"I told you, Pop," Ranma said. "I can't teach you, I didn't really learn it, it
just happened!." Ranma frowned, he hated getting knowledge like that. He didn't
understand the basis of it, and couldn't repeat the information to anybody.
He knew how to inact change forms between most any animal from the size of a mouse
to the size of a large bear. He just didn't understand how it happened, and hadn't
taken the chance to try out these new tricks to see if he could reverse engineer the
knowledge.
At the moment he was staying in one of his six "true" forms, trying to remember
exactly what happened. He remembered the demon, he remembered some...thing entering
him, her at the time, and then a blur of images followed by his pop splashing him
with hot water.
There was a certain degree of urgency involved here, something about that demon
and the end of the worlds that he had to do something to stop. It had been all so
clear for a moment and then, gone, a confused jumble.
"Sirs, perhaps there is help in the surrounding villages," the Guide suggested.
"The Amazon elders have great stores of knowledge about Jusenkyo."
Ranma nodded politely, that wouldn't help his situation. Jusenkyo was
a shapechanging magic, but something else had made him a natural shapechanger,
something the curse would usually just roll right off of. Of course, the
curse had made one parting shot, which is why Ranma had six forms he considered
true and natural rather than the standard three for a hengeyokai.
"Amazons," Genma scoffed. "How would a bunch of women help us?"
"Oh very powerful, sirs, very strong," the Guide explained. "They have
much wisdom gathered over three thousand years."
"Sounds good," Ranma said. "An' then maybe on the way I can figure out
what the trick to this is." ~I'll need to learn more, I might need to teach
one of the others.~
Ranma paused as he tried to remember what others. Whatever that spirit
had done before she died, and Ranma was sure she died, he wished she could
have gone about it in a better way.
There is no way Ranma could, or would unless desparate, teach someone
the same way. The most he would impart was a basic instinct to such between
the natural forms. If they wanted to become master shapeshifters, well,
they'd just have to wait until he learned how he did what he did.
Ranma did NOT like instant ability like this. It completely messed
his ability to judge what was possible.
"What are saying boy," Genma demanded. "We don't have time to be
stopping so you can sow some oats."
"Ehh? I know why I want to hurry, why do you?" Ranma asked. "Never
mind, Pop, there'll be food there."
"What are we doing just standing there boy?" Genma demanded. "Get
moving to that village!"
************
Ranma walked behind Genma, so he could keep an eye on the old fart, and
practice a little undisturbed. First thing she had discovered was that her
male and female body's were in approximately the same physical condition,
though SHE was faster and HE was stronger.
It was also apparent to him that exercise in one form did not necessarily
carry over to the other except in small amounts. This was both good and bad.
It was good in that he always had a tremendous reserve of endurance to fall
back on. It was bad in the fact that that meant he'd have to train in both
forms equally hard.
That meant twice the amount of work for the same increase. Or he could
ignore one side and just improve the other, but that would negate the benefit
of having a reserve of endurance. She'd have to see if there would be similar
problems for maintaining her power in any of her other forms as well, but it
felt like it was mainly a male/female problem.
That wasn't the only change, he/she felt as she changed behind her father.
Ranma's chi control was much better and her chi had been heightened greatly.
There was also a very strong elemental nature to her aura, and not of any one
particular element either. He'd have to play around with his chi a little to
figure out what he could and couldn't do now.
Then there was the amusing fact that her yang chi became dominant in her
female form, while her yin chi turned dominant in her male form. Apparently
the universe had a sense of humor.
That brought up the last major change Ranma could identify. SHE wasn't
having a hissy fit about being a girl. This was further pointed out by the
fact that she was using the term hissy fit in her thoughts. Really, this
form felt just as natural to her as her male form.
She did manage to grumble a little at that, voicing some remembered dislike
of any trace of femininity. The universe really did have a sense of humor.
She was brought out of her reverie in time to note her father brush a branch
out of the way and get drenched with some old rainwater that had apparently been
sitting on the large leaves.
"Good one, Pop," Ranma smirked as the village came into sight. The panda
glared at her and then started a tirade that was obviously centered on Ranma being
female. "Quiet Pop, we're getting into town."
She looked around and noted some sort of tournament was going on. She scanned
the crowd and noted a bench full of food, and was about to approach it when she
noted the sign on the bench marking it as "First Prize."
"Huh," Ranma said, not bothering to realize that she shouldn't know Chinese
of any dialect. "I'll have to look for food elsewhere."
Ranma paused as her recently enhanced chi senses picked up on something in
the area. She hadn't found it yet when she noted one of the contestants, and
behind her in the crowd. She could find that big chi aura in a moment, probably
an elder and unsuitable, but...
"Two and three," Ranma whispered, only barely aware of what he meant by that.
Then she frowned. "Ohhh...she did NOT just call me that."
************
Cologne turned as she felt the strong chi that had entered the village. It
wasn't entirely human, seemingly tied into the elements that made up the world
and life. Finding the outsider was the nearest thing to instantaneous she had
ever accomplished.
The red head started for the first prize table, making Cologne's mouth quirk
up. Perhaps the spirit folk, or whatever she was, would give her granddaughter
a taste of humility. That was not to be however, as the girl stopped and shrugged.
Cologne sighed for the lost chance at some amusement and continued to watch the
stranger.
The girl suddenly started looking about the area as she felt Cologne, or
perhaps some other of the elders. Then the girl's eyes stopped, focused on
the tournament and the crowd beyond. She blinked a moment, and Cologne watched
her mouth three words in Japanese.
Looking down the line of the girl's sight, Cologne found Shampoo awaiting
her next round, and behind her Mousse cheering her on.
~What interest does that girl have in my granddaughter,~ Cologne wondered
as Shampoo stepped up to her next, and final round. Then fate stepped in.
************
"Looks like I finally get to drive your high bred skull into your neck,
Xian Pu," the giant was saying with a smirk.
"In your dreams, Dou Lu," Shampoo answered back.
"You can't possibly beat Xian Pu, Dou Lu," Mousse declared.
"Mu su, stay out of women's business," Shampoo said coolly and with a
hint of disdain. "Go bother the outsider girl over there."
"An outsider?" Dou Lu frowned.
They all remembered last year when two guards had failed in their posts
to do some gambling instead. A group of slavers armed with guns had attacked
and killed a number of warriors before they could be put down.
"She's with the Jusenkyo Guide," Shampoo said, waving her hand.
"Probably here on business or something. What, Dou Lu is afraid of a
measly Japanese bitch?" Dou Lu grumbled at the insult, but couldn't think
of a retort.
"She's looking this way," Mousse noted. "And she doesn't look happy."
"Oh forget her," Shampoo said. "I want to get to my prize."
She jumped to the log and waited for Doll.
"It isn't your prize yet puny girl," Doll growled, following.
************
Ranma watched as the purple haired girl fought the giant on the log.
She shivered slightly as she watched Shampoo, not from the thought of
facing the girl. Rather it was two things that had her uncomfortable.
The first was the act that she had to do to make the two hengeyokai
like her. She had never kissed anyone before. What happened when, not
if, they took it the wrong way? And what if she did it wrong and they
thought it was gross or something? Would she go through life being
known as a bad kisser?
The second reason was the animal spirit that Shampoo was most
allied with. This was far more intimidating to Ranma's mind,
though for once the very thought didn't send him screaming in fear.
She'd just have to remember to ask somebody else to work with the girl
more often.
~Why a cat?~ she asked. She had power though, and tenacity.
That was very good for what was coming. Ranma frowned and wished
she could put together more than a fragment thought of what was
coming.
"Uh, sir," the Guide said behind him. "What you doing?"
Ranma turned around to see his father demolishing the first
prize feast amongst the stares of many Amazons.
"KUSO-OYAJI!!!!" Ranma shouted just before the table exploded
as a bonbori impacted it.
"Why did you let your panda eat my prize?" Shampoo demanded.
Ranma was about to answer when the Guide translated.
~Hmm, probably a good idea to let them think I don't know the
language for now,~ Ranma said, then realized that she knew the
language. She blinked, growled about instant knowledge and then
spoke to the guide. "Could you try to explain Pop to her?"
Ranma smacked her father on the head and growled at him. The
panda grumbled as if to ask what that was for.
"That was the prize for the tournament jerk!" Ranma explained.
The girl spoke again.
"She say give her panda as payment," the Guide said.
"Can't do that," Ranma said. The Guide translated.
"Then she say if you beat her then the prize would be yours,"
the Guide say.
"A duel for the feast, eh?" Ranma asked listening to the various
comments around her. Something about a no-win situation and the kiss
of death. ~Well, that's convenient...just have to make sure I win.
Should be easy.~
That powerful aura approached again and he saw a withered old
woman sitting on a stick, judging by the auras, she was related
to the girl. Then that boy she had seen earlier approached and
glared at her, making overly protective comments under his breath.
"I'm game." Ranma fought to keep her smirk in place as she
answered, wondering if either of the other people would interfere.
She considered her plan carefully, viewing as she would any
battle. Only the rules and goals of this battle were vastly
different.
************
Cologne pogoed forward to watch the situation with a sense
of concern. The red-head was an unknown quantity, and she had
not missed that the girl did not need to be told that the feast
was a prize. Which probably meant that she was going into this
with eyes wide open about the Kiss of Death.
Cologne moved to her daughter and laid a hand on her arm.
"Be careful young one," Cologne warned. "I suspect there
is a trap in this game for you."
"The trap is for her, Grandmother," Shampoo insisted.
"She loses, she dies. She wins, she still dies when I
kill her later. Besides, is too late now, I offered, she
accepted. I can't back out now."
"That is true," Cologne nodded. "But you should know
that your opponent is only partially human, there is a
touch of something in her that has not been common since
the days I was born." Shampoo blinked and looked at the
red-haired girl more cautiously now.
"She is still somewhat human," Shampoo said finally.
"She can die."
"But Xian Pu, if the old monkey is right then you
could be killed!" Mousse moaned. That settled Shampoo's
mind, a bonbori smash to Mousse's head later and she was
on the log.
Genma meanwhile sat and peacefully munched while
Amazons were visually measuring him for a throw rug.
He was quite confident in his son's ability to win,
and settled down to watch the show.
As expected it was short, sweet and to the point.
Within a few seconds Ranma had kicked the purple-haired
girl off the log and to the ground. She landed and a
sour looking woman stepped forward to raise her hand
as the victor.
Shampoo shook her head clear as she stood up and
glared before smirking and striding toward the girl.
Ranma turned to face Shampoo, seeming totally naive on
the surface, but Cologne could feel her preparing her chi.
Shampoo laid a hand on the girl's chin and started
to place the Kiss of Death. Cologne's eyes bulged as
the red-head's chi concentrated enough to be visible
to her and then travelled up the throat towards the
mouth. But she didn't have time to warn Shampoo.
Shampoo was surprised when the girl swiftly turned
her head so that her kiss wasn't placed on the Outsider's
cheek as planned. When the girl grabbed her, gently but
firmly holding her in place, she was even more surprised.
Then came the kiss.
It was like molten rock and freezing sleet being
rammed down her throat while animals howled into the
night sky. It was ecstatic and painful all at once.
Then it was over.
"I'm sorry, little sister," the outsider girl said
in Chinese. She spoke sadly, formally and quietly as
Shampoo started to crumple to the ground, feeling very
sick. The girl lowered her gently. "But you're needed."
Shampoo passed out of consciousness, and missed all
that happened after.
Then Guide was grabbing the Panda and the Outsider and
dragging them out of the village.
"VERY bad, very bad sirs," the Guide said. Ranma wasn't
paying attention to the Guide, she had one more thing to say.
"And don't even THINK about sending that puny wannabe
warrior BOYFRIEND Mustcache or whatever," Ranma shouted
in Chinese. "Ain't no way HE can come close to beating me!"
"Sirs, you is very crazy no?" the Guide asked as they
hard a male voice screamed and charged forward.
"I need to talk ta the guy," Ranma said shrugging as
she started running on her own. "You guys go on ahead,
I'll slow him up."
"You sure, sir?" the Guide asked before noticing that
the panda was already well down the path back towards
Jusenkyo.
************
A raven flew in through the Guide's window and landed
on the floor to turn into the panda man's son. Ranma's
father answered this bit of sensory information with the
option of fainting.
"Young sir, you is alive?" the guide said wonderingly.
"How you change to bird?" the Guide asked. "Jusenkyo?"
He had thought that the pools mixed, not replaced old curses.
"Jusenkyo can't touch me," Ranma said. "And I
changed to a bird when I took out Mousse."
"Oh, sir, you not worried about them coming for you?"
the Guide asked as Ranma calming started fixing dinner.
"If I heard right, those two will be the only ones
coming," Ranma said softly, irritably. He sounded like
someone hired to do a very dirty job. "An' what I did
to them will take a little longer to work itself out
than what happened to me. About two days I think."
************
Cologne watched over Shampoo as she shook and shivered.
A fever was raging through her body, and her chi was
transforming out of control. That outsider girl had
definitely laid a trap for Shampoo, though Cologne had seen
the look of remorse that followed the kiss.
"What do you think it is elder?" one of the others asked.
Cologne shrugged.
"Perhaps this is a technique called the Kiss of Death and the
outsider was defending her life," Cologne said. "But the girl
showed an interest in Shampoo from the moment she saw my
granddaughter. I do not yet know her intentions." A few more
Amazons arrived, bearing a stretcher with Mousse in a similar
state of affairs.
"We found him about two miles outside of the village," the women
said. "It looks as if he had been defeated and immobilized before
receiving that...attack." They didn't know what else to call it.
"Apparently she had an interest in Mousse as well," Cologne
said, looking over the blind boy's chi. "What was she here for?"
************
Doll watched smuggly at the insensate pair of Amazons in the
infirmary. She would never have fallen for such a cheap trick.
Still the girl had humiliated her in front of the village.
Outpowering HER, she was the strongest of the village, not that
little runt. Perhaps she should try to mix something into the
girl's medicine.
[I will do some MA&M later, in the next week or so, when I get a chance to pull my D&D out, but for now I got a few scenes in mind for this]
just happened!." Ranma frowned, he hated getting knowledge like that. He didn't
understand the basis of it, and couldn't repeat the information to anybody.
He knew how to inact change forms between most any animal from the size of a mouse
to the size of a large bear. He just didn't understand how it happened, and hadn't
taken the chance to try out these new tricks to see if he could reverse engineer the
knowledge.
At the moment he was staying in one of his six "true" forms, trying to remember
exactly what happened. He remembered the demon, he remembered some...thing entering
him, her at the time, and then a blur of images followed by his pop splashing him
with hot water.
There was a certain degree of urgency involved here, something about that demon
and the end of the worlds that he had to do something to stop. It had been all so
clear for a moment and then, gone, a confused jumble.
"Sirs, perhaps there is help in the surrounding villages," the Guide suggested.
"The Amazon elders have great stores of knowledge about Jusenkyo."
Ranma nodded politely, that wouldn't help his situation. Jusenkyo was
a shapechanging magic, but something else had made him a natural shapechanger,
something the curse would usually just roll right off of. Of course, the
curse had made one parting shot, which is why Ranma had six forms he considered
true and natural rather than the standard three for a hengeyokai.
"Amazons," Genma scoffed. "How would a bunch of women help us?"
"Oh very powerful, sirs, very strong," the Guide explained. "They have
much wisdom gathered over three thousand years."
"Sounds good," Ranma said. "An' then maybe on the way I can figure out
what the trick to this is." ~I'll need to learn more, I might need to teach
one of the others.~
Ranma paused as he tried to remember what others. Whatever that spirit
had done before she died, and Ranma was sure she died, he wished she could
have gone about it in a better way.
There is no way Ranma could, or would unless desparate, teach someone
the same way. The most he would impart was a basic instinct to such between
the natural forms. If they wanted to become master shapeshifters, well,
they'd just have to wait until he learned how he did what he did.
Ranma did NOT like instant ability like this. It completely messed
his ability to judge what was possible.
"What are saying boy," Genma demanded. "We don't have time to be
stopping so you can sow some oats."
"Ehh? I know why I want to hurry, why do you?" Ranma asked. "Never
mind, Pop, there'll be food there."
"What are we doing just standing there boy?" Genma demanded. "Get
moving to that village!"
************
Ranma walked behind Genma, so he could keep an eye on the old fart, and
practice a little undisturbed. First thing she had discovered was that her
male and female body's were in approximately the same physical condition,
though SHE was faster and HE was stronger.
It was also apparent to him that exercise in one form did not necessarily
carry over to the other except in small amounts. This was both good and bad.
It was good in that he always had a tremendous reserve of endurance to fall
back on. It was bad in the fact that that meant he'd have to train in both
forms equally hard.
That meant twice the amount of work for the same increase. Or he could
ignore one side and just improve the other, but that would negate the benefit
of having a reserve of endurance. She'd have to see if there would be similar
problems for maintaining her power in any of her other forms as well, but it
felt like it was mainly a male/female problem.
That wasn't the only change, he/she felt as she changed behind her father.
Ranma's chi control was much better and her chi had been heightened greatly.
There was also a very strong elemental nature to her aura, and not of any one
particular element either. He'd have to play around with his chi a little to
figure out what he could and couldn't do now.
Then there was the amusing fact that her yang chi became dominant in her
female form, while her yin chi turned dominant in her male form. Apparently
the universe had a sense of humor.
That brought up the last major change Ranma could identify. SHE wasn't
having a hissy fit about being a girl. This was further pointed out by the
fact that she was using the term hissy fit in her thoughts. Really, this
form felt just as natural to her as her male form.
She did manage to grumble a little at that, voicing some remembered dislike
of any trace of femininity. The universe really did have a sense of humor.
She was brought out of her reverie in time to note her father brush a branch
out of the way and get drenched with some old rainwater that had apparently been
sitting on the large leaves.
"Good one, Pop," Ranma smirked as the village came into sight. The panda
glared at her and then started a tirade that was obviously centered on Ranma being
female. "Quiet Pop, we're getting into town."
She looked around and noted some sort of tournament was going on. She scanned
the crowd and noted a bench full of food, and was about to approach it when she
noted the sign on the bench marking it as "First Prize."
"Huh," Ranma said, not bothering to realize that she shouldn't know Chinese
of any dialect. "I'll have to look for food elsewhere."
Ranma paused as her recently enhanced chi senses picked up on something in
the area. She hadn't found it yet when she noted one of the contestants, and
behind her in the crowd. She could find that big chi aura in a moment, probably
an elder and unsuitable, but...
"Two and three," Ranma whispered, only barely aware of what he meant by that.
Then she frowned. "Ohhh...she did NOT just call me that."
************
Cologne turned as she felt the strong chi that had entered the village. It
wasn't entirely human, seemingly tied into the elements that made up the world
and life. Finding the outsider was the nearest thing to instantaneous she had
ever accomplished.
The red head started for the first prize table, making Cologne's mouth quirk
up. Perhaps the spirit folk, or whatever she was, would give her granddaughter
a taste of humility. That was not to be however, as the girl stopped and shrugged.
Cologne sighed for the lost chance at some amusement and continued to watch the
stranger.
The girl suddenly started looking about the area as she felt Cologne, or
perhaps some other of the elders. Then the girl's eyes stopped, focused on
the tournament and the crowd beyond. She blinked a moment, and Cologne watched
her mouth three words in Japanese.
Looking down the line of the girl's sight, Cologne found Shampoo awaiting
her next round, and behind her Mousse cheering her on.
~What interest does that girl have in my granddaughter,~ Cologne wondered
as Shampoo stepped up to her next, and final round. Then fate stepped in.
************
"Looks like I finally get to drive your high bred skull into your neck,
Xian Pu," the giant was saying with a smirk.
"In your dreams, Dou Lu," Shampoo answered back.
"You can't possibly beat Xian Pu, Dou Lu," Mousse declared.
"Mu su, stay out of women's business," Shampoo said coolly and with a
hint of disdain. "Go bother the outsider girl over there."
"An outsider?" Dou Lu frowned.
They all remembered last year when two guards had failed in their posts
to do some gambling instead. A group of slavers armed with guns had attacked
and killed a number of warriors before they could be put down.
"She's with the Jusenkyo Guide," Shampoo said, waving her hand.
"Probably here on business or something. What, Dou Lu is afraid of a
measly Japanese bitch?" Dou Lu grumbled at the insult, but couldn't think
of a retort.
"She's looking this way," Mousse noted. "And she doesn't look happy."
"Oh forget her," Shampoo said. "I want to get to my prize."
She jumped to the log and waited for Doll.
"It isn't your prize yet puny girl," Doll growled, following.
************
Ranma watched as the purple haired girl fought the giant on the log.
She shivered slightly as she watched Shampoo, not from the thought of
facing the girl. Rather it was two things that had her uncomfortable.
The first was the act that she had to do to make the two hengeyokai
like her. She had never kissed anyone before. What happened when, not
if, they took it the wrong way? And what if she did it wrong and they
thought it was gross or something? Would she go through life being
known as a bad kisser?
The second reason was the animal spirit that Shampoo was most
allied with. This was far more intimidating to Ranma's mind,
though for once the very thought didn't send him screaming in fear.
She'd just have to remember to ask somebody else to work with the girl
more often.
~Why a cat?~ she asked. She had power though, and tenacity.
That was very good for what was coming. Ranma frowned and wished
she could put together more than a fragment thought of what was
coming.
"Uh, sir," the Guide said behind him. "What you doing?"
Ranma turned around to see his father demolishing the first
prize feast amongst the stares of many Amazons.
"KUSO-OYAJI!!!!" Ranma shouted just before the table exploded
as a bonbori impacted it.
"Why did you let your panda eat my prize?" Shampoo demanded.
Ranma was about to answer when the Guide translated.
~Hmm, probably a good idea to let them think I don't know the
language for now,~ Ranma said, then realized that she knew the
language. She blinked, growled about instant knowledge and then
spoke to the guide. "Could you try to explain Pop to her?"
Ranma smacked her father on the head and growled at him. The
panda grumbled as if to ask what that was for.
"That was the prize for the tournament jerk!" Ranma explained.
The girl spoke again.
"She say give her panda as payment," the Guide said.
"Can't do that," Ranma said. The Guide translated.
"Then she say if you beat her then the prize would be yours,"
the Guide say.
"A duel for the feast, eh?" Ranma asked listening to the various
comments around her. Something about a no-win situation and the kiss
of death. ~Well, that's convenient...just have to make sure I win.
Should be easy.~
That powerful aura approached again and he saw a withered old
woman sitting on a stick, judging by the auras, she was related
to the girl. Then that boy she had seen earlier approached and
glared at her, making overly protective comments under his breath.
"I'm game." Ranma fought to keep her smirk in place as she
answered, wondering if either of the other people would interfere.
She considered her plan carefully, viewing as she would any
battle. Only the rules and goals of this battle were vastly
different.
************
Cologne pogoed forward to watch the situation with a sense
of concern. The red-head was an unknown quantity, and she had
not missed that the girl did not need to be told that the feast
was a prize. Which probably meant that she was going into this
with eyes wide open about the Kiss of Death.
Cologne moved to her daughter and laid a hand on her arm.
"Be careful young one," Cologne warned. "I suspect there
is a trap in this game for you."
"The trap is for her, Grandmother," Shampoo insisted.
"She loses, she dies. She wins, she still dies when I
kill her later. Besides, is too late now, I offered, she
accepted. I can't back out now."
"That is true," Cologne nodded. "But you should know
that your opponent is only partially human, there is a
touch of something in her that has not been common since
the days I was born." Shampoo blinked and looked at the
red-haired girl more cautiously now.
"She is still somewhat human," Shampoo said finally.
"She can die."
"But Xian Pu, if the old monkey is right then you
could be killed!" Mousse moaned. That settled Shampoo's
mind, a bonbori smash to Mousse's head later and she was
on the log.
Genma meanwhile sat and peacefully munched while
Amazons were visually measuring him for a throw rug.
He was quite confident in his son's ability to win,
and settled down to watch the show.
As expected it was short, sweet and to the point.
Within a few seconds Ranma had kicked the purple-haired
girl off the log and to the ground. She landed and a
sour looking woman stepped forward to raise her hand
as the victor.
Shampoo shook her head clear as she stood up and
glared before smirking and striding toward the girl.
Ranma turned to face Shampoo, seeming totally naive on
the surface, but Cologne could feel her preparing her chi.
Shampoo laid a hand on the girl's chin and started
to place the Kiss of Death. Cologne's eyes bulged as
the red-head's chi concentrated enough to be visible
to her and then travelled up the throat towards the
mouth. But she didn't have time to warn Shampoo.
Shampoo was surprised when the girl swiftly turned
her head so that her kiss wasn't placed on the Outsider's
cheek as planned. When the girl grabbed her, gently but
firmly holding her in place, she was even more surprised.
Then came the kiss.
It was like molten rock and freezing sleet being
rammed down her throat while animals howled into the
night sky. It was ecstatic and painful all at once.
Then it was over.
"I'm sorry, little sister," the outsider girl said
in Chinese. She spoke sadly, formally and quietly as
Shampoo started to crumple to the ground, feeling very
sick. The girl lowered her gently. "But you're needed."
Shampoo passed out of consciousness, and missed all
that happened after.
Then Guide was grabbing the Panda and the Outsider and
dragging them out of the village.
"VERY bad, very bad sirs," the Guide said. Ranma wasn't
paying attention to the Guide, she had one more thing to say.
"And don't even THINK about sending that puny wannabe
warrior BOYFRIEND Mustcache or whatever," Ranma shouted
in Chinese. "Ain't no way HE can come close to beating me!"
"Sirs, you is very crazy no?" the Guide asked as they
hard a male voice screamed and charged forward.
"I need to talk ta the guy," Ranma said shrugging as
she started running on her own. "You guys go on ahead,
I'll slow him up."
"You sure, sir?" the Guide asked before noticing that
the panda was already well down the path back towards
Jusenkyo.
************
A raven flew in through the Guide's window and landed
on the floor to turn into the panda man's son. Ranma's
father answered this bit of sensory information with the
option of fainting.
"Young sir, you is alive?" the guide said wonderingly.
"How you change to bird?" the Guide asked. "Jusenkyo?"
He had thought that the pools mixed, not replaced old curses.
"Jusenkyo can't touch me," Ranma said. "And I
changed to a bird when I took out Mousse."
"Oh, sir, you not worried about them coming for you?"
the Guide asked as Ranma calming started fixing dinner.
"If I heard right, those two will be the only ones
coming," Ranma said softly, irritably. He sounded like
someone hired to do a very dirty job. "An' what I did
to them will take a little longer to work itself out
than what happened to me. About two days I think."
************
Cologne watched over Shampoo as she shook and shivered.
A fever was raging through her body, and her chi was
transforming out of control. That outsider girl had
definitely laid a trap for Shampoo, though Cologne had seen
the look of remorse that followed the kiss.
"What do you think it is elder?" one of the others asked.
Cologne shrugged.
"Perhaps this is a technique called the Kiss of Death and the
outsider was defending her life," Cologne said. "But the girl
showed an interest in Shampoo from the moment she saw my
granddaughter. I do not yet know her intentions." A few more
Amazons arrived, bearing a stretcher with Mousse in a similar
state of affairs.
"We found him about two miles outside of the village," the women
said. "It looks as if he had been defeated and immobilized before
receiving that...attack." They didn't know what else to call it.
"Apparently she had an interest in Mousse as well," Cologne
said, looking over the blind boy's chi. "What was she here for?"
************
Doll watched smuggly at the insensate pair of Amazons in the
infirmary. She would never have fallen for such a cheap trick.
Still the girl had humiliated her in front of the village.
Outpowering HER, she was the strongest of the village, not that
little runt. Perhaps she should try to mix something into the
girl's medicine.
[I will do some MA&M later, in the next week or so, when I get a chance to pull my D&D out, but for now I got a few scenes in mind for this]