Okay same drill as last chapter...hope you enjoy.
Stories in Song Chapter 2:
The Only
"The Only"
By Static-X
It was raining in the village, just as it had been all week. The dirt streets had long since turned to mud and most people were staying indoors. Well normally they would be. But right now everyone in the village was lining the main road that lead to the Council House, where the Elders were already waiting. Today was a special day, but not in the good sense that most people would associate with a special day. Today was the day that the Elders would publicly announce the sentence of Xian Pu.
Xian Pu's case had been a very strange one indeed. At first it was simply thought that she had needed more training to defeat the outsider girl who had beaten her after the tournament. But then it was discovered that the girl actually was a man with a Jusenkyo curse. The Elders had then decided that she would go with her Great-Grandmother, Ku Lon the Matriarch, to bring back this boy as her husband.
However, many things had happened that were not foreseen, mainly because they had never happened before. That the boy was a student of Happosai the Accursed had been discovered, as well as the fact that the young boy, Ranma, had come very close to beating Ku Lon herself by using Neko-ken. Then the boy had continued on to defeat Herb, the Prince of the Musk, whom many in the tribe saw as the most powerful of his line. No one, not even the Elders ever wanted to face him in single combat. What made things even more amazing was the fact that this had been done in the boy's cursed form, a form in which he was considered to be weaker due to the fact of his unfamiliarity with it.
At first many of the Elders scoffed at this until proof was brought in the form of a party of Amazons who had been sent to find the truth had returned with startling evidence. Not only had this boy Ranma defeated Herb, but the very mountain they had been fighting upon had been destroyed as well. This fact brought everyone up short and began to worry the Elders. The mountain had never been meant to be destroyed; it was merely collateral damage in the fight. Many had begun to wonder whether or not Ranma should be brought to the tribe.
Then the impossible had happened, Ranma not only defeated, but KILLED Lord Saffron, the Phoenix King. That Saffron had immediately returned to his egg form was a given, but the fact that a young MALE had done what not even the entire strength of the village could do had shocked and infuriated all of the Amazons. Then, shortly thereafter Ku Lon and Xian Pu had returned without Ranma. He had defeated her in single combat and forced her to return. Since that time Xian Pu had been confined to her home and the Elders had been in meeting at the Council house, not even leaving for food or rest. The punishment for failing a second time was a choice between death and banishment, at the condemned's choice. None had ever chosen banishment. However, the fact that the young one had killed Saffron and then defeated Ku Lon herself had thrown young Xian Pu's fate into question. Was the law still valid in the face of such unknowns?
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Xian Pu stepped out of her home for the first time since she had returned two weeks ago. She heard the gasps in the crowd as they realized that she was not wearing anything. Xian Pu had to suppress a grin as many of the adolescent boys passed out after one glance.
They should have realized that I would appear like this, she thought to herself. I will have been stripped of my status as a warrior, and I refuse to dress in the clothing of those cowards who will not fight.
With her mother and sisters arrayed behind her Xian Pu began her march toward the Council House, her shoulders thrown proudly back and her head held high.
This of course caused the few boys who had reawakened to immediately pass back out. Xian Pu allowed the smile to reach her face briefly then banished it as soon as the Council House came into view.
The Elders were standing in a line at the head of the stairs, and there faces appeared to be calm, though Shampoo very much doubted this was the case. She did, however, notice that one Elder was not present. This worried her just a little. All Elders had to be present to make a decision on the case and it was not good for one to not be there. Xian Pu stopped at foot of the stairs and stood waiting for the Elders to speak.
"We are here today to pronounce judgment on the former Warrior Xian Pu.", Bu Rash, the Council's normal speaker said. "She has twice broken our laws and returned to us in disgrace. Normally, she already would have been dealt with; however, three factors have thrown her fate into question."
Xian Pu heard questioning whispers in the crowd and understood why, she herself was wondering what the Elders meant by "three factors". Were the counting Herb and Saffron separately?
"The first thing that has caused question to come to her is her quarry himself, the one called Ranma Saotome. This young man has become quite possibly the most dangerous person on the planet. The boy has defeated enemies that no one single person in the tribe, and Saffron could quite possibly destroy our entire village in a day."
Bu Rush paused for a moment to allow this to sink in then continued saying, "The second factor are Ranma's friends and rivals. Though none are his equal in combat, some are very close and a couple who have no combat ability are skilled in other things that he is not such as espionage and manipulation of others. We believe that these others will not give up Ranma to us even if he had willing come to China."
"The third of these factors comes from inside the tribe itself and will be addressed when Elder So Pae returns."
The whispers began as soon as Elder Bu Rush ceased speaking. Xian Pu herself was trying to puzzle out the meaning behind the statement. She was also starting to get a little cold out in this rain. She turned too look behind her when she heard movement in the crowd and saw the people making way for Elder So Pae and a person in a cloak. Xian Pu tried to peer into the cloak but the hood was pulled down too far to see who it was. Something about him was familiar though.
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As he followed after Elder So Pae, the figure in the cloak looked up cautiously so as not to move the hood enough for anyone to see his face. When he saw Xian Pu's state of dress, or rather, undress he almost lost control over himself. He forced himself to look away; so that he could continue his mission. As much as he cared for her, even though most of his mannerisms that showed that love were an act, he would destroy her today. He was going to destroy the person he loved, as his last act for his tribe. The worst thing about it was that it was the only way to save.
When Elder So Pae moved to the top of the stairs and took up standing behind all of the Elders. As he moved by Ku Lon he saw her questioning gaze. He knew that his aura told her plain as day whom he was, just as all the other Elders knew the same way. He wondered what she thought of this. He barely knew what to make of it himself. How strange that after all this time he still did not understand all of the laws governing his tribe. It was that inability to understand that had labeled him as worthless to most in the tribe. He always did what he felt to be right. Even when it cost him dearly, as it would today.
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"My fellow Amazons," So Pae started her speech, "as many of you have heard before I arrived the fate of Xian Pu has been difficult to determine due to three factors. You have already heard the first two and now I shall reveal to you the third."
Elder So Pae paused to take in a breath and then continued, "As most of you know, when Xian Pu left the second time her Great-Grandmother, Elder Ku Lon, went with her. What is not known, even to them, is that another went with them." She paused again to survey the reactions of both Xian Pu and Ku Lon, and was pleased to note that they both had startled looks on their faces.
"The reason that this person was sent was to be the Council's eyes in the matter. It was decided that Ku Lon's neutrality in this matter was swayed by the fact that it involved her own family. To this end the Council decided to choose a male to be our eyes, mainly because Ku Lon would not expect this. The boy's first mission was to test the young Saotome in combat, to see if he was truly worthy of his praise. He returned to us after the fight and told us of his defeat by Saotome and of some of the ploys used by the Elder and Xian Pu to woo young Saotome. He then decided that he needed some method of moving around in a way that most people would not notice him. To that end he willingly immersed himself in the waters of Jusenkyo to gain a curse that would be of use to him in this endeavor. He also took some back with him as a ploy to gain the trust of Ku Lon and Xian Pu, so that they would not wonder if there was another reason for his being there." So Pae paused again to look at the faces of Ku Lon and Xian Pu. She was very satisfied to see a look of realization dawning on their faces as the stared beyond her to look at the figure behind her. "After the events on Phoenix Mountain and the subsequent happens in Japan that forced Xian Pu's return, this young warrior stayed to ascertain Saotome's feelings regarding we Amazons, and whether he planned any violent action against our tribe. He has assured us that Ranma plans no such action, and indeed, seems to have forgotten us completely. That brings us to the matter at hand. He has told the Council much of the happenings in Japan and has decided that Xian Pu has lost her place as the best warrior in the village."
Gasps filled the crowd at these words and caused Xian Pu to stiffen, her face a mask of fury. Many of the people in the crowd began to talk amongst themselves at this revelation, but this ceased when Elder So Pae raised her staff for silence.
"He bases this claim on the fact that Saotome had numerous other fiancés and suitors that Xian Pu never claimed a decisive victory over." So Pae paused for a moment to allow her words to sink in before she spoke her next sentence, for she knew that her next words would destroy Xian Pu and cause both her and the young man attempting to save her life to cast out from the tribe. She also knew that the young man behind her felt that it was the only way to save her life and set her on a path which would take her to even greater heights than she had every imagined, and that Ku Lon's stubborn habit of staying precisely with the laws had lead her to this point and would only make her chose death. "This young warrior has also issued the Challenge Her Coo Lays, stating that Xian Pu's fighting skills had degraded to the point that she could be beaten by even him, one whom she has scorned time after time."
The gasps filling the crowd were even loader this time as were the angry shouts and curses thrown in various directions. So Pae understood the curses, the Challenge of Her Coo Lays was seldom issued, mainly because there where very few men who could actually complete it. The Challenge dated back to a time before the Amazons came to their valley here. The legend told of a time when there was once a man, Her Coo Lays, who had single handedly defeated the best warrior of the Amazons, and she had never even touched him. The Challenge was one of the few available to the men of the tribe and was rarely used because the man had to defeat the woman without her touching him, and also because if he won they were both exiled from the tribe until such time that the woman could defeat the man again. That the young man behind her felt that this was the only way that this was save Xian Pu amused her a little, she was liable to kill him during the match due all the things he had said about her. Still he had made the challenge; it was out of her hands. "The Challenge shall begin immediately, will someone go fetch the proper clothes for Xian Pu." The clothing used for the challenge was the same clothing that was worn in the time of Her Coo Lays, in the modern world it would be likened to a chain metal bra and loin cloth.
So Pae watched with a neutral expression as Xian Pu donned the clothing, her eyes never leaving the form of the man behind So Pae. Once she had donned the clothing So Pae raised her staff again to motion for silence.
"Everyone please back away from the center of the square; I believe I don't need to remind anyone that the penalty for interfering is death." She announced with a look around the crowd. "Combatants to the center! Ready? Begin!"
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How dare he? How dare he do this to her? How dare he interrupt her judgment and then claim that she had grown weak? Xian Pu had guessed the identity of her accuser as soon as Elder So Pae had said that he had stayed in Japan to watch them. She took no offence in the fact that the other Elders had sent him there to keep watch over her and Great-Grandmother, she had rather expected it. But how could this weak male dare to make these accusations against her! She would take her retribution for this; she would beat him harder than Ranma ever had!
As soon as she heard the Elder announce the start of the match she leaped at her accuser, one hand coming forward for a punch that she had charged with the small amount of ki she could manipulate…only to meet air. He had simply moved to the side in such a motion that she couldn't even see him. The move had not even moved his hood out of the way so that she could see his face. Then pain exploded across her stomach. Her breath was knocked out of her and she began crumpling around his knee that had struck her before she could even see him move.
"This must be what it fells like to get hit by Ryoga", she thought as she tried to will her body to move away. She never saw the fist that stole her consciousness away.
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He had done it. He had beaten her with only two strikes. And she had never touched him. He rolled her over so that he could make sure that he had not broken anything, he sometimes had trouble realizing his own strength. Nothing appeared broken so he moved out of the way so that the chief healer, Nea Spuran, could check her.
As he stood he took in the site of Elder Ku Lon looking at him with pure disbelief on her face. The sight brought a small smile to his face. It was one he had wanted to see for a long time. He turned slightly to see that nearly everyone in the square had the same look on their faces. He sighed and stood his ground and waited for Xian Pu to be revived. She would hate him for what he had done. And he had become a hypocrite. After all the times he had attacked others for offering her the small insult, after he had swore he would never hurt her, he knocked her out. He sighed again and tried to keep the tears he knew must be flowing from showing leaking out.
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Xian Pu awoke and had to squint her eyes to keep the light out, it hurt right now. She felt the beginnings of a bruise on her stomach and the left side of her head was on fire. Slowly, and with the healers help, she stood. Only one glance at her Great-Grandmothers face confirmed what she knew. She had lost. To him. To the one she could always beat with her pinkie. She saw him standing to the side still in that damned cloak. She wanted to see his face. She wanted to see his gloating. As she made his way over to him she saw him tense, as if to move, but then he relaxed and let her come. She threw the hood back when she reached, and was shocked to see tears standing in Mu Tsu's eyes. She dimly heard the crowd give a gasp as they discovered who had beaten her. Why was he crying he had done what he had always wanted, he had beaten her. Why wasn't he happy? She turned as she heard all the Elders knock their canes on the ground at the same time.
"Xian Pu you have lost the trial of Her Coo Lays. You are both here by banished from the tribe until such time that you can defeat Mu Tsu once more. Leave now." Elder So Pae said and then she and all the other Elders turned and went into the Council House. She turned and saw that Mu Tsu had pulled a traveling pack from somewhere and had another on his back. She took it, put it on and began walking. She did not stop to speak with her family. She did not look back. She just walked.
It was nearing night fall when he finally spoke. "Xian Pu we should stop and set up camp. You need to change cloths or you may catch cold. We should also set up our tents and get some sleep. She stopped but said nothing. Then she turned and looked him straight in the eye asking "Why? Why did you do this? Why did you interrupt? How did you beat me?"
"I did it to save you." Mu Tsu answered with a sigh, "I knew that you would only choose death if they decided that you had failed again. As to how, I have been fight with Saotome for almost a year straight while in Nerima. Did you not think that I would have improved at least as much as he did? I may not be as good as him, or Hibiki for that matter, but I have surpassed you."
Xian Pu felt her anger rising at that statement, but she let it go as useless.
She stood for a while listing to the sounds of Mu Tsu setting up a tent before she asked, "Where are we going?"
"Where else?" he replied, "Nerima we owe both the Saotomes and the Tendos an apology for our actions. Also, where else do you think you can get the training you need to defeat me."
Xian Pu nodded looking out onto the mountain. Yes they did owe them an apology. But for some strange reason she felt a sense of peace. She was not sure where it came from but it didn't seem to matter. After a time she turned to Mu Tsu and said, "Here let me help you."
End
Well here is the some more of the story. I decided that I was going to continue this as well as make a sequel. Next is Akane and Ranma's story. And then that will be the end of this. The sequel won't be songfics. It will be a crossover with one of my favorite book series by David and Leigh Eddings and Sailor Moon. So please review so I know what like and maybe what you want to see.
Xian Pu Shampoo
Mu Tsu Mousse
Ku Lon Cologne
So Pae Soap
Nea SpuranNeosporin
Her Coo Lays Hercules
I sorta borrowed and then tweaked Greek mythology. I used the story of Hercules meeting the Amazons. I thought it was pretty good so sue me. TTFN!