Curses Aren't The Only Change
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I think that you are smart enough to figure out how much of this I own.
Cologne had come by the house they were staying in and offered to show them around the Village of the Joketzusku starting with the most important thing.
She showed them the Hall of Records first. Tomas thought this was a good choice, much better then the obvious choice of the Council Hall, though many would say that the forge of the marketplace would be a better choice for the most important place in a village. Never the less it did tell a good bit about Cologne political views. He turned to ask if the next place would be the second most important, but Doctor Jones was already asking her about seeing the scrolls that were inside the Hall of Records.
"I'm afraid that only those who have passed one of the trials of Adulthood are allowed in there." replied Cologne to Doctor Jones's query.
This caused Tomas to ask something he had been wondering for a while, "Might I ask what the Trials of Adulthood are? I have heard about them several times."
"Before anyone here can be considered an adult they must undergo one of the Trials of Adulthood. What trial they undertake depends on what they have been training to do with their life, for example the trial for warriors involves fighting several people." said Cologne.
"So would a musician have to preform several songs?" asked Tomas trying to sound casual.
Cologne caught the tone. "No male has been allowed to take any of the trials in hundreds of years."
"That's stupid." said Makoto
"Well, you can change it if you become our leader." the 'like you are suppose to' was not actually said, but it was heard by everyone.
They made it to the market square before anything untoward happened. Makoto was looking over the spices when she heard a sound she was sure she would come to hate, Hera's calling "Zeus". Hera was carrying a spear that she didn't know how to hold and a jug that probably held cold water.
Makoto didn't have much time to notice this however, because the area was filled with a wave of concussive force that threw Makoto into a nearby wall. Hera followed this up by jumping down onto Makoto, dumping water on her and then reaching down to kiss him.
"Get the hell off me!" yelled Makoto punching Hera in the face and knocking her into a nearby horse trough. Not completely surprisingly, since Hera was the one that had caused them to fall into Juesenkyo, the water turned her into a little dog with a fluffy tan fur and a thick fluffy tail curving over its back.
"Arf, arf" barked Hera – Pomeranian.
"I'm sure I don't want to know what you just said," Makoto said then she got hit in the back of the head by the spear that Hera had been carrying, "What the hell? Hey I reconzie this."
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As Ranma was thrown into a market stall by whatever Hera did, he thought about ways to counter it. 'Probably some kinda magic,' he thought. It took Ranma few minutes to untangle himself from the stall he had landed in. When he did he was just in time to see a bunch of the Amazons hit a little dog of some kind into LEO. He also saw his sister standing over to the side looking disgusted.
"Where'd Hera get to?" he asked her.
"She fell into Jusenkyo too."
Ranma looked at where the dog had been, "Oh good," then noticing the spear laying on the ground "Isn't that the spear that you found in that temple before Hera showed up?"
"Yeah, think so" the spear rose up and hit Makoto on the back of the head again. "It keeps doing that. I'm going ta go find Doctor Jones, maybe he can read these rune thingies."
"I better go find Artemis before he gets too far away and turns into a human again." said Ranma as he left.
Ranma hadn't gone ten feet before he got hit with some cold water.
"Ah man." Ranma glared at the sky, "What did I ever do to you?" she yelled at the kami.
She didn't get an answer, but two seconds later she heard yelling coming from the opposite direction of the way she was walking. She turned and ran in the direction the sounds came from, just knowing that it had something to do with Artemis turning into a human again. At least now they didn't have to worry about him being naked anymore thanks to the werewolves.
Ranma soon saw she was right about what had caused the yell. Artemis was in human form trying to apologize for, Ranma guessed, scaring the woman, because there wasn't anything broken; Mostly though he was getting hit on the head with a staff though.
Ranma caught the staff in one hand "Hey, he has enough trouble remembering stuff without ya hitting him on the head."
"You should keep better control of your male." said the woman glaring at Ranma, all the sudden he was glad he was female right now. The woman pulled her staff free from Ranma's grasp and stomped off.
"Man, what's her problem?"
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When Makoto found Doctor Jones, he was being kissed by a rather nice looking older woman with glasses, so she didn't want to interrupt him.
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Tomas had, like Ranma, gotten thrown into a market stall
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Minako was not thrown into a market stall instead she was thrown a ways from the others and landed on the ground. She got up and looked around trying to figure out what just happened. She thought she had seen Hera than all the sudden she was flying though the air. Minako's thoughts were interrupted by a girl around her age with purplish blue hair came up to her and said "You girl, I challenge you! Come with me to the challenge Log now if you are not a coward."
xxxxxxx
Shampoo had just become the Village Champion and proved that she was the best warrior of her generation. She had trained under her great grandmother for many years in order to win the Championship.
Shampoo was annoyed. Her great grandmother had hardly paid any attention to her since a quick congratulations last night. She was most unhappy about this, if it wasn't for those outsiders making a big deal out of themselves then--. There was one of the outsiders now, she would show that she was better that that girl, then great grandmother would pay attention to her again,
"You girl, I challenge you! Come with me to the challenge Log now if you are not a coward." Shampoo said pointing at Minako.
"Um, that's The big log that all the fights were on yesterday, isn't it?"
And now the Outsider was making fun of her thought Shampoo "Yes" she pretty much dragged Minako over to the Log, attracting a lot of attention along the way.
As Shampoo and Minako went towards the Challenge Log, most people were wondering what Cologne was planning with this. Some thought that this was all set up to show how powerful the foretold leaders were, others thought that Cologne had decided she didn't want to give up her leadership and follow a couple of teenagers despite what she had been preaching for years and this was what she was using to get out of it with minimal loss of face, still others thought that it was all part of some complicated Xanatos gambit that was impossible for normal people to understand. In fact the only people who weren't thinking one of those things were Makoto, Tomas, Artemis and Ranma who had no idea who that girl that had just challenged Minako was and Cologne who was wondering what her great granddaughter was thinking.
Minako lept up on the challenge Log balancing with an ease she would have found impossible a few months ago. She was wondering what she was doing here. Things had gotten so confusing in the last few months, ever since her parents death. She shook her head to clear it, now was not the time to think about that. She had more immediate problems to worry about, like the girl who was trying to beat her up.
Minako was able to successfully block the first four attacks. The fifth one though was a low kick that knocked her off the Log. She caught herself and turned the fall into a roll and got up growling, but the fight was already over so she clamped down on those instincts.
xxxxxx
It had been a long time since Indiana Jones had been kissed like this and he was enjoying it, but the kiss had to end sometime.
"You're a great kisser, but why did you just kiss me?" asked Indy.
"You defeated me, so I gave you the kiss of Marriage." said the lady
"Marriage," burst out Indy then visibility controlling himself he said, "I think we should talk about this in a more private place."
"You're right, no sense in acting like a couple of teenagers. We can go to my house. My son should be out right now."
Indy thought for a moment, where her house would not be neutral ground he might be able to find out more about who this lady really was. "Alright, by the way, my name is Indiana Jones. What's yours?"
"Lotion."
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"Just what were you thinking with that little display?" Cologne yelled at her great granddaughter as soon as they were alone.
It would not do for the Village Champion to be scared of anything, but right now Shampoo was rather scared of her great grandmother. However she didn't let it show as she replied, "An Amazon must be powerful and their leaders must be even more powerful."
Cologne smacked Shampoo with her staff. "Don't give Perfume's rhetoric to me, now the real reason."
"Why are you spending so much time with them? Aren't I strong enough?"
"Oh, child it isn't that I don't , it's just... What have I been saying in the council for the past twenty year? I know you have snuck in sometimes, even if the meetings are suppose to be closed."
"Um, that we are just the caretakers for the missing heirs and we should keep the Joketzusku in a a state that they would be pleased with, by... Oh. Sorry." said Shampoo looking ashamed then she brightened up. "Does this mean that the legend will be coming true soon."
"Maybe, now go see if the teacher you won has anything to teach you. It wouldn't do for the Village champion to rest on her lorals.
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Lotion's house was a nice, neat place with just enough clutter to make it look lived in. On the mantle was a framed photograph. The photo showed Lotion with her arm around a man about the same age as her.
"Who's that with you in this photo?" asked Indy
"My old husband. He was a great man and a good fighter. He died last year in a stupid accident," Lotion wiped her eyes, "I hate this stupid law. I don't want to have a new man in my life right now."
"Lady, I have to agree with you there. I haven't gotten over my wife, Marion, dieing."
"Oh, how did she die?"
"Time just caught up with her. Nothing anyone could do about it."
"Oh that's awful."
"Yeah," Indy didn't feel like talking about such a grim subject anymore so he looked around for something else to talk about and his eyes lighted on the photograph once again, "How were you able to get a photograph taken out here anyway?"
"There are people around here who are forward thinking and not bound by the past."
Indy wasn't sure were she was going with that statement "That's good, but one must respect and strive to understand the past if they want to move forward."
"Some might say that, but they aren't addressing our needs. Just you wait, this junk about the returned heirs is just going to be another way to oppress us."
Indiana Jones was thinking that Lotion's statement came out of left field even as he started defending his own statement.
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Mousse came home from watching his darling Shampoo win a fight, to his mother arguing politics with someone. "Has Melon come over?" he asked.
"Put your glasses on dear." said his mom.
When he did so he saw that it was actually a man, not his mother's friend, that was sitting there. "What is he doing here?"
Lotion was not sure how well her son was going to take this. "Well you see, he defeated me earlier today."
"Mother I have studied the Kiss of Marriage law and I know you can just use the Widow Clause to get out of it."
"The what?" asked Lotion.
Mousse rolled his eyes. His mother had been helping him study the Kiss of Marriage, to find a way to be with his lovely Shampoo. How could she not remember about the Widow clause. "The clause that says that if you have been widowed then you don't have to get married to the person who defeats you."
"I had forgotten about that. I will have to go talk to an elder about this."
Indy decided that he would also go talk to an Elder as well, namely Cologne.
xxxxxxx
As Shampoo left, Cologne felt the presence of someone watching her. Once her great granddaughter left she called out. "Didn't your mother teach you not to eavesdrop?"
"No, she died giving birth to me, so wasn't able to each me anything." said Tomas, "So what is the legend you were talking about?"
Oh good it was only that odd red headed boy that had come with the heirs, no must remember Makoto and Minako. He was harmless to her. "Oh just the usual that we will become great and all." Like she was going to tell him the whole thing,
"Lord Oberon says that a new age of heroes is coming, maybe they are connected." said Tomas.
Interesting there were other legends "Oh and what is an age of Heroes?"
I'll tell you when you tell me what your legend actually is." Then the boy just turned and walked off, if he had tried a trick like that with one of Perfune's fraction he would have been badly hurt.
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"Elder, I would like to talk to you."
Thyme wondered what Lotion was coming to her about this time . She didn't have time to talk about Mousse again, she could sympathize with the boy wanting to be an adult, but he was going about it in the most boneheaded way possible. Yes Lotion, what can I do for you?"
Um, I was wondering about the Widow Clause of the Kiss of Marriage Law?"
That surprised Thyme, "I don't see how that is going to help Mousse in his quest to be an adult."
"Oh, no this time the question is about my, um, new husband." said Lotion a bit embarrassed she had been bothering the elder a lot
"What," squawked Thyme, knowing full well that the only foreigners that were in the village were with those girls who should not be here, "My, my, I don't know if I should give you my congratulations or condolences, but you said you wanted to know about the Widow Clause.
xxxxxxx
Doctor Jones and the old ghoul Cologne were talking about something as Makoto walked up.
"...mentioned something about the widow's clause." Doctor Jones was saying.
"That is an obscure clause. It would work, but it takes time, because you have to live together with the person you defeated for a while to prove that, well, that you can't stand to live together." said Cologne.
"What ya talking about?" asked Makoto.
"Doctor Jones seems to have run afoul of one of our laws." replied Cologne.
"Oh," said Makoto, "Hey if me and Minako are suppose to be your guys leaders, then can't I just say for ya to stop following that stupid law." asked
'Please tell me she is joking' thought Cologne but instead of saying that out loud she said, "I thought you said you didn't want to have anything to do with the leadership of the Joketzusku."
"Yah, but I do want ta help Doctor Jones, maybe I could just make a few proclamations then leave."
Cologne sighed, "Makoto how much do you know about government?"
"They seem to like trying to arrest me for some reason."
Cologne just put her head in her hands and wondered if the other Senshi were like this.
xxxxxx
"Let's go get ice cream." exclaimed Usagi.
"We can't right now, Meatball head, we have to figure out why the Gates of Time blew up." said Rei.
xxxxxxx
After explaining the Kiss of Marriage law and trying to explain why a leader can't just go do what they want Cologne asked "Makoto, why are you carrying that spear?"
"Cause if I put it down, it hits me in the back of the head." said Makoto "I was hoping that Doctor Jones could figure out why."
"Hand it over and I'll see what I can find out." said Doctor Jones and Makoto carefully handed it to him.
The spear had two inscriptions on it in Ancient Greek. The first was αλεξικέραυνο which meant Lightning, apparently that was the name of the spear. The other inscription was a makers mark that said By my hand I wrought this for the King of the Gods. Just as Indy was finishing the translation, The spear pulled itself out of his hands and zoomed at Makoto hitting her in the face.
"Didn't hit me in the back this time." Makoto said shaking her head to try and clear away the stars that she was seeing.
"Apparently Hera's not the only one who thinks that you are Zeus, the spear thinks you are too." said Indy trying not to laugh.
"What the hell does that mean?" grumbled Makoto
"There are a number of myths that state that Zeus had lightning bolts that returned to his hand when he threw them. I guess that spear is what the legends are based on." he explained.
"Oh that mean that you can get this thing to stop hitting me." This time Makoto was able to catch the spear before it hit her.
"No and if it came with instructions then your boyfriend destroyed them." said Indy.
"It's not Ryouga's fault that Hera attacked him." said Makoto
Indy thought back to how Ryouga threw Hera though a pillar, but he decided not to mention it. Makoto was looking scary.
Cologne would have loved to hear the whole story behind what they were talking about, but unfortunately she had something else to talk to Makoto about.
"Makoto, there will be a meeting of our faction tonight. As the heirs to the leadership of the tribe you and Minako need to be there."
"Still not sure I want to have anything to do with that leadership thing." said Makoto.
"You seemed to be interested a few minutes ago." said Cologne.
"That's when I thought I could help Doctor Jones." said Makoto
"Well if you are the leader you can help many people."Makoto looked unconvinced, "Look at least let me give you some training in leadership.
xxxxxxx
Each of the factions had their own meeting hall and it was there that Cologne took Makoto and Minako. It was a smaller building decorated with a cersent moon over the door. Inside were quite a few woman, in fact there was hardly room for Makoto, Cologne and Minako to stand.
"Normally this isn't as crowded, but this is a very important meeting, so every one is here tonight." said Cologne as they got to their places.
Makoto soon found out why it was so important that she be here, 'cause what they were talking about was her, well her and Minako. In fact they were talking about what she and Minako should be doing for the next few years.
Makoto stood up "I know I am suppose to be all diplomatic and stuff, but I don't like people telling me what to do. I will live my life how I want."
This had the effect of stopping the debate. After a moment someone thought to ask what Makoto did want.
She replied, "I want to go home. The learning new martial arts techniques part sounds good and I guess the other stuff wouldn't be that annoying, but I'm not staying here for the next few years."
Before Makoto could continue, Minako held up her hand, "There is someone behind the door there and I don't think they are suppose to be there.
xxxxxxx
The smells were something that Minako could never get used to. Unlike most everything else having to do with being a werewolf, it was hard to get away from for even a moment. Right now even though she should be paying attention to what everyone was saying, she kept getting distracted by smells, if only everyone wasn't packed so closely together ; that person was on her period, that one wasn't feeling well, the person behind the door was... wait a minute there shouldn't be anyone back there now. Cologne said everyone was inside. Feeling kinda silly she told everyone about this hoping that they didn't think she was being stupid.
xxxxxxx
The members of Cologne's faction were most impressed with this and soon had the infiltrator dragged into the middle of the hall and "asked"what she was doing listening in on a private meeting.
"The strongest should rule the Joketzusku. I am here to make sure that happens."
"You mean that you were going to try to kill our Heirs." said Cologne.
"Man didn't someone already try that." said the Heir of Jupiter.
"It wasn't us, maybe you should look to one of the other factions."
"Maybe Later, you're the one who is trying to kill me right now. Any way I can prove my strength that doesn't end in someones death?"
"No" was the answer the infiltrator gave.
Makoto turned to Cologne"Why do I want to be the leader?"
"So that people like her aren't."
"That's a good reason." said Makoto.
"Maybe she should go ask Perfume, was it, what her thoughts on the matter are because killing people to prove how strong you are is wrong."
After they "escorted" the infiltrator out, the meeting was much more productive. It was decided that due to both to the heir's wishes on the matter and to keep them safer from assassins. Cologne would go with them as their teacher and if he agreed then Doctor Jones would stay here and act as Regent, a position everyone hoped would stay mostly honorarily for the next year or so.
xxxxxx
After the meeting was over, Cologne decided it was best to make a virtue of the inevitable and go talk to Thyme. She would need to work with one of the other faction leaders to pull off this plan. With the events of the day it was not likely she could talk Perfume around this time. She didn't believe in anything but battle prowess, that normally made her easy to manipulate, but with the events of today that wouldn't work this time.
Thyme's house was interesting, the building itself was about the same as any other in the village, but it had some shiny looking panels on the roof that Cologne had been told were called solar panels. In the yard there was a big table out front that had a number of mechanical devices, a small Chinese flag and Thyme who had seen Cologne's approach.
"I suppose that you are here about your precious 'heirs' aren't you?"
That was a rather obvious statement thought Cologne, but what she said was "Yes, you know someone tried to kill one of them already with a poison dart. It didn't work, of course, but we weren't able to catch the assassin. However it seems that Perfume's people are more likely to use a more direct form of violence then that."
"Unlike you I don't try to control my people's actions."
"There is a certain level at which lack of control makes it impossible to maintain even a semblance of government."
"Did you just come here too insult me or did you have another reason?"
"Yes, I have a proposition for you. The heirs will be traveling to Japan with me to finish their education. While they are there, Indiana Jones will be the regent since he is their current guardian. You should be able to get some influence with him, since he and Lotion are going though the test phase of their relationship as the Widows Clause states they should."
"And make the official leader of the Joketzusku a male! Are you crazy."
She is taking the bait thought Cologne "Do you have a better idea? The regent must be their guardian, that is the law." cologne said oh so innocently.
"Then make Lotion the co-regent. She is married to Indiana after all."
"That is a good idea. So do you agree with the plan?" Cologne said not pointing out the fact that Lotion and Doctor Jones were not actuality married yet.
"I don't know it sounds risky."
Cologne decided to use a technique that Thyme would not be expecting, she was going to tell the truth "Then you will be taking a risk, but not half as large of one as I will be taking." she held up her hand to stop a comment from Thyme. "Someone might try a power play in the Council that I won't be here to stop or Makoto might just decide she doesn't want to have anything to do with us. Yet I can't imagine myself doing anything else."
"Alright, I will agree with your plan." said Thyme, "and just so you know I had nothing to do with that assassination attempt and I will see if I can find out who did."
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Only elders were allowed into the Council Hall so Cologne was not able to take anyone with her. A fact which rather annoyed Tomas, but made Makoto and Minako relived, all that political stuff was confusing. The meeting lasted for several hours. After it was over Cologne came to tell them the results.
"The council has agreed to our plan. I believe some of them thought it was a good way to get rid of me until I announced who would regent while you are gone, but it was too late by then." Cologne had also had to promise to steal Hopposai's school of martial arts from him, but she wasn't going to mention that right now. "We will be leaving just as soon as transportation is arranged.
Xanatos gambit - A type of scheme in which whatever happens the person perpetrating it comes out on top. Thank you TVTropes.
AN: In case you are wondering about Shampoo's speech patterns, She can talk just fine in her native language. The Greek used in the chapter I got online If it isn't correct I am sorry.
Thanks go to teturo for prereading