Chapter 2: The Tournament

Author's notes: I would like to thank the responses I have received for this story so far. They have helped me work out a way for the story to be better for some particular areas I felt needed some work. I should have also mentioned last chapter that if you notice a mistake in the story that I made please let me know so that I can fix it. I know I make mistakes so bear with me. Thank you.

I do not own any of these characters. They are the property of the great Rumiko Takahashi.

( ) –indicates thought

Italics –Mandarin

Shampoo hopped of the log after her latest match. She had beaten her opponent in just a mere ten seconds because of the opponent's foolishness. The opponent had charged straight at Shampoo and never used a feint to try and get by Shampoo's defenses, but rather attacked straight on trying to overpower her. The result of such foolish tactics was that the opponent was lying flat on her back with one of Shampoo's feet standing on top of her while the judge was raising Shampoo's arm in victory. Satisfied that she had humiliated such the idiot enough she casually walked over to her private table so that she could speak with her Great-Grandmother privately.

"Great-Grandmother when do I get to face some real competition? So far I've been fighting nothing but weaklings."

"Child this is just the second round after this your fights will be much tougher."

"Good I don't want to fight more weaklings."

"Careful child remember if you underestimate your opponent then even a 'weakling' can surprise you and you'll wind up looking like Moose after he tries to ask you out."

The image caused Shampoo to flinch. She imagined herself beaten to a bloody heap that was twisted into inhuman shapes just like she did to Moose every time he tried to even to confess his love for her.(I don't want to look like that.)

"Understood Great-Grandmother I won't let it happen to me."

"Good, now hurry or you'll miss your next match."

Shampoo bowed before the matriarch and then left the table at a full sprint for the log. Shampoo then leapt onto the log from a good twenty feet away and drew her chui from her belt adrenaline pumping. Shampoo then motioned the opponent to come forward and challenge her if she dared. The opponent, a girl with long brown hair that was in a similar style as Shampoo's, made her way onto the log wielding a large bo staff twice as tall as she was. Shampoo immediately began to study her opponent trying to work out the best plan of action to deal with her.

Studying the opponent let Shampoo know that the opponent was a ranged specialist and Shampoo would have to get in quickly or she would be at a serious disadvantage. Once close to her opponent she would have to use feints in order to get inside her defenses and then finish her off. Satisfied with that plan Shampoo waited until the judge commenced the match when Shampoo wasted no time in enacting her plan. After dodging a swipe from the staff, Shampoo was in position to begin her attack. She swung at her opponent with her Chui coming from multiple directions, the one in her right hand aimed straight for the head from up high and the other chui came in from the high left aimed for the girl's midsection. Not surprisingly the girl used her staff to block the 'attack' just as Shampoo had hoped. Seizing the opportunity that her plan had provided, Shampoo kicked the opponent in the ribs hard enough that an audible crack was heard as several ribs were broken by the force of the blow. The pain caused the girl to double over in pain giving Shampoo the opening to knock her off the log with a single blow from her chui.

(Only one more win and I'll finally be the Champion. I can hardly wait.) Shampoo thought as she left to take a quick break at her private table before her next match.

At the same time a red-haired girl, a panda, and a man dressed in the traditional Chinese military garb were walking into the village.

"Welcome sirs to Nyuuchezu…"

"Nyuuche-what what kind of food is that?"

"That funny sir Nyuuchezu is town of Amazon women, Oh very lucky today the women have tournament."

Sitting down at the table the only thing that the Saotomes noticed was the large amount of food laid out before them and each came to the same thought (It sure was nice of them to leave this food here for us starving travelers). Immediately Ranma and Genma began to eat the food in the usual Saotome style, stuffing your face so that the other person couldn't steal your share from you before you had a chance to eat it.

"Sirs watch tournament, winning is great honor for woman of tribe."

That statement got Ranma's attention as he watched both combatants make their way onto the log. The combatant that got on first was a large woman with physical features that looked more like a bear than a human. She was wielding a spiked mace with a handle long enough to be a two-handed weapon.

"That's a woman?" blurted out Ranma as he was staring at the large woman.

"That one more pretty no?" said the guide as he was pointing at the other combatant who had just gotten onto the log. She had long purple hair and was wielding a Chui in each hand. She was wearing a look of determination on her face as if she was going to win no matter the odds. Ranma wasn't paying attention to the other girl and instead had just slapped a large furry arm away from the bread basket in order to grab a piece herself.

The visiting trio watched as the match began among the two women. The two combatants Ranma noted were extremely skilled, but the smaller purple-haired girl seemed to be at a disadvantage as the large bear-like woman was using her superior strength to overpower her opponent, backing her to the edge of the log. Then surprisingly the purple haired girl began to block each and every attack that before had caused her to back away without giving any ground to her large opponent. Again and again the large woman attacked and was repelled each time by a Chui moving in to block while the other prepared to counter the blow only to be dodged by a slight body movement or a quick movement of the mace's handle to divert to angle away from her body.

For a span of a minute this routine continued with neither opponent gaining any advantage over the other, until the smaller girl jumped over her opponent and before she could turn around to block the incoming attack both Chui slammed into her back in a vicious upper cut. The combined strike sent the other woman flying straight into the air landing ten feet away from the log in a crater that her body had just formed. Had the woman remained conscious she would have felt the effects of several broken bones in her legs due to the impact with the ground.

"That girl's got some serious strength to be able to pull off something like that. Did you see how she tricked her opponent into the corner then used her size against her?"

"Yes Ranma" signed panda Genma "Remember that lesson."

Before Ranma had a chance to answer her furry father she felt her danger senses tingle and jumped into the air just in time to avoid a blow from a Chui.

"Hey what's the idea we haven't done anything to you."

(What did she just say) thought an angry Shampoo (it doesn't matter she ate my prize food.)

"Why are you eating my prize food stranger? You better have a good explanation."

All Shampoo got as a response was a stare off utter confusion as neither Ranma nor her furry panda father understood a word of what Shampoo had just said.

"Miss these guests are from Japan and so not speak our language."

"Fine then you sir will translate for me or you will be held responsible for their crimes here along with them."

"I understand miss just please be a little kinder I have to get back home to my daughter."

"That won't be an issue if you comply with my request."

"Yes miss."

"Hey what's she saying?"

"She say hey little girl and panda why you eat my prize, why you do that? That's what she said."

"Well then if I beat you then you got no problem then right" said a boastful Ranma.

The guide repeated Ranma's challenge to Shampoo. And before Shampoo responded something clicked inside her brain. Wasn't this guy translating for her the Jusenkyo guide? She was sure she remembered seeing his picture in her studies from the previous night.

"You're the Jusenkyo guide aren't you? Are these guests traveling with you cursed?"

"Yes to both questions, in fact they are in cursed forms right now."

"Then would you mind handing me that hot water you have in your hand?"

"Of course miss."(Darn I was really looking forward to using that for my favorite tea recipe but it can't be helped if I want to get out of here without incident.)

"Well mister guide what did she… Hey that's hot! Alright I'm a guy again!"

"Tell this boy that I accept his challenge and we will fight on top of the log under Joketsuzoku rules."

"Yes miss" said the guide as he repeated the news to Ranma.

(I don't know what exactly she means by Joketsuzoku rules but there's no way I'm going to lose this match I don't want her to feel as if I stole something that was rightfully hers so I'm going to have to win it from her even if it already was eaten) thought Ranma.

"Go get em Ranma" signed Genma.

The two opponents climbed their way onto the log and performed a few stretches while the judge made her way back to the arena from her break in a very disgruntled mood. She immediately started the match without bothering to explain the rules for the new comer figuring it wasn't worth wasting the time to let an outsider know of their rules when they clearly would be outmatched by the village champion.

The match proceeded with Shampoo coming in hard with her Chui so that she could get her male opponent off balance but didn't press her attacks full out so that she could still defend herself from attacks. She had no idea of the boy's skills because he didn't have a weapon in his hand to tip her off to what kind of attacks to prepare for. Worse for Shampoo was that her attacks never connected with the boy he was to agile and managed to dodge each and every strike as if it were nothing.

(He's really good I haven't hit him even once and he hasn't needed to block even one of my attacks)

Ranma then noticed that Shampoo was developing an opening in her defenses. Right after she would swing and miss, there was a two second period when he would be able to maneuver a quick kick and end this match. Ranma waited until the time was right and timed a dodging maneuver where he was right in Shampoo's face before she knew it and landed a swift kick to her sided with just enough power behind it to knock her off the log but not cause any injury. After all Ranma hated hitting girls and only did this because his honor was at stake and tried to limit the damage he caused to the girl.

Shampoo couldn't believe that she had lost so easily to an outsider let alone an outsider male. Shampoo had to think of a way to turn this situation to her advantage and thought of the Joketsuzoku rules were for outsiders beating a tribe member. Remembering that she was now obligated to marry the outsider she realized that she finally had a way to get Moose out of her life for good. Satisfied with her thinking Shampoo stood on her feet and walked over to the triumphant Ranma.

Ranma noticed the girl waling over to him and wondered what she was doing. (I hope she's not a sore loser like some of the other kids I've had fights with. Up till now she's been the biggest challenge I've had yet so she should be proud of the effort she put up I'm just better.)

What he got instead was a shock as Shampoo pointed at herself and said "Shampoo".

"Huh what did you say?"

Shampoo repeated the act once more and then pointed at Ranma.

"Oh you're name's Shampoo. I'm Ranma, Ranma Saotome."

"Wo de airen. Wo ai ni Ranma" exclaimed Shampoo as she forcibly pulled Ranma into a hug and gave him the Kiss of Marriage. (I don't really have feelings for this Ranma. He's just a tool to get rid of that stupid Moose)

Ranma however was standing there in stunned silence not having a clue what was going on. (What in the world did she just say and why did she kiss me?) Ranma's brain began to shut down at this point as his teenage hormones took control of his actions and forced him to return Shampoo's kiss shocking both parties involved as well as the crowd gathered around to watch.

Genma was watching the whole thing in rage (how dare that Chinese bimbo seduce Ranma like that he's promised to one of Tendo's girls hopefully I can get him away from here and that will be the end of it.)

"Oh very lucky sir that's the Kiss of Marriage, He been given great honor."

At that point Genma lost control of his emotions when he heard the word marriage. There was no way the panda was going to let that happen. Before anybody could even blink the panda had bounded across the arena knocked out his son with one powerful strike to the head, grabbed the unconscious body and took off for the coast.

(No that's my ticket to removing Moose from my life he can't leave.)

"Shampoo my child what are you doing standing there you should be going after them to reclaim what is now yours by Joketsuzoku laws that you both agreed to."

"Yes Great-Grandmother I just need to pack for the long journey I expect this will be."

"Fine then Shampoo take this with you while you're gone. Study what's in there as I expect you to follow that boy to his home country and it would do well if you were at least able to speak the language while you're there." The thing Cologne handed her was a Mandarin to Japanese translation book.

"Thank you Great-Grandmother."(This may very well still work out now that I get to travel abroad and never even have to see that idiot anymore.)

author's note: I hope you enjoyed this. Comments are welcome. I currently have a rough outline for the next 4 chapters but no drafts written as of yet so it will be a little while longer before I have my next update ready.