SMST 5B: Journey to Adventure! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Author's Note: I'm going to try something different.
Part 30.
The city of Shanghai, one of the few non-colonial port cities in China, that was filled with intrigue and mystery, even more so since the end of World War II. In one corner of the city, a British-owned club called "The Shanghai Surprise" was bustling with activity, especially since everyone was anticipating the Chinese New Year…
"I'm surprise that you and Bunny could move about unmolested," Rick said, as he, Evelyn, Ranma and Usagi enters the club.
"What do you mean, Rick?" Ranma said.
"Well-"
KRISH!
"Hey!" said a middle aged, brown-haired man (who was wearing a white, dinner jacket), as he went between a young man and a burly, bald British man. "Calm down!"
"Hey, nothing!" said the Brit. "This twerp tried to muscle in on my date!"
"Hey, she isn't married, you know!" said the young man.
"And I'll fix it that you NEVER will!" said the Brit, as he took out his butcher's knife.
The young man gulped, as he stood his ground.
"Rick-!" Evelyn said with worry.
"Hey!" Rick said, as he intervened.
The three men turn to see two men and two women entering the club. The younger man growled in dismay, while the middle-age man merely shook his head. The Brit was unperturbed.
"Who is this bloke?" the Brit said, as he looks at Rick with a mischievous grin. "And what the hell is this Jap doing here?"
"It's me, Rick O'Connell," Rick said. "And HE is my son you're about to cut."
"And I'm the 'Jap' that kicked your arse the LAST time you insulted my ethnicity," Ranma replied.
For a moment, Evelyn and Usagi looked upon the scene with worry…
"HEY!" the Brit said with a grin. "It's me, 'Mad Dog Maguire'."
"Yeah, we know who you are," Rick said. "Now, put away the knife, 'Mad Dog'."
"Fine, but your boy was the one who started it."
"Well, we're ending it," Evelyn said, as she goes over to her son to hug him. "Hello, Alex."
"Mom," Alex said with annoyance. He then turns towards his father Rick.
"I don't need YOU to come here to bail me out, Dad."
"I'm not," Rick said.
"What, you're NOT?"
"No."
"Then, why are you all here?" Evelyn's brother Jonathan asked. "This isn't about mummies, right?"
"Actually, we're here on official business," Usagi said. "As a means of beginning the healing process between Japan and her neighbors, Ranma and I will present a special artifact that had been stolen during the war."
"Ah."
"But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate your discovery, son," Rick said as held his son's shoulders.
"What do you mean?" Alex replied.
"Your mentor, Professor Rogers, had informed us of your discovery in the Gobi Desert."
"Huh."
"And, son, we're proud of you," Evelyn said. "We can't wait to see the exhibit you and Professor Rogers have set up at the Shanghai Natural Museum…"
Usagi looked up at her husband with a hint of worry. She REALLY hoped that Alex did not discover the REAL tomb of the Dragon Emperor. She knew that the British government was concerned about rogue Chinese nationalist who would destabilize the truce between Chiang Kai-Shek's supporters and the supporters of Mao Zedong…
"Yeah, Alex," Ranma said. "You've done good."
"Yeah, well…okay. But, Dad, I want your promise that you allow me to handle things with the exhibit."
"Sure," Rick said with gritted teeth, which warranted a mild elbow jab to the rib by Ranma.
BAMF!
"Okay, yes," Rick said. "I…WILL."
"Good, then I can show you the exhibit before it opens tomorrow night," Alex said.
"But, in the mean time, let me show you the place," Jonathon said, as he turns towards Mad Dog. "Mad Dog-"
"Yeah, yeah," Mad Dog said, as he heads back to the kitchen. "But make sure that the kid stays away from my woman!"
Alex merely rolls his eyes.
"I don't know about you, but I feel like dancing," Usagi said, as she turns towards her husband. "Shall we?"
Ranma sticks out his arm.
"Let's," Ranma said, as he escorts his wife onto the dance floor, just as Rick and Evelyn joins them.
As Ranma and Usagi danced, Ranma notices something.
"Huh," Ranma said.
"What?" Usagi asked.
"I could have sworn that I saw Xi Lin."
"Really?" Usagi said, as she looks around the area. "Where?"
Ranma turns to where he had seen his and Usagi's goddaughter…from thousands of years ago.
"Huh," Ranma said. "She must have…left."
"Ranma, if Lin is here-"
"I know. We'll just find out whether or not Lin's presence outside of Shangri La is no coincidence…"
The next evening…
"So, this is your discovery," Rick said, as he, Evelyn, Ranma and Usagi followed Alex to where the main exhibit was being held. Alex wanted to show his parents and godparents around before the museum gala begins. It was also the place where Ranma and Usagi would present the 'Eye of Shangri La' to the representatives of the Chinese government…
"Yep," Alex said, as he walks up to a balding, older man. "And, you know the professor…"
"Huh?" said the man. He then smiles.
"Ah, Rick," the man said.
"Professor Rogers, it's good to see you again," Rick said.
"Same here, Rick," Rogers said. He then sees Ranma and Usagi.
"Lord Rantsu…Lady Rantsu," Rogers said.
"Hello, Professor," Ranma said evenly. "How's it been?"
"Oh, trying to bask in young Alex's exhibit, before I retire…"
"Look, I want to get the program schedule for tonight's gala from the office, since I am always the LAST to know these things," Alex said. "I'll be right back."
After Alex leaves the exhibit floor, Professor Rogers turns towards the two married couples.
"Alex said that you have the Eye?" Rogers asked.
Rick points to Ranma…
"Yep," Ranma said, as he takes out the case. He then presents it to the professor by opening it."
"Magnificent," Rogers said. "May I hold it?"
"I don't know…"
"Ranma, stop being such a 'cad'," Usagi said. "It'll probably be the last time any of us will have a chance to touch it…"
"Yeah, I guess so," Ranma said. "Now, just be careful…"
"I will," the professor said, as he takes the box. He then picks up the Eye. "A diamond wrapped in a 'nest' of gold snakes…"
"And hopefully, with this, the healing between peoples can begin," Evelyn said, as she hugged her husband's arm.
"It will be a cold day in hell before THAT happens," said a uniformed man, as ultra-nationalists surrounds everyone.
"What?" Rick said. He then turns towards the professor.
"Professor, get behind us-"
CLAK!
Rick and everyone else could see that Rogers had a trained gun on him.
"No," Evelyn replied in disbelief.
"I'm sorry about this," Rogers said. "But I have to think about retirement."
Ranma turns to see that a Chinese young woman had grabbed Usagi from behind.
"Ranma-?" Usagi said.
Ranma faced the leader of this band.
"What is the meaning of this-?" Ranma began to say, before-
WHACK!
The man hits Ranma across the face.
"YOU and your kind no longer control China," the man said. "YOU will obey ME."
Ranma didn't feel anything, but behaved as if he did, for appearance sake.
"My name is General Yang, and my female companion is Colonel Choi. I believe that you brought something back of value?"
"You'll never get away with this!" Rick said.
"I believe I will."
Yang motioned for one of his men to bring Evelyn to him directly.
"Rick-!" Evelyn said
"No!" Rick replied.
"I will need a drop of the blood of one who is 'innocent'," Yang said, as he grabbed Evelyn's finger to prick it with a thin knife.
"Ow!" Evelyn said.
Rogers then moved the Eye directly under the drops of blood.
FLASH!
Suddenly, the snakes come alive, and moves away from the diamond, as the diamond itself reconfigures itself.
"The waters of 'Shangri-La'," Usagi said.
"You know this?" Rick said.
"Well, yeah," Usagi shrugged.
"And you were going to me this…WHEN?"
"You never asked," Ranma said. "And besides, we're here to return the Eye to its rightful owner."
"And you have," Yang said.
"Oh, don't tell me that you're going to wake up Han, are you?"
"You know who THIS is?" Evelyn asked.
"Know him? Usagi and I were there when Xi Yuan cursed him."
"Then you must be the Jade King," Yang said, as he points his gun at Ranma. "Killing you will be great revenge for what your people have done-"
"WAIT!" screamed Alex, as a young Chinese woman comes crashing through the upper terrace, knocking the sacred water from Yang's hand to onto the driver of the carriage
"DEATH to Han!" said the girl, as she knocks over the sarcophagus that was supposed to belong to Emperor Han.
"Li, wait!" Ranma yells.
"No, uncle!" Li said, as she takes out a ceremonial dagger. "We can end this now-huh?"
"What's going on?" Rick said. "Ranma-!"
"Han is the driver," Ranma said, as he shakes his head. "We made sure that none of the 'Sons of the Dragon' would figure out how to resurrect Han."
"So, in other words…THIS IS ANOTHER MUMMY!" Rick said.
"Pretty much, Rick," said Usagi. She then elbows Choi in the stomach.
"Oof!" Choi said, as she went down.
"Guys, look!" Alex said, as he points to the driver.
"Yeeaaarrgh!" the driver said.
"Emperor Han!" Yang said.
Han, enchased in clay, turns to face his old foe.
"YOU," Han sneered.
"Oh, boy," Ranma replied.
END FLASHBACK!
"So, what happened?" Gina asked.
"Well, forgetting that the Han still had mastery over the Elements, he, naturally, escaped…with Yang and Choi," Ranma said, as he sipped his tea. "But we didn't have to worry about losing track of him, since Usagi and I knew he had to bathe in the waters of Shangri La…"
DING! DING! DING-!
Everyone looks at a nearby grandfather clock…
"Well, that's it for today," Ranma yawned.
"Hey, I want to hear more about you and Han," Brittany said.
"Fine. Rick, myself and the rest of us teamed up with the Yeti to take down Han and his acolytes to no avail."
"Li got kidnapped after Han 'cured' himself," Usagi said. "Unfortunately, Han was now able to become a dragon at will because of his 'cure'."
"Oh, dear," Brianna said.
"And then, thanks to Li's mother Yuan, who was a member of the Wu Lung school of Eastern witches, we were able to raise an army of the dead, victims of Han's tyranny, to fight Han's army of terracotta warriors," Ranma said.
"And then…?"
"Ranma and Han fought for an entire day before he defeated Han utterly," Usagi said. "Meanwhile, I assisted Yuan in created a spell that allowed the undeserved dead, including Yuan's lover General Guo, our dear friend, that allowed them to return to the land of the living."
"Really?"
"Really. I believe Yuan and Guo still live in Shangri La to this day…with Rick and Evelyn, strangely enough. Li, however, sacrificed her immortality, so she could be with Alex. In fact, they've celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary with their children and grandchildren before Alex died of an unfortunate auto accident."
"And Li?" Brianna asked.
"She returned to Shangri La, but chose not to partake the sacred waters…so that she may live out the rest of her days in peace."
"Why didn't Li and Alex take up the sacred waters?" Gina asked.
"We don't know," Usagi said with a sigh. "My theory is that for Alex, he wanted to be as different from his parents as possible, which means that he didn't want to be immortal LIKE his parents. Li was more than willing to accommodate her would-be husband's needs in this regard."
"And Yang and Choi?" Brittany asked.
"Well, since they wanted to find Han and his Terracotta Army so much, well…" Ranma said, as he points to the two clay statues of a man and an attractive woman that was encased in glass. Both were dressed in military uniforms, and both were encased in clay "skin".
"Oh, my god!" Gina said. "How could you?"
"It was not on purpose, Gina," Usagi replied. "I was trying to put the Terracotta Army back to sleep, when these two were caught up in the spell."
"Can you…release them?" Brianna asked, as she stared at the statues.
"Well, sure, but I won't…not after what these two had caused."
"What do you mean?" Gina asked.
"Because of THEM causing trouble, Mao Zedong thought that Chiang Kai-Shek had broken his word about the truce," Ranma said. "Personally, I think Mao was looking for an excuse, but Yang's actions enabled Mao to do what he did."
"Huh?"
"Anyway, that's that," Ranma said, as he puts away his box. "We still have more work to do if we are to catalog this stuff for the auction."
"Well, only if you tell us more stories," Brittany said.
"Since when have you been interested in MY stories?"
"Hey, I got a weakness for the occasional yarn."
"Okay," Ranma said, as he pulls an elfin blade from the wall. "Tomorrow, I will tell you ll how I fought my cousin, the elf prince Nuada, for control over the Golden Army…"
Tbc.