Captive Audiences
When the rain started again, Lime took Ryu's transformation in stride. He simply grunted and shouldered the pack Ryu rapidly stuffed his clothes into before the change could sweep over him. One of the first things Ryu had resented about being cursed had been the loss of speech. Thus, he found himself astonished at how well he could communicate with Lime; the Musk warrior seemed capable of reading his mind, though in truth he simply understood the body language of tigers. Unfortunately, the questions Ryu wanted to ask could not be conveyed through posture. There were things he wanted to ask about Ranko and Herb, about her involvement with the Musk Prince, about her motive for going to Herb's rescue. Things he had not known how to ask the loyal henchman. Having lost the opportunity, Ryu pushed his curiosity aside and followed Lime as he made his grim and determined way through the foothills of Phoenix Mountain.
The pace the Musk warrior set was far from an all out sprint; it was more of a ground devouring lope that ensured they would arrive at their destination at full strength. When their path took them to the top of a hill, Ryu caught a glimpse of the elusive form of the dragon, Cinnamon, combing the hills in search of Ranko. Ryu doubted Ranko would be found anywhere short of Mount Phoenix itself; if the girl was anything like the Ranma Ryu knew, she would not hang back when someone she knew was in need of rescue. On the other hand, the dragon might simply be making sure Ranko had not been intercepted by Taro again.
The thought of Taro pursuing Ranko to carry out on his threats made Ryu grind his teeth in frustration. He could only hope he caught up to her before the cursed chimera did.
Mint caught up to Lime and Ryu as they arrived at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. Lime gestured for Ryu to wait as he turned to Mint, waiting for the smaller boy to catch his breath after sprinting all the way from the Musk Fortress far across the Jusenkyo valley. When Mint caught his breath, he clasped the hand Lime held out to him companionably. "I'm glad I caught up before you could go in," Mint confessed, with a slightly worried look. "Prince Herb is going to be very unhappy with us!"
"He is already very displeased," Lime noted miserably.
"As the great dragon, Cinnamon, instructed," Mint began, his tone conveying dire news, "I have informed our Prince's father, Emperor Spice, of Prince Herb's abduction." As Ranko had suggested, Lime and Mint had already reported the theft of the Chisuiiton and how that led to the discovery of the loss of Herb's manhood, prompting Herb to visit Jusenkyo. Delivering the additional bad news had been very unpleasant. "In response, Emperor Spice has ordered the Musk to prepare for war with the Hououjin and set off immediately for Phoenix Mountain."
"This is bad news," Lime growled.
Mint held up a hand, indicating that there was more. "I also informed Emperor Spice that Ranko is still pursuing Herb, intent on rescuing her, and that she encountered and fought Taro," he paused to shrug with a wry smile, "I, uh, left out the part where Taro captured her and fled. As far as he knows, Ranko was simply delayed briefly and has resumed her search for Prince Herb."
"That pleased His Majesty?" Lime prompted, looking faintly hopeful.
Mint sighed, "I, too, thought Emperor Spice would be pleased to hear that Prince Herb's fiancée has shown such concern and loyalty. I fear, however, that the loss of Prince Herb's manhood changes things. His Majesty spoke of formally invoking a war pact with the great dragon, Cinnamon, should any harm befall Herb before Ranko reaches her."
Lime bit his lip. "Her. Is that the word His Majesty used?"
Mint nodded. "He has begun thinking of Herb as his daughter again." The same thing had happened shortly after Herb was originally cursed, and locked into female form. It was almost inevitable that a man from a culture that would accept an animal cursed by the Nyanniichuan as a bride would perceive a son cursed by that spring as a daughter.
"Prince Herb is going to kill us," Lime declared forlornly. Even though Ranko and her friends were responsible for destroying Herb's male form, it had been Lime and Mint who caused the truth to come out.
"Perhaps the bird-men will save him the trouble," Mint sighed, gesturing for the three of them to resume their march up the enemy's mountain.
They took a head on approach to reaching Herb, ascending Phoenix Mountain, entering through the normally unguarded lower entrance and allowing themselves to be taken captive by the guards the surrounded them before they could go much further. Since Lime and Mint assumed Herb was a prisoner, it was the easiest way to find Herb. Then, all they needed to do was break out of whatever prison they were put in and fight their way back out of the mountain.
Having been stuck in tiger form before their capture, Ryu was mistaken for Lime's pet. The winged warrior in charge threatened, "Keep your animal under control or Lord Saffron will be getting a fine, new rug."
At a gesture from the massive Musk warrior, Ryu stopped bristling at the bird-men. He paced quietly beside the burly Musk warrior as Lime and Mint were escorted at spear-point up endless stairs and corridors deeper into Mount Phoenix. It was not hard to see that the Hououjin were in an uproar. The patrols they passed expressed surprise at the capture of a pair of Musk Warriors. From the reaction of the guards, and the comments they exchanged, it was clear that the Hououjin believed themselves under surprise attack by the Amazons. It was not hard for Ryu to imagine how Ranko might trick them into thinking they faced more than one foe.
The guards had sent word ahead, so Captain Kiima was waiting for them when they arrived at the block of cells where they were to be detained. Before she approached them, she conferred with one of her underlings for a moment. Unlike the guards that had captured them, Kiima did not seem at all surprised to see them. "I was expecting the two of you to show up," Kiima acknowledged with a note of vindication. "I assume you are here to retrieve the Chisuiiton. I can't believe you were foolish enough to just walk right in to demand its return. I assume you have a message from your so-called emperor, no doubt threatening to send the dragon up against us if we refuse to comply."
Lime and Mint exchanged glances, punctuated by raised eyebrows as they each noticed what Kiima had not said, while trying to impress them with her deductive ability. Although neither of them was precisely brilliant, Lime and Mint were cunning enough to play along, sensing that the Hououjin must not know who they held captive. If they had any idea, they would have realized that Lime and Mint's first impulse would have been to demand the release of Prince Herb.
Lime gave his partner a slight nod, and when they returned their attention to Kiima, Mint spoke for them, "Did you honestly think you could commit an act of war against the Musk and not face serious consequences? If you wish to avoid war, you would be wise to return the Chisuiiton to us. In exchange, you might even be allowed to receive some water from the Kaisuifuu, if you hope to free anyone you have locked into cursed form. Assuming you were foolish enough to risk using the ladle when you did not possess the means to counter it."
Kiima cocked her head to the side. She was not about to explain that she had no choice but to use the Chisuiiton in spite of failing to capture the Kaisuifuu. The man who informed her of Lime and Mint's capture had already told her they did not have the kettle on them, so it was safe to assume it had been hidden where only the most trusted members of the Musk Dynasty could find it. Her spies among the Musk would have great difficulty recovering it. If she wanted to return her underlings to normal and prevent a war with the Musk, it would be easier to return the ladle in exchange for the use of the kettle. "Perhaps you are not as stupid as your reputations suggest," she conceded with a slight nod. With a wave of dismissal, she amended, "I may be inclined to negotiate the return of the ladle for the use of the kettle. It was not my intention to provoke a war with your people. I had need for the locking ladle and did not have time to waste negotiating for its use. However, now is not a good time to sort this out, so I must regretfully detain you two for a short while."
Mint crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her with a cocky grin. "Too busy fending off Amazons, eh?" he challenged. "What did you do to make them mad at you?"
Kiima crossed her own arms and glared back, assuming that he was implying that an Amazon raid could the Hououjin vulnerable to a Musk attack. "That is none of your concern," Kiima retorted, dropping her hands to her hips. A guard coughed softly to get her attention, informing her with a gesture that Lord Saffron was approaching. She acknowledged him with a slight nod and turned back to the henchmen, to excuse herself, "I am needed elsewhere. We'll resolve this when I return."
A few minutes after Kiima left the cell block, Lord Saffron entered, dismissing the guards posted in the corridor. Ryu could not help the growl inspired by the sight of the individual responsible for cursing him. Saffron stared at the tiger, one eyebrow raised in vindictive thought as he mused on the fates that brought Ryu back into his hands. With a slight huff, he decided that it no longer mattered that Ryu witnessed his visit to Jusenkyo. Dismissing Ryu, Saffron turned his attention to the Musk warriors.
Lime and Mint regarded the phoenix lord in stern silence. It was all but impossible to resist the urge to demand to see their prince or ask what the enemy had done to her. Mint managed to bite his tongue, but Lime blurted, "You have something that belongs to us!"
Saffron met their glares calmly. "I have as much claim to the treasures of the Musk as any of you," he retorted, in casual reference to his own paternity. "That is of minor importance right now. You are the personal retainers of Prince Herb. I have questions for you concerning recent events you have witnessed. Answer me honestly, and I will instruct Kiima to negotiate the return of the Chisuiiton."
Ryu paced around the cell, avoiding the space Lime and Mint occupied at the front of the cell. His mind churned through the catalogue of martial arts techniques he knew, searching for a way to escape that cage.
"What do you wish to know?" Lime demanded warily, giving the bars in front of him a slow twist, warping the metal.
Saffron ignored the display of strength, glancing into Ryu's tiger eyes. "As you no doubt already know, I visited Jusenkyo this morning and defeated an Amazon maiden in combat," he began, shifting his focus to the men and watching their eyes change from wary to suspicious. "When she regained consciousness, she answered my questions about the rumor of Fa Shen's resurrection. Your prince challenged her to a marriage duel, is this true?"
Lime and Mint nodded, fighting to hide their relief at hearing Saffron had mistaken Herb for an Amazon.
"Tell me what happened," Saffron commanded.
Lime looked at Mint, who licked his lips and considered what to say. There had to be enough truth to fit the facts Saffron could have heard from other sources, he realized. Taking a deep breath, and running his hand through his hair, before resettling his wolf-skin cap, he said, "It's kind of complicated. Our Prince was commanded by his father to pursue a boy who was cursed in the image of Fa Shen and marry, er, her. He did not know that Ranma was actually the reincarnation of Fa Shen until they met last week at Jusenkyo. Herb issued his challenge to the part that was Fa Shen, but their first fight was interrupted. By the time Herb issued his final challenge, Fa Shen and Ranma were fused together as Ranko."
Saffron nodded to indicate an understanding of the shifts in identity Mint did not understand well enough to explain in more detail.
Shrugging, Mint continued, "Prince Herb defeated Ranko. Or so we all thought, at first. After the fight, we discovered that Herb sustained too much damage…"
Saffron waited for Mint to complete his thought, before interjecting. "Then it's true? Prince Herb was mortally wounded?"
Mint looked down, allowing genuine grief fill his voice, "The man we served… is no more." Privately, he prayed that his Prince might one day be restored to his proper form, but at this moment it was a relief to know those words were technically true. It occurred to him that if the Hououjin had known of Herb's curse, Saffron would have guessed who Herb really was by now.
Oblivious to the ongoing deception, Saffron pressed on to the question that truly interested him. "And is it true that Ranko considers herself to be a man? Even with the memories of Fa Shen, she clings to this 'Ranma's' notions of manhood?"
Mint considered that. His ignorance of women, in general, made this a difficult question. As far as he understood, the only thing that distinguished women from men was the possession of breasts. He could not fathom how anyone who had breast would want to get rid of them, but both Herb and Ranma had fought to regain their manhood. More important, even though Herb had lost his manhood, he probably still wanted to marry Ranko, so naturally Herb would have tried to discourage Saffron's interest in Ranko. "That sounds about right. I don't really know that much about women," he admitted, "but she fought every time to turn back into a man."
Saffron sighed, somewhat relieved at the confirmation of Herb's story, if disappointed about what that meant for his plans for Ranko. Though part of him insisted on waiting until he met Ranko, to find out directly from her if the story was true, it was clear that the impression others had of her was unpromising. "Thank you for answering my questions. I must deal with the Amazons, but once I am done, I will return with Captain Kiima to negotiate the return of the Chisuiiton," Saffron told them, before turning his back on them and making his way back to the prison annex.
"The Amazons await you, Lord Saffron," Kiima announced as he emerged from the cell block. "There is a girl who bears the look of Fa Shen with them," she added, referring to Ranko. "As you instructed, they were escorted to your 'guest's' quarters." Kiima was not happy about it, but Saffron had assured her that it was necessary if they were to avert a war with the Amazons.
"Excellent. Come. It's time I introduced myself," Saffron proposed, urging Kiima into motion. When he received word that the group of Amazons had been captured, he had taken Herb aside and asked her to explain the situation to them, turning a potential act of war into a simple misunderstanding.
It had been mortifying to surrender to the Hououjin, and Ranko was sure that Cologne felt it even more keenly. Ryouga and Mirror endured the humiliation with bitter familiarity, and Ukyo surrendered her mega-spatula with tired resignation. Their spirits lifted a bit as they found themselves lead out of the rough cut warren of tunnels into better surroundings. Utilitarian passages gave way to vaulted, columned hallways, artfully sculpted balconies and bridges decorating the cavernous spaces inside the mountain. The quality and refinement of the stone work and tapestries steadily improved until there was no question they were being delivered into palatial splendor. Cologne's look became speculative as the teens stared about in growing awe. Ranko took it as a sign that the Hououjin had recognized her, and assumed that her relationship to Saffron had earned them the royal treatment.
Ranko kept the thought to herself, however, since their guards' attitudes remained crisp and hostile. The warning from Cologne had discouraged the unexpected impulse to grab Ryouga's hand and give it a comforting squeeze, or ask where Akane and her mother were, or greet Ukyo with a reassuring smile, or confront Mirror to demand an explanation for her failure to fly the people she cared about to safety. She simply had to hope that Akane and her mother were both safe inside the compact, and that her friends knew how worried and happy she was at seeing them again.
Before long, they were escorted into a royal suite, where they were asked to make themselves comfortable before the guards excused themselves, closing the doors behind them. Ranko turned to confront Cologne and her friends with her questions, "What are you doing in Phoenix Mountain? You were all supposed to be halfway to Japan by now! Are Mom and Akane in the compact with Shampoo? Are they okay?"
"It's a long story, Ranko," Cologne told her, cutting through the babble of responses from the other teens, "and this is not a good place to delve into it. Everyone's fine for the moment, and your mother, at least, is safely away with Cinnamon."
Mirror ignored the risk of being spied on by their captors, more worried that Ranko would hold her responsible for failing to live up to her promise. "I was ambushed by a Hououjin after Cinnamon left us with your mother," she volunteered, revealing that her captor was a scout sent to spy on the dragon, who though a duck would make a nice meal. "I waited until we were alone to subdue her and let everyone out."
Ranko frowned but nodded in understanding, quickly checking that Ryouga and Ukyo were both okay, before asking, "What did Cinnamon want with my Mom?"
"We thought your Mother would be the best choice for waking you out of the Neko-ken," Cologne confessed, smoothing her robes and checking that the compact was still secure. She wanted to check on Shampoo and Akane, but did not want to give away the secret of the trap mirror to unseen observers.
Ranko winced, remembering how her inner cat had been provoked and disturbed by how it responded to her fear of dragons when Cinnamon probed her mind. Then, when she was surprised by Cinnamon in full, dragon form, she had felt safer in the arms of a monster that had threatened to rape her! "It's gonna take a lot more than my Mom to fix that problem," she complained apprehensively.
Before Ranko could decide what to do next, she heard a gasp as the curtains to the chamber behind her parted.
"Ranko? What are you doing here?" Prince Herb wondered aloud. Her surprise was underscored by a strange feeling of triumph undermined by dread. However comforting and encouraging it was to know that Ranko had no doubt come to her rescue, nothing good could come from a confrontation between Ranko and Saffron. "What are they doing here?" she demanded, unable to imagine why Ranko would bring her friends and Amazon allies into this.
"Herb! You're okay!" Ranko exclaimed, with a quick, head to toe examination. Noticing that the dragon-blooded girl held herself with an uncharacteristic vulnerability, Ranko grew concerned, "What did that jerk do to you?"
Herb blinked, startled as the memory of Saffron's kiss leapt instantly to mind, and stammered, "He… he… I…. We…." The words failed to come to her as fury, shame and disgust warred within her. Swallowing hard and turning away, she fought to regain her composure. "There isn't time," she announced, worried that Saffron would show up at any moment, assuming that she would have resolved the 'misunderstanding' about her abduction.
"Since you're here, you must have heard what happened," she guessed, rushing into the short version of her tale. "Saffron was coming out of the Nanniichuan when I arrived at Jusenkyo, and we got into a fight. He mistook me for an Amazon, knocked me out instead of killing me on the spot, and brought me here to ask me about you, Ranko. I tried to convince him you wouldn't make a good bride, and ended up encouraging him to accept his 'conquest' of me. I have until he shows up to convince you I gave him the kiss of marriage and went with him to consummate our union," Herb blabbed, forcing it all out as if it would be less painful that way.
"Wha-a-a-t!" Ranko cried out in chorus with her friends.
"You must be joking," Cologne challenged in dry disbelief. It was hard to imagine anything more absurdly ironic than a Musk prince, turned princess, being claimed by the Hououjin demigod as an Amazon bride. From the chagrined look on the white-tressed girl's face, Cologne realized that Herb was not making it up. "I hope, by stressing your need to convince us, that you have not, in fact, consummated such a union!"
"I… well, he did kiss me," Herb admitted with bitter embarrassment, "but that's all!"
"You didn't… uh, kiss him back, right?" Ranko coaxed, wincing in apprehension. When Herb blushed deeply, and gnawed on her lip instead of answering, Ranko turned to Cologne. "It totally doesn't count, right? Right?"
Cologne stared back open mouthed for a moment before answering, "Certainly not!" Then she considered the circumstances. "At least, not as far as Prince Herb is concerned. But, if he keeps posing as an Amazon to protect his true identity… the longer this deception lasts, the worse it will be when Saffron discovers the truth."
Herb bowed her head, hunching in on herself as she muttered, "Oh, that's not the worst."
"There's worse? How?" Ranko demanded.
"My father might see the advantage of Saffron's interest in me," Herb admitted forlornly, meeting Ranko's gaze through a veil of white hair. "With the loss of my true form, and the damage to my ki, I might be stuck like this forever. It might not matter to Saffron that I was born male if I am unable to change back; especially since that would make me a 'princess' of the Musk. My father would not hesitate to force me into a political union to end centuries of hostility with the Hououjin."
Ranko did not know what to say to that. It occurred to her that it was one way to get out of marrying Herb, but it would be hard to live with herself if she let it happen. Frowning, she shook her head. "No way. Not gonna happen, Herb. You're gonna get your manhood back, same as me, and Saffron's not gonna want to marry either of us!" she declared with confidence.
Herb shook her head. "I am afraid that what Saffron wants has more to do with politics and power than any personal interest in you or me. What he needs is an heir. To get that, he'll need a politically suitable bride. That would be you; or me if my father gives him that option. I don't think he was discouraged by anything I said about your experiences and attitudes as Ranma until I revealed that your curse could no longer be permanently locked," Herb confided, raising her head to give Ranko a level gaze. "Once it was clear that no one could stop you from being a man, he began to worry about you asserting your manhood."
"Wait. Hold on a sec," Ranko held up her hand. "Saffron's a phoenix. He's immortal. What in the world does he need an heir for?"
Herb sighed. "I had to start thinking about the politics of marriage when my father ordered me to pursue Ranma. I argued with him, but he countered all of my objections, explaining the obligations of a ruler to his people, foremost of which is to ensure the continuity of government and the preservation of its power. It is the position, not the person, that matters most."
"But, he's immortal," Ranko argued persistently, wondering where Herb was going with this. "Doesn't that kind of eliminate any need for an heir?"
"One would think so, but the fact is, when a ruler seeks out a wife, his objective is to get an heir," Herb explained, pointing a finger for emphasis. "If he wanted companionship, he'd just take a mistress. Marriage is only useful for cementing political alliances and ensuring the legitimacy of the succession. His interest in you makes sense because the ideal choice for him is a woman who can strengthen the bloodline. His interest in me makes sense if he's only concerned about having a healthy heir and closer ties with the Amazons" Herb concluded confidently.
"So, does that mean he could be convinced to choose someone else? There must be dozens of Amazon girls who'd be happy to marry him," Ranko prompted, rubbing her temple to ward off the headache that started as soon as Herb entered lecture mode.
"I'm not so sure," Herb admitted, holding up her hands deflectively.
Cologne shrugged, "I suppose there is still a chance that we are all mistaken. All we really know for certain is that Saffron has learned of your resurrection, taken steps to learn more about you, and considered how you could be of use to him. Until he makes his intentions clear, this is all just speculation."
"You can call it speculation. Based on what he said to me, he was pretty serious about marrying Ranko," Herb insisted.
"And yet, he has shown an interest in you," Cologne pointed out. "It seems to me that the man has yet to decide what he really wants."
"Oh, that is so not the right word! I almost forgot to tell you, Saffron isn't even a man, really!" Herb declared, with mocking laughter. Her hands clenched into fists as she remembered what she had discovered. "Before his dip in the Nanniichuan, Saffron was just a snot nosed little brat!"
Everyone stared at her, slack jawed in disbelief.
"Really?" Ukyo chirped, finding her voice first. She turned to look at Ranko, smirking as she saw the red-head holding her hand over her eyes as if suffering from a sudden migraine. Mirror met her gaze with a cocked eyebrow, and Ryouga stood next to her slowly shaking her head.
Cologne cleared her throat for attention, before observing, "He might have appeared to be a child, but Saffron is anything but that. He's almost fifteen-hundred years old, and has lived through dozens of incarnations. Countless people have underestimated that 'child' at the cost of their lives."
"Okay, so he has a grown up mind in a little kid's body. Whatever," Ranko huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She knew what it had been like, having been turned back into a child by Ryouga's magic aging mushrooms. Turning back to Herb, she demanded, "Back to the heir thing. Why do you think he wouldn't he go for a different Amazon?"
"I'm suspicious of the way he reacted to me," Herb replied with a shrug. "At first, he threatened to kill me if I tried to claim him by Amazon Law. I'm not sure why he changed his mind after I made him doubt your suitability for marriage. He might have been drawn by my dragon nature, but a ruler doesn't marry a girl just because he finds her attractive. I think the thought of taking an Amazon bride never crossed his mind before he learned Fa Shen had been resurrected. At that point, an opportunity he'd been waiting for presented itself. Only when I made him doubt your suitability for his plans did he recognize the possibility of taking advantage of me to achieve what he was most interested in," Herb realized aloud.
"An heir," Ranko stated, seeing the logic but still not convinced. Resting a hand on her hip and frowning, she challenged, "But, how does that really help him?"
Herb chewed her lip, recognizing that as a key question. "One of the things my father said is that a ruler's hands are tied as long as his position is vulnerable. If the weakness does not lie in the person who holds it, then it has to be found in the position itself. Saffron's only a quarter phoenix, but the Hououjin consider him a god. So, his position is defined by and dependant on them, and he is tied up protecting them," she deduced, one hand propped on her chin as the other supported her elbow. "Saffron does not need an heir to his position, but Saffron can pass on the power to defend his people to an heir. With that, Saffron would be free to extend his power beyond the limits of Phoenix Mountain," Herb concluded, crossing her arms and shifting her gaze from Ranko to Cologne.
The old woman's eyes narrowed and she nodded. "The last time Saffron attempted to extend his influence, he dealt a devastating blow to the Musk, but when they struck back at Phoenix Mountain they were able to overwhelm him with superior numbers; and once he was slain, his people were forced to retreat and devote all their resources to defending their home," Cologne recited, withered hands wrapped tightly around her walking staff.
Ranko thought about it for a moment and noticed another problem. "If you're right," she challenged Herb, "shouldn't Saffron see me as a threat? Shouldn't he be worried that his people would think a full phoenix outranked him?"
Cologne sighed, shaking her head as Ranko studied her cautiously. "Your heritage might be more pure, but Saffron has more than forty times your life experience. That kind of seniority would ensure his supremacy even if you were forty times more powerful than he is," the matriarch asserted confidently. It had been Ranko's lack of experience the Amazon Council had objected to when they refused to acknowledge her as an Elder.
"On the other hand, it would be enough to convince the Hououjin they were in safe hands if Saffron does try to expand his influence," Herb proposed, positive that Saffron would have seen the possibility. "As the mother of his heir, the Hououjin could count on you to use your power to defend Phoenix Mountain in order to protect your child. With me as the mother, if I was an Amazon, he might have been able to convince the Amazons to form a mutual defense pact. If he learns my true identity, he might try the same tactic with the Musk," she acknowledged, pausing as she realized how Saffron could have justified accepting her over Ranko.
"What is it?" Ranko demanded, seeing Herb pale.
"You're not going to like this," Herb gulped. "Saffron didn't think of settling for me if he can't have you, Ranko. He realized he could take advantage of me until he could have you," she warned breathlessly.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ranko asked in alarm.
"It's really simple," Cologne cut in, having reached the same conclusion as Herb. "If he can't convince you to give him what he wants, he'll simply kill you. You'll come back as a baby he can shape into whatever he wants. In fact, you'll actually become the heir he is looking for, and Saffron can exploit his 'Amazon bride' until you're old enough to take her place."
"Are you kidding me?" Ranko demanded cautiously, studying the matriarch and the prince in turn. "You seriously think he'll try to kill me if I won't marry him?"
"I'm afraid so," Cologne sighed. She folded her arms and bowed her head in silence for a moment, as the unpleasant possibilities unfolded in her mind. Clearing her throat, she resumed, "We can expect him to try other ways of convincing you first. Most likely, he will try to threaten the people you care about. He'll test your weaknesses before challenging your strength."
"Didn't we just do all this with Herb?" Ranko complained, throwing out her hands in irritation. It was the same, stupid story all over again. It was starting to look like this situation could only end in a fight. "When is someone gonna have enough sense to just leave me alone?"
Before anything else could be said, the doors swung open and guards filed in to take up positions around the room as Saffron and Kiima stepped forward to confront them. While Ryouga, Mirror and Ukyo shifted to keep the guards in sight, Ranko, Herb and Cologne studied the ruler of Phoenix Mountain and the Captain of his Guard. Kiima gave them all measuring looks while Saffron devoted all of his attention to Ranko. His lip twitched at the masculine cut of the clothes she had borrowed from Prince Herb. His eyes flicked over Herb, taking in the similarities, before widening as they took in the cut and fit of the other girls' clothes, in the group that surrounded Ranko.
"Has it become the fashion, among Amazons, to wear men's clothing these days?" he demanded, catching himself off guard as the question slipped out. He could see that most of their outfits were ill-fitting, and at least two of them were of foreign design. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. He turned and whispered into Kiima's ear.
"Yes, Lord Saffron," Kiima responded, with a curt nod, before gesturing to a pair of guards and leading them through a curtained arch deeper into the lavishly appointed suite.
Saffron turned his attention to Herb. "It appears you are someone of great value to your Tribe, Herbal Rinse," he observed thoughtfully, gesturing to Cologne and Ranko as he elaborated, "seeing as an elder and the princess of your tribe have personally come to your rescue! I do hope you have been able to assure them it was not my intention to start a war by bringing you here to my home."
Cologne cleared her throat and challenged, politely, "I must say, I am rather surprised by the girl's story. Are we truly to believe that you intend to honor Amazon law and allow this warrior to claim you as her husband?"
Saffron met her accusation with a disdainful smirk. "I will permit your skepticism," he indulged regally, with a slight nod. "Obviously, things cannot be so simple as that. For one thing, the woman claims to have a prior obligation, which I believe explains the presence of at least one of these young men?"
That earned Saffron a number of shocked and surprised looks. At the same time, the curtain Kiima and the guards had passed through parted again, allowing them to fling a few buckets of hot water over Ranko and her friends. The water splashed over them, transforming Ryouga and Ukyo into boys.
While they all cursed at being drenched, and Ranko stared at Ukyo in horrified disbelief, Saffron resumed questioning Herb, "Would you do me the courtesy of introducing the man whose claim precedes mine?"
While Herb stood there, open mouthed as she tried to squeeze excess water from her clothes, Ranko flicked her wet bangs out of her eyes and stepped forward. "I can see where you're going with this, so I'm gonna stop you right there," she announced, raising a hand to silence her friends before they could urge her to keep her mouth shut.
If Saffron and his Hououjin had not been standing right there, Ranko would have confronted Ukyo and demanded an explanation for her curse. Instead, she gave the okonomiyaki chef a look that promised a confrontation in private and urged her, or rather, him, to bite his tongue.
When no one interrupted, Ranko turned to look at Herb and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but it is my fault you're in this mess," she admitted with a deep sigh. Returning her attention to Saffron, she attempted to diffuse things without revealing the entire truth. "I'm the one she thinks she's in love with."
Saffron stared at her, still shocked by the fact that Ranko had not been affected by the hot water, and stunned by Ranko's revelation. His mind tried to adjust, reevaluating everything he had learned from Herb. "It appears that you are under the influence of the Chisuiiton," he murmured aloud, "but, you could unlock your curse if you chose to."
Ranko shrugged, seeing no reason to deny it. "Yes, if I wanted to risk it."
"Risk it?" Saffron echoed.
"I used too much power in my fight with Herb. If I trigger the curse, there is a chance that my ki flow is too damaged to complete the change. That's how Prince Herb's body was destroyed," Ranko explained, deliberately leaving the story incomplete. Remembering what they had learned from the ordeal with the instant curses, she added, "It's possible that I no longer have a male form to turn into. I'm giving myself time to heal before testing it, but if I have lost it again there's still the Nanniichuan."
It was a calculated risk, revealing the weakness she might have as a result of her battle with Herb, and admitting her determination to regain her male form even if it took another curse, but Ranko felt it was necessary. If using her ki in battle was going to interfere with the curse, her fight with Taro would have already aggravated the damage. But as that fight proved, the power of the circuit had not been crippled. So, if it came to a fight, her confession might cause Saffron to underestimate her.
In the meantime, she had succeeded in confusing Saffron. He turned to Herb and asked, "Is this true? Ranko is the person you claimed to love? The person you sought water from the Nanniichuan for?" Saffron did not know if he should feel infuriated or bemused. He was not sure if their relationship helped or hindered his plans. Something in the back of his head suggested that Amazon law allowed for a situation like this to be resolved through a group marriage.
Oblivious to Saffron's speculation, Herb responded to what he'd asked aloud, "I have not proven my love to Ranko, and I don't know if the Nanniichuan would kill her or cure her right now. I was actually going to curse myself..." Herb admitted, hesitating before adding, "…but, I really don't know if I have a better chance with her as a man or a woman. It was—"
"A fool's errand," Saffron cut in, finishing for her, repeating the words Herb has used the first time he questioned her about it. There was no way to know if Herb would have gone through with cursing herself if he had not interfered, but her feelings for Ranko were obviously strong if she had even been tempted. He paced around the group, studying Ukyo and Ryouga and trying to guess the true nature of their curses. "I find it hard to believe the two of you are amazons. They would not approve of you being cursed to turn into men." He stopped and considered Ranko and Herb. Turning back to Ryouga and Herb, "Naturally, your curses make it more practical to wear clothes suited to your male forms even if you really are women, and you would want to blend in with outsiders if you had been exiled because of your curses, or to pursue the outsider responsible for getting you cursed in order to kill them. But, no. You are here with Ranko. I can't help but find that suspicious."
No one wanted to respond to that, unable to know if it would be worse to tell the truth or let Saffron speculate.
Saffron shook his head, confronting Herb with a very skeptical look. "Your words and your actions are not in agreement. If you truly believed Ranko was a man at heart, you would never think you could win him by taking a man's form. I know the penalty, if an Amazon willingly takes a sex-changing curse, so you would have to be very confident you would win Ranko as a man," Saffron accused.
Herb looked back in stubborn, sullen silence. Saffron knew he had caught her in a lie; one that made it clear that they were rivals over Ranko. He did not need a better reason to try and kill her, so there was no reason to avoid giving him one. She called carefully on her ki, searching for flaws and weak spots in the flow, and hoped for the best when she did not find any. She trapped the energy inside her, letting it build up gradually under her skin, where it would be undetectable unless Saffron touched her. "That would be true," Herb admitted with a mocking smile, "if I happened to be an Amazon."
When no one followed Shampoo into the compact, Akane had dug into their gear to find a kettle, some water to pour in it, and a portable camp stove to heat the water. She had laid out clothes for Shampoo and waited for the water to start steaming. Once Shampoo had changed and finished dressing, the Amazon had told Akane about the fight and how she had been in cat form when they ran into Ranko. While that explained why Shampoo had been sent into the compact, it also meant that Shampoo had no idea how the fight had ended. The way Cologne had reacted to discovering they were deep in Hououjin territory, Akane was sick with dread over what might have happened to Ranko and their friends. They could do nothing but worry until they were let out or someone else was sucked in. If the compact fell into the wrong hands, the next person to fall in could be a deadly foe, so Shampoo and Akane had to remain on guard.
As the minutes ticked by, feeling like hours, their nerves grew frayed. To help put Akane at ease, Shampoo pointed out, "Is good sign, Akane. First thing, anyone get hurt, Great-grandmother make look in compact, keep safe from enemy."
Akane tried to believe her, but she was too good at jumping to the worst conclusion. "Sure, if they're not dead!"
Shampoo shook her head, determined. "No. Amazon no let enemy have body. Great-grandmother make someone to carry body inside. Very sad, if happens, but very good news no happen yet," she argued optimistically.
Akane shrugged, trying to take comfort in the other girl's words. "If you say so." It took only a moment for her to think of another disaster. "What if something happens to Cologne?" she demanded fretfully.
Shampoo snorted and stared at Akane like she was crazy. "Only freak accident kill Great-grandmother some way she no can react. With last breath, if no one to give compact to, she tap, let us out. Better we fight and die than be trapped and die. If someone to give compact, she look in last thing, soon as they grab," Shampoo insisted.
Akane still had doubts, but had to admit that what Shampoo thought was more likely than what she dreaded. After a few more excruciating seconds, she growled, "God, this waiting is going to kill me!"
Shampoo laughed, giving Akane a long, thoughtful look before advising, "Is better think of something else. Distract mind."
"Yeah, right," Akane laughed in frustration, having already tried. "I'm so worried I can't think of anything else!"
"Shampoo know how distract Akane," the Amazon offered with a sly grin.
Akane stared at her suspiciously, before deciding that anything Shampoo said or did would be easier to deal with than her choking dread. Taking a deep breath to prepare for it, she nodded at Shampoo, saying, "All right, go for it."
Shampoo raised an eyebrow and studied Akane for a moment before returning her attention to the dim portal above them. When Akane followed her gaze, reminded of the need to stay on guard, Shampoo asked as calmly and respectfully as she could, "Is true girl-Akane sleep with boy-Akane?" Shampoo was braced for an explosion, but Akane did not make a peep. Shampoo glanced over to see the other girl looking away in confused mortification. Licking her lip, Shampoo gave in to her curiosity, "What that like?"
A glance confirmed that Shampoo was not mocking or judging her. It wasn't even a sordid interest. By even asking, Shampoo was admitting that she had felt the temptation Akane and Ranko had both given in to. It was a difficult question to answer, however. "I don't know how to begin to explain it," Akane protested, though she could not deny how distracting the question was, "but I'll try."
Ranma Nibunnoichi: Reflections – Volume 5: Paying the Price – Part 09
Author's Note: Okay, so you probably were not expecting an update within ten days of the last, after waiting years between chapters. I can't promise to keep up that pace, but I will be trying. This chapter could have been longer, but I decided to make Akane's response to Shampoo into a short story of its own, so I can go into more detail about the night Akane confronted the male version of herself in the bath.
