Andrew turned around to see Ranma and Ukyou supporting a makeshift
stretcher with Ryouga on it.
"It's not like he's the lightest person in the world," Akane said
irritably.
Andrew frowned. This wasn't what he expected.
"I have more pressing matters at hand," he replied tersely.
Akane was about to fire a remark back at him, but saw Ken rise to
his feet behind Andrew.
"Ken?" she asked hesitantly. She looked to Ranma and Ukyou and
knew that they felt as apprehensive as she was.
Ken simply stood up, all the while staring at his feet. His hand
reached out to grasp his sword's handle and pulled it from the ground in
one fluid motion. His head snapped to attention and everyone
instinctively backed up a step. The vacant look was in his eyes again and
he snarled. The sword snapped to attention. Andrew instinctively brought
his jo to attention as well.
"Ken, listen to me if you're still in there. This is completely
wrong and you know it. Fight whoever or whatever is controlling you!
Fight whatever it is and try to free yourself!"
Ken's eyes shifted in and out of focus. Andrew took the
opportunity to strike Ken's wrist, forcing him to drop the blade. Ken was
about to strike again when a flurry of shells and explosions rocked around
them. Smoke filled his eyes and acrid gas filed his nose. He heard
Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou gasping for breath behind him. Andrew backed a
step before striking his jo to the ground. A whirlwind shot out from his
position blowing away the smoke and obnoxious fumes. When it all cleared,
Ken was gone. Only the craters, torn concrete, and burn marks along the
ground showed he was there moments ago.
Shampoo watched emotionlessly as Cologne dispassionately led Ken
back into his makeshift cell. Cologne simply locked him in place and
stared at him for a great length of time.
"Do you believe that this will work?" Cologne asked the young
Amazon in their native tongue.
Shampoo nodded.
"Do you believe that this will work because I say it will be?"
Cologne asked.
"I believe it will work because I know that Ranma loves me."
Shampoo replied.
"Do you truly believe that?"
"Yes, of course I do. What else would I have to hold on to, if
not Ranma's love?"
"Do you know why I chose to use this artifact on our young friend
here?" Cologne asked as she turned and pointed at Ken's chained and locked
form in the corner.
Shampoo shook her head.
"If I ued this device on the younger Saotome, do you think his
love would be genuine? If I made him say that he loved you, would that be
true love?"
Shampoo winced and shook her head slowly.
"It wouldn't be true love then." she said softly.
"But what if Ranma admitted to it as a choice. Suppose Ranma
chose to say that he loved you. Would that be true love?"
"If it isn't forced, then shouldn't it be true love?" Shampoo
asked in return.
Cologne nodded her head.
"But why are you using it on Ken?"
"I don't know how it would work on someone like Ranma. You have
seen for yourself how powerful Ken's abilities are. I would imagine he is
more powerful than Ranma currently is; yet in spite of this, Ken has one
of the most delicate minds I have ever come up against. He is neither
extremely cunning nor is he devious. Ken acts directly and does so
because he feels it is right. He is easily manipulated into doing things
and is easily befuddled by those of us with a higher intellect."
"What is your point?" Shampoo asked.
"Would you allow such a person to wander in society? What if he
should fall in with the wrong kind of people? People that would use him
and manipulate him into doing things that would threaten the safety of
innocent people?"
Shampoo was taken aback.
"Of course not! Someone could get hurt."
"But what if you could use your own knowledge of what is right and
what is just to guide him in his behavior to act productively?"
"Then I would do so." Shampoo replied matter-of-factly.
"Precisely. I use this device on Ken because it would be wrong to
use it on Ranma. I am also helping to guide Ken's behavior so that it is
productive to the Amazon society, and ultimately for him."
Shampoo nodded in assent with a smile.
"You are very wise great grandmother."
"Thank you, child. Please go upstairs and finish cleaning the
kitchen with Mousse."
"Why are you allowing Mousse to work again?"
"Because it would be unwise to allow him to sit as a duck
unproductively."
"You know that he acts strangely around you and the artifacts."
"He is merely jealous that he did not think of this as quickly as
I did. I sometimes worry about Mousse's motives. However, he is a useful
tool in the restaurant. I have made sure that he will not bother us."
Shampoo smiled and bounced up the stairs. Cologne turned back to
her guest and held out the bracelet and ring. The ruby flared briefly as
she uttered a single word in Chinese.
"Xin!"
Ken's eyes snapped open and he grit his teeth in pain. As he
gripped at the circlet, clawing like a madman, he unleashed a primal
scream of terror. Shampoo stopped in mid-step up the stairs, glanced once
over her shoulder and quickly made her way back up the stairs. When she
reached the top of the stairs, Shampoo quickly shut the door behind her.
Her eyes met with Mousse's and he looked beyond her at the door.
"You heard it as well?" he asked in Mandarin.
"It is of no importance to you." Shampoo replied haughtily.
"Is it? What do you think the old woman is doing down there? It
couldn't possibly be exchanging pleasantries with Ken."
"Why should you care? Are you jealous you didn't have the chance
to use the circlet when you could?"
Mousse frowned.
"You think I would stoop to mind control to gain what I want?"
"You would stoop to many things." Shampoo replied tersely.
"You realize the old witch is torturing the poor man."
"How would you know what great grandmother is doing down there?"
"Why else would Ken scream in such agony?"
Shampoo was at a momentary loss for words.
"It is Ken's own nightmares that agonize him. The circlet allows
great grandmother to unlock the demons from his mind so that she can guide
him to a more productive manner."
Mousse laughed sardonically.
"Do you truly believe that?"
"It is the truth!" Shampoo retorted.
"Do you know what that device is?"
Shampoo was once again at a loss for words.
"It's a magical artifact that controls the person who wears it by
inflicting pain when they resist and possessing their minds when they
don't! How else do you think a simple scholar could control someone as
powerful as the Monkey King!"
"That's just a story." Shampoo said curtly.
"Is it? Then tell me what that thing down there is. Is that just
as much a story as the Monkey King?"
Shampoo clenched her fists.
"Why are you saying such things?!" Shampoo demanded furiously.
She wanted to belt him across the room, but something else in the recesses
of her mind held her back.
"Because Cologne is manipulating you, just like she will
manipulate Ranma into marrying you."
"That's a lie!"
"Is it? Then why else would Cologne have Ken thrash Ryouga within
an inch of his life?"
Shampoo's eyes widened in shock.
"That's not true!"
"Then why were people saying that Ryouga was nearly killed today
by some unknown martial artist? Why would they say he was wearing black
armor and wielded a katana that shot lightning? Do you think that comes
around every day?"
"Why would great grandmother do such a thing?"
"She's using Ken to bait Ranma and everyone else. So long as
there are people that oppose her idea of a perfect union between you and
Ranma, she will use Ken to kill them. That in itself is wrong!"
"Ryouga never stood between me and Ranma."
"But he posed a potential health hazard to Ranma. Do you think
Ranma can win every fight he has?"
"Ranma is the best fighter there is! And why should you care?
You profess your desire to kill my fiance as much as Ryouga! Do you think
your threats aren't heard as often as Ryouga's?"
Mousse blushed.
"My abilities are far below that of Saotome. I must resort to
subterfuge and concealed weapons to deal with him at an appropriate level.
Add to that my problems with my eyesight, and I come up very short
compared to your Ranma. I pose no threat to Ranma at all."
Shampoo stared at how low Mousse had humbled himself.
"What do you think great grandmother will do with Ken?"
"I think Cologne will use Ken to kill all of Ranma's other
fiances. That would leave Ranma with no fiances. Ken will fight Ranma
and Ranma will choose between living and marrying you. If Ranma doesn't
choose to marry you, then Ken will marry you under the pretense of besting
you in combat as well as Ranma. Cologne will continue to control him
until she dies, at which point she will probably program Ken to do what
she wants even after she's dead."
Shampoo was shocked.
"How can you say such things?"
"Are you blind? Are you so blinded by your adoration of your
great grandmother that you can't see how simple this is? I can say such
things because it is true. Years of being forced to rely on my wits to
survive have taught me to see things with my mind and not my eyes. This I
can see all too clearly!"
"You must be lying." Shampoo stammered in response. She wanted to
believe her great grandmother, but Mousse seemed so sure of himself; and
it explained everything so clearly to her.
"You're lying." Shampoo whispered. There was little conviction in
her voice.
As if in response, another agonized scream ripped through the
Nekohanten.
* * * * * * * * * *
Ethan Tsai
1 N. College Street
Northfield, MN 55057
TSAIE@Gridley.ACNS.Carleton.edu
http://public.carleton.edu/~tsaie/ethan.html