Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or the game this fic is based on
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Ugh, thought Shampoo.
If only the Amazon Tribe could see her now, she thought bitterly. Sleeping in a sewer, wrapped only in an old blanket she had found, sleeping next to a boy who turned into a pig.
She and Ryoga had been making their way through the sewers for quite a while now. She sobbed quietly. She missed her great-grandmother, she missed Ranma, she even missed Mousse.
Shampoo.
Shampoo sat up. She could have sworn that she heard someone calling her name.
Shampoo.
Yes, there was definitely someone whispering her name through the darkness. Standing up, she began to blindly grope her way through the darkness.
Shampoo. Come this way.
Shampoo, following the voice, felt her way toward the wall. Her hand bumped against something- a doorknob. She pulled the door open.
Shampoo was back in the Terminal room. The Terminal was gently spinning. She and Ryoga had discovered how the Terminal's worked quite by accident earlier that day.
Shampoo. Spin the Terminal. Don't be afraid. There's no need to talk. You will come to me automatically. You can trust me, Shampoo.
Hesitantly, Shampoo reached out, then swung the Terminal. She vanished with a flash.
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Almost a mile above Shampoo, Ranma-chan and Akane were emerging from another Terminal. Ranma looked rather green.
"Note to Self: Never travel by Terminal again. Ever."
Akane frowned at her. "Stop whining. We have to find Hikawa, come on."
The two exited the Terminal room. Ginza's Terminal appeared to be in another demon shopping mall. A large fountain spurted water in front of them. A demon in red armor lounged on the edge.
"Um, excuse me sir-"
The armored demon whipped his head to face them. "What is it you want?"
Taken aback by his sudden rudeness, Akane said "Do you know where we can get information in this town?"
"If it's information you want, you'll want to go to Nyx's Lounge, they know everything there. Now go, or I, Sir Eligor of the Nihilo army, shall have you arrested for loitering."
Akane and Ranma didn't have to be told twice. They left immediately.
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Kuno tightened his grip on his bokken. He knew that someone had been following him for a while now. He looked around.
"Who's there? Come out or die!"
There was a pause, then a soft fluttering of wings. Pixie flitted out from behind the corner. She had a large bag on her back.
Kuno relaxed his grip slightly. But only slightly. "I seem to recall leaving you in Nerima Park, Miss Pixie."
"Mister Kuno... how should I explain this? I don't want that life. Every day it's royalty this, inherit your mothers council seat that, it drives me crazy! Please take me with you!"
Kuno's eyes held- was it sympathy? "No. I cannot take you with me. You need to stay with your family."
"But I don't want all that! I want to live a little! I want to see the world! And besides, you need me. You're not going to survive for long out there on your own. I may be a weak demon, but I can still help you. I'll even grow stronger along the way! So... please?"
Kuno sighed. "Fine. Just keep up with me."
"Hooray!"
Truth be told, Kuno was secretly glad that Pixie was coming with him. He had grown somewhat attached to the tiny fairy.
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Akane pushed open the door to Nyx's Lounge.
It was a dark, dank place. Several demons lined the bar and tables. A giant of a man with purple skin took up a whole table on his own. A male and female demon in the back where doing something that would have gotten them arrested for three different reasons in the old world.
A woman with violet skin and a purple dress stood behind the bar. This, Akane assumed, was Madam Nyx.
Madame Nyx nodded politely to her new patrons. "What can I get you two?"
"Just some warm water please."
While Ranma doused herself, Akane pulled up a seat at the bar. "What can I get you, miss?"
"Do you know anything about a man named Hikawa?"
Madam Nyx laughed sharply. "Ha! If you're trying to get into the Assembly of Nihilo, I'd give up. Only Nihilo supporters are allowed in. You'll be thrown out at the front entrance!"
As Ranma pulled up a seat, Akane asked "Is there any way we could get in?"
"If you wanna stir up trouble with Nihilo, I'd head down to Ikebukuro. See, there's a group of demons based in Ikebukuro called the Mantra. They're polar opposites- the Mantra are rowdy and battle-crazy, while Nihilo is calm and composed. In fact, that's how Nihilo and Hikawa are planning on making the world- a world of silence. Not sure what that means, tho..."
Akane made note of that in her mind. "How do we get to Ikebukuro?"
"If you haven't used their Terminal, I'd recommend the Underpass."
Ranma interrupted. "The what?"
"The Ginza Underpass. It's a looong series of tunnels that leads through the sewers. It connects Ginza to Ikebukuro. It's a long walk, but once you visit the Ikebukuro Terminal, you'll never have to walk the Underpass again."
"Thanks, Miss Nyx!" Akane grabbed Ranma by the wrist (Ranma felt a very strange and unfamiliar flop in his stomach) and ran out the door.
Madam Nyx spat into the glass she'd been cleaning and chuckled. "Heh heh heh... they're gonna die."
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With a flash, Shampoo emerged from the Terminal. Shaking off the nausea, she opened the door.
She was in a big, round, red room. A door was at the other end, which she found was locked.
Shampoo looked around. There was a great tree in the middle of the room, twisting from floor to ceiling. There were several big holes in the trunk.
Shampoo. Look in the holes.
The voice seemed louder now. Hesitantly, Shampoo stuck her head in the biggest hole.
She was looking into a huge room, much bigger than the tree could accomodate. The ceiling was so high she couldn't see it for the darkness. A large pool of red water was at the bottom. A large, curtained stage floated in midair above the red pool. With a loud creaking sound, the curtain began to rise.
Behind the curtain was a large, well-furnished room. A red velvet couch sat in front of a roaring fireplace. Shelves filled with books lined a wall. The room woudn't have looked out of place at an aristocrats mansion if not for the stuffed demon head above the fireplace. An old-fashioned gramophone sat in the corner, playing a slow-paced mix of piano, organ, accordian, and harpsichord that was pleasing, and at the same time, menacing.
Two people were in the room. One was an old man in a wheelchair. Long, faded blond hair tumbled around his shoulders. He wore a finely-pressed white suit and cradled a cane in his arms. His facial features suggested that he could very well be the granfather of the young boy that she and Ryoga had met earlier.
The other was the old woman that had been with the young boy. No- this woman was much younger, and wearing similar clothes. She even wore a veil, though this one was shorter and allowed view of her mouth. She stood behind the old man's wheelchair. SHe appeared to be his nurse.
The man's eyes suddenly snapped open. They were an icy, piercing blue, almost white. The young woman began to speak, in a high, tinkly tone.
"You have come at last. I knew that fate would lead you here, Shampoo."
Shampoo was about to ask how the woman knew her name, but decided not to interrupt. The old man had an aura of power about him that commanded obediance.
"This is the farthest region of the Vortex World. Some humans called it the Netherworld. This is the Labyrinth of Amala."
Shampoo's eyes widened at this. She had read about the Labyrinth of Amala before. A possessed Vatican Priest had written of it, claiming it to be a maze that led to the core of hell itself. It was supposedly lit by twlve enchanted candelabrums.
"I am sure that you are already aware of this, but many formidable demons lurk in this dark land." The woman shifted her head, and although her eyes were hidden by the veil, Shampoo could tell that she was looking straight at her. "This place is home to the lowest of those demons. Cast down by the gods, they await the day when they can fly once again.
"Shampoo, you may be wondering how you where drawn here, and if you are in danger. Do not fear. We shall send you back to where you were. But first, allow me to give you this."
Something flew up from one of the tables toward Shampoo. She caught it.
It was an exotically carved candelabrum. A small plaque was at the bottom, with the word Sovereignty engraved upon it. Symbols and drawings were engraved upon it, with the touch of a master. This candelabrum would have looked right at home in a museum.
"This candelabrum will be your guide when you lose your path in this dismal world. I must ask you one thing, however: If fate desires you to find another of these candelabrums, I beg of you: Pick It Up. Take both candelabrums and return here. Just hold a candelabrum up to a Terminal and you will be transported here. When you come, I will explain everything. That's a promise.
"Goodbye, Shampoo. We shall meet again, if fate so desires."
Shampoo snapped her eyes open. She was back in the rancid sewer, with Ryoga snoring softly beside her.
Shampoo sighed. It was all a dream. She began to lie back down when something poked into her back. Frowning, she reached under her to retrieve the offending object.
It was the candelabrum.