Disclaimer: Ranma ½ doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Viz Communications and Rumiko Takahashi. Buy the Ranma manga and support your local anime shop, ya'hear?
Author Note: It's chapter 12, and even after over three years, I'm still writing this story. Hope everyone is still around that wants to be, now let's get into the action, fiction machine.
First I Giveth
Chapter 12 With a Hint of Khu Lon
By Marik Kurakashi
Ah, nature, its inherent beauty stirs up a sense of instinctual nostalgia, as if harkening back to the times before the concrete jungles of today. Soun was discovering this for himself, as he had been camping out and training for the past few days. Of course he was not alone, as the former Amazon Shampoo had come across the former crying man and decided to train with him.
The advantage of youth, they say, is better stamina and energy, as well as recovery. On the other hand, the disadvantage of youth was the fact that they were all so gullible that it should almost be a crime to take advantage of that. But, as Soun liked to think of it, youth and exuberance would always lose out over experience and trickery.
Not that he had to resort to tricks against the young Chinese girl.
His trip was sadly coming to an end. Though it was short, he gained more knowledge of who he was now and how he wanted to be in the future. It was time for him to return home and reopen his dojo, to once again spread one of his life's greatest joy to the population of Nerima.
Silently, he gathered up his equipment, deciding to let his campmate sleep in for now. She would be up soon enough, and he didn't want her feeling like she had to do stuff for this elder. He couldn't begin to fathom the Amazon society she came from, this girl no older than his youngest daughter.
It was enough to make his head spin just to even contemplate the lessons that had been drilled into her by the elders of her village.
The packing was done by the time Shampoo had roused herself from slumber. Not paying any mind to the girl as he mentally checked his stuff, making sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. When she had apparently return from the restroom, he looked over at her expectantly.
"Ah, you is going home now?" she asked, still sleepy it seemed.
"Mm, I need to go home, back to my dojo and family." he answered, finishing his check.
"Well, join Shampoo for breakfast before you go?" she asked, smiling a bit as sleep left her.
"Sure, no use hiking on an empty stomach." he said, positioning his pack against a rock.
After a quick breakfast, Soun and Shampoo headed off. The former Amazon girl had decided to walk with him back to the city, no doubt a measure of her upbringing regarding elders. They quietly talked about the art and other stuff, though it was mostly idle chatter.
Up in the trees, something, or perhaps someone, was stalking them. The figure watched Shampoo closely as it silently leapt from treetop to treetop. As the pair was reaching the end of the forest, the figure made its move.
It leapt from the trees, now fully in the sun, it was readily apparent that the figure was a she.
"Xian Pu." the cloaked girl uttered, a feral smile lurking under the shadows of her hood.
"Har Karu, you is Shampoo's enemy! Though Great-Grandmother teach us both, you is one who shall never learn!" the lavender haired girl growled back, her bonbori appearing in her hands easily.
"Ho now, what is this?" Soun asked, placing a hand on Shampoo's shoulder.
"She Har Karu, one I warn lost boy about. She puppet fighter, no hold passion for the purity of war arts, only for toadying up to Elders." Shampoo replied, her venom all but dripping from her chin.
"I see, she must wear that cloak to cover up her brown nose." the Tendo Patriarch mused, rubbing his chin.
"You'll pay for that old man! Once I beat this rogue down, I'll have plenty left for you." Har said, taking a peculiar stance.
"You is all talk and no action!" Shampoo said, rushing forward to strike at her foe.
"Oh that's a good one, you coward. At least I would never run from my responsibilities." the cloaked warrior girl snapped back, blocking the blow with curious sickle-like weapons.
"Shotels?" Soun said in shock, being that shotels were generally a Middle Eastern weapon.
"Har Karu, you is one Shampoo can never forgive!" Shampoo screamed, throwing a quick swing to probe the other girl's defense.
Har blocked it, hooking a shotel around the handle of the bonbori and tugging it away.
"You is one Shampoo hate most!" Shampoo shrieked, flowing with the block into another swing.
Another block intercepted it, this time Har crossing the shotels to block the swing and push Shampoo away. Seizing the momentum, Har launched a quick slashing combo before ending with a hooking sweep of the shotel. Shampoo quickly flipped the grip on both to an overhand one, blocking each slash before evading the sweep.
"Damn!" Har grunted, spinning with the miss in order to recover faster. 'Can't let her get my back.'
"You is one Shampoo always consider eternal enemy!" Shampoo proclaimed before launching a vicious kick at the off-balance girl's midsection.
The kick slipped through Har's sloppy guard, nailing her hard in the stomach.
'S-she's gotten faster!' Har thought, her weapons drooping. 'And stronger!'
"HAR KARU, FOR YOU CRIMES, SHAMPOO KILL!" Shampoo charged with a mighty thrust, one that could easily carry through with that promise.
'That girl… she can't stop it!' Soun thought in horror, sure that he was about to see the mysterious girl's demise.
It would have been the end of Har Karu, if not for the gnarled staff end that suddenly appeared and blocked the thrust completely. The ancient wood, one that shouldn't hold up against the cast iron head of the bonbori, was held in the hand of what looked like an unwrapped mummy. Perched on Har's head, the person glared at Shampoo.
"G-Great-Grandmother!" the girl in question stuttered out, her fighting spirit evaporating.
"Indeed child, it is I." Khu Lon intoned, lowering her staff as her great-granddaughter scrambled away.
"W-what is you doing here?" Shampoo managed to ask, trying her hardest not to start weeping in open terror.
"I am here to find you, my ungrateful apprentice." the elderly woman intoned before hopping off her perch.
"So, Soun said, drawing attention to himself, "this is your Great-Grandmother Shampoo?"
Khu Lon turned her attention to the man asking the question, sizing him up now that she had time to. To the untrained eye, the old man would seem harmless at best. But to an eye as trained as hers, he screamed out threat, one that she decided to heed to for now.
"Greetings, I am Elder Khu Lon of Joketsuzoku," the ancient woman said, bowing her head a bit. "If my name is too rough for your tongue, you may call me Cologne."
"And my greetings to you, Elder." the man said, bowing slightly himself. "I am Tendo Soun, a martial artist on a training trip."
"It is a pleasure indeed, I don't often run across foreign masters of the Art, however different the forms may be." she said slyly, giving him a weird look.
"Have you gone senile elder? That old Outsider, a master of the Art?" Har asked incredulously, rolling her eyes for emphasis.
"No, no I haven't. Are you saying you are more perceptive in this matter than I?" Cologne asked, eyes narrowing, her tone biting.
"Whatever." the cloaked girl muttered, looking off to the side for a second.
That second was all Cologne needed, as the withered elder put her staff to use. A swift and violent swing of her staff blew past any defense Har could even hope of mustering, the staff connecting violently to the chin of the girl. The girl toppled like a sack of potatoes, while Cologne resumed her stance, breathing out a sigh.
"You'll have to forgive me, my idiot apprentice makes me so very angry sometimes." she said, bowing her head slightly again.
The other two could only stare in shock at her.
- - -
An unfamiliar ceiling greeted Kouzo, a clown by trade. Here in this stale hospital room, he wore no make up, no goofy wig adorned his bandaged head. His face was cover in stitches and bruises, a lasting reminder of what revenge had gotten him.
He and his students, bitter clowns like him, had attempted to take revenge for all the indignities clowns have taken over the years. They had defeated that clown puncher Akane, humiliated her even. How were they to know that a bunch of clowns couldn't take one girl?
Of course, that girl had to be the psychopathic Kuno Kodachi.
Reflexively, he jarred as his mind remembered the sound of her ribbon whistling in the air. He shook as though being struck in the face, a reminder of the repeated club blows he had taken to the face. That demoness had thoroughly battered him and his students.
His precious students, his pride an joy, each one like a son to him. He had trained them all as well as he could, honing their innate clowning skills into a deadly blade. They had the numbers, the weapons, and even the training. They should have won, won easily, so why?
"Why did we lose so badly?" Kouzo muttered, tears flowing down his face as his nightmares surfaced to haunt him again.
- - -
"Get her!" Kouzo commanded, his bowling pins ready to strike once his students had gotten her guard down.
Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu no Bakasawagi was a style dedicated to teamwork. Everything about the school, every tenant, was predicated on setting up your teammates for their own attacks. There was nothing for a solo clown to use in defense, it was an utterly offensive art, one that needed high numbers and fast attacks to be successful.
Kodachi, meanwhile, had grown use to being flanked by the sore losers who lost fairly to her. She knew, on a more instinctual level, how to breakdown flanks and expose weakness in teamwork. Her ribbon snapped out, popping the balloon animal held by one of the clowns.
She was already move against the next clown, unmindful or uncaring that the balloon exploded with tremendous force.
With an ethereal grace, she twirled and lashed out with her ribbon, nailing a clown in the face. With a flick, she stole the pie he had been carrying and with another subtle movement, sent it airborne. A quick spring up brought her within reach other the desert turned weapon, which she spiked at a third clown. As that clown dropped his mallet to grab at his face as it burned with piey goodness, Kodachi landed and used her ribbon to bring the mallet to her.
In less than a minute, she had defeated three of the clowns.
"W-what?" Kouzo gasped, their heretofore perfect teamwork shattered.
"O fool, you did not think the Black Rose an easy foe, did you?" the gymnast said, easily holding the mallet in her left hand while twirling the ribbon with her right.
"But… but," he sputtered, "this is impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible for the Black Rose!" she returned, before attack again.
The fourth clown managed a shot with his slingshot , but unfortunately, he missed. After swaying out of the way, Kodachi snapped the ribbon down at his legs, tangling it around them. A mighty tug brought him with in range of the Black Rose, who promptly buried the mallet in his skull.
The fifth clown readied his seltzer bottle, which contained far more irritants than water. Alas, he never got to use it, as the gymnast furiously whipped him three times before tangling him in the ribbon and hurling him into the air. As he sailed into the air, the other clowns warily eyed the leotard clad terror.
Of the nine, Kouzo included, only four remained standing.
"Run away!" one of the other clowns screamed, fleeing in the direction the last clown was tossed. The rest soon followed.
Kodachi tilted her head back and laughed, the fools were running away! If they thought they could attempt to harm the noble personage of Kuno Kodachi and simply get away with it, they had another thing coming. Crouching down, she loosened her legs before sprinting after them.
"How can this be?" Kouzo exclaimed, tears of fear streaking from his face. "How can this one girl defeat us all?"
"Did we escape?" huffed the last clown, who looked over his shoulder.
A garbage can, thankfully empty, sailed through the air and nailed him in the face.
"Takeshi!" Kouzo yelped in terror.
"Waaah, Master Kouzo save us!" the other two chorused, tears flying from their eyes.
"No one can save you!" thundered Kodachi, as she charged at the two.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, we're sorry!" they screamed, both running together in the same direction.
Kouzo thought quickly, he had to save his remaining students or else he wouldn't be able defend himself, er, take revenge on Kodachi. He threw his bowling pins away, before placing at his sides, hands positioned as if they had balls in them to be thrown. Focusing his ki, he formed his ultimate technique.
"Hohoemi bakudan!" he yelled, hurling the two smiling bombs at Kodachi.
"Hmm, what's this?" she mused, before dodging the bombs… which sailed right into the students he had been trying to save.
KA-BOOM!
A purplish cloud of smoke erupted from the blast, which thankfully drowned out the wail from the two clowns. The smoke dissipated quickly, revealing the two smolder clowns, who promptly collapsed. His horror at harming his students gave way to another kind of horror.
"I'm the only one left…" he said, backing away from the girl.
"I must admit, a most impressive technique. It would be better served if you didn't yell out its name though, as it ruins the surprise." she said, smiling sinisterly and she eyeballed the head clown.
"You stay away from Master Kouzo!" Takeshi said, surprising both Kodachi and his master.
"Oh ho, you can still stand? A credit to your bumbling fool of a master, I'm sure." the crazed teen said, her smile turning down right maniacal.
"Takeshi, run away!" Kouzo shouted, panic seizing him wholly.
"I can't abandon you to the whims of this harpy!" Takeshi retorted, struggling to stay standing.
"HARPY!?" the Black Rose screeched. "You, who assaulted me, dare slight me for defending myself against you!?"
"Oh stuff it." Takeshi huffed, wobbling a bit.
"Oh, I'm sure you stuff it every night after training with your master." Kodachi said, a derisive sneer on her face.
"What?" the teetering clown hollered.
"You, who can slight the beauty presented before you, are not one who craves the sensual touch of a woman." she explained, running a hand over her body.
"You… YOU!" he sputtered in indignant rage.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of, the loving bond between a boy and his sensei is a wonderful thing." the girl said in an almost pleasant tone. "After all, I'm sure he has a gentle touch for all his students, both before, during, and after training."
"You witch!" Takeshi roared, picking up the garbage can and charging her. "How dare you slander Master Kouzo like that!"
Said witch simply sidestepped the charge and tangled him up in her ribbon. She reached out and mockingly patted him on his head. Triumphantly, she tossed her head back and uproariously laughed.
"Oh what a cleaver girl I am. I figure, if a metal can to the face isn't enough to keep you down, why not let gravity do the job for me?" she mused aloud.
With a twist, she flicked him into the air.
"By all that is holy, how can this mere girl by so strong?" Kouzo wailed as he watched another of his pupils go airborne.
"Silence, peasant!" Kodachi said, narrowing her eyes. "An attacker should never bemoan the strength of their intended victim!"
"Argh!" the clown yelled, before tossing several Hohoemi Bakudans at her.
"Ha!" Kodachi scoffed as she dodged the bombs. "The clown still posses more tricks does he?"
"You bet I do-ugh!" he started to retort, but was cut off by a club to the face.
"This just might be fun.." Kodachi said, lengthening her ribbon and smiling sadistically.
- - -
"Doctor!" a nurse screamed, "where's the doctor?"
In his bed, Kouzo shook violently as he relieved the beating yet again. Soon, the doctor came and administered a shot that put him into a dreamless sleep. The convulsions slowly stopped, the hospital staff sighing in relief.
"It's such a shame really. Kouzo was always a nice clown." the nurse said, walking out with the doctor.
"I know," he replied, wishing he could smoke right now. "He was the clown at my daughter's fifth birthday party. She adored him."
"Really, what kind of brute would something like this to such a nice clown?"
- - -
"Hiyah!" Nabiki yelled, kicking the bag that hung in the dojo. Ranma was helpfully steadying the bag for her, all the while silently critiquing her kicks.
"Hiyah!" Akane cried as she kicked a dummy out in the yard. She couldn't stand being in the dojo with them, an almost imperceptible feeling of not belonging. She was being ignored by them while they trained, but she had been a little more aggressive in spending time with Ranma when Nabiki wasn't around.
It just wasn't fair sometimes as Nabiki had Ranma to help her understand the family school scrolls as she started training again. She wouldn't allow her icy sister to get better than her, which is why she was reading the family scrolls on the sly. She'd train by herself, and get way better than Nabiki would, who would have Ranma holding her back.
She just had to master this first advanced technique, upon which all the others were based.
Now, contrary to several legends, her father's demon head technique was not a part of the family school. In fact, it was developed solely for get people's attention and/or getting lazy students to obey orders. If Saotome branch was mid-air combat, then the Tendo branch would be ground based.
As far as she could understand it, most of the advanced techniques of the Tendo school promoted greater harmony with the Earth and its ki. The first technique, from which all the others branched from, appeared to be a medication technique. The real danger, was that you had to exhaust yourself before you could try it.
Which is what she was doing right now.
Back inside the dojo, Nabiki was sparring with Ranma, and as it usually went with Akane, she couldn't touch him to save her life. Every kick, punch, chop and cunning thrust all sailed passed the pigtailed boy as he swayed like a palm tree in a stiff wind. It would be very frustrating if the attacker expected to hit her target, but such was not the case with Nabiki.
The sole reason for her to do this, was to build up her routines. While she held no illusions of one day challenging Ranma, having the ability to extract herself from a sticky situation would definitely come in handy. Thus, she trained with him in the Art, to better defend herself in the future when words wouldn't win against fists.
And getting to spend time with her new found friend didn't hurt.
The sparring continued for another fifteen minutes, with no words exchanged between the two. The rhythmic thump on the dojo floor as Nabiki continuously chased Ranma around mingled with the odd grunt of concentration in an odd melody. When it was obvious that Nabiki was tiring, Ranma quickly put a halt to the sparring.
"Okay, now we meditate. Now, I want you to practice that meditation technique mentioned in the scrolls alright?" Ranma said, handing a towel and a water bottle to Nabiki.
"Alright, thanks." she said, taking the proffered items. She toweled down her sweat and slowly drank the water to replenish herself.
"How are you holding up?" he asked, as he toweled down as well.
"I'm okay. Besides, I'll get to regain my wind during the meditation." the middle Tendo sister answered, stretching herself out a bit while being mindful of the gi she was wearing.
"Gotcha," he said, nodding his head.
Both quickly took up their meditative positions, beginning the next phase of their training plan.
Outside, Akane had finally worn herself down enough to attempt that technique. Taking up a loose Lotus position, she closed her eyes and fell away from the world. Blackness washed up around her as fell further into the meditative state.
"Life requires balance," she intoned, reading the scroll aloud. "That which is harmonious shall know true peace, that which thrives on discord shall know true strife. The spirit is wild, needing discipline for balance. Without balance, man shall make enemies of man and nature."
She exhaled and began to glow a soft white color tinged with slight blackness.
"Man is naturally a being of light and darkness. In this natural yin and yang can one understand the need for balance in all things."
The glow shifted from white to a fiery orange.
"Fire is nature's way of showing imbalance to its children. Wild and untamed, through contact with Man fire can be balanced from its inherent chaos. In studying Fire, one can understand what part of Man's balance is Fire. Fire shows itself through passion, be it love or other strong emotions."
Another breath, and the glow shifted from orange to a warm blue.
"Water is nature's balance to fire. Both elements shall cancel one another out, Water always sacrificing itself to quell Fire. Water is calming and serene, yet can also be violent and unruly. In studying Water, one can understand what part Water plays in Man's balance. Water shows itself in gentleness, generally in calm or other muted emotions."
Breathing steadily, Akane focused even more, changing the glow from blue to a rich brown.
"Earth is nature's body. Strong and reliable, Earth supports Man in every way, from nourishing him to being the ground he walks on. In studying Earth, one can understand Earth's portion of Man's balance. Earth shows itself in reliability, showing itself in characteristics such as reliability and honesty."
Once more, she breathed again, changing from brown to a gentle green.
"Wood is Earth and Water's child element. Nourishment from both these parent elements allow wood to flourish, a reflection of Man's own relation to these elements. In studying Wood, Man can find what balance is derived from Wood. Wood, like Earth, is sturdy, but it does not show itself reflectively towards Man as Wood or Water."
Her breathing continued, the glow intensifying as it changed from green to stark yellow.
"Wind is nature's breath. Wind is ever changing and temperamental, as it can be light and breezy, or strong and forceful. In studying Wind, the reflection from this element will reveal its place in Man's balance. Wind shows itself in moods, be they light and playful, or dark and brooding."
Yet another breath, the glow reverting to its original color.
"There are far more to these elements than study can show. There is far more to Man than simple balance between light and dark, and all the other opposing yin and yang. As I study them, I will find balance in myself, and in doing so, gain mastery over these elements."
The glow swirled through all the colors briefly before settling down.
"From Fire I shall take its passion, from Water its serenity, from Earth its reliability, from Wood its sturdiness, from Wind its change. In balance I shall find my truest peace. Even if I shall find myself on the most barren of land, I shall still have all I need to defeat my enemies."
Her glow ceased as she came out of the trance, the world fading back to her.
"I, I did it." she whispered, elation ringing through her. "I may not have mastered it, but it's a start."
She got up and stretched, before going to the dojo to check on Ranma and Nabiki's progress.
Inside of the dojo, Ranma was waking Nabiki from her trance.
"Hey, meditation time is over Nabiki." he called softly, shaking her gently."
"Mm? Oh, ok." she said faintly, coming out of her revere.
"Hey you two, how's it going?" Akane said, as she came into the dojo trying to be inconspicuous.
"Good, we just got done meditating." Ranma said, helping Nabiki to her feet.
"That's good, want to go with me on a quick run before dinner?" Akane asked, trying to fight down the urge to frown at how close they were acting.
"Sure, let's go." Nabiki said, heading to get her shoes on.
And soon, the trio departed from the dojo.
- - -
'Lost again,' Ryoga thought to himself bitterly as he trudged through the streets of Nerima. 'Fat lot I could do in protecting Akane.'
He had gotten out of Tofu's clinic the other day, the good doctor treating his injuries for free. He had rushed from there without thinking, when he could have had Tofu phone the Tendos and bring them there. That hadn't occurred to him until he had already lost sight of the clinic.
Frantically, he kept search, hoping that Akane hadn't been killed yet.
Ever since he ran into Shampoo and learned about that other girl, Har Karu, Ryoga had been panicking non-stop. His dreams were the breeding ground from nightmares, as some shadowy girl killed Akane in varying degrees of gruesomeness. He continued on, imploring the heavens for just one break.
Back and forth his head jerked in a vain attempt to fight off the growing fear and sadness that rippled through him. Akane was in danger, this was no time to be dawdling about weeping his eyes out over a silly nightmare! With hopeful exuberance, the lost boy charged ahead with his mind firmly set on his goal.
And perhaps he might find it sooner than later.
- - -
Some might say that the first time is infinitely more special than everything that follows it. A baby's first step, a girl's first kiss, these and more were all celebrated firsts by people the world over. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that Ukyo was overwhelmed with joy as she put the finishing touches on her first restaurant.
Ucchan's was becoming a reality, a dream finally fulfilled. She would sell okonomiyaki like her father, but she wouldn't give up like her old man did. The old geezer had allowed his cart to be stolen by some stupid fat ass and his retarded thief of a son.
She quickly tamped down on her anger, not wanting to spoil her good mood by thinking of HIM.
This restaurant was hers, all hers. There was no old man to fumble it away, no old man to tell her how to make her okonomiyaki. The sea taught her far better than her father, a first class fool and a low class cook. How he ever sold a single okonomiyaki was beyond her.
It was an art, a passion to the Kuonji heir. Creating new and exciting flavors to put on her okonomiyaki was her reward for her dedication. What did that old fool do except sell the same boring disc that he claimed were okonomiyaki?
Again, she had to tamp down on her anger, as her blood pressure was threatening to take out the roof.
The quaint little shop would open tomorrow, and she would attract everyone. She wanted to attract a particular brand of customer, the gossips and the free talkers. They were the ones who would do her early groundwork for her, the ones who would make finding HIM easier.
Saotome Ranma, how her blood sang to spill his all over the ground. She would oh so enjoy meeting both him and his father again, visions of how she would "thank" them for leaving her behind danced across her eyes. It would be sweet, beyond all the sugar in the world, to complete her first revenge.
Oh her sweet revenge, sitting there for the taking, all she had to do was make it.
- - -
Quietly, Shampoo shifted the weight of Har to her opposite shoulder, the girl still unconscious from Cologne's remonstration for her attitude. She had never seen Great-Grandmother hit anyone hard enough to render them completely unconscious. Her scoldings were always a hard rap on the head, not a full blown swing from the Elder.
Shampoo shook her head, clearing her thoughts away. Everything had changed because of her decision to take exile over claiming Ranma as her husband. Of course the Elder would be furious at her over her decision to run away instead of take responsibility for her actions.
After all, Shampoo had been the one defeated on the log and at the dojo.
Ranma, Ranma, how do you solve a problem like the Saotome heir? She could hardly think about him without having two distinct schools of thought. The first being that he was incredibly attractive, and the second lamenting that he would never be hers as long as she remained clueless to the world around her.
Being an Amazon didn't impress her former Airen, as he had no clue why he should be impressed. The kiss of death fiasco surely didn't help her, but she felt at the time of her discovery of his curse that they could work past that. Her Great-Grandmother would have had plenty of ideas to help her there, ones that were sure to snag him for her.
And then, the dreams came.
The horror of Jusenkyo, only she never emerged from the pool. Falling, falling, as though the pool was actually a mouth of the Earth to swallow her whole. Other times, the horrible feeling as she watched herself foolishly drift along and wait for Ranma to marry her. How she wanted to scream at herself to stop being so foolish and to grow up.
She would awaken the same from them, tears drenching her cheeks as she tried to make sense of the lucid dreams that crippled her will. While she would never know the cause, she would be grateful for their timely intervention, as they had saved her a trip into the cursed pools. Sighing once more, she once again shifted Har, trying not to drop her.
If not for the threat of her Great-Grandmother's retribution, she would have dropped the traitorous girl a long time ago.
"So Elder," Soun started, keeping pace with the hopping woman. "Perhaps you can tell me why Shampoo was ready to kill this Haircare girl?"
"I can," she said nonchalantly, "but I think it's more of a matter of why. What interest do you have with Amazon business."
"For the week I spent training with your great-granddaughter, I learned a good deal about her." he answered, looking back at the girl meekly carrying her hated enemy. "Like how she has tremendous respect for human life and had to psych herself up in order to accurately hunt down her prey. She didn't want to kill the red-haired girl, and yet, I could almost feel her desire to end Haircare's life."
"I see," the old woman said, craning her head slightly to the side before quickly popping said bone in a groaning pop. "Concern for your friend I take it?"
"Yes."
"Very well, I shall tell you all about how this enmity started between the two, as it was told to me.."
- - -
It was the night before the annual tournament, a very still night that was filled with a nervous anticipation by the people who lived in the village. A new champion would be crowned, and the political landscape would be shaped for the next two years by this event. The winning Elder was sure to become synonymous with law, as she would have the greatest power in the council.
With that in mind, the sixteen elders had trained two pupils each for this very purpose. All of them wanted the power this was sure to grant them, and various under the table backdoor deals were made. The two chosen pupils of the Elder Khu Lon were sitting outside near the edge of the village watching the stars.
"Look!" Shampoo exclaimed as she pointed at a cluster of stars. "They are shining more brightly tonight, I wonder if it is in anticipation for the tournament."
"Who knows Xian." Haircare said with a yawn. "All this waiting is boring me to tears."
"I know how you feel." her fellow warrior said, yawning herself. "I can't wait 'til tomorrow so we can show everyone else we're the best."
"That we will, that we will." the other girl said, getting up from her position on the ground.
"Where are you going?" Shampoo asked, sitting up slightly.
"Just stretching out a bit, don't want to get stiff." Haircare answered, stretching a bit.
"Oh, okay." her training partner replied, laying back down.
There was stretch of impregnable silence that stretched across the night. Both girls didn't make a sound as the stared up at the sky in wonder. As the silence continued, Shampoo got up to stretch.
"Xian," Har started as she drew her weapons. "For my future, I cannot allow you into the tournament."
"What?" Xian said in reaction, ducking back from the shotels…
- - -
"Ah, she attacked her the night before the tournament." Soun said, nodding his head along.
"If that were all, I would be shocked at her. But Har also tried to sabotage Shampoo in many ways before the tournament." Cologne retorted.
"Like what?" he asked, curious.
"Breaking her equipment, made sure she got seeded against Shampoo in the first round. She even made a deal with a rival Elder for preferential treatment after the tournament. In a way, that red-haired girl saved Har's life because Shampoo didn't stick around after the tournament to beat her to death." she answered, shaking her head.
"So, she betrayed Shampoo's trust." he said, surmising that as the root of the problem between the two.
"Basically, yes." she said as they neared the city, the skyline seeming dark on the horizon.
The storm had arrived.
End chapter 12
Teaser for Chapter 13:
"Akane!" Ryoga yelled as he approached the jogging trio.
"Ryoga?" the named girl asked, blinking as he charged at them.
"Oh Akane, you're safe! I thought Haircare had gotten you." the lost boy said breathlessly, hunching over to catch his breath.
"Haircare?" Nabiki asked, looking at her little sister's hairdo.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ranma asked before Akane could start to get mad at that.
"Another Amazon, after Shampoo. Shampoo herself told me that this girl is a ruthless fighter and would kill Akane if ordered to!" the sometimes pig said, waving his arms in overstated panic.
"What? Why is she after me?" Akane asked, any ire at the unintentional insult gone.
"She's not, it's just… I dunno." he responded, crossing his arms sternly.
"You don't know?" Nabiki asked, leaning in to glare at him.
"Of course not!" Ryoga snapped right back, shirking away from her glare.
"And why not?" Ranma put in, glowering at his nominal rival.
"Because I forgot." he said, triggering a mass face fault.
Author note: Wow, done in a day… Is this the twilight zone? Later. Also, in the flashback between Har and Shampoo, it is assumed they are speaking in Chinese.
