Quantum Destinies
A Ranma Fanfic
By Steven Thesken (jurai-knight@home.com)

Editor (as of Chapter 10): D.B. Sommer (sommer@3rdm.net)

This idea occurred to me after I finished the science-fiction novel 
"Paths to Otherwhere" by James P. Hogan.  Ranma and all other 
associated characters are owned by Kitty and the ever-creative 
Rumiko Takahashi.  Any new characters are the property of the 
author.  This is purely a work of fanfiction done for fun, so please 
read and enjoy.

Notes: Thoughts will be bracketed by a * on each end.  Any 
speech other than Japanese will be bracketed by < and >.



Chapter 5 - Further Complications

    Ranma stood up from where she had been kneeling next to the 
cat formerly known as Shampoo.  Shampoo looked up with some 
puzzlement, with her head cocked to one side.  Ranma still felt 
slight tremors of fear running through her, but she was keeping a 
sufficient hold on her emotions to continue to function.  *Hmm... 
what do I do now?*

    "Mrow," said Shampoo, and then began to purr again.

    "It looks like you and I could use some hot water, Shampoo," 
Ranma said.  She scooped the cat up in her arm, and began to pet 
Shampoo along the length of her back while she started to walk.  
Shampoo paused in her purring for a moment to point with one 
paw in the direction of the Cat Cafe.  Ranma shrugged.  It was the 
closest place to get hot water.  *I could use some time to think.  If 
the recall doesn't occur, then I may have to start making plans for 
building another projector.  I only hope that it doesn't have to 
come to that.*

    The Cat Cafe was quiet at this time of the day, after the lunch 
rush was ending but before the dinner rush began.  Cologne was 
seated behind the cash register, puffing thoughtfully on her pipe.  
Her eyes twinkled for a moment when she saw Ranma in the 
doorway before opening wider in surprise to see Shampoo cuddled 
in her arms.  *This is an unexpected event.  Son-in-Law continues 
to surprise me.*  She let a smile appear on her face.

    <Greetings, Matriarch Khu Lon,> said Ranma absently in 
accented Mandarin as she stepped in.  Cologne blinked in 
surprise.  *Make that _two_ surprises in one day.*

    "I didn't know you spoke Chinese, Son-in-Law," said Cologne 
in friendly tones.  Now it was Ranma's turn to blink and focus on 
what she was doing.  She cursed herself for the mental slip.

    "Uhh... I've been practicing in case I'm someday able to return 
to the springs of Jusenkyo," she said reasonably.  Cologne nodded, 
a little uncertain what to make of Ranma's improved manners.  
She focused her eyes on Shampoo, resting comfortably in Ranma's 
arms.

    "What do I make of this?"  Cologne looked pointedly at the cat 
Shampoo as she spoke pleasantly to Ranma.  "Have you conquered 
your fear of my dear Shampoo?"

    Ranma paused, unsure how to answer.  She set Shampoo down 
on the counter, and sat down herself.  "I'm controlling the fear 
right now is all.  It's still there, but manageable."  She forced a 
smile at Cologne.

    Cologne puffed on her pipe as she thought.  *This is not the 
same Ranma I dealt with a few days ago.  He seems... more 
intelligent somehow.*  She hopped over to Ranma on her staff, 
studying the boy turned girl casually.  *The body movements are 
the same.  Somehow, this _is_ Ranma, and it isn't.  Curious.*  
She puffed on her pipe some more.

    "I was hoping to get some hot water," stated Ranma.  She then 
gestured at Shampoo as well, "For both of us, I mean."

    Cologne smiled.  *Definitely not the same Ranma.  I think I 
like this one better.*  She hopped into the kitchen and grabbed the 
kettle she had been warming for some tea.  She hopped out and 
handed it to a grateful Ranma.  Ranma poured it on herself, and 
sighed as the body ballooned back into male form.

    "Thank you, Cologne," said Ranma.  He then looked at 
Shampoo, unsure if he should change her back right there.  
Cologne took pity on him, and took Shampoo and the kettle into 
the kitchen.

    A moment later, Shampoo's excited voice could be heard.  
"Great-Grandmother, Ranma is taking Shampoo on date!"

    *I didn't actually say I would,* Ranma thought to himself.  He 
suddenly felt the hairs on his neck bristle.

    A cry of dismay was heard from the front door.  "Ranma 
Saotome!  You try to steal my Shampoo away from me for the last 
time!"  Ranma dodged several weighted chains that flew in his 
direction.  They wrapped around the seat he had been sitting on, 
and it was pulled out the front door with a clatter.  *This won't 
even be a contest,* thought Ranma as he confidently leaped out 
through the doorway.

    Mousse was savagely beating on the chair wrapped up in his 
chains when Ranma tapped him on the shoulder.  "Guess again, 
bright eyes," he said in a cheerful tone.

    "DIE, RANMA!"  Mousse launched another attack with fresh 
weapons, as a stream of knives streaked from within his sleeves.  
Ranma let his body move, dodging the flying missiles easily.  He 
landed behind Mousse, and tapped him on the shoulder again.

    "You missed," he said pleasantly.  "I won't."  Mousse felt half a 
dozen punches and kicks slam into his body before he could 
launch a new assault on his hated adversary.  Ranma paused to 
see if Mousse was going to fall down.  When the near-sighted boy 
tried to attack him again, Ranma launched another half dozen 
punches and kicks into Mousse while dodging around Mousse's 
weapon strikes.

    The third series of strikes finally finished Mousse off.  Ranma 
felt almost sorry for him at the end, but he had to respect Mousse's 
sense of determination.  Ranma carried him inside, as Cologne 
watched with amused eyes.  Shampoo was back in her usual outfit, 
but her hair still hung in damp locks.  Ranma set Mousse down in 
a booth.

    "Ranma take Shampoo on date now?"  Shampoo launched 
herself at him and firmly hugged him.  Cologne watched with a 
smile.

    "Uhmm... okay," he said.  He didn't know what to do for a date, 
and this Ranma wasn't much help.  "Would a movie be all right?"

    "Shampoo love movies!"  She dragged a bemused Ranma out 
the door before he could change his mind.  "New Jackie Chan film 
just came out at theater."  Within moments, they were gone.  A 
bemused Cologne watched the departing couple.

    *Son-in-Law has definitely changed,* she thought to herself, as 
she went back behind the register.  *Mousse also owes me the 
price of a new chair.*

                    ******************************

    Nodoka was looking over the menu in the restaurant to try to 
distract herself from her nervousness.  *This will be a big step in 
my son's life.  I hope Ranma appreciates what I'm about to do for 
him.*  She became absorbed in the selection on the menu, not 
noticing the woman who was approaching her table.

    "Mrs. Saotome?"  Nodoka looked up.  A tall woman stood next 
to her table, dressed fashionably and carrying a portfolio.  She 
smiled pleasantly as Nodoka looked up.

    "Yes, I'm Nodoka Saotome."  She gestured for the new arrival 
to join her.  The tall, older woman sat with grace.  She set the 
portfolio on the table.

    "I'm Otsu Mituma," said the lady.  "You called our agency to 
search for a potential bride for your son?"

    "Yes," Nodoka said with a smile.  "A very good friend of mine 
recommended your agency, since you found her daughter a good 
husband."

    Otsu looked around.  "Will your husband be participating in 
this?"  She picked up the portfolio with a smile.

    "My husband thought it was a foolish idea when I asked him 
this morning," replied Nodoka.  "He told me to do what I wished, 
but he wouldn't participate.  Men have no understanding of how 
important this is."  Nodoka picked up her menu.  "Lunch will be 
on me.  I thought it would be a good way for you to tell me some 
more about your agency.  Feel free to ask me any questions about 
my son or my family."

    "I'm sure we'll find your son a fine bride," said Otsu as she 
picked up her menu.  "The best families in the Empire are 
registered with us.  I took the liberty of doing a search on the 
Saotome family register.  I must say, from what I saw the Saotome 
family has managed to have quite a distinguished history.  Your 
husband's father even earned the Imperial Star, I saw."

    "He was a brave man," agreed Nodoka.  "Genma took his loss 
rather hard as a child though.  I think that was why he didn't 
follow the family traditions and become a warrior like his 
ancestors.  My husband is a good man though.  He raised my son 
to be a fine scholar."

    "I'm sure you must be proud of him," said Otsu.  "Your son 
Ranma seems like a fine, young man.  Earning an Imperial Study 
Grant at such a young age is quite an achievement.  Would you 
like to see some of the preliminary selections that I've made after 
we order?"  The waitress came up to their table.

    The two women ordered a light lunch.  The teenaged girl jotted 
down their orders with a smile on her face.  She bowed briefly, 
and went away to the kitchen.  Otsu opened up the portfolio.

    "The first young lady comes from a fine family in the Koga 
Mountain region," she said with a smile.  A photograph of a 
smiling teenaged girl was presented to Nodoka.  She was dressed 
in a school uniform with her hair worn in a single ponytail that 
was tied with a white ribbon.  "Her family takes care of a large 
shrine in the mountains near Koga that is famous for...."

                    ******************************

    The trees barely whispered with the light breeze, and the light 
of the afternoon sun kept the day warm.  A single figure slowly 
maneuvered down the walkway, lazily sweeping the dust and stray 
leaves from the path.  It was a girl, dressed in the white and red 
robes of a shrine maiden.  Her hair was pulled back into a single 
ponytail that went just below her shoulders, and was tied with a 
white ribbon.  Behind her, a large shrine building dominated the 
background.  In front of her was a long series of stone steps that 
led down to a mountain lake.  It was a tranquil scene.

    She paused in her sweeping and closed her eyes, to let the mild 
breeze dry the sheen of perspiration from her forehead.  She took 
a deep breath and sighed.  Opening her hazel-colored eyes, she 
looked around the temple grounds with a smile.  Her grandfather 
had promised that he would come today.  She wanted to show him 
how hard she had practiced.

    Her ears heard the faint whisper of cloth against the bark of a 
tree a moment before a figure came leaping at her from a high 
branch.  She dodged away from several shuriken that came 
streaking at her.  They buried themselves in the wood of the 
walkway as her body leaped over the head of her attacker with her 
robes rustling.  Her acrobatic leap landed her ten feet away from 
where she had been standing, facing her assailant.  The only 
sound on her landing was the soft clopping of her sandals against 
the wooden walkway and a final rustling sound from her robes.  A 
short bladed weapon was in her hands.

    "Well done, my little Ukyou."  She relaxed as her attacker was 
revealed to be a wizened figure of a man, dressed in monk robes.  
He was a little shorter than she herself was.  "Your skills have 
grown.  I actually had to work a little bit to sneak up on you.  
Your mother must be so proud to see how her daughter has grown 
up into such a fine young shadow warrior."

    Ukyou's face broke out into a broad smile.  "Grandfather 
Kuonji!  Do you really think I've gotten better?  I've been 
practicing everything that you've taught me."

    "I can see that," the kindly-looking old man agreed with a 
smile.  "Now we will test your combat abilities.  Prepare yourself."

    "We?"  Ukyou glanced around as half a dozen ninja warriors 
materialized out of the trees.  They were dressed in the traditional 
garb of the ninja, only in camouflage color.  "Oh.  I see."  She 
smiled with confidence.

    Ukyou shrugged out of her robes and sandals in a moment.  Her 
bare feet were not even making a whisper of sound as she stood in 
the abbreviated and skintight ninja nightsuit she had worn under 
her robes.  She fished a pair of light shoes out of a pocket of her 
robes and slipped them on.  The total time was under five seconds.  

    "Ready," Ukyou called out with a grin.

    The figures came at her in pairs, attempting to flank her.  
Ukyou went into a blur of motion as she met the first pair at a run.  
Her blade rang against her attacker's blades.  Her foot slammed 
across the jaw of one ninja, spinning him about to receive the 
pommel of her ninjato across his skull a moment later.  The 
warrior went down hard.  *One,* she thought to herself.

    The first ninja's companion was a female.  Ukyou dueled with 
her blade against blade as the remaining four ninja raced towards 
her, trying to get through her opponent's defenses.  Her opponent 
was a fraction of a second slow on one block, and Ukyou slashed 
her along the stomach.  It was a bloody blow, but Ukyou had 
pulled it so it was not deep enough to kill.  The female ninja fell 
back, clutching her stomach in pain.  Ukyou spun around and hit 
her with a backfist blow.  *Two,* she thought.

    The third and fourth ninja leaped at her from right angles to 
each other.  Ukyou blocked one with her sword, as her foot met 
the gut of the other one in a blow that he felt all the way to his 
spine.  He went down, clutching his stomach.  The other joined 
him a moment later from a knee strike to the groin, followed up 
by an elbow strike up under the jaw.  *Three and four,* she 
thought with a grin.

    The last two didn't throw themselves at her in a mad rush like 
the first four had.  They moved to opposite sides and began to test 
her defenses.  Ukyou wasn't having any of that.  She feinted at 
one, and leaped at the other.  Her thighs locked around his neck as 
she fired two quick punches into his head.  She sprang off of the 
falling body to deliver a spinning roundhouse kick into the 
shoulder of the other one.  He dropped his sword as his arm went 
numb, and Ukyou followed up with a smashing punch to his jaw.  
The last ninja fell to the ground with a dull thud.  *Five and six,* 
she thought triumphantly.

    An arm wrapped around her windpipe suddenly.  "Always be 
aware of potential new opponents from behind," her grandfather 
said in a serious tone in her ear.  He let go of her again a moment 
later.  She whirled to face him, and he smiled at her.

    "Sorry, grandfather," she said as she bowed her head.  "I let my 
overconfidence get the better of me."  A ninja groaned behind her.

    "That is a dubious privilege of the young," he replied sagely.  
"You should always remember to watch your back when you are 
alone.  The Kuonji Clan can ill afford to lose a promising warrior 
such as yourself to carelessness."

    "Yes, grandfather," she said as she bowed her head again.

    "You are a dutiful child," he said.  He watched as a few people 
emerged from the trees to tend to the fallen warriors.  Ukyou stood 
beside him, enjoying the cool breeze that had suddenly sprung up.  
He suddenly looked up as he sniffed the wind.  He turned to her 
with a smile.  "A change is coming to these mountains, child.  I 
can sense something marvelous for our clan looming on the 
horizon.  Be prepared."

    "Yes, grandfather," she said.

                    ******************************

    "This young lady seems like she would make a fine daughter-
in-law," said Nodoka with a smile.  "Such an illustrious family 
background.  I am honored that you feel my son worthy to marry a 
daughter of such a clan."  Nodoka put the picture of Ukyou Kuonji 
away with a smile.  *She seems like she would make an excellent 
match for my son.*

    "The next family is one that is currently in high favor in the 
Imperial Court," said Otsu with a smile.  "The Tendo family has 
three daughters, two of which are still available, and they come 
from a proud military history.  The family has served with 
distinction in the Security Directorate for almost two centuries."  
She laid two color photographs in front of Nodoka as she named 
each one.  One photo was of Akane, and another was of Nabiki.

    "What of the third daughter?"asked Nodoka as she looked over 
the two photographs.  Both were in Security cadet uniforms.  
Akane had a slight smile as she looked into the camera.  Nabiki 
managed to convey an air of grace as she smiled brightly into the 
camera.  Nodoka was convinced that she had seen these two girls 
somewhere before.

    "That was another of my successes," said Otsu with a large 
smile.  "Kasumi, the eldest daughter, married a fine young doctor 
serving in the Ministry of Health.  I understand that they are 
expecting a child before the winter months will be over."

    "What can you tell me about the two remaining daughters?"  
Nodoka studied the faces of the two girls.  Both seemed like they 
would make fine additions to her family.

    "Well," said Otsu before she paused a moment to think.  "Both 
daughters are currently attending the Tokyo Imperial Academy, in 
the Officer's Training Program for the Security Directorate.  The 
middle daughter, Nabiki, has regularly received high marks across 
the board from her instructors.  When I interviewed her, she was a 
charming young lady."

    Otsu picked up Akane's photo.  "The young lady in this photo, 
Akane, is best described as a healthy and high-spirited girl.  She 
regularly excels at athletics, and is rated a fifth-dan black belt in 
Shorinji Kempo."  Nodoka raised her eyebrow in disbelief as Otsu 
continued to speak.  "I am sure that she would be able to give you 
many fine grandchildren."

    Nodoka smiled.

                    ******************************

    Akane slept peacefully while her sister kept vigil on her.  The 
doctors had said that Akane should be watched over the first 
twenty-four hours just in case there were any problems.  Nabiki 
read a new fashion magazine while she waited for her father to 
come home.  She could have had one of the servants watch over 
her sister, but she preferred to do it herself.  *Since Kasumi left, 
this house just seems lonelier.  I miss her.*

    Nabiki banished that thought with a frown.  If any of her fellow 
cadets ever suspected that she had a softer side, her reputation as a 
cast-iron bitch would be gone.  *A woman has to be strong and 
tough to survive in this world, especially in service to the Empire.  
I will be strong and tough at all times, and make Daddy proud of 
me.  I intend to be every inch the officer that he is.*  She flipped 
the page of her magazine, and continued to read.

                    ******************************

    "Three young ladies to choose from for my son already," said 
Nodoka with a smile.  "A mother should always have such 
problems."

    Otsu nodded.  "With the further information on your son that 
you've given me, I'm sure that I can come up with other matches 
that will be equally good.  How do you intend to choose one when 
we have a final list?"

    "Ranma will be allowed to make the choice himself," replied 
Nodoka.  "Since I'm pre-screening the candidates for his bride, 
any one of them would be acceptable to me.  I suppose I could 
engage him to them all, and then let him choose one for himself."  
Nodoka chuckled at her little joke.  "I do want my son to marry 
for love, after all.  Genma and I were an arranged marriage, but 
we love each other too."

    "I am sure that we will find the best bride for your son," said 
Otsu.  "Perhaps he will find one himself that will surprise you."

                    ******************************

    Ranma sat in the darkened theater and watched the movie with 
fascination.  Shampoo was snuggled against him.  He had put his 
arm around her and was enjoying himself a great deal.  It had 
surprised Shampoo that he was being so friendly with her.  She 
snuggled against him and enjoyed the moment for the longest 
time.  Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her.

    "Ranma happy to be on date with Shampoo?"  She whispered 
her question into his ear.  He turned to answer her and almost 
bumped his nose against hers.  They stared into each others eyes 
in the darkness for a time.

    An explosion on screen shocked them both out of their reverie.  
Ranma sipped at his soda to give himself a moment to think.  
Next to him, Shampoo waited for his answer, not daring to 
breathe.

    "I'm having a fine time, Shampoo," he replied truthfully with a 
smile.

    "You no miss violent girl?"  Shampoo could hardly believe her 
luck.

    "Akane?"  Ranma paused a moment to think.  He turned back 
to her.  "Not at this moment."  He gave her a friendly squeeze.  
Shampoo sighed in happiness and snuggled against him some 
more.

    *Oh, Shampoo,* he thought with a slightly wistful air that 
surprised him, *I wonder if you even exist in my own world?*

                    ******************************

    Shampoo stepped out of the shower area, her body wrapped in a 
soft towel.  Lithe muscles rippled in her shoulders and arms as she 
rubbed a second towel through her hair to dry it.  She slowly 
walked the distance to her assigned dressing cubicle.  Pausing 
outside the opening to it, she wrapped the towel around her head 
as she opened the door to her small closet.  She reached in and 
pulled out her costume for the match tonight.

    Her costume consisted of a tough, silk, short-sleeved shirt made 
of a light purple cloth with two golden dragons embroidered on it.  
It was long enough to hang slightly below her hips, and it was just 
snug enough across the torso to show off her figure without 
hindering her movements.   It was belted with a plain white sash 
at her waist.  A loose set of black silk pants, gathered into tight 
cuffs at her ankles, was worn beneath it.  A pair of soft leather 
boots in white, laced up the front to mid-calf, completed the outfit.  
It was an audience favorite, so she wore it for most matches.  *It 
makes me look like a kung fu video starlet,* she thought to herself 
with a slight sigh in her native Mandarin.  She went into her 
cubicle.

    Her cubicle was pretty plain.  The only personal touch was her 
small collection of clippings on her victories.  Around the 
perimeter of her dressing mirror there were small newspaper 
clippings, carefully cut out and pasted to cardstock before being 
tacked on the wall.  The headlines were full of such forgettable 
headers as: 'Amazon Warrior Scores Another Victory', 'Chinese 
Amazon Wins Again', and the first one ever written about her, 
and the one that she most disliked, 'Shampoo: Amazon Warrior 
Princess.'  Since that article had come out, her name was now 
always mispronounced as Shampoo, instead of Xian Pu, even by 
her fellow fighters.

    She sighed slightly as she sat down in her dressing chair, and 
stretched her long legs out in front of her.  Tonight felt like it was 
going to be a good night.  She had three fights scheduled, but 
none of them looked to be any particular challenge.  She relaxed 
in her chair for a moment, loosely rolling her head from side to 
side until the bones in her neck popped lightly.  Her muscles were 
loose and limber from the hot water shower.  She felt ready to put 
on a good show tonight.

    Around her, there were over a dozen girls around her age 
chatting quietly with each other, either around or over the short 
walls of their individual cubicles, as they dressed for tonight.  The 
mood was slightly subdued, as it always was before matches.  
Most of them hailed from China, now controlled by the Empire of 
Japan for over a century and a half.  The rest of the girls came 
from the far corners of the Empire.  There was even one girl of 
Native American stock, a tall, reddish-tan skinned beauty who 
called herself Running Deer in the language of her people's 
conquerors.  She never spoke her name in her native Apache.

    They were all here for one reason, to provide entertainment for 
their overlords in the Imperial Arena.  Shampoo had been here for 
almost two years, taken from her people as a form of tribute to the 
Emperor.  Her skill in the fighting arts was noticed quickly, and 
she was selected to become one of the elite Arena warriors.  Her 
contract was held by Global Communications, one of the many 
corporate zaibatsus that controlled the wealth of the Empire.  She 
would have the option of buying herself free in two to three more 
years.  Until then, she was considered valuable property.

    Shampoo was from a tribe of Amazons in southern China.  Her 
people had been ignored by the invaders for over a decade while 
they subdued the rest of China.  However, eventually it was her 
people's turn.  Others in the area had chosen to fight to the last, 
such as the Musk Dynasty.  The Empire had obliged them, and 
committed genocide as an example to other groups in the area.  
The Matriarchs of the Amazons had chosen to surrender on semi-
favorable terms.  The secrets of the Amazons had been preserved, 
and the government in Tokyo mostly ignored the Amazons except 
for taxes and the occasional demanded tribute.  The Amazons 
paid lip service to the infrequent government officials but 
otherwise went about their business.

    It was a tribute to Shampoo's fighting skill that her face was 
unmarked, and her body had only some small scars.  The scars 
existed on her torso and limbs, but nothing of a degree that would 
detract from her beauty.  That beauty, and  her graceful strength 
in combat, were the two reasons why she was very popular with 
the Arena fans.  Shampoo didn't really care for her small fame.  
She used her time in the Arena to polish and improve her skills a 
little more each day.  She looked forward to the day when she 
could go home.

    Running Deer was one of the few girls here that Shampoo 
considered a friend.  They had been together for the last couple of 
years, ever since they were placed together in the same elite Arena 
training class.  They had alternated for the top slot of their class, 
along with the Korean girl Mina Li.  Mina was a powerful Tae 
Kwon Do fighter, and perhaps Shampoo's strongest and most 
mutually disliked rival in the Arena.  That rivalry began the first 
time that they had faced each other, and it would probably only 
end when one of them was dead.

    Late at night, Shampoo and Running Deer would sometimes lie 
on their cots and talk about their dreams and plans for the future.  
The dream that Shampoo had was to return home with honor, and 
then find a man able to win her hand.  Running Deer had laughed 
at first at the Amazon laws when Shampoo had explained them to 
her.  Running Deer found it very odd to only love a man who was 
willing to beat her up as a form of courtship.  She eventually made 
Shampoo a solemn promise that she would come visit the tribe of 
Amazons and see for herself.

    Shampoo busied herself getting ready.  She unwrapped the 
towel from around herself, and admired her nude body briefly in 
the mirror.  She opened the underwear drawer on the right of her 
dressing table and slipped on one of the pairs of panties that she 
found neatly folded inside.  She slipped on a sports bra and 
adjusted the fit.  Last went on the silk shirt and pants.  She paused 
to admire her trim figure in the mirror again.

    "Look who's admiring herself again," she heard whispered 
loudly from across the way.  Shampoo turned to glare at Mina, 
who then whispered something more softly to the newer girl next 
to her.  Mina gave Shampoo a cool stare.  "You don't have nearly 
as much to admire about yourself as I do about my own figure."

    Mina Li was a beautiful Korean girl who was about an inch 
shorter than Shampoo.  She had a bosomy and lithely muscular 
figure that was barely covered in a low-cut, skintight, white silk 
outfit, and short cropped black hair.  A black sash with red trim 
was worn around her waist.  A pair of soft black slippers on her 
feet completed the outfit.  She didn't look very dangerous, but 
Shampoo wasn't fooled.

    Mina had left a string of broken bodies behind her on her climb 
to the top of the Imperial Arena's Junior Division.  She had even 
killed three times since her debut fight almost two years ago, two 
young men and a girl.  The girl had been a friend of Shampoo's, a 
fellow Chinese girl who had been excellent with swords as well as 
barehanded fighting.  Arena fights were not supposed to be to the 
death, especially in the elite category.  They were each considered 
to be too valuable to die on worldwide television.  Mina did not 
seem to care, and her high popularity ratings disgusted Shampoo.  
Mina, on the other hand, was jealous of Shampoo's even greater 
popularity.

    Shampoo turned around, ignoring Mina as if the Korean girl 
was beneath her notice.  This always infuriated Mina, and 
Shampoo was rewarded by some muttered curses in Korean 
behind her.  The other girls were too afraid of Mina to laugh, 
except for Running Deer.  Shampoo heard her stop outside Mina's 
cubicle and make some whispered comment that earned her a 
screaming tirade of abuse in Korean.  Shampoo ignored Mina, 
and contented herself with looking forward to the day when she 
would cheerfully kill the girl.

    "The Korean princess seems to be in fine form today," 
remarked Running Deer as she stood outside Shampoo's cubicle.  
"I don't think she's repeated herself once yet."

    Shampoo slipped on a pair of socks, and pulled on one of her 
boots.   She began carefully lacing it up the front of her shin.  She 
enjoyed how well they fit, and they gave her excellent traction 
without being encumbering.  She nodded as Running Deer 
chattered on.

    "I still think we should go with my idea," said Running Deer in 
a conversational tone of voice.  "I'll hold her arms, and you can 
beat the bra stuffings out of her.  What do you think of that?"

    A screech of rage emerged from Mina's cubicle.  "I do _not_ 
stuff my bra, you barbarian giant!  These are the real thing, and I 
have several male conquests who will confirm that!"

    Running Deer yawned and then smiled.  She came into 
Shampoo's cubicle, sat down in the extra chair, and kicked her 
feet up on the end of Shampoo's dressing table.  Her Arena outfit 
was a bit barbaric to Shampoo's tastes, but Running Deer liked it.  
She was wearing snug leather pants with a beaded fringe down 
each outer thigh, and a beaded leather vest.  Her straight black 
hair was encircled by a colorful headband that rested below her 
bangs.  Soft leather moccasins encased her feet.  Her bare arms 
were sleek and sinewy.  Shampoo knew that the rest of Running 
Deer's body was the same way.  She also stood half a head taller 
than Shampoo.

    Shampoo pulled on her other boot and began to lace it up, 
taking her time.  "Running Deer ready for tonight?"  She turned to 
look at her friend.

    "Me?"  Running Deer shrugged.  "I'm always ready for a fight.  
I'm hoping for a run for my money though.  I'm starting to worry 
that a lack of challenging opponents is making me soft."  She 
punctuated her statement by smacking a bare fist into her other 
palm.

    "Running Deer is _last_ person that Shampoo would call soft," 
she said with a smile.  Finished with lacing up her boots, 
Shampoo stood up.  "Let's go show these soft Japanese a couple of 
_real_ fighters!"

                    ******************************

    After the movie was over, Ranma and Shampoo walked out of 
the theater.  He looked over at the clock on one of the storefronts, 
and it read '3:08'.  *Only a couple of hours to go.  It will be so 
good to get back home.*

    "RANMA!  HOW DARE YOU BETRAY AKANE LIKE 
THIS!"  Ranma looked up to see a figure falling out of the sky at 
him, the sun at its back, a large umbrella shape held above the 
head.

    *Oh yeah,* he thought wryly, *it will be _so_ good to get back 
home, where my life is simpler.*