Chapter Fourteen
Cast in the shadows of the night wrapped in a dark cloak and hood Ryoga Hibiki stood outside the Cat Café Restaurant in the cold, windy night. Rain drizzled down upon him like droplets of spit, but he was not concerned with it, he was protected by the thickness of his cloak. It kept out the wetness and prevented his body from a sudden transformation into P-Chan.
A red curtain stood out on the walkway outside the restaurant indicating that it was still open for business, however when he went inside he saw no patrons in the eatery. The hour was late and it was obvious to him that they were in the process of closing up shop for the night and had forgotten to take the curtain inside. The place looked empty, void of life, dark and secluded. But there was life in the kitchen as he heard the sound of rushing water running and the clatter of dish against dish as they were being washed.
Ryoga ventured further into the restaurant and saw Shampoo from the chest up through the serving window washing dishes. Mousse passed behind her carrying a stack of dishes that seemed to be unbalanced. They wobbled from side to side.
She was a beautiful girl, but his heart belonged to Akane. Akane was the girl of his dreams. Though that didn't prevent him from noticing other girls. He was a guy and it was his nature to look at girls, but out of all the girls had had seen and talked to, Akane Tendo was the one he loved and wanted to marry. She was tomboyish, violent, over-bearing and mean sometimes, but he loved her all the same.
"You be careful, Mousse," Shampoo said, "dishes very breakable and expensive too."
"I can handle it, Shampoo," Mousse said. Though it was obvious from what happened next that that he underestimated his chances of getting them to where they were supposed to go safely. And there was a loud shattering crash! The noise echoed through the dark, barren restaurant. Mousse had dropped them.
"Mousse!" Shampoo said loudly and angrily.
"MOUSSE!" Cologne, her great-grandmother, said, echoing her heated sentiment. "You're paying for those! You're going to work overtime for six months until you pay for every last one of them!"
Mousse sighed and groined mournfully. "I'll get a broom," he said.
Good, they're all here. I can kill two birds with one stone. Actually three. But I only need Shampoo and Mousse for the master. The old hag shouldn't be a problem to incapacitate. At least, I don't think she will?
The swinging door to the kitchen swung open and Mousse walked out. The eatery was in complete darkness and he had no idea that Ryoga was standing within its dark void. And nor did he see the chair that was in front of him. He bumped it and then tripped over it and fell head-on onto a table. It creaked and then snapped, collapsing under his weight. There was a tremendous bang and crash as both he and table slammed into the floor hard. His face flattened against the surface of the table as his face slammed into it.
"Mousse!" Shampoo rang out angry, obvious to her that he had broken something else.
"MOUSSE!" her great-grandmother shared her sentiments. "A year's overtime!" she then said.
He felt his sore face and adjusted his glasses with his middle finger as he got up from the floor. "Sorry," he muttered as if saying it would make any difference about how they felt about him. He was more of a nuisance than a welcome guest. They treated him like a child they never wanted or an adopted pest. The lack of respect they gave him was awesome. But somehow he tolerated their mistreatment because he loved Shampoo. He followed her all the way from China and hoped to one day marry her. But first he had to defeat Ranma Saotome in battle to prove his worth as a suitor. "Now where is that light switch?" he said.
He located the light switch and the restaurant lit up bright. "You'll never win her heart, you know that," Ryoga said. Mousse jerked around started by the sound of his voice. "She's an Amazon and therefore has a debt of honor with Ranma, her husband-to-be. You have no chance of separating them, they're meant to be."
"And who are you?" Mousse said to the stranger in black.
"I can help you win over your beloved, make her forgot about Ranma Saotome forever," he said.
"How?" Mousse wondered.
"By eliminating the completion. Ranma Saotome is a disease and I have the cure."
Mousse adjusted his glasses again and looked at him with a confused stare. "Ranma Saotome is annoying, egocentric, and a womanizer, but I wouldn't compare him to a disease. Nevertheless, you have my full attention. Who are you and what can you do for me to defeat Ranma Saotome?"
"Join forces with me and together he will go down!"
"Mousse!" Shampoo screamed at him. "Dishes won't clean themselves!"
"I'll be right there!" he said back. Then he said to the stranger, "Tell me who you are first?"
"Is that really important? Do you want my help or not?"
"Humor me," he said. "I'm interested in your proposition, but I'd like to see who I'd team up with." Ryoga pulled back his hood. Mousse was surprised and perhaps a little amused. "Ryoga? What the hell are you doing dressed like that? You look like you're dressed for Halloween."
"I'm a messenger for my master," Ryoga said. "And I dress abiding by his request."
Mousse looked at him strange. "A messenger?" he said, and then located the broom he originally came out for. He crossed the room and grabbed it. It was leaning up against the wall near the door. "You also sound different, more… confident."
"I've been commanded by my master to gather an elite force of warriors to pit against his greatest enemy," he said.
Mousse stopped and stared at him, and then started to laugh. "Is this a joke, Ryoga? Did Ranma put you up to this? Did you lose a bet to him or something? Tell me."
"I'm not joking, Mousse. I'm here to recruit you for my master's army."
"Mousse!" Shampoo said, bursting through the swinging door. "What are you doing out here?" Then she noticed Ryoga standing just inside the door. "Oh, Ryoga. Nice to see you. Go home. Restaurant closed."
"I've come to recruit you, too, Shampoo," Ryoga said to her.
Shampoo said, "What you mean?"
"He says he's under orders from his master to recruit us for his special army," Mousse explained sarcastically. Then he laughed.
Shampoo said, "Joking over. Restaurant closed. Come back for breakfast tomorrow. Mousse back to work."
"He recants the facts correctly," Ryoga said. "You two are to be my master's newest recruits."
"Be gone demon!" Cologne burst out of the kitchen with her walking stick at the ready as if she believed it was a magic ward or something with equal power to fight off a demonic spirit. "Your presence is not wanted here! You will not take my grand daughter or her friend for a sacrifice to appease your master."
"Ah, the old hag," Ryoga said. "Do you have such little confidence in your great grand daughter that you are unwilling to allow her to fight me? She looks like a spire Amazon warrior and a worthy fighter."
"I can take him, great grandmother," Shampoo offered. "Is only Ryoga. He acting funny, but is only him."
"Careful child, Ryoga is being possessed by some powerful demon," she said. "I could sense the dark arura from in the kitchen. It's cold and evil. You are no match for him at this juncture. There is another speaking through him." She then said to Ryoga, "What's the name of your master?"
Ryoga sighed annoyed. "You ask too many questions for Amazon warriors," he said. "I thought your bred of warrior fought first and then asked questions later. I see that becoming urbanized has toned down that violent and aggression behavior. Allow me to inspire you to become more like your ancestors. Give me a taste of some of that primitive, animalistic Amazon woman pride I've heard so much about!"
"That can be arranged," Cologne said. But she was afraid she might hurt Ryoga. Ryoga's body was host to a demonic spirit, but his own life form must still reside inside somewhere. And if she killed this demon, she would also kill that good-hearted, innocent kid. She had to be cautious, however. This was not Ryoga.
Ryoga extended a finger and used the Breaking Point technique to attack, touching the floor, caused it to crack. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne jumped out of the way and then ran into the kitchen.
But Ryoga didn't stop there. He launched the same attack and destroyed the kitchen, sending dishes and pots and pans everywhere. He smirked and suddenly the water main broke and the entire place flooded. However, to avoid getting wet, he quickly escaped the eatery through the front door.
There was a back exit and he quickly jumped onto the roof to follow the escapees. But suddenly the roof creaked and caved in under his weight. He fell through and got caught by a geyser of water.
He changed into P-Chan.
He shook his head growled at the change. Then he ran out the back door in a back alley. Both Shampoo and Mousse had changed too, caused by the water. They got wet when the kitchen water main blew. Shampoo was now a pink cat and Mousse was a white duck. Cologne was fine. She was not cursed.
It was now a stand off between animals. But as Cologne was human, she had the upper hand. And when P-Chan attacked Shampoo and Mousse, she used the Hiryü Shöten Ha technique to coax P-Chan into a spiral, using his fighting spirit against him. And when they got into the middle of the spiral, she hit him hard with her stick and sent him flying through the air towards the back of the alley. He bounced, and then lay there unconscious in the alley.
Shampoo meowed concerned. "Be careful child, he is not dead," Cologne said.
She ignored her warning and went over to him, but she should've heed her great grandmother's words, but as soon as she got within striking distance P-Chan quickly opened his eyes, he faked his injury, and to her amazement, and to all their astonishment, Ryoga reverted back human without aid of hot water.
"Foolish mortals," he said, wiping blood from the side of his mouth. "Did you really think you could defeat me, general to Lord Xi'an's army?" Cologne gasped at the name. "I'll make you suffer for your transgression. The sole reason I came here was to collect two warriors for my master's army and that it precisely what I intend to do and no one is going to stop me!"
"Are you still playing around with these two?" Copycat Ken said, as he watched from above on the roof top to the Cat Café Restaurant. He was standing on the edge of the roof with his hands in his pockets. "We have a schedule to keep." He then rolled his eyes. "Are you naked again? God, why is it so difficult for you to keep your clothes on? I'm starting to wander if the master appointing you as general to his army was merit."
Ryoga gave him a nasty look.
"Copycat Ken, what is your involvement in this?" Cologne wondered.
Copycat Ken couched down casually as if feeling perfectly confident. "I'm just a humble servant," he said. Then he laughed. "Whoa Ryoga! You sure know how to pick'em, dontcha? You can't even defeat this old broad. If you can't beat her, how on earth do you think you're gonna beat Saotome a week from now?"
"Why has Xi'an returned?" Cologne said straight. Both Ryoga and Copycat Ken looked at her. "He and his clan were wiped out centuries ago by Emperor Sho Tao Ming for creating a coo against the state."
"So you're familiar with our master?" Copycat Ken said. "Then you can deliver a message to Ranma Saotome, the last survivor of his family's clan. Lord Xi'an challenges him in one week to a duel. Tell him if he refuses to show, then his friends will die." He turned to Ryoga. "While you were skulking around here, Ryoga, I located Uyko. One more to go! Along with her, the Kuno siblings, and these other two, Lord Xi'an's army will then be complete. Grab them quickly and let's get outta here. And for god's sake, put some clothes on!"
"I will not let you take them!" Cologne said. "You will have to get past me to get to them."
Copycat Ken rolled his eyes and sighed quietly to himself. "Fine, have it your way," he said. He jumped down beside Ryoga. Ryoga quickly got dressed. Though his clothes were soaking, he no longer feared changing. The demonic spirit inside of him prevented the change. Almost as if it has cured him of it. "You take the duck and the cat back to Lord Xi'an and I'll take care of her. Saving your butt again?"
"Have you forgotten already that I saved you from that crocodile when we were at the Kuno estate? You were scared to death of it hiding in that tree. I don't need you help. So, go away! I can take her."
"On second thought, let's take her with us," he said. "She might be a value hostage."
"What worth is she?"
"Never discount your elders," Cologne said. "I may look frail, but appearances can be deceiving."
"And never underestimate the young, old woman," Copycat Ken said. And putting his fore fingers and thumbs together while closing his other fingers into the palm, an ball of energy formed between his hands in the hole. Cologne looked at it wide-eyed, and noticed the configuration of his hands. She had seen that before. It was an ancient sign used to summon a demonic power. She went to flee, but Ken sent a blast towards her and it caught her directly. Cologne hit a brick wall and dropped to the ground unconscious.
Shampoo looked at her and then growled angry at the boys, ready to attack. Mousse quacked angry, and flung his wings open to expose an assortment of knifes hidden within the feathers.
"Do you think you can handle these vermin now, Ryoga?" Ken said.
"I said I don't need your help," he said. "Now go! I can handle them."
Copycat Ken smirked. "Just don't screw it up," he said. "The master needs them."
"I know what the master needs," Ryoga said firmly.
Ryoga quickly sent two small Shi Shi Hokodan blasts at Shampoo and Mousse, pinged, and subdued them easily. Then he went over and picked them up and put them into a large sack.
"Leave the old hag there," Ken said. "She can be our messenger to Ranma Saotome."
Ryoga nodded, agreed, and then left the alley with Copycat Ken, with his trophies in hand.
"One more to go!"
To be continued...