Here is the rough draft to Part 6. It used to be the second half
of Part 5, but hen Part 5 hit 150 Kb, I decided that it was too
big, even for me!
As always, any C&C greatly appreciated! ^_^
======================================================================
TIGER CLAW: A Ranma 1/2 fanfic - by Madamhydra@aol.com
======================================================================
Part 6: DARKENING HEARTS (part II)
======================================================================
---------------
Disclaimer
All rights and privileges to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi,
Shogakukan, Viz Communications, Inc., and associated parties. The
characters of her series are used without her permission for the
purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for
sale or profit.
All original characters are the creation of the author. All
copyright privileges to these characters are reserved for the author.
---------------
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is a CONTINUATION-ALTERNATE REALITY fanfic. While I follow
the manga (and video) continuity to just after Mount Phoenix (volume
38), the subsequent wedding ceremony (and the related bombing by
Shampoo and Ukyo) does NOT occur. In this story, a different incident
involving the planned wedding took place.
Only a limited number of the main characters have actually SEEN
the Neko-ken (the Tendos, Genma, Shampoo, Cologne, Gosunkugi or
Sasuke, and Kuno), although others may have heard rumors about it.
---------------
Text Conventions
( ) -> thoughts
> < -> sound fx
<" "> -> Chinese
Curse forms are denoted by appropriate suffixes (-chan, -neko,
-panda, etc.) except for Ryoga (P-chan) and Mousse (Muu-muu).
**********************************************************************
Part 6#:
**********************************************************************
Dan Xin knew Cologne was watching her. In turn, Cologne knew that
Dan Xin was perfectly aware of being watched. They continued their
little mind game throughout the night and into the morning. Despite
the Amazon Elder's best efforts, Dan Xin's only activity appeared to
be frequent phone conversations. Some of these conversations appeared
innocent enough, but other discussions were obviously in some sort of
prearranged code.
It was soon after one such coded call that Cologne sensed several
people stalking her. She drew herself up straight and said, "Come
out. Enough of this foolishness."
Six people, dressed in black, emerged from cover and surrounded
the old Amazon. They were all masked and heavily armed with various
bladed weapons. One of them said, "You're pretty eager to die, old
crone."
Cologne chuckled ominously. "Aren't you the arrogant little pup?
But I have business to attend to and I'm not in the mood to play with
children."
"What do you mean, 'Play with children?'" The speaker hissed
angrily. "Let me assure you that we're quite serious."
Another masked figure snarled, "Deadly serious!" while whirling
his blades in a threatening display.
Cologne coolly surveyed her opponents. They displayed a
considerable degree of skill, but it was also obvious to her expert
eye that they were all young and painfully inexperienced. She sniffed
and said scornfully, "Is this the best Dan Xin can do? No, let me
guess. She agreed to hire you only if you proved your skill by
defeating me. Is that it?"
"Shut up!"
"You fools! She's just using you as fodder...."
"HIYYAAAAA!!!" The six masked people pounced on the old woman,
blades flashing.
A few seconds later, Cologne sat perched on her walking stick.
Without so much as a glance at the unconscious attackers lying on the
ground, she peered around angrily, but to no avail. The fools had
been no real challenge, but they had served their purpose all too
well.
Dan Xin was gone.
-----------------------------------
"The hour is almost up and we still haven't seen any trace of
Mousse!"
Ranma pushed his hand through his hair. "You're right. I guess
we should head for the Neko-hanten. Maybe Shampoo's had better luck."
They were only a block away from the restaurant when Ranma
abruptly froze in mid-step. Akane said, "What's wrong?"
At that moment, a petite, black-haired woman stepped out from an
alleyway. With the crane-crested sword on her back and the snugly
fitting red leather outfit, it could be none other than the infamous
Dan Xin.
"Ranma Saotome. So you're the pretty boy who's been causing my
silly little cousin so much trouble." Surprisingly, Dan Xin's
Japanese turned out to be excellent. Aside from the leather costume
-- outrageous for the way it clung to her well-developed figure, not
for its lack of coverage -- she looked harmless and innocent enough.
But the malicious gleam in her eyes and the mockery in her voice
belied her cute looks. This was a woman that shouldn't be taken
lightly.
Ranma edged in front of Akane and said, "Yeah. So what?"
Dan Xin noticed his protective gesture and smirked slightly. "And
what do we have here? So this is the fabled Akane Tendo. Is she the
reason you've been playing so hard to get?"
If the casual bystanders had been expecting Ranma's usual
incoherent denials about 'that tomboy', they were in for a surprise.
Instead, he said evenly, "It's none of your damn business. And you
can cut out that cute act. I know you've got no interest in helping
Shampoo."
Dan Xin smiled nastily. "Oh, I see that my cousin's already been
telling tales about me. Envy is a terrible thing, isn't it? Oh well,
in that case, we can get down to business."
"Business?" Ranma said warily.
Dan Xin took a few deliberate steps toward Ranma and Akane. After
several years of living in close proximity to various high-powered
martial artists, the bystanders in the area knew the warning signs.
They prudently fled or retreated to a safe distance.
The ex-Amazon said lazily, "I've heard a lot about you. You're
supposed to be quite good... for a male, that is. But I'm curious to
see how good."
Ranma said angrily, "I'm not interested in fighting you or playing
your stupid games. So quit making such a pain of yourself and go
home."
"But that's so boring." She snapped her fingers and two more
women stepped out of the alleyway. They were tall and graceful. The
strong physical resemblance between the two women probably meant that
they were probably related. One held a three-section staff while the
other was equipped with a wicked looking spear.
Dan Xin pointed in Ranma's direction and said, "Ladies. Give the
boy a workout."
The two women smiled viciously and advanced, the spearwoman moving
to Ranma's right and the other woman edging to his left.
With a firm, but gentle shove, Ranma nudged Akane out of the way
as he warily watched the women's approach.
"Ranma...," Akane started to protest, but there was an odd
intensity in his eyes that made her fall silent and back away.
With no warning, the two women launched a perfectly coordinated
attack. Unfortunately, an easy leap took their target well out of
reach.
Landing several yards away, Ranma said, "This is all a big waste
of time. I've got more important things to do."
The spearwoman's only response was to slash at his midsection, but
Ranma easily slid away from the blow even as he ducked to let the
swinging end of the three-section staff sweep just above his head.
At first, Akane was a bit concerned, but after the first few
exchanges, she found herself relaxing. It wasn't that the two women
were bad fighters. On the contrary, they were very good. More
importantly, the two women obviously had a lot of practice fighting
together as a team. However, Ranma was definitely better. It showed
in the effortless way he evaded their attacks.
As the fight continued, it became apparent that Ranma had the two
women hopelessly outclassed in both the speed and skill department.
Akane thought, (It's like fighting a wisp of smoke. I hate it
when he does that! No matter how hard you try, you can't hit him!)
The scowls on the women's faces told Akane that they found Ranma's
refusal to take offensive action just as aggravating as she did.
However, the youngest Tendo found herself frowning as she watched
Ranma weave away from a wicked staff swing.
(What's wrong with this fight?) Akane wondered. A few seconds
later, she realized what was bothering her.
(I know... he's way too quiet! Ranma's usually boasting or trying
to taunt his opponent into doing something stupid. But this time,
he's barely said a thing during the fight!)
And there was something else strange about this particular battle.
Most people might not have noticed, but she was intimately familiar
with Ranma's fighting style and technique. Something had changed.
There was an uncanny precision and fluidity to Ranma's movements that
she had never seen before. Considering Ranma's usual level of skill,
that was saying a lot.
Absorbed in watching the fight, it took Akane a few seconds to
notice that she was no longer standing alone. With a nervous start,
she realized Dan Xin was standing right beside her. The ex-Amazon
looked rather displeased as she watched the one-sided battle.
The two female challengers finally backed off a bit as they tried
to catch their breath. Despite their repeated efforts, they hadn't
even succeeded in forcing Ranma into blocking any of their attacks.
The spearwoman muttered, "Not... bad. But don't get... cocky,
boy."
Ranma didn't bother to answer. His only response was a faint,
quirky grin.
(The jerk's actually enjoying himself! He's just playing with
them!) fumed Akane.
She suddenly noticed some movement in the alleyway behind Ranma.
Squinting slightly, she was horrified to realize that there was
another figure lurking in the shadows. The figure tensed and
crouched, as if preparing to launch a sneak attack.
Akane stepped forward and started to shout, "Ra...." Her warning
was abruptly cut short as her neck encountered the razor sharp edge of
Dan Xin's sword. She felt a sharp sting and something wet trickled
down her throat.
Dan Xin briefly glanced away from the fight in order to give Akane
a mocking look. "Hush, now. We don't want to...."
The hidden attacker lunged out of the alleyway.
-----------------------------------
Ranma WAS enjoying himself. There was a crazy sense of
exhilaration racing through his blood. The fact that his opponents
were trying their best to seriously injure or kill him didn't do a
single thing to spoil his enjoyment. In fact, their deadly intentions
only made the whole game more exciting.
....then he heard the rasp of drawn steel....
....and caught the scent of Akane's blood....
-----------------------------------
No threats. No warning.
There was just a dark blur of motion. Akane felt a rush of air,
then she heard a loud thud mixed with a barely audible cracking sound,
then a startled cry of pain as Dan Xin went flying into the air. The
ex-Amazon slammed into a nearby brick wall with enough force to shake
the adjacent building and to send little fragments of broken brick
pattering to the ground.
At the exact same moment, there was a crash as all three of Dan
Xin's fighters collided as their target seemed to vanish right before
their eyes. They all ended up in a stunned heap on the pavement.
There was dead silence as Ranma -- now standing only a few feet
away from Akane -- gracefully finished up his roundhouse kick.
Stunned, Akane could only gape at him. Gradually, the murmurs of
the bystanders finally registered.
"Wow! Did you see that?"
"See what!? I didn't even see him move!"
"I don't believe it! Ranma actually hit a girl!?"
Sprawled on the ground, Dan Xin wiped a trickle of blood from her
chin. As she mentally berated herself for her carelessness, the
ex-Amazon glared furiously at Ranma and snarled, "You little bastard!
You'll pay for that!"
"Touch Akane again and I'll break every bone in your body."
Ranma's voice was calm, almost conversational.
"Don't make threats you can't possibly keep!" With a sharp hiss
of pain, the ex-Amazon staggered to her feet. Tossing her hair out of
her face, she lifted her sword, then suddenly glanced over her
shoulder.
"Damn that old bitch!" Dan Xin slammed her sword back into its
scabbard. With a curt snap of her wrist, she sent her fighters on
their way. Before leaving the scene herself, Dan Xin purred
ominously, "Enjoy this little victory while you can, Saotome." With a
grace only slightly hampered by her injuries, Dan Xin jumped to a
nearby rooftop and disappeared from sight.
Ranma impassively watched the Amazon outcast vanish. As Akane
struggled to find something to say to him, Ranma gently grabbed her
chin and pushed her head back in order to get a better look at the
shallow cut on her neck. He wiped away the few blood drops with his
thumb and silently stared at the small reddish smear on his
fingertips.
-----------------------------------
Akane didn't quite know how to react. No matter how she tried to
deny it, there was something terribly romantic... and flattering...
about having a guy willing to fight for you. On the other hand, her
pride as a martial artist was badly stung. She hated the implication
that she couldn't take care of herself.
(But it's true. Half the time, I can't. Ranma's always rescuing
me, getting me out of trouble....) And that hurt.
It had taken Akane a surprisingly long time to accept the
unpleasant truth that there was no way on earth that she would ever
come close to Ranma's level.
(I kept hoping that something would happen and that I would
miraculously improve. I'd daydream of becoming this terrific martial
artist overnight... then he'd have to stop calling me clumsy and slow.
He'd have to respect me then.... What an idiot! I've been a
martial artist for most of my life. I should have known better. The
only real way to improve is lots of hard work... and training.)
(I may never be as good as Ranma, but I'll be damned if I'm going
to be a WORSE martial artist than his other so-called fiancees!)
After coming back from Mount Phoenix, she had set out to improve
her fighting skill with her typical combination of enthusiasm and
stubbornness. For the first few weeks, she had relentlessly pestered
Ranma into training her. All that effort had gotten her absolutely
nowhere and her frustration had made her almost impossible to live
with.
It had taken some chance comments by Cologne, of all people, and a
long conversation with Dr. Tofu to make her realize what part of the
problem was.
Ranma was not the best of teachers. He was TOO good. It wasn't
that he lacked the patience, but with his ability to pick up new
techniques practically overnight, he had a hard time adjusting to the
slower learning speeds of other people.
(Okay, so it occasionally takes me a while to learn certain
moves....)
Dr. Tofu had tactfully suggested that she find another teacher...
one who was more used to dealing with student of her skill level.
Her father had been pretty much out of the question. He had
stopped teaching long ago and ever since Genma Saotome showed up....
Fortunately, Dr. Tofu located an old school friend who lived nearby
and ran a reputable training dojo.
Nabiki knew, of course. She had needed her older sister's help in
order to pay for the lessons, even though the fees were very modest.
Nabiki had smirked knowingly, but that was about it.
Ranma's reaction had been... peculiar. It couldn't have taken him
very long to figure out that she was now training at another dojo.
Instead of calling her a quitter or taunting her about not being a
good enough student, he had said... absolutely nothing. At first her
feelings were badly hurt.
(I thought he might have been glad that I stopped pestering him...
I really wondered if he just didn't care about me.)
But when he made an determined effort to be a little nicer to her,
she had gradually realized that he definitely did care about her.
Whatever reasons Ranma had for keeping his mouth shut on the subject,
it definitely wasn't because of a lack of feeling on his part.
-----------------------------------
Akane's introspective mood was abruptly broken when Ranma stepped
back and said irritably, "How could you let a kook like Dan Xin get so
close to you?"
She blinked, then sputtered in fury, "What do you mean by that!?
YOU were the one playing stupid games with those women!"
"What the hell does THAT have to do with you nearly getting your
throat cut!?"
The anger was a relief. As long as she was angry, she wouldn't
have to think about what had just happened. Akane shouted, "Oh, so I
suppose now you're going to call me 'stupid' and 'clumsy' for letting
Dan Xin sneak up on me...!"
But her anger fizzed as Ranma grabbed her shoulders and said,
"You're NOT stupid... or clumsy!" He shook his head. "I just want
you to be more careful. Can't you get it through your head? I don't
want to see you hurt."
He abruptly let go of her. As he turned to look at the dent Dan
Xin had made in the brick wall, he absently licked Akane's blood from
his finger. A second later, Ranma muttered, "You're lucky, you know.
Considering what Shampoo told us about her cousin, I wouldn't put it
past Dan Xin to do something nasty like poison that stupid sword of
hers."
Busy staring at her feet, Akane nodded wordlessly. As she tried
to find something to say, Cologne suddenly hopped into the street.
The Amazon elder eyed the damaged wall and said, "By any chance, did a
young woman in a red...."
Ranma tossed his head irritably and muttered, "Yeah, we've just
had a run-in with Dan Xin."
"You know of her?"
"Shampoo warned us about her cousin when she showed up at Ukyo's
restaurant. She was looking for Mousse."
"No need to worry about the fool boy. I know exactly where he
is." Cologne's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did she actually attack
you?"
"Not me. She got some of her female goons to do her dirty work
for her."
"But they attacked you on her orders, correct? Hmmmm.
Interesting." The old woman thought, (It might be stretching a point,
but it might be enough for my purposes. Although she didn't
participate in the actual attack on Ranma, she did order it done.)
"But she cut Akane's neck with that sword of hers," Ranma added.
Cologne hopped up on her staff to get a better look at the shallow
wound.
Akane edged away from the old woman. "I'm fine... really. It's
just like a paper cut."
The Elder snorted. "You forget who you're dealing with. Dan
Xin's been known to coat her blades with all sorts of unpleasant
substances. Come to the restaurant, child. I want to get a better
look at it."
Ranma calmly said, "Dan Xin didn't that this time."
The Elder gave him a sharp look. (How does he know that?)
"But I really need to talk to you, Cologne."
As the old Amazon led the way back to the Neko-hanten, she
thought, (Now isn't that interesting? He called me by name. Not 'old
ghoul' or 'dried up mummy'.... My, he must be worried about
something.)
-----------------------------------
Shampoo was waiting for them at the restaurant. When she saw her
great grandmother escorting Ranma and Akane inside, the Amazon girl
paled and tensed slightly.
(What has that girl been up to?) Cologne wondered. Aloud, she
merely said, "Shampoo, bring me some water and a clean cloth! And
don't forget the green bottle on the top right-hand shelf."
She turned to Akane and said, "Sit, child. Now Ranma, what's on
your mind?"
Ranma glanced at Akane. Before the youngest Tendo could say a
word, Cologne said crisply to her, "You stay quiet. I can't examine
this wound properly if your throat's bobbing about."
The pig-tailed young man raked his hands through his hair and
said, "Well, it all started yesterday morning when Mom, Ukyo, Shampoo,
AND Kodachi all showed up at the front door."
Cologne glanced sharply at Shampoo. The girl shrugged. "Shampoo
not only one to get message."
Ranma said, "That was just the beginning. And after that...
things got... nasty."
Her hands busy cleaning Akane's neck, the Amazon Elder chuckled,
"That's no surprise."
His voice unusually somber, Ranma said quietly, "No. I mean
REALLY nasty. Kuno and Ryoga showed up with some loony idea that
there was another secret wedding planned for Akane and me. I told
them that I had no idea what they were babbling about. That didn't
stop them from challenging me to a duel,... two-on-one."
"Really? Both of them together?"
As Cologne finished by dabbing some clear liquid on Akane's
throat, Ranma nodded, then looked away. He whispered, "I nearly
killed them."
Her hands froze for a second, then Cologne said, "Tell me more."
Ranma declined to say anything so Akane took up the story. Over
the next hour, she and Shampoo took turns explaining about Kuno and
Ryoga's transformations into giant tigers, the ensuing battle, Ranma's
mysterious cat-shaped battle aura,... everything.
-----------------------------------
When the story finished up with their visit to Ukyo's
restaurant, the old Amazon let out a long, rattling breath. Turning
to Shampoo, she snapped, <"Why didn't you tell me this yesterday!?">
Shampoo flushed angrily. <"I tried, but you were too busy to
listen to me!">
<"Watch that tongue of yours, girl!"> But Cologne had to admit
that it really wasn't Shampoo's fault. She HAD been too wrapped up in
Dan Xin and her own personal agenda to pay attention. Shaking her
head, Cologne sighed and muttered, <"Never mind, Shampoo.">
Akane leaned forward and said, "Cologne, I remember you once said
that you'd fought against someone who used the Neko-ken, right?"
"Not... exactly. It would be more correct to say that I
'encountered' someone who used the Cat-fist. Few people know of the
Neko-ken, but it's no great secret. There are plenty of rumors and
legends about it... IF you know where to look. But actually seeing it
used... well, that's an entirely different matter. I have only
encountered it once before meeting Ranma and that was well over a
hundred years ago. " She glanced at Ranma's turned back. "Although
the woman didn't show the same level of expertise in the Neko-ken as
son-in-law here, defeating her in battle would have been exceedingly
difficult."
"Is that why you gave up the Phoenix pill so easily?" Akane asked.
Cologne chuckled dryly. "Girl, part of being a warrior is knowing
how to pick your battles carefully... something you youngsters have
yet to learn."
"Oh...."
The old woman shook her head, "I probably know as much about the
Neko-ken as anyone living, but I've never heard of anything like this
cat-shaped battle aura before. And this disruption of chi in the
boys' bodies... there ARE ways of doing such things. Those techniques
are among the darkest of martial arts techniques because of their
deadliness. It says a great deal about Tofu's skill that he managed
to keep both Kuno and Ryoga alive."
Ranma spun around. In a harsh voice, he said, "Maybe YOU know
something about those techniques, but I certainly DON'T!"
Cologne said, "Calm down, boy. Panicking won't do you any good.
Obviously, we must find out exactly what's going on. Ignorance can
easily have serious, perhaps fatal, consequences. First things first.
After I take a look at you, I'll speak to Tofu. I also need to
examine Ryoga and Kuno so I can get a better understanding of what's
occurred. Now, is there anything else I should know?"
"Yeah," Ranma muttered. He glanced at Akane who picked up the
basin of water and dumped it over his head.
-----------------------------------
Shampoo gaped in shock as she stared at Ranma-chan's new, more
mature form. Even Cologne looked visibly startled. After a long
moment, Shampoo cautiously approached, avoiding the puddles of cold
water on the floor. She stared into Ranma-chan's face and poked at
the young woman's breasts in a state of disbelief.
In a resigned voice, Ranma-chan said, "Shampoo, what the hell are
you doing?"
"What happen to red hair!? You no girl anymore. You young
woman!" the Amazon girl said in amazement.
Ranma-chan shrugged. "If I knew that.... It just... happened."
The Amazon Elder frowned. "Jusenkyo curses don't just 'change'
unless... it's possible IF you've been doused with more Jusenkyo
water."
Both Akane and Ranma-chan mutely shook their heads. Akane said,
"We only found out about this... change... when Happosai splashed
Ranma with a vase of water. But I don't think Happosai's responsible.
He looked just as surprised as any of us! It couldn't be the water
in the vase because Kasumi said that she had changed that water just
before dinner."
"Hmmm. As you well know, it takes extremely potent magic to
affect Jusenkyo curses. And magic like that rarely happens by random
chance."
(Especially something like this. There's something too precise...
too deliberate... about the shift. Why do I get a feeling that this
is no accident?)
Ranma-chan muttered, "I'm just glad I can still change back into a
guy!"
"Ah, so that part of the curse has not changed. Shampoo?"
A quick splash of hot water and Ranma was soon back in his normal
male form.
Cologne hopped back onto her stick and slowly circled Ranma,
watching him closely. Next, she reached out and put a wrinkled hand
on certain points of his body. Finally, she moved back and shook her
head.
(Strange. I can't detect anything unnatural or wrong about
Ranma's aura. There IS a change, but it's definitely not damage. His
chi seems to have gotten stronger, more... vibrant.)
Aloud, the Elder murmured, "Well, this is a pretty problem. I
have no convenient answers for you, son-in-law, but perhaps I will be
able come up with something. As for you, you must take care not to
use the Neko-ken again and avoid contact with cats."
"That's easy for you to say...," he muttered.
Cologne continued, "What occurred yesterday may be a singular
event, brought on by an unique combination of circumstances. Then
again, perhaps not."
Shampoo took a deep breath and said in a firm, even voice.
<"Great grandmother, I need to discuss something with you. In
private.">
<"This better be important, Shampoo.">
<"It's very important, honored Elder.">
Cologne nodded curtly, then turned back to Ranma and Akane. "I
has some private matters to discuss with Shampoo. If you would excuse
us?"
Ranma and Akane exchanged glances, then he shrugged. "Sure."
"Then before you go on your way, perhaps you could do me a favor
and bring Mousse back to the Neko-hanten."
"No problem. Where is he?" said Ranma.
"On the roof of the grocery store near the park. Mousse is tied
up on the roof."
**********************************************************************
Part 6#:
**********************************************************************
After Ranma and Akane departed on their errand, Cologne scowled at
her great granddaughter. Shampoo looked like a warrior facing certain
death.
<"Well? Hurry up, girl. This problem with your husband-to-be
requires my immediate attention.">
<"That's just it, honored great grandmother."> Shampoo took a few
deep breathes, then said in a rush, <"I no longer have any intention
of marrying Ranma.">
Cologne's eyes narrowed ominously. <"Say what, Shampoo? Did I
hear you correctly?">
<"Yes.">
<"Don't be an idiot, girl! I don't know what put this fool notion
in your head but do you have any idea of the consequences of making
that statement?">
<"Yes, I know,"> came Shampoo's flat reply.
<"Does this have something to do with what happened to the boy
yesterday?">
The Amazon girl nodded curtly.
<"Don't tell me you're afraid of him! Or has living in this land
of weaklings made you a coward, Shampoo? If we can control this new
ability of his,... if others can learn it.... Don't you realize how
valuable Ranma and his bloodline could be? Think of what he could do
for our village!">
Cologne thought angrily, (The fool girl's going to ruin my plan to
get rid of Dan Xin once and for all! If Shampoo forswears her rights
to wed Ranma, he can't be considered a member of the tribe. Dan Xin's
attack on him won't qualify as a crime under Amazon law.)
Shampoo turned pale with suppressed emotion and a familiar
expression of stubbornness appeared on her face. <"I'm more concerned
with what Ranma might do TO our village!"> She stamped her foot
angrily. <"Don't you see, great grandmother? Ranma's made his
decision. He wants Akane and he'll do ANYTHING it takes to keep her!
Nothing that you or I can do will ever change his mind!">
As the old woman continued to stare sternly at Shampoo, she
wondered, (Such determination in the girl's voice. But why?)
Seeing Cologne apparently unmoved by her words, Shampoo thought
despairingly, (She doesn't understand. She wasn't THERE. She didn't
see the expression in his eyes....)
<"Great granddaughter, do you realize that you're deliberately
flouting centuries of Amazon custom and law? Are you willing to face
permanent exile -- possibly death! -- in order to stand by this
foolish whim of yours?">
Shampoo forced herself to meet Cologne's stern gaze. <"It's no
whim. And as for the consequences... I'll deal with them as they
come.">
Cologne sighed wearily. <"Why, Shampoo? Explain this to me.
Give me a reason -- just one good reason -- that I can put before the
Council of Elders to excuse this outrageous breach of custom.">
Shampoo closed her eyes briefly before saying, <"The reason that I
gave you is the only reason I have. That and a feeling....">
<"A feeling!?">
The Amazon girl rubbed her arms as if fighting off a chill.
<"Yes. It's a feeling of... foreboding. If something or someone
tries to interfere between Ranma and Akane,...."> She shifted
uncomfortably. <"That's all.">
Cologne gazed thoughtfully at her great granddaughter before
saying, <"Very well. If you are willing to accept the consequences,
then I am not going to force the issue. But the consequences start
now. Take your things and leave this place.">
Shampoo gasped but said nothing.
<"You have chosen to cast aside Amazon custom and Amazon law.
Thus, you have no claim to the protection and hospitality of any
member of the tribe.">
Shampoo lowered her head. Her shoulders sagged and her chin
quivered as she bit her lip. For a moment, Cologne hoped the girl
would give up her defiance. However, the Elder couldn't help but feel
a bittersweet surge of pride at Shampoo's determination as she watched
the girl clench her teeth and lift her head proudly.
-----------------------------------
Moving quickly among the rooftops of Nerima, it took Ranma and
Akane only a few minutes to reach the grocery story. Looking around,
she said, "Well, this is the place. But I don't see Mousse anywhere."
Ranma cocked his head slightly as he listened intently.
"Ranma...."
"I heard something. From over there."
-----------------------------------
As Cologne had said, Mousse was all tied up. Literally.
That morning, he had left the Neko-hanten with no particular
destination or purpose in mind. Perhaps there was a half-formed idea
of finding Dan Xin... or perhaps not. Unfortunately, he had
encountered Cologne first. With no warning, the old ghoul had him
transformed into duck-form and bound in the blink of an eye. He had
spent the last several hours stuck on a hot rooftop, completely
immobilized and unable to utter so much as a squawk.
Suddenly, he heard someone jump onto the roof. He wiggled
frantically, hoping that somebody would find and untie him.
Akane's voice said, "Where? Are you sure?"
To his shock, Mousse heard Ranma answer Akane's question.
"He's right here."
(Ranma!?) Mousse remembered all too clearly the last time he had
seen Ranma Saotome. It had been an unforgettable sight and one that
would haunt his nightmares for days to come.
-----------------------------------
"Good grief!" muttered Akane. All she could see was a duck-sized
bundle of clothes tightly wound with chains. A few white tail
feathers protruded from one end of the bundle.
Ranma pulled some of the chains loose and freed Muu-Muu's head.
"You okay?"
The duck could only stare at Ranma with an air of total
bewilderment, his beak hanging open.
(He's acting... normal!)
Considering that he had last seen his rival -- no, make that
former rival -- running around on all fours, covered in blood and
snarling like some sort of rabid beast, the sight and sound of a
perfectly coherent and rational Ranma was more than a little shocking.
"Aren't you going take the rest of that stuff off of him?" asked
Akane.
"Nope." Ranma tucked the still bundled-up Muu-Muu under one arm.
"Not until we get back to the restaurant. Maybe Shampoo or Cologne
can pound some sense into him before he does something really stupid."
The duck let out an indignant squawk and barely managed to
restrain himself from nipping.
Ranma muttered, "Sorry, man. Shampoo's been frantic. She's been
kinda worried about you."
(Really!?)
-----------------------------------
They returned to the Neko-hanten just in time to see a despondent
Shampoo stepping out of her bedroom with a suitcase in hand. Dumping
Muu-Muu on a table, Ranma worriedly said, "What's wrong?"
Cologne said sternly, "Shampoo is just leaving."
"Leaving!"
(Leaving!) Muu-Muu silently echoed.
"Yes. She has informed me of her decision to forego her right --
and duty -- to marry you. Since she has chosen to flout Amazon law,
she has no place here."
Akane glared at Cologne and muttered something about crazy Amazon
traditions. Turning to the other girl, she said, "Shampoo, do you
have some place to stay?"
The Amazon girl shrugged. "Not yet, but Shampoo find place soon."
"Then why don't you stay with us... for a little while, at least?"
Akane thought to herself, (We can't just let Shampoo wander off
alone... especially when it's pretty much our fault that Cologne's
throwing her out of the Neko-hanten.)
The Amazon looked surprised by the offer. "But... Shampoo turn
into cat...."
Akane said, "Oh... right. I suppose you could stay at Ukyo's
place...." Her voice faded as Shampoo winced visibly.
(Darn. I totally forgot. Nabiki said that Shampoo and Ukyo had a
nasty confrontation yesterday.)
"In that case, you don't have much of a choice except to stay with
us. Unless Ranma...." Akane glanced over in his direction.
He shrugged carelessly and said, "I don't have a problem with
Shampoo staying. I guess we'll just have to be careful. Besides,
Akane's right. You need a place to stay, at least for a few days
until you come up with something better."
"Thanks," murmured Shampoo. She didn't look back at her great
grandmother as she and Akane left the Neko-hanten.
Just as Ranma was about to follow the two girls out the door,
Cologne quietly said, "I also thank you."
"Huh?"
"It's good to know that Shampoo won't be alone." She gave him a
somber look. "Dan Xin is still out there."
"I know. But I should tell you that Dan Xin really has it in for
me now. She apparently thinks I humiliated her in public or
something. If Shampoo sticks around me, she's liable to become a
target."
"Perhaps, but Shampoo and Dan Xin already hate each other deeply.
Staying with you and the Tendos would not put Shampoo in any greater
danger than if she stayed here with me. She may even be in less
danger, considering the history between myself and Dan Xin."
Ranma frowned and said accusingly, "You know Dan Xin's hanging
around with her goons, but you went ahead and threw Shampoo out into
the street anyway, didn't you?"
"Custom is a hard and demanding mistress," Cologne calmly stated.
His eyes narrowed. "It's a test, isn't it? This whole thing is a
test for Shampoo. You're trying to figure out just how determined she
is. You want to see just how far she's willing to go with her
decision. Don't you realize she could get seriously hurt or maybe
even die!?"
Cologne's voice was harsh and unyielding. "Even though she claims
to be willing to deal with the consequences, Shampoo is still young
and inexperienced. I want to make certain that she knows the cost of
defying our traditions while there was still time for her to change
her mind. Depending on how the Council views her decision, death
could easily be one of those consequences."
"You knew Akane would offer her a place to stay."
"I wasn't certain, but it was very likely. Akane can be a fool at
times and she lacks self-control, but the girl also has a generous
nature. However, while having Shampoo stay at the dojo has its
advantages, it's also not without its hazards. Her Jusenkyo
curse...."
He nodded grimly. "It's a problem, but I'm willing to take the
risk. This may be a part of some complicated scheme of yours, but it
doesn't matter. Like you said, Dan Xin's still out there and I don't
want Shampoo getting hurt. After what happened yesterday, I'm sure
Shampoo won't be doing something stupid like chasing me around in her
cat-form. And if worst comes to worst,... Akane's there."
"Very well. I'll get in touch as soon as I find any useful
information. One last thing."
"Yeah?"
"Shampoo claims that you've made your decision. Is that true?"
There was a long silence, then the young man gave the Amazon Elder
a polite bow of the head before leaving her alone with Muu-Muu. To
Cologne, Ranma's silence was more eloquent than any grand declaration
of love.
"Hmph. Perhaps the girl's not such a fool after all."
At first, she had been inclined to dismiss Shampoo's decision as a
mere over-reaction to Ranma's feral behavior of the day before. Now
she wasn't so certain. It occurred to the Elder that Shampoo might
have had a perfectly legitimate reason for her actions, even though
the girl's explanation left much to be desired.
It had been one of the great disappointments in Cologne's life
that practically none of her descendants had inherited her more arcane
gifts, but the old woman thought, (I wonder... is it possible that the
incident with Kuno and Ryoga has awakened some power in Shampoo? It's
not unheard of.
(Power calls to power. If Shampoo sensed something... her
decision to give up on Ranma might be excusable.)
There was definitely something going on with that young man aside
from the incredibly quick physical recovery, the increased
aggressiveness of his cat-state, and the new aspects of the Neko-ken.
Ranma's agility and dexterity had always been exceptional, but now
there was a languid, almost feline grace in his movements. Also, he
had always had a very well-developed sense of his surroundings, but
now this 'situational awareness' seemed significantly more acute than
before.
(The way he seems to notice everything around him.... How on
earth could he be certain that Akane wasn't poisoned by Dan Xin's
blade? Can it be that he's somehow retained some of the Neko-ken's
abilities even after he awakened from his cat-state? If that's the
case, he'd make a truly formidable opponent.)
And there was another thing that caught Cologne's attention. (How
very interesting that he figured out my intention to test Shampoo so
quickly. Ranma's no fool, but his abilities have always been more in
the realm of combat tactics, not intrigue. That's always been
Nabiki's strength, not his.)
"What a puzzle you've become, boy."
With a faint sigh, Cologne turned to deal with Muu-Muu. A quick
snap of her wrist and the duck rolled free of the chains and clothes.
He shook his feathers into order, then glared furiously at the old
woman.
> SQUAWK! <
Cologne calmly smacked Muu-Muu on the head with her stick before
heading off for some hot water.
-----------------------------------
Back in human form, the first thing out of Mousse's mouth was,
"How could you cast Shampoo out like that, especially with the bitch
Dan Xin lurking around!"
"Shut up, boy. You know the laws as well as I do. And I know
you're not deaf. You heard what I told Ranma."
"But...."
"And you should remember that you have no lawful basis for a
vendetta against Dan Xin. She defeated your mother in fair
trial-by-combat. Challenge Dan Xin to mortal combat if you like, but
you do so strictly as one martial artist against another martial
artist."
Mousse scowled and adjusted his glasses. As he turned in the
general direction of the Neko-hanten's front door, Cologne whacked him
again with her stick.
"If you're headed for the Tendo dojo, you're more fool than I
thought... which is saying a good deal. After what happened
yesterday, Ranma's bound to view your presence at his home most
unfavorably."
"You... you know what happened yesterday!?"
"The events involving Kuno and Ryoga? Yes, indeed."
"And you're letting Shampoo stay there with that lunatic!?"
Cologne cackled softly. "Oh, I'm beginning to suspect that the
Tendo dojo is probably the safest possible place for Shampoo to be."
**********************************************************************
Part 6#:
**********************************************************************
Two young women in Nerima were nursing assorted bruises and making
plans while another woman was working to keep her schemes moving....
----------------------------------
Dan Xin gritted her teeth in pain as she gingerly probed her ribs.
"Damn that Saotome!"
Things had not gone well for the ex-Amazon. For one thing, Ranma
Saotome had turned out to be a much better martial artist than she had
anticipated... so good that three of her best fighters couldn't even
touch him.
She could almost hear her subordinates snickering at her for being
caught so easily off-guard by Ranma's sudden attack. It only made her
loathe the young man even more.
(Oh, he'll pay... and pay dearly!)
Her phone buzzed loudly. She flipped it open and snarled,
"What!?"
Her employer murmured, "My, aren't we testy today? I just wanted
to tell you that I've finally managed to track down the most likely
location of the Shadow Scroll."
"Where is it?" Dan Xin sat up abruptly, ignoring the grinding
pain in her ribs.
"The information I gathered indicates that the Scroll's hidden
inside an old training manual... something to do with a martial arts
technique called the 'Cat-fist'. The book used to belong to a shrine
at the very northern tip of Honshu, but it apparently disappeared
after Genma Saotome visited the shrine with his son."
"Ah ha!"
"The elder Saotome has a reputation for 'borrowing' things that
don't belong to him. It's most likely he's the thief."
"Saotome, hm? And he's now living at the Tendo dojo...."
"Exactly." Her employer's voice became somewhat uneasy. "You do
remember my warning about Akane Tendo, right?"
Dan Xin snarled silently even as she spoke in a very soothing
voice. "Oh, absolutely." But even as she spoke, the former Amazon
pressed her fingers hard into her side. The pain was excruciating,
but she wanted it that way. Every bit of her suffering was Saotome's
fault. She would return that pain a hundred times over.
Dan Xin smiled evilly. She purred, "Don't worry about it. I'll
have the Shadow Scroll in no time."
"Well, that's why I'm paying you this absurd amount of money. I
expect results."
The former Amazon chuckled. She said, "Just leave the details to
me," and hung up.
On the other side of town, Yonoko put her phone away. An
malevolent smile appeared on her lips as she murmured, "Oh, I'm
counting on it."
----------------------------------
Kodachi staggered out of bed and muttered, "Damn that little
tramp! I'll teach her to interfere with me, the Black Rose!" As she
tried to rub the pain out of her neck, she shouted, "Sasuke!"
With a blur, the little ninja appeared. "Yes, Mistress Kodachi?"
"Get the car. I'm going to Mt. Iwate."
Sasuke gaped at Kodachi. "Excuse me?"
She glared at him and snarled, "You heard me! And get in touch
with this horticulturist and tell this person I want to see them
immediately!" Kodachi flung a piece of paper in the little ninja's
face.
"Hurry up! I want to leave within the hour."
"Y-yes, mistress."
As she packed some clothes -- just in case -- Kodachi started to
smile as she imagined Ranma's reaction to the pure, concentrated
essence of fresh Umbra roses.
Bloodcurdling laughter was soon echoing through the hallways of
the Kuno mansion.
----------------------------------
"I quit! I can't deal with this anymore!"
"Please, I'll double your pay, triple it!"
"Ugh! Do you know what it's like having that old lech around?"
"Five times your original fee. And I'll throw in a bonus.
Consider it combat pay."
"Well... All right. But just how much longer do we have to put
up with him?"
"Less than 24 hours."
There was a pained sigh from the other end of the phone line.
"Five times, huh? Oh, all right."
Yonoko hung up the phone. Unlike the case with Dan Xin, she
didn't begrudge those models the extra money. Not one bit. They
deserved it for putting up with Happosai for so long.
-----------------------------------
continued in Part 6 (2/2)