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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 4
"So the way is finally open, despite your cowardice, General."
The others gathered around the small auditorium held their
breath, dreading their Leader's reaction to Darmondo's near-traitorous
statement. For the next minute, the only sound in the darkened room was
the steady pulsing of the melon-sized vortex, swirling in the center of
the pentagram that adorned the floor.
Their liege stood with his back to his followers, his black
cape swirling from the blood red energies flowing around the portal.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and even. "It has been a long
time since I have been addressed by that title."
Darmondo smirked, but no one could see it under his ebony cowl.
"But it is what you will become again, now that She has passed from this
world. The key has unlocked the final door and our path is now open. It
won't be long until our master emerges. Your total command of this group
is over."
Again there was silence following this pronouncement, then
those gathered observed their leader's shoulder begin to shake slightly.
It didn't take them long to realize he was quietly chuckling. After
several seconds of this, the laughter cut off and he turned around to
spear Darmondo with a look. "Do you think me a fool?"
The sorcerer was caught off-guard. "What?"
"I said, Do you think me a fool?" The man who was once a general
and now commanded this small band of mercenaries and warriors,
reiterated. "I knew what you were up to. I knew you gave Drakon that
masking orb and tricked him into doing your dirty work. I didn't
interfere because I believed it he would succeed, and he did." His eyes
glinted dangerously. "And Drakon returned to China as well. He would
have recovered and joined us, but you finished him off."
"But he was dangerous to have around!" the wizard countered. "He
was never really one of us! His kind have always despised us. He was
just playing along until he received an opportunity to kill our Master!"
The leader shook his head. "How little you understand." Behind
him, the swirling portal pulsed and widened by another few centimeters.
"I've been in contact with the Shogun ever since we woke up. In fact, it
was the Shogun who awakened us. Together, we planned out the steps
necessary for his return." He grinned. "We knew of your 'secret'
activities. We only allowed them to proceed because they served us. Now
the question is: Will you continue to serve the Shogun, whom you swore
yourself to?"
Darmondo was thankful for the cowl, for it also hid the
seething anger his face now displayed. He managed to rein it in,
however, and choke out the words, "I am loyal to the Shogun, from now
until death."
With the rehearsed reply, the wizard turned and strode from the
room amongst the murmurs of the other Rogues.
The leader of the Rogues turned to his troops. "The portal will
be fully open by the next lunar cycle. We only have to wait until then,
and our Master, the Shogun, will return. Not all of you were here when
our Shogun last walked the Earth, but continue to serve and you will be
rewarded. The governments and leaders of this time are not prepared to
handle the threat we pose. We cannot and will not fail."
The sound of one set of hands clapping echoed off the high-
ceiling and walls of the auditorium. All turned to discover the source
of the noise, and found it to be the newest recruit, a somewhat short,
blond haired man in a purple gi.
"Very impressive speech," he commended the Rogue Leader.
"Kato, you have only recently been approved," came the reply.
"You do not have the standing to say anything. Mind your place."
Kato held up a hand. "Oh, I shall. I know a winning side when I
see one. I am a survivor, after all."
He took a long puff on his pipe, grinned evilly, then walked
off into the shadows, cackling to himself.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, mistress?" Sasuke
asked worriedly as he placed the tray of food on her table.
His mistress hadn't been the same since Master Kuno brought her
home from the mental hospital and she had discovered Ranma's marriage to
Akane. That was a week ago.
Gone were the insane laughing and leaping about. Gone was her
smile and bottomless enthusiasm. Oh sure, she was a little bit crazed
then, but she also seemed much happier. Nowadays, she appeared to be
more depressed. She went through the day's activities as if they were a
loathsome duty, instead of task to be enjoyed.
Her greenhouse plants were left unattended, and she no longer
worked on her chemistry formulae. Even her gymnastics equipment were
left abandoned in a corner of her room. Oh, how he wished he could see
her smile once more, or find something that would take her mind off
current events.
"That will be all," Kodachi replied with some warmth. "Thank
you, Sasuke."
The little ninja that served the Kuno house bowed and backed
out of her room, but his mind was both worried and shocked.
That was the first time his mistress had thanked him.
Shampoo bounded through the trees, leaping from branches and
trunks as she chased her latest quarry. It wove it's way through the
forest canopy like a pro, but in the end, it was no contest. The feral
Amazon caught up to the panicked squirrel and snatched it up with her
right claw.
Grinning to herself, she started in on her 'lunch.'
It had been a couple of weeks since she began to train on her
own, learning to use her new body. It reminded her of the times her
great-grandmother would leave her in the forest alone and force Shampoo
to survive, finding her own way back to the village. In six months, she
learned enough to live in the wild without ever needing to go back.
She had also become an excellent hunter. Combined with her new
body's agility, sense of smell, and sense of hearing, there wasn't an
animal alive that could escape her. She captured and killed birds and
boars, and many other animals with just her natural abilities alone. She
even felt that she might almost be a match for Ranma's Nekoken as well,
though she wasn't eager to test the theory.
But her pride with her new skills was diminished by the
increasing loneliness she was feeling. At first, she was glad to be away
from Mousse, but as time went on she found herself almost wishing for
some company, even if it was the blind and stupid duck that had been at
her side for as long as she could remember.
And as much as she had gotten used to her new body, she wanted
her old one back. Turning into a cat occasionally wasn't that bad, but
now she was afraid of going back to village lest she be labeled a freak
or a monster and made fun of. Yet she also had to talk to someone about
this. One of the elders might have the knowledge to undo what had been
done to her.
Shampoo finished off her meal and found a stream to drink from,
all the while going through the plan in her head. She knew she wasn't
far from the village, and with her new speed she would easily be able to
reach it before sundown. Then she would have to wait, sneaking in under
the cover of darkness, not letting anyone see her. With the abilities
granted to her by her new form, she felt that it would not be that
difficult. And if everything went according to plan, she might even be
cured before sunrise!
Gathering up her determination, Shampoo headed for her home.
"This will do perfectly, don't you agree?" She gestured to the
old, rotting, and condemned building. The old woman's unwilling partner
merely shot her a glare, causing Zhao Len to chuckle. "Come now, once I
have all of those responsible for my downfall, including that whelp that
defeated me, I will let you go and do as you wish. You may go and
destroy the 'dark' that you seem so intent on doing, Kae, if that is
your real name."
The withered ex-Amazon walked inside the structure, gauging
it's strength and making mental notes. Behind her, Kae kept pace, forced
to stay in close proximity to the old crone because of the magical ruby
Zhao Len carried.
"Revenge, huh?" the words came Kenji's mouth, but it was not his
voice. "I suppose I can understand that. Don't expect me to like it,
however." [It figures I'd get stuck with a body that can be easily
controlled. And as long as she has that gem, I can't touch her. Hmmm,
maybe one of these others she's planning revenge on would do me the
honor of killing this old bitch.]
Zhao Len turned to her puppet and held up the bloody red gem
between her first and middle fingers. Kenji's body jerked upright. "And
get any thoughts of betraying me out of your head. You will do as I want
and I will let you go. Disobey me and you will die. It's as simple as
that." The gem began to pulse and glow, like a living heart.
"Very well," Kae seethed through clenched teeth. "I'll do what
you want, for now."
The old woman chuckled. "Oh, you'll do better than that."
A thin beam of light shot from the gem to strike the young
boy's forehead. A guttural scream ripped from his throat as he spasmed
in pain, once. Then his body jerked upright and Kae's pupils shrink to
pinpoint like dots.
"I will do as you wish, Master," the boy drolled in a monotone
voice.
"Excellent. Then this is what you shall do..."
Kodachi Kuno knew Sasuke was worried about her. In fact, she
knew her brother was worried about her, too. There was quite a bit she
was more aware of, now that her mind was clearer than it had been in a
long time. Now she could look back on her life, and see that she had no
friends, just people who were afraid of her and followed her orders.
And she had no fiance, boyfriend, lover, or whatever else she
had tried to fool herself into believe Ranma was to her. His heart
belonged to Akane Tendo, who was now Akane Saotome.
She wished she had a normal family and a normal childhood, then
maybe she might have had a chance with Ranma. But no matter how much she
wished for it, she had to deal with the family she had. She did feel a
little closer to her brother now, but it would have been nice to have a
mother and father as well. Unfortunately, her father hadn't been seen
for the past eight months or so, ever since he was bitten by a dog or
something.
Kodachi never really understood what that was all about.
Of her mother, she could few details from her childhood, but
her emotions told her she should hate the woman who seemingly abandoned
them. But more recently, she appeared to have pictures of her mother
caring for her, loving her, and healing her. But she couldn't remember
what happened to her mother. Did she die? Run away? What? It was like a
dream where she couldn't remember the ending. Just a vague sense of
something important happening recently that involved both her mother and
brother.
When she asked Tatewaki about it, he just quietly told her that
mother wasn't coming back, that she had passed away. He didn't seem to
be willing to share any more information than that.
Kodachi Kuno sighed, then glanced up to see where she was.
Distracted by her thoughts, she realized she had wandered into the large
indoor bathing room of the mansion. A couple of ornate marble pools
containing heated water gurgled quietly from the small waterfalls that
fed them. Various flora decorated the room, giving the whole area a
sense of a mountain hot spring.
[Maybe I shall take a bath, to get my mind off things,] she
decided and began to remove her kimono. Quickly washing down, she eased
herself into the warm, soothing waters and relaxed, willing the hot
water to remove her tension.
"I wish I could find someone to share this with," she mumbled
quietly to herself. That was what she really wanted, to be loved by
someone totally and unconditionally. "But where will I find a man that's
not afraid of me and will treat me as an equal?"
As she finished this spoken thought, she became aware of a
strange whistling sound. Curious, she sat up slightly and attempted to
attune her ears to the weird noise. [If I didn't know any better, I
would swear that it is growing louder.] She cocked her head in confusion
and tried to discern the direction of the ever louder whistle, and her
eyes widened when she figured out where it was coming from. [Above?]
*CRASH!* *BANG!* *BOOM!*
Kodachi sputtered as she coughed up the water she swallowed,
recovering from her dunking. Drying her eyes revealed a hole in the
ceiling and a small dust cloud over the adjoining pool.
"Oh dear, I shall have to get Sasuke to fix that," she mused.
"Now I suppose I had better find out who caused this mess, so I know to
whom to address the bill."
Driven by curiosity and heedless of her own nudity, Kodachi
stood up and strode over to the impact spot, only to blush furiously and
utter a very Kasumi-like, "Oh my!" when she glimpsed the culprit.
Laying in the other pool, was a very good-looking and well-
toned male bishonen youth. He was also, like her, quite naked.
To her surprise, the youth attempted to rise, only freezing as
he caught sight of Kodachi in all her glory. Of course, his natural
reaction was for the his eyes to mimic large saucers and blood to
trickle out of his nose.
For several seconds, the scene was frozen as the two stared at
each other. Then the house decided that was enough, and unleashed a
wooden beam from the ceiling to smash into the boy, conking him in the
noggin sending him into unconsciousness.
Kodachi broke out of her trance and went to help the strange
boy before he drowned in the three foot deep water. [Well, I wished for
man. A sign from the gods, perhaps?]
Shampoo crouched silently in the bushes. Despite the dark blue
and purple of her new fur, she managed to stay hidden from the patrols
while she waited for the sun to go down. Of course, the fact that she
had used some mud to darken her coloring helped. Once the sun dipped
below the horizon and the stars began to glow in the night sky, the
feral Amazon felt it was time.
With a speed and agility that she hadn't possessed in a long
time, Shampoo blurred out of her hiding space, the only sound being the
air she displaced as she sprinted. She scampered up a tree at the edge
of the forest and hid amongst it's thick branches. The next thirty
meters were bare of everything except some light scrub grass and tall
rock formations.
Beyond that loomed the walls of Nyuchiehzu, the home of the
Joketsuzoku, nestled in the rocky, mountainous reaches of Quingh-Hai
province. For as long as Shampoo could remember, this had been her home,
until the day Ranma arrived and beat her, quite easily, in front of the
whole village. Shamed by what she viewed as her incredible failure, she
felt the only way to regain her pride was to kill the girl.
Shampoo shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. She
couldn't afford to be distracted. Timing the motions of the sentries,
she picked her moment and leapt out of the trees, hitting the ground in
a rapid sprint that covered the full thirty meters in just a few
seconds. She let the shadow cast by wall, thanks to the half-moon, hide
her presence. From there, it was a short leap over the barrier and she
was inside.
She had to be more careful now, as there were more people
moving around inside than out, as well as the light of torches that
illuminated the inside. Drawing upon all her knowledge of stealth and
the quieter movements her cat-like body possessed, she stalked from
shadow to shadow, seeking one house, and one person in particular.
Elder Pu Yon closed the door and stepped inside, savoring the
warmth the fireplace gave to the room. She wasn't that old, having just
lived over 50 years, but the cold outside seemed harsher to her every
year. She was a warrior as well, though not the best of the village, she
was by no means a slouch either.
Which was why she sensed the other presence in her house. "[Who
are you?]" she demanded to know, speaking Chinese. The only glow came
from the fireplace, leaving several areas shrouded in darkness.
Included that corner by the window, Pu Yon realized. In one
smooth motion, she retrieved several small objects from inside her
Mandarin blouse, then let the three kunai darts fly. But instead of the
sound of steel striking either wood or flesh, there was nothing, as if
the darkness had swallowed the weapons.
At least until the three small objects were tossed in a lazy
arc to end up in the middle of the room.
"[Elder...]" came the faint feminine voice from the corner.
"[Auntie...]"
The old woman blinked. "[Shan Pu? Is that you?]" She took a
step towards the corner, bow able to see the outline of a vaguely
humanoid form.
"[Stop!]" The command from the corner stopped the Elder in her
tracks.
"[Shan Pu?]" Pu Yon asked. "[What's wrong? Where have you
been?]"
The girl in the shadows seemed to hesitate before replying,
"[I... need your help.]
Curious, the older woman tried to take another step forward
before being ordered to stop again, though this time it came out as more
of a plea. Pu Yon inhaled sharply through her nose and crossed her arms
over her chest.
"[Enough stalling, Shan Pu,]" the elderly woman chastised in a
stern voice. "[Tell me what this is about.]" Unlike Cologne, who
preferred to let children have more freedom to do as they please and
learn from their mistakes, Pu Yon felt that a sterner hand was required.
There was a few moments of silence, and then Shampoo stretched
her hand into the light. Pu Yon gasped as she beheld the claw-like hand
that was covered with matted bluish-purplish fur.
The older woman's eyes narrowed. "[Who or what are you?]"
"[I am Shan Pu, Elder!]" the girl in the insisted in a near-
panicked voice.
"[Then step into the light where I can see you,]" Pu Yon
demanded, her patience growing thing. "[Amazon warriors do not cower in
darkness.]"
The girl in the shadows hung her head, but heeded the command
and stepped fully into the light. Elder Pu Yon was better able to
contain her shock this time as she studied her guest. The humble girl
that stood before her now was a far cry from the prideful Amazon warrior
that left the village all those months ago.
The muddy and filthy rag-tag remains of Shampoo's battle
bodysuit, barely only covered where modesty demanded. The rest of her
form was hidden by the same bluish-purplish fur that Pu Yon had seen on
the girl's hand. It was quite a few shades darker than Shampoo's normal
purple hair, which now seemed more like a mane that matched the rest of
her fur, hanging down slightly past her waist. Even her face sported a
little fur, which now had a cat's nose and whiskers to accompany it. The
only really left unchanged, where Shampoo's eyes, which were still a
dark purple to match the rest of her.
"[What have you don to yourself, child?]" Pu Yon asked in a
tired voice.
"[My Jusenkyo curse was merged with my real body by a ghost cat
name Mao Mao Lin,]" Shampoo explained in a quiet voice. "[Do you know of
anything that can return me to normal?]"
The old woman sighed and shook her head sadly. "[Your great-
grandmother was the foremost expert on magicks and village lore. I'm
afraid I am not as aware of anyway to reverse this.]"
"[There must be something you can do!]" Shampoo pleaded, the
desperation in her voice clear. "[I want to turn back to normal!]"
"[Stop it, Shan Pu!]" Pu Yon ordered. "[Khu Lon may have put
with your demanding attitude, but I will not!]" She nodded in relief as
the cat-like girl calmed down, showing proper respect. "[Now, I do have
access to the vault of knowledge as an Elder, but since I haven't been
one for very long, I do not know all of what it contains. I will look
through it to see if I can find something to return you to normal.]"
Shampoo's expression changed from apprehension, to one of hope,
but before she could say anything, there came a shout from outside. Both
women turned at the yell, but Shampoo showed more worry that Pu Yon.
"[Now what's going on?]" the Elder woman wondered out loud,
heading for the window. "[What's with all the racket?]" she yelled to a
passing Amazon warrior.
"[There's an intruder in the village,]" the out-of-breath
warrior replied. "[Su Yin was found unconscious a short while ago. She
was attacked.]"
Pu Yon nodded and let the warrior go, turning back inside
toward the cat-girl. "I assume you had something to do with this?]"
It was no secret that Su Yin was jealous of Shampoo, and she
leader of a group of girls that weren't too fond of Shampoo's
accomplishments nor her privileged position as Cologne's heir. Su Yin
was also the second-best of her generation, while Shampoo was naturally
the best; until Ranma came along, that is.
Shampoo actually looked sheepish. "[Um, she spotted me, and I
didn't want anyone to know I was here.]"
Pu Yon thought it was something more than that, but didn't
pursue the issue. "Really? Well I can't say I'm surprised.]"
Shampoo's eyes widened as a knock came at the door. "[You can't
tell anyone I was here!]"
"[Elder Pu Yon!]" someone called from outside. "[Are you there?
Are you alright?]"
The old woman sighed. "[Very well. Because of you I am an Elder
now, so I owe you a debt. Go now. I will search for a cure and come for
you when I have discovered one.]"
"[How will you find me?]" Shampoo asked worriedly, but moving to
the window to make her escape.
"[There is a man living deep in the woods about eight kilometers
northeast of here,]" Pu Yon responded. "[His name is Fen Wu, and he used
to be of this village. Wait for me there!]"
The knock at the door sounded again. "[Pu Yon? Are you okay in
there?]"
"[Go!]" the Elder commanded, practically shoving the girl out
the window. She didn't wait to see if Shampoo got away, before answering
the door. "[Yes, yes, I'm fine. You needn't make such a racket.]"
The young female warrior gave a short bow as an apology. "[I
apologize, Elder. But there is an intruder somewhere in the village, and
we do not think it is totally human. It could be a Musk warrior.]"
Pu Yon hid her smile. While it had happened rarely in the past,
that a Musk warrior would seek out an Amazon for a wife, it hadn't
happened at all in the 200 years. Now it was more of a story told to
scare young Amazon children into behaving, or else a Musk warrior would
get them.
"[I'll be on guard,]" Pu Yon told the young warrior wryly. The
girl bowed again and left, while the Elder glanced up at the night sky.
[And good luck to you, Shampoo.]
Shampoo paused in the forest, having just barely evaded the
patrols of warriors looking for her. She had been spotted several times,
but by keeping to the shadows, they never got a good look at her. Her
speed and agility kept her one step ahead, until she finally lost them
in the woods.
Now breathing a sigh of relief, the cat-girl focused her mind
on the task at hand, then grimaced when she remembered what the Elder
had told her. She had to go back to Fen Wu's cabin to wait, and she knew
Mousse was there. She didn't particularly want to see the love-struck
nuisance again, but it looked like she had no choice. Though since he
didn't pursue her when she left there, maybe he had finally given up his
stupid obsession with her.
After all, she realized, lesser miracles have been known to
happen.
Sighing, Shampoo curled up in a high tree branch to spend the
night, figuring she'd head back to the cabin tomorrow.
"Ucchan, I finished cleaning the kitchen," Yuri called to the
chef who was in the main dining area, scrubbing at the grill that was
her pride and joy.
"Okay, I'm almost done here, then we can close up from for the
night, Yuchan," Ukyo returned, smiling a bit at the nicknames they were
calling each other now. Normally her nickname was reserved for Ranma
alone, but she figured the best way to totally get over him was to allow
her closest friends to call her that as well.
Yuri removed her apron and drained the sink, leaving the dishes
to dry while she headed out into the main room. She nodded to Ukyo, then
began to close the curtains. Midway through closing the big one that
covered the main window looking out into the street, she caught a flash
of movement from outside and stopped her actions.
The figure outside stopped as well, standing across the street
and out of the illumination provided by the street lamps, forcing Yuri
to squint her eyes to see him. There was something about the figure's
movement, something familiar, though she could only see a vague outline
in the darkness, even with her enhanced night vision.
She gasped as the figure turned and briskly moved off. Yuri
dashed to the door. "Kenji!" she called out to the darkness, but
received no reply.
Ukyo caught the name and leapt over the counter to stand beside
her waitress. "What? Did you see him?" She had eventually cornered the
story of Kenji's disappearance from Yuri and Konatsu, and was more than
a little worried herself.
The street outside, however, was empty of living beings.
Yuri sighed. "Maybe not. I thought I saw someone that looked
like him, but I guess I was wrong."
Looking down the street to the right, Ukyo's eyes widened. "Or
maybe not! Look!"
Yuri turned to see a figure leaping from street light to street
light, making its way down the road and approaching an intersection. The
leaping technique was familiar to her, and yet was not. "It could be
him..."
"Are you speaking of Kenji-sama?" The two girls nearly jumped
out of their skin as Konatsu seemingly materialized out of thin air.
"That's what Yuri thinks." Ukyo holstered her battle spatula on
her back and adjusted her bandoleer, then dashed out into the street.
"Well, there's only one way to find out. Come on, let's go before we
lose him!" She waved to her compatriots.
"Right!" Yuri agreed, then all three sprinted down the street,
taking to the roof tops as they hit the corner where they quarry turned.
They paused for a second to get their bearings, then Yuri spotted the
receding black-clad figure. "There he is!"
"Well, I know everyone in this town that can roof-hop," Ukyo
said as they jumped along. "And this guy doesn't look like any of them."
"If it is Kenji, why is he running away from us?" Yuri wondered
out loud.
"Perhaps, he has his reasons," Konatsu offered.
"Well, whoever he is, I want to find out what he's doing here,"
Ukyo said increasing her speed some to try and keep up with the two
faster ninja. "At the very least, a new martial artist in town always
spells trouble."
The other two agreed, then no more conversation was held as the
three concentrated on chasing the mysterious individual. It seemed no
matter how fast they ran, they still came no closer to catching up with
him. On the other hand, the figure never got far enough away that they
lost sight of him, either.
[It's almost as if he wants us to follow him,] Ukyo wondered.
[But why?]
After five minutes of running, the figure left the rooftop and
jumped back down to the street. His three pursuers followed shortly
thereafter, but when they hit the ground, their quarry was nowhere in
sight.
A door slammed across the street, drawing three pairs of eyes
to its location: an old, run-down office building.
"Don't tell me he went in there?" Ukyo panted, nearly out of
breath. She wasn't used to running like that, but was amazed that
Konatsu and Yuri only seemed only a little winded.
"Okay, I won't tell you that." Yuri smirked at her friend, the
started forward. "Well, as Ukyo said earlier, there's only one way to
find out. Come on, 'Natsu-chan!"
Her forward momentum was halted by a hand on her arm. "Wait,
Yuri-sama. does this not feel wrong to you?"
"He's got a point, Yuchan," Ukyo agreed. "Didn't ya notice that
he kept in sight all this time, despite the fact that we were running
full out?"
"Even so, I just know my brother's in there somewhere! It just
feels right, I can't explain it!" She turned and started forward again.
"You can sit outside if you want, but I'm going inside."
Ukyo and Konatsu glanced at each and sighed, then followed the
stubborn girl as she opened the creaking door and stepped inside.
High above, another pair of eyes watched them enter from a
fourth story window, and the lips belonging to the same face as those
eyes, twisted upward into a grin. [Perfect. They have arrived. I knew
that stupid sister of his wouldn't be able to resist my lure. The first
pieces have fallen into place. Now I need merely wait.]
Zhao Len cackled to herself, as the clouds outside began to
rumble ominously with the sounds of thunder.
-----------------------------------
Author's Notes:
Who's the guy who dropped in on Kodachi? You can probably guess, but if
you can't, here's a hint: In the manga, he 'dropped' into the Tendo
house a couple of times.
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Bonds and Connections
Chapter 4
"So the way is finally open, despite your cowardice, General."
The others gathered around the small auditorium held their
breath, dreading their Leader's reaction to Darmondo's near-traitorous
statement. For the next minute, the only sound in the darkened room was
the steady pulsing of the melon-sized vortex, swirling in the center of
the pentagram that adorned the floor.
Their liege stood with his back to his followers, his black
cape swirling from the blood red energies flowing around the portal.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and even. "It has been a long
time since I have been addressed by that title."
Darmondo smirked, but no one could see it under his ebony cowl.
"But it is what you will become again, now that She has passed from this
world. The key has unlocked the final door and our path is now open. It
won't be long until our master emerges. Your total command of this group
is over."
Again there was silence following this pronouncement, then
those gathered observed their leader's shoulder begin to shake slightly.
It didn't take them long to realize he was quietly chuckling. After
several seconds of this, the laughter cut off and he turned around to
spear Darmondo with a look. "Do you think me a fool?"
The sorcerer was caught off-guard. "What?"
"I said, Do you think me a fool?" The man who was once a general
and now commanded this small band of mercenaries and warriors,
reiterated. "I knew what you were up to. I knew you gave Drakon that
masking orb and tricked him into doing your dirty work. I didn't
interfere because I believed it he would succeed, and he did." His eyes
glinted dangerously. "And Drakon returned to China as well. He would
have recovered and joined us, but you finished him off."
"But he was dangerous to have around!" the wizard countered. "He
was never really one of us! His kind have always despised us. He was
just playing along until he received an opportunity to kill our Master!"
The leader shook his head. "How little you understand." Behind
him, the swirling portal pulsed and widened by another few centimeters.
"I've been in contact with the Shogun ever since we woke up. In fact, it
was the Shogun who awakened us. Together, we planned out the steps
necessary for his return." He grinned. "We knew of your 'secret'
activities. We only allowed them to proceed because they served us. Now
the question is: Will you continue to serve the Shogun, whom you swore
yourself to?"
Darmondo was thankful for the cowl, for it also hid the
seething anger his face now displayed. He managed to rein it in,
however, and choke out the words, "I am loyal to the Shogun, from now
until death."
With the rehearsed reply, the wizard turned and strode from the
room amongst the murmurs of the other Rogues.
The leader of the Rogues turned to his troops. "The portal will
be fully open by the next lunar cycle. We only have to wait until then,
and our Master, the Shogun, will return. Not all of you were here when
our Shogun last walked the Earth, but continue to serve and you will be
rewarded. The governments and leaders of this time are not prepared to
handle the threat we pose. We cannot and will not fail."
The sound of one set of hands clapping echoed off the high-
ceiling and walls of the auditorium. All turned to discover the source
of the noise, and found it to be the newest recruit, a somewhat short,
blond haired man in a purple gi.
"Very impressive speech," he commended the Rogue Leader.
"Kato, you have only recently been approved," came the reply.
"You do not have the standing to say anything. Mind your place."
Kato held up a hand. "Oh, I shall. I know a winning side when I
see one. I am a survivor, after all."
He took a long puff on his pipe, grinned evilly, then walked
off into the shadows, cackling to himself.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, mistress?" Sasuke
asked worriedly as he placed the tray of food on her table.
His mistress hadn't been the same since Master Kuno brought her
home from the mental hospital and she had discovered Ranma's marriage to
Akane. That was a week ago.
Gone were the insane laughing and leaping about. Gone was her
smile and bottomless enthusiasm. Oh sure, she was a little bit crazed
then, but she also seemed much happier. Nowadays, she appeared to be
more depressed. She went through the day's activities as if they were a
loathsome duty, instead of task to be enjoyed.
Her greenhouse plants were left unattended, and she no longer
worked on her chemistry formulae. Even her gymnastics equipment were
left abandoned in a corner of her room. Oh, how he wished he could see
her smile once more, or find something that would take her mind off
current events.
"That will be all," Kodachi replied with some warmth. "Thank
you, Sasuke."
The little ninja that served the Kuno house bowed and backed
out of her room, but his mind was both worried and shocked.
That was the first time his mistress had thanked him.
Shampoo bounded through the trees, leaping from branches and
trunks as she chased her latest quarry. It wove it's way through the
forest canopy like a pro, but in the end, it was no contest. The feral
Amazon caught up to the panicked squirrel and snatched it up with her
right claw.
Grinning to herself, she started in on her 'lunch.'
It had been a couple of weeks since she began to train on her
own, learning to use her new body. It reminded her of the times her
great-grandmother would leave her in the forest alone and force Shampoo
to survive, finding her own way back to the village. In six months, she
learned enough to live in the wild without ever needing to go back.
She had also become an excellent hunter. Combined with her new
body's agility, sense of smell, and sense of hearing, there wasn't an
animal alive that could escape her. She captured and killed birds and
boars, and many other animals with just her natural abilities alone. She
even felt that she might almost be a match for Ranma's Nekoken as well,
though she wasn't eager to test the theory.
But her pride with her new skills was diminished by the
increasing loneliness she was feeling. At first, she was glad to be away
from Mousse, but as time went on she found herself almost wishing for
some company, even if it was the blind and stupid duck that had been at
her side for as long as she could remember.
And as much as she had gotten used to her new body, she wanted
her old one back. Turning into a cat occasionally wasn't that bad, but
now she was afraid of going back to village lest she be labeled a freak
or a monster and made fun of. Yet she also had to talk to someone about
this. One of the elders might have the knowledge to undo what had been
done to her.
Shampoo finished off her meal and found a stream to drink from,
all the while going through the plan in her head. She knew she wasn't
far from the village, and with her new speed she would easily be able to
reach it before sundown. Then she would have to wait, sneaking in under
the cover of darkness, not letting anyone see her. With the abilities
granted to her by her new form, she felt that it would not be that
difficult. And if everything went according to plan, she might even be
cured before sunrise!
Gathering up her determination, Shampoo headed for her home.
"This will do perfectly, don't you agree?" She gestured to the
old, rotting, and condemned building. The old woman's unwilling partner
merely shot her a glare, causing Zhao Len to chuckle. "Come now, once I
have all of those responsible for my downfall, including that whelp that
defeated me, I will let you go and do as you wish. You may go and
destroy the 'dark' that you seem so intent on doing, Kae, if that is
your real name."
The withered ex-Amazon walked inside the structure, gauging
it's strength and making mental notes. Behind her, Kae kept pace, forced
to stay in close proximity to the old crone because of the magical ruby
Zhao Len carried.
"Revenge, huh?" the words came Kenji's mouth, but it was not his
voice. "I suppose I can understand that. Don't expect me to like it,
however." [It figures I'd get stuck with a body that can be easily
controlled. And as long as she has that gem, I can't touch her. Hmmm,
maybe one of these others she's planning revenge on would do me the
honor of killing this old bitch.]
Zhao Len turned to her puppet and held up the bloody red gem
between her first and middle fingers. Kenji's body jerked upright. "And
get any thoughts of betraying me out of your head. You will do as I want
and I will let you go. Disobey me and you will die. It's as simple as
that." The gem began to pulse and glow, like a living heart.
"Very well," Kae seethed through clenched teeth. "I'll do what
you want, for now."
The old woman chuckled. "Oh, you'll do better than that."
A thin beam of light shot from the gem to strike the young
boy's forehead. A guttural scream ripped from his throat as he spasmed
in pain, once. Then his body jerked upright and Kae's pupils shrink to
pinpoint like dots.
"I will do as you wish, Master," the boy drolled in a monotone
voice.
"Excellent. Then this is what you shall do..."
Kodachi Kuno knew Sasuke was worried about her. In fact, she
knew her brother was worried about her, too. There was quite a bit she
was more aware of, now that her mind was clearer than it had been in a
long time. Now she could look back on her life, and see that she had no
friends, just people who were afraid of her and followed her orders.
And she had no fiance, boyfriend, lover, or whatever else she
had tried to fool herself into believe Ranma was to her. His heart
belonged to Akane Tendo, who was now Akane Saotome.
She wished she had a normal family and a normal childhood, then
maybe she might have had a chance with Ranma. But no matter how much she
wished for it, she had to deal with the family she had. She did feel a
little closer to her brother now, but it would have been nice to have a
mother and father as well. Unfortunately, her father hadn't been seen
for the past eight months or so, ever since he was bitten by a dog or
something.
Kodachi never really understood what that was all about.
Of her mother, she could few details from her childhood, but
her emotions told her she should hate the woman who seemingly abandoned
them. But more recently, she appeared to have pictures of her mother
caring for her, loving her, and healing her. But she couldn't remember
what happened to her mother. Did she die? Run away? What? It was like a
dream where she couldn't remember the ending. Just a vague sense of
something important happening recently that involved both her mother and
brother.
When she asked Tatewaki about it, he just quietly told her that
mother wasn't coming back, that she had passed away. He didn't seem to
be willing to share any more information than that.
Kodachi Kuno sighed, then glanced up to see where she was.
Distracted by her thoughts, she realized she had wandered into the large
indoor bathing room of the mansion. A couple of ornate marble pools
containing heated water gurgled quietly from the small waterfalls that
fed them. Various flora decorated the room, giving the whole area a
sense of a mountain hot spring.
[Maybe I shall take a bath, to get my mind off things,] she
decided and began to remove her kimono. Quickly washing down, she eased
herself into the warm, soothing waters and relaxed, willing the hot
water to remove her tension.
"I wish I could find someone to share this with," she mumbled
quietly to herself. That was what she really wanted, to be loved by
someone totally and unconditionally. "But where will I find a man that's
not afraid of me and will treat me as an equal?"
As she finished this spoken thought, she became aware of a
strange whistling sound. Curious, she sat up slightly and attempted to
attune her ears to the weird noise. [If I didn't know any better, I
would swear that it is growing louder.] She cocked her head in confusion
and tried to discern the direction of the ever louder whistle, and her
eyes widened when she figured out where it was coming from. [Above?]
*CRASH!* *BANG!* *BOOM!*
Kodachi sputtered as she coughed up the water she swallowed,
recovering from her dunking. Drying her eyes revealed a hole in the
ceiling and a small dust cloud over the adjoining pool.
"Oh dear, I shall have to get Sasuke to fix that," she mused.
"Now I suppose I had better find out who caused this mess, so I know to
whom to address the bill."
Driven by curiosity and heedless of her own nudity, Kodachi
stood up and strode over to the impact spot, only to blush furiously and
utter a very Kasumi-like, "Oh my!" when she glimpsed the culprit.
Laying in the other pool, was a very good-looking and well-
toned male bishonen youth. He was also, like her, quite naked.
To her surprise, the youth attempted to rise, only freezing as
he caught sight of Kodachi in all her glory. Of course, his natural
reaction was for the his eyes to mimic large saucers and blood to
trickle out of his nose.
For several seconds, the scene was frozen as the two stared at
each other. Then the house decided that was enough, and unleashed a
wooden beam from the ceiling to smash into the boy, conking him in the
noggin sending him into unconsciousness.
Kodachi broke out of her trance and went to help the strange
boy before he drowned in the three foot deep water. [Well, I wished for
man. A sign from the gods, perhaps?]
Shampoo crouched silently in the bushes. Despite the dark blue
and purple of her new fur, she managed to stay hidden from the patrols
while she waited for the sun to go down. Of course, the fact that she
had used some mud to darken her coloring helped. Once the sun dipped
below the horizon and the stars began to glow in the night sky, the
feral Amazon felt it was time.
With a speed and agility that she hadn't possessed in a long
time, Shampoo blurred out of her hiding space, the only sound being the
air she displaced as she sprinted. She scampered up a tree at the edge
of the forest and hid amongst it's thick branches. The next thirty
meters were bare of everything except some light scrub grass and tall
rock formations.
Beyond that loomed the walls of Nyuchiehzu, the home of the
Joketsuzoku, nestled in the rocky, mountainous reaches of Quingh-Hai
province. For as long as Shampoo could remember, this had been her home,
until the day Ranma arrived and beat her, quite easily, in front of the
whole village. Shamed by what she viewed as her incredible failure, she
felt the only way to regain her pride was to kill the girl.
Shampoo shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. She
couldn't afford to be distracted. Timing the motions of the sentries,
she picked her moment and leapt out of the trees, hitting the ground in
a rapid sprint that covered the full thirty meters in just a few
seconds. She let the shadow cast by wall, thanks to the half-moon, hide
her presence. From there, it was a short leap over the barrier and she
was inside.
She had to be more careful now, as there were more people
moving around inside than out, as well as the light of torches that
illuminated the inside. Drawing upon all her knowledge of stealth and
the quieter movements her cat-like body possessed, she stalked from
shadow to shadow, seeking one house, and one person in particular.
Elder Pu Yon closed the door and stepped inside, savoring the
warmth the fireplace gave to the room. She wasn't that old, having just
lived over 50 years, but the cold outside seemed harsher to her every
year. She was a warrior as well, though not the best of the village, she
was by no means a slouch either.
Which was why she sensed the other presence in her house. "[Who
are you?]" she demanded to know, speaking Chinese. The only glow came
from the fireplace, leaving several areas shrouded in darkness.
Included that corner by the window, Pu Yon realized. In one
smooth motion, she retrieved several small objects from inside her
Mandarin blouse, then let the three kunai darts fly. But instead of the
sound of steel striking either wood or flesh, there was nothing, as if
the darkness had swallowed the weapons.
At least until the three small objects were tossed in a lazy
arc to end up in the middle of the room.
"[Elder...]" came the faint feminine voice from the corner.
"[Auntie...]"
The old woman blinked. "[Shan Pu? Is that you?]" She took a
step towards the corner, bow able to see the outline of a vaguely
humanoid form.
"[Stop!]" The command from the corner stopped the Elder in her
tracks.
"[Shan Pu?]" Pu Yon asked. "[What's wrong? Where have you
been?]"
The girl in the shadows seemed to hesitate before replying,
"[I... need your help.]
Curious, the older woman tried to take another step forward
before being ordered to stop again, though this time it came out as more
of a plea. Pu Yon inhaled sharply through her nose and crossed her arms
over her chest.
"[Enough stalling, Shan Pu,]" the elderly woman chastised in a
stern voice. "[Tell me what this is about.]" Unlike Cologne, who
preferred to let children have more freedom to do as they please and
learn from their mistakes, Pu Yon felt that a sterner hand was required.
There was a few moments of silence, and then Shampoo stretched
her hand into the light. Pu Yon gasped as she beheld the claw-like hand
that was covered with matted bluish-purplish fur.
The older woman's eyes narrowed. "[Who or what are you?]"
"[I am Shan Pu, Elder!]" the girl in the insisted in a near-
panicked voice.
"[Then step into the light where I can see you,]" Pu Yon
demanded, her patience growing thing. "[Amazon warriors do not cower in
darkness.]"
The girl in the shadows hung her head, but heeded the command
and stepped fully into the light. Elder Pu Yon was better able to
contain her shock this time as she studied her guest. The humble girl
that stood before her now was a far cry from the prideful Amazon warrior
that left the village all those months ago.
The muddy and filthy rag-tag remains of Shampoo's battle
bodysuit, barely only covered where modesty demanded. The rest of her
form was hidden by the same bluish-purplish fur that Pu Yon had seen on
the girl's hand. It was quite a few shades darker than Shampoo's normal
purple hair, which now seemed more like a mane that matched the rest of
her fur, hanging down slightly past her waist. Even her face sported a
little fur, which now had a cat's nose and whiskers to accompany it. The
only really left unchanged, where Shampoo's eyes, which were still a
dark purple to match the rest of her.
"[What have you don to yourself, child?]" Pu Yon asked in a
tired voice.
"[My Jusenkyo curse was merged with my real body by a ghost cat
name Mao Mao Lin,]" Shampoo explained in a quiet voice. "[Do you know of
anything that can return me to normal?]"
The old woman sighed and shook her head sadly. "[Your great-
grandmother was the foremost expert on magicks and village lore. I'm
afraid I am not as aware of anyway to reverse this.]"
"[There must be something you can do!]" Shampoo pleaded, the
desperation in her voice clear. "[I want to turn back to normal!]"
"[Stop it, Shan Pu!]" Pu Yon ordered. "[Khu Lon may have put
with your demanding attitude, but I will not!]" She nodded in relief as
the cat-like girl calmed down, showing proper respect. "[Now, I do have
access to the vault of knowledge as an Elder, but since I haven't been
one for very long, I do not know all of what it contains. I will look
through it to see if I can find something to return you to normal.]"
Shampoo's expression changed from apprehension, to one of hope,
but before she could say anything, there came a shout from outside. Both
women turned at the yell, but Shampoo showed more worry that Pu Yon.
"[Now what's going on?]" the Elder woman wondered out loud,
heading for the window. "[What's with all the racket?]" she yelled to a
passing Amazon warrior.
"[There's an intruder in the village,]" the out-of-breath
warrior replied. "[Su Yin was found unconscious a short while ago. She
was attacked.]"
Pu Yon nodded and let the warrior go, turning back inside
toward the cat-girl. "I assume you had something to do with this?]"
It was no secret that Su Yin was jealous of Shampoo, and she
leader of a group of girls that weren't too fond of Shampoo's
accomplishments nor her privileged position as Cologne's heir. Su Yin
was also the second-best of her generation, while Shampoo was naturally
the best; until Ranma came along, that is.
Shampoo actually looked sheepish. "[Um, she spotted me, and I
didn't want anyone to know I was here.]"
Pu Yon thought it was something more than that, but didn't
pursue the issue. "Really? Well I can't say I'm surprised.]"
Shampoo's eyes widened as a knock came at the door. "[You can't
tell anyone I was here!]"
"[Elder Pu Yon!]" someone called from outside. "[Are you there?
Are you alright?]"
The old woman sighed. "[Very well. Because of you I am an Elder
now, so I owe you a debt. Go now. I will search for a cure and come for
you when I have discovered one.]"
"[How will you find me?]" Shampoo asked worriedly, but moving to
the window to make her escape.
"[There is a man living deep in the woods about eight kilometers
northeast of here,]" Pu Yon responded. "[His name is Fen Wu, and he used
to be of this village. Wait for me there!]"
The knock at the door sounded again. "[Pu Yon? Are you okay in
there?]"
"[Go!]" the Elder commanded, practically shoving the girl out
the window. She didn't wait to see if Shampoo got away, before answering
the door. "[Yes, yes, I'm fine. You needn't make such a racket.]"
The young female warrior gave a short bow as an apology. "[I
apologize, Elder. But there is an intruder somewhere in the village, and
we do not think it is totally human. It could be a Musk warrior.]"
Pu Yon hid her smile. While it had happened rarely in the past,
that a Musk warrior would seek out an Amazon for a wife, it hadn't
happened at all in the 200 years. Now it was more of a story told to
scare young Amazon children into behaving, or else a Musk warrior would
get them.
"[I'll be on guard,]" Pu Yon told the young warrior wryly. The
girl bowed again and left, while the Elder glanced up at the night sky.
[And good luck to you, Shampoo.]
Shampoo paused in the forest, having just barely evaded the
patrols of warriors looking for her. She had been spotted several times,
but by keeping to the shadows, they never got a good look at her. Her
speed and agility kept her one step ahead, until she finally lost them
in the woods.
Now breathing a sigh of relief, the cat-girl focused her mind
on the task at hand, then grimaced when she remembered what the Elder
had told her. She had to go back to Fen Wu's cabin to wait, and she knew
Mousse was there. She didn't particularly want to see the love-struck
nuisance again, but it looked like she had no choice. Though since he
didn't pursue her when she left there, maybe he had finally given up his
stupid obsession with her.
After all, she realized, lesser miracles have been known to
happen.
Sighing, Shampoo curled up in a high tree branch to spend the
night, figuring she'd head back to the cabin tomorrow.
"Ucchan, I finished cleaning the kitchen," Yuri called to the
chef who was in the main dining area, scrubbing at the grill that was
her pride and joy.
"Okay, I'm almost done here, then we can close up from for the
night, Yuchan," Ukyo returned, smiling a bit at the nicknames they were
calling each other now. Normally her nickname was reserved for Ranma
alone, but she figured the best way to totally get over him was to allow
her closest friends to call her that as well.
Yuri removed her apron and drained the sink, leaving the dishes
to dry while she headed out into the main room. She nodded to Ukyo, then
began to close the curtains. Midway through closing the big one that
covered the main window looking out into the street, she caught a flash
of movement from outside and stopped her actions.
The figure outside stopped as well, standing across the street
and out of the illumination provided by the street lamps, forcing Yuri
to squint her eyes to see him. There was something about the figure's
movement, something familiar, though she could only see a vague outline
in the darkness, even with her enhanced night vision.
She gasped as the figure turned and briskly moved off. Yuri
dashed to the door. "Kenji!" she called out to the darkness, but
received no reply.
Ukyo caught the name and leapt over the counter to stand beside
her waitress. "What? Did you see him?" She had eventually cornered the
story of Kenji's disappearance from Yuri and Konatsu, and was more than
a little worried herself.
The street outside, however, was empty of living beings.
Yuri sighed. "Maybe not. I thought I saw someone that looked
like him, but I guess I was wrong."
Looking down the street to the right, Ukyo's eyes widened. "Or
maybe not! Look!"
Yuri turned to see a figure leaping from street light to street
light, making its way down the road and approaching an intersection. The
leaping technique was familiar to her, and yet was not. "It could be
him..."
"Are you speaking of Kenji-sama?" The two girls nearly jumped
out of their skin as Konatsu seemingly materialized out of thin air.
"That's what Yuri thinks." Ukyo holstered her battle spatula on
her back and adjusted her bandoleer, then dashed out into the street.
"Well, there's only one way to find out. Come on, let's go before we
lose him!" She waved to her compatriots.
"Right!" Yuri agreed, then all three sprinted down the street,
taking to the roof tops as they hit the corner where they quarry turned.
They paused for a second to get their bearings, then Yuri spotted the
receding black-clad figure. "There he is!"
"Well, I know everyone in this town that can roof-hop," Ukyo
said as they jumped along. "And this guy doesn't look like any of them."
"If it is Kenji, why is he running away from us?" Yuri wondered
out loud.
"Perhaps, he has his reasons," Konatsu offered.
"Well, whoever he is, I want to find out what he's doing here,"
Ukyo said increasing her speed some to try and keep up with the two
faster ninja. "At the very least, a new martial artist in town always
spells trouble."
The other two agreed, then no more conversation was held as the
three concentrated on chasing the mysterious individual. It seemed no
matter how fast they ran, they still came no closer to catching up with
him. On the other hand, the figure never got far enough away that they
lost sight of him, either.
[It's almost as if he wants us to follow him,] Ukyo wondered.
[But why?]
After five minutes of running, the figure left the rooftop and
jumped back down to the street. His three pursuers followed shortly
thereafter, but when they hit the ground, their quarry was nowhere in
sight.
A door slammed across the street, drawing three pairs of eyes
to its location: an old, run-down office building.
"Don't tell me he went in there?" Ukyo panted, nearly out of
breath. She wasn't used to running like that, but was amazed that
Konatsu and Yuri only seemed only a little winded.
"Okay, I won't tell you that." Yuri smirked at her friend, the
started forward. "Well, as Ukyo said earlier, there's only one way to
find out. Come on, 'Natsu-chan!"
Her forward momentum was halted by a hand on her arm. "Wait,
Yuri-sama. does this not feel wrong to you?"
"He's got a point, Yuchan," Ukyo agreed. "Didn't ya notice that
he kept in sight all this time, despite the fact that we were running
full out?"
"Even so, I just know my brother's in there somewhere! It just
feels right, I can't explain it!" She turned and started forward again.
"You can sit outside if you want, but I'm going inside."
Ukyo and Konatsu glanced at each and sighed, then followed the
stubborn girl as she opened the creaking door and stepped inside.
High above, another pair of eyes watched them enter from a
fourth story window, and the lips belonging to the same face as those
eyes, twisted upward into a grin. [Perfect. They have arrived. I knew
that stupid sister of his wouldn't be able to resist my lure. The first
pieces have fallen into place. Now I need merely wait.]
Zhao Len cackled to herself, as the clouds outside began to
rumble ominously with the sounds of thunder.
-----------------------------------
Author's Notes:
Who's the guy who dropped in on Kodachi? You can probably guess, but if
you can't, here's a hint: In the manga, he 'dropped' into the Tendo
house a couple of times.