Ranma Tales: Fall From Grace

by TheShadow99

This is a series devoted to the changes in background for the classic Ranma characters seen in Ranma Tales. Shampoo, Ryoga, and others have changed alot and these stories describe why they have changed. The first is Shampoo.

Ranma Tales ½ Side Story: Fall from Grace – Shampoo's Tale

Part 1: Not Yet a Warrior

(This part takes place after the story told by Ranma in Chapter 5 Part 1 of Ranma Tales ½)

Xian Pu was furious. She had gone after the stupid panda that had stole her food then she had challenged it only to have it win! It had been with a young girl about her age who seemed stupid, yet when she challenged the girl to a fight the girl had knocked her away! To make matters worse the girl had then run off!

When her great grandmother had arrived she had demanded the right of the 'kiss of death' on the girl to reclaim her honor. Her great grandmother had insisted she was to young to count as a warrior and so couldn't be bound by a kiss of death. In fact her great grandmother had been reluctant in all ways to let her keep her honor. What had been the point of training for her whole life if she was to be denied the right to use that skill?

He rational part of her mind understood that her great grandmother only wanted to make sure she didn't waste her life needlessly. Her great grandmother however had forgot the other set of lessons she had been teaching Xian Pu her whole life. Her life revolved around a series of rules. These rules were split into two parts. One for use with men, another for use with women.

When it came to men the rules were simple. First among those was that men where useless except when it came to creating children and enhancing the bloodlines of her people. Second was that men were weak and simple fools guided by hormones which did their thinking for them (Msu Tse was a case in point). Third was that only a strong man could possibly be of use to her in any way. Their was a second part to the third rule on men that said it was best that a man was only as intelligent as needed so they could be easily manipulated. Fourth was that men had no honor and could be treated as desired.

For women the rules were even simpler. Obey the elders. Fellow tribeswomen were to be given respect and be treated fairly. Outsider women were fools who believed men were their betters, those that proved to be weak should be shown the true path. Outsider women who proved to be strong were betrayers of women everywhere and therefor proved obstacles for the eventually conquest of the amazon ways of the outside world. Obstacles served only one purpose: target practice.

These were the rules she had been taught by her great grandmother. Now however Xian Pu wasn't sure if her Great grandmother had meant what she'd been teaching her. After all if it was all true, then why couldn't she go kill the other girl and rid herself of the obstacle to their people?

Her thoughts are interrupted as footsteps come up behind her. Xian Pu had thought coming up into the hills and sitting on one of the outcrops would give her some time alone to think. Apparently she wouldn't be given that option. She wondered what her grand mother would say to her.

To her surprise she doesn't see her great grandmother, but instead elder Xi Lon Fe, approach her. Xian Pu knew some of Xi Lon Fe from her great grandmother. The two were rivals over the last century or so. Xian Pu had never understood quite what the differences were between them though.

Xi Lon Fe didn't look much like Kho Lon however. She was about five foot six in height. She also had greyish white hair. Her face was aged and the match for any Chinese grandmother anywhere in the world. Her outfit though was the same sort of robes Kho Lon wore. That was required as a show of rank and marked her as an elder for the world to see.

Xi Lon Fe calls out "Hello Xian Pu." Then as she gets closer she says "I heard about what happened. I have to say I think Kho Lon was wrong." The elder sighs and says "I fear old age is affecting your great grandmothers judgment. Even a few years she would have had you go saying it would be a good 'training experience'."

Xian Pu nodded. This was what she had expected her great grandmother to say. However "Great Grandmother knows best. I'm sure of it. Even if I don't agree."

Xi Lon Fe smiles "True your Kho Lon has always known what was best for you before." She then frowns "However I can't see this as being good for you. If you had gone and succeeded you would have become a full blooded warrior of equal standing with the rest of the warriors of the tribe. She should have been happy to see that happen."

Xian Pu shrugs "I don't know why she won't let me go. Mother had gone when she was only a little older than I am now and great grandmother didn't seem to object from what I've heard." She pauses, then adds "I want to see my honor sated."

Xi Lon Fe nods and says "I understand. I wish I could help you, but I can't oppose Kho Lon on this since she is you rightful guardian since your mother passed on."

Xian Pu smiles slightly and says "Thank you. You are much nicer than great grandmother makes you out to be."

Xi Lon Fe smiles back and says "Kho Lon and I don't see eye to eye often, but that doesn't mean I can't be understanding. It's good we are rivals, it makes the tribe stronger. I do understand what it means to be a true warrior. I can also see that is what you want for yourself. If you ever need my help child, please feel free to see me."

Xian Pu smiles and says "I will do that. Thank you."

Xi Lon Fe says "Now I must be going. Remember what I said. Take care child." She then heads off toward the village.

Xian Pu thinks on things again for awhile and then hears the taping of a staff against rock. Shortly the withered form of Kho Lon appears. Kho Lon looks at her great granddaughter for a while hoping she will speak up first. Xian Pu however stays silent.

Finally Kho Lon sighs and says "Xian Pu dear, what I did was for your own good. You still have training to do before you are ready to accept your place within the tribe. When you are ready I will not stop you." She waits a moment and seeing Xian Pu doesn't say anything she adds "Xian Pu you have a great destiny within the amazons. You are my chosen protege. You will inherit all my skills and power. I do what I must to see you reach your potential."

Xian Pu looks up at her great grandmother and says "I can understand that great grandmother... However I still feel this is the wrong choice to have made. My honor feels stained."

Kho Lon nods and replies "I can understand how you feel. I promise if chance comes I will let you have your honor. Until that time we will train."

Xian Pu looks up at her great grandmother and says "You promise great grandmother? If chance comes again I can challenge fool who defeats me?"

Kho Lon cackles and says "Of course great granddaughter. I promise if the chance comes you can do what you must." She pauses and than adds "Come great granddaughter, I have a new technique to teach you..." She motions for Xian Pu to follow her.

Xian Pu's face brightens and she says "Really great grandmother? What will you teach me this time?" The girl walks over to Kho Lon.

Kho Lon smiles and says "I think you might be ready to learn something called the 'Breaking Point technique'. It let's you find the weak point in an object and use that to break it apart."

Xian Pu smiles and replies "That sounds fun great grandmother! How does it work?"

Kho Lon smiles at her great grandchild and explains the idea behind it as they walk back toward the village training grounds.

Part 2: To Accept the Hand of Fate

(This part takes place after the flashback in Ranma Tales ½ Chapter 5 Part 2)

Xian Pu couldn't believe her great grandmother this time! She'd been scared of a mere man! A insulting arrogant man as well. She could see in his eyes that the amazons meant nothing to him.

Above all that her great grandmother had broken the fourth rule. Only someone with honor could be respected. Men per the fourth rule had no honor. Yet her great grandmother had shown the man who called himself 'Shadow' with respect. It was horribly wrong.

Then she tries to make the girl/boy thing that she had fought years ago into a tribeswoman! To make matters worse when she stood up for her own honor and challenged them her great grandmother had knocked her out! She had woken up several minutes later with Mi Lin and Fe Lon tending to her.

She had shrugged off the two women and then ran outside to the same spot years ago she had used when she felt betrayed by her great grandmother. Over the years it had become her 'thinking spot'. Her place to retreat when she felt the world had done her wrong.

Xian Pu thinks to herself 'How could great grandmother do this to me? Not only did she get scared of a man. Not only did she offer the boy a place in the tribe. But she had given up my chance at honor. She had promised me! She had sworn an oath I could do what must be done! Now she betrays me!'

She finally says out loud "I don't care if she is my great grandmother. I will not be treated as a child be her! I will not let her take away my honor in her cowardice! No man is the equal of a woman! No man should be feared! If she had stood with me I would have killed the foolish boy who would be a girl and we could have taken the boy's master together!"

She turns at the sound of clapping behind her. Her gaze falls upon Xi Lon Fe who is standing a dozen feet away. Xian Pu's eyes narrow.

"What do you want elder?" The last word is spoken with contempt.

"Don't take your anger out on me Xian Pu. I would have stood with you had I been there. I only seek to offer my help in your time of need. What will you do now? Will you follow the path you just said you wanted or will you bow your head to your great grandmothers will?" was Xi Lon Fe's reply.

Cautiously Xian Pu asks "What do you mean you want to help me?"

Xi Lon Fe shrugs "If you want to live with honor than I will help you take your honor back from those who have shamed you. I don't hold enough power in council to overturn Kho Lon, but what she doesn't know want hurt her. I will teach you what she fears to if you wish."

Xian Pu frowns "Why would she fear to teach me something?"

Xi Lon Fe raises an eyebrow "She has need of you as her servant. You are her tool to enforce her will. Surely you have seen this over the years? If she taught you all she knew then you would be a power equal to hers. If you disagreed she would lose her tool she has invested in these last thirteen years. She wanted the same for your mother. She taught her to much though in the end and your mother refused Kho Lon when she decided to act in a petty manner. In front of the whole clan your mother defied her. In front of the whole clan Kho Lon beat her tool into the ground for her defiance of Kho Lon's will."

Xian Pu scowls "That could never have happened. Great Grandmother would never do such a thing."

Xi Lon Fe smiles faintly "Ah, but she did. Ask any of the older ones who would remember the incident twenty years ago. Luckily for you your mother healed in time and accepted the role Kho Lon had wanted her to fill. Kho Lon had picked out your father and your mother didn't love him so she tried to pick her own husband. She had always had her eye on a local boy from the village. Both were strong, but the outsider Kho Lon choose had a unique fighting style we had never encountered before. Kho Lon wanted that style and the man liked your mother."

Xian Pu feels a chill in her guts. She doesn't interrupt as Xi Lon Fe tells the story. "In the end after Kho Lon taught your mother who was in charge something died inside her. Your mother lost her inner fire and submitted to Kho Lon's decision. Things did not go well however. The man was petty and not easily cowed, not even by Kho Lon. He beat your mother when she tried to stand up to him and without that fire inside of her she was no match for him. Kho Lon wouldn't stand up to him until she knew the secrets of his style that she lusted after. Your mothers lover tried to help, but in his anger he was sloppy and the outsider killed him in combat. It tore your mothers heart to watch that."

"Things continued like that until you were born. You would think a father would be happy, but he was an arrogant male and didn't want a daughter. Only a son would do for him. Your mother however cared greatly for you. You were the love she had lost so very long ago by then. She cherished you more than anything. In fact you were the only thing that caused the fire to relight inside of her, but by then it was much to late. She could no longer face her husband and win. He used her until she bore another set of children for him. Again they were girls, twins even. That would not make him happy though. After all only a son would do." She pauses shortly to judge Xian Pu's reaction. Which so far is a kind of fascination.

"He lost control of his emotions and only hours after they were born he killed your mother. Later Kho Lon managed to convince the council it would be best if we told you girls she had died in childbirth with your younger sisters. She was angry finally with the man however. He had cost her a valuable tool after all. So she went and tracked him down. They fought and she finally was able to kill him by knocking him off the side of a mountain. When she returned home she told her story of his demise and she again got a concession out of them. They would say he died in an accident. That way you would grow up in ignorance of the cruel fate surrounding your birth." She winds down after finishing the tale.

As she watches Xian Pu and studies her reactions, she thinks on the story she has just woven for Xian Pu. 'It is the best type of lie. One based on truth. Oh Kho Lon had wanted Xian Pu's mother as her tool, that woman never could understand people outside of their usefulness. However the man had shown up and took a liking to Xian Pu's mother. He tried to get her alone and her lover had stood up for her. The man had of course crushed the amazon fool like I told Xian Pu. Her mother was indeed crushed by his loss. She had tried to defy the laws of the amazons and Kho Lon had been forced to beat her down. In fact I helped cause that to happen. So Xian Pu's mother wed the outsider. He was abusive and wanted a male heir. In fact he had even killed their mother in cold blood after the birth of the twins. Kho Lon had even chased him down and tried to kill him. He even feel over the edge of the mountain as I said. Though he is most certainly not dead. If that was the case I wouldn't have just spoken to him last week! But Xian Pu need not know any of that, all the pieces she may be able to confirm are the truth in some way. She will not see past my deception.'

Xian Pu finally speaks "You know I cannot take your word alone as fact."

Xi Lon Fe nods "Of course. I would expect no less. I merely thought you should know what your great grandmother is really like. I have not wanted to lie to you all these years, but I did because of the councils edict. Now that I feel we have wronged you I could not keep the truth from you."

Xian Pu nods "I thank you for that. What will happen if I do take you up on your offer?"

Xi Lon Fe replies "Then I will offer to teach you the ways of a secret martial art. Few study it and it has been banned several times before because of it's power. I will also see if you may have what it takes to master the ways of harnessing the spirit. Together they should make you nearly unbeatable."

Xian Pu smiles slightly and says "I like the sound of that."

Xi Lon Fe remarks "Don't take it lightly however. This training will be hard. You will often want to quit. I will let you if you truly wish to, however you will have to live with the results."

Xian Pu simply states "All training is hard. I expect nothing less. I will take back my honor."

Xi Lon Fe smiles and says "Good. Very good. There is much promise in you."

Part 3: To Walk with Darkness - Dawn

Xian Pu was able to verify several things Xi Lon Fe had told her and she accepted the truth of her words. Her great grandmother had made Xian Pu's life into a lie. Nothing was what it seemed. Xi Lon Fe was more trustworthy than her own flesh and blood.

Over nearly a year Xian Pu was slowly trained in the basics of Hsing-Yi Chuan, a specialized martial art designed to easily kill by using power blows to pressure points. The only real difficulty was keeping their meetings a secret, not learning the martial art. Not just from Kho Lon, but from the entire village. They would not understand why Xian Pu choose to defy the council and seek her vengeance on Ranma.

Still it wasn't impossible for Xian Pu to leave the village. Weekends were easiest. She could just tell everyone she wanted to go hunting by herself. Kho Lon may not like it, but no one would stop her. Even during the days though it wasn't impossible. Kho Lon would only teach her for a few hours a day and the rest was spent on her own. Slipping out of the village during those times only required she manage to distract the gate guards or sneak out some other way.

Today was the start of a weekend and before anyone can find her she slips out of the house leaving behind a note telling anyone who looks that she is going hunting. Last trip Xi Lon Fe had awakened her 'spiritual eye'. That meant todays training would be something special. With a whole weekend she was surely going to do something that would at least be interesting unlike her recent training sessions with Kho Lon.

They made a point of rotating locations each week just in case someone decided to come find either of them. This week it's a location in the forest on a hill overlooking a quiet valley. The campsite would be a clearing a short distance away from a small stream. It was perfect for a camp, but few were willing to come this close to musk territory so they should be safe.

Xian Pu walked the two hours it took to get to the clearing for the camp. Taking a quick look with her new sense, she can already feel the presence of Xi Lon Fe in the clearing. Taking a quick look behind her as well she enters the clearing.

In the center was the firepit. It had been used many times and nothing was odd about it's appearance this time either. Next to the pit were two sleeping rolls, a common enough sight for a camp. The strange thing was a series of small animals tied to stakes at one side of the clearing. Xian Pu counted them and came up with twenty four animals of various types: cats, dogs, a monkey, and a small bird. That was most definitely out of place.

Xian Pu walks forward and Xi Lon Fe calls over to her. She says "I have the first lesson in training your spiritual power today. Your gift is controlling and manipulating spirits. So I've rounded up some animals we can use to start with. The better you get at dealing with these the bigger the creature you can command."

Xian Pu looks vaguely disgusted "We are going to kill all these animals just as practice?"

Xi Lon Fe shrugs "Their isn't really another way to do this. And I'm not killing them. You are."

Xian Pu frowns "This is quite a waste..."

Xi Lon Fe shakes her head "Their really isn't another option. You also have to learn that how a creature is killed effects it's usefulness. A creature that dies in pain is more useful in attack and more feral as a spirit. Spirits that die peacefully are docile, but are completely useless in combat. We will practice with both. Peaceful first, painful after."

Xian Pu looks like she is about to argue about the need and Xi Lon Fe cuts her protest off before it can start. "Do you want to become stronger? Strong enough to reclaim your honor? Strong enough to be able to tell the council itself how you will run your own life? Will you do what your mother couldn't?"

Xian Pu looks thoughtful and then sighs. "I don't like the idea, but I refuse to be weak. I will not let great grandmother destroy my life as she did my mothers."

Xi Lon Fe nods "Good. This will also be practice for the last set of pressure points I gave you. These animals each has a matching pressure point, I'll show you were it is."

Xian Pu agrees and both walk over to the animals ready to begin. They have a long weekend ahead of them.

Part 4: To Walk with Darkness - Dusk

Xian Pu washed the blood off her hands in the stream nearby. She had killed each each animal in turn. Then had played with it's spirit to make it surrender to her will. By the end she had started to combine spirits to get better results. The best of these was a creature created by fusing the spirit of the monkey killed in pain with the bird killed peacefully. It created a fairly effective flying servant that could accomplish various tasks.

She hadn't wanted to kill the animals at first, but once she started it got easier and easier. By the end it caused her no discomfort at all to kill them. In fact she was already looking forward to tomorrow where she would have another selection of animals to play with.

When she pulled her hands from the river however and turned to leave she saw something she hadn't figured she'd see. Not more than twenty feet away is a young man in a set of white flowing knee length robes. She knew from experience that he wore a white shirt pair of white pants under the robe. She was somewhat surprised he had his glasses on.

She asks "What are you doing here Msu Tse? I doubt you came here to hunt."

Msu Tse replies "I came to talk to you, Xian Pu."

Xian Pu sighs "What do you want to talk about now Msu Tse? Come to have me turn you down after you declare your love for me? The first dozen or so times it was kind of fun in a way, now it's just annoying."

Msu Tse shakes his head "No that isn't why I've come." He pauses. "Xian Pu you've been acting strange for awhile now. Spending all your time away by yourself. Hardly ever talking to your friends. Even Ling Ling and Lung Lung tell me you've been avoiding them. Are you still upset about the boy whose also a girl?"

Xian Pu replies "You have no idea what your talking about. I simply have come enjoy my time alone."

Msu Tse sighs "Even if that were a healthy thing to do, which isn't really the case here... Xian Pu why are you lying to all of us?"

Xian Pu glares at him and says "What are you talking about? I haven't lied to anyone."

Msu Tse looks at her and says "Hunting, huh? Where is your catch? Sure your washing blood off your hands, so you could have left them at your camp... But if that's the case why didn't you bring something to carry water in as well? You do need to clean them before you cook them and you couldn't clean them with bloody hands like those..."

Xian Pu shouts "I don't need to answer to you boy! I don't need to answer to any of you!"

Msu Tse nods "No you don't. We only care about what you've been doing because we care about you. You've scared your sisters quite enough that they came to me for help and you know they like me about as much as your great grandmother does. I was going to look for you anyways to see what was going on because I was worried to begin with. After talking to the twins though..."

Xian Pu growls "I don't want your help, or your pity, or anything else! What I do is my own business, if you don't like it leave me alone!"

Msu Tse sighs "I just want to help. So do the twins. If you need something come to us. Even if it's just a ear to listen to you yell."

Xian Pu replies "I will never be so weak as to need you for anything. If I do I'd rather die than ask anyways."

Msu Tse shrugs "We can't make you accept our help. We can only offer it. The offer is always open." He turns and walks away as the sun sets.

Xian Pu thinks to herself 'No it's to late for you to help now. Now it's time for me to help myself. Don't stand in my way Msu Tse or I will kill you for it. You can wait as long as you want, but I will never ever come to you.'

Slowly she stands up and walks back to the camp. 'I have a new teacher now and I no longer need any of you. I will be strong. So strong I will need no one. So strong I will never be a tool again. Stronger than my mother proved to be. Stronger than my father ever was.'

Part 5: The Point of No Return

Xian Pu was angry. She had better things to do than fight in some silly competition because her great grandmother wanted her to. Sure it was the tribes annual warriors competition to decide which of the young women was the strongest warrior among the tribe. After a certain age you could no longer compete, you had either already earned your place as a warrior within the tribe by then or you never would. That however meant very little to Xian Pu these days.

Xian Pu however hadn't lost since her great grandmother had first sent her to compete when she was thirteen. 'Likely a consolation for your failure to keep my honor intact great grandmother, but you had already betrayed me more than any single offering could ever make up for.'

Xian Pu was fifteen now and had won the last two years. The first year had been fairly typical, she had screwed up a couple of times learning the ropes of the challenges. She'd still won, it just hadn't been assured. The second year had been far to easy. No one had come close to matching her skill. They were all just so pathetic.

This year was actually looking worse. She only need a single strike to down most of her foes. Her extra training in Hsing-Yi Chuan had strengthened her body further than her normal training had. She didn't use the stances, attacks, or skills of Hsing-Yi Chuan however. She had learned once that the elders had little desire to let a young warrior have such powerful skills. So she hid her power from them, keeping it safe for when it was truly needed.

She thinks to herself 'It was a skill that lessened their ability to control us, so they banned the art. I know great grandmother knows many pressure points skills and can use them at will. No dare challenge her on it. But in us the youngest warriors they fear such skills. They truly are weak.'

It was time for her final challenge and she had no interest in going through with it. Her opponent was an older woman named Mao Xiuxiu. She had been champion before Xian Pu had entered. The first year she had been something of a challenge. Last year she had been weak. This year was looking to set a record low and get the 'honor' of being 'pathetic'.

Xian Pu stepped onto the log on her end. Mao Xiuxiu stepped onto the other end. Mao was stupid so the first thing she did was charge Xian Pu. Xian Pu simply jumped over her oversized head.

The ox of a woman just refused to learn. She attacked again in a charge. Xian Pu simply slide just far enough to the side to avoid the womans wooden maces. The woman launched a series of attacks after that and each was avoided with the most minimal distance needed. This just made the woman even angrier. She lashed out with ever quicker strikes while Xian Pu simply stood her ground and avoided each one with ease.

The amazon's muttered among themselves at Xian Pu's lack of an offense. She seemed unwilling to strike a blow. Kho Lon more than most. 'What has gotten into great granddaughter? Why does she not attack?'

Xian Pu lets Mao Xiuxiu go at it for ten minutes. Completely wearing the other woman out. When she finally steps back panting Xian Pu asks her "Have you shown your lack of skill enough yet? Or must you insist on continuing this pointless waste of time?"

Mao Xiuxiu narrows her eyes as she pants to get her breathe back and says "Does that mean you give up? You have yet to attack once and while I couldn't lay a hand on you the victor is the one who attacks. Defense alone will not bring victory."

Xian Pu narrows her own eyes as she lets herself get angry. Finally she says "Fine if you wish to be defeated I will make sure you never need worry about the concerns of warriors again you pathetic ox bodied woman."

Mao Xiuxiu opens her mouth to reply with her won angry words, but doesn't get the chance. In a blur Xian Pu has crossed the distance between the two and tossing her mace from her right hand to her left she moves past the womans guard. Using her free hand she lashes out in a fierce blow to the womans chest hitting a pressure point over the right lung. The lung collapses under the attack and the womans body is tossed backwards off the log platform.

An elder nearby the landing point hurries over and examines the heap that is Mao Xiuxiu. The elder calls out "I need two helpers her lung has collapsed. We need to carry her inside immediately if we are to save her life." Two amazons nearby hurry over and help the elder take Mao Xiuxiu inside the nearby tribal hall which also serves as a medical treatment center for the village.

In the meantime Xian Pu drops down to the ground effortlessly and tosses her maces to the ground carelessly. Kho Lon hops over to her. Xian Pu simply watches Kho Lon come and not caring in the least what her great grandmother will say.

Kho Lon hisses "Xian Pu what have you done?"

Xian Pu says "I taught that ugly ox woman to stay home rather than pretend to be a warrior. She should thank me."

Kho Lon stares at her young great grandchild. Finally she says "The council will not agree with that. Neither shall I. I have never taught you that technique, where did you learn it?"

Xian Pu replies "You aren't the only teacher willing to train me. I also don't care what you or the council thinks of my actions."

Kho Lon snaps "Xian Pu that was a Hsing-Yi Chuan attack. That is a forbidden art. At the very least the council will accept the desire of Mao Xiuxiu to hunt you down. At worst they could call for your exile!" Their are several gasps at this from the surrounding crowd.

Xian Pu turns her back on Kho Lon and says "Let the creatures friends come. They shall suffer for their efforts." She starts to walk off.

Kho Lon calls out "Xian Pu if you leave now I may not be able to save you!"

Xian Pu continues walking without slowing down, taking long confident strides. She is soon out of the town square and at her house. She gathers some supplies into a bag while she thinks. 'I have let them stifle me to long. They are all weak. I hope Xi Lon Fe will not mind loosing her apprentice.'

As if summoned by the thought she hears a familiar cackle from behind her. She turns to see Xi Lon Fe with a smile on her face. She says "Well girl, I knew you were growing tired of the restrictions they place on you. I however never expected such a flashy exit."

Xian Pu looks at the elder curiously "You don't look very upset."

Xi Lon Fe shrugs "It's not how I expected you to leave the village, but it will do. I will support you as much as I can while keeping up appearances. I have contacts outside the village who can be of great help to you. Here is a list of contacts and some information about each. I have an ally who is known as mistress Talon who lives only a weeks travel by foot away. She is your best option. I can contact you there, but those from the tribe will have difficulty finding you in her care. Once you are safe we will see about tracking down your prey."

Xian Pu smiles "That will do. Thank you elder."

Xi Lon Fe smiles "Now go, I think the woman's friends wish to play with you before you leave."

Xian Pu walks by the elder and says "It will be my pleasure to show them the error of their ways."

Xi Lon Fe simply says "I know you will." without even turning around.

Xian Pu walks out her front door to see a ragged group of five women waiting for her. A quick glance told her their was only one real threat. That threat was a young woman named Wu Lili. She was a threat because she had the honor of being a blooded warrior. The rest were ones she had faced in the competition before, all were useless.

Xian Pu smiles and says "To what do I owe this visit?"

Wu Lili calls out "Don't play games with us Xian Pu. You seriously hurt Mao Xiuxiu with a forbidden technique, as her friends we have the right to challenge you. Now will you surrender to us and face the justice of the council?"

Xian Pu shrugs "I have nothing to say to the council. Why don't you go tell them I said that?"

Wu Lili frowns "If you don't agree to come back on your own we will have to take you back by force."

Xian Pu has her face light up with an evil grin and she replies "If you think you can match me then try. I however won't pull my punches."

Wu Lili says "That's the way I like it." She looks to the other four and says "Get around her while I attack from the front."

Xian Pu silently calls her spirit animals to her. At least the flying ones, the rest would find it hard to get within the walls. They could distract the feeble ones and let her focus on the only real threat.

The four lesser warriors slowly encircle Xian Pu, though she doesn't care. She keeps her eyes on Wu Lili. Just as the girls get themselves into position dark shapes drop down on them from above and Xian Pu smiles without looking at the work of her minions.

Wu Lili frowns "Is this your work Xian Pu? Not only Forbidden martial arts, but forbidden spiritual ones as well?"

Xian Pu shrugs "Whatever works, they aren't worth my time."

Wu Lili glares at the other girl and says "So be it, if you die it's not my fault."

Xian Pu grins and says "Bring it fool."

Wu Lili surges forward to attack. Once she is within reach she launches a punch with her right hand, Xian Pu blocks with her left forearm. Xian Pu returns the favor with a kick to the chest. Wu Lili steps to the right to evade the kick and Xian Pu reaches over with her right hand to grasp the girls right hand that hadn't finished coming back from it's punch yet. Xian Pu pulls the other girl off balance and brings her knee up into her opponents belly straight from the aborted kick. Then she drops the girls hand.

Xian Pu teases "Is this all there is to a blooded amazon warrior? If so I thing they hand out the honor to easily."

Wu Lili tries to catch her breathe from the kick while Xian Pu talks. Xian Pu however is already bored and jabs a quick blow into a pressure point on the girls back. The girl screams in pain and drops to the ground. That pressure point related to nerves controlling the muscles along the spine and the blow in question would cause quite permanent paralysis below the point struck. It was also apparently very very painful.

Xian pulls the girls head up by the hair and says "Should I put you out of your misery? I can let you go right now, but you will never walk again. Can you live with that? If not you'll have to beg me kill you, I'm tempted to leave you like this you know..."

Wu Lili hisses between bursts of pain and says "You wouldn't..."

Xian smiles and says "Oh I would... Why don't we look at how your friends have fared against my pets?" Xian Pu roughly pulls on the girls hair to turn her head.

The view is far from pleasant. Xian Pu's pets had won. One vaguely bird-like creature was eating a girls eye. Another was trying to further a bloody gouge in a girls belly to pull out her entrails. The other two just seemed to be playing with the now quite dead girls and blood pooled everywhere. Wu Lili sobs in Xian Pu's grasp.

Wu Lili whispers "If you think you can live with killing me then get it over with. Become a murderer like your pets."

Xian Pu Tsks "Now, now. You challenged me to combat and lost fair and square. No need to call me names. As it is you still haven't begged me yet."

Xian Pu runs her fingers down the girls back and shoves them into another pressure point farther up the girls back making her scream again. The girl launches into an attack of uncontrollable sobs that have a bit of a wheeze to them.

Xian Pu whispers into her ear "Now I've cut off everything below your heart. That my dear means you can't use half of your muscles to even move your lungs. Will you beg me now...?"

Wu Lili finally gasps out what Xian Pu wants to hear. "Yes... Please... It hurts..." The last is little more than a whisper.

Xian Pu smiles an utterly horrible smile and uses her hands to hit one last pressure point in the girls neck. She immediately stops breathing. Xian Pu pulls her head up higher and whispers "This stopped your heart and your lungs, but your brain will last almost a minute still. Know exactly how worthless you were up till the very end."

Then Xian Pu tosses the girls head into the ground and stands up. When she looks up it's into a very familiar face. She scowls "What do you want Msu Tse?"

An expression of pure stunned horror covers Msu Tse's face. He just watched as, the girl he loved with all his heart, ruthlessly made another beg for the release of death. His heart breaks a little at the sight of her standing impassively over the girls corpse. 'Oh Xian Pu, how could it have come this far...?'

Xian Pu glares at him and says "I don't have all day Msu Tse. Either move or tell me what you want."

Msu Tse finally says "I just heard what happened earlier at the competition, so I came to see how you were... How... How could you Xian Pu? She was a fellow amazon..."

Xian Pu sighs "She was weak, just like all the rest of you. Great grandmother always taught that the strong make their own place. Well I am just living by that. I'm tired of playing willing slave to the elders and their games. I'm strong enough to control my own life and none of you can stop me!"

Msu Tse looks on sadly and says "I can't believe you would do this... It's not you at all... The Xian Pu I know cares about others. She would be the first one to hunt a murderer down."

Xian Pu smiles coldly and says "Then you didn't know me the way you thought you did. Then again you never really knew me. You just chased your dream girl who has the same face. Grow up little boy. No let me pass."

Msu Tse stands slightly firmer and says "I can't let you leave Xian Pu."

Xian Pu smiles a viscous smile and says "So be it then."

Before Msu Tse can move Xian Pu uses her flashstep technique to come right up in Msu Tse's face before he can blink. She lashes out with a kick to the groin that lays the startled boy out in a groan of pain. Xian Pu stares down at the boy and says "You never could beat me Msu Tse. Now is no exception. You should have known better. I'd kill you, but I think you'll suffer more if I leave you alive. Goodbye Msu Tse."

With those words she turns and walks away. Msu Tse tries to get up by is in to much pain to rise. Xian Pu leaves the amazon village forever without looking back once.

Author's Notes:

Just to make sure you know... Everything in this chapter is said in Chinese. It's why Xian Pu's dictation is perfect. It's also why I keep referring to them by Chinese interpretations of their names.

I hope this shows the downward slide Shampoo faced as her beliefs were shattered and then rebuilt by those with evil intent. In the normal series there is never this sort of doubt. Shampoo goes on to see her great grandmother as the center of her world and invincible. I've always felt even in the normal series she was just a tool of her great grandmother and the often foolish amazon beliefs. That doesn't mean Cologne was all bad. While I wouldn't exactly say Cologne was 'good', she did however have rules she still followed. They just didn't easily conform to any concept of 'honor' most people could understand. She practically reveled in manipulation for instance.

This world took a different turn when a much younger Ranma showed up. Each time the two met Shampoo's world was twisted further from the normal until she became a tool of different powers. Those powers wanted her to become even darker yet, until she was no longer the person she once was. These powers have no rules. Only goals that must be accomplished in any way possible. Of course it didn't seem that way at first and by the time Xian Pu did see that she no longer cared about such things.

I should also note this series in general has a very Shinto set of beliefs behind it. Shinto doesn't really have a word for 'sin', however it does have a concept of right and wrong. Things that are 'right' are 'clean' and things that are 'wrong' are 'dirty'. Those that follow Shinto believe there is no reason why you can't do something 'unclean' from time to time, but people should strive to clean as much as possible. Of course that's the simple version. Some other influences color this version of that idea as well. Like it being easier to 'dirty' the more 'dirt' you've already acquired.

I hope you enjoyed this look into Xian Pu and I should have the one about Ryoga done sometime soon.